TCWSITD – Chapter 39.1

Chapter 39 has 3 parts; 39.2 and 39.3 will be uploaded tonight at 20:00 and 21:00 EST.

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Chapter 39.1 – Song Zhixu’s Cousin

The hand he extended was left hanging in the air, and an awkward look briefly appeared on Cao Shenshan’s face.

He had asked around before about what Lin Jiang was like in private—everyone had said he was a nice guy, very polite and easy to get along with.

But today, something felt off. Was he coming on too strong?

Cao Shenshan quickly apologized awkwardly, “Sorry, Captain Lin! I—it’s my first time seeing you in person, I just got excited. I watched your match today! Your Lucian was insane—flawless execution! I got so hyped, I told my friends you were still as glorious as ever…”

After his enthusiastic speech, no one responded.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Shen Ju got off the bus, gave him a cold, disdainful look, and walked off with his backpack.

Cao Shenshan’s face flushed with embarrassment. He nudged Song Zhixu with his elbow. “Right, Zhixu-ge?”

Song Zhixu knew exactly what he was up to and immediately pulled him away. “What are you sucking up to our captain for? Let’s go, let’s go…”

It looked like the shameless attempt to curry favor had hit a dead end—until the window of the team bus suddenly slid open.

Lin Jiang leaned forward slightly and asked in that cool, calm voice of his: “Are you Song Zhixu’s friend?”

Cao Shenshan’s eyes instantly lit up. He quickly pushed Song Zhixu aside and rushed to the window. “I’m his cousin! I specifically came today to visit him! Zhixu-ge is a bit slow sometimes—if he’s offended you in any way, Captain Lin, please don’t hold it against him! Oh right, are you all heading back to base? Could I have the honor to treat you to a meal? No other reason—just to thank you for taking care of our Zhixu-ge!”

He looked young and brash, with no idea how to conceal his intentions—everything was written plainly on his face.

Lin Jiang chuckled.

He had a good temper, and countless people had tried to curry favor with him—most of whom he avoided when possible.

Song Zhixu knew this well. In just the few months since Lin Jiang had joined OT, many had found all sorts of excuses to invite him to meals. All were turned down.

Duren had even specifically warned him: “Don’t let the flies start swarming around Lin Jiang. Don’t be the one to bring him headaches.”

His cousin was scheming, and Song Zhixu could guess his thoughts with his eyes closed.

“Our captain’s busy. Where would he find the time to go out and eat with you? Didn’t you say you were here for me? Come on, let’s go.”

Cao Shenshan was furious at Song Zhixu for ruining his plans. Just as he was about to snap at him, a heavy hand clapped down on his shoulder, making him jump.

Turning around, he saw Duren staring at him with a fake smile. “Song Zhixu’s cousin, our Lin Jiang needs some rest. Please move aside.”

Duren pushed him away, and Lin Jiang took the opportunity to step out of the bus.

There were a lot of staff nearby, completely surrounding Lin Jiang. A petite girl kept close to Lin Jiang, eyeing everyone with alert suspicion.

Cao Shenshan thought to himself, “As expected, Lin Jiang really is hard to approach.”

He was just about to give up and leave, when Lin Jiang suddenly turned back in the crowd and called out: “Your name’s Xiaoshan, right?”

Cao Shenshan’s face lit up immediately. “Yes, yes! Captain Lin, I’m Xiaoshan!”

Lin Jiang gave a small smile. “Song Zhixu talked about you before. Just call me Lin Jiang.”

His smile was exceptionally friendly, giving off the illusion that one could truly get close to him.

Cao Shenshan couldn’t hide his excitement. He had been trying to connect with Old Mao for ages without success. But if he could get close to Lin Jiang, who cared about Old Mao anymore?

He eagerly leaned forward. “I’ll just call you Captain Lin. Since you’re Zhixu’s captain, that makes you my captain too, right? I was wondering… if you have time, maybe I could treat you to a meal?”

Song Zhixu, annoyed that he was bringing up dinner again, tugged at him. ““What are you doing? Our captain doesn’t just eat out with anyone.”

Lin Jiang handed his backpack to Ryan and suddenly said, “Dinner might not be the best option right now. How about coffee? Zhixu still owes me one—he can pay this time.”

Song Zhixu froze, momentarily confused.

Cao Shenshan, frustrated at his cluelessness, kicked him lightly to signal him to agree quickly. Only then did Song Zhixu reluctantly mutter an “Mm.”

He knew that Xiaoshan was trying to use him to connect with Lin Jiang, which made him feel a bit resistant.

Yet Lin Jiang had agreed so easily. Song Zhixu couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and after hesitating for a while, he trailed behind them with furrowed brows.

His family situation was complicated, and those involved were particularly difficult to deal with. Suddenly worried that Lin Jiang might get dragged into the mess, he quickly grabbed his sleeve, signaling him not to go.

Lin Jiang patted his hand as if reassuring him.

Up ahead, Cao Shenshan was practically buzzing with energy, rambling about the match, trying far too hard to leave an impression. The eagerness in his voice made his intentions crystal clear.

The cafe was Cao Shenshan’s choice. Lin Jiang casually ordered a drink. While waiting, Cao Shenshan kept probing Lin Jiang’s preferences, even asking to add him on WeChat.

Lin Jiang smiled politely. “Sorry, my phone’s out of battery.”

Cao Shenshan immediately nudged Song Zhixu to pass along Lin Jiang’s WeChat details, repeatedly insisting he accept the friend request later.

Lin Jiang chuckled. “Of course, of course.”

Watching them chat so happily left Song Zhixu feeling sullen. He stirred his coffee, adding three sugars, yet the taste still felt oddly off.

“Oh, right, Song Zhixu,” Lin Jiang suddenly called out to him, “Didn’t your cousin come looking for you about something? Should I step out for a bit?”

Cao Shenshan stiffened.

He had come at his aunt’s request to investigate Song Zhixu’s bank card.

How could he let Lin Jiang find out about that?

And he’d finally managed to get Lin Jiang to sit down—things hadn’t even started yet. How could he let him leave?

He quickly shot Song Zhixu a warning look before turning to Lin Jiang. “No, no, nothing serious. Just wanted to make sure Zhixu-ge’s doing okay. Now that I’ve seen how well you’re taking care of him, Captain Lin, I’m completely at ease.”

Lin Jiang smiled but said nothing.

Stirring his coffee, he suddenly remarked, “I heard Song Zhixu’s family doesn’t treat him well. They even called the club the other day. Xiaoshan, do you know his family? Maybe you could put in a good word for him sometime? After all, you’re his cousin. You’re the only one who can help him.”

As soon as he heard that Lin Jiang was asking, Cao Shenshan puffed up with pride and smacked his chest. “No problem! From now on, whatever concerns Zhixu-ge is also my business!”

Song Zhixu suddenly looked up at Lin Jiang, momentarily unable to tell whether Lin Jiang was truly naive or a cunning fox in disguise.

Based on his understanding of Lin Jiang…

He was probably the latter…

A faint smile played on Lin Jiang’s lips as he gazed at the swirling coffee in his cup.

After a brief silence, Cao Shenshan couldn’t hold back anymore. “Captain Lin, actually, I’m also a professional player, a jungler currently training with DT’s youth team. I’ve always admired you. I’ve watched every one of your matches. I’d be honored if there’s any chance to play with you. Would you consider giving me a recommendation?”

Song Zhixu finally realized what he was after and immediately snapped, “What are you thinking? OT doesn’t lack any jungler.”

Cao Shenshan was visibly displeased by the rebuttal but held his temper at first.

After a while, he started throwing subtle jabs, “Zhixu-ge, You’ve made it big now, so people like me probably seem beneath you. But weren’t we all nobodies once? You just got lucky, met someone like Captain Lin. With a boost like that, anyone could rise to the top.”

Song Zhixu found himself inexplicably targeted by these passive-aggressive remarks. Staring at his coffee, he wondered. He wasn’t even drinking tea today, so why was there such a strong whiff of “tea” in the air?[mfn]茶气冲天 (chá qì chōng tiān) – lit. tea energy rises to the sky; someone’s remarks are dripping with sarcasm, fake niceness, or veiled judgment — so much so that the “tea energy” fills the room.[/mfn]

Lin Jiang chuckled. “You flatter me too much, Xiaoshan. Song Zhixu’s achievements today are entirely his own hard work.”

“Captain Lin, you’re too modest! Without your leadership, how could he have accomplished so much?”

Everyone in the industry knew how Zeng Yuan had lucked out by meeting Lin Jiang, who carried him to two world championships.

Back then, Zeng Yuan was just a struggling jungler in the LDL. Now he’s a million-dollar champion jungler. Who wouldn’t envy that?

Not just Zeng Yuan, but even people like Song Zhixu and A’Deng had risen under Lin Jiang’s wing. It was impossible not to covet such opportunities.

These days, many newcomers in training camps were getting restless, all dreaming of such an opportunity.

Naturally, Cao Shenshan was no exception.

If he could really latch onto Lin Jiang’s coattails, future wealth and glory would be limitless. And when that day came, that fool Song Zhixu wouldn’t be able to lord it over him anymore.

The mere thought made Cao Shenshan giddy with excitement. He looked at Lin Jiang and asked, “Captain Lin, might I have such an honor?”

Attaching himself to Lin Jiang was a shortcut to success. Just imagine bragging about it to the other trainees back at camp—the thought alone sent his excitement soaring, he didn’t know where to put his trembling hands.

Lin Jiang smiled and said nothing, gently stirring the coffee in his hand while the other party waited patiently for an answer.

“Xiaoshan.”

“Here!”

“You’re in DT’s youth training team, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I play jungle.”

“Oh…” Lin Jiang lowered his eyes, as if recalling something. “I actually have a pretty good relationship with your captain, Yu Ming. We chatted a bit recently.”

At the mention of Yu Ming, Cao Shenshan immediately perked up.

Yu Ming held absolute authority at DT. If Lin Jiang could put in a good word for him, it would be incredibly beneficial.

“Yes, yes, our captain is Yu Ming. I didn’t realize you were so close with him. I’ve been wanting to try out for the second-team jungle position. If only I’d known, I would’ve asked you to put in a good word earlier.”

He spoke so bluntly, yet Lin Jiang refused to take the bait. Cao Shenshan grew anxious, wondering if his eagerness had rubbed Lin Jiang the wrong way.

Cao Shenshan took a sip of coffee to calm down.

Then, unexpectedly, Lin Jiang set down his cup, making Cao Shenshan so startled he nearly spilled his drink.

“Song Zhixu.”

Song Zhixu immediately stood up, responding out of habit, “Yes!”

“Come outside, I need to talk to you.”

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