Chapter 126: Summer Championship Harvest [Skin Vision]! <<Match Easter Eggs

Only after listening to the host finish the closing remarks on stage, and incidentally previewing the cruel gauntlet tournament schedule set to begin tomorrow, were the members of EDG finally able to exit.

Ye Bo volunteered to hold the trophy, bouncing his way back to the backstage area.

Having just suppressed his excitement to act serious for a while, he hadn't even bothered to grab his peripherals, but fortunately, JieJie and Flandre took the initiative to pack them up for him.

The four teammates watched him with amusement, his genuine emotions on display, and couldn't help but recall the scene of when they first lifted a trophy themselves, feeling a moment of sentimentality.

"Pop!"

"Well played, brothers! Time to pop the champagne!"

As soon as they pushed the door open, the EDG competition training staff greeted them with the warmest welcome, and Clearlove even grabbed a bottle of champagne to spray around.

Fortunately, Ye Bo's movement skills were superb; with a backstep, he dodged the AOE attack.

There are only four major tournament awards in a year, and the Summer Split championship is the one all teams pursue the most, as it signifies an unquestionable position of dominance within the region.

In the perception of many viewers, it even feels more prestigious than the MSI.

The reason is simple: it has a stronger connection to the World Championship.

Not to mention that EDG's performance in the playoffs was so outstanding, achieving a result that surprised everyone, which was naturally worth celebrating.

However, Ye Bo was looking left and right backstage, as if searching for something.

Clearlove quickly put down the bottle in his hand and walked over: "Stop looking, I kept asking your uncle and aunt to come to the celebration banquet with us, but they just wouldn't."

"They said they'd stay for another day and told you to have a good time celebrating with your teammates today. Don't worry, I've arranged a proper meal for them tomorrow at noon!"

Clearlove relayed the message truthfully and specifically added at the end that these were Ye Xiong's words.

Ye Bo understood after hearing this and nodded.

Although he really wanted to share the joy with his mom and dad immediately.

But after all, they were his own parents; their thoughts quickly aligned, and he understood their intentions.

The families of the other teammates didn't come, and if he were to change the date of the celebration or be absent because he wanted to celebrate with his parents—even though his teammates certainly wouldn't mind—Ye Bo himself would feel bad.

He took his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it.

Ye Bo immediately hugged the trophy and took a selfie.

He first sent it to the {Loving Family (3)} group, and almost immediately received responses from both of them.

Ye Ying sent several "remote group photos" from the perspective of the audience, followed by a bunch of "Ye Bo Meme Packs" stolen from who knows where, and it was extremely obvious they were fresh off the press.

One of them was the exact moment Flandre and JieJie were pointing at each other earlier.

The two were photoshopped to either side, and their expressions were slightly tweaked—the mouth distortion was ridiculous!

The caption was changed to the classic line from "The Men Who Kill Troubles": "(Do whatever I want)."

"Sorry, with Master Ye here, you really can do whatever you want~~"

Even Ye Bo couldn't help but laugh looking at this abstract meme; he knew at a glance that his mom, this surfing expert, had stolen it from a forum.

As for his dad's reply, it was very simple, only four characters.

【Played well】

Ye Bo curled his lip, silently complaining in his heart: Can you even understand it!

Of course, this didn't affect the surge of excitement in his heart.

The recognition of irrelevant outsiders is certainly cool, but the praise of loved ones is what makes you feel like you're flying!

He exited WeChat and opened his Bilibili space.

He posted the photo with the trophy again.

The caption was————【Worlds, wait for me! I'm coming!】

Almost the moment it was posted, the comment section became lively.

【The Calabash Brothers have come to pay respects! You're the man!】

【I've become a fan. This guy's style is truly fierce. He plays Galio like an Akali; I just love this kind of player!】

【Our LPL finally has a new domestic mid-laner. The era of reckoning has arrived. Start digging from when Ye was the top trainee, use a Luoyang shovel to dig out all those who badmouthed him and whip their corpses!】

【It's time to call him 'Grandpa'. Damn, he led the team to the Summer Finals just months after debuting and can still be this popular. Thinking of the trash talk before the match makes me laugh, "I can still be saved" and "The true proof"!】

【EDG marketing team, do your job. How did they market JackeyLove, Uzi, and Scout back then? This is what you call 'peak upon debut'!】

【The two above are obviously trolls, don't bring hate to my Master Ye. One Summer championship isn't enough yet, just use Master Ye's words... wait for Worlds!】

【Actually, it's not too much of a stretch. Just look at this picture, you can see his status in the team, right?】

A comment included a picture.

It was a close-up of the teenager in the center of the stage, surrounded by his teammates, standing alone with his back to the light, lifting the trophy amidst the interplay of spotlights.

The composition of this scene had great esports charm.

It was as if it had made "high spirits" concrete.

What Ye Bo didn't know was that this picture was being posted everywhere, even trending on Weibo, attracting a wave of onlookers.

But he truly felt that this photo wasn't as good as the one below where everyone was holding the trophy together.

He set the group photo below as a 【Pinned Comment】.

He then interacted with some questions in the comment section and deleted some negative comments.

Actually, he had never cared whether people scolded him or not.

It was just that Ye Bo considered that his family might be looking at his posts now, and he didn't want his mom to see some of the nasty comments and have it affect their mood.

"Let's go, let's go, our FMVP, you pick the food tonight!"

"Really? Haven't I already been stripped of my ordering rights?"

"... t's a big day today, even if you really order Shaxian, we have to eat it. We must give Master Ye face!"

"Let's go! Let's go!"

Ye Bo was also joking; of course, he wouldn't spoil everyone's mood on a day like this.

Eating Shaxian before was just because he had just arrived in Shanghai and didn't know what to eat, plus he felt time was tight and wanted to cherish every minute.

He chose a restaurant he usually wouldn't splurge on, then closed his eyes to rest in the car.

After such intense excitement, one usually feels a bit of fatigue, and everyone in the car fell into silence to rest.

And it was during this time that Ye Bo summoned the system interface.

【Task: Win the Summer Split championship and enter the World Championship as the first seed!】

【Congratulations! Task completed!】

【Congratulations on obtaining the task reward: "Skin Vision"】

【Congratulations on obtaining Counterattack Points: 11415】

【Congratulations! You have unlocked some hidden daily chapters of "The Old Man's Diary" (will automatically unlock when corresponding fragments are triggered)】

【Congratulations, old man! You finally reached this step. Charging into the World Championship was the only goal you pursued throughout your entire career. You put in countless efforts for it, but unfortunately, after ten full years, you were always one step away from the gates of Worlds————but one can be young again! Now you have done it, and you have done it well.】

【The World Championship is the proving ground for every professional player. Stepping into this place, I believe everyone's ultimate goal should only be one————the championship!】

【Task: Target the S-Tournament Championship】

【Reward: (Completion 0/4)】

To be honest, because he had set his sights on the Summer championship right after the first match of the Summer Split, Ye Bo had actually guessed the next task.

And sure enough... it really was the next goal, straight to the S-Tournament championship!

However, it wasn't hard to see that this task didn't limit the completion goal. From the final 0/4, one could see that this should be a partial reward upon reaching the quarterfinals.

This involved the philosophy of competition.

The common perception in the esports field is that except for the champion, everyone else is a complete loser.

One could even say that the treatment received by the runner-up and the top 16 isn't much different.

But in many traditional sports, the top eight are already considered prize-winning rankings. Perhaps the system made the judgment because of this...

However, Ye Bo didn't care about that.

Because the task description was exactly what he thought in his heart, and regardless of whether it could be achieved, the ultimate goal pursued by a professional player is the final championship!

It's not like anyone's goal is the semifinals, right?

And before even playing, worrying about results other than the championship... Ye Bo didn't really agree with that mindset.

So even though the task had a safety net, in Ye Bo's eyes, there was only one goal for this task.

The championship!

Withdrawing his focus, he began to turn his attention to the reward he had just received.

As the important milestone reward for the first championship, Ye Bo was very curious about what this would be.

Especially since it was a term that seemed somewhat inexplicable, yet somewhat familiar.

And what met his eyes first was a description.

【The old man's biggest hobby used to be buying skins. Perhaps you know you can't use that many skins, but even if you just bought them for collection, you were very happy. After all, this is the game you love most, and you love everything about Summoner's Rift.】

【Of course, it is also because you believe that every skin brings different feel and changes to the hero.】

【Your original, most simple professional dream was that after becoming a pro player, you could use all the skins on the tournament server. Later, when you went pro, you just thought that one day, you would play with your own skin in Summoner's Rift...】

"Skin Vision": (When using any "non-original" skin, randomly trigger "Match Easter Eggs" based on the match situation; completing them will grant special rewards.)

Ye Bo saw the final effect, but his thoughts were still immersed in the first three paragraphs of the description.

He felt a bit dazed now... he always felt that the old man Bo seemed to be himself.

All along, he had treated the old man Bo as some "parallel world" or some kind of imaginary existence.

Perhaps it was because Ye Bo had always been unwilling to believe that he could have walked such a path in the past.

And if one looked back at Ye Bo's match recordings, they would find that he hadn't even used a single original skin.

This was indeed his "little quirk."

Although his pockets were empty before, fortunately, the Ye Bo of the past was a specialist who only played a few heroes, so buying skins for just those few heroes wasn't too much of a burden.

Looking at these three story descriptions, Ye Bo truly felt that this was himself.

Then he looked at the final effect description.

Ye Bo couldn't help but be curious about what this so-called "Match Easter Egg" was.

The lavish victory banquet was held in a lively atmosphere; the club had directly booked all the remaining seats at the restaurant Ye Bo had chosen, and all the staff, including the boss Ai Dezhu, were present.

It even included professional players from other divisions of the base, who all ran over to grab a free meal.

"Congratulations, Master Ye, I knew you guys could do it."

"You guys are truly strong."

Zheng Yongkang walked over carrying a can of Coca-Cola to celebrate, his round, flushed face full of smiles, yet in his eyes, there was an unconcealable melancholy.

Just two days before the League of Legends finals, the journey of the EDG Valorant division in the "World Championship" had already come to an end.

Although the entire team had given it their all, it was, after all, a matchup that even their own club's Flandre didn't think highly of.

The result was indeed consistent with what other spectators had expected.

In the end, EDG lost to the powerful North American team, stopping at the top 16 of the group stage.

On one side, a dismal ending had just occurred.

On the other, they had just marched forward to win the Summer Championship and were about to set off to compete in the World Championship.

This contrast, so close at hand, was truly intense—so intense that, except for the ever-optimistic Zheng Yongkang, all the other players from the Valorant division had asked for leave and did not attend this victory banquet to avoid being triggered.

"Oh my."

Ye Bo looked at the other's expression and really wanted to say something comforting, but he didn't know what to say.

After all, no matter what one says right after a loss, it feels very difficult to comfort the other person.

Especially coming from the mouth of someone like himself who had just won a match.

"Right! I have an idea!"

As Ye Bo spoke, he turned around and picked up the Pepsi in front of him.

"Here, do you know why you lost? It's because you drink toilet bowl cleaner!"

"If you want to win matches, you have to drink Pepsi! Look at me, I only drink Pepsi! Pepsi is always effective!"

The Zheng Yongkang opposite him instantly let out a "pfft."

Being naturally optimistic, he quickly swept away the gloom in his eyes.

He took the Pepsi from Ye Bo's hand and downed it in one gulp.

"Burp~~ It really is better than toilet bowl cleaner!"

"I'll listen to you! From now on I'll drink Pepsi, and next year we'll definitely be able to win the championship!"

Ye Bo turned around, grabbed another can of cola for himself, and took a big gulp: "Definitely, definitely!"

"Burp~~~"

The two's slightly childish conversation was seen as heartwarming by the others at the EDG table, and they all very politely followed suit and took a sip.

Only Ming Kai was left, holding his aluminum can in slight embarrassment, hanging in mid-air.

Damn it, am I the only one at this table drinking Coke?

Could this be the reason why I've been stuck in the top eight every year!!!

After hesitating for a long time, Ming Kai finally put down the red aluminum can in his hand and went to borrow Jiejie's bottle to pour a glass.

The victory banquet went on until about ten o'clock.

Near the end, Ye Bo was the first to stand up and tell everyone he was leaving, thinking about going to find his parents.

Thinking that this was, after all, his parents' first time in Shanghai, he should spend some time with them.

His teammates were naturally very understanding; Ming Kai even wanted to accompany him, but Ye Bo ultimately wanted to go alone, not wanting to trouble others.

But... just as Ye Bo dialed his mother's phone number.

What he heard was a very noisy, yet vaguely familiar background sound.

"You're coming to find us... Oh my, you... is it over on your end?" Ye Ying's voice sounded somewhat busy, accompanied by crisp sounds.

"Okay, okay, then I'll send you the address; your dad and I are both here!"

Ye Bo saw the location sent to his phone.

He confirmed his guess.

"Joy Garden Internet Cafe"!

Ye Bo hadn't expected his mother to actually go surfing the internet.

And he expected even less that his father, who could be called an "electronic idiot," would actually tag along.

And what surprised Ye Bo even more was this.

When he arrived at the internet cafe wearing a mask and searched the room to find the two of them.

What he saw was two machines, both in the same game.

"What are you doing, Ye Xiong! I told you not to take my minions, don't take my minions! You're the support! I'm the ADC!"

"He walked over and took them himself..."

"Save me, save me, save me! Don't sell me out, where are you going... that's the enemy's tower!"

"Uh, the screen won't come back, I don't even know where I am."

The middle-aged man and woman were sitting in a cubicle; the woman was very agitated, while the man looked somewhat flustered.

But just at this moment.

A pair of hands suddenly pressed onto the man's shoulders.

"Let me do it."

Because epidemic prevention and control were still very strict, when Ye Bo appeared behind them wearing a thick mask and a duckbill cap, it gave the already nervous Ye Xiong a fright.

But the next instant, he recognized who it was.

"Oh my, son, you finally came, quickly save your mother!" Ye Ying turned her head and was instantly delighted.

"Your dad has been throwing the game for me all night, I haven't won a single game all night! He's too much of a burden!"

Ye Bo took off his mask and sat in the seat the man had vacated, an unstoppable smile on his face.

Looking closely, he finally knew why it was so miserable.

His father was using a pure beginner account to matchmake with Ye Ying's own Gold 3 main account; the people they were matched against were all veterans with rankings, which was naturally hell-level difficulty for Ye Xiong, who struggled even to press his skills.

Not to mention that this was actually using the "Internet Cafe Privilege" to select the Pyke, the Bloodharbor Ripper!

"Dad, why did you pick this? This is very hard to play." Ye Bo asked curiously while skillfully moving his hands over the mouse and keyboard.

"Pah! He said he wanted to play the hero you played, and among the supports, you've only played this one, right? I told him he wouldn't understand how to play it... even I, a Gold 3 expert, don't understand it!" Ye Ying answered for him first.

Ye Xiong didn't speak behind them, his arms crossed, resuming his usual composure, pretending not to care.

Ye Bo didn't speak either, operating the game with practiced ease.

Even with a disastrous 0-5 start at just 5 minutes in, once Ye Bo took over, he turned the situation around in an instant!

It was roughly equivalent to the level of dominance of Zhang Sanfeng arriving at Dog Bear Ridge.

With a relaxed Q-skill through the minions, the moment the enemy ADC tried to harass under the tower, he hooked them under the tower and turned back with an E, letting the enemy take tower damage to complete a grand execution counter-kill!

"Beautiful, son! As expected of you!"

"But can you not steal your mother's kills? It's been all night, and I haven't gotten a single kill yet."

"Mom, there's a famous saying in League of Legends: if Pyke doesn't steal kills, what's the point of playing!"

In the end, this match completely overturned the situation in just ten short minutes.

Pyke was like a dragon-like Bloodharbor Ripper, his sharp operations constantly drawing a trail of "question marks" in the Canyon.

【(All-Enemy) Cherry Maruko: "Damn!! There's a booster!!"】

【(All-Enemy) You're Ashe, I'm Soraka: "Holy crap, that E-flash??? Not a bro, are you Ip Man?"】

【(All-Team) Turkey-Flavored Guoba: "This Pyke brother definitely swapped players! Was the cousin playing just now? Can you carry me through a promotion series after this..."】

After one match ended, Ye Ying still wanted to play another, unsatisfied.

Ye Bo glanced at the time; there was still an hour and a half until twelve o'clock, so there was plenty of time.

"Dad, do you want to play? I'll teach you," Ye Bo turned his head and asked.

"You play, let your mother be happy; she's been scolding me all night..." Ye Xiong hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

When Ye Bo turned his head, he really couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It was the first time he had seen his serious father like this.

"Mom, watch me play Sett as support for you!"

Among the three skins provided by the internet cafe privilege, Ye Bo chose the "Pool Party" skin.

"Then I'll play this one, I've always wanted to play this Sun Shangxiang... oh wait, I know her name, it's Red Glasses!"

"... om, let's read less on Tieba; that stuff isn't good."

Although a Vayne plus Sett bot lane was very bizarre, it naturally wasn't a problem.

However.

Just as Ye Bo entered the game, a prompt box suddenly popped up in front of him.

【Triggered match Easter Egg: Protect Vayne, achieve 0 deaths in this match】

"?"

Ye Bo hadn't expected that the reward he had just obtained, which clearly had two "random" words in its effects, would be triggered so quickly.

Although the mission looked difficult.

However, this instead piqued Ye Bo's interest.

"Mom, how about we do a no-death challenge this match to show Dad the strength of our duo!"

"Sure, I'll go tank!" Ye Ying didn't find it strange at all and agreed without a second thought.

This game was undoubtedly torture for the five unlucky opponents.

That Hail of Blades Sett, starting from crushing the bottom lane, went full damage with Galeforce, landing two heavy punches the moment he saw anyone!

He didn't even give the opponents the chance or the thought of getting close to Vayne!

All one can say is—Sett with Hail of Blades, the Boss turns into Ip Man!

The outcome of the match was already decided by the 15-minute mark.

Ye Xiong stood behind them, squinting his eyes and watching Ye Bo's operations very seriously.

But watching his fingers dancing rapidly on the keyboard, he looked down at his own hands.

【Congratulations! Match Easter Egg completed!】

【Optional Reward 1: Obtain max-level feel for the "Pool Party" skin series】

【Optional Reward 2: Obtain "Advanced Breaststroke Techniques"】

【Optional Reward 3: Obtain "Advanced Techniques for Making Mom Happy"】

After reading the three options, Ye Bo chose the third one with almost no hesitation.

Nothing more to say.

Of course, based on past experience, Ye Bo also realized.

This "Match Easter Egg" must also be influenced by factors like "match level" and "match situation" to determine the rewards obtained.

And this was just an ordinary match-made game, yet it had such rewards.

The more Ye Bo thought about it, the more he felt expectant.

(End of chapter)