League of Legends: League of Unknowns

Finally after a long wait, Lin Dong finally emerged from the building, still dressed in overalls of a technician of the competition. A technician was actually the lowest occupation, and the salary was low. You could feed and dress yourself with the amount you earn, but to support your family with that amount would be difficult.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Luocheng asked in concern, seeing that Lin Dong’s face was rather pale.

“I just ran into two lady inspectors,” Lin Dong replied, forcing a smile on his face to wave away his friend’s concern.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I just didn’t expect them to have any interest in LoL.” Lin Dong replied. “Then again, how could geniuses like them not know how to play computer games?”

“Yu Luocheng, Lin Dong, I have to run. My uncle will kill me if I don’t get going,” Xiao Bei said.

“You should have left earlier.”

Xiao Bei smiled lightly, seeing such a wonderful match, especially one where Yu Luocheng was playing Vayne, was worth getting the scolding or beating he was sure to get.

Once Xiao Bei had left, only Lin Dong and Yu Luocheng were left. Lin Dong was still caught up in the previous incident, feeling slightly depressed.

“Let’s walk along the river,” Lin Dong suggested.

This was not the first time Yu Luocheng had come to Shanghai. When they were feeling despondent, they would usually walk along the river to raise their spirits. In reality, every time you walked along the Huangpu River and looked out toward the flowery scenery, the heavy feeling in your chest would increase.

***

The wind was blowing, accompanied by the sounds of flutes on the boats. The river was not very clear with some sand piles around. When he was about sixteen or seventeen years old, Yu Luocheng would often leave footprints on those sand piles. Cutting classes, running away from home, squatting in Shanghai, living in a flat which only had a few beds and computers together with the few enthusiastic friends he had…

It had only been a year since he had returned to his normal life, and yet, Yu Luocheng felt like it had happened a lifetime ago. It just went to show how he had matured.

“How are the others?” Yu Luocheng asked quietly, breaking the silence.

“Zhou Yan is working as a salesman in a home appliance company, he’s gotten quite a tan now. He’s in Shanghai but sometimes he has to go to other towns. He’s so busy that I rarely see him in person.” Lin Dong replied.

Zhou Yan was around the same age as Yu Luocheng and had also joined the professional league when he had been about sixteen years old. The difference was that he didn’t have parents who were against him, because his parents had passed away at an early age.

“Da Luo is even busier. During the day, he works in a private company, and on weekends, he’s studying in college, and at nights, he’s working for some extra money.” Lin Dong continued. “I heard he got himself a girlfriend, but I’ve never met her.”

Yu Luocheng nodded as he listened, Da Luo was a very playful person, he liked fooling around even in the professional practices they used to have. Listening to Lin Dong, it seemed like he had finally become a bit more mature, probably due to the influence of his girlfriend. Boys were like that, they normally needed a girl they really liked to appear before they could reign in their playful nature, becoming more serious in finding work.

“What about Tinghua? Is he still holding a grudge against me?” Yu Luocheng asked.

“Heh, who doesn’t hold a grudge against you?” Lin Dong scoffed. “He’s the only one among the five of us who hasn’t given up. Guess where he is now?”

“How the heck would I know?” Yu Luocheng snorted in reply.

The five members of Team Wings were not that old, and they were supposed to have graduated from school into college and universities. There were only three who had dropped out of school, including Yu Luocheng.

After playing professionally for one or two years, their education knowledge had not been enough to get back into school, and they could only go out into society early due to that. With no diploma or background, it was difficult to find a proper job in the city. Although Lin Dong did not clearly state what Zhou Yan and Da Luo were doing, Yu Luocheng could guess that their jobs weren’t that great either.

Lin Dong was younger than Yu Luocheng, and after he had left the E-Sports professional scene, he could have chosen to return to school. However, his situation was also more complicated than Yu Luocheng, and the school didn’t want him. He had no choice but to enter society early while he waited for his five years of probation to finish.

A group of misguided teenagers would probably be the best way to describe them.

Choosing the wrong path at the peak of your youthful life would make your future difficult. Even if you could get a high achievement in the field you entered, the people surrounding you would still look down on you, and this is what they call a misguided path.

“Just tell me, where’s Tinghua now?” Yu Luocheng asked again.

“He’s in Team Sky,” Lin Dong replied.

“Team Sky?” Yu Luocheng furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Team Wings used to be under the Sky Club, and Team Sky was their main E-Sports team. Everyone hated the Sky Club, why would Zhao Tinghua work for them?

“Team Sky was last season’s LPL runner up team, getting into the S League and later on, the WCG. Zhao Tinghua is the leader of Team Sky and they’re quite famous in LoL. I guess he’s doing the best out of all of us now.” Lin Dong laughed.

Listening to Lin Dong, Yu Luocheng faltered. Leader of the LPL runner up team! The glory of that was a bit shocking.

Cybercafe championships promised a lucrative pay-off similar to an LPL regional tournament. The reason the LPL pro-gamers stayed out of it was because this was where the big agencies scouted for new talent.

Any player who performed exceptionally well during cyber cafe championships would be headhunted by the major internet clubs and would join the following year LPL as fresh blood, whereas Team Scarlet which Yu Luocheng joined had already lost in a small city competition.

After city championships, it was the provincial championships, and then national championships. Only by placing within the top three at the national level could one make it into the LPL.

To surmount to such impossible odds, to overcome such incredible trials, and to climb all the way to the summit just to see that you’ve only reached the LPL. Because of this, within the League of Legends, the LPL was held in the highest regard. Amidst such fierce competition, they’d managed to obtain second place!

It was practically like being a god in the world of LoL!

Yu Luocheng couldn’t imagine how many obstacles Team Scarlet would have to overcome before they could even reach the bottom of that mountain.

He never imagined that his old teammate would be able to be the leader to such a godlike team. From a normal player’s point of view, getting second place in the LPL seemed like nothing. However, for Yu Luocheng who had once tread the path of a professional player, he knew better than anyone the sacrifices and effort needed to attain this title.

“His ID is Blood Eagle,” Lin Dong said quietly.

“He’s more determined than me, he deserves the results that he has gotten now.” Yu Luocheng nodded as he spoke. “It’s getting late, I should get back to the university.”

Lin Dong looked as though he had more to say, but seeing Yu Luocheng turn around to leave, he swallowed his words. Watching as Yu Luocheng left his footprints in the sand, looking like an eagle who had lost his spirit, Lin Dong couldn’t help the dejected feeling that was growing in his chest.

He took off his hat, letting the wind ruffle his hair as he watched Yu Luocheng walk further away.

“Don’t you understand the reason why Tinghua didn’t change his ID at all?” Lin Dong laughed gloomily, muttering to himself.