DT won, defeating JIO and successfully advancing to the semifinals!
The moment he took off his headphones, the cheers on the field were deafening, music covering everything, and the surging sound overwhelmed Lin Lan.
Perhaps this match was just an ordinary confrontation for him, with the outcome within expectations. However, for his teammates, it was extraordinary. They were getting more excited one after another, some even teary-eyed.
Feifei cried the most miserably. He bore immense pressure in this game, made many mistakes, and losing would have marked the end of his entire professional career.
But Lin Lan dragged him to victory, making his mistakes insignificant and preserving his professional career.
“Feifei, we won!”
“Yeah, we won. Stop crying.”
It’s because they won that they cried. The ups and downs were too intense; his heart couldn’t handle it. So Feifei cried even harder, “I thought I would drag you down…”
Xiao Shengjing once told Lin Lan that Feifei was a very sensitive person, with a particularly strong sense of empathy. Now, he truly witnessed it.
If it were Wu Tianqi, dragging down teammates would be seen as their problem. But if it were Feifei, he would only introspect himself excessively.
No matter how everyone tried to console him, it seemed ineffective. The commentators on the stage even thought something was wrong, their expressions turning worried. “What’s happening to Feifei?”
Initially, some barrage comments were criticizing him, but seeing him cry, they all turned into expressions of concern: [Why is Feifei crying?]
[He made so many mistakes today, much more than usual. I wonder what’s going on with him.]
[Probably too much pressure, just like last time. After all, such an important match brings a lot of stress.]
[Sigh, let’s give the new player some more time.]
Feifei’s emotions were more overwhelming than ever. Even during the handshake segment, he kept his head low. Later, Lin Lan must have said something to him, and his emotions quickly subsided.
The audience was curious about what Lin Lan had said to Feifei. How could it be more effective than the words of the other teammates?!
The playoff process was quite intricate. In addition to the handshake segment, there was also a fan meeting. Usually, five fans would be selected from the audience to go on stage, having the chance to take photos and exchange gifts with their idols.
When this segment came up, the fans in the audience went crazy!
Because no one thought DT would win, many people didn’t attend the event even after buying tickets. Those who gave away tickets are now regretful, and those who bought and then returned tickets are feeling deep remorse…
Who said DT couldn’t win? Huh?
Who claimed this was a game where DT would be crushed? Huh?
Speak up! I guarantee you won’t be beaten to death; we’ll just keep fighting to the end!
After a short wait, the first lucky fan chosen was a long-time fan of Jiang Jin. Wearing thick glasses, he clearly looked like a fellow otaku just like Jiang Jin.
He didn’t say much when he went on stage, but every word revealed that he was indeed a devoted fan of Jiang Jin. Wherever Jiang Jin went, he would always follow.
Jiang Jin and he exchanged gifts and took a photo together. Because both were somewhat reserved, the photo turned out neat and orderly.
The second person to come up was a fan of Xu Shengwei. He had a lot to say, claiming that he particularly enjoyed playing AD and always thought that AD players had a tough job. He mentioned being deeply attracted when watching Lin Lan play the AD position for the first time, and he went on and on. Only in the last sentence did he bring up Xu Shengwei: “Ah Xu is our Lan Lan’s disciple, definitely not far behind. Keep it up! I believe in you.”
Xu Shengwei looked bewildered.
Except for the last sentence, he thought this person was a fan of Lin Lan.
Just like clockwork, the fan smoothly exchanged gifts, seemingly affectionately draped an arm around Xu Shengwei’s shoulder, and confidently displayed a flawless smile toward the camera.
Once the photo was taken, both inside and outside the venue, the audience burst into laughter, tears streaming down their faces. It was all a skill! No emotions at all!
Lin Lan couldn’t hold back a laugh, feeling a bit unethical.
He glanced to the side and saw Jiang Jin laughing so hard that even his back molars were visible, Xu Shengwei looking like a pitiful figure. In the end, even Lin Lan couldn’t resist and laughed without any moral boundaries.
With his laughter, the audience below went wild in an instant.
The barrage went crazy too: [OMG, Lan Lan actually laughed!!]
[He looks so good when he smiles, so good, so good!
[Ah, this little heartless guy, how dare he still laugh!]
[I never thought you, Lan, would be like this! Where’s your morality? Where’s your bottom line? Where’s your VX? Where’s your home address?]
[He looks so approachable when he smiles! I always thought he was very aloof!]
[I always felt that Lin Lan was like a god, towering above everyone, and now in daily life, he’s so playful??]
In everyone’s eyes, Lin Lan had always been mysterious and aloof, dominating on the stage, a shadow unseen off the stage. He didn’t livestream, avoided social interactions, didn’t engage with fans, couldn’t post on the official account, refrained from participating in related topics, and nobody had seen him interact with anyone. He seemed to live as if in another world.
People speculated that he must be difficult to get along with in private.
But he actually laughed with his teammates!
Ah, ah, ah! If you can laugh, then laugh more!
Not only did Lin Lan laugh on stage, but he also laughed for a long time.
He turned his head towards Xu Shengwei, laughing and shouting at him. Then, saying something that nobody could hear, Xu Shengwei visibly started to feel awkward.
Ah, ah, ah! What heartless things did Lin Lan say? So bad! People really want to know what bad things he said, sob, sob…
The next fan to come up was Feifei’s fan, a girl. Facing the camera, she briefly shared her feelings, expressing that Feifei is a hardworking and excellent player. After taking the microphone away, she said something to Feifei, who was moved to tears on the spot. Even after hugging the fan, Feifei couldn’t control his emotions, looking at the camera with teary eyes.
Countless people were touched by this scene.
Feifei also has fans, although he has the weakest presence in DT. There are still people who genuinely like him, and that’s enough!
They exchanged gifts and took a photo together. Feifei even smiled at the camera, appearing to be in better spirits.
Next up was Xiao Shengjing’s fan. He has a lot of fans, from LDL to LPL, with countless longtime fans and many newcomers. It was particularly challenging to be chosen in this fan meeting.
Everyone was guessing who the lucky one would be. In the end, the spotlight focused on a tall and slender guy who stood up. He looked quite refined, wearing glasses, and bore a resemblance to Xiao Shengjing.
He claimed to be a fan of Xiao Shengjing for two years. Standing next to Xiao Shengjing, both spoke politely and coherently, with clear thoughts. They were similar in height, resembling two brothers.
Indeed, fans reflect the qualities of their idols.
After Xiao Shengjing’s ‘brother’ took a photo and stepped down, it was time for the climax of this fan meeting.
To avoid embarrassment for the players on stage, the fans drawn were assigned in separate boxes. Each player corresponded to one fan, and there would be no repeats. With the first four already drawn, the next fan to be drawn would undoubtedly be Lin Lan’s!
The probability of being chosen was probably the lowest in the entire venue. Just by looking at the signs on the stage, it was evident that Lin Lan’s fans made up the majority of the team. Fans who admired his skills, his gameplay, and those who were fans of his appearance, all combined to make a significant presence.
Before the drawing even started, there were various exclamations from the audience, showing just how intense the competition was.
The commentator exclaimed, “Wow,” and said, “I feel like I’m getting nervous too. Who will be chosen?”
Meanwhile, Lin Lan on stage was nonchalantly looking around, thinking about what to eat after this. He was starving, the hunger growls in his stomach after finishing a bo5 series.
While he was casually looking around, Qi Rong in the audience was already on the edge of exploding with nerves. She gripped the arm of the person next to her, her whole body tensed. “Pick me, pick me! I feel like it’s going to be me. Ah, ah, ah, I don’t know why, but I just have this very strong feeling. It’s like when I was studying at school, I felt the teacher would call on me, and she really would. Do you understand this feeling? Ah, ah, ah, you must understand…”
The person she grabbed wanted to say he was a fan of JIO, and he really didn’t understand!
Qi Rong didn’t care anymore whether he understood or not; it was just this intense feeling. She was convinced she would be chosen!
The host got the lottery number and announced the seat number of the lucky one. The first two digits were exactly the same as Qi Rong’s. She almost stood up, but when the host announced the following digits, her mind suddenly went blank.
Huh? Wasn’t it supposed to be her?
That strong feeling was supposed to be about herself!
The girl next to her excitedly went up on stage, bouncing happily. She looked genuinely delighted.
Qi Rong let out a “Wow” and burst into tears. She couldn’t believe it, couldn’t accept it. It wasn’t her…
“Wow—! It’s not me!” She grabbed the person next to her, wiping her tears, her voice hoarse from crying. “Do you understand this feeling?”
Initially, others didn’t understand until Qi Rong wiped her tears and snot on his clothes; then, they got it.
“Cheer up, she’s also a fan. Just think of it as her helping you deliver the gift.”
“But I feel like I’m irreplaceable…” Qi Rong, with teary eyes, mustered the courage to look at the stage.
The young girl also loved Little Yellow Duck. She even had a backpack with Little Yellow Duck on it, specially used to carry gifts for Lin Lan. When she took out the box, it was also a Little Yellow Duck-themed box.
Looking at her carefully wrapped Little Yellow Duck gift box, Qi Rong cried even harder with a “Wow.” “She actually likes Little Yellow Duck too, she’s also giving Little Yellow Duck. Why is it like this…”
The person’s clothes next to her were no longer sufficient to wipe her tears, so he quickly handed her the tissues from his pocket. “Cheer up, she might not have been a fan for as long as you.”
Just as he finished speaking, the girl on stage excitedly took the microphone and said, “I’ve known Lin Lan since LDL; he was a support back then. I watched him gradually transition from support to AD, and then to the top lane…”
Qi Rong, after hearing this, cried even more foolishly. “She’s been a fan longer than me. I only knew him when Lin Lan started playing top lane. I’m useless… Wow!”
Before she could recover from this emotional blow, the next moment she saw the girl on stage hugging Lin Lan. Lin Lan also politely returned the hug, and they exchanged gifts.
Qi Rong was instantly struck again. “It’s all about Little Yellow Duck. Why couldn’t it be me? I also wanted to give Lin Lan a gift…”
She cried until her eyes were blurred, tissues used one after another, but still unable to stop her torrent of tears.
The person next to her was at a loss. He didn’t cry this hard even when JIO unexpectedly won the Spring Split…
On the other side, in the ENG training camp:
When teammates saw the yellow little backpack, they thought, “Your little cousin got chosen?”
Upon closer inspection, they realized it wasn’t. “Oh, it’s not her.”
Qi Mo, feeling helpless, facepalmed. Without even looking, he knew this little crybaby was going to cry like a dog.
But it serves her right for not attending the evening self-study.
Actually, when that girl first went on stage, Lin Lan really thought it was Qi Rong who got chosen. Seeing her, with a height similar to Qi Rong’s, happily bouncing around with a Little Yellow Duck backpack, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Why did his fans all like Little Yellow Duck?
Was there some mystique to it?
With a puzzled expression, he returned to the dressing room where everyone was packing up. Suddenly, Lin Lan asked, “Do any of you have some fans who like Little Yellow Duck?”
Jiang Jin hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand. “I’ve bought it before, but I didn’t really like it.” He was curious, “Why do you suddenly ask this question? Are you planning to buy it?”
Lin Lan quickly shook his head. How could he possibly like something that little girls liked? He was just casually curious.
The fan meeting ended, and the next segment was the post-match interview.
JIO’s loss was considered a major upset, and mishandling the aftermath could lead to trouble.
After careful consideration, the manager passed on a bunch of people and finally asked Xiao Shengjing to take Lin Lan for the interview.
So this pair, not technically the true mid-jungle duo, ended up in the same frame strangely.
The host spoke quickly and subconsciously referred to their synergy in the fifth game as a “mid-jungle” synergy. Lin Lan’s face instantly displayed a small question mark, and he corrected her, “Top-jungle.”
Top-jungle, but their synergy occurred in the mid-lane.
Help! How should she explain this? The host felt challenged for the first time in her career.
She quickly avoided the “top-jungle” dilemma and directly asked them how they communicated during the fifth game, skillfully sidestepping the tricky question.
The barrage of comments jokingly remarked: [Uh-oh, I don’t know if this is called top-jungle or mid-jungle. Hahaha.]
[I also want to ask, is this considered a top-jungle synergy or a mid-jungle synergy?]
[Hahaha, the host is also quite confused; after so many years in this field, it’s the first time encountering something like this.]
[Don’t panic; it’s not impossible for Lin Lan to go play mid-lane.]
Lin Lan chose to dodge this question. He was afraid that his straightforwardness might make it difficult for JIO to step down.
Xiao Shengjing’s response was very official, skillfully addressing all the host’s questions.
The host wouldn’t let Lin Lan off the hook and asked him again, “Will you continue with this lane-swapping tactic in the future?”
Lin Lan didn’t give a direct answer, saying, “Probably.”
The host asked again, “Will you consider switching positions with Feifei and playing mid?”
This question truly voiced the thoughts of everyone, and the atmosphere at the venue became lively. Everyone eagerly anticipated Lin Lan’s response.
Lin Lan replied to her, “No, there are too many people camping mid-lane.”
His answer cleverly preserved Feifei’s dignity while expressing his determination not to go mid-lane, skillfully avoiding the pit the host dug.
The host nodded continuously, praising him for his excellent response.
Whether in the game or during interviews, Lin Lan demonstrated an extraordinary level of composure and unity.
The style that dropped when he teased Xu Shengwei during the fan meeting was instantly picked back up by him.
Lin Lan, building his career, looked really cool!
Cheers and praises flooded the barrage; this time, everyone thoroughly enjoyed not only the match but also the post-match interview and fan meeting. The “Lan content” was truly impressive!
As the interview concluded, people lamented that it wasn’t enough, expressing their dissatisfaction. They clamored for the upcoming matches to end in victory for them!
A kind reminder in the barrage: DT’s next match is against ENG.
The fans were already going crazy, unable to hear anything else: “Even if you’re against the Emperor himself, you better win for me!!!”
Because only by winning would there be a fan meeting and interview segment, ahhh…
After a brief rest for the entire DT team, regardless of how excited everyone was, they had to pack up and head back.
Lin Lan had been eager to leave. Carrying a backpack, he walked at the forefront, not only inside the venue but also outside, where many fans were waiting for him behind the barriers.
Qi Rong was among them. In the crowded crowd, she tried to squeeze forward, aiming to get to the front and give him her gift. However, just as she managed to squeeze through, Lin Lan had already passed her by.
Wuwuwu, she suffered another blow…
Why was he so close yet so far away?
She felt really sad. Lin Lan had won, but she couldn’t give him the gift…
Lin Lan had almost reached the car door when he suddenly turned around, looking for something. He walked straight toward a specific area.
The cluster of fans instantly went wild, vigorously shaking their light panels, shouting excitedly at him, “Kiner! Kiner!”
Lin Lan stopped in front of Qi Rong and suddenly asked her, “Aren’t you supposed to be in evening self-study at this time?”
Qi Rong thought she was dreaming, like a figment of her imagination created by her brain. She stammered, struggling to speak, “I-I skipped class to come…”
Seeing the gift in her hands, Lin Lan asked, “Is this for me?” He took it from her and then asked the staff for the last backup gift. It didn’t have any signatures inside. Oops.
Lin Lan requested a pen from the staff, took out a card, signed his name in front of Qi Rong, and slipped it into the box. He handed it to her, saying, “Study well and don’t skip classes.”
The surrounding fans erupted in astonishment. Qi Rong, feeling like she was in a daze, caught the gift. Only after everyone left did she scream, “What’s happening? What is this? Ahhhh, Lin Lan talked to me, he signed for me! Am I dreaming? Save me…”
Just now, Lin Lan immediately recognized Qi Rong in the crowd. Originally, he had no intention of paying attention to her. However, when he saw her eyes swollen from crying, he instantly understood what was going on.
So, he turned back and gave her an additional gift, advising her to study well.
If she skipped class again, her cousin would come looking for him.
After Lin Lan finished giving the gift and returned to the car, everyone witnessed the scene. Lu Shi Fox suspiciously looked at him, “Do you know Little Yellow?”
Lin Lan remained silent. How could he respond?
He couldn’t say she was Qi Mo’s cousin, right?
That matter has never been made public.
Qi Rong, holding the gift, jumped in excitement, crying tears of joy. The surrounding fans, full of envy, gathered to see what gift Lin Lan had given her. Although the contents were just some merchandise, clearly prepared by the staff, the signature was personally signed by Lin Lan on the spot!
A wealthy individual immediately asked her on the spot, “Will you sell it for 2000? 3000?”
Qi Rong quickly hugged the box tightly, protecting it as she left the venue.
Joyfully clutching the gift, she waited by the roadside for a ride. The thought that it was a gift from Lin Lan made her burst into laughter uncontrollably. Standing with her, waiting for a ride, was the disgruntled seatmate who sat beside her earlier.
He wore a dark hoodie, carried a messenger bag, and, seeing her laughing while holding a box with the DT logo, was shocked. “You didn’t sneak into their rest area to steal this, did you?!”
Qi Rong, sniffing with her red nose, proudly declared, “This was personally given to me by Lin Lan!”
That statement made it sound even more like she stole it.
The guy in the hoodie was taken aback.
The video of Lin Lan giving gifts to fans was uploaded online.
Upon a closer look, it became evident that Lin Lan’s features were even more attractive than in the photos. With his ash-gray hair, his already fair skin appeared even whiter, seemingly glowing under the lights.
Throughout the video, he mostly showed his profile, occasionally turning to face the camera, revealing a handsome look that could captivate anyone’s heart.
Moreover, the contrast with the ordinary people in the background made his handsomeness stand out even more, emphasizing the significant difference between him and the average person, akin to a celebrity.
And, unbelievably, he wasn’t wearing any makeup!
To look as stunning as a celebrity without makeup was mind-boggling—Lin Lan had the potential to bewitch people with his looks.
Of course, his appearance was secondary; what mattered most was what Lin Lan said in the video.
He only had two lines throughout the entire video. One was questioning the other person about skipping evening self-study, and the sincere response was that they skipped class to attend the event.
Then, without hesitation, he accepted the gift, reciprocated with another, and advised her not to skip class anymore.
His voice was gentle, lacking any hostility, a complete departure from his image on the gaming stage. With just these simple sentences, a massive contrast was drawn.
Many had assumed Lin Lan to be an arrogant, aloof genius, but unexpectedly, he appeared so soft-spoken, with such a good temperament, showing care even for trivial matters like whether fans attended classes or not!
Oh my God! What kind of treasure did I become a fan of?
This isn’t an arrogant genius; this is clearly a cute little gamer who excels at playing games!
On that evening, Lin Lan trended on three hashtags, with the highest trending being “Lin Lan advises you not to skip class”. Later, it was even positively covered by a certain media outlet, hailed as a representative of positive energy in the esports community.
Similarly, after watching this video, Qi Mo developed a subtle curiosity about Lin Lan.
How did he figure out that Qi Rong was a student?
Did he guess?
Lin Lan, who suddenly became inexplicably popular, just wanted to keep a low profile. The club also respected his decision, refraining from participating in any discussions related to the matter.
However, Lu Shi was quite curious: “Can’t we have such a positive report? You played that game really well.”
Lin Lan: “No.”
The more attention, the more envious people will emerge. No matter how positive the coverage, with the guidance of those with ill intentions, it could easily spiral out of control.
This gaming world is intricate, and there’s no guarantee he’ll never make a mistake. When that happens, all the current glory could turn into fodder for mockery.
Keeping a low profile is the key to dealing with public opinion.
Suddenly, Lu Shi came across the next post and exclaimed, “Lin Lan, you have to see this!”
