Chapter 72

It was noon, and the weather was hot. As Huo Ze finished speaking, a gust of hot wind swept by, causing ripples to rise across the surface of the pool.

Ye Leyao lay on the lounge chair, watching the ever-changing expressions on Li Chi’s face, his smile widening uncontrollably.

[Didn’t expect that, did you? Dumbfounded, right?”]

[Haha, my third brother isn’t in a hurry to sign the contract now. It’s your turn to feel anxious.]

At the same time, in the Huo family’s living room.

Papa and Mama Huo had already tuned into the surveillance feed behind the pool and had specifically zoomed in on Li Chi for a close-up.

Seeing Li Chi’s face contort with changing emotions on the big screen brought smiles to the faces of the whole family.

Young man, the times have changed!

“You can tell he’s a bit panicked,” Papa Huo said with a smile.

Mama Huo replied, “More than just a bit—he’s completely flustered.”

The Huo family’s surveillance cameras were just as good as any reality show’s cameras, and in high definition, the sweat beads on Li Chi’s temples were clearly visible.

Huo Yan’s lips curled into a high-arched smile. “Now we wait to see what he’ll do next.”

Would he agree to lower his salary, or storm off in anger?

The whole family was very eager to see the outcome.

Ye Leyao and Huo Ze were equally excited.

In fact, Huo Ze was so intent on waiting for Li Chi’s answer that he didn’t bother changing into his swimsuit. Instead, he sat down on the lounge chair next to Ye Leyao, motioning for Li Chi to sit as well.

But sitting was the last thing on Li Chi’s mind right now.

He had been stunned the moment he heard the phrase “mutual selection.”

Indeed.

Just as Huo Ze had said, while Li Chi’s abilities were undeniable, Huo Ze had many options. After all, their team wasn’t lacking in top-lane players.

The reason Huo Ze wanted to recruit another top-laner before the new season was merely to have more tactical options.

In other words, while missing out on a talented player like Li Chi would be unfortunate, it wasn’t impossible to find someone else.

And even if Huo Ze couldn’t find another suitable top-laner, their team’s current top-lane player could adapt to the new strategies.

Huo Ze had plenty of choices.

But Li Chi was different.

He was caught in a trap now, and the only option left to him was to join Huo Ze’s team.

If it weren’t for the leverage someone had over him, Li Chi wouldn’t have terminated his contract with MH, nor would he have negotiated with Huo Ze for so long. In fact, had Huo Ze delayed signing the contract any longer, Li Chi would have stormed out long ago.

But things were different now.

Li Chi had no other choice.

He could try negotiating with other teams, but before he could even sign a contract with one of them, the news of his match-fixing would likely be leaked.

At that point, he would be truly finished!

Li Chi took a deep breath, telling himself not to panic.

He needed to think carefully. Why had Huo Ze suddenly said such things to him?

Could it be that Huo Ze had really seen through his intentions? Or was he simply trying to lower his salary?

No, impossible.

Very few people knew about his match-fixing, and even if Huo Ze wanted to investigate, it would take time. But Li Chi had only contacted Huo Ze last night, and today Huo Ze was already prepared to sign a contract.

If Huo Ze truly suspected something, there was no way he’d be ready to negotiate contract details after just one night.

So, the reason Huo Ze said what he did must be exactly as he said—to negotiate a lower salary!@@novelbin@@

Thinking of this, a surge of anger rose in Li Chi’s heart.

He glanced at Huo Ze, who was lounging comfortably on a chair. Seeing Li Chi looking over, Huo Ze gave him a slight smile.

A servant brought over some fruit tea, and Huo Ze smiled as he asked Li Chi, “Why don’t you sit down and we can talk?”

Talk, my ass!

Li Chi was full of rage, but he couldn’t afford to lose his temper with Huo Ze just yet.

So he suppressed his anger and, after a long pause, finally spoke. “Captain Huo, you’re not joking, right?”

Hearing this, Ye Leyao couldn’t help but laugh.

[Of course he’s not joking. What’s there to joke about with you?]

Huo Ze’s lips curved slightly as he responded with a smile, “Of course not. How could I joke about something like this?”

Li Chi’s face darkened.

The reason he had said that was to give both himself and Huo Ze a way out, but he hadn’t expected that Huo Ze wouldn’t take the bait!

It seemed Huo Ze was dead set on lowering his salary.

If Li Chi didn’t agree today, their conversation probably wouldn’t continue.

Li Chi was very conflicted and struggling inside.

To be honest, Li Chi also knew the price he was asking was a bit high.

But he had no other choice, as he never expected his professional career would come to this.

So, before his reputation was completely ruined, Li Chi had to plan as much as he could for his future.

Taking a small step back wasn’t impossible for him.

After all, as long as this deal went through, Gu Song would give him another sum of money.

Li Chi gritted his teeth and walked over to Huo Ze.

Ye Leyao narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw Li Chi walking over.

[Hmm? Is Li Chi really going to compromise just like that?]

He quickly looked at Huo Ze.

Huo Ze was also a bit surprised.

This was, after all, Li Chi’s last chance to make some money before retiring. He had thought Li Chi would hold out a bit longer, but he didn’t expect him to give in so quickly.

It seemed that the person behind Li Chi really wanted to bring down his team!

Huo Ze’s eyes darkened slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

Li Chi sat down on the chair beside Huo Ze. He didn’t look at him, nor did he bring up the salary directly. Instead, he said, “I didn’t expect Captain Huo to be someone who goes back on his word.”

Huo Ze smiled. “After all, I am a businessman.”

Li Chi’s hand, resting at his side, clenched slightly, but he quickly relaxed and forced a smile. “Although I’m not too willing to lower my salary, I do really like KTW’s team, so I probably won’t contact any other teams.”

Ye Leyao sipped his yogurt.

[Whoa, is Li Chi pledging his loyalty to my third brother?]

[Third Brother, don’t be fooled by his act! He just wants to take your money and then sabotage your team!]

As Ye Leyao thought about this, he took another sip of yogurt, sighing.

[Suddenly, I kind of want to drink the oat milk President Qin makes.]

Huo Ze was speechless.

Ye Leyao, isn’t your train of thought jumping a bit too quickly?

And besides, Ye Leyao’s worry was unnecessary.

KTW was a team Huo Ze had built from scratch, his heart and soul. Knowing Li Chi’s true intentions, he had already placed him on his blacklist.

So when Huo Ze heard Li Chi’s words, he merely showed a half-smile. “Really? Not even considering MH anymore?”

Li Chi responded without hesitation, “Of course.”

The smile on Huo Ze’s face deepened. He picked up his phone, sent a message, and then placed it back on the table beside him before asking with a smile, “Can I ask why?”

Li Chi was startled. “Why?”

“Why you like KTW, and why you’re not considering MH anymore?” Huo Ze said.

Li Chi’s lips tightened slightly.

The question wasn’t difficult.

In many job interviews, interviewers often asked candidates this question.

When interviewers ask this, they generally have two goals.

One is to see how much the candidate knows about their company.

The other is to understand the real reason behind the candidate’s departure from their previous job.

Li Chi found it amusing.

In esports, your skills do the talking. Since when did they need to answer such vague and meaningless questions?

So, Huo Ze asking him this was simply to find out why Li Chi left MH.

It made sense.

To other teams, Li Chi was a player cultivated by MH. Despite MH’s decent performance last season, why did Li Chi insist on leaving for KTW?

Anyone would be suspicious, so it wasn’t surprising that Huo Ze asked.

Of course, Li Chi couldn’t tell Huo Ze the real reason, but he could easily make one up.

Li Chi relaxed a bit, leaned back in his chair, and smiled as he began, “Actually, my reason for leaving MH is pretty simple. I was just a bit dissatisfied with MH.”

Huo Ze looked at him. “Dissatisfied in what way?”

Li Chi shifted his gaze away and shrugged. “What else could it be? I didn’t like my former teammates, couldn’t stand the coach, and didn’t like the way the team was managed…”

When it comes to lies, they need to be half-truths, so as Li Chi spoke, he inevitably thought about some of his previous grievances with MH’s management.

Li Chi began spilling everything, including things he shouldn’t have, almost like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.

He even went as far as to describe in detail the incident where a mistress from MH’s management came to the team and acted arrogantly.

Ye Leyao was wide-eyed as he listened.

Then, his gaze shifted to the phone Huo Ze had placed on the table beside him.

[The phone’s screen is on… Could it be that Third Brother is recording?]

Huo Ze’s lips curved slightly.

From the surveillance perspective, it was even clearer. Papa Huo zoomed in on the screen, and the whole family could see that Huo Ze was indeed recording!

Huo Yan burst out laughing. “Looks like our third brother isn’t so clueless after all.”

Mama Huo shot him a look. “Did you really think your third brother was stupid?”

Huo Ze simply didn’t care much about things outside of esports.

But when it came to matters involving his team, he was more meticulous than anyone else.

On screen, Li Chi, trying to emphasize his disdain for MH, continued talking.

As Ye Leyao listened, his brows furrowed.

[Why does it feel more and more exaggerated? Is Li Chi embellishing things?]

[But whether or not he’s exaggerating, it’s clear he’s already badmouthing his former team.]

Ye Leyao’s eyes brightened.

[So, Third Brother is cutting off Li Chi’s escape route?]

Huo Ze indeed thought this way.

After all, he still hadn’t found concrete evidence of Li Chi match-fixing, so he couldn’t directly expose this.

Although he knew Li Chi’s goal was to sabotage his team, Huo Ze couldn’t be certain that if he didn’t sign Li Chi, Li Chi wouldn’t use the same tactics against other teams.

Huo Ze despised this kind of thing, which is why he wanted to cut off all of Li Chi’s escape routes.

No team would dare to take a player involved in match-fixing. Similarly, no team would dare to take a player who had just left their former employer and then blatantly smeared them.

“That’s enough,” Huo Ze interrupted Li Chi. He had said more than enough. Smiling, Huo Ze said, “I understand now.”

Li Chi glimpsed the smile on Huo Ze’s face, knowing that he had passed this hurdle. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Chi still opened his mouth and said, “Shall we talk about the salary now?”

Huo Ze had already gotten the evidence he wanted, so he didn’t drag it out any longer. He nodded with a smile, “Of course.”

With that, Huo Ze raised his index finger towards Li Chi and said, “I can only offer you this much.”

Li Chi looked at the single, lonely finger Huo Ze raised, momentarily dumbfounded.

“Captain Huo, are you joking with me?” Li Chi couldn’t stay calm anymore, standing up abruptly.

“One million? That’s even worse than what I was getting at MH! My fixed annual salary at MH was at least two million!”

Ye Leyao glanced at Li Chi with a mix of confusion and amusement.

[One million?]

[Are you sure?]

Huo Ze said, “You’ve misunderstood.”

Li Chi’s expression softened slightly.

Huo Ze continued, “One hundred thousand.”

Those two simple words made Li Chi feel as if he were in another world.

What?

One hundred thousand?

Ye Leyao burst out laughing:

[Hahahahahahahahaha——]

[Critical hit times two, hahahaha, Li Chi’s completely stunned!]

“Not just stunned,” Huo Yan was laughing so hard he leaned back on the sofa, “He hasn’t said a word for almost a minute!”

Even Papa and Mama Huo had broad smiles on their faces.

“If you ask me, even one hundred thousand is too much,” Papa Huo laughed.

“Exactly. MH didn’t treat him badly; after all, they were the ones who trained him. And yet, he could stand in front of a potential new employer and shamelessly smear his old one. Who would dare hire someone like that?” Mama Huo added.

Back to the screen.

In the second minute after hearing the words “one hundred thousand,” Li Chi finally reacted.

He suddenly let out a laugh, then burst into loud laughter. After he had laughed enough, Li Chi smirked and said, “Captain Huo, are you f***ing kidding me?”

Ye Leyao frowned.

[Why is he cursing?]

Huo Ze, however, was completely unfazed. “No, I’m serious. For now, I can only offer you that salary. If you’re willing, we can sign the contract right now.”

“Sign your fing contract!” Li Chi was enraged, his words becoming vulgar. “Who the f would want to sign this crappy contract? I’m not signing!”

“I’ve figured it out; you think it’s fun to mess with me, huh? Well, I’m not playing along!”

“There are plenty of teams out there. KTW doesn’t have sincerity, but there are many teams with more sincerity and better offers than your crappy team!”

Ye Leyao felt extremely uncomfortable hearing this.

Huo Ze’s expression darkened slightly. “Li Chi, you can insult me, but don’t use profanity with every word. If you continue, I won’t be so polite.”

Li Chi sneered. He had figured out that Huo Ze never intended to negotiate seriously with him.

Since that was the case, there was no need to keep up appearances. With a cocky smirk, Li Chi raised his eyebrows and said, “So, what are you going to do? Hit me? Go ahead, hit me right here. I won’t fight back!”

As he spoke, Li Chi pushed his face towards Huo Ze.

Huo Ze’s brows furrowed even more.

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke up, “Why don’t you look up?”

“Look at what?” Li Chi was already furious, and now he started lashing out indiscriminately. “Who the hell are you, kid? Do you think you have the right to speak while we’re talking?”

Papa Huo immediately shot up from his seat. “Who does he think he’s calling a kid?!”

Mama Huo hurriedly pulled him back. “Calm down, calm down! Trust Xiao Yao!”

Huo Yan chimed in as well, “Don’t worry, Ye Leyao won’t back down.”

After recording two shows with Ye Leyao, Huo Yan understood him better. Ye Leyao wasn’t one to start conflicts, but if someone tried to pick a fight, he certainly wouldn’t back down.

On the screen, Ye Leyao’s expression remained calm. He even smiled slightly at Li Chi after hearing his words.

The young man was naturally handsome, and when he smiled, his eyes narrowed slightly, long lashes casting shadows, making his expression even more animated.

Li Chi was momentarily stunned by this.

Then, Ye Leyao pointed to a spot on the wall not far away.

Li Chi, not knowing why, subconsciously followed the direction he pointed.

At the end of his gaze was a wall, and mounted high on that wall was a large surveillance camera.

In an instant, Li Chi’s face turned ashen.

He had miscalculated!

He had been so focused on discussing his salary that he had completely forgotten about the ubiquitous surveillance cameras in wealthy homes.

Ye Leyao, seeing the change in Li Chi’s expression, was delighted. He glanced at Huo Ze and shook his head:

[As expected, Third Brother, you’re still a bit lacking when it comes to threats!]

Huo Ze: “…”

Not as skilled as you, clearly!

In the living room, Papa Huo finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down.

“Everything you just said has been recorded, including the gossip you shared with us,” Ye Leyao said, staring at Li Chi’s face. “If this video gets out, I don’t think any team will want to sign you after that, right?”

“You’re threatening me?!” Li Chi shouted angrily.

Ye Leyao shook his head, “No, I just want to tell you that people have to take responsibility for what they do and say. And don’t think some things can be hidden forever—if you don’t want anyone to know, then don’t do it in the first place.”

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Li Chi from head to toe.

What did Ye Leyao mean by that?

Could it be that he knew something?

Otherwise, why would he say that?

After a long while, Li Chi hoarsely asked, “What…what do you know?”

Impossible.

How could they possibly know?

So few people knew about his match-fixing. Even Gu Song had admitted it took him a long time to gather evidence.

How could Huo Ze have found evidence in just one night?

But at this moment, Huo Ze directly shattered the last of Li Chi’s illusions: “Are you talking about your match-fixing?”

All the blood in Li Chi’s body seemed to freeze at that moment. He looked at the two people in front of him in utter shock.

“You… you guys…”

Ye Leyao was also surprised. He glanced at Huo Ze with slight disbelief.

[Tsk, looks like my third brother really has improved. He found out about Li Chi’s match-fixing so quickly. Does that mean he can follow the trail and find out who’s behind Li Chi?]

[Also, when did Li Chi even do the match-fixing?]

The novel only briefly mentioned this without detailing the cause and effect.

So Ye Leyao was really curious at this moment.

Huo Ze: “…”

How could he have found out so quickly?

It was all thanks to Ye Leyao’s hints.

But Ye Leyao obviously didn’t know they could hear his inner thoughts.

Huo Ze found it amusing but kept a straight face as he glanced at Li Chi, “What about us? You didn’t really think you could fool everyone, did you?”

Li Chi’s panic was now fully visible on his face.

How could this be?

How could they have found out?

But it seemed like this was the only explanation that made sense. After all, Huo Ze had been ready to sign him this morning…

It was over.

Everything was over.

Li Chi could no longer stay. He turned and hurried out.

In his rush, he slipped on the gravel path and fell hard.

Ye Leyao winced.

[Ouch… That looks painful!]

But Li Chi didn’t seem to feel a thing. He scrambled to his feet and ran out as fast as he could.

With the situation temporarily resolved, Ye Leyao let out a sigh of relief and turned to Huo Ze, “Third Brother, what’s your next step?”

[Since you’ve found out about Li Chi’s match-fixing, shouldn’t you expose it now?]

Huo Ze rubbed his forehead.

That’s the thing—he hadn’t actually figured everything out yet!

But he did need to follow up on this quickly.

“I need to go back to the base first,” Huo Ze said, picking up his phone and patting Ye Leyao on the head.

“When this is over, I’ll send you a red packet!” Huo Ze left that promise behind and dashed off.

At the mention of a red packet, Ye Leyao’s eyes lit up, “Deal!”

With Huo Ze and Li Chi gone, the rest of the Huo family prepared to go about their own business.

Huo Yan had been resting for some time, and his agent had sent him a script a few days ago. He planned to go to the office and check it out.

Papa Huo didn’t have much work today, but he had a fishing appointment with a friend in the afternoon, so he planned to take a shower and head out.

Mama Huo hadn’t been to the beauty salon in two days and was getting ready to leave for that.

Ye Leyao, who was afraid of water and couldn’t swim, moved away from the pool and returned to the living room once Huo Ze left.

He was now lying on the sofa, thinking about finding a show to watch later.

And then he started craving some oat milk.

With that thought, Ye Leyao suddenly sat up, “Mama Huo, when I was little, did you ever make me oat milk?”

Mama Huo had just come downstairs and was startled by the question. Remembering what Ye Leyao had said to Qin Yao during the variety show recording, she shook her head, “No.”

Ye Leyao frowned slightly.

[Did I remember wrong? Or maybe it was… um…]

Hearing this, Mama Huo’s brows furrowed tightly.

Could it be…

Before she could think further, she heard Ye Leyao say:

[Forget it, I’ll just ask President Qin for his recipe. I really want to drink it!]

Once Ye Leyao made up his mind, he grabbed his phone, ready to call Qin Yao. But before he could unlock his screen, Qin Yao’s call came through first.

[Huh, a call from President Qin?]

[Could this be what they call a mental connection?]

Huo Yan, who had just come downstairs, rolled his eyes at this comment.

Mental connection, my foot!

And Qin Yao’s really getting old—are you guys seriously not going to do something about this?

Papa and Mama Huo exchanged glances.

They had been advocating for free love for a long time now. As long as Ye Leyao liked him, why should they interfere?

Huo Yan, still upset, was about to step forward when he heard Ye Leyao say, “Chu Cheng’s birthday banquet?”

Papa and Mama Huo quickly held Huo Yan back.

Mama Huo whispered, “Stay out of it!”

Papa Huo nodded, “Exactly!”

Ye Leyao was puzzled.

[Why am I invited to Chu Cheng’s birthday banquet?]

On the other end of the call, Qin Yao seemed to sense Ye Leyao’s confusion and laughed, “You don’t want to go?”

Ye Leyao thought for a moment.

[If I can see President Qin and drink the oat milk he makes, then maybe it’s not a bad idea?]

So Ye Leyao replied directly, “Then, President Qin, can you make oat milk for me?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Qin Yao agreed, “Sure.”

Ye Leyao’s eyes instantly curved into a smile, “Great, I’ll definitely be there on time tomorrow.”

After the call ended, Huo Yan’s anger still hadn’t subsided.

At that moment, Ye Leyao suddenly remembered something.

[Wait, I think I forgot something…]

[Ah! I remember now! Chu Cheng’s birthday banquet! If it’s the birthday of the white moonlight, that means Meng Yue will also be attending, right?]

Upon hearing the names Chu Cheng and Meng Yue, the Huo family exchanged glances.

Hmm… The disabled big boss and the white moonlight?

Is there more drama coming?!

Then Ye Leyao’s excited voice rang out:

[Yes, yes, yes! It’s really tomorrow! So many things have been happening lately, I almost forgot about this!]

[The white moonlight who has been away for years is finally returning to the country. But unfortunately, the white moonlight has no feelings for the disabled big boss and has fallen for the little stand-in instead, making the big boss anxious and frustrated.]

[So, on the white moonlight’s birthday, not only did Meng Yue prepare many thoughtful gifts for Chu Cheng, but he also planned an elaborate confession for him!]

The Huo family: “!!!”

An elaborate confession?

Does that mean the clown is about to show up again?!