In anger, Wu Tianqi immediately returned to the team to pack his things.
There’s always a place for him elsewhere. With his skills, even if he leaves DT, he can still find another team!
And what about DT? Without him, they can forget about making it to the playoffs! He’ll make them regret it in the remaining five matches!
The scandal of the players leaving should be entangled with DT forever! Let the entire management team be cursed to death! Let public opinion drown them!
As for the arrogant Xiao Shengjing, he can go to hell too! Likes to make decisions like this? Fine, then be tied to DT forever! Stay in that lousy team for the rest of your life! Never have a chance to rise again!
And Lin Lan, who acts domineeringly in the team, should also be exposed as the team bully! Drown in the spit of the fans!
A damn team, who cares?
‘I’ve stayed with them for so long to give them face, and they dare to play these underhanded tricks?’
Since they are all in cahoots, let them rot together in that lousy team, preferably for a lifetime!
Wu Tianqi felt much better after plotting this revenge. He even used his VB to post the reasons for leaving, portraying DT as a backstabber.
Following the law of departure, those who leave become victims, and those who stay become perpetrators. He wanted to cement the rumors about Lin Lan being a team bully!
After posting, he still felt it wasn’t enough. He mocked and taunted in the voice chat in the group, venting his frustrations.
After a few rounds of venting, Wu Tianqi finally felt a bit relieved.
Holding his phone, the group became eerily quiet. How come there was no one trying to persuade him to stay? Could it be that they would really let that useless Lin Lan go play top lane?
With a vengeful mindset, Wu Tianqi opened the live broadcast of the match. He wanted to see how they would embarrass themselves on stage.
As soon as the stream opened, he saw Lin Lan sitting in his original position playing top lane AD.
Wu Tianqi initially thought he had read it wrong, double-checked, and was astonished to find that Lin Lan was actually playing top lane. Unable to resist, he chuckled at Lin Lan’s audacity.
Who couldn’t play top lane?
So arrogant!
With a mindset to enjoy the spectacle, he continued watching, but soon found himself being slapped in the face.
Lin Lan, with his quick reflexes, pinned down Zou Hao and rendered him powerless, completely dominating the late-game-focused KIG, which was flattened within 20 minutes.
While watching the match, Wu Tianqi’s restlessness was not less than Zou Hao’s, if not more. He berated Zou Hao, calling him a dumbass playing like a piece of crap. He couldn’t believe that he was getting completely outplayed by a top-lane AD. Wasn’t Zou Hao supposed to be the third top laner in the LPL?
After leaving the team, DT won the match, making his departure seem foolish. The online public opinion would undergo a drastic change, turning the scandal of his departure into a joke. The management might receive some mild criticism, and he would become a clown, while the “team bully” Lin Lan would ironically become a savior.
Thinking about this, Wu Tianqi’s hands were trembling. He checked the VB he had just sent, and within a short time, there were dozens of comments, all criticizing him for lacking professional ethics. He instantly went from a victim to a clown.
How did it come to this?
Wu Tianqi felt frustrated and sat restlessly in his room, grabbing his hair. He suddenly regretted his impulsive actions, but quickly convinced himself that he was not wrong; DT was. Moreover, playing top lane AD is easy to counter.
As long as Zou Hao is intelligent, he can easily counter the opponent.
Wu Tianqi sighed in relief when he saw KIG’s champion picks in the second game. They were targeting Lin Lan! They aimed to crush him! How could an AD dominate the top lane? This is the top lane meta!
However, his joy didn’t last long. Lin Lan retaliated by picking Irelia, and the public opinion shifted back to his side.
Did he pretend to be pitiful because he knew he couldn’t win?
Wu Tianqi clenched his fists, wishing he could replace Zou Hao and pound Lin Lan to the ground. He couldn’t allow Lin Lan to be so arrogant! He especially couldn’t allow him to recklessly move around in his territory! He wanted him to pay the price!
At this moment, Wu Tianqi had been driven to madness, even crazier than Zou Hao. After being killed twice, his heart ached with anger.
Lin Lan indeed proved that this was a top-lane meta. Amidst the blades and shadows, he killed effortlessly. Although there were 10 people on the field, it seemed like a solo performance with only him present.
Some people were just born for this.
His smooth and flowing maneuvers, consciousness far beyond others, and extraordinary hand speed made it seem as if he was born for this position. Jiang Jin’s presence seemed to limit his potential.
In his top lane position, Wu Tianqi rarely paid attention to Lin Lan’s actions. While the online community praised him, Wu Tianqi always thought it was a matter of luck, and the real Lin Lan didn’t possess much skill, relying entirely on Jiang Jin.
However, after witnessing the two games just now, Wu Tianqi subtly realized Lin Lan’s exceptional skill. This discovery was hard for him to accept.
A few months ago, wasn’t he just a useless guy?
How did he turn the tables and win?
Watching the barrage of praise and condemnation for Lin Lan on the screen, Wu Tianqi anxiously grabbed his hair. His temples were throbbing, and his current feelings were even more uncomfortable than Zou Hao’s. After all, KIG only lost a game, while he had lost his entire professional career.
If he hadn’t left in anger, he wouldn’t have given Lin Lan the chance to become a legend in one battle.
Now, he regretted it deeply!
…
Compared to his arrogant demeanor before the match, the sight of Zou Hao leaving the stage with a pale and defeated face after the game was a source of amusement for the audience. Zou Hao thought Lin Lan was an easy target, intending to crush him effortlessly. However, he didn’t expect to kick an iron plate. Lin Lan directly ascended to the top lane, using his strength to convey the message: “You’re not worthy.”
Being completely dominated by the opponent in the same position for two games already proved the overwhelming difference in skill.
And Lin Lan transitioned from the AD position to the top lane. He hadn’t even played top lane before, yet he ruthlessly dominated Zou Hao. It was a pure and complete crushing, reducing him to ashes.
This crash was too brutal, wasn’t it?
While Zou Hao used to be arrogant before, he rarely experienced setbacks. Thus, his fans were also arrogant, often provoking fans of other players. However, most of them1 fans of other players dared to be angry but not to voice it. This time, witnessing his severe defeat, they reveled in it. Old and new grievances were settled together as they mocked him in the barrage. Even his own fans couldn’t hold their heads up high.
It wasn’t just the main player losing face; even the fans felt embarrassed. Some felt it was a significant humiliation and unfollowed him in frustration. After two games, Zou Hao had reportedly lost nearly 20,000 followers.
Beyond the overwhelming skill difference, Lin Lan mercilessly overshadowed Zong Hao even in the post-match handshake segment. Zou Hao finished the game drenched in sweat, even struggling to stand up. He stared fixedly at Lin Lan, a mixture of fear and unwillingness in his eyes, unable to articulate which emotion was stronger.
Lin Lan from the opposite team gave Zou Hao a casual glance, shook hands, and then walked away, exuding the demeanor of a true champion.
Zou Hao considered him an opponent, but in Lin Lan’s eyes, Zou Hao was barely visible, never really a worthy adversary.
The barrage was struck by Lin Lan’s indifferent look: [Ah, you’re killing it! How can you be so calm?]
[Zou Hao: Acting like this makes me look dumb.]
[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. Only Zou Hao in his own forceful world.]
[Help, the first punch hits steel, and the next one hits cotton. Who can endure this?]
[I am Zou Hao, I retire when I go down.]
[Hahaha…]
On camera, teammates gathered around Lin Lan, chatting excitedly about the just-concluded game.
Lin Lan remained calm and composed, neither arrogant nor impatient. It seemed that praise or criticism didn’t matter to him; he cared only about the game itself.
There was truly a faint but undeniable air of a strong and composed individual about him.
It’s as if he is a god standing atop a mountain, admired by the spectators. Lin Lan, now mythicized in the eyes of the audience, returned to the lounge, still caring only about one thing: “I’m hungry. Do you guys have any food?” or perhaps, “Captain, when will my keyboard arrive?”
One moment, Xiao Shengjing was fetching snacks from his backpack, and the next moment, he wanted to strangle Lin Lan. “Besides eating and your keyboard, do you care about anything else?”
Lin Lan immediately leaned in, smiling like a flower, “I care about you too.”
Saying this, he took the chocolate from Xiao Shengjing’s backpack, opened it, and with a snap, took a bite. By the way, when did Xiao Shengjing develop a habit of carrying chocolate? Was it when he realized he’d get hungry after the game?
While eating chocolate, Lin Lan furrowed his brows, puzzled. In his memory, the captain wasn’t someone who indulged in snacks.
“Lin Lan,” Jiang Jin handed him his candy jar, “There are White Rabbit milk candies inside. Eat some if you’re hungry.”
Feifei also offered his contribution – a small loaf of bread from his bag, with two different flavors for Lin Lan to choose from.
Even the usually quiet Xu Shengwei awkwardly handed him a pack of cookies, his face uncomfortable as he stuffed it into Lin Lan’s hands, saying, “This, for you.”
Lin Lan suddenly thought of something, “How did it feel during the game just now?”
Scratching his head, Xu Shengwei, still not used to speaking much, hesitated under everyone’s gaze before finally uttering, “Didn’t feel anything; I was still farming when the game ended.”
Laughter erupted in the lounge.
Indeed, in those two games, Lin Lan stood like a war god, facing everything head-on for them. They often forgot that this was an undoubtedly lost game and that Lin Lan was originally an AD player.
With a smile, Coach Zhang secretly wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye. He took out his phone to send the final message to Brother Mu, assuring him that DT hadn’t made a mistake in retaining the right people.
After calming down, Jiang Jin couldn’t help but ask, “Lin Lan, when did you learn to play top lane?”
Biting the cookie, Lin Lan pretended to be profound, “Isn’t it something anyone can do with hands? Don’t tell me you can’t?”
This answer made everyone burst into laughter, and it annoyed Jiang Jin enough to punch him. He hadn’t forgotten how Lin Lan had tricked him in the beginning.
He was angry yet happy. At the same time, a bit sentimental.
Turns out, he was never Lin Lan’s best partner. On the esports path, no one could keep up with Lin Lan’s pace. Even if he played better, it seemed like a burden compared to Lin Lan.
Jiang Jin looked at Lin Lan with a complicated gaze, as if seeing the growth of a prodigy player. However, he regretted that he couldn’t accompany him on this journey.
Lin Lan seemed to sense Jiang Jin’s emotional fluctuations. He put down the cookie, found an excuse to lead Jiang Jin into the adjacent compartment, and closed the door.
“The transfer period has passed, and DT can’t recruit a top laner now,” Lin Lan directly brought up the topic, “I’m definitely going to play top lane in the future. What do you think?”
In the enclosed space, Jiang Jin felt a sense of security. Questions he wouldn’t dare ask outside, he dared to ask now. “Lin Lan, did you originally play top lane?”
This response left Lin Lan stunned. Although he played mid-lane, which was closely related to top lane, he hadn’t expected Jiang Jin to be so sensitive. How did he figure it out?
Jiang Jin felt a bit uncomfortable, quietly expressing his thoughts, “When I saw you play AD, I thought you were impressive. But today, watching you play top lane, I always feel like your top lane is on a higher level than AD as if you were originally a top laner. I don’t know what I’m saying; my mind is a bit confused right now, and I need to sort out my thoughts…”
He knew his thoughts were absurd. Lin Lan was just a newcomer, and initially, he even played support. Where would he get the chance to play top lane?
Jiang Jin was completely confused. His intuition conflicted with reality, and he didn’t know what he was thinking.
“I might be talking nonsense. Sorry…”
Lin Lan patted his shoulder, not sure how to explain, so he playfully teased him, “I was originally a top laner, occasionally played mid lane. Later, some changes happened, and I felt like a failure. I went through a rough patch and just wanted to play support to make a living. Then I met you. You sent me encouraging messages every day, and I gradually started playing AD.”
Lin Lan was satisfied with the story he fabricated, which wasn’t entirely made up. It was more like a fusion of two versions of Lin Lan from different worlds.
Although the story had many loopholes, it seemed enough to deceive someone as naive and sweet as Jiang Jin, right?
Indeed, after hearing about Lin Lan’s experiences, Jiang Jin showed a look of heartfelt sympathy, “Lin Lan, I didn’t know you were going through all that back then. If only I had known.”
“It’s okay, I’ve moved on. Look at me now, no issues at all…”
Before Lin Lan could finish his sentence, Jiang Jin rushed forward and hugged him tightly. Lin Lan was caught off guard, and he ended up pressed against the doorknob.
Jiang Jin’s way of embracing was peculiar like two drowning people clinging to each other as if they were each other’s lifelines.
Holding Lin Lan, a hot teardrop fell. “Lin Lan, please live well, okay? Let’s live well together.”
Suddenly, Lin Lan felt that his joke had gone too far, “Are you crying?”
Jiang Jin shook his head, refusing to let go. He didn’t want Lin Lan to see him crying so miserably.
“You…” Lin Lan suddenly felt a bit uneasy, “Don’t cry. It’s not as dramatic as you think.”
He quickly checked if he had any tissues on him, but unfortunately, he wasn’t in the habit of carrying them. He had to give up.
It took Jiang Jin quite a while to calm down, and there was already someone knocking on the door urging them to hurry. He made an effort to compose himself, but his eyes were still a bit red.
“So, will you keep playing top lane in the future?” Jiang Jin seemed a bit disappointed. “Does that mean I can’t cooperate with you anymore?”
“Of course you can. You’re welcome to the top lane to help me catch opponents,” Lin Lan said, seeing that Jiang Jin’s mood was still not great. He lifted his head and comforted him sincerely, “Jiang Jin, believe me, Xu Shengwei is more suitable as your AD. You’ve already changed enough for me during this time. For me, the support position is crucial. The game needs you to activate it. Don’t let me trap you in the bot lane.”
Indeed, their cooperation was seamless, but Lin Lan faced a lot of hatred and needed assistance glued to him every moment. Even Jiang Jin, who loved roaming, couldn’t always stick close to him.
On the other hand, Xu Shengwei was different. He didn’t need anyone’s protection; he could find output positions on his own.
Jiang Jin laughed when he heard Lin Lan’s words. “Do you really think the support position is crucial?”
Lin Lan nodded, “Absolutely.”
Under the continuous iteration of patches, in the not-so-distant future, a good support will be hard to find.
Hearing him say this, Jiang Jin also felt relieved.
Lin Lan really had this kind of magic. Every time they talked, it made him feel reassured, allowing him to follow him anywhere with peace of mind.
“Knock, knock,” someone was knocking on the door again.
This time it was Lu Shi, “Lin Lan, the captain asked me to ask how much longer you guys needed. The team is about to leave.”
Lin Lan glanced at Jiang Jin’s condition, “5 minutes.”
Lu Shi left to convey the message, and in less than half a minute, he came back looking troubled, “The captain said, 5 minutes are up.”
Lin Lan: ???
Is 5 minutes that fast?
Fortunately, Jiang Jin had already sorted out his emotions, and he didn’t look like he had been crying. “I’m good now, let’s go.”
Coming out of the compartment, Lin Lan felt that Jiang Jin had suddenly grown up. Although not good at communication, he still took the initiative to approach Xu Shengwei for a conversation.
Lin Lan watched him smile with satisfaction. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of coldness and turned to see Xiao Shengjing walking past him with a cold face.
“Captain?” Lin Lan took the initiative to sit next to him. “Did I play well today?”
He eagerly awaited praise, hoping to bring up the keyboard matter in the process. However, Xiao Shengjing was only concerned about something else: “What were you talking about with Jiang Jin?”
“Nothing much,” Lin Lan redirected the topic. “Captain, which brand of keyboard do you think is better? I want to find one that suits me better.”
Xiao Shengjing calmly raised his eyes, glanced at him, and then withdrew his attention. “You didn’t talk for half an hour?”
“It wasn’t half an hour, at most 20 minutes.” Lin Lan dismissed the time issue and focused on the important matter. “Captain, can you take me when you buy a keyboard? Maybe I can also choose a headset? Will Brother Mu reimburse me?”
Xiao Shengjing seemed to understand now. In Lin Lan’s mind, having a keyboard was more important than himself. He gathered his belongings, closed his eyes indifferently, and said, “Go sit at the back.”
“Huh?” Lin Lan stood up, confused, and went to the back. However, even in the back, he couldn’t sit still. He sent a message: Captain, take me with you to buy a keyboard, please, please, please…
Xiao Shengjing chuckled and ran his slender fingers across Lin Lan’s messages as if he wished he could crush him.
Keyboard, keyboard—was that all Lin Lan could think about?
Everyone returned to the team happily, only to find that Wu Tianqi’s seat and room were both empty. The initially joyful atmosphere suddenly turned complex.
They were originally teammates training together, but unexpectedly, things turned so ugly in the end.
The most awkward of all was Lu Shi. If he hadn’t accidentally spilled the beans, things might not have escalated to this point. Seeing Wu Tianqi really leave made him feel uneasy.
Coach Zhang sighed and patted his players on the back. “It’s okay, take your rest. We’ll handle Tianqi’s matters with Brother Mu.”
Having played professionally for five years, Lin Lan was no stranger to such parting scenes. When Xiao Hai and Ayu left back then, he merely sighed faintly and moved on. As for Wu Tianqi, if he wanted to leave, so be it. Whose fault was it if he dug his own grave?
Lin Lan didn’t even want to sigh for him.
He returned to his room to rest and found his phone filled with messages from Xie Zilu: Had something today, missed your match. Did you win?
A few minutes later: Oh, the top laner left? Your team doesn’t seem so good.
After a while: Why did you switch to the top lane? Well, you won. I always said you weren’t suited for ADC. You have more impact in a solo lane. It reminds me of those two matches between us. Unforgettable. It makes me more certain that you’re truly back…
Half an hour later: Why no response? Tired? Rest well today. We can talk about the game tomorrow.
Lin Lan couldn’t understand why Xie Zilu liked to chat with him so much. He quickly skimmed through the useless messages and tossed his phone onto the bedside table before heading for a shower.
During the fifteen minutes or so in the shower, coincidentally, Xiao Shengjing was also sending him messages: Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see keyboards.
After sending the messages and receiving no response for a while, Xiao Shengjing couldn’t resist sending another: Didn’t you clamor for me to take you to see keyboards? Why no reply?
Lin Lan still didn’t reply. After holding back for a while, Xiao Shengjing typed again: Shall I buy you a pair of headphones?
After sending it, he felt like he was being too subservient and clingy. Lin Lan probably wouldn’t like it, right?
Feeling a sudden shift in emotions, Xiao Shengjing quickly retracted the last two messages.
Sitting at his desk, he clenched his fingers together, not sure what he was doing.
When Lin Lan finished his shower, he only saw “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see keyboards” and two retracted messages. Curious, he asked: What did you retract? Were you going to buy me headphones?
In the adjacent room, Xiao Shengjing’s ears slightly reddened. After a long while, he replied: Yes.
Lin Lan, still carefree, thought to himself that he was fortunate to have guessed it; otherwise, he would have lost a pair of headphones.
After finishing his shower and getting into bed, for some reason, he slept unusually soundly that night.
In his dreams, he seemed to return to that place full of mirrors, where he could see all the memories left by the original host in his mind.
Lin Lan walked over, gazing at those tape images.
The memories he retrieved would also appear in these tape fragments, forming complete scenes with the remaining missing parts appearing as white.
Lin Lan suddenly noticed that the white segments had been present since the orphanage. Logically, at that time, the original owner hadn’t yet met Xie Zilu, so who was concealed in this part?
Curiously, he approached, wanting to touch those tapes. Deep in his mind, he vaguely heard someone calling his name.
“Lin Lan—Lin Lan—”
The voice was somewhat distorted, overlapping, and Lin Lan couldn’t discern which world was calling him.
The tapes in front of him slowly disappeared, revealing two paths laid out before him. On the left was the original world, and on the right was the mirror world.
It seemed to signify that he had to make a choice.
A tremendous pressure suddenly surged like a tidal wave, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Just as he was about to suffocate, Lin Lan abruptly woke up from the dream, drenched in sweat from head to toe.
The phone on the pillow kept ringing, and outside the door, there was the concerned voice of Xiao Shengjing, “Lin Lan, are you okay?”
Lin Lan realized that this was the mirror world.
He suddenly felt a sense of relief.
The knocking at the door continued, and Lin Lan, dragging his heavy body, opened the door, “Captain.”
His complexion was as pale as paper, and he was covered in cold sweat. Xiao Shengjing frowned, reaching out to touch his forehead, “Are you sick?”
“No, not sick…” Lin Lan shook his head, swaying as if even standing was a challenge.
Xiao Shengjing immediately embraced him, and placed him back on the bed, covering him with a blanket. Despite not having a fever, why was he sweating all over?
Curling up in the blanket, Lin Lan seemed lethargic, lacking color in his face.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Xiao Shengjing grabbed Lin Lan’s clothes and pulled him up from the bed, “Let’s go to the hospital.”
Lin Lan refused to go to the hospital, desperately retracting into the blanket, and wrapping himself tightly. “I’m not sick, just didn’t sleep well.”
“Haven’t slept well? Do you know what time it is now? It’s noon. I couldn’t wake you up no matter how much I called outside. Is that what you call not waking up?”
Xiao Shengjing couldn’t control his emotions, his voice becoming somewhat heavy.
Just a moment ago, he had a fleeting thought that Lin Lan might have committed suicide inside. It was just that close, and he was about to call the police.
Lin Lan had no intention of going to the hospital; he believed he wasn’t sick. He simply buried his head in the blanket, refusing to communicate.
Xiao Shengjing was both anxious and helpless outside, “Lin Lan, tell me the truth, is there anything uncomfortable?”
It took a long time for Lin Lan to poke his head out and look at him, “I’m really not sick. I just had some bad dreams, like sleep paralysis. I’ll be fine slowly.”
Seeing that his complexion had indeed improved a lot, Xiao Shengjing stopped insisting.
He turned to the keys Lin Lan had thrown on the bedside, picked up a spare one, and held it in his hand. “I’ll keep one as a spare. If I can’t wake you up next time, I’ll just come in.”
Lin Lan nodded.
Huddled in the blanket, only revealing a pair of eyes, Lin Lan felt a sense of security whenever the captain was around.
“Captain, are we still buying the keyboard today?”
“You’re not feeling well, and you’re still thinking about the keyboard?” Xiao Shengjing squatted down again to feel his forehead. It seemed like there was no fever, so he withdrew his hand. “Rest for a while. I’ll buy the keyboard for you later.”
Sitting at the edge of his bed, Xiao Shengjing felt uneasy seeing Lin Lan uncomfortable. Through the blanket, he silently touched Lin Lan’s head, contemplating how to comfort him.
Lin Lan poked his head out again, “And headphones, Captain.”
Xiao Shengjing sighed, “Alright, I got it.”
Author’s note:
Xiao Shengjing reached out to feel his forehead, “Fever? Isolation it is.”
