Starting with Zaozi Ge, a dream lineup

Chapter 330 Summoning a God? A Head-to-Head Response!
As one of the top clubs in China, although it has not won a championship for many years and the influence of the club owner, Clearlove, has declined, it still cannot hide the size of the Edg club.

A year ago, EDG completed a Pre-A round of financing of nearly 100 million yuan. Its subordinate departments include not only League of Legends, but also Honor of Kings, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, Counter-Strike, and other games.

Therefore, as Edg's manager, Abu does not eat at the League of Legends division, but at another office location.

After finishing breakfast, Li Luo showed no remorse as a coach and went straight out of the base gate. He hailed a shared bike at the gate and rode off to the nearby Edg main office base.

Compared to RNG's base, along the way, EdG's side could see three black and white letters appearing everywhere.

On one lawn, someone even used black and white pebbles to create the Edg team logo.

When the security guard, who was some distance away, saw someone riding a shared bike and thought about coming over to check, he took a closer look and realized it was Mingkai. He immediately gave him a respectful look.

As the backbone of Edg, even the boss, Ed Zhu, is a good friend of Ming Kai on equal footing, showing no sign of being a boss and subordinate.

Furthermore, based on the factory manager's memories, Li Luo was surprised to discover that the factory manager actually owned 7% of Edg's shares, which, in terms of status, was even higher than Abu's.

The road wasn't far, and before long, Li Luo parked the car downstairs and walked up the road with ease, following the route he remembered.

Upon arriving at Abu's office, after knocking on the door, a voice inside said, "Come in!"
"Hey, Mingkai's here? What a rare guest! Hey, hey, don't sit up there, those are offers from other teams!"

Upon seeing that it was the factory manager, Abu was also surprised and quickly stood up to greet him.

"Offers from other teams? Let's hear them. Who are they?"

Without any hesitation, Li Luo sat down on the sofa next to him as soon as he entered the room, and as if they were old friends, he picked up the electric kettle and poured himself a cup of tea.

Abu was clearly used to it and started rambling on like an old woman.

"Yes, this is the offer VG sent us. They wanted 900 million to buy Hu Xianzhao, but I didn't agree. Even as a friendly price, that's too low."

"Oh right, Top Esports is also here. They want to buy an Admiral, and their first choice is definitely iboy. Hope from our second team has also been noticed, but the price is too low. They did offer 1400 million for iboy, which has boosted Xiao Zhao's value. Both clubs are willing to let him go."

"Suning also wants to buy an AD carry. Several AD carry players with some achievements this year are quite sought after. Their message is that if they can't buy iboy and Hope, they want us to give them a heads-up as soon as possible, since they've gone to compete for JackeyLove in the free agent market."

"I've been keeping an eye on the top lane roster recently, but most of the top top laners are already booked. We started looking for players quite late, and if we really want to buy, we'll have to see if anyone in the LCK is willing to sell. But the ones we can actually acquire are pretty much the same as SwordArt."

"However, the feedback I received from Sword Immortal is that he might be considering retirement. If the results aren't good next season, he'll probably retire after the season ends."

As he spoke, Abu seemed a little helpless, his gaze began to wander, as if he was thinking of something.

After a while, seeing that Li Luo was still flipping through the contracts, Abu realized something, wanted to say something but held back and didn't say it.

The coach's opinion actually accounts for a very small part of the selection and transfer of players, maybe less than 10%. But Mingkai is an exception. He is not only a highly respected player in Edg, but also a shareholder with shares, and now he is a coach. He is qualified to decide on the selection.

"Xiao Zhao isn't suitable for VG. Although there are rumors that Koma is going, this team has too weak a foundation. Without three years of experience, they won't be able to succeed."

"Since both Top Esports and Suning are lacking an ADC, let's see if we can find the person we need on their teams."

"We can't let the Sword Immortal live. He's lost his competitive spirit. Let's see if we can trade him away as a bargaining chip to get the person we need in return."

While flipping through the contracts that several teams had given to iboy, Li Luo had a draft in mind and spoke leisurely.

Although iboy went to VG in his previous life, it is clear that VG has not contacted him yet. As he said before, he only wants to go to a team with hope and vitality, so Suning and Top Esports are both very good candidates.

"Hmm? You're going to sell Sword Immortal iboy and Hope? Where are we going to buy our ADC? Steal JackeyLove? That's not a wise move, Mingkai."

At first, Abu nodded to indicate that VG had no hope, but the more he listened, the more outrageous it seemed. According to Mingkai's logic, wouldn't they have to sell out both Hope and Iboy?

After selling Jianxian, EDG's roster from last season collapsed. Even if they bring in new players, the integration process alone will be a huge problem.

Team synergy is an issue that many teams consider when making trades, especially when it involves two important positions like AD carry, which requires extra caution.

"If Ah Shui is willing to sacrifice his style to adapt to our Edg team, he would indeed be a great candidate, but... that's unlikely. After all, he's a champion player, and his desire for another championship won't be that strong. It wouldn't be wise for us to try and snatch Ah Shui away."

"Ok?"

He gave Abu a signal that he was listening and that he would continue. Abu then began to ponder.

By the time LPL2.0 became a fiercely competitive era, Edg had long since lost its ancestral glory, even abandoning its glorious traditions such as the deranged, twisted tree spirit.

Scout, the junior player in the mid lane, is a stagnant pool that never changes. He neither has a dominant or outstanding performance, nor does he have any particularly bad ones.

In comparison, he is more like a weaker version of Rookie, capable of both carrying and playing passively. But to be honest, Scout is Edg's only true carry right now, as his consistently high number of MVPs in a single season is the best proof of that.

Therefore, compared to other teams, Edg has lost its own style and relies entirely on individual player performance. Apart from the miraculous comeback at 7 o'clock, no one knows better than them how to disappoint their fans.

"Everyone in the market is focused on Ah Shui, but there is actually another top-tier ADC that everyone has overlooked!"

"what?"

"Who else? LWX? Will FPX sell him?"

Abu was completely bewildered. He even stood up from his chair and sat on the sofa opposite Li Luo, wanting to hear what insightful opinions he had.

"No"

"Who is that?"

"Jian Zihao!"

Upon hearing Li Luo's extremely simple three words, Abu jumped up from the sofa, completely unaware that the tea he had just poured in front of him had been spilled.

"Mingkai? Are you crazy? You're going to buy Uzi? Putting aside whether RNG will sell him or not, do you know what the consequences of buying him would be?"

"Is he willing to come?"

"If he comes to Edg, who can control him? Are you going to buy a patriarch?"

"Are you crazy?" Abu repeated "Are you crazy?" twice in a trembling voice, clearly showing how shocked and confused he was at that moment.

In his understanding, he wouldn't be so surprised even if Mingkai said he wanted to buy Bang or bring Deft back, but now that he heard he wanted to buy Uzi, he was stunned!
Uzi in S10 was an amazing player.
Although Uzi single-handedly led his team into the World Championship in S9, proving that his peak period was far from over, Xiaohu's magical performance at the World Championship, including a 2200 Ryze that was sleepwalking throughout the game and a 5500 Kayle face-checking the bush and flashing into the wall, could not stop everyone from criticizing Uzi. Instead, Uzi himself took the blame.

However, if we really compare their skills, Zaozi is in no way inferior to Ashui, and his mentality has also changed drastically after the setback in S9.

But the problem is, after the acquisition, Edg will become the second generation of RNG and also become a team that relies on four players protecting one player.
Abu suddenly felt like he had gone mad, actually considering the pros and cons of buying Uzi.
Uzi is a tragic hero full of controversy and discussion. Even if RNG is willing to let him go, Edg will not choose to buy him!

"If Uzi comes, I'll go back to jungling. I can keep him under pressure, and his bot lane duo with Meiko is very stable, which at least ensures our bot lane's aggression won't be weak. I'll give the commands, so Meiko can focus on laning against Uzi."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Why not? I'm the coach now, and I have the right to give my opinion on the team's roster selection!"

"Buying Jian Zihao is a no-go. Heaven knows how many contracts he still has; the buyout clause alone would be astronomical. I disagree; it doesn't comply with the club's operating rules."

"I'll talk to Jian Zihao; maybe we won't need the penalty for breach of contract at all!"

As the tension in the room grew stronger, Abu even threatened, "If you're determined to buy Uzi, then I'll break ties with you!"

Boom boom boom!
The sudden knocking interrupted the standoff between the two, and also eased the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Cough cough!"

"Please come in"

Clearing his throat, Abu casually called out, gesturing for the person at the door to come in.

"Hey, what are you two doing? I can hear you arguing from far away. Can't you just sit down and talk?"

The two men were familiar with the person who came in; it was Edg's real boss, Zhu Yihang.

"Boss, Mingkai has gone mad! He's going to buy Uzi, you know? He wants Uzi, he wants to bring the god back to us! This guy's insane!"

"Uzi is not the same Uzi as before. If we buy him back, we'll have a chance at the World Championship, no, we'll have a chance to win the title!"

Seeing the two of them arguing and sticking to their own opinions, Edward smiled helplessly and gestured for them to sit down first.

"Abu, tell me why we can't buy Uzi. Explain your reasons, without bringing up public opinion about Jian Zihao personally, just from a purely gaming perspective."

Upon hearing Ed Zhu's words, Abu immediately wanted to call Zaozi a team-destroying maniac and said Edg couldn't withstand the disruption, but after hearing not to bring up his reputation, he could only helplessly say:
"Boss, Uzi is a whirlpool right now. Whoever gets in is doomed. If he comes to Edg, none of us can control him. Who are you going to lead the team? Once he gets angry, he won't listen to anyone."

"He listens to me, I'm confident. As long as we buy him, I'll go back to playing jungle and I'll take charge."

"Oh? Mingkai, you're making a comeback?"

Eddie ignored their conversation, grasped the key point, and said with delight.

"Yes, after transitioning to coaching, my understanding of the game has suddenly improved significantly, and I am confident of making a comeback this season!"

"Okay, okay!"

After saying "Good!" three times, Ed Zhu clapped his hands, picked up the electric kettle, checked the temperature, and then gulped down two mouthfuls directly from the spout.

"You want to make a comeback! Fine! Find a way to buy Uzi! Fine! But the condition is that you reach the top 50 of the Challenger tier in the Chinese Super Server before the transfer window closes. If you can do that, I'll have Abu negotiate a transfer with RNG!"

"boss!"

"I have my own decision to make, no need to say more. If Mingkai and Jian Zihao were both on this team, things would get interesting!"

Ed Zhu clearly considered not only the team issue, but also a more profound one. Although his eyes looked chaotic, a glint of light flashed within them.

No one understands better than him just how explosive the combination of pig and dog is in the current public opinion environment. Even the newly crowned FPX is nothing more than a firefly vying for the moon's glory in this kind of topic.

"I don't need to be in the top 50 of the Korean server. I can't get into the top 50 in two weeks, no, one week. It's all up to Abu!"

"Starting from the day after tomorrow, I will personally go to Top Esports and Suning tomorrow to inspect and acquire players!"

Watching Li Luo and Ed Zhu sing in unison, Abu, sitting on the sofa, could only respond with a bitter face, but in his heart, he had already sentenced the matter to death.

How is it possible for Mingkai to reach the top 50 in the Korean server in just one week?

If they really had that kind of ability, well, let alone Uzi, even if he wanted to buy TheShy, Edg would have to run around trying to negotiate.

Restoring to peak strength is easier said than done.
With a long sigh, Abu gave up the idea of ​​continuing the argument, and the three people in the conference room began to discuss the contract between Suning and Top Esports.

When the sun was high in the sky and it was noon, the three of them left the office and went to the base canteen for lunch.

After a morning of discussions, Edg's moves during the transfer window have been basically finalized. The next step is for Li Luo to visit Suning and Top Esports clubs to exchange ideas and communicate.

Ostensibly, the goal is to help iboy, hope, and swordsman find new teams. Edg can't afford to mistreat players who left their team, so they need to thoroughly investigate where they might go.

But only Li Luo knew that he had only one purpose for this trip—
Use the hundreds of appraisal cards you've accumulated to personally check which member of the team has the most potential, and try to steal the opportunity to acquire them through a trade.

While competitive form can be restored and improved, potential and strength are static; under the system's appraisal card, these attributes will have nowhere to hide.

"By the way, Abu, does the club have any extra Super Account slots? Could you talk to Tencent Esports later and see if they can help me apply for one..."

"Yes, I'll talk to them over there. There shouldn't be any problems. After all, you didn't apply for retirement from the league; you just transitioned to coaching."

After saying that, watching the dashing figure ride away on his beloved yellow bike, Abu's expression was complicated, as if he believed it but also dared not believe it.

"Mingkai, he seems to have changed!"

"Yes, he's changed, but he's become very arrogant!!"

Seeing Abu's gritted teeth, Edward burst out laughing, instantly filling the area downstairs at the club with a cheerful atmosphere.
(End of this chapter)