Chapter 1 Talking About the Team

Of course, agreeing to an exclusive interview couldn't possibly mean calling the reporter over just to tease him. After joking around, Fang Rui still answered Chang Xian's questions seriously. From himself to the team, he explained the reasons for his choice to transition.

In the next issue of Esports Weekly, Chang Xian's exclusive interview naturally made the front page. However, this so-called interview with Fang Rui was actually used to announce and introduce the structure and strategy of the Happy team. This detailed explanation even attracted the attention of the pro circle. After reading it, many people suddenly realized that Happy's current professional combination had many possibilities.

Just taking Fang Rui's shocking addition as an example, what class was Fang Rui's most familiar partner? A Brawler! Coincidentally, there happened to be a Brawler on the Happy team. Even though Fang Rui had transitioned to a Qi Master, his understanding of how to coordinate with the Brawler class wouldn't disappear just because he changed classes.

Furthermore, regarding Fang Rui's class change, the Qi Master was Ye Xiu's most reliable helper when Excellent Era established its dynasty, and had always been a main force in the Excellent Era team afterwards. Ye Xiu was completely skilled in coordinating with a Qi Master, and Su Mucheng was definitely not unfamiliar with it either.

As for the Battle Mage, the core class of the original Excellent Era team, Happy happened to have one as well. Contrary to what one might think, the classic combinations and tactics from Excellent Era's history might be reproduced in Happy.

After such analysis, everyone thoroughly realized how well Fang Rui's transfer fit with Happy, and how much of a cohesive force bringing in a Qi Master would be for Happy. Now, Fang Rui plus a Qi Master seemed to be Happy's tactical axis, connecting several classes together.

However, the one playing such a role was not even Happy's core. Who was Happy's core? Any idiot would know it was definitely Ye Xiu. And what class was Ye Xiu now? An Unspecialized! There was a lack of high-end practical research for this class. No one could really say for sure what role it could play in a team. It was clearly the foundation upon which Happy was built, but it was also the most mysterious element so far. Although Ye Xiu had started showing up with Lord Grim very early on, before he entered the pro circle, the pro circle was at most just curious about the Unspecialized. Who would have been so forward-thinking as to thoroughly research the Unspecialized so early on?

But now, Ye Xiu had truly returned, with his Unspecialized and a team that seemed to be not weak at all.

If some people had previously underestimated Happy, then after Fang Rui's transfer, everyone needed to change their views. Ye Xiu, Su Mucheng, Fang Rui, a team with three All-Star players. If that wasn't a team to be taken seriously, then what kind of team would be?

Admittedly, Happy's characters might be weaker, their facilities might be more rudimentary, and their finances might be tighter. But in the matches, as long as they had these three top-notch players, no one would dare to underestimate them.

Grassroots?

Grassroots with three All-Star players? People could no longer continue to call them that. A dark horse? Happy would be another dark horse this season, right? Like Team Yizhan last season?

No... Team Yizhan probably wouldn't be as dark. Team Yizhan's strength was mostly hyped up. Various topics in different areas increased people's attention on them. With high attention, expectations naturally rose as well. Their dark horse status was pushed out by public opinion.

But what about Happy? With three All-Star players, no one would be embarrassed to say they weren't a dark horse!

All the Glory forums, all the newbie circles, expert circles, and even pro player circles, were hotly discussing what kind of impact Happy would bring to people this season. Compared to when they were fighting in the Challenger League, Happy had suddenly become much stronger. All of this came from Fang Rui's addition, from Happy daring to make such a big transfer.

This was an attitude, from the players to the team.

All-Star players, valuing Happy, joining Happy.

Happy, daring to introduce All-Star characters, All-Star players with a large budget.

Happy's goal was to win the championship?

The people who were still laughing didn't seem to be many anymore. In the eyes of ordinary players, a team with three All-Star players was a top-tier team, a team qualified to compete for the championship. Only rational people were still observing Happy's shortcomings from all angles. But the majority had already gotten their heads heated from Fang Rui's transfer.

Happy, champion!

There were actually people who dared to shout such a slogan. Before this, even Tian Qi and the others, the absolute die-hard Happy fans who had met Ye Xiu in the tenth server and followed him all the way, were too embarrassed to seriously consider Happy's goal of making a run for the championship.

But now, any Glory player could plausibly explain how strong Happy was.

One transfer, Happy was once again greatly exposed. At this time, Glory's game company and the professional alliance jointly approached Happy. They were going to start promoting Happy's merchandise, character models, Happy-themed account cards, and so on. The development of such related products was agreed to be under the joint control of these three parties from the beginning of joining the alliance, so there was no need to bother thinking about other collaborators. As for the revenue, it was the same split amount for all teams. The team had very little to do, just providing their image. And then, it was probably about putting up results, building popularity, and stimulating the sales of various merchandise.

In the initial promotion plan of the alliance and the game company, Su Mucheng, who had always been popular, was definitely indispensable. Even though she had followed Excellent Era into the Challenger League last season, merchandise related to Su Mucheng and her Dancing Rain was still quite popular. And now that Dancing Rain had followed Su Mucheng to Happy, this inseparable duo was most welcome for merchandise production. Taking the best-selling merchandise, the character model, as an example, a Dancing Rain Gunner equipped with Su Mucheng's real body proportions and appearance, this two-in-one model was the most popular.

In comparison, Chu Yunxiu and Wind Howl were particularly awkward. The operator was female, but the character was male, which simply couldn't be integrated together. In the end, they could only sell the Wind Howl character model. As for the human model, this item's sales were relatively average. People still preferred the mighty appearance in the game's two-dimensional world.

Early on, no one had noticed this situation. Now that they realized it, Team Misty Rain was very depressed. Although they could use the privileges of the pro circle and their shared interests with the game company to make special modifications to the character's gender and appearance, which wouldn't affect the game balance data too much, Wind Howl had been a man for so long. Everyone was used to it. Suddenly changing him into a woman would probably be unacceptable to the fans, so Misty Rain had to endure it. But this time, with the sister flower players that Misty Rain had signed, after acknowledging their strength and performance, Misty Rain decided not to repeat the same mistake. Taking advantage of the fact that the fame and influence of these two characters were not large enough, this summer they finally passed it through the game company and changed the gender of the two characters, and specifically issued a statement.

Because modifying this didn't disrupt the game balance, players didn't have any objections to the pro circle having such privileges. And unifying the operator's and character's gender was also quite good in the players' eyes. Especially when two very beautiful girls were operating two rough-looking male characters, it was quite destructive to the artistic concept.

On Happy's side, Su Mucheng and Dancing Rain were undoubtedly included, and another one was Tang Rou and Soft Mist. Such a beautiful woman who already possessed perfect temperament and conditions was truly perfect. The alliance and the game company regarded her as a treasure, and found a particularly excellent team to prepare to create a Soft Mist character figure that would match Tang Rou's image. And then, they prayed that Tang Rou must play well, and make a name for herself. After all, this was still the esports circle, and formidable strength was the evergreen tree that never faded.

Happy's side originally wanted to launch three figures and three account cards in the first phase. Su Mucheng and Tang Rou were decided, then there was the troublesome Ye Xiu.

To say the original expectations for Ye Xiu were above Su Mucheng and Tang Rou. This was a hidden world-class expert who had been hidden for many years. It was rare that he was now willing to show up and no longer resisted this aspect. The alliance and the game company were red-eyed and wanted to dig him out. But when it came to getting real material, the game company's heart was about to break.

They designed and produced the Glory game, which of course included the equipment in it, and Lord Grim's mixed and matched style really made the game company amazed. What kind of trade-offs did it take to come up with such an unsightly equipment combination! Game design would certainly not deliberately make any unsightly equipment, either exquisite or with impressive characteristics. But Lord Grim's outfit, why did it look so awkward? For a moment, the game company even had the idea of ​​cheating and modifying Lord Grim's equipment shape to make this mix and match create a set of style. But it was just an impulse. This change had too much impact. Although equipment shape did not affect attributes, theoretically it did not destroy the game balance. But if Lord Grim's side was adjusted to be harmonious and beautiful, what if these equipment was worn on others and became abrupt?

In the end, it was Lord Grim's deformed class that made wearing equipment not conform to the aesthetics of Glory's design.

The strongest experts observed Lord Grim's current image for a long, long time, discussed it for a long, long time, and finally shook their heads. They admitted defeat.

The alliance was depressed, the game company was depressed, but they were persistent in their pursuit of wealth, and they immediately thought of another solution. They wanted to release a One Autumn Leaf commemorative edition, yes, that was the One Autumn Leaf that once belonged to Ye Xiu. This should make up for the regrets of many people, right?

Would it really? Soon someone doubted again.

It wasn't difficult to make this combination now. Although One Autumn Leaf now belonged to Samsara, it could be divided into Samsara and Happy. But the problem was that One Autumn Leaf just didn't have Ye Xiu's image before. To say its figure had already been sold everywhere. The current commemorative edition would just add Ye Xiu's image to it.

Figures were mainly based on the mighty image of the game's two-dimensional world, and the image of the players was just an addition with love. The so-called Excellent Era's One Autumn Leaf had already sold a lot, just because it didn't have Ye Xiu's face. Would adding an image really be so gimmicky? After careful consideration, everyone hesitated again. After all, as esports players, their main selling point was never their face.

Why was this Ye Xiu so troublesome?

The professional alliance and the Glory game company were in tears.