LPL History

Chapter 109 Win the championship!

Pingxiang.

Inside an illegal internet cafe.

Two children, one fat and one thin, with snot hanging from their noses, looking only thirteen or fourteen years old, were standing on tiptoe looking at the screen in front of them.

There are many kids like this in illegal internet cafes, not because the owners won't let them use the computers because of their age, but because they don't have money.

They like to stand behind others all the time, and some of them are gossipy little brats who like to offer their opinions.

However, at this moment, the owner of the machine was not playing games.

Instead, he was watching the live broadcast of the 2012 League of Legends World Championship.

In fact, almost 80% of the people in the internet cafe are watching the game right now.

Thanks to Tencent's marketing efforts, even people who don't play League of Legends were drawn to the World Championship live stream by a series of attractive offers, such as lighting up the QQ icon, obtaining exclusive crops in QQ Farm, and having the chance to win e-sports peripherals by checking in on QQ Space.

"Wow... Ryan is amazing!"

The skinny child spoke, his voice sounding dull, as if he wasn't very bright.

"Zhuo Ding, will you be this amazing in the future?"

The chubby child spoke, then leaned back in the chair in front of him, as if he were about to fall asleep.

Zhuo Ding clenched his fist and nodded seriously.

"Ah... I wish I could be 80% as good as him. Zeng Qi, you'll be just as good too."

The young man sitting in front flicked the ash from his cigarette, turned around, and looked displeased.

"What are you two brats yelling about? You think you're as powerful as me, Zhou Sheng? Go away, get lost! If you weren't just little kids, I would have beaten you up already."

Zeng Qi, annoyed by the scolding, scoffed and pulled Zhuo Ding, who was still standing there, aside before the young man could stand up.

They walked around the internet cafe, and their eyes lit up.

I noticed an older woman was also watching the game.

The older sister definitely won't be mean to them.

Zhuo Ding and Zeng Qi stood behind each other and began to comment again.

As a freshman at the Communication University of China this year, Yu Shuang should have been enjoying her time at university, immersed in the ocean of knowledge.

However, due to a family emergency, she had to take leave and come back to deal with it.

I happened to see the overwhelming publicity surrounding the League of Legends competition.

Yu Shuang didn't have a computer at home, and since she had just finished taking care of some things, she went to an internet cafe to watch the game.

She understands the game; as soon as she entered university, the male classmates in her class dragged her to play League of Legends.

The name most frequently heard from the male students was not Garen, Chrysanthemum Xin, or Master Yi, but Zhou Li.

For a time, Yu Shuang believed that Zhou Li was the name of a hero.

Later, Yu Shuang learned that Zhou Li was indeed the name of a hero.

She had intended to watch her idol's match quietly, but now the two sides had begun the crucial third and decisive match.

WE has reached match point; if they win this match, they will clinch the championship!
Zhou Li once again pulled out a hero he had never used before: Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox.

This almost made Yu Shuang shout out in excitement.

It's worth noting that, unlike other girls, she doesn't like playing support; she prefers playing mid-lane.

The alluring and seductive Ahri is her favorite hero.

Yu Shuang was thinking of celebrating this moment with her idol when two little kids suddenly ran up behind her, making her feel a little uncomfortable.

And listen to what those two little brats are saying.

"That guy named Zita is so stupid, he got solo killed again."

"Ryan is just too amazing."

"If it were me, I wouldn't have gotten solo killed. I would have just stood under the tower, wouldn't that have been enough?"

"What was that Ahri did just now? How could she use her E on a minion and charm Twisted Fate like that?"

Yu Shuang couldn't listen any longer and turned around to speak:

"That's an E-flash."

Actually, she didn't know either; she had just heard the explanation and analysis.

But she decided to selflessly share this knowledge with these two clueless little kids.

“Zhou Sheng is best at these kinds of maneuvers because he almost never uses Flash to escape, but always uses it to attack unexpectedly, so everyone calls him Yellow Flash.”

Zeng Qi shouted excitedly:
"I know the Yellow Flash, Naruto's dad!"

In his excitement, snot dripped down his nose like noodles, but he sucked it back in with a forceful sniff.

Yu Shuang couldn't bear to watch any longer and took out a tissue from her bag.

"Wipe it."

Zhuo Ding, who was standing to the side, asked:
"Big sister, are you a fan of his too?"

As he spoke, his eyes darted around.

"Yeah, among us League of Legends players, there's no one who isn't a fan of Zhou Li."

Zhuo Ding thought for a moment, his tone still bearing a simple and honest air.

"Will he have a lot of female fans? I heard he always sleeps with fans, does that mean he sleeps with female fans?"

Yu Shuang's face darkened instantly.

Does this little brat even know what he's saying?
But judging from the way the other person spoke, they seemed to have some intellectual disability, so she could only patiently say:

"Who said he had any fans? His... they're all foreign colleagues, and they're here to learn foreign languages."

"Sister, what's your name? Are you also from Pingxiang?"

"Duan Yushuang..."

"Oh..." Zhuo Ding wiped his nose, "Sister, if I become a professional player, can I also have a lot of female fans?"

Yu Shuang glanced helplessly at the child beside her who looked only twelve or thirteen years old.

When others see Zhou Li, they all shout that they want to learn from Zhou Sheng, revitalize China's e-sports industry, and win the championship.

Why is it that when it comes to this kid, all he can think about is female fans?

Coupled with the other person's silly and stilted tone, Yu Shuang thought that this kid probably had something wrong with his head.

So they wanted the chubby boy, who was easier to communicate with, to take the skinny boy away.

Yu Shuang turned her head and saw the chubby boy from before, squinting and leaning against the back of her chair, almost asleep.

"Sister, please add me on QQ. When I become a professional gamer..."

"Snapped!"

A slap landed on the back of Zhuo Ding's head.

Zhuo Ding turned his head blankly.

Then he saw the young man who had been smoking a cigarette standing behind him, looking menacing.

He was going to relieve himself when he happened to see the two snotty-nosed children.

Of course, he also has another identity: he is the network administrator here.

Zhuo Ding asked, dumbfounded, "Why did you hit me?"

"Kid, I told you both to get out of here, don't you understand?"

Zeng Qi was startled awake and stared blankly at the scene before him.

Zhuo Ding did not leave.

"I will become a professional player in the future..."

"Snapped!"

"Professional my ass, you're not even fully grown yet, all you think about is female fans, why are you even playing professionally, go play professionally in Japan."

"I'm really good at video games..."

"Snapped!"

"I'm giving you one last chance. Get out of here yourself, or I'll kick you out!"

Zhuo Ding seemed to have a slow reaction time, only now noticing the pain in his head.

With a wry smile, he took off running towards the exit of the internet cafe. Zeng Qi quickly gave chase.

Outside the internet cafe, Zhuo Ding was still sobbing.

In order to cheer up his good friend, Zeng Qi suggested:
"Zhuo Ding, let's slide down the railing."

He pointed to the railing of the internet cafe's stairs and slid down first.

Zhuo Ding hesitated for a moment, then jumped up as well.

The moment he landed, his face contorted in pain.
-
WE player seat.

Zhou Li, who was passionately engaged in his work, discovered that the Records of the Grand Historian had suddenly turned a page without warning.

The law of cause and effect is infallible; retribution is inevitable. A young man in the country, indulging in evil thoughts in his youth, had his mind scattered. Heaven's law, clear and bright, sent down righteous thoughts, causing him to lose his composure and focus on his pursuits. The woman of the Wan family, who once narrowly escaped miscarriage, was now protected by cause and effect and ultimately avoided disaster. Therefore, we know that the retribution for good and evil follows like a shadow—is this not an empty saying? The young man suddenly understood, banishing all evil thoughts; whatever the spear pointed at him turned to dust. The woman of the Wan family's well-being was all predetermined by fate.

[Unlocked Miscellaneous Character: Young Wan-Wan. Acquired Ability: Gynecological Expert.]

[A top-tier obstetrician and gynecologist: Possesses comprehensive knowledge of obstetrics and gynecology, with medical theoretical knowledge reaching the level of a chief physician.]

Zhou Li was taken aback for a moment, then quickly closed the Records of the Grand Historian.

At that moment, both sides were engaged in a team battle. There were too many words to read carefully, but he only saw something like "Wan Xiaowan" and "Gynecological Master," which made him want to curse.

What kind of incredible ability is this? What would an e-sports player need obstetrics and gynecology medical knowledge for?!

And who the hell is this "Little Wan"?
Zhou Li didn't have time to think it through; he quickly composed himself and focused his attention on the game.

The match has reached the 29th minute.

With the Baron buff, WE pushed onto IG's high ground.

This will be the last team fight!!
The two sides had already begun to pull back and forth head-on. Zhou Li controlled the fox, blocking the line of sight, and the moment he saw Kid's plane peek out!

RE Flash Hellfire QW!

"Oh!!!"

In the commentary booth, Long Hair let out an incredulous exclamation.

"Lion! Another E-flash! He seized the opportunity and instantly killed the enemy hero!! WE! They've chosen to tower dive!!"

"Ahri was constantly lurking on the edge of team fights! It was clear that IG really wanted to cause trouble for Ahri, but Lion's positioning was just too good!!"

"IG can't touch Ahri! But as soon as Ahri makes a move, IG will lose a player!"

"IG can't hold on!!! They've been wiped out!!"

"WE! They're about to make a killing!!!"

As Ahri unleashed her final ultimate ability, securing the kill on PDD, the crowd at the Garen center erupted in a deafening roar of cheers!

Longhair took a deep breath and shouted:

"Let's congratulate Team WE!"

"After ten days of fierce competition and battles between sixteen top teams from around the world, the 2012 League of Legends World Championship has been decided!"

"From the very beginning, the Chinese region was not favored, but fought its way to the end. Team WE, and their captain Lion, used their undisputed absolute strength to tell League of Legends players all over the world who is the number one in the world!!"

Amidst Changmao's excited commentary, IG's base was completely reduced to dust.

The WE team members jumped up from their seats and excitedly rushed behind Zhou Li, forcibly pulling him up from his seat.

Then they started folding roujiamo (Chinese hamburger).

Joker watched WE win the championship and suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

Although he always boasted that he was the one who discovered the Zhou rites, he knew the truth for himself.

Just think, less than half a year ago, that young man was lazily lying on the sofa, doing nothing all day. He was considered by people to be a piece of trash who was about to be kicked out of WE.

It wasn't until I kicked him, making him go pick up Abu, that the gears of fate suddenly began to turn.

In just six months, WE said goodbye to IF and DaoGe, and welcomed MingKai and JuanMao. RuoFeng also moved to the position of coach.

This WE team has undergone a tremendous transformation.

And all of this is because of that man named Zhou Li.

At this moment, the center of the stage is reserved only for those five people!

Surrounded by a crowd, Zhou Li raised the trophy high, representing the supreme glory of League of Legends!

Looking at the cheering crowd below the stage, Zhou Li couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

The trophy in his hand wasn't very heavy.

But it was this trophy that made Chinese fans around the world wait anxiously for an unknown amount of time.

Every year is the most hopeful year.

Every year is a year of elimination.

They could only watch helplessly as the Korean teams lifted one championship trophy after another.

And now.

2012 years.

They have already lifted their first championship trophy.

Starting today, those regrets, anger, resentment, envy, and even spineless knees...

These terms all belong to South Korea!

When the microphone was placed to his lips, only one sentence remained in Zhou Li's mind.

The words that had once made him feel slightly embarrassed now flowed out of his mouth naturally!

"China! No.1!"

This time, it's not just a self-indulgent slogan.

It's not that it's telling League of Legends players all over the world.

"China is fucking number one in the world!"
-
After saying goodbye to the rickshaw and Hummer, Zhou Li boarded a flight back home.

Looking down at the skyscrapers below, which seemed as insignificant as ants, and watching planes fly over the west coast of America and across the Pacific Ocean, Zhou Li knew that this would not be his last time here.

Winning a world championship once isn't something to be overly excited about.

He knew that on the land of Goryeo, a great demon king was about to step onto the stage of history.

Around the world, countless League of Legends players destined to become legends have just stepped into the doors of professional teams.

With the explosive popularity of League of Legends, the development of the game by players has become increasingly professional and standardized.

Zhou Li will only face greater challenges in the future.

He looked at his teammates and the other IG players.

At that moment, a group of people were excitedly whispering among themselves.

They weren't discussing which flight attendant had the most shapely buttocks, nor were they talking about Amelia's strong body odor.

Instead, they were reviewing the finals.

Zhou Li closed his eyes and began to take a nap.

He knew he probably didn't need to worry too much.

A World Championship trophy from Season 2 might not mean much to him.

But he knew that for the rapidly growing Chinese esports scene, such a championship would change many things.

In the future, many more shining new stars will surely emerge in China.
-
[October 15th. The whole team had dinner to celebrate winning the championship. After dinner, everyone said they wanted to go to a karaoke bar, but I didn't go. I told them there are three reasons I won't go to karaoke: 1. I won't go to karaoke bars. Karaoke bars originated in Japan, and I'm patriotic, so I won't go. 2. I won't go if there's no music teacher. Without a teacher, there's no way to improve my singing skills, so I won't go. 3. I won't go to all-male karaoke parties. Karaoke involves drinking, and after drinking, who will I tell my stories to? To the mute curly-haired guy? Or to the dead eunuch Abu? Who will mend my broken heart? What if I get drunk and want to lie down? Where will I lean against? On Zhu Kai's 40-inch cold belly? Or on that cold, imitation leather sofa?! So I didn't go. The fun was for them; I was alone in the darkness and loneliness, dancing Latin dance in solitude.]

[October 16th. Opening the League of Legends client, the news of WE's championship victory was prominently displayed. Tencent released a free WE championship icon, and also launched my own icon—of course, this was paid content, and I received a share. I think Tencent did a great job, but I still used a secondary account to join other netizens in cursing Tencent for only knowing how to make money. The more fiercely we cursed, the higher the buzz, and the more of my share. My icon quickly became the best-selling item in League of Legends. Statistics show that 70% of free-to-play users chose to spend 49 yuan to buy my icon. I think 49 yuan is really a very reasonable price.]

October 19th, nothing much to do today, practiced Latin dance in the dorm.

[On October 23rd, sjokz came to see me.]

On October 24th, Hyun-kyung came to see me. After seeing me with Sjokz, Hyun-kyung asked me if she had come at the wrong time. I said no, you came at the perfect time.

On October 29th, Zhu Kai ordered takeout but didn't answer the phone, resulting in the delivery driver giving him a severe dressing-down. I severely criticized Zhu Kai, telling him not to get arrogant. What use is he if he loses even his only skill?

On November 10th, fans kept asking us how we'd choose our championship skins. Strawberry said he wanted Pantheon because it was the only champion he gained an advantage against in the laning phase during the entire finals. Clearlove obviously had to choose Maokai, since Maokai is his go-to champion, and that image is deeply ingrained in players' minds. Smile chose Ezreal; Gao Xuecheng is too clever, the Ezreal skin will definitely sell like hotcakes. Curly wasn't so smart, choosing Blitzcrank. When it came to myself, I was a bit conflicted. What should I choose for the championship skin?

On November 17th, I heard that the plan to establish the LPL was starting to be implemented, and they invited me to be a mentor.

On November 27th, I flew to Las Vegas, Arizona, to participate in the IPL5 tournament. Although IPL5 is a third-party event, it's quite prestigious, featuring top teams from the global finals. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, my friend smiled and said he wanted to try his luck, so I gave him a big thumbs up.

On December 3rd, we defeated Fnatic in the finals to win the championship. WE's reputation reached unprecedented heights, and the 60e players evolved into 60ME players. I saw that the current world exploration progress in the annals has reached 12%.

[January 3rd, huh?! !!]

(End of this chapter)