71. Grand Slam
On the day they returned to the team, Lin Jiang and Shen Ju also went to join in the fun.
After not seeing them for two months, everyone looked radiant, proving that the effects of the red glow are indeed beneficial. It's clear that everyone has maintained their form exceptionally well since winning the world championship.
The most obvious example is Ah Deng. He used to be incredibly shy in front of Lin Jiang, but now that he's back in the team, Lin Jiang feels that he's been influenced by Song Zhixu and is incredibly talkative.
Lin Jiang sighed, "A Deng seems to be talking more."
His teammates smiled without saying anything, but Zhou Wen told him the truth: "Actually, A Deng has always been a chatterbox. Before you came to OT, he and Song Zhixu would chatter away, and the team voice chat was never quiet."
"Their communication used to be so dense, like a Gatling gun, I couldn't even hear the tactics anymore."
"And another thing, there was a period when Song Zhixu had a sore throat and didn't talk much, but A Deng was able to talk to herself in the voice chat until the end."
"Another time, he was warned by the referee for talking too much because his voice drowned out the referee's..."
"Hahaha, that's amazing..."
Lin Jiang was amazed after hearing this. So this is what Ah Deng is like. No wonder she chatted with Zeng Yuan so happily, like a rabbit.
"By the way, why hasn't Song Zhixu returned to the team yet?"
Lin Jiang's smile slowly faded. Shen Ju knew the inside story and remained silent. Zhou Wen looked at Du Lun with a puzzled expression, "That kid Song Zhixu doesn't plan to renew his contract."
Zhou Wen was stunned for a moment, "How is that possible? If he doesn't renew his contract, where is he going?"
"I don't know. I heard that some teams are contacting him and offering much more than OT."
“But,” Zhou Wen glanced at Lin Jiang, then hesitated, “he can learn more at OT, so leaving isn’t a good choice for him.”
“That’s what I told him too, but he wouldn’t listen at all. I got angry and told him I was done with him. I haven’t spoken to him for the past two weeks, and I don’t know what’s going on with him.”
Lin Jiang hadn't been able to contact Song Zhixu for half a month. He took a sip of coffee and still thought, "Let's see what he thinks. This is something he should have decided for himself."
Zhou Wen and A Deng remained silent. Zhang Mingying looked around, then finally looked at Lin Jiang in confusion, "You're just going to let him go like that?"
Lin Jiang was more magnanimous than everyone imagined. He nodded and said, "Of course I respect his choice."
Everyone knows that Song Zhixu was promoted by Lin Jiang. If he doesn't mind Song Zhixu's departure, then no one else has the right to.
Everyone was a little discouraged. Ah Deng felt a pang of sadness at the thought of Song Zhixu leaving. She took out her phone, wanting to call but hesitating for a long time. "Should I call or not?"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Shen Ju said coldly, then took his phone and dialed Song Zhixu's number.
Song Zhixu's voice came through the phone: "Hello, what's up?"
Before Ah Deng could even gather her thoughts, Chen Ju had already launched into a tirade: "No matter what you're doing, get back here right now."
"Huh? Now? No, I'm currently..."
"I don't care where you are, get back here right now and explain yourself, or I'll buy you all the lollipops with the money you've hidden under the bed."
Shen Ju hung up the phone directly and didn't answer when he called back. Zhou Wen wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. A Deng silently gave him a thumbs up, "This is a master."
Soon, Song Zhixu called Lin Jiang's phone. He answered, and Song Zhixu's anxious voice came through: "I'm looking for a house near the team. I really can't come back today. Captain, please keep an eye on Chen Ju for me. Don't let him touch my private money, or I'll be furious with him when I get back!"
Looking for houses near the esports team's location?
Everyone pricked up their ears, eager to know the reason.
Lin Jiang asked him, "Why are you looking for a house?"
“I was kicked out of my home, and I was thinking of finding a place to stay, but who knew the landlord would rip me off? He kicked me out after only half a month, saying they were going to sell it…”
"Have you cut off contact with your family?"
"It's over, completely over. My own dad told me to get out and not come back. Anyway, I don't care about them anymore. I'll never have to worry about money again! That's all, Captain. You keep my savings, and I'll keep my house. I'll definitely come back to the team once I've sorted things out here!"
Hearing that Song Zhixu was going to rejoin the team, everyone got a little excited. Du Lun even went so far as to say, "What kind of house are you looking for? Get back here right now! I'll apply for temporary housing for you! It'll be free!"
Upon hearing that it was free, Song Zhixu's voice rose: "Old Du, why didn't you say so earlier! Why should I put up with this? Just you wait, I'm coming back right now!"
Song Ji-seo has secured his place, which means that the OT team will retain its original championship lineup next year, and they are very likely to challenge for the championship again.
Everyone was overjoyed. After winning the championship, many clubs wanted to poach them, especially Lin Jiang and Shen Ju, followed by Song Zhixu. Even A Deng and Zhou Wen were approached with very tempting offers.
They all tacitly declined, wanting to stay and improve themselves. It felt as if what they were holding onto was something others were also holding onto.
If I had to use one word to describe it, it would probably be "like-minded".
It's rare to find a true friend in life, and they found both in one go.
Lin Jiang and Shen Ju only came back to visit the team this time. After knowing that the team was fine, the two went back to recuperate, traveling while keeping an eye on the Demacia Cup.
The Demacia Cup does not affect the rankings, so most teams use it to practice and experiment with lineups, and some teams even field their second teams.
OT lost Lin Jiang and Shen Ju, and brought in two second-team members, Song Zhixu and Zhang Mingying, who showed their skills in this competition and unexpectedly won the Demacia Cup.
Lin Jiang, who was traveling in Tibet, called to congratulate them. The other end of the line was full of excited chatter, and Lin Jiang couldn't hear what they were saying. He just smiled and agreed.
"Now that the Demacia Cup is over, shouldn't you guys be back? Shen Ju's hand should be almost healed by now, right?"
Lin Jiang glanced at Shen Ju, who was sitting by the campfire outside roasting sweet potatoes for him, and laughed out loud, "I think it's about time. He dug those sweet potatoes even better than the locals today."
"Great, great! We didn't lose a single player this spring season. We're going all out for the competition with our full roster. We're sure to cause an earthquake in the scene..."
As it turned out, Duren's guess was correct; the Spring Split roster was announced, and the gaming community was in an uproar.
It's important to understand that a team can only support one or two top players at most; any more than that and they can't afford it. Therefore, after winning the World Championship, many teams see their players' market value skyrocket, and many players choose to leave the team to join a team with better benefits. This often leaves fans with endless regrets the following year for every championship team.
Even after OT won the championship, the online controversy didn't stop.
One minute they're saying Lin Jiang is going back to revive KUG, the next they're saying ZG is poaching Shen Ju at a high price, then they're saying Zhou Wen has had enough of Shen Ju and is preparing to leave, and then they're saying Song Zhixu has decided not to renew his contract.
With all sorts of rumors mixed together, it was impossible to tell what was true and what was false. Everyone was on tenterhooks until the final list was released, and all six of them were on it. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief!
[Thank goodness, all six of them stayed!]
[They're clearly aiming for another championship.]
[Damn, it's rare to see a championship team that wasn't dismantled. These six guys have pretty strong willpower.]
[Of course! Lin Jiang won't leave because he owns shares in OT, and Shen Ju won't leave because he's her boyfriend. Song Zhixu and Zhang Ming are in their prime, while Zhou Wen and A Deng are in their plateau phase. Only a fool would leave.]
[If Lin Jiang isn't leaving, who dares to? We've learned so much from him; anyone who leaves would be a fool.]
[Regardless, the fact that these six people stayed already shows OT's utmost sincerity.]
[The OT manager is pretty impressive; he managed to keep these six people.]
[Wow, so they're going for another championship?]
Yes, with this lineup, Lin Jiang has decided to go for the championship again. While he is still able to play and while the championship lineup is still intact, he wants to try to win his fourth title.
After the roster was finalized, teams from all regions felt unprecedented pressure, especially the LPL teams. They had all been so sincere, but who knew that the OT players were all idiots and wouldn't budge no matter how much they were tempted!
The team leaders gritted their teeth, completely baffled by what kind of spell Lin Jiang had cast on them!
The following year, LPL witnessed an unprecedented bloody battle, with OT sweeping all before them and ruthlessly winning the championship, while the remaining teams TG, YIG, SNG, and WG fought tooth and nail for points.
After winning the championship, OT represented the LPL in the MSI Invitational Tournament and won the championship again, leaving other regions stunned.
Time quickly came to the Summer Split.
Lin Jiang remained as steady as ever, becoming the pillar of the team. After two months of recuperation, Chen Ju still maintained the highest hand speed record, dominating the bottom lane of the LPL together with Zhou Wen.
Needless to say, Song Zhixu, after winning the championship, seemed to have eaten the gall of a bear and the courage of a leopard. He was not afraid of anyone on the field and even dared to challenge the number one top laner in the LPL.
Zhang Mingying's growth can be described as terrifying. He's like a giant sponge, absorbing everything he can. On the court, even ghosts would be worried.
Ah Deng doesn't have much room for improvement, but his playing style is becoming more and more stable, and he can already see the shadow of Zeng Yuan in him.
With such a formidable lineup, they unsurprisingly won the Summer Split championship and secured their ticket to the World Championship with the highest points.
Everyone was afraid of them. Even the usually proud LCK felt fear. When their team was assigned to the half of the bracket where OT was located, they subconsciously called this half of the bracket the death bracket.
OT lived up to expectations, breaking through as the top team in their group. They then faced their old rival WAG again, and ruthlessly defeated them 3-0, giving them no chance to fight back, and advanced to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, they faced HIT again, but HIT had a poor year, only managing second place in the LCK. OT was a completely different team from before, losing only one game to them throughout the match, winning 3-1 and advancing to the finals.
A year later, the six of them stepped onto the field again. Things were different now. They were no longer afraid, because like Lin Jiang, they had once reached the peak and were now simply revisiting familiar ground.
Amidst the commentator's excited voice: "It's the plane initiating a team fight again! OT's teamwork is perfect, wiping out the opponent! After more than 300 days, River is once again initiating a team fight, proving that he's still got it, and victory will always belong to us!"
The golden rain fell again, this time on LPL's home turf, where they received even more applause and greater honors.
That year, OT won the Grand Slam.
That year was also the year a legend was born.
When they mention Lin Jiang again, his name is already firmly etched in the history of the LPL. This time, no one will ask who he is.
He is Lin Jiang.
It represents the past and future of the LPL.
There will be an epilogue tomorrow, and then the main text will be finished.
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