Chapter 14: Idea for a Team

"So do you think it is a good idea?" Ma Xuegang asked. They had stopped the day's testing of her program and had instead gone out to a café. Father Ma had left them and only the Glory players were left.

"Too some degree. Yes." Xie Zedong said. "But there are some things you are forgetting."

"We have a program to train with and Igor can make the needed equipment."

"And an in game support guild?"

"We can ask Old Cat if he is willing to support us."

"Finances."

"If we pull in Qin Kun, his family supports." Igor said. "And if we butcher our way through Challenger League we can get support from the Glory Alliance."

"A place to set up?" Xie Zedong asked.

"There is a rather large place to rent in one of the apartment blocks near my house. It should open up closer to the beginning on the next Challenger League."

"And if each takes an extra duty or two we survive the first year." Igor said. "And will need to save up for the trip to where ever the offline matches are located."

"Well you seem to have your basis covered." Xie Zedong said.

"Definitely. So are you all in?" Ma Xuegang said.

"I'll talk to my wife." Xie Zedong said as he nodded his head. Ma Xuegang expectantly turned to Geng Lei and Tan Zexian.

"I don't think so. I have a good job and don't want to give it up." Geng Lei said with some regret in her voice.

"I can do it." Tan Zexian said after a moment of thought. "My apprentice ship should end sometime into the Challenger League so unless we meet some previously relegated team we should be save with me not there full time."

"Wait you are going to give that up?" Geng Lei looked at Tan Zexian in surprise.

"Yip. The apprenticeship is only to round off my Carpenter's skill. Remember I have been doing carpentry since I was little."

This left Ma Xuegang grinning. From the few interactions she had with the two, she guessed they followed each other around, with the 'leader' changing like the seasons.

"I have condition." Igor said.

"What is it." Ma Xuegang asked.

"I get one day a week off. Preferably a Sunday."

"That is reasonable, I would like that too." Xie Zedong said. "In fact, I say we can all take that day off if we want to."

"So who else can we pull in?" Ma Xuegang asked. "Igor makes it sound like Qin Kun is a definite. But more members might be nice."

"There are Battle Mages that follow him around. They might be up to it." Igor said.

"But we need at least one more that is either a Sharpshooter, Gunner or Elementalist." Xie Zedong said.

"I think I might know a guy." Tan Zexian said.

They kept talking about position each member's position, some basic jobs that they need to do to keep them a float during the Challenger league, and even what salaries they will get paid if they make the Pro League.

As they talked, Geng Lei wanted more and more to join them, but still felt hesitant about joining. She knew that a career as a professional glory player could only last until age 25 at the longest. After that only those that could work as part of other areas of team's supporting club or were able to craft silver weapons could possibly find further jobs in the competitive world. And not all pro-player's careers lasted until 25.

She did not want to make a mistake.

When the sun started setting, they finally decided to call it a day. Geng Lei and Tan Zexian left together. Ma Xuegang was picked up by her father. Igor and Xie Zedong both lived in the same direction so Xie Zedong offered to drop Igor off at where he was staying.

As they were driving, Xie Zedong and Igor began talking.

"So what brought to you to China." Xie Zedong asked something he had been wondering about.

"You can say disagreement with family." Igor said after a moment.

"You father did not agree with your career path?"

"No. More like a religious disagreement, which also became a political disagreement."

"Highly religious parent?

"Not at all. Father was Atheist. Mother was a very 'liberal' Christian. Neither liked my conversion to Orthodoxy."

"Why come to China then? Russia would be much better." Xie Zedong notice Igor had talked about this before, and or at least thought about answering it. Besides some problem with pronunciations, his Mandarin was perfect, with no skipped words.

"They can still find me in Russia. But my father's dislike of China will keep him away almost indefinitely."

"Will you not miss your parent? I mean you are still young. You might be making a mistake here."

"The bishop in my home town said the same thing. I believe I am doing the right thing. Every time this comes up with my father, we get angry, and it gets harder to love him. I don't want to live with hate in my heart. So it was better to keep away."

"Does your father at least know you are here?"

"I don't think so. I told him why I left thought. Hopefully he can accept it." Igor said. Xie Zedong did not push any further. He felt sad for the man next to him. It made him think of his own parent, reminding him that he should probably go visit them again.

After he dropped Igor at the apartment he was staying, Xie Zedong headed home.

When he got home he arrived almost the same time as his wife. She had been spending the day with her friends.

The two of them had married right out of school. Though it was technically an arranged marriage between their families, the two of them got along extremely well, as if destiny had decided it was to be. Now two years later the two of them were held as an example of a perfect couple among their friends.

After talking about their day, Xie Zedong brought up the subject of joining the team for the Challenger League.

"Wait that game of yours has a professional aspect?" Miss Xie asked. She was not a Glory fan, as she had other hobbies and did not bother much with what Xie Zedong got up to.

"Yes, and the salary is not too bad. If we can make it in, I might earn more than I currently do."

"If I understand correctly, there is still a year gap for this Challenger League."

"Yes and in that time I will take a part time job if needed."

"Will that not mess with your practice?"

"Not that much. With the plans we have, to only problem will be the pro teams that had been relegated in prior years. If we beat them we prove ourselves and might even be able to use those victories to attract sponsors."

"You do seem to have all this thought out. You will come home once in a while at least?"

"Every week for at least one day." Xie Zedong promised. "And depending on where we stay we, I might even be able to go about it like a normal working day. Well, almost. Hours will just be longer."

"How big is the place you'll need? I have a friend that is in the retail business. She might find you a place."

"Wow, nothing is completely certain, and we will only formally gather several months from now."

"Really? You made it sound like you were starting tomorrow."

"No, don't worry, we have plenty of time."