Chapter 9

VIT was slow to announce their player roster, causing even industry insiders to start gossiping.

The transfer window had passed, and the VIT website had photos of all the players under their IDs, except for the mid lane position, which was still a black silhouette.

A well-known commentator from the industry started a live stream, titling it “[Let’s Gossip a Bit].”

“Yin-Ge said they’ve found a mid laner for the team, but I haven’t heard of any other teams knowing about it. It could be a new talent from youth training.”

“I lean towards believing it’s a talented rookie they’ve discovered. Watching their duo queue plays, the style is absolutely unique and very sharp.”

“It’s also possible he brought someone over from the NA region.”

Netizens were discussing fervently.

“Yin-Ge really kept this person well-hidden. There’s not even a shadow recorded from duo queue.”

“And Yin-Ge actually played support for him! When have you ever seen him play support in all these years? Yin-Ge doesn’t usually stream to rank up either.”

The internet was buzzing with speculation about Rong Yi’s identity, but VIT had kept the information tightly under wraps.

As for Rong Yi, the only person in the know was Lin Yi. Lin Yi had been friends with him for a long time and naturally kept his mouth shut.

Over the past few days, after his specialized practice sessions, Rong Yi joined the team for group coordination training.

After the sessions ended, he would stay for extra practice, training from 9 AM to 9 PM, focusing extensively on last hitting and precise timing.

His position was set, at the window-facing spot in the training room, with his back to everyone else.

Occasionally, passing by the door, one could see his slender frame, dressed in a white T-shirt and shorts, his long, beautiful legs casually crossed.

On the 9th, Rong Yi set an alarm and went to find Xiao Yin at 5 PM to ask for leave.

He didn’t give a reason.

Xiao Yin didn’t say much, just nodded in agreement, then turned to Wu Daogu and said, “You take Hydralisk and Grey Cat for post-match analysis tonight. I’ll come by later.”

Wu Daogu asked him, “What are you up to?”

Xiao Yin showed no expression: “I have something to take care of.”

Today was the first match of the RS World Championship group stage. Winning the qualifier would advance them to the semi-finals, a single-elimination format where one match decided everything.

Usually, they had a mandatory task of reviewing matches and doing post-match analysis. However, three of the team members were from overseas, and the NA region had consistently performed better than the national region, so they didn’t pay much attention to domestic tournaments.

“Are you going to watch the match?”

Xiao Yin closed his laptop, his cold, pale, slender fingers gently pressing on the screen, his dark eyes deep and reserved.

He hadn’t communicated with Rong Yi, yet he accurately understood his intentions.

Rong Yi nodded.

All three of them were in the meeting room now. If they wanted to watch, they’d have to find another place. Rong Yi glanced upstairs, and Xiao Yin followed his gaze: “My room?”

Without any noticeable change in expression, Xiao Yin picked up his equipment and headed upstairs. Rong Yi followed.

Xiao Yin’s room was directly across from his. Despite walking past it daily, Rong Yi had never been inside.

Xiao Yin’s room was a mirror image of his own—spotless, in shades of grey, extremely minimalist, like a showroom.

On one side of the room was a large projection screen, with a small sofa opposite it.

Rong Yi chose a convenient spot to sit, hearing Xiao Yin ask him briefly, “What do you want to drink?”

Rong Yi replied, “Anything is fine.”

Xiao Yin poured him a glass of sweet milk.

There were five minutes left before the match started, and the two of them watched in silence.

The room was enveloped in darkness.

On the streaming platform website, various commentators had been building up the hype for a long time. Tonight was destined to be another sleepless night.

The last time the national region won the world championship was five years ago with Rong Yi’s team. Five years later, after repeated failures, they couldn’t even make it past the group stage. The sharpness of the audience and players had gradually worn away.

The two commentators on the league’s official livestream channel were both very close with RS and had already predicted a 3-0 sweep before the match began.

RS’s opponent was another veteran team from the Asia server, a formidable adversary.

The room remained unlit, the projection casting light on their silhouettes.

Rong Yi held a pad and pen, his brows furrowed, showing his unmistakable coaching habits.

As the BP phase began and the lineups were picked, Rong Yi’s frown deepened.

Xiao Yin remained silent, sitting just a few inches away, never uttering a word.

The commentators’ analysis continued uninterrupted.

“We can see that RS has made significant adjustments in their lineup and tactics! After Easy left, the shotcaller position was taken over by Lang Bai, the jungler. Lang Bai is currently a very popular player, with his total damage output ranking first in the league for four consecutive seasons.”

“Clearly, RS is trying to abandon their old playstyle. The fact that they dare to make such picks shows their confidence. However, Easy’s departure is a major change. Whether they can adjust in such a short time after winning the domestic championship remains a big question. Regardless, this will be a new attempt for them.”

…

The bullet screen was on, and the commentators mentioned Rong Yi several times.

RS started the first game on a favorable note, with the pace quickly picking up, all driven by Rong Yi’s rhythm.

“Finally, the shotcaller dragging them down is gone. The team’s state is clearly much better now.”

“Honestly, without the support making random calls, it’s much more pleasing to watch. Everyone’s performance is quite good.”

…

With a soft click, the bullet screen disappeared. Rong Yi looked up in surprise to see that Xiao Yin had turned it off.

“RS going to lose,” Rong Yi said softly.

RS had won a small team fight at the start, securing three kills. However, their opponents then avoided fights and focused on stable operations, dragging the game into the late phase. RS gradually fell into a decline and eventually had their base pushed.

In this BO3 match, the first game’s setback went unnoticed by many. The fans were still enthusiastic, showering the stream with gifts, and the tournament’s livestream had already reached over a billion in viewership.

In the second game, after RS picked their lineup, the shotcaller failed to scout the vision correctly. The bottom lane was ambushed by five opponents, causing the carry to vanish instantly. RS tried to make a few comebacks, but they couldn’t turn the tide and lost the match.

They were eliminated from the qualifier, and the CN region missed out on the Spring World Championship this year.

As the match ended, the defeat screen for RS lingered on the screen for a long time.

The camera showed the five young players, all with somber expressions.

The audience booed loudly.

RS lost their first match after kicking Rong Yi.