“What?”
“The former head of Tenda’s game department was transferred to Rabbit Tail Livestream?”
Jin Yong almost got dizzy from Zhao Xuming’s convoluted explanation.
How did all these things connect?
Tenda’s game department and the GOG project team weren’t the same department. The game department specifically referred to the division that developed a series of single-player games like “Turn Back to Shore,” “Struggle,” and others.
The head of this department had been transferred to Rabbit Tail Livestream?
Wasn’t that a demotion?
The game department was one of Tenda’s core divisions.
And this person, after arriving at Rabbit Tail Livestream, had spearheaded the development of the livestream viewing function that delivered a fatal blow to IOI?
This was simply outrageous!
If this idea had come from Zhao Xuming or Eric, or even Mr. Pei, Jin Yong would have nothing to say—their superior skills would deserve respect and submission.
But now he learned that the person who had delivered the fatal blow was someone who originally had nothing to do with this business sector. This was hard to accept!
It was as if two armies were engaged in fierce battle, when suddenly some random passerby appeared out of nowhere and cut down a general from Jin Yong’s side, causing an instant collapse.
Ridiculous!
Jin Yong fell completely silent. He seemed to understand now why IOI had been so defenseless.
Tenda’s talent pool was frighteningly impressive.
Someone like Zhao Xuming could become the head of GOG’s domestic server without needing to devise any special strategies. By simply completing his basic duties at 60% capacity, the other departments would naturally boost him to 80% or even 100%.
Jin Yong couldn’t help but feel envious.
Why couldn’t he ever find himself in such a position where success came so easily?
The conversation became too difficult to continue—the more they talked, the worse Jin Yong felt.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Zhao Xuming and considering their now different positions, they couldn’t talk anymore.
Jin Yong returned to his seat. Christian, who had an internal ticket, was seated next to him, waiting for the match to begin, lost in thought.
Jin Yong said, “Mr. Zhao is here too. Eric might have come as well.”
Christian frowned. “What are they doing here?”
“Is it because there’s no suspense left with GOG, so they’ve come to see which side FV takes?”
Jin Yong nodded. “Most likely.”
He hesitated for a moment, then added, “Mr. Zhao seems to be in very good spirits. I asked him about it, and he said GOG’s viewing function was developed by the former Tenda game department head who was transferred to Rabbit Tail Livestream…”
Christian fell silent too.
He wanted to say, “What are you so proud of, traitor!”
But that would make him sound bitter.
Indeed, if one could win so effortlessly, who would want to be the SVP on the losing side?
“Let’s watch the match,” Christian sighed quietly.
…
Without a doubt, IOI’s global finals had impressive production value. To avoid being outdone by GOG in terms of presentation, Fingertip Company had spared no expense this time, even inviting a famous foreign rock band to perform live. The promotional build-up around the two finalist teams had brought the atmosphere to a climax when they entered the arena.
But it was clear that FV team received louder cheers than CEM team on the opposite side.
This was perfectly normal, as FV team had garnered more attention than CEM team from the start!
Fingertip Company had originally wanted to create a “final boss” image for FV team, so they couldn’t help but devote more promotional resources to them.
FV team was the defending champion, and they were particularly fond of creative strategies, giving them many fans worldwide.
Moreover, judging from their performance in the elimination rounds, although FV team no longer had last year’s dominance after being targeted by the version update, their raw skill was undeniable, making their advancement to the finals highly probable.
CEM team was different. During the elimination rounds, they were just one of several foreign teams Fingertip Company had high hopes for.
Whether from Europe or North America, several strong teams had shown potential to reach the finals.
This put Fingertip Company in a dilemma when promoting them: who should they bet on?
With limited publicity resources, if they focused on one team that ended up being eliminated before the finals, what then?
So they had to spread the publicity evenly.
This created an awkward situation: all teams received exposure, but none got as much as FV team.
Fortunately, CEM, the European veteran powerhouse, made it to the finals with home field advantage. The cheers from the crowd weren’t completely overwhelmed by FV’s fans—a small blessing amid the misfortune.
CEM was the team that had been 3-0’d by FV in last year’s quarterfinals, and they had been heavily criticized by fans afterward.
The players were devastated. They had come to the world championship hoping to at least reach the finals, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 defeat—who could bear that?
But as they watched the subsequent matches, they somehow found comfort.
Because everyone else got 3-0’d too…
Even FRY team in the finals was crushed, performing worse than CEM had!
So their spirits were somewhat restored.
This year, after Fingertip Company nerfed FV team’s favorite heroes and buffed several heroes favored by Western teams—coincidentally all within CEM team’s hero pool—CEM benefited from the version update and reached a new level of strength.
Soon, the match officially began.
Jin Yong noticed that Christian seemed nervous, his palms sweaty.
Everyone at Fingertip Company definitely hoped for CEM team to win.
If FV team won again, wouldn’t all the previously accumulated publicity just benefit them again?
Moreover, Fingertip had already adjusted the version to specifically target FV team. If they still managed to win, wouldn’t that be a massive slap in the face?
If FV lost, they could blame their poor skills; but if they won, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Christian appeared tense from the start, likely suffering from PTSD from last year’s viewing experience.
Back then, nobody thought FV team was particularly strong, but they pulled out one creative strategy after another. Not just their opponents, but even the audience and commentators were stunned, completely overturning everyone’s understanding of IOI.
Even some of IOI’s designers hadn’t imagined the game could be played that way.
Christian was clearly afraid that FV team would do the same as last year—timid in group stages but coming out swinging in the finals. If they unveiled some completely new strategy and crushed CEM 3-0 again, it would be utterly devastating!
But after watching the pick/ban phase, Christian visibly relaxed and wiped his brow.
Good, things were finally normal.
FV team didn’t present any particularly shocking picks or tactics this time. While their composition had changed somewhat compared to the semifinals, these were mostly adaptations and counters, all within the understanding of viewers and commentators.
This meant that FV team would be competing with CEM based on raw skill.
This was also understandable, as Fingertip Company was determined to win this World Championship. They had finalized the version early, nerfed FV team’s best heroes, and given foreign teams ample time for tactical research.
Unlike last year, when the tournament version changed dramatically and many foreign teams failed to adapt quickly, allowing FV team with their vast tactical reserve to exploit the situation.
By the finals stage, both teams had thoroughly researched the current version. Even if there were slight disparities in composition and tactics, they wouldn’t significantly impact the match outcome. Ultimately, it came down to raw skill.
Raw skill meant the players’ mastery of heroes, team coordination, and execution.
CEM team clearly had the advantage in hero mastery.
These powerful heroes were already CEM players’ specialties. Although FV team members had been practicing diligently since the update, there would inevitably still be some gap.
This gave Christian hope.
They had a chance to win!
If CEM team won, they could steal FV team’s momentum, which would positively impact the European and American markets. Fingertip Company would save face, and this IOI World Championship would be considered a success.
Such success would certainly influence the attitude of the Dayak Group’s leadership toward IOI, making them somewhat more lenient rather than just focusing on squeezing out the remaining value as before.
Christian watched the match progress with a mixture of tension and anticipation.
…
In the first game, CEM drew first blood, but FV team quickly adjusted their tactics and retaliated in the second game.
The two sides traded blows, neither yielding, until they reached the deciding match!
Jin Yong was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle—it had been a long time since he’d seen such an exciting match!
Although he was now the head of IOI’s domestic server, that didn’t prevent him from appreciating an excellent match as a pure spectator.
His attitude also differed from Fingertip Company’s. While Fingertip Company disliked FV team, Jin Yong actually had a good impression of them and secretly hoped they would secure back-to-back championships.
Before the final decisive game began, Jin Yong glanced at Christian sitting beside him.
He suddenly noticed that Christian’s face had turned pale, seemingly even more nervous than before the first game.
And this didn’t seem to be just nervousness—there was also a heavy sense of concern.
Jin Yong was somewhat puzzled and asked, “We’ve reached the deciding game, meaning both FV and CEM have a chance. Even if you really want CEM to win, is there any need to worry to this extent?”
Christian shook his head. “No, that’s not it.”
“I’ve just realized an extremely serious problem.”
“The outcome of the final game doesn’t actually matter anymore. Whether CEM team wins or loses the last game, we’ve already lost to Mr. Pei!”
Jin Yong was stunned. “How is that possible? A win is a win, and a loss is a loss!”
Christian said, “Our only chance of winning was for CEM team to defeat FV team cleanly with a 3-0 or 3-1 score.”
“In the current situation, we’ve already entered a dead end!”