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

The training room of the hotel where the RNG team is staying in Wuhan.

A suffocatingly low pressure filled the air, with only the clatter of mechanical keyboards and the occasional click of a mouse.

Uzi is controlling Vayne and dominating in a high-elo Korean server match. On the screen, the Night Hunter rolls, roots into walls, and unleashes her third Ring of Fire. Every move is filled with a venting ferocity.

Just now, he had just secured a double kill with a series of incredible plays and was preparing to return to base to upgrade his equipment.

Xiao Hu, who was sitting next to him, secretly took out his phone during the break in the queue.

He originally just wanted to see the online opinion surrounding the next match. After all, as a professional player, the ability to withstand pressure is one aspect, but everyone can't help but want to see how others praise them.

However, to his dismay, the video he clicked on was Xiao Yan's post-match interview, which had just ended.

Although Xiao Hu tried extremely quickly to lower the volume, Xiao Yan's voice, tinged with a hint of laziness and mockery, still rang out clearly in the quiet training room like a demonic whisper:

"...because he knew very well that RNG...couldn't possibly get into the Bird's Nest."

"So, his oath was basically a 'risk-free deal'."

"He gained traffic and established a persona... I heard about his scheme all the way in Seoul."

Every word was like a poisoned needle, precisely piercing Uzi's most sensitive nerve.

Uzi's hand holding the mouse suddenly stiffened.

On the screen, Vayne has returned to the fountain, but she hasn't bought any equipment.

His breathing became heavy, and his originally fair face rapidly became flushed with blood, starting from his neck and spreading to his ears. He looked like a boiled shrimp, and his body temperature rose sharply.

"Smack!!!"

A loud bang shattered the deathly silence of the training room.

The mouse in Uzi's hand, the custom-made mouse that had accompanied him through countless days and nights of battle, drew a tragic arc in the air and slammed hard against the wall in front of him.

The plastic casing shattered instantly, sending parts flying everywhere, with one piece even landing near Letme's feet.

"Bullshit! He's talking nonsense!!!"

Uzi sprang up from his gaming chair, his eyes bloodshot, his chest heaving, and pointed at the phone in Xiaohu's hand, roaring, "Who does he think he is? Huh? A rookie who's only played a few games, daring to say things like that? Can't get into the Bird's Nest? I'm going for the championship this year! What gives him the right to look down on RNG? What gives him the right to look down on me?!"

Everyone else in the training room was startled by this sudden outburst.

Ming, who was drinking water, suddenly spilled water all over his pants; Letme shrank back, barely daring to breathe; Mlxg took off his headphones, his brows furrowed, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes, but seeing Uzi's murderous look, he forced himself to hold back.

"Jian Zihao, calm down!"

With Captain Feng absent, Xiaohu had no choice but to step forward. He hurriedly turned off his phone screen, tossed it onto the table like a hot potato, and then quickly got up to grab Uzi's arm.

"Don't listen to his nonsense! This kid's just trying to tilt you! That's SKT's tactic, deliberately provoking you to get cocky!" Xiaohu winked at Ming while loudly reassuring him, "Zhao Zi, doesn't everyone know your skill level? The world's number one ADC! Xiao Yan is nothing! He's just scared, scared of meeting you in the finals, so he's trying to break your mentality now!"

"Yeah, yeah, Dog Bro, don't bother with a newbie like him." Ming quickly joined in, patting Uzi on the back to pat him on the back and calm him down. "He's just jealous of your popularity and wants to ride your coattails. Let's crush him in the next match and shut him up, okay?"

"I'll crush him... I'll absolutely crush him..." Uzi gritted his teeth, his voice forced out through clenched teeth. His body trembled slightly with extreme rage. "I'll show him what cruelty is! I'll kill him like a monster! I'll make him kneel on the ground and beg me!"

Although he said that, Uzi's anger had not completely subsided. He stared intently at the wall where the mouse had made a mark, and Xiao Yan's words, "a business with no capital," kept echoing in his mind.

That's a really harsh statement.

It not only negated Uzi's determination, but also denied RNG's strength.

Xiaohu watched as Uzi gradually quieted down, but his heart was pounding with anxiety.

As a veteran of the LPL, Xiaohu's first reaction upon hearing Xiao Yan's words was not anger, but shock.

"This kid... he really sees things clearly."

Little Tiger thought to himself.

Actually, Xiaohu was right next to Uzi when he said that during the live stream. Everyone was cheering at the time, thinking that this bold statement was brilliant, boosting morale and gaining him a lot of fans. But only a very few people realized that it was indeed a "way out."

But Xiao Yan ruthlessly pierced through this barrier.

"This Xiao Yan is not only eccentric in his actions, but also quick-witted. His method of using public opinion to exert pressure from the opposite direction is even more impressive than those veteran PR professionals." Xiao Hu's eyes flickered, and he even had a slight desire to "learn" from him.

This kind of rhetoric—"predicting your predictions" and then immediately labeling you as "shrewd and calculating"—is simply a killer move in the era of internet traffic! If I could learn this trick myself, wouldn't I be incredibly successful as a live streamer after retiring from the military?

However, the most urgent task now is to appease this "big Buddha".

"Zaozi, sit down, sit down and have some water." Xiaohu handed him his water cup with a smile. "It's okay if the mouse is broken, the team leader has a spare. Let's not be angry, getting angry will only make us fall into their trap."

Uzi took the water cup and gulped down a large mouthful. The icy water cooled his burning brain a little.

But the blush on his face had not faded; it was a color of shame and indignation.

"No, I can't swallow this!"

Uzi suddenly slammed his water glass down, reached for his phone, and exclaimed, "I'm going to post this on Weibo! I'll post it right now! Since he says I'm 'making a profit without any investment,' I'll take his bet! No need to wait until the Bird's Nest, it'll be the next match! If I can't beat him in the next group stage match, I'll retire on the spot! Let's see what he has to say then!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the training room instantly changed their expressions.

"No! Please don't!"

Xiaohu was terrified and grabbed Uzi's hand. "Zhao Zi, are you crazy? You can't say things like that! This is the group stage, a best-of-one! There are too many variables!"

"Yeah, Dog Bro, anything can happen in a BO1. What if... I mean, what if the enemy team ambushes us in the level 1 team fight, or our draft gets tricked, and we lose a game, are you really going to retire?" Ming was so anxious he was almost crying.

"What are you afraid of? I'll lose to him?" Uzi glared, trying to shake off Xiaohu's hand. "I've never been afraid of anyone in lane! I can even dominate Bang, why would I be afraid of a substitute like him?"

"But..." Xiaohu held Uzi's hand tightly, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, but he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Zaozi, this isn't just about you. This is a team game."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Uzi's head.

Uzi was stunned.

His finger hovered above the phone screen, just millimeters from the Weibo icon, but he couldn't bring himself to press it.

Team games.

Yes, this is a game for five people.

Uzi's gaze swept over his teammates.

Top laner Letme is known for his "equality among all" philosophy, but he is facing Huni. Although Huni is not considered top in the LCK, can Letme withstand the pressure?

Mlxg, the jungler, is an aggressive, fasting-style jungler, but Peanut is no pushover either, and SKT's operational system is the best counter to this kind of reckless playstyle.

Mid laner Xiaohu... Although he is known as the "Spring Tiger Emperor", can he really stand up against the great demon king Faker in the World Championship?

And then there's Ming, the support player. Although he's talented, he's still young. Will he be outmaneuvered by a cunning and experienced support like Wolf?

Finally, it was himself.

He was confident that he could suppress Xiao Yan during the laning phase, and even solo kill him.

However, he had experienced winning the lane but not the team fight far too many times.

If he makes this solemn oath, and he wins his lane match but his teammates collapse, leading to a loss in the game... what will he do then?

Is he really retiring?

Is he willing to gamble his promising career on a mere provocation from a newcomer?

does it worth?

Uzi's fingers began to tremble.

In that instant, the images of being swept by SKT in the S3 finals and crushed by SSW in the S4 finals flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

fear.

A deep-seated fear of the SKT team and the ID Faker quietly crept up his spine.

He dared not gamble.

Because he wasn't certain of victory.

"call……"

After a long while, Uzi let out a long breath, his tense body slumped in the chair like a deflated balloon.

He loosened his grip on the phone, letting the screen turn off automatically.

"never mind."

Uzi's voice was a little hoarse, carrying a hint of resentment, but more so a sense of helpless compromise: "You're right, there's no need to argue with a mad dog. Posting on Weibo would only make me look anxious."

Xiao Hu and Ming exchanged a glance, both seeing the relief in each other's eyes.

"That's more like it!" Xiaohu quickly smoothed things over. "Let's let our skills speak for themselves! In the next match, let's crush them in their fountain, and then we'll see how they dare to talk back!"

Uzi didn't say anything, but silently picked up the broken pieces of the mouse from the ground, his eyes were terrifyingly gloomy.

His failure to respond on Weibo means that he tacitly accepted Xiao Yan's statement—he was indeed leaving himself a way out.

The shame of being exposed was more painful for him than losing the game.

"Xiao Yan..." Uzi silently repeated the name in his heart, the anger in his eyes gradually turning into a cold killing intent, "Next time, I will make you regret being born into this world."

……

Two days later.

Wuhan Sports Center.

In the third round of the group stage of the S7 World Championship, SKT faced off against RNG.

This is a highly anticipated battle.

Although it was only the group stage, the match was even more popular than the final because of Xiao Yan's pre-match interview.

The venue was packed, and the atmosphere was lively.

When the RNG players entered the arena, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.

"RNG! Go for it!"

"Uzi! Crush that arrogant brat!"

"Let's give LPL a boost!" SKT!

Countless red light sticks waved, creating a sea of ​​red. This is LPL's home ground, RNG's absolute territory.

When SKT entered the arena, they were greeted by a chorus of boos.

Especially when the director's camera focused on Xiao Yan walking at the back, the decibel level of the boos instantly reached its peak, even mixed with countless vulgar insults.

"Go back to South Korea!"

"Trash Xiao Yan!"

"You think you're worthy of trying to piggyback on Uzi's fame?"

Faced with this overwhelming malice, the other SKT members looked somewhat serious, and even Faker frowned slightly.

But Xiao Yan smiled.

He stood in the center of the stage, one hand in his pocket, head slightly tilted back, as if enjoying the boos that filled the air, as if they were not insults, but a crowning salute to him.

He even reached out and put his hand to his ear, making a provocative gesture as if to say, "I can't hear you, speak louder."

"boom!"

The audience erupted in chaos. If looks could kill, Xiao Yan would have been torn to pieces by now.

"This kid has a really good mentality." Miller, watching this scene from the commentary booth, couldn't help but sigh, "To be so calm in the face of the hostility of tens of thousands of people, and even dare to provoke them, his mental fortitude is simply monstrous."

"Hmph, what's the use of having a good mentality?" The child next to him sneered, clearly also with emotion. "In esports, it's ultimately about skill. He angered Uzi and RNG. Let's see if he can still be laughing when the match starts."

The two players took their seats.

Debugging the equipment.

Uzi sat in his chair, expressionless, his eyes fixed on the screen. His cheeks still bore an unnatural flush, a sign of suppressed anger after being humiliated.

"Little dog, what do we say about this game?" Ming looked at Uzi with some concern.

"Give me that." Uzi's voice was icy, without any hesitation. "I'm going to make sure he can't even farm minions."

"But Coach..." Ming looked at Feng Ge.

Feng adjusted his glasses, looked at Uzi's resolute eyes, and finally sighed: "Take it. This game, focus on the bottom lane."

BP begins.

RNG is on the blue side, and SKT is on the red side.

RNG immediately demonstrated strong targeting, banning Caitlyn, Kalista, and Jayce.

"Targeting the bot lane! RNG is determined to shut down Xiao Yan! They're shutting down all the long-range and strong laning AD carries!" Miller shouted.

SKT banned Rakan, Galio, and Xayah.

It's RNG's turn to pick first.

"Get it for me," Uzi's voice rang out again.

Letme's hands were trembling slightly, but at Uzi's urging, he still locked onto that icon on the first floor of the blue team.

The first floor is locked instantly—Vaine, the Night Hunter!

"Wow!!!"

The scene instantly erupted in cheers!

"Vayne?! They locked Vayne on the first floor?!" Wawa's voice cracked with excitement, his face filled with disbelief. "What does this mean? This is completely disregarding SKT's counter pick! This is a blatant declaration of war! Uzi is going to use his most confident signature champion to teach that rookie a lesson!"

Miller was stunned: "This is insane! Blue side first-picking Vayne, that's practically a suicidal draft in professional matches! Because you're exposing all your weaknesses to the opponent! Uzi is really angry, he wants to tell Xiao Yan: Even if I reveal my cards first, you still can't beat me!"

The camera pans to the SKT players' bench.

The moment Xiao Yan saw Vayne lock her up, a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"Vayne? Very courageous. But... too arrogant."

Xiao Yan said softly in the voice chat, "Since Senior is in such a good mood and has brought my weakness right to my lips, I can't spoil the fun."

The draft phase continues, and both teams' lineups are gradually taking shape.

Until the final red floor, fifth floor.

"Coach Kouma, get me that." Xiao Yan turned to look at the coach.