72. The Final Chapter
When Lin Jiang won his fourth championship, he was only 22 years old, and many people thought he could write another legend.
However, as the value of his teammates increased, OT was finding it increasingly difficult to retain them.
Duren was happy when he won the championship, but thinking about what would happen next, he sighed, "Once I win this championship, I will never be able to keep them."
All six players stayed back then because they wanted to win another championship. Now that their wish has been fulfilled, they are leaving OT to prove their own abilities.
The first person to leave was Zhou Wen.
He may seem to have a good personality, but he is actually very opinionated. At the celebration banquet after winning the championship, he frankly expressed his thoughts: "When I encountered a bottleneck back then, everyone was there to help me get through it. I am very grateful to you all. Now that I have resolved my inner conflict, I also want to see the outside world. I hope you won't blame me after I leave."
Duren waved his hand, "It's not your fault. I've thought about this for a long time. You're all quite wealthy now, and I can't keep you around forever. Come on, this drink is to wish each of you all the best!"
There were no barriers at the celebration banquet, only banter and blessings. Under Lin Jiang's guidance, they learned not only technical skills, but also a calm and balanced perspective on the world.
After leaving the team, Zhou Wen went to SNG and has been doing quite well. Now he is a veteran player who can stand on his own.
During the Demacia Cup, Shen Ju took a break to recover from his injury as usual, while Lin Jiang did not leave the team. He is now considered a part-time coach and discusses the player lineup with the coaching staff every day.
Shen Ju didn't want to be separated from Lin Jiang, so he applied to live at the club and would wander over to the youth training camp every day, pretending to take a casual glance.
Lin Jiang was as popular in the youth training camp as a world-class superstar. Every day, people would chatter and flit around him, their eyes glued to him.
Shen Ju became increasingly uneasy, but he was too embarrassed to tell Lin Jiang. So, he secretly applied to the team that very day to join without pay and assist the trainees in their training.
The moment Lin Jiang, who was giving the explanation, saw Chen Ju appear at the door, he stopped talking and asked, "What are you doing here?"
The trainees around looked up and saw their star shooter standing at the door, pulling his hat brim down a little nervously. "I'm here to be a sparring partner. Don't scold me yet. My hand injury is all better now."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the youth training room couldn't help but laugh. Both glass walls were transparent, and Shen Ju could be seen sneaking around outside every day. Today, he finally found an excuse to come in.
The trainees were all quite young, and they immediately started joking, "Team Leader Lin and Brother Chen have such a good relationship!"
"Of course! They're a model couple in esports! If Brother Chen weren't underage, they would have gotten their marriage certificate long ago."
"Team Leader Lin, don't worry about us, go and keep them company."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Lin Jiang reluctantly put down his pen and left with Shen Ju amidst the teasing of the crowd. This troublesome dog, "You said you'd rest and recuperate, so you should rest and recuperate properly. You can't even be a sparring partner."
Chen Ju was unwilling to give up, "I won't fight, I'll just watch from the sidelines."
Lin Jiang: "No."
"Why not? You haven't been back for a week, you've been hanging out with them all day, I..."
"Because you're here, I'll be distracted."
Shen Ju is the easiest puppy to coax in the world; Lin Jiang melted his heart with just one sentence.
"And they'll get distracted too. You saw it just now, it was all just jeering."
Chen Ju looked at Lin Jiang expectantly, "Can't I wait for you downstairs even if I don't go upstairs?"
Lin Jiang was truly defeated by him. "I didn't want you to come because I didn't want you to wait for me in this cold weather. It would have hurt me to see you like that."
Shen Ju opened his eyes wide and looked at Lin Jiang with a warm feeling in his heart. "It turns out I was overthinking it."
"What are you overthinking?"
"I thought you didn't care about me anymore. You haven't been home for so long. I'm afraid you've fallen for some pretty boy in the youth training team."
So he's been sneaking around outside every day not because he misses him, but because he's worried about him.
Lin Jiang pinched his face hard, forcing a smile, "Shen Ju'an, you've really made something of yourself..."
Time flies, and the Spring Split came to an end in the blink of an eye. A Deng took the initiative to request to leave the team.
Last year, Zeng Yuan shook off the glory and shadow brought to him by KUG and achieved good results. This year, A Deng is eager to try and hone his skills and develop his own style.
Of all the players on the team, Duren was most worried about A-Deng. Looking at the resignation application, he felt a little uneasy. "Are you really sure? What if you don't make a name for yourself?"
A Deng nodded solemnly, "I've thought it through. I've learned a lot in the past two years, but I always felt like something was off. It was after watching Zeng Yuan's competition recently that I finally understood that people can't live in their comfort zone forever. They always have to pursue something. I've already achieved the glory that many players dream of. Now that I'm free from pressure, I should be brave enough to pursue my own path."
Duren still wanted to keep him, and tried to persuade him for a long time with earnest words, even calling Lin Jiang in.
Lin Jiang didn't try to persuade you at all. "You've definitely hit a bottleneck. To break through, you need to be flexible. Let me tell you what will happen after you leave the team..."
Then the two of them started talking about their career plans after leaving the team, which made Duren's head spin.
Li Qian was still as unreliable as ever, watching the show with amusement, eating melons and drinking tea: "If it's going to rain, it's going to rain; if a mother wants to remarry, why are you keeping him?"
Duren sighed, and could only helplessly accept reality.
Fortunately, Lin Jiang, Shen Ju, and Song Zhixu are still around, and OT's strength remains formidable, allowing them to enter the World Championship effortlessly.
This time, OT was a bit unlucky, encountering two strong opponents in a row, and ultimately lost to them, unfortunately falling in the semi-finals.
Lin Jiang was unable to continue his five-time champion legend, but that was enough for him. His name has long been known throughout the country and is familiar to everyone.
After the World Championship ended and the transfer period began, Song Zhixu unexpectedly stayed. Despite numerous teams offering him high salaries, he remained unmoved and determined to stay at OT.
During his live streams, fans often asked him why, asking if OT had saved his life. Song Zhixu responded, "More or less."
That year, Zhang Mingying also became a big boss and was favored by various teams. After the Spring Split that year, he also chose to leave OT.
Two days before leaving, OT held a farewell party.
Zhang Mingying doesn't drink, but she still toasted Lin Jiang three large glasses and solemnly thanked him.
Lin Jiang waved his hand and told him, "No need to thank me. Gold always shines. I just discovered you ahead of time. If it wasn't me, it would have been someone else."
Everyone told Zhang Mingying that Lin Jiang was his great benefactor, and that he should thank him and remember him for the rest of his life. Zhang Mingying struggled for a long time before deciding to leave the team, but he didn't expect Lin Jiang to be even more generous than he had imagined.
After drinking three cups of wine, all the misunderstandings disappeared.
From now on, he will also prove to Lin Jiang that he has another possibility.
After leaving OT, Zhang Mingying went to WG, just like in her previous life.
When Lin Jiang heard the news, he had to admit, "Some things really are destined."
After Zhang Mingying joined WG, his strength improved by leaps and bounds, and he also showed his talent in the Summer Split. A Deng and Zhou Wen were also in the new team and became strong opponents for Lin Jiang in the Summer Split. OT almost failed to make it to the World Championship.
Everyone said that Lin Jiang had taught a bunch of ingrates and it wasn't worth it, but after the game, Lin Jiang smiled and hugged each of them, then said to them, "You played well."
A smile can dissolve all enmity. Although they are no longer teammates, they can still be good friends who often go out for meals after the game. Whether inside or outside the team, Lin Jiang has protected them in his own way.
That same year, Lin Jiang was about to turn 25. His skills were not what they used to be, and he was outmatched in the world championships, missing out on the title.
"No one can stay at the peak forever. I hope that when the last peak falls, the next peak will come soon."
Yes, after the OT reduction, LPL has not won a championship for two years. If Lin Jiang retires one day, who will be the next to take over?
[Those who came out through over-the-counter (OT) are all pretty good.]
[The bot lanes in the LPL are all very strong, Song Ji-seo in the top lane is also quite good, and there are many new junglers, but it's a pity that there's no successor in the mid lane.]
[Is LPL going to lose again because of the mid lane position?]
The thing everyone was worried about soon happened. That day, after Lin Jiang celebrated his 25th birthday, he got up and went to the balcony, where he thought about many things by himself.
Then, quietly, calmly, and even casually, he said, "I want to retire."
Duren was nearly scared to death. He tried to persuade Lin Jiang all night, but the other party didn't even lift an eyelid. The matter was settled just like that.
The news caused a stir throughout the esports community. Some were worried, some regretful, some disappointed, while others were excitedly waiting for the landscape to change.
Lin Jiang did not hold a retirement ceremony; he remained as quiet and composed as when he arrived.
After he retired, OT couldn't retain Song Zhixu. He left OT and signed with a good team, and is expected to compete for the world championship.
Shen Ju's hand injury also prevented him from continuing to play. He took half a year to recover. During this time, Lin Jiang switched careers to become a coach and promoted several new players, who were said to be quite good.
Lin Jiang is even more terrifying as a coach than he was as a player. His coaching team, together with Li Qian, strikes fear into the hearts of countless teams.
During that period, the LPL was like a rollercoaster ride, with emotions rising and falling every day. When the Summer Split came around, it was like opening a blind box. Every team that got OT (over-the-top) knew what the fear of being dominated was.
The scene was instantly turbulent, with teams fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the World Championship, raising the overall level of competition to a whole new level.
The sadness of Lin Jiang's departure was suddenly overshadowed, and fans jokingly said: Although he is no longer on the field, his terrifying legend still lives on!
Coach Lin Jiang smiled on stage, looking harmless, and then led the team to give all the former teammates who had left OT a good beating.
Song Zhixu was the most depressed after the match. Even though he had been away from OT for a long time, he still felt like Lin Jiang was slapping him in the face.
Netizens were laughing hysterically; it turned out Lin Jiang was waiting for them there!
That year, Lin Jiang was the coach and Shen Ju was the teammate. OT narrowly won all the way to the finals, where they met the team of Song Zhixu and Zhou Wen.
The finals were an internal battle within the LPL. That match was incredibly exciting, and who won or lost, and the result, didn't matter anymore.
Because no matter which team wins, it's a victory for LPL and also a victory for Lin Jiang. Even after leaving the arena, he continues to write his legend!
After that year's competition, Shen Ju retired contentedly.
He now has a new dream: to travel the world with Lin Jiang.
"Ah Jiang, let's be together forever."
"OK."
The main story is over. I'll start updating the side stories tomorrow!
By the way, I'd like to recommend my upcoming novel, "Hostile Relationship [E-sports]".
Caption: #Starting as an elementary school student, becoming a future demon king#
Lin Tian missed the World Championships three times and was ridiculed by people in the industry for his self-taught background, which was considered unacceptable.
The three times his world dream was shattered by Lu Guiran, who was known as a rising star in the industry. He received formal training from a young age and his fighting style was steady. Lin Tian was just a wild player with many flaws in front of him.
The two are of similar age and debuted in the same year, so it's inevitable that people will compare them.
When asked by reporters what he thought of e-sports dark horse Lin Tian, he did not shy away from the question: "He is still far from being a professional player."
Lin Tian remembered Lu Guiran for five whole years because of those words. He worked hard to get into a professional team and made a bold statement on the field: "I came here to defeat Lu Guiran."
They had barely finished making those tough remarks when they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, without even getting a chance to face Lu Guiran.
Lu Guiran unsurprisingly won the championship. In an interview, he commented again, "He is still far from good enough."
Lin Tian: ...
Feeling depressed, he went to the rooftop to drink, slipped, and met his maker.
When he woke up again, he was reborn back in the past, and Lu Guiran, who had once swept all the major competition trophies, was still a child.
Looking at Lu Guiran, who already showed signs of a future at the age of 13.
Lin Tian: Of course we can't let him get away with it.
He found the other person, intending to hang him up and beat him until he cried, but Lu Guiran said coldly, "Sorry, I don't fight bronze-level opponents."
At this time, Lu Guiran had already entered the e-sports club ahead of time and was a semi-professional trainee, while Lin Tian was still a beginner.
Lin Tian: ...
Later, an unprecedented account appeared in the e-sports circle. It won a series of victories to reach Master rank, defeated most of the professional players in the circle in solo queue, played only two games a day, and was elusive and mysterious, like a hermit master.
Everyone speculated whether this was a practice account used by a pro player, and they secretly tested each other. In the end, they found out that the account was being used by a primary school student, who could only play two games a day due to the system's anti-addiction measures.
The professional players who lost to him: ? ? ?
Is esports doomed?
The esports industry has developed rapidly in recent years, with numerous competitions emerging and newcomers facing fierce competition. Major clubs hold the power of life and death, employing a brutal selection process.
Lin Tiankong had talent but couldn't find his niche. He broke into the professional scene through trial and error and was once called the "King of Unorthodox Methods" and "Dark Horse of Esports" by the media. Unfortunately, he was ultimately unable to overcome the deep foundation of the orthodox teams.
When Lin Tian gets a second chance at life, he discovers what a true profession is, and a superstar who will shock the e-sports world is quietly being born...
[Reading Guide] 1. This story follows a growth trajectory and is quite lighthearted. The professional career path comes later in the story, making it a pure enjoyment read with some exaggerated descriptions. 2. The romance and career storylines are balanced in a 40/60 ratio, featuring two strong characters. 3. The story spans a large period of time, so the plot moves quickly, and only the essential parts are retained. 4. This is a self-constructed world, with some customizable competition elements, making it different from my previous works, but logically consistent. 5. Detailed gameplay explanations are included, so you can enjoy the story even if you don't play the game.
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