Fooling Tao Xuan, Sophistry

"I wouldn't dare! I've always been obedient and have strictly followed your orders," Liu Hao pretended.

"Followed my orders? How could I not know? Was my order for you to take out two players? My order was for Ye Qiu to lose to Han Wenqing!" Tao Xuan yelled.

"Boss, do you want Ye Qiu to lose to Han Wenqing, or do you want Ye Qiu to retire due to 'old age and declining performance'?"

"Of course, the latter!"

"If that's the case, Ye Qiu absolutely cannot face Han Wenqing!" Liu Hao said firmly.

Tao Xuan frowned. "Why?"

"You want to prove that Ye Qiu is old and declining in performance. But losing to Han Wenqing won't prove that," Liu Hao explained.

"Explain further."

"When professional players compete, the result matters, not the process. We can defeat opponents openly or use underhanded tactics to win; the method doesn't matter as long as we win. However, the audience watches for the process, not just the outcome. If Ye Qiu and Han Wenqing fight, regardless of who wins, the clash between two legends will be spectacular. The audience will praise both of them instead of criticizing the loser…"

"That makes sense… I oversimplified things," Tao Xuan murmured. "Why didn't you remind me earlier?"

"I just realized it when I got on stage," Liu Hao said with utmost "sincerity." "And I immediately took action to rectify it. I fought with all my strength to take down two opponents, even damaging Desert Dust significantly, to ensure Ye Qiu wouldn't face Han Wenqing. Boss, this is a huge achievement for me…"

Tao Xuan fell silent, feeling that Liu Hao was trying to fool him, but he also found Liu Hao's explanation very logical and hard to refute.

"Wait!" Tao Xuan suddenly thought of something. "Wang Ze is no match for Han Wenqing. When Han Wenqing defeats Wang Ze, he'll still face Ye Qiu!"

"Don't worry, Boss, it won't happen!" Liu Hao assured.

"You mean Wang Ze can beat Han Wenqing?" Tao Xuan laughed. "I'm not good at Glory, but I know their skill gap. Even if Han Wenqing gave Wang Ze a handicap, Wang Ze wouldn't win!"

"I didn't say Wang Ze would win, but I can guarantee that Han Wenqing will not face Ye Qiu!" Liu Hao said confidently.

…

Wang Ze entered the stage and immediately used the long-range advantage of his sharpshooter to unleash a barrage of bullets.

As Liu Hao advised, Wang Ze's tactics were erratic and reckless, focusing solely on aggressive attacks.

"Strange, Wang Ze's style has changed. He's using key skills to launch an aggressive attack right from the start," Pan Lin commented. "But this might leave him vulnerable later when his skills are on cooldown."

"This is a smart strategy. Wang Ze probably knows he can't defeat Han Wenqing, so he's using his initial range advantage to deal as much damage as possible, leaving Desert Dust weakened for One Autumn Leaf to finish off," Li Yibo explained.

Even Ye Qiu nodded in approval from the audience. In situations with a significant skill gap, sacrificing oneself to create an advantage for teammates is what an excellent player should do.

Wang Ze's aggressive opening worked. Desert Dust took considerable damage while closing the distance. When Desert Dust finally got close, Wang Ze, mimicking Wang Chixuan's style, didn't retreat but instead unleashed his ultimate skill for maximum damage...

Three minutes later, Wang Ze lost to Han Wenqing but managed to deplete about 35% of Desert Dust's health.

Han Wenqing wasn't pleased with his victory. He had planned to defeat Liu Hao with 20% health, then Wang Ze with 10%, leaving 70% for the final battle with Ye Qiu. But now, he had only 14% left for Ye Qiu.

Defeating a fully HP One Autumn Leaf was now impossible...

Han Wenqing sighed. Sometimes, giving up is more effective than persisting. With Tyranny's morale crushed by Liu Hao's earlier victories and Zheng Chengfeng's defeat, losing to Ye Qiu again would devastate their spirits further.

Defeating a full-health sharpshooter with only 35% health restored some morale.

After some hesitation, Han Wenqing followed Liu Hao's lead and typed "GG" on the screen, surrendering. Excellent Era won the ring match and earned two points, leading the score 3-2.

…

Tao Xuan was stunned to see Han Wenqing surrendering. He couldn't believe someone like Han Wenqing would give up voluntarily.

Sensing Tao Xuan's thoughts, Liu Hao explained, "Han Wenqing, as Tyranny's captain, has to consider both victory and team morale. Don't forget, the most crucial team match is coming up. Han Wenqing knew continuing a losing battle was unnecessary."

Tao Xuan relaxed and smiled. "Liu Hao, you guessed right. Han Wenqing defeated Wang Ze but surrendered before facing Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu had no chance to show off. Was this your plan?"

"Yes, if Ye Qiu is the last defender, he'll rarely get a chance to play. And if he does, his opponent will be weakened. The old man should rest and only stretch his muscles occasionally."

"Good job, Liu Hao. I want you to 'perform well' in the upcoming team match. Your performance doesn't matter, but Ye Qiu must not perform well!"

"Understood."

Liu Hao hung up the phone and spat in the dark. Why can't a professional player just play the game properly? Why must he consider all these irrelevant things...

If Ye Qiu agreed to make public appearances, participate in commercial activities, and promote the Excellent Era, all problems would be solved. He wouldn't be stuck between Ye Qiu and Tao Xuan, constantly scheming.

Life is hard, Liu Hao sighed.

Bound by the contract with Tao Xuan, Liu Hao had no immediate solution. His strength wasn't enough to negotiate with Tao Xuan on equal terms.

Only when he had commercial value like Zhou Zekai would Tao Xuan lower himself to please him.

(End of Chapter)

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