ATIBTF Chapter 82

In the upcoming semifinals, JW eliminated GEM from the Z Country region and advanced to the finals.

Regardless of the outcome, they will earn a significant amount of world championship points.

On the other hand, the highly discussed Alpha team, led by Kaka, was defeated by the strong Korean team PH after a grueling three-match battle, falling short of the finals.

For a grassroots team with no external support, making it out of the group stage and defeating the North American Eagles CM in the quarterfinals was already a remarkable achievement.

Not making it to the finals means Kaka’s team is essentially out of contention for this year’s world championship. Even if they finish in the top two in the next two regional tournaments, they won’t have enough points without the Spring Split points.

Kaka is quite satisfied with this result.

The team is very young, having been established for less than a year, and he feels their form is still good. They can try again next year.

This year’s regional tournaments were essentially a training exercise.

Making a name for themselves at the regional level should help Alpha gain considerable support when they return, as it’s challenging for Kaka alone to sustain an entire team.

After finishing their matches, Kaka decided to stay in R Country with his team to watch the final and even came over to greet Yan Junying.

“DNA has really strong individual skills; your mid-laner might have a tough time,” Kaka shared his insights.

“Yeah, I know,” Yan Junying said, lighting a cigarette.

He never smoked in the training room, only lighting up now that he was outside talking with Kaka.

“So, have you figured out your strategy?” Kaka asked. “I still have high hopes for your performance.”

“I can only offer general advice; the specifics will depend on how the players perform on the field,” Yan Junying exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“But we don’t need to worry about our mid-laner,” Yan Junying’s tone changed. “I believe, even against DNA, he won’t fall behind.”

Kaka found Yan Junying’s confidence puzzling, as he couldn’t recall JW’s mid-laner ever facing DNA before.

———-

The WOC Professional League’s R Country regional finals, which ignited the eSports passion in T City, finally reached the finals day.

Before the final, there was the third-place match.

Kaka’s Alpha team defeated Europe’s Anso team, securing third place and earning a significant prize.

Yan Junying had been observing the match from the team’s backstage rest area.

Although Alpha still seemed somewhat immature, their growth was clearly visible.

Kaka was right to bring them to the global stage for experience.

Given time, they might become a formidable opponent for other teams.

Yan Junying suddenly felt a bit envious of Kaka.

They were contemporaries in the WPL events, and while Kaka could still actively compete, he could only coach.

Retired player Chaos silently touched the scars on his wrist, feeling a brief moment of inner conflict before letting it go.

So what if he couldn’t compete? Change is inevitable.

Leading a team to a world championship is something that can be bragged about for a lifetime.

A staff member knocked and entered.

“JW team, please prepare.”

The players looked at each other. This was their first time facing a world-class team, but there was no sign of fear in their eyes.

Facing strong opponents was a necessary path to the top of the world.

“Let’s go, kids,” Yan Junying stood up from his gaming chair and put on his suit jacket.

To be honest, he didn’t like the stiff, restrictive suit; he preferred the comfort of the team uniform.

But unfortunately, the event rules required coaches to wear formal attire.

“PH is a bit weaker compared to the European powerhouses. If you lose to PH today, winning the championship at this year’s World Championship will be a long shot,” Yan Junying said.

Yu Hao sighed: “Coach, we’re about to go on stage. Can’t you say something to boost our morale?”

Yan Junying adjusted his tie: “All I can say is that in terms of raw strength, we don’t fall short. But to win, it will depend on how well you seize your opportunities.”

Hao Qianyi grabbed his keyboard and quickly prepared to be the first out of the training room: “What’s there to be afraid of! Let’s go all out and crush them! Charge!”

———–

The atmosphere in the arena on the final day was even more heated.

The event organizers had also invited famous singers and DJs to liven up the atmosphere.

After the third-place match, the crowd’s excitement reached its peak.

“Go JW!”

“Go Sugar God!”

“Go DNA!”

“PH, go!”

The venue was filled with cheers from the fans.

Unbeknownst to Jiang Min, R Country’s netizens had given him the nickname “Sugar God.”

Due to several widely circulated official snapshots of him looking rather cute and silly, R Country netizens gradually associated his image with a somewhat naive and endearing character.

This somewhat aligned with reality, as Jiang Min was indeed quite slow to react to things unrelated to WOC.

The WPL’s commentary team for the finals was still the Golden Trio.

Uncle Yuan: “Welcome to the WOC Professional League R Country regional finals. In this match, our WPL team JW will face off against Korea’s PH team.”

Lack: “Speaking of PH, we must mention their mid-laner DNA, a player who has been making waves globally in recent years as a top-tier 2nd position. I’m sure we’ll see a thrilling mid-lane duel today.”

Ruby: “Indeed, JW’s mid-laner Sugar God is also a formidable player. The matchup between these two mid-laners is something we’re all looking forward to.”

Uncle Yuan: “Since the start of the R Country regional tournament, JW has brought us many surprises. For instance, we all thought they wouldn’t play a strategic game, but we were proved wrong.”

Lack: “Previously, when talking about JW, we mainly focused on the 2nd position Sugar God and the team captain 4th position Honor. Other players didn’t get as much attention, but in this regional tournament, the performances of JW’s other three players have also been outstanding.”

Uncle Yuan: “That’s right. It seems that with the new coach Chaos, JW’s growth and improvement have been greatly accelerated. Regardless, JW’s entry into the finals of the regional tournament ensures they will receive World Championship points. Coupled with the Spring Split champion’s points, JW should have a strong chance of advancing to the World Championship.”

Ruby: “I roughly calculated that if JW wins the championship, they’ll definitely advance with the added Spring Split points. However, if they come in second, they’ll need to earn more points in the upcoming regional tournaments to secure their spot.”

Before the match began, the commentators continued to analyze the team’s situation.

Meanwhile, in the battle room, both teams were making their final preparations.

“Sugar God, the opponent is DNA. To be honest, I really admire him,” Hao Qianyi chatted nervously before the match, a sign of his anxiety as he tended to talk a lot when nervous. “I’ve heard that traditional powerhouses in Europe and America want to recruit him. Aren’t you feeling a lot of pressure?”

Jiang Min stretched his neck and fingers.

“But don’t worry, we’re here to help you,” Hao Qianyi continued.

“No need,” Jiang Min said. “I’ve played against him before and have a general understanding of his style. I can handle the mid-lane. PH is likely to focus on the mid-lane strategy, so we need to give Ya Bo sufficient resources. After all, in this version, the 1st position is more important.”

“Huh? When did you play against DNA? I didn’t know about that,” Hao Qianyi asked in surprise.

“Last time, when AFK called me to their base, I actually played a training match for their mid-laner Flow, and the opponent was PH,” Jiang Min explained.

“Wow! I didn’t know about that!” Hao Qianyi was astonished. “How was the experience against PH?”

“This…”

“Please silence the players; the match is about to start,” the referee said before Jiang Min could respond.

Hao Qianyi shrugged and made a zipper gesture across his mouth.

Amidst the cheers of the audience, the highly anticipated R Country regional finals began.

———–

While the R Country regional finals were in full swing, Boss Ji, who accompanied the Fortune team to the Asia-Europe League, was quite troubled.

Normally, he shouldn’t be worried because the Fortune team, under the leadership of Lu Huai, had just won the Asia-Europe League championship. This was the twentieth trophy the Fortune team had won since its establishment, marking a significant achievement.

However, Boss Ji was still troubled.

The problem was that after the celebration banquet, he woke up the next day to find himself in bed with Lu Huai.

Originally, Boss Ji’s intention for traveling with the team was to be closer to Lu Huai and use the opportunity to communicate more with him. But he never imagined it would lead to sharing a bed.

As the boss, he naturally had a separate suite.

Last night, everyone was in high spirits, drank quite a bit, and even employees who usually wouldn’t dare drink with the boss joined in.

The consequence was that Ji Xuyan couldn’t remember what happened after getting drunk the previous night.

Not only did he wake up in the same bed as Lu Huai, but they were also not wearing any clothes!

What to do now!?

Ji Xuyan sat on the bed, glancing back at the still-sleeping Lu Huai, rubbing his head in frustration.

Oh no, how was he going to face Lu Huai when he woke up?

Maybe he should just run away!

Countless thoughts flashed through Boss Ji’s mind.

Indeed, it might be better to run away first.

Cowardly Boss Ji decisively chose to escape among the various options.

However, before he could put his escape plan into action, Lu Huai woke up.

Ji Xuyan was stunned, remaining seated on the bed and staring at Lu Huai.

“You… you’re awake?” he awkwardly greeted. “G-good morning… Ha, ha-ha.”

“Mm.” Lu Huai also sat up, seemingly not surprised by the situation.

“Well, um, I don’t remember anything from last night because I drank too much…” Ji Xuyan began to stammer an explanation.

“Mm, I know.”

“…Did we, um, not do anything?” Ji Xuyan asked, feeling guilty.

Lu Huai probably wouldn’t do anything to him, but he couldn’t be sure that the drunken Ji Xuyan hadn’t done something to Lu Huai!

“…..” Lu Huai looked somewhat taken aback by Ji Xuyan’s question and leaned in closer.

The two were almost at nose-to-nose distance.

“If Xiao Yan is asking like this… does it mean you want something to happen between us?”

¹TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️”

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  TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️”