While Zhou Huo was relaying messages, he was also reporting work in the group.
[ManagerZhou]: [I would like to remind everyone that the relegation tournament is about to start. Although it is not our game, but barring any incidents, the teams that are defeated tomorrow may be matched up against us in the qualifiers.
You should watch the game tomorrow so that youll be familiar with the opponents situation. ]
There are only twelve teams in the FOG professional league in China. Last year, those twelve teams were Saint, NSN, Bison, ICA, Yizhan, Ten Thousand Mountains, YT, DDF, FS, Warframe, MO, and Windflash.
Each season starts with the regular season. During the regular season, the twelve teams adopt a double-loop best-of-3 system, and each team accumulates points in pairs. After the regular season, according to the points ranking, the top eight teams will enter the playoffs.
Subsequently, those who couldnt enter the playoffs, the four teams ranked at the bottom will play in the relegation matches.
These four teams were also the last four teams in last years ranking: FS, Warframe, MO and Windflash.
The four teams compete in a round-robin game, and the two teams with the most defeats are directly relegated. This means that the two teams are officially kicked out of the FOG professional league team in the Chinese division and relegated to the secondary league.
There are then only ten professional league teams left, so two seats have opened up. At this time, the highlight is coming. It is the one time in the year when the doors to the FOG league open up.
The qualifiers for two precious professional league teams will then officially start.This is the only chance for the secondary league teams to advance to the first league every year.
After the end of the relegation tournament, all the officially registered and league-recognized secondary league teams plus the two teams that were relegated will play a round-robin tournament. The two teams with the highest points would be promoted to first league.
After filling up the twelve seats, all the remaining teams are officially classified as the second-level league teams for the year. If these teams want to enter the first league, they will have to wait for the next years qualifiers.
This system is a bit cruel, but its very important for the entire league.
According to regulations, there are only to be twelve teams in the league. Each quota is very precious. But teams and clubs can be bought, which opens them to the risk of capital being used to intervene in the league.
The e-sports industry has developed rapidly in recent years, moving step-by-step from its niche market to center stage. It has changed from being disliked to being faintly fashionable. It has also attracted the interest of capitalists.
Among them are countless people who dont understand sh*t, taking a club and treating it like a plaything. They would spend huge sums of money to buy a professional league team, occupying valuable quota, fooling around, making a mess of things and instating a bunch of trash to serve as players.
The relegation system is a good way to put an end to this kind of possibility.
Capital can buy one or two of the twelve teams but at most theyd only be able to play one regular season. At the end of the regular season, other professional teams will use their strength to clean up the league together and boot this dishonest and unscrupulous team out the door.
The base price for a team that occupies one of the spots in the first league is eight digits. Theres no cap on the first five digits of that.
Given the huge amount of money involved, after theyve managed to play only one bland regular season, no matter how rich the fool, they would think twice about doing it again.
Under such a system, the FOG League is able to preserve the teams that are honest and diligent about playing the game. They can also motivate the teams to do their best to improve.
Year by year, they can add new blood into the league, replacing the teams that were at the end of their level and absorbing strong secondary teams. Theyre killing several birds with one stone.
[ManagerZhou]: [The relegation matches are played using a double-loop best-of-1. All the matches should be done within a day. The two teams with the lowest scores among FS, Warframe, MO, and Windflash will be joining us to play in the qualifiers.
Would you all like to guess...which of these four it will be? ]
[Puppy]: [Wait, somethings not right.]
[Puppy]: [... I just returned to China, dont understand the situation in your region. Dont scare me like this. Are my eyes deceiving me?
How is it that Im seeing a team that Im very familiar with? ]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [...I havent been home for long. I think my eyes are also failing me. Whats going on here? Thats my mother team!
]
[Puppy]: [? ]
[CoachOld Qiao]: [You didnt see that wrong.]
[Puppy]: [...]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [Things couldnt have gotten as bad as this, right? In any case, this is a World Championship double crown team. Now its fallen so low that it has to play in the relegation matches? ]
[CoachOld Qiao]: [Its the players who won the World Championships, not the team. ]
[CoachOld Qiao]: [Calling it the e-sports holy land doesnt mean that this club is really a championship incubator. No matter how many jaw-dropping games the team has won, its the players who won those game after game. What does that have to do with the team itself? ]
[CoachOld Qiao]: [Without the players and without even working hard to train any newcomers, theyre just relying on an empty shell to trick other players to serve as a stopgap. What favorable result were they expecting?]
[CoachOld Qiao]: [They were barely able to enter the playoffs last year and they dropped out after the first round. In the second year, it was completely impossible. They werent able to make it into the playoffs. Now, theyre just a relegation club.]
[Puppy]: [...Dont say anymore.]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [Dont say anymore. My hearts feeling a little suffocated. ]
Yu Sui looked at the chat but didnt want to say anything.
After selling the players, Ji Yanhan originally wanted to sell the entire FS club. However, the FS club had no players and could only rely on its reputation as the World Championship double crown team.
Like someone who wasnt good enough for a high post but too proud to take a low one, although Ji Yanhan had been in talks with several parties for a long time, nothing came out of it.
Those who wanted to buy couldnt afford it and those that could afford it hated that it was merely a shell with no players. In the end, FS remained as is. Back then, he basically had no money to sign any players. He was in a dilemma, with no room to advance or retreat.
But at the time, FS was still a sacred place for e-sports. There really were players who just wanted to enter the championship club and transferred to FS. Of course, these definitely werent clear-headed first-line players.
In this way, FSs results plummeted in the next year. Relying on the transferred players hot-blooded zeal they staggered into the playoffs and were eliminated in the postseason. Of the four starters, three immediately transferred.
After a year, Ji Yanhan had managed to gather a bit of money and signed on a few relatively strong players. He also began to watch over the teams operations closely. But there were some things that once broken, were broken forever.
This year, Ji Yanhan did his very best. He diligently ran that team, tried hard to sign on new players, and even trained a second team. But FS results werent as good as the previous years.
They had no possibility of winning.
At least three of the four players have mentally collapsed. They were all professional league players. Falling into the relegation tournament was tantamount to being humiliated; not to mention the risk that they would actually be relegated.
If they really were relegated, it would be a black mark on their resumes.
The greater the pressure, the more nervous they got, the more nervous they got the more mistakes they made. Five minutes into the game, each of the two strikers had lost their heads once. Having both strikers killed at the same time was something that should be avoided at all costs.
It would mean that only the medic was left on the front line, it was tantamount to handing over their map to MO.
While they were waiting for FS strikers to resurrect, MOs strikers had cleared the map of fog. This opening was too stimulating. There basically wasnt any reason to play anymore.
Yu Sui opened his game client and queued up for a game. Twenty minutes later, he looked at the group chat.
[Puppy]: [The absolute f*ck! They were actually relegated!]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [Gods! I really want to ask those FS strikers! What are you playing? Hammers?
! ]
[Puppy]: [Was it because they felt too pressured?]
[CoachOld Qiao]: [Which professional player hasnt felt pressured on the field? ]
[ManagerZhou]: [Why are you all so angry? Do you have lingering feelings for Ji Yanhan? Why are you feeling so distressed for him? ]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [Whos feeling distressed for him? ! ! !
Laozi feels distressed for himself! ! ! ]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [I used to be able to boast that I made my debut in FS. When anyone heard this, they all bowed down and called me father! ]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [Now? If I say I debuted in FS! Others will only say, oh, that team that was relegated! F*ck!
]
[ManagerZhou]: [hhhhhh]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [Really... Sigh.]
[ManagerZhou]: [Theyll have to play in qualifiers, just like us. Getting back into the first league wont be too much of a problem. After all, Team Windflash really sucks. In the end, well probably be promoted together with Team FS.
Oh, f*ck, thats disgusting. I dont want to be promoted together with Ji Yanhan to anything. ]
[ManagerZhou]: [Its fine. The matches are over. Go get some rest. Soon, it will be our turn.]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [ok. ]
U//ppTodatd fr//m n/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)\\/m
[Puppy]: [ok. ]
[Evil]: [Will Ji Yanhan go to the qualifiers?]
[ManagerZhou]: [He should. He went to watch the relegation matches. He must also be anxious. Why are you asking?
]
[Evil]: [Nothing.]
[ManagerZhou]: [Evil, let me say it now. Dont cause any trouble.]
[Evil]: [...You think Im crazy?]
[Evil]: [Believe it or not, I also dont want FS to be relegated.]
[Handsome Chen Huo]: [Thats right. If they really get relegated, how are we going to boast now!]
[Evil]: [...]
Yu Sui looked at the group chat records and opened Shi Luos profile. A moment later, he clicked Add as a friend.
A minute later, Yu Suis mobile phone buzzed. Shi Luo had accepted his friend invite.
Yu Sui opened the chat interface, hesitating on what to say. While he was hesitating, Shi Luo sent a message.
[Evil]: [I want tickets to the qualifiers.]
[Evil]: [... To your games.]
Yu Sui looked at the phone and typed.
[Whisper]: [Wear a mask and sunglasses.]
Yu Suis cell phone vibrated. Shi Luo had sent another message.
[Evil]: [Qualifier...You better not be like FS and suddenly develop some sort of problem in the qualifiers.]
Yu Sui slowly typed: [Of course not.]
[Whisper]: [Is your luggage packed?]
[Whisper]: [After we successfully pass through the qualifiers, Ill come pick you up.]