Chapter 7: A Shocking Twist Within EDG, Abu Pays Three Visits to the Cottage!

A-Bu hung up the phone, looking rather... irritated.

Chen Yan didn't take it to heart. In truth, he did need to play professionally, and not just for the money—it was to secure the system's task rewards. As previously noted, the probability of triggering a system task was directly proportional to the quality of the match. In other words, higher-quality matches meant a higher chance of triggering a task. Professional competition was undoubtedly the best choice for this.

While Chen Yan played against Master and Challenger players during his streams, he knew all too well that ranked games and professional matches were two completely different worlds. It is no exaggeration to say that if you were to assemble a top-tier team from the streaming world to compete in the Demacia Cup, they would be soundly beaten by every professional team they faced. To put it bluntly: don't try to compete with others in their profession. Without professional training, even if five streamers climbed to the highest rank on the ladder, the quality of their gameplay would still pale in comparison to a professional match.

If Chen Yan were to enter professional play, the probability of triggering system tasks would surely skyrocket. And that was just for the domestic league; there were also international tournaments like the MSI, the Rift Rivals, and the World Championship. If he truly made it to Worlds, given the level of competition there, he might be able to trigger a system task in every single game. At that point, the rewards would be endless.

He knew that system rewards offered more than just strength boosts and Chinese currency; they could provide practical skills and enhance his physical fitness. For instance, the Korean language skills he had demonstrated on stream were a reward from the system. He had even drawn a reward that permanently boosted his esports talent. The system was essentially a treasure chest like Doraemon’s pocket—anything was possible.

Even so, Chen Yan hadn't budged. The reason was simple: while he coveted the rewards, he didn't want to be manipulated by the club. He was making good money streaming, and his skills were growing by the day; there was no need to compromise. If EDG wouldn't let him play, he could just wait for his contract to expire. Once he showed off his skills, he could join another team and still secure his system rewards. Since the day he transmigrated, his mindset had been to live freely, unbound by others, and to put his own interests first. If he, a transmigrator, were to let himself be pushed around, he would be a disgrace to all those who had traveled through time before him.

That day, Chen Yan went live as usual. Following the recent trending topics, his stream’s popularity had surged. Seeing this, Chen Yan went all out to entertain his audience, letting the chat choose his champion in a Challenger-tier match. Whichever champion had the most votes was the one he would play. In the streaming world, this wasn't unheard of, but most streamers only did this in low-rank "smurf" games. Chen Yan was the first to attempt such a stunt in Challenger lobbies.

The flow of comments instantly exploded as everyone scrambled to vote. Over the course of the stream, Chen Yan’s win rate was hit-or-miss. Some champions simply couldn't win—Midlane Amumu, Midlane Ivern, Midlane Taric... Regardless, the entertainment value was high, even if his teammates were moments away from cursing his ancestors.

Of course, there were rewards. Beyond the steady growth in his streaming popularity, Chen Yan completed a task and received a physical fitness enhancement. He felt a warm current course through his limbs, leaving him feeling energized and brimming with a sense of strength he had never felt as a typical gamer.

"That's it for today's stream, brothers. See you tomorrow." Despite the pleas of his fans to stay, Chen Yan promptly ended the broadcast. The first thing he did was test his new physical state. Ten pounds, twenty, thirty, forty... The results left him overjoyed. In the past, he would have felt exhausted after carrying twenty pounds, but now, forty pounds felt as light as a feather.

"Damn! This is incredible!" Chen Yan gasped. The system's rewards were truly powerful. His current physical fitness, even if it didn't rival a professional athlete’s, was likely not far off. And that was just his raw strength; the system’s enhancement was comprehensive. His senses, his organs, his limbs—everything had been improved. It was no exaggeration to say that he could probably take on ten of his former selves.

"Man, let's see who dares to challenge me when I go pro. One punch and I'll bury them into the ground." While muttering to himself, he realized he had to keep chasing those system rewards. If he could somehow land an immortal cultivation technique or alien technology, he wouldn't even need to play professionally—he would be ushering in a new era. Of course, that was just a fantasy, and he knew such supernatural things were unlikely to drop from an esports system. Still, this physical boost had definitely whetted his appetite.

Meanwhile, at the EDG base, Chen Yan’s attitude had infuriated A-Bu. A-Bu was a man of pride, and since Chen Yan didn't want the opportunity, he wasn't about to keep groveling. However, problems soon arose within the team.

The EDG training sessions had collapsed. To put it simply, they were losing eight out of ten games, and the two they managed to win were agonizingly difficult. When A-Bu heard the news, he was struck like a bolt of lightning. While training sessions weren't the same as formal matches, they were a reflection of the team's current state. For EDG to be this abysmal in training meant their form had hit rock bottom. Even in their worst periods, EDG had never struggled to find a single win in practice.

A-Bu spent the entire day without food, brainstorming strategies with the coaching staff and talking to the players, trying to pinpoint the issue. But after going through the motions, nothing was resolved. Days passed. A-Bu’s eyes were bloodshot, and he was utterly exhausted. He had tried everything to improve the situation, but the team's performance remained stagnant. He was frantic, knowing that the tournament was right around the corner. If EDG didn't get their act together, the Spring Split would essentially be over for them before it began. Success in the Spring Split was tied to the Summer points and Worlds qualification; one wrong step could lead to a total disaster.

Just as A-Bu was sinking into despair, Clearlove pushed the door open. His expression was grim. After A-Bu questioned him, Clearlove’s words made A-Bu’s pupils shrink.

"Scout is the problem."

"What do you mean?" A-Bu had his suspicions, but he wanted to hear it directly.

"If I'm not mistaken, Scout is unhappy with your decision to bring Chen Yan back, so..."

Clearlove didn't spell it out, but the implication was clear: Scout was using this method to pressure the club. Realizing this, A-Bu’s face turned pale with rage. After a long silence, he let out a heavy sigh and dialed Chen Yan’s number.

"I accept your conditions. Come back and play."