"Xiaohui, thank you."
"Yutong-jie, I'm sorry."
They had just gotten into the car after leaving the restaurant when Liu Yutong and Li Xiaohui spoke almost simultaneously.
Hearing each other, they both paused for a moment.
Liu Yutong's thanks were for Li Xiaohui helping her out of a difficult spot, after all, the conflict with Zhou Muchen and the others was ultimately resolved thanks to her.
Li Xiaohui's apology was because she felt she shouldn't have kept her identity a secret, all the while letting Liu Yutong take care of her.
Liu Yutong shook her head, a hint of fondness in her tone. "What are you talking about? Honestly, I had a pretty good guess about your background. The identity of the Li family's young miss isn't something to be revealed casually, I understand that. But no matter what your status is, from the moment you started calling me 'jie', I've considered you my own little sister."
"Besides, if it weren't for you today, the bad blood between me and Zhou Muchen probably wouldn't have been so easily cleared up. I should be the one thanking you."
Hearing this, Li Xiaohui looked up, the slight guilt on her face instantly vanishing, replaced by her usual liveliness. "So it's settled then! Yutong-jie, you're not allowed to be mad at me, and you can't call me dumb in the future either. I'm still your number one little sister! Woohoo!!!"
"Alright, no hard feelings."
Liu Yutong said with a smile, "You'll always be my good sister, that will never change."
"Mhmm! We'll be good sisters forever! For a lifetime!"
Li Xiaohui then started swinging the arm linked with Liu Yutong's. "So, Yutong-jie, should we go celebrate now? I know a newly opened dessert place that's super delicious."
Looking at her carefree expression, Liu Yutong was speechless. "We just finished dinner, and you're already thinking about dessert? Aren't you afraid of gaining weight?"
"Ah, sweets go to a separate stomach!" Li Xiaohui declared righteously.
"Besides, I actually have something to discuss with you. I almost forgot about it earlier."
Unable to win against her, Liu Yutong had to agree. "Fine, fine, let's go then. Might as well hear what grand venture our Xiaohui is about to announce this time."
The two soon arrived at a dessert shop decorated in a cute, pastel-pink style.
Li Xiaohui, familiar with the place, ordered several of their signature desserts.
As soon as the desserts were served, she scooped a large spoonful of mousse into her mouth, squinting her eyes in satisfaction.
Then, as if suddenly remembering the main point, she put down her spoon and blinked her eyes at Liu Yutong.
"Yutong-jie, can I discuss something with you?"
"Hmm? What is it? Go ahead." Liu Yutong said, taking a small spoonful of her own dessert.
"It's about... can we get someone else for the investment department at Wanlong Hui? And also, can I stop managing the internet cafe side of things?"
"Thinking of dropping the responsibilities?"
"No, no, it's not that. I genuinely don't understand all those numbers, reports, and stuff. They give me a headache. I couldn't really follow what you all were discussing earlier either. I'm just worried the investment department might go downhill under my watch. And now that the Huangquan Internet Cafe is more or less on track, it doesn't really need me anymore. I don't want to stare at data on a computer every day either, it's not fun at all."
Liu Yutong had long known that with her personality, she would eventually want to drop these duties; she just hadn't expected it to be so soon.
It wasn't that she was lazy or lacked ideas; it was just that this girl preferred doing things she enjoyed, following her heart more freely.
"So, what do you want to do instead?"
Sure enough, hearing this question, Li Xiaohui immediately perked up.
"Yutong-jie, I want to start a professional esports team. I've even thought of a name: [Zilong]. Purple is my favorite color, and then I added the 'dragon' from our Wanlong Hui. How about it? Super cool, right?"
"I've done some research too. The esports industry is still developing, but there's definitely a market for it in the future. Then I can recruit the best players, give them the best training conditions, compete in tournaments, and win championships! Eventually representing our country on the world stage and making a name for ourselves. That sounds so much more interesting than looking at financial reports, anyway."
After finishing, she cautiously observed Liu Yutong's expression, a mix of nervousness and full-blown anticipation on her face. "Yutong-jie, do you think it's feasible? You'll support me, right?"
Hearing Li Xiaohui's words, Liu Yutong thought to herself, just as expected.
This girl really does want to move in the gaming direction.
Li Xiaohui loved playing games to begin with. Her sudden desire to start a team, or rather a club, actually had some of Liu Yutong's own influence behind it. The idea for the internet cafe esports tournament came from her, and it was no surprise that a gaming enthusiast like Li Xiaohui, inspired by it, would suddenly think of starting a club.
However, Liu Yutong had never insisted that Li Xiaohui had to do anything specific. As long as this girl was willing to stay with Wanlong Hui, she would support whatever she wanted to do.
"Xiaohui, that's a great idea. The esports industry does have a promising future. I support you."
Li Xiaohui was overjoyed. "Really? Yutong-jie, you're the best! I love you the most!"
"Don't celebrate too soon."
"My support is one thing, but if you're going to do this, you can't just treat it as a casual hobby. If you're going to do it, you have to aim for the standards of a top-tier club."
"Your name, Zilong, has a good concept and recognition, that's fine. But to really make it work, a good name alone isn't enough," Liu Yutong said.
Li Xiaohui immediately became serious, ready to learn humbly.
"Yutong-jie, this time I'll really put my heart into building my team... ahem, my club."
"Please teach me how to do it."
Seeing her so earnest was a rare sight, and the smile in Liu Yutong's eyes deepened.
Indeed, passion gives people greater motivation.
"Alright, since you're asking, I'll mention the most important points."
"First, localization. If you want to build a club, you need a place to put down roots. Organize more offline viewing parties, fan meet-and-greets. You can even collaborate with the city to host some amateur esports tournaments. Tie Zilong firmly to this city, make the locals proud of you. That way, you'll have a foundation."
"Second, a youth training system. Top-tier players are hard to come by. For long-term development, you must have your own ability to cultivate talent. Set up a youth training camp to discover and nurture promising young players yourself. This system will be the club's core competitive advantage in the future. You can't just think about buying ready-made players. But this can be gradually perfected once the competition system is more mature; no need to rush for now."
"Third, and this is the most easily overlooked yet crucial point: a professional operations team. Team performance is important, of course, but matters outside of competition require more specialized people to handle."
"Running a club involves your hobbies and dreams, but hobbies and dreams don't put food on the table. Prize money alone definitely can't support an entire team, so good operations are vital."
"For example, you'll need to establish a competition and training department dedicated to player training and strategy. Set up a marketing and business department specifically for securing sponsorships, negotiating partnerships, and brand promotion. You'll also need a content operations department, and so on..."
Listening to Liu Yutong list out so many points one by one, Li Xiaohui felt her head was stuffed full, feeling a bit dizzy.
"Ah? We need to set up that many departments? Isn't that too complicated? I originally thought just finding a few people to compete, providing room and board, would be enough."
"You're thinking too simply. Did you really think managing a club would be easier than managing an internet cafe?"
Liu Yutong looked at her with amusement and continued, "What I just described to you is the proper, professional way of doing things. Of course, if you find it too troublesome, you don't have to go that far. You could just put together a makeshift team and keep things small-scale. If you lose money, it's no big deal—just consider it spending for some fun."
These words instantly pricked Li Xiaohui's competitive spirit.
The girl jumped up eagerly and declared, "Who said I find it troublesome? I don't want some small-time operation! If we're doing this, we're going for the best! I, Li Xiaohui, either don't do something, or I do it to be the absolute best!"
"Just wait and see, Sister Yutong. Purple Dragon will become the greatest esports club in Dragon Country... no, in the entire world!"
