Believe me, I really am a professional League of Legends player.

Chapter 100 Are you guys up to it?

The popularity of Li Fan's overwhelming advancement to the semi-finals far exceeded the expectations of the tournament organizers.

The most direct manifestation of this fervor is actually in the scalper market.

Less than two hours after the match ended, ticket prices for tomorrow's SSC Spring Season semifinals and finals began to skyrocket on some second-hand trading platforms and offline ticketing circles.

Tickets originally priced at 498 yuan were resold by scalpers for around 980 yuan before the quarterfinals began, which left many fans speechless and feeling it was outrageous.

QQ Speed ​​isn't exactly a mainstream game, so even with a competition held at the Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center, such an outrageous price is a bit ridiculous.

Many are criticizing the organizers for not taking into account the scalper situation, even though they had already arranged the event.

However, this kind of thing is actually very difficult to deal with because it involves a lot of vested interests.

It will be the same even in ten years, let alone now.

This does indeed provide a channel for wealthy individuals; they may not be able to secure tickets through direct bidding, but they can buy them from scalpers if they have the money.

But when everyone thought 980 was the upper limit

As news and video clips of Li Fan's 7000-point sweep to advance spread online, ticket prices began to jump even more outrageously.

1280 yuan... 1580 yuan... and even in some channels where tickets are in urgent need, tickets priced at 1980 yuan are prominently listed!

[This is insane! Absolutely insane! A QQ Speed ​​race ticket costs two thousand yuan? That's almost the price of a top celebrity's concert ticket! I'd rather just go to a concert.]

"There's nothing I can do, bro. Unreal's traffic is terrifying. How many fans do all these games have? And look at the viewership of today's stream, how many of them are there just for it? Tomorrow's the finals, even more people want to watch, but there are only so many tickets, so scarcity drives up the price."

[Um... to be fair, ticket sales for celebrity concerts are already double what they are now, and scalped tickets are even more outrageous. This e-sports competition is alright, isn't it?]

[Seriously, are there really this many scalpers here? Why is everyone saying the ticket price is reasonable?]

However, this exaggerated price fluctuation and the terrifying consumer desire it reflected quickly attracted the attention of some astute business capital.

For brands, while the loyalty of fans is important, what is even more crucial is their ability to monetize their idols and their willingness and action to spend money on them.

Many people have a lot of fans... but these fans are like a stagnant pool; even if you throw a stone in, it won't make a splash. You're just spending money but getting no results, and that's a real huge loss.

Li Fan's current situation already tells everyone that his fans are not just inactive fans who stay online and artificially inflate data, but active fans with a strong impulse to consume.

This kind of fan economy value is something that brands seeking exposure dream of.

Almost simultaneously with the ticket price trending on social media, EDG Club's business cooperation hotline started ringing non-stop.

Numerous peripheral, beverage, digital, and even fast-moving consumer goods brands have expressed their intention to cooperate, hoping to explore the possibility of commercial endorsement or promotional collaborations with Li Fan.

They all want to ride this wave of online traffic.

The reason is actually quite simple: the current esports industry doesn't require much initial investment; it's a project with high traffic but low cost.

Even major e-commerce brands like JD.com and Suning are starting to consider forming teams.

Among all the brands that reacted to the news, A4Tech was the fastest to act.

The main thing is that they fit together very well. Isn't it normal for esports players to carry peripherals?

Moreover, there has been considerable discussion online about Li Fan's keyboard.

[Did anyone notice what keyboard Unreal Engine used? It looked like a Double Swallow keyboard?]

[It's the Bloody series from A4Tech! Turns out, even a cheap keyboard can be incredibly powerful!]

[Haha, A4Tech really hit the jackpot with this! Free, high-value advertising!]

[Oh no, the A4Tech keyboard is going to be the next must-have gadget! Its price-performance ratio is unbeatable!]

Didn't he choose to bring a keyboard? Wasn't he using a Filco keyboard?

Why bring a keyboard to this competition? Isn't that like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

They all know that the keyboards used in League of Legends matches are Filco 104-key keyboards.

I didn't bring it to the competition this time; instead, I used the official Double Swallow keyboard that cost around thirty yuan.

The director has shown the camera on him many times already.

The marketing department of A4Tech realized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity almost halfway through the competition.

They held a meeting overnight and quickly finalized the cooperation plan.

Shortly after the official announcement of the top four teams, the EDG club management received a direct call from the top executives of Double Swallow, who expressed a strong desire to cooperate and offered a short-term endorsement contract and sponsorship fee that was quite generous for a player who had not yet achieved top honors in mainstream esports.

They hope to sign a contract with EDG immediately, making Li Fan the esports ambassador for A4Tech, and to promote their competition-endorsed keyboard series with a series of hastily shot print ads and short videos.

What Shuangfeiyan (a brand of liquor brands) is interested in is the huge buzz Li Fan is generating across different social circles and the strong purchasing power of his fans.

If we don't seize this opportunity... the price might not be the same later.

We should do this before the fire completely escalates.

EDG Club Manager Abu looked at the letter of intent for cooperation sent by the business department, especially the draft contract with generous terms from Double Swallow. His expression was quite interesting. In the end, he put the draft on the table with a mix of laughter and tears.

"That guy Li Fan... he really follows the hot topics wherever he goes." Abu rubbed his temples, his tone tinged with helplessness, but more so with undisguised admiration.

However, he couldn't make the decision on endorsements directly; he still had to ask Li Fan.

EDG's management style is relatively open, especially for core and highly individualistic players like Li Fan, the club gives them considerable respect and autonomy in their personal commercial collaborations.

We'll talk about these things after the playoffs are over.

After all, we still need to shoot videos...

Li Fan also performed very well in League of Legends competitions.

We won't let him participate in this competition; ultimately, he earned all that popularity and attention himself.

This is something that Abu greatly admires.

I'm a little worried about the playoffs...

After all, the intensity of the playoffs is incomparable to that of the regular season.

It's easy for them to dominate in the regular season but then lose in the playoffs.

So during this period, the players were training like crazy.

Since they can't play in scrims, Scout will have to fill in temporarily.

Scout is quite happy about this, because it increases his chances of starting in the playoffs.

They played extremely hard in the training matches.

He consistently racked up over ten kills per game, demonstrating exceptional carry potential.

I felt like the coach was looking at me differently; he even came over and patted me on the shoulder to encourage me.

Now you know who the team's real top-tier mid laner is, right?
Previously, I simply hadn't adjusted my mindset properly. Once I did, I was able to dominate like this. Everything is very simple!
Li Fan is such a frivolous person that he can't distinguish what's important at all.

He'll regret it when he gets kicked out of the team.

Why would you participate in a stunt racing competition? Isn't that just indulging in a frivolous pursuit and losing sight of the bigger picture?

He was really looking forward to seeing Li Fan come back from this so-called trash competition and find that he had lost his starting position. He imagined Li Fan's expression at that moment would be quite something.

You should experience what it's like to work in the water dispenser industry for so long.

Then you can hear the coach calling out to him to pour him water...

Scout still remembers being told by his coach to get him water after the previous few games and he's determined to get his revenge.

You should know that you are much stronger than Li Fan!

And he will get stronger with continuous training... How could this person get stronger without training?

……

Driven by this unprecedented popularity, QQ Speed, a game that has been operating for many years, has been given a shot in the arm, with its popularity and activity levels soaring dramatically.

Official backend data shows that during the SSC Spring Season quarterfinals live broadcast and in the hours following the matches, the number of newly registered users for the game showed a significant growth curve, far exceeding the usual level.

The number of concurrent online players in the game has also reached a new high in nearly a year.

Clearly, Li Fan's groundbreaking actions not only attracted attention but also inspired many veteran players to return and new players to give it a try.

"Manager Wang, the data is in. The increase in new registrations and activity levels is 30% higher than our best-case scenario!"

Manager Wang looked at the various data indicators flashing red on the screen, but smiled regretfully: "The effect is indeed good... a bit too good." Then, pointing to the venue capacity data, he said, "What I regret most now is that I was too conservative back then. I didn't change to a bigger venue. More than nine hundred people... that was too stingy."

The staff member next to him also agreed: "Yes, who would have thought that a QQ Speed ​​competition could become this popular? If it were held in a venue that can accommodate three to five thousand people, the atmosphere and the publicity would definitely be even better."

"Once you learn from your mistakes, you'll be more prepared next time." Manager Wang waved his hand. Even if the planning wasn't good this time, there are still other competitions this year. We can just plan better next time, right?

"But in any case, we made the right move, and the value brought by the cooperation with Li Fan far exceeded our expectations."

"Now, all the groundwork has been laid. Let's see if tomorrow's final can ignite this flame to its fullest potential!"

Data doesn't lie... He's still very much looking forward to tomorrow's final.

It was under this intense scrutiny that the SSC Spring Season semifinals officially began.

The Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center was packed to capacity, with the air thick with fervent anticipation and a palpable sense of tension.

On the big screen, the names of the four contestants appeared: Li Fan, Jiang Zhangchuang, Hu Xu, and Liang Haihui.

"The first game of our SSC Spring Season semifinals is about to begin!" Commentator Cui Jin's voice echoed throughout the venue through the speakers, igniting the enthusiastic atmosphere.

"That's right, I believe the audience at the venue and in front of the screen have been looking forward to it for a long time, and the biggest highlight today is undoubtedly whether Li Fan can continue his stellar performance from yesterday."

In the contestant's seat, Li Fan remained calm as he made the final adjustments to his equipment.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhangchuang and Liang Haihui exchanged a glance.

The selection phase begins.

When it was Li Fan's turn, he thought for a moment and then locked up the western mine.

Upon seeing this, the audience immediately screamed and gasped in surprise.

Everyone wanted to witness firsthand how Li Fan would demonstrate his dominance on this extreme short track speed skating chart.

The countdown is over, the game begins!
The four race cars shot off the starting line like arrows released from a bow.

Li Fan's start was still sharp, and he seized a slight lead in the paint.

Entering the first bend, thanks to the seamless triple boost, I was already half a car length ahead.

"Li Fan got off to a very good start and established an advantage at the first bend!" Li Li explained.

Given Li Fan's formidable strength in the western mines, if he takes the lead, it will be virtually impossible for him to surpass him.

The audience cheered excitedly.

However, something unexpected happened at the next bend!
Liang Haihui, who was closely following Li Fan, suddenly released nitro while going through a bend that could have been passed normally. Taking advantage of the slowed drift speed, he quickly approached the front of a car and crashed into its rear!
Li Fan's car not only deviated from the optimal route, but also lost its nitro boost.

This is a very abnormal behavior!
Because this is an individual competition, both first and second place are very important.

But this running style is suicidal; he won't reach first place, and instead, Jiang Zhangchuang, who is in third place, will successfully fill the gap.

Although Li Fan quickly regained control of the car, demonstrating top-notch adjustment skills.

However, the cars in third and fourth place were like leeches, constantly bumping into Li Fan's race car and interfering with it.

Cui Jin immediately understood what was going on...

It's clear that the three of them teamed up.

As for why they were able to recognize it immediately, it was because the audience was shouting it from the sidelines.

This shout tells you who's number one, which is why Liang Haihui launched this attack.

However, under these circumstances, he certainly couldn't say it directly.

The words spoken out have completely distorted the nature of individual competitive matches, turning them into situations where teams can be formed at will, which directly undermines fairness.

All I can say is that the competition among the four was extremely fierce!
The battle was incredibly chaotic!
Seeing these actions, Li Fan understood why they had chosen all the confrontation maps; with just a little interference, it would be difficult for them to escape!

But... are you guys up to the task?
By using the air pump to fill the remaining air, and then using the pressure spray to perform a three-stage spray without leaving a trace, I pulled off the two plasters at the back and then chased after Jiang Zhangchuang!

Jiang Zhangchuang was also surprised to see that the pursuers were chasing so fast!
However, taking a deep breath and looking at my leading position, I should be able to secure the win without any major problems.

Just when he thought victory was in his grasp, Li Fan's race car rammed forward with the help of nitro!
Destroy them!

Jiang Zhangchuang could have taken first place if he had just taken this shortcut, but his car got stuck at the intersection!
"He overtook him! Li Fan overtook him! He used a precise impact on the final shortcut to achieve an incredible overtake!"

On the screen, Li Fan's race car crossed the finish line first!
"First, Li Fan has acquired his Wangtu Western Mine!"

The entire Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center erupted in cheers and applause that nearly lifted the roof off.

Because no one would feel there aren't many good opportunities under these circumstances.

But even under these circumstances, they were able to turn the tide!
"They've overtaken us! They've overtaken us!"

Shenchao, who was live streaming, suddenly felt his nose was itchy and couldn't help but sneeze.

Li Fan released the keyboard, gently moved his fingers, and his expression remained calm.

He merely glanced indifferently at Jiang Zhangchuang, whose face was grim, sitting in the contestant's seat next to him.

She said softly, "Are you sure you can handle it?"

(End of this chapter)