Chapter 88  1/2

After taking some medicine, Tan Chen slept for a short while.

In that brief time, he had many dreams.

Among them were the sadness of leaving DE, the pity he felt when Bai Xiangyuan was abandoned, and the hardships of building Water Breaking. Scenes from the past kept flowing.

In the last dream, he was doing a dungeon with Wo Jiangshan and Lie Yan, sitting on a crane, welcoming the wind, and the scenery below was breathtaking.

It was truly a happy time to have these two friends by his side. Unfortunately, such happiness probably wouldn’t happen again.

Tan Chen slowly opened his eyes.

The air had the smell of disinfectant. Clearly, this was a hospital. Maybe someone found him in a daze due to his illness and brought him to the hospital.

He actually dreamed that “Wo Jiangshan came to invest in their team” in the real world.

Moreover, he wondered if he had been reading too much news about “StarCraft” lately. In his dream, Wo Jiangshan was none other than the famous Sheng Dong Sheng Quan.

Dreams were indeed whimsical; they were like fantasies. He even dreamed that Sheng Quan invited him to eat grilled chicken hearts. The taste was salty, and he asked Sheng Quan for a lot of water to drink.

Tan Chen found it amusing himself. How could he dream of something so impossible?

What kind of person was Sheng Quan? She was a big shot in the entertainment industry, managing countless popular artists under her. She invested in both “Cultivator” and “StarCraft,” and even the variety show Water Breaking participated in was chosen because “StarCraft” had brought fame to Fangcheng.

Tan Chen self-mockingly smiled. It seemed he was really at a dead end; otherwise, why would he dream such things?

Even the feeling from the dream seemed to linger in reality. He really wanted to drink water now, with a strange sensation as if he had just eaten salty grilled chicken hearts.

Tan Chen moved slightly, wanting to get a cup of water. Someone handed him a cup.

“Have some water.”

He paused, reflexively said thank you, took the cup, and as he was about to drink, he saw Sheng Quan looking at him from the opposite side, holding a teacup.

The tea leaves on the table looked a bit familiar, like those used by the chief director.

He remembered that the chief director cherished these tea leaves and usually handled them with care when making tea.

Sheng Quan put down the teacup and asked, “Are you awake? Do you feel better now?”

Tan Chen:…

His gaze wavered, and he saw the chief director sitting on Sheng Quan’s other side.

The last time they met was yesterday, and the chief director told him with regret that, due to Bai Xiangyuan’s refusal to cooperate with the reality show, he might not be able to continue filming with them.

“Team Tan, you also know that the polar region game, in particular, attracts fans with the bottom lane. With Bai Xiangyuan leaving, the reality show’s effect will undoubtedly be much less than expected.”

Yesterday, Tan Chen could only listen in silence. He knew what the director said was true. Bai Xiangyuan’s leaving was a breach of contract, and when he signed the agreement, he signed it himself.

The director found it challenging to deal with. After Water Breaking lost the last game, the enthusiasm had already decreased, and now with one less person, he could speak to Tan Chen with kindness: “After all, the global competition is a team game. With one less person, can it still be called a team game? I understand your difficulties, and fortunately, the breach of contract fee is not much. I discussed it with higher-ups, and we won’t ask for compensation from you. However, for filming, we need to find a replacement.”

This incident was also one of the last straws pressing down on Tan Chen.

At this moment, the chief director had a smile on his face. Despite being less than fifty, he forced a face full of kindness, saying, “Oh, Tan Team, you finally woke up. I heard you fainted from illness, and you really worried me. Luckily, nothing serious happened. Why would you be standing in the rain when you’re sick? It could have been a big problem. Fortunately, Sheng Dong was here. You should thank Sheng Dong.”

“Oh my, you and Sheng Dong are online friends. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Sheng Dong is familiar with Strawberry Studio, and we are also familiar with Strawberry Studio. We’re all one big family.”

Tan Chen, suddenly surrounded by the enthusiastic director, felt stunned.

Wo Jiangshan was the famous Sheng Quan.

Sheng Quan was also in Fangcheng.

Flame informed Sheng Quan about his situation, and Sheng Quan came to find him.

In the end, Sheng Quan wanted to invest in their water-breaking team.

Tan Chen raised his hand and touched his forehead. “Am I still running a fever?”

Sheng Quan smiled and said, “No, your fever has subsided. Get up. If you’re willing, you can take a look at the contract.”

Tan Chen was more than willing.

He saw the contract.

After reading it, Tan Chen lifted his head, his eyes complex and grateful as he looked at Sheng Quan. “Is this too generous?”

Tan Chen was not a newcomer; he had seen many club contracts. The conditions Sheng Quan offered were among the best of all contracts, even for well-established big teams. Even those with deep backgrounds would be delighted to see such terms.

“Because I believe you can win the global championship.”

Sheng Quan didn’t hide her motives for signing the Water Breaking team.

“Want the horse to run, but won’t give it grass. In the end, you’ll lose everything. You were the one who told me that.”

Tan Chen did say this to Sheng Quan, but it was during a time when Sheng Quan wanted to understand esports. He talked about the exploitation of players by various clubs and self-mockingly mentioned this saying.

Back then, he never thought that Sheng Quan would appear at his most helpless moment, become his boss, and remember that saying.

The contract in his hands felt light, yet it seemed as heavy as a thousand cats.

Tan Chen knew very well that no matter how confident he was in Water Breaking, in the eyes of others, it was just a small team that had just lost a game, and even the roster was not complete.

In such a situation, Sheng Quan, who was at best considered a gaming friend, reached out to help.

“Thank you.”