53. World Championship
Zhou Wen didn't leave after getting the milk tea; he leaned against the table and chatted with Lin Jiang about data.
Shen Ju secretly watched from the side and, as expected, couldn't understand it. His playing style was more inclined towards stream of consciousness, and he wasn't interested in dry data.
Lin Jiang also told him, "You're fine the way you are. There's no need to let the data ruin your sense of self."
He thought it made sense, but looking at Zhou Wen talking to him so fluently, he felt that his personality was too different from Lin Jiang's. He couldn't even get a word in edgewise when Lin Jiang was working.
Suddenly, I'm a little worried. What if, once the initial passion fades, Lin Jiang finds it boring and doesn't want to be with me anymore?
Zhou Wen watched for more than ten minutes before being called out again. The little dog lay listlessly on the table. Suddenly, someone hooked his finger. It was Lin Jiang who held his hand, their fingers intertwined.
Shen Ju immediately perked up his ears, all his negative emotions vanished, and he swung his chair to stick close to him again.
Lin Jiang didn't look at him, but a smile played on his lips. "What's wrong, you withdrawn little dog?"
"I'm not autistic." Shen Ju hummed twice, then sweetly lay down on his desk, thinking, if I don't understand, I don't understand, as long as we stick together, that's fine.
Over the past two days, people have been arriving at the hotel one after another, and Lin Jiang has become quite busy. As the person with the most connections in the industry, he knows almost everyone and goes out to say hello from time to time.
Not only domestic contestants, but also contestants and hosts from other regions got along well with him, and many people specifically came to take photos with him.
Although everyone knew Lin Jiang was very popular, they were still shocked when they actually met him. "How does the captain know so many contestants?"
"Are you kidding? This is his fifth time in the World Championship, he's practically a familiar face by now, right?"
"Wow, the captain is amazing! So many beautiful girls want to take pictures with him."
Only Chen Ju was worried, "Don't they train at all?"
It's not his fault; Lin Jiang is just too versatile. No matter who he stands with, you always feel like there's something going on between them.
hateful.
I must be overthinking it.
Of course, not everyone took photos properly. Some enthusiastic guys would give each other a bear hug when they met, and then, without saying what they were talking about, they would start touching each other.
In the reserved mindset of the Chinese, some actions have already crossed the line. Shen Ju nudged Song Zhixu with his knee and said, "Go ahead."
Song Zhixu looked bewildered: "Huh?"
Shen Ju retorted again, "Go help Lin Jiang out of this predicament."
Song Zhixu then realized what was happening. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed the other person's hand that was trying to touch him. Regardless of what the other person was saying, since he couldn't understand it anyway, he just kept saying, "Hello, hello."
The other person was clearly more interested in Song Zhixu's physique; their eyes lit up when they saw him. Then, they said a few words in some incomprehensible gibberish and, without warning, patted his butt.
Song Zhixu: ?
His life mattered too!
Lin Jiang finally couldn't help but laugh. He understood a few words of English, so he knew that the other party only regarded him as a friend, but Song Zhixu was different; she had the body type he liked.
He patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "Then Song Zhixu, have fun. I'm going back now."
Song Zhixu panicked when his clothes were ripped off. "No, Captain, don't leave!"
In addition to arranging hotels, the organizers will also provide them with corresponding training rooms, and everyone should devote their spare time to training. There will also be a lottery ceremony.
The entire draw will be broadcast live on the day of the draw, and all teams are required to be present to watch.
According to the draw rules, the 16 teams are divided into four groups: Groups A and B are the upper bracket, and Groups C and D are the lower bracket. The group stage will determine the top eight teams, the quarterfinals will determine the top four teams, and the semifinals will determine the strongest teams from the two brackets to enter the finals to compete for the championship.
The team in the first seed pool drew first. OT assigned Fang Luxing to draw lots. He was a little shy and jogged up to draw lots, ending up in Group C.
South Korea's top seed is in Group A, North America's top seed is in Group B, and Europe's top seed is in Group D.
Then the second seed pool was drawn. According to the rule that teams from the same region cannot be in the same group, after one round of drawing, TG went to Group A, YIG went to Group B, and SNG, who climbed up from the play-in stage, went to Group D.
This grouping means that TG and YIG are in the death bracket.
They were facing the top seeds from South Korea and North America, as well as the second seed from South Korea, a result that left everyone breathless.
After the draw, the faces of the TG and YIG players next door were clearly not good. It wasn't just the strength of their half of the bracket; the intensity of the group stage alone was already tough enough.
TG has had really bad luck this year. Lin Jiang remembers that in his previous life, TG also faced the top seed team in North America and was upset 1-3.
This year is even worse; having failed to win the Summer Split championship, they now face the onslaught of two number one seed teams.
On the day the draw was completed, both TG and YIG held emergency meetings, and OT also held an internal meeting. For OT, the pressure in the group stage and semi-finals was not particularly high, but there were two teams that needed special attention.
One of them is the second seed from North America. They will meet in the group stage, and only by winning the top spot in the group can they avoid a strong opponent in the semifinals.
The other team, of course, is the number one seed from Europe. Their deceptive playing style has already caused many Korean teams to suffer, and OT will have a tough time against them.
Overall, OT's draw was pretty good; being the top seed allowed them to avoid two formidable opponents.
Once the opponent is identified, the target becomes very clear: "First, there's the second seed from North America, they're this year..."
In less than five days of preparation time, each team's training volume was maximized. Duren also took the time to arrange several scrimmages, and the scrimmages without delays made him feel better.
Time flew by and it was time for the group stage. The first three days were the first round, and after that, each team had a preliminary understanding of their opponents.
First up is TG from Group A. Apart from losing to the top-seeded South Korean team, they won their other two matches.
YIG also performed admirably, taking two points.
SNG was in poor form, winning only one game and earning one point.
The most surprising thing was OT. In everyone's opinion, they should have won all the games, but they put Zhang Mingying on the field in the first game and then lost a point.
Suddenly, a barrage of criticism came, with everyone criticizing OT for not cherishing its reputation and still using it for training during the World Championship.
The entire OT team was isolated from the outside world, and the management dared not explain. Their situation was actually more difficult than the outside world imagined. Without any practice matches to play, they could only test the waters step by step, and control every point to the death.
As public opinion intensified, Lin Jiang insisted on having Zhang Mingying play.
Although they won the last two matches, wouldn't their points be the same as TG and YIG in the "group of death"? What's the point of them being in such a good group?
Public opinion continued to ferment, and the popularity of the World Championship continued to rise. The overwhelming public opinion was almost overwhelming for the operations staff. Duren was supporting Lin Jiang while bearing the pressure of the entire team.
After the first round, the audience was tired of criticizing and waited for the results of the second round.
The second round is a knockout tournament, with Group A playing first.
TG couldn't beat the top-seeded Korean team and lost another point, teetering on the brink of elimination. Fortunately, their jungler suddenly came out on fire in the last two games, winning both and securing their second-place finish and qualification for the next round.
Next came the Group B knockout stage. YIG performed well and won cleanly, securing second place.
With this, both LPL teams have secured their spots in the next round, which is cause for celebration. However, it's sad that both TG and YIG qualified as runners-up, and they will now face the top seeds from South Korea and North America, respectively.
The entire internet is screaming—
[Oh no, this schedule is insane!]
[I can only hope that the CCP takes down North America and then South Korea, but their situation is really bad, sob sob sob...]
[YIG is in decent form; maybe they can beat Korea? Then they'll face TG in the semifinals! LPL is guaranteed at least one team to make it to the finals!]
[I think you're overthinking it; it's entirely possible you'll both be killed.]
[What kind of ghost story is this...]
Then they witnessed an even more bizarre scene: on the day of the Group C knockout stage, OT surprisingly fielded Zhang Mingying in the first game!
No one was familiar with this substitute jungler. They only knew that Lin Jiang had a good opinion of him, and that he did have some talent in the three games they played.
But this is outrageous! He actually went to the enemy jungle to 1v1 when the bottom lane was already at a disadvantage, and gave the enemy AD a triple kill on the spot. What is this if not a crime!
The entire internet is now boycotting Zhang Mingying's playing time and strongly demanding that Ah Deng be replaced!
Duren couldn't withstand the pressure, but he didn't dare tell Lin Jiang that all his hopes were pinned on this game. "Please, please, you have to win!"
This match is against the second seed from North America, their biggest rival so far. If they lose this match, OT will most likely only qualify as the second seed.
As the LPL's number one seed, OT only qualified as the second-place team. They not only lost face for themselves, but also for the LPL!
Before the game, Duren reminded Lin Jiang whether to substitute Ah Deng. Lin Jiang hesitated, but looking at the data in his hand, he still insisted: "Try again."
Trying again is Zhang Mingying's last chance.
Lin Jiang was well aware of OT's level; advancing from the group stage was no problem at all, and even against the top-seeded European team, they still had a chance of winning.
Their real obstacle is the South Korean team. Zhang Mingying is the sharp weapon they are preparing to use against South Korea. If they don't give him a chance to hone his skills, they simply won't have anything worthwhile to offer.
In the long history of esports, only champions will be recorded in history and remembered. Whether it is the semi-finals or the quarter-finals, it has no meaning for the players.
This was a desperate gamble for Lin Jiang, and no one wanted him to lose.
Both sides entered the hero selection screen, and the opposing team immediately banned Zhang Mingying's Prince. Those familiar with him know that this is his signature hero, and if he is banned, they have nothing else to play.
After losing the first battle last time, Lin Jiang asked Zhang Mingying the same question: "If you ban the prince, don't you have any heroes you can play?"
Zhang Mingying answered him definitively: "No."
He said seriously, "I only pick this hero when I don't understand the opponent. Once I understand them, I can pick any hero."
He possesses an innate arrogance and keen perception. No matter what kind of team he faces, he can basically understand the opponent's details after just one match, and then launch a terrifying coverage-style attack.
Yes, Lin Jiang calls his playing style "coverage flow".
He possesses a stable core, powerful perception, and excellent skills, enabling him to achieve global coverage. Unfortunately, he lacks experience and has limited time to absorb new knowledge.
Lin Jiang felt regret every time he thought about this. If he had met him earlier, OT would have been very competitive in this World Championship.
After both sides banned heroes, the hero selection phase began.
Fang Luxing was still the coach who accompanied them in the draft phase, and the lineup they chose was relatively conventional.
Li Qian was afraid that the teams behind him would figure out his style, so he held back from playing. He stared intently at the screen in the locker room. He had experienced so many games, but he didn't expect to be so nervous. He smiled and asked Duren, "What would you do if we lost?"
"I might have to say goodbye to the world," Durren said without exaggeration.
It's no wonder netizens are criticizing him online; even he himself finds it absurd that he could lose after drawing such a good lot.
The game begins, and the competition officially starts.
Netizens all over the world are watching this match, eager to see just how strong the LPL's top seed team really is.
Both sides played cautiously. Zhang Mingying, who had made several impressive plays in the previous rounds, was very steady in this round as well. Lin Jiang finally saw some professionalism in him.
Fans saw a glimmer of hope and pleaded with OT not to mess things up.
In the early stages, all five players played it safe and steady.
Besides Sion and Quesanti, Song Zhixu's Renekton has now reached international standards. He is more than capable in the laning phase and can occasionally gain a slight advantage.
This is completely different from his previous self. The comments section was flooded with encouragement for him, and some people even gave him a nickname, calling him Song Duidui, meaning that he can argue with anyone no matter how strong their opponent is.
The bottom lane was as strong as ever. Shenju was steady yet ruthless, charging in when he needed to and retreating when he needed to, demonstrating a solid grasp of the fundamentals of a professional player.
The opposing jungler ganked the bottom lane three times, but they didn't manage to catch them even once. Their solid skills made the audience exclaim: "Amazing!"
[Ugh, does anyone know this?!]
[The bot lane's coordination is amazing!]
[Shen Ju has really grown up!]
[A series to be continued in one's lifetime.]
Damn, I'm starting to fall in love with this kid.
Then there's the mid lane, which is the only lane that fans don't have to worry about the most. The opposing mid laner isn't very strong to begin with, and in front of Lin Jiang, they can only play defensively and farm.
Lin Jiang picked the Rogue Mage in this game. He wasn't in a hurry. If the opponent didn't let him kill him, he would farm against them. In less than 15 minutes, he had nearly 150 CS, a full 40 CS ahead of the opponent.
"How many CS? My God, 150 CS!" Lao Mao couldn't help but boast in the live stream: "And this is without eating any jungle monsters, purely from last-hitting, brothers, not a single CS missed!"
The commentators broadcasting the game domestically were also talking about this, which caused a small climax in the live stream. Ryze is a pure farming hero, and going to fight him in the late game is basically suicide. After seeing this, they felt that this game was basically in the bag!
However, Zhang Mingying is a variable.
Viewers who watched the first three games know just how cunning this guy is; they watched his jungle movements with bated breath the entire time.
Zhang Mingying was noticeably more stable than before, and his jungle route was also very steady. He smoothly passed the first 15 minutes of the game. The game quickly entered the small-scale team fight phase. The opposing team's team fight strength was stronger than OT's, so Lin Jiang kept avoiding team fights. They were locked in a tug-of-war for about 10 minutes. No one expected the change to happen so suddenly.
The second seed from North America is known for its surprise attacks. They knew that if they played it safe, they would win by OT (over-the-top), so they made a bold decision.
Song Zhixu was leading the lane when suddenly the map went completely black. He sensed danger and began to retreat.
But no one expected that the opposing team had placed a deep ward in their jungle, and the mid laner teleported behind them, creating a large encirclement and brutally killing Song Zhixu.
Such a flanking maneuver was unheard of. Lin Jiang sensed the danger and reminded everyone: "Conduct a thorough search of the wilderness area!"
Zhou Wen began to check the vision. From God's perspective, he could see that the opponent's wards were placed in a very tricky way. One scan was not enough to cover them all. Zhou Wen even placed a real ward, but he still missed one ward!
This ward placement made all the viewers gasp. This position could completely surround OT's bottom lane!
The commentator was still analyzing: "If OT goes any further forward, this wave might cause a problem..."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the enemy top laner suddenly flanked from behind, completely cutting off Chenju's retreat.
Zhou Wen died with resentment while trying to save Shen Ju. Zhang Mingying, who rushed over, saw the situation and abandoned Shen Ju to push the middle lane. Shen Ju could only die as a result.
The economy instantly tilted in favor of the other side, infuriating Chinese netizens. How could a jungler be like that?
[Jungling is completely useless!]
[He just stopped delivering; the food is still the same.]
[If it were Ah Deng, she would never have sold Chen Ju.]
[I'm about to throw up, can you please bring Ah Deng up here?]
In their rage, they completely forgot that Zhang Mingying would have been sent to his death anyway; they just had nowhere to vent their anger, so they could only target Zhang Mingying!
Because he's the variable in the entire OT (Over-the-Counter) system!
Two consecutive waves of attacks put OT in a crisis. Lin Jiang also realized that they desperately needed a victory to boost morale. "The next dragon will spawn. Zhang Mingying, the enemy will focus fire on you. This is your only chance."
Zhang Mingying understood that Lin Jiang was not just talking about the opportunity in this game, but the opportunity in the entire World Championship.
Since I've decided to gamble, I'm determined to win.
In the blink of an eye, he activated his ultimate skill to become invisible and cut off the enemy's vision, hiding in the bushes. Lin Jiang immediately activated his ultimate skill to flank from behind, and a team fight was about to break out!
Everyone's attention was drawn to Lin Jiang's ultimate move, and they began to focus their attacks on him.
Lin Jiang's ultimate skill is a teleportation skill that can teleport nearby allies to the landing point. The opposing team was prepared, but no one expected that Lin Jiang hadn't brought any of his ultimate skills, and only he himself was teleported over!
Let's start with Lin Jiang!
They charged forward aggressively, but Lin Jiang landed with his golden body and instantly dodged their deadly control!
Lin Jiang executed this empty city strategy perfectly!
The audience began to cheer.
While everyone's attention was focused on Lin Jiang, no one noticed that Zhang Ming, hidden in the darkness, approached the enemy AD from behind, extended his bloodthirsty blade, slit his throat, and then jumped away!
A feint to the east while attacking in the west!
Realizing they were surrounded, the opposing team began to retreat in groups. Song Zhixu teleported around to their rear, cutting off their last escape route!
What a brilliant move—using their own methods against them!
The opposing team's lineup was completely defeated, and in order to minimize their losses, they had no choice but to target Shenju, an easy target.
After holding back for the entire game, Shen Ju finally had a chance to make a move. He frantically maneuvered and, under Zhou Wen's protection, maximized his damage output. He then flashed to Lin Jiang's side and began unleashing a barrage of attacks.
Song Zhixu rushed to the front line and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Zhang Mingying also looked for an opportunity to re-enter the fray, and with a double jump, he instantly killed the enemy mid laner.
Zhang Mingying's double kill took away the two richest players on the opposing team. Most importantly, his Dragonfly Skimming Water skill allowed him to survive!
[Wow, this newcomer can even skim the surface?]
[Wow, this is so smooth! I'm totally exhausted from watching it.]
[They're still alive? This newbie must have something special on them.]
[If this were Ah Deng, he'd probably be wiped out in the first wave.]
At this point, the audience finally understood why Lin Jiang insisted on choosing Zhang Mingying—because his talent was many times better than Ah Deng's!
Amidst gasps of surprise, Lin Jiang made another bold decision: "Take the dragon!"
Everyone was not in good condition, and it was a bit of a struggle to take down the dragon. Even though everyone was at their best, they were still a little short.
Shenju's health was the first to give out, and he withdrew with a sliver of health.
The remaining three were still trying, but then came the bad news: the enemy AD had respawned!
He went straight to the dragon pit, facing the three low-health enemies and the low-health dragon, and he might just be able to take them all down!
The domestic commentators exclaimed in surprise: "Kill the AD carry first!"
But how to kill them? Who will do the killing?
The audience is going crazy, it feels like this is really going to be a disaster!
Song Zhixu consciously stood in front of Lin Jiang to block the damage. The moment the enemy AD walked over, Song Zhixu rushed up and bit him, reducing him to half health with two strikes. But that wasn't enough!
Lin Jiang applied crowd control over the wall, but the enemy AD still had healing on him. He managed to recover a bit of health and instantly killed Song Zhixu!
Once Song Zhixu fell, no one could withstand the damage output anymore.
Just as Lin Jiang was about to be taken away, Zhang Mingying at the bottom of the pit suddenly used a dragonfly skim, taking away the opponent while returning to the dragon pit, and used Smite to take down the dragon!
audience:! ! !
Is this an upgraded version of "dragonfly skimming the water"?
Kha'Zix's E skill is a leap that deals damage upon landing. Each kill refreshes the passive of the E skill. If your hand speed is fast enough, you can use the E skill again the instant the passive is triggered after a kill, achieving a kill that is as swift as a dragonfly skimming the water or as fleeting as a goose leaving a trace!
Normally, a dragonfly skimming the water moves in the same direction because it's easier to achieve this by hovering the mouse forward than backward.
But Zhang Mingying was able to perform a light, indirect attack, not only killing someone but also helping Lin Jiang absorb the damage from the dragon!
Otherwise, if Lin Jiang dies and Da Long recovers health, they will suffer a huge loss in this round!
Zhang Mingying jumped down to punish and secure the dragon.
Lin Jiang has only 2 drops of blood left!
The commentator exclaimed, "Wow! River didn't die! He still has two drops of health left! OT got four Baron buffs this time!"
The Dragon buff is designed so that only the living can obtain it. Just now, Zhou Wen revived, while Shen Ju and Lin Jiang survived with low health, so they obtained four Dragon buffs! This is crucial for OT's progress!
Everyone thought OT was going to fail, but who would have thought the ending would be so unexpected?
As the audience gasped in surprise, the screen began to replay the previous clip. Many viewers who hadn't understood before finally realized just how incredible Zhang Mingying's actions were.
First, there's the dragon pit. It's already outrageous that he sneaked into the bushes and blocked the enemy's vision of the entire map.
Then, under Lin Jiang's feint attack strategy, he killed the AD carry, escaped with a light touch, and re-entered the fray to kill the mid laner, escaping again with a light touch.
Then, at Baron Nashor, he used an evolved version of the Dragonfly Skimming Technique and successfully took down Baron Nashor!
He would have died if there had been even the slightest mistake during the entire process! Not to mention how he managed to go down and rescue Lin Jiang!
The viewers who were criticizing him before are now beginning to reflect deeply: if it were Ah Deng who did that, could he have done it to such an extreme?
The answer is, of course, no!
If it were Ah Deng, all he could do was protect Lin Jiang and Shen Ju, and in the end he would die tragically. He would never have had the chance to fight Da Long!
The audience's opinion began to change.
Wow, a living jungler is this strong!
The commentators also mentioned this issue, saying, "The jungler's survival is actually very important, because after a team fight, it often means the battle for the dragons, and without a jungler, things will be very passive."
Ah Deng's survival rate is particularly poor; even after evolving, he can only be described as mediocre.
So everyone says that the reason why OT is so strong in lane but can never truly become a top team is because they are always lacking a jungler!
Is this why Lin Jiang is so determined to push Zhang Mingying to take the position?
Viewers who saw this finally understood Lin Jiang's good intentions. Letting A Deng play might be comfortable in the group stage, but once they leave the group stage, facing stronger opponents, OT will have a very difficult time!
If Lin Jiang only wanted to stay in his comfort zone, he wouldn't have left KUG in the first place.
More and more people understood Lin Jiang's choice and cheered for him. They won the game decisively, which alerted all the competition regions.
The media rushed to report on Zhang Mingying, calling him the "Wild Horse Wilderness," and his style was wildly popular in the North American theater.
Unfortunately, his good fortune didn't last long. In the second game, Zhang Mingying encountered an unfamiliar Vietnamese team. The opponents were even more unpredictable than him, and they won OT by using their own tactics against them.
This unexpected turn of events almost scared the fans to death, but fortunately, the Vietnamese team's points did not pose a threat to them. OT quickly brought Ah Deng up and won the last game, securing their first-place qualification.
Although the process was a bit dangerous, the result was good. Netizens were both cursing and happy for them.
The three strongest LPL teams have all secured their spots in the league, and the country is cheering. Tomorrow, we'll see what SNG does!
After training ended that evening, Lin Jiang handed a bottle of water to Li Qian and asked, "Do you guys think SNG can qualify tomorrow?"
"I think it's unlikely. The top seed in Europe is very strong. They came here this year specifically to win the championship."
Have you studied them?
Li Qian nodded, somewhat worried, "I've never seen a team with such a tough style before. I think it will be a tough nut for you to crack."
Lin Jiang nodded seriously, "What about SPG?"
SPG is the third seeded team in Korea, and it's also the team Lee Joon previously played for, so he knows them very well.
Li Qian laughed and said, "Don't underestimate them. Although they are the third seed, I've watched them. They lost because they were careless. Their real strength is even higher than YIG's. Underestimating them will lead to their downfall."
From that perspective, SNG is indeed facing a tough situation.
The second day of the competition arrived quickly, which was also the last day of the group stage. After the entire World Championship was over, the landscape would become clear.
At the start of the match, it was clear that SNG was not in good form. After finally winning one game, they suffered two consecutive defeats, and SPG sent the struggling SNG back to their home base.
They were the first LPL team to come to the World Championship, and also the first to go back; the feelings they experienced are unimaginable.
Many fans who had traveled a long way to Seoul for them cried on the spot. In the post-match interview, the entire SNG team apologized, and everyone had tears in their eyes.
Lin Jiang saw them off on the day they left, along with members of TG and YIG. They were rivals in China, but abroad they were family. No matter who left, there was a sense of shared sorrow.
Who wouldn't want their country to win?
Seeing them lose is like seeing my own future.
Especially for the players of TG and YIG, SNG's departure is nothing short of a harbinger of the future, given their grueling schedule.
Perhaps they will be the next ones to leave from here.
Everyone is feeling bad.
During the three-day preparation period, the three teams conducted intensive internal training under the guidance of their coaches. At this time, there was no need to hold back; everyone trained hard, seeking the optimal solution to break through.
Lin Jiang naturally helped them a great deal, and without affecting his own training, he always granted their requests.
The day before the semifinals began, F-Emperor privately met with Lin Jiang. The two avoided the teams, smoked for a while, and exchanged their experiences and opinions.
YIG is in really good form this year, but unfortunately their opponent this time is the top seed from South Korea, who is also the favorite to win the championship.
"We'll probably have to go home after this game, sigh."
"Don't kid me. We've been rivals for so many years, when have I ever seen you give up on yourself?"
“I’m serious,” F-Emperor looked at him, hesitating to speak, “Lin Jiang, if I really lose, you have to avenge me. I’ve been annoyed with them for a long time, don’t let me die with regrets.”
Lin Jiang didn't respond immediately. He half-jokingly said, "Then you'd better try your best to skin them alive before you die, so it'll be easier for me to beat them up."
The atmosphere immediately became lively, and F-Emperor said with a smile, "Don't worry, I will definitely beat them to a pulp. If I have the chance, I will certainly not trouble you and will do it myself."
Lin Jiang replied, "Okay, see you in the finals then."
Okay, see you in the finals.
The quarterfinals officially began the next day.
Encouraged by Lin Jiang, F-Emperor's performance continued to improve, and he unleashed his full potential to win a game as soon as he entered the match.
South Korea steadily won the second game, and F-Emperor continued his explosive performance, winning the third game. Just when everyone thought YIG had a chance, South Korea calmly launched their ultimate move, eliminating YIG in two consecutive games.
In the final do-or-die game, F-Emperor unleashed his full potential, turning the tide several times and repeatedly displaying incredible brilliance, bringing tears to the eyes of the audience. However, the Korean lineup was simply too solid, and he was always just a little short of the mark.
When F-King fell for the last time, the opposing jungler who had defeated him was killed in half and even flashed his icon in a mocking manner.
When heroes die, history will be written by others, and no one will remember their lives. The only way for them to regain their dignity is to wait for next year's World Championship.
YIG's journey has come to an end.
After the match ended, the audience was all crying their eyes out. If YIG could really beat Korea, then LPL would have no rivals in this World Championship!
It's just a pity we were a little unlucky!
When F came down from the stage and faced an interview, he smiled while wiping away tears, which made the audience feel very sorry for him.
But anyway, they were fantastic! Keep it up next year!
YIG bought tickets overnight and embarked on his journey home the next day. Before leaving, F-Emperor hugged Lin Jiang and said, "Lin Jiang, don't forget what you promised me."
Lin Jiang rarely agrees to anything, but this time, he answered him with a "okay".
YIG is gone. Will the remaining TG continue their fate?
Watching TG struggle to drag the North American team into the fifth game on the screen, and then choose the exact same lineup as in his previous life, Lin Jiang's heart sank lower and lower.
Why is it still like this? Why are they still choosing the same lineup? He feels that TG has picked up their form, but why are they still having such a hard time?
This gave Lin Jiang the illusion that he could never escape the shadow. The air was suffocating, and he suddenly couldn't distinguish between his past life and the present. His heart couldn't take it, so he got up and went outside to smoke a cigarette to calm down.
Shen Ju noticed his unusual behavior and followed him outside. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? You're sweating so much?"
Lin Jiang touched his forehead and realized that he was indeed sweating. There was no one around. He suddenly relaxed and leaned slowly on Shen Ju's shoulder. "TG lost."
Shen Ju didn't quite understand, but he still comforted him: "It's not over yet, so we might not necessarily lose."
Lin Jiang shook his head; his mind was in turmoil. "They lost. They didn't win."
From the room behind them came a teammate's voice: "Oh no, this was TG's only chance! How could they have made a mistake?"
"What's wrong with TG? How could they lose with this lineup?"
"It's like being under a curse..."
Shen Ju moved his head alertly. He seemed to feel some kind of abnormal energy surrounding him. He didn't speak, but just quietly stayed with Lin Jiang, listening to him say some strange things.
The sound of regret came from his teammates in the room, exactly as Lin Jiang had said. In the end, just as Lin Jiang had predicted, TG really lost.
"Did you really lose?"
"No way, the TG actually lost?"
"Holy crap, what a huge upset."
"The LPL is going to be completely wiped out..."
Shen Ju suddenly stopped. He looked at Lin Jiang, who was rambling incoherently, and began to hear an abnormal ringing in his ears.
Lin Jiang already knew the result; he could even recall the details of that year's World Championship.
The same thing happened in the past. TG, the top seed, suffered a shock defeat, YIG faced the top seed from South Korea and lost badly, and SNG also failed to advance from the group stage.
Lin Jiang's KUG team only made it to the semifinals and was sent home by the top seeded team in Europe.
With this, the LPL team was completely wiped out.
Everything perfectly overlaps with the present, and all the plots are playing out just like in the previous life.
Lin Jiang suddenly realized that he had only changed teams; he had not escaped the fate of his previous life.
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