We are tired of winning championships, and we still need youth training?

Chapter 143 Internet Cafe Team & Streamer Team: Me vs. IG? Really?

Time flies.

Before we knew it, the Demacia Cup was about to begin.

No, it's more like the EDG Cup than the Demacia Cup.

Because EDG has basically won this championship since the start of the tournament.

EDG has already won the Demacia Cup five times; two more wins would be enough to complete the Dragon Balls and summon Shenron.

If there's such a thing as dominance in the Demacia Cup, then EDG in the Demacia Cup is ten times, or even nine times, more terrifying than T1 in the World Championship.

—But that has nothing to do with Xu Xinghe.

He doesn't care whether he wins the Demacia Cup or not, nor does he care about public opinion.

It might sound arrogant, but from the moment the S10 season started, he set his sights on winning the S-series championship.

This is the confidence of a creature called a "hanging dog".

Is the entire life of a fallen leaf merely a return to its roots?

Saint Gun stood under the ginkgo tree in front of the IG club, looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, with a melancholy expression.

The next moment, he kicked the tree next to him with lightning speed, then quickly dodged, watching the icicles fall from the tree and make a crackling sound as they hit the ground.

He also let out a cackling laugh, seemingly oblivious to how many Soul Hall elders he had eaten in one sitting.

Xu Xinghe, carrying his peripherals, silently watched this scene, deeply feeling that the club's need to hire a psychologist was urgent.

Saint Gun Bro is a very mysterious person, even Xu Xinghe can't figure out what he's thinking sometimes.

For example, he inexplicably utters a line from Yasuo.

For example, he suddenly kicked a tree next to him like a primary school student.

Fortunately, after spending this time together, Xu Xinghe has gotten used to it.

It's possible that Flandre won't release a Divine Gold item, but it's unlikely that he won't release one.

"Oh, you're out now."

Saint Gun noticed him standing at the door behind him and waved with a smile.

"Come join us, don't you think it'll be fun?"

I don't think so.

Xu Xinghe sighed. "Let's go, get in the car."

"Go, go, go."

Ten minutes later, the IG bus was quiet; no one spoke.

Karam crossed his arms, frowned, and closed his eyes to rest.

This IG team now...

how to say?

It exists in a superposition of strong and weak states.

They are considered strong because once these players get into a rhythm, their teamwork is extremely seamless.

That's the convergence of subconscious judgment among top athletes.

The reason it's not considered strong is because the above situation only applies to one specific scenario.

That is, to get a feel for the game.

If they can't get into the groove, their skill level isn't exactly weak, but to talk about team cohesion is wishful thinking; they're more like a premade team in ranked games.

But there is nothing we can do about it.

It's understandable that they don't have much chemistry after only about a week of getting to know each other.

Karam is Korean, but not every Korean has access to hypnosis apps.

How could it be possible for several people who didn't know each other before to become familiar with each other so quickly and then become a community of shared destiny?

Unless Xu Xinghe can transform into Fengchuan Xinghe.

Unfortunately, it cannot be transformed.

Although Xu Xinghe has a passive leadership style, he has no immediate plans to step forward and integrate the team.

The reason is also very simple.

He needs to understand what his teammates prefer or are most comfortable with in terms of playstyle and strategies before he can fully integrate into the team's style.

Only in this way can he break down the original sense of distance and unite his teammates, making them a cohesive unit.

Put all your energy into one direction.

So at this moment, Xu Xinghe was just watching silently, just like Senior Ju.

It's not that he likes to watch it, it's that he has to watch it.

Last year with IG, Xu Xinghe could have easily manipulated his teammates like puppets, because they could still win that way.

That IG team was almost entirely composed of players with amazing stats, so Xu Xinghe only needed to focus on commanding the team.

In layman's terms, it's low difficulty but high stats, possessing a kind of aesthetic appeal.

But it's clear that the current IG team isn't at that level yet.

Is it possible to expect Flandre to be like TheShy, able to gain lane priority against anyone?
Do you expect Rookie to be as unstoppable as he was last year?
Or are we hoping that the bottom lane, like last year, can be left to its own devices and become a pillar in the late game?

Not too possible.

For IG to succeed right now, they need to put in a lot of hard work.

If winning the championship last year was of average difficulty, then this year's victory was at least a nightmare.

It's not quite at the final hell level yet, but it's close.

The problems with IG in S9 were mostly mental, while the problems with IG in S10 were genuinely a lack of raw skill.

— At least against DWG, it's far from enough.

Fortunately, there is still a year left.

Xu Xinghe was ready.

Before his teammates grow or recover, he alone shoulders the responsibility for IG's glorious past and new future.

Transform into Master Xu, and take down all the former teammates who chose to leave IG one by one.

In layman's terms... he'll become the new head of IG.

In silence, we arrived at the Demacia Cup venue.

There weren't many fans gathered outside.

They huddled together in twos and threes, and didn't react much when they saw the IG bus arrive.

Is it because you're not an IG fan?

No, it's because they "used to be."

As mentioned earlier, IG's players have a large number of individual fans.

After the bot laner and top laner left the team, these fans were naturally no longer IG fans.

But after all, they were a team I had supported for a year, and as IG's bus arrived at the venue, the atmosphere outside the stadium suddenly became a bit strange.

The bus door opened.

Under the slightly yellowish sunlight, a handsome young man with a plain face walked down the street carrying a backpack.

He glanced briefly at the fans on the roadside, then calmly looked away and walked steadily toward the players' tunnel.

Xu Xinghe has a very good memory.

Therefore, he could see that many of the people holding up signs for "SN" or "TES" were former fans of IG.

But so what?

Whether they like it or not is their freedom, and has nothing to do with Xu Xinghe.

But his indifference only made these fans resentful.

"What are you pretending for? It's obvious that IG doesn't want to renew your contract."

"Heh, who knows how much he asked IG for? What a usurper."

"He doesn't say a word when he sees people, even though I used to like him so much."

"Is it wrong to dislike Instagram? It's normal to unfollow them."

"What kind of attitude is that? Didn't you used to take photos and sign autographs for fans all the time?"

Xu Xinghe ignored him.

His expression finally softened when he saw the patch of land near the door.

Because the sign they were holding there read "IG".

"Go Xinghe! I believe IG can succeed this year too!"

"Go Xinghe! IG really can only rely on you now!"

"Brother Xinghe..."

The number of fans there isn't huge, but it's not small either.

After all, although the top and bottom carries did take away a lot of fans, IG still has some foundation, and it's not like they suddenly became all casual fans overnight.

However, compared to the previous giant silver wave, it is indeed much smaller.

The current number of Instagram fans is at most a small ripple.

Moreover, the gender ratio has changed from being predominantly female to being half male and half female.

Saint Gun followed behind Xu Xinghe, watching him patiently take photos and sign autographs with fans before smiling and waving into the venue. Saint Gun couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

"I really didn't expect it to be true."

Xu Xinghe knew what he was talking about. There had been rumors that Xu Xinghe would always cater to fans whenever he had time, unlike other LPL players.

But most LPL players think it's a rumor.

Because Xu Xinghe's performance on the field was too amazing, and his interview was incredibly tough, like a raging fire that never stops burning, every breath he took revealed the arrogance of a genius.

Many contestants who wanted to get to know Xu Xinghe were simply ignored by him.

Would a contestant like that cooperate with fans?

Now Flandre knows.

...Damn it, they actually know how.

There are many things you don't know.

Xu Xinghe replied calmly.

"Oh?"

"Funny guy Holy Gun Bro" made an excited sound.

"Why does Flandre want to cover up his history with Snake Team? To be honest, it's because he sold sex toys with Snake Team. I have a distant cousin who works with Snake Team. He told me that the Snake Team owner really likes Flandre, which is why he's so lenient with him."

Xu Xinghe tightened his backpack and spoke calmly.

Flandre's smile froze.

"You've got quite a life story to tell. If I weren't Flandre herself, I'd believe you too. Where did you hear this anecdote from?"

Xu Xinghe chuckled.

"Just tell me if it's wild or not."

Saint Gun sighed.

Whether it's wild or not is another matter, but it's definitely shit.

Where on earth did this "ditch literature" come from? My high status in the Snake team is because of my strong abilities!

"Pfft."

Suddenly someone laughed.

Saint Gun turned around and saw Missing, who was standing closest to him, with a heart as cold as stone and an indifferent expression.

"Mi Xing, you smiled?"

Missing, the fishmonger at RT-Mart, had a cold expression on her face.

"You misheard me. I'm a professional player. No matter how funny it is, I won't laugh."

puff.

Someone laughed again.

This time it was Rookie, who smiled and patted Missing.

"If you laughed, you laughed. Why make it sound so bitter and resentful?"

Saint Gun looked surprised, "Your Chinese is so good that you can use idioms?"

If Rookie were Japanese, Flandre would definitely give him a "Kimi no Chinese" greeting as a sign of respect.

Missing remained silent in the face of Rookie's teasing.

It seems rather strange?
Missing was fine a few days ago.

But it's not surprising at all.

Although Missing and Flandre's relationship warmed up quickly, they also often argued.

The reason is simple: incompatible personalities.

Saint Gun is always very reliable in crucial moments; he is a very responsible person.

But unless it's a critical moment, he's generally quite unreliable.

He's never serious in his daily life.

Missing happens to be the kind of person who likes to take things very seriously.

It's fair to say that Flandre and Saint Gun are destined for a love-hate relationship.

The reason Missing has been disliking Flandre these past few days is because Flandre casually said something like:
"Missing, you were the crown prince of WE, then went to JDG, and now you're at IG. Are you the Lu Bu of esports?"

To be honest, Flandre was just saying it casually, just joking around.

But this statement...

Missing, however, remembered it.

This really disgusted Missing.

What sounded like a normal transfer came out of Flandre's mouth just didn't make sense.

Saint Gun thought he was joking, but...

Missing: Kids, what else can I say? This isn't funny.

"Are you an IG player? Please come with me."

Tencent's staff came out and greeted IG in the lounge with smiles.

However, since it was the first day of the Demacia Cup, there were not only IG teams in the rest room, but also three other teams.

Aside from EDG, which Xu Xinghe knew a few people from, the other two teams were somewhat unfamiliar.

They're probably just a team to make up the numbers.

Unlike the Spring and Summer Splits, the Demacia Cup doesn't only feature LPL teams; it also includes streamer teams and LDL teams jokingly referred to as "high-end internet cafe teams."

Some might ask, with such a huge gap in skill, what's the point of holding this competition?

Putting aside the need for exposure, the actual difference in strength is not that significant.

The reason for this is that very few LPL-level teams will field their full roster in the Demacia Cup.

Despite the depleted roster, the gap was still significant, but it wasn't a one-sided affair from start to finish.

——This is how it should be.

As the incredibly popular LPL player, Junxiu, led his teammates in silver team uniforms into the rest room, the previously noisy room immediately quieted down.

Then came the uncontrollable whispers.

"Holy crap, it really is Xinghe Ge? Holy crap, Flandre! Holy crap, Chicken!"

"Really? Holy crap, this is a full starting lineup?"

"IG doesn't seem to have any substitutes either."

"A few of us streamers beat a fully healed IG? Really?"

"A newly formed team can't be called 'full health,' can it? More like 'low health'?"

"What's the difference? Even a weakened IG isn't someone we can beat. Could a fully healed Shippuden Sasuke beat a weakened Six Paths Naruto?"

"Bro is starting to think of himself as Sasuke again."

Xu Xinghe ignored the people's comments and looked at the EDG players.

Aside from Meiko and Scout, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly famous.

At least not yet.

This was his first time meeting Jiejie in person. At that time, Jiejie was also very inexperienced and nervous, like a college student about to defend his thesis.

Scout hesitated for a moment, then took the initiative to greet him.

After Xu Xinghe responded politely, the conversation ended there.

As soon as Saint Gun Bro entered the room, he found the sofa on his own and settled down there as if no one else was there. He then picked up his phone and started browsing Sun Xiaochuan's forum.

This is the confidence of a seasoned LPL veteran.

Waiting for the match to start was a bit agonizing, but fortunately Xu Xinghe was already used to it.

The competition officially began at 6 PM.

The first match was played by IG.

And their opponents...

It's a team of live streamers.

Strictly speaking, this team of livestreamers has a decent lineup.

Top laner: Tiger God; Jungler: Sally; Mid laner: Wang Jichao; Bottom lane duo: Zhe Ling, Kassadin, and Lin Jie.

Compared to the original streamer team, their skill level has improved significantly, and they are all formidable players in ranked games, some even reaching the highest rank.

It's clear that the LPL really wants to make the Demacia Cup a bit more suspenseful.

But at this moment, these streamers had very mixed feelings.

[IG.Flandre entered the room]

[IG.Galaxy entered the room]

[IG.Rookie entered the room]

[IG.Viper entered the room]

[IG.Missing entered the room]

Wang Jichao's lips twitched; his last glimmer of hope was shattered.

"No way, they're really letting us play against IG with their full starting lineup?"

LPL, have some decency!
Tencent Esports: Will they win?

The broadcaster team: [Crying soybean.JPG]

(End of this chapter)