The story behind the winning streak
On the electronic screens at the esports center, Team AY's winning streak stood out—from LK to FT and then to former champions SG, a perfect eight-match winning streak that secured a commanding lead in the standings. Fan groups were flooded with messages like "Lin Su combination yyds" daily, and esports commentators were predicting that Team AY would be the favorite to win the championship this season. In the practice room, the atmosphere among the teammates was exceptionally relaxed. After every practice match, someone would always suggest a celebratory dinner. Lin Yu and Su Ran's synergy had become a textbook example of mid-jungle synergy envied throughout the league.
However, the winning streak was disrupted in the ninth game against SG team.
It was a highly anticipated "old club derby"—Lin Yu's first match as an AY player against SG. On matchday, the stadium was packed, half filled with AY fans in blue jerseys, half with SG fans in red. The cheers were resounding, the atmosphere even more lively than the finals.
During the BP stage, AY team continued its previous strong lineup - Lin Yu chose Han Xin, Su Ran chose Zhuge Liang, and matched it with Da Qiao's transmission system; SG team chose jungler Lan and mid laner Mai Shiranui, hoping to suppress AY with the early rhythm.
In the early stages of the game, Lin Yu's Han Xin played steadily, invading SG's jungle several times, and cooperating with Su Ran's Zhuge Liang to take two kills, leading SG by 1,000 in economics. However, in the mid-game, a key team battle went awry.
At the time, Team AY was in the process of attacking the second Overlord when SG's Lan suddenly emerged from behind the Dragon Pit, attempting to steal the Dragon. Lin Yu's Han Xin reacted quickly, using his first skill, "Ruthless Charge," to pick off Lan, but he didn't notice SG's Mai Shiranui had already circled behind him. Mai Shiranui's second skill, "Flower Butterfly Fan," slowed Han Xin, and then followed up with her first skill, "Flying Dragon Flame Formation," to knock him into the air. Combined with Lan's ultimate, "Breaking Waves," Han Xin was instantly reduced to minimal health.
"Retreat!" Su Ran's voice echoed through the chatroom, and Zhuge Liang immediately used his ultimate, "Spirit Bomb," to kill Lan, attempting to cover Han Xin's retreat. However, Lin Yu was impulsive, believing he could still counterattack. Instead of using Da Qiao's second skill to return to the city, he attempted to distance himself with it, "Final Battle." However, he was caught up by SG's side laner, Lu Bu, who used his ultimate, "Demon God's Descent," to kill him.
SG took the opportunity to push down AY's mid-lane high ground and even nearly destroyed the crystal. In the end, it was Su Ran's Zhuge Liang who stood up and, with his precise ultimate, led his teammates to defend the base. In the subsequent teamfight, he seized SG's mistakes and pushed down the opponent's crystal in one wave, winning the game with great difficulty.
At the end of the match, Lin Yu stood on the stage, his face devoid of the joy of victory. He looked at the complicated gazes of the SG fans below him, and thinking back to his previous mistake, he felt a weight weighing on his heart. Su Ran noticed something was wrong with him and quietly patted his shoulder from behind, saying softly, "It's okay, as long as you win."
But Lin Yu knew that the price of this victory was too high - if it weren't for Su Ran's god-level operation, AY would probably lose the game and the winning streak would be interrupted.
Back in the training room, Lin Yu sat alone in front of his computer, repeatedly watching the replay of his mistake. On the screen, Han Xin's every move was crystal clear—he shouldn't have rashly pursued without vision, shouldn't have overlooked Mai Shiranui's position, and shouldn't have been tempted to counterattack when his health was low. Just then, a notification popped up on his phone, with a particularly eye-catching title: [Lin Yu's form is declining? A crucial teamfight mistake nearly cost him the game. Is AY's winning streak about to be broken?]
Clicking in, the comment section was full of questioning voices:
"Is Lin Yu getting carried away? He can't do anything without SG? That move just now was too good to be true!"
"If it weren't for Su Ran's Zhuge Liang who turned the tide, AY would have lost this game long ago. Lin Yu doesn't deserve to be the starting jungler!"
"I used to think he and Su Ran were a perfect team, but now it seems like it's all Su Ran carrying the team, and Lin Yu is just a burden!"
"I'm really worried about Su Ran. If Lin Yu keeps doing this, AY won't make it far even if they make it to the playoffs."
These comments pierced Lin Yu's heart like needles. He turned off his phone, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. His mind was filled with images of the previous match—the disappointed looks of SG fans, the nervous expressions of his teammates, and Su Ran desperately trying to save him. He even began to doubt himself: Was it true, as netizens said, that his form had deteriorated since leaving SG? Had his joining the AY team actually held them back?
The door to the training room was gently pushed open, and Su Ran walked in with a cup of hot milk. He saw Lin Yu sitting in the dark, his computer screen still stuck on the error replay screen, and he immediately understood. He walked over, placed the milk on the table in front of Lin Yu, pulled up a chair and sat next to him, and asked softly, "Still thinking about the game?"
Lin Yu nodded, his voice a little hoarse: "It's all my fault. I was too impulsive just now and almost made the team lose the game. There are still so many people questioning me online. Am I really not capable enough?"
Su Ran didn't refute immediately. Instead, he picked up Lin Yu's phone, opened the game recording, pointed at the early scenes on the screen and said, "Look, in the first 15 minutes of the game, you counter-attacked SG's jungle three times, helped me catch Mai Shiranui twice, and controlled two Tyrants. All of this is thanks to you. If it weren't for the advantage you established in the early stages, we would have no chance of turning the tables in the late stages."
He paused and continued, "Everyone makes mistakes. Even the top players in the league can't perform perfectly in every game. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes, rather than constantly denying yourself. Remember when we first met? In your first city tournament, when you were playing Li Bai, you were so nervous that you even used your ultimate incorrectly, and ended up being chased by the opponent. But you didn't give up, and in the end you won the game by stealing the tower. You are much stronger now than you were then, but you just didn't realize it."
Lin Yu looked at Su Ran's earnest gaze, and the frustration in his heart gradually dissipated. He recalled the city tournament that year, when he nearly cried because of a mistake, and it was Su Ran who patted his shoulder and said, "It's okay, we'll fight back next time." He also recalled when he first joined SG, struggling with the tactics and making frequent mistakes, and it was Su Ran who practiced with him every day and helped him analyze the problems. For so many years, Su Ran had always been his strongest support, always by his side, no matter what difficulties he encountered.
"Thank you, Su Ran." Lin Yu raised his head, the confusion in his eyes gradually faded away, "I won't let my imagination run wild anymore. I will train harder and won't make mistakes like this again."
Su Ran smiled and reached out to ruffle Lin Yu's hair: "That's right. Come on, I'll treat you to your favorite hot pot, just to cheer you up. By the way, we can also talk about how to target SG's Lan next."
The two of them went to their usual hot pot restaurant, and Su Ran ordered a table full of dishes—Lin Yu's favorite beef rolls, shrimp balls, luncheon meat, and his favorite spicy hot pot. As the steaming hot pot arrived, Lin Yu picked up a piece of beef roll, dipped it in the pot, and popped it in his mouth. The spicy flavor instantly dispelled the gloom in his heart.
"Do you remember the first time we ate hotpot together?" Su Ran suddenly said, "We had just finished the city tournament and won runner-up. You cried secretly because you didn't win the championship. I found out, and you stubbornly said you choked on the chili pepper."
Lin Yu's cheeks flushed instantly, and he scratched his head embarrassedly: "No way! I was just choked by the chili pepper at that time."
"Okay, okay, I choked on the chili pepper." Su Ran compromised with a smile, his eyes full of tenderness. "Later, you said that you would win the championship with me one day. Now we are getting closer and closer to that goal."
Lin Yu looked at Su Ran, his heart filled with warmth. He knew that no matter how many doubts and difficulties he encountered, as long as Su Ran was by his side, he would have the courage to keep going.
On the second day of practice, Lin Yu was in top form. Not only did he perform well in the scrimmages, he also proactively documented his mistakes and shared them with his teammates, reminding them to be mindful of similar mistakes. After the scrimmages, he even worked with support Xiao Zhou to practice extra, specifically focusing on how to protect the jungler in teamfights.
The teammates all laughed and said, "Lin Yu is back to full health! It seems that Su Ran's hot pot is really magical!"
As time went on, the negative comments online gradually disappeared, replaced by encouragement and support from fans:
"Come on, Lin Yu! Everyone makes mistakes. Just fight back next time!"
"Lin Su team, keep going! We believe in you!"
"Looking forward to Team AY's ninth consecutive victory, come on!"
Team AY lived up to the fans' expectations, continuing their winning streak in the following matches. Lin Yu's jungle play became increasingly stable, while Su Ran's mid-lane performance remained sharp. Their synergy became increasingly seamless, and they were even named the "Best Mid-Jungle Combination of the Season" by the league.
In the training room, Lin Yu and Su Ran stood side by side in front of the screen, looking at Team AY's name on the standings, their eyes filled with anticipation for the future. They knew the upcoming matches would become increasingly difficult, and the challenges would increase, but as long as they worked together and supported each other, they would surely realize their dreams and reach the pinnacle of glory.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
