Chapter 1070: Off to a Bad Start
Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
Xia Zhongtian was one of Excellent Era's sponsors, and he himself also played Glory. His character obviously wasn't any sort of secret to Excellent Era's people, so it was no secret to the former captain of Excellent Era, Ye Xiu.
Ye Xiu took the secretary's computer and logged in with a random account card before searching for Xia Zhongtian's character in the arena, easily finding his room. The moment the Xia Zhongtian's opponent left the room, he resolutely placed his own character in the arena.
Which smurf was Ye Xiu using? Chen Guo didn't bother checking because it wouldn't affect the result. No matter what class he used, it would all just be bullying noobs for Ye Xiu, no? In that moment, Chen Guo began to feel sorry for the person inside the room. Compared to her own rambling, this was probably a far harsher attack. Chen Guo could guess that Ye Xiu wouldn't go too easy on him.
As expected, Chen Guo had just reached this conclusion when a round had been finished. Chen Guo glanced at the time. Thirty seconds? Or was it even less?
In the blink of an eye, the second round began. Chen Guo couldn't even bear to watch the process. It was like watching an adult hit a kid. Anyone with a conscience wouldn't be able to admire the process. They would only find it cruel and inhumane.
The second round quickly ended, and then the third began...
Chen Guo felt like she could hear the frustrated breaths through the door.
Xia Zhongtian had been a Glory fan for so long already, so even if he had no talent whatsoever, his skill wouldn't be too bad. In the online game, he had probably never lost so badly. As a sponsor, he might have fought a pro level match before, but being a sponsor meant that Excellent Era's players would take it easy on him.
However… Ye Xiu was merciless this time!
In the time that these thoughts had taken place, Xia Zhongtian had lost his sixth match already.
Chen Guo's rambling had distracted him, causing him to lose a match in three minutes. Now that Ye Xiu had personally gotten onto the field, Xia Zhongtian managed to lose six matches in three minutes. From this, it could be seen that there was definitely a reasoning behind the saying that one shouldn't make empty promises, but act on them.
Five minutes went by rapidly and Xia Zhongtian had already lost ten matches.
Five minutes, ten matches lost.
Chen Guo, as a fellow Glory gamer, could easily imagine Xia Zhongtian's current state of mind. But this guy was rather stubborn too. He had been beaten so badly, and there was an obvious disparity in skill, but he still refused to give up, unwilling to leave the room and fighting match after match.
Another five minutes passed...
The phone on the secretary's desk rang with a ringtone dedicated specifically for the boss. Ye Xiu picked the call up casually. "What?"
"How come my lunch isn't here yet!" Xia Zhongtian didn't seem to realize that the person picking up didn't have his secretary's voice at all.
"You've lost so many times and you can still eat?" Ye Xiu asked.
Silence fell. Then, Chen Guo heard the sound of a chair moving. Looking into the room, she saw that Xia Zhongtian had finally stood up, walking around his wide desk and out of the room.
"It was you just now?" Xia Zhongtian came out of the room and saw Ye Xiu where his secretary should've been. Glory was running on the computer. Even though he hadn't seen Ye Xiu's character, he wasn't dumb. It wasn't hard to guess.
Ye Xiu smiled, but didn't say anything.
"My skill level is that bad?" Xia Zhongtian looked incredulous.
"It's not that bad," Ye Xiu said.
Chen Guo and Xia Zhongtian were both struck speechless. What this person was implying was obviously that he was too strong. That was just too arrogant. However, no one could retort to his arrogance. This was Ye Xiu, a God at the peak of Glory. If he were humble and said something like he wasn't so good, wasn't so powerful, then that would be equal to slapping the faces of all Glory players. If you weren't powerful, then what would we all be?
"Mr. Xia, do you want to continue?" Ye Xiu asked.
"No need," Xia Zhongtian replied. He wasn't a masochist.
"How about our discussions?" Ye Xiu asked.
"There's no need for that either…" Xia Zhongtian looked at Chen Guo with a hint of anxiousness. It seemed like Chen Guo's scolding of him just now did have its impact.
"Well, since your lunch still hasn't arrived, how about we all sit and talk it out?" Ye Xiu suggested.
"Is there a need? I feel that you know that I will never sponsor Happy. I find it strange that you would come." Xia Zhongtian said.
"As Xia Zhongtian, you definitely couldn't, but as the head of Ch'ien Tea Green's Marketing Department, I feel like this is quite a good chance," Ye Xiu said.
Xia Zhongtian paused for a moment, digesting that.
Xia Zhongtian not sponsoring Happy was because he personally couldn't accept it. However, from a business perspective, with the amount of attention Happy was receiving recently, they were a great sponsorship choice. Especially for Ch'ien Tea Green.
This was because the relationship between Excellent Era and their other sponsors was purely about business. They gave a sponsorship and naturally hoped that Excellent Era would do their best to promote their products. However, Ch'ien Tea Green was different. Since their sponsorship was more of Xia Zhongtian's personal desire, the company didn't sponsor them much, and they didn't require much from Excellent Era either. Even the most loyal local fans of Excellent Era probably didn't know that that their local famed company Ch'ien Tea Green was one of the sponsors of the team they loved.
The sponsorship given by Ch'ien Tea Green was frankly like an expenditure a rich young master had made on a whim. The money had been spent and he was satisfied. He had never hoped to profit from it. This sponsorship hadn't gained any influence so it was perfectly alright for Ch'ien Tea Green to turn around and sponsor Happy instead. They weren't like the other main sponsors of Excellent Era who had to carefully consider things if they wanted to sponsor Happy.
Xia Zhongtian was the head of external affairs so he had a professional eye for these things. It was just that when it came to Glory, to Excellent Era, he liked to act on his emotions. With Ye Xiu's reminder, he realized that, from business perspective, the current Happy truly was a good sponsorship choice. If he wrote up a feasible and professional report, the board might even accept it.
In that instant, Xia Zhongtian began to consider this from a professional perspective. However, as he began to think of the practical execution, he remembered how Excellent Era was facing disbandment, and that all this was the personal handiwork of the very team in front of him, lead by the man in front of him. Xia Zhongtian's rationality immediately burned away.
"I refuse," he said without a hint of emotion. He wanted Happy's people to feel frustrated. Although I can't influence much, at the very least, you won't be able to get a sponsorship from me. This was the only thing I can make you do in punishment for your deeds. That was what Xia Zhongtian thought.
"I see, what a shame. You've missed a good opportunity." Ye Xiu said.
"Don't worry, Ch'ien Tea Green has plenty of marketing channels," Xia Zhongtian replied aloofly.
"Oh, then how do you plan to end your sponsorship with Excellent Era?" Ye Xiu asked.
"You actually have the audacity to ask that?" Xia Zhongtian's cold demeanor melted immediately, replaced by the flames of anger. In his heart, it didn't matter what had brought Excellent Era to where they were now along the way, but Ye Xiu and Happy had given Excellent Era the final blow. This blow was the reason he couldn't forgive Ye Xiu and Happy. Even though he had gleaned the intricacies of these events from news reports, this would only fill him with disdain for Tao Xuan, but it wouldn't influence his hatred of Ye Xiu and Happy for their finishing blow.
"That's what competition is. You give and you gain. Why wouldn't I have the audacity?" Ye Xiu asked.
Xia Zhongtian didn't know how to reply. In reality, that wasn't what he wanted to express. The reason he didn't like Ye Xiu and Happy was just because they had given Excellent Era its finishing blow. In regards to how Ye Xiu used to be a member of Excellent Era and got kicked out before striking back, he didn't really feel anything. That meant, for him, in this victory and defeat, Ye Xiu was just like any other player. They won and Excellent Era fell, so he hated them, that was how simple it was.
For Ye Xiu's victory, only the competition mattered.
For Xia Zhongtian's hate, it was in reality only about the competition as well.
"Excellent Era needs help. Perhaps you could find a chance," Ye Xiu said.
"Me?" The topic brought up, Xia Zhongtian still seemed bitter. "I hope so, too, but unfortunately I don't have that ability."
"You will. You just need the right opportunity," Ye Xiu said.
"What do you mean?" Xia Zhongtian was taken aback.
"Excellent Era is currently dismantling and selling parts of its assets." What Ye Xiu said was the nightmare of any Excellent Era fan. "I hope that it's most important part won't be dismantled."
"Let's go!" Ye Xiu said to Chen Guo.
"Oh…" Chen Guo made a sound of agreement but felt that it was quite a shame. There had been a moment where Chen Guo saw that Xia Zhongtian had been seriously and rationally considering sponsoring Happy. She had held a flicker of hope, but unfortunately, Xia Zhongtian still refused in the end. As expected of a huge Excellent Era fan. In the end, he couldn't get over the fact that Happy had struck down Excellent Era. Chen Guo couldn't argue against this because Xia Zhongtian cared solely about the competition and the results. He made this decision because of the outcome. Unless they changed the outcome of that match, they wouldn't be able to change his mind, and unfortunately that was impossible.
"We're off to a bad start…" After leaving Ch'ien Tea Green, Chen Guo, who had kept on speaking for a full half hour, was melting under the sun. She bought two drinks from a vending machine and threw one bottle to Ye Xiu before rapidly downing half of her own bottle. Then she took a look at the packaging, Ch'ien Tea Green.
Ye Xiu didn't seem affected and twisted the bottle open to drink. "Don't worry about it. There's no reason for us to lack sponsors, it's just that you chose an impossible mission from the get go. It's just looking to fail!"
"That brat, Little Chang, I'll show him!" Chen Guo's aggro switched targets and she immediately took out her phone to dial Chang Xian. Speaking of, although they had been firmly rejected by Xia Zhongtian, she still couldn't bring herself to hate him.
In the end, it was all because of his love for the game. He was no different from Chen Guo, Ye Xiu and everyone else who loved Glory.