From Pokémon to The International, Dota 2

When Su Xiaoman came downstairs, the aroma of sweet and sour pork ribs wafted over from the corner of the stairs.

The kitchen is open-plan, connecting to the dining area. Her mother, Lin Zhiyao, wearing an apron, was flipping pans at the stove, while her grandmother stood beside her, giving instructions.

"Turn the heat down a bit, the sauce hasn't reduced enough."

Her father, Su Qiming, was setting the table with five bowls and plates, the chopsticks pointing in the same direction—the standard arrangement prescribed by her grandmother. Her grandfather, Su Jianguo, sat in the main seat, a pot of his own Longjing tea in front of him.

"Hey, Xiaoman, you're done with your work? Come on over and we're getting ready for dinner."

Su Xiaoman obediently sat down next to her grandfather and chatted with him about her recent experiences, especially the ten-day Pokémon competition she had received an invitation from. She was very happy during those days.

"Speaking of Pokémon, I've taken care of that thing you asked me to do last time, so consider this your birthday present."

Su Jianguo mysteriously took out a stack of A4 papers.

Su Xiaoman opened it. It was a sponsorship agreement, with the heading "Dongjin Group · Refreshing Iced Green Tea". She was very familiar with this brand - her grandfather started his business in the 1980s, from a small beverage factory to what it is now, and supermarket shelves in East and South China are full of this green-bottled iced green tea.

"Wow! Thank you, Grandpa!"

She knew that the favor she had asked her grandfather for had been granted; he had indeed sponsored the Immortal Cup tournament, and she could participate as a sponsor. Although she couldn't actually compete, experiencing the thrill of a player auction was still very exciting.

Looking at his daughter's happy face, Su Jianguo recalled the time twelve years ago when he, Su Qiming, and young Su Xiaoman went to Seattle to watch the DOTA2 International Invitational Tournament. It felt like yesterday when the three of them, grandfather and granddaughter, shouted "wings!" along with the entire audience. That feeling of excitement was captivating.

"By the way, Grandpa, has the list of participants for this competition been finalized? I've made a few friends in Pokémon, and I'd like to recommend them to participate."

After listening, Su Jianguo thought for a moment, took out his phone, made a call, and after a brief conversation, handed the phone to Su Xiaoman.

"You should talk to him yourself."

Su Xiaoman happily took the phone and said politely:

"Hello, I'm Su Xiaoman. I'd like to recommend a few people to participate in this Immortal Cup tournament. They are all DOTA2 streamers and their skills are sufficient to participate in this tournament. Their IDs are Shikamaru, firefly, and Huaqiang."

"Oh, they've already been invited? Thank you so much. Um, he's a really popular mid-lane player in Pokémon tournaments lately, and his MMR is almost 12,000. Yes, okay, thank you."

Su Xiaoman happily handed the phone back. Su Jianguo chatted with the person on the other end of the line for a few more minutes before hanging up.

After a pleasant lunch, Su Xiaoman returned to her room to take a nap and share the good news she had learned with her friends.

"Gu Ran, the matter we talked about last time is basically settled. Hurry up and climb the ranks. I heard that the mid laners who came this time are basically at least 14,000 points. It would be embarrassing if you got beaten and couldn't fight back, and you would also get roasted by the chat."

At that moment, Gu Ran was having dinner with his parents outside. His phone was on the table, and all three of them saw the message that came in.

"Su Xiaoman? Looks like a girl. Hey, a girl messaged you!"

My mom has sharp eyes; she spotted the sender's name and gave me a warm, aunt-like smile.

"This is a friend I met while playing in a competition, don't misunderstand."

Gu Ran explained somewhat awkwardly, then picked up his phone to check the message, his joy completely undisguised.

"So happy? What did she say to you? Ranran, I actually feel like you're about the right age to start dating..."

Gu Ran interrupted helplessly:

"It's not that kind of news. It's news about my next match. They told me that the opponents I might face are very strong, and that I should prepare well."

Su Xiaoman's news was a shot in the arm, and Gu Ran suddenly became incredibly excited about the competition next month, and was even more motivated to play solo queue.

"Oh my, you're even asking about you? What do you think of Su Xiaoman? Does she have a boyfriend yet?"

Gu Ran's mother never missed a single opportunity to gossip.

"How would I know if they're dating or not? We're just ordinary online friends, we've never even met in person. Okay, let's eat."

After informing Gu Ran, Su Xiaoman next opened Lu Chen's contact information, organized her thoughts, and sent a message:

"Director Lu, I'm also a team captain for the Immortal Cup next month. I'm planning to put you and Gu Ran on the same team, so the three of us brothers can continue our journey together. What do you say?"

Lu Chen was sitting on the sofa with his father and his brother, watching stock news. His father didn't have many hobbies, but he liked to study stocks. Although Lu Chen wasn't particularly interested in it, he had gained some understanding of it over the years.

The WeChat notification sounded. His father was focused on watching the stock market. Lu Chen picked up his phone to check the message, his expression showing some confusion. Then his eyebrows relaxed and he smiled.

He considered it for a moment and replied with a message:

"I'm sure I'll be fine. I just heard there are a lot of retired professional players participating in this competition. You've picked us two noobs, so you'll have to pair us with some strong teammates."

A reply came shortly afterward.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I've watched the previous Immortal Cups, so I'm very familiar with the rules of this auction. I'll definitely find you two three awesome teammates this time, and we'll win the championship together!"

Lu Chen was amused by the reply and responded with a smile:

"What else is there to say? Captain Su, we're counting on you this time, the ultimate battle of wits!"

After replying to the message with a smile, he met his father's questioning gaze, so he explained:

"A friend told me that she wants to play with me and another friend in the next competition, and that she has already decided how to choose the team. I'm really looking forward to it."

Hearing this, his father became interested. He took off his glasses, wiped them, and recalled what his son had told him about the competition before:

"Your next tournament is the Immortal Cup, right? Didn't you say last time that it was mostly full of top players, including many retired professional players? I've never heard of you having such a good friend before."

Lu Chen smiled slightly.

"I met them at the last Pokémon tournament. One is a very talented mid-laner, and the other is a drafting genius. By the way, this drafting genius should be the granddaughter of the chairman of Dongjin Group. Her grandfather probably sponsored the Immortal Cup and got a spot to participate as a captain. They're planning to pick us two old teammates."

"Huo, the granddaughter of the chairman of Dongjin Group. I remember she's studying AI at MIT now. You've made an impressive acquaintance."

Lu Chen's father raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that his son had such a person participating in this game competition.

"It's nothing. I feel that the mid laner is a bit stronger. His ranking speed is terrifying. I made a promise with him that as long as he reaches 15,000 points, we will go to the TI qualifiers together. He has been ranking up very fast recently. I feel that after the Immortal Cup, we can team up to prepare for the TI qualifiers."