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

The time has come to the opening match of the LCK Summer Split.

The atmosphere in the backstage lounge of the OGN esports arena in Seoul was heavy and somber.

As the defending champions, SKT T1's first opponent is their old rival, SSG. This is not just an ordinary regular season match, but a rematch of the S6 World Championship, full of tension.

KkOma tapped his pen lightly on the tactical board, his brow slightly furrowed. The starting lineups for the other four positions were already set: Huni, Peanut, Faker, and Wolf. Only the AD position left him in a state of prolonged hesitation.

Bang remains a solid and reliable foundation; however, Xiao Yan's performance in recent training matches can only be described as "terrifying." His highly aggressive playstyle has brought a completely new chemical reaction to the stagnant bottom lane.

Should we seek stability with the steady Bang, or change with the sharp Xiao Yan?

Just as KkOma was struggling to make a decision, Bang, who had been sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

"Coach, let him play."

Bang's voice was calm. He stood up, glanced at Xiao Yan who was organizing his peripherals in the corner, and a smile appeared on his lips: "We've been working together for so long, everyone has witnessed this kid's strength. And..."

Bang paused, his eyes sharpening. "Ruler from SSG has been acting very arrogantly lately. Sending a newcomer like Xiao Yan, who doesn't play by the rules, to teach him a lesson might have a surprising effect. I'll also take this opportunity to observe the situation from the sidelines."

KkOma looked at Bang with some surprise, then smiled knowingly. That's the composure of a top player.

"Okay." KkOma turned to Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, you're going for the first match. Are you ready?"

Xiao Yan zipped up his peripheral bag, stood up, his eyes clear and firm: "Always be prepared."

……

"Ladies and gentlemen! The highly anticipated opening match of the LCK Summer Split, SKT vs. SSG, is about to begin!"

As the commentator's enthusiastic voice rang out, the player rosters appeared on the giant electronic screen at the OGN Arena in Seoul.

However, when the unfamiliar ID "Xiao Yan" was prominently displayed in the SKT AD position, and the profile picture was a slightly immature Chinese face, the originally noisy venue fell into a moment of deathly silence, followed by a huge uproar.

The live stream chat and various forums in South Korea exploded instantly, and SKT fans were completely enraged:

Where is Bang? [What happened to Bang?]

[Damn it! Has Coach Kobe gone mad? You're benching Bang in the opening game against Samsung?!]

Who is this guy? Xiao Yan? Never heard of him! Why would they pick on some nobody from China?

Are SKT getting cocky? Do they think they can humiliate their opponents just because they won the championship? The opponent is Ruler!

[Damn, the bot lane is going to get crushed this game. Why are they using a substitute instead of the world's best AD carry?]

[Refund! We want to see Bang! Not this random newcomer we picked up somewhere!]

If this kid dares to screw over Faker, I'll definitely send razor blades to the team's base!

Although Xiao Yan handed in his phone as required before going on stage, he knew all too well how the outside world would react.

As the substitute for Bang, a key player in SKT's dynasty, starting in such a crucial opening match was a huge pressure in itself. In the stands, countless eyes were scrutinizing, doubting, and even hostile towards the seat that belonged to the AD carry.

He sat in the soundproof competition room, listening to the faint noise of discussions coming from outside the venue, feeling the almost frozen atmosphere of doubt, but his heart was as calm as a deep pool.

"Do you question it? Are you angry? That's normal."

Xiao Yan adjusted the mouse's DPI, looked at the unfamiliar ID on the screen, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"After all, in your eyes, I am an 'intruder' who took Bang's place. But soon, you will be glad to witness the beginning of a new era."

"The louder the boos now, the louder your cheers will be later."

The business plan (BP) phase has officially begun.

SSG clearly did their homework, implementing a relentless banning strategy against Faker and Peanut. Galio, Lee Sin, and Syndra were all banned.

However, SSG showed great disdain for this unknown rookie AD – they didn't even bother to ban him.

"They didn't ban Caitlyn." Wolf looked at the screen, somewhat surprised. "If they ban Caitlyn in this patch, are they too confident in Ruler, or are they underestimating you?"

The Caitlyn of Season 7 was undoubtedly the lane bully and the engine of tower pushing.

KkOma adjusted his glasses and asked, "Xiao Yan, Varus and Ashe are both outside. Which one do you want to pick? Or maybe Ezreal to farm lanes?"

As Xiao Yan looked at the avatar on the screen—a man wearing a top hat and holding a sniper rifle—a flicker of nostalgia and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

That was his most confident hero, and also the signature hero he was known as "Tongtiandai" during his LPL youth training period.

"Coach, don't mess around."

Xiao Yan's voice rang out in the voice channel, carrying an air of domineering confidence.

"Since they dare to release it, then I dare to take it."

"Help me lock up the policewoman."

KkOma gave Xiao Yan a deep look. He saw no tension in the young man's eyes, only a thirst for killing.

"Okay, lock!"

The first floor is locked instantly—Caitlyn, the Piltover Policewoman!

"The show is about to begin." Xiao Yan interlaced his fingers, loosened his joints, and stared intently at the SSG ID on the other side of the screen.

"Ruler, right? Ruler Emperor, right?"

"Today, I'll show you what it means to 'let the bullets fly for a while'."

Welcome to Summoner's Rift.

With a solemn announcement from the system's female voice, the competition officially began.

Xiao Yan bought a Doran's Blade and a health potion, then controlled the female police officer to gracefully enter the lane. Wolf played Lulu; this combination was clearly designed to dominate the lane.

As soon as the minion waves met, Xiao Yan's fangs were revealed.

He wasn't in a hurry to last-hit the enemy, but instead used the female police officer's 650-yard range to position himself at the edge of the bush. Just as Ruler's Varus was about to raise his hand to attack a minion, Xiao Yan's basic attack had already landed on his head.

"Snapped!"

A crisp gunshot rang out.

Ruler frowned and tried to retaliate with an attack, but Xiao Yan was like a slippery eel. After attacking, he turned around instantly and was just outside Varus's 575-yard range.

Ruler's raised hand not only missed the target, but also missed a chance to attack.

"Damn it..." Ruler cursed under his breath.

But this is just the beginning.

Xiao Yan's fighting style was so fierce that it was hard to believe he was a rookie, let alone a player making his LCK debut. His control over distance was simply outrageous.

Whenever Ruler tries to finish off an opponent, he will inevitably take a bullet; whenever Ruler tries to trade blows, Xiao Yan will have already created distance.

This is the extreme tug-of-war between the long-armed and the short-armed.

In less than two minutes, Ruler had used up his health potion, and his health was reduced to two-thirds. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan's policewoman was at full health and finished off the remaining enemies.

This suffocating pressure left SSG's support CoreJJ feeling uneasy. While his Tahm Kench could protect his teammates, he was powerless against this unreasonable auto-attack poke.

The dire situation in the bottom lane quickly caught the attention of SSG's jungler, Ambition.

As a shrewd and experienced jungler, Ambition's original jungle route was to clear all camps and reach level three quickly. However, seeing his bot lane being pressured and harassed under their tower, Ruler didn't even dare to last-hit minions. He knew he had to go and help.

"This kid went way over the line, he's asking for it."

Ambition gritted his teeth, abandoned the Stone Beetle and Red Buff in the upper half of the map, forcibly changed his route, and maneuvered the Excavator to sneak across the river.

This "starvation" method of catching people, although it harms one's own development, is a huge win as long as it can kill a policewoman once and disrupt Xiao Yan's rhythm.