IRAJAS Chapter 70

Lin Lan leaned over to take a look. It was an article titled “Can a Team Like This Still Arrange Practice Matches in the Future?” The piece presented numerous videos and screenshots as evidence, accompanied by a comprehensive analysis from professional experts dissecting JIO’s tactics. The conclusion was that JIO used “unspoken rules” to defeat the new teams, implying that their victory was unfair.

Since the whistleblower revealed their identity, it quickly surfaced that he was a retired mid-lane player. In that particular year, his team, rising as a dark horse, made it to the playoffs but fell victim to JIO’s “unspoken rules”, resulting in a chaotic mid-lane, affecting all three lanes, and ultimately losing the match unexpectedly.

Post-match, he became the scapegoat for the entire team and had to retire in disgrace to atone for his perceived sins, leaving a lasting stain on his reputation.

Haunted by this incident daily after retirement, he only discovered the peculiarities one day with the help of a friend. It turned out that JIO intentionally set traps for players scheduled to play the next day in practice matches, not only targeting new teams but also newcomers. This tactic created a contrast, making inexperienced players fall into their traps during practice matches and planting landmines to explode on the main stage.

Recalling his own experience, he realized he had that strange feeling at the time. He even consulted other victims, and their responses matched his own imagination.

The article interspersed internal training match clips between each line, showcasing instances collected by the whistleblower over the years. These clips revealed JIO’s blatant trap-setting behavior.

If one considers these incidents too distant, the whistleblower provided a recent example—the match between DT and JIO. In the first two games, the usually stable Feifei seemed disoriented, adopting a confusing playstyle where all predictions turned out opposite.

If this could still be attributed to the minor increase in skill level surpassing Feifei, there was another set of videos for the next day’s practice match. In these clips, one could observe Xiao Zeng being hit by all skills, every move accurately anticipated by Feifei. The overall performance in the practice match depicted a state of suppression, and in some instances, it seemed a bit staged.

Such a significant contrast within two days could be challenging for even experienced players to adapt to.

This is why Feifei struggled in the mid-lane but managed to seamlessly adapt when moved to the top lane—because he fell into Xiao Zeng’s big trap.

As soon as this information was released, the entire gaming community erupted. Countless individuals joined in to analyze the video. Some seasoned players could immediately spot the issues: [This playstyle can be used when facing unfamiliar opponents, typically creating contrast within the same match, a tactic known as acting weak to catch the opponent off guard. However, employing such strategies from practice matches onward seems to lack professional ethics in a way…].

With the involvement of numerous professionals, even those who initially couldn’t comprehend the situation began to understand.

Wow, no wonder Feifei’s performance was so lackluster. Everyone thought Xiao Zeng was dominating him comprehensively! Little did they know it was all a trap!

If they continued playing with this approach, DT was destined to lose!

However, DT’s strength lay in their ability to decipher the opponent’s tactics during crucial matches. Feifei picked a flexible hero for the offlane, Xiao Shengjing consistently held his ground in the mid-lane, and Lin Lan played a full-damage top-lane champion. This strategic approach led to a reversal against all odds!

After losing the “trap-setting tactic”, Xiao Zeng’s performance in the following three games was mediocre. In the matchup against Lin Lan, the gap was so substantial it spanned across the entire galaxy.

With this revelation, all the pieces fell into place, and the deeper people dug, the more alarming it became.

The host once asked Lin Lan to evaluate JIO’s tactics during an interview.

At that time, Lin Lan just smiled without providing an answer. Many assumed that the smile indicated an unwillingness to recall, but in retrospect, it seemed more like a disdainful dismissal.

Lin Lan saw through JIO’s tactics, and his non-response was a gesture to save face for JIO. However, after the match, JIO’s fans mistakenly believed that Lin Lan feared their tactics. They proudly claimed that JIO might lose the game but not the strategy.

Looking back now, it’s truly laughable.

[How can there be such shameless teams?]

[My goodness, are JIO’s fans trying to find a hole to hide in?]

[This derailment is way too intense.]

[Darn, what kind of idiotic nonsense did I become a fan of?]

[Can any team still arrange training matches with JIO now? Hmm?]

[Hilarious, who dares to arrange matches with them now.]

Such tactics are absolutely prohibited in the league. Training matches are meant for collective improvement, to make LPL stronger, not for scheming and setting traps.

JIO’s actions not only harmed other teams but also damaged the official interests of LPL.

Although the authorities couldn’t find direct evidence, the analyses are on the table. Other teams naturally distance themselves from JIO. While the officials haven’t explicitly stated, they subtly punished JIO’s team for a minor offense, implying that JIO’s tactical analysts could use a change.

When the official statement is made, it reveals the iron-clad truth.

JIO’s official account exploded with criticism, flooding the entire community, and pushing them onto the top of trending topics. Even passing mice wanted to give them a kick.

Some uninformed fans tried to defend them but ended up realizing the clowns were themselves. The house has already collapsed beyond repair.

Numerous memes quickly emerged online. Every time a streamer acts, the chat goes crazy: [JIO’s direct disciple has arrived.]

[This actor is no good, suggest going to JIO for training.]

[Learn from JIO’s mental resilience; that’s what stability looks like.]

[Carry away, carry away. If it’s not an actor trained by JIO, I won’t watch. Acting skills must be guaranteed.]

Overnight, JIO found themselves deeply embroiled in the “actor incident”, especially with the mid-laner Xiao Zeng, who was turned into a meme labeled as the “actor patriarch”.

Lin Lan didn’t intend to laugh, but when he saw this meme, he couldn’t help himself. “This, this is really hilarious.”

Lu Shi laughed uproariously and immediately went to share it with Feifei. Unexpectedly, Feifei was still on a lengthy phone call, placing his food in an empty spot and eating while chatting. It had been two whole hours.

“Do you know Feifei’s zodiac sign?”

Lin Lan was puzzled by Lu Shi’s inexplicable remark, “Huh?”

Lu Shi leaned in, mysteriously whispering in his ear, “Pisces.”

“So what?”

“So… he’s definitely in love.”

Lin Lan had a head full of question marks, unsure how these two things were connected. “Why?”

“Because Pisces are love-brained. Once they fall in love, it affects their career,” Lu Shi glanced meaningfully at Feifei, “Haven’t you noticed his training hours decreasing lately?”

Lin Lan hadn’t noticed until Lu Shi pointed it out. Feifei’s training hours seemed to be less than before.

“I heard that Pisces, once in a relationship, quickly prioritize work as secondary. If there are any disturbances in their love life, it can also have a significant impact on their work.”

This was indeed a dangerous signal because Lin Lan liked to play flexible roles, and for Feifei to cooperate with him, he needed to be prepared with a variety of champions. Yet, Feifei spent at least two hours on the phone every day.

Lin Lan’s immediate reaction was, “I’ll talk to the captain.”

“So who is his love interest?” Lu Shi was most concerned about this question.

He and Lin Lan blurted it out simultaneously, and then Lin Lan, realizing he was about to inform the captain, quickly grabbed him. “I’ll go, don’t be a snitch. What if Feifei finds out? He’ll hate me.”

“Then should I talk to Feifei?”

“Finding him won’t work either. What if it affects him?”

“So what should we do?”

“Wait for Feifei to say it himself. Don’t you know that Pisces individuals are very sensitive in character?”

Lin Lan genuinely didn’t know; he had zero knowledge of astrology.

Lu Shi suddenly asked him, “What’s your zodiac sign?”

“I don’t know.”

“You were born on February 18th, so you should be an Aquarius…” Lu Shi rambled on, but when he looked up, he realized Lin Lan had walked away. “Indeed, a typical Aquarius, not fond of socializing.”

Even though Lu Shi discouraged Lin Lan from talking, Lin Lan couldn’t hold it in. When he bumped into Xiao Shengjing in the meeting room, he couldn’t resist pulling him aside discreetly. “Captain, what should we do if a teammate’s training volume is falling behind?”

Xiao Shengjing seriously considered for a moment, “Training volume is something even coaches can’t control; it relies on the player’s self-discipline.”

Lin Lan knew this; usually, players arrange their training volume based on their own circumstances, and coaches can’t interfere much. “But what if it’s due to some very special reasons, like… being in a romantic relationship?”

Xiao Shengjing’s hand, holding some documents, froze. These days, due to various matters, his training volume has indeed decreased significantly. For a moment, he didn’t know if Lin Lan was subtly criticizing him. “Not really… It’s just a bit less, right?”

“It’s less, really less, much less than before.” Lin Lan was anxious to mention Feifei’s name but realized he couldn’t snitch, so he pulled back. “Anyway, is there any way to remind him?”

Xiao Shengjing cleared his throat. “He probably won’t… well…”

“Can you guess who it is?” Lin Lan was shocked and continued, “I think we need to remind him very tactfully; he’s quite sensitive.”

“He… isn’t that sensitive, and what you just said isn’t very tactful…”

“Huh?” Lin Lan was confused. “Are you talking about the same Feifei as Lu Shi?”

“Feifei?” Xiao Shengjing instantly stood upright, realizing he had misunderstood and created a misunderstanding. “Ahem, I understand the situation you’re talking about. I’ll have a good talk with him.”

“Can you talk to him?”

Xiao Shengjing was about to say they could talk when suddenly there was an exclamation outside, “Oh my goodness, who sent roses?”

“Mine.” Then they saw Feifei happily running to pick up the roses, a blissful smile on his face. Amidst everyone’s teasing, he awkwardly held the roses and went to the balcony, starting to make a call again.

Both Lin Lan and Xiao Shengjing simultaneously realized the seriousness of the situation.

Fei Fei received roses? Is he talking about a boyfriend? And sending roses to the workplace, such an old-fashioned move… Is he in a serious relationship?

Looking at the happy smile on Feifei’s profile, Lu Shi outside also felt like he had been hit hard. It felt like someone had stolen the carefully cultivated big cabbage from his garden!

He quickly entered the meeting room, paying no attention to Xiao Shengjing’s presence. Like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, he exclaimed, “Oh my, have you guys seen that note? ‘My dear Fei’? I got goosebumps; the text is obviously lifted from the internet. Classic scumbag move, and who reveals their relationship after only a few months? Roses directly delivered to the club? Isn’t that the typical move of a playboy?”

“And look at Feifei’s expression. He falls for a few lines and roses from the internet. He hasn’t realized he’s just a fish in the pond. Every day, he’s making sweet phone calls. Clearly, he’s fallen!” Lu Shi became more animated as he spoke, using gestures to express his shock. “Lin Lan, do you know what I’m talking about?”

Lin Lan didn’t fully understand what he was saying, but he could sense it: “Playboy.”

Xiao Shengjing looked at him uncomfortably, feeling a strange sense of being subjected to an examination. It was too weird.

However, “Feifei’s relationship is indeed affecting his training. I’ll go talk to him.”

Xiao Shengjing straightened his attire and left. He called Feifei into the meeting room, spoke with him for about half an hour, and then reluctantly summoned Lin Lan and Lu Shi.

Lin Lan only realized how severe Feifei’s love-struck brain was once he entered.

Feifei had met this Mr. Chen online. The latter was humorous, gentlemanly, and had graduated from a prestigious university with profound knowledge. Currently, he holds a high-ranking position in one of the world’s top 500 companies.

Lu Shi, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but mock, “Have you seen his ID?”

Feifei emphasized, “Love requires mutual trust. He won’t lie to me, and, of course, I won’t doubt him.”

Then came a barrage of romantic details, such as when Feifei had a high fever, his partner would advise him to drink more hot water. If he faced online criticism, the partner would comfort him. Before his matches, the partner would offer words of encouragement.

Feifei beamed, “You guys have no idea how good he is to me!”

Lu Shi sarcastically remarked, “I really couldn’t tell.”

Completely unaware of how absurd his love-infused thoughts were, Feifei went on to express that he and his partner were soulmates, supporting each other and providing the driving force to move forward. According to him, they loved each other deeply, couldn’t bear to part, and couldn’t live without each other.

Lin Lan finally grasped the situation: the other person was undeniably a smooth talker, and Feifei, in the absence of an outlet for the negative information circulating online, had turned to rely on this individual.

Lu Shi casually checked the chat records and commented, “Isn’t this just a scam? Look at these chat records, is any of it normal?”

“We’re both experiencing our first relationship, maybe it’s a bit special.”

“No, all I see is you transferring money to him. Do you think this relationship is equal?”

“It’s equal. I voluntarily made the transfers, and he even sent me gifts.”

Lu Shi was exasperated, “Just those few roses? They cost 8 yuan each, and with 100 yuan, I could buy a bunch!”

“The important thing isn’t the money, it’s the sentiment,” Feifei said happily. “And they are white roses, which I love. He’s really putting effort into it.”

Lu Shi felt like his intelligence was being challenged. He looked at Lin Lan, who just shrugged, indicating he was helpless.

Having endured half an hour of this, Xiao Shengjing finally said, “Fine, even if you’re truly in love, focus on training now. We can discuss your relationship after the playoffs.”

Feifei hesitated, “Without his encouragement, I can’t keep going…”

Lu Shi and Lin Lan both felt like their brains were about to explode.

Feifei then flashed a happy smile, “But don’t worry, even for him, I’ll still play well. I won’t let him down; it’s our agreement!”

“Cough,” Xiao Shengjing didn’t know what else to say. He felt like he had encountered the peak of absurdity in his life. “As long as you’re happy.”

 

Author’s note:

In the previous chapter, Lu Shi: “Whoa, look at this!”

In the next chapter, Lu Shi: “Oh, my bad. I read it wrong.”

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Translator’s corner:

Ah…

I hope this Mr. Chen won’t hurt Feifei.