TCWSITD – Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Summer Split Begins

With training wrapped up, the long-awaited Summer Split finally kicked-off.

Alike stole the spotlight in both games, earning back-to-back MVPs and leading KUG to a decisive 2:0 victory.

It was a powerful start[mfn]旗开得胜 (qí kāi dé shèng) – lit. to win a victory on raising the flag (idiom); fig. to start on sth and have immediate success; success in a single move[/mfn] to the season—and a clear sign that bringing in Alike had been the right call. He didn’t just win games; he did it with style. Every performance brought not only points to the scoreboard, but a wave of popularity KUG was more than happy to ride.

In the wake of KUG’s victory, Lin Jiang’s departure suddenly seemed irrelevant. Some fans even believed Lin Jiang had overestimated himself by pulling rank, and just relying on seniority to assert authority and gain privileges. After all, in their eyes, skill was everything. If you didn’t have it, you didn’t deserve to stay.

[Honestly, if I were the management, I’d pick Alike too.]

[I’ve been saying Lin Jiang wasn’t cut out for it. His playstyle has zero entertainment value. He only won because of his teammates. I don’t get why his fans are barking like dogs so much.]

[I used to think Lin Jiang was decent, but then he left KUG and went to OT. I seriously suspect his brain got caught in a door.]

[Now he’s stuck with a bottom-tier team now. Let’s see what miracles Lin Jiang can pull off.]

[Lin Jiang’s fans need to wake up and get a life.]

That night, after the match ended, KUG shot to the top five of trending topics—each headline dragging both Lin Jiang and Alike into the spotlight. Lin Jiang became the first player of the Summer Split to be ruthlessly mocked online before even setting foot on the stage.

Before the wave of backlash hit, Song Zhixu had been happily watching the game, and eagerly invited Lin Jiang, “Captain, come watch with us!”

Lin Jiang declined politely, “No, you guys go ahead.”

But Song Zhixu, as clueless and persistent as ever, called out again, “Come on! Take a break and watch with us!”

Duren[mfn]I changed OT’s manager name from Du Lun to Duren from this point onwards.[/mfn] quickly elbowed him and turned his phone to show him the trending backlash online. Only then did Song Zhixu realize what was going on.

In KUG’s match, the one who suffered the most was actually Lin Jiang.

“KUG really played dirty this time.” Duren muttered. “Everyone in the scene is calling them out, but you can’t deny they’re great at PR. They’re already shifting public opinion. Just… be careful not to bring this up around Lin Jiang from now on, alright?”

Song Zhixu obediently shut his mouth.

He munched on his chips, watching Alike dominate the competition stage, winning two games in a row. The live audience erupted in cheers, and suddenly he thought—this spot used to belong to Lin Jiang.

The more he snacked, the more unsettled he felt.

He glanced over at Lin Jiang, who was calmly standing on the balcony with a cup of coffee, completely detached from the electrifying match—two worlds apart.

Lin Jiang must be hurting inside…

Suddenly, click—the screen went black. Shen Ju, sipping his cola, casually tossed the remote control onto the couch in front of everyone. “What’s so great about watching that trash team anyway?”

Song Zhixu’s eyes widened.

Shen Ju did exactly what he wanted to do!

After KUG secured their first victory, public opinion quickly turned against Lin Jiang. Worried it might shake his morale, Duren checked in with him in private.

But Lin Jiang was calm as ever. “No need to worry about me, Manager. I’ve been through worse—this is nothing.”

Still, Duren remained uneasy. He kept a close eye on him over the next two days. But Lin Jiang ate, drank, and trained just like always—completely unfazed.

He couldn’t help muttering to Song Zhixu, “If even this doesn’t shake him… what kind of things has he been through?”

Of course, it was a good thing that Lin Jiang was unaffected.

Because OT’s first match of the Summer Split was right around the corner!

***

The competition arena buzzed with excitement.

On the third day of the Summer Split, OT’s debut match had finally arrived.

Lin Jiang’s fans were even more hyped than he was—

[It’s happening, it’s finally happening!]

[Who understands? I haven’t watched matches in ages, but Lin Jiang’s games are a must-see!]

[The internet’s been tearing Lin Jiang apart these past few days.]

[river, stay off the internet for a bit! It’s just hate everywhere!]

[Really hope the online backlash doesn’t get to him…]

Lin Jiang, bombarded by endless online ridicule, quietly organizing his equipment in the break room. The OT players huddled together, listening as their coach gave the last-minute instructions.

Coach Fang Luxing[mfn]In this chapter, the coach name in the raw is 方行路 (Fāng Xíng Lù), but later in the story it changed to 方路行 (Fāng Lù Xíng). I will be using 方路行 (Fāng Lù Xíng) from this point forward for consistency.[/mfn], was relatively new to the role. Originally a data analyst, he had only transitioned to coaching after struggling to find opportunities elsewhere. Still lacking confidence, he sought Lin Jiang’s approval for every decision. “Is this okay?”

Lin Jiang nodded, “Yeah, it’s fine. I don’t see any issues.”

“Alright, then let’s go with my strategy. I’ve also prepared a few adjustments—take a look at the revisions I’ve made.”

Fang Luxing rambled on at length. Shen Ju was obviously bored, and even Song Zhixu was zoning out.

They were up against VT today, another bottom-tier team. If OT struggled against VT even with Lin Jiang on board, they might as well disband.

Noticing no one was paying attention, Fang Luxing awkwardly closed his notebook and looked nervously at Lin Jiang. “Did I just babble on for nothing again?”

His anxiety wasn’t unfounded. VT and OT were neck and neck in points, so if OT lost to VT, it would create a head-to-head record, potentially impacting their chances in the relegation matches.

Lin Jiang caught on immediately and gave Fang Luxing a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You’re just overthinking it. Relax. Leave it to us—we won’t lose.”

Fang Luxing felt comforted by that.

He smiled sheepishly, then suddenly realized something.

Wait, that can’t be right—I’m the coach, so why is the player the one comforting me? QAQ

When he looked up again, Lin Jiang was already geared up and ready, followed closely by Shen Ju, Song Zhixu, Zhou Wen, and A’Deng, all clad in sharp black uniforms.

What had once been a laid-back team suddenly snapped into unity under Lin Jiang’s leadership.

The host introduced the players one by one. The moment Lin Jiang and Shen Ju stepped onto the stage, the atmosphere in the venue instantly exploded.

Both were naturally high-profile players, and with all the recent drama surrounding Lin Jiang, the match—originally expected to draw little interest—saw fans, haters, and curious onlookers piling in, pushing the livestream’s viewership close to that of KUG’s high-profile season opener.

The barrage was sharply divided—

[Here for Lin Jiang.]

[Here to see the most notorious trash-talker on the server.]

[Here for Lin Jiang and the notorious trash-talker on the server.]

[Here to watch river fall from grace.]

[Here to watch river make a fool of himself.]

[Here to see how the top mid laner river manages to dig his own grave (sparkling eyes[mfn]星星眼 (xīng xing yǎn) – lit. starry eyes; expression used online (often sarcastically or ironically) to indicate excitement or exaggerated admiration[/mfn])]

The players’ noise-canceling headsets blocked most of the audience’s roar but if the crowd was too fired up, even the best gear couldn’t completely shut it out.

Song Zhixu: Damn, since when did our team OT have this many viewers?

Zhou Wen: Don’t forget who our captain is…

A’Deng: Big bros, please carry me—I wanna lie down and win[mfn]躺赢 (tǎng yíng) – lit. lie down and win (slang); to win a game without contributing much effort[/mfn] this round.

Shen Ju: If we lose, I’Il retire on the spot.

Lin Jiang was slightly surprised.

Coach Fang Luxing awkwardly tried to smooth things over: “A’Jiang, don’t mind them. They always mess around like this before matches. They’ll focus once the game starts.”

Lin Jiang had assumed all teams were as serious as KUG—clearly, that wasn’t the case.

With the lineup locked in and the coach offstage, the voice chat grew even rowdier.

Song Zhixu: They actually dared to pick Renekton? Do you guys believe I can beat him up and hang him like a punching bag?”

Zhou Wen: I don’t believe you.

Song Zhixu: Hey, don’t underestimate me. I’ve faced Old Mao’s Renekton so many times during training matches. I’ve got experience.

A’Deng: Didn’t you get solo killed every time? Are you sure that’s gained experience, not dying experience?

Song Zhixu: Alright, alright, new topic!

Shen Ju: Come on, tell us—what’s it like to die twice before Level 5?

Song Zhixu: Stop!

Everyone burst out laughing, and Lin Jiang found himself blending into the atmosphere.

Honestly, OT was way better than he had expected.

So much so that a quiet hope began to grow in his heart—to lead them all the way to the World Championship.

The game started, and as the commander, Lin Jiang immediately grew serious. “Don’t overextend. Wards don’t need to be placed too deep—just enough to provide coverage.”

It must be said that after playing several training matches with them, Lin Jiang had indeed gained a solid understanding of their playstyle.

Song Zhixu, who had initially planned to place a deep ward, quickly changed his mind and placed it in the river instead.

Down in the bot lane, Shen Ju abandoned any kill attempt and retreated with Zhou Wen to a safe position.

The commentators, with their god’s-eye view, exclaimed in surprise. “Wow, OT almost walked right into an ambush! All five VT players are camping in the bot brush. If sgod had taken one more step forward, he’d be dead!”

Normally, Shen Ju in the bot lane would always push aggressively, but today he didn’t even cross the safety line—not even slightly.

The live audience and barrage erupted in discussion–-

[Damn, OT has changed!]

[I was sure Shen Ju would feed first blood again.]

[That turnaround by Shen Ju was so cool, it just cured my high blood pressure.]

[I tuned in to watch a bottom-tier team, and now you’re all out here showing off?]

VT didn’t catch anyone during the ambush, so they had to give up.

Both teams entered their lanes at the same time.

It was clear VT had prepared seriously this time—they were desperate to avoid relegation and were giving it everything they had.

But with Lin Jiang’s arrival, OT had undergone a drastic transformation.

Up in the top lane, Song Zhixu showed real signs of growth—he traded evenly with his opponent and managed to gain a small advantage without even dying once.

Down in the bot lane, Shen Ju kept pressuring his opponent, forcing the enemy jungler to hover in the bottom lane just to keep things under control.

Although A’Deng’s map tempo still needed work, he was clearly used to a bot-lane-focused playstyle and managed to hold his own against the opposing jungler.

And then there was Lin Jiang—holding down the mid lane.

In this game, he was playing an aggressive champion: The Blade Dancer, Irelia.

Like a seasoned fox, every move he made was calculated—a silent trap for the opponent. The enemy Ryze had no idea danger was lurking.

Just as Lin Jiang hit Level 3, he pounced. Hiding his E right under his feet, he dashed to a low-health minion with Q[mfn]Q – Bladesurge: Irelia dashes to a target, dealing damage and resetting the cooldown if the target dies[/mfn], then, instantly landed the second part of his E[mfn]E – Flawless Duet: By timing her E cast during the Q dash, Irelia can make the E animation appear to originate from the target of the Q, rather than from her actual location. This can make it difficult for opponents to see the E coming and dodge the stun.[/mfn] for a stun. One seamless combo shaved off half of Ryze’s HP. With his Q refreshed, he dashed back out, trading cleanly—without taking a single hit.

The enemy Ryze had planned to scale for the late-game, but Lin Jiang’s sudden Level 3 engage left him completely stunned.

This picture-perfect play directly set off screams from the audience.

The commentator couldn’t help but praise him. “river is still river. That hidden E just now—such a subtle detail—completely fooled the opponent!”

Lin Jiang’s combo was lightning-fast. He had already executed the entire sequence and disengaged before Ryze could even manage to toss out a delayed Q, which missed anyway.

The contrast between their mechanics was striking. Everyone knew Lin Jiang was fast—but seeing it like this, in real time, was something else entirely.

The commentator, clearly favoring Lin Jiang, added: “That kind of pressure is suffocating. If Ryze doesn’t recall soon, he’s going to die on the next wave!”

Ryze had no choice but to give up a wave of minions and recall. By the time he returned to lane, Lin Jiang had already reached Level 4.

What does being one level ahead of the opponent mean?

Lin Jiang quickly used Q to last-hit a low-health minion and immediately followed with a double E stun, flawlessly chaining an A-Q-A combo[mfn]designed to maximize damage output and reset her Q cooldown for mobility[/mfn]. Then, he activated W[mfn]W – Defiant Dance: surrounds her with a swirling vortex of blades, granting her damage reduction for a short duration[/mfn] to reflect damage while effortlessly landing another auto-attack. With his refreshed Q, he blinked to the backline minions and safely disengaged.

This combo was Irelia’s highest-damage sequence. A Level 3 Ryze simply couldn’t withstand it, especially with Lin Jiang holding Flash and Ignite—killing him was definitely within reach.

Ryze had no choice but to recall once more.

By the time he returned, he would have already lost at least two waves of minions!

In other words, when Lin Jiang hit Level 6, Ryze would still be stuck at level 5 at best!

The crowd burst out in amazement.

No one expected Lin Jiang to make a professional league match feel like a game of ‘abusing low-level players.’ The opposing Ryze appeared dull and sluggish in comparison, completely outmatched.

The commentators showered him with praise, and the barrage erupted with hype.

Those who had mocked Lin Jiang now faced backlash—

[Since leaving KUG, Lin Jiang’s been playing insanely well.]

[Say what you will, but you can definitely see how happy Lin Jiang looks.]

[Never thought Lin Jiang was bad.]

[It’s not that river’s playstyle isn’t fun to watch. It’s that the other four on KUG were just too
weak, forcing him to play that way. How else could they win?]

[Finally, someone speaks my mind.]

While the haters were still denying it, the game announced ‘First Blood’—Lin Jiang hit Level 6 instantly and secured the kill on the enemy Ryze.

The commentators were stunned: “Ryze was only Level 4 when he died, barely hitting Level 5 after respawning. Did I see that right? How is river so far ahead in experience?”

The crowd erupted in disbelief—

Is this even a fair match?

— — — —

Hi, this is strawberrypoptl! Another 5 chapters for this week just because! Are you surprised? Hope you enjoy! 🍓🍓