Chapter 113

Chen Guo suddenly understood. That's right! This person was the boss of Excellent Era, the real Big Boss, Tao Xuan. She had seen him in reports, but as a boss, his exposure was naturally far less than the players, and the attention he received couldn't compare, so although Chen Guo felt he looked familiar, she hadn't remembered who he was. Only after hearing Ye Xiu's words did she suddenly recall.

The Excellent Era boss was visiting in person?

Chen Guo then realized that there must be a lot going on, both concerned and curious, she couldn't help but follow into the room. Seeing that both of them were looking at her, she felt very embarrassed and pointed to her room, "I'm going back to my room." Saying that, she quickly slipped past, entered the room, closed the door, and then… pressed her ear against the door.

"Sit." In the living room, Ye Xiu offered Tao Xuan a seat, but he stood by the window.

"How have you been lately?" Tao Xuan asked, sitting on the sofa, while looking at Ye Xiu.

"Very well." Ye Xiu said, taking out a cigarette from his pocket, shaking one out, and throwing it towards Tao Xuan.

Tao Xuan was clearly stunned, and when he reached out to catch it, it was already too late.

The cigarette fell to the ground. Tao Xuan bent down to pick it up, and the hand holding the cigarette looked somewhat unnatural. In the end, he put the cigarette on the table, looked at Ye Xiu with a smile, and said, "I quit."

"Oh? Is that so? I didn't know!" Ye Xiu said, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling towards the window.

After a moment of silence, Tao Xuan looked around the room and then asked with a smile, "Living here?"

"Mm." Ye Xiu nodded.

"Living with such a beauty, aren't you afraid Mu Cheng will be unhappy?" Tao Xuan joked with a smile.

"Heh heh heh." Ye Xiu also laughed three times, then put away his smile and looked at Tao Xuan seriously, "Let's talk business!"

Tao Xuan did not avoid Ye Xiu's gaze, looking directly at him, with a smile still on his face, "Come back!"

"Come back where?"

"Come back to Excellent Era."

Bang! Chen Guo's bedroom door made a sound, as if it had been hit by something. Ye Xiu shook his head and smiled, calling out loudly, "If you want to listen, come out! Have some backbone…"

The door was pulled open, and Chen Guo walked out with a complicated expression, somewhat embarrassed, but also somewhat angry.

Ye Xiu looked at her and smiled again, then turned to Tao Xuan, continuing the previous topic, "What would I do back at Excellent Era?"

"Coach." Tao Xuan quickly replied.

"Oh? I'll be a coach? Is this a step in your plan?" Ye Xiu asked.

This time Tao Xuan didn't answer quickly, his gaze also shifting away, stopping in front of him. On the empty coffee table, the cigarette he had picked up lay there alone. Chen Guo looked at him, she really wanted to rush up and loudly question how he could have the nerve to ask Ye Xiu to come back, but she restrained herself in the end. She just kept looking at this one, then that one, as if trying to see something on their faces.

"I have no interest in standing on the sidelines. I prefer to stand on the field." Ye Xiu suddenly broke the silence.

These words immediately brought a smile back to Tao Xuan's face, and he quickly raised his head and said, "Coaching is only temporary. As soon as you've been retired for a year, you can immediately return to the professional scene."

"Of course, I'll return immediately." Ye Xiu smiled.

Tao Xuan understood the meaning of Ye Xiu's words: No matter where I am, I will definitely return. Tao Xuan smiled wryly, "Why bother?"

"Why do you bother?" Ye Xiu asked back.

Tao Xuan's expression suddenly became somewhat agitated. Ye Xiu's question seemed to have touched something.

The meaning of "why bother" is "there's no need." The "why bother" that Ye Xiu spoke of seemed to him to be not just about the present moment.

"You and I have both watched this alliance step by step to where it is today, and we both know very well that today's professional alliance is no longer what it used to be." Tao Xuan said, "The success of the powerhouses promotes the alliance; outstanding stars generate the greatest influence. This is what the alliance needs most to develop. In a match, tactics and coordination are indeed important, and they can determine the outcome of the match. But stars! Stars are what truly drive ticket sales. Of the ten thousand spectators you grab for a match, how many can really understand your high-end tactics? How many can understand the technical content of those mechanically complex coordinations? None! None of these can capture the hearts of the players. What do players like to see most? It's a one-versus-three in the individual competition, a single person turning the tide in the team competition. These are the things they talk about with relish, these are the things they want to see, like to see, hope to see, and regard as the most amazing."

Tao Xuan paused, paying attention to Ye Xiu's expression, and even glancing at Chen Guo on the side, before continuing, "Why is Zhou Zekai now called the Glory Number One? Is it just because he's handsome? No, more importantly, his skills are flashy enough, and the scenes he creates are good-looking enough. In the eyes of the players, flashy means difficulty, it means high level. You might say again that this is superficial. But what everyone likes to see is precisely the superficial. You said that you created your Dragon Raises Its Head just for fun, and its practical value is limited. But what about it? All the fans regard it as your signature skill. Is its limited practical value important? It's not important. What's important is that it's unreplicable, only you can do it, so it has become an irreplaceable flash. When you don't use it, everyone will think that your level has declined; when you use it on the All-Star stage, you can instantly ignite the enthusiasm of the entire audience. I don't believe you can't see this!"

In an impassioned speech, Tao Xuan completely put away his smile and stared at Ye Xiu with burning eyes.

Ye Xiu smiled slightly, "You're right, but these are not what I want."

"What is it that you want?"

"Victory." Ye Xiu also looked directly at Tao Xuan.

"You…" Tao Xuan seemed to have suddenly lost his strength. After a long while, he continued to speak, but his tone already had a hint of sarcasm, "Do you think you can still win back the glories that have already passed?"

"I'm trying." Ye Xiu said.

"You can't." Tao Xuan said, word by word.

"Are you so sure?" Ye Xiu still managed to smile.

"Yes."

"Let's wait and see." Ye Xiu said.

"Very well, let's wait and see." Tao Xuan stood up.

"Hmph, before that, you should first make sure that your Excellent Era doesn't get relegated." Chen Guo saw that the two sides had reached a dead end, and finally couldn't help but interject.

"Heh heh." Tao Xuan smiled dismissively, "Even if Excellent Era is relegated, we have the ability to immediately return to the alliance in a year. We're looking to the future, not bound by the past. Those stumbling blocks that hinder our future will be ruthlessly kicked away by us."

"Mm, on this point, you've indeed done very well." Ye Xiu said faintly.

"Farewell."

"Don't bother seeing me off."

Tao Xuan walked quickly to the door. After opening the door, he stopped, didn't turn his head, and just said, "The alliance can no longer return to the past."

"I know, but I'm old and too lazy to move forward anymore." Ye Xiu said.

"You could have had a perfect ending." Tao Xuan said.

"Whether my ending is perfect is up to me to decide." Ye Xiu said.

Tao Xuan, who had been standing at the door for a long time, finally turned around, "For the sake of our many years of friendship, I can agree to one last thing for you."

"Oh?"

"Even if you want One Autumn Leaf to be transferred." Tao Xuan said.

"That's very expensive." Ye Xiu smiled.

"As long as you make an offer, I won't make things difficult." Tao Xuan said.

As soon as Tao Xuan said this, even Chen Guo was somewhat moved. Because she also knew very well that character transfers were much more difficult than player transfers. A player's value would fluctuate due to their condition, but a character almost never would. A character's value would only increase.

Because characters are dead. As long as someone controls them, they will perfectly follow instructions, and their value can always be utilized to one hundred percent. What about the players? If they really want to transfer, the clubs usually wouldn't make things too difficult, because you can't force a melon to ripen.

This principle applies to people, but it doesn't apply to characters.

Player transfers involve a lot of negotiations, and the transfer fee is very negotiable. But character transfers are always a case of the buyer being ruthlessly fleeced by the seller. So during the transfer period, there are always many player movements; character movements are rare.

Tao Xuan actually promised to let go of One Autumn Leaf, Excellent Era's ace character, and wouldn't set obstacles on the transfer fee. This promise was really weighty.

"Alright." Ye Xiu nodded, "I want Su Mu Cheng."

"Mm?" Chen Guo called out in confusion. Tao Xuan also had a surprised expression on his face, but in the end, he didn't say anything and nodded, "Okay, I keep my word."

"Thank you."

"Then…" Tao Xuan said, turning around, "I really didn't expect that one day I would have the opportunity to say these words to you: See you in the match!"

"I thought of it a long time ago. See you in the match!" Ye Xiu said calmly.

Tao Xuan left. Chen Guo lay on the window, and soon saw Tao Xuan walk out of the internet cafe, stride across the road, without hesitation, without looking back, and walk into the gate of Excellent Era diagonally opposite.

"You guys used to be… good friends, right?" Chen Guo asked Ye Xiu.

"Mm." Ye Xiu responded, but walked to the coffee table, picked up the cigarette he had picked up from the ground, silently lit it, and walked out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Chen Guo quickly asked.

"Going to play the game, aren't you coming?" Ye Xiu asked back, his smile still the same.

"Of course." Chen Guo quickly followed, her heart greatly calmed. She found that worrying about Ye Xiu always seemed to be unnecessary.

In room 213, the two logged into the game together. Chen Guo had been practicing with him these past two days, and they were always in the same place when they went online and offline. As soon as he went online, Ye Xiu immediately saw a patch of scorched marks on the ground. After a slight pause, he immediately made Lord Grim do a 360-degree turn, instantly sweeping his vision around. Not knowing what he saw, he immediately shouted anxiously at Chen Guo, "Run!"

"What?" Chen Guo's Chasing Haze had just gone online and heard Ye Xiu shouting. Before she could react, she saw a pile of light and shadow like a net covering her.