TCWSITD – Chapter 53.1

Chapter 53 has 2 parts; 53.2 will be uploaded today at 20:00 EST.

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Chapter 53.1 – World Championship

After handing the milk tea, Zhou Wen didn’t leave. Instead, he leaned against the table and started discussing data with Lin Jiang.

Shen Ju watched from the side, secretly observing. As expected, he couldn’t understand any of it. His playstyle leaned more towards instinct, and he had no interest in dry data.

Lin Jiang had even told him before, “It’s fine the way you are. There’s no need to let data ruin your intuition.”

He thought that made sense, but watching Zhou Wen chat so effortlessly with Lin Jiang made him feel like their personalities were too different. When Lin Jiang was working, Shen Ju couldn’t even get a word in.

Suddenly, he began to worry. Once the initial passion faded, would Lin Jiang find him dull and uninteresting? Would he no longer want to be with him?

After watching for more than ten minutes, Zhou Wen was called away again. The puppy slumped over the table listlessly. Suddenly, someone hooked a finger around his—it was Lin Jiang, who was now holding his hand, their fingers interlocked.

Shen Ju’s ears perked up instantly, and all his negative emotions vanished into thin air. He scooted his chair closer, sticking to Lin Jiang’s side like glue.

Lin Jiang didn’t look at him, but the corners of his lips curled into a smile. “What’s wrong, sulky little puppy?”

“I’m not sulking,” Shen Ju grumbled, then happily laid back down beside his desk, thinking to himself: So what if I don’t get any of it? As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.

Over the past couple of days, the hotel had been steadily filling up with arrivals, and Lin Jiang had grown increasingly busy. As the most well-connected figure in the scene, he knew almost everyone, frequently stepping out to greet people.

It wasn’t just domestic players—even competitors and hosts from other regions got along well with him. Many went out of their way to take photos with him.

Although everyone had always known Lin Jiang was popular, seeing it in person was still shocking. “How does the captain know so many players?”

“Are you kidding? This is his fifth time at Worlds—of course he’s familiar with everyone by now.”

“Wow, Captain is amazing. So many beautiful girls are asking to take pictures with him.”

Only Shen Ju was uneasy. “Don’t they need to train at all?”

He couldn’t help it—Lin Jiang just had this effortless chemistry with everyone. No matter who he stood next to, Shen Ju always felt like there was some untold story between them.

Damn it.

He was probably overthinking it.

Of course, not everyone behaved properly during the photos. Some overly enthusiastic guys would go straight for a bear hug. And who knew what they were talking about? Somehow, it always escalated to touching.

By traditional Chinese standards of modesty, some of those gestures had already crossed the line. Shen Ju nudged Song Zhixu with his knee. “Go deal with it.”

Song Zhixu blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

Shen Ju nudged him again. “Go bail Lin Jiang out.”

Finally catching on, Song Zhixu hurried over and grabbed the other guy’s wandering hand. Regardless of what the guy was saying—not that he could understand anyway—he just kept repeating, “Hello, hello.”

The guy, however, seemed far more interested in Song Zhixu’s physique. His eyes lit up at the sight of him, and after spouting some incomprehensible gibberish, he suddenly, and without warning, slapped Song Zhixu’s butt.

Song Zhixu: “???”

Why am I being sacrificed like this?[mfn]他的命也是命啊 (Tā de mìng yě shì mìng a) – lit. his life is also a life; dramatic and humorous protest often used sarcastically.[/mfn]

Lin Jiang finally couldn’t help but laugh. He understood some English, so he knew the other person just saw him as a friend. But with Song Zhixu, it was different—the guy was clearly into his body type.

He patted Song Zhixu’s shoulder with a laugh. “Well, Song Zhixu, have fun. I’m heading back first.”

Song Zhixu, whose clothes were being tugged, panicked. “Wait, Captain, don’t go!”

Aside from arranging hotels, the organizers also provided them with dedicated training rooms. Even during downtime, everyone had to focus on training. Following that was the draw ceremony.

The entire event would be broadcast live, and all sixteen teams were required to be present in person.

According to the draw rules, 16 teams were divided into four groups: Groups A and B in the upper bracket, Groups C and D in the lower bracket. The group stage would determine the top eight, the quarterfinals the top four, and finally, the semifinals would decide the strongest team from each bracket to compete in the finals for the championship.

The first-seed teams drew first. OT sent Fang Luxing up. He looked a little shy and jogged up to the stage to pick his draw—he got Group C.

Korea’s first seed went to Group A, North America’s to Group B, and Europe’s to Group D.

Then came the second-seed draw. Following the rule that teams from the same region couldn’t be in the same group, after one round, TG went to Group A, YIG to Group B, and SNG, who climbed up from the play-ins, to Group D.

This grouping meant TG and YIG were placed in the “death group” bracket.

They would face Korea’s and North America’s first seeds as well as Korea’s second seed, a result that made everyone gasp.

After the draw, the TG and YIG players exchanged grim looks. Not only was the bracket tough, but even the group stage alone would be brutal.

TG’s luck this year was truly awful. Lin Jiang remembered in his previous life, TG had also faced North America’s top seed and was upset 1:3.

This year was even worse. Without winning the Summer Split championship, they had to endure the onslaught of two first-seed teams.

On the day of the draw, both TG and YIG held emergency meetings. OT also convened internally. For OT, the group stage and semifinals weren’t overly stressful, but two teams required special attention.

One was North America’s second seed, who they would meet in the group stage. Securing first place in the group would let them avoid strong opponents in the semifinals.

The other, of course, was Europe’s first seed. Their unpredictable playstyle had already tripped up many Korean teams, and OT would struggle against them too.

Overall, OT’s draw was pretty good. . Their status as the first seed meant they avoided two major strong opponents right away.

After confirming their opponents, their target study became very clear. “First is the North American number two seed team; this year they…”

In less than five days of preparation, every team pushed their training to the limit. Duren also seized the opportunity to schedule several training matches. Without latency issues, the training matches felt much smoother to play.

Before they knew it, group stage day had arrived. The first three days were the initial round, after which each team gained a preliminary understanding of their opponents.

First up was Group A’s TG. Apart from losing to Korea’s top seed team, they won the other two matches.

YIG also fought hard, securing two victories.

SNG wasn’t in great form, managing only one win and earning a single point.

The biggest surprise was OT. In everyone’s eyes, they were supposed to sweep all matches, yet they fielded Zhang Mingying in their very first game and immediately dropped a point.

For a time, public opinion exploded everywhere, all criticizing OT for not cherishing their reputation. How could they still be testing players at the World Championship?

OT isolated themselves from the outside world, and even the management didn’t dare explain. Their situation was far more difficult than outsiders imagined. With no training matches available, they had no choice but to test the waters step by step, meticulously controlling every point.

As the backlash grew increasingly severe, Lin Jiang still insisted on fielding Zhang Mingying.

Although they won the next two matches, this meant their points were now tied with TG and YIG in the death zone bracket. What was the point of being in such a favorable group then?

The backlash continued to escalate, and the World Championship’s popularity soared. The overwhelming criticism became too much for even the operations team to handle. Duren was practically supporting Lin Jiang under the weight of the entire team’s pressure.

After the first round, the audience had exhausted their complaints and quietly awaited the results of the second round.

The second round was the knockout stage, with Group A up first.

TG still couldn’t overcome Korea’s top seed team, dropping another point and teetering on the edge of elimination. Fortunately, their jungler suddenly popped off in the next two games, winning all matches and securing second place qualification.

Next was Group B’s knockout stage. YIG was in decent form, winning cleanly and solidly securing second place.

That meant both LPL teams had made it through—definitely a moment to celebrate. But the bitter truth was that TG and YIG had both advanced as second seeds, meaning they would now face Korea’s top seed and North America’s top seed, respectively.

The entire internet erupted in panic—

[It’s over, it’s over! The schedule is way too brutal!]

[I can only hope TG takes down North America, then Korea, but their form is really bad, wuwuwu…]

[YIG’s form isn’t bad, maybe they can take down Korea? Then meet TG in the semifinals for a beautiful LPL showdown! At least one of them will make it to the finals!]

[I think you’re overestimating things. There’s a real chance both get knocked out.]

[What kind of horror story is this…]

Then they witnessed an even more horrifying scene. On the day of Group C’s elimination matches, OT fielded Zhang Mingying again in the first game!

Everyone was unfamiliar with this substitute jungler. All they knew was that Lin Jiang spoke highly of him. From the three games he’d played earlier, it was clear he had some talent.

But this was just asking for trouble! With their bot lane already at a disadvantage, he went into the enemy jungle for a solo fight and handed the enemy AD a triple kill. If that wasn’t outright feeding, what was?

The whole internet erupted, demanding Zhang Mingying get benched immediately and replaced with Adeng!

Duren couldn’t withstand the pressure but didn’t dare speak to Lin Jiang about it. All his hopes now rested on this match. “Please, please, we have to win this one.”

This round was against North America’s second-seeded team, their biggest opponent at the moment. If they lost again, OT would most likely advance as the second seed in the group.

As the LPL’s first seed, advancing as the second seed would not only disgrace OT but also bring shame to the entire LPL!

Before the match, Duren had urged Lin Jiang to consider swapping in Adeng. Lin Jiang hesitated, but after looking at the data in hand, he still insisted, “Let’s try one more time.”

One more shot—it was also Zhang Mingying’s final chance.

Lin Jiang was well aware of OT’s capabilities. Advancing from the group stage wasn’t an issue. Even against Europe’s top-seeded team, they still had a chance to win.

Their real obstacle was the Korean teams. Zhang Mingying was the blade he had prepared to counter them. Without giving him the chance to hone his skills, they wouldn’t have anything formidable to show.

In the long history of esports, only champions were remembered. Whether it’s the semifinals or quarterfinals, they hold no significance for the players.

This was Lin Jiang’s all-or-nothing gamble—and no one wanted to see him lose.

Both teams entered the champion selection screen. The opposing team immediately banned Zhang Mingying’s Jarvan IV. Those familiar with him knew this was his signature champion. Once banned, he had nothing else to rely on.

After losing the first match, Lin Jiang had asked Zhang Mingying this very question. “If they ban Jarvan IV, do you really have no other champion to play?”

Zhang Mingying had answered firmly, “I have.”

He had said seriously, “I only pick this champion when I don’t understand the opponent. Once I’ve studied them, I can play anything.”

He possessed an innate arrogance and sharp intuition. No matter the team, after facing them once, he could read their every move, dissecting them with terrifying precision.

Yes, Lin Jiang called his playstyle “The Coverage Flow.”

He had a stable core, sharp perception, and excellent mechanics, allowing him to dominate the entire map. The only pity was that he lacked experience—and there wasn’t much time left for him to absorb everything.

Every time Lin Jiang thought about this, he felt regret. If they had met earlier, OT would’ve truly been a strong contender in this World Championship.

After both sides finished banning champions, the selection phase began.

The coach assisting them with the draft was still Fang Luxing, and the composition chosen was fairly standard.

Li Qian, wary of later teams deciphering his style, had been holding back from playing. In the break room, he stared intently at the screen. Despite having experienced so many matches, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. Smiling, he asked Duren, “What will you do if we lose?”

Duren said without exaggeration, “I might have to say goodbye to the world.”

Losing despite drawing such a favorable matchup—no wonder netizens were cursing online. Even he found it utterly absurd.

The game loaded, and the match officially began.

Netizens worldwide were watching this game, eager to see what the LPL’s top-seeded team was truly capable of.

Both sides played cautiously. Zhang Mingying, who had pulled off several flashy plays in the previous rounds, was also playing steadily this time. Lin Jiang finally saw a hint of professionalism in him.

Fans began to see a glimmer of hope, fervently praying that OT wouldn’t throw the game.

In the early-game, all five players were solid and methodical.

Song Zhixu, beyond his proficiency with Sion and K’Sante, had now brought his Renekton up to international standards. During the laning phase, he handled himself with ease, even occasionally securing small advantages.

This was a far cry from his past performances. The live chat erupted with cheers for him, and some even gave him the nickname “Song the Bulldozer” which means he could stand his ground against any opponent no matter how strong.

The bot lane remained as dominant as ever. Shen Ju balanced aggression with caution, knowing exactly when to push and when to retreat, showcasing the fundamentals of a true professional.

The enemy jungler ganked the bot lane three times, yet failed to catch them even once. The audience marveled at their impeccable positioning.

[This is insane!]

[Ahhh, can anyone understand this?!]

[The bot lane synergy is next level!]

[Shen Ju has really grown up!]

[A once-in-a-lifetime performance.]

[Damn, I’m starting to fall for this kid.]

Then there was the mid lane, the only lane fans didn’t have to worry about. The opposing mid laner wasn’t particularly strong to begin with, and against Lin Jiang, he could only focus on farming safely.

Lin Jiang had picked Ryze this game. He wasn’t in a hurry. If the opponent refused to give him kills, he’d just farm alongside him. By the 15-minute mark, his CS was nearing 150, a full 40 creeps ahead.

“How many CS? My god, 150 already!” Old Mao couldn’t help but hype it up in his stream. “And this is without taking a single jungle camp. Only pure last-hitting, boys. Not a single creep missed!”

The domestic broadcast commentators also highlighted this, sparking a mini-hype in the stream. Ryze was a pure scaling champion. Trying to outscale him in the late-game was practically suicide. At this rate, the game seemed all but secured!

But Zhang Mingying remained the wild card.

Anyone who had watched the previous three matches knew just how unpredictable this kid could be. The audience watched his jungle movements with bated breath.

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