Apart from the persistence of the entire DT team, their hand speed has also become a topic of great interest among the audience.
Although it is known that DT’s top and AD players are very young and have fast hand speed, today’s intense contrast is still a first!
Even YTF fans, after watching, cannot help but admit that their favorite players are getting older. The average age is in the early twenties, with the oldest player being almost 24 years old, long past his golden period.
The era they dominated has come to an end, while DT’s era is just beginning.
In the post-match data, it can be seen that Xu Shengwei’s output is almost on par with Lin Lan, making the audience take a serious look at this newly emerging young talent for the first time.
When Lin Lan just switched to the top lane, there were rumors among netizens that Xu Shengwei was brought in by capitalists, and Lin Lan had to make room for him. Fans even joined in the criticism for a while.
Later, the official clarification refuted the rumors, confirming that Xu Shengwei was personally chosen by Lin Lan as the successor and personally trained newcomer. The rumors about Xu Shengwei gradually shattered.
Now, seeing Xu Shengwei grow into the desired player, fans finally understand the true significance of Lin Lan choosing him.
Because of their youthful fearlessness and daring spirit, it is exactly what DT needs most now! Lin Lan didn’t choose the wrong person!
After the handshake, DT players returned to their positions, packing up their things and discussing what to eat later with laughter. Everyone seemed relaxed, even Feifei, who had been temporarily silenced during the match, smiled along, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
This scene couldn’t help but make the audience below sigh. A new team is indeed great—no messy distractions; everyone is focused solely on the game.
In the post-match interview, for the first time, the officials invited Xu Shengwei. Standing alongside Jiang Jin, a newcomer and a player with two years of experience, Xu Shengwei showed no signs of stage fright. The host dared to ask, and he dared to answer. On the contrary, Jiang Jin seemed a bit embarrassed in front of the camera, behaving more like a newcomer.
When the host asked Xu Shengwei, “How do you feel about your performance today?”
Xu Shengwei: “It’s okay.”
“Compared to DT’s previous AD?”
The previous AD for DT was Lin Lan, and Xu Shengwei didn’t catch on immediately, saying, “Both are good.”
Laughter erupted from the audience below. He hadn’t even realized it yet when the host continued to dig a pit, adding, “Do you think your Vayne played better than Vladimir this game?”
It was only then that Xu Shengwei realized the host was asking about this match, but there was no chance for recovery. Jiang Jin next to him was also laughing at him.
The host continued to ask him, “So, who do you think is the most formidable player in the team?”
Without hesitation, Xu Shengwei replied, “Kiner.”
The host exclaimed, “Doesn’t that mean your team captain isn’t impressive? Deduct money, deduct money…”
The audience burst into laughter again. Having encountered many seasoned players, it seemed that newcomers were more interesting.
Xu Shengwei was completely baffled by the questions; he wasn’t good at this.
Before going on stage, the team manager had told him what to say and what not to say. Yet, in answering questions, he managed to step into every pit, leaving none untouched.
Jiang Jin desperately tried to move away, afraid of being implicated.
He’s even less skilled at these things…
In the lounge, teammates burst into laughter, with Lu Shi laughing particularly loudly. As soon as Xu Shengwei stepped off the stage, Lu Shi rushed to tease him, “Do you know what our manager looked like when you were being interviewed? He was twisting his eyebrows in worry, and kept asking why the interview wasn’t ending, hahaha…”
Xu Shengwei, still a bit clueless, knew he didn’t answer well. He scratched his head, and looked at Lin Lan, feeling like he made a mistake, wearing an innocent expression not knowing what to do.
Lin Lan stood up, patted his shoulder, and gave his evaluation, “Played the game well, let’s skip the interviews.”
He said it seriously, and the teammates who had just stopped laughing burst into laughter again.
Everyone was happy about winning against YTF today. Coach Zhang hadn’t even left when he happily shared the news with Brother Mu. The two arranged to have a drink together in the evening, keeping it a secret from the team. Before 9 o’clock, they found an excuse and slipped away.
Lu Shi, seeing through the situation, commented, “They’re leaving so early; surely, it’s for a drink with Brother Mu. Every time there’s good news, they make plans, and even without good news, they still make plans. I’ve never seen them not making plans.”
Lin Lan was delighted. Coach Zhang and Brother Mu going for a drink meant they had the night off. He happily took out his equipment and tossed it onto the table, “I’m going back to rest!”
However, halfway there, he was grabbed by Xiao Shengjing by the collar and pushed back, “For today’s analysis, Coach Zhang asked me to do it.”
“Oh my god…” Lu Shi wailed and then, realizing he was a substitute, tried his luck, “Substitutes don’t have to participate, right?”
Lin Lan grabbed his arm and pulled him in, “Substitutes need to participate even more.”
In the meeting room, Xiao Shengjing led them in the analysis.
Thinking there were no leaders around, everyone seemed relaxed, cracking jokes here and there, making the analysis process quite easy-going.
Lin Lan, for once, didn’t doze off during the meeting, but Xiao Shengjing called him out, “Lin Lan, come to the front row.”
Lin Lan defended himself, “I wasn’t sleeping.”
“I know you weren’t,” Xiao Shengjing calmly retracted his gaze, “but you weren’t listening either.”
“Hahaha…” Lu Shi burst into laughter.
Lin Lan was so annoyed that his nose was almost crooked. He resentfully thought that Xiao Shengjing must be a relic from the Paleolithic era; how could he be so old-fashioned?
He grabbed his notebook, and moved to the front row, biting the end of his pen, wearing a conflicted expression.
Xiao Shengjing picked up Lin Lan’s clean notebook and asked him, “Are you afraid of getting it dirty, not writing a single word?”
This time, not only Lu Shi but all the teammates burst into laughter, even Xu Shengwei couldn’t hold back and chuckled after holding it in for a while.
Angrily, Lin Lan snatched back his notebook. It was really infuriating. Was it okay to bully teammates like this just because Coach Zhang wasn’t around?
He drew Xiao Shengjing as a fire-breathing dinosaur in the notebook. When it came to abstract art, he had some talent. With just a few strokes, he made the dinosaur version of Xiao Shengjing vividly lifelike.
He had never been talented in academics since he was young, unable to focus in class. However, he had improved a lot in scribbling and doodling in his notebook. Later, his life was changed by his talent in gaming.
As Lin Lan was drawing, he suddenly stopped.
With force, the pen tip fell on the notebook, tearing the paper.
As the analysis on stage ended and the lights turned on, everyone returned to their seats, except Lin Lan, who remained motionless in his place.
Xiao Shengjing rolled up his sleeves and picked up the notebook filled with scribbles and doodles. “What did you draw?” he asked.
“Captain,” Lin Lan suddenly grabbed his hand, his expression serious, and his gaze as dark as an abyss, “What did you say about the composition of students at Shengyuan High School last time?”
Xiao Shengjing paused for a moment, then replied, “80% are children of the nobility, and only 20% are outstanding students from poor backgrounds. Most of these poor students have excellent academic records in their respective cities, helping Shengyuan increase its enrollment rate. They receive a substantial scholarship every year and, upon successful graduation, gain access to high-quality social resources and startup funds. Therefore, many impoverished students apply to Shengyuan every year.”
Lin Lan’s eyelashes trembled slightly; he realized he had entered into a misconception.
The misconception was that he and the original host shared the same genes, and their talents in gaming and academics should be the same.
The gaming talent had already been confirmed by the original host. Despite various instances of slacking off and not receiving proper training, he could still become a professional player, indicating how exceptional his talent was.
On the other hand, Lin Lan had no academic talent at all, fitting the stereotype of a poor student who struggled academically. How could the original host excel academically?
There must be something wrong here.
Lin Lan suddenly stood up, “Captain, I have a question to ask you. Since you’re in the student council, do you know the list of students who receive financial aid? Is my name on it?”
Xiao Shengjing thought for a moment, “Come with me.”
He took Lin Lan back to his room, and logged into his school account, only to find it had been deactivated. Through connections, he found a new account, accessed the internal information of the student council, and retrieved the list of financial aid recipients for those three years. Lin Lan, despite straining his eyes, couldn’t find his own name.
“Not on there,” Lin Lan was shocked.
He remembered being an orphan, raised in an orphanage. The original host also had memories of the orphanage, indicating that he had spent time there too.
What kind of situation could allow an orphan with no identity to enter a prestigious school as a child of the nobility?
Racking his brain, Lin Lan could only think of one possibility: adoption.
His immediate reaction was, “Captain, I want to go back to the orphanage and take a look.”
Xiao Shengjing didn’t immediately refute him. After some thought, he said, “You’ve been traveling for almost two days. It might affect the game. Let’s wait until the regular season is over, and I’ll accompany you.”
Lin Lan nodded. After all, there weren’t many days left.
As long as he found the family that adopted him, he could understand the original host’s life trajectory and how it led to this point.
Back in his room, Lin Lan received another message from Xie Zilu, who had returned to China the past few days. He wanted to meet up with Lin Lan.
After learning about Xie Zilu’s mental illness, Lin Lan dared not meet him. He continued to use the previous excuse to stall him: “I need to train; I don’t have time.”
Xie Zilu didn’t say much and just replied, “Okay.”
Lin Lan tossed his phone aside and took a shower.
The sound of water echoed around him as Lin Lan pondered over many things. His thoughts became overwhelming, and in the end, he decided to get a good night’s sleep first.
After coming out of the bathroom, he received a video call invitation from Xie Zilu.
Lin Lan subconsciously declined the call, and there was no immediate reaction from the other side. However, after two minutes, the call came again.
This time, Lin Lan contemplated for a while and eventually accepted.
In the video, Xie Zilu’s face wasn’t visible, only the lower part of his jaw. The background was a pitch-black night, and he leaned against the railing. The strong wind could be heard, tousling his clothes and hair in the breeze.
“Lin Lan,” he suddenly called his name, sounding like he had been drinking, with a slightly damp tone, “I missed your game again today, but I watched the live broadcast in the car. You played really well, just like before. You seem unchanged. Why?”
Lin Lan didn’t understand the meaning behind this video call. He didn’t look at the camera while speaking some inexplicable words, “Why what?”
“Why does it feel like the people I encountered twice are exactly like you now…” Xie Zilu shifted the angle, allowing a view of his face. He stared at the camera, his face showing the flush of alcohol, his bangs disheveled into a mess from him running his hands through them. There were red marks on his fair skin, resembling allergic reactions, and scratches leaving red imprints from scratching. “Same playstyle, same temper, same way of speaking. It’s as if these five years have passed, and you haven’t changed at all…”
Lin Lan furrowed his brows. Surprisingly, Xie Zilu was allergic to alcohol.
How could he dare to drink to this extent?
Xie Zilu didn’t need his response; he continued speaking to the camera on his own, “Why haven’t you changed at all? Doesn’t he usually keep you hidden away? You’ve been kept like this, staying in the darkness, watching him act like a waste, living like a waste. How painful it must be for you…”
Lin Lan knew he was referring to himself as an alter ego. He didn’t interrupt, silently waiting for him to continue.
“This kind of waste shouldn’t exist. He’s the one who should stay in the darkness,” Xie Zilu’s tone was filled with intense resentment. Then, he burst into hearty laughter, sounding like a madman. He shouted loudly from the rooftop, “Lin Lan, waste should stay where it belongs, am I right?”
Lin Lan was not mentally disturbed, so he couldn’t empathize with Xie Zilu.
He couldn’t understand why Xie Zilu was telling him all this. Why was he so interested in the original host’s personality?
Xie Zilu looked at the camera, insistently demanding an answer, “Lin Lan, am I right or not?”
After some thought, Lin Lan decided to nod.
Xie Zilu chuckled again, a dry and throaty sound. He was too thin, his bones sharply defined, and the marks left by scratching looked painful.
“Lin Lan, I always knew we were the same kind of people.”
After speaking, he sounded a bit breathless. Then, he flipped from one side of the railing to the other, and the camera swayed to show a seemingly endless street, a full thirty floors high, scaring Lin Lan, who had acrophobia, quite a bit.
This guy, Xie Zilu!
He had been standing outside the railing the whole time!
Xie Zilu, who had just climbed back from the danger zone, picked up his phone, breathed heavily for a moment, and then suddenly laughed again. He said something that sent shivers down Lin Lan’s spine, “We are the same kind of people. Our existence is meant to eliminate the incomplete self and change this utterly miserable life…”
Lin Lan felt his scalp tingling all the way down to his heels.
Damn, so that’s what Xie Zilu meant by that statement!
He didn’t consider himself a fellow patient; instead, he viewed Lin Lan as an alter ego derived from the weak primary personality. That explained why he was so eager for the alter ego to eliminate the primary personality.
Lin Lan regretted accepting this video call. He felt that now that he knew Xie Zilu’s secret, trouble was inevitable in the future.
But hanging up now wasn’t very likely. Bracing himself, he asked, “How do you eliminate him?”
“Eliminate? Hehehe…” Xie Zilu laughed again, took a sip of the alcohol in his hand, and his eyes turned cold and menacing. “Weaklings like them don’t need us to personally eliminate them. They’ll break down on their own, willingly leaving. Doesn’t that align with Darwin’s theory of evolution? Survival of the fittest, elimination of the weak.”
Xie Zilu looked at the camera, and there was something genuine in his intoxicated eyes. “Lin Lan, we were chosen to stay. We are the winners, born to control everything. Nothing can bring us down.”
His voice, tinged with alcohol, became slightly hoarse, captivating yet dangerous in the darkness. “Lin Lan, I look forward to seeing you crowned. Don’t disappoint me…”
Lin Lan shivered for a moment but then regained his composure. In Xie Zilu’s eyes, they were allies. As long as he didn’t reveal anything, even knowing Xie Zilu’s secret wouldn’t pose a danger.
His heart rate started to increase, and Lin Lan calmly asked him, “Did you help eliminate my primary personality?”
“Hehehe… I admit I gave it a push, but Lin Lan, I’ve told you, his medication has nothing to do with me. You don’t need to waste your efforts on me,” Xie Zilu said, taking a sip of his drink and tilting his head. There was an inconspicuous tattoo on his neck, extremely small, like a winged insect, perhaps a dragonfly or butterfly.
Before Lin Lan could get a clear look, the tattoo was hidden by his collar.
“I enjoyed chatting with you today,” Xie Zilu half-crouched on the platform, looking down at the bottle in his hand. At this moment, he revealed a bit of a childlike vulnerability. “Every time I feel like I’m the only one in this world, as long as I think of you, I don’t feel lonely at all… Lin Lan, you’re important to me. You must live a long and healthy life.”
After saying this, he raised his head and smiled at the camera. The allergic rash on his face became more severe. His breathing became rapid, and as he stood up, the bottle shattered, and he suddenly fell toward the shards of glass…
Even through the screen, Lin Lan felt the pain. He ended the video call and immediately called emergency services for Xie Zilu.
Xie Zilu was taken to the hospital, and at 6 AM the next morning, he opened a video call for Lin Lan, who was still sleeping.
On the other end of the phone, Xie Zilu’s head, feet, and hands were all wrapped in white bandages, with only his remaining hand holding the phone.
Although he looked quite miserable, he seemed to be in good spirits, smiling like a child as he showed Lin Lan the hospital’s breakfast. “The food in this hospital is terrible, not recommended.”
Lin Lan, with swollen eyes from sleepiness, looked at Xie Zilu in disbelief. “You’re calling me early in the morning just to tell me this?”
“I didn’t sleep all night.”
“It’s your own doing.”
“I’m already in the hospital, and you’re sleeping so soundly.”
“Not my problem.” Lin Lan hung up the phone directly, thinking that Xie Zilu must be crazy to call him at six in the morning.
Xie Zilu laughed again, “You’re in such a bad mood in the morning.”
He took a bite of the bread in his hand, chewing slowly, and after finishing one bite after another, it didn’t seem that bad after all.
He looked at the trees outside the window in a good mood. Waking up early allowed him to hear the birds singing—how nice.
“Mr. Xie,” the bodyguard hurriedly approached him and whispered, “Jiang Xi is not in New York; it seems she has returned to her country.”
Xie Zilu’s expression suddenly turned cold again. He stood up and looked at the wall clock. Tick-tock, the mechanical sound repeated coldly in the room.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Lan slept for a long time, only waking up when the sun was already shining on his buttocks.
Checking the time, he realized he was late. He hurriedly got up, washed up at rocket speed, and arrived at the training room to find out that Coach Zhang wasn’t present today, and everyone was training on their own.
Lin Lan sighed in relief, “No wonder no one called me; it turns out Coach Zhang is sick.”
Lu Shi leaned close to his ear, mysteriously saying, “Certainly drank too much yesterday. Sorry to say, but he’s probably using illness as an excuse for taking a day off.”
It sounded exactly like something Coach Zhang and Brother Mu would do. Lin Lan was used to it. He picked up his equipment, prepared to start, and then noticed something different about his desk.
Lu Shi’s training position was right behind Lin Lan. He glided over to Lin Lan and raised an eyebrow, “Do you feel like your desk is tidier now?”
Lin Lan looked at him suspiciously, “Did you tidy it up?”
“No,” Lu Shi hinted with his eyes. When he saw Lin Lan didn’t understand, he whispered, “It’s the captain. He not only tidied up your desk but also replaced your coffee with this soothing herbal tea.”
Lin Lan wondered why his desk felt different. So, his coffee and cup were replaced, and a box of calming brain tonic was added.
He went to the meeting room and found Xiao Shengjing, “Captain, stop messing around. What else should we drink during the training period if not coffee? Hurry up and switch the coffee back for me.”
Xiao Shengjing was organizing documents. He looked up at Lin Lan, then lowered his gaze, calmly saying, “What you need now is not training; it’s to take care of your mental health. Drinking too much black coffee can harm your sleep. Look at your dark circles. How long has it been since you had a good night’s sleep? No matter how long you sleep, it won’t help if your sleep quality is poor.”
Lin Lan was not ‘unable’ to sleep well; he was afraid that entering deep sleep would take him back to another world, affecting his performance in the competition.
Lin Lan didn’t dare to light the incense given to him by Xu Shengwei, and he avoided taking the sleep aid medication. Sometimes, when he slept heavily at night, he would still wake up. Additionally, Lin Lan would occasionally think about some mentally taxing matters, which contributed to the poor quality of his sleep.
However, sleeping poorly was still better than traversing to another world. If he couldn’t wake up when it was crucial, that would be a real problem.
“Captain, you can give it back to me. I can manage it myself.”
Xiao Shengjing put down what he was holding and looked at Lin Lan. Suddenly, he asked, “Lin Lan, are you hiding something from me?”
Lin Lan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He looked like someone without a care in the world. “No, not at all.”
Xiao Shengjing didn’t doubt any further. He reached out and ruffled Lin Lan’s hair, his palm gentle. “That’s good. Don’t make me worry. You can’t drink coffee for a while. We’ll talk about it later.”
Lin Lan nodded in a daze. It was only when he left the meeting room that he realized: What kind of magic had Xiao Shengjing used? Why did he suddenly become so obedient?
Back at his seat, Lu Shi asked him, “Is the coffee coming back?”
Lin Lan shook his head in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. He just… talked a lot, and then he managed to fool me.”
Lu Shi said, “Oh. Lin Lan, you’re done for!”
Lin Lan: ?
“You’ve been eaten up by our captain. What’s going on, bro? How did you end up on the losing side?” Lu Shi couldn’t contain his gossip-filled heart. He patted Lin Lan on the shoulder, making him look at him. “You can’t be all soft-hearted when pursued. Understand? What’s called ‘control’, let me give you a lesson. Have you ever been in a relationship? You should handle him like this, and like that, so that he becomes completely devoted to you…”
After listening to Lu Shi’s words, Lin Lan felt like his ears were contaminated.
What a load of nonsensical and grotesque gibberish…
![Mister, I Want a Divorce [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/先生，我想离婚.jpg "Mister, I Want a Divorce [BL]")
