IRAJAS Chapter 44

Lin Lan never engages in unprepared skirmishes.

Before each engagement, he only needs a glance to determine whether to proceed. If it’s a viable fight, he remains silent; if not, he’s the first to retreat, decisively.

The recent skirmish, though initiated by the enemy, played right into Lin Lan’s hands.

In Jiang Jin’s mind, involuntary recollections of that skirmish start to surface. As the opposing team’s AD is caught off guard by the enemy’s initiation, he witnesses teammates falling one by one. Chaos ensues, and the situation becomes increasingly unfavorable. Wu Tianqi, who has already fallen, desperately relays the retreat message. Even Feifei chimes in: “Hurry, let’s go. We can’t win.”

Lin Lan insists on fighting: “Fight. Protect me.”

Xiao Shengjing seems to have a mysterious trust in Lin Lan. Just as doubts begin to creep into Jiang Jin’s mind, Xiao Shengjing almost without hesitation rushes to protect Lin Lan.

Can they win?

Jiang Jin, who has played numerous matches in the LPL, hesitates for a moment.

After giving it their all, they still couldn’t escape the tragic fate of being killed. Watching the barely alive Lin Lan surrounded by the enemy’s jungle and support, Jiang Jin’s heart sank considerably.

If they lose this skirmish, DT will truly have no chance.

No matter how brilliantly they played in the previous match, no matter how godlike Lin Lan was, everything would turn into nothing at this moment.

In esports, only victory matters; anything fancy after a loss becomes nothing but fodder for mockery.

Playing like this will only ruin his future.

Jiang Jin suddenly feels a chill running down his spine. Just when he thinks DT’s limit is reached, Lin Lan suddenly flashes behind WS’s jungler, closing the distance to the enemy’s maximum damage output and instantly reversing the situation.

Even the water in the spring makes Jiang Jin want to jump up and say: “Beautiful!”

Lin Lan kills the jungler first and then the support, maintaining a clear and terrifying mindset throughout this chaotic team fight.

After wiping out the opponents, he finally relaxes, confidently advancing with the minions. His voice carries a lightness: “How was that, Captain? I didn’t let you down, did I?”

Xiao Shengjing chuckled for a moment, then immediately resumed seriousness, “Play well; we haven’t won yet.”

But now, winning doesn’t make much difference.

The opponents’ fastest respawn time is at least 25 seconds. After taking down the high ground, then the outer turret, and finally the crystal, the opponents are just starting to respawn.

Lin Lan won too brilliantly.

He was shining so brightly that one couldn’t look directly at him.

However, after winning the game, he still wore a calm expression, as if it was just another simple victory, already forgetting that DT was just milliseconds away from failure.

With a relaxed tone, he recapped the recent match, “As long as Weapon dies, none of them can touch me. If we didn’t engage just now, the next time Weapon resurrects with armor, I wouldn’t have been able to output damage.”

Jiang Jin instinctively clicked on Weapon’s equipment, a wave of lingering fear hitting him. If they had truly followed Wu Tianqi’s call for a retreat, DT would have been in an endless cycle of unwinnable team fights.

In the blink of an eye, he suddenly understood why Lin Lan had been so aggressive in that final skirmish.

Because Lin Lan wanted to fight.

He had been waiting for Weapon to initiate the engagement; he never considered a retreat. It was intentional, and even if it was just a matter of milliseconds, it was all within his expectations.

Jiang Jin, understanding this, felt the blood in his chest boiling. It had been many years since he had experienced such a sensation – it was truly subtle!

This subtle feeling, only fellow professional players could comprehend, like the current members of WS.

Even during the handshake segment, the opponent’s top laner wore an expression of disbelief. He kept staring at Lin Lan, unable to fathom where a newcomer got such courage.

In the previous skirmish, he had intended to intimidate Lin Lan. As long as they didn’t push, once they had the resurrection armor, DT would never have a chance to win again.

However, Lin Lan showed no fear. Disregarding appearances, he methodically dealt damage with his remaining health, displaying a terrifyingly clear train of thought.

This sensation is like that of a seasoned veteran on the battlefield.

No, it’s even more terrifying than a seasoned veteran.

He deliberately lured himself into initiating the engagement. Even if WS had decided not to fight in that final skirmish, Lin Lan would have pressed on because only by engaging could DT have a chance to win.

WS’s top laner held Lin Lan’s hand, his gaze a mix of love and hate, unwilling and admiring. He had never encountered such a formidable opponent – someone who, despite excellent mechanical skills, played the game so intelligently.

Unfortunately, DT’s mid and top lanes were not living up to expectations; otherwise, their scrim win rate wouldn’t be stuck at 50%.

After the three games were concluded, the commentators on stage couldn’t stop talking.

The audience was thrilled: [I’ve seen 4-protect-1 strategies before, but I’ve never seen a 4-protect-1 this awesome. This has to be the most exciting storyline this year.]

[DT’s potential is far beyond the mid-tier. As long as Lin Lan performs well, they can easily rise to the top.]

[But their games heavily depend on Lin Lan’s form. If he’s not doing well, the entire team seems to be sleepwalking.]

[I’ve noticed DT always loses the first game and then goes for a 1-2 comeback. Is this some new tactical approach?]

[Hahaha, tactical retreat.]

[6666…]

Later, the post-match interview segment also understood the audience well, bringing Lin Lan and Jiang Jin directly. When the host asked Lin Lan if he wasn’t in good form in the first game, he honestly replied, “Didn’t sleep well yesterday.”

Not sleeping well and still crushing WS?

This answer infuriated WS fans, unable to hold back their harsh words, accusing him of showing off.

Lin Lan really didn’t sleep well. After saying this, he rubbed his eyes, looking weary under the camera with bloodshot eyes.

His appearance broke the hearts of his fans, even onlookers couldn’t bear it. They immediately grabbed their keyboards to retort to WS fans.

How can you be so tough after losing? Even if you didn’t sleep well, even if you thrashed them, so what?

After a series of verbal punches, WS fans were silenced.

After all, in esports, being bad is the original sin.

Then the host asked some superficial questions, finally getting to, “Do you think it’s better to play AD or support?”

Lin Lan didn’t hesitate, “Support is better, playing AD is too tiring.”

The host chuckled mischievously and pressed on, “So, do you think your support is better, or Morri’s support is better?”

She clearly set up a tricky question, and next to Lin Lan stood Jiang Jin. Jiang—socially anxious—Jin instinctively tensed up at this question.

Answering this question poorly could trend on social media.

Lin Lan, who’s accustomed to the host’s post-match antics, remained calm and collected, “Before he joined DT, I played well. After he joined DT, he played well.”

His response was both arrogant and gave the highest recognition to Jiang Jin, instantly elevating the interview to a climax.

After playing professionally for five years and enduring five years of criticism, Lin Lan is no longer the outspoken youngster he used to be. His composed demeanor on stage has garnered him many fans.

Afterward, they did trend on social media. But most of the news was positive.

Fans flocked to find Lin Lan on various platforms, even though he hadn’t registered, and even DT’s official account had limited posts about him.

The more scarce his presence, the more fans cherished every game he played. Even anti-fans, with nowhere to direct their negativity, found themselves watching Lin Lan’s matches every day, almost turning into devoted fans.

After defeating WS, DT’s subsequent opponents were not as strong.

Having tasted success, DT continued their 4-protect-1 strategy and won many matches. However, this strategy heavily depended on Lin Lan’s form, resulting in them losing the first game in each series and then winning the next two in nail-biting fashion.

The “1v2 comeback” became DT’s signature move, even jokingly referred to as a “tactical retreat.” Many new fans claimed to prepare a fast-acting heart pill before watching DT matches to prevent breathlessness, fearing they might pass out during the games.

Lin Lan’s skills got hotter and hotter. He once again cut down the opponents amidst suspense. With this, DT achieved a splendid record of 8 wins and 2 losses.

Currently, the only teams with continuous victories are ENG and FFO. They are set to face each other in the next match, meaning DT will likely hold the third position for quite some time – an achievement many wouldn’t have dared to dream of.

Although DT is currently facing weaker teams, and the standings might seem somewhat deceptive, it undeniably brings a lot of advantages to DT!

Especially in terms of viewership. Whenever there’s a DT match, the viewership is almost on par with those of strong teams.

Some are fans, some are anti-fans, but the majority come out of curiosity to watch.

Because DT’s name is at the forefront, many well-established strong teams are overshadowed. Each marketing post for DT’s matches dubs them the “dark horse of esports,” sparking curiosity about what kind of team DT is.

Moreover, Lin Lan’s ranking officially entered the top three in the AD position. Every time someone sees this unfamiliar name, they can’t help but question, “Kiner? Who’s that? I haven’t heard of them.”

“That’s DT’s AD.”

“DT? Who are they?”

“A team that came up from the LDL, ranked third in the Spring Split.”

“Wow! They’re this good?”

Countless viewers came out of curiosity and found themselves unable to leave. They eagerly awaited DT’s matches every day, and the team’s popularity gradually rivaled that of strong teams.

However, it seems unfortunate that their top laner is not performing well.

This is an age-old issue, and DT’s fans have long accepted it. They even feel that as long as Wu Tianqi can play the 4-protect-1 strategy, they are fine with his performance.

But unfortunately, Wu Tianqi is not one to stay quiet.

During this period, he’s been behaving terribly, skipping meetings, and slacking off in training. The team manager got furious and scolded him repeatedly, while Coach Zhang tried persuading him earnestly, but to no avail.

Wu Tianqi even indulged in online activities to avoid facing the problem. He got acquainted with various random people online and, before his contract expired, dared to communicate with managers from other teams. This almost drove the team manager crazy.

He dares to act this way for a reason.

Firstly, during training matches, Lu Shi got completely outplayed, and the remaining substitutes and youth team members couldn’t form a decent top laner.

Secondly, despite his hard work in DT, the promised shares haven’t been delivered to him. Frustrated, he chose this ongoing slump as a way to rebel, simultaneously putting pressure on the team manager.

Thirdly, the 4-protect-1 strategy has been masking his weaknesses. Playing comfortably and receiving numerous accolades from fans who were unaware of the situation, he started to believe in his own hype. With constant praise, he became increasingly restless, even thinking that DT couldn’t function without him.

Coach Zhang is always visibly stressed whenever he sees Wu Tianqi. The team manager doesn’t even want to acknowledge his presence, to the point where there was a time he didn’t want to come to the base at all.

Fortunately, DT’s current performance is still good.

However, this stroke of luck is about to run out soon because DT’s challenging match phase is right around the corner.

In this devilish stretch, the next six opponents for DT are all strong teams, teams they have never won against in training matches.

After Coach Zhang finished the analysis, the situation was clear. He turned around to seek everyone’s opinions, “The boss’s expectations for DT are not high to begin with, as long as we make it to the playoffs. Regarding the upcoming matches, we need to make some adjustments. So, I would like to gather everyone’s thoughts.”

Jiang Jin provided a data analysis, “DT has won all matches with a 2:1 score, and lost all with a 0:2 score. Losing in small rounds puts us at a disadvantage. In the upcoming six matches, DT needs to win at least two to secure a spot in the playoffs.”

Never mind winning two games; just seeing the names of those teams makes everyone shudder. Winning even a single match seems like wishful thinking.

Feifei looked at the team names on the board with a hint of discouragement, “JIO, YTF, KIG, FO— we haven’t won a single training match against these four teams. We haven’t even won a small round against the first two teams. IB and ENG, the remaining ones, think we’re too weak; they don’t even bother practicing with us. Although DT’s current ranking looks good, winning each match will be extremely difficult. It’s like a facade of strength with an underlying weakness. Many people are already waiting to see us fail.”

DT’s 50% win rate in training matches is genuine; they genuinely can’t beat those teams. They haven’t even won when the opponents were experimenting with different champions.

The group couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear. If DT starts strong but ends poorly, and if they don’t even make it to the playoffs, they don’t know how they will be mocked.

Lin Lan, who had been quiet, suddenly suggested, “I propose giving up the 4-protect-1 strategy for the next six matches.”

Feifei was surprised, “Why?”

“The 4-protect-1 strategy is only suitable for dealing with teams that are inherently not of high skill level. Once we face strong teams, there’s no late game.”

When Lin Lan was still a newcomer, the opponents could already kill him instantly. How could they sustain until the late game in such a scenario?

Jiang Jin agrees with Lin Lan’s perspective. But if DT doesn’t play the 4-protect-1 strategy, what should they play? This lineup is the one that maximally conceals Wu Tianqi’s lack of strength and Feifei’s nonconformist tendencies.

This can be considered a decision made out of necessity.

Coach Zhang is caught in a dilemma. Lin Lan insists, “The 4-protect-1 has no future. Many teams already know how to counter us. Once we face strong teams, this lineup becomes vulnerable. Moreover, sticking to the same lineup for too long will disrupt everyone’s feel for the game, and we won’t be able to adapt to future changes in the meta. Only teams with diverse lineups have a future.”

Lin Lan isn’t just fearmongering. The pace of version changes is absurdly fast, and each segment of the season has a different meta, challenging players’ adaptability.

DT may have found their comfort zone now, but it also means they’re like a frog in slowly boiling water. It becomes difficult to jump out when they realize the danger later.

Anyway, Lin Lan has said his piece, whether they listen or not is up to them.

After his words, many fell into silence.

Indeed, the 4-protect-1 strategy is their comfort zone, and they’ve won impressively so far. Now, asking them to break away requires great courage.

Wu Tianqi was the first to oppose, “I don’t agree. If we can win, why not stick with it?”

Even Feifei, who has always had a good relationship with Lin Lan, hesitated, “If we play other strategies, the mid lane might not hold up. Even if the captain helps in the early game, it will be challenging in the late game…”

Feifei has a gap in strength compared to the opponents, and the 4-protect-1 is his comfort zone. After being accustomed to it for a long time, he finds it challenging to break away.

The new manager and team leader also believed that changing the playstyle would not be favorable for public opinion. If they lose the game, the top and mid-lanes will become the targets of criticism.

Lin Lan didn’t want to argue with them. He had a terrible headache now and just wanted to rest quickly, “Do whatever you want.”

After saying this, he didn’t speak anymore. Everyone thought he was angry, but in reality, he was just hiding in the background to recharge.

From those photos, he saw many instances of the original owner being bullied. The first-person experience was too vivid, especially emotionally draining. To ensure the smooth progress of the matches, he usually didn’t bother with anything other than training. He just considered it as him being overly outspoken.

After the meeting, Lin Lan was called into the office alone. Coach Zhang made him a cup of tea, exchanged some meaningless pleasantries, and then got to the point, “The suggestion you made earlier is excellent. Tianqi and Feifei didn’t understand, so they spoke that way. Don’t be angry with them. Your contributions to the team are recognized by both me and Brother Mu.”

Lin Lan was not angry. He didn’t have the time or energy to be angry.

Moreover, a few days ago, when he received his salary and found that he got a significant raise, he had already figured it out: even if DT falls apart, he’ll bear with it.

“Coach Zhang, you misunderstood. I’m not angry; I just didn’t sleep well.”

Upon hearing that Lin Lan didn’t sleep well, Coach Zhang immediately showered him with concern, almost wanting to hand him a box of calming and brain-boosting supplements.

Lin Lan politely declined, “Coach, can I go back now?”

“Wait for a moment,” Coach Zhang kept glancing towards the door, looking quite serious, “Xiao Lin, don’t be in a hurry to leave. Brother Mu has something very important to discuss with you—extremely important.”

Brother Mu has been busy as a spinning top these days. What important matter does he want to discuss?

Lin Lan waited left and right, only to see Coach Zhang sneakily answer a phone call. He wiped his sweat while continuously glancing in Lin Lan’s direction as if he had committed some guilty act.

Could it be that he regretted giving him a raise?

Lin Lan instantly became vigilant.

After finishing the call, Coach Zhang, looking somewhat guilty, said to him, “Xiao Lin, um, about that, you can go back for now. The matter hasn’t been decided yet.”

Lin Lan was perplexed, wondering what was going on. Why not just say it directly? It’s quite uncomfortable to be left in suspense.

As he exited the office, he coincidentally met Xiao Shengjing entering. When he passed by, Xiao Shengjing suddenly ruffled Lin Lan’s hair, saying, “Wait for me in the room. I’ll talk to you later.”

Lin Lan still had no idea what was happening, feeling that they were being secretive as if dealing with something tricky.

Back in his room, he waited idly. Nearly an hour passed before Xiao Shengjing arrived. “Lin Lan, I’m coming in directly.”

He entered cautiously, checked outside, locked the door, and then took out a bunch of mysterious documents from his pocket. “Lin Lan, it’s a special time now. Listen to me.”

Xiao Shengjing pressed Lin Lan down to sit at the table, pulled out a pile of miscellaneous documents, and opened all of them. “Brother Mu has decided to give you shares. You currently have the same amount as me. This matter hasn’t been made public yet, so don’t assert yourself. Cooperate with me to fill out these documents, and don’t tell anyone.”

Lin Lan’s eyes were blurred. Initially, he thought it was a joke. “Captain, are you kidding me?”

“The company’s seal is on it, and there’s Brother Mu’s handwritten signature. No one would dare to play such a big joke,” Xiao Shengjing pointed out all the places that needed Lin Lan’s signature and handed him a pen. “Take a look at this first. If everything’s okay, then sign it.”

Lin Lan quickly went through it, biting the pen cap in disbelief. “Brother Mu really gave me shares?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“He wants to keep you.” Xiao Shengjing took out an inkpad, reminding him, “Don’t forget the fingerprint.”

Seeing that everything was well-prepared and realizing it wasn’t a joke, Lin Lan felt a bit startled. “No, this is too sudden, isn’t it?”

“Not really. Brother Mu has been wanting to talk to you about this, but he was afraid of provoking Wu Tianqi, so he kept delaying the conversation with you.”

So, Brother Mu talked to everyone about it, except himself, just because of this matter?

Biting the pen’s head, he said, “Captain, I still can’t wrap my head around this.”

How long has he been in DT? He didn’t even get shares during his five years at IB. Is this really not some kind of joke they’re playing on him?

“Lin Lan, this decision has always been there; it’s just not safe to make it public at the moment. Brother Mu and Coach Zhang really like you. They consider you as one of their own. The decision to give you shares was unanimously approved, but due to Wu Tianqi’s situation, they didn’t want to show too much favoritism towards you. They were also worried about you feeling wronged, so they asked me to take good care of you.”

Lin Lan continued to bite the pen cap, still finding it absurd.

All this time, he only saw DT as a safe haven, just wanting to make a living here. How could he have imagined that, in the process, they would consider him one of their own? And now, they’re even giving him shares?

“You guys…”

Xiao Shengjing patted his head again as if comforting him. “I know you’ve been feeling wronged lately. Today, seeing you care so much about DT, Brother Mu felt sorry for you. So, we discussed it and decided to sign the agreement with you first, not making it public for now. After the Spring Season ends, Brother Mu will have a good talk with Wu Tianqi.”

Did they think he was angry just now, so they deliberately discussed this matter?

Lin Lan was stunned for a moment, and then a large hand landed on his head, bringing a reassuring strength that made him feel more secure than at any other time.

Suddenly, he couldn’t hold back anymore. After these few months of being with them, he had grown to like DT a lot and wanted to stay here.

But he wasn’t from this world. Sooner or later, he would have to go back. This share given to him was truly a waste.

Lin Lan stopped halfway through signing the agreement. He didn’t know how to say it to Xiao Shengjing. Something was choking him in his chest, making it hard to breathe. “Captain, if— I mean, if— if one day I’m not here, how would Brother Mu feel?”

Xiao Shengjing misunderstood his meaning. He silently patted his head, telling him, “Even if one day you want to leave, it’s okay. Before leaving, you can transfer the shares. You’re free to go wherever you want. DT doesn’t want to trap you; we just want to provide you with security.”

Indeed, the salary DT offered was far from what he initially earned.

But given some time, DT’s development wouldn’t be too bad. Their shares would also rise to a level where they would become valuable.

This was far more meaningful than being an ordinary employee.

It was a form of security, a sense of safety.

It was something Lin Lan had always pursued but never obtained in his original world…

“Captain, you guys…”

Lin Lan didn’t know how to express his emotions. He rarely lost control like he did now, and it felt like he was acting out of character.

“Don’t you guys want to keep it for yourselves? Why give it to me?”

“Brother Mu wants to keep you.” Xiao Shengjing looked at him uncertainly, holding back another sentence he didn’t say.

In truth, he also wanted him to stay. Initially, he had two more points than Lin Lan. It was Xiao Shengjing who had suggested giving one of his points to Lin Lan, not wanting him to feel any imbalance.

Just now, when he was worried about Lin Lan being treated unfairly, he immediately contacted Brother Mu to discuss this matter.

They were discussing whether to sign the agreement with him first and delay the public announcement.

“If you don’t want to sign, I’ll sign it for Wu Tianqi.” Xiao Shengjing pinched his face firmly and chuckled, “Didn’t you just yell about getting a raise? Now, when I offer you shares, you don’t want them?”

Lin Lan was initially feeling quite melancholic, but Xiao Shengjing’s words made him so angry that he wanted to curse. “I’ll sign, I must sign.”

Guided by Xiao Shengjing, he signed all the documents, still feeling like he was dreaming. “Captain, why is Brother Mu so generous?”

Xiao Shengjing pondered for a moment. “Brother Mu is quite stingy in small matters, but generous in big matters.”

Thinking about the incident with cutting his hair, Lin Lan found Brother Mu’s behavior quite absurd. He was so reluctant to spend two thousand yuan on a haircut, but when it came to shares, he gave them without hesitation.

After signing the contract, Lin Lan felt a change in his mindset.

Before, watching DT was like watching a hotel – good or bad, it had nothing to do with him. Now, watching DT felt like watching his own home, and he unexpectedly developed a sense of shared honor and disgrace.

However, when he thought about the upcoming six matches for DT, Lin Lan couldn’t laugh anymore.

Damn it, how could a team with his shares lose so miserably?

So, Jiang Jin noticed that recently, not only was Lin Lan training diligently, but he was also dragging him along to work hard.

Lu Shi secretly teased him, “What’s up? Did DT give you shares? Why the hard work?”

Lin Lan: ?

Damn, how did he guess that?

Lu Shi, with a triumphant expression, told him, “Not only did I guess it, but Feifei also figured it out. We discussed it privately, and this share belongs to no one but you. With Wu Tianqi’s annoying look, even Brother Mu is about to be driven crazy. If he could get shares, I’d wash my hair upside down…”

It must be said that Lu Shi had a talent for gossip.

Lin Lan warned him, “Don’t tell Wu Tianqi, I’m afraid of trouble.”

“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.”

 

Author’s Note:

To let Lin Lan play top lane sooner, I advanced the plot a bit.

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