This Lee Sang-hyeok is very strong, but he lacks self-awareness.

At 3 PM, the EDG team boarded the bus on time and headed to the competition venue.

On the bus, Lin Xiu and Faker sat side by side in the middle to back of the bus.

Because the live stream recap last night was so exciting, after the broadcast, I took Lee Sang-hyeok outside the base and we got two bowls of hot pork knuckle rice.

They got up early again to prepare for the race. Both of them had heavy eyelids, and as soon as they got in the car, they tacitly closed their eyes to rest.

At the back of the carriage, Abu and the factory manager were whispering to each other.

"Mingkai, do you really think Xiaolin and Xiaoli can handle this? Rookie is a top laner, and Kid is a veteran. I just can't feel at ease with this mid-jungle matchup."

The factory manager stared at the receding roadside trees outside the window and didn't reply.

"If that doesn't work, then we'll just have to go with Scout."

Abu sighed, his tone revealing resignation.

"If you ask me, if we really overturn Nofe's system and play entirely around Scout, you're actually the best jungler to pair with him. Your map control and tempo..."

"The situation is too tense right now."

Mingkai chuckled self-deprecatingly, his voice tinged with an undisguised melancholy.

"The '4396' meme is still trending. If I go up there now, wouldn't I just be making things worse for the club?"

"Of course, if EDG can find a way to win without me."

"That would definitely be the best outcome."

Abu fell silent. He knew that Mingkai was waiting for someone who could truly take over the mantle of EDG's jungle.

Abu's first thought was Ai Luoli, as the crown prince of EDG.

Ai Luoli possesses keen jungling awareness and a team-oriented jungling style, which are somewhat reminiscent of Clearlove.

However, his mentality and experience are weaknesses; he's a player with very fragile nerves.

Abu couldn't help but turn his head to look at Lin Xiu in front of him, only to find that the kid was sleeping crookedly, with drool almost dripping onto Faker's shoulder.

Abu's lips twitched involuntarily.

Is that correct?

......

"Kobayashi, wake up, it's time to go in."

As soon as Lin Xiu opened his eyes, he saw Faker gently push him.

"Have we arrived yet?"

"Um."

Lin Xiu rubbed his face, supported himself with Faker as he got up, and walked towards the car.

Abu followed behind the two, his face even more worried.

Will these two kids still be sleepy even after the game starts?

Lin Xiu followed the crowd into the competition venue.

The stadiums at that time were certainly incomparable to the Mercedes-Benz Arena ten years later, and could only accommodate a few hundred spectators.

But having only played in LDL in his previous life, he was still somewhat excited to see this spectacle.

"777777777!!"

"You can always trust Song Yijin!"

Although there weren't many people, the cheers from the audience were incredibly enthusiastic.

"Kobayashi, seeing this, are you starting to get nervous? Your IG fans are all eager to see you make a fool of yourself."

Meiko walked ahead and turned back to tease him.

As the team leader, he had been exhausted by the subtle atmosphere in the team recently, and now when he looked back at Lin Xiu's cheerful face, he felt a sense of warmth.

Lin Xiu adjusted the shoulder strap of his peripheral bag while pursing his lips:

"Brother Tianye, you're underestimating me. These few hundred people are just a fraction of the number of viewers in my live stream. What's there to be nervous about?"

"I'm here to check out LPL teams, and my mentality is as steady as an old dog."

"Are you fucking obsessed with the live stream?"

Meiko was speechless for a moment, and Mouse next to her couldn't help but laugh:

"Xiaolin, are you really treating professional matches like live streams? Fine, if you can't find anything in the jungle later, Abu is really going to raid your room when we get back to the base."

Lin Xiu waved his hand and followed the crowd to the backstage area of ​​the arena.

The air cooled down instantly upon entering the lounge.

In the corner, Scout was sitting with his arms crossed.

Although he didn't speak, his narrow eyes swept over Lin Xiu and Li Xianghe with disdain and coldness.

He was clearly waiting, waiting for those two substitutes to be torn to shreds by a top-tier mid laner like Rookie, so that Abu would beg him to come back on his knees.

At that point, he'll be the one making all the decisions for EDG.

Coach Nofe's expression was somewhat serious.

He firmly believes this version is a version for mid-lane utility players, and a dual-core jungler and AD carry.

I also want to build my business plan and train staff according to this approach.

But if this is another crushing defeat, he'll probably have to listen to Scout from now on and build his carry mid laner's lineup accordingly.

This is his last chance!

Nofe tapped the tactics board.

"IG's core will always be Rookie. Kid plays more of a bodyguard role, protecting the mid laner. We need to pick a strong mid-jungle duo to limit Rookie's performance."

"Xiao Li, don't let Rookie take away too much of your health in the early game. Keep yourself in good condition and be ready to gank with the jungler at any time."

"Xiaolin, try to do some things in the early stages, but don't be too aggressive. If there aren't any good opportunities, just farm the jungle and listen to Meiko's commands."

Lin Xiu and Faker nodded and turned to prepare to go on stage.

"Lee, whatever you do, don't get solo-killed by Rookie!"

Nofe watched the two figures disappear into the distance and gave them his final words of advice.

......

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the IG lounge next door was relatively relaxed.

IG had a poor performance, winning one and losing two of their first three matches, especially suffering crushing defeats against top teams like RNG and WE.

IG's coach, Mafa, had been racking his brains about how to win this match against EDG, but unexpectedly, their opponents handed them a huge gift.

Two rookies, Nakano and Nakano, who had never played before.

There's even a rumor that he doesn't have any experience in the second-tier leagues and is just a top-ranked player in the Korean server.

If we don't win, it would be a real shame to let down Abu and Nofe's good intentions.

Mafa's gaze swept around and settled on Rookie.

I can always trust Song Yijin.

There's nothing much to plan, just wait to win!

Kid, who was looking down at his phone, suddenly chuckled.

"Yijin, look!"

"That jungler from EDG named Lin Xiu, his stream title says he's going to punch Kid and kick Rookie, that's hilarious."

Rookie, who had been lounging on the sofa with his eyes closed, opened them upon hearing this and laughed in his fluent Xinjiang-accented Mandarin:

"I've watched his streams. His mechanics are average, but his game sense is good, and I like his personality. However, the Korean rookie he's with is very skilled in ranked games."

"A newbie?" Duke interjected in broken Chinese.

"That Lee Sang-hyeok, I don't think I've ever heard of him in Korea. Why would EDG choose you as their debut opponent? What are they thinking?"

"Who cares what he's thinking? Just hit him."

Rookie stood up and stretched his wrists.

Although his smile was gentle, his eyes still revealed the arrogance of a top mid-laner.

"Kid, come to mid lane more often this game. I need to teach that Korean rookie a lesson."

"Don't worry, Yijin." Kid patted his chest.

"I'll just camp mid lane for you, and once you've farmed up to the late game, we'll win for sure!"

Baolan chimed in, "A newcomer like this who tries to gain attention by relying on online traffic will behave after a beating."

Upon hearing this, Kid's gaze immediately fell upon the young boy staring at the tactics board in the corner of the lounge.

"Ah Shui, don't follow his example. Just debut honestly and play the game properly."

Ah Shui smiled.

"no problem."

Two minutes later, the staff knocked on the door.

"Ready to go!"