2016 League of Legends World Championship venue. After two matches, Team G4 had squandered their advantageous position due to poor decision-making in the bot lane. Their reckless long-distance pursuit single-handedly pushed their team to the brink of defeat... 2:0.
One more loss, and this would become the fastest, most one-sided BO5 finals in history... Fans from the LCS region were inwardly frantic, silently screaming: Weren’t you supposed to send the LPL team packing? What the hell is this?! Even if ZGDX is really strong, you can’t let them 3:0 you—that’s just ridiculous!!!
Meanwhile, in the ZGDX break room.
Tong Yao sat in the break room, still muttering to herself: "If I were their top laner, I’d be tilted too. What was the point of their bot lane chasing you down and killing you when they were already ahead? It’s just 300 gold, and they were all the way in the bot lane. By the time they rotated to Baron, you’d practically respawn—they might not even make it in time to contest... So what if they killed you? It’s just for spite, completely useless."
She repeated emphatically: "Seriously, if I were their top laner, I’d be furious too. Worked so hard to build an advantage, only for my teammates to throw it away like idiots."
Lu Sicheng walked past her with a water cup in hand, not even glancing her way. Tong Yao reached out and tugged at the hem of his shirt—Lu Sicheng gave her a resigned look, stepped back, and looked down at her. He tapped the cold cup against the face of the person staring up at him expectantly. "What’s this new level of obsession? Mid-match and you’re already worrying about the enemy team?"
Tong Yao parted her lips to reply when suddenly, an earth-shaking noise erupted from next door. Startled, she let go of Lu Sicheng’s shirt as everyone turned in unison toward the source of the sound... Little Fatty: "What the hell was that?"
A moment later, the sound of running footsteps and frantic chatter came from outside, as if chaos had broken loose... In the deathly silent ZGDX break room, Tong Yao asked blankly, "Is there a fire?"
Lu Sicheng glanced at her, patted her head to signal her to stay put, then strode toward the door—peeking outside before slipping out through the gap. He closed the door behind him, leaving the rest of the team staring at it in anticipation.
A short while later, Lu Sicheng returned. He scanned the room, then pointed at Tong Yao. "You’re cursed."
Tong Yao: "Speak properly. What happened out there?"
Lu Sicheng: "G4’s top laner and AD got into a fistfight. Believe it?"
Tong Yao: "No way."
Lu Sicheng pulled the door open slightly, revealing the bewildered staff behind him, their expressions screaming what the actual hell is going on . With complete calm and indifference, he said, "Unfortunately, it’s true."
Everyone: "..."
Lu Sicheng: "Alright, let’s head out. Get ready for the next match. Let’s finish this 3:0 with the added buff of their top and bot lanes severing all ties. I’ll treat you all to a month of private hotpot until you puke."
......
On the stage, the atmosphere had reached a fever pitch.
Caster D: "Clearly, G4 has been pushed to their absolute limit."
Caster F: "I just hope they can summon the same spirit they had in the quarterfinals and semifinals! Pull yourselves together, guys! You’re so much better than this!" Commentator G: [To be honest, I'm really nervous... Even though as a commentator I shouldn't be biased. But I just feel like something's off—can someone tell me what that is on ABB's face——]
Commentator D: [ Cough ! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the finals of the Season 6 League of Legends World Championship. The third game has already begun. We can see that after some discussion, Team G4 has banned Leblanc and Twisted Fate!]
On the commentary desk, Commentator G looked somewhat bewildered as he turned to glance at Commentator D, clearly confused about what was happening... Meanwhile, Commentator F quickly asked someone behind him for a note, taking advantage of the camera cutaway to catch up on everything he'd missed during his bathroom break. After reading it, Commentator G's eyes widened silently, mouthing the words: "Oh my god!"
These guys just can't stop arguing, no matter the occasion!
Can't they wait until after the match to fight?!
ABB even tweeted about it! No wonder he posted that weird laughing emoji earlier—As Commentator G was still reeling in shock, the Ban & Pick phase continued smoothly. However, it was clear from the expressions on the G4 players' faces that they weren't too pleased... Unexpectedly, they left open Lu Sicheng's Kalista and the support Annie—a bot lane duo that had been developed during Season 5 and remained highly sought-after in Season 6—which ZGDX promptly secured. When ZGDX locked in their bot lane combo with their first two picks, the audience erupted in boos, and some fans holding G4 cheering banners looked furious. The commentators exchanged glances, stammering awkwardly, seemingly at a loss for words for the first time... The Ban & Pick phase soon concluded—
G4 Bans: Leblanc, Twisted Fate, Nidalee
ZGDX Bans: Ryze, Aurelion Sol, Ezreal
G4 Picks: Rumble, Gragas, Orianna, Sivir, Alistar
ZGDX Picks: Gnar, Kindred, Syndra, Kalista, Annie
As the ten players loaded into the game, Tong Yao cracked her knuckles and said, "Let's wrap this up in one go. Playing two high-stakes matches in a row is exhausting enough."
Lu Sicheng: "I'm just worried these guys will only get stronger with each loss. They played better in the second game than the first—what if they go god mode in the third?"
Little Fatty: "Just shut up, seriously. Last game, you kept hyping up the enemy team nonstop, and we almost got wrecked because of it."
Lu Sicheng: "How is that my fault?"
Little Fatty: "If not you, then who?"
Lu Sicheng adjusted the bandages on his hands, looking completely relaxed. "Who was it that face-checked a bush and never came back? Did you finally unlock your '1,000 Deaths' achievement? Counting wild card regions, across all six major leagues, you're the number one ATM for free kills: ZGDX, PANG."
Tong Yao: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The game began, and this time, no one initiated a level one teamfight. Little Fatty placed a ward but stayed a mile away, insisting Lu Sicheng accompany him like a little girl scared of the dark walking home at night... Surprisingly, Lu Sicheng actually humored him. It seemed Little Fatty's two years of dedicated support hadn't gone to waste—two years of weaving the bridal gown for the league's number one AD carry.
The laning phase began normally. Level three.The Gragas arrived mid-lane and used his E-Flash to knock Tong Yao into the enemy Orianna's range—Tong Yao had just hit level four and hadn't had time to skill up or Flash away. She was instantly sent right under the enemy Orianna's nose. In the early game without turret protection, outplaying was harder than climbing to the heavens. She immediately lifted her hands off the keyboard and surrendered.
G4's Mid Laner Ryze secured First Blood!
Lu Sicheng: "They're really stepping up."
"Shut up," Tong Yao quickly wiped the sweat from her palms with a tissue during the respawn timer. "Orianna's about to scale. Old K, come hold this wave for me—don’t let her push it in, or I'm screwed. If we hold this wave, I can still solo kill her!"
At six minutes, Orianna hit level six first and ulted Tong Yao. Tong Yao Flashed backward to dodge the ultimate while clearing minions to hit level six. She immediately cast her ultimate, gathering three orbs to shove Orianna back, then unleashed a full combo—QEWWQAR—igniting her right after. The burst left the full-health Orianna critically low, forcing her to shield herself and Flash away while tossing a Q back at Tong Yao. As Orianna retreated under her turret, Kindred emerged from the brush with a single auto-attack, securing the kill!
1:1 tie!
With a wave of minions pushing into G4's mid-lane turret, Orianna couldn’t farm it and had to call her Jungler to help clear. Tong Yao, now with an assist and catching up seven or eight CS, happily recalled with Old K to buy items, both picking up Control Wards.
Tong Yao roamed bot and placed a Control Ward in the brush behind the enemy turret, setting up for the first major team fight. At eleven minutes, G4's Orianna roamed bot, and Tong Yao instantly sensed the movement, following. At 11:05, Old K’s ward in the enemy jungle spotted Orianna, prompting Lu Sicheng’s bot lane to retreat. G4’s bot duo, unaware, pushed forward. At 11:06, Old Cat initiated a TP from top—just as G4’s Gragas tried to flank top, only to see Gnar channeling TP halfway through. Gragas panicked, spamming pings: "Top TP! Top TP!" At 11:09, Rumble hesitated before finally starting his own TP—but by then, Gnar had already landed on the flanking ward in the bot brush. He auto’d a minion pushed under turret, stacking enough energy to transform instantly. Mega Gnar leaped from the brush, slamming the ground and sending fissures through Summoner’s Rift, smashing G4’s bot duo and Orianna into the wall!
A three-man stun!
Caster G: ["AAAAAAAAAAALL HIT!"]
Amid Caster G’s roar, ZGDX unloaded a barrage of damage just as G4’s stun was about to wear off. Kalista ulted, throwing Annie into the trio. Annie knocked them airborne again, immediately ulting to stun all three—Syndra moved in to clean up. A perfect skill rotation!
Caster D: ["Bot lane is over."]
Caster F: ["Rumble finally TPs down, dropping his ultimate to zone the enemy AD… But what’s the point? Your teammates are already dead."]Commentator G: ["Rumble really shouldn't have come down... Even if he did, he's still going to die. It seems like there's no escape, even though Gnar has shrunk and Kalista has left, but Smiling is still— Oh, Smiling is in perfect form, pulling Rumble back with her Dark Sphere and securing the kill. A clean ace with zero casualties, G4 is really in trouble now."]
At the twelve-minute mark, after securing four kills, ZGDX confidently took the First Tower and the first Elemental Dragon. Upon respawning, G4 chose to abandon the fight for the Mountain Drake and instead turned their attention to pushing ZGDX's mid-lane Turret. However, they were interrupted by Kindred and Syndra, who arrived just in time with their ultimates ready, delaying G4's push. Soon after, the rest of ZGDX's team arrived. Though their health bars weren't in the best shape, they managed to force G4 back without pursuing further.
ZGDX had already gained a significant advantage on the field.
As Tong Yao recalled under the safety of her Turret, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated for no reason. It felt as if all her blood rushed to her brain in an instant before slowly flowing back to her fingertips... The desire for victory had never been this overwhelming.
She wanted to win.
She wanted to take this match—
Tong Yao took a deep breath, goosebumps rising on her skin beneath her short-sleeved jersey. Her fingers trembled slightly over the keyboard... Then, she suddenly felt someone nudge her arm. She turned her head and met a pair of calm eyes. The man looked at her silently before offering a faint smile.
Tong Yao: "..."
Unintentionally, she recalled that night in the car when the same man had said to her softly—["Don't rush. Everything you want will come to you."]
Tong Yao steadied herself, the boiling blood in her veins seemingly soothed. She refocused her attention on the match.
At the twenty-one-minute mark, Gnar went to split-push top lane but was caught by Rumble and Gragas. Fortunately, Gnar managed to transform in time, stalling long enough for ZGDX's AD and AP to arrive. A counterattack ensued, resulting in Gragas's death while Rumble barely escaped with a sliver of health. This was a massive boon for ZGDX, who promptly secured Baron nearby. The moment Old K smited it, the arena erupted with cheers from LPL fans, effectively masking the awkward silence from the other side of the venue. Meanwhile, G4's bot lane and Mid Laner took advantage of ZGDX's Baron play to push down two mid and bot lane Turrets, compensating for their gold deficit. After destroying the Turrets, they immediately recalled to upgrade their items, preparing for ZGDX's impending high-ground siege.
By the twenty-three-minute mark, ZGDX, empowered by the Baron Buff, swept through the remaining three outer Turrets like a storm. The gold gap widened to six thousand... As time passed, the psychological toll on G4 became increasingly evident—their Top Laner was out of sync with the team, entering team fights too late;The AD made the rookie mistake of pushing a side lane alone deep into the enemy's second turret without vision; the jungler struggled to lead the tempo alone, but with all outer turrets lost, they couldn't establish any vision... By the tenth minute of the team's slow demise, even the G4 players themselves no longer believed they could pull off a reverse sweep: they had always faced matches with absolute confidence and a relaxed mindset, ready to outplay rigid opponents with unpredictable plays—yet they had never truly sailed smoothly.
At thirty-seven minutes, ZGDX, after securing Baron once more, pushed into G4's high ground from the top lane. The Gragas charged forward and blasted Gnar straight into their own team, right into the AD's face—amid the casters' agonized cries, the audience could only see Old Cat on the stage, flushed and roaring excitedly: "Nice! Perfect blast! Thank you, Gragas daddy!!!!!"
The enemy's full-health Sivir was pinned to the ground, unable to move. She activated her ultimate to escape, only to be hit by Kalista and Annie's combo—knocked up, ulted, Syndra followed up with QE into R, instantly deleting Sivir. Meanwhile, Kindred's ultimate dropped, protecting Annie as she safely retreated from the enemy crowd, and the AD's Heal topped her off—entire team alive!
With the enemy team lacking AD damage, Orianna despairingly whiffed her ultimate. Rumble's flames couldn't hold off four enemies, and even his desperate flash into ZGDX's backline to disrupt their formation ended in vain—without Orianna's ultimate, he was left to be cleaned up. "Aaaaaaah," Little Fatty roared, "Aaaaaaah, clean up! Don't let Rumble get back to fountain!!!"
"Nonono, they can't come back, they can't, what's a lone support gonna do," Old K shouted, "Take the inhibitor turrets. Take them, we can win, we can win, GG!!!"
Old Cat: "Kill them, I'm small now, their AD respawns in twenty seconds!"
Lu Sicheng: "Hit the turret, focus, hit the turret, hit the—"
Tong Yao: "...I think, we're ending this."
Ending it.
Ending it!
Ending it aaaaaaah!!!
As the two inhibitor turrets fell and the cursor hovered over the enemy's blue Nexus, watching its long health bar deplete bit by bit—the blood in her veins, once calm, began to boil again. Her eyes stung rapidly, and she knew what this meant... The moment G4's AD respawned and rushed out of the fountain, the Nexus's last sliver of health was wiped out by Tong Yao's final auto-attack. The game screen froze, and the most beautiful Nexus explosion animation—one she'd seen countless times—played out before her eyes. "We won. Champions."
Her vision blurred.
Blinking, a scalding tear dropped onto her team jersey's collar.The world around her seemed to lose all sound. Tong Yao took off her headphones and stood up, surrounded by Little Fatty’s beast-like roars, Old K’s cheerful laughter, and Old Cat’s excited shouts of “Champion Skin! Ahhh, I want Rumble!”… In a daze, Tong Yao felt herself being lifted into a warm, sturdy embrace—her feet left the ground. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around the man’s neck as he strode confidently out of the soundproof booth, pushing the door open with his shoulder… Lu Yue, Ming Shen, Xiao Rui, and Coach Monkey rushed forward, embracing the six members of the team as they emerged. Tong Yao could feel someone’s tears and snot smearing onto her arms and waist… But at that moment, she couldn’t say a word. All she could do was cry and giggle like a madwoman while clinging to Lu Sicheng’s shoulder—until they reached the long-coveted Summoner’s Cup.
Lu Sicheng set Tong Yao down, and the six teammates gathered around the pedestal holding the championship trophy. As the stage lights blazed and colorful confetti rained down, the sounds of the world rushed back—thunderous applause and a unified chant in Chinese: “China Telecom Team!”
“China Telecom Team!”
“China Telecom Team!”
Tong Yao squinted slightly, lifting her gaze to the sea of spectators in the stands. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a red flag unfurling, passed steadily from the highest seats by countless hands until it reached the stage—Xiao Rui ran forward to receive it.
Amid the chaotic laughter around her, Tong Yao heard someone counting, “One, two, three!” Snapping back to reality, she quickly placed her hand on the championship trophy. The cool touch of metal finally brought a sliver of clarity to her feverish mind. Before millions of viewers, they raised the trophy high—the very prize that countless fans and players across the entire region had dreamed of.
…
This day would undoubtedly be etched as the most glorious page in the annals of China’s League of Legends Pro League.
The people in the stands leaped up, hugging and shouting like madmen. On the forums, posts flooded in by the hundreds per second, all bearing the same title:
“Congratulations to ZGDX, congratulations to LPL!”
“We have a champion!!!”
“The Chinese League of Legends Pro League, LPL, finally has a champion!”
And now, standing on that stage, those young players embraced one another, laughing and cheering as they accepted the bright Five-star Red Flag from their fans, letting it wave proudly once more on the esports stage. One day, they might retire, marry, have children, and leave behind the stage where they once shed tears and blood… But they would carry their love for esports with them for the rest of their lives.
To those who stood up when LPL needed a champion most—no one would forget that day, sitting at home, in internet cafes, or bars, watching the livestream and crying like fools. No one would forget those red-eyed players, smiling as they lifted the trophy high. Standing at the pinnacle of the world, under the spotlight, they unfurled the vibrant Five-star Red Flag—raising it above their brows like a creed, as high as the championship trophy in their hands.
The match was over.The journey of these young men is still long, but as long as esports exists, their legends will endure.
Author's Note: It's finished, truly finished. My heart is filled with so many thoughts I want to express, but I don't know where to begin—I've never regretted stepping into the world of esports.
I'm so grateful that I followed through with the idea to try writing this story, bringing so many of you into this world to watch matches, find your favorite players and supported teams, and get to know our King Gao Xucheng... It really makes me want to tear up.
Thank you all, thank you for your companionship over the past six months. It's been truly wonderful to meet you all QAQ. As I've mentioned before, for other daily life extras, you can check them out in the physical books. First of all, I don't really want to write about retirement, studying, marriage, and having kids right after winning the championship—it feels a bit odd. After all, this is just a simple esports romance, right? The female lead should focus on her professional career, hahahaha.
Next up is a book recommendation to prevent you from running out of reading material after "Smile." The follow-up modern romance features: a female lead who transforms from a naive sweetheart to a sharp-tongued editor, and a male lead who is even more outrageous than Cheng Ge—a two-faced author and God, appearing gentle and refined on the surface but sassy and flamboyant in private. It's been serialized for a while now and has plenty of chapters!!! "Executive Editor."
OpenNovel