Chapter 6: Brother, Help Me Out

At that moment, Tianye caught up and, seeing his AD lingering near the second tower, warned, “Watch out for the brush at F6.” Just as he was about to place a ward, SofM suddenly emerged from the F6 bush, closing the distance stealthily and launching a close-range Sonic Wave.

With a Flash available, a Q followed by a spinning kick into the second tower would surely kill Ashe. However, Lin Ruo also had Flash and could easily sacrifice a skill to evade, eliminating the risk of being kicked.

Surprisingly, instead of quickly pressing the D key, Lin Ruo chose to show off with slippery footwork, dancing on the edge of danger. Ashe’s graceful figure twisted elegantly as the Sonic Wave narrowly brushed past during her slide, dazzling everyone who watched.

“No way, she dodged that too? What kind of reactions are these? Damn it, I’m playing against a cow,” muttered Zitai, feeling dizzy under the tower. Originally intending to coordinate with the jungler to secure a big bounty, now it was clearly wishful thinking.

SofM cursed rapidly in Vietnamese, entertaining himself amidst the confusion. Such scenes had already played out numerous times in custom matches.

The entire Snake team’s morale was shattered; only the top laner, Sacred Spear’s Titan, was developing normally, having received several gifts from SofM and thus keeping up in equipment level.

Just as he tried to comfort his teammates, the AD was the first to quit the game, followed quickly by the support and jungler—all of them logging out.

“What’s the point? I’m done,” Zitai typed “GG” and exited as well.

Sacred Spear was still processing when EDG also called GG, with everyone leaving the game.

No one plays for a comeback in scrims; usually, one side concedes at the first sign of disadvantage. In an instant, the vast Summoner’s Rift was left with only Titan’s lonely silhouette.

“No, I haven’t even gotten into the game yet.”

This scrim ended in under twenty minutes, Snake’s team shattered and routed before the elegant tower.

All of it inevitably stemmed from the disastrous bottom lane matchup.

Coach Zhu Kai wore a blank expression, thinking he’d have to prepare a big pot of chicken soup later to help the players adjust emotionally. Fortunately, that was his specialty.

“Nice play.” In the EDG training room, the game just ended and Abu, who had watched the entire match, eagerly came forward to show off his skills.

This time, he had truly found a treasure.

Although the opposing bottom lane was somewhat arrogant, it did not diminish Lin Ruo’s flawless performance this round.

His lane control and positioning, as well as coordination with Tianye, were excellent—no need for practice.

After gaining the advantage, the mid and bottom lanes roamed cleverly to catch enemies, showing surprisingly quick reactions, especially with Ashe’s ultimate, which seemed like it had a built-in tracker.

The only downside was his overly aggressive, reckless style—there were multiple heart-stopping close calls, as if he didn’t regard the opposing team as human.

In real professional matches, such risks would easily be punished.

Nonetheless, Abu’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Strong skills, play well in the Spring Split.”

Ming Kai felt reassured; the skill was evident, and he faintly saw the shadow of the great Deft in Lin Ruo.

“Wow, did he curse me out yesterday? No, he didn’t.”

Scout adjusted his glasses. His performance this game wasn’t outstanding; the game ended abruptly while he was pushing lanes.

But he could clearly feel the new AD’s immense pressure, standing even further forward than him.

Mouse experienced another uncomfortable victory day.

“Don’t be too aggressive in teamfights; be careful not to die suddenly,” Tianye cautioned. The ranked-game mentality had seeped into scrims—and seemed even worse.

...

“Hey, boss, I found a great AD.”

“Hey, is this the Korean manager? Change the contract terms—no need for Zet anymore; we have a new generation domestic AD ready to replace Deft.”

“What? Worried Nofe won’t agree? No worries, I’ll send over the replay. Once he watches it, he’ll understand.”

Why bother with a bicycle when you have a motorcycle?

Abu hung up. The club already had the promising trainee iboy; now with the addition of the talented seventeen-year-old Lin Ruo, the AD position was more than full—no need to squeeze in more players.

As for Scout in mid lane, Abu was completely confident and had no need for a Korean mid-laner substitute like Zet.

Returning from the hallway, club manager Xiao Tie emerged from his office.

“Manager Bu, this kid’s demands are a bit excessive.”

Abu’s expression darkened abruptly. “What did he ask for? Sky-high prices or what?”

Xiao Tie shook his head, puzzled. “No, he just said he doesn’t want too many restrictions on playing other games.”

Abu stomped his foot, nearly forgetting this kid’s less-than-professional attitude. He decided to talk to him personally.

That night, Lin Ruo resumed his Overwatch rampage.

Tianye sat beside him, puzzled and unable to understand how strict Abu could, for once, agree to let someone play other games freely in the club.

He had expected harsh correction upon joining the club...

“It’s probably because the Spring Split hasn’t started yet. Once it begins in a few days, Abu definitely won’t allow this,” Tianye thought, just as a hearty laugh came from beside him.

Lin Ruo invited him, “Tianye, want to play? I’ll carry you.”

Tianye shook his head, “No thanks, you’d better go play with girls.”

“I’m carrying girls right now.”

Tianye: ...

As darkness fell, EDG’s new jungler, Ai Loli, slowly returned to the club after running errands. Upon entering the training room, he stared awkwardly toward a corner.

“When did the club open an Overwatch division?” Ai Loli scratched his head in surprise.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and then stepped forward behind a chair to watch the gameplay on screen. It was sharp and lightning-fast—his shock swiftly peaked.

This guy plays so well, on par with professional standards.

Which LoL pro could perform at an Overwatch pro level?

Thus, Ai Loli firmly believed this player was an Overwatch pro, even though he was currently sitting in the LoL training room.

EDG, a well-known esports club, pioneering an Overwatch team was not unbelievable.

After all, since Overwatch’s release in May, it exploded worldwide in just half a year, sweeping the domestic market and steadily gaining game share.

Starting a professional league had immense potential.

“Bro, you play Soldier: 76 so well. When you have time, carry me; I also play Overwatch.” Ai Loli casually greeted to strike up a conversation.

He had recently become obsessed with Overwatch himself.

Lin Ruo glanced over, smiled, and said, “No time like the present. Let’s queue up and I’ll carry you to a slaughter.”

Ai Loli’s excitement stirred.

Nearby, Tianye snorted coldly, “Do you want to get kicked out of the club?”

EDG was famous for strict discipline. Though it was the off-season, the start of competition was near, and showing off was clearly unwise.

Moreover, as the newly promoted Spring Split starter, Ai Loli needed to prove he was worthy of being the successor to Coach Factory. The pressure was enormous.

“Ahem, I’ll focus on climbing ranks first,” Ai Loli finally restrained his urge, prioritizing survival.

...