Chapter 1 Chang Xian Comes

Chang Xian had come for Team Happy, but Cao Guangcheng was different. As a renowned veteran reporter in the esports circle, he wouldn't have bothered to cover such a small scene as the Challenger League if it weren't for Team Excellent Era. So he came, but only to follow Excellent Era, with no interest in any other team.

Happy had some topicality, Cao Guangcheng admitted. But so what? Topicality in the Challenger League wouldn't attract much attention, and more importantly, as a team destined to be eliminated sooner or later, what sustainability did Happy's topicality have?

Cao Guangcheng was glad that Chang Xian wasn't competing with him for Excellent Era's resources, so he encouraged him to report on Happy well. In Cao Guangcheng's view, with the end of the Challenger League, his year of suffering was finally coming to an end. Excellent Era, returning to the Alliance with its current lineup, should be competitive enough to contend for the championship, right?

Speaking of which, it was said that Su Mucheng would definitely leave after this season. That would seem to be losing an All-Star player. However, since the new season marked their return to the Alliance, Cao Guangcheng believed that Excellent Era would definitely increase investment to wash away the shame of sinking into the Challenger League this year. With Sun Xiang and Xiao Shiqin, two great gods, sitting in command, Excellent Era was already very competitive. If they brought in another great god, the new season's Excellent Era would be full of more highlights and create more news. At that time, he, the on-site reporter for Excellent Era, would naturally be infinitely glorious.

At the thought of this, this year's awkward hardship didn't seem so unbearable. Watching Chang Xian join in Happy's cheers and laughter, Cao Guangcheng sneered. In his opinion, this was like a last hurrah before going to the execution ground. He wouldn't join in the fun.

After completing the registration procedures for the interview personnel at the reception desk and receiving the media pass, Cao Guangcheng left. He didn't linger there because he knew Excellent Era wouldn't be coming.

The Challenger League arrangements treated all teams equally, and Excellent Era was no exception. However, as a former powerhouse, it was embarrassing enough for Excellent Era to participate in the Challenger League. They really didn't want to mix with these grassroots teams and become a laughingstock. So they declined the Alliance's arrangements and preferred to pay out of their own pockets to find another place. Cao Guangcheng, as a reporter, wouldn't be arranged by the Alliance anyway, and he solved his own food and accommodation. He felt superior, so he didn't bother to mingle here either, and also stayed at the hotel booked by Excellent Era.

Leaving the hotel arranged by the Alliance, Cao Guangcheng saw two reporters from City H, sent to cover the Challenger League, standing at the hotel's main entrance, looking eagerly expectant. Cao Guangcheng knew what they were waiting for and laughed inwardly. However, as he passed by, the two colleagues recognized him, the famous reporter, and quickly pulled him over.

"Hey, Reporter Cao, when did you arrive?" The two rushed up to greet Cao Guangcheng. Cao Guangcheng hadn't produced any good news this year, but that wasn't enough to make these two despise him. Those who were sent to cover the Challenger League weren't important figures in Esports Home.

"Hehe, just arrived," Cao Guangcheng greeted his two colleagues with a smile.

"Since we have nothing to do, why don't we interview you, the famous reporter?" one of the reporters said jokingly.

"How can you have nothing to do? Haven't many teams already arrived?" Cao Guangcheng pointed to the registration desk inside.

"These teams?" The two looked back, their faces revealing disdain. Obviously, they looked down on these grassroots player teams.

"What's good to ask about these teams? Hey, I'll ask you, when will Team Excellent Era arrive?" one of them asked.

Cao Guangcheng smiled. How could he not know what these two were thinking? In the end, they were the same as him. These two wanted to take this opportunity to latch onto Excellent Era's resources. What everyone valued wasn't the news in this Challenger League, but Excellent Era's topicality in the future.

But Cao Guangcheng wouldn't easily give up this great resource. After a year of frustration, he couldn't bear to give others even half a chance.

"Excellent Era? I'm not sure either! I've looked around and haven't seen them. They probably haven't arrived yet. Okay, I won't chat anymore. I have something to do. I'll go first!" Cao Guangcheng waved goodbye. The two reporters, however, stared at Cao Guangcheng's luggage.

For the convenience of interviewing, these reporters naturally stayed at the hotel arranged by the Alliance for the teams. But Cao Guangcheng, carrying his luggage, was going to stay somewhere else, right?

As reporters, they had considerable insight. The two exchanged glances. Seeing Cao Guangcheng get into a taxi, they rushed to the roadside and stopped a car to follow.

Inside the hotel, registration continued in an orderly manner. After the Happy members signed in, they received the room keys assigned to their team. Chang Xian followed closely, eagerly offering to help the ladies carry their bags.

"What's this, Little Chang, you have some strength? Here, try mine." Seeing this, Steamed Bun handed his luggage to Chang Xian.

"Ah?" Chang Xian had already grabbed Chen Guo's and Tang Rou's. Being away from home, and for more than a month, the women's luggage was far more terrifying than the men's. Chang Xian had snatched two women's at once, which was already a bit beyond his limit, but now Steamed Bun suddenly shoved another one over, and he instantly petrified.

Everyone laughed and went upstairs. The rooms were standard double rooms. The eleven members of Happy basically divided the rooms as they did at home.

Ye Xiu and Wei Chen were in one room, Chen Guo and Tang Rou in another, Steamed Bun and Luo Ji, Qiao Yifan and An Wenyi, Sun Zheping had just joined, and finally stayed with Wu Chen. Mo Fan, who had no communication with anyone else, naturally enjoyed the treatment of having a room to himself.

The hotel arranged by the Alliance was naturally not far from the league, but in addition to this, there was another very important place, which was the training ground.

Nearly professional competitions were unimaginable without training. So the training ground was also arranged and solved by the Alliance for each team in previous Challenger Leagues. After checking in, Happy asked the staff at the registration desk about the training ground. Sure enough, someone immediately came to guide them.

The training ground arranged by the Alliance made Ye Xiu and others cheer up. This environment was so familiar. This was the internet cafe in this hotel!

The Alliance's intention in choosing this hotel with mediocre conditions in other aspects was immediately revealed. It was probably because the hotel's supporting entertainment facilities actually had an internet cafe...

The hotel's internet cafe had stopped operating for the public and was used as a training ground exclusively for the Challenger League teams. The interior had also been arranged, and each team had been clearly divided into areas, separated by temporary partitions. When Excellent Era arrived, there were already teams busy inside, whether they were training or doing something else on the computer, the Alliance wouldn't interfere. During the Challenger League, each team could freely use the part of the area assigned to them as a training ground.

The 11 members of Team Happy were a large group in the Challenger League teams, and they were assigned to the innermost corner of the internet cafe. Chen Guo, as a veteran internet cafe operator for many years, gave a high evaluation of the equipment and environment of this hotel's internet cafe. After taking a tour and getting to know the place, the Happy members didn't rush to start using it like the other teams. After a long journey, rest and recovery were very important. After a tour, the Happy members all went back to their rooms to rest.

At the same time, Team Excellent Era, after arriving, directly checked into the hotel they had booked. However, registration still had to be completed. The Alliance couldn't possibly set up a registration desk specifically for them at this hotel, so after settling down, they still had to make a trip to the hotel arranged by the Alliance.

As a result, as soon as the Excellent Era members went down to the hotel lobby from their rooms, they were greeted by three people.

Reporters... Seeing the posture of the three, those with experience on the Excellent Era side realized it. As a powerhouse team, Excellent Era didn't need to be soft on the media. Most of the time, reporters flattered them and wanted to interview them, rather than them paying reporters to report. Of course, there were exceptions when they needed the media to express some voices they needed. Although this season was very shameful, Excellent Era's powerhouse nature hadn't been lost. But thinking about the past when they participated in the playoffs and were besieged by major media, it was really a bit deserted with only three reporters now! Among the three reporters, Cao Guangcheng was undoubtedly very familiar to Excellent Era. They had also contacted each other before coming. If it weren't for something else that hadn't been arranged, Cao Guangcheng would have definitely come with Excellent Era's flight. The on-site reporter was actually so inseparable.

So who were the other two? Excellent Era's gaze turned, and the two, ignoring Cao Guangcheng's burning gaze, took the initiative to introduce themselves.

Also from Esports Home? The Excellent Era side was stunned. However, as the club manager, Cui Li usually dealt with the media not just in the simple relationship of interview and being interviewed like the players. He also knew a lot about the media's tricks. Seeing Cao Guangcheng's unhappy expression, he immediately understood what was going on. They were competing for resources internally!

Cao Guangcheng would be depressed about such a thing, but Excellent Era wouldn't. At the moment, they were laughing and didn't deliberately neglect either side.

Cao Guangcheng was furious! He really didn't expect that his two colleagues would be so shameless as to follow him. Outside the hotel, when these two guys got out of the car before and after him and greeted him triumphantly, Cao Guangcheng wished he could swallow these two alive.

And now, right under his nose, the other party had gotten in touch with Excellent Era.

If it were during Excellent Era's peak, maybe they wouldn't even bother talking to unfamiliar reporters, but now Excellent Era was down on its luck, wasn't it? With the media, they naturally had to make friends widely. They wouldn't be estranged from those two. Cao Guangcheng was too clear about this.

Those two guys were chatting enthusiastically with the Excellent Era team, making Cao Guangcheng look like a follower, and he was naturally even more angry. However, Cao Guangcheng had followed Excellent Era for so many years, and it wasn't for nothing. Seeing those two grabbing Cui Li and chatting wildly, he thought to himself that he would go and chat with some players. As a result, his gaze turned and he caught sight of Excellent Era's boss, Tao Xuan, walking in the middle of the team.

Cao Guangcheng was overjoyed. The club owner was not someone you could just interview casually! Just as he was about to step forward to strike up a conversation, he heard those two guys suddenly ask Cui Li, "All along, there has been a saying that Happy is a team formed by Ye Qiu, but just now, we received the final registration confirmation list from the Alliance, and there is no name of Ye Qiu on the Happy team. This..."

"What did you say?" Before the other party could finish speaking, Tao Xuan had already heard it and strode forward.