After a long silence, Hao Qianyi finally broke the quiet with a loud, carefree voice, “Exactly! We’re still young. Compared to those teams with an average age of 24 or 25, we’re all still under 22! There are plenty of opportunities ahead of us. It’s not like we absolutely have to win this time. Let’s just keep a relaxed mindset!”
The twin brothers rolled their eyes at him.
If anyone in the group had the heaviest burden after the three group stage matches, it was definitely Hao Qianyi.
After all, JW’s team was eliminated from the global finals in the group stage last year, and this year, everyone was carrying some kind of weight on their shoulders, though the extent of the psychological pressure varied.
But it had to be admitted that Hao Qianyi made sense.
WOC wasn’t a game that relied heavily on players’ ages. Even though older players may have slower hand speed and reactions, many of them could still perform well in the game with their rich experience and sharp judgment in matches.
That’s why there were many professional players in the WOC league who were over 25 and still fighting on the front lines.
If not for injuries, many legendary players, like Yan Junying, could still be active today.
As for JW’s team, the average age was just around 20, making them one of the youngest teams in the world.
And this team had already claimed the regional championship in the WPL spring competition and then went on to win the regional championship in the global qualification tournament. Such results were already impressive for a newly-formed team.
The three consecutive losses in the group stage of the World Championship weren’t due to a lack of strength, but because they were carrying too much weight and wanted to win too badly.
As Coach Yan Junying had said, the result was that they became overly cautious during matches, worrying about every little thing, and lost their level of play.
“I want to win the championship,” Yu Hao suddenly said, “but I want to enjoy the game more. If my professional career becomes confined by results, I’d rather retire.”
The reason he started playing professionally was to be closer to Jiang Min, but that wasn’t the whole reason.
There was, of course, his love for the game.
He loved it, so he chose this path.
He believed that his teammates felt the same way.
The twin brothers talked about wanting fame and money, but before they became professional players, they were more dedicated to ranked matches than anyone else. Hao Qianyi even gave up his studies to pursue the life he wanted through playing professionally.
For everyone, walking down the path of a professional career was no accident.
Yan Junying’s decision to take the team out seemed to have had an effect.
Jiang Min’s condition wasn’t too affected. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to win the championship. Back in CC, he didn’t have many opportunities. This time, with his career finally entering the world championship, and a chance to fight for the trophy, how could he not want the championship?
However, his mindset was more calm than the others.
After all, what’s the worst that could happen—getting criticized by netizens? It’s not like he would lose any piece of himself. After so many years of playing professionally, Jiang Min had long seen through all of it.
If it really bothered him, he could just stop looking at the online comments.
Those things weren’t something he had to absorb every day. If he discarded them, then so be it.
The most important thing is to focus on oneself.
Yu Hao calmly took Jiang Min’s hand.
Jiang Min was startled.
Thankfully, the streetlights were dim, and the other three teammates didn’t notice their actions.
Anyway, they were already used to seeing Captain Yu and Sugar God always sticking together. To them, the two of them were like conjoined twins.
Jiang Min looked up at Yu Hao.
Although a few people in the club already knew about their relationship, they still kept it a secret in front of their teammates.
Because they weren’t sure if their teammates would accept their relationship.
At such an important stage of the World Championship, it was better to keep it quiet for now.
Yu Hao smiled in return.
“Relax and play, don’t worry about all that other stuff,” Yu Hao said. “Starting today, no one is allowed to use their phones. I’ll leave them with Fan Dadi, so the online comments don’t affect you.”
“Ah?” Hao Qianyi immediately made a sad face. “Is it really necessary, Captain? I’ll just not look at it!”
“No way, do I not know you guys?” Yu Hao said sternly. “You’ll definitely sneak a peek. Out of sight, out of mind. Focus on the game. Don’t keep thinking about what will happen if we lose or if we get criticized. I’ll tell you this, no matter if we win or lose, people will criticize us. Don’t worry about those internet warriors. Let’s just focus on our own game. Before the World Championship ends, we’ll all go into seclusion!”
“Noooo, Captain~~ my phone is my life!” The troublemaker trio tried to act pitiful.
“Which is more important, playing the game or your phone?” Yu Hao asked.
“Of course, the game!” The three said in unison.
“Then that’s settled,” Yu Hao extended his hand. “Come on, give me your phones. I’ll leave them with Fan Dadi when we get back to the hotel.”
The three hesitated, but Jiang Min was the first to pull his phone out of his pocket and hand it to Yu Hao.
After all, aside from the few friends in his circle, there was rarely anyone who contacted him. It didn’t really matter whether he had his phone or not.
With the intensity of the World Championship, he didn’t even have the energy to play on his phone.
The three were stunned.
Hao Qianyi held his phone in both hands like a little hamster: “Sugar God, you’re this decisive? Aren’t you going to be sad about your phone?”
“Nope,” Jiang Min answered naturally. “Not having a phone actually helps me focus more on the game. I can adjust my mindset. We have to go all in from here on out.”
He said it so casually, as if he wasn’t the one making the big decision.
Hao Qianyi was speechless.
No wonder Sugar God’s performance has been so steady since the start of the World Championship, almost unaffected by the immense psychological pressure.
It’s clear now the difference between myself and Sugar God.
“Well… fine,” the troublemaker trio finally compromised.
Since Sugar God handed over his phone, they had no reason to refuse.
“At least let us report to our families that we’re safe!” Hao Qianyi suddenly remembered. “Otherwise, if they can’t reach me, my mom will think I’ve been kidnapped by the mafia!”
“Kidnapped by the… mafia?” Jiang Min froze.
“Yes!” Hao Qianyi said seriously. “There are so many gangs in Los City, right? What if we get caught in a shootout or something and end up dragged into a gang war? Or maybe they want something from us and kidnap us? Isn’t that how movies go?”
Wei Yabo couldn’t help but make a sarcastic remark: “Real talk, the one with the highest value among us is Sugar God. Why would the mafia bother kidnapping a player with no value?”
Hao Qianyi instantly forgot about the sadness of losing his phone and became agitated. “Who says I have no value! Hmph! Personal value is earned through performance! Just wait, I’ll make my value soar in the next few matches!”
The troublemaker trio continued their usual bickering.
Jiang Min and Yu Hao exchanged a smile.
The cloud of gloom surrounding the team seemed to have disappeared without anyone noticing.
———-
The group stage was nearing its end, and JW’s crucial fourth match was coming up.
They had already played 0:3, so the upcoming matches had to be wins; otherwise, they were basically guaranteed early elimination.
Due to their previous miserable results, teams from other countries were unwilling to schedule training matches with JW.
Only their good brothers from AFK continued to support them.
Not wanting to be labeled as a weak team and eager to prove themselves, while also adjusting their mental state, the team was ready for this crucial battle.
The fourth match of Group C: JW vs. Southeast Asia’s Tigers.
The players were preparing in the match room.
“Are you ready?” Yu Hao stretched his fingers.
“Mm.” The team responded in unison.
“No matter the outcome, this is a rare opportunity to be in the World Championship,” Yu Hao paused, “so let’s just play boldly! We don’t get many chances to learn from competing against teams from all over the world. Let’s go for it!”
“Alright!”
The confident JW team seemed to have returned.
In this match, JW adopted their classic “four protect one” strategy.
With the slight update to the pre-World Championship patch, the importance of the mid-laner increased, especially with adjustments to certain champions, which gave Jiang Min hope of making a big impact in the World Championship.
JW has two versions of the “four protect one” system.
One version follows the meta by protecting the primary carry (the 1st position), while the other focuses on protecting the mid-laner.
Out of the sixteen teams competing, only three teams have a mid-lane protection system due to the strength of their mid-laner.
These teams are the Korean PH team with the genius mid-laner DNA, the tactical and versatile NG team, and JW.
For this crucial match, Coach Yan Junying and Captain Yu Hao decided to place the responsibility on the more stable Jiang Min.
Wei Yabo is also strong, but his mindset is somewhat unstable and can be affected by the state of the battlefield.
Therefore, in this match, protecting the mid-laner seemed like the safer option.
Wei Yabo and the others understood this reasoning.
“So, if we’re doing a four-protect-one, what hero should Sugar God pick?” Hao Qianyi asked.
“I’ll take this one.” Jiang Min showed the Tortoise Warrior. “Is that okay, coach?”
“A tank core?” Yan Junying’s mind raced, thinking for a few seconds. “Alright, no problem. I’ll build the lineup around this core. Everyone, please help brainstorm ideas.”
Although Yan Junying is a very strict coach during practice, he highly respects his players’ opinions when it comes to making picks and bans on stage.
The Tortoise Warrior is a versatile hero; it can be played as a 3, 4, or even 2 position, though it’s rarely used in the 2 position.
However, Jiang Min had discussed with the coach during training that, after the recent patch changes, with some adjustments to the item build, the Tortoise Warrior can certainly be played in the mid-lane.
JW picked Tortoise Warrior as their third hero.
Everyone, including the casters, assumed it was a 4-position hero because JW had already selected a solid 3-position hero, the Centaur, which Hao Qianyi frequently uses.
Tigers, JW’s opponents, were clearly fooled as well. The following picks and bans were designed to counter the assumption that the Tortoise Warrior would be a 4-position hero.
After all, although JW had lost games, 4-position Captain Yu Hao had still shown some strong individual performances.
Furthermore, the captain is usually the team’s shot-caller, so many teams will focus on disrupting the captain’s decision-making, trying to influence how the captain reads the game.
Tigers chose the magical carry hero, Death Prophet, who has armor-piercing abilities, making her a strong counter to the 4-position Tortoise Warrior early on.
If the Tortoise Warrior was quiet early and couldn’t make an impact, what rhythm could JW play at?
That was Tigers’ plan.
However, when they saw JW’s final hero pick, they were stunned.
JW’s last pick was a definite 4-position hero, the Ice Dragon.
Everyone in the arena, as well as viewers watching the stream, were dumbfounded.
What the hell kind of bizarre lineup is this!?
1You 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! ❤️ -TL: Ysiad
![The Strongest Auxiliary[Holographic]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/The-Strongest-Auxiliary.jpg "The Strongest Auxiliary[Holographic]")
