Rest time passes too quickly. MSI just ended, and ten days later, the summer season officially began.
As the sun sets, the evening glow dissipates on the horizon, and many spectators gather outside the sports center to watch the matches live.
The venue gradually fills up with people, holding cheering banners and light boards in their hands. It seems to prevent disputes between the fans during the match. The seats are specially arranged: the left half is for SVP team, and the right half is for RAG team.
In the backstage, the players from both teams have been preparing in the resting room.
Today is the opening match, and only one match is scheduled.
A few days ago, RAG Team 2 brought in a substitute jungle player, Ah Jin. There were speculations in the public that Xu Ta might be demoted, and Ah Jin would replace his position.
Xu Ta paid no attention to these rumors. He also came from Team 2 and was good friends with Ah Jin. He was very happy to be in the same team with him.
They have seen the personnel changes in other teams, and they know the newcomers who have joined, except for the new jungler with white hair in SVP team.
“Wish,” they have never heard this name before. This ID is common in the Chinese server and other servers, and the rank is not high. It’s unlikely to be the ID of the new jungler with white hair.
No matter how the managers of other teams inquire, they couldn’t get information from Da Tian. He has done a very good job in keeping the secret and is not willing to reveal anything about Jiang Mo, including the secret that Jiang Mo is Moo.
Let them relax for now. The longer it takes, the more exciting it will be to see the expressions of those old friends when they find out the truth.
“Hello, seniors, good evening. Do you want cake? I passed by the square earlier and bought a cake for you.” Xu Ta knocked on the door of SVP’s resting room while holding a cake box. He leaned against the doorway, peeking inside. When he saw the obvious white hair in the corner of the sofa, his eyes brightened.
The real person is even more handsome than in the pictures. Why is he still wearing a mask in the resting room? Is he that shy?
“Thank you for the gift. We’ll take the cake. See you on the field later,” Xie Ning quickly stood up, blocking Xu Ta’s view, and unceremoniously took the cake from Xu Ta. After that, he pushed Xu Ta’s head out of the door.
With a ‘bang,’ the door of the resting room was ruthlessly closed.
“Haha, trying to gather intelligence, wishful thinking!” Xie Ning smirked and, when turning around, his smile became playful. He took Xu Ta’s cake and rushed to Jiang Mo, “Brother, want some cake?”
“You said you were trying to gather intelligence, aren’t you afraid they might have poisoned the cake?” Li Yuan teased.
“Hah, as if they dare. If the league finds out they tampered with the food, they won’t be able to play this season,” Xie Ning sneered.
“Oh well, brother, want some?” Xie Ning opened the cake box, cut a piece, and handed it to Jiang Mo.
Xu Ta bought a strawberry cake, which was Jiang Mo’s favorite, but—
The cameras were on in the lounge. Jiang Mo couldn’t take off his mask easily and shook his head, “No.”
“I only saw a figure. That scoundrel Xie Ning didn’t give me a chance to speak and just kicked me out, but he conveniently took the cake.” Xu Ta returned to his own resting room, looking angry. “Damn it, I even lost a cake.”
In the past few days, many people tried to get some information from Xie Ning and others, but they couldn’t get any details about Wish. Wish was a newcomer, and they didn’t know his accounts in the Korean server and the Chinese server, so they couldn’t assess his skills.
In a match, the worst thing is not knowing your opponent while they know you thoroughly.
In the first match, they were up against SVP with a new player, and some RAG members felt unlucky.
In reality, there was nothing to fear. As long as Wish played a few times, the coaching staff could analyze his approximate skill through replay analysis. His smurf account wouldn’t remain a secret for long, and currently, he was just taking advantage of being a newcomer. Moreover, these seniors were worried about not being able to beat a newcomer?
“Never mind, we’ll be on stage soon. It’s too late to know now. He’s a substitute and probably won’t play. Let’s understand him when we get a chance in the future.” Gao Ze stood up. He had more authority compared to the team’s coach and manager. As soon as he spoke, the others fell silent, waiting for his next command.
When the time came, the screens at the venue and the live broadcast started playing the opening ceremony and the main promotional video. Players from the fourteen teams appeared one by one. Every time a face flashed on the screen, the barrage from the fans of that player filled the screen, including trash talk and famous lines said by the players.
The screen switched to the SVP team. Tang Zi and Li Yuan stood back to back in a white room. They both turned towards the camera at the same time. In the next second, the white room collapsed, revealing a dark forest in front of everyone. The full moon hung high in the sky. Xie Ning and Xia Zeyu stood on the calm lake, looking at each other. The reflection on the water changed silently, as if the mirror was flipping. The two appeared upside down and disappeared. Tao Zi appeared in the forest in a black wizard robe. The magic energy ball gathered in her right hand was swallowed by a white python. The sudden visual impact made the audience at the venue scream.
The white python wriggled back behind a person, and before the audience could clearly see the person’s face, the camera zoomed in, focusing on the person’s right eye. The white hair was blown by the wind, and the shadow of the hair fell on the person’s high brow. At the moment the camera zoomed in, the closed right eye slowly opened.
The double eyelid creases gradually deepened as the clearly defined eyelashes curled upwards with the opening of the eyes. The ink-black pupils held no reflection of any object—no sorrow, no joy—seeming to disdain everything.
In less than two seconds of footage, everyone was captivated. In the footage of other players, the barrage was filled with their names. But when it was Jiang Mo’s turn, the barrage only remained with—[“Ahhhh!”]
[“Wow, is this SVP’s little jungler? He looks different from the promotional photos! He looks even more handsome in action!”]
[“I take back what I said earlier about him being just average. Dmn, he’s really handsome. The moment he opened his eyes, I was captivated. I declare, he’s my new husband!”]
[“Heh, not focusing on the game, but so many styles. As expected, SVP is going the boy group route. Good-looking doesn’t matter. If the skills aren’t there, we’ll still criticize.”]
[“Ahhhh, little brother, why don’t you show your face? I want to see the whole face, ahhhh. Your eyes look so good, your face must be extraordinary!”]
[“Ah, up close, he looks more like Jiang Mo. His eyebrows and eyes are about 80% similar to Jiang Mo, but he’s thinner than Jiang Mo. Jiang Mo’s features are more rounded, but he always looks like he just woke up…”]
[“Stop comparing him to others. If someone compared you to others, would you be happy? Jiang Mo can’t possibly go pro. Jiang Mo is a gaming failure, losing to Chi the film emperor in marbles, too scared to move while playing horror games. At most, he plays Landlord at home.”]
Commentator Xiao Yang: “Welcome, everyone, to the opening match of the LPL Summer Split’s first week. Today, we have SVP and RAG going head to head. Let’s take a look at their starting lineups.”
Commentator Chang Feng: “The starting lineups for both teams today are the same as in the Spring Split. However, it’s a coincidence that both teams have added a jungler this summer. I wonder if these two new players will make an appearance in today’s match.”
Commentator Xiao Yang: “Just now, the python suddenly appeared and scared me. Although it’s a special effect, Wish standing in front of the python looked absolutely fearless. I’m even more eager to see your performance now.”
Da Tian was content, swiping through the barrage. Hearing Xiao Yang’s words, he had a smug expression on his face. This concept was his idea. The audience couldn’t understand his intention, but when everyone learned about Jiang Mo’s terrifying aspects later, they would understand why he had put so much effort into this segment and wasted so much breath to join it.
Many people would be startled at the sight of the python. In the promo, each player only had a few seconds of footage. Jiang Mo’s appearance had only a distant shot of his figure and a close-up of his eyes. The audience’s attention would initially be on the white python behind Jiang Mo, and only later, as the camera zoomed in, would they be captivated by Jiang Mo’s open eyes.
The white python symbolized the fear deep within, the fear of giant creatures. And Jiang Mo was the incarnation of that white snake.
Jiang Mo had no idea what Manager Da Tian was thinking. When he was being pulled to shoot the promo, he just obediently did whatever Manager Da Tian said. When the final cut was out, he just felt it was quite cool.
…
Now is the regular season of the summer split. SVP is going to play 13 games against the other thirteen teams, and the scores are based on a points system. The top ten teams qualify for the playoffs.
Regular season format: Best of 3 (two wins, one loss).
In the first game, Coach A’kang didn’t let Jiang Mo play. After all, Xia Zeyu was in the starting lineup, and it wouldn’t look good to substitute him in immediately. A’kang also wanted to see the results of Xia Zeyu’s training in these few days.In the Ban-Pick (BP) phase, RAG followed the same pattern of banning SVP’s bottom lane and top lane champions. Coach A’kang couldn’t help but smile inwardly.
Xia Zeyu was no longer the same as before. He had been repeatedly coached by their family’s jungle king, and now, going on stage, he appeared noticeably calmer than before. The current version was similar to MSI, with similar lineups during matches. People often complained that when watching the matches, it seemed like the same few heroes were always being used, and it wasn’t that interesting.
However, it was different. In a match, you had to pick the strongest heroes of the current version. The same hero in the hands of different players would yield different results.
Xia Zeyu chose the spider jungle
[“Xia Xia, what’s going on? Are you still the Xia Xia I know?”]
[“Heavens! Xia Zeyu is actually taking the initiative!”]
Commentator Chang Feng: “Have you guys noticed? Since MSI, Xia Zeyu has started to change. In the past, his playstyle was conservative, always waiting for the opponent to make the first move. It seems this match will be very exciting.”
As Chang Feng mentioned, Xia Zeyu caught Lee Sin in the jungle who was fighting the Red Brambleback. Lee Sin
However, in this wave, when Lee Sin used his skills, the spider anticipated and used her E skill over the wall to control Lee Sin. She followed up with a combo, reducing the Lee Sin’s health. Lee Sin quickly used his Flash and escaped under the second turret.
The spider could have used her E skill to jump onto Lee Sin. but Xia Zeyu didn’t do that. His skill was on cooldown, and jumping in wouldn’t be worth it as it would be a one-for-one trade. Catching Lee Sin’s Flash was already a win for him.
Xia Zeyu glanced at the camera, seemingly trying to convey a signal to Jiang Mo in front of the screen—Wuwuwu, Master, are you watching me? Am I awesome? I caught the opponent and made them run, hahaha!
Among professional players, Xia Zeyu was probably the only one who would feel proud of such a thing.
When he first joined SVP, he was daring and aggressive, but after being repeatedly educated by his seniors and influenced by online public opinion, his mindset went into a decline. It wasn’t until recently that Jiang Mo pulled him back.
In the resting room, only Manager Da Tian and another substitute mid laner were left, and the camera was on. Jiang Mo was still wearing a mask.
Da Tian sat beside Jiang Mo, looking at the score on the field. SVP had the advantage, but he was still nervous, constantly asking Jiang Mo how things were going.
Jiang Mo’s analysis of the situation was comparable to that of a coach. In the absence of A’kang, Jiang Mo became the team’s second coach.
“It’s going pretty well,” Jiang Mo smiled. “Xiao Yu is very strong.”
Da Tian asked, “I’m asking if we can win?”
Jiang Mo said, “Yes, before MSI, the matchup between Xu Ta and Xiao Yu was fifty-fifty, but now it’s more like forty-sixty.”
“In that case, I can relax,” Da Tian sighed with relief, then nervously asked again, “What about Tao Zi?”
Xia Zeyu wasn’t worried anymore, but now Da Tian was worrying about Tao Zi. Tao Zi didn’t have Xia Zeyu’s psychological burden; sometimes, his mentality was even better than Xie Ning, who lacked a brain.
The difficulty lay in Tao Zi’s consistency. When facing opponents weaker than him, he would crush them, but when facing stronger opponents, he didn’t have the ability to dominate as they did. Against RAG’s Gao Ze, Tao Zi could only hold the mid lane, not allowing Gao Ze to break through. He was restrained by Gao Ze, and supporting his teammates was difficult. He could only hold the situation and wait for his teammates.
Jiang Mo said, “Manager, don’t think of Tao Zi as being so bad. If you feel Gao Ze is restraining him, think about it the other way around, Gao Ze is also being restrained by Tao Zi.”
Although Tao Zi didn’t roam and pick off opponents as frequently as other mid laners, making significant contributions to the team, it didn’t mean he didn’t do anything. When Gao Ze left, Tao Zi would push the minion waves forward. Gao Ze had no choice but to come back to defend. The two of them would be in a stand-off in the mid lane, and even after ten minutes, they rarely had a significant solo kill.
Tao Zi’s economy wasn’t significantly behind Gao Ze’s, and he could hold his ground, restraining Gao Ze and preventing him from targeting his teammates.
…
After more than a month, facing Xia Zeyu again, Xu Ta personally experienced Xia Zeyu’s changes. Xia Zeyu now felt like a different person.
Moo.
When did Xia Zeyu’s jungle style become like Moo’s?
“Damn it.” Once again, being pulled in the jungle by the spider, SVP’s bottom lane arrived in time to secure the kill on Xu Ta. Xu Ta couldn’t help but let out a familiar angry cry.
Captain Gao Ze immediately said, “Watch your language. Remember to pay the fine after stepping off the stage.”
Xu Ta: “…Can’t I say a word when I feel so bad? QAQ”
Xu Ta: “No, what’s up with Xia Zeyu? He’s so strong now, why did the team recruit a new jungler?”
Gao Ze: “Foster ambition in others. If Xia Zeyu can become stronger, what about you?”
Xu Ta: “…I’ll stop talking.”
“But, Captain,” Xu Ta couldn’t help but say, “he reminds me of someone.”
“Who?”
“Moo.”
…
In the first game, Xia Zeyu and Xiaoying prepared themselves, and the snowball got bigger and bigger, rolling directly to RAG’s base, where the crystal exploded.
Commentator Chang Feng: “Let’s congratulate SVP on winning the first game…”
After the players from both sides went offstage to rest, Xia Zeyu rushed to Jiang Mo and hugged him tightly as soon as he entered the rest area.
“Wu wu wu, Master Mo, did you see my performance?”
Jiang Mo was bewildered by the enthusiastic hug. Xia Zeyu was a few centimeters taller than him and even thinner. With that collision, Jiang Mo was worried Xia Zeyu’s bones would fall apart.
“Saw…saw it.”
“Hey hey hey, don’t get physical!” Xie Ning blinked, pulling Xia Zeyu off.
The camera was still rolling. In case the director broadcasted their interaction in the break room to the main broadcasting studio, and if Boss Chi happened to see it, Xia Zeyu wouldn’t be able to make up for winning the first game of the summer season. He might as well announce his retirement.
Xia Zeyu didn’t know about Xie Ning’s twist and turns. He let go of Jiang Mo obediently, touched Jiang Mo’s arm, and apologized, “Sorry, Master, I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Jiang Mo shook his head, “No, it’s…it’s okay.”
Xia Zeyu breathed a sigh of relief, widened his eyes, stared at Jiang Mo, and wrote all over his face, “Praise me, praise me,” asking, “Was my performance okay?”
Jiang Mo: “…”
Jiang Mo: “Very…very good.”
“Wu wu wu, you taught me well.”
Jiang Mo: “…”
Jiang Mo didn’t actually teach much. He practiced the most with Xia Zeyu, and the most frequent practice involved—Xia Zeyu was facing him. He had Xia Zeyu challenge him in the jungle. From the initial hesitance to fight, Xia Zeyu gradually dared to venture into his jungle. Eventually, he boldly roamed around Xia’s jungle and didn’t immediately use Flash to escape when he saw him…
He also taught Xia Zeyu techniques to shorten the time spent leveling up in the jungle monsters. For league matches, every second or two is very valuable. In a team fight, the less time wasted in the jungle, the more things one can do.
Xia Zeyu had played many games and could play almost every jungle hero, but he couldn’t specialize in every jungle hero like Jiang Mo did.
In just this aspect, he was inferior to Jiang Mo.
At first, he sought Jiang Mo as his mentor simply because he thought Jiang Mo was very strong. He wanted to work hard for the team. After interacting with Jiang Mo, he became more and more drawn to him. He also came to realize more profoundly that he needed to put in more effort to catch up with Jiang Mo, to be able to appreciate such a good team.
SVP had already won one match. As long as they won another, today’s match would be over.
In the second match, Coach A’kang pondered and asked Manager Da Tian, “Since the league has entrusted us with the first match of the summer season, why don’t we let our ace player show off?”
Da Tian nodded without hesitation, “Sure, I haven’t figured it out yet. When should Jiang Mo’s debut be? You’re right, they let us play the opening match, so let Jiang Mo go on. Xiao Yu, you did well, have a piece of cake provided by the opponents and rest well.”
Jiang Mo: “…”
Jiang Mo was utterly confused. What were the coach and manager talking about? He was playing well. Why would they send a substitute like him?
Also, what does “ace player” mean?
Replacing Jiang Mo when Xia Zeyu was performing quite well meant either they were very confident in Jiang Mo, or they were deliberately setting Jiang Mo up.
If they lost the match, Jiang Mo would definitely face criticism from the audience. Some would say, “If they had substituted in Xia Zeyu in the second match, they would have won.”
The coach and manager did this because they wholeheartedly believed that Jiang Mo could win.
Pushed up without any psychological preparation, Jiang Mo was surprised. After two years, he stepped onto the professional league stage again. He found it hard to catch his breath.
A rare feeling of nervousness.Before going on stage, Jiang Mo received a text message—
[Chi Yu: Good luck.]
Jiang Mo’s highly strung heart suddenly returned to its place. He looked at the phone screen in a daze, with many questions in his mind.
The announcement hadn’t been made yet, and even the commentators didn’t know they were substituting in the second match. How did Chi Yu know that he was going to play?
However, all these doubts were dispelled by joy. Knowing that Chi Yu was watching him, he gained infinite strength.
It wasn’t until Manager Da Tian urged him for the third time that Jiang Mo put down his phone and left the room.
[MOMO: I’ll do my best. Please watch over me.]
Commentator Xiao Yang: “Welcome back! We are about to start the second match of the Summer Season opening game. There’s a message: RAG’s lineup remains unchanged, but SVP has changed their jungle player.”
The two commentators were surprised when they received the message from the director.
In the first match, Xia Zeyu played quite well. Generally, substitutes come in when the starting players aren’t performing well, or when the team is in a stalemate. Xia Zeyu was in good shape, so why change now? Wouldn’t it disrupt the team’s morale?
[“??? Did I hear wrong? Why are they changing players? Wasn’t Xia Zeyu doing well?”]
[“What is A’kang thinking? Substituting in a player, what if they lose the match? Then they put Xia Zeyu back in the third match? And if they still lose, part of the blame will fall on Xia Zeyu?”]
[“You want to try out a new jungle player at this time? Are they underestimating RAG?”]
[“Who’s this new jungle player? Just a substitute. After just one match, Xia Zeyu is relegated to being a benchwarmer?”]
[“Haha, you guys are funny. You suddenly remember Xia Zeyu’s value at this moment? How did you criticize him before!?”]
[“If they want to change players, let them. I’m actually quite interested in seeing this jungle player’s skills. If he performs poorly, we’ll flame him directly!”]
The face mask alone wasn’t enough; Jiang Mo’s height could easily reveal his identity. Therefore, before leaving, he specially put height-increasing insoles in his shoes. He bought three-centimeter ones and looked in the mirror for a long time, confirming with his teammates that he wouldn’t be recognized before feeling at ease.
Walking through the corridor, stepping onto the stage, Jiang Mo subconsciously looked up. The glaring lights made him squint uncomfortably. The familiar feeling engulfed him, and he stood there for a few seconds before Xie Ning pulled him to the player’s seat.
[“Damn, that look he gave when he glanced up! I wish I could offer my heart to him. Even if his face under the mask is ugly, I wouldn’t mind. Those eyes of his are just meant to captivate me!”]
[“After he came out, I kept looking at the four teammates beside him, all wearing the same clothes. Why is the contrast so noticeable?”]
[“When the promotional photos were released, I thought Jiang Mo had gone pro. But after seeing this young man’s height, I completely dispelled my doubts. Jiang Mo isn’t that tall, and he’s not that skinny.”]
[“Wuwuwu, I lost a treasure in the entertainment industry, but found an identical treasure in the e-sports world. Young man, even though you’re just Jiang Mo’s substitute, I will love you with the same affection!”]
[“Haha, he seems a bit clueless. Is he not used to being on the stage for the first time in a competition? When Xie Ning pulled him, he looked so adorable standing there blankly!”]
[“Why is he still wearing a mask on stage? Is this guy so ashamed of his appearance?”]
[“Could he be some rich second-generation playing in the esports world and doesn’t want to reveal his identity?”]
Jiang Mo adjusted his equipment, his movements quick. After sitting down, he realized his fingers were trembling slightly.
A long-lost feeling.
Xie Ning: “Brother, what’s wrong with you?”
Xie Ning noticed something was off with Jiang Mo. Was he sick?
Jiang Mo: “N-nothing, just… a bit nervous.”
Xie Ning smiled, “I know this feeling. The first time I played in a match, I was damn nervous. I even flashed at the wrong time, contributing to my first professional black history. People still bring it up to mock me. Just relax, and don’t get nervous later. If you make a mistake, these guys will definitely make a thousand and eight video edits of your mistakes and mock you in all sorts of ways.”
Jiang Mo: “I’ll try not to get nervous.”
“Jiang Mo, don’t be nervous. It’s okay if you don’t perform well in this round; I got your back,” Tang Zi spoke up at this moment.
Li Yuan: “Whoa, Little Cherry, you’ve never said anything like this before. That’s unfair. I want to enjoy this treatment too.”
Tang Zi: “Get lost, don’t call me Little Cherry.”
“Th-thank you, Little Cherry,” Tang Zi was speaking to Jiang Mo at the same time. Hearing what Tang Zi said, Jiang Mo couldn’t take back the words that came out of his mouth.
He looked embarrassed and quickly apologized, “S-sorry.”
Tang Zi: “It’s fine, call me whatever you want. It’s okay if you call me that. I was scolding Li Yuan just now.”
Li Yuan: “???”
With this banter between Li Yuan and Tang Zi, Jiang Mo was a bit less nervous. He smiled, but his smile was hidden by the mask.
He was very glad he joined the SVP team. These teammates of his were really nice.
…
Jiang Mo’s champion pool was deep, and Coach A’kang wasn’t worried about Jiang Mo’s hero selection. The remaining concern was the team composition.
Hearing about the substitution, RAG was indeed caught off guard. They had to face an unknown player in the first game.
During the drafting phase, RAG’s coach visibly struggled. They didn’t know the skill level of the Wish player on the other side or which champions they excelled at. However, they stuck to their usual strategy and continued to restrict SVP’s bottom and top lanes.
The jungle champions were not restricted. Xu Ta picked Xin Zhao
SVP Lineup –
Top: Garen
Jungle: Lee Sin
Mid: Galio
AD Carry: Kai’Sa
Support: Thresh
RAG Lineup –
Top: Renekton
Jungle: Xin Zhao
Mid: Akali
AD Carry: Jhin
Support: Leona
Both sides have made their selections, and the two coaches shook hands before leaving the stage.
This is Wish’s first match, and as a newcomer with no prior information, the broadcast director understands the audience’s curiosity. The camera was focused on Jiang Mo, frequently switching to Lee Sin’s perspective during the game.
On the red side, SVP, Jiang Mo chose to start in the blue buff area of the bottom jungle, quickly clearing it and reaching level three. He then went around the mid lane to take the red buff in the top lane, following a standard jungle path. The barrage of negative comments in the chat was surprisingly quiet; they hadn’t found a reason to criticize Jiang Mo yet.
Jiang Mo didn’t attempt to invade the opponent’s jungle. This was his first match since returning to the league, and he didn’t want to disappoint the coach and manager’s expectations. He wanted to play it safe, starting with the red buff and then moving on to the Krugs.
Xie Ning’s ward in the river spotted Xu Ta’s movements. After finishing the blue buff, Xu Ta circled around to the top lane tri-brush, preparing to engage Xie Ning.
Jiang Mo immediately abandoned the half-finished Krugs and rushed to support. Xie Ning, with one-third of his health remaining, calmly moved towards Jiang Mo.
Lee Sin’s Q ability landed on the top lane crocodile through the thick wall. Q followed by E secured the kill on the crocodile. At the same time, Xie Ning’s Garen evaded the Prince’s EQ combo.
Lee Sin’s W could provide a shield to a teammate. After killing the crocodile, he turned, used W to shield Garen, who still had one-third health left. The Prince tried to attack, but Garen’s displacement skill cooldown was ready. Garen escaped from the Prince, creating distance, and switched positions. Previously, it was the Prince sticking to Garen; now it was Lee Sin sticking to the Prince.
In the early game, the cooldown of the Prince’s EQ was similar to Lee Sin’s. The Prince wanted to use EQ combo to escape, but Lee Sin anticipated the Prince’s movements. When the Prince threw E on his escape path, Lee Sin Q’d in, determined to stick to the Prince. Garen, who had used a health potion, didn’t retreat too far and stayed close to Lee Sin.
In a 1v2 situation, Garen’s big scissors were coming, and the Prince had no skills left, so he could only helplessly use Flash to return under the tower.
Four people in the top lane turned two 1v1 battles into a 2v1 battle, and Lee Sin secured first blood.
The commentator Xiao Yang exclaimed, “Their coordination is excellent.”
The commentators and the audience all believed that Wish had just joined SVP and it was absolutely impossible for them to coordinate so well with Xie Ning. However, the recent play just now changed their minds.
The coordination between Wish and Xie Ning even surpassed Xie Ning’s old teammate, Xia Zeyu.
The audience had this feeling but didn’t understand Xie Ning’s true thoughts. If they knew, they would definitely exclaim at the incredibility.
Xie Ning had complete trust in Jiang Mo; he rarely encountered such a perfectly compatible teammate.
In the recent situation, if this jungle engagement had been with Xia Zeyu instead, being low on health, he would have retreated long ago, considering securing first blood as a win and knowing when to back off.But at a critical moment, Jiang Mo shouted, “You’re not giving up your Flash and still trying to run?”
Xie Ning immediately understood Jiang Mo’s intention. He had a mystifying self-confidence and blind admiration for Jiang Mo, believing in Jiang Mo’s decisions.
He didn’t know what he was thinking; he just followed Jiang Mo.
As a result, they actually caught Xu Ta’s Flash.
Jiang Mo was truly relentless, not stopping until he had baited out all the opponent’s abilities.
“You dare to come for us? I dare to kill your teammate. You want to run? Then use Flash to escape.”
After Xu Ta’s death, Jiang Mo cleared the top river crab, then harassed Gao Ze in the mid lane, forcing out Gao Ze’s Flash.
Jiang Mo helped Tao Zi push the mid lane wave under the opponent’s tower. They pretended to recall, but were actually lurking in the river bush.
After Xu Ta revived and knew the top river crab had been taken by Jiang Mo, and seeing that Jiang Mo had no state to continue, he was likely to go for the bottom river crab.
Jiang Mo’s prediction was spot on. The river crab seemed to be the enemy’s undercover agent, moving instinctively towards the bush where they were waiting.
The audience had already anticipated what was coming and the barrage of comments had started to laugh.
The Prince was attacking the river crab and got caught by Lee Sin’s smite. Xu Ta was momentarily stunned; his skills and Flash were on cooldown. Even though Galio and Lee Sin were both below half health, he couldn’t 1v2 them.
Galio had already primed his taunt, and when the Prince was disabled, Lee Sin followed up with damage, securing the kill on the Prince.
Commentator Chang Feng: “This bush camp was executed beautifully. You thought I had recalled, but in fact, I was waiting for you.”
[“This new jungler is quite skilled, isn’t he?”]
[“Ah, he’s handsome and a good jungler, love him!”]
[“Stop being infatuated here. We have no idea what he looks like. Handsome, my foot!”]
[“Xu Ta, what are you doing? First game like this, and now the same for the second game. Why not just retreat if you can’t play?”]
[“In my opinion, RAG should’ve subbed in for the second game. Let the substitutes play, isn’t Ajin’s skill comparable to Xu Ta’s?”]
“You were nervous just now, weren’t you? I don’t see a trace of nervousness in you,” Xie Ning said, seeing the notification of his teammate’s kill on the screen.
Jiang Mo’s state was as usual; where was the nervousness that could affect his performance?
Jiang Mo: “Uh, yeah, I was nervous.”
Xie Ning: “?”
…
Xu Ta’s rhythm was completely disrupted by Jiang Mo, falling into Jiang Mo’s familiar snowballing pattern.
After being chased out of the jungle for the fourth time by Lee Sin, Xu Ta pointed at the screen where Lee Sin was taking his team’s red buff, his face grim.
“I’m very familiar with this feeling.”
Gao Ze: “What feeling?”
Xu Ta: “I’ve been mercilessly crushed by him countless times. The jungle is littered with my corpses.”
Other RAG team members: “…”
Xu Ta: “He must be Moo. If he isn’t, I’ll take my head off and use it as a ball for you.”
RAG top laner Best: “No need for that.”
“Moo?” Gao Ze frowned. Are you sure?
Xu Ta: “I’ll vouch for my head, it must be him, a hundred percent sure. If you’re not in the jungle position, you haven’t suffered the way I have. I…!”
Gao Ze: “We’re in a match. You just used profanity a moment ago; remember to pay the fine when you go back.”
Xu Ta: “…” Really, Captain? At a time like this, you still remember to ask me to pay the fine? What a waste to have you as a professional player.
On the right side of RAG, at the SVP player seats, SVP’s four teammates wore stoic expressions.
Xie Ning opened the scoreboard and looked at Xu Ta’s stats: 0-5. So pitiful.
Is this what Jiang Mo meant by being nervous?
If he wasn’t nervous, how pitiful would Xu Ta be?!
Jiang Mo capitalized on the advantage. RAG hadn’t given up yet. Gao Ze chose Akali, an assassin who could reach the backline. The support also had hard crowd control. Gao Ze coordinated with the support to kill Tang Zi twice, trying to delay this game. However, besides him and the AD, the other three members didn’t have good farm.
In the team fight at the Baron pit, Jiang Mo hid in the blind spots of vision, placed wards, and jumped in from behind. His ultimate hit Jhin, the enemy AD, who was using his ultimate. Jhin bumped into the nearby support. Tao Zi had already followed Jiang Mo’s command through the headset, taunting Jhin into the designated position. Just as Jhin’s immobilization ended, he was taunted again. Gwen and Kai’Sa quickly joined the battle.
In this team fight, RAG had no ability to resist. SVP secured the Baron and pushed down the Nexus.
Commentator Chang Feng: “Congratulations to SVP for a 2-0 victory in this match.”
In this debut match, Jiang Mo didn’t achieve a triple kill, quadra kill, or penta kill, but he controlled the pace of the entire game, which the audience could see.
[“Congratulations to SVP for adding another formidable player!!”]
[“The young man is an amazing jungler! The way you kicked with your ultimate is really cool, it went straight into my heart.”]
[“Stop flirting, just call him ‘husband’!”]
[“Ah, the initiation in that team fight just now was so cool! That’s how I imagine a great jungler!”]
[“I take back my doubts about him, his skill level deserves a spot on a team!”]
The keyboard warriors, who had been holding back during the entire match, couldn’t accept it and started commenting.
[“What’s so great? Just because of one match, you’re calling him handsome. If they lose the next match, I wonder if you’ll still say the same?”]
[“Xu Ta is the one in the lane, it’s just that Xu Ta is too bad. Wait and see, the league isn’t lacking in talent!”]
[“That doesn’t stop us from praising him now! Let’s focus on the matter at hand ^-^”]
[“I don’t care! Until the next match, he’s the most handsome!”]
…
After the match, the victors had to go through interviews. Jiang Mo was pushed onto the stage by Manager Da Tian. He was a bit nervous during the game, but facing the host’s questions and multiple cameras, he felt a sense of calm. He was used to this; social anxiety wouldn’t flare up here, but he was still a bit shy.
Host: “Welcome, Wish, to join SVP. Congratulations on your debut victory.”
Jiang Mo: “Th- thank you.”
His voice was muffled by the mask, a few tones lower than his usual voice.
[“Hiss—this voice sounds familiar, and this slight stutter is familiar too! Reminds me of a small broadcaster I know!”]
[“Is it that guy with a stutter?”]
[“Impossible. His streaming room got shut down. Some say he’s a minor. How could the league allow a minor to compete?”]
[“What kind of body double narrative are you all creating? First there was a Jiang Mo, and now there’s a stuttering guy. Wish is Wish; can’t we respect that?”]
The host asked a few questions about the match, not very sharp questions, and Jiang Mo answered smoothly.
“Finally, a question from our online friends,” the host smiled, “Wish, why are you wearing a mask? Are you feeling unwell? Can you take it off so we can see your true face?”
Jiang Mo took the microphone, remembering what Manager Da Tian had taught him about being aloof.
He looked into the camera, lazily lowered his eyelids, exuding a cold demeanor, and said, “Thank you for your question. However, this, this is two questions.”
Host: “…”
[“Haha, he said two questions, damn!”]
[“Is this guy a cold and quirky type?”]
[“No, he might just be serious? But it’s so funny, hahaha!”]
[“Sob, Wish, you’re so cute! Do you have a girlfriend? Or do you prefer guys? Would you like to fence with me?”]
[“Get lost, don’t pollute my husband!”]
Jiang Mo responded to the host’s questions: “I’m not sick, I- I don’t look good, and I don’t want to show my face, that’s all.”
Host: “…”
After the interview, Jiang Mo immediately went to get his phone. Before going on stage, Chi Yu had replied to his message.
[Chi Yu: I’ll be watching you.]
A minute ago, Chi Yu sent him a new message—
[Chi Yu: I’m waiting for you at the back door.]
Jiang Mo blinked and quickly rushed out of the dressing room door.
His rapid heartbeat wasn’t from running but had already started accelerating upon learning Chi Yu was waiting at the back door.
Outside, it was already dark, and bright streetlights illuminated the darkness.
Jiang Mo had already seen the tall, familiar figure outside the glass door as he approached the entrance.
Chi Yu also saw him and immediately smiled at him.
The glass door was pushed open forcefully, and before Chi Yu could react, Jiang Mo had already embraced him.
The sound of the glass door closing behind them echoed, followed by a voice filled with longing.
“Chi Yu, I miss you so much.”