Domestic viewers were glued to the live stream and caught the whole tearful moment. The comments flooded with sympathy.
【Aaaah, seeing Yangyang cry is breaking Mommy’s heart!】
【Yi Yang, you old punk, your day has come.】
【First time seeing Yangyang cry—it’s weirdly heartbreaking.】
【It’s okay, Yangyang, you were amazing! Those games were super flashy. The German Team’s an old powerhouse—they’re tough. Just know you’ve already got the cred of beating last year’s runners-up!】
【Facing Germany and E God still isn’t subbing in? Sticking with Yi Yang? That’s bold. One more loss and we’re BBQ’d.】
【Crying already? Wait till you face Sweden—you’d off yourself.】
【What’s wrong with you upstairs? He’s out there winning glory and all you got is mockery?】
【The one talking suicide is the sick one. Probably some expat little foreigner.】
【No worries, Yangyang—you were awesome! Making Captain E’s subs means you’ve beaten 80% of the global players! Yangyang rocks!!!】
【Baby, why cry? Daddy’s jumping in next game. Captain E’s got your back.】
【Everyone knows Captain E and Meissen are old rivals.】
【Meissen’s improved so much this year—his prelims plays are scalp-tingling. Really worried for Captain E. They’ve been off for two years; I’m scared.】
【Meissen’s been fighting Captain E for Global Server #1 Jungler? Saw him say in stream he’s pulling Captain E down.】
【Replying to above: Mai’s been shouting that for three years.】
In the backstage lounge, Yi Yang’s tears hadn’t dried yet.
The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone stared at him. Yun Qi handed him a tissue, which Yi Yang clutched tightly. It was the first time he’d shown this side in front of the team. Beyond the heartache, it was almost comical.
They were all used to Yi Yang’s boundless arrogance, so seeing him cry was a novelty—like watching a monkey in the zoo. Their gazes carried deep meaning.
“Learned your lesson?” Yu Jin sat across from Yi Yang, spinning a cap in his hand. Facing him directly, his presence was oppressively intense.
Yi Yang held his breath, saying nothing.
“One more loss and we pack up and go home. Flew over a dozen hours, made all that noise—satisfied now?” The lounge was deathly quiet. Ziwu and Rong Rong sat silently to the side as everyone watched Yi Yang get chewed out.
“Do you know why we let you play this far?” Yu Jin knew exactly what Yi Yang’s problem was. He knew if the kid kept charging ahead blindly, he’d take a massive fall. This German match was a razor-thin margin for error—they’d already lost the first game, and another loss meant top eight was their ceiling for the year. Everyone knew it, yet they’d still put Yi Yang in.
The jungler’s rhythm had fallen into complete chaos. Facing last year’s runner-up team, a jungler whose mentality had utterly exploded was doomed to lose the game—no question about it. And their opponents were the battle-hardened second-best team on the global server, where no position could afford a single mistake, especially not the rhythm anchor: the jungler.
“This game wasn’t supposed to drag on past twenty minutes. Anyone else would’ve ended it in ten. You ought to thank your teammates—they made your stats look a little less embarrassing. Otherwise, the chatter online right now wouldn’t be pitying you; it’d all be straight-up mockery.” Yu Jin’s words cut like pearls on a string, utterly devoid of mercy. Yi Yang had been on the verge of pulling himself together, but now two more tears trickled down his cheeks.
Yun Qi ached for him but didn’t dare interject at a moment like this.
“I know I messed up,” Yi Yang sniffled, his voice lower and more dejected than ever before.
“Where’d you mess up?” Yu Jin pressed, digging to the root.
Yi Yang clutched the crumpled tissue in his hand, keeping his head bowed as his shoulders hunched. “I shouldn’t have kept trying to solo everything. At the three-minute mark, I could’ve easily ganked bot lane, but I got fixated on counter-jungling and threw away first tower.”
“And then?”
“During Little Dragon, I was obsessed with snagging their jungler’s head—wanted the kill and the objective both. But I got the Smite timing wrong, they stole it, my rhythm shattered, and I was too desperate to show off.”
Ziwu usually didn’t get along with Yi Yang all that well, but ever since Yu Jin had chewed him out a few times, the kid had started to change. Hearing this raw self-reflection actually tugged at Ziwu’s heartstrings too.
But Yu Jin’s face remained stone-cold, like an impartial judge. “How many times have I told you about this problem? How many times have you actually listened? You just pay lip service, don’t you? You want to show off? Fine, I’ll give you the chance—I’m putting you in the decisive match. You gonna play? Next game, you’re still starting.”
“Bro…” Yi Yang balled his fists. “I’m sorry. I really get it this time. I’ll change, I swear. I wouldn’t joke around with the Grand Tournament.”
“Aren’t you doing exactly that right now? Aren’t you, Yi Yang? If you were leading the team next year as the core jungler, with this mentality, tell me—how the hell do you win? You treating the enemy like bots? Got cocky from dominating qualifiers, huh? First time hearing the German Team’s strong?”
“I’m sorry…” Yi Yang had no words left; he couldn’t even lift his head under the interrogation, just wiped at his tears again.
“I’ve realized talking’s useless. You only learn when you’re beaten down to doubting your whole existence—classic case of ‘words don’t teach, but experience does it in one go,’ right?” Yu Jin’s eyes darkened like blades, slicing through Yi Yang’s facade. “What’s the point of stacking kills? What’s the fucking use of flashy plays? Fine for casual games, but pulling that shit in a key match? Have I been too soft on you?”
Normally, this was when Lao Xun would step in to smooth things over, but he wasn’t there this time, and no one else dared speak up. It was frustrating—Yi Yang just wouldn’t fix the same damn issues no matter how many times they were pointed out. Rong Rong and the others were helpless.
Yi Yang had a young master’s temper; anyone else chewing him out would’ve sparked an argument. Only Yu Jin could keep him in check. Poor kid looked like a teary-eyed puppy now. Rong Rong let out a soft sigh.
“You know Meissen’s been the global server’s number one for two years straight, right? Haven’t watched enough of his videos, or do you think ‘Server #1’ is just this tiny little thing?” Yu Jin continued. “What do I always tell you? Cut the useless flash, focus on the real work. You let it go in one ear and out the other? You’ve got one problem, Yi Yang: shake off that showboating urge, and you’ll improve. That’s why I bring Liu Ying instead of you—get it now?”
Yi Yang nodded.
How could he not? He’d never fully accepted Liu Ying over the years, but he knew his own flaws all too well. The root of it was right here. It wasn’t news to him; he’d just gotten too comfortable in his bubble. Undefeated domestically, with no pressure, he never realized his issues. No matter how many times Liu Ying warned him, without hitting a wall, he couldn’t change. Youthful mindset, too—addicted to those online videos hyping his fancy mechanics, always chasing more highlight-reel material.
“This is the last time I’m warning you about this. If I catch you pulling that crap in an official match again,” Yu Jin said coldly, “pack up your team uniform and go be a streamer.”
Yi Yang didn’t even breathe.
The second game was about to start. Someone from the Pro League knocked, asking if they were ready. Yu Jin stood, slipped on his team uniform, and led the way out the door.
The others followed close behind. Yun Qi was last, handing Yi Yang a bottle of water. “It’s okay. Learn from it, pull yourself together.”
Yi Yang wiped the corner of his eye. “I know. I let him down.”
“If he were truly disappointed in you, he wouldn’t have said any of that,” Yun Qi said. Yi Yang’s expression brightened slightly, and Yun Qi flashed him a smile. “He brought you all the way here, let you play up to this point, and even put you in for such a crucial game. Don’t you understand what that means?”
Yi Yang suddenly came to his senses.
Seeing that he was in better spirits, Yun Qi straightened up and headed for the door. “I’m going now. Don’t overthink it—get some proper rest.”
He stepped out.
The commentators’ voices drifted in from ahead, mingled with the roar of the cheering crowd. Yun Qi and the others bumped into the German Team backstage. They were decked out in black-and-white team uniforms, grins plastered across every face. Top 10 to top 5 felt like one foot in the Grand Finals door, half a hand grazing the trophy. They’d taken the first game, so that half-hand was right at the trophy’s edge.
They filed onto the stage one after another. When Yu Jin emerged in his team uniform, the arena below exploded. The stands erupted in electrifying screams, and even the commentary desk couldn’t stay quiet—the casters peppered him with questions thanks to his entrance.
They touched on the opposing team members too. Yu Jin stood at his station, listening to the queries from the desk, and responded calmly in German.
【Zhen’s Royal Translator!!!】
【Here we go, translation attempt: Probably asking Captain E’s feelings on the last game. Captain E: No feelings, time to send them home.】
【Holy shit, Captain E’s savage AF】
【Here to avenge the kid, huh?】
【Captain E looks pissed】
【Finally, E God!!! Heart pounding, hands shaking!!!】
The atmosphere in the arena was thick with tension right then.
The German Team’s jungler Meissen didn’t sit down. He grabbed a mic from somewhere and asked in front of everyone: “Du bist sehr zurückgegangen, übernimmt der neue Dschungel für dich? Das Niveau ist auch schrecklich, Eidis?”
The audience from all over the world stirred at his words. The translator on the sidelines announced: “You’ve regressed so much. Is the new jungler replacing you? His skill level is just awful.”
He was translating for the crowd, but Yu Jin—who knew enough German—caught the malice right away. He didn’t trash-talk back. Instead, he calmly picked up his headset mic and replied: “Das diesjährige Viertelfinale sind Ihre Ergebnisse.”
The translator leaned into his mic: “Top 8 is the best you’ll do this year.”
The arena went wild.
【WTF, Captain E’s so cool!】
【Meissen’s such a bitch. Forgot how Eidis dog-walked him before? Doesn’t he know Eidis is super protective?】
【That’s exactly why he’s saying it—holding onto that grudge. Treats E God like his ultimate rival. Saw his German interviews; dude’s obsessed with winning.】
【Wanting to win’s fine, but check your strength first. Thinks beating KRO once means it’s over? LMAO, E God hasn’t even played.】
【Don’t baby Eidis too much. Lose this and it’s egg on your face. Meissen’s been grinding these two years—what’s Eidis been doing? He doesn’t auto-win just by showing up.】
【Fuck, smash that May dog. Too smug, can’t stand it.】
【AAAAA avenge Yangyang!!! Captain E, go get ’em!!!】
The match had already kicked off.
This wasn’t some group stage anymore—it was champion-level showdown territory. The two teams hadn’t faced off in ages, and with the world’s eyes on them, the spark ignited as they settled into their seats.
In champion select, the six bans wiped out three supports and three junglers. KRO banned all supports, while the Germans banned Carmilla, Luo Er, and Riven.
【All goddamn E God mains】
【WTF, after three years I just wanna see E God’s Carmilla—why so hard?】
【Carmilla’s trash this season. Riven’s decent, pity we can’t grab her.】
【Germans playing dirty AF. Three bans straight to one role? That scared?】
Three of Yu Jin’s go-to junglers got banned. The Germans were doing their usual thing—targeting him. Back in the day, those three heroes had shredded every esports team on the European Circuit, leaving them shell-shocked. Rivals developed a phobia, auto-banning them whenever Yu Jin showed up.
But what they didn’t know was that this team wasn’t a one-man carry anymore. Banning just him was pointless. They were sleeping on the rest of KRO hard.
And that was destined to bite them in the ass big time.
“I’ll go first.” Yun Qi clicked to quick-lock Phila and said to Yu Jin, “You pick last.”
Picking first had its pros and cons. The advantage was securing a hero that fit their lineup perfectly, but the downside was that the enemy could easily counter it. After he locked in Phila, the other side immediately snatched Kate, a champion with strong long-range poke.
“I knew it,” Ziwu said. “Can the Prophetess work this game?”
“Don’t,” Chang Shu replied. “What if they take Water Moon Princess? That would shut her down hard.”
Yu Jin said, “Don’t worry about it. Ziwu, grab the Prophetess. If they dare pick Water Moon Princess, I’ll lock in Xiumu and shut her down.”
Ziwu locked in the Prophetess.
