EDG Wanted to Give You a Stage [Request Monthly Ticket]

Time flowed like water; a white colt flashed past a gap.

Xu Cheng's appearance had been like a flash in the pan—suddenly brilliant, stunning the world.

When the curtain fell, he was like a tranquil lake once more, without a ripple, raising only the faintest circle of waves—

With the Spring Split warming up, everyone's attention had already shifted to the major top teams in their brand-new form this year.

After enduring S6's epic darkest hour, the LPL had rallied this year, sharpening its blades.

The 2017 LPL Spring Split had finally officially begun.

That year's Spring Split belonged to WE.

After enduring five long years, WE 2.0—a group of youths in red—had finally led the ancient powerhouse WE back to glory.

Beyond WE, the All-China Team RNG, which had spent a fortune to bring Little Dog back for the new season, had also displayed astonishing momentum. The Spring Tiger Emperor had truly lived up to his name.

EDG, on the other hand, had dominated the domestic Professional Arena ever since its founding and ruled the LPL for two full years. Yet in 2017, its most crucial year, it suffered an enormous collapse—

They seemed not to have emerged from the shadow cast by the departures of their two Big Daddies, Deft and Pwan. On top of that, Factory Director, the soul of the team, had been absent for the entire spring.

Their regular-season record had been passable, but when it came to the Playoffs, they had barely managed to take third place.

This was the worst, most embarrassing result in EDG's entire history!

Thus, once this result was set in stone, countless former EDG fans and LPL viewers saw their expectations and opinion of EDG drop to rock bottom.

As one fan put it: "We used to mock you for being good in domestic matches and bad internationally. Well, now even the Civil War Phantom God gets utterly crushed in domestic matches. You're truly bad domestically—and even worse internationally!"

Together with that kick in S6, the halo of the LPL's former number-one powerhouse was gone. Its popularity, strength, and reputation—EDG's once-great dynasty had already begun to crumble.

Conversely, when one powerhouse fell, a new replacement was bound to emerge and rise.

WE, once mocked as a broke-ass team after trying to move Xu Cheng with sentiment, had seized the Spring Split championship.

The five youths in red were full of spirit as they reached the peak of their Professional Careers.

Before long, they would represent the LPL Region in the biggest international event of the first half of the year: the MSI Mid-Season Invitational.

But no one held out much hope for this MSI—

In the eyes of the many powerful foreign regions, especially the Demon King LCK, the LPL now resembled a weak child—so vulnerable that it was not even worth a second glance.

The LPL's top laners also remained a joke known around the world.

And against this backdrop of fear of Korea, powerful foreign regions, weak top laners, and EDG's vanished glory—within this grand era of fierce competition and old giving way to new—

In front of a bun shop in a small southern city.

A youth had also packed his luggage, slung his bag over his shoulder, and bid farewell to his reluctant parents.

Outside the bun shop.

"You don't need to walk me any farther. Go back."

Dragging his suitcase, Xu Cheng stopped when he reached the intersection and looked back at his parents, who had followed him all the way over.

"Didn't you already go inspect the club? It's not like I'm never coming back. Dad, Mom, go home."

"Ah, what's a few more steps? You go on ahead. We'll just watch from here, and we'll head back once you're in the car."

Mother Xu spoke with a smile, but her face was filled with worry and reluctance.

"Just go. Don't mind us."

Father Xu had always been a man of few words. Over the past six months, Xu Cheng had been busy working toward his guaranteed admission, and father and son had barely exchanged a few words.

"...All right."

Xu Cheng felt a little helpless, but warmth also filled his heart.

"The club said the car has already arrived, so I... I'm going, then?"

"Go on, go on."

"Remember, you must rest properly when you're out there. And... the weather's been changing every day lately. Mom packed some long johns in your bag. Put them on when it gets cold. Don't be like before, thinking it's embarrassing and feeling too self-conscious to wear them..."

"Oh, and be careful with what you eat. I heard Auntie Wang next door say that all those fried dough sticks and stir-fries outside use gutter oil... Don't just eat whatever."

Father Xu, meanwhile, furrowed his brow and said stiffly, "Once you're out there, you need to be smarter. Get along with the management. Don't offend people, and don't throw a tantrum at the drop of a hat. It's not like home out there—no one's going to spoil you."

"If anything happens, call us. Don't try to handle everything recklessly on your own..."

"All right, all right, you've said all this eight hundred times already. I could recite it by heart."

Xu Cheng waved with a grin. "I'm really going now. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"Go."

Father Xu waved him off directly.

Completely ignoring Mother Xu, who was fiercely pinching him beside him.

Xu Cheng did not look back at his parents again. With his backpack on his back and suitcase in hand, he headed toward the corner at the intersection.

"Cheng Cheng, if you're uncomfortable there or someone mistreats you, come back. We'll keep going to school. Don't ever force yourself to suffer..."

As Mother Xu spoke, her eyes began to redden uncontrollably.

"That's enough. Your son is going off to compete, not commit a crime. What are you crying for?"

Father Xu found it irritating to watch.

"This child has never been this far from home in his life... How am I supposed to not worry... He's still so young..."

Mother Xu refused to listen, wiping at the corners of her eyes as she rambled on.

"Ah..."

Father Xu sighed. After Xu Cheng turned away, his stern face also revealed a trace of reluctance and concern.

Obscure and restrained.

With his back to his parents, Xu Cheng waved a hand as if he did not care, signaling that he had heard them and that he would be fine.

Yet it felt as though a heavy stone were pressing down on his heart—

This was the home where he had lived for more than ten years. And now, he was simply leaving it.

He did not know when he would be able to return.

Beep beep!

A car horn sounded.

Xu Cheng, who had already reached the corner at the intersection, looked up and saw a six-seater van with huge letters spelling "EDG" on its door, quietly parked by the roadside.

A breeze passed by.

The black EDG Team Flag stuck onto the rearview mirror fluttered in the wind.

Through the open door, Ming Kai, whom he had not seen in a long time, was sitting in the back seat and waving at him with a bright smile before getting out of the car.

"Have you packed everything? If you have, get in!"

Factory Director took Xu Cheng's suitcase and asked with a grin.

"I'm all packed."

Xu Cheng was not in the mood to joke with him and answered listlessly.

"Alright then, let's go."

Factory Director pulled Xu Cheng along and got into the car with him.

The door closed, and the familiar roadside scenery gradually disappeared. At that moment, Xu Cheng suddenly felt anxious and helpless—

What he was about to face were unfamiliar things he had never experienced or encountered before.

An unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar people, and an unfamiliar... uncertain stage where he could not see the future.

Where was his future?

Was this choice... really the right one?

"Don't think about that."

Factory Director had been silently observing Xu Cheng beside him. Seeing him like this, he immediately understood, having gone through it all himself.

He chuckled and patted Xu Cheng on the shoulder, not immediately revealing his ugly true colors.

"Don't worry. I can guarantee that your future will be brilliant and glorious!"

"You'll make a name for yourself, become World-renowned, and when you return, you won't be an ordinary person anymore...!"

"...!"

After listening to him, Xu Cheng was silent for a long while before suddenly saying, "Actually, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."

"Oh?"

Factory Director froze. "What is it?"

"Why me?"

Xu Cheng looked at Factory Director with clear eyes.

There was no pretense or concealment in that moment, only confusion and doubt.

It was something he had wanted to ask ever since signing the contract half a year ago.

Factory Director paused, then seriously thought about it. Suddenly, he clapped his hands—

"Maybe... EDG wanted to give you a stage."

"Think about it... If a player like you appeared on the professional stage... I think everyone's expressions would be pretty interesting..."

"This is fun, isn't it?"

Factory Director smiled brightly at Xu Cheng. "Xu Cheng, welcome to the Outside World."

"This time, you've really come to the Outside World."

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