LOL: What is a concept player?

Chapter 269: Group Assignments Revealed! I'll be handling the retirement ceremonies for some of them!
Chu Ran finished speaking quietly, and a bright smile appeared on her face.

Sect Leader An loves surprises, so how could we not satisfy him?

Since he wants to seek thrills, then let's see it through to the end.

However, Ahn's words greatly boosted the morale of the numerous South Koreans present.

I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and joy.

So what if you're EDG? Our LCK teams dare to challenge you too.

[666! Ambition is awesome! If GEN really faces EDG, they absolutely have to crush that team!]

[Damn it, this team has truly brought too much shame to our LCK. It's time to get it all back, with interest!]

If GEN can replicate EDG's performance, GEN will deserve a third of the credit for KT's championship victory!

Let's revive the glory of LCK, starting today!

...

It's worth noting that EDG and KT are both in the first pool, so AFS and GEN have a pretty high chance of encountering EDG.

An Zhangmen's interview remarks quickly spread back to China, instantly sparking widespread discussion among Chinese netizens.

Amidst the commotion, Chu Ran also posted a new Weibo update.

Weibo account EDG-Easy:

[I really want to know what kind of "surprise" Master An was talking about!]

In no time, his Weibo post was liked and shared by netizens and fans, and it immediately went viral and became a trending topic.

[Haha, the surprise is you're my wife!]

[Apply for World Heritage status! Apply immediately, or these South Korean bastards will really snatch it away this time!]

[Surprise? Shock!]

[I have no idea what this Korean manager is trying to prove. He hasn't even finished the third seed's qualifying rounds, and he's already boasting about challenging our League of Legends' number one seed.]

[Just Uzi as a jungler.]

【Uzi, you son of a bitch! The third seed from LCK is more than enough to crush that bastard, understand?】

[The surprise is that we eliminated you, Ran Chu, in the group stage, you know? Ran Chu, just wait until you're knocked out in the round of 16.]

Last year, LCK teams were just in poor form; this year, they can dominate even the worst teams from other regions at home.

[Oh yeah, yeah, Han Xiaozi is really causing trouble. If he loses to my little dog, you'll all say it's just luck, right?]

[Koreans are your father!]

...

Many netizens have reached a consensus on Han Xiaozi: he is worse than a dog.

They eat the food of their own region, but then they turn around and smash the pot of their own region.

However, Han Xiaozi is like a dead pig that doesn't fear boiling water; even if Thanos came, he couldn't break those mouths.

Soon, another fierce battle erupted throughout the LPL.

Especially in the following days, the qualifying rounds proceeded smoothly.

Korean fans and their sons are also experiencing a mental orgasm because no LPL teams are participating in the qualifying rounds.

GEN's strength allowed them to easily defeat wildcard teams from the play-in stage, as if they were playing against bots.

He won every match with a huge advantage, which impressed many of Han Xiaozi's fans.

Finally, on October 7th, the National Day holiday quietly passed, and the qualifying rounds also came to an end.

The four teams that advanced from the play-in stage are G2, C9, GRX, and GEN.

Once the shortlist was finalized, Han's fans on various forums went wild with excitement.

[Spit it out! Hybrid competition zone! Kneel down before your father!]

[If you don't understand, can the teams from the hybrid region achieve a perfect record in this qualifying round?]

This is the true strength of the LCK region. This mercenary region really thinks they've forgotten who they are just because they've won a few championships.

Wow, if the LCK's third seed is this strong, what's there to say about the strength of the first and second seeds?

[It's been said that KT is the strongest team in recent years.]

[Are you kidding me? You're bragging about a team that only played in the qualifying rounds and beat some wildcard teams?]

Han Xiaozi must seize every opportunity to praise his father, otherwise he might run out of things to brag about later.

...

This sparked a heated discussion across the internet.

Meanwhile, Chu Ran and the others had already arrived at the backstage lounge of the club.

The draw ceremony will take place immediately after today's qualifying rounds.

"God bless!"

Backstage, Mingkai saw Meiko muttering to himself with his hands clasped together, and then couldn't help but give him a good whack on the head.

"No, you little brat, what are you babbling about?"

"Brother Kai, don't worry about it. I'm praying to Valhalla to help us draw a good lot," Meiko replied.

Upon hearing this, Mingkai paused for a moment: "What constitutes a good draw?"

He had barely finished speaking when the spicy hot pot vendor next to him immediately chuckled and said:

"Brother Kai, you've hit the nail on the head with this question. Of course, the more LCK draws we get, the better the draws are. Why are there even good draws?"

"Even if we lose, as long as EDG brings out the strengths of certain teams, then EDG will have a share in the credit for RNG's championship victory."

"Hahaha." Saint Gun Bro laughed, his eyes narrowing. "I want to get a three-man sweep, just like Chu Shen did last year. Do I have a chance?"

"Hard to say." Chu Ran shook his head. "That's no fun. This year's LCK is too weak. I hope IG or RNG can live up to expectations and have an all-Korean home game."

"Xiao Ran, you really dare to dream."

Just as Mingkai gave Chu Ran a thumbs up, Imp suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"Damn it, pfft, why are you yelling so loudly!"

"Tianye, why don't you go find the property management?"

"6, Sun Xiaopu."

Chu Ran was amused by Imp and looked down at Imp's phone.

I noticed Imp was reading one of those prophetic prediction posts that appears every year on the Anti-Fighting Forum.

This fortune teller claimed to be a disciple of Longhu Mountain, and with an air of unrevealing heavenly secrets, he used Qimen Dunjia and the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to perform several divinations for EDG.

These are all very ominous signs.

In addition, the person who posted the message had a very accurate prediction of the qualifying list for the preliminary rounds.

So Imp immediately exclaimed in surprise.

"No, that's it?"

Chu Ran shrugged, a hint of disdain in his eyes: "Feudal superstition."

"Yes, yes."

The members of Mala Xiangguo nodded quickly, but Meiko interjected at this moment, "Ran-ge, there are also predictions here that will bring great fortune to EDG."

"Let me see."

Meiko was referring to a prediction post on Hupu (a Chinese sports forum) that said EDG and LPL would be blessed with good fortune.

"Haha, Imp, why don't you leave a message and let these two fortune tellers fight it out? We'll believe whoever wins."

However, after Mala Xiangguo finished speaking, Chu Ran nodded heavily and said firmly:

"It's destiny we're born for! We'll win this time!"

"... "

In an instant, Chu Ran was once again subjected to many eye-rolls, and Meiko and the others were completely convinced of Chu Ran's superiority.

The ominous sign is feudal superstition, the belief that "my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."

A very auspicious omen means that the mandate of heaven has been bestowed upon you; this fortune teller is indeed quite skilled.

At this very moment, spectators are gradually taking their seats in the huge stadium, and the live broadcast rooms in each competition area are experiencing a surge in popularity.

Inside the IG backstage lounge.

Ning Mazi said aggressively, "Let's just draw them into the same group as KT, okay? We'll send KT home in the group stage."

"No, buddy, don't be so confident. KT is really tough to beat."

Jackeylove was a little flustered. During this period, they had played a lot of practice matches and basically faced most of the teams.

KT put the most pressure on them, and they didn't seem to be playing seriously at all.

Of course, they didn't go all out, but that also shows that KT is exceptionally strong.

Jackeylove, in particular, felt that the pressure of laning against Deft and Mata in the bottom lane was immense.

As for EDG, they didn't feel much pressure during the scrims.

However, they also knew that Chu Ran and the others were just playing around.

After all, ever since Zz1tai exceeded the vitamin C limit, a strange rule has emerged in the LPL.

Don't believe what EDG shows in scrims.

"Jackey, what are you afraid of? If you really pull KT, I'll turn him into a spinning top."

Ning Mazi then looked at Duke with a confident expression and said, "Haocheng, aren't you right?"

"I think our IG will stand on the championship stage this time." Duke nodded, his eyes filled with longing.

If IG wins the championship this year, then Duke will be the man who has won championships in both the LOL and LCK regions.

This is unprecedented.

This can be considered as leaving a significant mark on the professional League of Legends scene.

"With our Brother Haocheng here, this lucky charm is here, let's give UG a good fortune."

Meanwhile, inside the RNG club.

Uzi was standing with his arms crossed, chewing gum and occasionally blowing bubbles.

Snap!
The bubble bursts, only to be swallowed by Uzi again, repeating the cycle endlessly, much like a mischievous three-year-old child.

"I have no other thoughts. I just want to be drawn against G2 in the group stage. I'm going to beat Perkz so badly that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him."

Uzi was furious at the thought of what Perkz had said.

What kind of class is this? They're just like a beast, blaming me.

If we can't beat the beasts, can't we at least beat G2?
A moment later, the live stream room was packed with viewers, and the chat was flooded with comments.

【No, hurry up! I need to go to sleep after the draw, I have to get up early tomorrow!】

Why haven't they drawn the lots yet? They're dragging their feet.

In my opinion, there's no need to even draw lots; just give the championship trophy to my little dog.

[GSL's opening line is overflowing with sweetness. Why give it to the bath dog? Are they going to let him take a bath while holding the trophy?]

[That's it, if the trophy really goes to the "bathing dog" (a derogatory term for a dog who gets to win the World Championship), the World Championship title will lose all its value.]

[Exactly, if anyone should be given a prize, it should be KT.]

[The Korean team is even more impressive; KT, RNG, and KZ are all sitting at the same table—what kind of shockwaves are those?]

...

The lottery ceremony hadn't officially started yet, but the live stream chat was already buzzing with excitement.

Miller and Guan Zeyuan were on high alert in the LPL commentary booth.

After a while, Flame, the top laner for FlyQuest, walked to the center of the stage, instantly making the scene and the live broadcast room lively and filled with tension.

Miller clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Alright, the lottery ceremony is about to begin. The first seed pool to be determined is number one!"

Under Miller's resounding voice, the four groups of first seeds were determined.

Group A consists of Flash Wolves (FW) from the LMS region, Group B consists of FNC, Group C consists of KT, and Group D consists of EDG.

Then came the moment that made countless LPL fans nervous.

"Oh, now we'll see how the rest of the draw goes. Right now, the other two LPL teams, RNG and IG, have a very high chance of being drawn into the same group as KT!"

Guan Zeyuan's tone was full of tension, and even Ning Mazi, who had just been joking about meeting KT in the group stage, was now restless.

Soon, the results of the draw were displayed to countless viewers.

"My God! This is the best draw for the LPL!" Miller's eyes widened, his expression filled with excitement.

At the same time, in the IG rest room later, Ning Mazi and others were also excitedly dancing around.

"FNC? Holy crap! Hahaha, our group has absolutely no pressure."

Uzi, looking at the draw results, frowned in dissatisfaction: "Wait, why didn't we draw G2? I give up, G2 got away."

"It's alright, let G2 live a little longer, we'll still have a chance to run into them later."

Karsa laughed, "Our group has absolutely no pressure."

At that moment, Meiko and the others were stunned when they saw the lottery results on the big screen.

"Holy crap! I actually drew GEN!"

"Here it comes. I'm going to let Master An experience what it's like to be 18 again."

Imp looked shocked and asked in confusion, "Teacher Guo, what do you mean?"

"I'll beat him to a pulp."

"Hahaha."

Laughter and cheers filled the EDG backstage area, while inside the GEN lounge...

Their head coach and Cuvée, among others, were all taken aback.

"Damn it!" Cuvee was somewhat alarmed. Since the end of last year's World Championship, his form had not been what it used to be.

Many viewers commented that his Dao heart was shattered by Chu Ran.

This statement is actually quite accurate. After returning from that period, Cuvee felt that he had lost all hope in his life. It took him nearly a year of psychological treatment to gradually recover.

He had originally hoped to make a big splash this year and recover the value he lost last year.

Correct.

Cuvee didn't seem too motivated to chase the championship trophy at this year's World Championship. He just wanted to improve his market value and see if he could get a big contract to retire next year.

Unexpectedly, things really went as An Zhangmen wished, and they were drawn against EDG in the group stage.

Not only him, but Crown also looked worried. He had similar thoughts to Cuvee, and also wanted to make some money so he could retire next year.

So his idea was to avoid facing EDG, or if he did, to face them last.

This happened right at the beginning, and Crown almost cried. He felt like he was seeing Cuvee from last year.

"What are you afraid of? We, GEN, are going to beat EDG to win this year's world championship."

"Once we get over this mountain, we'll be transformed!" Master An said excitedly. "Nobody can afford to mess things up, or I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

Upon hearing the word "baseball bat," Riuler began to tremble as if he had PTSD.

The final draw results caused an uproar in all the competition regions.

Group A: FW, AFS, IG, G2
Group B: FNC, RNG, PVB, C9
Group C: KT, MAD, TL, GRX
Group D: EDG, 100, VIT, GEN
In an instant, the live broadcast rooms of each competition zone were filled with a dense barrage of comments that covered the entire screen.

[6666! This is the best possible fortune!]

Holy crap, that was a stroke of genius!

[Hahaha, good riddance! This beast is going to be killed by GEN!]

Why is this considered the best draw? If GEN can defeat Ranchu, then they will deserve some credit for Uzi's victory!

Wow, this draw was practically free! It feels like KT has already won.

[Anyway, I don't care about anything else, my IG is just dominating, right? They've already qualified as the top seed in their group.]

[You're making it sound like my dog ​​wouldn't kill indiscriminately, I can't believe it! Thanks to Flame for the help!]

...

On the LPL side, commentators and viewers have already popped champagne, because judging from the draw results, there will be three LPL teams in the quarterfinals as expected, and no team will face KT in the group stage.

That would be the best possible outcome.

Similarly, many South Koreans think the same way, after all, Ahn and GEN have given them a lot of confidence.

[Damn it! We've run into EDG in town. GEN, let's kill them!]

[Hopefully, LPL's number one seed can once again reach the Round of 16.]

[These terrible LPL teams will once again show us just how bad they are.]

[Don't call us "filial sons." The games LPL won were basically won by us LCK teams. We didn't care about MSI, the Rift Rivals, or the Asian Games, understand?]

Last year, LPL was just lucky to have encountered such a distorted version of the game. This time, LPL won't be so lucky!

[Our LCK is a vast and resource-rich region, full of talented people. Isn't it true that our third seed is better than the weakest first seed from the LPL region?]

The World Championship is the stage where our LCK region can truly unleash its full potential.

...

It has to be admitted that Koreans are incredibly stubborn, perhaps influenced by Faker.

Although he didn't come to the World Championship this year, legends about him still circulate in the arena.

Countless Koreans have even started fantasizing about the subsequent knockout stage, imagining that the finals will be an all-LCK battle.

The lottery ceremony sparked heated discussions on various domestic forums.

Fans from all sides were arguing fiercely, almost all of them quoting classical texts and insulting each other's family history. GSL once again began its campaign to expel citizens.

Chicken Offal wasn't to be outdone, saying things like "those who don't support IG are not of our kind."

Moreover, it's said that IG is practically an all-Chinese team.

Because Rooike was a mid-laner that LCK didn't want, and was almost entirely nurtured by IG, he is essentially an LPL player.

Not to mention TheShy, he was also rejected by LCK, and SKT didn't even accept him when he tried out for them.

Therefore, IG is a homegrown force in the LPL, while only EDG is a hybrid.

[What the hell? Bringing nationality into club matches? You GSL players and chicken bastards are really something else.]

[The hybrid teams in the hybrid region are getting anxious. We know you're anxious, but don't rush it. It's not too late to panic after you get crushed by GEN.]

[It can only be said that Imp is now showing loyalty to his former employer and giving back to his former company.]

...

At this moment, looking at the heated discussions online, Meiko in the EDG backstage also laughed out loud: "Pfft, what do you say, should we be loyal to the country?"

"If Pupu is loyal to the country, I'll take him on a trip."

"Hahaha, Chu Shen, you're really ruthless." Mala Xiangguo laughed from ear to ear, clearly very satisfied with the result of the draw, and even waved her hand to indicate that she would treat everyone later.

Imp trembled and said, "There's a North Korean Uzi over there. I'm not going."

“A single 6.” Chu Ran was taken aback, then immediately gave Imp a thumbs up.

Just as they were packing up to go back, Abu suddenly approached Chu Ran and said in a consultative tone, "Xiao Ran, can I talk to you about something?"

"What? I'll attend the banquet sometime,"

Abu's face immediately darkened, and he wished he could devour Chu Ran alive.

"The important thing is, when we play against 100 and VIT in the group stage, how about letting Scout play, just like last year with Mouse, let him go up and get a skin."

"I know you don't want to, but the club is willing to offer 500 million, plus you'll still receive 100 million even if you don't play. What do you think?"

Chu Ran glanced at Scout and noticed that Scout was very excited.

Actually, he didn't really want Scout to get a free skin, but if Abu really wanted to, he could easily force himself out of the game.

Thinking about this, Chu Ran pondered for a moment: "Brother Abu, you know how much revenue a championship skin can bring to a club."

"Mmm, I know, so this isn't something I'm discussing with you."

Abu was a little annoyed. If it weren't for Chu Ran, he wouldn't have needed to discuss it; he could have just put Scout on the court directly.

However, without Chu Ran's consent, Abu believes that Chu Ran will not play in the following matches.

This really shows how players can lead their teams.

"You misunderstood me. I meant that we need to pay more."

"..."

In the end, Abu sold the item for 800 million, which even Chu Ran himself didn't expect.

He knew before the match that Abu would definitely let Scout go up and get a championship skin, and he was prepared to make money from it, but he didn't expect to make so much.

Although 800 million is a drop in the ocean for him right now, it would be crazy not to take the money.

"Today is a good day, everything you want can come true."

In an instant, Chu Ran walked out of the backstage humming a cheerful tune, leaving Abu and Scout with a handsome back view.

After Chu Ran left, Abu was furious and kicked Scout, saying, "You're such a damn loser."

If Scout had performed better back then, he could have won the Summer Split championship without Chu Ran playing, and things wouldn't be like they are now.

Abu went to great lengths to cultivate Scout, not only suppressing Scout's intention to sign a contract with him, but also offending Chu Ran in the past.

This time, they spent a lot of money to bring Scout into the game, hoping that if they win the championship, EDG will have an extra source of income from championship skins, and at the same time, it will also increase Scout's popularity.

The difference in viewership between a champion substitute with a championship skin and a substitute without one is enormous.

Scout, however, barely understood Abu's words. He immediately stood up and roared, "I will prove it to the whole world!"

"Better so."

Abu didn't say anything more, but it just means that there's a real lack of good mid laners.

If Chu Ran doesn't leave next year, he definitely won't be investing so much effort in developing Scout.

Although Scout is not as good as Chu Ran, he is still a shoo-in for T1.

Abu has really gone to great lengths for EDG next year.

Suddenly, Abu remembered his promise to Chu Ran: if he won the championship, he would let Chu Ran take Meiko away.

"Where should we take it?"

Abu was puzzled, because he hadn't heard of any team contacting Chu Ran.

After all, Chu Ran's current market value is almost unimaginably high, and not an ordinary team can afford to buy him.

...

At that very moment, shortly after the draw ceremony concluded, the Korean LCK held a pre-match press conference.

Several key figures from different teams stood prominently in the interview room.

He was surrounded by reporters, and the live broadcast was also happening simultaneously.

The event generated considerable buzz, almost as much as the lottery ceremony just now.

Chu Ran and the others had already arrived at the restaurant, and their phones were playing LCK's press conference.

"The LCK region likes to do fancy things; they held a press conference right after the draw ceremony."

"Sigh, Tianye, you don't understand. LCK has hardly won any championships in the past two years. This year is their home season. If they don't win the championship, their region will lose all confidence. This press conference is like a pre-match mobilization to boost the confidence of the region's audience."

As Chu Ran spoke, he sketched on the menu under Mala Xiangguo's pained gaze. In the end, Mala Xiangguo couldn't take it anymore and said, "That's enough, Master Chu, we can't finish this."

"Look how stingy you are. You must have made a lot of money in the stock market lately."

Mala Xiangguo was taken aback. "Small profit, small profit."

"The stock market guru Buffett!"

Amidst their urging, Mala Xiangguo (a spicy stir-fry restaurant) suffered a massive financial loss, and the LCK press conference in the live stream also began.

The head coaches of all three teams spoke with great confidence, as if this year's championship was already theirs.

AFS's head coach: "Although this is our team's first time participating in the World Championship, I think we will deliver a good performance, and perhaps even win the championship."

KT's head coach then added, "We at KT are really looking forward to seeing AFS in the finals."

Following this, GEN's head coach spoke under the spotlight, saying, "Samsung's glory will be rebuilt by us."

After they finished speaking, many South Korean fans in the live stream cheered excitedly.

When asked by reporters whether they had confidence when facing EDG in the group stage, GEN was immediately asked about their performance.

Master An immediately raised the microphone and answered the question.

"EDG is not invincible. You can watch us perform in the group stage. I will teach the world how to beat EDG!"

These words caused a stir among the crowd, and even the KT members glanced at Master An.

Many Koreans just felt their blood boiling. They didn't care how strong EDG was, but they believed in GEN!

[GEN, charge! Follow me and crush EDG! Take back everything that belongs to LCK!]

[If GEN can beat EDG in the group stage, I'll only use Samsung products for the rest of my life!]

This year, the LPL, that weak region, must pay the price!

The glory that belongs to Samsung will be forged anew at this World Championship.

No, the Korean factory manager is really out of control. I don't know where his confidence comes from.

[The diagnosis is that he was knocked unconscious by a baseball bat, hahaha.]

...

"No, what is Master An pretending for? What makes him think they can beat EDG? I don't know where his confidence comes from."

Mala Xiangguo was very disdainful, and then he heard Master An's voice.

"I don't think EDG's Mlxg player is strong. We were just intimidated by his playstyle. I felt the same way last year."

"But we've figured him out this year, so his self-revealing jungle style doesn't pose a threat to us."

"Hilarious! Master An doesn't acknowledge Spicy Pot as his father anymore." Meiko clicked her tongue, and Spicy Pot immediately decided to post a Weibo update.

Soon, under Chu Ran's guidance, his account appeared on the bustling internet.

Weibo user EDG-Mlxg:

[That jungler is getting younger and younger, so arrogant and cocky. Maybe he dares to spout nonsense at the press conference because I beat him so badly last year.]

[Haha, hot pot is awesome!]

[Sect Leader An is truly unfilial; he can't even recognize who his father is.]

[You bastard! What are you barking about? You beat Master An several times last year, and you've been bragging about it for a whole year?]

Using last year's sword to behead this year's officials? It'll have to be you again.

[You EDG people are all like animals, arrogant beyond belief. Just ask me, how many championships does your hybrid region have?]

[Stop talking nonsense! You're all trash from the hybrid division, how many of you have won championships?]

[Damn it, Han Xiaozi!]

...

Many LPL supporters were furious upon seeing the numerous comments from Han Kuo-yu's fans.

However, amidst this public opinion, Su Xiaoluo also took the opportunity to ride the wave of popularity.

After all, EDG isn't the only team facing LCK teams in the group stage.

EDG will face LCK's third seed, while IG will face LCK's second seed, AFS.

Su Xiaoluo's statement was full of confidence, boasting that she would defeat AFS twice and advance as the group leader.

In an instant, his words caused the already noisy competition zones to erupt in chaos.

For the next few days, topics about this year's World Championship never left the trending search list.

On October 9, at the entrance of the hotel arranged by the Busan authorities.

Meiko shook her hand, quite surprised: "Pfft, didn't you say your country is very big? How come it's so fast to get from Seoul to Busan?"

"You just believe what Pupu says? Do you know that there are no long-distance relationships in South Korea?"

"Damn it! God Chu, I won't allow you to talk about my country like that. Actually, South Korea is quite big."

Imp stubbornly retorted, but Chu Ran's remark, "Not as big as our province," immediately broke Imp's defenses once again.

Upon arriving at the hotel reception, Chu Ran put his arm around Imp's shoulder and said, "Pfft, there's a way to expand your territory."

"What?"

"In the national tournament, I will represent the Great Han Ming Kingdom in the LOL National Tournament."

"Damn it, get out of here!"

Imp let out a clear and loud curse, which amused Chu Ran and the others.

Meanwhile, the flashes and shutter sounds from the surrounding reporters never stopped.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out at the hotel entrance as countless reporters rushed forward.

Several teams, including KT and G2, have also arrived at this location.

Chu Ran spotted Uzi, Ning Mazi, and others in the crowd at a glance.

They both had smiles on their faces, as if they were preparing to be interviewed by reporters.

However, after a few moments, they were left standing there awkwardly, as the group of reporters completely ignored them.

It's worth noting that while RNG and IG are very popular in China, things change after they go abroad.

It's just a roadside path.

Almost no one knows them; only Uzi and Xiaohu have a tiny bit of fame.

In an instant, the smiles on Uzi and Ning Mazi's faces vanished.

They were furious when they saw reporters constantly interviewing Deft, Caps, and others.

How dare they ignore them?

"Look, there's one by the roadside."

Chu Ran's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for many people present to hear, which immediately caused Uzi and Ning Mazi to glare at Chu Ran with murderous intent.

A moment later, Deft and the others came up to greet Chu Ran and the others.

"Xiao Ran, I don't want to see you in the finals." Deft punched Chu Ran, Ming Kai, Imp, and Meiko on the shoulder, as enthusiastically as if they were old friends reuniting.

"Hekkyu, you're cursing yourself! We're definitely going to make it to the finals. If we don't see you guys, it means you've been eliminated early."

Upon hearing Chu Ran's words, Mata's face immediately darkened, and the scene erupted in sighs as many reporters snapped back to their cameras to frantically record the moment.

Click click click.

The incessant clicking of camera shutters annoyed Uzi and Ning Mazi.

"What a show-off! He's only won a few championships, and these reporters are really making a scene."

In a corner nearby, Ning Mazi said in a sour tone.

"These reporters won't even have the right to interview me then." Uzi felt a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment, and immediately left with Xiaohu and the others.

It's worth noting that among the teams participating in this World Championship, there weren't many with more experience than him, yet he was completely ignored, almost causing Uzi to burn down the hotel.

Meanwhile, Uzi saw Perkz's smile among the crowd in the wild, which made him even more furious.

"Screw him, just wait until you run into me, then I'll make him laugh harder than he's crying."

Just after Uzi and the others suddenly left, KT's mid laner Ucal and Semb also came over to greet Chu Ran.

"You are very strong, but I won't lose when we meet. You can go from a rookie to the world's number one, so can I."

After Ucal finished speaking, they left, leaving only a few silhouettes of their backs to Chu Ran and the others.

"Is that Ucal?"

"Wow, are all newcomers this arrogant these days?"

"It's not exactly new anymore."

Just after Chu Ran finished speaking, Caps, the famous European mid laner, came over to greet him.

"I really hope to play against you."

“There’s a chance.” At this point, Chu Ran glanced at Perkz again: “Be careful of divine punishment.”

"No, we don't believe in God, God will protect me."

puff.

Perkz's words amused Chu Ran and the others. Soon, Chu Ran and the others saw Sect Leader An and the others again. They greeted each other and didn't say much. Only a fighting spirit surged from them.

Many reporters immediately captured this moment, and some even came up with headlines.

Let's call it—The Last Dance of the Chinese and Korean Factory Directors!
Moments later, when the article was posted online, it immediately made many viewers burst into laughter.

[Hey editor, you're really good at getting attention, aren't you?]

[I suggest changing it to Uzi, the jungler from LCK, hahaha.]

Wow, Chu Shen and his team have such a huge following! Everyone in the world knows them! On the other hand, some of the world's number one ADCs barely get any screen time; they're just sitting on the sidelines!

[Hilarious! Who would recognize him abroad? Well, no, saying he's the world's best ADC is unrecognizable. But if you say "shower dog," some people will definitely recognize him.]

[The term "Shockwave" is even more famous; internationally, everyone knows Uzi is synonymous with "Shockwave," especially after Perkz recently brought it back into the spotlight.]

[Damn it! That bastard P, I hope he doesn't run into my dog!]

...

GSL was furious. It was bad enough that Chu Ran stepped on their head, but now even some nobody like Perkz had to step on it. They just couldn't stand it.

Not only them, but the chicken giblets were also very unhappy, since they were being ignored.

Many fans gritted their teeth and said that once the World Championship starts tomorrow, IG will show the world what it means to reach the pinnacle!

Soon, the night's rest passed quietly.

The following day, the first day of the group stage, at 1 p.m., Chu Ran and his group arrived at the competition venue in an official car.

Countless spectators had already gathered around, shoulder to shoulder, most of them locals from South Korea, holding up support signs and glow sticks, enthusiastically cheering for the major LCK teams.

The sound waves were so powerful that they resembled a thunderclap outside the Sound Wave Hall.

The live broadcast rooms of the competitions in various regions are constantly flooded with viewers. Although the popularity is not as high as last year, it is not much different.

Today is the first day of the group stage, and every team will be playing.

The group stage lasts for six days, with each team playing one match per day.

Today, Chu Ran and his team's opponent is GEN, which can be considered a deliberate move by the official organizers.

Riot Games has come up with some new ideas this time, including a second esports commentary section in addition to the main commentary booth, as well as inviting many streamers to provide commentary for the third and fourth channels.

More importantly, ever since they saw how popular the live stream of Chu Ran and Ucal's Korean server ranked match was, they immediately started streaming Chu Ran's first-person perspective.

And it's a paid service.

That's right, you need to pay a certain fee to watch Chu Ran's first-person perspective. Besides Chu Ran's, there are also other contestants' perspectives.

I thought no one would buy it yet, but I didn’t expect that before the competition even started, nearly a million viewers were already willing to pay to watch Chu Ran’s first-person perspective.

Although League of Legends has a large global audience, this number is still quite staggering.

"Wow, Ran-ge, there are already so many people on the first day of the group stage?" Meiko was a little surprised: "If we lose on the first day, we'll probably get cursed at by netizens."

"This is South Korea, so there are naturally many people, and most of them are not casual gamers."

Chu Ran sighed.

Despite their superiority in some aspects, South Korea excels in the atmosphere and professionalism of esports.

Even if LPL develops for another fifty years, it may not be able to catch up, although LCK also has some players with questionable character.

Like Mystic, whose existence was already confirmed in Chu Ran's previous life, he liked dragons, and his wife was even more eccentric.

And then there's Cild, who was later banned and suspended.

However, based on big data, LCK is still much better than LPL.

LCK wouldn't stoop to playing the Mohist strategy.

"Indeed, I hope that the domestic e-sports environment can get better and better."

"Don't worry, things will get better with you, Ran-ge."

"Tch, Ran-ge, you're uncomfortable if you don't show off for a day."

As Meiko finished speaking, the audience members were all seated.

In an instant, all the lights in the venue quietly went out, and a girl group called KDA appeared in the center of the stage. Each member was full of passion, and their alluring figures immediately turned the venue into a sea of ​​excitement. Countless viewers in the live broadcast room hummed softly on the spot.

The song "Rise" resonated throughout the entire venue, eliciting cheers and shouts from everyone.

Immediately after K/DA left the stage, the large screen in the venue was illuminated with a bright light, and various highlights were displayed on the screen in turn.

However, since it was South Korea's home turf, there were very few highlights featuring Chu Ran. After all, they were too concerned about saving face. So most of the highlights featured Uzi as the background character, like this year's Intercontinental Cup.

After the highlights ended, the scene shifted, and amidst laughter from many viewers and GSL's curses, the camera slowly rose from a distance to a close-up.

Chu Ran sat upright on the steps, revealing his handsome face. Then, his resounding, magnetic voice quietly entered everyone's ears.

"I will be organizing a retirement ceremony for a group of people at this year's World Championship."

"You heard me right, it's a group of people! I will make history!"

After Chu Ran finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over both the scene and the live broadcast room.

No one expected that Chu Ran would be the first to appear in the opening ceremony promotional video, and that she would make a shocking statement.

In an instant, countless viewers snapped out of their daze.

A sudden burst of noise erupted. The group stage had just begun, but Chu Ran had already brought the atmosphere to its peak!

...

(End of this chapter)