New to esports

In June, Jiangcheng felt like it had been thrown into a steamer. The afternoon sun scorched the metal railings outside the gymnasium, and even the breeze carried a sticky heat. Lin Yu, carrying a half-worn esports bag, stood beneath a banner that read "Jiangcheng King of Glory City Tournament." His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the frayed edges of the bag—marks left by accidentally rubbing against the corner of a table while practicing until three in the morning last week.

In his bag was the gaming phone he'd saved up for three months' salary. The screen was covered in two layers of tempered glass, and the back was printed with Han Xin's "Unparalleled National Scholar" skin. He glanced up at the stadium entrance. The crowd was mostly filled with teenagers around his age, some rubbing shoulders, discussing tactics, others hunched over equipment. The cacophony of voices drifted out of the venue, bathed in the air-conditioned air, and a light sweat formed on his palm as he gripped the phone.

"Let me pass, please."

A clear male voice echoed from behind him. Lin Yu subconsciously turned to see a boy wearing a light gray hoodie, a black backpack, and a transparent file bag containing his ID card and application form. The boy was slightly taller than him, his hair covering his eyebrows slightly. He wore a pair of thin-framed glasses on his nose, and his eyes were bright behind the lenses. He paused as he glanced at the application form in Lin Yu's hand.

"Are you also playing in the city competition?" the boy asked, his voice steady, without Lin Yu's nervousness.

"Yeah," Lin Yu nodded and pointed to the "Jungler" position on the registration form. "I play jungle, what about you?"

"Zhongdan." The boy tucked the file bag under his arm and stretched out his hand, "Su Ran."

"Lin Yu." Their fingertips touched; Su Ran's hands were cold, a stark contrast to Lin Yu's sweaty hands. Lin Yu quickly withdrew his hand and rubbed it on his pants. Just as he was about to say something, an announcement suddenly rang out in the venue, notifying the contestants to gather at the sign-in area. The two exchanged glances and followed the crowd inside.

The staff at the check-in counter were very efficient, quickly distributing their player cards. Lin Yu's number was 108, and Su Ran's was 109, right next to each other. While waiting, Lin Yu couldn't help but glance at Su Ran. He saw him looking down at a match replay on his phone. The screen showed a replay of the previous KPL finals, and the mid laner Zhuge Liang's play was smooth and fluid.

"Do you also like to play Zhuge Liang?" Lin Yu leaned over and asked.

Su Ran looked up at him and nodded: "The feel is quite compatible, and the skills flow together smoothly."

"I like Han Xin very much!" Lin Yu's eyes lit up, "Look at his displacement, three stages of displacement to cut the back row, and he can even run away after the fight, it's so cool!" As he spoke, he gestured with his hands to show the trajectory of Han Xin's skills, his tone full of excitement.

Su Ran looked at his excited expression, and the corners of her mouth curled up: "Han Xin is indeed strong, but he is very economical and needs the cooperation of teammates to release the line."

"Yes! Last time I matched up with a midlaner who fought with me for the jungle area the whole time. I was so angry that I almost uninstalled the game!" Lin Yu complained. Once he started talking, he couldn't stop. He talked about everything from the jungler's jungle clearing routes to the timing of entering team battles. Su Ran would occasionally interject a sentence or two, but most of the time he just listened and nodded in agreement. The two of them got along surprisingly well with each other, and even the tension of waiting in the wings dissipated a lot.

Soon, the first round of competition began. Lin Yu and Su Ran were assigned to the same temporary team, facing a local veteran team that had reportedly participated in three consecutive city tournaments. As they entered the competition room, one of their teammates recognized their opponent's ID and couldn't help but mutter, "Oh no! How did we run into them? They made it to the semifinals last year."

Lin Yu squeezed his phone, took a deep breath, and turned to look at Su Ran. Su Ran happened to be looking at him, her eyes behind the lens calm. "Don't panic, just follow what we just talked about. You start with red buff, I'll help you with vision, and then gank the mid lane at level 2."

Lin Yu nodded, swiping his finger across the screen, and selected Han Xin. Su Ran locked onto Zhuge Liang, while his teammates chose the archer Hou Yi, the support Zhang Fei, and the winger Lu Bu, making for a fairly balanced lineup.

The match began, Lin Yu started with red buff as agreed, while Su Ran stood in the grass by the middle river, watching the movements of the opposing midlane, Mai Shiranui. The opposing jungler had chosen Luna, and they started with blue buff as usual. When Lin Yu finished destroying the red buff and reached level 2, Su Ran suddenly gave the "attack" signal and simultaneously launched his first skill, "East Wind Breaking Attack," in the direction of Mai Shiranui.

Just as Mai Shiranui was about to clear the line, she was hit by Zhuge Liang's skill, her health dropped a lot, and she was also slowed down. Lin Yu seized the opportunity, rushed to Mai Shiranui with two displacements, attacked her with a basic attack, and then used his first skill to fly her up. In conjunction with Su Ran's second skill "Time and Space Shuttle", he directly took away Mai Shiranui's first blood.

"Beautiful!" the teammates couldn't help but shout.

Lin Yu was delighted and typed: "Thanks, brother!"

Su Ran didn't reply and continued to clear the lane, while reminding: "Luna is almost at level 4, pay attention to her position."

Over the next few minutes, the two of them became increasingly well-matched. Lin Yu's jungle clearing was highly efficient, always joining Su Ran in supporting the side lanes after he'd cleared the middle lane. Su Ran's Zhuge Liang was not only fast at clearing lanes, but also used his skills with precision to wear down opponents, creating opportunities for Lin Yu to penetrate. Driven by them, the team's tempo gradually picked up, and within ten minutes, they were already three thousand gold ahead of their opponents.

The opponent was clearly panicking, and Luna began to frequently look for opportunities to engage in teamfights, but each time, Su Ran's Zhuge Liang predicted her movements and used his ultimate, "Spirit Bomb," to preemptively deplete her health. During one teamfight, the opponent's Luna attempted to flank Hou Yi, but Lin Yu's Han Xin arrived just in time and used his ultimate, "Unparalleled Patriot," to send Luna flying. Su Ran followed up with a Spirit Bomb, instantly killing her. Without their jungler, the opponent was completely routed, and Lin Yu and Su Ran seized the opportunity to pursue and destroy the opponent's crystal.

The moment the match ended, applause erupted in the waiting room. Lin Yu took off his headphones, his heart still pounding. He turned to look at Su Ran, who was wiping his glasses with a faint smile on his face. "Well played! Han Xin's timing was spot on."

"You're amazing!" Lin Yu said sincerely, "Those Spirit Bombs were crucial, especially when they hit Luna in one second. It was absolutely amazing!"

The two of them praised each other for a bit, and their teammates gathered around, praising their good teamwork. In the next few games, they remained on the same team, winning all the way to the finals.

The opponent in the finals was very strong. The jungler was the MVP of the previous city competition and played Pei Qinhu very well. From the beginning of the game, the opponent played very aggressively. Pei Qinhu invaded Lin Yu's jungle at level 2 and, with the support Taiyi Zhenren, stole Lin Yu's red buff and almost got him a kill.

Lin Yu's mentality was a little broken, and he typed: "Sorry, I didn't pay attention to my vision just now."

Su Ran replied, "It's okay, I'll help you defend the blue zone. You go to the opposite red zone to counter-jungle, and I'll come after I clear the middle lane."

Lin Yu gritted his teeth and followed Su Ran's instructions, going around to the opposite red zone. Sure enough, the red buff was still there. Just as he was about to attack, he saw Pei Qinhu and Taiyi Zhenren coming towards him. At this moment, Su Ran's Zhuge Liang suddenly rushed out of the bushes, using his first skill followed by his second skill, catching Pei Qinhu off guard. Lin Yu took the opportunity to punish him and take the red buff, then used displacement to increase the distance, and combined with Su Ran's skills, he crippled Pei Qinhu.

"Retreat!" Su Ran shouted. The two retreated in unison. Although they didn't get any kills, they saved their economy and disrupted the opponent's rhythm.

The rest of the game entered a stalemate. Pei Qinhu on the opposing team constantly found opportunities to set the pace, while Lin Yu and Su Ran, with their precise coordination, repeatedly resolved crises. Twenty minutes into the game, both teams were tied in economics, with only a single highland tower remaining in the middle lane.

At this moment, the opponent suddenly started a team fight. Taiyi Zhenren flashed in to start the fight, stunning Hou Yi and Zhang Fei. Pei Qinhu followed up with his output and instantly killed Hou Yi. Lin Yu's heart tightened. Just as he was about to rush to rescue, he heard Su Ran shouting, "Don't panic, wait for my ultimate!"

Su Ran's Zhuge Liang weaved through the crowd, using his second skill to dodge damage while simultaneously stacking his passive with his first skill. When his passive was fully stacked, he unleashed his ultimate on the opposing mage and marksman in the back row, instantly taking them out. Lin Yu seized the opportunity, using Han Xin's three-stage displacement to cut into the opponent's low-health Pei Qinhu, then used a basic attack followed by his first skill to take the kill.

Without output, the opponent completely collapsed. Lin Yu and Su Ran led their teammates to push down the opponent's crystal and won the final.

When the referee announced that they were the champions, Lin Yu jumped up excitedly and hugged Su Ran: "We won! We won!"

Su Ran was frozen in his embrace, but then she smiled and patted his back: "Well, I won."

During the award ceremony, the two stood on the podium, holding the trophy and prize money in their hands, and the audience cheered. Lin Yu looked at Su Ran beside him and felt that this was probably the happiest moment of his life.

After the game, the two went to eat at a roadside stall. The owner of the barbecue stall was very welcoming and gave them two bottles of ice-cold beer. Lin Yu opened the beer and took a big sip. The cool liquid slid down his throat and dispelled the heat from his body.

"Su Ran," Lin Yu put down the bottle and looked at Su Ran, "Have you ever thought about playing professionally?"

Su Ran paused holding the skewers and looked up at him: "Occupation?"

"Yeah!" Lin Yu said excitedly, "Look, we work so well together. If we could play professionally together, maybe we could win the KPL championship!"

Su Ran was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "My parents want me to go to college, and they don't really support me playing games."

Lin Yu's smile faded a little: "But you obviously like playing games, and you are so good at it. Do you want to give up?"

Su Ran didn't say anything, just lowered his head and drank his beer. Lin Yu looked at him, feeling a little anxious: "Su Ran, opportunities don't always come. We are so young now, if we don't fight for it, we will regret it later."

Su Ran looked up at him with a complicated expression: "I know, but I need time to think about it."

"Okay!" Lin Yu said immediately, "I'll wait for you! No matter what you decide, I support you!"

That night, the two chatted until late, from competition to the future, from games to life. Lin Yu learned that Su Ran was a high school student with excellent grades and high expectations from his parents. Su Ran also learned that Lin Yu had been working as a network administrator in an internet cafe since before graduating from high school, and practiced games every day after work, dreaming of one day becoming a professional gamer.

When they parted, they exchanged WeChat accounts. As Lin Yu watched Su Ran disappear into the night, he vowed to himself that he and Su Ran would become professional gamers together and realize their dreams.

In the days that followed, Lin Yu and Su Ran often played together. Lin Yu would share his jungler training with Su Ran, and Su Ran would help Lin Yu analyze teamfight tactics. Their coordination became increasingly seamless, and their win rate rose. They soon reached the King rank and even ranked in the top 100 in the peak tournament.

One day, Lin Yu saw a message online: a top domestic esports company was holding a large-scale professional tryout tournament. If you performed well, you would have a chance to be signed by a professional team. He immediately sent the message to Su Ran, excitedly saying, "Su Ran, this is your chance! Let's go to the tryout together!"

Su Ran quickly replied: "I'll think about it."

Lin Yu waited for two days but still didn't get any reply from Su Ran. He felt a little anxious and couldn't help but call Su Ran.

"Su Ran, have you made up your mind?" Lin Yu asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, and then Su Ran's voice came: "I've talked to my parents, and they still don't quite agree, but I want to give it a try."

Lin Yu instantly became excited: "Really? That's great! Su Ran, we will definitely succeed!"

"Well," Su Ran's voice was filled with a hint of smile, "I believe in us."

The tryouts were held in Shanghai, and Lin Yu and Su Ran arrived a day early. The venue was packed with players from all over the country, each eager to compete in the professional arena.

The qualifiers were divided into a group stage and a knockout stage. Lin Yu and Su Ran were assigned to the same group. They worked well together and won every group stage match by a large margin, successfully advancing to the knockout stage.

The opponents in the elimination rounds became increasingly strong, including former professional players and top players in the national server. However, Lin Yu and Su Ran relied on their excellent operation and tacit cooperation to overcome all obstacles and enter the finals.

The opponent in the finals was a very strong team, with both the jungler and mid laner ranked in the top ten in the national server. After the game started, the opponent played very aggressively, frequently invading the jungle and targeting Lin Yu's Han Xin. Lin Yu fell behind financially for a while, and his mentality became a little impatient.

At this moment, Su Ran's voice came: "Lin Yu, don't panic, follow the tactics we practiced before. You go to the side lane to lead the line, and I will help you contain the opponent."

Lin Yu took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and followed Su Ran's instructions to push the lane. Su Ran, on the other hand, was in the middle lane, engaging the opposing mid laner, occasionally using his skills to reduce his opponent's health. When Lin Yu took down an opposing side lane tower, Su Ran suddenly launched an attack, and Zhuge Liang's ultimate skill accurately hit the opposing mid laner, taking his head.

Lin Yu seized the opportunity, circling from the side, and Han Xin used three displacements to cut into the opponent's back row. With the help of Su Ran's output, they instantly killed the opponent's shooter and mage. Without the output, the opponent completely collapsed. Lin Yu and Su Ran led their teammates to push down the opponent's crystal and won the championship of the qualifiers.

After the game, many esports scouts gathered around and handed out their business cards to Lin Yu and Su Ran. Among them, the scouts from Team SG and Team AY were the most enthusiastic.

The scout of the SG team said to Lin Yu, "Lin Yu, your jungle operation is excellent, especially Han Xin, which fits our team's tactical system very well. Our team's coach is very optimistic about you and hopes you can join us."

The scout from the AY team said to Su Ran, "Su Ran, your mid-lane skills are top-notch. Our team focuses on individual ability. I believe you can have better development here."

Lin Yu and Su Ran exchanged a glance, each seeing hesitation in the other's eyes. They had originally wanted to join the same team, but now, two top teams, both ranked among the best in the country, had offered them a chance to join.

"Lin Yu," Su Ran looked at him, "SG team's tactical system is very suitable for you, you should go to SG."

"What about you?" Lin Yu asked.

"The AY team focuses on individual ability, so I want to give it a try," Su Ran said. "Although we are not on the same team, we can still compete together on the court in the future."

Lin Yu was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, then we'll see you on the court later."

In this way, Lin Yu joined the SG team and Su Ran joined the AY team.

After joining the team, Lin Yu and Su Ran began their intense training. Every morning, they woke up at 7 a.m., washed up, and headed to the training room for Rank training. Rank training lasted from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., with only a half-hour break. At 1 p.m., they began team tactical training, working with their teammates on lineups and strategy until 6 p.m. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., they had free training time, allowing them to focus on their weaknesses.

Lin Yu's SG team is known for its rigorous tactical system. Their coach, a former KPL champion, is extremely strict with his tactics. During daily team tactical training, the coach develops detailed strategies based on each match's opponent, and Lin Yu must constantly adapt and execute these strategies.

Once, during a training match, Lin Yu was impulsive and did not follow the coach's tactical arrangements, which led to a loss. The coach called him to the office and criticized him harshly: "Lin Yu, you must remember that professional