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

Yes, he probably knows why.

It's not because of the title "club owner".

Eighteen or nineteen-year-old lads are at an age where they fear nothing. Let alone a small club owner, even if you call Boss Ma in front of them, they'll still be shaking their legs.

It's not because of the Rank difference between the "number one in the Chinese server".

While it's true that esports scores vary, it shouldn't warrant standing around like you're facing your homeroom teacher.

What truly made Hu Fei and Wu Hao so tense was the combination of these two things, plus a point they themselves were instinctively aware of—

The Lin Shu before them was just like them.

Same age, same amateur skills developed from random matches, same lack of background, capital, and paving the way.

But this person, who started on the same starting line as them, accomplished in just over a month what they never dared to dream of—becoming the number one player in the national server, gaining hundreds of thousands of fans, achieving millions in sales on Taobao, and now even setting up a club and sitting in the boss's chair signing contracts.

Standing here, what they see is not a high-and-mighty "successful person," but someone who "could have been himself."

That feeling wasn't fear, nor was it worship; it was something very complex—awe.

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Because they saw in Lin Shu the "future self" they dreamed of.

And that "future self" is now sitting opposite them, pen in hand, contract spread out on the table, looking at them calmly.

"Please sit down."

Lin Shu gestured towards the sofa, "Don't stand there, I'm not going to eat you."

Hu Fei and Wu Hao exchanged a glance, and then, as if released from their pressure points, they carefully moved to sit down on the sofa, their backs still ramrod straight.

"You two, the results of your trial are in."

Lin Shu's words sent the already tense couple's hearts leaping into their throats.

"First of all, congratulations to both of you. Your ranked retest was completely successful. In every aspect, you can definitely be described as having a professional-level performance."

Before the words had even finished, the two young men's lips had even curled into a smile—

"but--"

"But what?"

Wu Hao was getting a little anxious.

The worst thing is the word "but". No matter how much praise you give before, once that word comes out, all the good things you said before become nothing but a prelude.

Lin Shu didn't keep them in suspense and gave the answer directly: "First, I apologize to both of you. According to the normal procedure, since you passed the trial, the club should have signed contracts directly."

"Is it because of Tale and the others?" Hu Fei suddenly asked.

This seemingly carefree, loud-voiced young man with a buzz cut was surprisingly perceptive. He realized almost instantly that there was a conflict of interest.

He and Wu Hao, one a top laner and the other a jungler, and Zhang Hai and Li Nan, who were in charge of receiving them today, also happened to be top laners and junglers.

Most importantly, in terms of gaming skill, the two of them are indeed no match for the other two.

"What about a substitute?" Wu Hao hadn't given up yet, jumping up from the sofa. "I can be a substitute!"

The young man's eyes were full of eagerness, the kind of spirit that said, "I'll do anything as long as I can stay." Lin Shu had seen it too many times—he had seen it in his past life, and he had seen it again in this one.

As Lin Shu slowly shook his head, that fervor seemed to be doused with cold water, cooling down little by little.

"It is precisely because I cannot even provide you two with a substitute opportunity that I must apologize to you." Lin Shu stood up, pushed back his chair, walked to the edge of the desk, and leaned against the edge. "First of all, my personal financial situation is limited. The club is just starting out and cannot afford to support too many players. Guaranteeing a five-man starting lineup is already the limit."

"Of course, I could sign you all at a low price as substitutes and keep you on the team," Lin Shu said bluntly without any concealment, "but to be honest, that would be a complete waste of your time."

"You are all talented players. Sitting on the bench for half a year or a year will wear down your skills and your fighting spirit. That would be a disservice to you."

"So... I recommended you to other teams."

"Huh?" Wu Hao was stunned.

"Ah!!" Hu Fei was also stunned.

"Aside from WE and IG, who already have complete rosters, you guys should have no problem securing a starting position with any of the other teams that have a chance of making it into the LPL."

Lin Shu smiled and said, "I'll help you make connections. We should have news about the specific trial arrangements by tomorrow at the latest."

"Th...thank you!"

Hu Fei was the first to react. He stood up abruptly, grabbed Wu Hao who was still in a daze, and bent over, nodding vigorously. Wu Hao stumbled from the pull and also bent over, muttering something incoherently. He probably didn't even know what he was saying.

What does "a glimmer of hope after despair" mean?

This is what they call "a glimmer of hope after a long period of darkness".

When the two arrived, they were thinking, "Can we stay?"; when they heard the word "but" just now, they were thinking, "It's over, there's no chance."

Now, when I hear "recommend to other teams," all I feel is joy.

The Emperor really...

These were just two trial players whom they weren't planning to sign; a few words would have been enough to send them on their way, and no one would have said anything to them. But instead, they not only explained the reasons to you properly, but also thought of your backup plan and even took the initiative to contact new teams for you.

What's so great about it?

That's what you call great.

Hu Fei looked up at the young man in front of him, who was a little younger than them, and his eyes welled up with tears.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something nice, but couldn't utter a single word. In the end, he could only bend over again, as if he had poured all his gratitude into this gesture.

Lin Shu waved his hand, opened a drawer, pulled out a piece of paper, quickly wrote down phone numbers, and handed it over: "These are the teams I've contacted. Just go back and wait for their notifications. I've given them your information. If you haven't received a call by tomorrow, just call them yourself."

"Don't go out unnecessarily these next few days, stay in shape, don't stay up all night, and don't drink alcohol."

"Definitely!" Wu Hao accepted the business card with both hands, as if receiving a royal decree.

"Alright, go on out. Old Tang is outside; let him give you a ride."

The two turned and walked towards the door. Hu Fei stopped at the door, turned back, and said earnestly, "Emperor, no matter which team I'm on in the future, I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life."

Lin Shu smiled, didn't reply, and just waved his hand.

The door closed.

The office fell silent.

Lin Shu looked down at the torn pieces of the contract on the table, then at the stack of normal contracts next to it, and suddenly felt much lighter.