Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Author Peach Blossom Jasmine highly recommends: I hope you enjoy the story of "Hua Yu: Starting from Retirement, Sweeping Through the Domestic Entertainment Industry" on Cola Novels.

October 31st, Shanghai.

The autumn sun is warm and clear, shining through the thin clouds onto every corner of the city.

Today is a special day for esports fans.

The S10 World Championship Finals will be held at the Pudong Football Stadium.

At 10 a.m., Li Ran and Zhang Jingyi set off from the hotel, and the car drove through the city towards Pudong.

Zhang Jingyi leaned against the car window, watching the street scene rushing past outside, and suddenly whispered, "Brother Li Ran, are you nervous?"

Li Ran turned to look at her, somewhat surprised: "Why am I nervous?"

Zhang Jingyi thought for a moment and said, "After all, it's the final stage. I thought you might feel a little... nervous about returning home."

Li Ran paused for a moment, then smiled.

"I'm not nervous when I'm playing on stage, so why should I be nervous about commentating today?"

Zhang Jingyi looked at him without saying anything.

Li Ran's gaze fell to the window, and her voice softened: "But you're right, it is indeed a bit different, it feels like coming home."

In the afternoon, the car was parked outside the venue.

The exterior of the Pudong Football Stadium resembles a giant white bowl, gleaming with a modern sheen in the sunlight.

A large number of fans had already gathered outside the venue. Although there were not many live audiences this year due to the special circumstances, the enthusiastic fans still came outside, holding up support signs and wearing the jerseys of their respective supported teams.

As soon as Li Ran got out of the car, he was noticed by the crowd.

He was wearing a mask, but his signature blond hair shone brightly in the sunlight.

Those who follow him know that he recently dyed his hair this way while filming "Lighter and Princess Dress".

"Li Ran!"

"Burning God!"

"Burn! The god of jungling!"

The crowd began to stir; some people raised their phones, while others waved excitedly.

Li Ran took off his mask, smiled and waved to the crowd. A few strands of his golden hair were blown by the autumn wind, and he looked like a luminous painting in the sunlight.

Then he took Zhang Jingyi's hand and walked quickly into the venue.

Someone recognized the girl who was with him.

"That's Zhang Jingyi!"

"My heart is set on fire! My heart is set on fire!"

One of the girls shouted excitedly.

Some male fans even shouted at the top of their lungs, "Ran Gou, be happy! Don't worry about me!"

"Burn, as long as you're happy, I'm not jealous!"

Zhang Jingyi was a little embarrassed by the shouts and walked quickly with her head down.

But the corners of her mouth subtly curved upwards.

Stepping into the venue, the noise was shut out.

The interior was quiet and spacious, with staff coming and going, making final adjustments.

A huge electronic screen hangs in the center of the venue, playing promotional videos on a loop.

Li Ran led Zhang Jingyi to the guest lounge.

I pushed open the door, and there were already people inside.

Luo Yunxi was sitting on the sofa scrolling through her phone when she heard the noise. She looked up, saw Li Ran, and immediately stood up, opening her arms to greet him.

"Li Ran! Long time no see!"

The two hugged tightly.

Li Ran chuckled and patted him on the back: "Didn't we just play games together a few days ago?"

Luo Yunxi released him, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "How can that be the same? Can online and offline be the same?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "Let's have dinner together tonight, it's on me."

Li Ran nodded: "Okay, then you can make the arrangements."

After exchanging pleasantries, Luo Yunxi's gaze fell on Zhang Jingyi behind him.

He politely extended his hand: "Hello Jingyi, I'm Luo Yunxi."

Zhang Jingyi gently shook hands: "Hello, Teacher Luo."

Luo Yunxi quickly waved her hand: "Why are you being so polite? We're not strangers, we've played games together. Just call me by my name, or Lao Luo is fine too."

He smiled and said, "We're about the same age, so don't call me 'teacher'."

Li Ran chuckled from the side, "Stop it! You're from '88, stop pretending to be young in front of us."

Zhang Jingyi paused for a moment, looked at Luo Yunxi, and said with a hint of disbelief in her eyes, "Huh? I thought you were also born in the mid-95s!"

Luo Yunxi laughed, a hint of smugness in her smile: "Looks like I still look quite young."

Li Ran added from the side, "He debuted 10 years ago, when you were still in elementary school."

Zhang Jingyi smiled and shook her head: "I only learned about Brother Luo from 'Ashes of Love'."

The group chatted for a while.

They chatted about games, filming, and their recent lives in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Not long after, staff came to inform Li Ran and Luo Yunxi to go through the evening's procedures.

This time, Li Ran wasn't a match commentator, but rather a guest commentator during halftime.

The task wasn't too demanding, but it still required getting familiar with the process and my partner.

Zhang Jingyi was assigned to the audience seats.

Although it's called the audience seating area, there weren't many spectators this year. Due to capacity restrictions, the huge venue felt somewhat empty.

She sat in an inconspicuous spot in the front row, surrounded by empty space.

But she didn't care; she just wanted to see him.

Watching him stand on the commentary platform, watching him speak eloquently under the spotlight, watching him chat and laugh with old friends.

The live stream officially started at 5 PM.

There were four people sitting on the commentary stage: Guan Zeyuan, Changmao, and guests Li Ran and Luo Yunxi.

The lights came on, and the camera was pointed at them.

Longhair spoke first, with a standard opening line: "Fellow Summoners, welcome to the live broadcast of the 2020 League of Legends World Championship..."

After the opening remarks, it was the guests' turn to introduce themselves.

Li Ran smiled slightly at the camera: "Hello everyone, I'm Li Ran. This is my fourth time standing on the stage of the World Championship... but this time I'm offstage, as a commentator."

Guan Zeyuan then asked, "Burn, what are your thoughts this time?"

Li Ran thought for a moment: "The first three times were on stage, but this time I'm offstage, so it feels much more relaxed."

Longhair asked, "Has Burn been watching any matches lately?"

Li Ran nodded: "Yes. This year, quite a few new talents have begun to emerge. There are many new faces among the contestants on stage today."

……

Looking at the data panel in front of him, Guan Zeyuan turned to Li Ran: "Li Ran, as the FMVP jungler of S8 and S9, what are your thoughts on the two junglers today?"

Li Ran stared at the data on the screen and began to analyze it carefully: "DWG's Yon is a typical jungle carry. His fundamentals are very solid, and he handles jungle routes and gank timings very meticulously."

He paused, then looked at the data on the other side: "SN's Sofm, I know him quite well. Personally, he's a bit disgusting. After all, he's messed with my mentality before."

Guan Zeyuan couldn't help but laugh: "It's like a bandit-style jungler."

Li Ran laughed too: "Yeah, just like a bandit. He doesn't play by the rules at all; you never know where he'll be next. Let's see if he can mess up Yon today."

Guan Zeyuan joked, "When you're playing, you seem to be just as good as him."

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly but didn't reply.

……

The pre-match trash talk segment has finished playing.

The face of DWG's mid laner, Showmaker, appeared on the screen.

This young man had a composure in his eyes that was beyond his years.

He opened his mouth and said something that would later be remembered by countless people: "Now that the trophy is in front of me, I have to consider whether this is the only opportunity I will ever have in my life."

"It is our duty to rebuild the glory of LCK."

Li Ran stared at the screen and remained silent for a few seconds.

After the clip finished playing, he spoke slowly, his voice lower than before: "I agree with what the showmaker said."

His gaze fell on a spot outside the camera lens, as if he had traveled through time and seen something.

"Esports players have only one goal: to win the championship."

"The opportunity is right in front of you; if you don't seize it, it may be a lifelong regret."

He spoke softly, but every word was clear.

The only goal of esports players is to win the championship. If reaching the top four is considered a success, then there is no regret.

The match officially began, and Li Ran's side was no longer on the live stream.

Li Ran got up and sneaked off the commentary booth to the audience, where she watched the opening ceremony with Zhang Jingyi.

After the stage performance ended, the members of the two teams took turns appearing on stage.

During the introduction of the DWG players, the audience was completely silent.

Li Ran watched this scene, shook his head with a wry smile, and said nothing.

When it was SN's turn, although there weren't many spectators, they still gave them a strong cheer.

This kind of differential treatment is common in competitive sports. After all, he received the same treatment in Iceland during S9.

His counterattack turned the place into a library.

The match begins, entering the draft phase.

Zhang Jingyi asked, "Brother Li Ran, can SN win the championship today? If they win, LPL will have a three-peat."

Li Ran shook his head: "The gap in strength between the two teams is still quite large. Actually, I'm more optimistic about DWG."

Zhang Jingyi asked in confusion, "Ah! You were on stage just now, and I saw you were really optimistic about SN!"

Li Ran chuckled and said, "Are you stupid! If I don't praise SN on stage, am I supposed to cheer for the opponent?"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "The top lane is fairly evenly matched between the two teams. It mainly depends on the performance of the mid and bottom lanes, especially the bottom lane."

Zhang Jingyi was a little confused and asked doubtfully, "Isn't DWG's bot lane their weak point? And SN's AD seems to be highly regarded by netizens!"

Li Ran shook his head. "DWG's bot lane AD is just relatively weak compared to the team as a whole. They've made it to the finals; which player is weak?"

"And who says the key to the bot lane is the AD carry's performance? The support is the key."

"SN's AD carry is not very consistent, while Ghost is abnormally consistent."

"He also fits well into the DWG team, giving the support role ample opportunities to roam..."

Zhang Jingyi pouted and shook her head. "I don't understand. I'd rather watch the game!"

……

Peach Blossom Jasmine's masterpiece, "Hua Yu: Starting from Retirement, Sweeping Through the Domestic Entertainment Industry," is available to read now!