CS: The Last Dance, a Dance That Leads to Professional Success

Chapter 136 Unaware of the spring grass dream by the pond, fish die and nets break, tonight we go! (Two chapters combined)

After hanging up the phone with his agent, Meng Lang took a deep breath.

He opened his phone's browser and typed in the somewhat unfamiliar name "Team Falcons".

The search results appeared quickly.

Team Falcons!

One of the largest esports clubs in Saudi Arabia, formerly known as the Eastern European club "Falcons Esports", was officially renamed Falcons after being acquired by Savvy Gaming Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF), for a huge sum in early 2022.

The club has invested heavily in building a 25000-square-meter comprehensive training base in Boulevard City, the capital of Riyadh, integrating competition training, content creation, and fan interaction. Its ambition is obvious: to create its own localized esports ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, a land of oil and gas.

However, their CS:GO division is currently in a somewhat awkward situation.

The current lineup consists of Maka, hAdji, Keoz, Kyojin, and Python, which is still competitive in second-tier European tournaments.

But this is clearly far from the club's ambitions.

In the second half of the year, the club's management was determined to invest heavily in rebuilding, with the goal of creating a truly competitive world-class team. As a result, these players were all swept out after the Antwerp Major to make way for a new super lineup.

Rumors circulating in the transfer market suggest that the Falcons have successfully poached legendary coach Zonik and his protégé Magisk from the Bumblebees.

In the command position,

They signed Snappi, the former in-game leader of the ENCE team.

The ID Snappi may be unfamiliar to many new viewers, but for veteran players, he is definitely a living legend of Danish CS, and he is 31 years old this year.

He can be seen as a lower-spec version of Big Brother, or Denmark's 259. Although he is considered a "lower-spec" player, his team ENCE successfully made it to the semifinals of this year's Antwerp Major, which is enough to prove his command ability and is also the reason why Falcon took a liking to him.

Like his older cousin, he started playing in CS 1.6 and had a professional career of fourteen years. Both of them are veterans who can steer the course on the battlefield.

However, his career was full of ups and downs.

People would mention him and say, "Oh, Snappi, I know this guy," but he was never a true core player on any team.

In that era when Denmark was full of geniuses, he never managed to squeeze into the real "Danish Five".

As time went by and he grew older, he seemed destined to become a backdrop to an era. But Falcon's invitation gave him a second spring!

The announcement of this initial coach + commander + core rifleman structure immediately sparked ridicule from many insiders, with many comparing Falcon to a "rich dog" who only knows how to wave money around, believing that they don't understand CS at all.

They mocked them for only buying players with past achievements and fame, completely failing to understand that for players, a suitable system, chemistry, and consistent competitive form are far more important than past honors.

They bought Magic and Zonik. Although Magic has Major titles, he's become terrible now. Zonik is the same. So many Major titles can't cover up the fact that he has degenerated into a "nice" coach.

Add to that the "elder brother level" senior commander Snappi, and it's currently being jokingly referred to by many as "creating an esports retirement home."

Regarding these questions,

Falcons seemed completely unconcerned.

If there's one advantage this club has that other clubs can only dream of, it's in one word—money.

Not only in CS, but in all other popular esports games, they wave around US dollars and "splash money" during every transfer period.

They don't care if the price they offer is an exorbitant amount that seems completely unreasonable to others, as long as the player they have their eye on is a good candidate.

This has led many insiders to condemn it for disrupting market rules, while also feeling envious and jealous, falling into a complex and distorted mentality—outwardly denouncing "money-driven esports," but secretly hoping that their favorite team could also be so extravagant.

This is the general perception of most players and fans who haven't joined Falcons regarding this club.

It is reported that they are in contact with former "sniper god" KennyS and ENCE's SunPayus for the final sniper position.

At this moment, in the waiting room of Brussels Airport.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, airplanes take off and land.

After a moment's hesitation, Meng Lang picked up his phone again and dialed the child's number.

"Ilya, what are your plans for the second half of the year?" Meng Lang asked directly.

The child on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, then realized what was going on: "Is it... about the club?"

After thinking for a moment, Meng Lang felt there was no need to hide it from his comrade-in-arms, and said frankly, "In the second half of the year... Niko and I... may both leave G2! We are currently in contact with the same club."

"what?"

The child's voice clearly carried a hint of panic, "Are you... all leaving?"

Just a few days ago, everyone was still immersed in the joy of winning the championship, and they were full of high spirits saying that they would play CS together for life!

How come we have to go our separate ways so soon?

A strong sense of loss and insecurity welled up in the child's heart.

"then what do I do?"

The question was asked almost without thinking.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the child realized he was being a bit childish—even though he was indeed a little younger than Meng Lang.

On the field, they are teammates fighting side by side, partners who share life and death.

Off the field, everyone is an independent individual with their own career plans and even their own families.

Ultimately, everyone can only be responsible for themselves.

However, to his surprise, Meng Lang said, "Ilya, if you also want to come, I can talk to the club. They... gave me some authority to recommend teammates."

"Huh? Really?" The child was delighted, but then hesitated, "But... my contract with G2 still has quite a long way to go."

"If you want, you can. Leave the contract matters to the agent and the club." Meng Lang paused, then added the most crucial sentence, "The new club has a fairly ample budget."

This is a fact.

Meng Lang had already deeply realized during his search that the Falcon Club had the true "oil tycoon" style—they would not hesitate to make a move if they thought it was necessary, even if the price exceeded the market norm.

In fact, Meng Lang had considered his cousin Wang Yitong.

However, after failing in the competition, my cousin, despite having other options abroad, ultimately chose to return to CNCS and, through hard work, became the main sniper for the TyLoo team.

It would be neither fair nor appropriate to poach him from Tianlu at this time.

The 22-year-old has only been in the industry for half a year. Although he still has some "dualistic" traits, Meng Lang believes that he has the potential to become a top star in the future.

On the other end of the line, after hanging up, the child held the phone, staring blankly for a while.

He had also seen the storm surrounding Meng Lang's transfer on the internet in the past few days, as well as the various controversies under G2's official account. He knew very well that Meng Lang, the newly crowned Major MVP, had become the hottest superstar in the transfer market.

To say I wasn't envious

That's fake.

But he didn't expect that Meng Lang would still remember him when he had such a good place to go, and would even be willing to communicate with the new club on his behalf.

Thinking of this, a warm feeling welled up in the child's heart.

But then he thought of G2's owner, Carlos, and the kid felt a little scared.

It's not that I'm afraid of Carlos as a person.

In fact, Carlos was always very polite to people on the surface.

However, what children fear most is actually Carlos's "soft knife".

This person is too fond of playing the emotional card.

They'll try to reason with you and appeal to your emotions, painting all sorts of rosy pictures and making all sorts of verbal promises, but their core idea is just one thing—to avoid spending any money.

Given his current age and relatively simple experience, it would be difficult for him to handle a seasoned veteran like Carlos who has been in the business world for many years.

Thinking about it,

The child suddenly had a flash of inspiration:
"How about... I learn from Mencius?"

During the transfer window, do you push all the club contacts to the agent to handle?
Eh!
That seems like a good idea!

Meng Lang was unaware that he had unwittingly corrupted the child as well.

After a long flight of about fifteen hours, the flight finally landed smoothly at Tianfu International Airport in Jianyang, Sichuan.

Meng Lang's hometown is this county town called Jianyang.

Dragging his slightly tired body, Meng Lang followed the flow of people to the baggage claim area, waiting for his suitcase.

The conveyor belt turned slowly, surrounded by the noise of people and the sound of luggage wheels rolling.

Just then, two young men who looked like college students next to him were excitedly talking about the CS:GO transfer market:
"Sigh, the Major is over, and I feel like life has lost its fun." A boy sighed.

"Where do you think Dark will go in the second half of the year? I think the most likely scenario is that he will stay with G2. They just won the championship and the roster has good chemistry."

"Stay with G2? I doubt it. G2's management is stingy. If you ask me, I wish he could go to my favorite team, FaZe. Then that super team would be truly invincible!"

"FAZE certainly has money, but I feel like Dark's style would be quite good paired with a little bee for carrying cargo..."

"Sigh, no matter where you go, just don't bleed..."

One of the young men was talking enthusiastically when he inadvertently turned his head and his gaze swept over Meng Lang's profile as he bent down to pick up his luggage.

He was stunned for a moment, rubbed his eyes, looked at it carefully a few more times, and an expression of disbelief instantly appeared on his face.

"Holy crap! You...you are Dark?" His voice trembled with excitement as he rushed over.

His companions also realized what was happening, their faces showing the same shock and excitement.

As soon as Meng Lang lifted his suitcase off the conveyor belt, he was surrounded by two excited young men.

"Dark! It really is you! We are your fans! The Major finals were amazing!" The young man who recognized him first was incoherent.

"Can...can we take a picture together? And get an autograph!" The other person quickly pulled out their phone as well.

Looking at the two faces flushed with excitement, Meng Lang smiled and nodded: "Okay."

The photo and autograph session were completed in one smooth motion.

The two young people were so excited that they danced around as they looked at the photos and signatures on their phones.

"Dark! Can you tell us where you're going in the second half of the year? We're all so curious!" the first young man couldn't help but ask.

Meng Lang looked at their expectant eyes and smiled mysteriously:

"It will be announced soon."

After saying that, he picked up his suitcase, waved to the two of them, and turned to leave.

Two fans were left standing there.

Looking at the group photo on my phone with excitement, it felt like a dream.

Almost at the same time that Meng Lang set foot on his homeland, a business battle surrounding him quietly began in China.

The fastest to act were not the clubs – domestic CS clubs were very self-aware and never even considered signing a young man who had just proven himself at the top of the world and had a bright future. Not only would it be incredibly expensive, but it would also be almost "ruining someone else" from a competitive standpoint.

But the club did not move.

This does not mean that the live streaming platforms remain unchanged.

Huya Live

CS Section Headquarters
An executive from Huya Live's CS section has been closely monitoring Meng Lang's dominance on Weibo's trending topics in recent days.

At this moment, Operations Director Wang Feng was staring intently at the data backend on his computer screen, with a screenshot of Meng Lang's Weibo trending topics prominently displayed on his screen.

"Little Li!"

Without looking up, he shouted, "Come and take a look at this data."

Assistant Xiao Li quickly came over.

“In the past two days, the search index and discussion volume of the keyword 'Dark' across the entire internet have surpassed that of most top-tier celebrities.” Wang Feng pointed to the graph on the screen, his eyes sharp. “Do you understand what this means?”

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Li replied, "It means... he's very popular right now and has huge potential for online traffic."

"That's right, but it's not specific enough."

Wang Feng leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlaced. "Think about it again. Where does his value lie? First, he's the first CNCS Major champion MVP. This title itself has historical and unique value, attracting all core CS players. Second, his legendary experience of being kicked out of his former team at the age of 17 and then avenging himself to win the championship just half a month later is practically a walking 'feel-good' novel script. It's highly compelling and can easily break into the mainstream, even attracting a large number of casual fans who don't play CS. Third, and most importantly,"

Wang Feng paused, then clicked on a photo of Meng Lang. "His appearance is incredibly attractive to female users! This means he can bring a large number of highly engaged female users with a high willingness to pay to our platform."

He quickly summoned his assistant and they made some estimates in the office:
"See that? Meng Lang, Dark, seventeen years old, Major champion, MVP, highest rating in history... these labels combined guarantee viewership!"

Pointing to Meng Lang's data and trending topics on the computer screen, he said excitedly, "He is now the only face of CNCS, and even a new calling card for Chinese esports on the international stage! If he joins Huya, how many new users will he bring? How much buzz and popularity will he generate? How many casual viewers who didn't follow CS before will he attract?"

The assistant nodded repeatedly:

"Yes, Mr. Wang. I checked. He had a contract with Douyu before, but it was a small contract he signed when he wasn't famous, and he hasn't streamed for a long time. Douyu probably hasn't fully realized how much his value has increased. If we can offer a sufficiently attractive price before Douyu does, we might be able to poach him!"

Wang Feng slammed his hand on the table:
"That's right! We can't miss this opportunity! Contact his agent immediately, no, find a way to contact him directly! We must act first and add another powerful member to Huya!"

At the same time, in the Douyu live streaming CS section office.

An executive frowned as he looked at the rejected budget request report regarding a new live-streaming contract with Meng Lang.

He couldn't help but ask his assistant standing to the side:

"Why was it rejected? What did the higher-ups say?"

The assistant cautiously replied, "Mr. Li, what the higher-ups mean is... the budget is too high. The leadership wants us to prepare a more 'reasonable' budget, and they've requested that a detailed analysis of Menglang's commercial value be attached."

"The budget is too high? Explain your situation?"

Mr. Li was so angry he laughed!
"Can't they see the massive internet frenzy this young man has created these past two days? He's trending at number one on Weibo! Douyin and Bilibili are full of his videos! This is the kind of popularity that no amount of money can buy! A 17-year-old Major champion MVP, still growing, with unlimited potential! And they still want to rewrite the budget and explain the situation?"

He felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

He could almost foresee that while they were going through all this ridiculous procedures, Tiger Tooth next door had already caught wind of it and pounced on them.

When your own platform watches its rising stars with huge potential being poached by the other side, the loss will not only be money, but also the loss of reputation and traffic.

But in the end, he was just a high-level employee. After cursing the short-sightedness and rigidity of the management in his heart, he could only sit down helplessly!
Fuming with anger, he began rewriting what he considered a "redundant" budget report and explanation.

Besides live streaming platforms, the two major CS:GO battle platforms in China—Perfect World and 5EPlay—have also quietly begun their competition.

Their management team also recognized Meng Lang's immense commercial value and influence, and they held meetings to discuss signing him as the platform's exclusive spokesperson or content partner, requiring him to use only one specific platform for his future live streams and public appearances in order to attract and retain users.

Meng Lang naturally didn't know.
No sooner had he set foot on the soil of his motherland than a silent "talent war" raging over his commercial value had already begun.

At this moment, sitting in a taxi on his way home, watching the familiar street scenes rushing past the window, a complex emotion called "fear of returning home" welled up in his heart.

His hometown, Jianyang, was once famous for its "city airport".

Now, with the completion of Tianfu International Airport, this area has developed into a provincial-level county-level city under the administration of Chuandi City, a true "airport city".

His home is in a town on the outskirts of the county seat.

A self-built two-story house with a small courtyard.

His mother, He Jing, had to get up before dawn every day to go to the city's vegetable market to sell vegetables.

I haven't been home for over a year.

The car stopped at the entrance of town. Meng Lang paid the fare, pulled his suitcase, and walked along the familiar country road, his steps uneven.

In the distance, he saw his familiar little house, with wisps of smoke rising from its chimney.

At the entrance of the courtyard,
A familiar figure is looking around.

It's the mother.

He Jing knew her son was coming home today, so she deliberately didn't go to the market to set up her stall.

She was dressed in simple cloth clothes, her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, and there were already some white frosts at her temples.

Upon seeing her son, her eyes lit up instantly, and the wrinkles on her face blossomed into a smile.

"You little rascal! You're back!"

"mom!"

"Come inside quickly, dinner is ready!"

He Jing smiled and took the not-too-heavy backpack from Meng Lang's hand. Her eyes were filled with undisguised joy and heartache. "You must be exhausted from the flight. You look a little thinner."

As you step inside, a rich aroma of food wafts out.

Grandpa and Grandma, who are in their seventies, came out of the house to greet him. Grandma's legs were not very strong, so she used a cane. When she saw her grandson come back, she couldn't stop smiling.

Grandma grabbed Meng Lang's hand and grumbled in her thick Sichuan-Chongqing dialect, "You're back, you little rascal! Oh dear, did you enjoy the food outside? I saw on TV that those foreign dishes are all so bland..."

Although Grandpa didn't say much, he just smiled from the side, but his wrinkled face was full of satisfaction.

When Meng Lang was a child, his father drove long-distance freight trucks and his mother worked at the vegetable market. He was mostly raised by his grandmother, with whom he had a very deep bond.

The family sat around the dining table, the steaming food and familiar local accents dispelling any slight awkwardness from not seeing each other for so long.

He Jing picked up a large piece of twice-cooked pork and put it in Meng Lang's bowl: "Eat up, eat more. Look at you, you must not have eaten properly outside."

Meng Lang: "Oh my god, that's enough, that's enough, the bowl is already piled high with food."

Grandma: "That's right, kid, eat more. Look at your hands, they're so thin, how can you beat those foreigners?"

Her understanding of CS is clearly still limited to "fighting"!
Meng Lang was both amused and exasperated: "Grandma, it's not typing by hand, it's typing on the computer..."

"That's right! My grandson is really promising!"

Grandma smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits.

“My little rascal,” the mother put down her chopsticks, looked at her son, and said earnestly, “Are you having a hard time out there? If you’re too tired, come back home. We don’t have much money at home, but we can still support you.”

Hearing his family's simple yet sincere concern, Meng Lang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He smiled and said, "Mom, it's not hard work, I like it."

The meal was a lively and enjoyable affair.

After finishing his meal, Meng Lang carried his luggage upstairs.

His room remained exactly as it was when he left, with old textbooks and several CS-related trophies still on the bookshelf, but it was spotless, clearly indicating that his mother cleaned it regularly.

He put down his luggage, lay down on the familiar bed, listened to the familiar chirping of insects and birds outside the window, and felt this long-lost peace. The fatigue of the journey surged up like a tide.

Not aware of the dream of spring grass in the pond, and the sound of autumn leaves before the steps.

Soon, he drifted off to sleep.

In that dream,
Meng Lang seemed to have returned to his childhood.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Falcon Club CS Division.

Manager Roussac was in his office, confirming the transfer progress with his assistant and the club's legal counsel.

"How are the talks between Niko and Dark going?"

Roussac asked, his tone filled with anticipation.

The assistant immediately reported: "After communicating with his brother, Niko has confirmed that he can transfer to our club next season. Dark's agent, Mr. Alex, also said that there is no problem in principle, but he has put forward an additional condition."

"Additional conditions? What are they?" Roussac raised an eyebrow.

"He hopes... the club can also buy G2's current sniper, m0NESY."

“m0NESY…” Roussac tapped his fingers on the table, recalling the young sniper. “I remember him. That kid who became famous in Katowice. His playing style was very entertaining. He was just a little inconsistent and would sometimes hide. But his advantage was that he was young and had great potential.”

He barely hesitated before deciding, "Sure! As long as Dark confirms and signs, and the business and livestreaming contracts are separate, we'll find a way to buy m0NESY! Even if it means paying a penalty to G2, we're willing to pay!" "Isn't that too hasty?"

The assistant asked with some concern, "Then... what about SunPayus, which we've been in contact with?"

Roussac waved his hand: "Let's put it aside for now. We need to understand what signing Dark means. Falcon's CS division has been established for over a year, and after switching from a local roster to a French roster, we haven't even made it to the main event of a single S+ level tournament!"

"Now that Dark, this terrifying 'stat monster,' is willing to join us, let's not talk about competing for the championship for now. At the very least, his firepower alone is enough to guarantee that we can reliably enter the main stage of various major competitions! This is the most basic guarantee he brings."

He paused, then continued, "So, to make him comfortable and to maximize his abilities, he wants a sniper partner he knows and trusts. That's perfectly reasonable. Grant his request!"

In Roussac's view, this deal was a huge win.

By acquiring Meng Lang, they were not only interested in his young and powerful individual skills, but also in the vast Chinese market behind him.

Oil tycoons may not care about money, but they do care about "fame".

The purpose of establishing Falcons is to make esports another global calling card for Saudi Arabia, following oil.

Given this, they naturally need to carefully consider Meng Lang's "reasonable" request and try their best to meet it.

Finally, Roussac made the decision: "Since Niko and Dark have already been decided, let's just buy the G2 'trio' as a package deal, and m0NESY can be used to accumulate points."

For the next two days, Meng Lang had a very leisurely time at his hometown.

Meanwhile, the competition for him has reached a fever pitch.

Huya's ability to act is astonishing.

After confirming that Meng Lang's contract with Douyu had already expired, they immediately dispatched a high-level team to Chengdu to negotiate with Meng Lang in person.

Faced with Huya's offer of a 10 million RMB exclusive live streaming contract for the platform and the future development blueprint they outlined, Meng Lang consulted with his agent Alex and ultimately signed the contract.

On his way home from Chengdu, Meng Lang felt a little dizzy.

The only thing he was certain of was that when he got home, there was an extra 200 million RMB prepayment for the contract in his bank account.

The remaining 800 million yuan will be paid monthly after he completes the required monthly live streaming hours as stipulated in the contract.

Having played professionally for so long, he had been saving money little by little with his prize money and meager salary. This was the first time he realized that "fame" could be transformed into enormous wealth so directly and quickly.

He even had a moment of disorientation, wondering if he was really worth that much money.

However, shortly after he got home, Douyu Live called him.

After learning that Huya had already signed the contract, the other party was filled with regret and immediately offered a two-year, eight-million-dollar contract, implying that the price could be negotiated further.

Only then did Meng Lang truly calm down.

They clearly recognized the terrifying value that the title of "youngest Major champion MVP in history" truly meant in the commercial market.

Just a few days after signing the contract with the live streaming platform, Meng Lang received another call from his agent, Alex.

Over the phone, Alex informed him that Niko had officially decided to sign Falcon.

m0NESY's transfer contract is also progressing steadily. Although there may be some twists and turns in the process, it is almost finalized.

Upon hearing this news, Meng Lang immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Without further hesitation, he quickly signed the online electronic contract with Alex, officially becoming a member of Team Falcons.

Almost immediately after the contract took effect, Meng Lang received a signing fee of US$100 million (approximately RMB 700 million) in his overseas salary account.

With the addition of a 2 million yuan advance payment from the live streaming platform, Meng Lang, only 17 years old, became a young millionaire with a net worth of nearly 10 million yuan in just a few days!

Looking at the long string of numbers in his bank account, Meng Lang was filled with mixed emotions.

In the small town in Sichuan and Chongqing where he grew up, what does ten million yuan mean? It's enough to lift a family out of poverty and allow them to live a wealthy and stable life.

The wealthiest families in the county may own properties and businesses worth tens of millions, but it would be almost impossible for them to come up with tens of millions of yuan in liquid funds.

All of this feels like a dream.

June 2nd was Meng Lang's 6th birthday.

At noon, guests came to our house.

Both my aunt's and my other aunt's families came.

My eldest aunt was dressed fashionably and brought her cousin Xia Siqi along. My youngest aunt's cousin Wang Yitong also came along. He is now the main sniper of the Tianlu team, and his eyes have become more composed.

The atmosphere at the dinner table quickly became somewhat awkward.

My uncle, a successful businessman in the county town who runs a building materials business, started gesturing and giving orders at the dinner table after a few drinks.

He first talked at length about how booming his business was this year and how much money he had made, then changed the subject and said to Meng Lang's mother, He Jing, "Hey, second sister, let me tell you, you shouldn't keep your stall at the vegetable market."

My uncle-in-law took a sip of his drink, his face greasy, and continued...

"Working under the sun and wind every day, it's dirty and tiring. Can you really make a lot of money? Why not do something else and open a small shop? It's more leisurely and respectable."

He wore a smug "Why don't they eat meat porridge?" look on his face, offering "suggestions" but never mentioning the capital, resources, and risks involved in changing businesses.

The eldest aunt, dressed in designer clothes and adorned with jewels, chimed in demurely, "Yes, little sister, times have changed. It's good to do some respectable business."

The mother, He Jing, gave a familiar, forced smile but did not reply.

Grandpa's face darkened, and he silently smoked his cigarette.

Meng Lang had witnessed this scene countless times throughout his life.

At every family gathering, the eldest aunt's family, who are the eldest daughter and married well, always criticize Meng Lang's family from the perspective of "experienced people." It is absolutely impossible to get them to help you with anything.

In contrast, although his aunt's family was of modest means, they provided substantial assistance to Meng Lang after his father passed away.

After speaking about his mother, the uncle turned his gaze to Meng Lang, saying with a hint of elder "concern," "And what's Meng Lang doing out there all day? There are plenty of scammers abroad, don't get scammed. I think it's better for him to come back sooner, learn a trade while he's still young, and do something worthwhile, which is more promising than playing those video games."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yitong, who was sitting opposite him, immediately turned into a very strange expression. He glanced at his expressionless cousin Meng Lang, opened his mouth, but the usually taciturn man swallowed his words back.

"Dad! Just say less!"

My cousin Xia Siqi seemed to think that her father's words were getting more and more outrageous and that she was losing face, so she quickly spoke up to stop him.

She quickly smoothed things over by taking a birthday cake out of the bag: "Come on, it's Meng Lang's birthday today, let's eat the cake first!"

The birthday gift she gave Meng Lang was a brand new gaming mouse.

Before blowing out the candles, He Jing, the mother, somewhat awkwardly took out a box and handed it to Meng Lang: "Langwa, this... I bought it after asking around. They said it's good for playing games?"

Meng Lang took the box; it contained a well-regarded gaming headset, though it was certainly not cheap for his mother.

A warm feeling welled up in his heart.

After blowing out the candles and starting to cut the cake, Meng Lang suddenly said, "Wait a minute, Mom, I also have a gift for you."

After saying that, he turned around and went upstairs. He took out a bank card from his backpack, walked down the stairs, and handed it to his mother, He Jing.

"Mom, take this card, there are two million in it."

The dinner table fell silent instantly.

You can hear the needle drop.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, their eyes fixed on Meng Lang and the small card in his hand.

An eighteen-year-old boy casually took out a card and calmly told his mother that there were two million in it.

In this small town in Sichuan and Chongqing,

The impact of this scene is truly shocking.

He Jing's hand visibly trembled as she didn't take the card, her voice shaking slightly: "Where...where did you get so much money?"

Meng Lang laughed and said, "Didn't I tell you on the phone a while ago that I won a world championship? All this money came from playing matches and signing contracts."

He turned to look at Wang Yitong, "If you don't believe me, ask Xiaotong."

Wang Yitong nodded seriously.

He Jing, Wang Yitong's mother, knew that Wang Yitong was a steady child since childhood, and his uncle-in-law was strict with him, so he wouldn't lie.

Suddenly, He Jing, the mother, felt the card become heavy, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She recalled how her son had shown a talent for gaming since he was a child, even though she didn't understand what he was playing. Her husband had always supported him unconditionally.

After her husband left, she raised her son alone.

She silently endured the gossip from her neighbors, saying her son was an "internet addict" and that he had been tricked into going abroad... She never uttered a word in her defense.

But at this moment, all the heartache and grievances turned into scalding tears.

Seeing your child grow up and become successful is better than anything else.

Looking at the deep wrinkles around his mother's eyes and the glaring white hair at her temples, Meng Lang felt a surge of pride—he finally had the ability to give his mother a better life.

The mother pushed the card back, fighting back tears: "Things are expensive abroad... there are many places to spend money, keep this money for yourself, Mom doesn't want it..."

The uncle, being a businessman, was the first to recover from his shock. He coughed twice and continued, "Yes, you brat, it wasn't easy for you to save any money after all these years abroad. I know you're filial, but you gave it all to your mother. What are you going to do? The cost of living is high abroad..."

The eldest aunt nodded awkwardly, trying to lend a hand.

Meng Lang smiled and said in a calm but clear tone, "It's okay. I just signed with a new club. They will give me a signing bonus of one million US dollars, and a monthly salary of one hundred thousand US dollars."

"This money is for my mom, so she won't have to work so hard selling vegetables anymore. She can do some small business that she likes. And for my grandpa, he won't have to work so hard hauling goods anymore."

"..."

Is that all the money you're looking for?

The words that were about to come out of his mouth were abruptly cut off by this even more shocking number, stuck in his throat, and his face turned pale and then red.

He subconsciously made quick calculations in his mind.

The signing fee was one million US dollars... more than seven million, and the monthly salary was one hundred thousand US dollars... nearly ten million US dollars a year!

So, those two million... it really does seem like that's all the money we're talking about.
Looking at the young man in front of him, whose face still had a childish look but whose eyes were full of confidence and composure, he felt a silent pressure and embarrassment for the first time in front of this "gamer" nephew whom he had always looked down on.

My cousin Xia Siqi was also completely stunned!
She secretly searched for "CSGO Major Championship Prize Money" and "Dark" on her phone under the table. The more she searched, the wider her eyes became. She would occasionally look up at Meng Lang, as if she were getting to know her cousin for the first time.

The next meal,
The eldest aunt and uncle fell completely silent, quickly ate a few mouthfuls of rice, and then left first, making an excuse that they had something to do.

The aunt and uncle sincerely congratulated their mother, He Jing: "Sister-in-law, this is great! Your good-for-nothing son has made something of himself. You can look forward to enjoying your life from now on! It's truly a case of 'after the clouds have parted, the moon has finally shone'!"

My uncle works in the public sector and has a stable life. Although I envy him, I feel more gratified.

Looking at his son Wang Yitong, who was engrossed in his phone, he exclaimed, "I never imagined that this little nephew who used to come to my house to play computer games and CS with you when he was a kid would actually make such a name for himself!"

Meng Lang sat to the side, taking in all of this.

For the first time, he truly felt that the championship and the money brought him not only honor, but also the confidence to make his family stand tall.

He silently told himself:
This is just the beginning.

We must become stronger and go further.

That evening, the Riyadh Falcon Club's official social media accounts released a series of major official announcements on Meng Lang's birthday:
@FalconsAE:
"As the Eastern Star rises over Antwerp, we know a new era is dawning! Today, we are incredibly proud to announce that Dark (Meng Lang), the PGL Antwerp Major champion MVP and a rising star from China, has officially joined the Team Falcons family! He will don our jersey and embark on a brand new journey with us! Welcome to Riyadh, @Dark_M! Let's soar together like eagles! #FalconsAreHere #CSGO"

#FearTheFalcons #DarkIsHere”

This official announcement was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

Immediately afterward, before everyone could even process this news, Falcons dropped another bombshell.

@FalconsAE: "A true champion always needs another champion by their side. We are thrilled to announce that legendary player NiKo will soon be joining our ranks! Stay tuned for more details! #FalconsAreHere #CSGO"

At the same time, the most well-known leaker in the CS community also released a shocking piece of news:

"Sources confirm: Dark and NiKo's signing fees to Falcons are between $80 and $100 million, with monthly salaries potentially exceeding $10."

As soon as this news came out,
The entire CS industry was shaken!

Fans of all the major clubs felt a pang of regret.

And at this moment,
The most painful thing is
No one could be more important than the manager of EG Club.

His official and private accounts were instantly bombarded by angry fans.

"The most foolish management in history, letting go of a player like Dark!"

"It's truly a case of a pig sitting in a management position!"

"Even a pig is smarter than him; at least a pig won't spit out meat that's already in its mouth!"

"They didn't even try to buy him back during the transfer window to make up for their mistakes? EG is hopeless!"

The endless ridicule and insults made him so angry that he almost smashed his phone on the spot.

Was it my decision to let Dark go all along?

That little group of 2K is fucking forcing me to step down, what can I do?
Why is everyone criticizing me now?

The club manager felt as wronged as a 200-pound child!

As for those who said "buy it back for him"?
He was even more frustrated, unable to express his frustration: "Is it that we don't want to buy? But a big player like Falcon has made a move; who can compete with them? Who can afford that price?"

Thinking about this, the EG manager was so angry that he decided to go all out and start fighting the trolls in the comments section.

He even retweeted a comment and replied sarcastically: "Niko went to Falcons to retire, what are you going there for?"

The comment sections on foreign websites have exploded:

"Holy crap! Dark went to Falcons?"

What kind of team is Falcons? Can someone explain it to me?

"Simply put, it's a line of oil tycoons waving money!"

"Look at Falcon's lineup: Zonic, Magisk, Snappi, and Niko. They're almost 'a hundred years old,' aren't they? Isn't this an esports retirement home?"

"Falcon remains as wealthy and powerful as ever, but having money doesn't guarantee results."

“I can understand NiKo. After all, he won the Major and fulfilled his dream. It’s understandable that he wants to earn some money to support himself in his retirement. But what is Dark doing? Has he been blinded by money so quickly? He’s only 17 years old!”

"."

Even the director of the FAZE team, when asked about his thoughts on the matter during a live stream, bluntly stated: "Yes, they invited me, and if I didn't care about my career, I would have chosen to join Falcons."

The implication is self-evident.

In fact, most people believe that the Falcons, a club that was only established last year, has no foundation or history, and only relies on throwing money at building up stars, does not have the environment and conditions to truly compete for the championship.

It's understandable for professional players to pursue high salaries, but they can't just focus on money. The competitive environment and the platform for pursuing honors are equally important.

Of course, it's impossible to know how much of these comments are based on rational analysis, and how much are mixed with envy, jealousy, or even sour grapes mentality.

The news quickly spread back to the domestic CS community, and everyone was once again shocked by the wealth of the "oil tycoons" and marveled at how much money they were willing to spend on the players they liked.

Meanwhile, Meng Lang's story of becoming a millionaire at the young age of 17 once again topped the Weibo hot search list, becoming the focus of envy and heated discussion.

In the past few days, Meng Lang has been browsing the internet and has seen speculations and analyses about his specific salary and the inside story of his transfer on various online communities.

The news even quickly spread to his former classmates' group chat, causing a sensation:
"Holy crap! Meng Lang from our class? You mean the guy who plays video games? He won the world championship?"

"Really? I saw on the news that he signed a contract with a signing fee of several million? In US dollars?"

"You little rascal! You're so fierce! Should I call you President Meng from now on?"

"@Meng Lang, come out and give out red envelopes! World champion!"

Even a middle school teacher who had taught Meng Lang math was alarmed and chimed in the group chat:

"Is that Meng Lang, the student who won the gold medal in the Sichuan-Chongqing Provincial Mathematical Olympiad?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, the teacher remarked:
"Oh, I remember him. I felt so sorry when I heard he dropped out of school to pursue a professional career! But now it seems that gold shines wherever it is! There are top performers in every profession. Amazing, truly amazing!"

The students were more concerned about how much money Meng Lang had actually made.

In small towns, ten million is an astronomical figure that most people can hardly imagine. Even some well-off families would find it almost impossible to come up with tens of millions of yuan in liquid funds.

Meng Lang instantly became a "legendary figure" in the classmates' group.

While the situation was hotly debated domestically, the atmosphere at the G2 headquarters in Berlin had reached a freezing point.

Berlin, G2 Club office.

"What do you mean we can't contact m0NESY either?!"

Carlos was in a terrible mood lately. When he heard the manager's report, he almost shouted it out. He felt like a king who had been betrayed by the whole world.

"Niak! Explain yourself!"

Manager Niak looked at him strangely and said cautiously, "Boss, I've talked to m0NESY about next season, but... he told me to contact his agent directly. His agent said that other clubs have already contacted m0NESY, and they... are willing to pay the full transfer fee."

"Which club is it?" Carlos had a bad feeling.

The manager nodded with a strange expression: "Yes... sources indicate that Falcons Club is in contact with m0NESY."

"Fk! It's Falcons again!" Carlos slammed his fist on his desk in anger. "Those damn oil bastards! They've completely destroyed the market! The players' prices are all driven up by these unscrupulous scoundrels! How cheap it was to sign a top player before? You could even get a long-term contract! And now? What's going on?!"

G2 had just won the championship and hadn't even had time to properly celebrate and digest the benefits when the Falcons approached them to buy Niko.

Okay, if you can afford the high price, it's not that we can't sell. Selling Niko can bring in funds, and maybe we can even buy two promising players. The remaining money can also subsidize the League of Legends division, which has been burning through cash.

But now, what do you mean by buying the young sniper rifle that I painstakingly acquired from NAVI?
Why don't you just buy my entire club instead?!
Carlos was shivering with cold!
Does your club's money grow on trees?
Are they just going to throw it at the players like that?

He still held onto a sliver of hope, saying reluctantly, "m0NESY... he probably won't leave with them, right? He's only just started to make a name for himself at our club, uh... even though Niko is leaving too... but he should still have feelings for G2, right?"

"Probably... not that much."

The manager verbally agreed, but in his heart he thought: These new generation contestants are all ambitious, pursuing higher stages and better treatment.

Other teams are offering higher prices, and the platform looks good too. In a market economy, why should anyone want to stay with you?
Is the atmosphere at G2 good?
Does Carlos's pie smell good?
"Where are their things?" Carlos asked with a grim face.

"Niko and Dark's stuff... has already been packed up. m0NESY's... should be done soon too."

"It's come to this, let it go," the manager tried to comfort him.

"What do you mean by 'it's come to this'? Does it mean I'm wrong? That I've let them down?" Carlos bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

He felt that the club's players were too cold-blooded and had no consideration for the club's difficult operations.

"You won the Major championship you've always dreamed of with this team, don't you feel any sense of belonging here? Just for a little more money?"

Then he turned his anger on Falcon, denouncing them for breaking market rules.

In the past, clubs could easily sign top-tier players with just a little money, and on long-term contracts!
But once they enter the market, they drive up prices, and the contestants' appetites will only grow bigger and bigger, inevitably driving up their market value!
The good old days of using hundreds of thousands of dollars to tie down a top player for two or three years are gone forever!
He angrily predicted, "Those brainless oil tycoons at Falcons only know how to spend money to buy players. Do they know what a team roster is? Do they know what player chemistry is? They'll spend a fortune to buy a bunch of stars, but they won't achieve any results and will just fall apart. Let's see how they clean up that mess!"

After venting his anger, Carlos forced himself to calm down and began to consider who G2 could still keep. Neither his cousin nor Xiao Li seemed to have any intention of leaving.

He immediately called his cousin himself.
On the one hand, he played the emotional card, and on the other hand, he made empty promises, saying that he would use the huge transfer fee from selling Niko and m0NESY to "spend heavily" to bring in strong reinforcements in the market, and build a brand new team around him and Leonardo DiCaprio that would still be able to compete for the championship, and beg his cousin not to leave.

He never mentioned the pay raise he would receive after winning the Major!
My cousin had actually received offers from several clubs, including the Gatling Pelicans, but considering that his younger brother Niko's dream had already come true and that he was quite comfortable at G2, he wasn't really keen on moving.

After careful consideration, he ultimately chose to stay with the team.

After calming his cousin down, Carlos immediately organized the club's public relations team to begin guiding public opinion.

They shifted most of the blame for this parting of ways onto Dark, who was described as "profit-driven and treacherous," claiming that they had "invited a wolf into the house"!
They also subtly accused Niko of "betraying" G2.

To further antagonize Falcon and the departing players, he even personally posted a sarcastic message on social media:
@Carlos: Hi there! @Falcons, this is the shipper G2. Just a reminder, we do not accept returns for items purchased from us!

This immediately caused an uproar on the international internet!

(End of this chapter)