Chapter 29.3 – A Heart-to-Heart Talk
Inside OT’s training room, everyone was immersed in intense practice.
Their next opponent was none other than Lin Jiang’s former team, KUG.
The match had already garnered massive attention online before it even began. As Lin Jiang’s old team, if KUG defeated OT, he would undoubtedly become the target of public ridicule.
For Lin Jiang’s sake, every single team member was giving their all in preparation.
While OT currently ranked above KUG, most of OT’s past opponents—besides WG—were middle to lower-tier teams. Meanwhile, KUG’s only two losses came against top-tier powerhouses. With few challenges in the season’s latter half, KUG’s overall strength on paper was actually a bit stronger than OT’s.
At least, that’s what most netizens believed.
Only OT’s fans thought differently.
[Think about it this way. KUG was practically raised by Lin Jiang. He knows them better than their own parents do. Couldn’t that create a counter dynamic?]
[KUG lost some of their edge after switching to Alike.]
[Our Shen Ju thrives under pressure. He’ll definitely win!]
[OT’s dual carries are the strongest!]
[Even Song Zhixu is stepping up now.]
[Anyway, if we lose, it’s no loss; if we win, it’s a huge gain.]
[It’s KUG who should worry about losing face. We have nothing to lose. We barefoot men don’t fear those wearing shoes.[mfn]光脚的不怕穿鞋的 (guāng jiǎo de bù pà chuān xié de) – lit. The barefoot aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes,” a common phrase meaning those with nothing to lose are fearless against those who have more.[/mfn]]
Thanks to the fans’ mature mindset, no matter how KUG’s fans attacked them, they remained calm, steady, and refused to take the bait.
This only makes KUG fans look like rabid dogs snapping at everyone.
The bystanders watch with fascination, all agreeing that Lin Jiang is truly OT’s greatest source of courage—he’s even mellowed out the fans into a serene, “Buddha-like”[mfn]带佛系 (dài fó xì)- referring to making people calm, indifferent, or detached—“佛系” describes a chill, unbothered attitude popular online.[/mfn] calm.
Meanwhile, KUG’s training was just as brutal.
Alike, for some inexplicable reason, seemed to have lost his mind—dragging his teammates into relentless day-and-night training sessions.
If anyone dared slack off, he would immediately assert his authority as captain to suppress them. “The big match is coming! And you’re not taking training seriously? Look at you all—weak as jelly, not a single backbone among you. You want to lose to Lin Jiang? Or do you think Lin Jiang moving to OT means he’s no longer a threat? If you don’t want to fight, then get out of KUG!”
By now, everyone knew Alike was He Gu’s cousin, and they already had their reservations about him. Now, they had to endure his tyrannical temper on top of that.
“Even if you’re Young Master He’s brother, you can’t just—”
Alike shot them a glare, his expression darkening. “I got here through my own strength! If anyone has a problem, go talk to the higher-ups and see who gets kicked out!”
The higher-ups? Everyone knew they all answered to Young Master He anyway.
Everyone was dissatisfied but didn’t dare to argue, all afraid of offending someone and getting blacklisted in the industry.
Back when Lin Jiang was still around…
“I know what you’re all thinking. You miss Lin Jiang, don’t you? Why don’t you use your brains for once and think about why he left? With a bunch of trash like you, I’d want to leave too.”
After spitting out those words, Alike tossed his earphones aside and slammed the table as he stormed off.
He even muttered “Idiots” under his breath.
Once he was gone, the team’s internal conflicts erupted completely. The bot lane duo missed the days when Lin Jiang was still around, while the top laner agreed with Alike’s harsh words.
Both sides were simmering with anger, and the slightest disagreement led to arguments, which escalated into shoving, and then outright fights.
Caught in the middle, Zeng Yuan tried to play peacemaker but ended up getting smacked right on the forehead.
What a disaster this turned into.
Things used to be so peaceful when Lin Jiang was around!
That evening, Zeng Yuan returned to his room, still fuming, and ended up venting to A-Deng.
Lately, A’Deng had been learning a lot from him, and their relationship had grown closer. They often chatted over voice calls in their free time.
“Later, when Alike found out, he punished everyone without even asking for details. Even I, who was just trying to break up the fight, got punished. What kind of nonsense is this? Getting beaten up and losing money on top of it…”
A’Deng asked nervously, “Were you badly hurt?”
Zeng Yuan replied, “Not too bad, but I was scared out of my wits at the time. I was terrified they’d injure their hands. Then we’d all be done for.”
A’Deng hesitated. “Actually, our team that day…”
Zeng Yuan prompted, “What happened?”
A’Deng mumbled, “Well … the captain told us not to talk about it outside.”
Even without him saying it, Zeng Yuan could probably guess.
Resting his head on his arm, Zeng Yuan suddenly recalled past events. “I had a conflict with the top laner before too. We even got into a fight. Lin Jiang stood up for me back then, and he also told us not to let it leak. Thinking back now, different captains really lead to different outcomes. Sigh, enough about that. Did you check out the analysis I sent you today?”
“Yeah, yeah, I did. I think Brother Yuan’s analysis was spot-on. I definitely shouldn’t have gone for that play.”
“Mhm. Your current issue is tempo. Don’t mind me nagging. I can only help you refine it bit by bit, detail by detail.”
“Don’t worry, Brother Yuan, I’ll study hard!”
“Good. Now turn on your computer and pull up that video…”
After two days of intense preparation, the long-awaited grudge match between OT and KUG was finally set to begin.
The matchup had already generated a lot of buzz on its own, and being scheduled during the prime-time 7 PM slot only added fuel to the fire. Even before the game started, the number of viewers in the livestream had already reached unprecedented levels.
On stage, the host had been replaced by the sweet-voiced Sister Weiwei, whose opening words carried the warmth of spring. “We sincerely thank all Summoners for tuning in. Let’s look forward to this exciting match together.”
Even the commentary booth featured the two most authoritative commentators in the industry, who delivered a half-hour analysis before the match began, truly setting up the stage.
The music at the venue also turned intense, and the lighting technician joined in on the fun.
Right from the start, someone joked: “Worthy of being called the Spring Festival Gala of esports.”
Clearly, this wasn’t a playoff match, yet it carried the tension of one—almost as if the loser tonight would be losing the entire Summer Split.
Fans from both sides roared in support, neither willing to back down.
From the sheer momentum of it all, it was clear: even as a dying giant, KUG still dwarfed OT in scale. Despite being scorned all over the internet, their fanbase was still bigger than OT’s.
This gave KUG fans a strong boost of confidence—
[Relax, how could KUG possibly lose to OT? If KUG loses, I’ll mail my head to OT to use as a toilet.]
The KUG fans sat smug and confident, eagerly waiting for the match to begin.
As long as KUG beat OT, all those negative rumors would naturally be resolved, and their reputation fully restored.
Surely the players were just as eager to win!
Alike, indeed, wanted to win—so badly he was about to lose his mind.
He had never cared so much about a match before. Aside from being strict with himself, he also applied that same high standard to the team and his teammates.
Before the game, he checked the equipment and went over the tactics ensure there were no gaps.
Half an hour before the match, he retrieved his phone from the manager and typed rapidly.
[A’Wen: Ge, are you at the venue yet?]
[He Ge: I’ll be there later.]
Alike took a deep breath.
[A’Wen: Ge, you have to come.]
He was determined to beat Lin Jiang down and prove to He Gu that he was stronger than Lin Jiang.
Never had he been so determined.
The soft rustle of turning pages filled the room—that was when Ke Zhiwen first met He Gu.
Sitting quietly at the desk, flipping through a book like a fairytale prince—graceful and refined—He Gu had softly asked him, “Which family are you from?”
When Ke Zhiwen was little, he was quite mischievous. Covered in dirt from playing with a ball, he stood outside the window looking in and said, “I’m A’Wen. Mom brought me to play at your house.”
He Gu hummed indifferently and continued reading without looking up. “Go ahead and play, but be careful not to hit the windows.”
Ke Zhiwen’s first impression of He Gu was excellent.
He adored this elegant older brother and often sought him out to play, bringing small gifts each time.
Though He Gu appeared cold on the surface, he was inherently gentle. He always responded to Ke Zhiwen’s every gesture.
Later, Ke Zhiwen grew up.
He realized his brother wasn’t a prince living in a castle but a rose trapped in a glass bottle—displaying perfection to the outside world while secretly tending to his own wounds, withering in the dead of night.
At that time, Ke Zhiwen truly wished he could grow up faster.
He wanted to help his brother escape his predicament, to do all the things He Gu didn’t dare to do himself.
When He Gu founded his esports club, Ke Zhiwen trained relentlessly.
And when the team faced a crisis, he didn’t hesitate to offer his help.
But to his surprise, the stoic brother he admired broke into a smile and told him, “It’s okay now, someone’s already helping. And he’s a really good person.”
He pulled out his phone and showed a photo of this person—radiant and warm, exactly the kind of person He Gu would be drawn to.
Ke Zhiwen’s first impression of Lin Jiang was nothing short of terrible.
He felt Lin Jiang would steal He Gu’s affection away from him.
Sure enough, He Gu grew increasingly attentive to Lin Jiang while becoming more distant toward Ke Zhiwen. When Ke Zhiwen asked to join the team, He Gu rejected him outright to protect Lin Jiang.
“Didn’t your father plan to send you abroad for studies? You should focus on that.”
Jealousy and resentment festered inside him. The treasure he had worked so hard to uncover was snatched away so easily.
Ke Zhiwen couldn’t tolerate such a thief.
He sought out He Gu’s mother, held her hand, acted coquettishly, and begged for a chance to join the team.
Ke Zhiwen stood just outside the window that day, watching as He Gu lowered his head submissively before his mother, quietly agreeing with a soft “Mm.”
That rose, trapped inside a glass bottle for all to admire, could never escape its fate of being put on display.
Ke Zhiwen suddenly felt a sense of panic.
He reached out to take He Gu’s hand, but the latter coldly avoided him. “A’Wen, if you need anything in the future, come to me directly. My mom’s health isn’t good. Try not to involve her in team matters.”
Cold, distant, his gaze no longer stayed on him; the two could never return to how they were as kids.
Ke Zhiwen longed for the brother he once knew and did everything to mend their bond, but now, He Gu’s heart was firmly closed.
When did it all begin?
It was from the moment Lin Jiang appeared.
He took away He Gu’s attention, took away the limited affection He Gu had to give, and stole the treasure Alike had painstakingly unearthed with his own hands.
Clutching his phone tightly, Alike’s eyes burned with fierce determination.
Today, he had only one enemy: Lin Jiang.
Only by utterly defeating him, replacing him, and destroying him—proving himself hundreds of times stronger—could he finally win back his brother’s attention.
— — — —
