Chapter 229: Boomerang Dart (Part 2)

Of course, even if it has come to this point, there are still die-hard fans who refuse to believe.

Snake's explanation is a pack of lies!

All those transfer record pictures are photoshopped!

How could my invincible RNG possibly pay to hire Snake for a practice match!

How could we possibly have lost to Europe's scrub team G2 just because we lacked skill!

How could I possibly lose with my universe‑top ADC skills being so awesome!

I don't believe it!

So they went to RNG's official Weibo, to RNG's fan groups, asking… some even went to the airport to pick up the team and confronted them in person.

The result was that all they got was silence.

They finally felt despair.

And this despair gradually turned into anger, even hatred……

Of course, there were also people who truly hated RNG to the bone.

Those who had gone all‑in.

……

This drama on the Chinese internet underwent wave after wave of reversal in just a few dozen hours, and finally the truth came out and the situation was settled.

Naturally, RNG's club image collapsed, and countless people unfollowed and quit being fans.

But those who sincerely supported RNG were hurt even more: they not only reaped the despair of a 0‑3 loss, they also faced malicious backlash and a stab in the back from RNG itself.

Moreover, all three LPL teams fell in the quarterfinals, and this has happened two years in a row, so inevitably a wave of players quitting the game is coming.

The match ended on the 17th, and by the night of the 19th, platforms like Tieba and Weibo began to burst forth with screenshots of people uninstalling the client.

Then other games rushed to recruit players, and for a while, memes warmly welcoming the disappointed summoners from the 'Butt Family', 'Heavenly Blade Family', and 'Pesticide Family' began to fly everywhere.

However, this wave of quitting looks exaggerated, but in fact it does not affect League of Legends' dominance in the domestic PC gaming market at all.

However, the World Championship had just reached its most intense stage when those three scrub teams all dropped out midway, leaving nearly a hundred million Chinese players without a focus, feeling empty and at a loss—what to do?

At this point, the view that only a few had mentioned before was dug up again—even though Liang Yan had firmly refuted it in a post‑match interview two days earlier, it still could not stop those desperately in need of a new emotional anchor from spontaneously thinking:

You say you're not the LPL's fourth seed, so you really aren't?

Does G2 have two Chinese players?

Is the match being carried by Jiao Shen playing carry?

Right!

Then you are the LPL's fourth seed!

Is there something wrong with this logic?

No problem, right!

Even many who had previously cursed G2 online are now saying nice things about them.

……

When Liang Yan, in his New York hotel training room, scrolled through many posts insisting that G2 has LPL blood and should belong as the LPL's fourth seed, he felt both surprised and yet it seemed natural.

There's nothing we can do; the semifinals have no LPL teams.

You at least have to let them feel involved, right?

After all, G2 really does have two Chinese mid laners; if netizens aren't going to fantasize about G2, are they supposed to fantasize about those three LCK teams instead?

So after all, this stems from the simple emotional needs of the broad masses, and under the current situation it is bound to appear as a surge of collective will.

But for RNG, this is not so easy to accept.

……

The same morning, the same place.

Even the exact same spot, the exact same menu……

Sanshao sat opposite him at the table, holding a bitten‑into bun in one hand and a spoon in the other, excitedly voicing his opinion:

"Why do Chinese people make things difficult for other Chinese!

"Yes, I admit I said some nasty things about him on Weibo before, but do we really need to hold a grudge like that?

"He really didn't make it into the 20th Party Congress, right? We've never played against G2, and we don't know him well! I just said a few lines, saying he might be average, not as amazing as they hype— you've seen how they hype him, right? Are they just hyping him to heaven? Then I gave my objective take— is that too much?

"We're all Chinese— is it really necessary to be so harsh?

"The way they play in the match is just like having a deadly feud, truly.

The person sitting opposite nodded.

1757, that's indeed harsh.

"This young man— behaving like this is definitely not okay; we all move in the same circle, and acting this absolutely, I don't think he'll ever be able to come back, he'll definitely not get along.

"Narrow‑minded, small‑visioned— even if he has some skill, in my view his ceiling is just this, at most making the semifinals, not any stronger than us, blah blah blah……

The RNG team leader sat opposite Sanshao, not hearing a word, feeling only like a bothersome big‑headed fly buzzing in his ear.

Those saliva droplets, especially visible in the morning sunlight, kept falling onto the plate of buns in front of him and onto the bowl of porridge before the team leader.

Then the team leader suddenly remembered that morning three months ago……

It seemed to be exactly the same scene.

Since it's come to this, let's just get another bowl of porridge.

Thinking that, the team leader stood up, went to the kitchen, took a fresh bowl and filled it with porridge, then walked out; in Sanshao's doubtful and gradually astonished gaze, he walked to a farther spot, sat down, and drank the porridge in silence.

"You're not going to drink this bowl?

Sanshao stared, pointing at the bowl of porridge left on the table.

The team leader lifted his head and calmly said:

That bowl has your saliva in it, I'm not eating it.

After he finished speaking, the team leader watched Sanshao's expression shift like clouds and wind, feeling immensely relieved—he wasn't the slightest bit afraid, after all Sanshao was about to be kicked out any moment.

……

Two more days passed.

The night before the S6 semifinals began, G2's official Weibo updated a photo.

All members of the G2 team were in a private room decorated with a strong Chinese flavor; on the table sat a steaming big pot, its surface oily and shining red, with abundant red chili peppers floating about.

Caption:

【New York has gotten a bit cold, everyone said they wanted hot pot, so Biman (our team leader) went out searching all day, scoured all of New York but couldn't find a Haidilao, and ended up at this Chongqing hot pot.】

【We've already finished eating, taking a photo to show you, hehe~

【As for Chinese hot pot, our rating remains, top-notch!

【Wishing us continued prosperity and vigor!】

In the comment section, several comments from LPL commentators were pinned to the top:

Commentator Guan Zeyuan v: 'Hey, if you can handle spice, you should have said so earlier!'

Commentator Miller v: 'Stop @-ing me, it's not my business… Also, if you need anti-diarrhea medicine, just let us know, our room is right downstairs.'

Commentator Wawa v: 'Wow, you can handle that much spice, and yet you say you're not the fourth seed!'

Commentator Su Xiao Yan v: 'Oh my…… so many chili peppers (scared scared scared)'

The VG club's official account also left a comment, offering a proper blessing, but because the team really has no popularity, the comment sank straight to the bottom.

……

……

Thanks to the big god who rewarded 'Felix's Dark Roast'!