As everyone knows, Ming Kai was kicked around like a football by the opposing team in that year's All-Star Game Clone Mode. Later generations called it the "League of Legends Football Championship."
So Chu Ran gave Ming Kai a reminder, which counted as repayment for the fifty yuan he had sent him.
The next day, the sun shone brightly.
Chu Ran and the others had already arrived at the stadium hosting the All-Star event. This year's All-Star event was fairly popular, and quite a crowd had gathered outside the venue.
At a glance, nearly all of them were Ming Kai and Uzi's fans.
In this era, Pig and Dog commanded half of the LPL's traffic. On the way into the Backstage Lounge, all they could hear were the cheers of fans from every side.
"Little Ran, look over there."
Hearing Abu's words, Chu Ran looked up and immediately spotted a Little Fatty glaring at him from not far away. His gaze was vicious, as though Chu Ran had murdered his father.
"Oh, Brother Jujube. It's fine. He's just jealous of my handsome face."
Chu Ran flashed Uzi a peace sign and grinned.
The sight made Uzi furious. Chu Ran clearly had not done anything, so why did he find him so unpleasant to look at?
Laugh my ass!
Who gave you permission to laugh?
Let's see if you can still laugh during the Solo Competition later.
In an instant, as the audience all took their seats, the popularity in the Livestream rooms across major platforms steadily surged.
As the director switched scenes, the camera moved to the Commentary booth, where several familiar faces appeared before everyone.
"Hello, everyone. Welcome to the 2016 year-end League of Legends All-Star Challenge. I'm commentator Guan Zeyuan."
"I'm commentator Miller."
"I'm commentator Wawa."
After the classic opening lines, Guan Zeyuan said with a smile, "This All-Star event is packed with top players. Factory Director and Uzi are both competing. In particular, the Solo Competition between Player Easy and Little Dog, which has caused such a stir online lately, is full of things to watch for. This Solo Competition is about to begin. We don't know who will come out on top."
"That's right." Miller nodded in agreement. "We've gotten to know Player Easy a little over this period. After leaving RNG, he dominated the domestic server with his Fiora. Now that he's joined EDG, I wonder whether he'll use Fiora in today's Solo Competition."
"I don't think so. Fiora might not have much of an advantage in a Solo Competition, and Little Dog plays AD champions. He'll definitely pick an AD. With his kiting, I think Little Dog can win."
Wawa continued, "And we all know just how strong Little Dog's laning is. In matches, we often see him suppress his opponents, and his CSing Skill is absurdly good. Somehow, as the game goes on, he just ends up dozens of CS ahead of the opposing AD."
"Under this tournament's rules of first turret, first blood, or one hundred CS, I think Little Dog has a very high chance of winning."
"Exactly." Guan Zeyuan nodded firmly. "Then without further ado, let's get straight into today's match."
As their words fell, the bullet comments in livestream rooms across every platform scrolled wildly like an endless tide, almost all of them sent by Imperial fanboys.
Nonsense. If we're only talking about laning, I don't even know who could be Little Dog's opponent.
Do you even understand the value of the World's Number One ADC title?
Ran Chu is going to get beaten senseless by Little Dog today. Little Dog's dueling ability needs no introduction, right?
Hehe, if Ran Chu can beat Little Dog, I'll quit League of Legends for good.
The Imperial fanboys are at it again. Setting aside the several players who are his actual fathers, isn't Uzi the World's Number One ADC?
Classic Imperial fanboy line: Uzi gets dozens more CS than his opponent every lane, doesn't that mean he destroyed them?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He eats farm from all three lanes, so of course he'll have more CS than the opposing player.
I eat farm from all three lanes by myself, then die first in teamfights. Look at the damage, and it's not even higher than the support's.
Even before the match had begun, the bullet comments in the Livestream room were already engaged in heated discussion.
At that moment, in a Douyu Livestream room, Uzi's former teammate Wu Zai was commentating on this All-Star event.
Looking at the screen full of "World's Number One CJB" bullet comments, Wu Zai, the founder of the Shockwave theory, bared his teeth in a grin.
"Don't ask me. I don't know whether Player Uzi is the World's Number One ADC, but I do know that not one championship skin belongs to him."
"I don't dare ask either. I'd also like to know why the World's Number One ADC doesn't have a skin. Maybe Player Uzi just doesn't like them."
"Who do I support? I support no one. I'll support Uzi, since it's hard to justify the World's Number One ADC having no championship to this day. A Solo Competition championship is still a championship. Round it up, and it's an 'S' tournament championship. Tell me, does it have an S or not?"
As soon as he said that, the few viewers in his Livestream room began spamming the chat wildly.
Bold!
Your Livestream room is gone!
Divine Punishment is coming!
I'm dying. The World's Number One ADC without a single championship. Poet, I'll eat.
If the officials held a bathing competition, Uzi would definitely win it.
Under the gaze of countless viewers, the Solo Competition officially began.
Inside EDG's Backstage Lounge, Chu Ran looked at Ming Kai expectantly and held out his palm. "Kai Ge, you know what to do."
"?"
Ming Kai froze.
I know my ass?
No, I was just joking back then. You actually want it?
Isn't fifty yuan still money?
But after spending so much time together, he had gotten a fairly good read on Chu Ran. Though his face was full of helplessness, just as he was about to take out his phone and send Chu Ran fifty yuan, Deft spoke first. Fortunately, there was a translator, so Chu Ran could understand him.
"Here, take it. Perform well."
"Don't worry, Brother Hekui. You won't lose out on these fifty yuan, and you won't be fooled. I'll properly teach a lesson to your rebellious son. If he dares be unfilial, I'll bring out the Seven Wolves belt."
Chu Ran's words amused Deft. He himself did not care much for the title of "Priest," but being praised still made him feel rather pleased.
Who did not like hearing compliments?
Watching Chu Ran's back as he resolutely left the backstage area, Ming Kai gave him a dead-fish stare and said with some reproach, "You really spoil him."
"It's just fifty yuan. Look how stingy you're being."
Ming Kai pursed his lips. Was this really about fifty yuan?
He shared Abu's thoughts. Both of them felt that Chu Ran was using this method to fleece them.
Send him fifty yuan before a match, and he would become stronger.
Would he push it further next time, saying that if they sent him several million, he would start the game in top lane with several million gold worth of advantage?
Seeing this scene, Ale felt conflicted. The entire EDG roster had come on-site for this All-Star event.
But wasn't he supposed to be EDG's crown prince?
Why did it feel like Chu Ran was staging a coup?
He was sitting beside Pawn, and he had just seen Pawn preparing to send Chu Ran fifty yuan as well.
Logically, he was supposed to be the one EDG doted on.
Looking at Ming Kai's expression, which was reproachful yet somewhat indulgent, Ale's heart jolted.
So love can disappear, huh?
Ming Kai.
Amid the deafening cheers on-site, Chu Ran and Uzi entered the Player Booth. Hardly anyone shouted for Chu Ran; nearly all of them were Uzi's fans. In later terms, they were all fucking GSL.
Watching the audience cheer for him, Uzi glanced at Chu Ran on the other side and felt utterly delighted.
The screams were for him, and the screams of pain later would be for Chu Ran.
"Alright, we can now see that Player Easy and Little Dog have both taken their seats. This Solo Competition uses the Howling Abyss map. Players start with five hundred gold and can recall. First blood, first turret, or one hundred CS wins."
"Let's see which champions the two players choose."
As Guan Zeyuan's words fell, Uzi sat in the Player Booth with a confident expression, Chewing Gum while wearing pink headphones. He then directly locked in Caitlyn.
Anyone who had played League of Legends knew that Caitlyn had the longest base attack range among AD champions, at 650 range. Only a fully scaled Tristana, Kog'Maw, or a Rat with full firepower could surpass her.
This game, Uzi planned to use Caitlyn against Chu Ran, using her range advantage to suppress him and farm CS.
The Solo Competition championship was his for the taking.
"Oh? Little Dog has picked one of his signature champions, Caitlyn. What will Player Easy play? As we all know, Player Easy's Champion Pool isn't particularly deep. It seems difficult to find a champion in his pool that can face Caitlyn."
"The key is that he still doesn't know Little Dog has picked Caitlyn."
"That's right." Miller hurriedly agreed with Guan Zeyuan. "We all know how terrifying Little Dog's Caitlyn is. You could say he is currently the best active Caitlyn-playing AD in the LPL. What will Player Easy do? How about giving everyone a Fiora performance?"
"It's an exhibition match anyway. I don't think it would be embarrassing even if he loses. Let everyone see his Fiora."
As soon as those words were spoken, many people laughed, while only Abu and the others frowned.
These commentators were giving EDG's rookie no respect at all.
"What will Little Ran play?"
"Don't know, quack~"
Just as their voices fell, a muffled voice suddenly rang out on-site and in the livestream rooms.
"My future is bright!"
Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow, requested deployment!
The instant Chu Ran locked in Jayce, the commentators and many viewers felt their heads buzz.
In Wu Zai's Livestream room, the moment he saw this, his body trembled.
"Holy crap, Shockwave!"
"Where did Easy get the courage!"
"How did he dare use Shockwave in front of the World's Number One Shockwave?"
Before you continue