Jiang Nan’an wasn’t too surprised by Yan Jie’s words. He only asked:
“Why do you think I can handle this position?”
Yan Jie made a fist and lightly bumped his own shoulder: “It must be because of trust!”
Jiang Nan’an wasn’t moved by this trust: “Your trust seems a bit deaf and blind.”
“I don’t think so.” Yan Jie curved his lips:
“Listen to little Spring’s analysis. First, with your team’s configuration, there’s no one who can fill the top lane position, so your Class B top laner definitely can’t be moved. Among the remaining people, who else can practice jungle? The primary goal for those two from Class C is to play their own positions well. It’s too much to ask them to learn a new position. So the only options left are you and the mid lane sister.”
Jiang Nan’an quietly listened to his analysis, nodding: “And then?”
“I feel like, if we’re doing a Tian Ji horse race strategy, putting our strongest player to dominate one position gives us a chance to win, but it’s risky. And to be honest, I’ve watched that girl’s matches. One reason I think you switching to jungle makes more sense than her is that you like playing assassins, while she prefers utility champions, and plays them quite well.”
Yan Jie casually tossed the half-smoked cigarette into the trash can, dusted off his hands, and said:
“The jungle position is difficult in some ways, but simple in others. Once you’re familiar with the champions and the canyon beneath your feet, having clear thinking and knowing what to do when is enough-at least for the small-scale matches here. Our Mr. Hang is so smart, so calm, so skilled with mechanics, mere jungle won’t stump you. Actually, I think you’re really suited for jungle. Didn’t you consider it when you first started playing? Why have you always played mid lane?”
The evening breeze passed by, and Jiang Nan’an slightly narrowed his eyes, answering:
“I once acted in a drama about Blazing Holy Grail esports. The character I played was a mid laner on the team.”
“Oh-” Yan Jie understood: “So you played mid to understand the character? What about Siren? Did you master her because that character used her often?”
Jiang Nan’an was silent for a moment, then shook his head slightly.
“Then why?” Yan Jie tilted his head with interest, looking at him.
Jiang Nan’an met his gaze: “You ask too many questions.”
“I’m curious. Teacher, enlighten little Spring.” Yan Jie smiled, showing his pointed canine tooth on the side.
“…” Jiang Nan’an seemed to hesitate slightly before saying:
“Because of her voice lines.”
“Which one?”
“It’s too chuunibyou, I don’t want to recite it.”
“Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know.”
“It’s precisely because you know that there’s a big problem.”
“Wow, what a thing to say. Who are we to each other?”
“We’re just captain and teaching assistant, Mr. Spring. Don’t overstep.”
“Okay, okay, fine. Let me guess… Oh, is it that line?”
With that, Yan Jie suddenly straightened up, manipulating his stiff limbs to mimic Siren’s seductive pose from one of her skin posters, while reading in a carefully affected voice:
“Traveler of the waves, perish in my song!”
He even added his own flair, turning to cast a flirtatious glance at Jiang Nan’an.
“…” Perhaps shocked, Jiang Nan’an instinctively took two steps back.
After a moment, he slightly turned his head, and judging by the curve of his lips, he seemed to have let out a small laugh.
“Oh, finally a smile?” Yan Jie put away his exaggerated posture and looked at Jiang Nan’an with curved eyes.
“No.” Jiang Nan’an pushed him away and entered the training room: “I’m professionally trained. I don’t laugh easily.”
“Really? When I first came in and you shook my hand, you smiled at me so beautifully, I nearly lost my soul.” Yan Jie, ever playful, followed Jiang Nan’an, seizing every opportunity to tease him:
“I get it, you were so happy to see me come in that you couldn’t contain yourself, right? Ah, I understand. It’s all because of my charm.”
Jiang Nan’an took a deep breath, applauded him with evident admiration:
“Go find a Rolls-Royce, break off the hood ornament, and stand there yourself. You’re gilding yourself so much, don’t waste it.”
–
The show’s competition format was inhuman, with extremely tight scheduling. Each week had one round of points matches, with each team playing four BO1 matches per round, for a total of six rounds. That meant twenty-four BO1 matches would determine which of the twenty-five contestants from five teams would stay or leave. Yet the training time allowed was pitifully small-only three afternoons per week for team training. With the first round of points matches approaching, all five hastily formed teams were working overtime to practice tactics and coordination, and Jiang Nan’an’s Team Four was no exception.
Yan Jie, that old social butterfly, had secretly scouted the other four teams and returned with unfortunate news for Jiang Nan’an-objectively speaking, their Team Four was likely the weakest of the five temporary teams.
The five A-lower rated players already had skill gaps between them, with only Suave Bro matching Jiang Nan’an. But Suave Bro had a bit more luck than Jiang Nan’an-his team of five somehow had no position conflicts, and three team members (mid, jungle, and ADC) were longtime friends, making their coordination much smoother.
In contrast, their Team Four was completely disjointed, with coordination full of holes and a bleak future ahead.
This state was unacceptable for competition, so Jiang Nan’an had no choice but to schedule extra practice on Saturday, training from morning till night, though the results were still disappointing.
Another training match ended in crushing defeat. Jiang Nan’an looked at the dark sky outside the training room through his non-prescription glasses, removed his headphones, and said:
“Let’s stop here for today. Everyone go rest, and good luck in tomorrow’s official match.”
“Yay! Thanks for your hard work, Brother!” Fire was the first to jump from his seat, stretching his arms wide.
Jiang Nan’an glanced at him: “Fire?”
“What is it, Brother?” Fire was startled at being suddenly called out.
“Why were you thirty-five minutes late this morning?”
Fire seemed to have forgotten about it, scratching his head before answering: “Oh… I woke up late. Sorry about that, Brother.”
Jiang Nan’an nodded: “You were also thirteen minutes late in the afternoon.”
“Uh… that time my stomach wasn’t feeling well, so I spent a bit longer in the bathroom.”
“After the second game this afternoon, you left the training room, making your teammates wait twenty-four minutes?”
“…We got destroyed in that game, and I was feeling a bit emo, so I went out for a smoke. Sorry for troubling you brothers and sisters.”
Jiang Nan’an didn’t say anything more, and seeing this, the other teammates remained silent too.
Yan Jie was leaning in his gaming chair, originally reading a newspaper. Hearing this, he quietly lowered the paper to peek at Fire, then at Jiang Nan’an.
“It’s fine,” Jiang Nan’an frowned slightly, then said:
“Just don’t be late for tomorrow’s match. If you have time tonight, practice your champion more, and work on your last-hitting.”
“Got it, Brother!” Fire didn’t see any trace of anger on Jiang Nan’an’s face, felt relieved, and happily left with his jacket. The other team members also gradually left the training room, leaving only Jiang Nan’an leaning back in his gaming chair, staring at the big “DEFEAT” on the screen.
Afterward, he sighed very lightly, adjusted his chair, exited the game room, switched accounts, and directly entered the solo queue.
“Still practicing?” A voice suddenly cut in from the side as Yan Jie pulled out the chair next to Jiang Nan’an and sat down.
“Yes, the match is tomorrow,” Jiang Nan’an took off his glasses and casually set them aside.
“Why wasn’t Mr. Hang a bit harsher just now? I could tell that kid is too playful, his mind isn’t on the game at all. Playing ADC like he’s sleepwalking, not listening to instructions, easily tilting, missing an entire wave of minions. If you had used even 30% of the sharpness you use when chatting with me to say a few words to him, he’d be feeling guilty all night and staying in the training room. Being so gentle like this, do you think he actually took your words to heart? Will he come practice more tonight?”
Yan Jie propped his head up, looking at Jiang Nan’an’s profile, faintly illuminated by the computer screen’s glow.
Jiang Nan’an didn’t even lift his eyelids, his tone flat:
“Whether he listens or not makes no difference, whether he practices or not has nothing to do with me. As a captain, I’ve said what needed to be said. Being any harsher would break my persona.”
“Oh, so rigorous?” Yan Jie smiled, but didn’t say anything more, just casually turned on the computer in front of him.
Jiang Nan’an had already entered the BP phase. He banned a random hero, then spared a glance at Yan Jie: “You’re not leaving?”
“Not leaving,” Yan Jie stretched lazily:
“I’m the teaching assistant, of course I’ll stay as long as my little captain practices.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Nan’an’s computer screen:
“You can pick Siren this game.”
“I’m playing jungle,” Jiang Nan’an emphasized.
“That works, Siren jungle, give it a try.”
“?” Jiang Nan’an looked at Yan Jie uncertainly, seemingly trying to determine if he was serious or joking.
Yan Jie was amused by his look:
“I’m not teasing you. Theoretically, Siren can jungle-she has mobility and burst damage, why couldn’t she jungle? Just pick her and be done with it.”
Jiang Nan’an stared at the computer half-skeptically, but ultimately locked in Siren in the last second of the champion selection countdown, switching his summoner spell to Smite.
“You can try for a level one teamfight at the start. If you win, try invading their jungle. If you lose, it’s fine too-coordinate well with your mid laner to have them support you, create a mid-jungle synergy. Take down the big monsters when you can in the early game. This team composition can’t drag to late game, so if you get an early advantage, just go all in.”
Yan Jie gave a few simple instructions, watching as Jiang Nan’an entered the game and finished the level one teamfight, then nodded:
“Right, play like that. Take it seriously, Mr. Hang, and be careful in the enemy jungle. Don’t get distracted-bad guys can jump out of the darkness at any moment to take your life. When I’m not around, please take good care of yourself!”
Jiang Nan’an’s brow twitched: “…Shut up.”
“Okay, okay.” Yan Jie agreed verbally while putting his hand on the mouse and opening the browser on the desktop.
He glanced at Jiang Nan’an again, saw that Teacher Xiao Shan was indeed seriously farming the jungle and had no attention to spare for other matters, then clicked on the search box, raised his eyebrows in good spirits, and boldly typed in Teacher Xiao Shan’s full name in the search engine.
【You may be searching for: Jiang Nan’an personal information [Baidu Encyclopedia]】
Click confirm.
Let’s see what this is all about.
—
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
![After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Your-paragraph-text-1.png "After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]")
