In the Wembley Arena, multicoloured lights danced in the air! Loud beats drummed through the venue. Everyone could feel the excitement the DJ tried to build! But it failed miserably. The 12,500 fans in the crowd didn’t really go wild. They watched the Nexus explode. Gold hadn’t stood a chance against Fate. The Koreans, led by their Midlaner Moon, methodically dismantled the European team. It was one of those games where there was no excitement. Everyone knew from minute one who would win. Not that it wasn’t impressive. It was, incredibly so. But it was also a boring match for the neutral fan.

If it was just losing one game to a stronger Korean team, the crowd in the Wembley Arena wouldn’t have been this quiet. But Fate didn’t just beat Gold, Moon also used this game to send a message to Legend’s Midlaner Phoenix! That he was the better Midlaner! Moon had played Anivia, Phoenix’s signature Champion, and ended the game with a score of 7/0/3. He was just one kill away from being Legendary!

In the VIP viewing area, Phoenix leaned forward on the balustrade. He’d watched the entire game and was now staring at the large picture of Anivia on the big screen. Well played. His eyes fell on Moon, smiling. He felt the itch to play, to show Moon who the better Anivia was. A fight between Emperors, now that was something to look forward to! But the tournament had barely started. There was still plenty of time for that.

The second game of the day would be in Group A. It was North America’s Flash versus China’s KG. If last week’s performances were anything to go by, this game wouldn’t hold any suspense either. The crowd felt the same. Those who had to take a bathroom break left the hall, while those who stayed were more focused on talking with their friends or looking at their phones than they were with waiting in anticipation for the game to start. KG was such a big disappointment this year, even the wildcard team in Group A looked better. Many fans even thought that if KG kept going like they were, they would end up at the bottom of their group.

Chinese fans all around the world turned silent. They stopped flaming KG on the forums, and they stopped judging them in the various streams. No matter how low their opinion was of the current KG, they still held that last trace of hope. KG still had a chance! They could still make it through to the next round! If they’d dealt with whatever problem they were dealing with last week, then maybe they could finally show the world how good of a team they really were! It wasn’t much to hold on to. But the Chinese fans desperately clung onto this hope. KG had to perform! They just had to!

The players from Flash walked up on stage, waving at the cheering crowd. They were loving all the attention. Their Toplaner Chris sat down on the gaming chair in front of his computer and leaned back, smiling. This was what he lived for. Thousands of people cheering for him! He cracked his knuckles. I’ll show them how good I am! This game was the perfect moment for that. They wouldn’t just qualify for the next round by winning this game, or as good as, but he would also show the entire world how much better of a player he was than God Roundy! Though, he did hope KG would perform better today than they did last week. Last week was just pathetic. If that was the level of KG and the LPL, then that was really disappointing.

Chris looked across the stage at KG. He looked at Tian Tian. God Roundy, ha. God… Roundy Round looked like a nervous wreck, much like how he’d looked a week ago. Chris sneered. This’ll be easy. Uncrowned Eighth my ass… Just a nervous, fat scrub. Can’t believe he beat me four years ago. Well, he didn’t really. The other guy did… The thought of what happened four years ago still stung Chris. This terrible Toplaner had somehow beat him. It was humiliating! He’d been looking for a chance to get revenge for four whole years, and now that chance had finally come! Last week was fun, yeah, but there were no consequences. This time though. Hahaha! I’ll kick that sad excuse for a player off the World stage! I want to see him cry and wobble away! He laughed. Just the thought of watching Roundy Round walk away in defeat had him crazy with joy!

The mood on KG’s side was completely different from Flash. No one was talking. They walked up on stage with their heads hanging down in defeat. They hoped the crowd wouldn’t look at them. Worlds was already as good as over for them after last week. It would take something really special to save this sinking ship. But it wasn’t over yet. Not everything was lost. They realized at least that much. There were still three more games to play, and if they won all three of them, they would make it to the next round! So they forced smiles on their faces and mumbled motivational quotes to themselves. They did whatever worked to hype themselves up for this next game.

However, they were only motivating themselves. They didn’t even look at their teammates. This game was for personal redemption. To show everyone how good they were, and not to come together as a team and win. They’d thrown that plan out the window during their off time last week, when instead of planning and preparing for these three games, they’d spent their time sulking in their rooms and reading all the terrible things their fans had to say about them online. They couldn’t be considered to be anywhere near their optimal state of mind.

Tian Tian looked the worst out of all the staff and team members from KG. His face looked ashen and he was chewing on his lips. He thought of the match and the stakes at play, and then his mind wandered back into that dangerous corner. It traveled to that place of darkness, where all he thought of were the ways in which he could screw up. What if I towerdive and screw up? The thoughts were wild and unnecessary, but they haunted Tian Tian’s mind and he couldn’t rid himself of them.

But then a figure appeared in Tian Tian’s mind. A vague silhouette. He recognized it in an instant. Lin Feng! He thought back to his phone call, and the promise he’d made to his friend. His friend had believed in him. “Arrghh!” he groaned, causing his teammates to look at him, annoyed. But he didn’t notice, he was battling in his own mind. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid! You can’t be afraid! I trust him! He said I can do it! I can do it! I can really do it! He screamed louder and louder, trying to fight off the demons in his head. He failed. The demons struck him where it hurt. And he let them. Those dark thoughts were right. A-ah… I can’t do it. I-i’m useless…

“I don’t need players who can’t even get out of the group stage.”

Tian Tian trembled. The thought hit him out of nowhere. He’d already forgotten about it under all the pressure. But now it was back in his mind. Lin Feng wasn’t looking for a weak teammate, or an old friend to goof around with. He was looking for someone who could compete at the highest level! So if he wanted to play with Lin Feng again, he had to perform. I-i can’t drag him down! I-i have to win this game! Every match! I-i win!

His nerves and worries lost to the pure confidence in Lin Feng’s words. He raised his head. There was no more crippling anxiety of everything that could go wrong shackling him down or ten tons of abuse from his fans weighing down on his shoulders, there was only Lin Feng’s voice in his mind, reminding him how good he was. He took a deep breath and started smiling. “L-lin Feng is right! I can do this! I’ll win every match!”

✹

In the NetCow Cafe branch in downtown Shanghai, the game between High School 13 and High School 7 was in full swing. After Lin Feng secured first blood with his Zed on the Yasuo, High School 7 got a kill back. Jarvan IV had ganked top lane and helped the Gragas pick up a kill on Chen Ze’s Rumble. The score was now one to one.

The least interesting lane to watch was bot lane. Tang Bingyao and Wei Dong failed to capitalize on a mistake from High School 7’s bot lane duo early on and the game had since entered a deadlock. Kalista and Jinx were both busy farming, and were both failing to put any real pressure on the other. Tang Bingyao on her Kalista was the better ad-carry, but High School 7’s Leona was the better Support. It was an even match-up.

Mid lane wasn’t much more interesting than bot lane after the first kill. When the Master rank Yasuo came back to lane, he changed his playstyle and started playing far more defensively. He kept his skills to retreat and used his Wind Wall skill to block Zed Shurikens whenever it was off cooldown, while he only went to last hit a minion when it was safe to do so. There was no opening for Lin Feng to abuse. He couldn’t get another kill.

Lin Feng kept pushing the minion waves into Red team’s outer tower. He killed the red minions the moment they got into lane with the help of his Living Shadow. It gave him a false sense of security. And when his ward in the river brush wore off, he stuck for another wave. This was the wrong move. He used Living Shadow again to clear out a wave, when Jarvan IV came for a gank, jumping on him with a flag-toss combo. His skills were on cooldown. He had to run away as the Yasuo dashed to him. Fortunately, Liu Yue arrived at mid lane to bail him out. He had his Elise throw out a Cocoon which stunned the Yasuo.

High School 7 didn’t have enough damage to finish Lin Feng off. His Zed got away with less than 10% of his health remaining. Though High School 7 didn’t pick up the kill, they did force Lin Feng back to base. This gave Yasuo some breathing room to push out the minion wave. By the time Lin Feng returned to lane, he’d lost an entire wave and the advantage he’d built up with his first blood was mostly gone.

High School 7 was putting the pressure on High School 13. They were a strong team, but there were stronger teams participating in the Shanghai 16 School Tournament. If High School 13 gave up to this little pressure, it would be the same as giving up on the tournament and on their dreams! That wouldn’t happen. They weren’t going to give up or cave under the pressure from High School 7!

Lin Feng took a deep breath. He’d promised his team that he would carry this game. He didn’t forget his promise to Fatty either. They would be fighting side by side! Though in different tournaments in different parts of the world and for different stakes. He smiled and looked at his screen. What’s the point of a promise if I don’t keep it? A man keeps his word!

“First place is ours! Haha! We’re gonna win this whole damn thing! No one can stop us! We’re the fucking best!” Ouyang exclaimed. “Who cares about who we gotta play? We fucking rule! Isn’t that right!”

“Exactly! We don’t care! We’ll beat them all!” Liu Yue was infected by Ouyang’s enthusiasm. He gave Ouyang a bro hug and shouted, “We’re totally awesome! No one can take first place from us!”

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses and nodded, “We can really do this!”

Ouyang’s little outburst drew a few eyes, but when Liu Yue jumped on top of him, most eyes in the internet cafe turned to High School 13’s esports team. Some chuckled or just shook their head before going back to what they were doing before. It wasn’t strange to see a team get a little overexcited. There was always one. Others didn’t turn away and instead started whispering amongst each other.

“Who the hell are those guys? They look like idiots…”
“I love their vibe, man. They’re totally feeling it. Can you feel it? Man, they’re feeling it.”
“Smack-talking after playing the first round of games… Do they think they’re already in the main tournament?”

Those who were still paying attention to Ouyang and his crew after their little outburst learned which school this team belonged to. High School 13. There weren’t many esports clubs in Shanghai who didn’t know about High School 13. It was one of those teams that believed the world had it out for them, always claiming they got dealt the worst hand. Just last year, they made some wild accusations about a spy after getting their asses kicked in the first qualification round. As if that was the reason they lost. Only the best 16 teams could make it to the main tournament of the Shanghai 16 School Tournament, and High School 13 definitely wasn’t one of them. High School 13 was only here for the experience.

“You for real? Haha! That’s hilarious! Are they high on something?”

“Shit man. I’d be too embarrassed to show my face again if I lost here in the first round. Like, can you imagine, losing in the first round… Heh. And now they’re talking about taking first place? You know what? They’re probably just having a laugh. Hehe. We’re taking them more seriously than they do themselves is my guess!”

“I kinda wanna know where their confidence is coming from. What if they found some great first year?”

The whispers turned into a louder discussion, until someone informed the gathering crowd that High School 13 would play against High School 7 next. This little piece of information hit the floor like a bomb. Most people stopped laughing. It wasn’t funny anymore. This team from High School 13 had no clue what they were in for. High School 7 wasn’t some no name team. They were a contender for a spot in the main tournament! Just last year, they made it all the way to the round of 16, and it was rumoured that their current roster was at least as strong as back then!

A small audience gathered around the isle of 10 computers where High School 13 would face off against High School 7. The commotion caused by Ouyang had drawn so much attention that there were people curious to see where he and his crew got their confidence from. Plus, if High School 13 really did end up beating High School 7, then that would be a huge upset! There was no losing here for the crowd. They’d be in for some good drama and an exciting game either way!

The team members from High School 13 looked around the place. It felt like all eyes were trained on them. Wherever they looked, people were staring at them, laughing and whispering. Their joy and excitement vanished, and back came the nerves they’d beaten a few minutes ago. Ren Rou and Ouyang took a step back, while those who were playing had to walk forward and take their seats. Only Lin Feng walked to his chair with his head held high. He looked nothing like the nervous wrecks around him.

High School 7 looked as confident and calm as Lin Feng. They weren’t at all afraid of High School 13, joking and laughing with each other as they found their places behind their monitors. High School 13 was the team that always called itself unlucky. There was nothing for them to worry about or watch out for this game. This would be nothing more than a warm up match in preparation for their game against Tonji Aff. High later in the evening.

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair and looked around the room. He was playing because High School 7’s Midlaner was quite strong. Too strong for Yang Fan, and High School 13 really needed this win to move on to the next round. Huh? What’s up with them? He noticed the worried looks of his teammates. Oh come on, not again… How many more times are they going to be like this… He patted Liu Yue on the shoulder and said, “Come on guys, cheer up! I’ll crush their Midlaner and carry the game. Just have some fun. Don’t worry so much.”

This comment got some laughs from the crowd, but the biggest reaction came from High School 7. Two of their team members lost it as they started laughing uncontrollably, while their Midlaner shook his head, smiling. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d reached Master on the Zuan server and was a Diamond 1 on the Ionia server. These were genuine high ranks. Poor guy doesn’t know what he’s in for… He grinned one last time before focusing back on his monitor. This opponent wasn’t worth his time. Huh? He looked back up and caught Lin Feng smiling at him, bright and confident. Uhh… Why does he look like that? Doesn’t he know who I am? Though he tried to convince himself that was the case, there was something that didn’t feel quite right about the situation. That smile was a little too confident.

✹

High School 13 and High School 7 loaded into the game. There were no big surprises in Champion Select. High School 13 was on the Blue team and got first pick. They’d locked in Rumble who was a really strong Toplaner in the current patch. In response, High School 7 locked in Gragas and Leona. Leona was the Support, while Gragas could go Mid, Jungle or Top. High School 13 decided it was best to choose their bottom lane duo and get a little more information before deciding what to play in Jungle and Mid. They went with Kalista and Braum, two favourite picks for Tang Bingyao and Wei Dong. The next two picks for High School 7 were Jarvan IV and Jinx. Jarvan IV was usually played in the Jungle and Jinx was an ad-carry.

High School 13 discussed their best option for a bit. They had two more Champions to choose. But ultimately, Lin Feng reminded Liu Yue to just have fun. He would carry this game, and the rest of the team could play something they were comfortable with and just do their best. With that in mind, Liu Yue chose to play Elise in the Jungle, while Lin Feng locked in Zed, the Master of Shadows. In direct response to this pick, High School 7 chose Yasuo. This meant that Gragas would play in top lane and that Lin Feng was up against a Yasuo with his Zed!

The crowd had their eyes on both Midlaners, and they were loving what they were seeing. Zed versus Yasuo! This was a pure skill matchup! The better player would win! They’d all heard Lin Feng say how he’d crush High School 7’s Midlaner. This would make for a really interesting lane match-up!

“What do you guys think? Who’s gonna win?”
“Yasuo, obviously. The dude is a Master. That Zed is going to get destroyed!”
“Haha! Either way, it should be a fun game to watch!”

《Welcome to Summoner’s Rift!》

High School 13 and High School 7 opted for a normal start to the game. There were no lane swaps and there were no jungle invades. Everyone found their way to lane and waited for the minions to arrive. At 1:55 minutes, the minion waves met in the center of mid lane. Zed and Yasuo started laning.

Yasuo learned Steel Tempest at Level 1. This was a skill where Yasuo would thrust forward his katana and deal damage to everyone it hit.

Lin Feng had his Zed learn Razor Shuriken at Level 1. As the name would suggest, Zed could throw his Shurikens. It was similar to Yasuo’s Steel Tempest in the sense that both their skills dealt damage in a straight line, though Razor Shuriken had a longer range than Steel Tempest.

Lin Feng and the Yasuo focused on last hitting the minions while also trying to harass each other. This worked out better for Lin Feng than it did for High School 7’s Midlaner. Lin Feng sidestepped every Steel Tempest with his Zed, not taking any damage. The Yasuo wasn’t so lucky, or good. He failed to dodge even a single Shuriken the Zed threw at him. His health was quickly dropping.

The crowd that had gathered behind Lin Feng and High School 7’s Midlaner gasped “ooh’s!” and “ah’s!”. This Zed wasn’t all talk! He was playing far better than any of them had expected. High School 7’s Midlaner felt the same. He’d thought Lin Feng was all talk, but it seemed he would have to get a little serious if he wanted to win his lane. He sat up straight in his chair and started really focusing on the game.

The Yasuo started playing more carefully. He couldn’t afford to lose more health, or he would be forced out of lane and back to base. But it still wasn’t enough. Another Shuriken hit him, and also the minion behind him, killing it. It was the last bit of experience the Zed needed to Level up. Lin Feng had his Zed learn Living Shadow. This skill let Zed place a living Shadow in front of him who would mirror his actions. If he activated the skill again, he could switch positions with the Shadow.

Lin Feng pressed down on W twice. The Zed’s shadow dashed forward and then he switched positions with it. He was on top of the Yasuo and attacked. Yasuo hit back with Steel Tempest while retreating back. He ate two auto attacks from the Zed before he activated the third hit of Steel Tempest. After hitting two targets in a row with this skill, the third attack would turn into a tornado and knock everything in its path airborne. Including the Zed. This was enough for the Yasuo to run away to his outer tower, his health dropping dangerously low.

Lin Feng pushed the minion wave in mid towards Red team’s outer tower. His Zed still had well over two thirds of his health remaining and he had yet to use the first of his three health potions. In stark contrast, the Yasuo had dropped below half health and had already used his health potion. It became dangerous for him to stick around in lane.

The small audience standing around the isle of computers couldn’t believe what they were seeing. They expected a fun match-up, yes, but not an easy one like this. It looked like Zed was completely outplaying the Yasuo, leaving zero room for counterplay.

“How’s Yasuo getting pushed back? That’s High School 7’s Midlaner!”
“I know right! Isn’t that dude a Master?”
“On the Zuan server, but yeah, he’s a Master. Also pretty good on the Ionia server actually.”

Lin Feng lingered just outside the range of Red team’s outer tower. His eyes were trained on the Yasuo. He’s so careful. He knows if he makes one misstep he’s dead. He last hit the red minions while throwing his Shurikens at the Yasuo. But he didn’t try anything more. He was waiting. Waiting for the Yasuo to make that mistake. It always happened. He just had to be patient.

Zed hit Level 3 and learned Shadow Slash. This was a slash that dealt damage in a small circle around Zed. Lin Feng still waited. The Yasuo hadn’t made the mistake yet. He got a few more minions. There! And Yasuo made the mistake. He went in to last hit a minion with Steel Tempest. It was small. Most players wouldn’t have been able to capitalize on it. But Lin Feng jumped on it right away.

Lin Feng had his Zed’s Shadow dash forward–Living Shadow! It appeared right behind the Yasuo. He stood right in front of the Yasuo. Lin Feng pressed down on Q and E. Zed and his Shadow both threw out their Shurikens, after which their claw blades swept out in a circle. All four attacks hit the Yasuo! His health fell below 30%! The Yasuo tried to run, but Zed switched positions with his Shadow, then auto attacked and ignited the Yasuo. It looked like the Yasuo would die right there, just inside his outer tower’s range. Then the Yasuo disappeared. He flashed away to behind his tower and then threw out a hurricane at the Zed–Tempest Steel!

Lin Feng saw this coming from a mile away. He wasn’t new to the game. The Yasuo was trying to bait him and play an UNO reverse card. The idea was to get him into the outer tower’s range and then knock him up, after which he would die to the tower’s energy shots. He had his Zed take one step back, retreating just outside of the outer tower’s range to cancel its aggro, then flashed through the hurricane and appeared right on top of the Yasuo. He hit the Yasuo with an auto attack, and then another.

《First blood!》

The audience around Lin Feng lost it. They started screaming and wanted to go up and high five Lin Feng. Ouyang had to step in to keep them away. But Lin Feng didn’t notice any of this. He was under Red team’s outer tower and would die if he didn’t move. It was too far away to walk back up the lane, but there was an opening into Red team’s bottom jungle just behind the tower, almost exactly where he was. He had his Zed run there and get out of range of the tower, its last energy shot bringing him down to less than 10% health. Then he tracked back through Red team’s jungle, fortunate enough not to run into High School 7’s Jungler. He safely made it back to lane, where he recalled back to base.

When Zed recalled back to base, Lin Feng let go of his mouse and balled his fist. Let’s go! I’m holding up my part of the deal, Fatty! The rest is up to you! Let’s do this together!

“L-LIN FENG!” Tian Tian blew his nose on his already wet and sticky sleeve. Then he tried to wipe his eyes dry too. “W-what happened to you?” His heart was racing and his stomach flew around like he was on a roller coaster. He hated roller coasters. But hearing Lin Feng’s voice again was worth more than anything else in the world. ‘“W-why did you leave without telling us… What did we do wrong? Is it because we lost Worlds? Did I do something wrong? We could’ve just tried again next year…”

Tian Tian stopped mumbling, and he stopped crying. “You know, the others all left after you. We were a team. And suddenly, we weren’t. Everyone lost their motivation. They stuck around for a little while longer, but it just wasn’t the same. Until I was all alone.” Alone. It was how he felt all the time these days.” I’ve been hopping from team to team for four years now, but I never really felt like I belonged—not like when the five of us were together.”

The more Tian Tian spoke, the more he began to reminisce. His throat became dry again and he had to fight hard to keep the tears back. “I-i tried to keep in touch, with the others. But everyone had their own lives. I-it became really hard to keep in touch. A-and you even changed your phone number and QQ! I tried to reach out to you, but no one knew where you went. I tried so many times…”

The only sound coming from the other side of the line was someone breathing, more loudly and irregular the more Tian Tian spoke. Then Lin Feng finally spoke out, “Fatty, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

Tian Tian shook his head, frantic. He’d forgotten for a moment he was talking over the phone with someone on the other side of the world. The voice sounded so clear and the emotions so pronounced. It was easy to forget. But then he caught himself mid head-shake. His gaze fell back down on the floor. He missed his friend. “N-no. Why are you apologizing? There’s nothing you have to say sorry for. I-its just…” Lin Feng wasn’t here. He was still all alone. Tears started flowing down his face again. “I-i just really miss you. A-all of you! It’s b-been so lonely without you.”

Tian Tian loved League of Legends. He loved watching it, he loved talking about it, but most of all he loved playing it. Though his demeanor right now would suggest otherwise, he also loved being a professional player. He loved walking up on stage to a cheering crowd. He loved competing against the best. The only thing holding him back was his personality. He couldn’t deal with stress. It all quickly became too much for him. Lin Feng and his other teammates shielded him from this stress back in Season 1. They gave him the strength to compete at the highest stage against the very best. He wasn’t scared of anyone!

However, right now, Tian Tian was on a team of individuals. These players only cared about their own branding and were quick to throw anyone else, even their teammates, under the bus if that meant generating more traction for themselves. And after last week, they’d made full use of this. Any hatred directed towards Tian Tian was a little peace of mind for them. All of them had screwed up, but the fans had it out for Tian Tian and that was good for them. They’d left him all alone to deal with the abuse flung at him. Even the strongest of minds would struggle to deal with this, let alone Fatty who was especially sensitive to these kinds of things.

Tian Tian waited for Lin Feng to say something. Anything! He could hear Lin Feng breathe, so the call was still connected. But his friend didn’t say a word. Finally, he broke the silence himself. “W-when are you coming back?”

There was a slight pause, just enough time to really think about the question. Then Lin Feng promised, “Soon. I’ll be back soon. Trust me Fatty, just a little bit longer. And when I come back, I’ll have you join my team!”

“Okay! I’ll wait for you! Just hit me up when you come back! I’ll join your team!” Tian Tian just about shouted through the phone. It sounded like a promise between two children. His overwhelming feeling of despair was replaced with excitement. Only for a moment. Then he remembered where he was. He was at Worlds as the Toplaner for KG. Every fan in China hated his guts right now. One more loss and he was out of Worlds. It would only get worse for him if that happened. There wasn’t anything to be happy about. Dark thoughts flooded his mind again as he whispered, shivering, “B-but please h-hurry! I-i can’t hold on, i-it’s all too much. I-i worry that I’ll break.”

“Don’t cry!” Lin Feng shouted.

Tian Tian yelped, almost dropping his phone on the ground. He was caught red handed. Lin Feng knew him too well. He quickly wiped a tear from his face, then bit hard on his teeth. I won’t cry! I won’t! Lin Feng said I can’t cry, so I can’t! He clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palm. The physical pain numbed his urge to cry. I’m not crying! Lin Feng is here!

“You’re playing next right? Couple more minutes or so?”

The sudden distraction was enough to keep him from crying. Tian Tian replied, “Yeah. Should be any minute now.”

“Ok. Hear me out. You’re going to win every game. Those next three games? Win them all. Carry your team and win. If you win all three, you can still make it out of group stage.”

“W-what? All of them? Did you really say all?”

“Yes. Win all of them. If you don’t, you’re out of Worlds. We can’t have that.”

Tian Tian’s eyes went round. He looked beside him at the bathroom stall. But Lin Feng was on the phone, so there was no point in hiding in there. The only thing he could do was argue. “No no no! Impossible! I can’t do that! Did you see Legend and Flash? They’re too strong right now. I can’t beat them. It’s impossible!”

“Yes you can.”

Tian Tian rubbed his nose, sniffling loudly. Then he placed his hand over his mouth. No! Lin Feng said I couldn’t cry. I can’t cry! I won’t! He bit  his lip and said, “I-i know you think I’m good, but… B-but they’re really really good. T-they’re way better than me. I-i really can’t beat them…”

“Do you trust me?”

“With my life!”

“So when I say you can win. What do you say?”

“Uhh.” Tian Tian stared at his hand, searching for an answer. He didn’t know how to explain to Lin Feng just how good these teams were. They weren’t some pushovers. These were two of the best teams at Worlds! Just because he wanted to win, it didn’t mean he could. It’d take more than a strong conviction! So he argued, “But…”

“No buts. I don’t want to hear a single but from you ever again. Listen to me, Fatty. If I say you can win, I say that because I have full confidence that you can actually win. I’m not trying to hype you up here. I really believe you can win. No. I know you’ll win. Now, promise me that you’ll win. Say that you’ll win all three games!”

Beating Legend and Flash, but Legend has Phoenix… When Tian Tian thought of Phoenix, he started trembling. Phoenix wasn’t just the best player on Legend, he was one of the best four players in the entire world! An Emperor! Tian Tian didn’t think he was bad, but an Emperor was still an Emperor. They were far better players than anyone else. No one can beat them! So he muttered, “But… Phoenix. Legend has Phoenix. They’re too strong. I can’t beat them. Phoenix is an Emperor.”

“I know Legend is a strong team. I know Phoenix is a very good player. But I also know you, Fatty. I know how good you are. I wouldn’t ask you to get out of the group stage if I didn’t think you could. In fact, you know what? If you can’t make it out of the group stage, then don’t even think about joining my team. I don’t need players who can’t even get out of the group stage. You’re only welcome in my team if you make it far at Worlds this year!”

Tian Tian felt like his heart stopped working for a moment. All his joy and happiness from hearing Lin Feng’s voice disappeared. He started trembling and couldn’t hold back the tears. Through the sobs, he asked, “Y-you don’t mean that. Do you? T-tell me you don’t…”

“I do mean it. So, promise me you’ll win?” Lin Feng’s voice sounded firm, but there was a slight disruption in it that revealed how much pain it caused him to say these words.

Tian Tian missed this. All he heard were the first two words, the rest was a blur. I do. I do. I do. They played in his mind, over and over again, as he let the phone drop to the side. If you don’t win, you’re not welcome in my team. Not welcome in my team. Not welcome in my team. He started fighting with himself. Lin Feng’s words played on repeat, but only those he didn’t want to hear. The ones that were most painful. I know you’ll win. It was one sentence. A single thought now in his mind. But it quickly boomed louder until it was all he could hear. I KNOW YOU’LL WIN! He breathed out deeply. Lin Feng believes I’ll win. That’s the only reason he said those other things! He placed the phone back to his ear. His eyes flashed with determination. “O-okay. I promise you. I will win! W-we’ll be teammates again! I’ll beat Phoenix!”

On the other side of the bathroom, Tian Tian’s mentor leaned against the wall. He’d acted like he didn’t care when he gave his phone to Tian Tian. But he did care. He cared a lot. That was the only reason he was here. Not because a friend had asked him a favour, but because he still cared deeply for Tian Tian. When he saw his mentee fired up, he couldn’t help but smile. It was a reaction he’d been trying to get out of Tian Tian for the past three years, but had always failed to do. He’d even given up. But here he was again. And there was that expression on his mentee’s face again. He bit  his lip as his heart swelled with pride.

When he first discovered Tian Tian on the ranked ladder, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d never seen anyone that talented before. Tian Tian might be timid and easily scared, but he was so talented that none of that mattered. Well, it didn’t matter to compete professionally, at least. But it did stop him at the final hurdle. It stopped him from becoming one of the truly great. When he didn’t let his emotions hold him back, he easily had the raw talent to become an Emperor! The only one holding him back was himself. In fact, Tian Tian’s mentor had only ever seen one player who was more talented than Tian Tian since then. But that person was just something else entirely. Like a freak of nature. Out of this world. Lin Feng. The talent he possessed was one in all of existence. There was, quite literally, no one who could compare.

✹

Lin Feng hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket, when cheers rang out from inside the NetCow Cafe in central Shanghai. He pulled the door open and walked in, then started smiling. At the gaming station of High School 13, his teammates were jumping up and down and celebrating. It looked a lot like they’d just won the game against High School 3. He rubbed his face and took a deep breath, then hurried over to them. “Did we win?”

“WE WON!” Ren Rou shouted as she hugged Lin Feng, still jumping up and down in joy.

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses and smiled, “One down, one to go! We just have to beat Shanghai High 7 or Tonji Aff. High. Just one win and we’re through to the next round!”

Chen Ze’s expression crumpled when he heard Yang Fan mention their next two opponents. “Right. One more win. But we have to play those two schools. They’re way better than High School 3.”

“He’s right,” Liu Yue mumbled. The others felt the same. Their good mood disappeared and was replaced with worry. They didn’t want to admit it, they really didn’t, but the other two opponents scared them. After Lin Feng’s speech a few days ago, they wouldn’t give up. But they hadn’t suddenly changed their point of view. Shanghai High 7 and Tonji Aff. High were two of the best schools in the entire tournament. It would take more than a little speech to beat them.

“Oh, it’s fine. You guys don’t need to worry about that,” Lin Feng said, calm as ever. He laughed, “Just leave the rest to me guys, I got this.”

“Yes, it’s really me. Now open that door. What are you waiting for? Come on, open it up already,” Tian Tian’s mentor said.

“O-oh, right! S-sorry,” Tian Tian replied, flustered. He pushed open the toilet stall door just enough that he could stick his head out. Then he wiped his face clean again with his sleeve before peeking through the opening. A familiar figure leaned against the wall on the other side. It really is him! His eyes went wide as he pushed the door wide open and stepped out. “Uhm.” He started playing with his fingers while looking down at the floor. “W-why are you here?”

“Because a little bird told me you had another nervous breakdown. They had a pretty compelling story. Got me curious. So, Worlds hasn’t gone your way, huh?” The man pushed himself off against the wall and looked right at Fatty. He started smiling and mocked, “Crying in bathroom stalls has become your thing, huh? Do you come and decorate the place before you move in?”

Tian Tian stepped back, his back touching the bathroom stall. He scratched his forehead and lowered his head as far as he could to hide the tears.

The man stopped smiling. He’d tried to lighten the mood with a little joke, but it hadn’t worked. How many times have I been here… He started to feel frustrated. “I keep trying to hammer this into your thick skull, but it just doesn’t seem to register. Alright, let’s try this again. Tian Tian, what is the most important quality a professional player absolutely must have?”

“M-mental fortitude.”

“Exactly! Mental fortitude, confidence, whatever you want to call it. You’ve always been a worrywort, I know that. Remember, I’m the one who’s helped you deal with it all the way up until the end of Season 3… But I don’t know what to say. The you I see right now? You look like a pathetic fat sack of tears. I’ve never seen you look this bad. What happened? How did it get this bad? Where is the best Toplaner in China? Where’d he go? Show me him.”

Tian Tian shook his head. He kept shaking it as he started tearing up again. “N-no. I’ve n-never asked for any of this! T-there is only m-me here! I-i don’t want any of this.”

“If you wanted none of this, you could’ve retired. Just walked away. But did you? No. You’re still here. So you do want to play. And when you play? You’re really good. Fans are going to cheer for you. It’s that simple. Instead of trying to get them to stop cheering for you, why don’t you try and live up to their expectations? China only has one King and no Emperors. You could easily become the second King from our region. It’s a shame you can’t see that. You could be the hero of the LPL. Have you never thought of making your fans proud? And don’t come with that bullshit excuse of not wanting this or not having asked for it or whatever it is you keep saying. You’ve had 5 years to walk away. You’re still here.”

Tian Tian wiped the tears from his face and looked up at his mentor before quickly looking back down again. He reached behind his back and searched for the edge of the stall door. Then he pulled lightly on it while also fighting the urge to jump back in. In there it was safe. In there no one could see him. In there he could be himself B-but I can’t disappoint him… He didn’t hide away, not yet at least, and instead muttered under his breath, “I-i’m not good enough. I can’t make anyone p-proud…”

“Yes, you are good enough. Yes, you can make people proud. And yes, you are really good at this game. Like, really good. But you’re so stuck in your own head that you can’t see the world around you anymore. You can’t even see what’s right in front of you.” Tian Tian’s mentor clicked his tongue. “I’ve told you this before. Quite a few times, actually. But I’ll say it one more time, just in case you’ve forgotten. You have the talent, Tian Tian. You do. If you stop fighting with yourself and set your heart to it, you can become a King, maybe even an Emperor!”

Tian Tian looked up at his mentor, for the first time meeting his eyes. His hand slipped from the door stall and balled into a fist. But then he let go. He reached almost instinctively out for the stall door again and pulled it open while his gaze fell back on the floor tiles. He took a step back, hiding half his body behind the stall door, and said, “N-no no no no! I’m not good enough. O-only… Only lin Feng could fight an Emperor! L-lin Feng…” His teeth started chattering and his lips quivering. He shut his eyes and started crying, “L-lin Feng! W-w-where are you? I miss you! I-i miss him!”

The last couple of days Tian Tian had forced his mind back to Season 1. It was the last time he really enjoyed playing League of Legends. The last time he was truly happy. He was also a nervous wreck back then. But he had real teammates who cared for him. When they saw he was down, they would help him back up. They were his rock. And Lin Feng was the person he could count on the most. Lin Feng lifted up the mood in a room just by being there. Whenever he needed to eat his stress away, Lin Feng was there with his big, goofy smile and a tray of food. But Lin Feng wasn’t here anymore, nor were any of his other teammates from Season 1. They’d all quit and had left him alone. Now, there was no one he could eat with.

“Oh, you’re talking about Maple. Funny you mention him. You know, he’s the reason I’m here. I got a message from him for you.”

Tian Tian’s eyes went wide. Tears were still streaming down his face, but he started smiling. He pushed himself out of the bathroom stall and even took a step towards his mentor. “A-a message from Lin Feng? Really? What did he say? Did you speak to him? Is he doing ok? Where is he?”

“Yes, really. I got asked to pass on a message from that kid. And for some reason, I stupidly agreed. I left my nice resort in Barcelona and flew all the way here to meet you. This morning I was still enjoying the sun, and now I’m in this land of rain. Stupid rain, reminds me of four years ago…” He looked at Tian Tian and grinned, “Now that I’m here, though… Eh, I’ve changed my mind.”

“What did Lin Feng say? Huh? W-what do you m-mean?”

“Hmm. Yup. I’m way too good to be a messenger boy. If that kid wants to say something to you, he can do it himself.” Tian Tian’s mentor took his phone from his pocket and dialed a number, grinning as he looked at Tian Tian’s face that kept alternating between fear and confusion.

✹

The qualification round of the Shanghai 16 School Tournament was held at a branch of the NetCow Cafe in downtown Shanghai. The place was packed with people. More than 70 teams were looking to secure one of the 16 spots for the main tournament. Their first step was a group stage, where they would play against three other teams. To make sure everyone got through their matches before the end of the day, the Chinese Esports Association had reserved the entire internet cafe, and they had rearranged the computers so that there were islands of two rows of five computers throughout the place. This made it possible for 10 matches to be played simultaneously.

At 7 pm on the dot, the first 20 teams took their places behind the monitors. Everyone else took a step back so as to not disturb the teams. They walked around the internet cafe in search for the most interesting matches or to scout out their next opponents. A small crowd gathered around the teams from High School 13 and High School 3. They started quietly discussing the champions and team compositions, and their expert opinion on who would win the game.

Lin Feng stood with Ren Rou and Ouyang next to a gaming station. The match was already 15 minutes underway. In the first few minutes, Ren Rou was biting on her nails and Ouyang was hopping up and down on his feet as though he had to pee really bad. But both of them had calmed down as the laning phase came to an end. This was because High School 13 was playing really well. Ouyang and Ren Rou even started laughing and cheering as their team took first Dragon and destroyed two enemy towers! Then Tang Bingyao got a double kill on her Tristana. She already was 6/0/3. Ouyang and Ren Rou forgot the last of their worries as their nerves finally settled down. They had this first game in the bag!

Ren Rou and Ouyang had every reason to celebrate. High School 3 was no pushover. They had reached the second round of the qualifiers last year and were rumoured to be a strong contender again this year. But High School 13 still ran all over them with flawless teamwork. It only took them 15 minutes to build up such a big lead that it was harder to lose the game than it was to win it!

Lin Feng wasn’t celebrating with Ren Rou and Ouyang. He wasn’t even paying any attention to the game. He trusted the team, and besides, there was something more pressing on his mind. It should be just past noon in London. KG is up next game… He’d memorized the schedule. KG would play in the second match of the day against North America’s Flash. Fatty should be getting ready for his game. Why haven’t I heard anything yet? Did he not get to Fatty in time?

Just as his worries started gnawing at him, Lin Feng’s phone started buzzing. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was a foreign number he didn’t recognize. Is this? His heart started racing as the crowd around him suddenly sounded incredibly loud. He searched around for somewhere quiet, but the internet cafe was packed. There was no time. He sprinted out the front door and picked up the call. “Hello? Who’s this?”

“Hey, Maple! It’s been too long. Your voice hasn’t changed a bit! Haha! Do you still remember me? Ah, doesn’t matter. Hey, I’m here at Worlds with Fatty. You wanted to say something to him, right? Here, I’ll give him the phone. You two talk.”

Lin Feng heard the voice. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. Before he could figure out who it was, a second voice interjected from the other side of the line. This one he did recognize instantly. He would recognize it anywhere. It was as quiet and timid as he remembered it to be. “L-lin Feng, i-is that you?”

Lin Feng froze. Fatty! It’s you! I, I… His throat felt dry and his head started spinning. He didn’t know what to say as his eyes became wet. That same voice he knew so well sounded out again, now a little more nervous. “Hey. A-are you there? P-please, say something!”

Lin Feng took a deep breath, then wiped the tears from his eyes. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and forced out a big, goofy smile. “Yo Fatty! Long time no talk! How’ve you been holding up?”

In the backstage area of the Wembley Arena in London, Fatty sat with his back against a bathroom stall. He was barely keeping it together. His hands were shaking as he held the phone to his ear. When his mentor had given him the phone, he couldn’t believe Lin Feng was really on the other side. But now that he had heard that voice. The voice he’d been longing to hear for the last four years, he knew it was Lin Feng. It all became too much for him. He started bawling his eyes out. “L-lin Feng, it’s really you! Y-you don’t know how much I missed you! I c-c-can’t take it anymore. T-the pressure is killing me! Where are you?”

The National Holiday came to an end. There was no more playing League all day and watching Worlds all night. Lin Feng had to get up early on Monday morning. He grabbed some breakfast and then went to school. Ouyang and Yang Fan were already sitting in class, worried like they’d been all week. In fact, there was a buzz going through the entire classroom. Angry hushed whispers with the random shout. Today was do or die for KG and Hand of God. And after last week’s performance, everyone in the class was worrying both teams would get kicked out of Worlds! They’d completely forgotten that HoG was currently sitting in second place with two wins and one loss and on schedule to make it to the next round. The teacher tried to get their attention, but no one really paid attention to her. She was the least of their worries.

There was a second reason why Ouyang and Yang Fan were worried today. The Shanghai 16 School Tournament! The qualification round would start later in the day. They would play three games that decided whether High School 13’s esports team would move on to the next round! All their hard work over the last few weeks would be put to the test. They would finally get to show Lin Feng just how much they’d learned from him!

All throughout the morning, Ouyang shuffled on his chair. He couldn’t sit still. His nerves were getting the better of him. Two of the biggest moments of the year had come together on the same day! He opened a forum on his phone and started browsing posts, yelping as he read some comments. The teachers warned him, hour after hour. It was so bad that he got sent out to the hallway in the last hour before lunch. But he didn’t care. He was even a little happy. Now he wouldn’t have to hide his phone. He could sit on the floor and browse as much as he wanted!

Yang Fan was faring better than Ouyang. He didn’t get sent out of class, and only got reprimanded a few times. But that didn’t mean he paid attention to the teacher. He hadn’t the faintest idea what class he was even in. His mind traveled between Worlds and the Shanghai 16 School Tournament. Come on KG! You can win! I’ll win too! I have to! I won’t let it be like last year again! He spun the pen in his hand as the hours ticked by.

Something really unusual happened in last period. Tang Bingyao got called out. This was a first for her. She sat in the front row and always paid attention. But today, for the first time in high school, she was lost in her thoughts and missed the question the English teacher had asked. She was forced to ask the teacher to please repeat the question, and had to think twice before answering.

Just like the others, Lin Feng also had a hard time paying attention in class. But unlike the rest, he wasn’t worrying about Worlds or the Shanghai 16 School Tournament. He didn’t particularly care for either at the moment. There was only one thing, one person he cared about right now, and that was Fatty. It’d been three days since he’d called his mentor and asked for help in passing a message along. He hadn’t heard anything since then. The next game for KG was only a couple of hours away. He worried his message wouldn’t reach Fatty in time. That Fatty would completely collapse under the pressure and feed and tilt even worse than last week. Come on! Please be in time! Please! He then breathed in deeply and let the full breath out. I need to calm down. I can trust him. He said he would take care of it, so he will. I just have to be patient.

While Lin Feng was listening to his English teacher droning on and on about grammar rules, an airplane landed at Heathrow Airport in London. Inside the cabin of the plane, a man in his late twenties looked out the small window. “Ah, why did I have to come here? From the sunny skies of Barcelona to this muggy mess… Such a shame.”

He grabbed his belongings and walked out of the plane. After getting through security, he turned his phone back on and made a call. “Hey Ol’ Yang. I just arrived in London. Get me a backstage pass for Worlds, will you?”

✹

At exactly 4:40 pm, the final bell of the day rang. The students from High School 13 grabbed their backpacks and bolted for the door. They ran home, where they shoveled some food down their throats before rushing through their homework. There were only two hours left before Worlds would start! Though they were busy flaming KG and HoG online, they also really wanted to see both teams show up and make it to the next round. They were planning to follow every second of the action!

The members of High School 13’s esports team didn’t have this luxury. Homework would have to wait and they didn’t have the time to watch Worlds either. There was something more important waiting for them. The Shanghai 16 School Tournament! The seven team members gathered in the club room. They weren’t looking all that excited. If anything, they looked worried and afraid. Ren Rou tried to amp the others up by announcing they were going to take the bus! It was a bad attempt at trying to do something about the sad faces around her.

Lin Feng looked at the team members. Even Ren Rou didn’t sound one bit convinced. It felt like a few days ago all over again. They looked like they’d given up! He tapped Ouyang on the shoulder, drawing everyone’s attention, and said, “Uhh? What are you guys so nervous about? I thought we talked about this…”

Ouyang brushed Lin Feng’s hand away. “Bro… Why do you think? Just because we aren’t giving up doesn’t mean we aren’t nervous as fuck. Like fuck! Calm down dude. We’re just really nervous! It’s right here! We’ve been working so hard, and one bad game and it’ll all have been for nothing! We’d be like those idiots from KG. Oh god, please don’t let us pull a Roundy!”

“Yeah! What Ouyang says!” Liu Yue nodded. His head went up and down so fast it looked like he would hurt himself. “Didn’t you hear who we’re up against? Tonji Aff. High! High School 7! High School 3! They’re all really, really good! How can we not be nervous? Are you a robot or something?”

Lin Feng grinned. “Not a robot, no. But I am very excited to see you guys show off! You’ve all worked really hard. This is the moment to show everyone how far you’ve come!”

Lin Feng told them the words they needed to hear. He was right! They had been working their asses off for the last two weeks. Even with the distraction of Worlds last week, they still hadn’t slacked off! The goals Lin Feng had set for them when his Legends Bootcamp officially started were all met. And then some! They had overachieved! No one was left behind. They had come together as a cohesive unit and helped each other out! When they thought back to where they were only a few weeks ago, and how much they’d improved since then, they felt butterflies in their stomachs. It was an unbelievable feeling! They never thought this was possible. The group of low ranked individuals, with the exception of Tang Bingyao of course, had become a strong team! As this realization clicked in their heads, their mood turned for the better. Some nerves were fine, but they wouldn’t let those nerves get the better of them! They were a real contender for the Shanghai 16 School Tournament title! This qualification round was nothing and they would prove that! Their faces started beaming with anticipation and excitement.

Ren Rou smiled at Lin Feng. He’d managed to do what she’d tried to do but failed at. She nodded towards him, thanking him, and then turned to the others. “Lin Feng is right, guys! You can do it! I believe in you!”

“YES! We can do it! Let’s go!”
“WOOT WOOT! That trophy is ours!”
“No one can stop us!”
“We’re going to kick some asses!”
“Coach Lin Feng is the best!”
“Mhm!”

✹

In the Wembley Arena in London, the second week of Worlds kicked off. The first match of the day was between Korea’s Fate and Europe’s Gold! There were 12,500 Europeans in the crowd cheering their team on. An early first blood had them jumping up and down on the stands. They chugged their beers and screamed at the top of their lungs, “GOLD! GOLD! GOLD!”

The sounds of the fans reached all the way backstage in a private room. KG had gathered there. The coaches, analysts and players were sitting together, attempting to prepare for the next game. Though it could barely be called that. They weren’t talking with each other, only sitting together in the same room. Everyone was caught up in their own minds and they didn’t even notice that one of their teammates was missing.

One of the coaches looked around. He wanted to say something, but didn’t know what. It couldn’t go on like this. He knew that. But he didn’t know how to make the others see it. He had no clue how to help them out of this slump. As he was searching for an answer, he looked for the supposed star player of the team. “Huh?” he mumbled. Then he searched around the room again before asking, “Guys, has anyone seen Roundy Round?”

The players looked at each other for a bit, until one of them mumbled, “Probably shitting again.” Then another one grumbled, “Seriously, what’s his problem? How much can a guy shit in one day? And every single time it’s right before a game. How are we to prepare like this…”

✹

In one of the restrooms backstage, Tian Tian had locked himself up in a toilet stall again. He sat on the floor with his back against the door and his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his hands around his knees and rocked back and forth, mumbling to himself.

“I-i c-c-can’t d-do this… P-please, s-stop! I-it’s n-not m-my f-f-fault!”

“I’m useless! Y-you all say it! W-we can’t w-w-win with me… L-let m-me go home! I w-want to g-go home!”

The stress from the last few days had only made him feel worse. He barely managed to force himself out of bed in the morning. There were large bags under his bloodshot eyes, and his face was a sickly pale. If it was only the abuse he received from the fans online, he’d at least still function. But it hadn’t stopped there. His coach and teammates all blamed him for what happened in week 1 of Worlds. It was his fault they’d lost those two games. And it was his fault that they almost lost to the wildcard team. Their expressions haunted him, their faces floating in his mind laughing and jeering at him.

Tian Tian was completely lost in his own little world. He didn’t even hear someone walking into the washroom, and he didn’t hear the footsteps stopping right outside of his stall. Then, a loud knock rang just above his head. The stall door bumped into him. He reached out to grab the toilet bowl and forced himself up faster than his frame would suggest he could. Wiping the snot and tears from his face, he asked, “W-who i-is it?” He forced himself to breathe to steady his voice. He didn’t want to show his teammates that he’d been crying. “D-did the c-coach send y-you? J-just wait. I-i’ll be out in a m-mi-minute.”

There was a moment of silence, after which a familiar voice rang out from the other side of the stall door. A voice he hadn’t expected in a hundred years. “I knew I’d find you here. Tsk. What a waste of talent. Tell me, Fatty, how many times have we been in this exact situation? You know what’s coming next, right? The part where I tell you to grow up. That if you want to make something of your life and become one of the Seven Kings, you need to do something about that shitty attitude. And then you tell me how you don’t care to become one of the Seven Kings…”

“I-i don’t! I-i don’t want t-to be a-a King…” Tian Tian muttered. It was a line he’d said many times over. It was his go-to response when his mentor scolded him. His mentor who’d given up on him. His mentor– “W-wait! I-is t-that r-r-really you?”

The Finals of the Season 1 World Championships was the day that Lin Feng’s short life came crumbling down around him. He still remembered the hype he felt that morning, the excitement as he won the first game. But that all changed in the final game of the series. The score was 2-2. There was one last game to decide who would become the World Champion. The game started off well for Lin Feng. It was an intense back and forth from the first minute, with neither team giving an inch. His heart was racing and his hands were sweaty. The laning phase ended and the team fights started. What little advantage he’d built up in lane wasn’t enough to win over the opposing Midlaner. The fights became trickier and trickier as the minutes went by. All the champions reached Level 18 and most had completed their item builds. One misplay and it would all be over. One lapse in judgement would end the game. His nerves got to him and he made a rash play. A huge blunder. The opponent capitalized on it. They aced his team, stormed his base, and destroyed the Nexus.

Lin Feng remembered the defeated looks in the eyes of his teammates. The way they looked at him still haunted him to this day. They didn’t say it, but he could feel their disappointment. It was his fault that they lost, and his alone. He had let them down. Everything they’d worked so hard for, he’d made it all worthless. It was all too much for him. He couldn’t take it. So he ran away, far away from all those judging eyes! He didn’t even stop to tell Fatty, who was the teammate he got along with best. The only person he told about his decision was his mentor, a man he deeply admired and respected.

His mentor had always been there for him. In fact, it was this mentor who’d helped him with the problem of competing at Worlds. When the Global Esports Association told him he couldn’t participate because of his age, and when even the Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Esports Association wasn’t enough to change this decision, it was his mentor who had helped him. A few words from him were enough for the Global Esports Association to change their minds and let Lin Feng participate at Worlds despite his age.

When Lin Feng told this mentor his decision to retire from the esports scene, he wasn’t given a lengthy speech about how young he was and how much more potential he had left in him. Instead, his mentor calmly listened to his little speech and then nodded. “Oh, if that’s what you really want, alright. Take some time off and get your thoughts sorted out. When you’re ready, give me a call.” He left Lin Feng with a pat on the shoulder and a note with a phone number on it.

It wasn’t until today, almost four years later, that Lin Feng finally called that number. He weakly said, “H-hey… it’s me.”

There was no response, just silence. Then, the man on the other end of the line started chuckling, a bit amused. “Oh? Wow, It’s you! Here I thought you’d walked away for good. I never thought you’d call this number again.”

Lin Feng scratched the back of his head. He couldn’t help but feel he’d let this man down four years ago. His mentor had done so much for him, and what had he given back in return? A failed tournament and early retirement. He tried to think of something to say, anything! But he couldn’t. His mind was empty.

“Hey! If you need something, hurry up already! You’re costing me a ton of money.”

Lin Feng was caught off-guard. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. He’d prepared himself to be lectured, chided, or even yelled at, but certainly not this. He asked, choking up, “I’m sorry for calling you. Do you not want to talk to me? I can hang up…”

“Huh? What?” Lin Feng’s mentor asked. Then something almost audibly clicked in his head. “Oh! No, it’s good to hear from you! But you’re really costing me a fortune here! I’m on holiday in Hawaii. Long distance charges are a killer. It’s like several bucks a minute.”

“Oh!” Lin Feng breathed out, relieved. The calm and casual tone of his mentor calmed him down too. His worries about himself disappeared and Tian Tian moved back to the front of his mind. He remembered the reason he’d called his mentor. “Hey, I’ve been watching Worlds. You know, KG and Fatty.” Lin Feng paused for a moment. It wasn’t fun for him to say the next part. “It looks like he’s had another nervous breakdown. His first game was a disaster and from there it just got worse. I’m worried about him.”

“Oh, huh? That brings back memories. You remember what I told you back then? You gotta be able to take the criticism. All the compliments are nice, but you won’t amount to anything if you can’t take the criticism. Anyway, I guess you want me to go do something about it? Should I go to Fatty for you and pass on a message?”

“Yes!” Lin Feng blurted out. “That would be great! Thank you so–”

“No. Can’t do. I told you, I’m in Hawaii. If you forgot your geography classes, that’s like half a world away from London. And I don’t have Fatty’s phone number either. I don’t know how I’d get in touch with him.”

“That’s not true! I know you can do it! If there’s anyone who can, it’s you!” Lin Feng insisted.

“Ha! You’ve been practicing asskissing, huh?” There was a pause on the line, but then the man continued, “Eh, you’re not wrong. I can do it. Hmm. You know what? Don’t worry about it. Leave it to me. I’ll take care of it.”

Lin Feng’s eyes started shining. He clenched his fist and wanted to scream in joy. Yes! Yes! Yes! It worked! Fatty’s gonna be alright! Wait. Calm down. Thank him first. He’s doing this for you. You have to thank him. Thank h– The voice of his mentor interrupted Lin Feng’s thoughts. “So you call me after four years just to ask me a favour for someone else? What about you? Have you thought about what I said to you the last time we spoke?”

When Lin Feng heard this question, there was no hesitation. He’d thought about it a lot, and he’d made his decision. No dream was too big, and he would chase after his no matter how small his chances of success were! “I have. I’m not giving up. Just wait and see, I’ll become the best professional player in the world!”

✹

On a beach in Hawaii, under the clear blue sky, stood a small wooden hut. In front of the hut was a large umbrella spiked in the white sand. A man in his mid twenties reclined on a beach chair underneath. He held a phone to his ear and sighed when he heard the last words from Lin Feng. After hanging up, he mumbled to himself, “You’ll become the best professional player, huh?” He rubbed his nose. He’d heard this line many times before and usually dismissed it with an amused chuckle. But not this time. He started smiling, “If anyone can do it, it’s you. I’m really looking forward to seeing how far you’ll get.”

“Ok! Enough daydreaming!” He leaned to the side and blindly felt around the little table next to him. When he grabbed hold of what he was looking for, he lifted it up and sighed. The piece of chocolate he’d saved for later had melted. His hand was wet and sticky. He tried to lick his fingers clean as his thoughts went back to Lin Feng and how he could help him. Finally, he grabbed his phone from his lap and dialed a number.

The phone rang twice before it connected. A voice sounded from the other side of the line, “Hey? What’s up?”

“Yo! Where are you right now?”

“I’m in Spain. I told you, I’m on holiday here. Did you forget? Oh, and why did you call me?”

“Guess it slipped my mind. Sorry. I need a favour.”

“A favour? What kind of favour…”

“Haha! Don’t worry man. It’s nothing big! Just a small little thing for me! Hahaha! Come on, just hear me out.”

“No! Nope! No way in hell! I’m not doing it! Find someone else.”

“Oh, quit your whining. Just go and get on the next flight to London. Do you remember Fatty? He’s playing for KG at Worlds right now. He’s had a nervous breakdown. I need you to go to him and pass on a message for me.”

“Worlds? You still follow League of Legends?”

“Of course I don’t follow that game. I’m on holiday, I don’t have the time to worry about something like that.”

“Uhh… Then why are you asking me to go there and talk to Tian Tian?”

“Oh, I’m not doing this for myself. You remember Feng Feng? He just called me and asked if I could help him pass on a message. If I remember correctly, you cared a lot about that kid too, right?”

“Me? Why the fuck would I care? If he can’t handle the pressure, that’s his fault. I told him this back in Season 3. Grow a spine and grouw the fuck up. But did he listen? No. It went in one ear and came out the other. That’s on him. If he doesn’t want to change, nothing will happen. I’m not wasting anymore time on that kid.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re a little upset with him. That’s why I’m not asking you to go help him. I’m only asking you to pass on a message for me.”

It was quiet on the other side of the line, almost as if they’d hung up. But the call was still connected. So after another second, he added, “I’ll take your silence as a yes. Great! Thanks for helping me. You’re the best!”

“Fine. Just this once. But you owe me for this.”

“Sure, sure, whatever you say. How about this? Next time you come visit me, I’ll have my babe fix you up something really good.”

“Ha. What kind of guy makes his girlfriend repay his favours? You really are something else, you know? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about? Oh! And I have to correct you there. She’s not my girlfriend anymore. She’s my fiancée now.”

After hanging up the call a few minutes later, he sat up straight in his beach chair and looked towards the crystal clear waters. She stood on the shoreline, waves washing over her feet. Her long, raven black hair fell over her shoulders. She wore a beautiful sundress and a straw hat that protected her face from the sun. You’re as beautiful as the day we met. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have met her. She’d grown only more beautiful over the years, her hot temperament mellowing out with time. Then she turned around and smiled at him. I love you.

✹

Lin Feng felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. He’d been worrying about Fatty ever since that first game of Worlds. But now he’d finally done something about it. His mentor would help him get in touch with Fatty. He would have to wait to see how that would turn out. Until then, he turned his attention back to something a little more pressing. High School 13’s esports team! They still had a lot of work left in front of them while the first day of the Shanghai 16 School Tournament was next Monday!

Two days of practice came and went for the trainees in Lin Feng’s Legends Bootcamp. Then they turned their attention back to Worlds. It was time for Group C and Group D to play their first three games in the double round robin. The two days and 12 games that followed were another deception for China. Dust performed a little better than KG, but that was all. They ended with 1 win and 2 losses. Both losses were to the Korean teams in their group. The Chinese fans started to worry. It began to look like not a single Chinese team would make it out of the group stage this year!

There were three more days until the second half of the group stage. The Chinese fans used this time to type out their hatred on the community boards and forums. Maybe that would motivate their teams and light a figure under their asses!

High School 13’s esports team was full of energy. It didn’t matter who they had to play against in the qualifiers for the Shanghai 16 School Tournament. They would beat everyone who came at them! They would welcome any and every challenge! With this mindset, they practiced the rest of the day until the sun set. They made the plays they were too afraid to make before, and endured Lin Feng’s biting criticism. All that mattered was that they got better, even if that meant getting yelled at by Lin Feng every now and then.

“Alright guys, that’s all for today. Let’s gather around,” Lin Feng said after the esports team had won another game. Once everyone huddled around him, he continued, “I really liked what I saw at the end there. You were all trying. It doesn’t matter that you don’t always succeed. You can’t always succeed. The important thing is that you try. So good job on that! Beyond that, you guys really need to keep working hard. Try and play a game or two tonight and I’ll see you all tomorrow. Goodnight guys!”

Everyone grabbed their stuff and left the NetCow Cafe. Lin Feng and Tang Bingyao waved the others goodbye and then started walking home together. The streets were quiet. Under the soft yellow glow of the street lights, Tang Bingyao hopped around the pavement tiles. She played a little game called ‘evade the cracks’. Her feet would occasionally land on a crack and she would lose her balance, rocking unsteadily before quickly stabilizing herself again.

Lin Feng followed half a step behind Tang Bingyao. He laughed as she hopped around and said, “You kind of look like Kalista, hopping around like that.”

Tang Bingyao spun around and looked up at Lin Feng while walking backwards. “That pep talk you gave today really worked. Everyone was super motivated by it.”

“Of course they were!” Lin Feng chuckled. “I’m really good at giving pep talks too!”

“That last part really made it. ‘You still have me’. It sounded really cool, and you even looked cool! You never look cool!” Tang Bingyao smiled. Then her expression turned serious again. She stopped walking and held her hand up to Lin Feng’s chest to stop him. “So, what about your old teammate? Are you going to help Roundy too?”

High School 13’s esports team had a support pillar in Lin Feng. When they started worrying, he would reassure them. When they started freaking out, he would slap some sense into them. And when they gave up and lost their motivation, he would help remind them why they were doing this. He was always there to help them, not just by being a good player or coach, but also by being a good friend. Tian Tian had none of this in KG. He didn’t have a teammate he could rely on. They were all mentally broken, just like him. And they expected him to be their mental support! He was supposed to be their pillar! But Tian Tian was no pillar. If anything, he needed the mental support more than anyone else in KG!

Lin Feng smiled. For the first time in days, when Fatty was mentioned, he didn’t hide. He balled his fist and looked Tang Bingyao right in the eyes. “Hehe. Don’t worry. I know how I can help him. I finally figured it out!”

✹

Lin Feng turned his key in the lock and opened the front door. He pushed the door open and yelled through the opening, “I’m home!”

“Sheesh! I get it, you’re back! Do you want a medal or something?” Su Xue snapped. She was wearing an apron and oven mitts as she came walking out of the kitchen with a large, piping-hot casserole dish. “Don’t be so noisy! And take your shoes off! We’re not animals!”

Su Xue put the casserole dish down on the dining table, and then wiped the sweat from her forehead. Dinner was ready. The bowls and chopsticks were set on the table, together with a wide variety of food. She had really worked hard on it over the last couple of hours. But it smells delicious! I’ve really outdone myself today! She smiled, proud and happy of her culinary skills. Then she turned to Lin Feng and said, “You’re home early. Everything ok?”

“Yeah! I’m good! Just really hungry!” Lin Feng replied. He brushed past her, throwing his bag on the ground, and sat down at the table. His mouth started salivating as the smell of pork reached his nose. He leaned forward and gave the casserole dish a big sniff. “Hmmm! Smells great!”

“What do you mean, it smells great? Of course it smells great! I made it!” Su Xue said. She was really happy with how this pork dish had come out of the oven. Then she pointed at the kitchen sink and added, “Now go and wash your hands! Then we can eat.”

Lin Feng didn’t need to be told twice. When there was food in the picture, he would do anything. He rushed to the sink and put his hands under the faucet. It could barely be considered washing them. He didn’t even bother drying them off as he ran back to the dining table and let himself fall on his chair, nearly toppling it over. Then he grabbed his bowl and filled it with pork. His stomach was rumbling and his mouth salivating. He grabbed his chopsticks and dug in.

“Hey hey! Don’t only eat the meat! I also made a really nice chicken soup! You have to try it. It took me several hours to make!” Su Xue protested as she watched Lin Feng wolf down the food.

Lin Feng didn’t even look up from his bowl. He shoveled more food into his mouth as he said, “Fanks, yur da besht!”

Su Xue rolled her eyes, then grabbed a napkin and cleaned the bits and pieces of food Lin Feng had spit out on the table. “Stop talking with your mouth full! It’s disgusting!” she complained. “And stop giving all these empty compliments! If you really want to show how thankful you are, stop being such a massive pain in the ass!”

Lin Feng completely ignored her. He filled his now empty bowl with the chicken soup, then put it to his mouth and started slurping. “Ah! Hot hot hot!” he yelped as he quickly put the bowl down. He grabbed his glass of coke and took a swig. “Aahhhh! That’s better. Wow, that was really hot! But it was also really delicious! You really went all out tonight!”

Su Xue grinned and shook her head. Idiot, is what she wanted to say. But she didn’t. He liked her food. She’d been working really hard on it for a good portion of the day and it just felt really satisfying to hear him say that he liked it. “Good! Drink it up! I better not see a single drop go to waste!”

Lin Feng looked up for a moment and said, “I’ll drink it all! And then I’ll eat the rest of the food too! Don’t worry, I’ll eat it all!” Then his full attention went back to the food on the table. He took a bite of pork and then another swig from the chicken soup, though only after blowing on it to cool it down a little.

Mhm, that’s right. Su Xue watched Lin Feng eat for a bit, resting her chin on her hands. Haha! I’ve never met anyone who can eat like that. He really is something else. But at least he does look a bit happier again. I really started worrying after the last few days. She smiled and asked, “Are you feeling a little better now?”

Lin Feng raised his head, a piece of pork hanging from his mouth, and asked, “Ghuh? Wha dju meen?”

Su Xue harrumphed. “What? You think I’m blind? Or do you think you were really good at hiding how absolutely miserable you’ve been looking the past few days? It looked like your pet had died or something. Just that you don’t have a pet, right? Anyway, I didn’t want to bother you. I figured it was best to let you figure this out on your own. But man, you kids these days really make a big deal out of every little thing! What can possibly have happened in your short life that was so bad?”

Lin Feng scratched the back of his head. He laughed, awkwardly. So that’s why she hasn’t been bothering me the last two days. I should’ve probably noticed it… “Uhm, ah… You see, it’s li–”

“It’s fine. Whatever. You don’t have to tell me,” Su Xue waved her hand and cut him off. Then she looked at him. She really looked at him. He had worried her. She wanted him to be happy and had to really hold herself back these last two days from acting like a concerned mother. “Did you deal with whatever has been on your mind? Are you all good again? There is nothing wrong with you, right? If there’s something I can do…”

Lin Feng nodded, but he still took an extra moment to think before answering her. He looked at her and said, “Yes. I’m all good again!”

✹

Lin Feng went back to his room after dinner to do some homework. The teachers loved to swamp them with extra assignments to keep them busy during the holidays. He opened his book and started reading. It was a dull textbook with 200 pages he had to read before the end of the week. His eyelids felt heavy after the third page, and he couldn’t remember what he had read at all after the fifth. Realizing this wasn’t productive, he put the book aside, and after some thinking, grabbed his laptop. He pulled up his browser and started browsing League of Legends forums. Most posts were about Worlds and the less than stellar performance of the Chinese teams. As could be expected, KG got torn a new asshole, but even Hand of God who ended the first week with two wins and one loss wasn’t spared. The Chinese fans flamed them like it was their civic duty.

「lmao beat fate in msi and lose to them in worlds. just lpl things」
「Like seriously. HoG played like a bunch of fucking monkeys! They deserved to lose! I hope Dust isn’t going to be such a pile of steaming shit like KG and HoG!!!」
「They probably got cocky after winning the mid seasonal invitational tournament but didn’t realize that fate was sandbagging.」

The Chinese League of Legends fans made fun of Hand of God and complained about them, but most didn’t go beyond that. It was completely different for KG. There was no making fun of them, only complaints and harsh insults. But it could still be worse. Tian Tian could attest to that. His “fans” didn’t hold back one bit when it came to him. They’d revoked his status as the Uncrowned Eighth and he certainly wasn’t God Roundy anymore. But more painful than any of that were the insults they threw at him. They called him a waste of human life and much worse.

「number 1 top in the lpl? HA! What a fucking joke!!! and how the fuck does he dare to call himself the uncrowned eighth? he better hopes i don’t find him irl or ill give him more than a piece of my mind!!!1!!」
「fucking useless fatso. if he spent the time he eats practicing, he might actually be half decent」
「kg better see what a fucking waste of space he is! replace him! GET SOMEONE ELSE IN PLACE OF THIS PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!1!1!」
「anyone in london can go kick his ass? ill pay ¥10,000」

Everyone seemed to have conveniently forgotten that Tian Tian never called himself the Uncrowned Eighth. This was a title the fans had given him. It was even worse. Tian Tian had repeatedly said in interviewers he didn’t believe he was good enough to be considered the Uncrowned Eighth. He’d always said there were other players better and more deserving of such a title. But no one cared about that back then, and they certainly didn’t care about it right now.

Lin Feng gripped his mouse, the plastic of it creaking. He bit down on his lips as his eye started twitching. Page after page. Post after post. He read everything. His eyes turned bloodshot. That’s not true! That’s a lie! He closed his browser and lowered his head. I get why they’re upset. But this is completely unfair! Fatty did nothing wrong! He didn’t raise your expectations! He never asked for all this attention! He didn’t betray you. Your own hyped up hopes betrayed you!

This was the internet. A message was easily and anonymously posted. People would often forget that they were talking to or about real people. And that those people had feelings, just like anyone else. It didn’t matter how upset the Chinese fans were. Abusing Fatty like this just wasn’t right. Their feelings of disappointment were of their own doing! Then there were the haters and trolls, adding fuel to the fire. They had no filter and Lin Feng found it hard to read some of the messages they posted.

Lin Feng clenched his fist. His nails sunk into his flesh, but the pain didn’t register in his head. He smashed down on his bed, the soft recoil of the mattress only making him angrier. The Chinese fans were disappointed, he understood that! But that didn’t mean they had the right to write these things about Fatty! Fatty is probably alone and terrified of the world right now. They’ve always talked him up and up and up. Every little thing he did right, they exaggerated a thousand times over! And now he screws up one time and they all come down on him. This just isn’t right! They can’t do this to Fatty! Not after everything he’s done!

However, it didn’t matter what was right and wrong. Tian Tian had stepped into the limelight. He was one of the most, if not the most recognizable Chinese League of Legends player. Strangers were going to have their opinion, and the internet was an easy way to share that opinion with the world. There were millions of fans who counted on him to show up when it really mattered. They watched him with bated breath. But they never considered the pressure they put on him. All they saw was the halo of glory over his head. They were ignorant to the sweat on his face and the deep footprints he left behind.

Back in season 1, after losing in the finals of Worlds, a mentor Lin Feng deeply respected had told him, “A professional player will get criticized more than they get complimented. You better learn how to deal with that as early as possible.” He didn’t understand what these words meant, or even really listened to his mentor. He had already sunk into a spiral of guilt and self-blame. But now that same sentence played in his mind again. It started to make sense. He began to understand what his mentor had tried to tell him. Unfortunately, he had no way of contacting Fatty in London. No way to text him, call him, or send a private message. But he did have someone who could help him with that.

Lin Feng dialed the number of an old mentor who he last spoke to several years ago. He wasn’t even sure the number still belonged to him. The phone was ringing, so at least the number was still in use. It took a few more rings, but then a man picked up. A familiar voice rang out from the other side of the line, “Hmm? Who’s this?”

Lin Feng was quiet as he scratched his hair. He’d found the courage to call this number, but he hadn’t thought of what he would say. This brief moment of hesitation brought the emotions he’d been repressing for the past four years creeping back to the front of his mind. They hit him like a truck. His eyes felt wet and a lump appeared in his throat. He coughed and wiped away the tears with his sleeve. Then he weakly said, “H-hey… it’s me.”

There was no response, just silence. Then, the man started chuckling, a bit bemused. “Oh? Wow, It’s you! Here I thought you’d walked away for good. I never thought you’d call this number again.”

Day 1 of Worlds was disastrous for China! Day 2 was a little bit better thanks to Hand of God. But KG had screwed up again! They were really testing the limits of their fans! There was now a break. Half of the games in Group A and Group B were played. The teams could use the next week to prepare for the second half, or in the case of KG to get their mess sorted out, while the fans turned their attention back to solo queue. They still kept an eye on Worlds, of course. In another two days, Group C and Group D would play their first half of the group stage. Dust was in Group D. This was a new chance for China to shine on the world stage!

One group of fans were the members of High School 13’s esports team. They kept up to date on Worlds, but their attention shifted to something more important. The Shanghai 16 School Tournament. It was approaching fast and they still had so much to do before then. Lin Feng’s Legend Bootcamp turned up to 100. Lin Feng didn’t allow any slacking. If someone repeated a mistake, he would tell them they had one more chance. Then he reminded them how stupid the mistake was, that it belonged in Silver solo queue and not in their team games. And if that didn’t help, he threatened them by saying he would kick them off the team!

“Tang Tang, you played like crap in that teamfight! You’re the ad-carry, not the tank! You don’t jump in first! How many times do I have to tell you this?”
“Wei Dong, you need to get deeper vision into the enemy jungle. Exactly! Just like that pink ward.”
“Chen Ze stop feeding! We can’t keep sending Liu Yue up top to help you. He needs to focus on other lanes too!”
“Stop AFK farming in your jungle Liu Yue! You’re giving away all map pressure in the first 10 minutes of the game! The other team doesn’t even have to worry about warding, you don’t come to gank anyway… YES! THAT MEANS GO GANK!”
“That’s an awful play.”
“What’s wrong with you…”
“Not good enough. Get better.”

The players in the esports team weren’t blind or stupid. They noticed that Lin Feng was being a lot more demanding than usual. Sometimes they felt the urge to say something about it to him. To ask him if all of this was really necessary. But then they saw his face. It was calm and serious. He had no anger, hatred, or joy in telling them off. He was earnestly trying to help them become better players. So they could only turn back around and focus on their game. Since he was putting all this effort in, they would have to at least do the same!

Lin Feng’s high intensity training was proving to be very effective. The team members didn’t just see tremendous individual growth, but they were also really starting to come together as a team. This only further motivated them to work harder. Whenever Lin Feng gave them a few minutes between games to think about everything he’d said to them, they would huddle together and discuss it as a team. Then they would go back over the match and watch replays of the important plays and talk about what went right and what went wrong. All the while, Lin Feng sat in a corner of the room, staring down at the ground. They would occasionally look over towards him.

Ouyang leaned forward, gesturing for the other team members to do the same, and whispered, “Hey, do any of you know what’s up with him?” He pointed towards Lin Feng with his head. “Seems like the dude is always in a bad mood these days.”

“Yeah! I know right!” Liu Yue exclaimed. Then his eyes went wide and he put his hand over his mouth. He looked towards Lin Feng from the corners of his eyes, but saw no response. Shit! That was close… He turned back towards the others and nodded. “I feel like he’s been way harder on us. I’m kind of scared to do anything. I don’t want him to yell at me for making a misplay. But when I don’t do anything, he also yells at me! You guys feel that way too?”

The others nodded. Liu Yue had said exactly what they felt. Then Ouyang and Ren Rou turned their heads towards Tang Bingyao. They knew the relationship she had with Lin Feng. The two still claimed it was just a friendship, but it sure looked like something more. Ren Rou nudged Tang Bingyao and asked, “Did he tell you something? Do you know why he’s been acting this way?”

Tang Bingyao did know. Lin Feng had told her. But he had told her in confidence. She wouldn’t share that with others. It wasn’t her place to do that. Lying wasn’t really her thing either, though. She felt conflicted, but decided that being Lin Feng’s friend was more important. She stared down towards the ground and shook her head a little. “No, I don’t know.”

“Maybe he’s going through a bad breakup?” Chen Ze asked.

“You idiot.” Ouyang flicked Chen Ze’s ear. “Are you blind? Bro, have you never noticed how Tang Tang here and Lin Feng are always together? You know…” He gave Chen Ze a wink. “…How they spend a lot of time together, without us? Just the two of them. For fucks sake! They even go home together all the time!” He paused for a moment, then added, “Here, if you still don’t get it, let me show you.” He hugged an imaginary person who was supposedly sitting on his lap and started making out with her, shoving his tongue into her imaginary mouth.

Tang Bingyao looked at Ouyang. She didn’t quite understand what he was doing. He was getting his spit everywhere and looked like an idiot. “Uhh, Are you having a stroke? Should we call an ambulance?”

Ren Rou smacked Ouyang in the back of the head. “Alright! That’s enough nonsense out of you! Let’s get back to something a little more serious.” She started digging in her purse before pulling out a letter. “I received a letter from the 16 School Tournament organizers. It’s about the qualifiers. The groups have been announced.” Her smile turned into a frown when she mentioned the qualifiers. She took a deep breath and said, “Alright, let’s just get this over with. We’re screwed guys. We got screwed over really hard. It’s even worse than last year.”

The Shanghai 16 School Tournament took place every year around the same time as Worlds. It would start sometime next week with the qualification round. In the qualification round, schools were placed in groups of four. If they wanted to move on to the next round, they had to win at least two of their three matches. There were a lot of schools participating, so the better teams usually didn’t have much trouble moving on to the next round. But even if High School 13 could be considered above average, their luck was definitely the worst. If last year’s group wasn’t bad enough, this one was. They were up against Tonji Aff. High, High School 3, and High School 7.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Ouyang screamed. “How the fuck is our luck worse than last year? HOW THE FUCK IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?” All the hard work they’d put in suddenly seemed pointless. Worst case scenarios flashed through his mind. He pulled at his hair and whined, “Why? Why is our luck so bad? Why is it always us? It’s always us! Why? Tell me! Why is our luck so bad! We’re fucked! We might as well give up now and just enjoy Worlds!”

Yang Fan, Chen Ze, and Wei Dong weren’t looking any better than Ouyang. They’d played in the Shanghai 16 School Tournament last year. What happened back then was still fresh in their minds. They knew how strong those opponents were. This year would be worse. The thought alone destroyed all confidence they’d built up training under Lin Feng.

High School 3 was the easiest of the three teams High School 13 would be up against. They failed to qualify for the main tournament and got kicked out in the Top 32 last year. But they got knocked out by a school that made it all the way to the quarterfinals! Who knew how far High School 3 could’ve gone if they’d had a little bit more luck! As for High School 7 and Tonji Aff. High, both of them had made it to the main tournament. High School 7 went out in the first round, while Tonji Aff. High lost in the quarterfinals. They were two of the best schools for esports in Shanghai!

“Tonji Aff. High is a loss. No point in talking about them.” Chen Ze looked at the others. His heartbeat went up as he started hyperventilating. He placed his hands on his stomach and forced deep breaths. Then he continued, “And I doubt we stand much of a chance against High School 7…”

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses. He forced a smile and said, “We really have our work cut out for us.”

Everyone fell silent. No one knew what to say. They had worked so hard for a shot at making it to the main tournament, yet now all of that seemed like it’d been for nothing. All their hard work, all the progress they’d made, it was pointless in the face of absolute skill. They weren’t preparing for some random school, they had to prepare for some of the best schools! One of which even made it all the way to the quarterfinals last year! A few weeks of training couldn’t possibly be enough to suddenly beat these schools. They were screwed! All their self-confidence was gone. Their morale sank through the floor.

“Oh, the groups were announced?” a voice broke the silence. Everyone turned their heads towards Lin Feng, who’d been sitting in a corner. He raised his head and stared at them, puzzled. “Huh? What’s wrong with you guys? Did you all eat something funny?”

“You don’t understand,” Chen Ze started. He sighed. “Our luck is dogshit. We have a harder group than last year…”

Wei Dong added, “He’s right, you know? You’ve really helped us and we’ve gotten a lot better, but these guys are way better than us. I can see us winning a game against High School 3, if we’re lucky. But when have we ever been lucky? Look at our group! And well, High School 7 would have to really play poorly if we want to have a shot at beating them. Let’s not even talk about Tonji Aff. High. It’ll just depress me more.”

Lin Feng looked around the room. Everyone was agreeing with Chen Ze and Wei Dong. No one seemed to have any faith in themselves. “What is this?” he asked, confused. “I thought we were going for first place?”

No one replied. Lin Feng looked at everyone, one at a time, but none of them said anything. Instead, they turned their heads away or looked down at the floor. They didn’t want to look him in the eyes. And he didn’t understand why. So he asked, “I thought we agreed on going for first place? You guys didn’t forget, right?”

The group was looking for someone to reply. They didn’t want to be the one to say what they all thought. Lin Feng had been in a poor mood all day and they felt more than a little ashamed right now. Wei Dong was finally the one to speak up, “I– We didn’t think you were serious. We kinda figured you were just trying to motivate us.” And the others nodded to his words.

Lin Feng looked at Wei Dong. He looked him in the eyes and said, “No. I meant every word I said. We’re going to win the trophy.” He then looked at the others, one at a time. They tried to evade his gaze, but he wouldn’t let them. “What have you guys been training for? Why have we all been working so hard if you guys are just going to give up before the tournament even starts? What is this for a shit attitude? A little setback and you just give up? You think just because we don’t have the easiest road to the finals that we’re doomed? We’re going for the win here guys! If we want to win, we have to beat the best teams! It doesn’t matter who they are, we beat them all!” He paused for a moment, frustrated. “Why have I been putting in all this effort if you guys are just going to give up? I should just go home and let you guys figure it out yourselves.”

The group listened to Lin Feng, but it wasn’t until his last sentence that it struck them. He was right! Everyone had put in a lot of effort. They had all worked hard. Lin Feng especially had created a great training schedule that saw even better results! But instead of thanking him by making it to the finals and taking home the trophy, they were ready to give up before the tournament had even started! They were ready to give up because a team that made it to the quarterfinals last year scared them! Lin Feng had every right to be upset! It would’ve been weird if he wasn’t!

“Bro, that’s exactly what I needed to hear. You’re completely and totally 1000% right. We can’t just give up like this!” Ouyang exclaimed.

Yang Fan adjusted his glasses. “I agree. So what if our opponent is stronger than we expected? That only makes it more interesting!”

“Yeah! We’re not giving up!”
“No way in hell! We’re going to kick their asses!”
“We’ll bring home the trophy!”
“WOOT WOOT! High School 13 for the win!”

Lin Feng got the response he was looking for. The confidence was back and the morale was high again. He said, “You guys shouldn’t worry so much about how good you are and how good your opponent is. All those what ifs in your mind are a waste of your time. Just have faith in me and my training and do your best. Besides, even if the opponent is really strong…” His lips curved up, revealing that smile that had disappeared in the past few days. “…You still have me!”

“Fate is pushing down mid lane! Will they finish the game right here?”
“Only two more Nexus towers standing! Gold really has to fight now, or it’ll be too late!”
“They’re going in! They’re going in!”
“WAAAAAAA! DOUBLE KILL! MOON DOUBLE KILL!”
“Oh my lord, it’s an ace! Fate has aced Gold! This is the game! This is the game!”

The last game of Day 1 of the Season 5 Worlds featured Korea’s Fate versus Europe’s Gold. Moon showcased why he was an Emperor in this game. He single-handedly carried his team to a win. No other tower fell, only those in mid lane. He pushed from the early game and just kept on pushing. The rest of his team came to help when they realized what was going on. They were just too strong, completely outclassing Gold. When Gold’s Nexus was destroyed, the players from Fate jumped up from their gaming chairs and started cheering!

Day 1 of Worlds came to an end. Six games were played and everyone had a better idea where their teams ranked in the world. The Korean and European fans had a lot to be happy about. Fate and Legend both secured two wins in their groups. It once again showed how strong a team with one of the Four Emperors was. If their opponent didn’t also have an Emperor, they were next to unstoppable! On the other hand, the Chinese fans had mixed feelings about this first day. They wanted to celebrate HoG’s victory over COG, but the disastrous performance of KG overshadowed it. KG had brought shame to the LPL.

KG had put up a poor performance against Legend, but that was only a poor performance. It wasn’t the end of the world. What was the tipping point for the Chinese fans was the game against the wildcard team. For the first time in five years of Worlds, a Chinese team was forced to drag out a game against a wildcard team until the 40th minute before, mostly due to luck, mounting a comeback and winning the game. KG had set multiple records today. Records for disgracing their region! The Chinese League of Legends community didn’t have a good word to say about KG.

✹

In a private booth in the NetCow Cafe, High School 13’s esports team was sitting in silence. They were all kind of staring at the screen, but not really watching what was going on. The results from Day 1 Worlds were nothing like they’d expected. Their hype was crushed. It was shattered! There was nothing left of their hopes for this year’s Worlds. KG had made sure of that!

“GODDAMNIT!” Ouyang slammed his fist on the table. “This was a fucking disgrace! How could they do this to us? Fuck it! I need to play. Who’s with me? Let’s get some ranked games in to forget about this shit!”

“Damn right,” Liu Yue agreed. “Let’s hop into some duo queue and kick some asses!”

“Sounds good, I’m in,” Yang Fan said, in his anger forgetting to adjust his glasses.

Chen Ze grabbed his things. He barely looked at the others as he was already walking to the door. Then he paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder at the others. “Good luck guys. I need to sleep. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Ren Rou stood up and looked around the private booth. Everyone looked defeated. It was as if they were the ones who had played at Worlds and screwed up, not KG. I should really say something to them. It’s just… She was in no mood to do anything about it. But I really should… Just as she made up her mind and wanted to say something, Wei Dong rolled his gaming chairs behind a computer and started smashing down on the keyboard. She bit on her lips, holding herself back. Everyone was in a terrible mood, herself included. It was best to let them be for now. “Hey guys, I’m also going home. Good luck with your matches.”

“I’m also going,” Lin Feng said. He grabbed his spicy strips, which were mostly left untouched, and left the private booth. Tang Bingyao looked after him from when he grabbed his things and walked out of the door, until the door closed and she couldn’t see him anymore. She thought for a moment, then grabbed her backpack and said to the others, “Goodluck guys. Have a good night. Bye.” Then she ran after Lin Feng.

✹

It was a cold October night. When Lin Feng walked out of the NetCow Cafe, it was already close to midnight. The streets were deserted. Most League fans were playing away their frustration, while others had given up halfway through KG’s second game and were already home and in bed. He walked down the sidewalk with his eyes on the pavement. A chilly breeze hit him in his face. There were a thousand and one thoughts swirling in his mind.

Tang Bingyao opened the door of the NetCow Cafe and looked outside. She spotted Lin Feng walking down the street and ran after him. When she almost caught up to him, she slowed down. She wrapped her hands around the straps of her backpack and matched his speed. Her ponytail swayed in the wind. She didn’t go up to him because she didn’t want to interrupt his thoughts.

Lin Feng was in a world of his own. He barely registered what went on in front of him, nearly missing his turn. When he walked around the corner, he did notice a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. Huh? Was that Tang Tang? He stopped walking and turned around. “Woah! It is you! Where did you come from? Why are you here? Are you following me?”

Tang Bingyao tilted her head. “Following you?” She thought for a moment and then nodded. “Yes, I’m walking you home.”

“Uh, hehe…” Lin Feng scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you. Come, come. Don’t be a stranger. Let’s walk together!”

Tang Bingyao nodded and walked up beside him. Then the two fell into silence again. They walked home together, both lost in their own little world. Tang Bingyao occasionally glanced up at Lin Feng, trying to think of what to say. He really does know Roundy Round. There is no other reason why he would react like that back during the games. That isn’t how a KG fan would react. He didn’t even seem to care about KG, just about Roundy. She opened her mouth a few times, but stopped herself before words could come out. What do I even say? How do I ask him about it? It looks like he’s taking it really hard. I don’t want to make him even more upset. But maybe it’ll help him feel better if he talks about it? She tugged at Lin Feng’s arm and asked, “Lin Feng?” She bit her lips. He looked at her. She had to continue now. “Was Roundy always this nervous? When you were playing with him, I mean.”

“Mhm. He was.” Lin Feng nodded. “You see, Fatty is a coward at heart. He stresses out over nothing and always worries that he’ll screw things up. The pressure that comes with a big event like Worlds is just too much for him. He collapses under it.”

Tang Bingyao cupped her hands over her mouth and blew a warm breath into them. Then she placed her hands over her ears, trying to beat the cold night air. She looked back up at Lin Feng and asked, “So did he always tilt this badly? Or did he have it better under control back then?”

“No. He didn’t tilt back then.” Lin Feng shook his head. He turned to Tang Bingyao and smiled, “Back then he had us. When he got stressed, we were there for him. Always. He had real friends who looked out for him.” He grinned as he thought back to Season 1 Worlds.

Lin Feng remembered how stressed out they all were when they arrived in London. They were the only Chinese team at Worlds. They carried the weight of an entire region on their shoulders! The fans at home were expecting big results, but those fans were at home. They weren’t at the event. Many players of the team were traveling outside of China for the first time in their lives. They were in a strange place, where they didn’t know anyone.

The teams from Europe and North America had fans everywhere, recognizing them on the streets and cheering for them in the arena. Lin Feng and his team only had themselves. They could only look to each other for support. Whenever they felt helpless, lost, angry, or frustrated, they would turn to their teammates. Their friends. And they would fight through it together. They would come out of it stronger as they battled their way through the tournament! And when they couldn’t sleep the night before a big game, they would explore the streets of London. Together, as a team. Because they were a team, even when they were hollering in the empty streets like a bunch of idiots. They did everything together as a team.

“WE WILL BE THE CHAMPIONS! NO TIME FOR LOSERS!”
“NO ONE CAN BEAT US! WE WILL BE THE VERY BEST!”
“WE’LL SHOW THOSE EUROPEANS AND AMERICANS WHO THE BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD IS!”

They would sing and yell and have a good time. Laughter was the best medicine! By venting their worries with their teammates, their worries suddenly didn’t seem all that scary anymore. The burden felt smaller when they shared it with their teammates. Together, there was nothing they couldn’t do! They would charge at any obstacle as a team and crush it together!

However, Fatty had none of that right now. He didn’t have a team. The KG that appeared at Worlds was little more than a group of five individually strong players. Players who didn’t stand up for each other. Players who weren’t there for each other. Players who only worried about doing well themselves. And from the looks of it, the coaching staff was just another unit of individuals.

Lin Feng stopped thinking about the past and halted his step. His stomach felt like it was tied up in knots. He bit his lips as he looked down at the pavement, anxious. Fatty wasn’t just anyone. Fatty was God Roundy! He had achieved so much in his career and was supposed to be the star player on KG’s roster! This brought a ton of unwanted stress with it. Everyone in China expected him to carry every game he played. Their expectations were like shackles to Tian Tian, locking him down. He needed his friends or a support system to break free from this and show everyone how good he was.

“You can always try calling him,” Tang Bingyao said. Everyone had a phone these days. It shouldn’t be much of a problem. “Just hearing your voice should help him a bit, right?”

Lin Feng’s eyes went wide as he froze for a moment. Then he turned to Tang Bingyao and started shaking his head. “No no no! I can’t do that! It’ll only make things worse! He’ll only start stressing more!”

Tang Bingyao looked Lin Feng in the eyes. The frantic look in them revealed how full of shit he was. “You’re lying again, Lin Feng. It doesn’t look good on you.”

“I-i’m not! Really! You have to believe me!” Lin Feng replied.

Tang Bingyao curled her lips. “That didn’t sound convincing one bit.”

✹

It was the second day of the Season 5 League of Legends World Championships. Group A and Group B had their second round of matches. The Chinese teams had to play three games. Hand of God would play two games, the first against Korea’s Fate and the second against Europe’s Gold, while KG would play one game. Their opponent was North America’s Flash.

Hand of God showed a strong performance with one win and one loss, making the Chinese fans proud. They started the day with the loss. Fate was just too strong. They meticulously outplayed HoG in every stage of the game and closed it out in the 32nd minute. There wasn’t much to say about it. HoG showed that they were trying, but it wasn’t enough. The fans could understand this. Fate had an Emperor. This was an acceptable loss. In the second game, however, Hand of God made their fans really happy. They completely destroyed Gold! What Fate did to them in the first game, they did to Gold!

Then there was KG, the team on full tilt. They had clearly not dealt with their problems from the day before. The team was playing like a nervous wreck. Nothing they tried worked. Flash toyed around with them. It was a match that really didn’t belong at Worlds. The players from KG looked completely out of it. They even looked a little bit happy when Flash finished it at 35 minutes into the game. If it went on for any longer, that would only be more suffering for KG.

With this loss, KG’s chances of making it out of the group stage started looking bleak. There were three more games to be played, but it was already almost out of their control. If they wanted to make it through to the next round, they would have to win all their matches from here on out. This was a task that seemed impossible for the current KG. The camera zoomed in on Tian Tian, the supposed star player of the team. His expression said it all. He looked very worried, with beads of sweat on his forehead.

“Damnit! Roundy really fucked this game up…”
“How could he let himself get schooled by a rookie?”
“This didn’t look anything like the God Roundy from the LPL. He looked terrible!”
“I don’t know man, his whole team looked like hot garbage.”
“Maybe they’re jetlagged?”
“Yeah, maybe they flew in late! That’s the only thing that makes sense!”

In a private booth in the NetCow Cafe, the members of High School 13’s esports team were chatting about the KG versus Legend game. They didn’t flame God Roundy like the stream chat was doing, but they also didn’t have anything positive to say about him. He had lost to a rookie. Demon had made God Roundy look like the rookie!

Lin Feng took a deep breath. He listened to his friends discussing Fatty, but he didn’t participate. He didn’t see any point in trying to explain to them how wrong they were. It wouldn’t change anything. All that mattered was that he knew the truth. He understood how unfair all this hatred towards Fatty was. This game wasn’t Fatty’s fault. It was KG’s coach’s fault! Who even drafts such a terrible team comp… The strategy KG used in this game was short-sighted and inflexible! They decided that it was better to play a 4vs5 with a mediocre Tristana than it was to play a 5vs5 with a strong team. There were so many flaws in this plan that he didn’t even know what he disliked most about it.

For KG’s gameplan to work, their Tristana had to get fed. She went to top lane to have an easier time farming minions, and Rek’Sai farmed the jungle camps closest to her to offer help. This was how the early gank started. A gank that failed. Tristana didn’t rocket jump into a power spike, but away to safety. Rek’Sai then gave away a kill to Legend’s Jinx, sealing the lane. The Jinx, who already had the early game advantage over Tristana, was now too strong. So KG decided to send Tristana down to bot lane, where a large minion wave was building up. This was the minion wave Fatty needed for his Gnar to catch back up to the Darius.

The Gnar fell further behind to help the Tristana get ahead. All the minions in bot lane were left for her, while Fatty went up to top lane where he was minion starved. Legend froze the minions near their own outer tower and zoned him out. He could barely get in range to get experience and then got tower-dove a few minutes later. The game went from bad to worse to disastrous for Fatty. He found himself laning against a fed Darius again. His teammates were frantically trying to help Tristana scale. They left him alone. He had to fight Legend off on his own. The Darius and the rest of Legend gladly made use of this. They bullied him and killed him and made him look like he didn’t belong on the professional stage. He was the sacrificial lamb for the Tristana who was completely useless the entire game. She didn’t make a single play.

✹

In a skybox in the Wembley Arena, Nightsong and Hermes were watching the KG versus Legend game. When KG’s Nexus exploded, Nightsong clicked his tongue and threw his hands up in the air. “I’m telling you, Hermes. That’s KG’s problem. They tunnel in way too hard on this ‘protect the ADC’ bullshit. It’d work if I was the ADC, maybe. But Konjac isn’t me, he’s just not good enough for them to focus around him! His Tristana was completely limp-dicked! He got his whole team stroking him off with all this attention, and he still couldn’t scale up! I feel bad for Roundy, dude. They pretty much told him to fuck off. Who even does that? If they didn’t cuck him so hard, that game would’ve been a hell of a lot closer.”

“Yeah, I have no idea what KG’s coaches were thinking.” Hermes nodded. “Their back line was shit and they starved their front line of resources. It’s like KG was setting him up to fail the whole time.”

✹

Lin Feng shared the same view as Nightsong and Hermes on the KG versus Legend game. Don’t they want to win? He understood Fatty. His old friend didn’t handle stress well. So it made no sense to Lin Feng why KG would force a game plan that had this potential outcome. And now, Fatty would collapse under the torrent of abuse that would come his way from the fans. You need to give Fatty some confidence! Not chop his legs off with an axe… What good is this going to do? Think you’ll win now? If Fatty started tilting, then that would affect all of KG for the rest of Worlds. This move was self-sabotage!

Lin Feng remembered how Fatty would hide on the toilet when his nerves got the best of him. He figured it was the same now. The game was lost and everyone was blaming him for it. Odds were that he was balling his eyes out curled up on a toilet. Alone. While his teammates were off doing other things. What Fatty needed right now was a friend. Someone who was there for him so he wouldn’t be alone with his thoughts. His thoughts were a dangerous weapon when he was anxious and helpless.

Lin Feng wanted to scream in anger. He balled his fists until his nails dug deep into the flesh of his palm, but he was oblivious to the pain. I should be there! He bit his lips. If he could, he would buy a plane ticket and fly to London! He had to be there for his friend! But he couldn’t. Many years ago, he’d sworn to always be there for Fatty. But today, he couldn’t be there for him. All he could do was sit in front of a TV at an internet cafe and watch Fatty suffer.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry! Lin Feng looked at the TV. They were showing how Fatty’s facial expressions changed after every next play that didn’t go his way. The analysts were going over it, searching for anything they could talk about. Lin Feng couldn’t listen to it anymore. He felt a lump in his throat as he pushed his chair a little further back. He looked down at the ground before turning his head away from his friends completely. He put his hand over his face, trying to hide the tears that had welled up in his eyes. WHY! Why am I so useless? Why can’t I be there for my friend? Why… 

✹

The second match of Worlds was in Group B. It was Korea’s Fate versus North America’s COG. It was a boring match. There was no big upset or any other big surprises to speak of. COG was a strong team. Their players played well. But they simply weren’t as good as Fate. Fate had an Emperor Midlaner in Moon. He led his team to a 35-minute win over COG. The game could’ve ended sooner, but COG held on and Fate didn’t brute-force their way into COG’s base. They played the slow and mechanical game.

The third match of Worlds was in Group A again. It was Europe’s Legend versus North America’s Flash. Phoenix hadn’t been as prolific in his first game, mostly due to the choices made by KG. But in this second game, he showed everyone why he was an Emperor. He went 9/0/4 on his Veigar and absolutely decimated Flash. They didn’t stand a chance! The only reason they didn’t surrender was because this was Worlds, and teams didn’t surrender at Worlds.

It was time for the second Chinese team to take to the stage in the fourth game of the day. In Group B it was China’s Hand of God versus North America’s COG! The Chinese fans were a little hesitant to cheer for their team after KG’s performance, but that quickly changed. HoG showed the world from minute 1 why the LPL was a region to be feared! Nightsong got excited with his Jinx! He tore through the enemy team and picked up kills left and right. Hermes couldn’t stay behind either. He traveled across the map with his Twisted Fate’s ultimate skill and helped lead his team to a clean victory.

At 33:45 minutes into the game, HoG destroyed COG’s Nexus. The LPL had won its first game at Worlds! The Chinese fans had held their breath until the last attack hit the nexus. Now they could finally breathe. They started laughing and many took to the internet to post messages on forums and streams.

「HOG IS AMAZING!!!」
「i knew we could count on hermes!」
「I told you guys, didn’t I? Look, here, I posted it before the KG game. KG is useless. They have some “Uncrowned Eighth”… What is an “Uncrowned Eighth” good for? Nothing! You need a KING like Hermes to win at Worlds. KG is shit, long live Hog!!」
「GOD ROUNDY STINKSS!!!!」
「GO HOGGG!!! MAKE US PROUD! WIN WORLDS!!!」
「That was the world champions playing!!!11!1 lezz fucking goooo!!!」
「hahaha maybe kg should look at this game for some inspiration」
「if only kg could play like hog. life would be good」

✹

It was time for the fifth match at Worlds. This was the third match and last match in Group A on day 1. KG would get their chance at redemption after getting stomped in game 1. Their opponent was a wildcard team. No one considered the wildcard teams a threat. Many felt that these wildcard teams were invited to experience Worlds, and not to compete. The members of the caster desk on the official Chinese stream had their own thoughts on this game.

Qinghe leaned on the desk on his elbow, smiling. “This should be a nice game to get some confidence back for KG. What do you two think?”

Stone nodded. “Should be an easy win. They’re up against a wildcard team and they’ve done amazing in the LPL all year. They can do this.”

Lolo smiled at the camera and said, “KG might not have had the best start to Worlds, but there is no way they lose this game! I believe they will show us why they are representing China at Worlds!”

Qinghe stepped up to the TV behind him and said, “Oh, looks like our viewers agree! I’m seeing many supportive messages coming in here.” He read through some of them and then turned back to the camera. “Ok, ok. I think I got the gist of it. KG just had some bad luck in game 1. They got countered by Legend and just lost control. This is a new game. KG and God Roundy will show us how good they are.” He looked at Stone and Lolo and then back at the camera. “It seems we all agree! The game is starting soon, so let’s watch KG win this one!”

However, the game didn’t go anything like the Chinese League of Legends fans or casters expected. It seemed like the game against Legend wasn’t an exception. KG was even struggling against a wildcard team! And not just a little. They kept going in for fights and kept losing them. Every play they tried only saw them falling further behind. It took them 15 minutes to get their first kill on the board. By then, they had already given away 7 kills to the wildcard team! This game wasn’t just going a little bad for KG. They were losing. They were actually losing to a wildcard team!

The three Chinese commentators for the game were struggling to find the words. They wanted to say something positive, but there wasn’t anything positive to say. KG was playing horrendously! Lolo still tried. “Maybe with this kill they can start turning the game around.” But it was weak. KG was 7 kills behind already. The game hadn’t even transitioned into the mid game yet!

“I think KG just has an off-day,” Stone chimed in. “You know, one of those days where nothing you try works. They happen to the best of us! But this game isn’t lost yet. I believe in KG! They’ll win this game for the fans!”

Qinghe nodded, his mouth hanging slightly open. He was actually speechless. It wasn’t often that he saw a team of KG’s caliber completely lose it. He watched the game, half of the time forgetting to entertain his audience. This was so bad, he didn’t know what to say. His quick wits and jokes were gone. He looked helpless.

The game lasted 41 minutes. Once the team fights started in the mid game, the match became a mess. Both sides screwed up consistently and gave away their lead. They tried to finish it multiple times, but somehow the other team would miraculously hold on. Neither side had a single tower left standing. But finally, in the 41st minute of the game, KG managed to win a team fight around Baron Nashor. From there, they charged down mid lane and into Red team’s base, where they destroyed the nexus and claimed their first win at Worlds.

No one was cheering. KG had won. But not a single Chinese fan was cheering. This display was embarrassing. KG was supposed to be a top tier team, yet they were struggling to hold their own against a wildcard team! Instead of complimenting KG, the Chinese fans took to the online forums and started flaming. The main point they made was that every single player in KG should have their professional contract ripped apart. They weren’t worthy to represent China!

✹

In the NetCow Cafe, the members of High School 13’s esports team were watching the stream. It was already late at night and they’d started to wonder why they were still watching. KG’s performance was disgraceful. It wasn’t representative of a team who wanted to compete at Worlds.

“They might as well go home. What a fucking terrible game,” Ouyang sighed.

The others nodded. They were tired. This game had killed all their excitement for Worlds. If these were the kind of matches they were going to have to watch, maybe it was better to just not watch them. The only positive note was HoG. HoG had put in a great performance!

Lin Feng didn’t chime in. He understood perfectly well why KG had almost lost against the wildcard team. In fact, he was kind of surprised they pulled out a win in the end. The reason was simple. Fatty and the rest of KG had tilted off the face of the Earth!