TCWSITD – Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Broke-Boy Song Zhixu

After OT’s win over FOU, the public’s perception of the team shifted dramatically. That same day, they even landed three trending topics:

#LinJiangPullsOTIntoMidTierStatus

#OTAllMembersEatAtTheTable

#LinJiangStillHoldsTheHighestWinRateMidLanerRecord

OT’s big boss couldn’t hide his delight as he scrolled through the trending list. He called Duren into his office, and after a few moments of shared smug celebration, they got down to business.

“Should we give Lin Jiang a special bonus?”

“Wouldn’t that mess with team morale a bit?”

“Hmm… good point.”

“How about handing out some small red envelopes to cheer them up? I heard Lin Jiang fined Song Zhixu 200-yuan yesterday. He was practically bawling in the training room.”

“Huh? What’d Lin Jiang fine him for?”

“Didn’t he get crushed twice playing Ornn against Renekton yesterday? Lin Jiang fined him 200-yuan, just to teach him a lesson.”

“Deserved, deserved…”

Right then, Song Zhixu was squatting in a corner, silently eating instant noodles.

The team’s cook had four days off a month, and today happened to be one of them—so lunch was DIY.

He originally wanted to order delivery, but in S City, where land is as valuable as gold, he finally settled on a 30-yuan meal—only to see a 20-yuan delivery fee and immediately throw his phone down.

Screw that! Not eating anymore!

He just got fined 200-yuan yesterday, and who knows how many more fines are coming. If he doesn’t start saving now, he won’t even have money for underwear.

Song Zhixu slurped noisily, having prepared two bowls just in case one wasn’t enough.

His towering 1.88-meter frame huddled in the corner gave off a somewhat pitiful vibe—until a shadow slowly fell over him.

It was Lin Jiang.

Dressed in a crisp white shirt, he held his freshly delivered takeout and looked down at Song Zhixu with surprise. “Song Zhixu, why are you eating instant noodles? That’s unhealthy.”

Song Zhixu quickly covered his bowls with a sheepish glance.

Maybe it was male pride, but he didn’t want Lin Jiang to see him looking so pathetic.

“I… I like instant noodles,” he mumbled.

No sooner had Song Zhixu finished speaking than A’Deng cut in. “He’s just broke. Happens to him at the end every month.”

Song Zhixu opened his mouth to protest but quickly gave up—A’Deng wasn’t wrong. He was really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

He stood up, shielding his instant noodles as if protecting a treasure. “Captain, don’t worry about me. I’m used to it.”

It was the first time Lin Jiang saw him looking so embarrassed, clutching a half-empty bowl, with another waiting at his feet.

Lin Jiang suddenly felt a pang in his chest.

He grabbed Song Zhixu’s arm. “Come on, get up here and eat with us.”

Without hesitation, Lin Jiang picked up the instant noodles from the floor, brought them to the table, and even handed his own takeout over to Song Zhixu.

“You’re such a big guy—instant noodles won’t fill you up. Have mine instead; I was actually craving instant noodles anyway.” He grabbed his fork, opened the pack, and took a big bite.

Song Zhixu was from the Northeast and used to spicy food. Lin Jiang took two bites of his spicy pickled pepper beef noodles, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his fair skin.

He couldn’t help but comment, “Song Zhixu, you really don’t act like a Northeasterner.”

Beside him, Song Zhixu simply stared and smiled—like a sweet little bride, two soft dimples appearing.

“I left to study when I was very young, so my tastes don’t really match the region…”

He opened Lin Jiang’s takeout and handed him the chicken leg inside. “Captain, let me tell you, chicken legs and instant noodles are a perfect combo.”

“Really?”

Lin Jiang took a bite and nodded in agreement.

Song Zhixu’s smile grew even wider.

Seeing Lin Jiang sweating, he even took the initiative to pass him a tissue.

“Captain.”

“Hmm?”

“Were you this nice to your teammates at KUG too?”

“No.”

Ah, as expected. The captain was only this nice to him.

Song Zhixu beamed like a flower in bloom.

He glanced at Lin Jiang, took a bite of his food, another bite, then glanced again.

Even Zhou Wen noticed something was off. “Song Zhixu, why are you smiling so cheekily?”

Song Zhixu immediately wiped the smile off his face. “We’ve been winning a lot lately. I’m just happy.”

A’Deng added, “Yeah, yeah, I saw everyone online praising us. Captain, check out this trending topic—everyone’s complimenting you in the comments…”

“Really? Let me take a look.”

A’Deng’s head practically bumped into Lin Jiang’s. Song Zhixu tried to block it but wasn’t sure how, so he quietly tugged on A’Deng’s sleeve and said, “Hey, hey, watch out—your hair’s about to fall into my food.”

Finally, he managed to shoo A’Deng away. Lin Jiang finished his meal and stood up to leave.

Wearing OT’s black team jersey, Lin Jiang looked effortlessly sharp as he stood by the coffee machine, texting someone.

Song Zhixu still felt a little down, but then his phone chimed. Opening it, he saw Lin Jiang had sent him a 200-yuan red envelope.

[Note: The fine is on me.]

His thumb trembled slightly as he tapped to accept it.

Song Zhixu glanced up at Lin Jiang, gripping his phone tightly as a wave of warmth washed over him.

Yet—

He couldn’t help but feel the vast distance between himself and Lin Jiang, as if separated by mountains and oceans.

At that thought, Song Zhixu couldn’t bring himself to smile anymore.

After the afternoon training ended, Lin Jiang didn’t even eat dinner and stayed busy in the office.

Song Zhixu absentmindedly played ranked games, distracted by the thought that he still hadn’t had today’s solo training. Had Lin Jiang forgotten about him?

Or perhaps Lin Jiang had seen his pitiful state of eating instant noodles and now thought differently of him…

His thoughts wandered, and before he realized it, training time had ended. As A’Deng packed up to leave, he called out, “Come on, training’s over.”

“Yeah, you guys go ahead.”

Song Zhixu logged out of his account, looking dejected.

He really had been forgotten by Lin Jiang…

Just as his finger hovered over the shutdown button, Lin Jiang stepped out of the office and called, “Song Zhixu, get ready—we’re playing our solo.”

Song Zhixu’s finger jolted.

He quickly turned the computer back on.

“Captain, aren’t you going to eat first?”

“Not hungry yet. Let’s train first.”

Song Zhixu replied shyly, fidgeting like a nervous bride. “I thought the captain wasn’t going to play solo with me today…”

Lin Jiang slid a folder into the drawer and smiled faintly. “Didn’t you say it yourself? One day without practice and your hands stiffen, two days and your focus drops. Tomorrow you’re up against ZOG’s top laner—how could I not help you train?”

A gentle warmth spread through Song Zhixu’s chest.

So… Lin Jiang hadn’t forgotten after all.

Over the past few days of Lin Jiang’s relentless training, Song Zhixu could feel himself improving—day by day, match by match.

He knew this was the kind of opportunity most players could only dream of. And he wasn’t going to waste it.

He scrambled to his feet eagerly. “Captain, I’lI get you some coffee. You log in first.”

Lin Jiang launched the game. “But let me be clear—if you can’t even beat ZOG’s top laner, you’re getting fined again.”

ZOG was a bottom-tier team, barely ranked above VT. Their top laner, in particular, was infamous for his poor performance.

Although Song Zhixu was often teased as the “Black Hole of Top Lane,” even he could manage someone like ZOG’s top laner.

He nodded seriously. “Don’t worry, Captain. I won’t embarrass you.”

When he said this, his tone was completely earnest, his eyes sharper and more focused than usual.

Lin Jiang smiled and gave him a pat on the head. “Alright. I believe in you.”

Song Zhixu’s heart instantly bloomed with warmth. Lin Jiang didn’t just train with him—he trusted him. And Song Zhixu was determined not to let him down.

They entered the match and reached the Champion Select screen.

Solo matches are usually blind pick, where you don’t know what champion the opponent has chosen—but since they could see each other’s screens, it was clear what the other picked.

Song Zhixu watched as Lin Jiang selected Riven, and he shamelessly locked in Renekton.

Riven was a classic high-skill top lane champion with flashy mechanics and massive burst damage. Once she hit Level 6, her kill threshold neared full HP. If played well, she could dominate almost any top laner—especially in solo queue.

Renekton, on the other hand, was considered one of the few top laners who could effectively counter Riven. With his fury-based healing and solid early-game power, he could usually outlast her trades and secure a kill by Level 6.

Song Zhixu entered the game with a grin, buzzing with anticipation.

Today, he was determined to make Lin Jiang see him in a whole new light.

But reality proved far harsher than fantasy.

The moment he stepped into lane and swung his blade, Lin Jiang’s Riven cast Q to dash away—then immediately dashed back in with the second cast for a quick auto-attack, followed by the third Q for a knock-up, and another auto.

Just like that, Song Zhixu’s little Renekton lost nearly two bars of health.

He was like a toy in front of Lin Jiang. Every step he took was half a beat slower. Even when trying to land a basic attack, Lin Jiang would interrupt him with a three-hit combo, knocking him airborne. By the time he raised his hand again, Lin Jiang had already used minions to block his path and escaped unscathed.

A Level 1 Riven had poked him down without taking a single scratch in return.

How was he supposed to show his face after that?

Song Zhixu genuinely wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

Lin Jiang’s soft chuckle came through his headset. “Song Zhixu, can you be any slower?

Song Zhixu’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Again, again.”

As the minion waves clashed, Lin Jiang’s Riven zipped around the lane using her triple Q dashes—smooth as silk, sneaking in auto-attacks mid-motion.

Every time Song Zhixu stepped forward, Lin Jiang would punish him—knock-up, combo, retreat.

By the time they reached Level 3, Renekton was already at half health.

Meanwhile, Riven had only lost two small health bars.

At Level 4, Song Zhixu sensed the opponent’s killing intent. The instant he saw Lin Jiang raise his hand, he flashed instinctively, narrowly dodging Lin Jiang’s deadly W-Flash. He countered with a full combo of his own before retreating to safety.

Miraculously, their health bars were now even.

Lin Jiang blinked, then let out a low, impressed chuckle. “Song Zhixu, your instincts are really sharp.”

Song Zhixu’s cheeks flushed at the compliment. Maybe it was all those hours spent laning against Lin Jiang, but he swore his reaction time had sharpened.

Just now, for example: the way Lin Jiang lifted his sword before casting W was just a fraction different from a normal auto-attack—and somehow, Song Zhixu caught that subtle cue immediately.

He flashed to dodge the W, countered with his own combo, and avoided getting one-shot by Lin Jiang!

After the exchange, Song Zhixu’s heart pounded with exhilaration. This was the thrill of peak gameplay.

There was no doubt: the only way to improve was to go head-to-head with someone this skilled.

After recalling to heal and buy items, he carefully reached Level 6. Noticing the shift in Lin Jiang’s positioning, he sensed danger again.

The moment Lin Jiang raised his blade, Song Zhixu flashed away instinctively.

But then, with two sharp thuds, his flash landed right where Lin Jiang had anticipated it!

Riven’s eyes glowed with an eerie blue light as she raised her broken sword and declared his doom: “What is broken can be reforged.”

Lin Jiang’s fingers danced across the keyboard, executing a seamless combo that left Song Zhixu no room to counterplay.

Broken swords were reforged, and heads fell off.

First Blood!

The solo match rules are simple: score the first kill or take the first tower, and you win.

Lin Jiang had already claimed victory.

Song Zhixu broke out in a cold sweat, stunned beyond belief. Even at his absolute best, he still felt like a rookie next to Lin Jiang — the finish line was in plain sight!

His eyes flickered nervously as he stared at Lin Jiang.

“Captain… how did you know I was going to flash?”

— — — —

Hi, this is strawberrypoptl! Here’s a sneak peak for next chapter titled “Late-Night Skewers.”

 

—This road wasn’t long. He’d walked it countless times.

Yet tonight, every step made him feel closer to tears.—

 

That’s it! Thank you for reading and see you next chapter! 🍓🍓🍓