Chapter 180: The World's Best Mid-Laner for a Day! Everyone's an MVP!

The middle-aged woman in the audience wiped the corners of her eyes, while the man beside her pretended that wind-blown sand had gotten into his.

Aside from the two parties involved, many others were also speculating about who the "person who cannot be named" was that Ye Bo wanted to thank.

After all, he had already thanked his teammates and family. Could it be one of his opponents?

"Brother Xianghe, he couldn't be talking about you, could he?" Gumayusi felt the atmosphere inside the base was a bit heavy and joked.

"Don't be delusional," Li Xianghe replied indifferently. "We didn't win on the field."

"It's such a pity for Brother Hekui, sigh." After Keria, a former teammate of Deft, expressed his regret, he couldn't help but sigh again. "I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to stand in that position in this lifetime."

After their loss in the group stage, the T1 members had been holding their breath, wanting to take revenge in the subsequent schedule—after all, this was a defeat that broke their team's historical record!

In fact, after the semifinals, they had analyzed many things about DRX and believed that if they could do it over again, they would definitely have a chance to win, as long as they banned Aatrox.

But seeing EDG's performance in the finals, the five T1 members couldn't help but ask themselves.

If they were truly the ones standing on that stage at the end, could they have done better than DRX?

"There will be a chance," Li Xianghe said, gently patting his support's shoulder. "There will be a chance. We will do better next year."

Even though Li Xianghe had tasted countless failures over so many years.

Yet, stopping at the semifinals, unable to personally face them again to complete his revenge, and unable to step onto that glorious battle stage once more.

How could his heart not be pained? It was even more painful than it was for these young teammates.

He, too, wanted to fight his way back.

"Next year, we must take revenge!" Oner looked full of ambition.

"Who are you going to take revenge on? They might not even be the same team next year," Gumayusi teased.

"Then we'll just target this mid-laner! Their team's core is clearly the mid-laner anyway. At worst, we'll just slaughter our way through and beat everyone!"

Oner boasted while carelessly draping an arm around the silent Zeus next to him.

The latter was staring blankly at the live broadcast screen.

Zeus's mood was more complex than any of his teammates; the fist hidden beneath the table had been silently clenched the entire time.

You must know, before the World Championship started this year, Ye Bo and Zeus were constantly compared to each other and were known as the "Twin Rookies" of the two major regions.

After all, the two were indeed very similar: both had just turned 18, both were in their first year on the professional stage, and both had received attention and expectations from their entire region since their debut.

And before the World Championship, it was clearly Zeus who had the upper hand—at least he had already proven himself at an international tournament like the MSI.

But who could have imagined.

Throughout the entire World Championship, Ye Bo had indeed acted as the team's core, not failing the outside world's attention and expectations in the slightest, pulling the team back from the brink of disaster countless times.

Conversely, Zeus, in the most critical best-of-five, had been outplayed by the opposing top-laner in several consecutive games, with a clear gap in performance and solo kills. It is no exaggeration to say that he was basically the image of Zeka right now!

Comparing the two now felt somewhat awkward.

Zeus looked at the person on the broadcast screen, the scenes of this failure constantly flashing back in his mind, and his gaze gradually became resolute.

"Next year, I will catch up to him!"

Li Xianghe, sitting beside him, heard this, turned his head to glance at him, and said nothing more, instead turning to call out to Bengi.

"Brother Xingxiong, are the first-perspective recordings of them out yet?"

"Director, can I go back to the backstage to grab my phone?"

Ye Bo and his teammates finished the simple on-site trophy-lifting ceremony and, following the staff's instructions, did not walk back to the backstage.

After all, this was the moment of winning the championship; the various post-match segments were tedious and grand, so it was impossible to finish the process so quickly. There was still a "post-match group interview" segment coming up immediately.

Everyone stayed off-stage, waiting for the stage to be reset.

"What's wrong, Master Ye? Can't wait to go back to the bathroom?" Ming Kai said with an "I understand you" expression. "Use mine; I happened to have it with me when I came out."

"No, I wanted to share the joy with my family... but going to the bathroom first is fine too!" Ye Bo said with a grin as he took the phone.

"Actually, you don't even need to send anything special; your uncle and aunt are definitely watching the live stream," Flandre comforted him.

"Damn, Director, you're really enduring pressure, you're already level 14! You've got all five poisons,"

The popularity on all major esports forums could be described as unprecedented.

The influence of winning the championship was already beginning to show, even at this moment. Less than half an hour after the match ended, hot posts kept emerging and refreshing rapidly!

【A ten-year starch fan here, uninvited!】

【The era of the Three Royal Families has ended. I heard RNG and WE are both planning to tank next year; now there is only one Royal Family!】

【They really broke history, four LCK teams swept by one! That's just ridiculous!】

【To be honest, can't we say that all of EDG has ascended to "National First" status now? The first LPL team to have two divine statuses added to them!】

【I'm an old EDG fan from the Piglet era; I can only say I'm a fan of Ye for life! It's not an exaggeration to hype Ye up! Even if he plays badly in the future, I won't flame him; he has permanent immunity to flaming!】

【Immunity to flaming? I advise Master Ye not to believe it. These netizens' immunity to flaming is just like the iron scrolls of immunity that old Zhu bestowed upon his meritorious officials!】

【I heard Master Ye reads these? Oh my god, Master Ye! You! Are! My! God!!!】

【Let me hype him up, let me! I'm a music student who plays the flute and trumpet; I have large lung capacity, let me, let me!】

Ye Bo scrolled through the comments with relish, occasionally giggling foolishly.

And besides the discussion posts about the entire EDG team.

There was clearly a significant portion of posts in the forum discussing Ye Bo personally.

The hottest one among them was: "Rational analysis: based on Ye's performance in this World Championship, what level is he at in the history of mid-laners in the World Championship?"

There were already 333 comments below, many of which were quite brilliant.

【If it were any other position, there would definitely be no dispute; even just this one championship could be called the most terrifying performance in history. But this is the mid-lane position, so it's still slightly controversial.】

【If you really want to find a reference point, it seems you can only find S3's Little Li. Could it be that, just like in fantasy novels, the old Demon King is about to fall and a new Demon King is about to appear?】

【What controversy? In my opinion, he is the undisputed number one in history! At least in terms of watchability, he is absolutely number one! How many people "dare" to use those high-risk maneuvers at the World Championship?】

【Watchability? Everything is number one! Don't forget this is a 100% win-rate championship! The previous historical best was S5, SKT's 16 wins and 1 loss, a 93% win rate. Even the peak dynasty lost one small game! I don't need to say much about the gold content, right?】

【But to be honest, the competitive gold content of S12 really isn't that great. The mid-year version had a super overhaul, DRX as the fourth seed could enter the finals, and Ye was in the defending champion team, which is different from that new team in S3.】

【Anyone who has actually watched the matches and is still here talking about "fourth seed" and "defending champion" team is a god-tier person. Without Master Ye, this team would have fallen apart in the quarterfinals!】

【Don't keep bringing up version changes. Didn't everyone practice on the same version? Why didn't others have problems? If someone loses to Vietnam, Europe/America, the Atlantic, or Japan in the future, can they also use version changes as an excuse?】

【EDG won a total of 15 small games, and Master Ye got MVP in 11 of them. Can there still be a dispute? He is number one! He is! Number one!】

Highly popular posts easily devolved into arguments over disagreements.

However, Ye Bo didn't really care about these so-called "historical" discussions.

Mainly because, in his view, different eras and versions made horizontal comparisons impossible, and it was hard to define the term "gold content."

Seeing that the stage hadn't been fully set up yet, he wanted to find some amusement.

He scanned through those strange discussion topics, such as people pretending to be haters of other players, arresting "mommy fans," and photos of Uzi wearing an EDG jersey.

Finally, he found the annual, beloved, real-life footage of college students.

Eight o'clock in the morning, domestic time.

In boys' dormitories at various universities and middle schools, at that very moment, everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs toward the windows: "EDG is awesome!!"

The girls' dormitory next door was also experiencing its annual moment of confusion, inexplicably hearing a mountain-collapsing, sea-draining roar of "What-the-fuck is awesome!!"

Some who didn't know what was happening thought these boys were cursing their favorite idols again and were so angry they pushed open their windows and shouted back at them.

It was just a pity that in the face of this crazy boys' dormitory building carnival, those shouts couldn't create any wave of opposition.

There were also many videos of "bizarre bets."

Many people had said things before the match like: If EDG wins, I'll wash my hair while doing a handstand, reward myself thirty times in three days, persist in not masturbating for three days, or cross-dress for my roommates...

Even through the screen, Ye Bo could personally feel that intense, blood-boiling atmosphere.

Back when he was only 14, when the LPL won its first championship, he had also been like that, lying on the windowsill in the middle of the night shouting, and the neighbor across the way even shouted back immediately; sounds and lights quickly lit up and echoed throughout the residential complex.

Although Ye Bo was complained about by the people downstairs for disturbing the peace at the time and got a good beating.

But thinking back to that time, he still felt very nostalgic.

At that time, he had the idea of "going pro" for the first time.

He also wanted to stand at the center of that stage and do something with his passion and the things he was good at.

At the very least, it was to fulfill the expectations of these fans who would scream and cheer for them, not letting their expectations fall through, and motivating himself to constantly charge and climb upward.

And in a daze... he had actually already arrived here!

Ye Bo was filled with emotion.

However, since the match had just ended, the various public opinions and repercussions hadn't fully spread yet.

Ye Bo browsed the forum a bit more, didn't see any more interesting new posts, and put away his phone, preparing to check the "Counterattack Mission" rewards and the brand-new changes in the "Old Man's Diary."

Actually, as soon as the match ended, several golden banners had instantly flashed before his eyes.

But given the situation at the time, he was in no mood to look at them.

Plus, there was a lot of content, and there were several things he didn't quite understand...

"Master Ye, it's time to go on stage!"

The stage for the post-match group interview was finally set up, and Ye Bo had no choice but to follow his teammates onto the stage.

This time, the post-match group interview was moved to the venue to cater to the on-site atmosphere, allowing the swarming media to enter, while the remaining audience watched from the stands far away.

The gold content of the finals was reflected.

Even across the ocean, the number of domestic media outlets that came to interview was several times higher than before; basically, every website or forum that could be named couldn't be absent.

This led to a limit on the number of questions for each media outlet, and even who could ask questions had to follow the order arranged in the background—mainly based on the sponsors' rankings.

And unexpectedly.

Almost all the media—the first target for interviews was Ye Bo!

These guys, who were extremely sensitive to hot topics, knew perfectly well.

After today, Ye Bo's fame and popularity would likely spread and rise at an unimaginable speed throughout the entire League world!

A reporter with a badge labeled {Du Du Protection, Safe Charge} asked: "A question for EDG's captain, Meiko: As the first team in the LPL region to win consecutive titles, what are your thoughts and outlook? Or rather, will you keep this roster for next year?"

Du Du was only a minor sponsor this year and had only one chance to ask a question, and they weren't allowed to ask about the most sought-after Ye, so they had to split one question into two.

Meiko raised the microphone: "Of course, I'm definitely very happy and excited. Actually, even I didn't expect that we could make it here again this year. As for my thoughts..."

"I believe those who follow our 'Pro View' microphone segments should know that our captain on the field is our mid-laner."

"And as a rookie, he took on a lot for the team during this World Championship, so my thoughts are that he really worked hard."

Meiko was an old hand, after all, and skillfully ignored the last question that was impossible to answer directly.

However, his answer was very sincere and also reflected the inner feelings of the other four.

It wasn't just the countless matches where he turned the tide.

What was truly heart-wrenching was the quarter-finals, the experience of the whole team falling ill at once.

No one knew how much pressure and responsibility Ye Bo carried at the time as the only healthy person on the team; if he hadn't played well, people would surely have said, "This one who didn't test positive is even worse than those who did..."

But in the end, he completed everything with unparalleled excellence.

This is also the reason why the other four members of EDG feel from the bottom of their hearts that everything he is currently receiving is well-deserved.

The only one not very satisfied was the reporter from Du Du; they had finally gotten this one chance to ask a question, and he had actually gone and talked about someone else.

Next to be interviewed was Flandre.

Flandre wore a smile, and his answer was even more direct: "Actually, I wasn't nervous at all during the match, because I knew Master Ye would definitely be able to carry me to victory, hehe."

"I knew this the first time I met him. You might not know this, but the first time I met Master Ye, he took our training match recording from the day before and started picking out my mistakes..."

"At the time, I thought, a guy this serious as my teammate, I must get on his good side; he'll definitely be able to carry me in the future!"

This self-deprecating remark immediately made the esports media below chuckle.

However, the reporter who asked the question was quite satisfied; at least Flandre had told an unknown "past event" about Ye Bo, so there would still be topics to write about after returning.

Following were the interviews with Jiejie and Viper.

Jiejie mainly answered why he played many "utility-type" junglers this year.

"For this, I have to say something I often say in interviews — you'll have to ask him!"

He pointed at the person beside him with a grin: "Anyway, I just play whatever Master Ye tells me to play. Now the results should have already proven that he is right, and I am right too."

The press section below laughed out loud again.

Viper was, as always, direct: "The jungler is right. Oh, the mid-laner is also right."

But after saying that, Viper paused and continued: "As for me, I'm very glad to have come to this team. Everyone took good care of me. Even if we aren't on the same team later, I will always remember this journey."

Once these words were spoken, they instantly caused a huge stir among the media below!

Because Viper's words were almost an explicit hint that he likely wouldn't be at EDG next year.

This was definitely big news.

Of course, none of his teammates were too surprised, including Ye Bo.

The main reason was that the Asian Games would be held in 2023 next year, and it would be the first time esports would be an official event at the Asian Games.

It would have official awards and count toward the national medal tally.

This might not mean much to others, but for Koreans, as long as there was any chance to compete for a spot in that official event, they would never miss it.

After all, an Asian Games gold medal for them... that is a ticket that can exempt them from hell!

Even if they didn't successfully defend their title this year, Viper, as a new-generation champion AD of the last two years, had always performed brilliantly, and he would inevitably be a strong contender for a spot upon returning.

Not to mention that now that he had won two titles, that spot was basically a sure thing.

Even if an LPL team offered a higher price, it could never compare to the temptation of military service exemption!

Finally, it was Ye Bo's turn.

He had the most interviews to accept, so he was intentionally scheduled for last.

Starting off, it was still the standard questions.

Ye Bo raised the microphone and looked at the camera, suddenly looking a bit serious: "I think that what my teammates just said is all wrong!"

Everyone turned their heads in confusion.

"League of Legends is a team effort, right? Everyone has their own division of labor. For example, Flandre said he was 'carried,' but in the finals, it was precisely because he was able to withstand the opponent's entire team targeting him that we were able to execute our tactics."

"Including Jiejie using utility junglers, and the strong laning of Viper and Meiko in the bot lane—these are all reasons why I was able to let loose in the mid lane, and they are all indispensable reasons why we could become champions!"

"You can't just think that because I have many kills and a high KDA, I'm the one carrying, right..."

Ye Bo really thought exactly that.

However, he felt this wasn't convincing enough and was afraid the reporters would think he was just giving a canned response.

After thinking for a moment, he gave another example: "Take my family, for instance. Before I went pro, my dad had a higher salary, but my mom had to go to work and take care of me too. In the whole family, I was the only one being 'carried.' But if it weren't for their sacrifices, I wouldn't have the opportunity to go pro now!"

"You can't just settle the accounts at the end of the month and say Dad has the highest KDA, Mom has the second-highest, and I... anyway, that's just not something a team should say, right!"

"Every one of us is an MVP."

This vivid description left everyone at the scene stunned for a moment.

But then, all the media below spontaneously started clapping!

Clearly, everyone could feel the sincerity in his words and knew this wasn't just some so-called canned response.

Of course, that was the reality of the situation.

Take the finals, for example; Ye Bo actually had prepared strategies to deal with Heimerdinger.

But DRX was on the blue side; they had the initiative to decide which half of the map to target, and EDG could only react.

In the end, for the Aatrox in the last two games, looking at the data alone, one might think the top lane was the breakthrough point—but one must know that was a situation created by the combined effort of their entire team!

Without the sacrifices in the top lane, whether in the draft or the resource allocation on the field, nothing could have gone so smoothly.

After the reporters recovered, they continued with their questions.

"Then, Ye Bo, I'm curious: you won the championship and FMVP in your first year, which is truly 'peaking at debut.' Do you feel like you might lose your goal in the future?"

Hearing this question, Ye Bo pointed at Flandre beside him with a smile: "Actually, I discussed this question with Flandre when we won the Summer Split."

"I still remember clearly what Flandre said to me at the time: even if you win the championship, if you don't continue to work hard, you'll still get crushed when you're supposed to, and you'll still lose the games you're supposed to lose."

"So, winning the championship actually just represents the success of this season."

"For me, there are still many, many goals. I've only won one championship, and our LPL has over a dozen; it's nothing rare~"

As he spoke, he joked: "And I have so many regrets; there are still many opponents I want to face. For example, I haven't even gotten a pentakill yet... Jiejie has stolen my pentakills several times!"

Another reporter hurriedly interjected.

"What about the championship skin, Ye Bo! Is it Akali or Sylas!? It must be one of these two, right!"

"The skin? I haven't thought about that yet. Let me go back and ask Akali and Sylas for their opinions~"

Ye Bo's extroverted personality seemed even more at ease when facing such a large-scale group interview.

Reporters from all over the world were all very satisfied.

They were all ready to go back and write extensively; it seemed every answer could create a significant topic.

As the segment came to an end, the reporter from Mercedes, the biggest sponsor, asked the final question.

"The last question, for Ye Bo!"

"As far as I know, due to your performance in this World Championship, many viewers now call you the 'World's Number One Mid-laner.' What is your own opinion on this title?"

This was clearly a sensitive question that could easily "boomerang."

But Ye Bo picked up the microphone again, fearless, nodding with an expression that seemed "only natural."

"Of course I am!"

A burst of commotion erupted from the crowd below!

"The world champion every year, shouldn't they be the number one? It's not just me; each of us is the number one in our respective positions this year. This question doesn't even need to be asked~~"

"So, at the very least, before the sun sets today, I think I am the world's number one mid-laner!"

"And starting from tomorrow, I will work hard toward becoming next year's world number one mid-laner!"

The interview finally came to an end.

Ye Bo held the trophy and walked toward the backstage corridor with his teammates in high spirits.

Because the Chase Center was designed as a basketball arena, the player tunnel was located in the middle of the spectator stands, making it convenient for players to interact with the audience.

The EDG group moved with difficulty through the sea of people; even a dozen security guards couldn't suppress the enthusiasm of the audience, who all wanted to shake hands.

Although Ye Bo was a bit anxious to go back and check the mission changes and rewards, he thought about how these spectators had traveled across the ocean and it wasn't easy for them to come here to watch their match.

He still slowed his pace and shook as many hands as he could.

However, he didn't expect that among them were several fanatical, beautiful female fans who were screaming while pushing forward, and once they grabbed his hand, they wouldn't let go; the sight looked quite frightening...

Ye Bo wasn't good at interacting with female fans to begin with, so he prepared to speed up his pace to escape.

But just at this moment.

He suddenly saw a familiar figure among that group of crazy female fans, also pushing forward...

Ye Bo's eyes widened instantly, and he shouted in surprise toward the direction of the crazy female fans in the crowd.

"Holy crap! Mom!!!"

(End of chapter)