Chapter 100: Can You Guys Do It?
The heat from Li Fan advancing to the Top Four in a crushing manner far exceeded the official expectations of the event.
The most direct manifestation of this heat was surprisingly in the scalper market.
Less than two hours after the match ended, on certain second-hand trading platforms and in offline ticketing circles, ticket prices for tomorrow’s SSC Spring Split semifinals and finals began soaring.
Tickets originally priced at 498 yuan by the official seller were scalped to around 980 yuan before the Quarterfinals even started, which already left many fans stunned and feeling it was outrageously exaggerated.
QQ Speed isn’t exactly a mainstream game to begin with, and even for a match held at Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center, such exaggerated prices were a bit ridiculous.
Fans were complaining loudly that the officials had organized the event well but failed to consider the scalper ticket situation.
But this kind of thing is actually very difficult to handle, as it involves a lot of interest chains.
Not just now—even in ten years, it would still be the same.
And this indeed gives the rich brothers a channel: they might not get tickets by grabbing them, but with money through scalpers, they naturally can buy them.
But when everyone thought 980 was the ceiling,
As news and video clips of Li Fan’s 7000 sweep to advance spread online, ticket prices began an even more ridiculous leap.
1280 yuan… 1580 yuan… even in some channels desperately needing tickets, 1980 yuan tickets were prominently listed!
【Crazy, it’s really crazy! A QQ Speed match ticket selling for two thousand? This price is almost catching up to front-row tickets for top-star concerts! I might as well go to a concert instead.】
【No way around it, brother, Unreal’s traffic is too terrifying. How many fans does this game have among all these? And look at today’s live stream popularity—how much of it was for him? Tomorrow is finals day, more people want to watch, but tickets are limited, so rarity drives up the price.】
【Well… to be fair, celebrity concert pre-sales are twice this now, and scalper tickets are even scarier. This esports match price is still okay.】
【I’m done, are there so many scalpers here? Why is everyone saying the ticket prices are reasonable?】
But this exaggerated price fluctuation and the terrifying consumer willingness it reflects quickly caught the attention of some sharp-nosed commercial capital.
For brands, the loyalty of fans is important, but even more crucial is their monetization ability—the willingness and action to spend money on their idol.
Many people have plenty of fans… but these fans are like stagnant water in a pond; even throwing a stone in doesn’t splash. Just having numbers without spending power is a real massive loss.
Li Fan’s current situation has already shown everyone that his fans are not just dead fans brushing numbers online; they are active fans with extremely strong spending impulses.
This kind of fan economic value is exactly what brands seeking exposure dream of.
Almost at the same time as the ticket prices hit hot search, EDG club’s business cooperation phones started ringing non-stop.
Numerous peripherals, drink, digital, and even fast-moving consumer goods brands expressed cooperation intentions, hoping to explore possibilities for commercial endorsements or promotional collaborations with Li Fan.
They all want to ride this traffic express train.
The reason is actually simple: entry capital into the current esports industry isn’t high; it’s a project with big traffic but cheap costs.
Even big ecommerce brands like JDG and Suning are starting to consider forming teams.
And among all the brands moving swiftly, the fastest acting was Shuangyan Keyboard.
Mainly because it fits perfectly—esports players promoting peripherals is very normal, right?
Plus, there were already quite a few discussions online about Li Fan’s keyboard.
【Did anyone see what keyboard Unreal is using? Seems like Shuangyan’s?】
【It’s Shuangyan’s Blood Hand Ghost series. Turns out even a big god using a thirty-something yuan keyboard can dominate!】
【Hahaha, Shuangyan is making a killing this time—free sky-high advertising!】
【It’s over, Shuangyan Keyboard is about to become the new generation god gear; this cost-performance is unbeatable.】
【Didn’t choose to bring a keyboard? Isn’t the one he uses a Feirke keyboard?】
【Bringing any keyboard to this match? Isn’t that like using a cannon to kill a mosquito?】
They all know that on the League of Legends stage, he uses the Feirke 104-key keyboard.
But this time for the match, he didn’t bring it and used the official-provided thirty-something yuan Shuangyan Keyboard.
The director has shown it on camera many times already.
Shuangyan’s marketing department realized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity almost midway through the match.
They held an overnight meeting and quickly finalized the cooperation plan.
Shortly after the official announcement of the Top Four list, EDG club’s management received a direct call from Shuangyan’s top executives, expressing strong cooperation intent and offering a short-term endorsement contract—generous for a player who hasn’t yet achieved top honors in mainstream esports projects—along with sponsorship fee.
Hoping to sign with EDG immediately, making Li Fan the Shuangyan esports recommendation officer, to cooperate on a set of urgently shot print ads and short videos, mainly promoting the match’s same-model keyboard series.
What Shuangyan values is Li Fan’s massive topicality across circles right now and the strong purchasing power shown by his fans.
If they don’t seize this opportunity… the price might not be this later.
They need to strike while he hasn’t fully blown up yet.
EDG club manager Abu looked at the cooperation intention letters sent by the business department, especially Shuangyan’s generously conditioned contract draft, his expression was wonderfully varied, and he finally placed the draft on the table with a wry smile.
“This guy Li Fan… wherever he goes, the hot spots follow.” Abu rubbed his temples, his tone carrying some helplessness, but more was the undisguisable appreciation.
However, for endorsement decisions like this, he can’t make them directly; he still needs to ask Li Fan.
EDG’s management style is relatively open, especially for core and highly individual players like Li Fan; the club gives considerable respect and autonomy in personal commercial collaborations.
These naturally would wait until after the Playoffs.
After all, they still need to shoot videos and such…
If Li Fan hadn’t performed very well in League of Legends matches too.
They wouldn’t have let him participate in this match; after all, all this heat and traffic was earned by him himself.
This point made Abu very admiring.
He’s just a bit worried about the Playoffs…
After all, the intensity of Playoffs isn’t comparable to the regular season.
It’s easy to dominate in regular season but flop in Playoffs.
So during this time, the players were frantically training.
If they couldn’t play training matches, they could only have Scout temporarily step up.
Scout was quite happy about this, because this way his chances of starting in the Playoffs were pretty high.
He was extremely hardworking in training matches.
Every game he could get over ten kills, showing extremely strong carry ability.
He felt the coach’s gaze toward him was different, even coming over to pat his shoulder in encouragement.
Now you know who’s the real top mid laner on the team, right?
Before it was just that his state wasn’t adjusted well; once adjusted, it’s this dominating state now.
Everything is very simple!
This guy Li Fan is indulging in distractions and can’t tell what’s truly important.
When he’s kicked out of the team, he’ll know regret.
Going to participate in some Speed match—isn’t that indulging in distractions and losing the big for the small?
He was looking forward to Li Fan coming back from this so-called trash match and finding his starting spot gone; Li Fan’s expression at that moment must be extremely wonderful.
You can experience too what it’s like to be a water dispenser for so long.
Then he can listen to the coach yelling at him to pour water…
Scout still remembers the times after previous matches when the coach told him to pour water; he must get this face back.
He knows his strength is so much stronger than Li Fan’s!
And it will get even stronger with constant training… How can someone who doesn’t train get stronger?
……
It was under this unprecedented heat that QQ Speed, a game that’s been running for years, seemed injected with a strong heart stimulant, with attention and activity visibly soaring.
Official backend data shows that during the SSC Spring Split Quarterfinals live stream and the few hours after, the number of new registered users showed a clear growth curve, far exceeding normal levels.
In-game concurrent online players also hit a new high in the past year.
Clearly, Li Fan’s subversive operation not only drew eyes but also sparked desires among many old players to return and new players to try.
“Manager Wang, the data is out—new registrations and activity surges are 30% higher than our best expected scenario!”
Manager Wang looked at the various red-hot data indicators on the screen, yet smiled regretfully: “The effect is indeed good… a bit too good.” Then he pointed to the venue capacity data, “What I regret most now is being too conservative back then, not switching to a bigger venue. Nine hundred people… still too small-scale.”
The staff nearby deeply agreed: “Yeah, who could’ve thought a QQ Speed match could blow up like this? If held in a venue for three to five thousand, the on-site atmosphere and spread effect would absolutely level up again.”
“Once bitten, twice shy.” Manager Wang waved his hand; this time they didn’t plan well, but there are more matches this year—plan better next time, right?
“But no matter what, we played this move right; the value from cooperating with Li Fan far exceeded expectations.”
“Now, all the groundwork is done; it just depends on tomorrow’s finals to burn this fire to its hottest!”
Data doesn’t lie… he was very much looking forward to tomorrow’s finals.
It was under this spotlight of all eyes that the SSC Spring Split semifinals officially kicked off.
Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center was packed, the air filled with scorching anticipation and thick gunpowder scent.
On the big screen, the four players’ names appeared: Li Fan, Jiang Zhangchuang, Hu Xu, Liang Haihui.
“About to begin is the first game of our SSC Spring Split semifinals!” Commentator Cui Jin’s voice echoed through the speakers across the arena, directly igniting the hot atmosphere on site.
“That’s right, I’m sure the on-site and screen audiences have been waiting eagerly, and today’s biggest highlight is undoubtedly whether player Li Fan can continue his godly form from yesterday.”
At the player seats, Li Fan looked calm, doing final equipment checks.
On the other side, Jiang Zhangchuang and Liang Haihui subconsciously glanced at each other.
King Map selection phase began.
When it was Li Fan’s turn, he pondered for a moment and locked in Western Mine.
Seeing this, the on-site audience immediately screamed in excitement.
Everyone wanted to witness firsthand how Li Fan would dominate on this short-track limit map.
Countdown ended, match started!
The four race cars shot out from the start like arrows off the string.
Li Fan’s start was sharp as ever, grabbing a slight lead on the inside line.
Entering the first corner, with the Traceless Three-Spray pulled out, he was already half a car ahead.
“Li Fan’s start was very smooth, establishing an advantage in the first corner!” Li Li commentated.
At normal rhythm, with Li Fan’s terrifying strength on Western Mine, once leading, it’s almost impossible to overtake.
The on-site audience excitedly shouted.
However, the anomaly happened abruptly in the next corner!
Liang Haihui, closely following Li Fan, suddenly released Nitrogen while passing a corner that could normally be taken cleanly; taking advantage of the drift slowdown, he quickly closed in and directly rammed his car front into Li Fan’s rear!
Li Fan’s car not only deviated from the optimal line, but his boost collection was also interrupted.
This was a highly abnormal move!
Because in individual competition, whether First Place or Second Place is extremely important.
But this running method was suicidal; he wouldn’t reach first, instead letting Third Place Jiang Zhangchuang successfully take position.
Although Li Fan quickly regained control of his car, showing top-tier adjustment ability.
But the cars in third and fourth stuck to him like sticky candy, occasionally bumping his race car to interfere.
Cui Jin saw through it at a glance…
Clearly, the three of them teamed up.
As for why he recognized it immediately, it was because the on-site audience shouted it here.
Once they shouted, he knew who was first, and that’s why Liang Haihui launched such an attack.
But in this situation, he definitely couldn’t say it outright.
Saying it would completely ruin the individual competition match, turning it into casual teaming, directly losing fairness.
He could only say the four-player confrontation was extremely intense!
The melee was too fierce!
Seeing these moves, Li Fan understood: no wonder they picked King Maps that are all confrontation maps—any slight interference makes it hard to pull away!
But… can you guys even do it?
By boost-blocking to fill his incomplete boost, and pressure-boosting for Traceless Three-Spray, he pulled away completely from the two sticky plaster behind, then chased Jiang Zhangchuang!
Jiang Zhangchuang saw him closing in so fast and was startled!
But taking a deep breath and looking at his lead position, it should be no big problem; he could steadily take it.
Just when he thought victory was in hand, Li Fan’s race car shoved forward directly with Nitrogen!
Shoved dead!
Originally, Jiang Zhangchuang just needed to enter this shortcut to take first, but his car got completely stuck at the entrance!
“Overtake! Li Fan overtook! In the final shortcut, with one precise bump, he completed an unbelievable overtake!”
On the screen, Li Fan’s race car crossed the finish line first!
“First Place, Li Fan takes his King Map Western Mine!”
The entire Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center instantly boiled over; applause, cheers, screams nearly lifted the roof.
Because no matter who it was, in this situation, they felt there wasn’t much chance.
But in this situation, he actually overtook!
“Overtake! Overtook!”
Shen Chao, who was watching the live stream, suddenly felt his nose itch and couldn’t help sneezing.
Li Fan released the keyboard, gently flexed his fingers, expression still calm.
He just lightly glanced at the ugly-faced Jiang Zhangchuang on the neighboring player seat.
Softly saying: “Can you guys even do it?”
