In the end, none of the other teams who had come to spectate even remembered how Tang Chen and Zhang Taining’s head-to-head match had actually gone.
There was only one thought left in their minds—
Never, ever follow that idiot ZWG and provoke a super sponsor.
Otherwise, their own team might end up changing its surname too.
Early Friday morning, DYX held a meeting to arrange management plans for the 7 p.m. match that night.
“There will probably be a lot of new viewers coming in just to watch the drama. The Weibo buzz was huge before, and our platform has seen a sharp rise in new registrations recently. I estimate tonight’s livestream is going to put serious pressure on the system.”
“Agreed. A lot of teams will probably tune in too. Last time, during BZ’s internal head-to-head, we were not prepared and nearly crashed. This time we have to prepare on multiple fronts.”
Everyone voiced their opinions, then gradually realized—
They all made sense.
Now it was up to upper management to decide.
“This needs to come to me?”
Yin Chen frowned when he flipped through the file.
“What exactly are DYX’s managers being paid to do?”
A Mao gave an awkward smile.
“They said… since what you said in the livestream made the trending list, they are a little worried you might…”
He trailed off.
“Worried I might what?”
Yin Chen raised an eyebrow.
A Mao rubbed his nose.
“They are worried you might buy ZWG in a fit of anger. That way the problem would be solved once and for all.”
Would that not be the most efficient solution?
Yin Chen’s face remained expressionless.
“Then why are they not worried that if they do a poor job, I might package them up and sell them off instead?”
“?”
Ah.
A Mao thought for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
“I will go reply to them right away.”
After receiving A Mao’s message, DYX’s senior management looked at one another.
“Is President Yin implying we will end up serving three different masters?”
“That… would not go that far, right? We were just asking for instructions…”
“So what exactly are we supposed to do?”
After some hesitation, someone smart enough went to consult Lawyer Gao, who had previously handled the acquisition negotiations.
Lawyer Gao listened on the phone, pushed up his glasses, and replied casually.
“Did the fines I had you pay earlier not come in handy?”
He paused.
“And if I remember correctly, you have been developing new features lately, have you not?”
On the other end, silence—then sudden understanding.
Not long after, DYX officially launched the real-name verification system and the under-sixteen time restriction feature that had been in testing.
At five in the afternoon, a large number of netizens opened DYX, ready to watch the much-hyped scrimmage match.
Many were stunned the moment they logged in.
What was this?
Real-name verification for members?
Time restrictions for minors?
What was DYX doing? Was not a livestream platform supposed to rely heavily on teenagers?
A considerable number of users were indeed blocked by the new membership policy.
Many immediately rushed to Weibo to curse.
[Is DYX management brain-dead? What kind of ridiculous system is this? Why can we not get in?]
[D area, trash platform. I am not watching anymore.]
[Idiot nonsense. I am not serving you. I will just wait for the replay and not give you a single bit of traffic.]
[Has DYX lost its mind? Not making money anymore? At this rate they will go bankrupt within half a year.]
There was a wave of outrage on Weibo.
DYX’s official account promptly reposted a statement from the Yin Corporation legal team.
The lawyers directly attached excerpts from the latest national cybersecurity regulations issued in September, clearly stating that real-name registration was a mandatory requirement.
They also posted proof of the fines DYX had already paid, then essentially shrugged.
They were simply complying with national regulations. The fines had been paid. If anyone wanted to protest, they could go argue with the government.
The announcement went up.
The noisy critics immediately quieted down.
Other netizens found it amusing.
[I do not get it. It is just real-name verification. Why are so many people freaking out? Are they all minors?]
[I actually think it is a good thing. Online harassment happens because no one knows who is behind the screen. Funny how once it is revealed as a national requirement, everyone stops jumping around. Probably minors or troublemakers trying to hide.]
[Ahhhh I love the Yin legal team so much. Every statement is so bold, and they always say exactly what I am thinking.]
[Great. That means fewer uncivilized people flooding the livestream with abuse. I am going to verify now and enjoy the show.]
DYX’s move not only stirred the trending charts but also caught the attention of competitors.
Many initially believed DYX had been too aggressive.
But—
DYX actually succeeded with that aggressive move.
The simultaneous rollout of real-name verification and minor restrictions did not cause a catastrophic user loss.
However, DYX and Yin Corporation’s sudden action disrupted Oriental Group’s quiet plan to acquire another strong livestream platform.
“Yin Corporation again! Real-name system, real-name system—have they lost their minds?”
Dongfang Wan was nearly spitting blood in anger. “Do they not realize how much traffic and popularity teenagers bring to a platform? Did Yin Corporation even conduct market research?”
Of course he was furious.
Oriental Group’s newly assembled team had not progressed smoothly. Talented players were hard to find. After they had spent heavily to poach one from BZ, other potential recruits began raising conditions in private.
And Oriental Group knew almost nothing about esports.
Dongfang Lie had not entrusted the esports division to Dongfang Wan, worried he might neglect serious matters.
But he had handed the livestream platform acquisition project to him. They intended to replicate BZ’s model—boost their team’s popularity through their own platform, hype it internally, and thereby attract strong players at lower cost.
Unfortunately, DYX’s move triggered massive turbulence.
And then—
The authorities noticed a loophole they had previously overlooked.
These major platforms—most of them had not been strictly implementing real-name verification as required. Before, no one had paid close attention. Now that someone had set a precedent and proven fines could be collected—
Of course inspections followed.
Many livestream platforms were thrown into crisis.
Even aside from real-name verification, quite a few had been skirting gray areas—suggestive content, violence, and other borderline material.
When regulators stepped in, they discovered the fines originally calculated were not nearly enough.
More penalties were issued.
Rectification orders were handed down.
Within a week, over a dozen well-known livestream platforms were suspended pending correction.
The one Oriental Group had planned to acquire fared even worse.
Its involvement in gray areas was extensive. The fines were astronomical.
It collapsed outright.
It was as if he had copied half of the top student’s homework, only for the top student to rip up the rest before he could finish.
Dongfang Wan was so angry he felt internal injuries coming on.
And that was not even the end of it.
To ride the wave of attention, their team had sent out match invitations to other teams—especially several well-known ones.
As long as they could secure even one scrimmage match, they could replicate BZ’s model!
However…
Every team that received the invitation played deaf and mute, as if the invitation had never existed.
At first, Dongfang Wan did not understand why.
After making some discreet inquiries, he heard a truth he found almost unbelievable.
After what had happened to ZWG, the other teams were scared.
It was no joke. Yin Corporation and Oriental Group were both financial giants. What if—
What if Oriental Group followed Yin Corporation’s example and started buying up teams at the slightest provocation?
Not every team wanted to change ownership. Most teams had one or several investors backing them.
They had no interest in letting another party insert itself into the mix.
“Have they lost their minds? They actually believe that kind of joke?”
Dongfang Wan was livid.
He tried explaining to other teams in private, only to receive a blunt reply from a long-established team that had been perpetual runner-up for years.
“Maybe Oriental Group would not. But Yin Corporation might! They are way richer than you!”
Way richer than you.
Richer.
Rich.
Rich—
Dongfang Wan nearly died of anger on the spot.
Six in the evening.
Stretching lazily, Yin Chen stood up.
He had not expected today’s workload to be so heavy!
He let out a small sigh.
He had planned to head over early to enjoy the spectacle!
As he was thinking about it, his phone suddenly rang.
Hmm?
Why was Zong Cheng calling?
Yin Chen answered.
“You are looking for me?”
“Yes. Are you done with work today?”
Zong Cheng’s voice was low and gentle, carrying a hint of impatience.
“Want to have dinner together tonight?”
“Huh?”
Yin Chen hesitated. “But tonight is the team’s first scrimmage.”
That scrimmage was tonight?
Zong Cheng froze and quickly checked the calendar.
Tsk!
He had been preoccupied these past few days and had not even noticed!
Damn it! Should he have skipped an update after all?
For a brief second, Zong Cheng contemplated the sound of a pigeon cooing in his mind—but then he remembered that Yin Chen was also following his novel…
Forget it.
Time could always be squeezed out!
He could skip double updates, but a daily update absolutely could not be abandoned.
Still, where there was a will, there was a way.
Zong Cheng spoke quickly, “It is fine. It is just a scrimmage. You do not need to be physically present, right? I recently found a private kitchen that has excellent hotpot broth and ingredients. Why not go there, watch the match while we eat slowly?”
!
Well now!
That worked!
Yin Chen immediately nodded seriously. “No problem. I will bring a tablet.”
A mere scrimmage—
How could it compare to the joy of hotpot?
He had not had hotpot in so long!
Yin Chen felt a little sentimental.
He really did not have enough friends.
In the novels he read lately, the protagonists always had friends, roommates, childhood companions, boyfriends taking them out for hotpot.
Well then.
Come to think of it…
Yin Chen pondered for two seconds.
Lin Yuhan had said he wanted to be friends, right?
How could good friends not eat hotpot together in the middle of winter?
Yin Chen quickly sent Lin Yuhan a message.
“Hotpot tomorrow. In?”
The reply came almost instantly.
“In!!!”
Good.
As expected of me.
Yin Chen put his phone away with satisfaction.
That way, he had happiness lined up for both today and tomorrow.