Chen Xiao and the lawyer he had agreed to meet came downstairs of the Sanctuary Club.

At the beginning, Sanctuary was not wealthy enough to buy a building of its own, so the training room and office were all rented. There were only about ten people in the entire club. In addition to the agent, publicity, and guild management, there was only one player, Chen Qianlin.

In the first season, Chen Qianlin lost to Nie Yuandao by a very small margin in the individual competition and won the runner-up. Chen Qianlin has a good image and a special temperament. In addition, his deck is made up of wood-type trees and flowers. The beautiful flower cards and elegant fighting style are very popular among netizens. Since then, he has been constantly advertised and endorsed. The club's income has soared and the scale has continued to expand. In three years, he bought a whole building.

Although the contract stated a 30% to 70% split, that was income from bonuses, game tickets, etc. The advertising endorsements that Shao Bo took the initiative to contact were all signed with a 50% to 50% split; the peripheral products sold to fans were also split 50% to 50%.

In fact, Chen Qianlin should have realized how much Shao Bo loved money, but he was only concerned with playing in the game at the time and did not want to argue with his friend over such a small amount of money, so Shao Bo became more and more demanding and his behavior became more and more serious. At the beginning of the fourth season, he even secretly sold the cards without telling Chen Qianlin to make huge profits.

By the time Chen Qianlin found out, the situation was already hopeless and negotiations ultimately failed, leaving him with no choice but to resort to legal action.

Chen Xiao was still young at that time and had just finished the National Unified Examination. His brother did not tell him about the lawsuit for fear that it would affect his study. But he wanted to give his brother a surprise, so he signed a contract with Shao Bo in private... It can be said that Shao Bo grasped the weaknesses of the two brothers quite accurately.

Now standing downstairs again, Chen Xiao felt mixed emotions. He took off his sunglasses, looked at the familiar building, took a deep breath, walked into the lobby with Lawyer Zhang, and took the elevator straight to the general manager's office on the top floor.

In the office, Shao Bo was on the phone, saying polite words like "Mr. Zhang, when can you come over? I'll treat you to dinner."

Also in his 30s, Chen Qianlin is slim, has an outstanding temperament, and still looks very young, without any trace of age on his face; but the man in front of him has a greasy face, a terribly high hairline, and a half-bald head. He is fat, and it is obvious that he eats a lot of meat and fish every day. His belly is more exaggerated than that of a pregnant woman.

He looked like a typical middle-aged nouveau riche, nothing like the older brother next door who played basketball with his brother in his childhood memories.

Chen Xiao was originally furious, but when he saw Shao Bo's look, he felt like laughing.

At this moment, standing next to Chen Qianlin, he had already been completely defeated, but he still felt very good about himself.

Chen Xiao walked forward politely, and waited for the other party to hang up the phone before he extended his hand and said, "Mr. Shao, long time no see. My lawyer should have greeted you, right? I came here to formally sign the termination agreement."

Shao Bo smiled and said, "Xiao Chen! It's been a long time since we last met."

Chen Xiao calmly handed the termination letter written by the lawyer to Shao Bo: "During the contract period with Shengyu, I was unable to achieve good results in the competition due to my lack of strength, so with Mr. Shao's consent, I returned to school to study."

Shao Bo said: "Well, are you doing well in school? I was too busy to pay attention to you."

Chen Xiao: "I'm not as good at playing games as my brother, but I'm okay at studying. I've already graduated successfully and I plan to find a job for myself."

Shao Bo said: "Would you like to come work in our Sanctuary Club? Be a guild manager or something?"

Chen Xiao smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Shao. I had never played the game Star Card Storm while I was in school, and you still paid me 1,500 a month. Neither of us has violated the terms of the contract. Now that the contract is due, I hope we can terminate it peacefully. Please sign it, Mr. Shao."

Shao Bo frowned slightly. He always felt that the grown-up Chen Xiao, although with a calm gaze and polite attitude, had a strange aura when he stood in front of him with his back straight. It made him feel as if he was a head shorter than the other person when he was sitting in the boss chair, which made him very uncomfortable.

Lawyer Zhang said, "Mr. Shao, we have carefully checked the terms of the contract. There is a clause that states that if the two parties do not sign a termination agreement in writing within one month before the expiration of the contract, the contract will automatically renew for one year. Chen Xiao's contract officially expires on September 1, so we submitted a termination request half a month in advance and also agreed to the provisions of the contract. I hope you can fulfill your promise."

Shao Bo raised his eyebrows and said with a fake smile: "Xiao Chen, you brought a lawyer here? Are you worried about me?"

Chen Xiao smiled: "I don't understand contracts, and I brought a lawyer with me to be more professional. I hope you don't mind."

In fact, Shao Bo was too lazy to keep Chen Xiao any longer. Chen Qianlin had clearly said that his younger brother was very talented, but who knew that this guy was a hopeless case and always failed at the crucial moment of the competition... Thinking of this, Shao Bo picked up the pen and signed his name decisively.

Chen Xiao handed the contract to the lawyer for review. After he found no problems, he smiled and said, "Mr. Shao, let's part ways in peace."

Shao Bo smiled and said, "I wish you good luck in your new job, too."

Chen Xiao turned and left. The moment he turned around, the sharp look in the man's deep eyes was so sharp that even the lawyer was shocked.

After leaving the Judgment Club, Chen Xiao lowered his voice and asked, "Have you backed up all the recordings?"

Lawyer Zhang said, "Don't worry. The written termination agreement is legally binding. I'll give you a copy of the recording. I'll also keep a backup copy here. He personally admitted to something and signed it himself. He can't go back on his word even if he wants to."

Chen Xiao raised his lips: "Okay, thank you for your hard work."

On the way back, Chen Xiao felt that the stone that had been weighing on his heart for many years was finally completely removed, and he felt extremely relaxed.

Shao Bo probably never dreamed that the impulsive and reckless boy would hide so deeply for five years. He could not imagine that his brother was more important to him than his own life.

If you only bullied him because he was young and ignorant, he might not bear a grudge and could only admit his mistake. However, he will never forget the betrayal and harm you caused to his brother.

Just wait, one day I will make you pay me back tenfold.

Chen Xiao stepped on the accelerator, and the silver-white suspended sports car shot out on the air lane like a sharp sword and disappeared in the traffic in an instant.

***

Chen Qianlin and Xie Mingzhe had been talking about card design. The master and apprentice were so engrossed in the conversation that Chen Xiao saw this scene when he came back. He hadn't seen his brother smile like this for a long time. Apparently, little Xie knew how to please his master.

Chen Xiao smiled slightly, pushed the door open, washed the fruits he bought and brought them to the living room.

Chen Qianlin asked concernedly, "Is the matter done?"

Chen Xiao handed him the signed agreement and said, "Shao Bo didn't make things difficult for me. He probably felt that paying me 1,500 yuan a month was a big loss."

Xie Mingzhe breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good! Brother Chen, are you going to create a new account next?"

Chen Xiao nodded: "Yes. Let's develop the guild first. Yingying will officially announce the guild's recruitment in the forum tonight. You can also take the opportunity to display the full-level cards of Sun Ce, Zhou Yu and Huang Gai in your card store to attract some popularity."

Chen Qianlin looked at the two people's excitement and said, "It's getting late, you should go back."

Chen Xiao looked at his brother reluctantly and asked in a calm tone, "Brother, I have kept your bedroom for you. Do you want to... do you want to move back?"

Xie Mingzhe immediately assisted: "Master, it's too far for you to live here alone, why don't you move back? Brother Chen cleaned your bedroom very cleanly, and the succulents you left behind are also well taken care of. If I have any questions in the future, it will be convenient for me to talk to you..."

Chen Qianlin said: "I like quietness. If you have any questions, you can send me a video directly."

That's right, Master gave him a tablet computer, so he can video chat anytime he wants. Xie Mingzhe's reason didn't hold up, so he looked at Chen Xiao helplessly. The latter didn't force it, he smiled and said, "Okay, brother, whatever you like, I can come to see you every day in the future."

Chen Qianlin frowned: "You don't have to come every day."

Chen Xiao immediately changed his tone: "Then I'll come to see you the next day."

Chen Qianlin: “…”

After a moment's silence, Chen Qianlin said, "How about this, I'll finish some of the work on hand first and move in next month." Since Chen Xiao and Xie Mingzhe have decided to team up to play in the next season, living together will indeed make it convenient for them to give guidance at any time.

Chen Xiao was so excited that he almost jumped up, his voice trembling slightly: "Really?"

"Well." Chen Qianlin said, "I still have a few paintings to finish, so I won't keep you here any longer. You can go back first."

Chen Xiao simply took Xie Mingzhe away.

On the way back, Chen Xiao was humming excitedly. The originally heartwarming song was sung very badly by him. He was tone-deaf and seriously out of tune. Xie Mingzhe was really at a loss for words, but Chen Xiao was in such a good mood that Xie Mingzhe did not interrupt him and let him sing out of tune and out of the universe.

After returning to the studio, Pang Yu came over curiously and asked Xie Mingzhe: "Did you really meet Chen Xiao's brother?" Jin Yue also whispered: "What kind of person is his brother?" Before Xie Mingzhe could answer, Chen Xiao slapped them on the back and said: "Stop gossiping, do you have time?"

Chi Yingying said, "Brother Chen, I have already written the promotional materials. Do you think it's okay?"

Chen Xiao went over to take a look. The promotional copy she wrote was concise and clear, highlighting the key points. The post on the forum was accompanied by a picture of breaking the world record in the purple bamboo forest, which was very attractive. Xie Mingzhe also gave a thumbs up: "It's very professional at first glance!"

Chen Xiao said, "We will officially launch the promotion at noon tomorrow. I'm sure a lot of people will apply, so I'll let Ah Qing take care of the recruitment. Also, let's put Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and Huang Gai on display in the card shop tomorrow, and help promote the guild at the same time."

Xie Mingzhe nodded and said, "I think it would be better to turn the first floor into a card museum, with detailed descriptions written under each card. In the future, the store will be open permanently. Even if there are no new cards for sale on the second floor, those who are interested can come to the first floor to appreciate the cards."

Character Card Museum, this is what Xie Mingzhe wants to do most.

Make those classic characters into cards and exhibit them, so that people in this world can know them and like them.

Chi Yingying also agreed: "This is the first time that a card museum has appeared in a game! Xiao Xie, I am actually very curious about the stories of these characters you designed. I think there must be many people who are as curious as me!"

The fat man immediately raised his hand: "Add me! I want to know more about Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai!"

Jin Yue said: "I like Wang Zhaojun and Xi Shi the most."

Even Chi Qing, who was always the calmest, said, "I really want to know the design idea of ​​Cao Chong's elephant."

Xie Mingzhe smiled and said, "I will simply write down the stories and design ideas of these people, and Sister Yingying will help me revise and color them, okay?"

Chi Yingying nodded immediately: "No problem!"

Xie Mingzhe turned on his laptop and began to write a card encyclopedia for each character.

The writing style of a card encyclopedia is not like writing a novel. A novel uses the plot to slowly advance the story, while an encyclopedia summarizes the character's general personality and experience from a bird's eye view. It is impossible for Xie Mingzhe to remember the detailed experience of each character, but it is still okay to give a general idea.

That night he had been writing card encyclopedia information, and when he finished writing the introduction of the thirteen cards, his head was about to explode. He sent the introduction to Yingying and asked her to modify some of the wording. After Yingying's polishing, it really read much more smoothly.

In the game, three seven-star full-level cards, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and Huang Gai, are now on display on the first floor of the Yueban Card Store.

Moreover, the background story and design ideas of each card are clearly written at the bottom of all the card display cabinets, which really feels a bit like a "card museum".

***

The next day at noon, the Yueban Card Store opened on time.

The news that Fatty had broken the Purple Bamboo Forest record three times in a row had already spread like wildfire in the forums, so as soon as the card shop opened, countless people flocked into the store, wanting to see what the record-breaking deck looked like.

When people enter the store, they find that there is a detailed "Card Encyclopedia" under all the cards, and they can't help but sigh——

"It's like entering a card museum!" "Cao Chong weighed the elephant, and it turns out that he used the equivalent substitution method, using a stone to replace the elephant. This kid is so smart!" "Wang Zhaojun married far away, was she too sad to play the pipa? What a pity..." "What are the Twelve Hairpins of Jinling? Are there others besides Daiyu and Baochai?" "It is said that Sha Seng is the third disciple, does he have a big brother and a second brother?"

Everyone was discussing the background stories of the cards, and many people excitedly took photos and screenshots.

The three newly appeared cards, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and Huang Gai, have also attracted widespread attention from players.

Except for Huang Gai who is an old man, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are both more handsome than each other, and they also have the joint skill "Jiangdong Twins"!

Today's store announcement reads: "Welcome everyone to the Yueban Card Store. I hope everyone likes these character cards. Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and Huang Gai are the decks that broke the record of the Purple Bamboo Forest dungeon. If you want to get this deck, you can join the Nirvana Guild and redeem it with membership points. We welcome fixed teams and individual players to join our guild. There are many benefits!"

Everyone: “…………”

Jia Jia Jia! Can't we just add more?

Those who reacted quickly immediately turned around and ran to the guild administrator to search for Nirvana Guild and apply to join. The guild recruitment post that Chi Yingying posted on the forum had already been pushed to the top for dozens of pages. A large number of players applied to join Nirvana Guild, almost paralyzing the guild application panel in the game!

New application lists kept popping up in the background of Chi Qing's office. She said with some headache: "More than a thousand people have applied..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he changed his words: "Two thousand...three thousand!"

The popularity of Nirvana Guild instantly rose to the top ten popular guilds of the day, and it was simply unstoppable.

The only newly established guilds that could do this were Fenghua, founded by Tang Muzhou in the fifth season, and Dark Night City, founded by Pei Jingshan in the seventh season. Both of them later became top clubs in the professional league.

Netizens exclaimed one after another - Nirvana Guild, are you planning to do something big?

When Xie Mingzhe played online games before, if the guild had no benefits and no organization, the players had no sense of belonging and were a mess. Such a salted fish guild was only suitable for leisure parties who just wanted to see the scenery. In this game, if you want to make a name for yourself in the fiercely competitive big guilds, you must do a good job in member management.

Sun Ce, Zhou Yu and Huang Gai could certainly make a lot of money by selling them, but now they are no longer short of money. The income from the instant death cards alone is several million gold coins every day, and they can sell other cards in the future.

Therefore, Xie Mingzhe decided to use this set of world record-breaking Dongwu dungeon cards as a welfare for members within the guild, which would help the guild gain popularity and enhance members' sense of belonging. Members can earn points by completing guild tasks, playing guild dungeons, and submitting materials. When they reach a certain point, they can redeem welfare cards. In order to exchange for Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, everyone will definitely actively complete guild tasks!

Other large guilds have developed their own welfare cards, and Nirvana Guild certainly cannot fall behind.

With the appeal of the record-breaking deck, are you still worried that the Nirvana Guild will not be able to develop?

The author has something to say:

Xie Mingzhe made cards, which is called peripheral derivative and fan creation, not plagiarism. If you are not sure, you can Baidu the definition of plagiarism.

Copyright law only protects copyrights within 50 years of the author's death. The authors of classics such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Dream of the Red Chamber have been dead for a long time, and their copyrights have long been open. There is no need to seek authorization from the original author for derivative creations of characters. For example, there are many fan fictions about Dream of the Red Chamber in Jinjiang, in which the protagonist is reincarnated as Lin Daiyu, and they are all legal.

If Hsieh Ming-che didn't explain at all, the cards he made would be very strange, so my setting is that Hsieh Ming-che did not copy the original work, but only wrote a "card encyclopedia" according to his memory, similar to the simplified version of the character information found on Baidu Encyclopedia, so that everyone can better understand the characters. This has nothing to do with "plagiarism"!

The contract and guild recruitment have been resolved. I will continue to make cards tomorrow. Thank you for your support :)