Believe me, I really am a professional League of Legends player.

Chapter 138 What kind of champion is this? You're the champion again! (Please subscribe)

When Li Fan returned to his hotel room, he found that his teammates had recovered considerably after a few hours of rest.

Several people were already sitting in front of their computers, practicing their ranked games to maintain their skills.

After all, participating in the Mid-Season Invitational is a first for many people, and they are all quite excited at this moment.

Although the chances of winning the championship are not high, if you do win, wouldn't that be a world championship?

Once you've had enough rest, you can start training.

The factory manager had just finished a game and was stretching his arms when he looked up and saw Li Fan push the door open and come in. He casually asked, "You're only getting back now? How did the Street Fighter tournament go? I thought you got lost since you were gone so long."

This was purely a joke; after all, the Street Fighter tournament was right next to the hotel, how could anyone get lost?

Li Fan casually hung his coat aside and said easily, "I was itching to play, and since I had the chance, I signed up and played a few rounds."

"How many rounds did you play?" The factory manager raised an eyebrow, not paying much attention. "It's good to experience the offline atmosphere. How did it feel? You got crushed, didn't you?" He thought Li Fan was just going to try it out and probably lost more than he won.

After all, these kinds of competitions are mostly attended by top players offline. Although Li Fan is very talented at playing games, he doesn't remember playing Street Fighter for many days.

Beginners shouldn't experience anything too exaggerated.

"I feel pretty good. I've only won about a dozen games and successfully advanced. I still have to play in the main tournament tomorrow."

"If you won, you won. You've experienced it... Wait! What did you say?!" The factory manager didn't react at first and instinctively tried to reply, but then his eyes widened instantly, his face filled with disbelief. "You advanced?! You actually advanced? And you're playing in the main tournament tomorrow?!"

His exclamation also attracted the attention of his other teammates in the training room.

Meiko took off one earphone and looked over curiously: "Brother Fan, how was the atmosphere at the Street Fighter offline tournament? I initially thought it would be chaotic in Brazil, but seeing the tournament being held here, the atmosphere seems pretty good. Now I'm really looking forward to the main event."

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the main event. I'll go and spar with those pros tomorrow. The atmosphere at the Street Fighter tournament is really great. I went up and pulled off a whole combo, and the audience cheered and encouraged me!"

"Huh?" The sister-complex was stunned. Wasn't the League of Legends main event on the 11th? It's only the 7th... Vietnam has indeed successfully defeated the big brother of the Turkish league.

The gap between the two sides is still very obvious.

So the six teams for the Mid-Season Invitational have been confirmed: SKT, EDG, G2, TSM, FW, and GAM.

"He meant the main event for Street Fighter tomorrow, not the group stage of League of Legends."

After saying that, the factory manager was momentarily speechless.

He originally thought Li Fan was just going to watch the fun and maybe have a bit of fun, but who would have thought that this guy would actually advance?!
Are these people who came to participate in the competition really that bad?
"Didn't you say you were just playing around? This...aren't these professional players participating in the competition?"

"Yes, professional players qualify directly for the main event. Since I don't have any past records, I need to play in the qualifiers for a whole day. I heard from them that this is the Brazilian regional qualifier, and the champion can participate in the World Championship qualifiers at the end of the year, so there are still two professional players..."

"You little brat... I'm really fed up with you. The Mid-Season Invitational is about to start, and you still have to go participate in other competitions. Do Abu and the coach know? How are we going to play the scrims afterwards?" Clearlove knew that Quickstar had already arranged scrims...

If Li Fan is going to participate in a competition tomorrow, Scout will have to fill in for him in the practice match again, just like before.

"I'll go talk to them later..."

"You..." The factory manager patted Li Fan on the shoulder, "Alright, as long as you know what you're doing. Play around, joke around, but don't joke about MSI. Just play Street Fighter casually, don't get too involved and let it interfere with your serious training."

If we eliminate the noobs today, then we'll be facing experts tomorrow.

They might be eliminated directly.

So there's no point in thinking about it too much now.

Moreover, Li Fan didn't seem to be greatly affected when he participated in other games during crucial matches, and his performance in those matches was excellent.

This may indeed be his unique way of relaxing.

If you don't understand, then try to understand...

When Abu and Quickstar learned that Li Fan was going to participate in the Street Fighter competition the next day, their state of mind was actually similar to that of Factory Director.

Before such a crucial match begins, it's important to rest and relax first, then we can definitely play well in the upcoming Mid-Season Invitational.

If I don't finish this Street Fighter tournament, I'll definitely keep thinking about these things during the group stage.

Thinking like that will definitely affect my performance in the game.

Therefore, participating in this competition has no downsides but is entirely beneficial.

Moreover, once the intensity of the main competition increases, I might be eliminated tomorrow.

There's no rush for the training match; there are still four days until the competition. We can rest for another day and train the next day.

Quick Star even patted Li Fan on the shoulder, giving him a heads-up beforehand.

"Tomorrow's game is just for relaxation and entertainment. Even if you lose, don't take it too seriously. After all, everyone has limited energy, and it's impossible to play every game well."

Li Fan nodded, indicating that he was just doing it for fun. He had never seen Street Fighter live before, and this opportunity gave him a chance to experience it and gain a clearer understanding of his own abilities.

Quickstar is very satisfied... With such a player, his coaching ability will also improve a lot.

Scout looked at the scene before him and felt nothing but injustice.

We're both Koreans!
Why do you have such a strong preference for Chinese people?
And... it's excessively targeting me!

Scout looked at Quickstar's almost benevolent attitude towards Li Fan, and compared it with the strict and harsh scolding he usually received, and felt an indescribable bitterness and grievance.

He lowered his head silently, pretending to focus on the game screen, but his peripheral vision kept drifting towards it to observe.

"We're both Korean..." Scout cried out in his heart, "Why are you so lenient with Li Fan but so harsh on me? He went to play in other matches and missed practice matches, and you not only weren't angry, you even comforted him? This is so unfair!"

He recalled that two days ago, when they were discussing tactics at the base, Quickstar had been cursing him wildly and had told him to go outside and stand as punishment in front of everyone.

This was something he found very difficult to understand...

Why? We're all mid-laners, and some are even stronger than me. Why are you treating me differently?
Is it because Li Fan doesn't train seriously every day and spends all his time playing other games that you like this kind of rebellious player?
Scout instantly felt himself locked onto by a cold gaze, his scalp tingled, and his body involuntarily trembled slightly.

My instinct told me I needed to yell at myself...

"Scout, what are you looking at? Focus on your training!" or "Don't think you can slack off just because Li Fan went to relax. You still have a lot of problems!"

At that moment, the pressure was so immense that he could barely breathe.

He stared intently at the screen.

However, the expected reprimand did not come.

Quickstar merely glanced at him indifferently, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil in his heart, and ultimately said nothing, instead whispering with Abu about the details of the training match.

Scout's stiff body slowly relaxed, and he let out a long breath. When he came to his senses, he realized that he was covered in cold sweat.

The next day, the factory manager and Fast Star's group actually followed Li Fan to the Street Fighter competition venue.

They were just watching the game, but almost all of them had the same idea: once Li Fan was eliminated, they would immediately go up to him, pat him on the shoulder, and say, "It's okay, it's just for fun, participation is the most important thing."

The atmosphere was even more enthusiastic than during the qualifiers, with a huge screen, a professional commentary booth, and many more passionate fighting game fans.

The factory manager was somewhat surprised by the scale of the operation: "Wow, this is quite a large-scale operation!"

Diego had been looking for Li Fan since he arrived at the scene, and when he saw her, his eyes lit up and he quickly picked up his camera to take pictures.

The match began, and Li Fan's first opponent was a Brazilian player.

Li Fan's Chun-Li, with her precise wave-like movements and agile Hundred-Crack Kicks, seized an opening and unleashed a dazzling combo, easily securing a 2-0 victory.

"Great job, Brother Fan!" The factory manager was somewhat surprised.

"Good luck, the opponent might be nervous." Li Fan smiled.

In the following rounds, Li Fan continued to dominate, advancing through each round with overwhelming force.

His reaction speed is astonishing, and his control over distance and understanding of moves are completely unlike those of a casual player.

The factory manager and Kuaixing, who were initially waiting for comfort, gradually turned to surprise and were now dumbfounded as they watched Li Fan forcefully enter the top eight.

"Isn't...it that awesome?"

When the quarterfinal matchups were announced, a gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd.

Li Fan's opponent is Nemo, a professional player from Japan who is a strong favorite to win the competition!

Nemo is known in Japan for its highly aggressive playstyle and is a strong contender for a spot in the World Championship.

However, when the match officially started, Li Fan chose Chun-Li and Nemo chose Jill on the big screen.

Li Fan's eyes changed completely.

The enemy is the Japanese!
I have to strike hard; I feel fantastic right now, I'm in top form.

In the first round, Nemo's Gilgamesh launched a relentless offensive, but Li Fan's Chun-Li parried and countered with terrifying precision, easily defusing the attacks.

After depleting most of the opponent's health, Li Fan seized a minor mistake and used a combo to take down Nemo's Gil!
"Holy crap!" the factory manager couldn't help but exclaim.

The audience erupted in incredulous gasps.

This little-known Chinese player actually won the first game?
Nemo clearly got serious, launching an even more aggressive attack at the start of the second game.

Li Fan's skills seemed to have improved to a new level. His Chun-Li was no longer just dodging, but began to launch extremely aggressive counterattacks.

A beautiful phoenix wing fan defuses the crisis, and a precise hundred-crack kick interrupts the opponent's initiation; the entire operation is fluid and seamless.

"Strength unknown, but grows stronger with the sun?" This thought inexplicably popped into the factory manager's mind.

In the second round, after a fierce battle, Li Fan seized the opportunity again and knocked Nemo's Gil down once more!
2: 0!

They decisively defeated Nemo, the favorite to win the championship from Japan, and advanced strongly to the semi-finals.

The entire stadium fell silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous applause and cheers!

Diego quickly snapped a picture of the scene.

Great! There's more news coming out today, and it's a huge slap in the face to those who were skeptical yesterday.

Reaching the semi-finals, especially defeating a formidable opponent like Nemo, has caused Li Fan's popularity to soar both on and off the field.

Li Fan has now become the dark horse in everyone's eyes.

On the second day of the competition, the format changed from the previous short-round format to a more challenging best-of-three (BO3) format.

Li Fan's opponent in the semi-finals was Wes, a fighting game expert from Brazil.

This player is known for his solid defense and accurate ability to seize opportunities, and has a large following in the local area.

The match was close from the start.

Wes had thoroughly studied Li Fan's Chun-Li and was no longer easily fooled, defending her flawlessly.

In the first match, both sides traded blows, their health points decreasing alternately. At a crucial moment, Wes seized on Li Fan's slightly reckless dash and took down Chun-Li with a combo.

In the second game of the first match, Li Fan was easily defeated!

Wes successfully secured their first major point...

During the break, Li Fan took a few deep breaths, his expression remaining calm, but his eyes were even more focused. He had encountered a master!
In the second game, he quickly adjusted his strategy, no longer rushing for quick results, and began to pull and restrain the opponent.

The two sides were locked in another fierce battle, eventually drawing 1-1, with the game becoming extremely tense at one point.

In the end, in the decisive second game, Li Fan narrowly won the game by confirming a combo with an extremely calm light foot.

The score is tied 1-1!
The atmosphere at the scene began to tense, and everyone held their breath and stared intently at the big screen.

In the deciding game, the pressure was on both sides.

Wes was clearly a bit impatient because of the previous game's loss, and tried several times to use high-risk, high-reward moves to open up the situation, but Li Fan calmly defended against them all.

As the match time ticked away, both sides were running out of health, but Li Fan still held a slight lead.

Wes couldn't contain himself any longer and unleashed a powerful forward dash attack, attempting a final desperate gamble!
However, this rash move was already noticed by Li Fan, who was fully focused.

"what!"

A lightning-fast, powerful punch landed squarely on Wes's opening as he finished his attack!
They launched a counterattack and successfully won the game.

Two to one!

After a fierce battle with Wes, Li Fan was exhausted, but he was extremely excited.

That's exactly the feeling I wanted!
After a short break, the final match began.

His opponent was another Brazilian star, Brolynho, who is ranked among the top three in Brazil.

In the first match of the finals, Brolynho launched a fierce offensive from the start, catching Li Fan off guard and causing him to lose the first match.

But Li Fan once again demonstrated his strong ability to adapt.

He didn't panic after losing the first game. In the second game, he withstood the pressure and gradually turned the tide with more refined skills and tenacious defense, eventually winning the second game with great difficulty.

1:1 score...

Brolynho truly never expected that Li Fan would push him to this extent.

At first, I thought the Japanese players would put pressure on me, but later it turned out to be the League of Legends players.

To be honest, this turn of events was a bit dramatic.

But if he loses this game, he will become a laughing stock in an instant.

He had read the reports about Diego.

Li Fan only trained for a week, and to reach this level in just one week is truly genius. But what does all those years of hard work amount to if he defeats me?

……

The atmosphere in the deciding game was so tense it was almost suffocating.

Every choice, every move, touches the hearts of everyone.

Brolynho continued his offensive relentlessly, and Li Fan's Chun-Li's health was once suppressed to a very dangerous level.

However, in dire straits...

Brolynho's Ryu used a "Blazing Wave Fist" to block the way, while pressing forward, preparing to deliver a fatal blow when Li Fan jumped to dodge.

But Li Fan didn't jump!

At the critical moment, Chun-Li made a move that amazed everyone, parrying with perfect precision!

"Crack!" "Crack!"

Chun-Li's figure swayed slightly in the energy wave, perfectly blocking both hits of the Hadouken!

This requires near-inhuman reflexes and frame-perfect input!

"What?!" Brolynho had no idea that his opponent would dare to gamble like this when he was low on health, and that he actually succeeded!
But at that moment, Li Fan made a move!

With the brief stun from the successful parry lifted, Chun-Li charged forward like a cheetah that had been poised for a long time!

Start with a light kick!

"Hey!"

With a light kick, Li Fan frantically rubbed his fingers on the handle!

Light kick → connect → Hundred-crack kick → cancel → Phoenix Wing Fan!
A combo that was already etched into muscle memory was unleashed!

Chun-Li's figure drew a magnificent trajectory in the air, and all the damage was poured into Brolynho's body!

Brolynho's health bar was instantly emptied!
KO! Comeback! Counterattack!

"He won! My God! A block followed by a confirmed combo! A comeback from near-death! Li Fan is the champion! He won the Street Fighter qualifier in Brazil!"

After a brief moment of deathly silence, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers and applause!

This incredible comeback, this god-like block and counterattack!

Li Fan leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. This championship was truly earned by starting from scratch and fighting his way through. The feeling was completely different.

very excited!
Diego was so excited that his hands were trembling, and he perfectly captured the moment when Li Fan raised his arms after winning the championship.

With the caption "LOL player becomes Street Fighter champion in a week, makes a godlike comeback in the finals with low health," he could already foresee the sensation this photo would cause in the Street Fighter community.

……

Less than two hours after Li Fan lifted the Street Fighter championship trophy, a well-known e-sports marketing account in China quickly published an article.

[Breaking News! Congratulations to EDG.Unreal for winning the championship in Brazil!]

In the recently concluded top-tier tournament in the Brazilian region, EDG's mid-laner Unreal delivered a phenomenal performance, overcoming all obstacles and staging an incredible comeback from near-death in the finals to ultimately claim the championship!
Let's cheer for Unreal Engine! Let's cheer for EDG! #EDG##MSI#

This post immediately went viral in the comments section.

Many EDG fans and LPL viewers who just saw the title were stunned.

[Holy crap?! The MSI champion?! They won it already?! The tournament hasn't even started yet!]

[Custom Champion?]

Most people clicked on it with a lot of questions in their minds.

[I took my pants off and this is what you show me?]

[Street Fighter V champion? ??? Unreal? Is this the Unreal who I'm thinking of as the EDG mid laner?]

[Damn it, I barged in wanting to yell at someone, only to find out the clown was myself?]

[Unreal, what's wrong with you? How come you have championships in every game?]

[First QQ Speed, now Street Fighter? Brother Fan, what happened to being a League of Legends pro player? What's your main job anyway?]

[I'm dumbfounded. Wasn't he going to Brazil to compete in MSI? How come he took down the local fighting game champion first?]

[You're a master of clickbait headlines, but I'll forgive you this time—this news is just too surreal!]

[He casually won a Street Fighter championship? Is this the world of naturally gifted players?]

[I know Brolynho and Nemo, they're both well-known professional guys, how could they get crushed by Fan? That's outrageous!]

[A low-health parry turns the tide and secures a kill? Even novels wouldn't dare write something like this!]

[To be honest, that maneuver was really cool, and incredibly difficult. To pull off such a comeback after such a difficult maneuver takes real guts.]

This news spread at an astonishing speed across major forums and social media platforms.

The hashtag "EDG mid laner wins the championship in Brazil" quickly climbed to the top of the trending searches.

Those netizens who were initially unaware of the facts clicked in and all went through a mental journey from "?" to "!" to "hahaha".

The preconceived notion that Li Fan was a good-for-nothing was reinforced once again...

A large number of League of Legends players are also very angry.

It doesn't matter if you go to play a Street Fighter game on your first day in Brazil, excluding the first day you fly there.

But everyone was in great shape the next day, and you still insisted on participating in the competition, wasting three days in a row like that.

How can we train like this?

Unreal is incredibly selfish in its pursuit of popularity! Players like this should be kicked out of the esports scene!
(End of this chapter)