LOL: I'm in the LPL, that's my fight!

Chapter 1: See you there?

"FNC has already destroyed EDG's inhibitor turret. Rekkles only has eyes for the turret, attacking it again and again... the crystal's health is dropping very quickly!"

"In that case, congratulations to FNC for defeating EDG 3-0 and advancing to the semifinals!"

"With EDG's defeat, it also means that our LPL region's journey in the S5 World Championship has come to an end."

Shanghai, see you at the internet cafe.

On the giant screen in the center of the hall, the image was frozen in a blinding red.

The narrator's voice from the speakers still carried a poignant, lingering tone, like a broken string still trembling slightly in the air.

The originally noisy environment suddenly became deathly silent, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

"Damn it, EDG lost too!"

"Three to zero, haha, three to zero, the second seed from the first division got beaten three to zero."

"Correction: It was 4-0, brothers. In the restarted game, EDG only had a slight advantage in the early game, but they still lost in the later stages."

"Don't just talk about EDG, that number one seed team was eliminated in the round of 16 too."

"Stop arguing, they're all just noobs. They can't even beat LCK, let alone get spun around by the European and American regions."

"Good riddance, all I can say is good riddance. Before the competition, they were so arrogant, playing Tianya Mingyue Dao to choose skins, and they marketed themselves as the number one region for half a year, and this is what they got?"

"This is hilarious. They thought they could win the championship by buying all the Samsung Blue and White teams in S5. Every team in the region wanted two Korean players. But what happened? They couldn't even beat the European and American noobs they always looked down on."

After the deathly silence came countless curses.

Some people angrily threw their headphones, some kicked table legs, and one guy who was about to order a bucket of instant noodles crushed the noodles into pieces.

The League of Legends World Championship should have been a grand celebration for young people who love esports, but unfortunately, this year, the LPL region's performance has clearly left everyone feeling bitter.

"Hello network administrator, could you please activate my card?"

However, amidst the indignant crowd who were criticizing LPL teams, a voice so calm it was almost discordant rang out from the front.

The receptionist, dressed in revealing clothing, was staring blankly at the screen when she heard this. She snapped out of her reverie and muttered a complaint:

"Why would I need to open a card at this time?"

Despite my words, I still accepted the ID card from the other party out of professional ethics.

"Fu Shiyan?"

She glanced at the photo on the ID card, then looked up at the not-so-mature face in front of her, and glanced at the date of birth.

"1998.9.16".

"She's only just turned eighteen and she's already rushing to an internet cafe," she muttered to herself.

It's hard to say about other cities, but in a place like Shanghai, if you're underage, you have no chance of getting into a legitimate internet cafe.

"Card balance... 777 yuan."

The numbers that popped up from the system made her pause for a moment.

This balance indicates that it's still a regular customer.

Normally, as someone who is obsessed with good looks, she would probably flirt with these handsome young men who come online.

However, she was in no mood to think about these things today. The home team had just been swept 3-0, and she didn't even bother to smirk.

The membership was activated at lightning speed, without even asking if I wanted to top up, and I simply handed my ID card back.

Anyway, seven hundred yuan is enough for this kid to attend school for a week or two.

The young man took the ID card, smiled, and didn't mind the perfunctory service.

There's a saying that goes, "When someone's displeasure is written all over their face, if you insist on arguing with them, regardless of right or wrong, you're just making yourself uncomfortable."

After opening his card, he navigated the rows of flashing screens with practiced ease and found his usual spot in the internet cafe.

"It's alright, it wasn't taken."

Fu Shiyan pulled out a chair and sat down. He took out a wet wipe from his pocket and slowly wiped the mouse and keyboard, then carefully cleaned the inside of the headphones.

The movements were unhurried, as if they were performing a ritualistic act.

Only after doing all this did he press the power button.

Unlike the players around him who were devastated by the final results and logged off, Fu Shiyan even had a faint smile on his face.

Fu Shiyan, however, opened the League of Legends client with a slight smile on his face.

A dozen seconds later, the announcement for the "See You Later" internet cafe suddenly came on.

"Welcome to player #102 in Zone B, he is the strongest player on the Ionia server..."

Wow!

The announcement instantly lowered the volume of the previously noisy room by several octaves.

"Ionia, the strongest champion?"

"Wow, a pro from server 1! Our internet cafe actually has someone like that."

"So what if you're a Challenger? Professional players still get thrashed..."

"Go ahead and be sour. Even the worst professional player can still crush a gold-level player like you."

"So what if I'm a Gold player? I believe my skills are just as good as those Diamond Masters, okay? I'm just a little lacking in game understanding."

Before the broadcast had even finished, the internet cafe had already erupted in chaos.

Some people craned their necks to look into Area B, some stood up and stood on tiptoe to see, and a few who were about to get off sat back down and reopened the client.

A top-tier player from the first server came to the internet cafe, instantly easing the emotions of many players who were upset about the LPL's defeat in the finals.

No matter how tough League of Legends players may be, their reverence for the title "Challenger" is ingrained in their very bones.

Especially in Ionia, the region with the highest concentration of skilled players and the most brutal competition across the entire server.

Anyone who can hold their own in this skill level is someone who deserves to be noticed in any internet cafe.

After all, watching a game is one thing, but there's always a screen between you and the player. The distance is there, and even the strongest empathy can't keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. But this pro player is sitting right next to you, a living, breathing person. You can see his fingers clicking the mouse and hear him typing on the keyboard—that's a different story.

Duan Chong, who was sitting in machine number 103 in section B, was a typical example of this mentality.

Don't be fooled by his boasting to his friends at school, saying things like "diamonds are trash" and "masters are just gatekeepers for kings." But when a real expert appears next to him, his eyes never leave the computer screen on his right.

He wanted to see what hero the other player would choose, how they would lane, and... if he could find an opportunity to add them as a friend.

On the screen, Fu Shiyan's ID was quietly displayed on the client's homepage.

【Crush】

Duan Chong stared at that name for several seconds, feeling like a cat was scratching at his heart.

"Should I ask?"

"No, no, they definitely won't agree!"

Just as Duan Chong was pondering how to strike up a conversation, the Ionia god in his eyes had already started his first ranked game of the day.

[In 3L!]

"Wow, the pro player is actually a mid laner?"

"Wow, even the highest-ranked player is fighting over positions, so the pros are forced to jungle."

"The blind monk from Wuhu? Perfect, I can learn a trick from him."