Chapter 156: The Heart Of Sima Zhao!
While the internet debated fiercely over the title of Number One Person in esports, the Shanghai EDG base was relatively quiet.
Ming Kai sat alone in front of his computer, the screen displaying a replay of the recently concluded Huya Bounty Tournament finals, paused at the moment U.TES’s four members lifted the trophy.
He leaned back against his chair, habitually touching his nose, his eyes revealing complex emotions that eventually turned into a sigh of deep feeling.
“This guy… he actually managed to go and win a championship in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.” Clearlove muttered to himself, a hint of a helpless smile on his face.
As Li Fan’s teammate, Clearlove was all too familiar with Li Fan’s knack for causing trouble.
When he first heard Li Fan was forming a PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Division and would personally compete, he mostly thought it was just for fun.
But to achieve immediate results in a fiercely competitive professional arena?
Difficult.
After all, there were truly many geniuses in this type of game in China.
And no advantage compared to foreigners…
Perhaps he just thought it was fun and would participate in a match or two, and after getting thoroughly beaten, he wouldn’t focus on it anymore.
But Li Fan, with a heavy championship trophy, shattered all doubts.
Clearlove opened the detailed statistics of the finals, especially focusing on the Fifth Game.
Seeing the astonishing 33-point single-game score, as well as Li Fan’s terrifying kill count and crucial performance throughout the tournament, he couldn’t help but sigh at how his talent was far more monstrous than he had imagined.
“Shotcalling, sniping, close-quarters combat… this guy’s adaptability and learning speed are truly monstrous.”
U.TES’s championship was by no means a fluke. From the decisive point-grabbing in the first game, to tactical adjustments after being targeted, and finally to seizing the perfect circle in the last game, the team’s tactical literacy and execution truly deserved the championship.
Li Fan’s role as the absolute core and shotcaller was beyond question.
“It seems he’s really built up the Top Esports team,” Clearlove knew clearly that a successful esports club doesn’t just rely on one star player.
But the immense attention and brand effect brought by Li Fan’s cross-project success would undoubtedly inject strong vitality into the U.TES club, attracting more capital and talent.
With this championship, this emerging club has truly established a foothold in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and with an extremely high starting point.
With the establishment of a formal league next, Top Esports might very well receive a direct invitation to join the league.
His gaze inadvertently shifted to the Weibo Hot Search interface that popped up on his mobile phone screen.
【Unreal, is he already the Number One Person in Chinese esports? 】
If it were before, seeing such a discussion, he might have just laughed it off, thinking it was too early to discuss.
But at this moment, having personally witnessed how Li Fan conquered another arena in such a short time, and then recalling his achievements in League of Legends and the astonishing talent he displayed in other games.
Clearlove, at this moment, couldn’t help but feel that the discussion wasn’t early at all.
“What those netizens are debating isn’t entirely baseless. Although the title of Number One Person requires more hardcore honors to support… it’s undeniable that the path Li Fan is currently on, the potential and influence he’s showing, have indeed touched that threshold.”
He seemed to already see an esports superstar spanning multiple fields rising, and the brilliance of his rise might truly redefine the meaning of Number One Person in Chinese esports.
After all, Li Fan is an unprecedented all-around professional player.
To be an all-around player in League of Legends is already monstrous.
But Li Fan is even more monstrous; he aims to be a gaming all-rounder.
“This year’s Worlds… I guess I have to work harder. I absolutely cannot hold Li Fan back. I’ll play a couple of ranked games first to warm up. We have inter-group matches next. We can’t lose after a six-game winning streak, or the rhythm will be all over the place.”
It’s unavoidable; Li Fan’s popularity and hype mean that if League of Legends loses even one match, all previous performances are immediately wiped clean.
Along with having many fans, there are also a terrifying number of haters. He doesn’t want to see that kind of scene.
The cheers of celebration from the stadium gradually faded, but the carnival belonging to U.TES had just begun.
Li Fan led his teammates directly to Yang Fang Hot Pot.
Inside the private room, the steaming copper pot bubbled vigorously, and the rich aroma of beef fat permeated the air.
Completely different from the tension and intensity of the arena, the atmosphere now was filled with relaxation and joy.
XDD, Mming, Xiao Rong, and Xiao Xiao, these young men, watched as the service staff brought out plates of mouth-watering, beautifully marbled premium beef, marbled beef, and high-end ingredients they had only seen online. Their eyes widened, and for a moment, they were at a loss.
“Damn, Brother Fan, this… this presentation is too beautiful. How can beef look so good? How much does one plate cost?” XDD held his chopsticks, staring at the plate of beef, swallowing and hesitant to start.
Mming quietly chimed in, “Yeah, this doesn’t look cheap… I feel like this meal could eat up all our prize money.”
Guo Hao looked at the players’ unpromising expressions and chuckled, explaining, “Eat to your heart’s content! The club said this championship is very significant, so the celebration banquet is on the club! It’s an extra reward!”
“The boss is generous!” The crowd immediately cheered.
While earning money to eat delicious food was cause for joy, being treated by a rich patron like the boss felt even better.
Seeing his teammates like this, Li Fan couldn’t help but recall his own appearance at club celebration banquets when he first turned professional.
He couldn’t help but smile gently, picked up the serving chopsticks, and placed a few thick slices of beef into the bubbling red oil pot. “Don’t just stand there. Today, we are champions. Eat to your heart’s content! Order whatever you want, there’s plenty!”
With Li Fan taking the lead, the atmosphere immediately livened up.
The slices of meat were lightly swirled in the boiling broth and immediately removed once they changed color. Dipped in the special sesame oil and minced garlic sauce, they exploded with extreme tenderness and rich meatiness on the taste buds, eliciting satisfied exclamations from the young men.
“Mmm, this is too delicious!” Xiao Xiao said indistinctly, her cheeks puffed out, her eyes happily squinting.
Xiao Rong, busy scooping abalone from the pot, nodded, “Indeed, the flavor is superb. I’ve never eaten such delicious hot pot before.”
After a few cups of iced cola, everyone’s conversation flowed freely.
XDD picked up a piece of tripe, swished it in the boiling broth, his face flushed with excitement. “If we could have a meal like this at Yang Fang after every competition, after winning a championship, that feeling would be… tsk, heavenly!”
Mming nodded vigorously, “Exactly! For this delicious food, we have to fight hard to win in future matches!”
Guo Hao said with a smile at this moment, “As long as you can maintain this momentum and consistently achieve good results, the club will definitely not treat you poorly. Bigger stages and higher bonuses await you! So forget Yang Fang Hot Pot; you can eat at five-star hotel banquets anytime.”
Li Fan listened to his teammates’ enthusiastic discussions, watching them get so excited over a meal, and raised his cola. “Today is just the beginning. Yang Fang Hot Pot will come, and more championships will come too. For our U.TES’s first championship, and for the many more to come…”
“Cheers!”
All the cups clinked together crisply.
“Cheers! To the championship!”
The celebratory hot pot feast lasted until half-past eleven at night, after which they reluctantly patted their round bellies and emerged from the private room.
The cool evening breeze swept away some of the heat from the hot pot and slightly soothed their excited nerves.
By the roadside, a black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, emblazoned with the striking “Topsports” logo, was already waiting quietly.
Looking at this magnificent vehicle, XDD couldn’t help but exclaim again, “Brother Hao, our club’s prestige is amazing!”
Guo Hao smiled and beckoned them to get in the car. “Alright, enough joking around. Get in the car quickly and go back to the base to rest. We have training tomorrow.”
Everyone boarded the spacious and comfortable vehicle in succession.
After a day of intense competition and sustained excitement, fatigue began to creep in. The young men leaned back against their seats, weariness mixed with satisfaction on their faces.
Li Fan sat by the window, watching the rapidly receding night scenery, a sense of peace in his heart.
He decided not to return to the EDG base today and would stay at Top Esports’s place for the night.
EDG had no matches tomorrow anyway, and their next match against OMG was on July 16th, giving him a day to adjust and prepare.
“Brother Fan, are you going back to EDG tomorrow?” XDD, sitting next to him, yawned and asked groggily.
“Yes, I’ll go back tomorrow afternoon,” Li Fan replied, retracting his gaze. “We still have the league to play.”
“Oh… then who are you playing against next?”
“OMG.”
“OMG…” XDD seemed to recall something and murmured, “Isn’t that playing against your teammates from the MSI? That’s going to be so high in attention.”
Li Fan smiled and didn’t respond.
The van drove smoothly on the road back to the base, soft music flowing from the car stereo. Li Fan closed his eyes, relaxing slightly.
As the black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter slowly drove into the U.TES base complex and finally came to a steady stop at the entrance, it was already late at night.
Everyone alighted with a bit of weariness, eager to get to their dorms, shower, and sleep.
At the base entrance, they encountered Cat, a Support player from the League of Legends Branch, standing with a few teammates, seemingly discussing something.
As soon as Cat saw Guo Hao and Li Fan get out of the car, his eyes lit up, and he greeted everyone with a broad smile. “Brother Hao! You’re back!”
His gaze then shifted past Guo Hao to Li Fan behind him, and his tone became even more respectful. “Brother Fan! Congratulations, congratulations! PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds champion! That’s amazing!”
After all, the professional scene only values individual strength; if you’re strong, you’re awesome. Moreover, League of Legends had previously beaten them severely.
The gap was too exaggerated; they were brutally thrashed.
The other young players from the League of Legends Branch also greeted them, their eyes filled with respect for Li Fan and a hint of subtle flattery.
Li Fan’s dual ceiling of popularity and strength, and the absolute core for Top Esports.
Because they already knew that Top Esports wasn’t just interested in Li Fan for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds; they had even bigger plans for League of Legends.
In the future, everyone would have to rely on the Mid Laner’s strength…
Li Fan nodded and said to everyone, “Thank you.”
Guo Hao asked with a smile, “Cat, why are you guys gathered at the entrance so late at night instead of in the training room?”
Cat scratched his head and explained, “Brother Hao, we just finished a training match, and we’re a bit hungry. We were just about to go out for some barbecue nearby to fill our stomachs.”
He then enthusiastically extended an invitation, “You guys should be hungry too after celebrating, right? Want to join us? We know a barbecue stall that tastes pretty good!”
Upon hearing this, Li Fan smiled and waved his hand, gently rubbing his stomach. “Thanks, but we just ate. We’re so full right now, we can’t even drink water, let alone eat barbecue.”
XDD chimed in from the side, also patting his round belly, “Yeah, Brother Cat, you guys go ahead. We’re really stuffed…”
Cat and his teammates looked at Li Fan’s group, who indeed appeared to be satisfyingly full after a meal, and they all smiled.
“Okay, Brother Fan, you guys get some rest early. Brother Hao, we’re heading off then.” Cat said, and then he and his teammates walked cheerfully towards the barbecue stall outside the complex.
Li Fan then led the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Division players into the base building.
The next afternoon, Li Fan returned to the EDG base.
As soon as he entered the training room, he heard a familiar voice.
“Oh, our big champion is back?” Ming Kai was walking over from the lounge area with his mug. Seeing Li Fan, he directly teased, “Congratulations, you won another PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds championship. But speaking of which, last time you won the MSI in Kaohsiung, you weren’t there for the celebration, which was quite a bit less fun.”
Li Fan smiled at this and walked towards his seat. “Brother Kai, then it’ll be next time. For the next MSI, I won’t participate in other competitions. After winning, we can celebrate properly.”
Clearlove’s eyes lit up as he walked up to Li Fan and patted his shoulder. “You said it. Don’t go win a championship in some other game next time.”
“Hahaha, definitely.”
The other teammates in the training room heard the commotion and turned to greet him.
“Brother Fan is back!”
“Congratulations Brother Fan, you won PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds too, you’re too strong!”
“Brother Fan, when will you lead us to win the World Championship?”
“Give it a rest. You can’t win the World Championship just by relying on teammates; you have to work hard yourself.”
“Did you hear that? Brother Fan is pointing you out, Xiao Zhao. Play well in the upcoming matches. When we played SKT, if you hadn’t given away two waves, how could the game have gone on for over fifty minutes.”
“Nonsense, you Tian Ye always blame me. Wasn’t it you who reacted slowly? If your reaction was as good as mine, wouldn’t it have been easy to crush the opposing bot lane duo?”
“Get out, get out…”
The atmosphere in the training room instantly became relaxed.
Li Fan walked to his computer and sat down. As soon as he turned it on, Coach Kuaisu Xing quickly approached, a look of relief on his face.
Although he knew Li Fan would definitely return, he had been quite worried during the many days Li Fan was away competing in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
While training matches could be managed with Scout, everyone knew that the “Training Match King” and the actual match Carry point were ultimately different.
This guy turns into garbage as soon as he starts playing matches. He really doesn’t know what to say about Scout.
He never expected there to be such a bad Korean mid-laner, so incredibly bad.
“Li Fan, you’re back!” Kuaisu Xing walked up to Li Fan and forcefully patted his chair back. “How are you feeling? The intensity of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds matches is quite high. Are you tired? Do you need to adjust your feel and state?”
Li Fan casually spun his gaming chair and said with a smile, “Coach, don’t worry. My feel is fine, and my state is good. The rhythm of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds matches is different from League of Legends; it’s a different kind of relaxation and training. I feel like I’m going to slaughter in the upcoming matches.”
Kuaisu Xing’s smile brightened upon hearing this. “That’s good, that’s good!” He glanced at the time and said more formally, “Since you’ve just returned, we won’t schedule any high-intensity training matches this afternoon. You can arrange it yourself and just focus on finding your state and feel.”
“No problem, Coach,” Li Fan responded crisply, then opened Huya Live Stream. “I was just thinking of warming up my fingers.”
Seeing Li Fan ready to stream as soon as he arrived, Kuaisu Xing immediately felt much more at ease. This precisely showed that Li Fan had quickly entered his state. If he lacked confidence, why would he be ready to stream right away?
As long as they saw him streaming, things would be stable.
This was a universally acknowledged fact: he was more feared in League of Legends when he was slacking off, but when he was “neglecting his duties,” he would be a slaughterer on the professional arena…
Playing League of Legends precisely indicated a lack of confidence and the need to find one’s state.
Li Fan skillfully opened the Huya Live Stream client and entered the title: “I’m back.”
As soon as the stream started and airplane tickets were sent out, viewers who received the broadcast reminder flooded in like a tide.
The number in the upper right corner of the live stream room began to soar at an astonishing rate…
This was the exaggerated popularity Li Fan currently commanded.
【Here he comes, here he comes! I came in immediately after seeing the broadcast notification. Brother Fan is finally back! 】
【Congratulations Brother Fan! Easily won the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Huya Bounty Tournament championship! 】
【Congratulations on the MSI championship too! If you count it like this, it’s already six championships! QQ Speed champion, Spring Split champion, Mid-Season Invitational champion, MSI champion, Street Fighter 5 Brazil regional champion, Huya Bounty Tournament champion. 】
【Holy crap, he played in a PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds match the day after finishing MSI matches, and his state wasn’t affected at all? He could even advance and win the championship! 】
【Master of time management, all-around gaming king! 】
【Unreal! As expected of you! 】
【Brother Fan, look at your mommy! Mommy loves you! 】
Dense bullet comments completely covered the live stream room, with the word “congratulations” appearing most frequently.
Li Fan adjusted the microphone, looked at the rapidly scrolling bullet comments, smiled, and waved at the camera. “Good afternoon everyone. I’m back, just playing some games to find my feel.”
“Thank you, thank you everyone for the congratulations and gifts. The PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds one was due to luck, I just happened to win. As for the MSI, that was the result of the entire team’s effort. Everyone played very well.”
His tone was relaxed, as these championships, even combined, couldn’t compare to a World Championship.
However, the viewers in the live stream room didn’t see it that way.
【Versailles! Typical Versailles! Who wins a championship by luck? 】
【Lucky championship? 33 points in a single game in the finals, personal kill leader, you call this luck? 】
【Brother Fan always acts this way when he’s showing off. I’m truly impressed now. 】
【Is this the world of the strong? Winning championships is like drinking water. He can win any type of championship. He hasn’t won a League of Legends championship yet just because the time hasn’t come. 】
【Brother Fan, will you focus on playing LPL from now on? Please go easy on my main team. My main team is RNG… 】
【Next match is against OMG. MSI teammates become opponents. It sounds pretty fun to think about. 】
Li Fan glanced at the bullet comments.
“Yes, my focus will definitely return to League of Legends. The league schedule is quite tight,” he casually replied to a viewer’s question. “OMG is a very strong team. We’ll definitely need to prepare seriously to play against them.”
Just then, Clearlove ambled over with his thermos, appearing in Li Fan’s camera view.
Sharp-eyed viewers immediately noticed.
【Hey? Clearlove, isn’t he planning a surprise attack to scare Brother Fan again? 】
【Quick, tell us about the monster on your team!】
【Clearlove: The pressure is immense, what do I do when my teammates are this strong?】
【Hahaha, the gaze of the Team Tyrant.】
【Clearlove: I need to keep a close eye, don’t want to let the Big Brother of the team get away.】
【He felt Ming Kai’s strong sense of crisis, after all, the Big Brother of the team had been gone for such a long time, and without him, there was no sense of security.】
Li Fan looked at the rapidly scrolling bullet comments and said, “Today on stream, I won’t be playing FPS games. After just finishing a PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds match, I need a change of pace. Today, I’ll relax and play some Street Fighter. This game, Street Fighter, is quite interesting.”
As soon as he said this, the bullet comments in the live stream room were instantly filled with 【???】 and 【Huh?】.
【No way, officer, Street Fighter?】
【I wanted to watch Fan Ge dominate in the King’s Canyon, why are we playing Street Fighter?】
【Street Fighter is a bit niche… Although Fan Ge has won regional championships before,】
【Fighting games look quite difficult to understand, with the complex inputs and all. I really want to learn, but I just can’t.】
【Honestly speaking, Street Fighter is quite engaging once you understand it, especially watching Masters engage in mind games.】
【Exactly, exactly. Watching Fan Ge corner opponents with combos, or precisely counter their throws, that feels incredibly satisfying. It’s so simple.】
【Anyway, I’ll watch whatever Fan Ge plays. I’ll just treat it as learning new techniques. I play Street Fighter too.】
Although some viewers were disappointed, not a single person chose to leave the live stream room. After all, Li Fan’s show effect and strength were undeniable; no matter what game he played, he could display astonishing dominance.
Moreover, it had been a long time since he had streamed, and everyone had been waiting for a while.
Li Fan logged into his Street Fighter 5 account and started matchmaking.
At the same time, on another live streaming platform, a Street Fighter streamer with the ID Ding Chunqiu had just finished a match.
He glanced at his live stream room’s popularity; compared to before, it had indeed improved significantly.
“Brothers, did you see that combo just now? Wasn’t it cool?” Ding Chunqiu took a sip of water, about to interact with the bullet comments, when his peripheral vision caught a striking bullet comment: 【Master Ding! Master Ding! Unreal is streaming Street Fighter on Huya!】
【Really? Fan Ge is back?】
【Holy crap, he just won the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds championship and now he’s playing Street Fighter?】
【Master Ding, hurry up and snipe him!】
【Yeah, Master Ding, you’re a high-ranked player on the ladder now, there’s a chance you’ll match with him!】
【If you can match and beat Unreal, won’t your live stream room just take off?】
Ding Chunqiu saw the bullet comments about Unreal starting to stream Street Fighter constantly scrolling in his live stream room.
Especially the remarks encouraging him to watch or snipe, a surge of inexplicable anger erupted within him.
His expression darkened, and his mind was about to explode.
Trying to steal popularity all the way to the fighting game section? He’s just dabbling, does he really think he can do anything?
The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He thought about how Li Fan, with his immense popularity, could attract so much attention by simply playing any game, and even won a regional championship in Brazil.
Although in his mind, this was purely bullying players with inferior strength.
If their strength was good, why didn’t he compete in China?
Yet, he had been diligently studying Street Fighter for so long, and his live stream room’s popularity was only just enough to get by. This comparison made him extremely unbalanced.
“Match him? Matching him is perfect!”
Ding Chunqiu let out a cold snort, his gaze turning sharp.
“Today, I’ll let him know what professionalism is! What true top-tier Masters are! Don’t think you can run wild here in Street Fighter just because you’re a king in other games! God? I specialize in beating all those who call themselves gods!”
With a surge of anger, he heavily pressed the matchmaking button.
He harbored a strong determination to teach Li Fan a profound lesson, and then reclaim the popularity and attention that had been stolen!
When the successful matchmaking notification popped up, and he saw the incredibly conspicuous Unreal on the opponent’s side, Ding Chunqiu’s pupils contracted, and he unconsciously held his breath for a moment.
Then, he became excited. Today was the day to educate Li Fan!
“He actually matched me!” he lowered his voice, his tone filled with ferocity, “Brothers, watch closely. This is a teaching match! I’ll show you how to beat a top champion.”
At the same time, news about Unreal streaming Street Fighter ranked matches quickly spread through major Street Fighter player groups and esports forums.
Zeng Zhuo Jun had also just finished training and was browsing gaming news when he saw this message pop up in his group chat.
“Oh? Unreal is playing Street Fighter?” Xiao Hai became interested and casually clicked into Li Fan’s Huya live stream room, “Let’s see what his level is now.”
As he entered the live stream room, he saw Li Fan choose the classic Ryu, while Ding Chunqiu picked Karin, a character he was very skilled with.
The live stream room’s popularity was astonishingly high, with dense bullet comments, some cheering him on, others watching for the spectacle.
【Master Ding’s Karin is very strong! I’ve watched many matches in his live stream room, Fan Ge, be careful!】
【Ding Chunqiu just made some bold threats, saying he’s going to teach Fan Ge a lesson!】
【Holy crap, the show effect is maxed out!】
【Laughable, how good can someone who recently switched to Street Fighter be? I don’t think this Ding Chunqiu guy is capable.】
Li Fan naturally saw his opponent’s ID. His expression remained calm, only a slight curl of his lips as he quietly muttered to himself, “Oh? This is interesting.”
He had originally wanted to thoroughly defeat Ding Chunqiu, but he hadn’t been matched with him after waiting for so long. Unexpectedly, his luck was quite good today, and he finally encountered him. Now, he needed to see what level this Star Constellation Old Monster was at… capable of pressuring Xiao Hai so many times.
The match began!
Ding Chunqiu’s offense was extremely fierce from the start. Karin’s agile movement and versatile rushdown techniques were utilized to their fullest, attempting to suppress Li Fan’s Ryu from the outset.
It was evident that he did have some skill.
However, Li Fan’s defense was also not bad. In Street Fighter, what’s most needed isn’t offense, but rather defense.
Of course, there’s also the saying that ultimate offense is the best defense.
Precise crouching light kicks shut down Ding Chunqiu’s rushes several times, and a Hadoken effectively controlled the distance.
After a few rounds of probing, Li Fan seized an opportunity when Ding Chunqiu rushed forward too eagerly and landed a precise crouching heavy punch!
“Good punish!” Xiao Hai, who was watching, couldn’t help but praise softly.
On screen, Ryu didn’t pause at all. Crouching heavy punch followed by EX Hurricane Kick. The moment the character took flight, Li Fan didn’t hesitate to activate VT!
“This is bad!” Ding Chunqiu’s heart sank.
Ryu’s offense became incredibly swift after activating VT. Li Fan’s fingers flew across the buttons, unleashing a VT combo onto Karin like a storm!
“Got him!”
Ding Chunqiu’s Karin’s health bar was completely depleted in the first round!
Ding Chunqiu, looking at himself being knocked down, was deeply unconvinced. This Unreal guy was just lucky enough to catch that combo. Otherwise, he would have definitely taken him down directly.
“Just knew he’d turtle… turtle strategy!”
Meanwhile, Li Fan’s live stream room was flooded with 666s…
In the second round, Ding Chunqiu learned from his mistake and played more cautiously, utilizing Karin’s longer reach for zoning. He was here to prove himself, not to embarrass himself.
Seeing victory within reach, Ding Chunqiu secretly rejoiced. Spotting the moment Li Fan got up, he unleashed Karin’s command grab, Viper Strike.
Once this move connected, it was un-crouchable, and he intended to end the match.
In this critical moment, Li Fan’s Ryu reacted with astonishing speed, landing a precise and swift light punch that preempted and interrupted the startup of Viper Strike!
“What?!” Ding Chunqiu almost cried out.
Having successfully countered, Li Fan became like a unleashed beast. He retaliated with a maximum damage combo near the corner, and Karin’s health bar vanished like an avalanche.
2:0!
Clean and decisive!
Ding Chunqiu looked at the defeat message on the screen, his mouth agape. The harsh words he had spoken earlier felt like slaps to his face, his expression turning from pale to flushed.
After a long pause, he finally managed to utter, “He got a bit lucky…”
And in Li Fan’s live stream room, the atmosphere had completely erupted.
Li Fan casually stretched his wrists and said with a smile, “In games like Street Fighter, reaction and confirmation are very important. These two aspects are also crucial in League of Legends operations… they allow you to anticipate the enemy and prepare accordingly.”
Watching, Xiao Hai nodded and commented in his mind, “His fundamentals are very solid. His confirmation and reaction speed are top-tier, and his timing for using VT is also decisive. It seems his regional championship wasn’t purely based on luck…”
Douyu Live, which had been struggling to draw Li Fan, a major traffic source, away from Huya, saw the success of Huya’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Bounty Match.
An internal proposal was quickly put on the agenda and passed.
Just as esports fans were buzzing about the upcoming LPL inter-group match between EDG and OMG.
Douyu’s official Weibo released an announcement that shook the fighting game community and the entire esports scene:
【Douyu Fighting Game World Championship, Sets Sail!】
【Tournament Titles: Street Fighter 5, Tekken 7】
【Total Prize Pool: Over One Million!】
【Individual Champion Prize: 300,000 RMB!】
【Open for global player registration, gathering top fighting game powerhouses worldwide, inviting you to a fighting feast!】
This announcement immediately sparked heated discussion.
A champion prize of 300,000 for a single title!
For a relatively niche game like fighting games, this was an absolute fortune.
Even Capcom’s official tournaments only had prize pools in the millions.
The prize money offered by Douyu for this competition was almost on par with some international tournaments!
The Street Fighter and Tekken communities immediately exploded.
【Holy crap! Douyu is awesome! 300,000!】
【This prize money is too generous! It feels like all the top players from around the world will be attracted!】
【This is an opportunity for domestic players! If they can get a ranking, they’ll be set for life!】
【Will Unreal participate? He just won the Brazil regional championship, his strength is definitely enough!】
【If Unreal participates, won’t the hype just explode?】
【Douyu’s move is good. Huya has the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Bounty Match, and Douyu is directly organizing a fighting game tournament. It’s a direct confrontation!】
【It’s clearly aimed at Unreal’s popularity, but the prize money is real. Other top players will definitely come. Winning this championship won’t be easy.】
In fact, this was something everyone understood without needing to be explicitly stated; it was as clear as day that Douyu was targeting Li Fan.
After all, Li Fan had streamed Street Fighter 5 after the match concluded…
But what if he didn’t participate? Wouldn’t this million-dollar prize pool go to waste?
