ATIBTF Chapter 84

Posted by April Fox, ? Views, Released on September 28, 2024

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PH’s team clearly lost their rhythm in the final game, and it’s unclear why.

In the first four games, they were evenly matched with JW, but in the last game, they were taken down in a single wave.

Even the live-stream chat was filled with question marks, showing confusion over PH’s performance in the final game.

This inevitably led people to speculate whether it was related to gambling.

However, such thoughts were quickly dismissed.

Who would engage in gambling when they were just one step away from winning the substation championship? A team like PH is obviously aiming for first place, to earn points and qualify for the world championship, so there’s no need for them to gamble.

Moreover, the global points competition is directly overseen by the WOC professional league, which is known for being strict, so such things would never be allowed to happen.

As a result, the audience’s speculation turned in another direction.

Was there some internal issue within PH’s team?

There had been rumors before that their position 5 support didn’t seem to get along with their star mid-laner DNA, but the specifics of the situation are probably only known to those involved.

Regardless of how it happened, the result was that JW won the match.

After winning the WPL Spring Championship, JW claimed their first global substation championship, shooting to the top of the global rankings.

They even reached a point where they could skip the remaining matches and still secure a spot in the world championship.

This outcome was exactly what WPL fans and the JW team were hoping for.

The live chat was flooded with messages like “JW is awesome!” and “666,” and the three WPL commentators were all smiles. Nothing makes commentators happier than watching their home team win a championship.

As for the JW players, they were a bit stunned at the moment of victory.

“That’s… it’s over just like that?” Hao Qianyi was in disbelief.

“What more do you want?” Wei Yabo smacked Hao’s head. “Winning isn’t good enough?”

“No, I’m just surprised…” Hao Qianyi rubbed his head. “Weren’t they playing so fiercely in the first four games? I thought the fifth game would be a battle lasting hours!”

“You better watch what you say, or if they play that in the event audio, people online will think you’re too cocky and disrespecting PH,” Wei Yafeng teased.

Hao Qianyi quickly covered his mouth.

“Oh no, oh no, does anyone know someone at headquarters? Please, ask them not to include that part! Cut it out! It must be cut out!” Hao Qianyi panicked.

He definitely didn’t want to be roasted by the online community.

“…You’re on your own,” said coach Yan Junying, who had already joined the team on stage to celebrate their victory.

“Coach~ Coach, why are you saying that too?” Hao Qianyi complained, feeling wronged.

“Alright, go shake hands now. Don’t give anyone a reason to say JW is impolite,” Yan Junying reminded everyone.

Led by Yu Hao, the team finally headed to the opposing room for the handshake.

“Sugar, are you okay?” Yu Hao noticed that Jiang Min seemed to be lost in thought since the match ended.

“Hm?” Jiang Min, walking alongside Yu Hao on the stage, leaned in closer because the loud music and cheers made it hard for Yu Hao to hear him.

Yu Hao was slightly taller, so Jiang Min tilted his head up a bit and said into his ear, “I think PH’s performance in the final game was a bit odd. Didn’t it seem like their two supports couldn’t keep up with DNA’s pace? That’s not normal.”

This moment was captured by an official photographer.

Amid the golden confetti celebrating the championship, the two young players in black jerseys walked side by side, with one whispering in the other’s ear and the other listening intently.

This photo was later posted on WPL’s official Weibo, sparking heated discussion and adding fuel to the fans’ “Fish Pond” CP theory.

“I had the same feeling,” Yu Hao agreed with Jiang Min. “But we won the match, so don’t overthink it.”

“…Okay.”

JW’s five players reached PH’s room, where the atmosphere was heavy, as is often the case for the losing side.

But aside from the usual gloom, there seemed to be something else in the air.

DNA sat silently in his chair, staring at the post-match scoreboard on the screen. The two supports, in positions 4 and 5, glanced at him, their looks far from friendly.

When JW’s players arrived, the two supports immediately stood up and shook hands with JW one by one.

DNA seemed to gather himself, stood up from his chair, and got ready to shake hands.

When it was Jiang Min’s turn, DNA gave him a meaningful look and said, “Good game.”

Jiang Min hadn’t expected DNA to speak to him. Most pro players, when unfamiliar with each other, just stay silent, shake hands quickly, and leave.

Jiang Min had never interacted with DNA before and was completely surprised by his words.

“Thank you,” he replied instinctively, then finished shaking hands with the rest of the PH players and left the room with his teammates to enjoy their victory celebration.

As JW’s team exited, DNA’s gaze fell on the two supports.

“…Let’s discuss it later, brother,” the position 1 player quickly stepped in, sensing tension.

“Yeah, brother, let’s talk later,” position 2 also chimed in, signaling to DNA to be mindful of their surroundings.

DNA clenched his fists but ultimately relaxed them. He quietly packed up his gear and was the first to leave.

PH’s position 1 stood in place, pursing his lips.

This was only the first stage of the global points competition, yet it seemed like this team was already on the verge of falling apart.

The trophy for the R Country Substation Championship was quite special – a shield. Besides WOC’s elements, it also featured some local characteristics from R Country.

This was part of the new structure of the global points competition after the format change.

In the past, the points competition didn’t carry as much weight, and famous teams rarely participated because they could earn enough points in their domestic spring and summer tournaments, making it unnecessary to travel abroad for competitions.

But now, with the summer season canceled, teams must compete in the global points competition to secure enough points for the world championship, raising the stakes of the substation tournaments.

Along with the larger scale, the competitions became more formal, and the professional league even required each host to design unique substation trophies.

As a result, a variety of substation trophies appeared.

For example, the R Country Substation trophy was a shield, while the M Country N City Substation trophy from the first stage was said to be a hammer. Some other substations also used custom swords and knives as trophies, based on the information released so far.

“Champions, please raise your championship shield!” the event host’s voice rang out enthusiastically.

The five players, along with the coach, lifted the shield, a symbol of their victory.

“I feel like holding this shield, I could totally cosplay Captain America!” Hao Qianyi suddenly quipped.

“Pfft—” The others couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

The photographer captured the moment.

The celebration at the venue lasted a long time, and by the time the team was ready to leave, it was already late at night.

“Ah~ As the usual night owl, how am I so tired today?” Hao Qianyi yawned as he packed his things and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

“That’s normal. Playing a best-of-five really tests your stamina,” Wei Yabo stretched his body.

“Which is why you guys are too weak,” their captain, Yu Hao, chimed in. “When we get back, you’ll join me for morning workouts every day.”

“Huh? No way!” Hao Qianyi immediately protested. “I want to sleep in! Captain, spare me!”

“I agree,” Coach Yan Junying added. “You guys can’t go on like this. There will be plenty of high-intensity matches in the world championship. What if you finally make it to the finals but run out of energy and perform poorly? I’d skin you alive.”

Hao Qianyi shuddered.

Coach Chaos usually seemed okay, but when it came to training, he was a total drill sergeant.

Could it be that he’s now bringing that strict training personality into everyday life?

Jiang Min had just finished packing his backpack and, when he looked up, noticed that WPL staff were waiting for them outside the door.

After performing well in overseas tournaments, celebrating with staff from your home region, including commentators, hosts, and other personnel, seemed to have become a tradition in the esports industry.

It was no big deal; after all, everyone was from the same region, and when abroad, they were like one big family.

However, Jiang Min felt a bit uncomfortable.

He saw Yun Ning smiling and greeting Yu Hao in the waiting crowd.

Of course, Yu Hao responded indifferently, as usual, without showing any special reaction.

Jiang Min quietly watched, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

———

The nightlife in T City, R Country, was vibrant.

But it still took some effort to find a spot for such a large group on short notice.

After the intense best-of-five match, and with little decent food at the venue, everyone was hungry.

So, they chose a barbecue restaurant in the city center to have a late-night meal, drink some alcohol, and celebrate.

The “golden trio” of WPL commentators were also present at the celebration.

Following the request from JW’s operations department, Fan Dadi even started a livestream of the celebration for the fans to watch.

Fan Dadi swore that his stream, which he impulsively started one day, had never seen such a surge in popularity.

Not only did JW’s fans flood in, but so did fans from other WPL teams.

Though the final game was strange, the first four matches were undeniably thrilling.

JW became the first domestic team to defeat the strong Korean team, PH, which naturally garnered significant attention from WPL fans.

“Hey! Sugar God, I toast to you!” Ruby, sitting nearby, raised her glass to Jiang Min after everyone began toasting. “I’m your fan! You held your own against DNA, back and forth – you truly deserve to be my favorite Sugar God!”

“……” It was the first time a girl had actively toasted him, so Jiang Min felt a little awkward and could only raise his glass and say, “Thank you.”

“Ruby, that’s not right! Toasting to a guy like that, where does that leave Lack?” someone teased.

“Oh? You two?” Fan Dadi acted surprised. “When did you get together?”

There had been long-standing rumors of a romance between Ruby and Lack, but it had never been officially confirmed.

“Come on, Fan Dadi, what’s up with you? They already admitted it in the WPL group chat,” someone added.

Fan Dadi smiled awkwardly, “Ha… haha, is that so? We’ve been so busy in training that we didn’t really notice.”

That “closed-door training” was the infamous rigorous training regimen introduced by Yan Junying after joining JW.

“No worries! Sugar God is awesome. From today on, I’m a fan too!” Lack stood up and toasted Jiang Min. “Come, Sugar God, my girlfriend and I both toast to you! Keep up the great work in the upcoming matches!”

After several rounds of toasts, the group started chatting casually.

“By the way, what was up with PH today? That last game really felt off,” Fan Dadi, a lightweight drinker, was already feeling a bit tipsy.

A staff member leaned in and whispered mysteriously, “Keep this quiet, but I heard from someone at the venue that during the break, DNA and their position 5 were arguing.”

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