Chapter 76

“I want to be alone for a while, Captain.”

After a long silence, Hydralisk finally spoke.

He was obedient, though his face was particularly unpleasant. He controlled his emotions and didn’t vent on anyone else.

Rong Yi paused for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, how about dinner together?”

Hydralisk still didn’t speak. It seemed that even opening his mouth had become an excruciating task.

For now, he couldn’t face anyone because he couldn’t face himself for causing the team’s failure.

“Okay,” Rong Yi nodded. “I’ll get you a Wagyu Beef and Foie Gras Rice to go. If you’re feeling down, take tonight to feel bad. Tomorrow, we’ll resume our usual training, the three-phase special training. Understood?”

Hydralisk nodded gloomily.

Rong Yi and Wu Daogu stood up.

Hydralisk left first with the Driver back to VIT headquarters. Rong Yi and Wu Daogu waited for Xiao Yin and Grey Cat to finish their post-match interviews. Then, as usual, they went to their regular post-match restaurant.

The match had just ended, and the buzz about VIT was already building online. There were all sorts of comments, with most of the criticism aimed at today’s collapsed ADC, especially Hydralisk.

This was also the first time since VIT entered the domestic League that there was such a large-scale internal attack.

At the dinner table, Xiao Yin casually instructed the Assistant, “Take down the trending topics, limit the flow of any posts mentioning Hydralisk. Block particularly severe insults and false accusations.”

Assistant Xiao Zhou looked a bit worried. “Won’t the Fans say we’re trying to silence them? After all, in this industry, you have to be prepared to take criticism.”

“Both Captain Rong and I can handle it, but the younger ones don’t need to endure so much negativity on purpose.”

“Insults and normal audience feedback are two different things,” Xiao Yin said. “Protecting the team members and their emotions is also our responsibility. People can say whatever they want.”

Rong Yi nodded. “Agreed.”

The fundamental issue lies in the fact that the Esports Scene audience differs from that of traditional sports. The environment is more hostile, and the community is more complex.

Some negative comments have gone beyond what should be encountered in a normal competitive industry. Yet, with the spread of the internet, it’s unavoidable that these comments are presented to everyone, unconsciously affecting a large group of people.

Xiao Yin’s decision was unchangeable, autocratic, and domineering, not caring about what others said.

After dinner, everyone returned to the Club.

The Villa was dark. Hydralisk wasn’t in the living room. It was clear someone was in the room, but the lights were off, shrouding everything in darkness.

Everyone exchanged glances.

“How do we comfort him?”

Rong Yi weighed the Wagyu Beef and Foie Gras Rice in his hand. “I’ll go. Everyone else, start the post match analysis.”

The group agreed in unison.

Rong Yi knocked on the door. “Little snake, I brought you some food. Can I come in?”

Hydralisk didn’t respond, so Rong Yi entered with the food.

Hydralisk was curled up on the bed, facing away from the door. When he saw Rong Yi, he sat up and rubbed his messy hair. “Thank you, Captain.”

Hydralisk’s mood was clearly low.

“Let’s talk,” Rong Yi said.

Hydralisk got up from the bed, his head hanging.

Rong Yi placed the food container on the table. “What do you think about today’s match?”

“I dragged the whole team down.”

“Kind of,” Rong Yi said casually.

Hydralisk nearly choked.

“And then, what are you planning to do?” Rong Yi asked.

Hydralisk was taken aback.

He twisted his fingers, looking a bit uneasy.

“I can’t adapt to this phase of training. I still can’t adapt.”

“Captain, it’s really hard.” Hydralisk’s voice grew more aggrieved, clearly fluctuating. “This system really doesn’t suit me. I feel like all my talent is being stifled.”

“You have a point, but it doesn’t matter,” Rong Yi said calmly. “Whether your talent is stifled or not isn’t that important.”

Hydralisk: “……”

He was so shocked by Rong Yi’s words that he forgot his sadness.

Too shocked!!!

Everyone knew that Hydralisk was actually the most talented new ADC. He was confident about that; otherwise, Xiao Yin wouldn’t have chosen him.

Everyone said that even though he was a rookie, his ability already surpassed the peak Yao Cao. Hydralisk had heard “talented” hundreds of times, but this was the first time someone told him it didn’t matter.

After a long pause.

Hydralisk slowly said, “So… should I… leave?”

Rong Yi patted his head. “No need for that.”

Hydralisk: “……”

He looked at Rong Yi with a sorrowful expression.

“Look at your Yin-Ge. He has such high talent, but even he can’t carry us to the Champion podium by himself.”

Outside the door, Grey Cat and Wu Daogu were eavesdropping: “……”

Grey Cat turned and whispered, “Yin-Ge, Captain Rong said you can’t carry us to the Champion podium.”

Xiao Yin, sitting on the couch writing post match analysis notes, lifted his eyelids slightly.

“And look at QILIN and CH. Their players aren’t as talented, yet they can still make it to the top positions.”

“Talent and hard work are different methodologies people choose for their lives.”

Rong Yi said, “Our team’s methodology was decided long ago. It’s about AI-like synergy and high-precision risk management.”

“This is the harshest kind of elimination. Everyone has to suppress their personal style to cooperate with the team’s actions. Your talent, your unique qualities, aren’t incompatible with the current training mode—it’s just that your instinctual shotcalling is still fighting against your rational shotcalling.”

“You’re not rational enough.”

Rong Yi saw the confusion in Hydralisk’s eyes and nodded affirmatively.

Hydralisk: “……”

Hydralisk looked around and found a small utility knife on the bedside table. In despair, he said, “Captain.”

“Why don’t you just stab me with this?”

The two outside the door broke into a cold sweat.

This was terrifying!!!

What kind of team counseling and heart-to-heart talk was this?

Hydralisk was thoroughly emotional, his throat choked up, and he wanted to find a hole to crawl into and ignore the world forever.

“But, look me in the eyes.” Rong Yi’s tone was steady. “This isn’t an unsolvable problem. People grow, problems get solved, and avoidance has no real value.”

Hydralisk wanted to argue, “I wasn’t avoiding it. I just wanted to try playing like I used to…”

“I’ll ask you,” Rong Yi said. “What are the drawbacks of playing the way you used to?”

Hydralisk’s voice lowered. “It would be countered by rotating lineups and specifically targeted by defensive operations like CH.”

“And how do you solve that?”

“Learn… learn how you and Yin-Ge predict, learn to integrate all the information from the arena,” Hydralisk’s voice choked with emotion.

Rong Yi smiled warmly.

“You see, the solution is right here.”

“You tried a new method, and when you lost, you wanted to revert. I know you can’t accept today’s result and said it without thinking. But just this once, okay?”

Rong Yi said, “Esports is cruel like this. You won’t always win in the way you’re most confident in, nor in the state you most enjoy.”

“When I was forced to play support…”

Hydralisk asked softly, “Did you think like this too?”

“Yes.” Rong Yi nodded calmly. “Everyone experiences pain, confusion, and doubt, but moving forward is the only correct path. Don’t look back.”

He spoke calmly, but to Hydralisk, Grey Cat, and even Wu Daogu, this was hard to imagine.

Such a calm, almost cold analysis of one’s role and development—neither arrogant nor self-deprecating—could shatter anyone’s misplaced pride.

Even the dissatisfaction after losing a match seemed to turn into mere petulance.

Rong Yi possessed this kind of all-seeing, unstoppable strength.

Hydralisk was already too ashamed to look at him.

“I’ll come to the post match analysis after I finish eating, Captain. You guys start first, I’ll join later, and I’ll do extra practice tomorrow.”

Rong Yi looked at him, unsure which of his words had the effect, and nodded. “I’ll stay with you.”

Seeing that the person was quickly comforted, Rong Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

He really knew how to comfort people.

For a good kid like Grey Cat, encouragement and leading by example worked best.

For a headstrong person like Hydralisk, who rarely conceded, a slight misstep could lead to rebellion. But Hydralisk had one point—if someone more mature and composed than him appeared, he would immediately drop his petty emotions and quickly catch up, afraid of not looking cool enough.

However, Rong Yi rarely used his standards to demand others.

Rong Yi stood up and opened the door. Outside, Grey Cat and Wu Daogu were still brimming with emotion, not having had time to leave.

Rong Yi casually issued an instruction, “Go in and take a picture of him.”

Grey Cat: “?”

Wu Daogu: “?”

Rong Yi: “When we win the championship, enlarge it and print it in the living room. This picture will forever be a part of our little snake’s growth history.”

Brilliant, truly brilliant.

Their Captain was someone who could never be underestimated, not even for a moment.