TCWSITD – Chapter 32.1

Chapter 32 has 2 parts; 32.2 will be uploaded tonight at 20:00 EST

— — — —

Chapter 32.1 – The Final Battle

After jotting down a long string of data, Fang Luxing let out a deep breath and looked up, his tone suddenly serious. “There are only two matches left in the regular season. The good news is that we’ve secured a spot in the playoffs—either in third or fourth place. The bad news is that our next two opponents are YIG and SNG.”

Both teams were stronger than OT—at least on paper, and maybe even in reality.

“If we win one match, we’ll rank third. If we lose both, we’ll be fourth.”

As Fang Luxing spoke, he drew another line to clearly show the difference between third and fourth place. “Fourth place puts us in the upper bracket, facing TG in the semifinals. Our odds of beating them are zero, and we can only get 40 points at most. To make Worlds, we’d have to start from the very bottom of the regional qualifiers.”

“But if we come in third, we’ll face YIG in the semifinals and still have a shot at the finals. That would mean we could directly qualify for Worlds as the second seed.”

Song Zhixu’s jaw dropped. “Whoa, seriously? OT as the second seed? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Zhou Wen reminded him, “This is just hypothetical—the best-case scenario. Of course, we might also end up in the qualifiers and lose, missing Worlds entirely.”

That possibility wasn’t out of the question either.

Lin Jiang picked up a pen and roughly calculated each team’s points.

Even with 40 points, they’d be in the losers’ bracket of the qualifiers. They need to win two consecutive BO5s to make it to Worlds[mfn]Basically, they will have smoother journey if they won the Summer Split championship. If they lost and placed 4th, they will have to compete with other 3 teams for the 3rd and 4th spots for Worlds. I explained the details at the Translation Notes at the end of this chapter for those who are interested to read.[/mfn].

“No,” Lin Jiang suddenly sat up straight. “We absolutely cannot end up in fourth place.”

He now had a psychological shadow when it came to the qualifiers, afraid some lunatic might suddenly smash a cup on his head.

Under Lin Jiang’s strong insistence, the entire OT team embarked on a brutal training regimen.

“Everyone must be present before 10 AM everyday. Latecomers will be fined. Mornings are for team coordination drills, afternoons are for 5v5 scrims, and evenings are for reviews and patching up weaknesses. No one’s allowed back to their rooms before 11.”

Song Zhixu raised his hand. “Captain, what if we can’t schedule any training matches?”

“If you can’t, I’ll get them myself.” Lin Jiang flipped open his notebook. “Song Zhixu, our lane training’s getting an upgrade. You’ll use only the champions I assign—no pouting, no playing cute, and definitely no begging for mercy.”

Song Zhixu immediately knelt in surrender, “Captain, please save me some face…”

The rest of the team burst into laughter: “Hahahahahaha—”

“A’Deng, your training results have been pretty good lately, but your champion proficiency still isn’t quite there. Step up your practice, and if there’s anything you need help with, let me know anytime.”

A’Deng nodded. “Yes, Captain. I’ve been practicing the ones you mentioned diligently.”

“Good. Shen Ju, you’ve been performing well recently. Keep it up.”

Shen Ju nodded obediently, and Lin Jiang’s gaze moved past him to the next person.

“Zhou Wen, you still need to work on your synergy with Shen Ju. I believe you two can perform even better together.”

Finally, Lin Jiang closed his notebook and looked at Lai En’s round little face. “Lastly, Ryan.”

“Ah?” Ryan blinked, a little confused as she stood up. “Captain, uh… what am I supposed to work on?”

Lin Jiang cleared his throat. “Last time, when you didn’t accompany us to the match because you had to go to school, they said they were a little disappointed they didn’t get the milk tea you usually buy. So, if you can, try to come with us for the next two matches.”

Ryan was so moved at finally being needed that she nearly cried. She immediately stood at attention and saluted. “Roger that!”

Laughter broke out again in the room.

Duren cleared his throat, signaling everyone to rein it in. “Play these matches seriously. I’ve already applied for the Worlds bonus. Whether you actually get it… depends on you.”

At the mention of the bonus, Song Zhixu’s eyes lit up. “How much, Old Du? Come on, tell us!”

Duren didn’t say a word—just held up six fingers.

Song Zhixu looked disappointed. “6,000?”

Old Du shook his head.

Song Zhixu gasped. “It can’t be 60,000, right?”

Duren shook his head again, then leaned in with a whisper. “Six figures.”

Song Zhixu nearly fainted from excitement, scrambling to his feet. “I’m going to train!”

Lin Jiang suddenly realized—all the encouragement he’d been giving Song Zhixu every day wasn’t nearly as effective as a single mention of a cash bonus.

He paused, pen frozen mid-note. “Is Song Zhixu’s family having money problems?”

Old Du lowered his voice. “They weren’t originally, but he has younger siblings still in school. They’ll need financial support.”

Lin Jiang remembered that Song Zhixu’s base salary was already at 20,000-yuan, and rural middle schools were quite affordable. “What kind of school costs that much?”

Duren sighed. “His family is trying to keep up appearances beyond their means, insisting on sending them to an elite academy. The tuition alone starts at 100,000-yuan a year. They’re spending money like water.”

Lin Jiang stopped in his tracks, thinking he must have heard wrong. “Why would an ordinary family send their kids to an elite academy?”

Duren hinted, “His younger siblings don’t share the same mother as him.”

Lin Jiang blinked, still not getting it.

Duren leaned in with a sigh. “His mom died in a car accident. His younger siblings are from his stepmother. That stepmom’s something else—she drained all the compensation money from his mother’s death, and now she’s basically leeching off him. Every day, she finds new ways to make him send money home. Look at the siblings—elite academy, designer clothes. And look at him—he’s 20-years old already and hasn’t even saved enough to buy a car.”

So the reason Song Zhixu was always eating instant noodles… was because his half-siblings were off at elite academy, dressed in designer-brand clothes?

A wave of discomfort rose in Lin Jiang’s chest.

Doesn’t he feel wronged that his family treats him like this?

Or maybe… he had felt wronged before, but no one cared, and over time, he just stopped feeling the need to be upset.

Lin Jiang shut his notebook, his thoughts scattered.

While grabbing a coffee, he happened to overhear Song Zhixu on the balcony, speaking on the phone.

The door wasn’t fully closed. Through the crack, he could faintly hear Song Zhixu’s helpless voice. “Didn’t I just send you money? How is it not enough again… I know school expenses are high, but not this high, right? When I was in high school, you only gave me 300-yuan a month…”

His mother’s shrill voice came through the phone. “Song Zhixu, just because you’re a failure doesn’t mean you want your siblings to end up like you!”

Song Zhixu suddenly fell silent. He gripped his phone and stared outside, tilting his head back to keep the tears from falling.

The accusations on the call continued—old grievances being dredged up again. Song Zhixu steadied himself and replied, “I’ll send another 2,000-yuan. I really don’t have a single cent left.”

Still, the voice on the other end wouldn’t let up—crying, accusing, making a scene. It wasn’t until they were absolutely sure he had nothing left to give that they finally hung up.

The coffee machine beeped, signaling it was done.

Lin Jiang reached for the coffee and accidentally burned his finger on the cup.

Song Zhixu opened the balcony door and froze when he saw him. He looked a little awkward. “Uh… Captain, you didn’t hear anything just now… did you?”

Lin Jiang smiled. “No, I was just getting coffee.”

Song Zhixu’s eyes lit up. “Two cups? Can I have one?”

Lin Jiang nodded. “Of course.”

After just a cup of coffee, Song Zhixu’s mood bounced right back. He slid into his seat, rolled up his sleeves, and threw himself into training with fresh energy.

Lin Jiang looked at the coffee in his hand—it had already gone cold.

He was beginning to understand why Song Zhixu always acted so loud, so chaotic. When your whole life felt like that… it was probably the only way not to fall apart.

After two days of grueling training, the match against YIG finally arrived.

This match wouldn’t affect either team’s rankings—it was mainly about gauging the skill gap between the two teams, with both sides testing the waters.

In the first game, OT opted for a fast-paced offense, only to be completely dismantled by YIG’s full-map strategy.

For the second game, Lin Jiang played it smart and deliberately switched to a late-game composition with the last pick. YIG fell for the bait and OT dragged the match into the late-game, forcing a victory.

In the third game, YIG stopped holding back and secured a solid win with a well-rounded lineup.

OT’s loss was expected, bringing the overall score to 13-2, with no impact on either team’s ranking.

Next up was the crucial battle against SNG.

SNG was currently at 12-3. If they defeated OT, both teams would end up at 13-3. But because they had the upper hand in their direct matchup, SNG would rank above OT.

In other words, the winner would take third place, while the loser would drop to fourth.

Both teams were fiercely determined to win this match.

Duren sighed helplessly. “SNG scheduled training matches with YIG and TG, while we only managed to secure one with WG. The difference in training intensity is pretty big. The rest depends on you all.”

TG, YIG, and SNG—the trio of top-tier teams—had joined forces, which was why their strength had improved so rapidly this year.

But there are also disadvantages to always playing against strong teams…

Lin Jiang set down his pen—the strategy was beginning to take shape.

Fang Luxing, who had a background in data analysis, brightened up after reviewing it. “That’s a solid idea, really solid!”

“Then let’s boldly move forward with this plan.”

After intense preparations, both teams finally faced off in the regular season’s final match.

This game would determine playoff matchups, and fans from all sides crowded the official livestream.

Most viewers generally believed the three powerhouse teams were slightly stronger than OT, so fans on both sides hoped SNG wouldn’t end up in the same playoff bracket as their favorite team.

The chat exploded with all kinds of messages, everyone hoping for their favorite team to take the win.

Old Mao was also streaming the match, sipping his tea. “It’s the last match of the regular season—of course viewership is high. I obviously want OT to win, but honestly, SNG is stronger than OT.”

“Why? Isn’t it obvious? Just look at the resources these two teams have. They’re not even on the same level. SNG spent the entire Summer Split having training matches against teams like TG and YIG, while OT could barely secure matches with WG—and even that was only because of Lin Jiang’s connections.”

“There’s nothing we can do, man. You think OT’s manager isn’t stressed? Team resources are like this. It’s not something that can be changed overnight.”

“But honestly, OT’s manager is already doing a decent job. Just signing Lin Jiang puts him leagues ahead of KUG’s manager.”

This subtle jab had fans spamming “666[mfn]666 – internet slang for “awesome” or “well done”; Very common in Chinese gaming culture, praising skill or cool plays.[/mfn]” in the chat, thinking he was talking about OT when he was actually taking another dig at KUG.

Well, they kind of had it coming.

Rumor had it that after KUG fired their manager, he was blacklisted as a “person with a history of major mishap” and forced out of the industry entirely.

At the same time, Ah Cai was also streaming this match in his own livestream room.

He was a veteran from the old SNG team. After getting into a fight with Shen Ju, he started livestreaming, occasionally piggybacking on SNG matches to milk some fan benefits. Now, he was doing quite well for himself.

He opened his stream and saw Shen Ju on the opposing side. He immediately started throwing sarcastic remarks. “What’s wrong? Scared of acting out now that Lin Jiang is the mid laner? Afraid of getting flamed by fans? A coward who only bullies the weak.”

The live chat erupted in laughter. Many of them were Shen Ju’s anti-fans, supporting Ah Cai simply because “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Seeing the chat reactions, Ah Cai got even more fired up. “Just wait. This Dog Shen can’t keep up the act for long. He’ll slip up sooner or later. This match against SNG? I don’t believe he won’t lose his temper.”

Years ago, Shen Ju had been kicked out of the old SNG and even got suspended for half a year—it was safe to say no goodwill was left for him.

Over the years, Ah Cai had constantly hyped up the feud between Shen Ju and the old SNG team, stirring up strong resentment among SNG’s fans toward Shen Ju.

[Dog Shen is just pretending to be well-behaved.]

[Just wait, he’ll show his true colors eventually.]

In reality, Shen Ju held no particular grudge against SNG. After all, the new SNG wasn’t the same as the old one—most of the personnel had changed, and even the capital behind it was different.

He went about his usual routine, setting up his equipment before heading on stage. Only when he saw SNG’s coach did he realize the man looked familiar. He had once been part of the old SNG, too.

Lin Jiang asked him, “You know that coach?”

Shen Ju gave a quiet nod. “He taught me a lot.”

Lin Jiang had thought no one could offer Shen Ju guidance in this field, but it turned out someone had.

His eyes flicked to the coach—glasses, average height, nothing flashy about him—but he stayed alert.

Anyone who could elevate SNG to such heights was undoubtedly formidable.

He put on his headphones, ready to dive into the game.

SNG didn’t ban a single mid laner. Instead, they banned Shen Ju’s Lucian and Kai’Sa, along with A’Deng’s Nocturne.

Banning ADs made sense—they wanted to weaken Shen Ju.

But why ban A’Deng’s Nocturne?

This round, SNG was on the blue side and first-picked Galio.

When it was OT’s turn, Fang Luxing asked over comms, “Can we take Ornn and an AD first?”

Lin Jiang replied, “Sure.”

Ornn was locked in. Given the enemy’s Galio, they opted for Xayah as their AD for her ultimate’s life-saving ability.

Shen Ju and Zhou Wen’s Xayah-Rakan combo was terrifying, so SNG had to break it up.

Yet, with their second pick, SNG unexpectedly went for Jarvan IV in the jungle and K’Sante in the top lane.

No Rakan, and no AD for bot lane?

What exactly were they planning?

OT secured Rakan, and both sides moved into the second round of bans.

Fang Luxing speculated, “Banning Nocturne probably means they’re planning to heavily target mid. Lin Jiang, be careful.”

Was that it?

Suddenly, SNG revealed their picks: Aphelios and Alistar.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Jiang suddenly understood, “Their strategy in this game is focused on the bot lane!”

Aphelios is an AD who is extremely weak in the early-game, but once it reaches the late-game, he can unleash devastating, explosive damage in team fights.

The mid-jungle combo of Galio and Jarvan isn’t targeting Lin Jiang—they’re aiming to heavily pressure the bot lane! They want to raise Aphelios!

They weren’t even planning to lane against him!

Lin Jiang sucked in a breath—he felt outmaneuvered, like he’d just been tricked.

Almost every team had been targeting Lin Jiang or their mid-jungle duo.

But Lin Jiang’s performance was too good, so targeting him was useless; thus SNG’s coach played a feint!

This coach definitely had some tricks up his sleeve.

Lin Jiang felt his competitive spirit ignite.

Without hesitation, he made his pick for the last counter position. “Take Vladimir.”

Like Aphelios, Vladimir is incredibly weak in the early-game but monstrously strong in late-game, making him unafraid of a scaling game.

And his W—the Sanguine Pool—lets him melt into a pool of blood, untargetable and ready to obliterate SNG’s fragile backline.

As long as Lin Jiang could farm up, Aphelios was done for.

This Vladimir pick caught everyone off guard.

SNG had tried to avoid Lin Jiang and push the game into the late-game, but Lin Jiang countered by locking in Vladimir, reversing the lineup.

Now it was SNG’s turn to fall into deep thought.

Was Lin Jiang forcing them to gank mid?

The commentators on stage were stunned when they saw Vladimir. “river actually dares to pick Vladimir against Jarvan IV and Galio? Isn’t this just asking to be countered?”

Against such a dominant mid-jungle duo, picking an early-game weakling like Vladimir seemed like volunteering to be a sacrificial lamb.

Could there really be a mid laner willing to sacrifice himself for the team like this?

— — — —

Translation Notes:

For those who are confused or have no esports tournament knowledge like me, basically there are two seasons in LPL:  Spring and Summer Split.
I explained the differences between first, second, third seed, and fourth seed of LPL:

First Seed – Summer Split Champion (automatically qualifies to Worlds)
Second Seed – the team with the most combined championship points, a points system which is assigned to teams based on their final ranking, between Summer and Spring Splits.
Third Seed & Fourth Seed – winners of the Regional Qualifiers

Regional Qualifiers – top 4 teams with most championship points (excl. first and second seed)
First Match – 1st vs 2nd; winner qualifies as third seed; loser will compete with the winner of Second Match
Second Match – 3rd vs 4th; winner will compete with the winner of First Match; loser will not qualify for Worlds Play-In
Third Match – Winners of First Match vs Second Match; winner qualifies as fourth seed; loser will not qualify for Worlds Play-In

Third and Fourth Seed will start in Worlds Play-In with other wildcard teams and third/fourth seeds to qualify for the Main Event
First and Second Seed will wait for the result of Worlds Play-In before starting in Worlds Play-Offs (Main Event)