Chapter 72: 72

At the end of November, the Gods War Silver Dragon Cup formally began.This year's Silver Dragon Cup was the grandest one that had been held in recent years. More than two hundred teams had signed up for the tournament. The tournament would last less than one week, so the tournament schedule would be relatively demented.The tournament would take place inside a large sporting venue at Rong City. Matchups for the first round would be randomly drawn. The losing team would be eliminated immediately. In just one day, half of the entrants would be cast out. Matchups for the second round would be drawn randomly as well, and another half of the remaining entrants would be eliminated.This would go on until there were only sixteen teams left. At that point, the tournament would enter the group stage. Eliminations would continue until there were only eight teams left, then four, and then—the championship match.All teams who reached the Top 16 would be awarded a prize of 200,000 yuan. The Top 8 would receive 500,000 yuan, and the champion would receive 2,000,000 yuan.The cash prizes were cumulative, which meant that the championship team of the Silver Dragon Cup would be awarded 200,000 plus 500,000 plus 2,000,000 yuan, for a grand total of 2.7 million yuan. The winning team would also become the official spokespersons of the Silver Dragon Group.To major league teams, this prize money wasn't much. But to minor league teams, it was a huge chunk of cash!The elimination process in this year's Silver Dragon Cup was incredibly brutal.Rumor had it Jingzhe's second-string team ran into Beimu's second-string team in round one; they were immediately sent home. Tianhuan's luck in the first round was pretty good. They were matched up against a group called Team Happy, which they'd never heard of before; they took a 2-0 win and sent Team Happy home.Although Ye Shaoyang and Chi Shuo weren't at the live venue, the kids from their second-string team could be considered their 'students' to some extent. Ye Shaoyang and Chi Shuo were at least also keeping an eye on their status in the tournament.In the second round, Tianhuan once again matched up against some third-rate team. They sent their opponents home with another 2-0 win.In Tianhuan's internal group chat, Xie Xiaotian excitedly wrote: [Yang-ge, I got a triple kill today, hahaha!]Ye Shaoyang replied with a clapping emoji and wrote: [Not bad, not bad.]Xie Xiaotian added: [After being killed under my tower every day by a boss, I feel super relaxed playing against other mid laners!]Ye Shaoyang: [Looks like we didn't abuse you for nothing. Let's continue when you get back. ^_^]Xie Xiaotian: [Shy.jpg]Qin Sui also wrote: [I was abused every day by Captain Chi too, and now that I'm at the Silver Dragon Cup, I'm realizing all these minor league junglers are just little brothers.]Yan Bin profoundly remarked: [It's only after going out to play against other teams that we can truly feel the might of Tianhuan's starting lineup.]Coach Lin popped up in the chat to say: [This year's Silver Dragon Cup is a knock-out tournament. Jingzhe's second-string team and Beimu's second-string team clashed fiercely yesterday, didn't they? There are some powerhouses among these minor league teams too. Don't get too full of yourselves.]Yan Bin instantly wrote: [I know, Coach Lin. I'll follow your commands in the picks and bans phases, to make sure we always choose good team comps.]On the fourth day of the Silver Dragon Cup, only thirty-some teams remained in the running.In the round where thirty-two teams would be pared down to the Top 16, Beimu's second-string team was matched up against a team called 'Team Mystique'.Zhao Xin'an had been bored lately, so he opened up the livestream and watched the stream of this game.For minor league tournaments like the Silver Dragon Cup, the official league didn't assign official commentators to the matches, but the games would still be broadcast on streaming platforms that partnered with the tournament. That way, netizens could still tune in. Of course, very few people actually watched these games—the popularity of these streams was pitifully low.Zhao Xin'an clicked into the stream of the Silver Dragon Cup's B16 round and watched the kids from his own club's second-string team face off against Team Mystique.It was then that he suddenly, unexpectedly saw that the opposing mid laner was named 'Mystique-ZhongXiaobai'.Zhao Xin'an's eyes flashed. He instantly turned and called out to the coach, "Coach, coach! I found Xiao Bai! He actually signed to this team!"Zhao Xinping scooted over to the screen to take a look. She couldn't help but furrow her brows. "Team Mystique? Never heard of them."Beimu's coach came over and took a seat. This type of tournament wouldn't introduce players one by one like major tournaments, so they weren't able to get a look at what this player's appearance was like. They could only see the player's ID.Both sides entered the picks and bans phase. The opposing Zhong Xiaobai chose the Illusionist.Zhao Xin'an rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation. "Xiao Bai's Illusionist is nationally ranked, he should be pretty strong. Will our Team Two's mid laner be able to beat him?"The coach said, "Probably. Our second-string rookies have at least a bit of tournament experience. No matter how strong Xiao Bai is in ranked matches, he doesn't have enough tournament experience. His mental fortitude probably can't match up against our Team Two's rookies."Zhao Xin'an nodded. "You have a point."The game began.At the six-minute mark, a fight suddenly broke out in the middle lane. The youth from Beimu's second-string team actually managed to solo kill the enemy mid laner.Zhao Xin'an evaluated the fight and said, "This Xiao Bai is a bit impatient. He didn't properly calculate his enemy's skill cooldown times before he rushed in for a kill, and ultimately he was counter-killed."Some more time passed, and Beimu's second-string jungler went to gank on the middle lane. Once again, Zhong Xiaobai was sent back to his base to respawn.Zhao Xin'an sighed quietly. "Ai, he really should have signed with our Beimu. He would have gotten better if he practiced with our second-string team a bit. By signing with a second-rate team like this, he's really hindering his own development."The coach also regretfully said, "Maybe this second-rate team gave him good contract conditions and allowed him to debut right away, even making him their captain. It's too bad, he only looked at the rewards right in front of his eyes. If he'd actually gone to a famous team as a substitute, it would have been better for him than debuting on a second-rate team. On a major team, the improvements to his skills and game sense would have been on another level."Zhao Xin'an and the coach finished watching the game with matching looks of dismay.Ultimately, it was naturally Beimu's second-string team that emerged victorious.After the game, in Beimu's group chat, one of the kids from the second-string team sent a message: [@Reporter Zhao, We ran into Xiao Bai at the Silver Dragon Cup today! His skills are just alright, actually. He's not as strong as Zhao-ge said?]Zhao Xinping calmly said, "Maybe you guys have the wrong person. Or maybe it's that he signed with a second-rate team, and he's playing in a tournament for the first time. It could be that he was too nervous and wasn't able to show his true skills.""I looked through the participants list of this year's Silver Dragon Cup," Zhao Xin'an said. "There's only this one Xiao Bai. We probably don't have the wrong person, right? Maybe he really was too nervous and just didn't play well."The discussion surrounding Xiao Bai stopped there. Zhao Xin'an was just left feeling a bit of remorse.The next day, the Top 16 of the Silver Dragon Cup would be cut down to the Top 8. Beimu's second-string team matched up against Tianhuan's second-string team.When the two starting lineups of these clubs clashed during the playoffs, Beimu had won over Tianhuan by three games to two. Their second-string teams would be facing off in the Silver Dragon Cup now, and Beimu's rookies assumed they would be able to win as well.But in the end…Xie Xiaotian went fucking crazy! He could barge into the range of the enemy tower, get a kill, and still escape with his life?!Qin Sui went wild as well. He crazily ganked people like Captain Chi, setting a rhythm that practically made the game fly by?The support Yan Bin had also improved quite a lot. When initiating a fight, he could now flash in and stun the two carries in the enemy's back line?The little friends on Beimu's second-string team were all a bit stunned stupid.Tianhuan won that match 2-1, making their way into the Top 8. Beimu's second-string team was sent home.That night, in Tianhuan's group chat—Xie Xiaotian excitedly wrote: [I solo killed Beimu's mid laner, hahaha!]Ye Shaoyang sent back a thumbs up and said: [Nice one.]Xie Xiaotian wrote: [By the way, Beimu ran into a team called Team Mystique in the last round. That team just so happened to have a mid laner named Zhong Xiaobai. They seem to have mistaken that person for the streamer Xiao Bai.]Yan Bin wrote: [That's right, I heard them talking amongst themselves, saying that the streamer Xiao Bai was powerful in ranked games but just okay in tournaments. They said he really didn't have much tournament experience, as expected, and was super nervous.]Chi Shuo saw that message and instinctively turned to look at Ye Shaoyang.Beimu couldn't be blamed for this misunderstanding. A streamer who became a professional esports player really wouldn't have any big game experience. Playing in ranked games and playing in tournaments were two entirely different things. Under those circumstances, it couldn't have been more normal for a player to be nervous enough to make mistakes.The streamer Xiao Bai signed with a second-string team and went to play in the Silver Dragon Cup. He messed up in a game and was solo killed by a professional enemy mid laner.That was a very reasonable series of events.Who could have imagined that the streamer Xiao Bai would have instead signed with Tianhuan, as a starting player? Plus, even without experience in big games, he wasn't the slightest bit nervous when he played. He even managed to solo kill the world-class mid laner Mitchell?When they returned to their dorm room, Chi Shuo hesitated for a moment, then quietly asked, "Shaoyang, have you really never played in official games before? When we played those practice games against FNO, you weren't at all nervous."Ye Shaoyang's heart did a little skip, but he maintained a very calm expression. He smiled and explained, "Of course I've never played in official games before. Doesn't Captain Chi already know? I only started playing games this year. Maybe I'm just a bit bold by nature, so I don't get too nervous no matter what I encounter."Chi Shuo fell silent.Well, that was true.Ye Shaoyang was really the 'boldest' omega Chi Shuo had ever met. When Chi Shuo marked him, Ye Shaoyang hadn't shown the slightest bit of nervousness. His face had remained completely calm and collected… while it was Chi Shuo who'd felt a bit nervous.Chi Shuo didn't pursue this line of questioning. He looked away and said, "Let's get some sleep early."After returning to his own room, Ye Shaoyang silently breathed a sigh of relief. He picked up Xiao Bai and stroked the cat a little to calm his nerves.He still had his memories from his previous life. He'd once played professionally for four years, as a world-class esports player. If he said that, it would be far too unbelievable, so he couldn't possibly tell anyone this secret. Chi Shuo clearly had a hint that something was up, but he wasn't sure about anything. That was why he'd asked Ye Shaoyang.Had Ye Shaoyang managed to muddle through with that explanation? One week later, the Silver Dragon Cup concluded.Tianhuan's second-string team overcame all challenges in their way and actually managed to take down the grand prize of the tournament!Xie Xiaotian and the others were beyond excited. They held the silver trophy together and bowed in unison to the reporters in front of them.One reporter asked, "Captain Yan, Tianhuan's second-string team performed much better than anyone could have anticipated at this year's Silver Dragon Cup. You guys have improved by great strides recently. What exactly is the reason?"Yan Bin put on a feigned air of maturity as he said, "After Tianhuan lost in the playoffs, Coach Lin has had us undergoing training in 'nightmare mode'. Maybe because the pressure on us was quite high during training, we managed to excel in these official matches."Everyone was speechless.Just how intense was the pressure they'd endured?Each and every one of these players from Tianhuan had big black bags under their eyes. Was Coach Lin even human?The news of Tianhuan's second-string team winning the Silver Dragon Cup spread like wildfire, but it was very quickly suppressed by bigger news from the group stage of the world championships. The number of people who followed the world championships far surpassed the number of people who followed minor league tournaments, after all.Yan Bin and the others returned to Tianhuan with their trophy and a check for 2.7 million yuan.Tianhuan's trophy display case gained another trophy cup, and the club was very generous. The officials decided to divide the majority of the cash prize among the players. The five youths from the second-string team each took home 300,000 yuan!Usually, the newer players on the second-string team only received a salary from the club. There was no way to compare their income to that of starting players. It was also rare for them to be involved with product endorsements or partnerships. When they appeared in the major league as substitutes, they would receive just a little trickle of the club's winnings depending on how many times they took the field in a season.To these kids, a sum of 300,000 yuan was astronomical!The five members of the second-string team were extremely excited. The day they returned to the team's base, they quietly crept upstairs and knocked on the door to room 301.Chi Shuo opened the door in his pajamas. When he saw a gaggle of little kids cautiously peering at him from outside, he couldn't help but wonder, "You guys aren't asleep? It's the middle of the night. What do you want?"Xie Xiaotian snuck a glance into the room. "Did Yang-ge already go to sleep?"Ye Shaoyang heard the commotion. He carried his little cat over and smiled mildly as he leaned against the door. "Not yet. What is it, are you here in the middle of the night to tell us the good news? We know you guys won the tournament. Congratulations, congratulations."Xie Xiaotian took out two exquisite gift boxes from behind him, apprehensively offering them to Ye Shaoyang and Chi Shuo. "This is just a little token of our appreciation, for Captain Chi and Yang-ge."Qin Sui said from next to him, "Thank you Captain Chi and Yang-ge for instructing us during this period of time!"Yan Bin also said, "That's right, that's right. None of us knew what to buy with our prize money, so we just brought a little gift for you guys. Hehe, don't look down on it!"Ye Shaoyang took the present and looked inside.It was limited edition merch of the black/white wolf kings duo.The Black Wolf, in human form, had sharp eyes and a cool, ruthless appearance. The White Wolf King's smiling expression was more languid. The two of them sported a furry pair of ears and a fuzzy tail. Since these features were made with a special fur material, the figures were extremely lifelike.The scale figures were collector's items, standing at around thirty centimeters or so.Ye Shaoyang took the White Wolf King and smiled as he said, "Thank you. I like this very much."Chi Shuo took the Black Wolf and quietly said, "You guys stay mindful. Winning the Silver Dragon Cup can be considered a certificate of this period of training for you. Next season, you'll be sitting on the substitutes' bench. When the time comes, watch carefully and learn a lot."The five players answered in unison, "Understood, Captain Chi!"The corners of Chi Shuo's lips quirked up slightly. "Go to sleep."The five youths swiftly turned tail and fled.Ye Shaoyang watched their backs as they made their energetic retreat. He couldn't help but feel a thread of warmth rise in his chest—when he was young, the elders on his team had also guided him like this. So, after he came to Tianhuan, he'd willingly taken it upon himself to help Chi Shuo raise up the members of the second-string team. Perhaps this was an occupational disease, born of habits forged during his own years of captaincy?The two of them carried their figures back into their room.Chi Shuo swept his gaze across the room and pointed to the TV cabinet. "Put them there?"Ye Shaoyang smiled. "Okay. Let's put them together."They put the black and white wolf kings together, treating them like an additional piece of decoration for their dorm room. The TV cabinet had been pretty empty before. With two new figures, it looked quite a lot more vibrant.As this was his first time receiving a gift of 'filial respect' from the kids on the second-string team, Ye Shaoyang was in a pretty good mood. Chi Shuo's mood was quite nice as well. That night, Ye Shaoyang even had a nice dream.In his dream, he and Chi Shuo  used the black/white wolf kings comp to chase the kids from the second-string team all around the rift.When they got up the next morning, Ye Shaoyang laughed as he rubbed his temples. Once he finished washing up, he went down to the cafeteria.Chi Shuo also followed him down. While the two of them ate, they saw Tang Can-jie excitedly race over to them."Today is December 1st, the league's trade window is finally open. You guys, guess who the first trade listing is?!"Chi Shuo straightforwardly asked, "Who?"Tang Can had the league's official trade site open on her cell phone. She showed them the trade window page, which had one astonishing name on display—YG-Rain.The captain of Team Yaoguang, Xie Weiyu.This was one of the top three marksmen in the Chinese division. He was a top-tier ADC, just like Jingzhe's Xie Yuan and Beimu's Zhao Xinping.Chi Shuo furrowed his brow. "The captain is looking to be traded? Are they having some sort of internal dispute over at Yaoguang?"Tang Can said, "Not sure. Anyway, as soon as this news came out, it shot up the trending topics list! Yaoguang's fans have flooded the club's official Weibo. They've already left tens of thousands of scathing comments."Chi Shuo and Ye Shaoyang met each other's gazes.The trade period was also known as the time when the seasons in the professional league would change. It was very likely that there would soon be some juicy drama to watch.

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