The esports scene is a field of gossip: someone cheats, someone gets an abortion, someone commits domestic violence, someone gambles...
Lu Huan was an exemplary cog in the league machine. He'd been a head coach at LIT for three years, passing through countless scandals without getting involved in a single one. He clocked in and out every day, worked hard to make the playoffs, had no bad habits, and was cautious even when earning a little extra on the side.
Who knew that just after they made the playoffs, the owner would go bankrupt?
The manager cried his eyes out as he explained that the new investors wanted to build a star-studded team, and the old cogs like them didn't fit the new model. They'd all been fired.
Lu Huan patted the manager on the shoulder and told him to start sending out resumes. It was hard to find a job that came with four to eight months of vacation every year.
The manager wiped away his tears. "If you find a job, give your buddy a hand."
Lu Huan nodded. "If you find a job, give your buddy a hand."
That evening, Lu Huan had just launched his game, and his takeout hadn't arrived yet, when the manager called excitedly. "I found a job! Come with me!"
Lu Huan: "?"
The manager put on a mysterious air. "I have connections."
Lu Huan got it. So the manager had been planning to jump ship all along.
On their first day at the new facility, two coaches from the neighboring division got into a fight. The training room echoed with the question, "Do you even have a sister or not?"
That night, Coach A was hospitalized, and Coach B went to jail.
After the story made the social media headlines, the players started leaving one after another. The parent company had no choice but to send someone to clean things up. But the person in charge was a nepotism hire who knew nothing about esports or management and could only throw money around.
The manager excitedly shared the gossip. "You know what? Coach A doesn't even have a sister. The girlfriend Coach B was dating was actually Coach A himself."
Lu Huan: "...As long as it doesn't affect the spring split."
The manager: "Don't worry!"
The day before the transfer window closed, Lu Huan learned in the middle of the night that their new mid laner was locked into a contract and couldn't play for the entire spring season.
The manager: "It's fine. He can play in the summer split. We spent the rest of the money on a top laner, so the academy mid laner can fill in. Besides, you've got experience training rookies."
Lu Huan: "All right."
That afternoon, the academy mid laner had just moved his luggage into the main team's dorm when the team manager's phone woke up the entire facility.
The manager shouted, "You went out to buy milk tea, and they poached our top laner? They have no shame! They waited at the airport to snatch him!"
Lu Huan: "Forget it. Promote the academy top laner."
The manager lowered his head and pointed at the notice board. "The academy team doesn't have a top laner. He snuck out last night to visit a brothel and got caught. He's in custody now."
Lu Huan forced a smile. "It's fine. We still have a bot lane, right?"
The manager raised his hand to the heavens and swore, "The AD has already arrived at the club and is sleeping off his jet lag. The support came up through our academy and just won the secondary league FMVP. We'll promote him to the starting roster right away. He definitely won't leave."
The next day, an esports gossip account posted a streamer clip showing the AD and support getting matched in a game and insulting each other's skills, followed by a challenge to a one-on-one offline match.
The manager exclaimed, "The AD sure has a way with words! Our new season is looking promising!"
Lu Huan looked up at the sky. Somehow, no lightning struck him.
1. Ensemble cast, with a championship.
2. Original MOBA, inspired by real games.
Theme: We are the champions
