Chapter 213: Submission Echo

Chapter 213: A Response to the Submission

"Could he be the first true star player to emerge from our arcade basketball project?"

The organizers huddled together, watching the sea of microphones thrust toward Meng Fan. The spectacle was as intriguing as it was moving to these men.

There were plenty of star players in the world of arcade basketball, but they were stars only within that narrow circle; once they stepped outside, they were nobodies.

Meng Fan was different.

Beyond his god-like ability to shatter world records six times in a single match, he was a streamer, a manga artist, an illustrator, and a sand-art performer who had graced the stage of the Double Eleven Gala. While his fame in these fields was modest, he was, at the very least, someone recognized beyond the arcade basketball community.

The organizers knew him well. They had seen his other performances and streams, and they had to admit that Meng Fan’s individual influence on the promotion of the game was worth more than an entire city tournament—perhaps even a provincial final.

Those other identities made his aura as a world record holder shine all the brighter.

The general manager of the arcade felt this most keenly.

"Ever since the Hangzhou leg of the tournament, our machines have rarely been empty. They’ve become the most popular games in the arcade."

The reason for this needed no explanation.

"This time, with so many reporters here—I even pulled strings to get the CCTV-5 crew to show up! This single wave of coverage will meet our promotional targets for the Basketball Championship for the entire year!"

One of the organizers rubbed his bald head, his mood excellent. He turned to his colleague and said, "I think we should hire him as the official spokesperson for the Basketball Championship machine! We could even film the commercials using his sand art."

"That is an absolute possibility!"

...

"I'm off!"

Meng Fan, surrounded by reporters, saw Wu Tong mouth these words from across the crowd. He couldn't hear her, but he read her lips. She smiled, gestured to her phone, pointed at him, and then turned to leave.

Wu Tong had no interest in arcade basketball; she had come solely to watch Meng Fan. Now that he had secured the championship, she had to catch her flight. Her teacher, Hu Heng, had already messaged her, reminding her not to lose track of time.

Meng Fan knew she was heading to the capital, but there was no way to break through the wall of reporters.

Should he put on his hat?

If everyone suddenly forgot he was there and started asking where the champion had gone, it would be a bit unsettling.

When the interview finally concluded, Meng Fan retrieved his phone and exited the stream to find a message from Wu Tong. It was simple: she was heading to the airport, wished him luck at the concert that evening, and told him to stay in touch.

"Safe travels. Send me a message when you arrive."

He replied, checked in with his viewers for a moment, and ended the stream.

Today’s broadcasts—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—had been a massive success. Because it was a competition where world records were falling like rain, viewership was high. The platform had featured him, and celebrities like Su Qingcen and Bai Zhi had shared links to cheer him on. Peak viewership had topped a million, with over four million total views across both sessions.

His total stream views were now approaching eighty million.

The post-Double Eleven traffic had been immense; at this rate, he would hit one hundred million before the next gala.

Meng Fan waved his hand at Zhang Zhouwei and the others. "Let's go, time to eat!"

"It's only four o'clock, brother."

"But I'm hungry! Let's go, let's go!"

Meng Fan led the large group to a hotpot buffet on the fifth floor. It wasn't crowded yet, so the dozen or so people found seats easily.

With Zhang Zhouwei and his roommates, the four maids, Da Fei, the man in the pink hat, Brother Pao and his guests, and several of Meng Fan's classmates, there were nearly twenty of them.

Meng Fan was genuinely famished and began eating the moment he sat down.

"Iron God."

The bald organizer walked into the restaurant with a smile just as Meng Fan was finishing. "Iron God" had become the universal title for Meng Fan in the arcade basketball world.

"I represent the CGL Basketball Championship," the man said. "I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Could we step aside for a moment?"

Meng Fan nearly recited a string of fan numbers out of habit, but he nodded and followed the man to the side.

"An endorsement? A commercial?"

After hearing the proposal, Meng Fan thought for a moment. "I'm not sure about my schedule. If the filming is in Hangzhou and doesn't take long, it shouldn't be a problem."

"I can't give you the details right now. This was a last-minute idea. Why don't we exchange contact information and talk later?"

The organizer knew Meng Fan had a concert to attend and didn't want to take up too much of his time with his friends waiting.

"Sure."

They exchanged details, and Meng Fan returned to his meal.

Before completing the "God of Wealth" quest, Meng Fan would have focused on the pay, but now it didn't matter. Since it was related to the game he enjoyed, he was happy to help. The money was secondary; he had gained so much from the sport that doing a favor was the least he could do.

Zhang Zhouwei and the others, initially not very hungry, were swayed by Meng Fan’s appetite. As it neared five-thirty, they all began to dig in.

"Listen, you guys keep eating. I'm heading to the Huanglong Stadium."

Meng Fan checked the time, stood up, and said, "Come find me when you're done."

With that, he left.

All twenty people present had tickets for the concert that night.

Da Fei had given up one of his tickets for the girls Brother Pao brought, and Meng Fan had provided two more.

As for the four maids, Meng Fan had prepared tickets for them long ago, knowing he would see them today.

Wu Tong hadn't gone, so she had given her ticket to Qu Jingjing. Meng Fan certainly wasn't going to say he had already prepared one for her—that would be foolish.

He was greeted by people all the way out of the mall. He hailed a taxi and, catching every green light, arrived at the Huanglong Stadium.

As he paid via his phone, a notification popped up in his email. Seeing the name "Director Charlie," he clicked it immediately.

This was the biggest name in the voice-acting group.

Could there be a response to his previous submission?

He opened the email and froze.

"Are you the young man who got hit by a diamond ring today?"