TCWSITD – Chapter 51.1

Chapter 51 has 2 parts; 51.2 will be uploaded today at 18:00 EST.

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Chapter 51.1 – The Tryout

Training progressed smoothly, and before they knew it, it was time to move to the new base. Worried they might injure their hands, Duren especially hired a moving company. With that, the team began transporting their belongings with great enthusiasm.

Song Zhixu hadn’t even arrived yet when he started asking around. “Captain, do you prefer upstairs or downstairs?”

“I’m fine with either.”

“But if you had to choose?”

“Mm… then upstairs, I guess. It’s a bit quieter up there.”

Song Zhixu got the message—Lin Jiang was going to pick an upstairs room.

He happily packed his computer, not noticing that Shen Ju next door had already boarded the vehicle. By the time Song Zhixu arrived, all the seats were taken.

Left with no other option, he turned to Shen Ju for help. “Hey man, can you do me a favor? Save me a room upstairs.”

Shen Ju glanced at him, “Got it. I’ll save you one downstairs.”

“No, I said upstairs.”

“Mm-hmm. Downstairs it is.”

Song Zhixu: ????

Dude, are you deaf or something?

The driver set off quickly, and Song Zhixu shouted “Upstairs!” one more time, but Shen Ju completely ignored him.

Song Zhixu got a bad feeling. He hurried with the second group to the new base, rushed upstairs, and saw Duren directing: “This one’s Shen Ju’s, this is Lin Jiang’s, this is A’Deng’s…”

Song Zhixu cut in immediately, “Then this one’s mine!”

Duren checked his notebook, “No, this one’s Zheng Yu’s. A’Deng and Zheng Yu should stay close for better communication.”

“Oh, and the room next door’s being turned into a lounge for Ryan and the other girls to rest in during lunch. Don’t compete with them for that. Go pick a room downstairs.”

Song Zhixu wanted to cry—five whole rooms, and not a single one had his name on it!

Duren gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, then leaned in with a mysterious grin. “I saved the biggest room downstairs for you. How about that, aren’t you happy?”

“…I mean, sure, but—”

“But what?” Duren cut him off. “Why are you so obsessed with living upstairs? What is it, huh? Something attracting you up there?”

“Ah—no, no, no, absolutely not! How could that be? Haha, what are you joking about? I prefer downstairs, it’s more spacious.”

Song Zhixu carried his backpack downstairs. It was indeed spacious—so spacious he wanted to hit someone. He threw his backpack down hard. “Shen Ju, I swear you and I cannot live under the same sky.”[mfn]不共戴天 (bù gòng dài tiān) -cannot live under the same sky; means sworn enemies or deep grudge.[/mfn]

But Song Zhixu soon discovered a loophole. The upstairs and downstairs areas were originally connected. Climbing up from the balcony, he could peek into Lin Jiang’s room through the gaps in the railing.

Damn. Good thing he was tall enough—one centimeter shorter and it wouldn’t have worked!

Meanwhile, Lin Jiang had no idea Shen Ju had chosen the room for him. Dragging his suitcase upstairs, he asked, “Manager Du, is this room mine?”

Duren checked. Originally, it was his room, but after Shen Ju went downstairs, he insisted on switching. “Yours is next door.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Lin Jiang entered his new room. It was bigger and brighter than the previous one. Looking out the window, he saw a beautiful new neighborhood, with trees in view—the surroundings were indeed much quieter.

It was just… a bit too quiet. He still preferred a livelier environment.

Setting down his backpack, he pushed open the window and was surprised to find the balcony quite spacious. A’Deng’s voice came from next door, “Hey, Captain! Can’t believe you’re my neighbor!”

Ah, so the balconies were this close?

Suddenly, Lin Jiang didn’t feel lonely at all. Not one bit.

Even Zheng Yu, from the room two doors down, poked his head out with a grin. “Me too, Captain! I’m over here!”

The quiet environment instantly became lively. Before Lin Jiang could respond, Song Zhixu shouted from downstairs, “Captain, why are you in that room?” As he spoke, he climbed up the balcony, poking his head up. “Weren’t you supposed to be right above me? I was planning to climb up and hang out with you sometimes.”

Just then, the window of the room in front of him opened. It was Shen Ju who was glaring coldly at Song Zhixu. “If you dare climb up here at night, I dare to beat the crap out of you.”

Song Zhixu scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

But when he saw Shen Ju actually walking toward him, he quickly let go. “No no no, wait!”

The whole group cracked up. Even Lin Jiang couldn’t help but laugh. It was really nice—he truly liked this warm, cheerful atmosphere.

Once the rooms were set up, the next task was to organize the different sections. The third floor would house the training room, the first floor was set as the reception area, and the second floor designated for the youth training program. The fourth and fifth floors were reserved for offices.

Duren was a man of action. Even before the move, he had already arranged meetings with several youth trainees. Once the location was confirmed, he immediately started bringing in talent.

Perhaps because OT was currently in the spotlight, many people came, including quite a few who were clearly just here for the fun. Among them was Lin Jiang’s friend Brother Jizhi.

When Brother Jizhi arrived, Duren was startled and quickly ushered him into the meeting room—only to learn he was just there to check things out. Duren let out a huge sigh of relief.

That was close. He almost thought Brother Jizhi was here to join OT’s training camp.

He couldn’t help thinking, was OT really that popular now?

When Lin Jiang heard Brother Jizhi had come, he personally went downstairs to show him around. Watching Lin Jiang chat enthusiastically, Brother Jizhi couldn’t help but say, “Hey… have you noticed? You’ve really been doing better since coming to OT.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Last time I saw you, your eyes looked so tired. You didn’t have that spark anymore.”

Lin Jiang laughed, “I’m not Ultraman, you know.”

Brother Jizhi sighed along with him, reminiscing about the past. “Seeing you doing so well now puts my mind at ease. Back then, Young Master He wanted me to come and plead his case with you, but I didn’t do it. I was honestly scared that if things weren’t going well for you at OT, I’d feel like I’d committed a historical crime.”

Lin Jiang smiled faintly. Mentioning He Gu now stirred nothing in him. It felt like he’d completely removed that person out of his heart.

After chatting with Brother Jizhi for a while, Lin Jiang was about to see him off when he caught sight of a familiar figure on the first floor.

“Old Mao?”

Old Mao, a Northeasterner, had been quite handsome in his youth but had gained weight after retiring. He was now sporting a prominent beer belly like a typical middle-aged guy.

He had been on the phone but immediately hung up when he heard Lin Jiang’s voice. “Damn, Brother Jizhi, you sly dog! Sneaking off to see Lin Jiang behind my back…”

The three of them shared a quick hug. Brother Jizhi, who had been about to leave, ended up staying too. As they talked, Old Mao grew more and more excited and immediately wanted to call Brother Yu to join them for dinner.

Lin Jiang quickly stopped him. “No, no, no. We’re in the middle of recruiting for the youth training. The two of you showing up are already pushing it. If you call over an active player, do you want me to end up on the front page?”

Old Mao burst into laughter. “Hahaha, you’re hilarious! You’re scared of just inviting him out for a meal? Don’t worry, if anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility.”

He clapped Lin Jiang on the shoulder with such force that Lin Jiang nearly buckled.

“Damn, you’re way too strong.”

The three of them stood outside smoking and watching the youth trainees coming and going—eyes bright and clear, yet tinged with naivety. The sight made Old Mao nostalgic for their own bygone youth.

Back in the day, the four of them had been legendary veterans. But then Old Mao got seriously ill and had to quit the game for good. Brother Jizhi faded into obscurity, disappearing from public view. Brother Yu was still hanging on, but his performance was lackluster, falling short of the playoffs year after year, unrecognized and frustrated.

Only Lin Jiang had dared to leap out of the circle—and he’d done it spectacularly.

“Damn, I’m really envious of you now.” Old Mao said, exhaling a puff of smoke. “Which player, after five years in the industry, would dare to pioneer new ground? Only you, man.”

Old Mao took a drag from his cigarette, watching Lin Jiang do the same, then slung an arm over his shoulder. “But I like the way you are now. You’re way more relaxed than when you were at KUG. And now that KUG’s lost you, they’re pretty much done for. I guess you could call it karma.”

Brother Jizhi couldn’t help but add, “Young Master He really messed up. Why did he have to go abroad? Just letting them bully you like that…”

Old Mao snorted. “If I’d known KUG would screw you over like this, I never would’ve introduced you to them in the first place.”

Lin Jiang paused, cigarette halfway to his lips. “Don’t say that. I really did like the old KUG. And I’m still good friends with Zeng Yuan.”

Hearing this, Old Mao and Brother Jizhi both fell silent. If Lin Jiang truly disliked KUG, he wouldn’t have played until his hands were wrecked.

Seeing KUG in its current state felt like watching Lin Jiang’s efforts go to waste.

“Let’s drop it,” Old Mao tossed his cigarette aside and changed the subject.

As they chatted, he noticed that Lin Jiang kept staring at one of the youth trainees.

The trainee looked fairly young but carried himself with surprising composure. He had a backpack on and was chewing bubble gum—standing out sharply among the bright-eyed, innocent group of rookies.

Old Mao muttered, “What’s up? You know that kid?”

Lin Jiang wasn’t sure if he’d seen wrong. As he moved closer for a better look, a staff member arrived to usher them inside and the trainee followed suit

The boy had bleached blond hair and earrings, looking every bit of a rebellious teenager. When he got to the entrance, he glanced over in their direction. Even though he clearly recognized them, he only paused briefly before looking away.

Lin Jiang hadn’t gotten a good look before, but this time, he saw him clearly.

That youth trainee—

was the very jungler who, Lin Lin Jiang’s last match ever at the regional play-ins in his previous life, stared him down like a viper and ended his pro career with a ruthless EQ-Flash combo.

WG_zimy, Zhang Mingying.

A shiver ran down Lin Jiang’s spine. Even though that incident had happened a long time ago, when he thought back on it now, the numbness in his fingers still lingered. He could even recall the sensation of a water bottle striking the back of his head.

Wasn’t he supposed to be with WG?

Crushing his cigarette, Lin Jiang hurried upstairs. “Old Mao, I’m heading up.”

Old Mao and Brother Jizhi exchanged confused glances.

“Did Lin Jiang just see someone he knows?”

“Doubt it. I don’t recognize that kid.”

“Definitely has an attitude though.”

Lin Jiang headed straight upstairs. The youth training camp was chaotic, crowded and noisy. Alongside Zhang Mingying, there were plenty of others also there to audition.

The youth training camp had strict requirements: age should be between 14-17 years old, Diamond rank or above in the national server, and they had to show up with a signed parental consent form.

Soon, just three applicants remained—and Zhang Mingying was still one of them. He was a month away from turning 17, just barely eligible.

Team recruitments always followed this pattern. Many applied but only few got selected, with only one-in-ten-thousand geniuses ever making the roster.

After completing registration, it was time to observe their gameplay.

The first candidate proved mediocre. He scraped together a win, relying mostly on game knowledge and habit. His mechanics were stiff and his awareness was off.

Having seen all types of players, Lin Jiang knew better than anyone that raw talent trumped all. Experience could be gained through training, but talent was irreplaceable.

Fang Luxing watched as well, shook his head, and directly said, “Pass.”

The second candidate clearly didn’t quite live up to his rank, struggling even in Diamond II. Fortunately, his game sense and support awareness were relatively sharp, so he could be considered a somewhat talented player.

Duren pulled Fang Luxing aside for a quick chat, with Lin Jiang quietly listening in. Quality trainees were rare—they might keep this one for evaluation.

Fang Luxing also agreed. But just then, the boy’s mother came upstairs, hesitantly saying she didn’t approve of him pursuing this career.

Duren immediately crossed his name off the list. “You two go talk it over. And to be honest… you’re not particularly gifted at this. If you had other options, I wouldn’t recommend this path at all.”

The boy nodded and, in the end, listened to his mother and left.

Only Zhang Mingying remained.

Everyone felt somewhat disheartened. After a whole day of evaluating trainees, barely any were worth keeping. Now, only Duren was still observing Zhang Mingying’s gameplay, while Fang Luxing stepped out to get water.

In situations like this, most people would be nervous. But not Zhang Mingying. He calmly logged into his account and began queuing for a game—everything orderly and composed.

Then again, was the same jungler who, in a do-or-die bubble match, had snatched a kill out of thin air with an EQ-flash—the same move that ended Lin Jiang’s career. What did he have to fear?

Lin Jiang held his breath, eyes fixed on his gameplay.

Truth be told, 17 is already a bit too old for a youth trainee. The ideal age to begin training is around 15, so that by 16 they’re ready to play officially—that’s the golden window for a pro player.

Duren was barely paying attention. He took a sip of water, only to spit it back out when he saw Zhang Mingying invade the enemy jungle at Level 6. “Weren’t you at a disadvantage in the early-game?”

Zhang Mingying gave a casual “Mhm.”

“I’ll find their jungler. If I win the 1v1, I’ll have an advantage.”

Duren: ?

“You’re at a disadvantage, and you’re going to 1v1 him? Can you even win?”

“Not sure.”

Then Zhang Mingying went ahead—and lost the duel.

Duren shook his head and crossed his name off without hesitation. After so many years in the industry, he’d never seen a player with such flawed decision-making—going in for a fight they couldn’t win, just to hand over a free kill.

Outside, Lin Jiang slowly walked up behind Zhang Mingying and began seriously watching his gameplay.

At first glance, his reasoning did seem a bit off—but when you thought about it, he wasn’t exactly wrong. The tempo was entirely in the enemy’s hands. If he won the solo fight, he could take the advantage back; if he lost, he would only be losing a bit of tempo. The dragon was already the enemy’s, so he wouldn’t really be losing any resources.

He settled down and continued watching. After Zhang Mingying died, his teammates flamed him relentlessly, but he ignored them. While they desperately fought for the dragon, he mindlessly pushed the top lane, utterly indifferent to the barrage of pings lighting up over his head or whether they were cursing out his whole family.

The dragon teamfight was a total loss — a brutal one. But at the same time, Zhang Mingying had managed to take down the top lane’s second tower. So… was it really a loss?

The disadvantage snowballed, and the team started arguing. Zhang Mingying remained unfazed, drifting through the Rift like a ghost, waiting for an opening. Then, in a situation where engaging seemed impossible, he suddenly flashed forward and taunted the enemy mid-laner, instantly killing the half-health opponent, and with his teammates’ follow-up, they secured the kill.

A losing teamfight was instantly turned around, and after the fight, the gold difference was evened out.

From Zhang Mingying’s point of view, it was all a delicate operation—executed to perfection. Lin Jiang hadn’t even noticed it happening until it was over. Being targeted by the enemy jungler gave him this spine-chilling sensation.

Zhang Mingying regained the advantage, but his teammates didn’t cherish his efforts. They continued to enthusiastically engage in unwinnable team fights, ultimately losing spectacularly.Even after the loss, they didn’t forget to curse him: “Trash jungler.”

Zhang Mingying said nothing and exited the game.

Then, he looked at Duren.

Duren was clearly unhappy with the match but kept it to himself out of politeness. He asked tactfully, “If you knew your teammates couldn’t follow up, why did you engage?”

“Because if I didn’t, we’d lose even faster.”

“Have you ever considered that if you worked with your teammates, you could slowly win the game?”

“Impossible.” Zhang Mingying was certain. “They don’t have the skill.”

Arrogant, domineering, self-centered, stubborn. Disregard for teammates. Refusal to engage in teamfights. For a jungler, those were fatal flaws.

Without waiting for Fang Luxing to return, Duren crossed out Zhang Mingying’s name. “Alright, go home and wait for the notice. If you pass the preliminary round, we’ll invite you for a follow-up.”

Zhang Mingying didn’t respond. It seemed like he was used to this. He stood up, gathered his things, and prepared to leave.

Lin Jiang could sense the unyielding pride hidden in Zhang Mingying’s nature. As he walked out, Zhang Mingying glanced at Lin Jiang and said simply, “Excuse me.”

He recognized Lin Jiang and was aware of his status in the esports scene, yet he carried an unshakable defiance. He refused to bow to anyone, even those above him.

Lin Jiang stepped aside without protest. Zhang Mingying didn’t even say thanks and headed straight to the front desk to meet his friend.

Behind him, Duren muttered helplessly, “So rude. What kind of people are showing up today? There’s not a single decent one to pick.”

Talented people were always prideful—Lin Jiang had been the same back in the day. He picked up Zhang Mingying’s profile to skim through as Duren muttered, “His mechanics are decent, but he’s a bit old, and his personality was already set. Even if we kept him, he’d be hard to coach. I’ll send the replay to Fang Luxing later—if it’s no good, we’ll just let it go.”

Lin Jiang was about to ask something else when Old Mao’s booming voice echoed from downstairs, “A’Yu is here, Lin Jiang! Aren’t you coming down?”

He headed downstairs, pleasantly surprised. “Brother Yu, you got here so fast?”

Brother Yu gave him a hug and sighed, “Ah, we didn’t even make the playoffs, so we’ve been on break for a while now. I’m just wandering around with nothing to do. Old Mao called, so I came right over.”

The four of them rarely gathered like this, and everyone was in high spirits. Old Mao offered Brother Yu a cigarette, but he declined. “No thanks, I’m trying to quit smoking.”

“Quitting? Even Lin Jiang’s smoking now, and you’re quitting?”

“Lin Jiang’s a big shot now. He deserves a smoke or two. How can I compare?”

“Brother Yu, it’s no fun if you say it like that.”

“Hahaha…”

They were chatting warmly when Zhang Mingying, having finished packing, came downstairs. He wasn’t alone—a friend followed close behind.

The friend kept asking him, “So, how did it go? Did you pass?”

Although Duren had told him to wait for the notice, Zhang Mingying saw right through it. “No chance. Let’s go.”

Lin Jiang suddenly stopped smoking, keenly sensing that Zhang Mingying seemed to possess a certain talent—an ability to unravel complexities from the smallest clues.

Old Mao noticed his unusual behavior. “What’s wrong? I see you’ve been staring at that kid. Did he pass the tryout?”

Lin Jiang shook his head and glanced again.

Strange. Why did he feel this overwhelming sense of crisis—that they absolutely couldn’t let him go?

Zhang Mingying’s friend was still trying to comfort him, “You’re so skilled, you’ll definitely find a team. I believe in you. Since you didn’t pass OT, where should we try next?”

Their figures gradually faded into the distance, their voices nearly inaudible, yet Lin Jiang caught those two letters clearly from Zhang Mingying’s lips: “WG.”

Lin Jiang suddenly felt the cigarette in his hand burn him, like a kind of warning. The memory of being instantly killed by his EQ-Flash combo in his previous life flashed vividly before his eyes. He immediately called out, “Zhang Mingying, wait a minute.”

The two ahead stopped at the same time. Zhang Mingying, carrying his backpack, had a rebellious look in his eyes. His first reaction wasn’t why Lin Jiang had stopped him. “How do you know my name?”

Lin Jiang exhaled a puff of smoke and stepped up in front of him. “I’ve seen your profile. Interested in another tryout match?”

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