Chapter 486

Some Ya platform, World's Number One Middle School livestream room.

A loss in the spring finals won't have much impact on SKT, and it certainly won't shake Faker's composure. Moreover, stepping back, SKT's loss in this final wasn't ugly; losing to KT was just a one‑move difference.

As a dedicated and trustworthy person, Faker, upon returning to the base, began to fulfill the promise he made before the finals, and he started his livestream that same day.

Similar to Liang Yan, Faker, while signing a contract with a domestic streaming platform in Han Guo, also had streaming agreements with several overseas platforms, and when he went live he broadcast on multiple platforms at once.

At this moment, in the camera feed, Li Xiang He, wearing black‑rimmed glasses, with a square face and a refined appearance, was unconsciously nibbling his own thumb nail, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

The LCK final ended more than three hours ago, and all the SKT members have already returned to the base.

He was reviewing a match recording, but it wasn't the LCK final; it was the LPL semifinal, the VG versus WE match.

The video was paused at a certain point, and Faker had already been lost in thought here for a long time.

After a few more minutes, Faker snapped out of his reverie, right hand gripping the mouse, clicked the play button, and let the recording resume.

"Camille jungle is indeed weak, there's no doubt about it.

"Being able to play like this only proves the player is skilled; it cannot serve as evidence that Camille is suitable for the jungle.

"Alright, I'm not watching anymore; obsessing over this is meaningless now—the meta will definitely change for the summer split, we'll talk about it later.

"Then……let's talk about why we lost to KT today……

On Zhihu, the discussion about the LCK spring final where SKT lost 2‑3 to KT and missed the championship was also extremely hot; the answers under the question even outnumbered the discussion of our own LPL region's semifinal. The reason is mainly that VG beating WE was within popular expectations, whereas KT beating SKT was an upset.

Admittedly, KT's momentum of sweeping opponents 3‑0 twice to reach the finals had an air of invincibility, but one must remember that during the LCK spring regular season KT's form was actually up and down; at that time the whole team's condition worried fans, and even LPL viewers who paid some attention to the LCK regular season could see it—KT's instability persisted throughout the regular season, they seemed to have not found their positioning and direction, and their playstyle looked somewhat lost.

As it turned out, no one expected that after entering the playoffs KT would become this fierce!

And the playstyle and tactics KT displayed in the playoffs were completely free of the hesitation seen in the regular season; even from the ban‑pick phase it was clear they were well prepared, and even in matches they lost they remained fully confident in the lineup they had chosen.

Everyone was curious about KT's extraordinary performance in the playoffs. Unfortunately, whether in post‑match interviews or later group interviews, every KT member's answers to related questions were vague, giving no definite explanation.

There is a rumor going around that KT has been guided by an expert behind the scenes.

But KT's championship already proves their strength is already top‑tier worldwide; so who exactly would be qualified to advise them?

Therefore, those who doubt this claim are not few. The discussion on Zhihu also lacks a conclusion that could convince everyone.

Of course, at this moment no one could have imagined that this actually had something to do with VG.

……

At the same time.

Shanghai.

A barbecue restaurant opened on the Bund.

As the season entered summer, Shanghai gradually heated up; eating hot pot in such weather was a bit out of season, so after discussion everyone chose the venue for the celebration banquet—a barbecue restaurant on a rooftop.

The night sky was clear; although the night veil was somewhat darkened by city lights, the night breeze blowing over the rooftop was cool.

VG over ten people took the most spacious corner, everyone sat in a circle, the huge table was filled with various skewers, the aroma wafting, and in the exact center of the table sat a metal ice bucket, with bottles of glass-bottled Golden Power Wave nestled in clear, sparkling ice.

Power Wave beer is a local Shanghai brand; shortly before, it announced discontinuation, and the barbecue shop owner, anticipating the shortage, had stockpiled a large batch in the freezer, waiting to raise the price—this is nothing unusual, as rarity drives value everywhere. Golden Power Wave is actually a variant never publicly listed, supplied only through private channels to big clients, and no one knows how this owner got hold of it.

Of course, the price is also high, over sixty per bottle.

The banquet was in full swing.

Both club owners were present.

Ding Jun poured himself a drink, filled it up, picked up his glass and stood, looking at Liang Yan:

"Little Liang, I toast you with a glass."

Liang Yan also stood, holding his disposable cup.

He rarely drinks alcohol normally, but he can drink; at this moment, the cup certainly didn't contain orange juice or tea, or else it would be too much of a downer.

Ding Jun had already drunk quite a bit earlier; by now his face was flushed, his eyes blazing as he stared at Liang Yan, after letting out a belch, he spoke in a rough voice:

"To be frank, I had some doubts about your ability before, and I even questioned Boss Lu's decision to sign you. But you proved me wrong, so I should apologize—I don't understand League of Legends. I'll punish myself with three drinks; you can have as many as you like!"

Everyone showed surprise; they never expected that, as a big boss, Ding Jun would say such things in front of everyone.

Liang Yan said nothing, raising his cup toward Ding Jun as a signal.

The two tilted their heads back and drained their cups in one go.

Liang Yan didn't let Ding Jun punish himself with three drinks; instead, he joined him for two more.

Everyone clapped vigorously, their hands swelling from the applause.

Amidst the crackling applause, the two slowly sat down, without further exchange, but their hearts felt clear. Some things seem embarrassing to say out loud, yet keeping them bottled up is even more disgraceful, though many fail to grasp this. Ding Jun has always been straightforward; the entire VG club, from its culture to its management style, follows his lead.

Gangzi had also drunk a bit too much, over there grabbing Laozei's hand and speaking loudly:

"Brother Ma, hic, Brother Ma, finals, hic, I'll go up, you, watch well, learn well, hic, okay?!"

Sima Laozei thought for a moment, then nodded:

"Okay."

Gangzi then burst out laughing.

Actually, the agreement was that Gangzi would play two matches in the finals and Sima Laozei one; Gangzi, taking advantage of his drunkenness, tried to get an edge, but Sima Laozei was too honest and actually agreed to it.

Liang Yan smiled at the two AD carries he had personally picked out and bought back, sighing with satisfaction.

Fu Lan Duo, for some unknown reason, had quieted down at this moment, gazing up at the grimy night sky, her eyes deep with fervent longing.

There were no stars filling the sky; only a waning moon hung high.