IRAJAS Chapter 64

“Who is Lin Lan talking to?” Lu Shi stared at Lin Lan on the balcony, quite curious. “He made three calls this afternoon.”

Jiang Jin, passing by, seemed to overhear a bit and was uncertain. “Seems like it’s a girl, sweet voice.”

“Hmm? A girl?”

All eyes turned involuntarily to Xiao Shengjing. Several pairs of eyes focused on him, causing Xiao Shengjing to feel uncomfortable. Even his chess move got disrupted.

Lin Lan was on the phone with Jiang Xi. He had been making calls continuously these days, even though Xiao Shengjing knew that Jiang Xi wasn’t interested in this Lin Lan. Still, Xiao Shengjing couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Lu Shiru nodded thoughtfully. “No wonder Captain hasn’t been in a good mood these days. So, that’s the reason.”

Without realizing the situation, Xu Shengwei, in a very daring manner, asked, “Is Lin Lan getting a girlfriend? Should we contribute some money for the gift?”

A “whoosh” of gazes fell on him. Xiao Shengjing’s already cold eyes became even colder. “Xu Shengwei, add two extra hours to the training tonight.”

Xu Shengwei: “Why?”

“Because you have too much free time, add 3 hours.”

Lu Shi couldn’t help but laugh. He sympathetically patted Xu Shengwei’s shoulder, signaling him not to ask any further. This silly kid, why is he so naive?

When Lin Lan finished the call, it was just in time for the meeting.

This meeting was organized by Coach Zhang, and almost everyone who could attend had to be present. Even Brother Mu, who didn’t understand the game, came to the scene.

Compared to the regular season, the playoffs were much more brutal for DT.

With a Bo5 extended format, it heavily tested the endurance of newcomers. The elimination format of the bubble match meant that losing just one game would result in direct elimination. Therefore, every score was crucial, and the pressure on players would double.

DT had been rolling in the secondary league for years. Except for Jiang Jin, no one had experienced the brutality of the playoffs. Coach Zhang deliberately had Jiang Jin share his feelings with them, and the conclusion was clear: the pressure doubled.

“In the regular season, losing one or two games doesn’t have much impact on the results. But in the playoffs, losing even one game means the end of the entire spring season schedule,” Jiang Jin still remembered, “Back then, our team got eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Despite our good performance in the regular season, a small mistake in the playoffs cost us, and we ended up in seventh place.”

The regular season had a total of 8 teams, with only the top 6 receiving prize money. Seventh place meant they would leave the spring season with nothing.

No matter how impressive they were in the regular season, it couldn’t compensate for the damage caused by being eliminated in the first round.

Lin Lan naturally understood the immense pressure of the playoffs. He had also come through this period, and at that time, their team had gone through a one-round elimination in the summer playoffs due to a mistake, losing the chance to enter the World Championship.

It was also the first time the IB Team had failed to qualify for the World Championship since its establishment. They faced overwhelming criticism, and a dark cloud hung over them for the entire year until they redeemed themselves by winning the championship at the World Championship the following year, washing away the humiliation from that particular match.

Later, the league introduced a double-elimination system for the playoffs, giving the losers a second chance to reach the finals, significantly easing the pressure on the players.

There were still two years left before the introduction of the double-elimination system.

Players continued to bear the pressure of “lose and you’re out” during the matches.

While everyone else wore a worried expression, Lin Lan, on the contrary, felt invigorated. He sat up, flexing his wrists. It had been a long time since he had felt this long-lost pressure.

After the explanation of the playoffs, it was the turn of the data analyst to analyze the teams they would face next.

As DT was in the fourth position, according to the format, they needed to wait for the outcome between the eighth and fifth teams. The winner of that match would then challenge DT. If DT lost, they would be sent home, but if they won, they would continue to climb up, challenging teams until they secured victory.

“Based on my data analysis, there’s a 70% chance that our first opponent will be JIO, who is currently in the fifth position.”

JIO had previously defeated DT 2-0 during the regular season but lost one match due to carelessness, resulting in a narrow point difference, placing them just behind DT in the fifth position.

In terms of strength, they should be higher than DT, possibly even in the fourth position.

“Why does our schedule feel like a devil’s setup?” Lu Shi pointed out, raising his hand, “First, we have to face JIO, then ENG, who is in the first position. Even if we win both, we still have to face the winner from another match, likely IB. We’ve encountered the top three teams, is this fair?”

Lin Lan also found it unfair, but he said, “Isn’t winning the championship about proving that we’re stronger than everyone else? If we only face weak teams, what’s the difference from relying on luck? Even if we win, it won’t be prestigious, and the audience won’t acknowledge it.”

Lu Shi hadn’t seen Lin Lan so serious for a long time; he almost wanted to give him a round of applause. “Our Lin Lan still has ambition.”

To be honest, Lin Lan was quite eager to face ENG and IB. One was a rival, and the other was his former team. It had been a while since he had faced them, and his hands were itching for a challenge.

Seeing Lin Lan’s eager and ready-to-fight attitude, the teammates momentarily felt that DT could really make it.

After everyone had said their part, it was finally Brother Mu’s turn to speak. He told everyone, “Just play casually; we’ve already made it to the playoffs. If we lose, we don’t lose much; if we win, it’s a jackpot. Regardless of the outcome, I’ll give you all bonuses, treat you to a meal, and that’s it.”

His casual speech ignited everyone’s enthusiasm.

“Wow!”

“Sounds good!”

“Brother Mu is awesome!”

Xu Shengwei, feeling a bit puzzled, asked them, “Is this how the bosses in the LPL act? Why does it feel a bit different from what I imagined?”

Jiang Jin nodded vigorously; he had never encountered this in the LPL.

Lu Shi pulled at his team jersey, pointing to the logo on it, proudly declaring, “DT exclusive, understand?”

The white and blue jersey was adorned with dragon patterns and various sponsor labels. Lin Lan had initially found DT’s logo a bit juvenile and unattractive, but now, the more he looked at it, the more pleasing it became. After all, it was their own team, and it looked good no matter how you saw it.

Lin Lan stretched his muscles; it was time to start planning tactics for the playoffs.

At this point in the original world’s timeline, it was actually Lin Lan’s low point of the year. He had injured his hand that year, and the high-intensity training hadn’t allowed it to recover properly. He made repeated mistakes in competitions, achieving nothing for a whole year and failing to secure any medals.

Now, it seemed like fate had given him a chance. The trophies he failed to obtain in the original world were now presented to him in this world through a different route. Lin Lan wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away.

He immersed himself even more in training, with healthy eyes and an uninjured hand, pushing his skills and reaction speed to their peak.

Jiang Jin once measured Lin Lan’s best reaction speed, which hovered around 600, already a speed approaching that of a monster.

After the measurement, Jiang Jin looked at Lin Lan’s hand with reluctance, expressing regret, “Look at your hands, so well-suited for playing AD. How about you…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Lu Shi covered his mouth, “Can you stop thinking about this? Lin Lan is doing great in the top lane. You and Xu Shengwei can play in the bottom lane.”

In addition to regular training, Lin Lan also found time to analyze data with Jiang Jin. Previously, he would get tired just looking at data, but now, thinking about how this game could affect DT’s valuation and his own earnings, he became instantly energetic. “I think we need to recalculate this area. Suppose that…”

The meeting room’s door was not closed, and Lin Lan, leaning on the table, holding a pen in one hand and pressing a notebook with the other, writing intermittently, caught the attention of Xiao Shengjing.

He thought to himself, it’s indeed getting warmer; the little cat in hibernation is finally waking up to find food…

Concerning Xu Shengwei, Lin Lan provided him with the most and toughest training. While everyone else rested, Xu Shengwei worked hard, sweating profusely during control practice.

Jiang Jin whispered, “He’s training, and we’re snacking. Is that not quite right?”

Lin Lan had the look of someone with experience, “Young man, you need to toughen up.”

He said this while munching on a potato chip.

He probably forgot that, besides Xu Shengwei, he was the youngest in the team.

As for Feifei, Lin Lan had been sneaking him into the meeting room lately, and the two of them were plotting something. Feifei also practiced some peculiar heroes frequently.

The entire team was preparing for the playoffs, and Lu Shi was the most leisurely. When he had nothing to do, he would eat potato chips and secretly observe everyone, checking if anyone was dating behind his back.

The playoffs quickly arrived, and DT’s match was scheduled for the third day.

On the first day, the eighth-ranked team challenged the fifth-ranked team. JIO did not waste any time and directly swept their opponents 3-0, demonstrating their strength and proving that they were on a completely different level from their opponents.

The second day featured the seventh-ranked team challenging the sixth-ranked team, which had no relevance to DT, and Lin Lan forgot about it after a brief glance.

The third day marked DT’s first playoff match.

On the day before the match, everyone unusually became nervous, engaging in some inexplicable activities.

For instance, Feifei spent two hours making phone congee with someone no one knew.

Jiang Jin clutched his lucky cat plushie and wouldn’t let go, holding onto it even during practice.

Xiao Shengjing kept glancing at Lin Lan for no apparent reason—during training, meals, and even when they bumped into each other in the restroom. Initially feeling normal, Lin Lan became uncomfortable under his constant gaze, as if he had grown fur all over his body.

Then there was Brother Mu, who prayed to the Buddha, the chatty Coach Zhang, and the constantly surprised team manager. Everyone acted unusually.

Oddly enough, Xu Shengwei remained the most normal. He didn’t do anything different, eating, sleeping, running, and jumping as usual, as if there were no match scheduled for the next day.

By the evening, training ended early, and Coach Zhang gave everyone some buffer time.

Lin Lan lay on the bed, an uncommon occurrence of insomnia. His phone buzzed, displaying a message from Xie Zilu. He glanced at it and tossed it aside without bothering to read.

The phone buzzed again, this time from Jiang Xi. Lin Lan gave it a brief look before discarding it as well.

He didn’t know what he was waiting for, just couldn’t fall asleep, constantly staring at the phone. After a while, the phone buzzed again, this time from Xiao Shengjing: “With such intense training, is your wrist still hurting?”

Thinking about the day when the captain took him to a separate room in the lounge and applied ointment to his wrist, Lin Lan replied out of impulse, “A bit.”

Not long after, Xiao Shengjing came knocking on the door.

He had also taken a shower, wearing pajamas with glasses still perched on his nose, “Here’s the ointment for you.”

From Lin Lan’s perspective, the warm light fell gently on Xiao Shengjing’s nose. When he wore glasses, he exuded a cold and restrained aura, like someone untouched by the mundane world, maintaining a gentleman’s distance, which appeared particularly alluring.

Lin Lan took the ointment and asked, “Do you want to come in and sit for a while?”

In a TV drama, this line might carry a certain implication.

But Xiao Shengjing knew Lin Lan didn’t understand, making himself feel rather despicable. He involuntarily cleared his throat, “No need, you should go in quickly; it’s cold outside.”

Lin Lan responded with an “Oh” and genuinely closed the door.

Xiao Shengjing felt an inexplicable sense of loss. Just as he was about to leave, Lin Lan opened the door again.

He stuck his head out from the door crack, the cute green dinosaur emblem on his pajamas visible, and said, “Captain, let me help you wear your contact lenses tomorrow on the stage. In a best-of-five match, wearing them for a long time might be uncomfortable for you.”

Xiao Shengjing’s heart warmed, and he nodded.

Just as he was about to ask if Lin Lan wanted him to apply ointment for him, Lin Lan put his head back inside, and with a “snap,” the door closed.

Ah, what a disappointment.

But thinking about it, this was Lin Lan, and suddenly, it made sense.

The next day, the entire team arrived at the competition venue in high spirits, ready to face their first playoff match.

In the daily training matches, JIO was the bone that DT couldn’t seem to chew on. Whether it was due to a playstyle suppression or some other reason, they just couldn’t win. Even scraping through a small victory felt like a stroke of luck.

This piece of insider information leaked out and escalated into a rumor, gradually morphing into the notion that JIO was DT’s nemesis, undefeated in every encounter.

This news left DT’s fans feeling depressed. Having seen it so many times, they naturally accepted the fact that DT might not be on par with JIO, consoling each other online that just making it to the playoffs was already commendable.

When the official account posted a pre-match preview, it triggered one of the most amusing scenes in the history of LPL.

All the comments were filled with people lying down and comforting DT fans, saying it’s okay even if they lose, they won’t lose their fandom. Surprisingly, the official account replied with a simple “Hmm.”

This left JIO fans baffled. They had prepared a plethora of arguments to crush DT, but now even their official account was taking a laid-back approach?

Where could they find grounds for criticism?

Even before the match began, predictions about this game showed a strong one-sided trend.

A certain million-subscriber streamer believed that DT’s progress to this point had a lot to do with luck and that their actual strength fell short.

A well-known commentator expressed the view that JIO made significant mistakes during the regular season and was determined to reclaim their dominance in the playoffs.

In summary, DT was seen as undoubtedly destined to lose.

Some fans were too anxious to watch, leading to ticket refunds for those who had planned to attend the live event. Some even avoided opening the live stream, opting to wait for the results before watching the replay. They were afraid that watching the live broadcast might be too emotionally taxing.

Despite these apprehensions, Lin Lan still spotted Qi Rong’s figure as she entered the venue, carrying two bags of support materials and briskly making her way toward the arena.

Lu Shi also noticed and teased, “Hey, our little Yellow Sister is here again.”

Lin Lan thought to himself, “She’s mine, not yours.”

The playoff schedule allowed for one match per day, and DT had less than an hour of rest time upon arriving at the venue before diving into the game.

Coach Zhang seized the opportunity to prevent them from holding an impromptu tactical meeting, saying, “Pause the training for now, don’t eat yet, and call back those who went to the bathroom.” Seeing Lin Lan helping Xiao Shengjing put on contact lenses, he added, “And those who are in love, put that on hold for now.”

“Pada,” the sound of Xiao Shengjing’s glasses case hitting the floor echoed.

Lin Lan’s hands also trembled for a moment, narrowly avoiding poking the other’s eye.

Damn, since when did Coach Zhang become so playful like Lu Shi?

Hastily putting contact lenses on Xiao Shengjing, Lin Lan joined Coach Zhang by everyone else for the meeting.

This meeting was no different from the usual, with Coach Zhang being particularly meticulous and talking a lot.

Although he had told them to relax, in the end, he managed to create tension. Lin Lan’s ears were practically calloused from listening; it went in one ear and out the other.

Only Xu Shengwei listened attentively, and when Coach Zhang finished, he asked him, “What did I just say?”

Xu Shengwei shook his head, completely unaware of what was said.

This elicited a hearty laugh from Lu Shi, laughing so hard that he had to bend over. After the laughter subsided, he noticed Coach Zhang’s stern gaze and quickly shut his mouth.

Following the usual practice, Lu Shi naturally received another beating.

Seeing Lu Shi getting punched again, everyone relaxed once more. It was the familiar formula, the familiar rhythm.

The staff notified them to enter the arena. While waiting in line, some remained calm, some were uneasy, and others adjusted their breathing constantly.

The pressure of the playoffs was indeed completely different from the regular season.

As the music played, both teams entered and adjusted their equipment. They signaled to the referees behind them after finishing adjustments and awaited the start of the match.

It had been half a month since they last saw Lin Lan in the regular season. Fans were thrilled to see him again, but the thought of losing this match meant not seeing him until the summer season two months later, and the fans lamented the agony.

At least play this bo5 to the full, let them have a satisfying experience…

The match officially began, entering the pick and ban phase. It was evident that DT’s drafting was fully suppressed, and the coach lost decisively in this aspect.

JIO and DT were indeed not on the same level. Both teams were part of the first echelon in the strong teams, comparable to ENG. Meanwhile, DT resembled a newborn cub, still immature in various aspects.

The match began, and just as predicted by the commentators, it was even worse than anticipated. DT lost the first game without putting up any resistance.

The fans’ hearts sank a bit, but they consoled themselves, thinking that losing one round was normal.

In the second game, JIO secured the side selection advantage, and the mid-lane dominator Xiao Zeng once again snagged the card. DT lost this round even more thoroughly.

Now, the fans’ hearts grew colder. They initially expected to witness a bo5, but it seemed like DT was about to be taken down in three games. Was the gap between DT and JIO so significant?

After eagerly anticipating the playoffs for half a month, would it all end in just three games?

What a miserable situation…

The barrage of comments flooded in, densely filling the screen. JIO’s fans were celebrating, while DT’s fans were questioning the meaning of life.

After losing two consecutive games, the entire DT team’s mentality was affected.

Lin Lan frowned, gripping his wrist. JIO felt too mature for him, and the five of them seemed like an impenetrable barrier, with no discernible weaknesses.

Moreover, their gameplay in the playoffs is even more tightly knit than in practice matches, and their strategy is completely different. It’s particularly challenging for Lin Lan, who has begun to doubt whether JIO has been deliberately deceiving them in practice matches, especially Xiao Zeng in the mid-lane.

During the waiting period, Lin Lan subconsciously glanced at the opposing five players. They were casually chewing gum, and Xiao Zeng’s eyes toward Feifei carried a mocking tone.

Years of professional experience told Lin Lan that they had ill intentions.

They had all acted like Feifei in practice matches, creating an illusion for him. Then, in the actual match, they revealed a completely different strategy, leaving Feifei utterly bewildered.

No wonder Feifei’s judgments were consistently off; he predicted that Xiao Zeng would go to the top lane, but in reality, Xiao Zeng went to the bottom lane.

This intentional misalignment made Feifei, already lacking in confidence, completely doubt himself during the game, achieving the goal of disrupting the opponent.

It’s common for teams to withhold their full strength in practice matches, but is it too much to deliberately deceive a newcomer to LPL?

Lin Lan furrowed his brow, feeling a bit angered.

In the third game, the side selection remained in JIO’s hands, and once again, they chose Fiora to specifically target Feifei.

Lin Lan spoke up, “Feifei, pick Ornn.”

Ornn was one of the special champions that Lin Lan had Feifei practice. In this patch, mid-lane Ornn was well-suited for players like Feifei, who lacked sufficient mechanical skills. Ornn could flexibly handle the lane, provide support, and had strong late-game capabilities. Compared to champions like Blitzcrank or Yasuo, Ornn was more versatile, and his win rate was higher.

Usually used in the top lane, mid-lane Ornn possessed considerable confusion, disrupting the opponent’s choices.

Feifei nodded without hesitation. He had lost himself in the game, blindly following whatever his teammates suggested.

When Ornn was selected, JIO thought it was Lin Lan who intended to play him. Since they dared to pick such a bulky champion, they wouldn’t blame them.

JIO immediately locked in Darius to counter Lin Lan.

Everyone thought DT was about to be countered comprehensively, but unexpectedly, Lin Lan countered with Gnar.

The missing link, Gnar??

Isn’t Gnar a top-lane champion?

If Gnar is going top lane, then where does Ornn go?

Ornn in the mid-lane?

Barraged with question marks, the JIO team was also left bewildered.

The commentator suddenly realized, “There’s a concept of mid-lane Ornn in foreign regions. This champion has strong lane control, excellent support capabilities, and most importantly, he counters Fiora.”

Indeed, the sturdy Ornn was a formidable counter to Fiora.

Firstly, Fiora’s damage wasn’t sufficient; even with jungle assistance, they couldn’t burst him down. Secondly, Ornn’s powerful wave-clearing abilities would prevent Fiora from roaming freely. Even if she managed to roam, Ornn could support with his ultimate, making him nearly invincible in the early game.

Moreover, with Gnar going top lane, facing Darius would also be advantageous.

In the previous game, Lin Lan managed to secure advantages even when countered and targeted. It was hard to imagine the kind of performance he would deliver when countering the opponent.

This Ornn’s flex pick during the drafting phase completely turned the tables for DT, and you could say they pulled off a miraculous comeback.

After the commentator’s analysis, the barrage erupted with excitement. DT, who had been suppressed for two games, was now turning the tide in the deciding match.

Although the realization came a bit late, it seemed like this game was going to be thrilling!

Fans were pleasantly surprised to see Lin Lan actively engaged, as they hadn’t seen him so serious in a long time…!

[Oh my goodness, Lin Lan looks so serious.]

[I don’t know why, but I feel a hint of fierceness in Lin Lan’s eyes.]

[I have a premonition that JIO’s top lane will suffer a miserable death.]

[Hahaha, we might lose the match, but Lan will definitely not lose.]

[Enduring two games of torment finally pays off; I’m so excited…]

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Translator’s corner:

Lin Lan helping Xiao Shengjing put on contact lenses:

Coach Zhang: “And those who are in love, put that on hold for now.”

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA Damn! Coach, you’re too savage! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA