Rebirth is fine, but I get eight hundred dollars right from the start?

"Now we have the All-Star Game, the LPL league, and more and more people are willing to watch the games and discuss tactics, but that's not enough."

The somewhat younger leader used today's situation as an example, saying, "If these things are only said by the industry itself, others may not believe them. But when you, the players competing on the front lines, say them, they carry a different weight. You are the face of this industry, and people will listen to what you say."

He paused for a moment, lowering his voice as if carefully choosing his words: "Before coming here today, we were thinking about what else we could leave behind besides the game results from this All-Star event. Now it seems that this booth is one of the better answers."

"Your greatest contribution this afternoon is transforming esports from a 'thing within the circle' into something that society can take seriously."

The private room was quiet for a while.

"What happened next..."

The leader from the Ministry of Culture took a sip of tea and continued, "Regarding resources, the higher-ups are already considering it. There will be more investment and support in areas such as league regulations, player protection, and youth training systems."

"But how to implement it in practice and how to find a path suitable for China still requires you people on the front lines of the industry to explore. WE, HWG, and IG are currently among the most advanced in China in terms of player development and event operation. I hope you can continue to cultivate this path further."

"Of course, if you encounter any difficulties or need official support, please let us know, and we will do our best to help resolve them."

He glanced at the people sitting across the table. Zhang Hai was putting a piece of braised pork into his mouth when he paused, put the meat in his bowl, looked up at the leader, his eyes filled with the clear stupidity unique to military officers, blinked and didn't say a word.

Xiaoxiao was sitting next to Zhang Hai, and was whispering something to Mingkai. When he heard this, he immediately sat up straight, but opened his mouth and then closed it again. He was usually witty and talkative, but he knew when to shut up in such a serious situation.

Mingkai kept shoveling rice into his mouth without even lifting his head. The rim of the bowl covered half of his face, and he picked up food with his chopsticks a beat faster than usual.

I didn't hear you, don't ask me, I don't understand!

As for Lin Shu, the real person to be questioned;

He sat diagonally opposite the leader, the cup of tea in front of him still steaming, the rim of the cup wiped clean by the waiter, not a trace of tea stain visible. His left hand rested on the table, as if he was thinking about something, but his face showed no extra expression.

He understood the subtext of the leader's words—this was an official statement from the Shanghai authorities.

The live stream data on the first day of the All-Star event and the effect of the booth in the afternoon were better than expected. They saw the positive social value of the e-sports industry and are willing to allocate some actual resources to it in the future.

But Lin Shu didn't rush to ask for anything; he knew his limits.

In such situations, where the booth has just been packed up and the meal has just ended, and the other party has taken the initiative to bring up the topic, it would be awkward to immediately present a list of points. This could easily turn a relaxed meal into a negotiation.

Not urgent!

At least not today.

Wait until the All-Star game is over, then sit down and talk with a solid report card and real data in hand. Only then will you have the confidence to speak up.

Promises made too quickly at the dinner table are often slow to be fulfilled. It's more mature to wait until you have leverage before making any further moves.

But we don't need immediate support; we can talk about the difficulties, though.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Lin Shu went over it in his mind several times before speaking in a voice loud enough for everyone in the room to hear: "Leader, there are indeed difficulties."

"With the development of the internet age, esports has a promising future. Its unique dissemination mechanism and the exaggerated amount of attention it receives from young people can help it soar to new heights, but we cannot only see the glamorous surface..."

"This afternoon, when we were talking to those parents, we were repeatedly asked several questions—if esports is a job, the income is unstable, what can players do after they retire? How do clubs survive? Does the industry have a complete training system?"

"Our biggest problem now, or for a long time to come, is that the industry lacks a stable foundation."

"In the words of those in the industry, it's done out of passion!"

"The players are talented and can make it, but they basically reach their limit around the age of 25. After retiring, there is no special transition path. Most people can only rely on live streaming or start from scratch in other industries. In the eyes of parents, this is 'unstable,' and they are unwilling to let their children go down this path."

"Or rather, given the unique nature of esports, society cannot and will not allow too many people to participate in it, at least not as players..."

"The same goes for clubs. Currently, apart from HWG, which can recoup some of its losses through merchandise and brand collaborations, most clubs in China are kept afloat by their owners. If the team's performance is poor, the sponsors withdraw, the funding chain breaks, and they can collapse at any moment."

"The players' salaries can't be paid or collected. The authorities may not necessarily pay out of pocket directly, but they can provide policies—such as tax breaks for companies that sponsor esports clubs—so that businesses feel that investing in esports is not just about buying a brand, but also about saving money. Or they can promote the standardization of esports broadcasting rights so that clubs can get a reasonable share of the broadcasting revenue."

Lin Shu spoke these words in a calm tone, without deliberately trying to elicit sympathy; he was simply stating a fact: "In addition, youth training now basically relies on athletes and coaches figuring things out through experience, without standardized selection and training processes... well, in most sports, it can be said that there are none at all."

"Each company uses its own methods, and whether they can cultivate talent depends entirely on luck. If there were an official framework to support them—such as player registration, contract regulations, and prize money standards—the entire industry would be much more stable."

"Take social security and injury prevention as another example. Wrist strain, cervical spine problems, and lumbar disc herniation are common occupational injuries among professional athletes. However, there is currently no special insurance channel for esports athletes, so they have to bear the injuries themselves. Could the authorities consider this? Including esports athletes in the official athlete insurance framework, even if it's just the most basic social security coverage and injury reporting process, would be a big step forward for the entire industry."

"..."

China is not like its neighbor, South Korea.

The idea of ​​"entertainment as the foundation of the nation" or "e-sports as king" is a joke; it's just a path taken out of necessity.

For South Korea, if they could choose, they would not want to choose this development path.

Regarding the domestic environment, Lin Shu is very clear-headed: e-sports can only be a supplement, a contemporary contribution to social stability and meeting people's spiritual needs.

Therefore, in this development process, the real difficulties that esports needs to solve from the authorities are not funding, resource support, or the so-called "elevation of status".

Lin Shu only wanted one thing.

Standards!

Improve the rules in all aspects of the industry!

The leader did not respond immediately after hearing this.

"You're right about these problems. They can't be solved in a day or two, but at least someone has explained them clearly, so there's some direction for what comes next."

"Cough cough..."

The deputy immediately chimed in.

"Everyone has worked hard today, and the food is getting cold. Let's not just talk, let's eat and talk at the same time."

……

(These two chapters are a bit repetitive; the author's writing skills are limited, so please forgive me.)