As Silver Wing's first auction after entering the eSports scene, Wayne attached great importance to it. Because they had sufficient funds, they had used the best materials when making the team uniforms. Yesterday, when preparing Fang Zhao's set of clothes, Wayne had personally watched as they were washed and tidied up before wiping the captain's badge clean and putting it on.
It could be said that even if this uniform was put up for sale in a shop now, it would not be sold for a low price. The cost of the uniform was at least two to three thousand, and the starting bid was 10,000. Three times the price was not considered high. And according to Wayne's estimates, if this uniform was auctioned here, it would probably fetch about three to five hundred thousand. This was based on previous outstanding examples, auctioned when Fang Zhao was at the peak of his popularity.
If no one bid, Wayne would let Silver Wing's internal staff bid, manipulating things in the dark to raise the price.
Building momentum, using one's own people to secretly manipulate things was a common trick used by e-sports clubs. They had to look good on their faces, and for Wayne, if he did not raise it to a million or eight hundred thousand, he would be letting down Silver Wing's reputation.
But now, Wayne's mouth was agape, but he did not make a sound. He just stared blankly at the continuously jumping numbers on the big screen.
800,000... 1 million... 1.5 million... 2.3 million...
Looking at the bidders again, some had IDs displayed, while others were "anonymous." In online auctions, some bidders were not willing to reveal their personal information, so they would set up "anonymous" settings and hide all information. This was permitted by Fiery Bird.
After the one million mark, the number of bidders dwindled, and after the two million mark, there were basically only five or six bidders.
Even if Fang Zhao had been a hot topic recently and his popularity had risen, he was still a newcomer in the gaming circles. Just a uniform, three to five hundred thousand was already a high price, and even the entertainment media would praise it. But now, it had risen so high...
Inside the venue, some people looked at the SilverLight team with meaningful gazes. For the sake of hype, Silver Wing was really going all out.
Wayne's face was stiff. He hung his head and sent a message to the people operating in the dark. "Enough! We've hyped it too much! "
Hyping it properly was called operation. Overhyping it would be bad! This bunch of people were really unprofessional!
The gazes of the surrounding people made Wayne, who prided himself on being thick-skinned, feel a burning sensation.
However, the people operating in the dark also felt wronged. "No, it really wasn't us hyping it. We simply didn't have the chance to make a move!"
Huh?
It's not our own people who are raising the price?
Wayne was truly astonished. Could it really be Fang Zhao's fanatical fans bidding?
Looking at the number on the big screen, the price had already exceeded 2.7 million and was rushing towards 3 million.
At this moment, there were only three people who were still active.
Wayne leaned toward Fang Zhao and asked in a low voice, "Do you know that 'Little Leaf' who is currently participating in the auction?"
"Yes," Fang Zhao replied.
"Oh? Who is it? "Wayne was curious.
"Ming Cang."
Wayne: "… The former principal of Qi Yin Academy?"
"I just received a message from him saying that his son, Ming Ye, is recovering well. He plans to bid for this set of clothes as a Memorial Day gift for Ming Ye," Fang Zhao explained.
"I see." Wayne nodded. If it was Ming Cang, he could understand.
Thanks to Fang Zhao's composing of the "100-Year Period of Destruction" series, Ming Cang's son had fortunately found a cure for his illness. It was said that the treatment was quite effective, and Ming Cang had always been very grateful to Fang Zhao. Regardless of whether Fang Zhao was really buying a gift for Ming Ye, or simply using this matter to help, or both, Wayne was happy to see it.
"What about 'Not Old Yet'? Do you know him? "Wayne asked Fang Zhao about the other ID still participating in the auction.
"My great-grandfather," Fang Zhao replied. Old Master Fang Zhao had said he would support him.
"… Old Master Fang Zhao is really awesome," Wayne said as the flesh on his face twitched.
The three IDs still participating in the auction were "Little Leaf," "Not Old Yet," and "Anonymous." The first two IDs were already known, so only the "Anonymous" was left.
"Anonymous, do you know who it is?" Wayne asked.
"No idea." Fang Zhao was also puzzled. He really didn't know.
Just as Wayne and Fang Zhao were talking, the numbers on the screen changed again. Many people in the auction hall couldn't help but let out low gasps.
Looking up, the price on the screen suddenly jumped to 5 million after "Little Leaf" bid 3 million. The bidder is' Anonymous. '"
It was just a team uniform. It wasn't like it was an out-of-print item or a relic of some great master who had passed away. It was just the uniform of a newcomer who had just become popular. Even though there was the captain's badge and Fang Zhao's temporary absence from the competition scene, it shouldn't have been so ridiculously high! Yes, it was ridiculously high!
A publicity stunt by Silver Wing? Otherwise, who would fork out 5 million to buy a piece of clothing?
"I don't know which idiot actually spent 5 million to buy such an ordinary piece of clothing." Zaro had just complained to his agent when he raised his head and realized that everyone around him was looking at him. It was rare for his brain to light up. He understood the meaning behind those people's gazes.
"What are you looking at me for? It's not like I was the one who made the bid! "Zaro was so angry that he raised his voice slightly.
It was no wonder everyone looked at him this way. In many people's hearts, Zaro had always been fond of throwing money at people. Yesterday, this fellow had even said in the leisure area that he wanted to poach Fang Zhao from Silver Wing to the Wireless e-sports club. And that style of directly jumping from 3 million to 5 million was indeed something someone like Zaro would do.
After Zaro's outburst, no one doubted him anymore. Even though Zaro had all sorts of problems, he wouldn't lie about this matter. Actually, people familiar with Zaro's style also knew that if this young master really wanted to bid, he would not use anonymity. Rather, he would wish for the whole world to know that he was rich and then make a high-profile bid. A living example of a fool with a lot of money.
In the end, Fang Zhao's team uniform was sold for a high price of 5 million. This made many people's jaws drop. The internet was already in an uproar. Chat rooms and forums were all abuzz with this.
And the conclusion of everyone's discussion was that the person who made such a high bid was either Fang Zhao's fanatical fans or Silver Wing's own hype!
Most people were inclined towards the second possibility, believing that it was definitely Silver Wing's own hype! Internal staff deliberately raised the price!
Regardless of whether it was the people in the conference hall or the people watching the live broadcast online, everyone thought so. Even if Silver Wing had already publicly stated that they had not participated in the auction internally, no one believed it.
"This is the highest price ever for an annual conference auction, right?" someone said.
"Of all the team uniforms auctioned, this is indeed the highest."
In the subsequent auctions, although there were also items that exceeded 5 million, those were game consoles. The cost and starting bid were already high.
After the auction ended, everyone was still discussing the high price that Fang Zhao's team uniform had been sold for. Many people were thinking that if this was a self-directed play by Silver Wing, would it infuriate Fiery Bird? Or would it arouse even more disgust? After all, every e-sports club had their own internal workings, but such an exaggerated price had never appeared before. Even if it had, Fiery Bird would have placed it on its unwelcome list.
There was always a limit to commercial hype. If it went over that limit, it would not be as popular and would have the opposite effect.
Wayne was also worried, so after the auction ended, he went to look for the highest-ranking board member of the team and got him to explain things to the relevant personnel of Fiery Bird. However, before Wayne could act, Fiery Bird had issued a statement first, confirming that the anonymous buyer was not someone from Silver Wing but a fan of Fang Zhao's.
Some people felt that it was inconceivable. "What kind of fanaticism is this to spend so much money to bid for Fang Zhao's team uniform?"
"Maybe the other party is not lacking in money?"
"Or maybe they just want to use this opportunity to invest in military construction?"
"Too bad it's anonymous. I don't know who it is."
Fang Zhao was also curious. After the auction ended, he had asked Fiery Bird's personnel, but he had not received an answer. Fiery Bird respected their clients' privacy.
"Forget it. No matter who it is, since they say they are your fans, they will definitely appear in the future. For example, at a fan meeting or something." Wayne was rather open-minded. After all, this was not big news created by them, so he spoke with confidence.
As for who exactly had bought the team uniform and what their intentions were, Wayne did not really care. Having been at Silver Wing for so long, he had seen many such situations, so he did not find it strange. If he had to get to the bottom of everything, he would die of exhaustion.
On his way back to the hotel, Fang Zhao met Mazhou's Ma Xier, the gold medal shooter who had always been ranked second on the individual leaderboards.
"Are you really preparing to apply for military service in April?" Ma Xier asked Fang Zhao.
"Yeah, I will apply after Memorial Day," Fang Zhao replied. It was not yet time to apply, but company matters had already been arranged. All he had to do was wait until Memorial Day to apply.
Ma Xier looked at Fang Zhao with a complicated expression and suddenly laughed. "That's fine too. I am also preparing to withdraw for the time being. Without you, there is no meaning in rushing to first place. Besides, compared to games, I still prefer playing with real guns. Have you played with real guns before? "Ma Xier asked.
"Yes," Fang Zhao replied. "I applied for a membership card at a shooting club in Yanzhou."
Fang Zhao had indeed applied for a membership card at a shooting club in Yanzhou and had indeed been there. He had come into contact with some New Era firearms there.
"That's good. When you have time, go to Mazhou and I will bring you to the shooting range. Mazhou's shooting range is the favorite place for global shooting athletes. It occupies the largest area and is the most professional shooting range. Even the most famous shooting range in Huangzhou can't compare to the one in Mazhou. "When Ma Xier mentioned the Mazhou shooting range, he subconsciously wore a proud look on his face.
The continent of competition, Mazhou, was a paradise for sports athletes.
"Alright."
After adding Ma Xier as a friend, Fang Zhao headed upstairs.
An hour after the auction ended, Ma Xier posted a new status on his social media platform, announcing that he was temporarily withdrawing from "Battle of the Century." He would continue whenever Fang Zhao returned. It just so happened that he also had a match in real life, so he would focus on real competitions.
Three hours after the auction ended, Fiery Bird released a piece of experimental data related to the 10th-generation console that Fang Zhao had assisted in, as well as a video of Fang Zhao on the day of the exchange match, allowing the public to see how his adaptability value had soared to 98 and touched 99 several times.
Fiery Bird used this to refute the doubts of many in the industry after the 10th-generation console had been released.
When the 10th-generation console had first appeared, a professional had predicted that within three years, no gamers would be able to fully adapt to the 10th-generation console, and for the 10th-generation console to truly enter the market, it would be impossible in the short term!
After that, it had been revealed that some e-sports club members did not really use the 10th-generation console. Instead, after using it, they switched to an upgraded version of the 9th-generation console, setting the 10th-generation console aside and only adapting to it when they had free time. Expensive and unable to fully adapt to gamers, the 10th-generation console had been a mistake by Fiery Bird!
However, now, four months after the 10th-generation console had been released and three months after "Battle of the Century" had been released, there were already people who could truly adapt.
Because the user was Fang Zhao, gamers coincidentally had the same thought: If they could raise the 10th-generation console's adaptability value to 98, would they be as impressive as Fang Zhao?
What kind of experience would an adaptability value of 98 and above be like? Would their judgment and perceptive abilities increase? Would their movements become easier? Would their shooting become more accurate?
Similarly, Bruce, the captain of Huangzhou's Phoenix e-sports club's main team, who was also using a 10th-generation console and ranked third in the individual rankings, was faced with questions from his teammates and fans. "I also don't know. I am only 95, but I feel that I will break through soon. Within a month, it might reach 96. When it reaches 98, I will let you all know."
As for gamers who did not own a 10th-generation console, those who had the means and were well-off were all wondering if they should get one back to try it out. Who knew if they were talented enough and could adapt in a short time?
Of course, there were also people who were not passionate about gaming and felt that this idea was simply crazy. Spending so much money on a gaming console that they did not know if it would be able to adapt well was really a wastrel! Wasn't it just a gaming console? Treating it as a collector's item and complaining about the high maintenance costs? Why would they go to the trouble of buying the 10th-generation console instead of the more affordable and easier to adapt ninth generation console? Even if the 10th-generation console went on sale for the second time, there would not be many buyers! Not to mention truly opening the market.
While discussions were going on online, over at the SilverLight team, the team members were already packing their things. Fiery Bird's annual conference had already ended, and they would return to Yanzhou early the next morning.
"Wayne, bring them back to Yanzhou tomorrow. I will make a trip to Muzhou before returning," Fang Zhao told Wayne, who had just finished a call.
"What are you going to Muzhou for?" Wayne's originally smiling face became nervous in an instant. He was worried that there were teams in Muzhou that wanted to poach Fang Zhao. This time, there were quite a few teams that had expressed their desire to poach Fang Zhao. Upon hearing that Fang Zhao was going to Muzhou, he thought that Fang Zhao had already made contact with teams there and was going over to have in-depth exchanges.
"I am going over to fetch the dog," Fang Zhao replied.
"Oh, right, that champion dog of yours is still herding sheep in Muzhou." Wayne heaved a sigh of relief.
Memorial Day was approaching, and people in Muzhou also had to celebrate it. Furthermore, Muzhou people viewed Memorial Day as especially important. The Su family would basically all return to Qingcheng, and Su Hou would not stay on the farm. Fang Zhao decided to fetch Curly Hair back to Yanzhou first.
"Then how will you go over? Do you need me to help you contact a flying transport? "Wayne asked.
"No need. The boss of Muzhou's' Four Elephants Food 'company, Su Feng, is in Huangzhou. I just got in touch with him. He will also be returning to Muzhou tomorrow. I will fly directly to Muzhou's Dongshan Farm with him."
"How many days will you be gone?" Wayne asked.
"Three or four days, depending on the situation."
"Then bring Zuo Yu along. You must be careful!" Wayne warned Fang Zhao. "You can be considered a well-known celebrity now. Many people recognize you. Put on a disguise before heading out. Also, don't stay too long in Muzhou. Before Memorial Day, the company has arranged for an interview with the SilverLight team. Now that your popularity is flourishing, go back earlier to record. Otherwise, if too much time passes, everyone will forget about you. The memory of the internet is sometimes very short."
After repeatedly exhorting Fang Zhao, Wayne thought about how to continuously stir up topics during the few days Fang Zhao was in Muzhou and maintain his popularity so that fans would not forget about Fang Zhao too quickly.
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