Before Was Before, Now Is Now-If You're Bad, Practice More!

After this match ended, all kinds of LPL forums erupted with no small amount of discussion.

The topic was all Chu Ran's Fiora from this game.

After watching so many Fiora games, this one could definitely make the top ten. It had earned my approval.

It was pretty good. EDG really seemed to have struck gold. Their top laner was finally no longer some Maokai.

RNG was probably regretting it so badly their guts had turned green.

Are you Uzi Haters not awake yet? RNG would regret losing a top laner like this?

Exactly. Honestly, once Fiora gets banned, wouldn't he retire on the spot?

Beating up weaklings from Snake Esports and getting endlessly praised? He might not even be as good as Letme.

I'm dying laughing. You're already calling him the LPL's number one Fiora. Did Jinoo acknowledge that?

What would RNG want a top laner who can't protect the AD for? Can't tell the king from the pawn.

Indeed, Royal Club was all carried by me. RNG really wouldn't allow a top laner to carry.

Hahaha, if I'm not the one carrying, I'd rather lose!

Every major forum was buzzing with hot discussion, and the livestream room's popularity continued to rise.

Inside EDG's Backstage Lounge, Abu was wildly praising Chu Ran. "Well played, Little Ran. You didn't disappoint me."

"I told you, as long as you V me 50 yuan, I'm invincible." Chu Ran waggled his eyebrows at Ming Kai. "Kai Ge, do you believe me now? See how awesome I am?"

Ming Kai froze for a moment, then immediately laughed and scolded him. "No. Your pubic hair hasn't even grown in yet—what am I supposed to look at?"

"..."

"Your Kai Ge is just tsundere. He's actually praising you inside. Ask him for 50 next game." Pawn lay on the couch while a female staff member massaged his lower back.

Chu Ran burst out laughing when he saw it. "RNG can drink milk, while we EDG can get massages. We all have a bright future."

"Ming Kai, demonstrate some Muay Thai on him," Abu said in a deep voice.

"Sure. I've wanted to hit him for ages. Come here, Little Ran. I'll teach you Muay Thai."

"Get lost!"

The backstage area was filled with laughter, while in RNG's backstage area, Uzi was extremely displeased. "His Fiora actually won. But ban Fiora next game, and he won't be able to perform anymore."

"No one else needs to keep performing either." Mala Xiang Guo spread his hands. "One game was enough for him to prove himself. Snake Esports couldn't beat them in any of the three lanes in the first game, and now they've lost their morale. They still want to come back in game two?"

Hearing Mala Xiang Guo's words, Uzi gave a cold snort and said nothing, though he grumbled inwardly.

Damn it, Liu Shiyu, whose side are you even on?

At that moment, the MVP for the first game was also announced on the big screen. Chu Ran's handsome promotional photo appeared prominently across it.

KDA: 6-0-7

Damage: 24369

Damage Share: 30.5%

Seeing those numbers, the livestream room's bullet comments were flooded with the words "reasonable," though there were naturally some others as well.

Ah Guang, look at him!

Mouse was almost crying now.

It's fine. We EDG Fans will always mourn Ah Guang.

Terrifying, really. A top laner could put up numbers like this.

Was this really EDG? EDG actually had a top laner get MVP? Was I not awake yet?

My eyes must be playing tricks on me. Forget it, I'm going to jerk off first!

At that moment, Mouse, who was watching the stream at EDG Club, felt a chill run down his back and immediately opened ranked queue.

He had to work hard! He had to train diligently!

He didn't want to end up like Tong Yang, watching the water dispenser.

Chu Ran's carry performance that game gave Mouse a profound sense of crisis.

Naturally, Scout in the backstage area felt the same. Thankfully, Pawn's back had not fully recovered yet; otherwise, he truly felt that his starting mid-lane position might be taken.

At the same time, Snake Esports' Backstage Lounge.

Zz1tai collapsed onto the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Damn it, I carried every game on Gangplank in scrims. One bullet each..."

"Then after getting on stage, I didn't even know who I was anymore."

"Zz1tai, say something. Why aren't you saying anything? Do you not like talking?"

Though losing the match was somewhat irritating, Yang Fan couldn't hold it in when he thought of Zz1tai's earlier bold words. The corners of his mouth kept turning upward.

Zz1tai immediately became anxious. "I really got one kill per shot in scrims, and in ranked too! How was I supposed to know I couldn't beat him? This damn Fiora somehow trained herself to auto the barrels more smoothly than I could."

"My Dao heart has shattered. Don't mention Gangplank in front of me ever again." Zz1tai gritted his teeth, waved a hand, and continued looking as though life is meaningless.

Then Zhu Kai held his phone in front of Zz1tai. "We don't need to mention it. You're already famous. Look for yourself, Netizens made a video about you."

Zz1tai glanced at it and found that it had already received tens of thousands of views despite being uploaded only ten minutes ago. His face immediately flushed crimson.

He knew he would never escape this Gangplank thing for the rest of his life. He immediately became somewhat hysterical. "Game two, This Lord will smash him! Smash him!"

"I want to play Poppy!"

"Coward~"

"Just tell me, doesn't Poppy use a hammer? Isn't that smashing him?!"

Amid all the online heated discussion, the break quietly passed, and game two began immediately.

But Snake Esports, whose morale had collapsed after just the first game, clearly had a gap in raw strength. Winning game two was even less possible. With Fiora banned, Chu Ran was too lazy to spend the effort fighting. He locked in Maokai, triggering his Fortified Wall trait. He became EDG's sturdiest wall and handed the stage over to his two older brothers.

"Ah! General Pawn's Cassiopeia gets another solo kill on Tank!"

"And Deft has already pressured Crystal Brother so hard in bot lane that he doesn't even dare last-hit under tower. It seems the hand injury from that bloody BO10 still hasn't completely healed."

"Let's see what Sofm is doing. He's still farming jungle."

"My god! Why does Easy's Maokai feel tankier than everyone else's Maokai? He stands before his teammates like a city wall, leaving Snake Esports with absolutely no way to start."

"This? Earlier, I saw Netizens explain in detail where League of Legends even had a hero that was a city wall. Now I can clearly tell you: it does."

"Crystal Brother's Ashe is tickling Maokai. A critical hit for 54! Th-this is Ashe's damage."

"Then we can congratulate EDG in advance!"

Although Pawn had only just recovered from his back injury, beating Tank was still easy. Even if Deft carried the nickname "the pilot," his laning ability was beyond question.

Here's a piece of trivia: everyone said Uzi was extremely strong in lane, but he had only beaten Deft a few times in lane.

Their advantage was even greater in game two. At 24 minutes, they took Baron Nashor and ended Snake Esports in one wave.

"Congratulations to EDG! They defeat Snake Esports 2-0, claiming a victorious opening to this year's Spring Split! It must be said that among the Lingshi Road Trio, EDG is still the undisputed big brother!"

"That's right. Congratulations to EDG, and thanks as well to Snake Esports for bringing us such an exciting match!"

As Wawa and Miller's words fell, countless EDG Fans cheered jubilantly.

Exciting? More like a feast for the eyes!

No wonder Zz1tai went to play mid. All one could say was that top lane didn't really suit him.

Hahaha, Zz1tai still had plenty of room to improve in the top lane.

I'm dead. The point of Zz1tai playing top lane might have been to prove that any random top laner could step on him.

This has me laughing so hard I'm crying. Ashe critting Maokai for 54, I'm completely numb.

Mouse is unemployed now. This guy plays tanks pretty well too. His engages, positioning, and damage soaking all looked great.

Mouse: I'm at EDG. What do I do? I'm panicking. There's a new top laner who can play Fiora, and apparently he plays Maokai really well too.

Easy: Ah Guang brother, it's okay. I will inherit your legacy and lead EDG onward with my teammates. Rest in peace.

666666, I'm jealous of your talent. I could carry memes for a lifetime and still not compare to you naturally gifted players.

Brothers, say no more. The post-match interview should be Easy, right? I want to hear him do comedy.

It probably is. General Pawn got MVP in game two, but he's an Old timer. The newcomer got MVP in game one, so they'll definitely interview the newcomer.

Inside EDG's backstage area, taking down Snake Esports naturally filled the place with a joyous atmosphere.

"Nice! Manager Abu said he'd treat us to a big meal today, 500 yuan per person."

Hearing Chu Ran's cheer, Meiko and the others immediately joined in, leaving Abu completely dumbfounded.

When had he ever said that?

They had only beaten Snake Esports in a regular-season match, and they wanted a 500-yuan-per-person feast. If they beat stronger teams later, would they want 5,000 yuan per person?

"Little Ran!"

"Manager Abu, no way. Look how beautifully we won the opening match. You got promoted from coach to manager this year too. Shouldn't we celebrate properly? Tian Ye, don't you agree?"

"I think Brother Ran is absolutely right." Meiko nodded.

Abu rubbed his face. Chu Ran had made him feel stifled with anger, but seeing that Ming Kai, Deft, and the others also agreed, he could only nod and accept.

If the club couldn't reimburse it, he would have to pay out of his own pocket.

Red Temperature Value +243

Looking at Chu Ran, Abu was both angry and delighted. He had drawn an SSR, but he somehow felt that Chu Ran would fleece him until he went bankrupt sooner or later.

He had paid the 50 yuan for game two as well.

I'm so pissed!

Just as Chu Ran and the others laughed and chatted, a beautiful female host wearing an Evening Gown appeared at the doorway. The host was quite good-looking, but at such a young age, she had an airport runway for a chest—utterly flat and rather worrying.

She was naturally Luo Xin, the LPL's newly promoted female host, later nicknamed Humpback Sister, and she had come to invite Chu Ran to Accept interview.

A moment later, Chu Ran and Luo Xin appeared before the cameras at the interview desk, while many viewers in the livestream room were already itching with anticipation.

There were still two matches left today, so naturally countless viewers remained in the livestream room.

Luo Xin looked over her cue cards, smiled at Chu Ran, and said, "Hello, Player Easy. Congratulations to EDG for defeating Snake Esports today and securing your first win of this year's Spring Split. First, say hello to the viewers watching through the screen."

"Hello, everyone. I'm Easy, EDG's top laner."

Chu Ran nodded with a smile, and his rather handsome face took Luo Xin somewhat by surprise.

Luo Xin had also watched Yu Shuang's interview with Chu Ran during the Solo Competition. When she learned that she would be interviewing Chu Ran today, she had been extremely nervous.

After all, when the Solo Competition interview ended, Yu Shuang had been bombarded by Imperial fans for three days straight, forcing her to apologize on Weibo.

Imperial fans' combat power was terrifying.

But seeing Chu Ran's modest appearance now, Luo Xin found it difficult to connect him with the Chu Ran from the Solo Competition interview.

In an instant, Luo Xin lowered her guard and began asking questions about the match. Most were routine questions, and Chu Ran's responses were equally routine, leaving many viewers in the livestream room deeply disappointed.

No, bro, is this what I came here for? You made me waste my expressions, huh?

Where are the classic lines? I came to hear you do comedy!

I'm out, I'm out. This isn't entertaining at all.

Maybe he got flamed too hard and doesn't dare start fights anymore.

You're even scared of Snake Esports? You really don't treat us EDG Fans like people, do you?

Seeing that Chu Ran's answers had no real issues, Luo Xin finally relaxed. Her smile blossomed. "All right, the last two questions are these: according to many Netizens, Easy, your Fiora wasn't this strong before. It completely lacked the oppressive power you displayed in today's match."

"But today, you stunned everyone and left countless viewers amazed."

"What do you have to say about that?"

Hearing this, Chu Ran pondered for a moment before slowly speaking to the camera. "Zz1tai, come to EDG Club later. I'll personally sponsor you to buy some oranges. Don't starve yourself—Gangplank is practically dying from eating oranges."

"Anyway, we're not far apart."

Boom~

In an instant, Luo Xin's expression changed drastically.

Where had that modest attitude from just now gone?

Although Zz1tai's fans weren't as terrifying as Imperial fans, she still didn't want to offend them.

At that moment, Luo Xin deeply regretted asking that question, while countless viewers in the livestream room burst into laughter.

666666!

That's so savage. You've insulted every bamboo shoot on the mountain.

Hahaha, I'm Zz1tai. I'm charging to EDG for an Imperial City PK.

Zz1tai, can you endure this? You can't endure it for even half a day. Hurry up and bring Death Sentence too.

Easy: Kai Ge, help me close the door.

Hearing Chu Ran's words, Zz1tai, who was packing up in Snake Esports' backstage area, became so angry that he jumped to his feet.

"Who the hell likes eating oranges? From now on, This Lord is quitting oranges, that fruit!" Zz1tai's face twisted grotesquely as he appeared somewhat crazed, filled with regret.

Red Temperature Value +341

Red Temperature Value +264

After today, Zz1tai had once again become famous in the LPL, though not for any good reason.

From now on, whenever anyone saw Gangplank, they would probably ask whether he liked oranges.

"Hahaha, Ran Chu's mouth is so vicious." Yang Fan laughed so hard that his Kog'Maw couldn't close, fiercely slapping his thigh. "Zz1tai, if you're embarrassed, I'll go claim them for you later."

"Get the hell out of here!"

The livestream room was abuzz with discussion. At the interview desk, Luo Xin barely maintained her smile. "Then the last question: what made your Fiora change so dramatically in such a short time? Could you share it with the viewers?"

"Because many Netizens have been discussing how your Fiora wasn't like this before."

Hearing that, Chu Ran immediately knew Luo Xin hadn't finished what she wanted to say. Most of the "viewers" she referred to were probably Imperial fans.

Thinking that, Chu Ran smiled faintly, a hint of arrogance in his expression.

"As for that question... hmm."

"Before was before, now is now. If you're bad, practice more! Surely no player would spend an entire season and still fail to learn even one champion, right?"

Luo Xin's pupils instantly widened. Looking at Chu Ran's smile, she felt he was hinting at something, but she had no proof.

Meanwhile, the livestream room's viewers had already exploded.

How dare you! Easy, what are you implying?

Is it really that hard to practice Jhin for a whole season?

"Fuck your mother, Ran Chu! Little Dog can play Jhin, Little Dog is a Jhin specialist. Are you sick or something?"

We already said banning Jhin was a tactical issue. Are you haters ever going to stop?

I don't recall anyone saying Uzi couldn't play Jhin. Why are Imperial fans so eager to assume it's about them?

I know Imperial fans are in a hurry, but don't rush. Who mentioned Uzi? Who mentioned Uzi?

These haters were really too much. Little Dog had won two runner-up titles for the LPL, yet he still had to be mocked by them every day. The LPL was truly beyond saving.

They should de-nationalize every last one of these haters!

Backstage at RNG, Uzi watched the interview playing on the big screen. His fists clenched, and he viciously punched Xiao Hu in the thigh.

Although Chu Ran had not said it outright, Uzi felt that Chu Ran was saying he could not play Jhin.

But he clearly could!

Even if he only learned after the World Championship was over, damn it, he could still play him, couldn't he?!

"Uzi, can you move your hand? Stop paying attention to Ran Chu. He's deliberately farming attention and trying to mess with your mentality," Xiao Hu said through gritted teeth, enduring the pain in his thigh.

He was numb to it by now.

Every time Uzi got angry, he punched his thigh. Hadn't he said he had become much more mature this year?

Why was he still so easily angered?

"I just hope we get to play EDG in an Official Match soon. I want to play Jhin and shove the gun down his throat."

Just as Uzi finished speaking, Mala Xiang Guo suddenly cried out, "Ran Chu posted on Weibo again! He responded to the Weibo post you made earlier, Uzi."

Hearing this, Uzi hurriedly opened his Weibo page and saw Chu Ran's latest post.

His little chubby face immediately turned bright red, making the entire RNG backstage area tense.