ARML CH44

When Chi Shuo returned to the villa carrying the fish, Ming Sheng and Ye Shaoyang were chatting on the sofa in the living room. Seeing the contract in Ye Shaoyang’s hand, Chi Shuo turned to Ming Sheng and asked, “Master, is it decided?”

Ming Sheng smiled, stood up, and said, “En. I’ll have the auntie prepare dinner, you guys stay and eat too.” He took the bucket from Chi Shuo’s hand, looking at the lively fish inside: “You actually caught one?”

Chi Shuo replied, “Only caught one.”

Ming Sheng said meaningfully, “Fat and big, one is enough.”

Ye Shaoyang couldn’t shake the feeling that Captain Ming was hinting—was he the big fish Chi Shuo had hooked for Tianhuan?

After Captain Ming turned and left, Chi Shuo finally looked at Ye Shaoyang and said, “Let’s go for a walk outside.”

Ye Shaoyang followed Chi Shuo to the nearby lake.

It was early autumn in Star City, but the temperature was still hot. The lake covered a large area, its waters clear. The lakeside was shaded by green trees, and the breeze blowing off the water brought a refreshing coolness.

Walking here at dusk was extremely comfortable.

Ye Shaoyang breathed in the fresh lakeside air while walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Chi Shuo.

The villa area was very quiet, without a soul in sight. After walking along the lakeside for a while, Chi Shuo finally asked, “What terms did Master give you in the end?”

Ye Shaoyang handed him the contract.

Chi Shuo quickly flipped through it: “A 5 million upfront signing fee, and 5 million issued as a bonus after winning the domestic league championship, with no time limit.” He remained silent for two seconds, then looked at Ye Shaoyang: “Can you accept this?”

Ye Shaoyang smiled: “Of course I can. After all, I have no match results; I’m just a rookie. The club isn’t running a charity. 5 million to sign a rookie—even I think that’s too much.”

Chi Shuo said, “When I was a rookie, my signing fee was only 3 million, but that was three years ago. A player’s market value will slowly rise with their results. This compromise Master came up with looks like a blank check, but in reality, he also saw your potential and believes you can secure this bonus.”

Ye Shaoyang nodded: “I understand.”

Chi Shuo stopped by the lake and said softly, “The signing fee is only one part; you’ll have a lot of subsequent income. Like advertising revenue splits, merchandise splits, tournament prize money splits, etc.”

Ye Shaoyang asked curiously, “Are the revenue split percentages the same for all team members?”

Chi Shuo nodded: “En, to avoid teammates comparing themselves and causing internal rifts, the signing fees for all members of the main squad might differ, but once they join the team, the splits are all the same.”

He paused, then said, “For example, in Season 6, we won the domestic league championship. The prize money for the domestic championship was 10 million. In addition to that, there was the sales split from the FMVP skin, which is the real bulk of it.”

Ye Shaoyang understood: “I watched the VOD of the S6 grand finals. The one who got the FMVP back then was your [Bloodstained Assassin], right? A direct pentakill comeback in the finals.”

Chi Shuo said, “Yes. The operator of Gods’ War in the China region specially created the [Bloodstained Assassin] FMVP limited skin. It was sold domestically for one month, with sales reaching 150 million. The officials promised a 15% sales cut to the champion team. Therefore, aside from the 10 million prize money from the finals, Tianhuan also received 22.5 million from the skin sales split. The team rewarded a portion of that to us, and each of us received about 5 million in tournament bonuses.”

Ye Shaoyang: “…………”

The sales split from the championship skins was truly the biggest prize pool.

In MOBA games like this, hero skills and stats don’t change; the only difference is the skins. Most players will buy skins for their favorite heroes. There are also many wealthy players who collect skins even if they don’t play a certain hero.

In his past life, Ye Shaoyang was the captain of the GD team. The prize pool for the LOL World Championship also included the sales split from the championship skins. Of course, the GD team wasn’t generous enough to distribute the entire prize pool to them. The promise back then was a 70% cut for them, but unfortunately, they failed to win the championship in the end.

As Ye Shaoyang sank into his memories, he saw Chi Shuo flip to the clause in the contract regarding the World Championship and say, “If Tianhuan wins the World Championship, the club will also distribute the entire World Championship prize pool to the main squad members. Actually, this clause is the most important one.”

With a complex expression, Ye Shaoyang said, “The limited skins for the World Championship are sold globally. The sales revenue will definitely be dozens of times more than what [Bloodstained Assassin] made in the China region back then.”

Bloodstained Assassin, a single skin, made 150 million in sales in the China region.

Then, for the 5 heroes used by the World Championship team in the deciding game—Top Laner, Jungler, Mid Laner, Marksman, Support—what would be the global sales revenue for their limited skins?

That would be an unimaginable, terrifying figure.

In comparison, the signing fee truly was just a drop in the bucket.

As expected of the former captain of Tianhuan, Ming Sheng thought further ahead than even Chi Shuo. Giving a 10 million signing fee directly to Ye Shaoyang? The club’s shareholders definitely wouldn’t agree. Why should a rookie with no track record get 10 million all at once?

But by adding “distribution of the prize pool after winning the World Championship” into the contract, the shareholders could be persuaded. They would think that even if Ye Shaoyang joins Tianhuan, Tianhuan might not necessarily win the World Championship, so agreeing to it wouldn’t matter.

If they really did win it? That wouldn’t be a loss either. After all, a World Championship team would have a steady stream of subsequent advertising endorsements and sponsor investments. The club would still make a fortune and leave behind a good reputation for treating its players well.

Looking at Ye Shaoyang’s complex expression, Chi Shuo said gently, “I also didn’t expect Master to offer such terms. It seems he really appreciates you. He also believes that with you joining Tianhuan, we have a chance to win the championship.”

Ye Shaoyang turned and asked, “Has Captain Chi calculated it? If we really win the World Championship, how much would our total income be, including the domestic prize pool, the World Championship prize pool, and various endorsements and advertisements?”

Chi Shuo replied, “Breaking a hundred million wouldn’t be a problem.”

Ye Shaoyang looked towards the distant lake surface, a brilliant smile on his face: “Then wouldn’t we instantly become local tyrants?”

Following his gaze into the distance, Chi Shuo said indifferently, “If we don’t win the championship, it’s all just empty talk. If we do win the championship, this is also the compensation we deserve.”

A breeze blew across the lake, rustling Ye Shaoyang’s hair and clearing his mind even further.

On the surface, this contract only gave him a 5 million upfront signing fee. But in reality, it offered him limitless potential for advancement—as long as you are strong enough, as long as you win the World Championship, the club will absolutely not treat you unfairly. If Tianhuan wins the World Championship, their income would very likely set a new record for the highest annual income of esports players globally.

For players, this reward mechanism was actually a form of motivation.

Whether the money was a lot or a little, Ye Shaoyang didn’t care. As long as he could win the World Championship, he’d be willing to work for free.

However, this contract from Tianhuan showed him their full sincerity and their intense desire for the championship. The club didn’t even want a single cent of the championship prize money; the terms Captain Ming proposed were indeed bold.

Ye Shaoyang turned back to Chi Shuo and asked, “I’m a little curious. Did Captain Ming retire back then because of a decline in form? When I PKed with him today, his hand speed was very fast. I could only manage a 50-50 tie with him at best.”

Chi Shuo shook his head and said, “It wasn’t a decline in form. He went back to inherit the family business.”

Ye Shaoyang: “…”

Chi Shuo explained, “Master’s world isn’t just esports. You heard him playing the piano earlier, right? His family is in business; he is actually the heir to the largest music company in the country. Back then, he made a bet with his father: if he didn’t win the World Championship, he would go home to manage the company. We didn’t win the championship in S6, so he had no choice but to retire. At the time, his condition was actually at its peak. With his sudden retirement, my succession as captain was also very hasty.”

Ye Shaoyang suddenly realized, “So he later invested money and became a shareholder in the Tianhuan club?”

Chi Shuo nodded, “The capital behind the Tianhuan club is the Tianhuan Group. My master invested and took 30% of the shares. He couldn’t let go of the Tianhuan team and often said he was very sorry for dumping the mess on me after retiring.”

No wonder Ming Sheng’s aura was different from other esports players.

His favorable treatment of Ye Shaoyang was definitely out of respect for Chi Shuo. Feeling guilty towards his disciple, he didn’t make things difficult for the person his disciple personally brought to see him; instead, he offered even better terms.

Chi Shuo looked at Ye Shaoyang with a gentle gaze: “This contract is just a template Master gave you. The official contract still requires discussion among the club’s upper management and must go through legal procedures before it’s finalized. Moreover, once the supplementary condition regarding the prize pool distribution passes the shareholders’ meeting, my contract and the other members’ contracts will also need to be re-signed. At that time, I will have the lawyer send the official contract to you as soon as possible.”

Ye Shaoyang smiled and said, “No problem.”

He paused, then asked, “Has Qu Jiang agreed to switch to Support?”

Chi Shuo replied, “Coach Lin will personally speak with Qu Jiang, and I’ll also have a good talk with him when I get back. To win the playoffs, I was willing to be a utility jungler. I believe Qu Jiang will also be willing to switch to a position more suited for him for the sake of the team’s results. He often duo-queues with Xiao Xing and plays Support, so switching to Support won’t be hard for him.”

Ye Shaoyang relaxed: “That’s for the best. I don’t want to get into conflicts with your veteran members as soon as I join the team.”

Chi Shuo said, “That won’t happen. Qu Jiang has a very good temper and is easy to get along with. As for the fans, there might be some unpleasant comments. Tianhuan has always had many anti-fans; we’ve been cursed at for three years and are used to it. When the time comes… just try not to look at those negative comments.”

Ye Shaoyang smiled and nodded, thinking to himself, I was cursed at for 4 years in my past life, I’m used to it too.

Chi Shuo asked, “When is it convenient for you to report to the team?”

Ye Shaoyang replied, “I can report anytime, depends on the club’s arrangement.”

Chi Shuo said, “Then after I go back, I’ll have the team logistics tidy up a dorm room for you first?”

Ye Shaoyang asked with concern, “How are Tianhuan’s dorms allocated?”

Chi Shuo replied, “Most are two-bedroom, one-living-room 80-square-meter suites, with a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a shared bathroom. The two bedrooms are separate and don’t disturb each other.” He looked at Ye Shaoyang, “Are you willing to room with me?”

Ye Shaoyang froze for a moment, looking at him in confusion: “Captain Chi, you don’t have a roommate?”

Chi Shuo said, “My roommate is Old Nie. He’s retiring this year and will pack up and leave Tianhuan in a few days. After all, you’re a newly joined member and unfamiliar with Tianhuan. By rooming with me, you can ask me anytime if you have any questions.”

He figured that since they were both Alphas, living together wouldn’t matter. Moreover, Tianhuan wanted to showcase the “mid-jungle synergy” playstyle on the stage next season. Therefore, it was only natural for the Mid Laner and Jungler to live together and build rapport through daily interaction, wasn’t it?

Ye Shaoyang didn’t overthink it and readily agreed, “I’ll follow the team’s arrangements. Rooming with Captain Chi is the best, of course. After all, I’m more familiar with you.”

Thinking of the cat at home, he quickly added, “Right, I also have a Ragdoll cat. Are any of the team members allergic to cat hair or afraid of cats? Captain Chi, could you help me ask around when you get back? If anyone is allergic, I’ll keep Xiao Bai locked in my bedroom then. I can’t let my cat affect others.”

Although cats look like very cute little animals, there really are people who are afraid of cats or allergic to their hair. Going to Tianhuan, Ye Shaoyang naturally had to bring Xiao Bai along, and he didn’t want Xiao Bai to cause trouble for everyone.

Meeting his eyes, Chi Shuo remembered the cute little cat from his stream, gently raised the corners of his mouth, and said, “I’ll ask everyone later and get back to you. However, I’m not allergic to cats. You can keep the cat in our dorm. The dorm is quite spacious, enough for it to move around.”

Ye Shaoyang let out a sigh of relief: “Then I’ll go back and pack my bags, waiting for Captain Chi’s notice.”

Chi Shuo nodded: “En, I’ll also urge the club’s side to finish the procedures as quickly as possible. But convening the shareholders takes time, and departments like finance and legal all need to carefully review the contract. So, it will take at least 2 weeks before you can come report.”

He reached out his hand to Ye Shaoyang, warmth in his eyes: “Shaoyang, thank you for being willing to join Tianhuan.”

Ye Shaoyang grasped his hand and said earnestly, “And thank you to Tianhuan for choosing me.”

The two smiled at each other.

Players and teams have always brought out the best in each other.

Signing with a team requires careful consideration. There are actually many domestic powerhouse teams, and perhaps other teams would extend an olive branch to Ye Shaoyang next, but Ye Shaoyang didn’t regret his choice.

Captain Chi’s sincerity and high regard for him.

The unprecedented contract terms offered by the former captain, Ming Sheng.

The Tianhuan team has always been striving for the World Championship throne. Generation after generation of Tianhuan players have never given up on this goal. This also happened to perfectly align with Ye Shaoyang’s dream.

Next season’s Tianhuan will reproduce the sharpness of mid-jungle synergy. But it won’t just be a simple “mid-jungle synergy.” The brand new Tianhuan will have richer, more comprehensive tactics, and their overall strength will see a leap in improvement.

The domestic championship is merely their stepping stone—the World Championship is their ultimate goal.