Chapter 19: Shark Live vs. Wolf Fang Live

"My debut broadcast was just a tiny bit stronger than this," Clearlove said, flashing a bashful look like a shy young boy.

"That’s true. Lu Zi'ang is only a rookie; he still can't compare to you for the time being," Abu said with a smile.

A short while later, the group from Langya Live was led into Abu's office by the receptionist.

The setup was essentially identical: a director, an assistant, and legal counsel.

When enemies meet, they recognize each other instantly.

Especially Director Xu from Shark and Director Zhou from Langya—as soon as they walked through the door, the air was filled with a palpable sense of hostility, the atmosphere thick with tension.

Seeing this, Abu wore a plastered smile. "Everyone is an old acquaintance, so I won’t bother with introductions. Director Zhou, please, take a seat."

The group sat down. Fortunately, Abu's office was large enough. With two genuine leather sofas, the Shark and Langya teams sat facing each other, creating a rather awkward atmosphere.

"Did you come all the way here so late just to reminisce?" Abu asked, taking the initiative. It was a redundant question, but he needed to probe the intentions of the Langya delegation.

"To reminisce, and to discuss some cooperation," Director Zhou said stiffly. "Though I didn't expect you, Director Ji, to have guests at such a late hour."

Abu needed to fan the flames, so he smiled and said, "Director Xu and his team are also here to talk about a partnership. We’re all old friends, so I won’t beat around the bush. Director Xu is here to discuss a partnership regarding Lu Zi'ang. And you, Director Zhou?"

"Oh?"

"What a coincidence! We at Langya are also here to negotiate a partnership with your club regarding Lu Zi'ang."

Director Zhou spoke with a chuckle, though his mind was already calculating.

Shark’s headquarters were in Jiangcheng, eight or nine hundred kilometers from Shanghai. Even by plane, it would take nearly two hours, and Lu Zi'ang had only been streaming for about five hours.

This clearly showed that Shark was extremely eager to sign Lu Zi'ang—at the very least, they were desperate; otherwise, they wouldn't have rushed over so hastily.

"Heh! Trying to snatch someone from us? Very well," Director Xu said with a laugh. "Back then, we let you have Uzi, but today, there is absolutely no way we are letting you have Lu Zi'ang."

"Let us have him? As if Langya Live needs you to 'let' us have anyone. Signing Uzi was our own merit." Director Zhou from Langya did not back down, appearing rather overbearing.

Sitting in the middle, Abu felt like a bystander. The fiercer these two platforms fought, the better it was for him.

"Listen, Zhou, I’ll put it plainly. If you at Langya manage to sign Lu Zi'ang today, I’ll write my name, Xu Lei, backwards!" Director Xu looked at Abu. "You heard that, Director Ji. No matter what, I am going to sign Lu Zi'ang."

"In your dreams," Director Zhou said, looking at Xu Lei across from him with disdain.

Since their inception, the two platforms had been in constant conflict. Squabbling was common; not coming to blows was considered a form of restraint.

The act of poaching talent was inherently explosive; showing even the slightest weakness meant being manipulated by the other side.

"Fine, I’ve felt the sincerity from both sides. Let’s hear your offers!"

Abu didn't dally. When it came to poaching, the highest bidder wins. However, he still had "Seven" (Clearlove's nickname) go and seek the opinion of the man himself.

In the EDG team's training room, it was already midnight, yet it felt as if training had only just begun; everyone was busy with their own tasks.

Seven walked up behind Lu Zi'ang. Seeing that he was immersed in a match, he didn't interrupt, choosing instead to watch how Lu Zi'ang played.

*Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack.*

The black-switch mechanical keyboard emitted crisp sounds under rapid keystrokes. Lu Zi'ang’s fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, moving at an extreme speed.

The coordination with the game visuals and his operations was a sight to behold. Seven watched in silence.

His own performance in the S8 season hadn't been great, and his competitive form had declined significantly.

Seven wasn't young anymore; he was considered quite old for an esports player. The players from the original WE team had long since retired to sell snacks and were rolling in money, while he remained the only one still chasing his dream.

Likewise, he was the one who received the most vitriol online. There was a saying circulating on the internet: "Four retired to sell snacks and became legends; one persisted in his dream and became a target of abuse."

This was the truest reflection of Seven’s current reality. He knew very well that the S8 season might be his last chance to appear on the professional stage.

Peeking at the leopard reveals a spot; one can judge the whole from a part.

Lu Zi'ang sat exceptionally straight in his gaming chair, as steady as a bronze bell.

One could tell just from his posture.

From his attitude toward esports to the meticulous arrangement of his keyboard and mouse, one could sense the man's rigor.

Lu Zi'ang was entirely focused on the game and hadn't noticed the person behind him, but his streaming camera captured Seven in the frame.

At this moment, the stream's popularity had reached a staggering 30 million+, and it was still trending upward. His follower count had hit 550,000+ and was still growing at a visible rate.

"Wait? Isn't that Seven?"

"Holy crap, it really is Seven—is he here specifically to watch the 'Falcon' stream?"

"The Pig Farm Director has flashed in. Speaking of which, S8 is over. Since the Director played so poorly, when is he planning to go home and raise pigs?"

Viewers in the chat saw Seven and began to speculate:

"Word is that for the S9 season, the Director will transition into a coach. He'll also serve as a substitute jungler for EDG!"

"That's probably true. Honestly, after watching these ten matches from Falcon, his play is seamless, fluid, and near-perfect."

"I think Falcon will be EDG's biggest trump card next S9 season. iBoy definitely won't get a chance to play; Falcon's performance in the quarterfinals the other day already left iBoy ten streets behind."

"I have a strong premonition that in S9, Seven might actually be able to ride Falcon's coattails to an S-Tournament championship..."

A short while later, the match ended at the 20-minute mark.

Lu Zi'ang had secured his 11th consecutive win of the night!

Seeing this, Seven patted him on the shoulder and said, "Zi'ang, I have something to tell you."

Lu Zi'ang hadn't seen Seven all day; he hadn't expected the veteran to approach him personally.

When he first started playing LOL, Seven was his favorite professional player. To be precise, Lu Zi'ang had developed an attachment to him through all the roasting.

"Yeah?"

Lu Zi'ang nodded and turned off his microphone.

Seven smiled and teased, "You're something else, kid. Your popularity is through the roof on your first day of streaming. Looks like the title of EDG mascot is about to change hands."

"I think it's better if you remain the mascot, Director," Lu Zi'ang said with a straight face.

"All joking aside, here's the thing: both Shark and Langya want to sign you for an exclusive contract. What are your thoughts?" Seven asked, his tone turning serious.

Although Lu Zi'ang had low consumer desires, that didn't mean he looked at money as dirt. He replied, "Then I'll sign with whoever offers more."

"What if both offers are the same?" Seven pressed.

"Then I'll go with Shark. After all, that's where I started streaming."

Seven wasn't surprised by Lu Zi'ang's answer. He reached out and gave his shoulder a meaningful pat. "Keep working hard. I believe in you."

Before leaving, Seven didn't forget to give Lu Zi'ang a gesture of encouragement.