Chapter 336: Well done, you Seven Sauce

S6 All-Star Game has players from six regions participating:

LPL, LCK, LMS, LCS-EU, LCS-NA, IWCQ (wildcard).

Historically, Riot again divided the six major regions into two camps:

LCK+NA+IWCQ form the Infinite Blaze team, while LPL+EU+LMS form the Absolute Zero Team. The main event of this All-Star is a 5v5 showdown between the two camps.

Riot obviously divided the camps based on each region's strength, with the strongest LCK taking two weaker regions, while the remaining three mid-to-high strength regions grouped together.

However, in this timeline, the S6 champion was EU's G2. Thus, it naturally became impossible to divide the camps as in the original history.

Riot also took into account Liang Yan's transfer to the LPL region, carefully weighed the strength of all major regions, and then made a camp allocation completely different from the original history.

LPL took the place originally held by LCK, becoming the big boss of the Infinite Blaze team, leading NA and LMS against the Absolute Zero Team formed by EU+LCK+IWCQ.

Regarding this allocation, LPL netizens protested for a while, saying, "Riot, are you joking with me? One quarter-final region versus champion + semi-finalists?"

The strengths of the two sides are completely imbalanced; this is unfair!

We must reallocate!

But Riot played dead, and in the end nothing came of it.

As for why they divided it this way?

It's quite obvious that, on Riot's scales of strength measurement, Liang Yan this one weight carries an extremely heavy weight; otherwise there would be no reason to support Riot's such allocation.

No matter what, Liang Yan's Infinite Blaze team and the Absolute Zero Team where Perkz and others are, are opponents.

Thus Rekkles had those remarks just now.

Liang Yan blinked his eyes and said to Rekkles:

"Studying me is useless; I'm just a little substitute, I probably won't get to play."

A circle of EU representatives all froze.

"What?"

"You're not playing in the main match?"

"No way!"

"Smoke bomb, it must be a smoke bomb."

"Exactly, you're deliberately letting us let our guard down; hum, I've seen through you!"

"I testify, this guy loves playing psychological tactics the most."

"Too dark and treacherous."

Liang Yan was quite speechless; speaking the truth, why does nobody believe?

The fact is, Liang Yan was specially invited by Riot, and his identity in the LPL representative team is a substitute; after all, the All-Star is just for fun, not a regular competition, so naturally they want to let the players that the region's audience pays more attention to appear more.

No matter what championship others have, Liang Yan's popularity in the LPL can't beat Changzhang's.

Moreover, the LPL team is led by A Bu—EDG participating at their own expense.

So even if not explicitly said, Liang Yan himself already figured it out; he estimates he doesn't have much chance to appear in the main match, at most he might get to play a bit when facing LMS.

As for whether the European fans who personally put Liang Yan into the All-Star roster can accept it, what does it have to do with your EU fans concerning my LPL?

After finishing his meal, Liang Yan didn't even go to the training room; he went to the room where Perkz and Mithy live together, knocked on the door for a chat, then returned to his own room.

He shared a room with Wang Liangyi—originally the rooms Riot allocated to LPL were: Changzhang and A Guang sharing one, the two old foster fathers sharing one, Liang Yan and Uzi sharing one; but Liang Yan ultimately declined that arrangement, gave the room to Uzi to stay alone, and came to stay with Wang Liangyi.

Anyway, VG approved a sum of public funds; not spending it would be waste.

After lying in the room for less than half an hour, Perkz and Mithy came over, knocked on the door, dragged Liang Yan out, went to another room where a mahjong table happened to be set up in the middle, and Rekkles and Jankos were studying how to arrange the tiles.

Liang Yan turned around intending to run, but Perkz grabbed him.

"You already have enough people, why drag me into this?"

"They won't, two count as one!"

Liang Yan had no choice but to sit down.

Soon, the crackling sound transmitted through the half-closed door.

People passing by curiously glanced inside, discovering a bunch of white people actually playing mahjong, and were instantly shocked.

After playing two rounds, the room was packed with people.

All the LPL members came, gathered in a pile behind Liang Yan; Uzi kept rubbing his hands, probably itching to come up and rub a couple of rounds.

Three from LMS came; Karsa and maple sat behind Oucheng and Yangkousi, whispering suggestions.

Also a few from other regions stood in the back to watch the excitement.

Liang Yan played three rounds, really couldn't stay awake any longer, so he gave up his seat to Uzi and prepared to go back to his room to sleep.

When he was about to leave, several people asked for contact info, so Liang Yan left a circle of WeChat.

Hirano Aya added Liang Yan's WeChat and then inexplicably sent him a red packet; Liang Yan felt this guy was okay, so he pulled him into his small group.

Hirano Aya, flattered and surprised, then sent a big red packet in the group, blowing up several group members, who all shouted "Hirano God, long live!"

Liang Yan found it amusing and laughed all the way back to his room.

Wang Liangyi, being an 'external staff', found it inconvenient to wander around, so he stayed in the room boredly scrolling his phone; seeing Liang Yan come in, he asked with a weird expression:

"How come I seem to hear someone playing mahjong?"

"Yeah, they're playing mahjong."

Liang Yan took a set of clean clothes into the bathroom, leaving Wang Liangyi with a clueless face.

When Liang Yan entered dreamland, the mahjong battle over there continued, though a few spectators left, but the scene remained lively.

Someone unknown took a photo and posted it on Twitter.

Netizens worldwide went viral.

Soon the news spread domestically, the photo began to spread on Weibo; the people in the photo had various expressions, and talented netizens individually screenshotted them to make emoji packs.

Netizens couldn't help but complain:

【The All-Star Game was turned into a mahjong tournament—you guys really something!】

【It's probably G2 who started it; earlier there were rumors they went to China to play mahjong.】

The fans looked around but didn't see Liang Yan, then they said:

【Jiao bao is so proper—doesn't even come to such a lively event.】

Not long after, a new photo appeared online, showing Liang Yan's figure holding a card, looking dead serious.

Jiao Shen's fans were embarrassed, utterly humiliated.

Then the fists came out to fan the flames, posting a few remarks on the official Twitter account.

【Well, the All-Star Game is inherently an entertainment event; now players are spontaneously finding more fun for themselves and the audience—why not?】

Liang Yan woke up the next morning, saw memes made from his photo flooding the WeChat group, and thought he was still dreaming.

【Where did this come from?】

【I don't know; it's all over the internet, just saved casually.】

【@aya(pyl), did you take this?】

【Not me, Jiao Shen! But from the photo angle, it looks like Changzhang was standing there when you weren't around.】

【……】

You little Qi Jiang!

Hopefully I don't run into you in a solo match!