NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7 (1)
You’re Beautiful When You Smile
Ming god’s retirement announcement was only a brief interlude. The finals weren’t over yet. He had to pull himself together and finish playing the final battle of his professional career.
The audience began to return to their seats before the second round started…...In the darkness, no one paid attention to a short-haired girl who was typing something on her phone while briskly walking. If someone did notice the screen of her phone, that person would think she was simply one of the hundreds and thousands fans who was crying loudly about Ming god’s retirement on Weibo-- --
She continued typing until the second before she reached her own seat. She blew a long breath out and posted the message onto Weibo, then put the phone back into her pocket.
A few seconds later, those who were on Weibo sharing the big news “I just watched Ming god announce his retirement” suddenly noticed another post that was being shared by ZGDX’s official site-- --
[Smiling: ZGDX, smiling]
At that moment, those who knew “Smiling” began posting in a frenzy.
Ten minutes later, those who didn’t know of “Smiling” and had search online about it also joined in the craze-- --
It was an explosive news for everyone!
[Pig Lady: Is it true that a girl plays professionally?]
[Ah Han: I’ve always said that this Smiling is either someone playing for her or is actually a man. Just what I expected.]
[King of the Bicycle: Damn, ZGDX is crazy to have an unknown streamer replace Ming god. And it’s a girl! I don’t believe Smiling is a girl!]
[Cute Cheng Ge:.....................really, ZGDX, as long as you’re happy.]
[Wife of Lu Sicheng: What? You mean there will be a girl eating, sleeping, playing games, and competing together with my hubby? Excuse me, what’s the address of their base? I’m sending over some blades.]
[ZGDX is the only one: …...I don’t know what to say. You always want big news. So tonight, you plan to bombard your fans with one bombshell after another so the fans can’t sleep tonight.]
[God of Support, Fatty: I told you girls can play professionally. I’ll keep playing this game QAQ]
[AKB49: What’s wrong with you guys? Is it that surprising to have a female player? Wasn’t there a female support at the North America region last year?]
Ten minutes after the posting, there were over 5000 comments and the post had been shared over 3000 times.
……
While all this were happening, the one who posted the explosive news was busy taking out tissues from her pocket to hand over to the sobbing girl next to her and comforting her at the same time, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. The competition is still on. Look! The game is starting!”
The girl mumbled a thanks, took the tissue, and raised her head to watch the large screen. The second round had begun, they were banning champions-- --
All the players on the stage were wearing sound proof earphones. Whatever happened out there had nothing to do with them now. Ming god had also calmed down somewhat, though his eyes were still slightly reddish. He turned sideways to talk to the support, Little Fatty. Little Fatty had said something and both of them were laughing……
Tao Yao felt better seeing them laugh. Actually, she had been opposed to the idea of having Ming god announced his retirement during the intermission. She felt that it would affect the player’s mindset…...However, the organizer needed a climax to make money and this year’s Spring Finals was quite successful at creating a lot of buzz-- --
“Ming god announced his retirement at the LPL Spring Finals” had become the top search on Weibo.
Many people were posting their regret for not buying tickets to the competition.
As Tong Yao was browsing Weibo, the girl in front of her turned around to talk to the girl with the Ming god placard and waved her phone, “Hey, Ah Lu, go check out the ZGDX official site. The new mid is a girl, ahhhhh! It’s that Chinese server number one Leblanc the commentators just mentioned!”
“Who?”
“That Smiling.”
The girl was stunned. She put down the placard, took out her phone from her pocket, and got onto Weibo……
The two commentators behind them began talking about “Ming god’s retirement”, “the new mid of ZGDX is a girl” and so on so forth. The one who had commented earlier “maybe one day we’ll see a female professional player at competitions” was getting worked up and lamenting the fact that he hadn’t come up with numbers for the next lottery at the same time……
No one was analyzing the line-up of the current match-- --
Tong Yao raised her head to find that ZGDX didn’t get a strong line-up this round. They didn’t get many strong champions. It was crucial to get an advantage in the early game. If they couldn’t, then they would have an uphill fight going forwards when it came to team fights……
“They don’t have a good line-up, right?”
A whisper came from besides her. Tong Yao turned around and found it was the girl Ah Lu. She had put down her phone, her eyes fixed on the big screen. She felt Tong Yao’s gaze and turned with a smile, “I’ll enjoy Ming god’s last game first, the rest can wait till after the game.”
Tong Yao nodded and gave her the rest of the tissues……
The second round had officially begun.
“They didn’t get a good champion to initiate with, we’ll have to see how well the jungler will do this round.” Tong Yao told her. “If the jungler can’t get the right rhythm, they can’t build an advantage in the lanes, then ZGDX will be on the defensive the whole match……”
“-- --What do you know about the game. ZGDX got a good line-up. How can they lose? Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t know anything. Don’t curse them even before the game starts?”
A man’s voice rebuked her from behind. Tong Yao turned to take a look and discovered that the two men who had argued with her outside the stadium were sitting right behind her. They were looking at her unhappily with arms crossed-- --
Why, they were everywhere.
She shrugged and turned back, not arguing with them. She could still hear one of them whisper to the other in disdain, “The Challenger at the Korean server? Just like this? Ha, if what she said is true, then every game can end right after the ban section.”
“Yeah, yeah.” His companion agreed.
Tong Yao rolled her eyes.
For the first ten minutes, both sides were pretty even. ZGDX’s economy was slightly higher because Lu Sicheng at bot had killed about 20 more minions than the opposing AD. The difference was basically in Lu Sicheng’s hand-- --
Fifteen minutes into the game, Nidalee played by ZGDX’s jungler, Old K, went to bot. Everyone thought he was going to reinforce Lu Sicheng, yet he turned near the edge of the jungle and jumped over the rock wall to fight the dragon……
CK had no vision around the dragon’s arena which was pitch black.
He was stealing dragon!