36. Sharp-tongued Li Qian

Time quickly moved on to the playoffs.

Shenju is fairly obedient. The training is not too excessive, and there is no need to urge him to apply medicine. He washes himself clean every day and delivers it to the door on his own.

When there's nothing else to do, I'll sit quietly next to him and watch him review his performance, occasionally asking him some questions.

"Captain, don't your eyes get tired from looking at so much every day?"

"Not tired."

"Where are your hands? Do they hurt? Let me rub them for you."

Lin Jiang was focused on reviewing the game when he felt a burning sensation on his wrist and realized that Shen Ju was applying medicine to his wrist.

Shen Ju had never done these things before, so he had a kind of earnest clumsiness. The contrast between his earnest efforts to do well and his inability to do it well was particularly interesting.

At times like these, Lin Jiang would feel an urge to get a dog (?).

Song Zhixu hasn't needed much attention lately. He's been secretly practicing with many heroes to prepare for the playoffs. Lin Jiang personally tested him and said he was alright, but still a ways from meeting Lin Jiang's requirements.

Lin Jiang spent most of his remaining time on Ah Deng, and through his efforts in training her, he gradually saw good results.

Ah Deng is a newcomer, but he is very obedient. Given time, he is expected to become the most suitable jungler for him after Zeng Yuan.

Lin Jiang naturally spent the rest of the time discussing ideas with the coaching staff. Li Qian, who had just joined the team, didn't offer many opinions and usually sat at the back playing on his phone, only occasionally replying when something of interest came up.

Although the words weren't very pleasant, they were all incisive truths that often enlightened them when they encountered bottlenecks.

Lin Jiang is fairly satisfied with the current pace; overall, OT (Overtime Training) barely meets his requirements.

Next, we'll see how the training goes.

The first game of the playoffs begins, with FOU facing off against KUG.

Alike has returned to his form from the early stages of the regular season, where he immediately gained a huge advantage and won two games.

After a fierce battle in FOU, KUG lost two more games, leading to a life-or-death struggle. KUG repeatedly turned the tide of battle, making the fans' hearts ache before finally winning.

Many KUG fans were greatly disappointed after this match, cursing while hoping that KUG could achieve better results in the later matches.

The second match was between XIG and WG, and XIG suffered a crushing defeat.

WG in the playoffs was stronger than anyone expected, making Lin Jiang feel a sense of threat.

After confirming that OT's next opponent would be WG, an emergency internal meeting was held. Fang Luxing conducted a comprehensive data analysis, providing a copy to everyone, and even stayed up all night to create a PPT, repeatedly emphasizing WG's late-game strength.

To everyone's surprise, Li Qian kept shaking his head after watching it, and even said to Lin Jiang, "With this level of coaching, you won't go far in the playoffs."

Lin Jiang frowned deeply.

All the data on the data panel is correct, showing that WG won the game by relying on their AD carry, and Chenju and Zhouwen can beat almost all the bot lanes in the LPL. It seems that OT has a counter relationship with WG.

But something just doesn't look right.

How did XIG lose today?

It was as if an invisible net was covering the field, laid out at some unknown time, slowly tightening until it left no way out, trapping them to death.

Lin Jiang took a deep breath and decided to ask if he didn't understand: "What do you think is WG's strongest point?"

Li Qian smiled and pointed to his head, "They rely on this."

He took the pen from Lin Jiang and used a few simple lines to summarize the path, directly revealing the core of WG's tactics.

If it wasn't obvious during the regular season, then it was very clear in the three games against XIG in the playoffs.

It seems like everyone in WG carries their own KPIs, and everything they want and want to achieve is connected into a network, ultimately leading to the same result.

That is, it's a test of endurance.

They excel at winning by executing perfect team fights in the late game, disrupting their opponents' formation by remaining undefeated.

Looking back on the grueling 60-minute battle with WG, Lin Jiang still feels his arms going numb.

In fact, in his previous life, the last match he played in the gauntlet was also against WG, which was also a grueling battle that lasted 70 minutes...

“All five players in WG are not outstanding, but their long-term high-intensity training gives them stamina that is higher than that of ordinary people. You might not see it in a best-of-three series, but in a best-of-five series, they can outlast all other teams.”

The most crucial element for overtime (OT) teams is the intense battle.

Lin Jiang's hand injury is well-known. Although it has healed a lot during this period, the BO5 battles still make him feel strained.

Moreover, Shenju...

His hands are also not suited for intense battles.

His style is too aggressive, he moves around frantically every second, which puts a heavy burden on his hands.

Let alone a match, he can't even play two games in a regular training match before he has to stop and rest.

Fang Luxing on stage hadn't realized the seriousness of the problem; he was still dreaming of a bright future. Lin Jiang couldn't help but call Li Qian to leave the stage.

The two went to the balcony, and Lin Jiang handed him a cigarette.

Li Qian paused for a moment when he received the call, then laughed, "How come you've learned to smoke too?"

He recalled that when he was in KUG, he refused cigarettes offered to him because he looked like a very clean kid, and it was hard to bear polluting him.

Lin Jiang skillfully lit a cigarette without explaining, "Just say what you have to say. I know you don't approve of what Coach Fang said."

"You actually think highly of them?" Li Qian made no attempt to hide his disdain. "To be honest, I don't really think much of the players on your team. Only Chen Ju seems alright, but he's still a bit lacking. I've been observing you for a while now. It shouldn't be difficult for you to get into the World Championship. You just need to take down WG right now, but don't even think about the championship."

Lin Jiang believed him without a doubt. He smiled and still said some good things about his teammates: "You're training world-class players. You have such high standards. It's normal that they don't meet your expectations."

"Oh, so protective of your own?" Li Qian took a drag of his cigarette and suddenly looked him up and down with a strange gaze. "Before I came here, I thought you were just playing around with OT, but I didn't expect you to be serious. Lin Jiang, tell me the truth, do you really think OT has potential, or are you just making do here because you have nowhere else to go?"

This question stumped Lin Jiang.

He initially intended to find a place to make do, maintain his competitive form, and wait until next year.

But after staying there for a while, I couldn't help but lean towards OT (overtime), and I always had unrealistic thoughts about it.

“Brother Qian,” Lin Jiang told him the truth, “I’m not afraid to admit it, but I did have some delusions. I thought OT could help me achieve my dream of winning three championships.”

What level is a world champion?

That was a competition between as many as 20 regions, and the top teams that emerged from hundreds of battles.

Ten years have passed, and the number of years is very small.

Lin Jiang actually dares to dream of leading OT to the championship?

Li Qian couldn't help but laugh, his shoulders shaking with laughter. He felt that Lin Jiang was joking with him.

As he finished smoking his cigarette, he heard Lin Jiang tell him earnestly and persistently, "Back when I led KUG, you also said you didn't believe me, but what happened later?"

Lin Jiang turned around in the night, his gaze calm, and he had regained the composure and confidence he had in the past. "Zeng Yuan, do you remember? You once said that he would never be qualified to become a top player in his life, but I led him to win two world championships. He is now a world-class champion jungler with a net worth of tens of millions."

"And what about KUG's bot lane back then? You mentioned it too, right? They were too mediocre and lacked any unique features. You said no one would be afraid of such a combination. But they were steady and reliable, able to both tank and deal damage. No matter how formidable the opponent they faced in the World Championship, they could always get ahead and deal incredible damage."

"I'm not as good as you at tactical analysis, but I think I'm better at judging people."

After Lin Jiang finished speaking, Li Qian felt numb from head to toe.

He touched his arm, looked at the deep night outside, and thought about the four years of KUG, and the later KUG. Indeed, some things were changing at a speed he couldn't understand.

Perhaps Lin Jiang truly possesses this kind of magic, capable of turning the impossible into the possible.

“Brother Qian,” Lin Jiang looked at him earnestly, “you didn’t gamble with me four years ago, but now? Are you willing to gamble with me this once?”

To be honest, the OT really fell far short of Li Qian's expectations.

The reason they've been able to win this far is entirely due to Lin Jiang maintaining their minimum standard.

But the World Championship...

There aren't that many mediocre teams waiting to lose.

Li Qian reiterated: "Right now, apart from you, there isn't a single player in OT that I can approve of, do you understand? Even Shen Ju, I think he's not up to par."

Lin Jiang laughed, "I know you have high standards. Zeng Yuan isn't even good enough for you yet, so what's OT?"

This might sound arrogant to Li Qian, but it's true, even though Zeng Yuan is a jungler with two world championships, Li Qian still feels that he's not good enough for him.

He just happened to be a good fit for Lin Jiang and that particular version of the game back then. If he were replaced by another mid-laner, his aura would immediately diminish.

Even now, OT (overtime) jobs don't meet his standards.

But this is Lin Jiang.

Li Qian was caught in an unprecedented dilemma, feeling that it was impossible, yet also having a strong urge to believe him.

"Your coach is really not good enough."

"Yes." Lin Jiang knew.

"I swore I would never come to the LPL."

"Know."

Li Qian was really torn. He finished smoking his cigarette and burned his fingers, but the conflicting excitement still hadn't dissipated.

"I swore that I would not break my principles unless you really give me a big surprise."

Realizing that Li Qian was starting to soften, Lin Jiang seized the opportunity to ask him, "What can I do?"

"I can do my best to assist you, but I will not play. I will only replace Fang Luxing as your coach and play alongside you in the draft phase if you can truly gain my approval."

After saying this, Li Qian was already imagining himself and Lin Jiang going on stage together. Just imagining it was enough to make his scalp tingle with excitement.

However, before that, he made a very unreasonable request: "If you want to gain my approval, you have to win the championship in this summer tournament."

To win the Summer Championship, they need to defeat TG, who are currently ranked number one, and they need to be at least a top-eight team in the World Championship.

He looked at Lin Jiang, and Lin Jiang smiled.

Then he held out his fist at him, saying, "It's a deal."

Li Qian swore that he had never seen a contestant like Lin Jiang in his entire life.

Even among the top teams that have traveled to major competition zones around the world, you can't find another team as confident, strong, and fearless as Lin Jiang.

I took a deep drag on my cigarette, feeling that invigorating sensation I hadn't experienced in a long time.

After the two finished their cigarettes and returned to the conference room, they bumped into Fang Luxing, who had just finished speaking. He was a little embarrassed: "Why did you two go out?"

Lin Jiang replied, "I had a craving for a cigarette, so I smoked one."

Fang Luxing: "Oh, okay."

He thought it was because he was talking too boringly and they didn't want to listen.

Li Qian smiled but remained silent.

Back in his seat, he whispered in Lin Jiang's ear, "You're such a pushover."

Lin Jiang remained calm, organized the materials in his hand, and went on stage to explain his understanding and tactics.

After the explanation, everyone had a clear understanding of WG. Before, they only thought that WG was good at playing in the late game, but they never thought that it was because of their endurance.

Lin Jiang calmly looked down and said, "So, Shen Ju, I've reduced your training volume recently. You're not allowed to add any more training on your own. If you do, you'll be fined."

Laughter erupted from the surroundings. They had only ever heard of people being punished for not training, but this was the first time Shenju had been punished for overtraining.

Song Zhixu wasn't happy for long. He was next: "You can't play top lane anymore. Try to deal damage. The enemy will definitely ban your Renekton. Think about what else you can pick besides that."

He said confidently, "I've practiced a lot of champions, and I'm pretty good at Darius now!"

Lin Jiang replied, "I've seen it, it's so-so."

Song Zhixu's smile vanished, and he shifted it to his teammates.

"Ah Deng, your Nightmare will probably be banned too. We can't fight a long battle with the other side. You should focus on practicing strong control junglers."

"good."

“Zhou Wen,” Lin Jiang looked up at him, then, unable to understand his training methods, said, “Keep it up.”

Lin Jiang has finished saying what he needed to say, now it's the turn of his teammates.

Shen Ju had nothing to say, Song Zhixu only talked nonsense, A Deng barely said a few words, and Zhou Wen's thought process was different from theirs, so what he said was almost the same as not saying anything at all.

At this moment, Song Zhixu suddenly called Li Qian: "Does the new consultant want to say a few words?"

Lin Jiang's expression changed instantly, but before he could stop it, the megaphone was in Li Qian's hands.

Having gained the right to speak, Li Qian revealed a forced, insincere smile.

He stretched out his body, picked up the megaphone: "Does the top laner only know Ornn? There's not a single decent one besides Ornn. As the top laner of a team that's going to Worlds, you need to be prepared for the most basic things. You should at least be proficient in 5 strong top laners plus 4 utility top laners needed for the team's strategy. Right now, you only know Ornn, so you're barely 1/9 of the way there. Look at your own shortcomings and see how far you are from there."

Song Zhixu was stunned by these words, "Nine, nine top laners?"

Looking back at the entire history of League of Legends, there are only a handful of top laners who can master nine champions to an outrageous degree!

Damn, are the new consultant's requirements really that high?!

"Then there's the jungler. What kind of play is that? Can't they even do route planning? Is it that hard to seize the initiative? They have absolutely no talent. They're also timid and hesitant in fights, and they're not decisive at all when initiating team fights."

Ah Deng almost knelt down on the spot and said, "I'm sorry, I'm too bad at this."

"And what about the support players? Don't they have their own ideas? Can't they innovate? They're always imitating others, yet they can never surpass them. Right now, it seems fine, but what if they encounter a higher-level player who can't be imitated? Are they going to kneel down and admit defeat? They have no self-improvement whatsoever, so their ceiling is just like this."

Zhou Wen was taken aback.

It's clear that he himself didn't realize it.

This was also unexpected for Lin Jiang. He had always felt that Zhou Wen's playing style was strange, but he had never been able to figure out what was strange about it.

"Then comes AD."

Li Qian looked at Shen Ju, and Shen Ju was also looking at him.

The young wolfhound had a rather fierce look in his eyes, and seemed quite disrespectful to him.

He found it amusing, sat down, and teased him on purpose: "Keep your fierce look, I like it very much."

Shen Ju's expression changed instantly, and he looked at him as if he were a pervert.

Lin Jiang quickly called Li Qian out and said some nice things, and Li Qian reluctantly let them go.

The meeting room was as quiet as a chicken's nest; no one dared to breathe.

They felt that even a mosquito passing by Li Qian would be subjected to criticism and denunciation.

Lin Jiang tried to ease the tension: "He speaks very bluntly, so you don't need to take it too seriously. I think he's right about some things, and those are indeed your problems. I used to make mistakes too, and I grew up under his influence. Although he's harsh, it's undeniable that he's very insightful."

Back then, Lin Jiangxin was arrogant and domineering, and he used his assassin skills to dominate the competition. Li Qian once told him, "Sooner or later you'll suffer a big fall."

As expected, he eventually failed. Lin Jiang had to shatter his pride and start as a utility mid-laner, struggling to rise again.

Later, no matter how the game version changed, he always maintained a high level of proficiency with 10 different heroes, which was the root of his invincibility in the League.

Everyone was reflecting on their own actions and didn't dare to say a word.

Zhou Wen hesitated before raising his hand: "Captain, can I talk to the new advisor? I've been feeling like I've hit a bottleneck lately and don't know how to break through it. He seemed to have given me a wake-up call today."

Lin Jiang: "Hmm?"

He didn't expect any unexpected gains.

This was a meeting with only three people: Lin Jiang, Li Qian, and Zhou Wen.

Zhou Wen was a little uneasy. He sat upright in his seat and said uneasily, "My training method is rather strange."

"I've always been a bit slow and my learning ability isn't as good as others. I only managed to make a living in esports by relying on a little bit of hand speed talent. But I soon discovered that support is a position that requires thinking, which I found difficult and my progress was always slow. Later, while watching a match, I suddenly thought of a solution."

He took out his small notebook, which was a full two centimeters long, and it was filled with dense tactical analysis.

Then Lin Jiang heard something extraordinary that he had never heard before in his career.

“I will calculate the data for every game I watch. I remember their hand speed, angles, habits, and even movements very clearly. Whenever I encounter the same lineup, I will quickly adjust the optimal solution in my mind and use the same method to deal with it.”

No wonder his style is completely different in every game, as if he has the influence of multiple players!

"At first, it did have a remarkable effect, but as the opponents became stronger and stronger, I had less and less information to obtain, and I could no longer find the optimal solution."

Lin Jiang looked at his notebook and was touched. The edges were worn and showed the marks of time. "Have you always trained like this?"

Zhou Wen nodded shyly, "Because of the heavy workload, I don't have time to train. I spend almost all my time watching other people's games."

If he watches enough matches, he can simulate the data of any player and adjust the optimal strategy accordingly.

“I’ve been imitating others, but that imitation is too limited, so…”

He didn't continue, so Li Qian spoke for him: "You can imitate ordinary players, but once you encounter someone with a higher level of skill than you, you won't be able to imitate them."

Zhou Wen nodded somewhat awkwardly, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Advisor, what do you think I should do now?"

What Lin Jiang couldn't see through, Li Qian saw through at a glance; he could tell that Li Qian was no novice.

Looking at his notes, Li Qian exclaimed in admiration, "With this kind of perseverance, what can't you succeed at? But you chose the long way around."

He put down his notebook, abandoned his joking thoughts, and told him seriously, "Get rid of what you have now."

Zhou Wen was surprised, "What?"

"Throw away your notes and all the data in your head. Since you can imitate all the players, then work harder and absorb all of them."

"Eat...eat it?" Zhou Wen was speechless.

He watched as Li Qian took his pen and wrote a few words in his notebook: "Discard the crude and select the refined, discard the false and retain the true, proceed from this to that, from the surface to the essence."

"Eat all your data, integrate it, and make it your own, going from the surface to the core."

These words were too profound; not only Zhou Wen, but even Lin Jiang didn't understand them. "Could you put it more plainly?"

Li Qian muttered to himself, "Didn't I just use Chinese characters? How much more straightforward do you need to be?"

He put his arm around Zhou Wen's shoulder and explained to him word by word: "It means that you should integrate and summarize all these fragmented data into the essence. As long as you absorb it properly, you will not be imitating, but rather refining it into your own. As for how high you can grow, it depends on your own talent and determination. This is the fastest way to break out of your current predicament."

Seeing that Zhou Wen still looked confused, Li Qian couldn't help but shake his head. "You have to figure this out yourself. I can't help you. When you reach that level, you will naturally understand what I'm saying."

Zhou Wen nodded, looking like he was trying hard to absorb the information but still wasn't doing well.

Lin Jiang was worried that he had lost his mind, so he spoke to him privately: "What Brother Qian said is not without reason. Since you have encountered a bottleneck, it will definitely be difficult to break through. But once you break through, when you look back, those difficulties will become very simple."

He was an experienced man, and Zhou Wen believed everything he said.

"Okay, I understand, Captain."

After seeing Zhou Wen off, Lin Jiang noticed Song Zhixu sneaking around and peeking at him.

"Song Zhixu".

"arrive!"

What are you looking at?

Song Zhixu ran over and said a little embarrassedly, "I want to find a new consultant."

What do you want with him?

"I have a question I'd like to ask him."

Lin Jiang looked him up and down, wondering when he had become so diligent and inquisitive. "He's inside, come in."

Song Zhixu tiptoed inside, leaving Lin Jiang outside and reminding him, "Captain, you can't eavesdrop."

Lin Jiang slowly typed out: ?

He's not curious, okay?

Song Zhixu went in and chatted with Li Qian for about half an hour before coming out. Lin Jiang wasn't curious at first, but seeing Li Qian smiling so brightly, he couldn't help but ask him, "What did he ask you?"

Li Qian shook his head while clapping his hands and exclaiming, "Interesting, interesting! This person is really interesting!"

That's it, Lin Jiang is even more curious now.

What question did that idiot Song Zhixu ask?

...

The day after WG defeated XIG, KUG will face SNG.

Alike played very well in the early game and gained a good advantage in lane. However, as the game progressed into the mid-game, his weaknesses began to be exposed.

Arrogance, disregard for teammates, and a penchant for showing off often lead to the loss of the initiative in team fights that could have been won due to greed.

The two games went exactly the same way: an early advantage, a poor mid-game performance, and a team wipe in the late game.

SNG secured match point in the first game, but KUG fought back fiercely and won the third game. However, they were eliminated by SNG in the fourth game, thus failing to qualify for the playoffs.

The news that "KUG couldn't even make it to the top four" quickly became a trending topic.

Alike is naturally the first to take the blame. No matter how beautiful his play is, it's meaningless. Showing off in games you can't win is just being a clown.

The second person to take the blame is Zeng Yuan. His rhythm was clearly crushed by Huan Shen, and in addition, he was disconnected from Alike, each playing their own game, with almost no effective coordination in both games.

Then there's the top laner. He got completely outplayed by SNG's top laner in two tutorial games. He was outplayed by Quesant while playing Renekton, and outplayed by Renekton while playing Quesant. It was incredibly embarrassing.

Finally, there's the bot lane duo. They're neither particularly impressive nor disappointing, as if their presence or absence makes no difference.

In short, KUG has no players who are truly outstanding.

[Hilarious! This is a variable experiment; whoever gets replaced will be embarrassed.]

[Wasn't KUG a two-time champion team? How come they're doing so poorly?]

[The only difference between the Spring and Summer Splits was the replacement of Lin Jiang; I don't need to elaborate on whose fault it was, right?]

[I never thought Lin Jiang's teammates were bad before, but now that Alike has replaced them, I can only say that the other four are also incredibly bad.]

[Haha, this is hilarious! Before the Summer Split started, a bunch of KUG guys were criticizing Lin Jiang for being bad, and now? Are they having a heart attack?]

[Lin Jiang: After years of being framed, his name has finally been cleared!]

[I just want to ask KUG, do you regret it?]

If there were still some fans who were stubborn when KUG lost to OT, then KUG's failure to make the playoffs has undoubtedly utterly shattered their arguments.

Losing the game is a fact, and dropping in ranking is also a fact; no matter how much they talk, they can't change the outcome.

Seeing that KUG was beyond saving, some people online started speaking up for Alike: "[Alike's individual skills are still very strong; it's just that KUG isn't suitable for him.]"

The comments section erupted in mockery.

[If you're going to use connections, fine, but why insist on labeling yourself as a "strongman"? Everyone knows Alike is the younger brother of the KUG boss these days!]

[Unsuitable? Why didn't you say you weren't suitable when you were crowding into Linjiang?]

[Lin Jiang didn't say he wasn't suitable for OT, and OT hadn't even played the playoffs yet, but they were already in the top four.]

[I wonder who Lin Jiang's teammates offended to get a mid-laner like you?]

[Last year KUG was the number one team, this year they're in the top six???]

[Forced downgrading, that's absolutely outrageous.]

Under the overwhelming public opinion, KUG suffered an unprecedented blow, and the board of directors also began to feel uneasy.

Fortunately, KUG still has a qualifying spot in the gauntlet, so as long as they can still go to the World Championship, there is still a glimmer of hope in the hearts of their fans.

"What will happen to the fans if KUG loses the qualifying tournament?"

The topic trended on social media, and the comments below were unanimously: "Bury it."

After the playoffs, KUG received hundreds of thousands of negative reviews in a single day, and the team's market value evaporated by 200 million yuan. The management was in a panic, and no one could take responsibility for this incident.

There were even rumors circulating in the company's internal group chat that KUG was going to lay off its operations department.

Besides the training department, KUG's biggest team is the operations team. If the operations team is really to be laid off, then KUG will really suffer a major blow this time.

An argument was taking place in the office. The workers couldn't make out what they were saying, but they heard Alike slam the door and say, "This is my brother's company, who do you think you are!"

He then slammed the door and left, infuriating the company's senior management.

"This time, KUG is really going to change drastically..."

Song Zhixu sat on the rooftop, drinking with Lin Jiang. "KUG lost, are you any happier?"

Lin Jiang held the wine jar, smiled, and shook his head.

To be honest, he didn't expect KUG to actually lose to SNG. In his previous life, after Alike took over his position, he dominated the LPL for three whole years, only to be upset in the gauntlet in the last year.

Without his guidance, Alike could no longer become the A-god of yesteryear, and he himself led OT to squeeze out KUG's spot in the World Championship.

I only made one change, but I never expected that everything would change as a result.

Lin Jiang took a sip of his drink. The breeze on the rooftop felt nice to him. He squinted slightly and asked, "You haven't told anyone about our drinking, have you?"

Song Zhixu shook his head vigorously, "I'm very tight-lipped."

After KUG lost, Lin Jiang seemed to be in a low mood. Song Zhixu noticed this and secretly bought a few cans of alcohol and sent Lin Jiang a message asking him to come to the rooftop for a drink.

He hadn't held out much hope, but Lin Jiang actually came up.

Lin Jiang even changed his clothes before coming; the loose-fitting loungewear made him look even more approachable.

He sat casually on the steps, enjoying this rare moment of comfort. "To be honest, I have mixed feelings about KUG losing."

“Zeng Yuan and the others are my teammates whom I trained personally. When I see them looking confused on stage, I can’t help but want to comfort them. Don’t laugh at me, but I’ve even thought of what to say to comfort them. It’s like my body has developed a habit, formed an instinct, like a lock that keeps me locked up tightly.”

Because of this lock, he willingly remained trapped for four years in his previous life.

If God hadn't given him another chance, he might have remained locked up until the day he died.

Song Zhixu understood Lin Jiang's unspoken message and looked at him with heartache, "Captain, you're not happy in KUG, are you? It's just that a responsibility has trapped you."

Responsibility? Lin Jiang didn't know.

He didn't know what was trapping him.

He looked at the jar in his hand and gently squeezed it.

I recalled the scene when I first came to KUG and met He Gu.

Even in his youth, He Gu was a very charismatic person, quite different from those rich second-generation heirs who were lazy, idle, and good-for-nothing.

He is respectful and courteous, knows how to conduct himself properly, and has his own ideals and ambitions. After delving into his inner world, one can also feel his awe and ambition towards the world.

At the end of the conversation, a faint smile appeared on his face, as if the whole world was tilting in his favor.

Lin Jiang felt that he was very similar to himself, and he felt completely at ease in front of him.

They talked at length, sharing their unrealistic ideals, and encouraging each other to create possibilities from the impossible.

There may be no one in this world who understands each other as well as they do, and is so similar to each other.

At that time, He Gu was the person Lin Jiang admired the most and wanted to become. He placed him on a pedestal, dared not touch him, and respected him more than he admired him.

When did this change begin?

It started when He Gu asked him to help him choose a tie.

"I think you have excellent taste."

An ambiguous relationship developed between the two; neither explained it to the other, yet it seemed as if they both knew the truth.

He picked out a tie for him, suggested colors for his suit, and even chose a new watch in the color the other man liked best.

Behind countless prices, Lin Jiang had also carefully counted the gaps between himself and his competitors.

It seems that if I just try a little harder and take one more step toward him, the distance between us will be reduced further.

He never expected that just when he thought he could get closer to the other person, the other person's words "just friends" would instantly render all his efforts futile.

Lin Jiang suddenly understood.

Even if he takes a hundred steps toward him, he will take a step back.

As expected, He Gu should be kept at a high level; having any expectations of him will only lead to one's own demise.

Lin Jiang finished his drink and was a little drunk.

My mind was completely blank, and the breeze felt wonderful.

Song Zhixu's voice came from beside him: "Captain, don't worry, we will never become your responsibility. As long as I, Song Zhixu, am here, I will make sure you are happy every day."

Lin Jiang glanced at him and suddenly realized that Song Zhixu also had a serious and handsome side.

He couldn't help but laugh and clinked glasses with the other person.

Then I asked him, "And what about you? What's holding you back?"

Song Zhixu looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

"At your home."

Song Zhixu was taken aback for a moment, then nervously clenched the jar in his hand. "Did Lao Du tell you?"

Lin Jiang nodded. "He didn't say much, so I wanted to ask you."

Song Zhixu didn't want to bring up those things with Lin Jiang. He said somewhat aggrievedly, "Why did Lao Du tell you everything? I told him not to tell you, it's so embarrassing..."

Lin Jiang leaned against the steps and stopped drinking.

To be honest, Song Zhixu was a very kind person in his heart, and he still thinks so to this day.

He simply didn't want someone's kindness to become a tool for others to punish them.

He said softly, "I asked you first. I heard you on the phone that day, and your family was asking you for money. I was a little worried about you, so I asked about your family situation."

Song Zhixu's painstakingly concealed wounds were exposed at this moment. He suddenly felt resigned and thought that there was nothing to hide. Anyway, this was his background, and Lin Jiang would find out sooner or later.

Tell him sooner rather than later, and cut off your own thoughts sooner.