[Today’s Hot Topic on the Forum] [Breaking News]: KYM just announced their starting lineup for the Spring Split and officially introduced their new substitute AD!
When I saw the profile of this new substitute, I honestly thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I had to look over it three times to confirm.
If the information is correct, this new player with the ID “Neither,” named Zhen Ning, is indeed Grilled Corn’s newly signed AD. And—he’s truly an omega player.
[Top Comment 1]: KYM???? Grilled Corn???? Omega???? Am I seeing this right????
[Top Comment 2]: I heard his NA account is ranked really high, and his hero pool is deep. This season is gonna be interesting.
[Top Comment 3]: “Interesting” my ass. Didn’t you see that the starting AD is still Lei Tao, aka the ultimate feeder?1feed = means to repeatedly die to the enemy team giving them an advantage in terms of gold and experience Honestly, this new omega is probably just brought in to sit on the bench and look pretty. Seriously, would it kill Grilled Corn to get Yan Chengfeng a proper AD partner?
[Top Comment 4]: Some of Yan Chengfeng’s fans really need to rinse their mouths with disinfectant. The guy hasn’t even played a single match, and you’re already throwing a tantrum? And why does being an omega automatically make someone nothing but a pretty face? Friendly reminder: last year, your beloved Head Chef-gege was absolutely demolished in the dragon pit by an omega support from NA during Worlds semis~
[Top Comment 5]: Uh, let’s hold off on the fighting for a sec. My focus might be different, but this new player’s face honestly rivals some current idols in the entertainment industry 👉👈…
Although this discussion thread inexplicably turned into a heated argument with some strange comments mixed in, the announcement of KYM’s new AD player sparked a wave of lively discussion among bored off-season fans on forums and Weibo.
In recent years, it hasn’t been uncommon to see omegas in the esports industry. Many hosts, commentators, and data analysts behind teams are omegas, not only because of their appealing appearances but also because they tend to be more meticulous and perceptive. However, the number of omega players who can actually compete on the field is still much smaller compared to alphas and betas.
Firstly, the audience demographic for combat-oriented games like Forest of The Full Moon is such that very few omegas are inclined to pursue professional gaming. Secondly, competitive matches require significant physical and mental endurance. Some teams even consider physical fitness as a criterion when scouting players, which often leads them to overlook omega candidates.
It was only in the past two years that a few omega players in China gained recognition, mostly playing support or mid-lane roles.
The reason this player, Zhen Ning, caused such a stir was that he was the first omega player KYM had ever signed since its establishment. Furthermore, he played the relatively rare AD position.
To be fair, omegas have become more common in esports over the past two years, no longer causing the kind of uproar they did in earlier years. At most, they prompt a few more forum posts discussing their appearance.
Esports fans are incredibly straightforward with their emotions—whether they love or hate, it’s always genuine. In the end, no one really cares if you’re an alpha or omega on the field. All they care about is one thing: seeing their favorite team and players win.
So, the discussions about this new player all boiled down to one shared question: can he play well?
The moment Zhen Ning walked into the training room, the atmosphere abruptly quieted. Everyone acted like nothing had happened; those who were talking kept talking, and those training continued. But it was as if everyone consciously lightened their breathing.
If Lei Tao’s face was dark after yesterday’s duel, now it was dark with a tinge of red. Losing the solo match had already been hard enough for him, but yesterday, before he had been able to recover, Li Feng had walked in with a bombshell announcement.
Li Feng said, “You’ve all met Zhen Ning, right? I’ll make an official announcement on Weibo later. Uh, and… he’s an omega, so be mindful. Watch what you say and do, and just be a little more considerate.”
The air froze for a moment, and Lei Tao felt like the entire world’s gaze was focused on him. Before Li Feng made this announcement, everyone in the room, including Lei Tao, had tacitly assumed Zhen Ning was an alpha.
First, because KYM had never signed an omega before. Second, despite Zhen Ning’s more delicate and pale complexion compared to most alphas, his calm and composed demeanor, as well as his aggressive and decisive playstyle, were completely different from any omega player they had encountered on the field before.
Since Zhen Ning himself hadn’t mentioned anything, no one had even considered the possibility that he might be an omega.
Lei Tao had been crushed in the solo match by the new AD player.
And that opponent turned out to be an omega.
To make matters worse, it had been Lei Tao who initiated the match.
Lei Tao abruptly stood up, unable to even look Zhen Ning in the eye. He muttered gruffly to Tao Luo, who was beside him, “…I’m going to the toilet.”
Tao Luo let out a confused “Oh.”
She turned to Zhen Ning, scratched her head, and said, “Good morning! Our conversation yesterday was interrupted by Lei Tao. I… I’m Tao Luo.”
Zhen Ning looked at her and nodded. “I know.”
Tao Luo’s eyes lit up. “Mm-hmm! We’ll be playing together from now on, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask me!”
The short-haired alpha girl’s eyes sparkled, and her face flushed slightly.
Although Tao Luo was aware of the bad blood between Zhen Ning and Yan Chengfeng in the past, her brain didn’t work quickly in areas outside of gaming. With her genuine and enthusiastic personality, she loved making new friends. When she saw Zhen Ning, she couldn’t help but want to strike up a conversation.
Zhen Ning: “Thanks.”
“You…” Tao Luo glanced back at her seat, pressed her lips together, and finally blurted out something completely unrelated, “Um, I’ll go ask Auntie what we’re having for lunch today!”
Zhen Ning paused for a moment. “Okay.”
Tao Luo, seemingly shyer than she had been the day before, waved hastily at Zhen Ning and almost ran out of the training room, her face red.
“She hasn’t spoken to an omega in a long time. She spent the whole morning asking me if she should invite you to sit next to her, but in the end, she didn’t have the nerve.”
An alpha with a roguish appearance and bleached yellow hair walked over, stopping in front of Zhen Ning to size him up.
“I’m Xu Hao. Top laner,” he introduced himself, jerking his chin toward the door. “I’m craving a smoke—gonna step out for a bit.”
Zhen Ning found Xu Hao’s blatant scrutiny uncomfortable, so he didn’t engage in conversation and simply nodded faintly.
Xu Hao left the room, leaving Zhen Ning to turn his gaze toward the only other person remaining.
He softly called out, “Xu-ge.”
Xu Minghe, lost in thought, snapped out of it upon hearing Zhen Ning address him and quickly responded.
In Xu Minghe’s memory, Zhen Ning was still the reticent and aloof boy from youth training, the one who used to call him “Xu-ge” alongside Yan Chengfeng.
Zhen Ning wasn’t talkative, and though Xu Minghe hadn’t been particularly close to him back then, they weren’t distant either. Ironically, it had been Yan Chengfeng who introduced them in the first place. When Zhen Ning left, Xu Minghe had felt a mix of confusion and regret.
Yesterday, when Tao Luo discovered that Zhen Ning was an omega, she was momentarily stunned but quickly accepted it. Xu Minghe, on the other hand, still hadn’t wrapped his head around it.
This was because, besides Yan Chengfeng, Xu Minghe was the only person in the entire club who had truly spent time with Zhen Ning during their youth training.
Back then, Zhen Ning had been an undifferentiated teenage alpha.
Xu Minghe couldn’t help but wonder if Zhen Ning had encountered some kind of complication during his differentiation period after moving to the United States. Though deeply shocked, he knew what should and shouldn’t be asked. In the end, his countless thoughts condensed into a single silent sigh.
Raising his hand, Xu Minghe patted Zhen Ning on the shoulder and said, “Long time no see.”
Zhen Ning nodded slightly and asked, “Can I sit next to you?”
Xu Minghe was taken aback, as the seat next to him was in the most cramped corner of the training room. No one ever wanted to sit there; it had turned into a dumping ground for cables and small equipment, essentially a junk pile.
However, there was a computer set up there, making it a functional seat.
In fact, there were two other, much more spacious empty seats in the room: one next to Tao Luo, and the other…
Xu Minghe had a vague understanding of what Zhen Ning was thinking. He agreed, saying, “No problem, I’ll help you clear it out.”
“No need,” Zhen Ning said. “I can do it myself. Go have lunch with Tao Luo and the others, Xu-ge.”
Xu Minghe sighed internally again.
Still the same reticent and aloof personality, always maintaining a certain distance from everyone else. That mindset wasn’t exactly healthy.
A few years ago, at least, Zhen Ning had Yan Chengfeng by his side. But now… the two had completely fallen out.
After some hesitation, Xu Minghe said, “Okay. You start tidying up, and I’ll come back later to help.”
After Xu Minghe left, Zhen Ning tidied up the desk beside Xu Minghe’s seat, making some space and wiping the dust off the surface.
Though the space was small, it was sufficient for his needs. Now, all he needed was a chair.
There was an empty chair beside Tao Luo’s seat, but Zhen Ning didn’t immediately go to grab it. Instead, he turned around and stared for a moment at another spot not far away.
It was Yan Chengfeng’s seat.
For the past three years, Yan Chengfeng had always sat there during practice sessions. Xu Hao, the top laner, sat to his left, while the seat to his right had remained empty.
Zhen Ning walked closer, his gaze falling on the mouse and keyboard on Yan Chengfeng’s desk.
After a short pause, he hesitantly raised his hand. His fingers hovered over Yan Chengfeng’s keyboard, as though he wanted to lightly touch the keys.
But just as two magnets of the same polarity repel each other, Zhen Ning’s fingertips froze less than a centimeter above the keyboard. They lingered there for a long moment but never made contact.
In the end, his fingers curled slightly, changed direction, and landed on the empty gaming chair beside Yan Chengfeng’s seat. Averting his gaze, Zhen Ning pulled the chair away and began dragging it toward the empty spot in the corner.
Gaming chairs were considerably heavier than regular ones, and Zhen Ning couldn’t lift it outright. He had to drag it by the backrest, inching it toward the corner.
Halfway there, he felt resistance from the other end of the chair. Startled, he turned to see Yan Chengfeng standing behind him, looking at him expressionlessly.
“Do you think that just by not sitting next to me, you can pretend we’re strangers and peacefully start your new professional career?” Yan Chengfeng asked.
Yan Chengfeng used only one hand, yet the strength he exerted was immense.
His expression remained calm, as if he wasn’t making any effort at all. But he slowly, bit by bit, pulled the heavy gaming chair out of Zhen Ning’s grip and dragged it to his side.
“Do you think that just because you’re now an omega, I’ll be shocked, confused, or suddenly filled with pity and choose to let go of our past?”
Yan Chengfeng asked with a sneer, “Or do you think playing the ‘I’m an omega’ card will make me keep my distance, and that I’ll obediently do as you wish?”
Zhen Ning took a deep breath silently.
“You’re dreaming,” Yan Chengfeng said with a fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes, as he stared at Zhen Ning’s face. “I won’t let you have your way.”
Author’s note:
Yan Kitchen: The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.
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