"Sponsorship gifts?"
"Exactly!"
The host went on to explain, "Simply put, Miss Liu thought Team Lady Zi played too brilliantly, so she paid for these one hundred cups of 'Bo Ya Jue Xian' tea to our Huangquan E-sports!"
"So, how should this money be distributed fairly? Our internet cafe has proposed two options!"
"The first method is physical redemption. The members of Team Lady Zi can exchange these milk teas for physical items, storing them at the internet cafe. They can drink them whenever they want, treat friends if they wish, valid for one year!"
"The second method is cash conversion. If they don't want to drink that much milk tea or store them, they can convert the gifts into cash, although the internet cafe's costs will be deducted."
In reality, there were no costs at all. This was essentially borrowing the revenue-sharing model from live-streaming donations in a past life; actual costs only occurred when redeeming physical items.
After the host's explanation, the students all understood what it meant.
"Wow, this gift is so special, it can even be exchanged for cash!"
"This is my first time seeing something like this, quite novel."
"I think it's great too. Players who perform well deserve this kind of reward."
"........"
This sponsorship gift model was still very novel for university students of this era. It meant the 'Bo Ya Jue Xian' could be either milk tea or a virtual gift for tipping, with the proceeds ultimately going to the players or team they supported.
Li Xiaohui and her teammates also understood, their faces breaking into surprised and delighted smiles.
Especially Fang Haoran, who vaguely sensed something—it seemed the earnings from this competition were far more than just the fixed prize money.
For an esports player, besides passion, the biggest pain point was the lack of sustainable income, which was also the main reason many couldn't persevere.
If you can't even support yourself, how can you expect family support, how can you continue to love esports?
Whoever came up with this tipping method is a real genius!
The host then began to ask.
"So, the five players of Team Lady Zi, do you choose to store them for later or turn Miss Liu's kindness into cash?"
After a brief discussion with Fang Haoran and the others, Li Xiaohui said, "We've decided to exchange all the 'Bo Ya Jue Xian' milk tea we received for physical items. We won't store them; we'll treat everyone present right now, everyone gets a share!"
Whoa!
The entire internet cafe instantly erupted!
"No way, treating all of us?!"
"Holy crap! That's so awesome!"
"Long live Boss Liu!"
"Long live Team Lady Zi!!"
"Team Lady Zi is so generous!!!"
"............"
As if prepared in advance, shortly after Li Xiaohui's announcement, the staff immediately brought out large quantities of prepared milk tea and began handing them out one by one.
The atmosphere in the internet cafe grew even more enthusiastic. Even students from opposing camps were all beaming with joy.
Even Deng Zheyan, who was still in a daze, received a cup of milk tea.
This... this actually works?
When he came to his senses and figured out this model, his expression changed immediately, thinking, this is bad!
Sure enough.
After the milk tea was distributed, some university students who wanted to show off or came from wealthier families began to get eager.
Every era has its wealthy people, let alone a university town with so many students; it's normal for some to come from well-off backgrounds.
Then, those students who genuinely wanted to support Team Lady Zi started to follow suit.
"Student Li from the University of Finance and Economics sends Team Lady Zi twenty cups of milk tea. Student Li is awesome!"
As the host's voice fell, a prominent line of text appeared on the big screen.
[Student Li from the University of Finance and Economics gifts Team Lady Zi 'Bo Ya Jue Xian' X20 cups! Student Li is awesome!]
Student Li himself was a bespectacled boy who looked well-off. When he was recognized by his friends in the crowd, they all started cheering.
"Not bad, Lao Li, hiding your skills!"
"Brother Li is so generous, this move is too cool!"
"This is what prestige looks like!"
"........."
Student Li felt a bit embarrassed by the praise, but a proud and excited smile also appeared on his face as he waved towards the stage.
Li Xiaohui and the others also saw the screen, smiling and waving in Student Li's direction to express their thanks.
The feeling of being thanked by name directly made Student Li's heart soar with delight.
It was as if a Pandora's box had been opened.
"Host! Host! I want to send some too! Ten cups to that female captain, Lady Zi! I like her!"
"I... I... I'll send five cups to Sniper God Fang Haoran, that last shot was divine!"
"Our University of Finance and Economics boys from dorm 303 jointly send fifteen cups to the entire Team Lady Zi. Brothers, go for it, win the championship!"
"........"
As voices rose one after another from the audience, the sponsorship messages on the big screen also began to scroll continuously.
In just ten minutes, Team Lady Zi, including individual gifts, received nearly a thousand yuan worth of gifts.
Of course, they couldn't let the audience keep sending gifts indefinitely; there was a time limit because the next matches still needed to proceed.
So, after about ten minutes, it was promptly called to a stop.
The players from other teams who were about to take the stage saw this scene, their eyes turning red with envy.
Good performance can also earn gifts? Then what's there to say? Fight like hell to crush the opponents!
An unprecedented fighting spirit ignited fiercely within their chests!
Host: "So, are the teams taking the stage next ready?"
"Ready!!" The members of both teams roared.
The atmosphere was completely ignited!
The internet cafe became fervent once again, everyone eagerly anticipating the next exciting match.
Deng Zheyan, as if having lost his soul, slowly walked out of Huangquan E-sports.
When he reached the outside of the internet cafe, he couldn't help but turn his head to look once more at the lively crowd inside.
This is terrible now!
Just as he was in a daze...
A voice suddenly came from his right.
"Move! Get out of the way!!"
A motorcycle, skidding and out of control on the slippery road, was wobbling straight towards him.
By the time Deng Zheyan noticed, it was too late to dodge. All he could do was let out a mournful cry, "No way! Again?"
Crash—!
A scream rang out!
Not far away.
Liu Yutong, wearing a black baseball cap and a black mask, happened to be walking out of the internet cafe with Yun Cheng. She saw Deng Zheyan being carried onto an ambulance, clutching his right arm, and couldn't help shaking her head.
"Not staying put in the hospital, daring to run around outside."
She didn't linger, directly getting into the car Yun Cheng drove over, leaving the scene and heading to the Wanlong Shopping Center construction site to inspect the overall renovation progress.
Lying on the stretcher, Deng Zheyan squinted in pain just in time to see Liu Yutong getting into the car and driving away. With great effort, he raised his less-injured left hand, pointing in the direction the vehicle had disappeared. "That witch... that witch... she's utterly vicious!"
He was clearly convinced that the motorcycle had been arranged by Liu Yutong, all part of a scheme to ensure he'd never leave the hospital.
