Chapter 960: Special Treatment
Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
Chang Xian had came specifically for TeamHappy, but Cao Guangcheng wasn’t the same. As a well-known reporter in the esports circle, he wouldn’t have bothered to come to such an insignificant event if it wasn’t for Team Excellent Era’s presence. So while he might have come along this time, he only came for Team Excellent Era and was completely uninterested in the other teams.
There was quite a bit to talk about in regards to Happy. Cao Guangcheng was willing to admit that. Yet even then, so what? No matter how hot of a topic they were, being in the Challenger League meant that they still wouldn’t garner much attention. More importantly, the topic of Happy had no future, since they were eventually going to be eliminated anyways.
Cao Guangcheng was more than happy for Chang Xian to not compete with him for Excellent Era, so he encouraged the other to work on his reports on Happy. From Cao Guangcheng’s perspective, his bitter days this year would finally come to an end as the Challenger League did. With their current lineup, Excellent Era would definitely be able to compete for the championship after they returned to the pro league.
Speaking of which, Su Mucheng would definitely leave the team after the end of this season. Then, they would be one All Star short. But after returning to the Pro League, Cao Guangcheng was certain that Excellent Era would invest more into washing off the blemish of being in the Challenger League for a year. With the two Gods Sun Xiang and Xiao Shiqin overseeing things, Excellent Era already had incredible competitive ability. If they managed to bring in another God, the new season’s Excellent Era would be even more spectacular, creating even more news and he, as Excellent Era’s team reporter, would reach new heights.
Thinking of this, the awkwardness he had to experience this year suddenly seemed not as terrible. Watching the boisterous round of welcomes as Chang Xian approached Happy, Cao Guangcheng gave a sardonic grin. To him, it seemed like a last celebration before leaving for the execution grounds. He didn’t bother joining in.
Cao Guangcheng left after completing the registration for reporters at the reception and obtaining his reporter’s pass. He didn’t linger because he knew Excellent Era wouldn’t come here.
For the arrangements of the Challenger League, all the teams would be treated the same, even Excellent Era. However, since Excellent Era was an old powerhouse, it was awkward enough for them that they were even in the Challenger League in the first place; there was no way they would want to to stay with these grassroots teams to mingle. So they refused the Alliance’s arrangements, preferring to pay out of their own pockets and find another place to stay. As for Cao Guangcheng, he was a reporter so the Alliance wouldn’t have made arrangements for him anyways. He had to take care of his own food and board. He felt like he was a cut above all of these others, so he didn’t bother lingering to mingle either, booking a room in the hotel Excellent Era had also chosen.
As he left the hotel arranged by the Alliance, Cao Guangcheng saw two H City reporters who had been assigned to the Challenger League standing in front of the main entrance, looking around with eager anticipation. Cao Guangcheng knew what they were waiting for, laughing internally. However, as he passed by, he was still recognized by his two colleagues, who hurried over to stop him.
"Hey, Reporter Cao, when did you get here?" The two approached hastily upon seeing Cao Guangcheng. Cao Guangcheng might not have published any good pieces, but he hadn’t fallen to the point where even these two could look down on him. Anyone who was sent to report on the Challenger League wouldn’t be any important person in Esports Home.
"Haha, I just got here," Cao Guangcheng greeted the two with a smile.
"We don’t really have anything to do right now, so how about we interview you, since you’re a big shot reporter." One the two reporters suggested jokingly.
"How could you have nothing to do? Aren’t there many teams that have already gotten here?" Cao Guangcheng pointed towards the registration area inside.
"These teams?" The two turned to look, their disdain evident. They obviously didn’t think these grassroots teams were worthy of their attention.
"What’s there to ask these teams? Hey, lemme ask you, when is Team Excellent Era coming, huh?" One of the two asked.
Cao Guangcheng smiled. How could he not know what these two were trying to do? These two had the same idea as he did. To be blunt, they wanted to take this chance to grab the high-quality resource that was Excellent Era. After all, what everyone paid attention to wasn’t the news from the Challenger League, but the future of Excellent Era.
This was a great source and Cao Guangcheng was in no way willing to hand it off to someone else. After having to hold it in for a year, he wouldn’t give anyone else even half a chance.
"Excellent Era? I’m not sure either! I looked around for them, but didn’t see them. They probably didn’t come yet. Ok, I have to go because I have something to do. I’ll catch you later, bye!" Cao Guangcheng waved and bid farewell. Yet these two reporters had their eyes set on Cao Guangcheng’s luggage.
For convenience, reporters like them would usually just live in the hotels the Alliance arranged for the teams, but Cao Guangcheng seemed to be leaving for a different place to stay if his luggage had anything to say.
The observation abilities of reporters were rather good. The two exchanged a glance and, seeing Cao Guangcheng hail down a taxi, hurried after him and hailed their own taxi to follow.
Inside the hotel, the registration continued neatly. Happy’s members finished their registration and subsequently obtained the key to their assigned rooms. Chang Xian followed and even offered to carry the ladies’ bags.
"Hey, Little Chang is pretty strong huh? Here, try mine." Seeing this, Steamed Bun gave his luggage to Chang Xian as well.
"Ah?" Chang Xian had already taken Tang Rou and Chen Guo’s bags. Their journey this time was to another city and it was for a month. Their luggage was far more terrifying than a guy’s. Chang Xian had taken both of their bags, already reaching his limits. Now with Steamed Bun shoving another bag at him, he immediately turned to stone.
The group went upstairs as they laughed and joked amongst themselves. The rooms were all standard two beds. Happy had eleven members, so they were arranged more or less the same way as they were back home.
Ye Xiu and Wei Chen had a room, Chen Guo and Tang Rou had a room, Steamed Bun and Luo Ji, Qiao Yifan and An Wenyi. Sun Zheping had only just joined, and ended up rooming with Wu Chen. The only one to experience the pleasure of having a room to themselves was, naturally, Mo Fan who didn’t interact with anyone else.
Being a hotel arranged by the Alliance, it wouldn’t be far from the stadium, and in addition, it had another important feature: training grounds.
It was unimaginable to not have training for a nigh pro competition. So the Alliance would always arrange for training grounds for the Challenger League teams. After settling in, Happy found the staff manning the registration and asked about the training grounds. As expected, there were immediately people there to show them the way.
The training grounds the Alliance had arranged for them lifted Ye Xiu and co’s spirits. This environment was too familiar; it was the hotel’s Internet cafe!
The reason for the Alliance choosing a hotel with average commodities was clear now. They had probably chosen the hotel for the fact that it came with an Internet cafe...
The hotel Internet cafe had since become closed to the public and became the Challenger League’s exclusive training grounds. The interior had been arranged as well so that each team had their own area, separated by temporary partitions. By the time Happy got there, there were already teams working inside. The Alliance wouldn’t bother with if they were using these computers to train or to do something else. During the Challenger League, they were free to use the area they were assigned as they pleased.
Team Happy’s eleven members were a massive group relative to the other teams in the Challenger League and was assigned the innermost corner of the Internet cafe. As an experienced Internet cafe owner, Chen Guo gave the environment and equipment of the Internet cafe high praise. After they took a small tour and familiarize themselves with the place a little, Happy’s members weren’t impatient to start using the equipment like some of the other teams. Having travelled quite a ways over, it was important for them to rest. After their small tour, Happy’s members returned to their rooms to rest.
At the same time, Team Excellent Era had checked into their own hotel upon arriving, but they still had to register. The Alliance couldn’t arrange for a registration spot in their hotel just for them, so after settling in, they still had to go to the hotel arranged by the Alliance.
Yet as Excellent Era made their way into the lobby, three people immediately stepped forth to meet them.
Reporters… Excellent Era’s members immediately knew this, seeing the manner of the three. As a powerhouse team, Excellent Era had no need to pander to the media outlets. Usually, reporters would be falling over themselves to interview them; there was no need for them to pay reporters to come, unless they needed the media to express a certain voice to the public, of course. Though the season had lost them their face, they had never lost their status as a powerhouse. However, thinking of all the ruckus in the past when they entered the playoffs, three reporters seemed very bare! Among the three reporters, Cao Guangcheng was a familiar face. They had been in contact before coming and if it wasn’t for how there was some business they couldn’t manage to adjust around, Cao Guangcheng would have definitely departed on the same flight as Excellent Era. He was the team reporter, after all, so he would usually stick close like that.
As for the other two? Excellent Era’s gaze fell to them. The two ignored the fire that seemed to spit from Cao Guangcheng’s eyes and came up to introduce themselves.
They were also from Esports Home? Excellent Era was stunned. However, as the club manager, Cui Li had a lot of experience dealing with reporters outside of the player interviews.. He was pretty clear on the going ons about the media. Seeing Cao Guangcheng’s pissed off expression, he immediately realized what was happening. They were fighting amongst themselves!
This sort of thing would be something that would make Cao Guangcheng depressed, but not Excellent Era; they wouldn’t neglect any side.
Cao Guangcheng was seething! He had never thought these two shameless colleagues of his would follow him. These two had gotten off their taxi right after he had gotten off his. When they came to greet him with faces of triumph, he felt like he had the will to eat them.
And now, they had engaged Excellent Era like this right under his nose.
During Excellent Era’s peak years, they might even be disdainful of talking with unfamiliar reporters, but hadn’t Excellent Era fallen? They had to play nice with the media, so they wouldn’t give the two the cold shoulder. Cao Guangcheng understood this all too clearly.
The two chattered on one after the other, engaged in a enthusiastic conversation with Excellent Era and making Cao Guangcheng like a little sidekick. This made his rage flare up further. However, Cao Guangcheng hadn’t followed Excellent Era for so long for nothing. Seeing the two clinging to Cui Li and chattering, he decided to switch targets to one of the players. Yet as he turned his gaze, he managed to get a glimpse of Excellent Era’s owner who was standing behind the team, Tao Xuan.
Cao Guangcheng was delighted. The owner of a club wasn’t a person one could easily get a chance to interview! He was about to approach and engage the other when he suddenly heard the two others suddenly ask Cui Li, "There’s always been the rumor that Team Happy was a team created by Ye Qiu, but just now, we obtained the finalized name list of registered players, and Team Happy didn’t have the name Ye Qiu in it. This…"
"What did you say?" The other hadn’t even finished speaking when Tao Xuan heard, and immediately began to rush forward.