Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

Jiang Zhiyu looked up and met Qi Sixian's slightly bright eyes.

The boy's eyebrows relaxed, the corners of his mouth turned up high, and his eyes were filled with a genuine and lively smile.

"You might not believe it, but my brother has been pestering me about you. He said he was matched with you in a game before, and you even carried him to a higher rank." Qi Sixian's tone was excited and his eyebrows were dancing, almost as if he was about to gesticulate. "I promised him that if he got into a top high school, I would take him to watch your game live."

Qi Sixian said it casually, but Jiang Zhiyu was stunned.

He suddenly remembered the few games he played with Yan Zuo during their duo queue livestream right after winning the championship. The boy they encountered in that random queue was actually Qi Sixian's younger brother.

Jiang Zhiyu smiled and said, "Okay, I'll give you VIP tickets then."

"No, no, no." Qi Sixian immediately waved his hand, smiling frankly, "I just want to be an ordinary spectator and have some fun."

They really didn't talk about tomorrow's stage anymore. They sat together in a rare relaxed state, chatting about trivial matters and gossip like ordinary young people, excitedly pestering Jiang Zhiyu with all sorts of questions about playing professionally.

"Jiangjiang, how do you usually practice shooting?"

Jiang Zhiyu: "Let's practice the ball a little more, practice positioning and sudden stop shooting more often, and we'll develop muscle memory."

"Brother Jiang, didn't you feel confused when you wore a mask during matches before?"

Jiang Zhiyu: "...It's alright, I'm used to it."

"I have a question that's been bothering me for ages!" someone pressed, "When you wear noise-canceling headphones during the competition, can you still hear the audience screaming?"

Jiang Zhiyu chuckled softly: "If you speak loud enough, someone can hear you."

"Hey guys, what's up with your interview?" Lin Sen, who had come to visit, peeked out from outside the door and grinned at the people inside.

Yao couldn't help but laugh out loud, then quickly put on a serious face and said, "Don't disturb me, we're having an in-depth conversation."

"Don't bother handing it in anymore, they're coming to call you for filming soon." Lin Sen said, pointing behind him, "We just finished."

No sooner had he finished speaking than several footsteps approached from afar and soon reached the door.

A muffled exchange came through the crack in the door Lin Sen had opened: "Lin Sen? When did you sneak in? They're still looking for you."

Lin Sen shrank back and explained, "I'm going back now. I just stopped by on my way."

"On the way?" The other person asked jokingly, "You went all the way from the other end just to take a look?"

"...Just checking in!" Lin Sen said, sounding a little guilty. "Brother Zhou Ran said they need to adjust their mindset, so I just came to take a look. I'm off!"

He waved hurriedly into the house again, turned and left, his footsteps fading into the distance.

"Why are Ran-ge and Lin Sen talking about this?" Yao Wei raised an eyebrow and sniffed with some confusion.

A staff member pushed open the door, interrupting him: "Thank you all for recording a backup interview for tomorrow..."

Inside the "Shining Project" recording base, staff worked overtime to prepare for the live broadcast of the competition the next day, while fans outside the camp also made final confirmations for their support on the second day's finale.

Lu Shanshan and Tan Yi were lucky enough to be randomly assigned front-row seats in the finals stands, once again shouldering the important mission of reserving seats for the long light boards.

To make it easier to queue up early the next morning for entry, the two booked a hotel near the venue and checked in in advance.

Lu Shanshan stood in the center of the hotel lobby, somewhat dazed, dragging an oversized suitcase in one hand and carrying a bulging support bag in the other.

The gleaming marble floor and minimalist yet luxurious furnishings exude an expensive feel.

"Wow!" she couldn't help but exclaim.

"What's wrong?" Tan Yi, carrying a small crossbody bag, stopped beside her in confusion.

Lu Shanshan's gaze swept over the opulent decor, and she exclaimed in amazement, "Yiyi, we're actually staying in such a nice hotel?"

Tan Yi assumed the other woman was worried about the room fee, so she reassured her by taking the luggage from her hands: "Don't worry, it's free. This hotel is under Qiyuan International, and my family has a long-term partnership with Qiyuan. I have a monthly free stay quota, so why not use it?"

"Oh... eh!" Lu Shanshan widened her eyes slightly, watching a young man walk slowly by in the distance.

Following Lu Shanshan's gaze, Tan Yi asked again, "What's wrong?"

"That person looks familiar, kind of like the guy who sat next to me during the first performance."

Tan Yi had heard of this name before; Lu Shanshan had mentioned it when she excitedly shared her thoughts on the film with her that day.

Basically, she was sitting next to a mysterious, handsome guy who had a paid VIP ticket for the first row, but he insisted that he was just passing by that remote venue and happened to go in for a casual look.

In my field of vision, the young man was dressed in a minimalist black suit, with a tall and neat posture and a calm demeanor.

A person followed behind them, whispering something. The two walked steadily toward the elevator.

Tan Yi frowned slightly, and hesitated before asking, "Are you sure it's him?"

"Yes, it was him." Lu Shanshan nodded firmly. "The watch he was wearing was super expensive, and he was very handsome, so I had a deep impression of him."

The young man's figure disappeared at the top of the escalator, and Tan Yi turned around stiffly: "But he is Jiang Ming, the CEO of Qiyuan."

Lu Shanshan turned around abruptly, shocked, and exclaimed, "Huh? That Qi Yuan?"

Tan Yi nodded, then gasped, "Wait, I suddenly remembered..."

The two exchanged a glance and both recalled the law firm that had repeatedly helped Jiang Zhiyu send letters.

"Yi, didn't you say before that Huanyu Law Firm was Qiyuan International's go-to law firm?"

"right."

"What a coincidence?" Lu Shanshan murmured.

"What a coincidence." Tan Yi repeated Lu Shanshan's words and looked again at the elevator entrance where Jiang Ming's figure disappeared.

On the other side, Jiang Ming was listening to his assistant's work report: "The first draft of last month's financial report is out. Project A's revenue increased by 16.3% year-on-year, and net profit increased by 22.1% year-on-year... The cooperation with Xingyuan has progressed to the third round of negotiations. They hope to cooperate on entertainment industry projects..."

Jiang Ming lowered his eyes to look at the watch face, tapped the dial lightly with his fingertips, and asked after a moment of contemplation, "Has the investigation team from Shangcheng Entertainment reported any information about CIRCUS?"

"No." The assistant breathed a sigh of relief. "They retreated very decisively, clearing away almost all traces beforehand, including financial records and personnel information. Everything that could be destroyed was destroyed, and most of the remaining data consisted of irrelevant details, offering no breakthrough."

Jiang Ming frowned: "If we continue to investigate along Shangcheng's cooperation chain, CIRCUS can't possibly be holding onto Shangcheng as their only source of funds."

The assistant responded softly, "Okay, but Zhiyu's side wants us not to interfere."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow and chuckled, taking off his silver-rimmed glasses. His tone was clearly indulgent: "Just give him a perfunctory answer. We'll continue our investigation as it is. It won't affect his plans."

Before he went into the room, he said his last words: "I know what he's planning, but I can't just stand by and watch."