[Esports] I Started an Online Romance with a Big Shot After Retiring Chapter 89

Chapter 89

FTK being crushed in the quarterfinals was something no one expected.

Shen Yanjin dug out the quarterfinal match videos to watch. Completely contrary to his expectations, in these few matches, FTK’s Top, Mid, Jungle, and Support all performed excellently and stably. The problem… was actually Peace.

Peace had only played for two seasons; he was a veritable rookie. Because of this, his reputation online became extremely poor. Almost everyone was blaming him, saying he was the one who dragged FTK down.

Shen Yanjin, however, could clearly see that his condition wasn’t right.

In the professional arena, many unexpected situations could occur.

Cold, hot, headache, feeling unwell…

In the end, those playing the matches were humans, not machines. Since they were human, they would inevitably be affected by all sorts of messy things.

Therefore, overcoming these situations was also a required course for professional players.

After all, competition was cruel, and the audience was harsh. Since you stood on the stage, you had to try hard to turn yourself into a machine.

Winning and losing were ruthless.

The video finally froze on the surprised expressions of the SYG members and the back view of FTK weeping with heads lowered.

Having played matches for so long, winning and losing… Shen Yanjin had seen too much. But seeing this scene, he still inevitably felt some emotion.

Moreover, it wasn’t just because FTK gave them opportunities; SYG had also improved a lot. It simply didn’t look like the state a newly formed team could produce.

Especially their Jungler…

Watching the previous matches, he had actually started to order dishes from other teams’ Junglers [dominate them], running wild in their jungle.

FTK’s Jungler wasn’t weak, yet he was forcefully suppressed by SYG.

There were simply too many genius youths in this generation. Those with results might stay, but those without would immediately be bought by big-name teams. If their condition was good enough, they would replace the original players in that position to let the team reach a higher place.

Esports was just such a cruel profession with extremely fast personnel rotation. With the slightest carelessness, one would be kicked out immediately.

The next day, the match took place at TWG’s home venue.

For the semi-final match (4-into-2), KW still had a way out [resurrection bracket], so the whole team went into battle with light packs.

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Regarding BP (Ban/Pick), Mao Qiude mentioned a few key data points and characters commonly used by SYG in the lounge, then left it to them to decide.

In the audience, the cheering for SYG was quite loud.

Kai adjusted his headset: “Who could have thought SYG is a new team that just joined the league this year? This is too damn fierce.”

“Newcomers, full of drive.” Song Yuan unhurriedly selected his favorite top lane Sword Immortal for split pushing. “I’ll carry this game.”

Kai stopped him: “Don’t! Pick me the Time Traveler first! You slacked off every day in the preseason; waiting to take the blame for carrying in the playoffs, huh?”

Song Yuan said, “Did the preseason need me to carry? Haven’t you heard that the truth is revealed in the playoffs? My girlfriend is at the scene today.”

Kai: “Damn, that excuse.”

“Alright, you take it.” Duan Mingyue nodded. In the first game of a BO5, the most important thing was to adjust their mentality. Besides, a new team like SYG had less experience. Playing macro and split push against them was a safe bet.

Tans didn’t care either. Ever since the Jungle-Support meta arrived, his bottom lane was lonely farming, quiet and peaceful, very healthy living. With nothing to do, thinking about how to get himself fed was the reality; he was too lazy to care about other lanes, nor could he.

Duan Mingyue took a Marksman Jungler, while Kai and Shen Yanjin both took support-type characters to protect Song Yuan split pushing in the side lane.

The macro play was mainly commanded by Duan Mingyue. RedMoon’s tactic was: don’t fight, run, purely play for containment and stealing economy. Once the operation started, it was disgusting.

When you looked at it from the perspective of being disgusted, you might feel very uncomfortable and painful.

But when you looked at it from the perspective of the one doing the disgusting—

“Retreat, retreat, retreat.” Kai opened a portal but didn’t enter, laughing as he ran back. “I placed a fake gate; they’re probably ambushing there.”

Duan Mingyue stole a small jungle camp on the edge of SYG’s vision and retreated unhurriedly. “Circle, can you take the tier 2 tower bot?”

“OK OK.” Song Yuan bought full split-push items, melting towers upon sight and regenerating health quickly. The SYG top laner was slightly inferior, so he didn’t treat the opponent like a person. He started with a support item, and since KW intentionally fed him, funneling resources from all lanes, he was now filthy rich.

Easily using displacement to dodge the opponent’s pursuit, Song Yuan demolished the tier 2 tower, drifted lightly into the enemy jungle, and started eating jungle camps.

His equipment lead was too big, and with teammates helping him create distractions and support, it couldn’t be more comfortable.

On the other hand, SYG was forced into a chaotic rhythm by Duan Mingyue’s watertight macro play. Shen Yanjin, whose playstyle was originally aggressive and criticized by commentators as “no one can control him,” also honestly followed behind the team. He didn’t make a single messy move, giving SYG absolutely no chance.

“Giving SYG no chance” was meant literally. Not only did he not become a breach point, but every time SYG wanted to turn back to catch Song Yuan, they would be unhurriedly hit by his slow controls and counter-engaged, followed by endless kiting.

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The official livestream bullet comments exploded, one after another expressing that if they met a support playing like this in ranked, their mentality would truly explode, and they would click surrender directly at fifteen minutes.

However, SYG’s Mid and Jungle were indeed smart. In the late game, they slowly found their rhythm again. But alas, Song Yuan had already been fed into a monster; even three people found it hard to catch and kill him.

Taking down the nexus towers, at this point, the nature of the tower defense game changed.

In the final desperate team fight, SYG fought to the death to take Baron. However, Kai’s final teleport directly sent Song Yuan and Duan Mingyue—the two fattest points—into the SYG base. The SYG members were caught off guard. The crystal shattered. Score 1-0.

Back in the lounge, Kai patted his chest and said, “Newcomers are all monsters. No wonder FTK stumbled on them. This speed of improvement is too scary. Feels like they are constantly improving even during the match.”

” The kiting and macro routine won’t work anymore.” Duan Mingyue hooked his lips. “But it’s enough. Taking the first point means we’ve already won half the battle.”

Kai howled, “Captain, why do I feel like you’re setting a death flag?”

Song Yuan lowered his head and sent a message. “Alright, I’m done carrying. I’m starting my blue-collar duty.”

Kai said, “Didn’t you say the truth is revealed in the playoffs?”

Song Yuan nodded. “Yeah, revealed it, burned out. Carry Song Yuan is gone; now it’s Slacker Blue-Collar Song Yuan.”

To cooperate with the team, Song Yuan often picked engage or tank top laners. Plus, the top lane position was originally very lone… ly. So Song Yuan became the one in KW who received the most criticism in the past.

After being hated on for so long, he liked to joke about being a slacker himself. After all, Song Yuan wasn’t a guy who cared about others’ opinions. A face like a steel plate wasn’t just a saying.

Kai said, “…Your fuel ran out a bit fast.”

Tans, who was sitting aside playing Fight the Landlord, lifted his eyelids and rarely participated in the topic: “Indeed quite fast.”

“Damn.” Song Yuan laughed. “Don’t you know the thing a man can’t say most is ‘fast’?”

“Alright, alright,” Mao Qiude said with disdain. “The camera is still filming.”

Shen Yanjin thought that at this time, Kai would continue to badmouth a sentence or two. Unexpectedly, looking back, that person was as quiet as a chicken and actually wasn’t sitting next to Tans.

…Was it his illusion? He felt that after the New Year, Tans’ deterrent power over Kai had become much stronger.

Mao Qiude knocked on the table, pulling him back from his daze. “Sliver, what do you say? Can you play Mechanical Inventor?”

Shen Yanjin came back to his senses, frowned slightly, and was a bit puzzled. “…Mechanical Inventor?”

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Mechanical Inventor, a functional support. Roaming and control abilities were average, but vision control was excellent. The ultimate move was summoning a robot that could use a grappling hook to pull back enemy characters.

But… this character was too niche. Even more niche than the Mermaid who hadn’t appeared in matches for eight hundred years before. It was almost forgotten that such a character existed.

There was no other reason: weak displacement, weak self-preservation. Control… only the ultimate was decent. He was squishy as hell, and because of his mechanic—when health dropped to a certain level, the character automatically abandoned the mechanical mech he rode; the mech would explode after three seconds, knocking up friendly targets—he was widely criticized.

Shen Yanjin thought for a while and said, “I can play it, but I haven’t used it for a long time. And if it’s for a vision war, Mushroom Parasite works too.”

Mao Qiude said, “Not for a vision war, but to guard against the opposing support’s one-trick.”

He opened the data book and tapped it.

Shen Yanjin looked down.

Sky Spirit.

Support solo queue, Grandmaster/Challenger lobby, twenty-three games, win rate ninety percent.

…Ridiculous.

A trace of surprise appeared on his face. At the same time, he couldn’t help but think: Indeed, there is always someone better. Support solo queue, and it’s a Sky Spirit, with a ninety percent win rate. I’m really getting old.

Sky Spirit, a functional support. The character model was a blue-haired youth with delicate features. Originally, because of his good looks, he shouldn’t have been reduced to a niche support, but alas…

This thing was an item that pitted teammates even more than the Mechanical Inventor.

These two brothers in misery didn’t support each other in the cold palace [benched tier] but became counters. Simply put, the Mechanical Inventor had a seniority relationship over the Sky Spirit: a father-son relationship, very deep.

Kai, who had recovered his vitality, leaned over and interrupted, “Will this really appear in an official match? Functional support playing Jungle-Support roam? Eye-opening.”

Duan Mingyue said, “Not definitely, but possible. The probability is greater in a match point game. I met him in Rank during the New Year.”

Shen Yanjin raised his eyes. “How was it?”

Duan Mingyue met his gaze and smiled. “One loss, one win.”

“Holy crap, that strong.” Kai was stunned. A Jungler who knew how to play could climb ranks easily in this version. For a solo queue support to take a win from Duan Mingyue with randoms was truly not simple.

Shen Yanjin’s heart also grew heavy. Looking at the aqua-blue hair of the Sky Spirit in the picture, he said, “No need to BAN, and no need to pick Mechanic.”

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He looked up and said seriously, “Playing Tata and Bell Spirit is enough.”

Mao Qiude frowned. “Are you sure? Tata and Bell can counter Sky Spirit? He can nullify shields…” At this point, he suddenly understood something, stopped talking, and instead asked, “Can you two coordinate well?”

Duan Mingyue obviously also understood Shen Yanjin’s intention, thinking his little boyfriend was silent but quite wicked when playing tricks.

Hearing the question, he smiled lazily. “Whoever you ask that question to, you shouldn’t be asking us.”

Shen Yanjin stood beside him, tips of his ears red, and actually didn’t refute it.

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