ENG won against IB, and IB has now become a complete laughingstock within the community.
Previously, while IB was considered inferior to ENG, the gap wasn’t seen as this large, and the two teams were still considered roughly on the same level. But IB’s last shred of dignity has been completely stripped away this time.
“ENG is really strong this summer split. Do you think DT can beat them?”
“Hard to say. It depends on how well DT’s new top laner performs.”
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s match.”
The first day of the opening matches concluded, and Shi Quan didn’t schedule any training. Everyone went back to rest and prepare for the second day.
Jiang Xu knew that every move he made was under public scrutiny. This was his return match, his debut with DT, and his only chance to prove himself.
DT’s opponent this time was WS, a team they had faced during the regular season of the spring split.
Back then, Lin Lan was still in the AD carry position. He only remembered that their top laner was incredibly fierce playing Jax. He made Wu Tianqi’s life miserable, constantly diving Lin Lan in team fights.
At that time, DT almost lost, and it was only thanks to the extraordinary coordination between Jiang Jin and Lin Lan that they managed to win the match.
Shi Quan had studied that match. With the data analysis provided by the analysts, he could see that this top laner’s laning ability was indeed exceptional. “The WS top laner is very strong. The reason he didn’t rank in the top three in the LPL is due to his poor team fight performance. But purely in terms of laning ability, I think he could definitely be in the top three.”
Jiang Xu’s back instantly tensed up.
He felt confident that he could handle him in the lane. But the thought of this being his comeback match made the pressure on him skyrocket exponentially.
With a cheerful smile, Shi Quan patted him on the shoulder to help him relax. “Xiao Xu, just treat the first match like a ranked game. Stretch your muscles a bit. Even if you mess up, it’s okay. After all, your captain will back you up, and Lin Lan and Xu Shengwei will support you. Don’t feel pressured at all…”
‘Are they not expecting me to handle it because they think I can’t take the pressure? Indeed, someone like me will never be valued no matter where I go.’
Jiang Xu felt a bit dejected, but he still obediently nodded, “Okay, I’ll listen to the coach.”
The bus stopped, and Jiang Xu got off with everyone, gathering their things.
It was the same route and the same way of following the main group. But this time, he was going on stage as a starting player. He even saw his own sign among the sea of fans.
Is this how Lin Lan and the others feel every time they play a match? He felt so envious. He was determined to play well and eventually stand here alongside them…
Jiang Xu’s heart was burning with excitement. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he saw a message from Qi Rong: Did you avoid stepping on any manholes when you went out? Didn’t encounter any bad omens, right? Did you bring the talisman I gave you? Keep it close to your body, inside your clothes. My grandpa says it’s very effective. Don’t be nervous when you go on stage. With my talisman, nothing bad will happen…
Seeing her message, Jiang Xu finally smiled and replied: Yes. With your talisman, nothing bad will happen!
Qi Rong: To support you, I brought all my girlfriends… Have you arrived? Did you come with Lin Lan and the others?
Jiang Xu: Yes, I came with Lin Lan. By the way, Lin Lan looks really handsome up close.
Qi Rong: Ahhh Jiang Xu, I really love you! Just thinking about you living with Lin Lan every day and sitting next to him to play matches makes me so excited! You even got his autograph for me last time; my girlfriends are so jealous of me. How are you so amazing? I love, love, love you! You’ll definitely do great in the match!
For a long time, he had been treated as if he were invisible, clearly still active, yet no one remembered his name. Jiang Xu had always thought he was used to being ignored and underestimated. But when someone valued him like this, his heart still raced with excitement…
“Jiang Xu,” Lu Shi patted his shoulder, “hand over your phone and remember to turn it off.”
Jiang Xu responded with a quick “Okay”, immediately turned off his phone, and handed it over to Lu Shi for safekeeping.
This day had finally arrived.
He took two deep breaths and straightened his name tag: DT丶guts.
…
The big screen played the promotional video, and the commentators enthusiastically delivered their pre-match script. Although the number of viewers in the livestream wasn’t as high as on the first day, it didn’t disappoint DT.
[Here just to watch Lin Lan.]
[Today, Lin Lan is the starting mid laner.]
[Hahaha, this is hilarious. When I became his fan, he was still playing AD.]
[When I became his fan, he was still playing support.]
[Wow, I’m so excited.]
[Will this top laner mess up?]
[Hard to say. I’ve heard this top laner has been benched for a year, so no one really knows how he performs.]
[This top laner was bought for 30 million. That’s outrageous.]
[30 million, what kind of top laner couldn’t you buy with that?]
[Seriously, this is a bit ridiculous. Lanbao is playing mid now, couldn’t they get a better top laner?]
[They should’ve kept Feifei and continued with the rotation system.]
[Feifei wanted to leave the team. Who could stop him?]
[…]
The match hadn’t even started, and there were already discordant voices among DT’s fans. When Jiang Xu’s poster appeared on the big screen, the entire screen was filled with mockery: “30 million top laner.”
“Rongrong, look quickly. DT’s official account just posted a match update, and all the comments are mocking Jiang Xu as an unknown top laner worth 30 million…”
“Damn, bullying my guy?” Qi Rong immediately took out her phone and, with her girlfriends, rushed to the front lines.
Even without looking at the barrage of comments, Jiang Xu could imagine the immense pressure from public opinion. Surely, many people thought he wasn’t worth that 30 million, right? Not only them but even he felt the same…
He picked up his equipment and checked it two or three times to ensure there were no mistakes.
Someone patted him on the shoulder, “Jiang Xu, it’s time to go on stage.”
He quickly followed, and since the entry order started with the top laner, Jiang Xu had to walk in front of everyone.
As Jiang Xu stepped onto the stage, the roar of the crowd overwhelmed him. He realized that DT’s fans were just as numerous as IB’s.
This used to be Lin Lan’s position, and now it was given to him… Those unparalleled plays, that kind of pressure…
Jiang Xu felt like he was suffocating. He braced himself and went on stage, unable to hear a word of what the commentators were saying.
Suddenly, someone tapped him. It was Lin Lan. “Are you nervous?”
Jiang Xu didn’t want Lin Lan to think he was inexperienced and unworthy of being on stage, so he instinctively replied, “Not really.”
Lin Lan suddenly smiled, a bit mischievously. He glanced at Coach Shi behind him and then back at Jiang Xu. “It’s good that you’re not nervous. Don’t get nervous later either.”
Jiang Xu’s hand, holding the headset, suddenly froze. He had a… not-so-good feeling.
The match officially began, and both teams prepared for the first game’s ban-pick phase.
Shi Quan seemed easygoing but was actually very particular. Not only did the heroes have to be banned according to his wishes, but also in his specified order.
Lin Lan: “Aren’t these two supposed to be banned?”
Shi Quan: “It’s different. The ban-pick phase is a psychological battle. Every step is crucial. If you ban this first, they’ll be prepared…”
For someone like Lin Lan, who was used to playing freely, this was a disaster. He was the type who could still perform brilliantly even with the wrong runes, while Shi Quan was the type who micromanaged every detail. Thus, it was common to see Shi Quan standing next to Lin Lan, nagging him until he complied.
Sometimes, Xiao Shengjing would say, “Only Coach Shi can control Lin Lan in this team.”
Back to this match, since WS didn’t know Jiang Xu’s champion pool, they were probing in the first game and didn’t target him. Instead, they banned four champions related to Lin Lan out of their five bans, with the fifth being Xiao Shengjing’s Jarvan.
When it was DT’s turn to pick, only Lin Lan and Jiang Xu were left to choose, and coincidentally, WS’s mid and top laners also hadn’t picked yet. DT only had one pick left.
This meant that whoever picked first would be countered by the opponent, while the second pick could counter the opposing pick.
Shi Quan, smiling, patted Lin Lan on the shoulder, “Lin, you go first.”
Lin Lan responded, “Really not gonna cut me some slack?”
Shi Quan continued to smile, speaking in a familiar tone, “It’s okay. Even if you’re countered, you can still play well. I’m not worried about you.”
So Lin Lan, grumbling, picked Ahri, expecting the enemy to counter with Lissandra. Not only did he have his champions banned, but he was also countered. There was no one else in the entire league who was in a more unfair situation.
Laughter from his teammates came through the headset, as everyone thought Lin Lan was the epitome of bad luck. The chat was filled with comments like “Poor Lanbao”.
Although Jiang Xu laughed along, he felt a deep sense of disappointment in himself.
Indeed, the coach had no expectations for him…
No one had expectations for him, as if he was inherently an unimportant person…
He sighed deeply in his heart, feeling an indescribable loneliness creeping in, slowly consuming him—a loneliness he couldn’t share with anyone.
Just as he was sinking into this darkness, unable to escape…
“Pick Jayce for Xiao Xu.”
Jiang Xu: “Huh?”
He thought he had misheard.
At this point, everyone else’s champions were already locked in: Lin Lan on Ahri, Xu Shengwei on Ezreal, and Xiao Shengjing on Gragas. This was clearly a poke composition designed to counter WS’s crit-heavy lineup.
Jayce was obviously the key component.
Despite being a lane bully in the early game, Jayce’s late game was primarily about poke. If Jiang Xu played well, DT’s composition would thrive; if he didn’t, they would surely lose.
Coach Shi was actually giving him the most crucial role?
Jiang Xu suddenly recalled Lin Lan’s mischievous smile. Did he already know the coach’s plan?
It turned out Coach Shi never intended for him to stay in the background. From the start, he planned for Jiang Xu to take on a major role in his debut, setting things up step by step to force the enemy top laner to pick Renekton!
Jiang Xu couldn’t help but feel nervous, but this was quickly followed by a surge of excitement and exhilaration. Outwardly, he appeared calm and unassuming, but deep down, he still had a strong desire to excel.
He was too eager to prove himself. He couldn’t deny it…
Once Jayce was locked in, everyone knew that DT was banking on the top lane. The commentators analyzed, “It’s clear that DT has high hopes for this new top laner. If Jayce can gain an advantage in the lane, DT’s composition will have the initiative… Alright, the game is about to begin. Let’s watch closely…”
No one thought DT would lose, so most fans were just here for the spectacle: [Hahaha, here to see my big-luck Lin Lan.]
[Lin Lan: Should’ve known to just stay top and feed.]
[Jiang Xu, you better play well! Otherwise, my Lanbao’s gonna be so unlucky!]
[If you can’t beat him, Jiang Xu, Lin Lan will hold a grudge against you forever.]
[If Lin Lan loses, he’ll kick you out immediately and take over.]
[Lin Lan: Guard the empire that Daddy built.]
[Lin Lan: If only I knew how to clone myself, why would I use you?]
[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. How is this so funny…]
As the game began, the camera didn’t focus on the top lane but rather on the highly popular mid-lane.
Lin Lan was playing Ahri in the mid-lane. In this older version where she couldn’t burst down opponents with a single combo and couldn’t stack her ultimate charges through kills, this champion was considered one of the least impactful mages.
Specifically, playing her well didn’t necessarily guarantee a win. But playing poorly would almost certainly lead to a loss.
Essentially, the team composition was chosen to dictate the early game tempo, focusing on pushing lanes and roaming. If the mid-game didn’t secure a victory, the late game would be difficult.
As Lin Lan arrived in the lane, he only managed to chip away a bit of health with an AQA combo. “Damn, this champion sucks. Only did this much damage?”
Xiao Shengjing couldn’t help but want to laugh. Lin Lan preferred assassin-type champions, but Coach Shi insisted on him practicing more team-oriented champions, which he was likely not used to.
Xiao Shengjing: “It’s okay. I’ll come gank him at level 3.”
If this had been in the past, Lin Lan would definitely have refused, but…
Watching himself land another combo, only to chip away two bars of the opponent’s health, he had to concede: “Alright, go ahead and clear.”
Lin Lan followed up with another AQA combo. When Lissandra tried to poke him, he sidestepped and used his agile movements to land a QW combo, followed by two basic attacks.
Although Lissandra dodged two of Lin Lan’s Qs, getting hit by three stacks of W plus basic attacks still hurt. Lin Lan used this incremental damage to inexplicably gain the upper hand in health.
The commentators exclaimed, “This Ahri’s positioning is really tricky. While Lissandra theoretically isn’t afraid of Ahri in the lane, after Kiner dodged crucial abilities and used the minor speed boost from her Q to maneuver flexibly, she ended up outmaneuvering Lissandra’s clunkiness…”
Lin Lan had the health advantage, and he was maintaining it.
So when Xiao Shengjing stepped forward for a moment, Lin Lan immediately flashed and charmed his opponent, following up with three stacks of W and two Q combos, instantly bringing the opponent’s health down to a dangerous level.
It’s important to note that once charmed by Ahri, opponents will uncontrollably walk towards her for 1 second.
In other words, all of Lin Lan’s abilities were guaranteed to hit!
He landed the full QW combo along with a few basic attacks and applied Ignite. And while Xiao Shengjing’s position only allowed him to dash over and slow with a Q ability, that was already enough.
Lin Lan stuck to his opponent, continuously landing basic attacks. The opponent’s health had already dropped to a dangerous level. The moment he broke free from the charm, Lissandra immediately used her second E ability to escape, but Lin Lan still managed to land one final basic attack.
The last basic attack swung lazily, hitting Lissandra, along with the residual effect of Ignite…
First Blood!
With Xiao Shengjing’s coordination, Lin Lan killed Lissandra!
This play wasn’t so much about Xiao Shengjing’s timing as it was about Lin Lan perfectly executing his damage. Throughout the engagement, Xiao Shengjing only needed to add the damage from one Q, allowing Lin Lan to secure the kill in the lane.
The opponent Lissandra was clearly too careless. He thought Lin Lan couldn’t kill him, so his first reaction was to use E for displacement instead of flashing, which ultimately led to his death.
Lin Lan actually used Ahri… to kill him?
The opposing Lissandra wore a look of disbelief. He had watched many of Lin Lan’s matches and knew he had fast reflexes. But only after facing him in lane did he truly feel… that terrifying pressure, inherent and unrelated to the champion Lin Lan played.
The commentators joked, “So whether Ahri is played well or not depends on the player’s ID, right?”
His partner responded, “It’s always about the player’s ID, no matter which champion they play. That’s the charm of League of Legends.”
These two exchanges subtly praised Lin Lan and simultaneously praised the League, prompting the chat to flood with “high emotional intelligence dialogue.”
[Look at this dominance. My Lanbao should always play mid.]
[Mid laner delayed by the top laner, hahaha, I’m dying of laughter…]
[To be honest, when Lan was just a baby, it was decided that he would play mid.]
[Can’t stop laughing, folks. You all used to say Lin Lan should play top from birth. Haha, whose advice should Lan listen to…]
In the lounge, Coach Zhang watched the game with satisfaction, nodding. “Lin Lan finally knows to call for jungle assistance.”
Shi Quan smiled without saying a word, looking at Ahri on the screen.
Lin Lan, this person, has a unique playstyle. So he must find a way to make him realize the benefits of relying on teammates.
Getting first blood made Lin Lan quite happy. He no longer found satisfaction in solo kills; achieving a kill in the lane with Ahri gave him a sense of accomplishment. “Look at how well I manage my health. I told you, as long as the captain helps me with a Q ability, I can secure the kill. I calculated how much damage I needed to deal. And as long as I hit all my abilities, I could kill him. He definitely didn’t expect me to calculate so precisely…”
Jiang Xu was the first to echo his sentiment, “Wow, Lin Lan, you’re playing amazingly.”
Lin Lan became even more pleased, “Just a small achievement…” He returned to the lane, eager to jump in place again and perform another solo kill.
Seeing him becoming increasingly proud, Xiao Shengjing smiled helplessly. If he didn’t stop him soon, his ego would soar to the sky.
Xiao Shengjing: “Watch out for the enemy Lee Sin.”
As soon as he said that, Lee Sin appeared in the top lane.
Prior to this, Jiang Xu had been diligently and cautiously laning. Theoretically, his champion could dominate Renekton, but he had been hesitant to pressure too aggressively.
The barrage had always been critical of him: [Is this how the top lane is played?]
[Isn’t this 30 million top laner just a waste of money? I feel like he plays no better than a 500,000 top laner.]
[Laughable. Even if he can’t match up to Lin Lan, he should at least be half as good, right?]
[Just pressing five buttons, I could do it too.]
As soon as the barrage settled, WS’s Lee Sin made his way to the top lane, directly flanking from behind. As long as Renekton landed his stun, their combined damage would definitely be enough to kill Jiang Xu.
But no one expected Jiang Xu’s reaction to be so quick. The moment Lee Sin showed himself, he flashed, leaving Renekton isolated. With a swift combo, he drove him away.
Renekton’s health was already low, and Lee Sin hadn’t even dealt a single point of damage. They couldn’t even think about diving him; they had to retreat in embarrassment.
The commentators were relieved, “Fortunately, Jayce’s reaction was fast. He’s a crucial part of DT’s lineup, he can’t afford to falter. Guts really handled that situation excellently.”
At this moment, the barrage noticed something unusual: [Huh, did he guess it? This reaction speed seems unlikely, almost simultaneous.]
[Wow, it’s a good thing they didn’t dive. Grabbing like that on the lane would’ve been a guaranteed kill.]
[This top laner doesn’t seem to be dragging the team down either. If it were Wu Tianqi from before, he would’ve already been lying in the fountain.]
Jiang Xu also breathed a sigh of relief. He had sensed that Renekton was deliberately feigning weakness during the laning phase. Despite his strong individual skill, he was showing signs of weakness, which was obviously a trap.
So Jiang Xu didn’t rush. Instead of trying to gain an advantage immediately in his debut, he gradually seized control, waiting for the opponent to reveal their hand…
In the lounge, Shi Quan nodded in satisfaction. “He understands risk management and weighs the pros and cons. Jiang Xu is clearly an intelligent player; I like him.”
Lu Shi glanced at the screen, then back at Shi Quan. “Then who’s the one without a brain?”
Shi Quan chuckled, pointing to Xu Shengwei in the bot lane. While his mechanics were top-notch, when faced with experienced opponents, he tended to make reckless plays.
Shi Quan: “Fortunately, Jiang Jin pulled him back; otherwise, he would’ve fallen for it twice already.”
The perspective shifted back to the bot lane. Xu Shengwei seized an opportunity to take a couple of shots, but after something Jiang Jin said, he quieted down and obediently stayed under the tower to farm minions.
From then on, all three lanes of DT were performing smoothly. Both sides reached level 6, and Lin Lan began roaming towards the bot lane.
“Bot lane, be careful of Ahri.” After the mid-laner reported “missing”, they, along with the jungler, prepared to ambush the top lane. They still believed that if they could take down Jiang Xu, they would have a good chance of winning the game.
They seized the opportunity, ready to surround Jayce. Ashe didn’t hesitate to use her E skill to flank from behind, and then…
Huh? Jayce retreated to the second tower?
Despite WS’s near-flawless encirclement, Jiang Xu seemed to smell danger. In the absence of any vision, he suddenly began to retreat, continuously backing up until he reached the second tower, narrowly avoiding a perilous ambush.
The commentators were ecstatic: “WS’s encirclement was impeccable, completely bypassing all vision. Jayce didn’t see them; he could’ve died under the tower! Jayce started retreating. My goodness, how could he be so sharp? What awareness is this?”
You see, in this situation, Lin Lan was definitely going to the bot lane, and WS was highly likely to counter-gank there as well. They decided to go against the grain, just to catch Jiang Xu off guard.
But Jiang Xu’s nose was even sharper than a dog’s!
Meanwhile, Lin Lan had already flanked the enemy bot lane with Xiao Shengjing. He used his ultimate to leap over the wall, flashed into the blind spot, charmed the AD carry, coordinated with his teammates to take them down with a combo, then used his ultimate again along with two Q skills to finish off the support who flashed away. He chased with auto-attacks, finally applying Ignite, and left without turning back, securing a double kill!
The audience went wild, and the commentators were ecstatic: “My goodness, what kind of play is this? Who are these players from DT? The top lane retreated to the second tower without any vision revealed on the enemy side, and the mid lane used the ultimate and flashed into the blind spot to charm the opponent. The plays in both lanes are insane! How could they have such precise judgment? This awareness completely outshines the opponents!”
Because of the sharp move in the top lane avoiding a certain death gank, DT made a huge profit this time.
With Lin Lan’s score reaching a luxurious 3-0-0, it’s safe to say they were dominating.
The entire arena was shocked by DT’s astonishing display of strength. WS wasn’t a weak team, but they were made to look like amateurs!
Moreover, their new top laner doesn’t seem new at all; he exudes the seasoned experience of a veteran player, looking more like a traditional player in the true sense compared to Xu Shengwei.
Damn it, I spoke too soon.
Called it too early.
![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]")
