[Esports] Team Leader Xie, your mid laner is causing trouble again.

So, as soon as the third round began, Li Zhi spoke up:

"Coach, I'd like to try playing Assassin Mage again this game."

The words had barely left his mouth when 369's dissatisfaction followed, his tone revealing undisguised resistance:

"We tried it in the first game, and it didn't work well. We got completely crushed by a second-string team. Is there any point in trying it again?"

For the past two years, he has been playing the C position in UUC, serving as the team's core damage dealer. He has had one highlight moment after another, and he has gotten used to being surrounded by his teammates.

Now that someone suddenly appears who wants to take a share of his finances and steal his limelight, he's naturally unwilling to accept it.

Li Zhi said in a nonchalant tone, "Isn't the point of a trial to try out more games? So what if you lose? Will winning this practice match guarantee you the championship next season?"

369 was taken aback by his words, but couldn't refute them: "You..."

Chi Lie cleared his throat and spoke at the opportune moment: "Lychee is right."

He said seriously, "369, next game I'll play tank/jungle, you and Lychee will be the two carries."

Shi Kai also agreed: "I know Lychee. He plays assassins better than utility champions. Let's try another game."

Nobody is on 369's side.

He had no choice but to fall silent and start selecting heroes according to Shi Kai's draft, clicking the mouse loudly, somewhat annoyed.

In this game, Li Zhi got the Ember Song.

Unlike Zhuo, Jin Ge needs his teammates to stay alive to safely deal damage from the back row. If his teammates fall, he's just a sitting duck.

But Jhin doesn't need that; he can directly eliminate the enemy's carry, giving his teammates room to survive and deal damage.

It's a knife, meant to kill.

After the start, everything proceeded smoothly as Li Zhi had predicted.

He mastered the art of using Echo's movement to the extreme, each roll perfectly timed to coincide with the gaps in the opponent's skills, and each attack precisely landed on the opponent's health threshold.

He knew the damage output of the Ember Spirit like the back of his hand. He knew exactly what level, what equipment, and what time of day the Ember Spirit would deal how much damage. He didn't need to think; his hands knew exactly what to do.

Li Zhi didn't need Chi Lie's help at all; he solo-killed the enemy mid laner twice.

Seeing this, Chi Lie stopped running towards the middle lane and turned to support the development lane.

Li Zhi followed closely behind and swam away, but did not help 369.

He sneaked into the enemy jungle alone, and the moment the enemy jungler finished using his skills, he cut in, got the kill, and then cleaned up the jungle.

In professional leagues, controlling the jungle is one of the most crucial strategies. Cutting off the jungler's economic lifeline can disrupt half of the opponent's rhythm.

With Chi Lie protecting him in this game, 369 wasn't targeted as much as he was in the first game, and he died much less.

But he only died fewer times; his kill count and damage output were both surpassed by Li Zhi's Jin Ge.

Without a doubt, we won this round.

The screen was filled with the special effects of exploding crystals, and the MVP label was displayed on Jhin's icon.

13/1/5，伤害占比38%，参团率81%。

Shi Kai's voice came through the earphone, filled with satisfaction: "Well done, Lychee, you played Ember Song even better than before."

Chi Lie also praised, "Not bad."

Only 369 was still muttering to himself, not loudly, but loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Your technique is pretty good, but your thinking can't keep up with us. You didn't help me at all the whole game, so I couldn't farm up and I couldn't get any kills."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi gave a silent sneer.

He didn't look at 369, took off his headphones, relaxed his body, leaned back in his chair, and spoke in a lazy tone:

"You can't get them not because you haven't developed enough, it's because I've already cut them all off."

After saying that, he pretended to suddenly realize something: "But you really haven't developed properly. I'm wondering the same thing. How come your economy can't catch up with mine even with the jungler protecting you?"

Indeed, his individual skills were inferior, and 369 was speechless, so he shut up again in frustration.

The training match ended 2-1.

It was lunchtime, and 369, looking utterly dejected, called out to the other two to go eat, leaving only Chi Lie sitting to the side playing on his phone.

Alpha had his legs propped up on the table, seemingly nonchalant, but actually listening intently to what was happening around him.

My hands are still typing non-stop.

[Chi Lie: Chuan Chuan, it looks like this little lychee is going to be ours. I feel like UUC has a good chance of winning the championship next season.]

[Xie Jichuan: It's 5 PM, and you're still not awake?]

Chi Lie curled his lip in disinterest.

All you do is yell at him. You're like a dog guarding its food, all you do is bark. Why don't you come and take him away?

[Xie Jichuan: He is indeed going to win the championship next season, but not at UUC.]

Chi Lie: ?

He had a bad feeling. Was this bastard really going to steal his team's mid laner?

However, no matter how much news Chi Lie bombarded him with, Xie Jichuan on the other side remained as silent as if he were dead.

So he was the dog after all, Chi Lie thought expressionlessly, feeling as helpless as a dog.

At this moment, I sincerely hope that Li Zhi can sign the contract quickly.

The coaching staff huddled together and whispered for a while before coming over with a folder.

Li Zhi sat quietly in her chair, watching Shi Kai's expression go from admiration to disbelief to opposition to being persuaded.

He clicked his tongue inwardly.

There's no doubt that Shi Kai is on his side; for Shi Kai to show this expression, the outcome must be unsatisfactory.

as predicted.

"Our initial idea is..." It was Shi Kai who spoke first, his tone slow and deliberate as he carefully chose his words.

"Let's stick to our original UUC strategy of jungler-marksman synergy, mid laner as a utility mage and support, Lychee, what do you think?"

Li Zhi said seriously, "But I won when I played assassin mage, didn't I? As long as my teammates don't die that many times, I can carry them to victory."

One of the coaches at the very edge chuckled: "Lychee, your idea is too naive."

"Today we were only playing against the second team. If any WPL starter came over, you wouldn't be able to carry the team so easily."

Li Zhi pursed her lips.

He was well aware that the gap between the second team and the starting lineup was a chasm that was clearly visible to the naked eye.

However, this does not prevent Li Zhi from believing that he has a higher win rate when playing the core role than 369.

However, as a newcomer from out of town, he couldn't just rashly overturn someone else's tactical system that had been stable for an entire season.

Shi Kai sighed, his tone becoming serious: "Lychee, I promise you, as long as we develop a mature mid-jungle system, I will definitely make you shine on the field."

Although Li Zhi felt this was a pie in the sky, she still politely remained silent, though her face was expressionless.

To be honest, he didn't want to be a tool.

He does want to play professionally, that's true, but he doesn't want to be a supporting player for others.

But apart from UUC, he couldn't think of any other team in the entire league that needed him.

Jiang Feng walked in at just the right moment, a smile on his face, breaking the brief silence:

"Lychee, WPL doesn't have a better place to go right now than us. Why don't you just make do for now and try to integrate?"

Chi Lie nodded vigorously in agreement.

This is precisely where Kuriyuki's dilemma lies.

Currently, UUC is the only team in the league lacking a mid laner. Even if he goes to another team, he'll probably just sit backstage and wait for a chance to play, which may never come.

Seeing that Li Zhi was showing signs of wavering, Jiang Feng's eyes shone even brighter.

He pulled a contract from the folder, handed it forward, and grinned slyly.

"And I've negotiated your season salary down to $150 million, which is almost the highest price any rookie can get in their first year."

Chi Lie began to urge Shi Kai with his eyes to hand the pen for signing the contract to Li Zhi.

However, no sooner had Jiang Feng finished speaking than the door to the training room was pushed open without any politeness.

A pleasant male voice came from the doorway, unhurried, with a slight upward inflection at the end, carrying a hint of a half-smile:

"Seriously, Lao Shi? You think you can poach my employees with this little bit of money?"

Chi Lie's heart was broken.