The promotional campaign for Wanlong Group Buying was in full swing, with everything looking promising.
At the same time.
Huangquan E-sports officially launched the first-ever "Huangquan Cup" E-sports Tournament.
Li Xiaohui immediately arranged for Wanlong Hui personnel to distribute flyers at various universities, and the news quickly spread among the student population.
The rewards for this tournament were quite substantial.
Participants could not only receive internet credit from Huangquan E-sports but also high-end peripherals and a total prize pool of approximately fifty thousand yuan.
This amount might not seem huge, but considering it was just a tournament hosted by an internet cafe, offering such rewards was already very attractive.
One must remember that many university students at the time only had a few hundred yuan for monthly living expenses.
Furthermore, there was a major additional prize: the champion team and the individual champion would qualify to become short-term brand ambassadors for Huangquan E-sports!
At that time, your names would be known throughout the university district, and even in many parts of Bright Pearl City, wherever there was a Huangquan E-sports branch.
The impact of this announcement instantly overshadowed the tangible rewards like internet credit, peripherals, and cash prizes.
Especially for those university students who loved gaming, harbored e-sports dreams, and also wanted to show off, the appeal was simply off the charts!
"Holy crap! The Huangquan Cup? The prize money is that high?"
"Brand ambassadors? What is Huangquan E-sports, some internet cafe? Whatever, if they can put up this much prize money, they're showing real sincerity."
"The champion team gets to be ambassadors? They might even make the local news. That would be a huge chance to show off!"
"Yeah, that's way cooler than just getting prize money. Never thought playing games could make you famous."
"Brothers, let's form a team! We gotta form a team!"
"........"
In the various universities, many boys, and even some girls, who enjoyed FPS games, were fired up and eager to give it a try after seeing the flyers.
With the registration period being very short, they quickly sprang into action, looking for teammates on campus or posting far and wide on gaming forums and university message boards, seeking like-minded skilled players to form teams and go for the championship.
This fervor even spread to student groups who usually weren't very interested in gaming or e-sports.
Their first reaction upon hearing about the tournament was, what is e-sports?
In those days, many people didn't understand e-sports, even simplistically thinking it was just playing games.
Even the national professional league for CF wasn't officially organized and launched until the second half of the year.
It was precisely because e-sports was not yet mature and lacked exposure that public understanding of electronic sports remained rather vague.
Therefore, the emergence of the Huangquan Cup, especially with its total prize pool of fifty thousand and other rewards, caused quite a stir in the university district.
"Did you hear? You can win fifty thousand by playing in a game tournament!"
"Really? Is it some kind of scam?"
"Here, look, the flyer. Huangquan E-sports!"
"Wow, there really are people throwing money around to sponsor gamers, even offering some ambassador thing."
"So you're saying you can get famous from playing games?"
"Right. If someone from a university wins the championship, they could totally brag about it in front of students from other schools."
"No need to even think about who'll win. Our Finance University has to take the championship!"
"You're way too confident. Our school would be lucky not to come in last."
".........."
For a time, "Huangquan Cup," "fifty thousand prize money," and "Huangquan E-sports ambassador" became the hottest topics on campus.
At the back door of the Finance University library.
On a quiet campus path, two students sat on a somewhat aged wooden bench.
Fang Haoran sat at one end of the bench, head bowed, not daring to look at the girl beside him, Lin Yu, who had occupied his entire youth.
Lin Yu sat sideways, a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of disappointment in her clear eyes.
"Haoran, have you really decided? To give up the study abroad exchange opportunity you prepared for so long?"
"And, our university's computer science program isn't a flagship major; it's not even as good as the Science and Technology College's. Are you really sure about this?"
Fang Haoran swallowed with difficulty. "But I... I really don't like my current major."
"Maybe your father is right. I'm just the kind of hopeless loser he says I am, only thinking about how to play games, how to design games."
Since their university didn't offer any game-related majors, he could only settle for the next best thing, initially studying computer science alongside his current major. He planned to apply for a major change in his sophomore year, build a foundation, and then teach himself game design.
A long time ago, he had accidentally seen a broadcast of a fellow countryman winning an international e-sports tournament for the first time.
The moment the bright national flag was draped over that person's shoulders, it was like a bolt of lightning, opening a new world for him.
That was when he learned that playing games could also bring glory to the country.
It was that very scene that quietly planted a seed of e-sports in the heart of this "good child" in his parents' eyes.
However, due to various reasons, he ultimately became a member of Finance University's Industrial Management Class 2.
After getting familiar with university life in the first half of the semester, he realized he truly had no interest in his current major and preferred something more connected to games or e-sports.
But if he were to actually make that choice, the pressure would be immense.
Both his parents and Lin Yu's father strongly opposed him going down this path. Playing casually for leisure was fine, but pursuing an uncertain future in this field was absolutely unacceptable.
Lin Yu's father had some influence within the system and had even mapped out a future path for them.
The study abroad exchange was one part of that plan.
"Xiao Yu, sometimes I really don't know how to choose... If I give up the exchange opportunity, you... what will you do?"
Lin Yu shook her head. "I don't know either. My path was arranged by my father long ago. He said which university and major to choose, and I went there. He said to go abroad for exchange and further study, and I went."
"My choices... have never really been in my own hands."
"Haoran, you're different. At least you know what you truly like, even if others don't think much of it. As for me, I don't even dare to think about it."
These words were like a needle, piercing through a long-suppressed emotion in Fang Haoran's heart.
He abruptly looked up at Lin Yu and, for the first time, saw something called confusion on her always gentle face.
The more Fang Haoran looked, the more his heart ached for her situation, and the more he feared that if he gave up the exchange opportunity, he might never see her again.
Amidst these particularly tangled emotions, the two of them fell into silence once more.
After an unknown length of time.
Lin Yu took a soft breath. She turned her head to look at Fang Haoran's lowered face, etched with struggle.
After a few seconds, she stood up, walked in front of Fang Haoran, and said softly,
"Haoran, don't overthink it. Whatever path you choose, I'll support you!"
"Don't worry about what others say, and don't worry about... what might happen later. Go and do what you want to do. Just like that e-sports player you once told me about, the one you saw on TV draped in the national flag."
After saying this, Lin Yu turned and left without waiting for Fang Haoran's response.
By the time Fang Haoran looked up, all he saw was her raising one hand high, clenched into a fist: "Good luck, Fang Haoran!"
And another phrase, spoken so softly it was completely inaudible: "In three years, I'll come back for you..."
Fang Haoran stood up stiffly, simply staring dumbly as Lin Yu disappeared at the end of the road.
He didn't know how long he stood there.
Suddenly.
A small, ice-cold hand slapped heavily onto his shoulder: "Hey! Fang Haoran, I've been looking for you forever. How about teaming up for the Phoenix Crown Cup esports tournament?"
