Chapter 23
Translator: Aafkee
Proofreader: ChaiTea
Mu Wanwan fully agrees with what Pei Lu said. And he even looks... full of grandeur.
She feels touched and hopes from the bottom of her heart that TS will be able to find a much better ADC.
After Chen He left, Brother Yang smiles at her, "Sorry about that."
Mu Wanwan shakes her head quickly in response, "It's no problem."
"Shall we have a chat?"
Just as Mu Wanwan is about to walk over, she feels a gentle pull on the hem of her shirt.
Pei Lu hands the coffee powder he packed to her. The imposing aura on him is long gone, "Remember to take this with you."
Mu Wanwan accepts the powder and answers, "Okay."
Brother Yang takes out a contract as soon as Mu Wanwan enters the office.
"This is our club's employment contract, finalised just this year. The obligations, wages, and benefits are all clearly written in there."
Mu Wanwan is quiet.
"I know you have your own reasons for not wanting to or can't play professionally. But please allow me to emphasise that playing professionally is not just for fun. It is an actual career, a journey," Brother Yang continues, "This is a spare copy of the contract. You can bring this back and read it more carefully. Or you can find a lawyer to help you have a look. Our contract is definitely favourable to you. You'll not find another club that will offer you better conditions than this. And besides... although this may sound a little rude, you'll probably not find a job better than this for at least three years after you graduate from university."
Mu Wanwan is stunned only after a quick glance.
An annual salary of... 700,000???*
(*TN/N: About 96.2k USD?)
And that's not even including holiday allowance, year-end bonuses, and prize money from tournaments???
Although she has no plans to play professionally, she knows that the contract is exceptional for a rookie starting out, especially compared to the trainees earning only a few thousand per month.
"Food and accommodation will be on us... but of course, we won't reimburse you if you go out on your own to a restaurant or order takeaway on an average day. Aside from the tournaments, you can also accept some side gigs independently, sell merchandise and whatnot. We don't have any limitations as long as there's no conflict with our team's sponsorship. That can be considered another stream of income for you."
Mu Wanwan had wanted to refuse the offer righteously, but to be honest, she is now a little tempted.
Ahh, all this bloody stinky money!
"How long have you been playing LOL?" Brother Yang asks suddenly.
"I've started playing since it came out not long ago," she thinks for a second and adds, "I've played other MOBAs before that."
Brother Yang laughs, "So you're an internet addict. But why haven't I seen you in the Challenger ranks before?"
"I used to play on the American server and moved to the Korean server. I didn't play much on the Chinese server before the penalty for leaving halfway through the game or AFK-ing during a game was introduced. There were too many trolls."
Brother Yang takes out his little notebook and asks, "What's your ID?"
"......massacre2012*," The embarrassment is evident on her face as she says out her ID.
(*T/N: It is written in the Chinese pronunciation, but in alphabets, aka pinyin.)
Brother Yang is silent.
OK, mystery solved.
If he had known sooner that she is massacre2012, he wouldn't have spent the last couple of months watching her replays and researching her!!
massacre2021 is a mysterious player in the Korean server. The player was constantly at the top ranks of the server, but no one knew who they were. They could only guess that they must be Chinese from their ID.
"Have any other teams contacted you before?"
"Yeah. I was in high school year three back then. I was too busy, so I ignored them."
Brother Yang is even more determined to sign her under his team now, "Please reconsider. We can still negotiate if you think the salary is not enough!"
Mu Wanwan can't help herself but ask, "There are many impressive ADCs out there, why—"
It is common knowledge that the best age range for a professional e-sports player is 18 to 22 years old since the body conditions are usually the best. She'll be 21 after her birthday this year.
Given how popular esports is nowadays, many people who want to play professionally have already dropped out of school and joined the youth training teams really early. They must have much more awareness and understanding of the game than she does.
"Are you seriously asking that?" Brother Yang answers outright, "None of them are stronger than you are."
Mu Wanwan is speechless. She doesn't know how to respond to that other than a soft "thank you".
"No problem, I was only stating the truth," Brother Yang stands up and continues, "I don't need you to reply immediately. Is one week enough time for you to consider? I'll wait for your reply in a week. I need to go upstairs to watch their practice match now."
Mu Wanwan stands up, too. She hesitates for a moment, but she doesn't put down the contract.
"Okay."
Mu Wanwan exits the meeting room after the two exchange contact information.
Lil Meat Bun and Brother Hu are standing by the door with righteous looks on their faces. When they see her come out, Lil Meat Bun smiles widely and asks, "Are you heading back now?"
Mu Wanwan nods, "...Yeah."
Pei Lu is sitting on the long bench right outside the office. His legs are spread open while his hands are pressed against the bench between his legs as he tilts slightly to look at her.
...Just like a puppy.
"It's almost five now. Do you wanna eat before leaving?" Lil Meat Bun glances at the time, "Our practice match is only about two hours. It'll be quick!"
"Yeah, we're having hot pot today!" Brother Hu quickly joins in.
"It's okay," Mu Wanwan is not thick-skinned enough. Since it is a practice match, they most likely need to review and discuss strategies afterwards. "I have to rush back for my stream anyway."
Lil Meat Bun frowns, "I saw your channel. Aren't you going to start at ten?"
"Of course it's better to start as early as possible... I've not reached my quota yet," Mu Wanwan randomly finds an excuse.
Pei Lu stands up suddenly, "I'll see you to the taxi."
"It's fine. It's only a few steps away."
"It's hard to get a taxi at this hour here. Let's go."
"But you have a practice match—"
"It's fine," Brother Yang begins walking up the stairs first, "Xiao-Lu, go with her and come back soon."
And just like that, Mu Wanwan walks out of TS's base behind Pei Lu with a stack of documents in one arm and an airtight bag of coffee powder in her other hand.
"Sorry about today. I said I'd give you a tour, but it seems like we have gone a little off-topic..."
Even though he obviously has his own agenda, Pei Lu spoke with such sincerity that Mu Wanwan couldn’t fault him.
"No worries. I did actually have a tour anyway."
Just as Pei Lu had said, many people are waiting for taxis. They have to queue for about 20 minutes before it's finally their turn.
When Mu Wanwan gets into the car, Pei Lu can't help but grab the door and emphasise again, "Please reconsider."
Mu Wanwan nods slightly, "I will."
"...Please think about it carefully," Pei Lu says, "Feel free to look for me on Weixin if you're unsure. I'm available anytime."
(T/N: He's so desperate xD) *It’s soooo cuuuute!*
Mu Wanwan can't control her laugh, "Yes, I will."
"Send me a message when you're home."
The driver finally can't hold back as he turns back and says, "Young Man, that's enough. The cars behind are getting impatient."
Pei Lu's ears flush red, "I'm sorry."
He closes the door lightly.
When they are finally on their way, the driver asks, "Young lady, was that your boyfriend?"
"No," Mu Wanwan has one of her hands supporting her head as she reads the contract.
The driver laughs, "Oh, he's pretty handsome. You should grab your opportunity."
Mu Wanwan doesn't really like talking about such a topic with strangers, so she remains silent.
Mu Wanwan sends Pei Lu a quick message when she arrives home. He only replied with an "ok", probably because he was in the middle of his practice match.
Mu Wanwan doesn't bother him further, either. She quickly orders takeout and reads the contract on her couch.
The terms and conditions of the contract are straightforward and easy to understand. Just like Brother Yang said, the terms are definitely in her favour.
When her takeaway arrives, she puts away the contract and sits at her computer desk. She hesitates for a second before clicking on the browser and searches for "LPL 2016 summer tournament". She clicks on a random video with the highest views.
It was the finals between MA and GGX.
The three commentators were standing on the tall stage, trying to lighten the mood.
The audience was pretty heated. The score was 2-0, and MA was only a match away to win this best-of-five match. The match was extremely important to both teams. It was exceptionally quiet at the venue.
There was a big monitor in front of each player, and the audience could see the players through those monitors through the camera designated to each player.
Coincidentally, two of the commentators at that time were well-known for always saying "controversial" things. The third commentator was a retired player known asMing.
Commentator A said, "MA is only one game away from their win. I think they'll go for stability in the game by gradually snowballing the game and giving the opponent a final blow with no way to resist."
Commentator B continued, "Aren't you afraid of GGX fans sending you threat messages on Weibo after this??"
The audience was amused.
Commentator A responded, "Ah, sorry about that. It's still too early to judge. Let's talk about GGX. It seems like this game is gonna be all or nothing for GGX..."
Commentator B interrupted him, "Who do you think will win?"
Commentator A didn't hesitate, "Personally, I think that MA's strategies are much more precise than GGX's. I hope GGX thought about how to stop MA's momentum to prevent them from snowballing to the late game during their break time..."
Ming was shocked. He never thought the two commentators would choose a side so openly.
The game started five minutes later, and the audience began to cheer for their favourite team--
Their cheers filled the arena. The excitement and passion could be felt through the echoes of their voices.
The camera quickly switched to give the players their screen time. The players each had a serious expression on their face, a bright glint in their eyes with many emotions contained within: excitement, nervousness, seriousness...
Their mouths moved non-stop. Mu Wanwan can imagine the overlapping voices in the team members' headphones, stating their opinions and discussing strategies.
Their fingers were moving agilely on their respective keyboards, their eyes shifting downwards to look at their minimaps once in a while, afraid of missing out on any information. The commentators voices were hoarse, their faces flushed red with excitement-
"Beautiful!!!"
"GGX stole Baron?! It seems like they have gotten hold of a rare chance to turn this around!!"
"This team fight! Ah, that's such a pity!! Why did GGX get out of their jungle in such timing??"
"That's it. The team's position isn't that good for the team fight... It's gonna end here, isn't it?"
"-- Let us congratulate MA! The champion for our 2016 summer tournament is born!! Congratulations, MA!!"
Mu Wanwan has yet to finish her small portion of takeaway even after the match ended.
In the video, the MA members stood at the front of the arena, their hands raised towards the audience, when all of a sudden, a spark erupted from the edge of the stage with golden ribbons falling from the roof. The audience was cheering and shouting MA's name--
It isn't her first time watching the video, but it makes her feel so alive every time she does.
Ten minutes later, she collects herself and starts her stream after haphazardly putting on her makeup.
She goes straight into the queue after starting the game.
[Is Wanan not in good condition today? She hasn't been talking.]
[Her makeup looks much lighter than usual, too. Or is it just me?]
[It's not just you. I'm a female. I can tell she didn't even stick on her fake eyelashes. Her eyes are only half their usual size. But I think it's slightly better than last time. That eye makeup was too exaggerated. It's almost scary.]
Mu Wanwan goes back to the base after getting first blood. "Say, what do you guys think about females playing professionally?" It seems like Mu Wanwan spoke subconsciously.
The comments begin flooding in immediately-
[They'll be a burden.]
[That previous comment, are you dumb? How do you think they're qualified to play professionally if they're bad??]
[I think they'll probably receive a lot of hate... There has never been a female player in LPL.]
[But why are you asking this, Wanan? Don't tell me you wanna be an e-sports player??!]
"I just watched a video on last year's summer tournament. I was just asking for fun," Mu Wanwan skimps over the topic.
The comments never stop coming, but Mu Wanwan isn't in the mood to read the comments, so she decides not to reply to any of them.
The popularity of her streams drops slightly in the next few days. After all, if the streamer doesn't say much on the live stream, you might as well be watching it as a game replay.
One day, Wanan tunes in to the LOL broadcast station when she's in the queue for a game.
Today is TS's match, and the top lane player remains as their substitute ADC player this time.
The match has yet to start. It's currently broadcasting the interviews with the players.
Coincidentally, it's currently broadcasting Pei Lu's interview.
The host asks, "God Lu, has Chen He's departure from the team caused any losses to your team? Do you have anything to say to your team's fans regarding this Spring tournament?"
"Yes," Pei Lu's tone is firm, "we lack preparation for the Spring tournament this time, so I don't know how far we can go, but we'll be coming back strong in the second half of the year with a new member. We'll advance towards the ticket to the Global Finals once again!"
The host is a bit stunned. He responds, half-jokingly, "I have rarely seen God Lu so excited... God Lu, you have always been known as the league's number one support. Now that there will be new blood in TS, do you have any expectations towards your new future partner?"
"Of course," Pei Lu laughs, the seriousness dissipating, but his tone remains firm, "I wish to welcome the sharpest blade into our team."
"Wow, that sounds aggressive," the host laughs, "Then, what will you be?"
"Me?" Pei Lu lifts his head slightly and looks directly into the camera, "...I'll work hard to become the best quality whetstone there is."
"I'll sharpen her* until she's unbeatable and invincible. And then, we'll emerge at the top together."
(T/N*: Him 他 and her 她 in Chinese have the exact same pronunciation when spoken. The host likely had no idea Pei Lu was referring to a female, but the author wrote this as "her" instead of "him", so it's quite obvious that he was referring to Mu Wanwan.)
That statement immediately caused shock and debate among the audience.
It's a well-known fact that God Lu has always remained humble and careful since he was given the title of being the "League's number one support". He's always the one with the most standard bow at any tournament, and he's always the one who smiles the warmest and gentlest.
Right now, the very same person is hinting at how he'll be nurturing the strongest ADC in the league and even went as far as to say that his goal for the second half of the year is to be at the top of the league!
[Although I've always had a good impression towards God Lu, isn't that an overstatement? They're at the bottom in terms of scores in this Spring tournament, and he's already talking about being the champion of the Summer tournament. It feels like you're learning how to run before you can even walk...]
[The Mister who wrote the previous comment, you can keep your good impression to yourself. Our God Lu doesn't need it.]
[Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!! I've always thought I've been fanning a peaceful team that doesn't fight for anything, you know, the kind where they'll just leave their wins and losses to fate? I actually feel the urge to cry now that God Lu has suddenly released such statements!! QAQ]
[Me too TAT OMG!! I'm suddenly looking forward to TS's new ADC! It's fine. We will fight back again in the next half of the year during the Summer tournament!!]
[Why isn't Wanan moving anymore?? Has she been captivated by our God Lu as well? HAHAHAHAHA]
Mu Wanwan can feel the loud thumping in her chest.
For some reason, it feels like Pei Lu was talking directly to her when he looked straight into the camera.
The sharpest blade.
The best quality whetstone.
Unbeatable, invincible, the top of the league...
She knows very well that if she lets her logical side dull her impulses this time again, then her dream of being a professional e-sports player, which she has kept hidden in the back of her mind for so many years, may just be extinguished forever.
She takes a few deep breaths.
She picks up her handphone to send out a short message quickly, not giving herself any chances of backing out—
"Mum, I want to be a professional League of Legends player."
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