Chapter 708: Don't make excuses for yourself!

At 9 p. m., the schedule for the first day of the fifth week ended.

In the opening match, JDG pulled off an upset, defeating IM 2–1.

The second match LGD also won 2–1 against the miraculous promoted team DAN, successfully defending the honor of LPL's veteran team, and helped DAN's major contributor, support Cat (the Cat King), advance to LPL; in this match Cat performed poorly, dying a total of twenty times across the three games, but fortunately Dan has few fans, otherwise Cat would have been flamed to death.

The next day, Intercontinental Tournament teams finally appeared. Before the players even took the stage, the organizers started playing the Intercontinental Tournament Documentary on the venue's big screen.

Several opening logos gradually faded into darkness, then the darkness slowly receded, as if a sleeping person were about to awaken. In the morning light, the camera focused on the side profile of EDG support player Tian Ye, capturing a close-up of him brushing his teeth and washing his face, then followed him all the way to the EDG cafeteria where he finished breakfast, and finally to the training room—these clips were edited together in a quick-cut fashion to show Tian Ye's morning routine. In the training room, the EDG team held a meeting; Coach Nofe spoke loudly in Korean, with the translator beside him rendering it into Chinese, repeatedly mentioning the Intercontinental Tournament, clearly indicating the meeting's topic.

The camera then faded out, and when it brightened again the scene had shifted to an airport, with EDG's members standing in the departure hall. In the distance they spotted VG's entourage, and someone asked whether they should go over to say hello, while another wondered if they weren't on the same flight. The camera then panned quickly around the airplane interior, but found no sign of VG's group. When the plane landed, however, they saw VG's entourage already waiting on the bus. Mouse said off‑camera, "Beep‑beep, we really are on the same plane!" but they weren't in economy class! A few awkward laughs rang out.

Then came the group stage, and the focus of the footage shifted to RNG and WE.

It must be said that the official videographers' technique was excellent; they captured the most representative moment of nearly every key event—for example, when they learned that Liang Yan had fallen ill and been hospitalized, the shock of the other teams' players and the unease permeating the entire LPL squad; then the surprise that VG, despite missing a player, managed to defeat KT; followed by the shock that EDG lost again to AHQ and the embarrassing scene of A Bu leading the team off the stage early… All these moments were presented by the videographers through close‑up shots of the players' expressions.

The LPL venue was quiet, with only the sound of the documentary playing; the audience watched intently, and some even had tears in their eyes, deeply moved by the behind‑the‑scenes story of the Intercontinental Tournament.

The documentary runs for over ten minutes; besides behind‑the‑scenes footage, it inserts many exciting match clips—for example, in the group stage VG, despite a huge disadvantage against KT, turned the tide with a decisive dragon team fight; in the semifinals RNG crushed the LMS First Seed Flash Wolves; and the finals feature splendid combat highlights from all the participating teams… Combined with the commentators' passionate, stirring roars, the documentary's emotional impact is off the charts, almost letting those who never attended the venue feel the tension and excitement.

At the end of the documentary, the four LPL teams raised their glasses in celebration at the Wensen Organization's victory banquet…… Darkness once again fell over the venue's big screen; the hall fell silent for a moment, then someone let out a loud shout:

"LPL is awesome!!!"

Then the entire audience began shouting in a chaotic uproar.

In that atmosphere, the stage lights came up, and the silhouettes of EDG's five starting players appeared at the backstage corridor exit.

The cheers in the venue grew even louder.

A Bu clenched his fist backstage and let out a breath of relief; it seemed the earlier losses in the Intercontinental Tournament hadn't inflicted much negative impact on EDG, clearly thanks to EDG's do‑or‑die effort on finals day, crushing SSG. As the team that ultimately put an end to LCK, EDG's performance in that final was still a major plus.

At the same moment, in both the EDG base and the backstage RNG resting room, two people simultaneously fell into gloomy dejection.

As if they shared a tacit understanding, the two almost simultaneously pulled out their phones and began typing.

Changzhang was the first to finish typing and send: 【Have you watched the Intercontinental Tournament Documentary? How do you feel?】

Uzi received Changzhang's WeChat message, remained silent for a long time, deleted the characters he had already typed, and replied: 【It's hard to bear, brother—by the way, do you really not want to play anymore?】

This time it was Changzhang who fell silent; after a long while he replied: 【It's not that I don't want to play…】

Uzi: 【Then why aren't you playing?】

Changzhang: 【My reactions are too slow, my mechanics are terrible, I don't want to embarrass myself.】

Uzi: 【Damn, my wrist tendons are about to snap and I haven't even complained—what's your deal?】

Changzhang: 【It's different, brother.】

Uzi: 【Same old, brother! Stop making excuses for yourself—I see you as cowardly, afraid of being flamed so you dare not play!】

Changzhang fell silent for the second time; the glow of his phone screen illuminated his stiff, pallid face. Jian Zhihao, this guy, really pulls no punches when he speaks.

【And you?】

【I've been doing rehab all along! I'll go out in the next match!】

【What the heck?】

【Just watch the stream!】

……

"Congratulations, EDG! An easy 2–0 victory over NB—it looks like they're maintaining the form they showed on Intercontinental Tournament finals day, and all five players performed outstandingly today!"

After the first match, EDG swiftly and cleanly took down NB.

As the second match was about to begin, a small chubby figure appeared alone at the backstage corridor exit.

"Ahhh!"

The entire audience instantly burst into screams.

The comment barrage also exploded.

【Holy shit, Uzi!!!】

【Huh? I was wondering why RNG didn't release their starting lineup today—turns out they were waiting for this!】

【I'm tearing up, welcome back, Uzi!】

【Uzi, you're my god!】

【Although they've gone five years without a title, I still want to say: UZI is forever my god!】

Watching that small chubby figure slowly walk to the front of the stage with a microphone in hand, a huge surprise surged through the hearts of RNG fans and paparazzi present.

Before the match, RNG leaked not a hint, not even releasing the day's starting lineup, all in order to create a huge surprise at this moment.

The officials were also cooperative, strictly keeping confidential after receiving RNG's submitted starting lineup the news that Uzi would return to the stage, and today they even held a small homecoming ceremony.

"Dear audience! Surprising or not, expected or not?!"

Host Ren Dong walked onto the stage from the side, and the audience, very cooperative, let out a deafening roar in response.

Ren Dong approached and gave Uzi a hug, then turned back to the audience: "Then let's welcome this legendary veteran's return with the warmest applause and cheers, okay?!"