Chapter 9 — Guess, MVP Heiress Has Returned

Anh Kim Entertainment Group's office is located on the twenty-fifth floor of a building in the city center, where Lam Dac Uy - CEO of the group, and main sponsor of Bach Ung Gaming - often sits and works late at night. He was reviewing the revenue report of the image advertising campaign associated with Luc Y Nhi when she knocked on the door and walked in, her face unable to hide her frustration.

"Uncle Dac Uy," Y Nhi spoke up, her voice somewhat harsh, "Yen Chi just won her first qualifying match. The coaching staff trusts her more and more. At this rate, I will never have a chance to compete officially."

Lam Dac Uy put the cup of tea on the table and looked at Y Nhi with the familiar calculating eyes of a long-time business person. "I know. But you also have to understand, I cannot violently interfere with the professional decisions of the coaching staff, especially when the new manager is closely monitoring all squad decisions."

"So you're going to let me sit still and watch this opportunity slip away?" Y Nhi asked, her voice full of resentment. "I signed a separate image contract with you, promising you will become the main representative of the group's new product line. If you cannot compete officially, how can that contract have the promotional value you want?"

Lam Dac Uy was silent for a moment, his fingers lightly tapping on the glass table, his eyes full of calculation. The amount of money invested in the image contract with Y Nhi is not small, and the entire marketing campaign of the new product line has been built around the image of her "promising female player". If Y Nhi cannot prove her status as an official player, the entire campaign of tens of billions of dong will become a losing gamble.

"Okay," he said, his voice low, "we will find a way to put pressure on the team's leadership through sponsorship contracts. But you also have to improve your performance yourself, you can't just rely on outside intervention forever. If it shows signs that I'm forcing roster changes for commercial reasons, we'll both be in big trouble with the tournament organizers."

"I understand," Y Nhi replied, but her eyes flashed with a cold light that if Lam Dac Uy had paid closer attention, he would have realized that it was not simply the worry of a young player, but the calculation of someone who was used to using every trick to get what he wanted.

A few days later, Bach Ung Gaming's board of directors received a call from Anh Kim Group, requesting a meeting to "exchange brand strategy" between the sponsor and the team's coaching staff. Bach Khang, as a manager, was invited to attend with head coach Tong Viet Hung.

The meeting took place in the group's luxurious meeting room. Lam Dac Uy personally chaired it, opening with beautiful words about "the importance of building a diverse image for the team", before gradually moving to the main idea: proposing to rotate playing positions between Yen Chi and Y Nhi in some not so important matches, with the reason "balancing development opportunities for both young talents of the team".

"I understand the corporation's concern about developing its brand image," Bach Khang replied, his voice calm but not giving in, "but team formation decisions, even in matches considered less important, directly affect the team's cumulative points ranking in the final rankings. We cannot trade professional results for media purposes, even if it is from an important partner like the corporation."

Lam Dac Uy frowned, his voice was somewhat tougher. "Mr. Bach Khang, I think you should remember that our group is sponsoring the majority of the team's operating budget. If there is no cooperation from the board of directors, perhaps this sponsorship relationship needs to be reconsidered in the upcoming contract renewal period."

That statement, although said in a polite tone, was actually a naked threat. Head coach Tong Viet Hung, sitting next to Bach Khang, looked slightly worried - he clearly understood that if the main source of sponsorship was lost, the team would face serious financial difficulties in maintaining operations.

But Bach Khang did not flinch. "I respect the corporation's contribution to the team," he replied, looking straight at Lam Dac Uy without any hesitation, "but I also have to remind that, according to the terms of the current sponsorship contract, the right to make professional decisions about the playing lineup belongs to the coaching staff, not the sponsor. If the corporation wants to change this term, that is a matter of the new contract negotiation period, not something that can be imposed mid-season."

The atmosphere in the meeting room became tense. Lam Dac Uy was silent for a moment, his eyes full of calculation, reevaluating the opponent in front of him - clearly this is not a manager easily swayed by financial pressure like his predecessor.

"Okay," he finally said, his voice softening but his eyes still containing dissatisfaction, "I will respect your professional decisions at this stage. But I hope the coaching staff will also seriously consider creating more opportunities for the team's other young talents, not just focusing on a single individual."

The meeting ended in an unpleasant atmosphere. On the way back, Bach Khang shared the entire incident with Yen Chi, without hiding any details.

"He's clearly dissatisfied," Bach Khang said, "and I believe this won't be the last time he tries to put pressure. You need to prepare yourself, maybe the next pressure won't be as open and polite as today's meeting."

Yen Chi nodded, a bad premonition rising in her heart. She recalled the story she overheard about Y Nhi regularly meeting privately with people in the sponsor's media department. Now all the pieces of the puzzle seem to be gradually fitting together, painting a much more complicated picture than a simple competition for position between two sisters.

"I'll be more careful," she said, her voice firm. "And I think it's time for us to proactively learn more about the relationship between Y Nhi and Anh Kim Group, instead of just waiting for them to act first."

Bach Khang looked at her and nodded in agreement. "I think so too. From tomorrow, we will start collecting information more systematically."

That night, Yen Chi sat in her room, reopening everything she remembered about the relationship between Y Nhi and Lam Dac Uy in her previous life. At that time, she never paid attention to the fact that her sister had a private connection with the sponsor, because at that time all her attention was focused on trying to prove her innocence before the disciplinary council. Looking back now, she realizes there were so many small details that she overlooked in her previous life: the unusual advertising photo shoots that Y Nhi participated in despite not having outstanding competition achievements, the expensive gifts she showed off on social networks whose origin was unknown, the times she was absent from training sessions with the excuse of "personal matters" and no one questioned her.

She took out her notebook and began listing each of those details from memory, even though she knew that memories of a past life could not be used as official evidence, but at least it could become a guide for her to know what to look for and where to pay attention in this life.

She also remembered that in her previous life, right before she was sentenced to a ban, there was a short period of time when Y Nhi suddenly became unusually generous, buying her an expensive handbag with the sweet words "Don't be sad, I believe you are innocent". At that time, Yen Chi was moved to tears, believing that at least her sister still had some sisterly love. Thinking back now, she wondered if it was just an act to ease her conscience, or worse, a way to make her sister feel less guilty before taking action more decisively.

That thought made Yen Chi's heart tighten. Even though you were mentally prepared for confrontation, even though you clearly understood the nature of the problem, having to view your biological sister through a lens full of suspicion is still not comfortable. But she reminded herself that it was her gullibility and desire to preserve the relationship at all costs in her previous life that cost her her life. This time, she will be more alert, even if it means facing painful truths about her own loved ones.

She closed the notebook, placed it on the table next to the laptop, telling herself that from tomorrow, she will not only focus on her professional skills, but also learn to become an alert observer, ready to see the truth no matter how harsh it is.