TCWSITD – Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Match Against FOU

The next day, the match between OT and FOU finally arrived.

KUG was also playing that day, slotted in the match right before theirs.

The organizers gave KUG the best break room, placed FOU in the one next door, and stuck OT in a cramped room in the corner. Even the support staff assigned to each team were clearly divided by status.

Lin Jiang was used to it. In a league ruled by money, favoritism was the norm.

The stronger you were, the better your resources—more exposure, more attention, even the privilege of playing in a prime-time slot.

But Lin Jiang couldn’t care less about all that capital nonsense. Once you’re in the game, everything’s fair play.

He’d show no mercy.

Lin Jiang wrapped his wristband while watching the live broadcast in the break room.

KUG was up against a bottom-tier team this round. Alike went on a killing spree—so much so that by the end he didn’t even push the base. Instead, he spent nearly two minutes spawn-camping[mfn]Spawn camping is when one team positions themselves near the opposing team’s spawn point to repeatedly kill them as they return to the game after dying. It is highly disrespectful, and usually done to humiliate the opponent rather than secure victory.[/mfn].

Song Zhixu winced in discomfort. “Is that really necessary? The referees didn’t even give them a warning. Last time we got warned just for chatting on voice comms.”

Zhou Wen sighed. “Maybe that’s just how it is—different people, different treatment.”

In the second game, Alike continued his aggressive playstyle, but luck wasn’t on his side this time. The opposing team seemed out for revenge, with their jungler relentlessly targeting mid lane. Alike was ganked and killed twice.

Instead of playing safe after falling behind, Alike doubled down on high-risk plays rather than farming up. As a result, he kept coming up just short on damage, leading to two more consecutive deaths.

With his 1/4/1 KDA displayed on the big screen, murmurs of discontent rose from the audience.

Lin Jiang stopped watching.

He had previously commented on Alike: “He’s like someone who never grew up—always treats opponents like fools. He’s either godlike or completely useless in a match.”

Right after saying that, he turned around and completely destroyed Alike on stage, leaving him utterly defeated and looking terrible.

That’s exactly why Alike held a grudge against him.

Back to the game—despite Alike’s poor performance, KUG’s overall strength far surpassed their opponents, and they easily won after 30 minutes.

KUG temporarily took first place with a 2:0 score.

Alike not only failed to secure the MVP in this game but also ended up with a performance rating worse than the support player’s.

After the match, he stayed on stage with a dark expression and completely skipped the post-match interview.

The barrage of criticism aimed at Alike flooded the live broadcast. His fans desperately defended him, claiming he left early due to eye discomfort and that the bad lighting made it look like he was scowling. There was no ’dark expression’ at all.

Meanwhile, Lin Jiang’s fans stirred the pot by dropping stats comparing the two, proving Lin Jiang was Alike’s nemesis. In previous matches, Lin Jiang obliterated Alike beyond recognition.

The two sides argued fiercely, but the ones who suffered the most were KUG’s loyal fans. They just wanted the team to stay focused and successful—no one expected KUG to let Lin Jiang go and bring in Alike.

[Isn’t there anyone who’ll stand up for us?]

Song Zhixu burst out laughing. “Captain, captain, they’re talking about you! They’re saying KUG must be kicking themselves right now…”

Lin Jiang adjusted his wrist guard and reminded him, “Time to hand over your phone.”

With two matches scheduled in the same venue and only an hour’s break in between, OT needed to start preparing.

Lin Jiang took a deep breath. Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely confident that their current strategy could secure a win against FOU.

Rubbing his sore wrist, he headed to the restroom but ran into Song Zhixu on the way out, who insisted on tagging along for one more trip.

“Captain, captain, I just saw FOU’s mid laner. He even asked me about you.”

“Asked what?”

“He asked what secret tactics you’ve prepared. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell them anything.”

Lin Jiang shook his head with a sigh while washing his hands. “Teams need to avoid any hint of collusion. How can you just be chatting with him?”

“Really? Even greetings are off-limits? Old Du never told me that.”

“It’s not a hard rule, but you still have to be mindful.”

Lin Jiang finished washing his hands and casually splashed water on his face. The cold water washed away many of his worries.

He finally calmed down and looked up at himself in the mirror.

A tall, impeccably dressed figure in a black suit walked in beside him.

In the reflection, the man lowered his head with deliberate grace, removed his watch and slipped it into his pocket, then unbuttoned and rolled up his cuffs. Even the simple act of washing his hands exuded an air of detached elegance.

Lin Jiang froze, staring at the reflection.

Water continued to rush from the tap.

“Captain, your sleeve’s getting wet.”

Song Zhixu grabbed a handful of paper towels and frantically wiped at Lin Jiang’s sleeve.

Drops of water trickled from Lin Jiang’s damp hair.

He had originally wanted to prove to He Gu that he was doing fine after leaving KUG, but seeing his own disheveled reflection, he suddenly found it didn’t matter anymore.

Whether he was doing great or falling apart, He Gu wouldn’t care either way.

Lin Jiang took the tissue from Song Zhixu and looked up with a calm smile. “Long time no see, Young Master He. Didn’t expect you to take an interest in LPL matches.”

He Gu was always busy—so busy he never once made time to watch Lin Jiang play. After going abroad, he became even busier and harder to reach, eventually not even replying to messages.

Back then, Lin Jiang had naively believed it was only natural for He Gu to be busy during his career rise—that it didn’t mean he no longer saw him as a friend.

Looking back now, he realized it had all just been wishful thinking on his part.

Now that it was his cousin playing, He Gu had rushed back from abroad just to watch the match.

He Gu remained silent.

He calmly dried his hands with a paper towel, then, unhurriedly, buttoned his sleeve and slipped his watch back on.

The silence dragged—long and torturous.

Song Zhixu couldn’t take it anymore.

Just as he was about to say something, Lin Jiang pushed him away without mercy. “Go back and check your equipment.”

Song Zhixu left reluctantly, glancing back every few steps. When he reached the door, he tried to peek inside again—only to be blocked by He Gu’s bodyguard. With no choice, he finally headed back.

The restroom really wasn’t the best place for a conversation.

Lin Jiang offered a polite smile. “Young Master He, I’ve got a match coming up, so I’ll head back first.”

“Lin Jiang,” He Gu suddenly called out to him.

He stood tall and composed, radiating the quiet authority of someone born to power. Even when he spoke gently, there was still a trace of coldness in his tone.

“Let’s talk after your match.”

In He Gu’s eyes, the distance between them was just the year he spent abroad.

But for Lin Jiang, in between that was a year on rotation and three years as a substitute…

Lin Jiang took a deep breath. He really wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve got my own circle now, and I stay pretty busy. If there’s nothing else, Young Master He, I’ll take my leave.”

At the door, the bodyguard briefly blocked him, glancing at He Gu’s expression before stepping aside and letting Lin Jiang pass.

He Gu stuffed his hands into his pockets, the atmosphere in the restroom growing heavier the moment he was left alone.

His phone lit up in his pocket.

[A’Wen[mfn]A’Wen is Alike’s nickname derived from his real name. This A’Wen is different from the A’Wen introduced as Lin Jiang’s friend in earlier chapters.[/mfn]: Ge, where are you? I can’t find you.]

[He Gu: Something came up. I left.]

He put his phone away and exited the venue, his expression cold.

For someone of his social class, there was nothing—no one—worth humbling himself for again and again. Not even Lin Jiang.

***

Lin Jiang returned to the break room and caught Song Zhixu’s voice from across the room.

“Damn, that guy is KUG’s big boss? No wonder Lin Jiang looked off when he saw him… Fuck, KUG got no shame—actually coming to the restroom to poach players…”

“Song Zhixu.”

“Here!”

“Can you use the time you spend gossiping to improve yourself?”

“Yes, Captain!”

The entire break room stifled their laughter, but Duren visibly grew worried when he heard that He Gu had come to see Lin Jiang.

Everyone in the industry knew exactly who He Gu was.

That he’d condescend to seek out Lin Jiang was proof enough of his regard. If things really went south and a battle for Lin Jiang broke out, OT wouldn’t stand a chance.

Sigh…

Best to just focus on winning the match first.

OT’s match finally began. Their opponent was FOU, a mid-tier team, and few believed Lin Jiang stood a chance.

At OT’s current level, they might take down VT, but against stronger teams, they were still a cut below.

Against all expectations, FOU immediately banned Lin Jiang’s three signature mid lane champions, planning to first pick Galio.

OT didn’t let them have their way either—they banned Jayce and Galio. In total, five mid-lane champions were taken out.

The message was clear: none of you are getting mid today.

The commentator exclaimed, “Wow, the tension in this match is off the charts! Five mid lane champions already banned. Next is FOU’s first pick—what will they choose?”

FOU initially had a lot of flexibility in their selection, but OT’s subsequent bans of two more mid laners quickly put them in a tough spot.

“What kind of tactic is this? Dragging us all down together?”

“Let’s secure mid first. If we don’t, there really won’t be any champions left.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s pick for A’Jue first.”

FOU locked in Viktor, leaving Lin Jiang with almost no mid lane picks remaining.

When it was OT’s turn, they didn’t choose a mid laner, instead prioritizing top lane and jungle.

The commentator speculated, “OT must be planning to pick mid later. Securing top and jungle first makes sense—they have a bigger impact in this patch.”

FOU then selected their bot and jungle, and the pick returned to OT.

The commentator added, “OT should pick Ahri for mid now, right? There aren’t many mid laners left. Let’s see what river decides.”

But Lin Jiang surprised everyone by picking Tristana, The Yordle Gunner.

Tristana is an AD carry champion known for her unique jump ability, making him deadly in team fights, and she holds her own in the early laning phase. Some even say she has a slight edge over Ahri.

However, Lin Jiang hadn’t really played AD mid before.

Back when Lucian mid was all the rage, he never picked it either. Many speculated he wasn’t confident playing AD mids, which led to a lot of criticism from haters.

The commentator suddenly realized, “Wait, is Tristana going bot? Is OT still not picking a mid laner? If they don’t pick now, there won’t be any left!”

FOU caught on, too. “Lin Jiang, that old fox, almost tricked us! He doesn’t even know how to play Tristana mid!”

Excited, they banned another mid laner and a tanky support, cutting off all of Lin Jiang’s backup options.

Just as fans were starting to lose hope for OT, the team’s final pick shocked everyone—it was Lucian.

Fans: ?

FOU: ???

The commentator gasped, “Huh? Lucian mid, wait, no—it must be Tristana mid! Could River have been secretly practicing Tristana mid all this time?”

The atmosphere in the venue heated up again.

For many fans, it was the first time seeing Lin Jiang pick an AD champion. Along with the excitement came a wave of doubt—

[Can Lin Jiang really pull off AD mid?]

“Of course I can play it.”

“Back when Lucian mid was popular, I also played it well. But I felt that even when ahead, Lucian didn’t convert advantages effectively for the team, so I ended up picking Galio more often.”

“But somehow, people twisted that into me not knowing how to play Lucian.”

As a top-tier mid laner, Lin Jiang held himself to the highest standard: mastering every playable champion in the meta.

That was why, when the meta shifted, he smoothly adapted into a more team-oriented mid laner. Yet the outside world had misread his evolution, mistaking his strategic growth for decline—

They called it falling off.

Lin Jiang paid no mind to the criticism—his style wasn’t flashy or crowd-pleaseing, but it was built for victory.

As the mid laner holding the highest win-rate in the league, his stats spoke louder than any gossip.

He expertly maneuvered his Tristana into lane, where his opponent, A’Jue, was clearly wary of him. At this stage, Viktor stood no chance against Tristana.

Lin Jiang immediately applied relentless pressure. His orb-walking[mfn]Orb walking is a technique where you cancel the auto-attack animation to move, allowing you to maintain a consistent attack speed and reposition yourself while attacking. It’s particularly useful for kiting, where you stay just out of an enemy’s range while dealing damage.[/mfn] was smooth and calculated, reminiscent of techniques seen from the unique style of Shen Ju.

That subtle head turn, the precise positioning—it was a masterclass in lane control.

[Help! Since when did Lin Jiang learn to play AD?]

[I genuinely thought he couldn’t play AD mid.]

[All that talk about him not playing Lucian mid back then—turns out it wasn’t because he couldn’t, but because his four trash teammates couldn’t function without his support.]

Lin Jiang’s APM (actions per minute) already outclassed many players. Paired with Tristana’s strong early-game pressure, he quickly pushed his opponent to the brink—they couldn’t even farm under turret.

He hit Level 3 first and immediately unleashed a full combo. When the enemy jungle came to gank, he simply used his W[mfn]Rocket Jump (W) – this ability allows her to leap to a target location, dealing magic damage to enemies within the landing area and slowing them for a short duration[/mfn] to jump away, patted his butt, and walked off without even looking back.

The commentators observed, “river’s Tristana is really something. Look at how smooth his trading combos are.”

He quickly took two plates off the enemy turret. A’Jue’s farm was falling behind, and FOU’s jungler didn’t dare engage. At least until both of them hit level 6, there was no way they’d take a fight with Lin Jiang.

And then, something hilariously dramatic happened.

Lin Jiang walked up to auto-attack, and Viktor didn’t even dare retaliate. The enemy jungler who passed by took one glance and bolted in the opposite direction.

By the time A’Jue barely hit Level 6, Lin Jiang was already at Level 7 and even picked up a kill from roaming.

When A’Jue finally scraped together his core item and started dealing some damage, Lin Jiang had already finished his core too—dealing more damage, and moving far more mobile.

A’Jue was mentally shattered.

The audience was in stitches—

[LMAO, Lin Jiang’s pick has A’Jue suffering…]

[A’Jue will never beat Lin Jiang in his life.]

[Remember those times Little A’Jue got slaughtered by Lin Jiang?]

[I think A’Jue’s fear of Lin Jiang is bone-deep—it has nothing to do with what champion Lin Jiang picks.]

Not only did Lin Jiang dominate mid, but Shen Ju in the bot lane also also pressured the opponent into helplessness with his Lucian.

With advantages in both lanes and two core damage dealers, the audience was starting to lose hope for FOU.

Commentator: “What can FOU do? They simply can’t withstand a frontal fight…”

Right after he finished speaking, Zhou Wen suddenly flashed to initiate, and Shen Ju jumped in with an R[mfn]The Culling (R) – Lucian’s ultimate; a channeled ability where Lucian rapidly fires a barrage of bullets in a target direction, dealing physical damage to the first enemy hit by each shot.[/mfn], reducing the enemy to low health.

Lin Jiang used his W[mfn]Rocket Jump – see footnote 4 for details.[/mfn] to jump in and clean up, directly wiping out the enemy team in one team fight.

Then, they decisively turned to take Baron and push the high ground.

“This game’s over.”

A’Jue’s expression was grim; he hadn’t expected Lin Jiang to come up with a counter so quickly.

“We underestimated them in this game.”

But it’s okay, this is a BO3 match. As long as they keep targeting Lin Jiang, there’s still a chance.

“Let’s ban Lin Jiang’s Tristana next game.”

Next game, OT will definitely pick the blue side for first pick advantage, so Tristana needs to be banned, along with Galio and Jayce.

But that would leave Lin Jiang’s LeBlanc open.

The jungler frowned, sensing something wasn’t quite right.

— — — —