Translator: _Min_
The forums of the Great Xia region were abuzz with excitement.
[Will NINE the God actually show up? Itâs been such a rare occasion since his comeback, and Iâm curious about his appearance.]
[His gaming skills are unquestionably top-notch! But donât hold your breath for his looksâIâve seen him, and heâs just an older guy.]
[?? Where did you see him?]
[I donât know about meeting NINE, but Iâll definitely see my goddess! Si Fuqing is the spokesperson, so sheâs bound to come!]
After Si Fuqing became the spokesperson for Oracle, her commercial value skyrocketed, surpassing that of second-tier celebrities despite not having a complete body of work yet.
None of her contemporaries could compete with her in terms of endorsements.
Several influential bloggers had already started comparing Si Fuqing with top actresses.
Around this time, Lemon Entertainment hastily announced their contract termination with Meng Xue and went silent afterwards.
Moreover, Meng Xueâs social media accounts remained inactive.
Not just insiders, but even outsiders understood what this silence signified.
Meng Xue had been blacklisted without a trace or warning.
Her remaining fans were in an uproar, unable to reach her agent or company, and could only vent in her forum.
Curiosity arose among onlookers.
[Rumor has it she got into trouble overseas and was deported back here.]
[Pay up, pay up. I told you sheâd be next, now you all owe me.]
[Iâm still curious about what she did. Itâs not like she committed murder or arsonâ¦]
While netizens reveled in the gossip, Chi Yu came online.
He reposted Oracleâs announcement of Si Fuqing becoming their spokesperson, accompanied by three words.
[@ChiYuV: Iâm sorry.]
He pinned this post to the top of his profile.
Fans of D6 were bewildered.
[??? Whatâs going on?]
[Though Iâm confused, itâs definitely related to Meng Xue. Who doesnât know
Chi Yu is a fanboy of hers?]
[Fanboy⦠Heâs blind indeed. Good thing I unfollowed early.]
[Get lost, no need for your apology!]
Si Fuqingâs fans also reposted the Oracle spokesperson announcement, quickly overshadowing Chi Yuâs post.
Si Fuqing, unaware of these developments, returned to her filming schedule.
In the âCrossing the Demon Realmâ series, since Sui Yan traveled across the mortal realm, they had many locations to shoot, and todayâs shoot was in An City.
Tang Haiqiu, knowing Si Fuqingâs family was from there, allowed her to leave early.
âFuqing, be prepared for next week; weâre nearing the end,â Tang Haiqiu said cheerfully. âI hope you can surprise me again. Iâve already contacted Old Qin to aim to get onto the major satellite networks. Youâll definitely be the breakout female lead next year.â
Securing a satellite slot for a xianxia drama was challenging and depended on the TV stationâs discretion.
âThank you, Director Tang,â Si Fuqing nodded. âIâve requested this Saturday off to attend the Oracle player meetup in the Great Xia region.â
âGo ahead,â Tang Haiqiu gestured dismissively. âIt could be beneficial for you to meet more people, considering youâve only started your career recently.â
Tang Haiqiu decided to try playing Oracle himself after making a round of the set.
That evening, Si Fuqing returned home.
After dinner, she approached Nian Yiâan, âYiâan, interested in joining OPL? Iâll make a plan for you that wonât interfere with your studies.â
âOPL?â Nian Yiâan was taken aback. âOf course, Iâm interested, but my skills probably arenât up to professional standards, are they?â
Si Fuqing hummed in agreement, âThe finals arenât until next April; we have five months, no rush.â
Nian Yiâan: â
So, his sister plans to train him to become a professional player within these five months?
âBut Sister Qingqing, itâs too late to form a team now,â Nian Yiâan realized. â0PL is so popular that there are countless applicants every year, so only a few teams qualify, and those are usually decided the year before. New teams can only hope for next yearâs selection.â
Si Fuqing narrowed her eyes, âSo, we need to join a team?â
âYou could join any team you like,â Nian Yiâan said hesitantly. âMy reflexes have just touched 300, which wouldnât be enough for big teams.â
The captain of the Mars team had personally invited Si Fuqing to join, which was widely discussed in the forums.
Many expressed regret at her decline.
âThen Iâll join your team,â Si Fuqing stated nonchalantly. âReflexes can be improved. Iâll look into some smaller teams in need of players.â
âWait!â Nian Yiâan suddenly remembered something. âI know a guy from a game whoâs a team captain. They made it to the top sixteen in the Great Xia region last year and definitely have a spot this year.â âWeâve met in person, and heâs in An City.â âAlright,â Si Fuqing agreed. âContact him, and weâll go see him.â
Meanwhile, in an underground warehouse,
Surrounded by worn-out esports desks and chairs and damaged mechanical keyboards, three young men sat on the floor, their clothes washed to a faded white.
âIf we hadnât offended the Ji family, we wouldnât have been cut off from equipment,â one of them lamented. âMaybe⦠maybe you should just join their team, captain. Donât let your esports career end like this.â
âWhy should I join their team?â the captain scoffed. âIâd rather quit gaming.
Today, Yiâan is coming; donât talk like that.â
The teammates exchanged looks and sighed.
Twenty minutes later, the warehouse door opened.
As the three turned, they jumped up in surprise.
One stuttered in disbelief, âYou, you, youâ¦â
Although they were not involved in the entertainment industry, focusing solely on esports, logging into Oracle since yesterday greeted them with a popup featuring Si Fuqingâs photo and a gift package from the Oracle system.
Anyone playing Oracle would recognize Si Fuqingâs face, even if they didnât know her name.
Why would a major celebrity suddenly visit this forsaken place?
The trio was stunned.
âJing Zhou, this is my cousin,â Nian Yiâan stepped forward. âThis is the situation, my cousin and I are planning to compete in OPL, but itâs too late to form a team. Weâre wondering if you have any spots available.â
âWe do have a slot for the OPL qualifiers,â Jing Zhou frowned. âIs Miss Si just participating in the qualifiers? Didnât the Mars team invite you?â
âNo,â Si Fuqing lifted her head. âOPL finals.â
This declaration changed the atmosphere.
âMiss Si, reaching the OPL finals is not as easy as you think,â Jing Zhou took a aeep Dream, usiDIY agitatea. â¢â¢mrsc, you neea a team strong enougn, witn eacn memberâs APM over 350.â
APM over 300 were enough for professional competitions, but 350 was just the beginning for the OPL finals. The lowest APM in the West Deities team was 420.
âDo you know the transfer fee for players with reflexes over 350?â Jing Zhou pressed his lips together. âThirty million! Miss Si, I know money isnât an issue for you, but why would those players transfer? You canât buy such professional players with money!â
âIf you really want to reach the finals, you should join the Mars team,â Jing Zhou advised.
Si Fuqing listened quietly, without objection.
âWe lack both manpower and resources,â Jing Zhou turned away, looking weary. âYou say you want to join my team and reach the finals, but based on what?â
After a year of struggling without securing proper resources or equipment, he was close to giving up.
But even if he abandoned esports, he would never turn to the Ji family for help.
Si Fuqing leaned forward, meeting his gaze: âBecause Iâm NINE..â