League: I really didn't tank!

Chapter 398 Award Ceremony

Over the next few days, all the QG players who had gone home for the holidays came to Shanghai and completed the signing of their contract renewals.

Another year of championship wins, and the market value of QG players has once again surged to varying degrees.

Uzi's market value has once again surged to 20 million, making him the second most valuable player after Chen Dongqing.

As for Xiangguo, he follows closely behind, ranking third in the league with a market value of 13 million.

The QG trio are currently the three most valuable players in the LPL!

The three of them are the most luxurious galactic battleship!

As for Shi Senming, his salary is lower, but that's relative. Compared to other teams' support players, he's still top-tier, earning six million a year.

The combined contract fees for the four of them exceeded 70 million, which is truly staggering.

But the most infuriating thing is that even with such a large sum, the club's budget is still not fully utilized, leaving plenty of room for maneuver!

Before the league introduced a salary cap, QG is just incredibly extravagant!

This is the confidence that 200 million RMB gives them.

In addition to the four, Goudreau, who has decided not to renew his contract, also came to Shanghai.

In addition to contract renewals during the transfer period, there is also the year-end awards ceremony, which requires the entire 17QG team to be present.

While everyone was still together, they had a farewell dinner to bid farewell to Gao Dewei.

During the meal, everyone spoke candidly about the potential substitute for the mid-laner.

"Didn't we say we were going to buy Xiye's game?" Chen Dongqing asked. "How did it go?"

"It's over." Linko shook his head. "WE is a big name, and they've received a lot of sponsorships this year, so they're not short of money at all. They've already renewed their contract with Xiye ahead of schedule."

Chen Dongqing shook his head. "There's nothing we can do about it. What about the others?"

"Scout's contract hasn't expired yet, Doinb is out of the question, and Rookie is not for sale," Linko said. "Anyway, we're out of luck with mid laners from top teams. We'll have to try and find someone from the lower tiers. Chen Dongqing, what are your thoughts?"

People still trust Chen Dongqing's judgment.

Liu Qingsong, Shi Senming, and Gao Dewei were all brought into the team through Chen Dongqing's introduction.

But as it turns out, these people have a high ceiling and have lived up to everyone's expectations.

In the QG team, what everyone needs is not stability and a lower limit, but a higher limit, and genius.

The lower limit can be covered by teammates, but only if the upper limit is high enough can you keep up with QG's pace and win the championship all the way.

"If LPL doesn't have any, then let's look in LSPL," Chen Dongqing said with a smile. "I have a few options; you guys can contact them. One is yagao, one is Knight, and the other is xiaohu."

Upon hearing these three IDs, the group searched their memories.

To be honest, apart from Xiaohu, I have absolutely no recollection of the other two, since neither of them has ever played in the LPL.

"Xiaohu?" Xiangguo nodded upon hearing his old teammate's name. "Xiaohu is indeed good. He's very strong. Many clubs will probably contact him. Hurry up and try to sign him."

The group discussed these things openly in front of Gao Dewei, without any attempt to hide anything.

But Gao Dewei was also very easygoing. He listened to the three IDs and analyzed, "Xiaohu is indeed not bad. There aren't many mid laners in the LPL who can put pressure on me, and Xiaohu is one of them."

"As for Knight, I vaguely remember him. I don't think he's very good." Godwin continued his sharp commentary: "When I was at my worst with LGD last year, I could easily beat him. As for Yagao, I've never heard of him."

"So our priorities are Xiaohu, Knight, and Yagao?" Linko wrote down the three IDs, nodded, and then asked, "What about substitutes? What position do you think would be a good substitute for?"

369 is a near-championship top laner, and his performance in his few appearances for QG was quite good. Based on the idea that QG products must be of high quality, 369 has been signed by TOP, who are short of top laners.

Backed by Topsports, TOP acquired the DAN team and entered the market with plenty of money, ready to make great strides. The signing of 369 can only be described as him following the path he was meant to take.

This 369 from this timeline has honed his skills at QG for a year, so there's no sign of him going through a rebellious phase. I believe he can become an even better top laner.

So QG still needs to find a substitute.

"Is that even a question?" Uzi chuckled. "Just find a top laner. Otherwise, if Chen Dongqing goes to play another game, the competition won't be able to continue."

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter again.

Linko thought for a moment and asked, "So, what do you think of RNG's top laner? He seems like a decent support player."

"No," Li Ang waved his hand. "It really won't work."

"OK." Linko smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll take another look."

At this point, everyone stopped talking and focused on eating.

That very evening, Chen Dongqing posted a group photo of everyone at the dinner table on Weibo with the caption "[The Last Meal]", which was then shared by all the other QG players.

This Weibo post was like a bomb dropped in the e-sports community, immediately causing a huge reaction and even trending on social media.

Is QG, the all-Chinese team that won the championship at the Bird's Nest, really going to disband? Did team spirit ultimately fail to overcome capital?

Everyone was trying to figure out what was going on.

Is it a matter of keeping the main body while removing one or two?

Or will the five of them scatter like stars across the sky, filling in the gaps for the various teams?

Immediately, speculation about the transfer window became rampant.

Various photoshopped images and pranks have also appeared. Some people say Chen Dongqing will join the Los Angeles Lakers, others say Uzi will join Barcelona, ​​and some even say Xiaoming will join the Pokémon Rockets. There are all sorts of things.

But QG just kept it a secret, only releasing a photo to create suspense and anticipation, which made the fans anxious. Even web novels don't write like this.

In fact, QG's contract renewal situation had already been determined. They originally wanted to announce the renewal status as soon as possible, but the league wanted to keep the transfer period's hype going for a while, so they kept it a secret from QG.

But keeping it under wraps isn't necessarily a bad thing, since QG hasn't decided on the last two positions yet. It's better to announce it all at once once the lineup is finalized.

Of course, since Gao Dewei has already confirmed his retirement, he is no longer considered a member of QG, and the league can't control him.

So, the very next day at noon, Godway issued another retirement announcement, and at the same time announced that he would switch to PUBG.

In fact, Gao Dewei issued this announcement last year, but Chen Dongqing pulled it back, and the announcement was eventually deleted as if nothing had happened. This year, the announcement was issued again.

The difference is that last year it was the losers leaving in despair, while this year it is the winners descending the mountain in glory.

By this point, the fans had a vague idea of ​​what yesterday's "last meal" meant.

Many people admire Gordescan for his willingness to retire from the top ranks after winning the League of Legends championship and pursue new challenges in life, after all, they also understand that this career change may result in a lot of financial losses.

Others expressed their dismay, saying that the optimistic family is just different, and that Ilex and GodV, both from LGD, are unreliable one after another.

Amidst countless heated discussions, the time quickly came to November 26th.

The LPL Annual Awards Ceremony has officially begun.

Consider it a temporary respite during the transfer window, all fans are now focused on this awards ceremony.

Everyone wants to know how many championships QG, the all-Chinese team that won all the honors this year and lifted the trophy at the Bird's Nest, can actually win!

At this moment, Chen Dongqing was already at home, looking at his suit with his girlfriend.

Last year at the awards ceremony, due to time constraints, we had to opt for a semi-customized outfit. While the result was decent, it still fell short overall.

This time, however, the preparations were much more thorough. As early as six months ago, Chen Dongqing took the time to go to a suit shop to take measurements and spent three months making a custom-made suit.

A British-style white suit jacket paired with black slim-fit trousers, and a white Dior shirt in the middle, the overall color scheme is well-coordinated.

The notched lapel with two buttons and a stiff shoulder line create an inverted triangle shape, making the figure appear tall and shapely.

Of course, the most satisfying item was the tie that Chen Dongqing had sent over for alterations yesterday.

Lin Yuanhua reached out to help Chen Dongqing tie his tie. The black tie, adorned with two gold stars, hung naturally between his white suit and shirt, drawing everyone's attention and making it clear that this was the two-time LOL champion, the first person in history to achieve this feat.

"How should I put it? Not bad, I guess." Chen Dongqing looked at himself in the mirror and chuckled, "Do I look like Johnwick?"

As Lin Yuanhua stuffed her pocket square into her breast pocket, she asked, "Who is Johnwick?"

"Haven't you seen John Wick? It's Keanu Reeves."

Lin Yuanhua showed no mercy, mercilessly mocking, "You really know how to pat yourself on the back. If you're not a hundred thousand miles off, you're at least fifty-four thousand miles off."

"You're asking for it, are you crazy?!" Chen Dongqing gritted his teeth and was about to attack!

After getting ready, the two soon got into a car provided by Mercedes-Benz, the new chief sponsor of LPL, and headed straight to the Shanghai Shipyard 1862 Theater.

The car stopped directly at the starting point of the red carpet. Chen Dongqing thought about the agreed-upon procedures in his mind, got out of the car first, and then walked to the other side of the car to open the door for Lin Yuanhua.

"This is really troublesome," Chen Dongqing complained as he helped his girlfriend out of the car. "I don't know where this rule came from."

"Can't you even pretend for a few minutes? You must be exhausted!" Lin Yuanhua, dressed in a formal gown, smiled and took Chen Dongqing's hand, secretly pinching Chen Dongqing's palm.

The two exchanged a glance, then slowly walked onto the red carpet, and the camera immediately switched to them.

The two were a perfect match, instantly igniting a frenzy of comments in the live stream!

Holy crap, a tree!

[So handsome?]

Wow, he can actually pull off a white suit!

To be fair, Brother Tree and Little Fish are indeed a perfect match; they're both top-tier!

[Brother Shu looks much better in this suit. I just saw Lin Weixiang's suit, and it was absolutely ridiculous!]

Indeed, walking the red carpet with his hands behind his back looks just like a short track speed skater.

What are you saying! What are you saying?!

When the two reached the GG sign in the middle, today's hosts, Ren Dong and Yu Shuang, immediately came up to them and extended an interview invitation.

"Welcome, Brother Shu and Yuanhua! Please come stand next to us!" The two hosts flanked the two, with Ren Dong standing next to Chen Dongqing. Ren Dong, smiling, asked first, "Brother Shu seems to have received many nominations today. How many awards do you think you'll win?"

Chen Dongqing feigned ignorance: "Did you get a lot of nominations? I don't know. Just four or five awards will do."

Upon hearing this, the photographers around burst into laughter.

The vast majority of contestants come here empty-handed, and you come up here to take on four or five of them?

"Brother Shu has won so many trophies in his career," Ren Dong joked. "I wonder if there's still room in your trophy display case at home?"

Chen Dongqing chuckled and joked, "Next time I'll try to buy a bigger house and set aside a room specifically for it."

Ren Dong smiled and responded with a couple of words, then posed the next question: "Just the day before yesterday, you posted a Weibo post with a group photo of the QG players and the caption 'Last Meal.' Could you tell us how many members of the championship roster QG will retain for the new season?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Dongqing laughed and said, "Don't overthink it, everyone. My Weibo post was simply to say goodbye to Gao Dewei. As for the others, none of them will be leaving."

Chen Dongqing has no interest in keeping the lineup a secret; of course, he'll just tell people directly if they ask.

As for the league, it doesn't matter.

The league treats him like a treasure, what can they possibly do to him?

Upon hearing this, countless fans finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ren Dong then asked, "Could you reveal the mid-lane pick after Wei Shen leaves?"

"I can't reveal that," Chen Dongqing said with a smile, "because it hasn't been decided yet."

After Chen Dongqing's interview ended, Yu Shuang, who was standing next to Lin Yuanhua, also began to ask Lin Yuanhua questions about the nomination.

Lin Yuanhua is also nominated today for the Best Host Award.

Lin Yuanhua didn't have high expectations for the award, and only gave a polite reply.

After the interview, the two took a marker, signed their names on the GG board, and then walked hand in hand into the venue.

Chen Dongqing's group arrived relatively late; by the time they arrived, most of the other contestants had already arrived.

Chen Dongqing and his girlfriend walked to the front row and sat down next to their teammates.

"You guys are here so early." Chen Dongqing went up to greet them.

Xiangguo shook his head and said, "There's nothing we can do. We're not high-class Shanghainese, we can only follow the club's lead."

"What's so great about Shanghainese people?" Chen Dongqing chuckled. "I can't even afford a house after playing professionally for a year. I'd love to be rich."

At this point, Chen Dongqing seemed to remember something and suddenly leaned towards Linko, who was furthest away, and asked, "By the way, Brother Li, isn't the club supposed to be holding a home game this year? What's the deal with that? Can it be held in Shanghai?"

The city home and away system is a new thing that LPL introduced this year. Their idea is to have teams spread out across the country and hold home games in places other than Shanghai, so that it is easier for teams to make money through their home games.

Four teams—Snake, WE, LGD, and OMG—have already responded to the call and will establish their home venues in Chongqing, Xi'an, Hangzhou, and Chengdu, respectively.

As a top team in the LPL, QG certainly can't miss out, but they are unwilling to leave Shanghai, so they are negotiating with the league to see if they can hold the event directly in Shanghai.

Linko turned and explained, "As for the home venue, the league has already agreed to let us hold it in Shanghai, but we are still choosing the location. We want to make it bigger this time."

QG's idea is not limited to setting up a competition venue and selling tickets; they want to create a cultural center themed around esports and pan-entertainment.

Although this step requires a lot of money, it is beneficial for esports and the club's future development.

"Shanghai is fine," Chen Dongqing said with a smile. "That way I'll be close to home."

As everyone chatted, the opening ceremony of the awards ceremony began on the stage.

An orchestra came on stage and played rousing music. After the performance, the host, Zhu Zhen, went on stage and gave a passionate speech, followed by the awards ceremony.

The first award is a long-standing tradition of LPL awards, the ever-present [Best Newcomer Award].

The large screen switched between different displays, first showing the winners of previous Newcomer Awards.

2014: mlxg

2015: Meiko

2016: Crisp

Next up is the nomination for this year's Best Newcomer Award.

Ming, Zoom, iboy

When this list came out, the winners had already been determined!

Shi Senming received this honor after being announced by a member of Tencent's leadership team!

Last year's newcomer award winner, Liu Qingsong, went on stage to present the award to Shi Senming.

Both of QG's former championship-winning support players were dressed in sharp black suits, standing on the stage and smiling at each other. The scene looked quite harmonious.

Holding the trophy, Shi Senming gave a cheerful speech, thanking the entire QG team from top to bottom. He was clearly very happy.

After the Rookie Awards are presented, there will be the Best Rookie Commentator Award, Best Foreign Player Award, Most Improved Player Award, and Most Improved Club Award.

These things have nothing to do with QG.

After all, they were an all-Chinese team with no foreign players, and they won the championship for two consecutive years, so there was no real progress to speak of.

QG's incredible performance only began after they secured the Best Coach and Best Manager awards!

One of the highlights is the All-Star Team of the Year award!

This time, five winners will be selected for the year. There are three nominees for each position, so the nominee list alone has taken quite a while to explain!

Tencent Esports CEO Jin Yibo personally went on stage. Although he already knew the result, he still pretended to open the envelope in his hand before revealing the answer:

"Top Laner: ilex, Jungler: mlxg, Mid Laner: GodV, Bot Laner: Uzi, Support: Ming! Congratulations to these five players!"

(End of this chapter)