Billiards: Starting with the Overlord's Shot, Dominating the World

The top floor of the Qingcheng Group headquarters, the president's office.

Gu Qingcheng, dressed in a sexy silk nightgown, leaned lazily against the sofa, her long legs casually crossed.

She swirled the wine in her glass, watching the massive holographic projection in front of her show Fan Zhengyang's stats skyrocketing: trending search rankings, follower growth, video likes…

"Mr. Gu, as you instructed, we have purchased traffic during peak hours and contacted several sports influencers to share it. The IP 'Prodigy Fan Zhengyang' has been initially established," the capable female secretary respectfully reported.

"Hmm, well done." Gu Qingcheng took a sip of red wine, her fiery red lips appearing even more alluring under the wine. "Just having popularity isn't enough; he needs a real stage to prove his worth, not just at the high school level."

With a light tap of her finger in the air, a set of competition information was brought up.

"The 'Blue Ocean Cup' Billiards Open is the highest-level amateur tournament in Blue Ocean City, with no age or status restrictions... Hmm, that's it." Gu Qingcheng's lips curled into a confident smile. "Go, register him under the name of 'Liying Sports'."

"But Mr. Gu..." the secretary hesitated, "'Blue Ocean Cup' is full of hidden talents, with many retired professional athletes and top athletes from sports schools. Fan Zhengyang is still just a high school student. What if he suffers an early defeat? Wouldn't that affect our subsequent 'Star of Beauty' program?"

Gu Qingcheng's "Liying Star" project aims to transform Fan Zhengyang into a super sports idol who combines strength, good looks, and popularity, making him the head of the "Liying Sports" commercial flagship.

This first shot must be fired.

"Failure?" Gu Qingcheng laughed, shaking her head, her beautiful eyes sparkling with absolute confidence. "Xiaoya, you still don't understand. I never invest in a genius who has a smooth life, but a monster who can create miracles in adversity."

"Go ahead and do it." She waved her hand. "Also, tell the public relations department to spread the word in advance that a mysterious new star signed by 'Liying Sports' will be making a surprise appearance at this year's 'Blue Ocean Cup,' with the goal of winning the championship."

"Isn't this a bit too high-profile?" the secretary exclaimed in surprise.

"If I don't go all out, how can I attract attention?" Gu Qingcheng licked her lips, her eyes becoming hazy and excited. "I want everyone to watch him, to see how he cuts down those so-called experts one by one amidst a chorus of doubts."

"That feeling... must be very exciting."

……

Meanwhile, Fan Zhengyang and his dedicated data analyst Ye Zhiwei were sitting in a milk tea shop near the school.

"The 'Blue Ocean Cup'? President Gu... Gu Qingcheng asked you to participate in this?" Ye Zhiwei frowned slightly as she looked at the competition information on her phone.

"Yes, it was just announced. It's the first test of my commercial value." Fan Zhengyang took a sip of his full-sugar milk tea, looking completely unconcerned.

"But this competition is very high-level!" Ye Zhiwei said with some worry. "I checked, last year's champion was our city team's second-best player! There are also many retired provincial team members, with all sorts of unique playing styles, you..."

She looked at Fan Zhengyang, hesitant to speak.

Although Fan Zhengyang was almost invincible in her heart, she would still subconsciously worry about him.

"Are you afraid I'll get beaten up and become withdrawn?" Fan Zhengyang saw through her little scheme and chuckled.

"No way!" Ye Zhiwei blushed, stubbornly insisting, "I just think we should proceed step by step. You just finished the high school league..."

"Relax, relax." Fan Zhengyang reached out and habitually ruffled her hair; the soft strands felt wonderful to the touch. "You have so little confidence in your boyfriend?"

"Boy...boyfriend? Don't talk nonsense!" Ye Zhiwei bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her cheeks turning so red they looked like they could bleed.

"It's only a matter of time," Fan Zhengyang muttered to himself.

He looked at Ye Zhiwei and said seriously, "Zhiwei, to be honest with you, the high school league is no longer a challenge for me. It's like you doing beginner-level math problems; you can do them, but it's not interesting. I need stronger opponents to push me to my limits."

His eyes burned with a burning desire.

Ye Zhiwei was captivated by his focused and confident gaze.

She knew that the young man before her was born for a bigger stage. His journey was to the stars and the sea.

"Yes!" She nodded vigorously, all her worries turning into support. "Then you must do your best! I'll help you gather information on all the contestants and do a good analysis! Together, we'll win this championship!"

"That's right!" Fan Zhengyang snapped his fingers. "My personal analyst can't let me down."

"I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Ye Zhiwei clenched her little fists to cheer herself up. Her adorable appearance made Fan Zhengyang want to reach out and ruffle her hair again.

Fan Zhengyang rarely goes home on weekends.

Since winning the championship and signing with "Liying Sports", he hasn't had a chance to properly share the good news with his parents.

He discreetly parked his flashy red Ferrari hovercar in the parking lot of his old neighborhood. As soon as he got out, he sensed something was off.

In the community garden, none of the elderly people who usually play chess or dance in the square were moving today. Dozens of eyes were staring at him, as if they were looking at rare monkeys in a zoo.

"Oh, it's Xiaoyang back!"

"The champions are back!"

"Look, look! It's that high school champion from TV!"

A sharp-eyed middle-aged woman shouted first, and instantly, Fan Zhengyang was surrounded by a group of enthusiastic elderly men and women.

"Xiao Yang, you've really made something of yourself! You've brought honor to our neighborhood!"

"Is this the car you bought? It's really beautiful! Much more impressive than Old Li's four-wheeled electric scooter!"

"Xiaoyang, do you have a boyfriend yet? Aunt Li has a niece who's really pretty. Want me to introduce you to her?"

Faced with this enthusiasm comparable to a fan meeting, Fan Zhengyang was a little overwhelmed and could only greet "Grandpa and Grandma" while struggling to move home.

Just then, a strong voice, tinged with a hint of defiance, came from behind the crowd.

"Hmph, what's so great about that? He just beat a few high schoolers! That ball was so soft, it had no power at all!"

When everyone turned around, they saw a sprightly old man wearing a white sports vest, arms crossed, looking at Fan Zhengyang with a sidelong glance.

It was none other than Grandpa Zhang, the local tennis king, known as the "Number One Backhand Top Player with a Penhold Grip".