Chapter 23

Many people know about playing games, and many people know about esports.

But who knows about the esports clubs, the professional esports tournaments, and the most authoritative esports events?

There are otaku everywhere, and countless players, yet why do so many people know about the NBA and CBA, but few know the meanings of G-League, LPL, and IMBA?

They know about Barcelona, the Lakers, and the Rockets, but do they know which competitive clubs have won international championships in DOTA, LOL, WAR3, StarCraft, and KartRider?

No one knows, hardly anyone knows.

Despite the countless players and enthusiasts, the rise and fall of numerous competitive clubs receive no attention at all.

The heroes who have won international glory receive only meager prizes, without the respect and honor they deserve. Has glory become as worthless as integrity?

Yi Qin, a planner and commentator for GTV, feels helpless about the state of esports.

Yi Qin started working in the esports industry in her sophomore year of college and continued to work in it after graduation. With the development of the internet, esports has gradually improved.

But it is still far from enough.

Abroad, esports has become increasingly well-established, and professional players receive the appropriate compensation and recognition.

But in China, professional esports players still receive little attention.

Another application failure left her feeling exhausted. She didn’t even change out of her professional suit, lying on the bed drenched in sweat.

She wore a white shirt, her chest firm and prominent, a rare sight even when lying flat.

Her black skirt was a bit disheveled, sliding down to her thighs, her long legs encased in flesh-colored stockings, exuding allure.

Perhaps, as her family said, with her looks, she could easily find a wealthy husband and enjoy the life of a rich wife, without the need to pursue a career in the unappreciated esports industry.

But she genuinely loves esports.

She propped her hands behind her head, not closing her eyes but staring at the light yellow wall opposite her bed.

On the wall was a poster that had been there for a long time.

The person in the poster was smiling, and for some reason, every time she saw that smile, Yi Qin felt an urge to cry.

“Buzz~~~~~~~~Buzz~~~~~~~~~~Buzz~~~~~~~~~~”

The phone on the bedside table rang, and Yi Qin, after staring at the poster for a long time, finally came to her senses.

When she saw the caller ID, a look of annoyance appeared on her beautiful face.

“Hello, Dad,” Yi Qin said listlessly.

“Have you packed your things yet!” came a cold voice from the other end.

“Not yet,” Yi Qin replied.

“Then why haven’t you packed? Do you want me to do it for you?”

“Dad, I don’t want to go abroad,” Yi Qin said.

“I and your mother came all the way from America to pick you up, and you tell me you don’t want to go abroad? Don’t be stubborn. Your flight is on Sunday, and you need to pack everything tonight!” the man said in a commanding tone.

“Beep beep beep~ beep beep beep~~~~~~~~~~”

The call was hung up.

Yi Qin threw her phone to the side, her eyes already glistening with tears.

“Why do they always force me to do things I don’t want to do!”

Yi Qin buried her head in the pillow, unable to stop the tears.

They left the country when she was ten, only returning to see her once every one or two years.

When she felt lonely, Yi Qin could only play online and esports games, and she had always been like this.

As she grew up, she was no longer afraid of loneliness. But they started to fulfill their parental duties, forcing her to work at a financial company!

The salary there was higher than what she earned in China in a month.

But staying there for a day felt longer and more tedious than a month!

...

By evening, Yi Qin had lost her appetite for dinner. After crying herself out, she went to the bathroom, took off her clothes, took a shower, and put on a clean, comfortable nightgown.

After adjusting her mood, she picked up the phone and dialed her colleague’s number.

“Hello, Senior Yi Qin, is there anything else you need to tell me?” came a young woman’s voice from the other end.

“I’m leaving tomorrow, so the GTV match planning will be handed over to you,” Yi Qin said.

“Ah? Leaving tomorrow? But there’s still so much I don’t understand. The national internet cafe league sponsored by Coca-Cola that you mentioned today, I don’t know how to proceed. Senior Yi Qin...” the young woman sounded flustered.

“I’ve already talked to the sponsor. It will start around mid-June. Just follow the project outline I prepared. If anything comes up, you can adapt. You’re smart, so you’ll learn quickly,” Yi Qin said with a gentle smile.

“But... Senior Yi Qin, we’ll miss you. There aren’t many outstanding female hosts like you in the esports scene. Now that you’re leaving...” the young woman said.

“It’s okay. There will be many girls who truly love esports, and they will be more excellent, more beautiful, and more influential...” Yi Qin said with a hint of bitterness.

“Then, let’s have a farewell dinner for you tonight, Senior Yi Qin. It would be good to have a farewell meal together,” the young woman said.

“I have plans tonight. Don’t see me off, it will make me even more upset.” After saying this, Yi Qin hung up the phone.

The more she talked, the heavier her heart felt, and even the air seemed to turn sour.

After so many years in esports and so much effort, was she going to give it up like this?

“Sigh, I don’t know how to say goodbye to him.”

Yi Qin turned on her computer and plugged in her headphones.

These headphones were new, and she usually wore them at the studio, but they would become uncomfortable after a while, so she never wore them at home.

She opened QQ and saw that the person she was waiting for had come online.

For some reason, seeing the bright avatar always made her smile.

As usual, she sent a smiley face.

The other person seemed to be waiting too, and quickly replied with a “perverted” expression.

Yi Qin’s lips curled, and she cursed, “Pervert.”

“To avoid any coordination mistakes, let’s use voice chat today?”

“Ah? I forgot to buy a microphone!”

“Really? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this? Give me your address, and I’ll send one to you.”

“Hmph, trying to trick me into giving you my address? Are you planning to sneak into my house and do something bad to me?”

“Don’t be so unhealthy.”

“You’re the one who’s unhealthy!”

“Alright, then let’s continue to rely on our telepathy to dominate the bottom lane!”

“I’m just kidding, I bought a new one. Send me a voice chat invitation.”

“Really?!”

“Go ahead and send it.”

...

In the distant city of Lecheng, Yu Luosheng’s heart raced with excitement after reading the flirtatious text.

Finally, finally, finally, he could hear her voice!

No, I have to stay calm!

I must be prepared mentally, as the voice on the other end might be a man’s!

But what if it’s a woman?

What if it’s a beautiful woman with a soft, smooth voice?

...