After the showdown between the Chinese and Korean operator teams, people were still basking in the joy of victory, unable to snap out of it. The spectator masses couldn't stop talking about how the ZGDX Team's water dispenser was truly extraordinary—Smiling had hugged it and sat there for fifty minutes, and upon returning, pulled off an epic reverse sweep—
Twisted Fate.
Taliyah.
Lulu.
Three matches, each with a Champion boasting ultra-fast roaming capabilities. By the third match, the opposing team had dedicated all their bans to the Mid Laner—Twisted Fate, Taliyah, Leblanc—even the casters couldn't help but marvel. Such a Ban & Pick strategy would never have been seen from OP Team in the past. Three bans targeting the Mid Lane was the highest level of respect a team with Jin Yuguang could show to their opponent's Mid Laner!
Post-match interviews followed the game.
The host, a blonde, blue-eyed woman with long legs, crossed them elegantly on the high stool—legs worth admiring for a year. While livestream platforms were flooded with drooling comments over the host's endless legs, Tong Yao, who had secured two MVPs, stepped onto the stage. She handed the mic to the translator first, then clambered onto the high stool with some effort, turning around to sit properly. Her legs dangled in the air as she swung them slightly before taking the mic back, staring earnestly into the broadcast camera.
At that moment, the live comments on domestic platforms instantly shifted from 【Endless legs】 【Legs for days】 to a flood of 【…………………………】 【2333333333】 【「Crying-laughing emoji」】 【So short】 【Is she even 140cm tall?】 【Where did the Operator Team dig up an elementary school student to play professionally?】—dominated by awkward remarks. Even Little Fatty, still lingering near the player seats, couldn't resist craning his neck to watch the interview and sighed, "I don't claim to understand women, but at the very least, the two sitting on that interview stage right now seem like entirely different species."
Lu Sicheng glanced up at his words, taking in the host's long legs and high heels planted firmly on the ground, then Tong Yao's sneakers dangling a good distance above the floor. After a pause, he remarked meaningfully, "Those legs... are really short."
The team: "..."
Lu Sicheng: "Don't tell her."
The team: "..."
Lu Sicheng: "We still have to face the Meme Team next. Maintaining team harmony is crucial."
The team: "..."
The interview began shortly after. The host congratulated the China Telecom Team for defeating OP Team and winning the match. Once Tong Yao thanked her, the host cut straight to the chase: 【After this battle, do you feel you’ve ascended to the throne of the world’s best Mid Laner?】
The question was straightforward, and Tong Yao didn’t need the translator. She raised the mic and answered, "I haven’t defeated Jin Yuguang. He’s an unbeatable, flawless existence, so I merely chose to avoid an opponent I couldn’t overcome... As you saw in the last two games, it didn’t have to be Twisted Fate—any Champion with strong roaming potential would work."
Host: 【Wow, English.】
Host: 【Are all Chinese people this good at English?】
Host: 【So you’re saying you’ve taught the world how to beat OP Team?】Tong Yao grabbed the microphone and laughed, "I believe they'll soon figure out counter-strategies for this playstyle—after all, that's Jin Yuguang we're talking about... It's a shame I never managed to solo-kill him in the end, but he did get me once."
Her words were practically turning into a Jin Yuguang fan moment. Even as the victor, she gave due respect to her formidable opponent without overdoing the praise. Those watching the interview couldn’t help but sigh: this short queen really knows how to speak.
The host glanced at the cue card: [I’ve heard rumors on social media suggesting that you, not Lu Xuan Shou, are LPL’s true ace Twisted Fate player. Is that true?]
Tong Yao: "We both play it. If you're talking about ZGDX’s final card, that would mean both Lu Xuan Shou and me—after all, a deck has both a big and a small joker. Two people, no problem."
Host: [Next, ZGDX Team will face last season’s champions, TAT Team. Do you have anything to say to your teammates or opponents?]
Tong Yao held the microphone and thought for a moment.
Then, to everyone’s surprise, she dropped a bombshell: "Actually, a lot of people don’t know this, but when I first started in the Professional League, I wasn’t as... tough as everyone imagined. I still remember my first Scrims against TAT—I even cried secretly and went drinking after losing because their Mid Laner was just too good—"
The host blinked, stunned: [Huh?]
The audience erupted in murmurs.
The director, ever the mischief-maker, swiftly shifted the camera from the interview stage to the crowd, zooming in on a spectator wearing a baseball cap. At first, he was lounging in his seat, chin tilted up as he stared impassively at the screen. When his own face appeared, he froze, then lowered his head, tugging his cap down to shadow half his face.
—It was TAT’s Mid Laner, Li Mintai.
The crowd stirred again, some even coughing loudly on purpose... The host laughed: [Oh my god, it seems the director isn’t letting TAT’s THEI leave the arena unscathed today. I can already see plenty of guys looking ready to throw hands—like, ‘Hey, how dare you bully the only girl in our Professional League?!’]
Tong Yao remained perfectly calm, smiling as she said, "It’s fine, really. Just the frustration of losing—no one should go easy on me just because I’m a girl, right? A big reason I’m sitting here is to show everyone that in esports, we girls can hold our own just as well as the guys..."
The host nodded vigorously, leading the applause. Tong Yao continued, "We don’t want discrimination, nor do we need special treatment—just treat us like any other player or competitor. No insults, no kid gloves. Is that so hard?..."
Host: [When I game, I often get asked after one death: ‘Is the support a girl?’
... Screw that. Yeah, I’m a girl, so what?]Tong Yao burst into laughter: "Yes, yes, exactly! The reason I mentioned player Li Mintai earlier was just to say that the upcoming match against TAT holds significant meaning for both my teammates and me personally..."
The host suddenly realized: [Chessman used to be with TAT too.]
Tong Yao nodded with a persistent smile: "Yes, yes! Our captain also has to face his former team... We'll all give it our all—what's certain is that I definitely won’t choose to avoid the fight. Defeating TAT’s Mid Laner Li Mintai holds great significance for me..."
(Backstage, ZGDX teammates watching the broadcast while waiting for Tong Yao fell silent. Old Cat reached out to tousle Lu Sicheng’s hair, only to have his hand slapped away: "What are you doing?"
"Checking if there’s any green (SHAI, third tone)..." Old Cat murmured ominously.)
Tong Yao tightened her grip on the microphone and smiled: "So, defeating TAT seems like a necessity now... no matter how you look at it."
Host: [Best of luck to you all.]
Tong Yao gave a slight bow and smiled: "Thank you, thank you everyone."
With that, the interview concluded.
When Tong Yao hopped off the interview chair, she had no idea she had just gained a massive wave of fans worldwide—esports fans universally praise winners and criticize losers. By the time she returned the microphone and headed to the player lounge, the outside world had already painted her as a super genius: fluent in English, gentle and adorable, and most importantly, incredibly skilled yet humble.
Domestic players swelled with pride: Look at how cultured our pro players are! Her English is straight-up 66666!
Female gamers worldwide also felt vindicated: See? A top-four S-tier pro player said it herself—boys and girls are equal!
Meanwhile.
Tong Yao hurried back, completely unfazed by whether her interview would attract hate or fans. All she wanted was a mirror to check her face—the lighting on the interview stage had been blindingly bright. After a 50+ minute match, she had no idea if her face was shiny with oil. Ugh!
She hastily pushed open the lounge door, but before she could steady herself, someone lifted her up and placed her on a high stool by the door—Tong Yao was baffled. What’s with not letting her feet touch the ground today? She looked up, about to speak, but met a pair of stern, deep brown eyes.
"..." Tong Yao froze. Seeing her captain’s expression, her heart skipped a beat. "What’s going on?"
"You went for a ten-minute interview," Lu Sicheng pinched the tip of her nose, his voice low, "and still managed to flirt with A Tai. I should be asking you—what’s going on?"
"How did I flirt with him? If anything, it was more like bitter resentment. The broadcast chose to show him, not me—I didn’t even look at him... Wait, why am I explaining this to you?!" She swatted his hand away. "I thought something was wrong, but you’re just being weirdly jealous again. Move..."
With that, she pushed past him, jumped off the stool, and headed for her bag to fish out her compact, then searched the room for a mirror—Lu Sicheng crossed his arms and trailed after her like a little tail.Lu Sicheng: "One of you boasting on stage, the other laughing offstage—quite romantic, isn't it?"
Tong Yao: "He wasn't laughing. You're making that up."
Lu Sicheng: "Checkmate. And you still claim you weren't watching him?"
Tong Yao: "..."
Lu Sicheng: "Old Cat was even rummaging through my hair looking for green."
Tong Yao whipped her head around to glare at Old Cat, who whistled innocently and hid behind Old K.
Tong Yao: "Stop being so childish, all of you—including you! What the hell was I supposed to say during the interview segment? 'That Li Mintai traumatized me as a kid by beating me so badly I cried, and if I don’t get revenge, I’ll die ten years early. Luckily, I’m now the big bad boss who can slaughter Jin Yuguang, so you dumbass better wash your neck and wait for me to claim your Dog Head?'"
Lu Sicheng followed behind Tong Yao, watching as she bent over, touch up her makeup while cursing up a storm. He couldn’t hold back a laugh and swatted her waist. "Since when are you so crude?"
Tong Yao rolled her eyes at him in the mirror. "Since when are you so jealous?"
Lu Sicheng: "It’s how I show love. When will you ever get jealous over me?"
Tong Yao straightened up. "Over what?"
Lu Sicheng raised a brow. "You think I don’t have female fans?"
Tong Yao snapped her compact shut and shoved it into his hands. "You wouldn’t dare."
...
The ZGDX Team faced off against OP Team, proving with sheer skill that there’s only one true Operator Team in the world.
On April 16th, the S-series semifinals kicked off.
YQCB Team battled Europe’s G4 Team in a grueling five-hour match, ultimately losing 2-3 and painfully missing their shot at the finals, falling just short of the championship.
At this point, barely ten hours had passed since a certain gaming forum post titled ["This is LPL’s Most Promising Year to Win the Championship"] went up. Domestic media platforms and the spectator masses once again rode the emotional rollercoaster of dashed hopes, left with no choice but to pin their desperate gazes on the last remaining contender: ZGDX Team.
On April 17th, ZGDX Team clashed with the S5 World Champions, TAT Team. Before the match began, haunted by years of LCK’s overwhelming dominance, people kept their mouths shut but privately believed the odds for this semifinal qualifier were at best 20-80 in favor of TAT.
ZGDX was the 20.
—Jin Yuguang, a carnivore leading four herbivores, nearly swept ZGDX 3-0… Meanwhile, TAT’s every lane was stacked with predators. Apart from Lu Sicheng’s bot-lane dominance as AD, ZGDX was outclassed in every other position. How were they supposed to win?
—What if they banned Lu Sicheng?
—No idea… 0-100 odds?
—...
Author’s Note: Here we go, here we go, here we go~
Honestly, I’d love an all-LPL finals too.
But let’s be real, that’s just way too optimistic………… The reason I moved the World Championship to the extras is also because many readers find an LPL victory too unrealistic and cringey. Well, even if it’s cringe… we’ll strive to keep it tastefully cringe.
OpenNovel