Chapter 200: Prepare Your Last Words

A somewhat rational professional blogger replied:

Just by looking at G2's reaction, you can tell they were clearly aiming to catch RNG; unexpectedly, they actually did catch them. I can only say RNG should be careful; otherwise, if they really think G2 losing two straight in round two is due to lack of skill, then RNG is done for this world championship.

However, such a reply was ultimately unwelcome, so it sank in the blink of an eye, and amid the general rejoicing it couldn't even raise a ripple.

The reply of "Canyon Demolition Squad Captain" represented the opinion of the vast majority of RNG fans, and also voiced the thoughts of most LPL commentators and many RNG team members.

That night, RNG's graphic designer worked overtime to create an image, posting on their official blog a quarter‑finals promotional poster—made using a famous scene from Infernal Affairs.

【You picked it, huh, G2!. jpg】

Soon after, RNG manager Sanshao posted on Weibo:

【You guys are dead！】

The comment section once again became a carnival ground for RNG fans.

However, perhaps many different voices, likely coming from EDG fans jealous of RNG's lucky draw, since RNG indeed got a somewhat favorable bracket heading into the semifinals, while EDG's match against ROX is a life‑or‑death situation (actually nine deaths, one life), so EDG fans, seeing the smug faces of RNG fans reveling in their success, became displeased and started sniping in the comment section.

【Last year you messed with EDG and that wasn't enough, now you're messing with RNG too, huh?】

【You've got guts; all I can say is, watch out for getting slapped in the face again.】

【G2 (version that crushes RNG): You picked it, huh, RNG!】

【Getting a good draw makes you speak with confidence.】

【Just a bystander—I don't know what grudge you have against G2, but to be frank, I think G2 is really strong; I advise you to be careful.】

EDG fans are numerous, so such voices are not few; RNG fans naturally couldn't ignore them, and thus the two sides began to undermine each other, starting with snide remarks and quickly turning into open hostility, digging up dirt on each other's main teams.

It was extremely lively.

Soon after, Ka Lao Si added fuel to the fire of this public opinion war by posting on G2's official blog:

【@RNG、@Sanshao】

【My advice to you is:】

【Thinkaboutyourlastwords】

The next day at noon, the plane carrying the G2 group landed in the Great Northeast.

It is the Great Northeast of the United States.

……

A hotel near the venue in Chicago, Illinois.

Liang Yan had just gotten up, standing by the window stretching, gazing into the distance as the early morning sun's light spilled onto the vast water surface, sparkling with ripples.

Lao Zhang also woke up, sat up and stared blankly this way, his mind still a bit foggy, murmuring in a dream‑like tone:

"The sky is high, what a fine autumn…"

"Put on more clothes when you go out later; you've just recovered from your illness, don't lie down again."

Liang Yan finished stretching and walked to the washroom, saying as he went:

Having come from the West Coast to the lakeside of the inland Northeast, the temperature change is still quite large; Liang Yan also worries that Lao Zhang, just discharged from the hospital, might be readmitted, affecting the crucial later matches, so he reminded him.

Today is the third day since the team arrived in Chicago.

For the first two days, they were accompanied by Riot's production crew filming outdoors, and last night all the outdoor shooting finally wrapped up.

After the two of them finished their personal hygiene and went out to join the main group, they went to the recording studio in the morning to dub some lines and record a trash‑talk MV, after which everything was done.

At noon they returned to the hotel, finished their meal, and officially entered preparation mode.

Over the next two days, G2's practice match opponents were Samsung and Snake.

These two teams are also the matchup for the quarterfinals' opening game, but neither knew that the other had also played practice matches against G2.

Compared to the relaxed atmosphere of the group stage, once the quarterfinals began the number of participating teams was halved all at once, making the circle much smaller.

At this point, whenever anyone brought up the practice matches, they became more cautious; even if they were close friends in private, they would at most chat about things like environmental changes, never mentioning the names of the practice‑match opponents—this is also an unwritten rule of the knockout stage; whoever breaks it will have their reputation completely ruined, and thereafter no one will want to play with them again.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

At midnight on October 13, EDG posted on Weibo that their top laner Mouse, due to a sudden major accident at home, had to return to his hometown immediately, forcing him to leave the team and withdraw from the tournament.

Shortly after, Riot issued an announcement: Mouse had to withdraw and return home due to the death of a family member; according to the rules, EDG is allowed to activate an emergency substitute, and in the subsequent matches 'Koro1' will replace 'Mouse'.

Instantly, the entire internet erupted.

Braised pork.

Once a scorching‑hot domestic top laner, last year's MSI champion top laner, he vanished after EDG's spring split this year; no one expected that after lying low for half a year, he would reappear in the public eye in this manner.

If it weren't for this Riot announcement, many people would have forgotten him.

Then someone leaked that Koro1 missed the summer split because of a falling out with EDG management, claiming he was being shelved by EDG; furthermore, it was dug up that when EDG went to Korea for bootcamp, Koro1 didn't go with them—the proof being that before the group stage, EDG's main squad flew straight from Korea to San Francisco, while Koro1 traveled alone from Shanghai.

For a time, the EDG roster‑change controversy caused a huge uproar on the Chinese‑language internet.

Soon after, amid the eager anticipation of netizens worldwide, the knockout stage finally arrived.

At local time on the evening of October 13, the first match of the S6 quarterfinals knockout stage, SSG versus Snake, officially kicked off at the antiquated and splendid Chicago theater.

The G2 members, holding the internal passes given by Riot, all came to the venue to watch the match.

The pick‑and‑ban phase had already begun, but Liang Yan seemed a bit absent‑minded, tilting his head to admire the ceiling of this huge building; in the psychedelic lighting, the colorful murals and reliefs on the ceiling made him feel dizzy and entranced, as if he had entered some spacetime‑distorted space, with all the surrounding noise turning into the howl of an endless river of time.

Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder.

Liang Yan came to his senses, hearing Lao Zhang shout loudly in his ear:

"Are you here to watch the match or just to sightsee? Qiang Ge's match is about to start!"

Liang Yan smiled at Lao Zhang, then turned his gaze to the big screen on site, which showed the two sides' players nervously waiting for the map to load.

Lao Zhang gave him a strange look and, amid the clamor, shouted:

"You don't seem to care much about this match, do you?"

Liang Yan didn't answer; the venue was too noisy to explain such fine details, so he merely shook his head slightly.

It's not that he doesn't care.

It's just that I had already foreseen the result.