Chapter 75: Twilight

The very next day after the match between EDG and AL concluded, quite a few rumors began to circulate.

No one expected it; everyone had initially assumed it was just another nonsensical event hyped up by unscrupulous clickbait accounts.

Yet, on the third day.

An official Weibo post from each of the two teams confirmed the event, instantly igniting public opinion!

[EDG Esports Club Personnel Change Announcement]: Following friendly communication and negotiations with the player and the club, mid laner Scout (Li Xianghe) is officially departing the team effective today. We thank you and wish you better development in the future.

[BLG Esports Club Personnel Change Announcement]: We are very happy to announce to everyone that we welcome player Scout (Li Xianghe) to officially join BLG as the starting mid laner effective today.

Scout also reposted both Weibo posts, which could be considered a way for both sides to maintain some dignity.

This was the first time the "Mid-Season Transfer Regulations" had been used, and regardless of the outcome, it was bound to spark massive debate, let alone involving a star player like this.

For several consecutive days, the Weibo trending list was firmly occupied, the Kangya Bar was filled with analytical posts, and opening any short-video platform always revealed various freaks and monsters offering their sharp critiques on the matter.

Bloggers and streamers of all stripes, and even professional players, eagerly jumped on this wave of traffic.

The famous big streamer Teacher Coin frankly stated: "Ma~ya, how should I put it? The streamer knows a bit of the inside story, but there's no way to tell you all of it."

"I can only say it truly doesn't violate the regulations; there really is such a rule, and it's been there since the beginning of the year. Including that (contract) dispute that was exposed online earlier, that's also true, but absolutely no one thought he would actually leave!"

"As far as I know, to reach an agreement this quickly, all three parties must have nodded in approval, meaning the player himself also wanted to go for it to be possible!"

"Why not go to FPX? Ma ya, FPX has no money, Scout is very expensive. What? Why not go to LNG? Hey, room moderator, ban this person."

Even the big streamer who always likes to "slip up" and leak information didn't know, which proves how rushed this matter was.

And the fact that it could be this "smooth" is actually not hard to understand if you think about it carefully.

The mid-season transfer window also has a time limit; it closes before the summer split reaches its midpoint. Currently, one-third of the schedule has passed, so there is actually very little time left.

The procedure was very tight, and Chen Ze did not have much time to dwell on it.

Of course, he really didn't dwell on it either.

After all, the purpose of the roster BLG assembled this year is self-evident; anyone with a little bit of industry knowledge can see it.

Having results is naturally the best.

But the most important thing... is still the traffic!

Not to mention how much Scout's strength might have declined, he is at least definitely a tier above mid laners like Icon and Fofo.

Just from the perspective of traffic alone, this deal for BLG is unlikely to be a loss.

As for Scout himself, he had almost no hesitation after hearing this proposal!

He originally had no attachment to EDG anyway.

How deep the fans think the emotional connection is—that's the fans' business; if there were really any feelings, he wouldn't have wanted to run away every single year.

Staying at EDG now, it's clear that the starting position is unlikely to be won over Ye Bo, and even if he performs very well against those "bottom-tier teams" later, what could that prove?

Being reduced to a "substitute" in the true sense is naturally something Scout, who views himself highly, cannot accept.

But, he was also helpless.

And as it happens, Uncle came to negotiate with him in person at this time, and showed full sincerity!

Looking at BLG's roster this year, it really isn't bad at all.

Top laner Bin just had an eye-catching performance at MSI, jungler Weiwei is the core component of V5's "Great Wei Heavenly Dragon," and his playstyle is relatively team-oriented.

The AD is "No Need for More Salt" + a Taiwan import, and the support is also former champion Crisp.

Whoever takes a look at this roster finds it hard to understand why BLG could barely make the playoffs in the spring, and their current summer ranking is even lower than AL's was before!

The blame was passed around, and in the end, it naturally "could only" be placed on the mid laner.

And looking at this board, it was almost as if it was waiting for a mid laner to come and save it!

Scout was exactly the one who saw this point.

He wanted to come here to show his prowess, to be the "absolute core" promised by Uncle, and use facts to prove that he can still play. Only then would it be possible to continue getting a top salary in next year's transfer window and achieve his lifelong wish: returning to the LCK.

This is a "three-party win" deal, so naturally, there would be no obstacles.

Of course, because this matter is indeed a bit explosive, public opinion online is divided.

The "Pro-Scout Faction" believes: [The junior is a veteran of three dynasties after all; just because he's become worse, you sell him—isn't that a bit heartless?]

The "Pro-Ye Faction" counters—

[Veteran of three dynasties: meaning he wants to run away every year, meaning he backstabbed the team during his contract period more than once, meaning he argues with the coach even when he plays poorly!]

[If the contract incident exposed online is true, then EDG isn't heartless; they are too damn sentimental. I think they're so sentimental they're like turtles! If I were Edward Zhu, I would have kicked him out long ago! Not locking him into a ten-year contract like RNG is already doing him a favor!]

Interestingly, even the "Scout Mom" fans on Weibo aren't discussing the "strength" issue at this moment.

It highlights one thing: "sentimentality."

After all, in these recent matches, or even the entire 2022 year so far, anyone with eyes knows how much Scout's level fluctuates.

He can occasionally regain his form, but the number of times he's been "possessed" is more than ten fingers can count, and that's even while playing mage heroes, which are inherently difficult to die on.

People online joked that, let alone "researching," even if he just played the heroes Ye Bo has played, the number of times he "researches" would probably surpass Dr. Jiang in minutes!

Of course, besides the fans of both sides, the vast majority of people are still holding a "watching the fun" attitude.

[I just want to see these two teams fight now, very urgent! Very urgent!]

[This BLG team is truly invincible; top, mid, and bot are all three Vladimir players, a "Twilight" branded team!]

[Just checked, we only play BLG in the regular season finale. I'm the King of Urgency; can the regular season finish tomorrow?]

[Good news: If BLG makes the playoffs, there's a chance for a back-to-back fight; bad news: BLG might not make the playoffs!]

[The "Saint of Thieves" is washed up this year, but he's definitely an upgrade. The playoffs shouldn't be a big problem, but the main thing is that EDG's momentum looks like they really want to take the Guardian Angel!]

[The Guardian Angel must be RNG's! Wait for next week, my General Hu will avenge the junior! Let these newcomers who don't know how to respect their seniors know what a senior is!]

The turmoil online did not spread to the EDG team.

After all, when it comes down to it, Scout's conflict wasn't with the team members, or even with Ye Bo himself, but his own conflict with the club.

If he were willing to settle down and retire at EDG, EDG wouldn't be in a rush to find a newcomer and plan for the future.

So regarding Scout's departure, although the teammates were reluctant, they could all understand.

And as for Ye Bo.

His own heart is clear, so naturally, there is no need for any "psychological burden."

To tell the truth, he was a bit surprised, but he was indeed a bit happy.

Because for him, the biggest benefit of this matter is—he has more matches to play!

You have to know that even when playing against so-called "weak teams," the practical experience gained is definitely far greater than simulations in the trial grounds or scrims; this is beyond doubt.

Whether it's game understanding or hero proficiency improvement, it's all the same.

After all, the {proficiency experience} gained from match victories is far higher than ordinary training; this is a result that had already been tested before.

Just this point alone can save Ye Bo a massive amount of time!

Of course, Ye Bo could not allow himself to do something like "practicing heroes on the stage."

So even when playing against so-called weak teams, if he wanted to use some heroes he wanted to practice, he would set a minimum requirement for himself to practice them to level five before considering using them.

After the turmoil of the rotation event.

Ye Bo's importance at EDG, both openly and secretly, became even greater.

Including but not limited to Edward Zhu often coming to the base to get close to him recently, and even the cafeteria standards were raised a notch...

And regarding the latest version understanding, which is the core work of the coaching staff, Maokai would also often ask for his opinion.

In Ye Bo's view, these are actually interesting life events outside of training, and he quite enjoys them.

"The next match will be on the 12.11 version. This is a major update. If nothing goes wrong, the tough battle we have against RNG the week after next will be on this version."

"So, regarding the hero Bel'Veth... Ye Bo, what is your take?"

Maokai did not ask the assistant coach, but prioritized asking for Ye Bo's opinion.

The LPL match server is normally one version behind reality, sometimes even longer, so everyone has actually been playing with this major version for a while.

It is also in this version that the new hero [Void Empress - Bel'Veth] officially debuts.

"Jiejie said he hasn't mastered it very well, but I feel that this is actually a hero that is very easy to fit into a system," Ye Bo stated his view directly.

Maokai nodded: "There are quite a few changes to mid laners in this version. I see that the LCK has even started playing mid Gragas recently. In your recent training, have you felt any changes?"

"Yes, like Gragas, Fizz, Ryze, Sylas, and Irelia, these heroes have all received quite a few stat buffs. I've also been practicing new heroes recently..." Ye Bo counted on his fingers, describing his training schedule.

"My plan is to prioritize Sylas; I'm also practicing Azir, and after that are Ryze, Gragas, and Irelia..."

One of the most important changes in 12.11 is the repeated back-and-forth of the [Grievous Wounds] effect.

The designers slapped their own faces again; they had just said in the first half of the year that major Grievous Wounds items were too weak and buffed them to 60% effect.

As it turned out, their stats seemed to have been filled in with their feet!

They hurriedly slashed and slashed, all the way to the current 12.11, and slashed it back down to 40%!

Among them, [Sylas], a leader who was originally heavily suppressed by Grievous Wounds, also received significant stat buffs to his W and E skills in this version, with both cooldowns and healing amounts being adjusted.

This push and pull naturally caused Sylas's pick rate to skyrocket.

He soared to T0 in the current version, temporarily replacing Ahri's position!

Maokai expressed his appreciation with peace of mind; he never had to worry about supervising mid-lane training: "You don't need to be too anxious. Azir actually doesn't fit our current system, so it doesn't matter if you don't practice him for now. The main thing is that Sylas is indeed quite important; it's estimated that he will become a focus of the BP next week."

"By the way, how is the impact of Taliyah's nerf?"

Taliyah, who was rampant on the stage as a fixed ban, naturally could not escape unscathed.

While her base health was cut to weaken her laning, her core output skill, Q, had everything from cooldown, damage, to the Worked Ground boulders adjusted.

"I think it's alright, because she was a bit too strong before, and the core mechanics haven't changed much," Ye Bo shrugged: "On the contrary, Zeri's buff is a bit exaggerated. Brother Viper has been practicing her recently, and along with the changes in the bot lane ecosystem paired with supports, maybe starting next week, our BP focus should be on..."

The second week of the rotation event.

EDG's first match in the new version is against the WE team.

And the WE team is the last-place team among all 17 teams that hasn't won a single match in this year's summer split!

Taking advantage of this match, EDG conducted a rapid verification and integration of the new patch.

By comparison, the gap between the two teams was not just reflected in the players; the disparity in pick-and-ban was exposed early on.

This also explains why this WE team hadn't even won a single game; the entire team's understanding of the patch and their pick-and-ban design were practically being toyed with and completely crushed by EDG!

They only knew how to perform "signature bans," leaving new, top-tier patch champions like Zeri and Sylas wide open for the opponent to pick.

Ye Bo used Zoe in one game and Sylas in the other.

He took the MVP in the first game with Zoe, while Viper's Zeri took the MVP in the second.

"EDG's winning streak continues! This is already their sixth consecutive win! Their summer points have now reached 6-2, firmly occupying third place!"

"And WE is still not here today."

"It is worth mentioning that after RNG's regrettable loss to JDG yesterday, their points have also reached 6-1, neck-and-neck with EDG. The two teams' showdown next week will likely determine half of the ownership of the 'Guardian Angel'! It will also secure their playoff spots in advance!"

"Today, Ye's performance was eye-catching again. Although there were a few minor mistakes in the laning phase during his first-ever professional Sylas game in the second match, he still managed to break through against Shanks on the side lane! Paving the way for the bot lane Zeri to take off!"

"Indeed, besides marveling at how quickly EDG adapts to the patch, one also has to marvel at how fast Ye learns new champions. I even feel like giving the second game's MVP to Sylas wouldn't have been wrong, though Jiejie's new champion, Bel'Veth, also performed quite well."

The commentators highly praised EDG's understanding of the patch, even calling it the "benchmark."

[Do you even understand the gold content of practicing champions while sleeping!?]

[That stinky guy who hasn't won a game is so annoying; that Sylas was as stiff as a zombie. Honestly, he's not even as good as the junior!]

[Who is the junior?]

["Today the streamer is practicing a champion, the rank isn't high, LPL Summer Split."]

[Practicing a champion casually is annoying the junior's mom, right? Wasn't the Zoe in the first game cool enough? Directly shot down that stinky guy's Magpie with an aerial guided missile!]

[So when can Dao get on stage? If he doesn't play soon, Zoe's skin is really going to be renamed~~]

EDG maintained their winning streak, and their momentum and reputation continued to rise.

Furthermore, due to the "amputating to survive" strategy, the atmosphere among the team's fans was unexpectedly united and harmonious!

As for BLG, although the person had already joined the team, they hadn't played yet, and this BLG roster had yet to be verified.

However.

Tengjing and BLG were clearly both experts at capitalizing on traffic.

One week later, Saturday, July 24th.

The first match at 5 PM featured BLG against TES, and yesterday it was officially announced that [BLG-Scout] and [BLG-Uzi] would both be appearing!

The second match at 7 PM was EDG against RNG.

This night was dubbed the "Summer Break Spring Festival Gala" by netizens, and the hype across the internet had already exploded before the games even started.

At four in the afternoon, the EDG members were about to depart from the base for the venue.

Ming Kai was still thoughtfully comforting Ye Bo in private: "Don't feel any pressure today. RNG is a Spring Split and MSI double champion after all; even if we really lose, it's no big deal!"

"Hm? I don't have any pressure." Ye Bo turned his head and blinked naturally: "Don't worry~ I've already been researching what to use to beat the tiger today!"

"We won't lose! I haven't even said that declaration yet; I've been holding it in for so long."

Ming Kai always felt that his little mid-laner was constantly hinting at him, but he had no evidence.

Seeing the constipated expression on the other's face, Ye Bo thought the manager was still worried about him.

So, he pointed to the four water bottles at EDG's "health corner."

"Manager, guess why there are only four pots here today?"

Ming Kai's small eyes darted around, and he subconsciously wanted to blurt out, "Because five words don't..."

Ah, so you too?

Ye Bo chuckled and gave Ming Kai a hearty pat on the back.

"Can't guess, right? Because 'Five~ Pots~ Take~ Off~', the other pot has already flown away!"

"Come on, drink this bowl of goji berry tea with me, and let's go to work and beat the tiger~"

Although Ming Kai was stunned by Ye Bo's dad joke.

Watching him skip out of the cafeteria and drape his arm around Jiejie, chatting and laughing, he silently revealed a gratified smile.

It seems that with the personality of his new mid-laner, there is really no need to worry about his mentality at all.

Pretty good.

Sorry, I struggled with the transition and plot today, and I'm stuck, so there's only 5k words.

Actually, I wanted to take a day off to adjust, but it's the first month of the launch, so there's no reason to take a leave; otherwise, I'd feel guilty and wouldn't be able to face everyone's monthly votes.

So, I'll just apologize.

PS: There are only two teams left to write about in detail for the regular season, and then there should only be two or three playoff matches; I definitely won't write every single one, so don't worry.

Starting the grind for tomorrow's match!

Thanks to the brothers for the monthly votes!

Thanks to the brothers for the support!

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(End of chapter)