LPL didn't want me? I joined SKT instead!

Contrary to the expectations of all media and fans, with less than four days left until the quarterfinals, SKT, considered the biggest favorite to win the championship, did not immediately plunge into the training room for intensive closed-door training after arriving at the hotel.

Instead, led by head coach KkOma, the entire SKT team changed into casual clothes and swaggered out of the hotel.

"Coach, where are we going now? Shouldn't we play a couple of scrims to warm up?" Peanut, the jungler, asked, looking curiously at the bustling streets of Guangzhou while carrying a backpack.

Coach KkOma wasn't wearing his signature suit today; instead, he wore a loose, casual shirt, making him look much more relaxed.

He chuckled and patted Peanut on the shoulder: "Wanghu, a string stretched too tight will break. The group stage has already been very intense. What we need now is to relax, adjust our time difference and form. Only by resting our brains can we stay absolutely clear-headed in the upcoming BO5."

At this point, KkOma turned to look at the tall figure walking at the front of the group, "And besides, we have a 'host' in our group. Xiao Yan, didn't you say yesterday that when we got to Guangzhou, you had to take us to experience some real Chinese cuisine?"

Xiao Yan, who was walking at the front, turned around. The morning sunlight shone on his angular face, making him look particularly comfortable.

He was wearing a simple white T-shirt and black sweatpants today, looking like an ordinary male college student.

"Of course." Xiao Yan snapped his fingers. "Coming to Guangzhou and not having morning tea is like not coming at all. I've already made a reservation at the White Swan Hotel, a century-old establishment on the street just over there. Today it's on me, so you can see what Cantonese morning tea is all about."

Upon hearing the word "delicious food," Wolf, who had been somewhat sleepy, instantly perked up. He quickly walked to Xiao Yan's side, his eyes shining: "Dim sum? What's that? Is it as good as roast meat?"

"You'll see when we get there. I guarantee you'll swallow your tongue." Xiao Yan smiled mysteriously.

Faker pushed up his glasses, and although he didn't say anything, his quickened pace revealed his anticipation for this exotic meal.

Half an hour later, at the Hongtu Mansion Restaurant in the White Swan Hotel.

As one of Guangzhou's top dim sum restaurants, it is built along the river, and through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, you can overlook the sparkling Pearl River and the bustling city skyline on the other side.

The restaurant was bustling with activity, and middle-aged women pushing snack carts moved between the tables, filling the air with the aroma of food.

The SKT team sat down at a large round table by the window.

"Miss, please bring me a Pu'er tea and a Tieguanyin." Xiao Yan skillfully ordered tea from the waiter in Mandarin with a slight Cantonese accent, then picked up the dim sum menu and began a frantic barrage of orders.

"Five baskets of shrimp dumplings, five baskets of steamed siu mai, three servings each of steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce and chicken feet. And this too, red rice rolls, char siu buns, custard buns, congee with preserved egg and lean pork..."

Watching Xiao Yan quickly tick off items on the menu, Wolf swallowed hard: "Xiao Yan, are we going to finish all this?"

"Don't worry, the portions for dim sum are all very generous; the main thing is to savor the flavors." Xiao Yan handed the menu to the waiter and said with a smile, "Besides, with your appetite, I'm afraid this won't be enough."

Before long, baskets of steaming hot, exquisite pastries were served on the table.

The translucent shrimp dumplings, with their thin, icy skin revealing the bright red shrimp inside, and the golden siu mai topped with crab roe, exude a rich meaty aroma. The soft, tender, and boneless chicken feet in black bean sauce, with their bright red color, are incredibly tempting.

"Wow..." The SKT players exclaimed in surprise, as if they had never seen anything like it before.

"Try this shrimp dumpling." Xiao Yan used serving chopsticks to pick up a shrimp dumpling and placed it on Faker's bone plate. "Be sure to eat it while it's hot, be careful not to burn yourself."

Faker took a careful bite, and the sweet juices burst in his mouth, the bouncy texture of the shrimp meat perfectly complementing the soft, chewy outer layer. This demon king, always expressionless on the field, now comfortably squinted his eyes and gave a thumbs-up: "Mashida!"

Wolf transformed into a ruthless rice-eating machine, munching on char siu buns in his left hand and steamed ribs in his right, his mouth dripping with oil, too busy eating to even speak.

On this leisurely morning, there was no clatter of keyboards, no tactical discussions, only the soothing aroma of tea and delicious food.

The SKT players completely shed the pressure of the World Championship and enjoyed a rare moment of relaxation.

While everyone was enjoying their spring roll, Peanut, while biting into a spring roll, habitually took out his phone and skillfully opened the Korean e-sports forum Inven, wanting to see what news was happening in China.

As soon as I refreshed the page, a screen full of bold red titles popped up.

[LPL region provokes! RNG mid laner Xiaohu declares: We'll make SKT take back everything they've lost!]

[Arrogant Rookie! EDG's Prodigy AD Carry iBoy Declares: His Skills Are No Less Than Xiao Yan's, But His Stupid Playstyle Will Definitely Get Him Crushed!]

LPL fans are ecstatic, believing the quarterfinals will be the beginning of LPL's triumph over LCK!

Little Peanut was stunned for a moment, even forgetting to chew the spring roll in his mouth.

Little Peanut was stunned for a moment, even forgetting to chew the spring roll in his mouth.

He clicked on the post, which contained a detailed translation of the entire live stream between RNG and EDG last night, and even included screenshots of Xiaohu and iBoy from the video.

"Pfft cough cough cough..." Little Peanut almost choked on the spring roll he swallowed, and quickly drank a big mouthful of Pu'er tea to calm himself down.

"What's wrong, Wanghu? Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Coach KkOma handed him a tissue with concern.

"No... Coach, look at this." Peanut turned his phone screen around and placed it in the center of the table. "It seems like the LPL has a lot of complaints about us."

Upon hearing this, Wolf, who was focused on dealing with the lava bun, stopped what he was doing, and Faker also put down his chopsticks.

Xiao Yan slowly took a sip of tea, his gaze falling on his phone screen.

Peanut cleared his throat and began reading aloud the contents of the post: "RNG's mid laner Xiaohu said that it was destiny that they drew TSM, and no matter who they face next, even if it's SKT, they will take back everything they lost..."

"Pfft." Wolf couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Take back what they lost? What did they lose? Oh, they got swept twice by us and almost didn't qualify?"

Coach KkOma shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips: "When people survive a desperate situation, they often have the illusion that they are the chosen ones. It's understandable."

Peanut continued reading, his tone becoming somewhat strange. He secretly glanced at Xiao Yan: "And... that AD player from EDG, the one named iBoy. He said... he said Xiao Yan, your skills are actually just so-so, he could do better than you."

After the reading was finished, the entire dining table fell into a brief silence.

All eyes were on Xiao Yan.

They thought Xiao Yan would be angry after hearing this, since he had already been publicly provoked.

Xiao Yan remained calm, simply watching the steaming red rice sausages in the basket. He then picked up a piece with his chopsticks, dipped it in the soy sauce beside it, and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly.

After swallowing his food, Xiao Yan picked up a napkin and elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth before raising his head to look at Little Peanut.

"Finished reading?" Xiao Yan's voice was calm.