TCWSITD – Chapter 34.2

Chapter 34 has 3 parts; 34.3 will be uploaded tonight at 21:00 EST.

— — — —

Chapter 34.2 – He Will Leave OT

The next day.

The internal group chat exploded.

[Duren: Good news, we will organize a group hiking activity this afternoon.

[Zhou Wen: (Eyes shaking) Is this really good news?]

[Song Zhixu: What? Hiking?]

[Song Zhixu: No way! I refuse! I’m not going!]

[Song Zhixu: Ugh, who organized such a cruel activity?!]

[Lin Jiang: Me.]

Song Zhixu recalled one message, then two more.

Zhou Wen also recalled his message.

[Duren: Since no one has any objections, it’s settled then.]

As they were preparing to set off in the afternoon, Song Zhixu huddled with Zhou Wen and the others, whispering, “The captain’s having a fight with Shen Ju, and he’s taking it out on us. Hmph, everyone better fend for themselves.”

No sooner had he spoken than Shen Ju appeared, backpack slung over his shoulder, lacing up his shoes before boarding the bus first.

No one wanted to get on Shen Ju’s bad side, so they all obediently avoided sitting near him.

Lin Jiang boarded soon after, scanning the empty seats. He tossed his bag onto one of the front-row spots and did a quick headcount. “Where’s Ryan? She’s not here yet?”

Song Zhixu, eager to answer, blurted out, “She forgot her sunscreen and went back to get it.”

Lin Jiang raised an eyebrow. “You sure know a lot.”

Laughter erupted on the bus, and Song Zhixu immediately shut up. He should’ve just stayed silent.

Once Ryan finally climbed aboard, the group was complete.

Lin Jiang picked a seat at random and sat down—just one aisle separating him from Shen Ju.

Shen Ju pretended to sleep while Lin Jiang took notes.

His pen slipped and hit the floor. As he leaned down to pick it up, Shen Ju moved too.

Their hands brushed, and Lin Jiang realized Shen Ju had been faking sleep.

Lin Jiang was too lazy to pay attention to this vicious dog who refused to listen to any persuasion, refused to be disciplined, and had a stubborn and unyielding temper.

He took the pen back and continued writing.

Shen Ju sank deeper into his seat, face buried beneath the brim of his cap. No one said another word for the rest of the ride.

At the destination, Duren briefed them on the precautions before everyone started hiking at their own pace.

Shen Ju surged ahead, leaving the rest behind without a second glance.

Song Zhixu refused to fall behind and pushed himself to catch up.

Ryan, Zhou Wen, and Duren, completely exhausted, formed the “elderly group”, leisurely trailing behind.

A’Deng and Zheng Yu stayed in the middle. The two were close and they chatted as they walked. Eventually the topic turned to Lin Jiang.

Zheng Yu asked him, “Do you not like the captain? I feel like you hardly ever talk to him.”

A’Deng’s pupils trembled. “How could that be? I—”

Before he could finish, he saw Lin Jiang sitting up ahead, waiting for them. “Took you long enough,” Lin Jiang said.

A’Deng was filled with trepidation. “The captain… waited for me?”

Now, every time Lin Jiang saw his face, he couldn’t help but recall the myriad of his meme-worthy expressions and that one dramatic line: “He must be the best captain in the world!”

Clearing his throat, Lin Jiang turned to Zheng Yu. “Xiao Yu, go take care of the new team leader. She’s climbing slowly.”

“Got it.” Zheng Yu immediately turned back without hesitation.

And just like that, A’Deng was left behind.

He glanced ahead at Shen Ju and the others, already too far to catch up, then back at the slow-moving elderly group behind him.

Even from two meters away, his unease was palpable.

Lin Jiang started making small talk. “Do you usually go hiking?”

A’Deng quickly shook his head. “Not really.”

“Let’s go this way.” Lin Jiang guided him onto another path. “It’s been a while since I last hiked so I’m a bit out of shape. The last time I climbed here was with Zeng Yuan and the others.”

At the mention of Zeng Yuan, A’Deng relaxed slightly. “Brother Zeng Yuan has taught me a lot lately.”

He stole a glance at Lin Jiang and immediately averted his gaze for fear of getting caught. “I haven’t thanked you yet, Captain, for finding me such a great mentor.”

“I’m your captain, after all. It’s what I should do. Feel free to talk to me about anything…”

They continued chatting as they climbed—until exhaustion caught up with both of them.

By the time they reached halfway up the mountain, A’Deng was exhausted. But he didn’t dare say anything and forced himself to keep up with Lin Jiang.

After what felt like an endless climb, they finally reached the platform—and suddenly, the path opened up before them.

A grand temple came into view. Its surroundings bustling with incense smoke, the air thick with sacred solemnity.

A’Deng hadn’t expected Lin Jiang to bring him to a temple.

“This temple has hundreds of years of history,” Lin Jiang explained. “The incense here is said to be truly blessed. Locals often come to pray for good fortune.”

Although unsure what this had to do with him, A’Deng listened obediently.

He followed Lin Jiang inside, curiously looking around. The Buddha statues stood tall—compassionate, yet commanding. The solemn air in the hall was enough to silence even the most talkative.

The smell of incense filled the air, and his mind gradually calmed down.

A’Deng initially wanted to join in and offer prayers, but then he caught sight of the incense prices—the lowest price was 188-yuan per stick.

Got it. The Buddha doesn’t bless the poor.

A’Deng quickly dismissed the thought. Then he turned—only to see Lin Jiang already holding two sticks of that overpriced “wish-fulfillment.”

He whispered to him, “Captain, this price is such a scam.”

Lin Jiang replied, “I think so too.”

Then he added, “But Zeng Yuan said it’s really effective. You know how he used to mess with me all the time? After I brought him here to pray, he helped me win two championships.”

A’Deng: !!!

Is this incense really that powerful?!

Snatching the incense stick Lin Jiang handed him, A’Deng suddenly adopted a devout expression, half-believing yet still skeptical, as he knelt down to pray.

When it comes to gods, you believe in them if you choose to, and you don’t if you don’t.

At this moment, A’Deng was leaning toward belief.

After offering the incense, Lin Jiang took him to draw a fortune stick. While shaking the cylinder, A’Deng kept thinking about the World Championship and whether Lin Jiang would leave.

The stick he drew turned out to be the worst possible outcome.

A’Deng’s heart sank instantly.

The master, a Taoist priest in his fifties, squinted at the stick for a long time. “After hitting rock bottom, fortune will turn. This means you’re about to have a change in luck.”

The sudden reversal caught A’Deng off guard. He stared at the stick for a long time but couldn’t make sense of it.

Lin Jiang said mysteriously, “Fate is a strange and wondrous thing. Don’t question it, don’t study it. If you have anything else you want to ask, go ahead.”

A’Deng hesitated. ‘Then… will the thing I’m hoping for come true?”

The old priest made some calculations with his fingers. “Fate follows the cycle of cause and effect. You’ve already exhausted all your bad luck, so from now on, everything will go smoothly, and your wishes will come true.”

Whether it was true or not, A’Deng believed it!

Unable to contain his excitement, he kept saying, “Captain, I think this temple is really effective!”

Lin Jiang smiled and said nothing.

The last time he brought Zeng Yuan here, Lin Jiang had noticed something—the priest offered extra services.

Before drawing the stick, Lin Jiang had secretly slipped the priest 200-yuan. No matter what stick was drawn, the interpretation would always be favorable.

On the way back, A’Deng excitedly shared the experience with Zeng Yuan.

Zeng Yuan was confused.

[Zeng Yuan: Did Lin Jiang ever take me to pray at the temple? I don’t remember that.]

[A’Deng: That time you went hiking! Didn’t he take you hiking once?]

Zeng Yuan vaguely recalled.

[Zeng Yuan: Oh, yeah, I think we did. Listen, there’s an old scammer on that mountain. You guys better not fall for it…]

[A’Deng: (Babbling for 200 words) Anyway, it’s seriously effective! My captain is amazing! He even found such a remote temple only locals know about!]

Zeng Yuan was baffled. He seemed to realize something and asked Lin Jiang uncertainly:.

[Zeng Yuan: You didn’t actually take him to see that old scammer, did you??]

[Lin Jiang: Yep. Gave him 200-yuan, solved all my problems.]

Zeng Yuan facepalmed.

Lin Jiang, this old fox.

After the hike, everyone returned to the base exhausted, except A’Deng, who was still grinding in Summoner’s Rift.

Lin Jiang pretended to get coffee and secretly watched him play two matches from behind.

A’Deng’s playstyle had indeed become much more confident. Even when he couldn’t secure objectives, he’d reassure himself. “It’s fine. Cause and effect. I’ve used up all my bad luck, so in the next game, it’ll be all good luck.”

Satisfied, Lin Jiang left.

This was the best 200-yuan he’d ever spent.

After heading upstairs to review the match, a knock came at the door.

Lin Jiang opened it to find Shen Ju standing outside. “Need something?”

Shen Ju gave him a quick look, then placed the milk tea he was holding on the windowsill, and headed back downstairs to train.

What was that about?

Lin Jiang stared at the milk tea.

No ice, full sugar, and with extra milk pudding—his absolute favorite.

Lin Jiang loved milk tea but never really made a fuss about it; only Ryan ever asked, and then he’d eagerly share his order.

He never expected Shen Ju to remember and even go out of his way to buy it for him.

Lin Jiang’s anger subsided slightly.

As he sipped his milk tea and glanced downstairs, he noticed everyone was resting, except for that dog Shen Ju, who was adding extra training sessions for himself.

Lin Jiang immediately decided to stay mad for two more days.

A’Deng’s improvement was visibly noticeable. During the training matches, he frequently made bold moves. As a newcomer with unconventional thinking, he often caught opponents off guard.

Sometimes, with just a slight adjustment in Lin Jiang’s positioning, A’Deng instantly understood his intent and followed up seamlessly!

Before this, Lin Jiang and A’Deng had played hundreds of duo matches, unconsciously building a tacit understanding.

Habits can be terrifying, after all.

Sometimes, before A’Deng’s brain could even process the situation, his hands were already moving.

After the training match against WG, the opposing coach quietly probed Fang Luxing, asking if they had switched to a new jungler.

Fang Luxing was equally puzzled. “How did A’Deng improve so quickly?”

Lin Jiang smiled faintly, keeping his achievements to himself.

Back in his room for a second review session, someone knocked on the door again.

Opening it, he found Shen Ju once more.

Without fail, Shen Ju placed a cup of milk tea on the table and then headed downstairs to train.

Holding the milk tea, Lin Jiang was baffled.

If you want to make peace, why not just say it?

When Shen Ju brought milk tea for the third time, Lin Jiang couldn’t hold back anymore. “Sending milk tea every day, do you want to make peace?”

Shen Ju glanced back but quickly turned away again. “No.” Then, pulling his cap low, he went back downstairs to train.

Suddenly, Lin Jiang realized something.

Maybe the netizens were right all along.

Shen Ju really wasn’t obedient at all!!

— — — —