Chapter 122: Encirclement

"Since Mr. Jiang is in agreement, we have no issues on our end," Lin Yu said.

"I do have one question," Jiang Zheng replied.

"Please, Mr. Jiang, go ahead," Lin Yu said with a smile.

"Can you hire the world's top-tier professional players?" Jiang Zheng asked.

Lin Yu looked somewhat troubled. "I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Given the scale of their company, inviting world-class professionals was technically feasible, but the cost was too high; they were unwilling to make that investment. Jiang Zheng was not yet worth such a hefty price. They were only prepared to invite lower-tier professionals. Professional gaming was stratified, ranging from the elite to the bottom-dwellers, and in this industry, the more skilled you were, the more you earned. Hiring those at the bottom of the rankings was significantly cheaper.

Jiang Zheng understood this logic; he had only asked on a whim. If they could do it, he would be pleased, but if not, he had no choice but to accept it.

"If that's not possible, then I want the momentum to be greater and the promotional efforts to be much more aggressive," Jiang Zheng demanded.

"That, I can agree to," Lin Yu said readily. These were empty promises; whether the promotion was effective or not was entirely up to them. Jiang Zheng’s situation certainly had potential, but it was all predicated on him continuing to win. If he lost, everything would be for nothing. Of course, as long as Jiang Zheng kept winning, they would naturally ramp up the promotion; even if Jiang Zheng didn't ask, they would do it anyway. But if he lost, everything would vanish, and they would scrap the promotions regardless of what Jiang Zheng had said. Thus, Lin Yu agreed without hesitation.

"I have no further issues," Jiang Zheng said.

Lin Yu pulled a document from his bag and said, "Since Mr. Jiang has no other questions, let us sign this contract."

Jiang Zheng picked up the contract and examined it carefully. One could not be careless with these things; if you didn't read the fine print, you might be swindled and not even realize it until it was too late. The content of the contract was much the same as what they had discussed; Jiang Zheng wasn't surprised by this, as they had already communicated in depth online. Today's meeting was merely to finalize what had been agreed upon. Of course, before the contract was signed, both parties were still jockeying for every possible advantage. Once signed, it could not be changed, but until then, anything was possible.

After signing, Lin Yu stood up and said, "Mr. Jiang, I wish us a pleasant cooperation!"

...

Walking out, Jiang Zheng was already a million poorer. The terms were indeed not very generous, but Jiang Zheng had reached out to several live-streaming companies, and none had been willing to take him on. This was the only one willing to bear the risk. Therefore, it was perfectly normal that the terms were harsh and the compensation was not particularly high. The two had talked for a long time, mostly because both sides were fighting for their own interests, which was why it was already dark by the time he emerged.

...

Pei Xin had gone out to splurge. She had bought quite a few things, all for personal use. To her, this money was nothing—at most, just daily pocket change. Carrying her bags, she hummed a tune, clearly in a good mood. It was night, and although the school gates hadn't closed yet, there were very few people coming and going. As she walked toward the campus, a group of people suddenly blocked her path.

"Who are you? Why are you stopping me?" Pei Xin asked.

The group looked fierce and malicious; they were clearly up to no good. Pei Xin felt a twinge of suspicion as to why they would intercept her. Suddenly, the crowd parted, and a man in a wheelchair was pushed out. Pei Xin finally understood why they were blocking her.

"It's you!" Pei Xin narrowed her eyes.

"It's me. Didn't expect that, did you?" Brother Hu, sitting in the wheelchair, looked at Pei Xin with a sinister, vengeful expression.

"It seems the last lesson wasn't enough for you," Pei Xin remarked. At the mention of this, Brother Hu's expression became even more venomous.

"Aren't you a tough fighter? I've brought plenty of people this time; let’s see if you can still fight! Don't worry, I'll make sure they treat you well." Brother Hu spoke through gritted teeth.

Pei Xin looked at him and quickly realized what was going on. She gave a disdainful laugh.

Brother Hu’s fury burned bright. Seeing the look in her eyes and hearing that dismissive laugh made him want to explode. Pei Xin’s kick last time had been too brutal; when he went to the hospital, the doctor said there was some damage. Whether he could recover his normal functions depended on luck. For a man to have his most important function damaged—with no guarantee of recovery—filled him with hatred toward Pei Xin.

After being discharged, he had set people to watch for her and finally caught her today. He had decided that even if it meant going to jail, he would have his revenge.

"I hope your mouth is still this tough in a moment!" Brother Hu spat.

Without a word, Pei Xin took a fighting stance. The men felt a bit uneasy; after all, Pei Xin had a formidable track record, and Brother Hu was the best example. As men, none of them wanted their own functions damaged, not even a little bit.

"Grab her!" Brother Hu roared.

"Yah!" Pei Xin shouted, though her voice lacked real intimidation. She locked onto a target and charged straight ahead, yelling, "The Nut-Cracker Kick!"

The target she chose panicked—he knew that if that kick landed, he’d likely be castrated. He instinctively dodged, creating a gap in the perimeter. Pei Xin seized the opportunity and bolted through the opening. She could fight, sure, and taking on two or three was fine, but there were over ten of them, and her skills weren't enough to win against such odds. She was a martial artist, but she wasn't foolish.

"You think you can run? Chase her!" Seeing Pei Xin break through, Brother Hu shouted.

They were all men, so catching up to a girl was relatively easy. Following his order, the others gave chase. Pei Xin ran with all her might toward the school gate; at that moment, the campus became her only sanctuary. Running with everything she had was her way of looking out for herself. She knew that if these people caught her, they would eventually face legal consequences, but what about the harm she would suffer in the meantime?

"Help! Someone help me!" she cried out as she ran.

But there was no response. No one came to her aid. There were few people entering or leaving the campus, and even those who heard her chose to pretend they hadn't. As she saw her pursuers closing in, a look of despair appeared in Pei Xin's eyes.