Chapter 72: A Profound Declaration

Chapter 72: A Profound Declaration

At noon, the heat was intense. As Huo Ze's words fell, a hot breeze blew by, stirring up ripples on the surface of the pool.

Ye Leyao lay on her recliner, watching Li Chi's expressions change dramatically, unable to contain her laughter.

"Didn't see that coming, did you? Stunned!"

"Heh, my third brother isn't in a rush to sign the contract now; it's your turn to feel the pressure."

Meanwhile, in the Huo family living room.

Mr. and Mrs. Huo had already tuned into the surveillance camera behind the pool, focusing specifically on Li Chi for a close-up.

Seeing Li Chi's expression shift repeatedly on the large screen, the family couldn't help but smile.

Young man, times have changed!

"It's clear he's a bit flustered," Mr. Huo said with a laugh.

Mrs. Huo added, "Not just a bit, he's very flustered."

The Huo family's surveillance cameras were no less high-definition than those used in variety shows. Under the crystal-clear lens, beads of sweat on Li Chi's temples were clearly visible.

Huo Yan's lips curled upward. "Now we'll see what he plans to do."

Would he agree to lower his salary or storm out in anger?

The whole family was eagerly anticipating the outcome.

Ye Leyao and Huo Ze shared their anticipation.

In fact, Huo Ze didn't even rush to change into his swimsuit, instead walking over to sit on the recliner next to Ye Leyao, gesturing for Li Chi to join him.

How could Li Chi have the heart to sit down at this moment?

When he heard the phrase "mutual choice," he was dumbfounded.

Indeed.

As Huo Ze had said, although Li Chi's abilities were not to be underestimated, Huo Ze had many options. After all, their team wasn't without top lane players.

Huo Ze's desire to recruit another top lane player before the new season was merely to expand their tactical reserves.

In other words, missing out on an excellent top lane player like Li Chi would indeed be regrettable, but it wasn't as if they couldn't find other players.

Moreover, even if Huo Ze couldn't find a suitable top lane player, their existing top laner could still adapt to new strategies.

Huo Ze had plenty of choices.

But Li Chi was different.

He was now at someone else's mercy, leaving him with only one option—joining Huo Ze's team.

If it weren't for being held hostage by someone else, Li Chi wouldn't have terminated his contract with MH, nor would he have been playing cat and mouse with Huo Ze for so long. Even when Huo Ze initially delayed signing the contract, Li Chi would have stormed out.

But times had changed.

Li Chi had no other choice.

Of course, Li Chi could try negotiating with other teams, but it was likely that before he could sign a contract with them, news of his match-fixing would be leaked.

Then Li Chi would truly be finished!

Li Chi took a deep breath, telling himself not to panic.

He needed to think carefully about why Huo Ze would suddenly say such things to him.

Could it be that Huo Ze had really seen through his intentions, or was he simply trying to negotiate his salary down?

No, impossible.

There weren't many people who knew about his match-fixing years ago. Even if Huo Ze wanted to investigate, it would take time. Yet, Li Chi had only contacted Huo Ze last night, and today Huo Ze was already prepared to sign the contract.

If he truly harbored suspicions, he wouldn't have discussed the contract details with Li Chi overnight.

Therefore, Huo Ze's words to him, as he had just stated, were to drive down the price!

At this realization, a flame ignited within Li Chi.

He lifted his gaze toward Huo Ze, who was comfortably lounging on his recliner. Seeing Li Chi look over, Huo Ze flashed him a faint smile.

A servant brought fruit tea, and Huo Ze asked Li Chi with a smile, "Why don't you come over and sit down to chat?"

Chat my foot!

Li Chi was brimming with anger, yet he couldn't afford to fall out with Huo Ze right now.

So he suppressed his rage, holding back for a moment before speaking, "Captain Huo, are you joking?"

Ye Leyao laughed upon hearing Li Chi's words.

"Of course not joking, why would I joke around with you?"

The corners of Huo Ze's mouth curved upward as he said with a smile, "Certainly not, how could I joke about something like this?"

Li Chi's expression darkened further.

He had said this to give himself, and also Huo Ze, a way out, but he hadn't expected that this person wouldn't take the hint!

It seemed that Huo Ze was dead set on reducing Li Chi's salary.

If Li Chi didn't agree today, it was likely their conversation would stall right here.

At this moment, Li Chi was internally conflicted and struggling.

To be honest, Li Chi knew that his asking price was a bit high.

But there was no other way; he had never imagined that his career would end like this.

So before his reputation was completely ruined, Li Chi had to make as many plans for his future as possible.

Taking a slight step back wasn't entirely out of the question for Li Chi.

After all, if this matter was successfully handled, Gu Song would give Li Chi another sum of money.

Li Chi gritted his teeth and took steps toward Huo Ze.

Ye Leyao, seeing Li Chi approach, narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Hmm? Is Li Chi going to compromise just like that?"

Ye Leyao hurriedly looked at Huo Ze.

Huo Ze was also somewhat surprised by this turn of events.

This was after all the last big payout Li Chi would get before retiring, and he had expected Li Chi to hold out longer. He hadn't anticipated such a quick concession.

It seemed that the person behind Li Chi really wanted to bring down his team!

Huo Ze's eyes darkened slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

Li Chi sat down on the chair next to Huo Ze, not looking at him. Instead of directly discussing the salary, he said, "I didn't expect Captain Huo to be someone who goes back on his word."

Huo Ze smiled. "After all, I'm a businessman."

Li Chi's hand, which was resting to the side, clenched slightly before quickly relaxing. Then he put on a smile. "Although I'm quite reluctant to lower my salary, I do genuinely like the KTW team, so I won't be contacting any other teams."

Ye Leyao took a sip of yogurt:

"Whoa, is Li Chi trying to pledge loyalty to Brother San?"

"Brother San, don't be fooled by his facade! He just wants to swindle your money and then destroy your team!"

Ye Leyao thought about it and took another sip of yogurt, sighing,

"Suddenly, I kind of want to have the oat milk made by President Qin."

Huo Ze was somewhat speechless.

Is it just me, or does your topic jump a little too quickly, Yeye?

Also, Yeye's worries are simply superfluous.

KTW is a team that Huo Ze built from scratch, pouring his heart and soul into it. Once Huo Ze learned of Li Chi's intentions, Li Chi had already made it onto his blacklist.

So upon hearing Li Chi's words, Huo Ze merely wore an ambiguous smile. "Really? Not even considering MH anymore?"

Li Chi without hesitation: "Of course."

The corners of Huo Ze's mouth curved upwards further as he took out his phone to send a message, then placed it on the table beside him before asking with a smile, "May I ask the reason for this?"

Li Chi was slightly taken aback. "Reason?"

"The reason you like KTW, and the reason you're no longer considering MH," said Huo Ze.

Li Chi's lips tightened slightly.

The question Huo Ze asked wasn't difficult.

During many job interviews, interviewers often ask candidates this very question.

When interviewers pose this question, they generally have two objectives in mind.

One is to gauge the candidate's understanding of their company.

The other is to learn the true reasons behind the candidate's departure from their previous job.

Li Chi found it amusing.

In esports, strength speaks volumes; when did they need to answer such vague and meaningless questions?

So when Huo Ze asked him this, it was simply to find out the real reason Li Chi left MH.

Indeed.

From the perspective of other teams, Li Chi was a player nurtured by MH, and their team's performance last season wasn't bad at all. Why would Li Chi insist on leaving MH for KTW?

Anyone would be suspicious, so it wasn't surprising that Huo Ze would ask.

Although Li Chi couldn't reveal the true reason to Huo Ze, he could certainly fabricate one to tell him.

Li Chi relaxed slightly, leaning back in his chair and smiling as he began, "Well, the reason I left MH is actually quite simple—it's just that I was somewhat dissatisfied with MH."

Huo Ze looked at him. "Specifically, what were you dissatisfied with?"

Li Chi averted his gaze, shrugging. "What else could it be? Just didn't like my former teammates, couldn't stand the coach, and disliked the team's management style..."

Lies require a mix of truth and falsehood, so as Li Chi spoke, he couldn't help but recall some of his genuine grievances with MH's management.

Li Chi spilled everything like beans out of a bamboo tube, revealing all that could be said and even what shouldn't.

He even detailed how the mistress of the MH management had come to the team to flex her power, laying it all out with clarity.

Ye Leyao's eyes widened as she listened.

Then, her gaze shifted to the phone on the table beside Huo Ze.

"The phone is lit up... Could Third Brother be recording?"

A slight smile played on Huo Ze's lips.

From the surveillance angle, it was clearer; Huo Dad zoomed in, and the family saw unmistakably that he was indeed recording!

Huo Yan chuckled instantly: "Looks like Third isn't completely brainless after all."

Huo Mom gave Huo Yan a gentle scolding glance: "Do you really think your third brother is stupid?"

Huo Ze simply didn't pay much attention to matters outside of esports.

But when it came to his team, he was more meticulous than anyone.

In the footage, Li Chi continued speaking, trying to demonstrate his intense aversion to MH.

As Ye Leyao listened, her brows furrowed.

"Why does it sound increasingly exaggerated? Is Li Chi embellishing things?"

"But regardless of whether he's embellishing or not, it's clear he's maligning his former employer."

Ye Leyao's eyes flickered with realization:

"So this is Third Brother cutting off Li Chi's escape route?"

Indeed, that was precisely what Huo Ze intended.

After all, he hadn't yet uncovered concrete evidence of Li Chi's match-fixing, so he couldn't directly expose him for it.

While aware of Li Chi's intent to ruin his own team, Huo Ze couldn't guarantee that if he didn't sign Li Chi, the latter wouldn't use the same tactics against other teams.

Huo Ze detested such actions, which was why he aimed to sever all of Li Chi's options.

No team would dare take a player involved in match-fixing, just as no team would want a player who immediately slandered their former employer upon leaving.

"Alright," Huo Ze interrupted Li Chi, enough had been said, and he smiled, "I get the gist of it."

Seeing Huo Ze's smile, Li Chi knew he had passed this hurdle and breathed a sigh of relief.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Chi ventured, "Shall we discuss the salary now?"

Horze got the evidence he wanted and didn't intentionally drag out the time anymore, nodding with a smile, "Of course you can."

Then, Horze raised his index finger at Li Chi, "I can only offer you this much."

Li Chi, looking at the solitary finger Horze held up, was momentarily stunned.

"Captain Horze, are you joking?" Li Chi instantly lost his composure, abruptly standing up.

"A million? That's worse than my treatment in MH! My fixed annual salary in MH is two million!"

Ye Leyao looked at Li Chi with a mix of confusion and amusement.

"A million?"

"You're sure?"

Horze said, "You misunderstood."

Li Chi's expression softened slightly.

Horze continued, "One hundred thousand."

Two simple words, yet they made Li Chi feel as if he had been transported to another world.

What?

One hundred thousand?

Ye Leyao burst into laughter:

"Hahahahahahahahahaha—"

"Critical hit doubled hahahaha, Li Chi is dumbfounded!"

"It's more than just dumbfounded," Huo Yan, curled up on the sofa, laughed until he was doubled over, "He hasn't spoken for almost a minute!"

The corners of Mr. and Mrs. Horze's mouths were also lifted high.

"In my opinion, one hundred thousand is too much." Mr. Horze chuckled.

"That's true, the treatment MH gave him wasn't low, and he was groomed by MH himself, yet he could so unreservedly embellish and slander his old employer in front of his new one, who would dare to take such a person?" Mrs. Horze said.

Looking back at the screen,

in the second minute after hearing "one hundred thousand," Li Chi finally reacted.

He suddenly laughed once, then burst into loud laughter. After laughing enough, Li Chi tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Captain Horze, are you fucking with me?"

Ye Leyao frowned.

"How dare he still spout obscenities!"

However, Huo Ze was unperturbed. "No, I'm serious. This is the annual salary I can offer you right now. If you're willing, we can sign the contract immediately."

"F*ck your contract!" Li Chi exploded, his words dripping with venom. "Whoever wants to sign this lousy contract can do so; I sure as hell won't."

"I see through your game now. You think it's fun to toy with me? I'm not playing along anymore!"

"There are plenty of teams out there. If KTW lacks sincerity, there are other teams with more than enough. Can any team be worse off than your pathetic one?"

His words left Ye Leyao feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Huo Ze's expression darkened slightly. "Li Chi, if you're dissatisfied with me, you can curse at me, but please refrain from dragging your mother into every sentence. Otherwise, I won't hold back."

Li Chi scoffed. He had seen through Huo Ze's intentions—there was no genuine interest in negotiating.

With that realization, he no longer felt the need to maintain a facade of civility. With a nonchalant raise of his eyebrow, he taunted, "What are you going to do then? Beat me up? Come on, aim for my face; I promise not to retaliate!"

As he spoke, Li Chi thrust his face toward Huo Ze.

Huo Ze's frown deepened.

Ye Leyao could no longer remain silent. "Why don't you look up?"

"What am I supposed to look at?" Li Chi was genuinely furious now, lashing out indiscriminately. "Where did you come from, you little punk? Do you have any business in our conversation?"

Huo Ba abruptly stood up. "Who did he just call a punk?!"

Huo Ma hurriedly tried to calm him down. "Don't rush, don't rush. Trust Little Yao!"

Huo Yan added, "Don't worry, Ye Leyao won't be at a disadvantage."

Having worked together on two episodes of a show, Huo Yan had gained a deeper understanding of Ye Leyao. Ye Leyao generally avoided initiating conflicts, but if someone provoked him, he wouldn't back down.

On the screen, Ye Leyao showed no trace of fear. In fact, he even smiled at Li Chi after hearing his words.

The young man was naturally handsome, and when he smiled, his eyes narrowed slightly, his long eyelashes casting a gentle shadow, making his expression all the more captivating.

Li Chi was momentarily taken aback.

Then, he saw Ye Leyao pointing to a nearby wall.

Without thinking, Li Chi followed his gaze.

At the end of his line of sight was a wall, and on it, a large surveillance camera.

In an instant, Li Chi's face turned ashen.

He had made a grave mistake!

In his preoccupation with his own salary, he had completely forgotten about the omnipresent surveillance cameras in the wealthy household.

Ye Leyao watched Li Chi's expression change and couldn't help but feel pleased. Glancing at Huo Ze, he shook his head.

"Indeed, in the art of intimidation, Third Brother is still lacking some finesse!"

Huo Ze was speechless.

Indeed, he wasn't as skilled as Ye Leyao!

In the living room, Huo Ba finally let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.

"Everything you've said has been recorded, including the gossip you shared with us," Ye Leyao continued, looking straight at Li Chi. "If this video were to be exposed, I doubt any team would want to sign you afterward."

"You're threatening me?!" Li Chi roared.

Ye Leyao shook his head. "No, I'm merely reminding you that people should take responsibility for their actions and words. And don't think you can get away with anything; if you don't want others to know, don't do it in the first place."

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Li Chi, drenching him from head to toe.

What did Ye Leyao mean by that?

Could it be that he knew something?

Otherwise, why would he say such things?

After a long pause, Li Chi asked hoarsely, "You... What do you know?"

Impossible.

How could they possibly know?

So few people were aware of his match-fixing. Even Gu Song had admitted that it took him a long time to gather evidence.

How could Huo Ze have found proof in just one night?

But at that moment, Huo Ze shattered Li Chi's last shred of hope. "Are you referring to your match-fixing?"

Li Chi felt his blood run cold as he stared at the two people before him in utter shock.

"You... You..."

Even Ye Leyao was surprised, giving Huo Ze a sidelong glance.

"Tsk, looks like my Third Brother has indeed improved. To uncover Li Chi's match-fixing so quickly, does that mean he can also trace back to the person behind Li Chi?"

"And when exactly did Li Chi engage in match-fixing?"

The plot of the novel briefly touched upon this, leaving out many detailed causes and effects.

So at this moment, Ye Leye was genuinely very curious.

Huo Ze: "…"

How could he have investigated so quickly?

Wasn't it due to Ye Leye's reminder?

But clearly, Ye Leye didn't know that they could hear his thoughts.

Amused in his heart but not showing it on his face, Huo Ze glanced at Li Chi. "What about us? You can't really think you could hide this from everyone, can you?"

The panic on Li Chi's face was no longer concealed.

How could this be?

How could they possibly know already?

But it seemed that only this explanation made sense, after all, Huo Ze had been ready to sign a contract with him in the morning...

It's over.

Everything is over.

Li Chi couldn't stay any longer and turned to walk out.

So hurried and panicked was his departure that he slipped and fell directly onto the gravel path.

Ye Leye hissed.

"This... looks painful!"

But Li Chi felt nothing, getting up and hastily jogging away.

With the matter temporarily concluded, Ye Leye sighed in relief and turned to look at Huo Ze. "Third Brother, what are you planning to do next?"

"Since we've found out about Li Chi fixing matches, shouldn't we expose him next?"

Huo Ze rubbed his forehead.

In other words, he hadn't even thoroughly investigated yet!

But indeed, this matter needed to be handled promptly.

"I need to go back to the base first." Huo Ze picked up his phone and patted Ye Leye's head.

"When this is over, I'll send you a red packet!" With those words, Huo Ze ran off in a hurry.

Once Huo Ze and Li Chi left, the rest of the Huo family prepared to attend to their own affairs.

Huo Yan had rested for some time and just received a script from his agent the other day. He planned to head to the company to take a look.

Huo Dad didn't have much work at the company today, but he had a friend who invited him to go fishing in the afternoon. He was preparing to take a shower before heading out.

Huo Mom hadn't gone to the beauty salon for two days and was also getting ready to leave for the salon.

Afraid of water and unable to swim, once Huo Ze left, Ye Leye returned from beside the pool to the living room.

At this moment, he was lying on the sofa, contemplating finding a drama to watch later.

Then he started to feel like having oat milk.

Thinking of this, Ye Leye suddenly sat up. "Mom Huo, did you make me oat milk when I was little?"

Huo Mom had just come downstairs and was taken aback by these words. Recalling what Ye Leye said to Qin Yao during the variety show, she shook her head. "No."

Ye Leye furrowed his brows slightly.

"Could it be that I remembered wrong? Or maybe... um..."

Upon hearing this, Huo Mom's brows knitted tightly together.

Could it be that...

Before Huo Mom could continue her thoughts, she heard Ye Leye say:

"Never mind, I'll just ask President Qin for the recipe. I really want to drink it!"

True to his word, Ye Leye picked up his phone to call Qin Yao, but before he could unlock the screen, Qin Yao's call came through first.

"Huh, President Qin's call?"

"Could this be what they call a telepathic connection?"

Huo Yan had just come downstairs and rolled his eyes upon hearing this.

What telepathic connection!

And wasn't Qin Yao a bit too old? Weren't they going to do something about it?

Huo Dad and Huo Mom exchanged glances.

They had long advocated for free love. If Ye Leye liked it, there was nothing to manage, right?

Unhappy, Huo Yan was about to step forward when he heard Ye Leye say, "Chu Cheng's birthday party?"

Huo Dad and Huo Mom held Huo Yan back.

Mother Huo whispered, "Stay out of it!"

Father Huo nodded. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Ye Leyao was puzzled.

"Why would Chu Cheng invite me to his birthday party?"

Qin Yao on the other end of the phone seemed to understand Ye Leyao's confusion and laughed. "Don't you want to attend?"

Ye Leyao pondered for a moment.

"If I can see President Qin and have the oat milk made by President Qin, it might not be so bad after all?"

So Ye Leyao blurted out, "Then will President Qin make oat milk for me?"

Qin Yao didn't hesitate at all. "Sure."

Ye Leyao's eyes instantly curved into a smile. "Alright, I'll definitely be there on time tomorrow."

After hanging up the call, Huo Yan's anger still hadn't subsided.

It was then that Ye Leyao suddenly remembered something.

"Wait, I seem to have forgotten something..."

"Oh! I remember! Chu Cheng's birthday party! Since Bai Yueguang is having a birthday party, doesn't that mean Meng Yue will also be attending?"

Hearing the names Chu Cheng and Meng Yue, the Huo family exchanged glances.

Hmm... The disabled tycoon and Bai Yueguang?

Is there more to this?!

Then they heard Ye Leyao's excited voice:

"Great, great, great, it's indeed tomorrow! There have been quite a few things lately, I almost forgot about this!"

"The long-lost Bai Yueguang has finally returned to the country, but unfortunately, Bai Yueguang has no feelings for the disabled tycoon and has taken a fancy to the little substitute, leaving the disabled tycoon in a state of anxious distress."

"So on the day of Bai Yueguang's birthday, Meng Yue not only prepared many gifts for Chu Cheng meticulously, but also planned a grand confession for him!"

The Huo family: "!!!"

A grand confession?

Isn't that just setting the stage for another clown show?