@TIG Esports Club: After friendly communication and mutual discussion between both parties, effective immediately, @TIG Encore has officially terminated his contract with TIG Esports Club and will return to free agent status. We wish him all the best in the future.
Everyone on the forum: ?
It wasn’t just Lin Anke’s fans who were stunned. Even TIG’s team fans were completely confused but no matter how difficult it was to believe, the black and white announcement was right there. TIG had indeed released an official statement announcing Encore’s departure and his was the only one they had announced.
In other words, had Lin Anke and Xu Sheng’s bot lane duo, the ADC support pair, really broken up?
The esports forum exploded in an instant.
#Breaking! The Number One Support in the Country Has Terminated His Contract with TIG!!!#
【He loses the grand finals with the front foot, then terminates his contract with the team with the back foot. When it comes to stabbing his teammates in the back, the Number One Support in the Country has never disappointed me.】
【I’ve been a TIG fan for years. I personally watched Captain Xu carry TIG on his shoulders all the way from the secondary league to where they are now. All I can say is, some people are simply ungrateful ingrates who can never be won over.】
【They can only share in the good times, not endure the bad together. There are plenty of people like that. Nothing much to say about it.】
【Why are people actually getting angry over this? Isn’t it a good thing that the Number One Support in the Country is leaving? He’s nothing but a deadweight. What’s there to regret?】
【I’m only saying that Captain Xu doesn’t deserve this. Just a few days ago, Captain Xu was still calling him Anke over and over again in his livestream, saying that he seemed to have been a little angry after the grand finals and that he was planning to buy something to coax him into a better mood and then, just like that, he leaves.】
【No wonder the Number One Support acted like that when they ran into each other in a previous livestream match. So it turns out he was planning to go solo all along.】
【LMAO, if the Number One Support terminates his contract with TIG at a time like this, where can he even go? Become a substitute for another team?】
Inside the TIG training base, the others were discussing the matter as well.
The coach was explaining the arrangements for next season. “For now, we’re planning to have Xingxing start. We can also take another look during this transfer window. If we find someone suitable, we’ll bring them in for a trial first.”
A shadow passed through Xingxing’s eyes but he quickly pulled himself together and nodded. “I’m fine with that!”
The coach then looked at Xu Sheng. “You need to keep an eye on Encore as well. He’s very familiar with your shot calling style. If he joins another top tier team, it’ll put us at a significant disadvantage.”
TIG’s tactics had always revolved around Xu Sheng as their core player. They would run three player protection or even four player protection for him and when necessary, even the jungler would be willing to sacrifice his own tempo in exchange for giving Xu Sheng better farm and development. Under such circumstances, if Lin Anke, the support player who knew Xu Sheng best, ended up joining another team of comparable strength, it would create a major problem for TIG.
Xu Sheng wasn’t worried about that at all. “Anke won’t join another team.”
The coach was puzzled. “You’re sure?”
Xu Sheng nodded. “Anke doesn’t like playing professionally. After leaving TIG, he’ll probably go back to school.”
Xingxing agreed. “Exactly. Encore only became a professional player because of the captain. How could he possibly help another team make things difficult for the captain?”
With that, the other members of TIG finally put their minds at ease. Only the mid laner, who had remained silent from beginning to end, inexplicably glanced at Xu Sheng.
Three days later.
@DG Esports Club:
Flower petals everywhere! After the unanimous efforts and relentless pursuit of everyone at the club, effective immediately, player @Encore has officially joined DG Esports Club and become a member of our big family!
Player Encore (Lin Anke) will take the starting support position for our team and compete in the upcoming SEL events. We will fight side by side and pursue glory together! In the loudest voice possible: Little D feels terrifyingly strong right now!
DG Fans: ……Has our main team finally gone crazy? They’re this old and still trying to act cute.
Lin Anke’s Fans: Wow, our precious baby has married into a wealthy family! And it’s last season’s championship team, too!
Everyone on the forum: ???
When DG’s official Weibo account released the announcement, Xu Sheng was duo queuing with Xingxing during a livestream.
The coaching staff hadn’t found any other suitable candidates, so barring any unexpected changes, Xingxing would be the starting player next season. Xu Sheng had spent the past few days duo queuing with Xingxing, working on their coordination and getting accustomed to playing together.
“Help me freeze the wave. I’m going to take red,” Xu Sheng said casually.
Xingxing obediently answered, “Don’t worry. I’ll freeze it properly for you. I won’t let a single minion slip through!”
Xu Sheng was in the middle of taking the red buff when his peripheral vision casually caught the barrage of comments in the upper left corner of the screen. His pupils suddenly contracted.
【Encore transferred to DG??? I’m not seeing things, right?】
【Captain Xu, Captain Xu, go check DG’s official Weibo! Your wife got poached by DG!】
【If CP fans keep forcing themselves into their faces, I’m reporting you. What does his transfer have to do with Captain Xu?】
Anke had gone to DG? He hadn’t gone back to school?
Xu Sheng’s entire body stiffened. His character stood motionless in front of the red buff for so long that he nearly got killed by the monster.
Xingxing called out, “Captain,” through the voice chat and only then did Xu Sheng snap back to reality. He hurriedly and frantically finished off the jungle monster.
His thoughts felt like a tangled mess and for the rest of the game, Xu Sheng was completely distracted, making mistake after mistake.
After hastily finishing the match, he told Xingxing, “You solo queue first.”
He immediately shut down the livestream, left the party, found Lin Anke’s number and called him.
The moment the call connected, Xu Sheng immediately asked, “Anke, did you really go to DG?”
There was a brief silence on Lin Anke’s end.
He had initially assumed it was a delivery driver calling. It was only after he took the phone down and looked at the screen that he recognized Xu Sheng’s number.
“Mm.” He answered with a faint, indifferent tone, without much warmth. “Is there something you need?”
That “you” caught Xu Sheng off guard for a moment. After taking a breath and steadying himself, his voice softened.
“Anke, are you still angry?”
“Angry about what?”
Hearing that Lin Anke hadn’t simply hung up on him, Xu Sheng’s heart eased somewhat. He smiled and said, “All right, stop it. Is it because I’ve been spending more time with Xingxing lately? I couldn’t help it. Xingxing is going to be the starting player next season and the coach wants us to practice our coordination.”
After listening to him, Lin Anke suddenly spoke.
“Xu Sheng, have you lost your memory? I told you before. We’ve broken up.”
“Anke!” Xu Sheng’s brows furrowed. “Can you just say something like that whenever you want? I know you don’t like Xingxing. I promise you, from now on, I won’t duo queue with him outside of training. Is that okay?”
The doorbell rang on Lin Anke’s end. He set his phone down on the table, then got up to answer the door and collect his food delivery.
Xu Sheng didn’t hang up. His voice carried gently across the table, warm and coaxing. “Be good. Listen to me. Go terminate your contract with DG, okay? Haven’t you always wanted to go back to school? Training is usually so busy but next season, you won’t have to compete. We can move into that place you rented. You can go to school during the day and I’ll come over to keep you company at night. How does that sound?”
Xu Sheng had thought everything through very carefully. He knew that Lin Anke had always wanted a home of his own. Living at the team base had never been convenient in the slightest and because of his family’s prejudice, Xu Sheng had never been able to take Anke home with him during the holidays. He could only leave him alone, living by himself in City A.
But this time would be different. As long as Anke terminated his contract with DG, they would still have plenty of time to slowly build and settle into their own little home together.
Lin Anke returned with his food delivery. The phone screen was still lit and the call was still connected.
He glanced at it without hesitation and directly ended the call.
There was nothing left for him and Xu Sheng to say to each other.
Lin Anke was actually a very soft hearted person. Because of what he had experienced as a child, he treasured anyone who treated him well more than most people ever could.
Unfortunately, there had never been many people like that in his life. His adoptive mother was one of them. The Xu Sheng of the past… counted as one, too.
He and Xu Sheng had indeed grown up together as childhood friends but strictly speaking, they hadn’t been together for very long. They had only officially entered a relationship after they became professional players.
At the time, Lin Anke didn’t have many friends. In fact, he still didn’t have any now. Xu Sheng was essentially his only friend. So when Xu Sheng decided to pursue a career as a professional player and the coach at TIG said that if they wanted to sign them, they would have to sign both of them together, one alone would not do, Lin Anke agreed.
At first, he truly had entered the esports world because of Xu Sheng. What he hadn’t expected was that Xu Sheng would tell everyone about it, making the matter known to practically everyone.
In the second year after joining TIG, Lin Anke gradually became well known and began to gain some fame. That was when his adoptive father found out that he was playing professionally.
Once, shortly before the playoffs began, Lin Anke’s father came looking for him and asked him for money.
At that time, Lin Anke had indeed already earned some money but his father opened his mouth and demanded five million yuan. Only after pressing him for an explanation did Lin Anke learn the truth: his father had borrowed money from loan sharks to gamble immediately after getting out of prison. He had kept losing more and more until the debt had grown into a hole he could no longer fill.
His father clung tightly to Lin Anke’s clothes, alternating between getting down on his knees and threatening him. He said that the debt collectors had nearly taken him away to harvest his kidney. If Lin Anke refused to help him repay the money, he would go straight to the club and demand the money from them instead.
At the time, Lin Anke’s annual salary was only eight hundred thousand yuan. There was simply no way he could produce five million. With the match about to begin, all he could do was tell his father to wait for the time being and say they would discuss it after the match.
But by the time the match ended, his father was already gone.
It was only later that Lin Anke learned that Xu Sheng had stepped in that day and filled the five million yuan hole for him.
Five million yuan, even for Xu Sheng, it was far from a small amount. It could practically be considered his entire fortune at the time.
Lin Anke had never felt so utterly humiliated and ashamed in his entire life.
He stumbled his way toward Xu Sheng, stammering that he would definitely repay the money. Xu Sheng merely smiled at him gently.
“I did it for Anke because I wanted to. You don’t need to feel embarrassed about it.”
“If Anke really feels that bad about it, then how about you agree to one condition?”
“What condition?”
“Let me pursue you.”
Lin Anke didn’t understand how a person could change so completely.
But no matter what, Xu Sheng had still shouldered that five million yuan debt for him. Even if Xu Sheng had changed, Lin Anke had no position from which to question him about it.
And with Lin Anke’s personality, there was no question that he would repay the money. It was simply a matter of waiting until the signing fee from DG came through.
The short off season passed in the blink of an eye and Lin Anke moved into the DG training base.
Pangda brought over the things that had been prepared for him in advance and handed them to him at the dormitory. “Here’s your base access card and your team uniform. Try it on later and see if it fits.”
Lin Anke took them and asked, “Are they all here already?”
Pangda waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about them. Adam and Danqing always drag themselves back late in the evening. Jiangnan did come, though. He’s in his room catching up on sleep.”
There wasn’t a single esports player who didn’t stay up late. Sleeping during the day and playing games at night was simply the norm and the off season was no exception.
But that wasn’t who Lin Anke wanted to ask about. “What about Duan Chi?”
Pangda smiled. “Something came up at home. He’ll be back tomorrow morning. Don’t worry, it won’t interfere with training.”
He didn’t elaborate on what exactly had happened and Lin Anke didn’t press him for details either. He didn’t know much about Duan Chi’s family situation. He only remembered that Duan Chi was a local from City A, something he had heard Danqing mention the last time they talked.
The auntie who cooked at the DG training base was a very good cook. At dinner, only Lin Anke and Jiangnan were there. When Lin Anke came downstairs, he saw Jiangnan already sitting at the dining table.
Neither of them was particularly talkative. They simply nodded at each other, which was enough to count as a greeting.
“This child is called Anke, right? If there’s anything you want to eat next time, just tell me and I’ll go buy the ingredients.” The auntie brought over Lin Anke’s utensils and looked at him with a smile. “Oh my, this child is really handsome. You look just like a big celebrity.”
Pangda walked in carrying a bottle of cola. Hearing that, he said, “Could you come up with a different compliment? You said exactly the same thing about Duan Chi last time. You didn’t change a single word.”
Lin Anke let out a brief laugh and took the chopsticks from the auntie, thanking her.
The auntie was delighted. “All the young boys on your team are quite handsome.”
Jiangnan had been silently drinking his porridge. At that, he didn’t even raise his head as he asked, “Adam too?”
The auntie thought carefully for a moment before answering, “That child is sturdy and strong. He’s quite good looking too.”
The corners of Lin Anke’s lips lifted slightly. Pangda shook his head with a soft tut and leaned over, lowering his voice as he said to Lin Anke, “I’m guessing Adam must have gotten on his nerves again.”
Jiangnan usually kept to himself and didn’t make much noise. He looked cold and in reality, he was indeed very cold but he did have one minor flaw: he held grudges.
No matter who had offended him, he always had to find a way to get even. He simply couldn’t stand taking even the slightest loss. The former DG coach had once even joked that, judging from Jiangnan’s temperament, he was obviously born to play jungle. As it turned out, the coach had been absolutely right.
That evening, Danqing and Adam finally returned. Danqing was pushing a box that was nearly half his own height and he came stumbling inside, panting heavily from the effort.
“I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to die from exhaustion. I swear my mom must have packed up every rock in the house and stuffed them into my luggage. Why is this thing so damn heavy?!”
Pangda was startled and hurried over to take the load from him. “How did you end up coming back with Adam?”
Danqing collapsed onto the sofa, fanning himself with his palm. “He couldn’t get a high speed rail ticket, so I drove over to pick him up and then I took the wrong exit on the expressway and ended up driving around for more than an hour! Ugh, I’m dying of heat. Auntie, do you have anything cold to drink?”
“We have orange juice. I’ll get you some.”
Jiangnan was sitting beside them and casually threw out two icy words. “Serves you right.”
Danqing let out a loud wail. “Anke, look at him! He doesn’t have a shred of sympathy!”
Lin Anke had been sitting nearby the entire time, listening to their conversation. The easy, bickering atmosphere at DG was completely new to him. TIG had never been like this. Most of the time, everyone simply did their own thing and didn’t interfere with one another.
He asked, “Are you and Adam from the same place?”
Danqing nodded. “Yeah. We’re from the same province. It’s only about an hour away by car.”
Jiangnan suddenly cut in, “You drove for two and a half hours.”
Danqing looked like he was about to cry. “I’m never taking the expressway again. Missing a single exit means having to drive dozens of extra kilometers!”
The auntie brought over the orange juice and handed each of them a glass.
Adam took a drink through his straw and asked, “Do we have anything going on tonight? If not, I’m going to play ranked. A few days ago, I was carrying my little cousin to gain points when I went home and I got beaten so badly I’m sick of losing.”
Danqing abruptly stood up. “I’m coming too, I’m coming too! I haven’t touched a computer in several days. I’m actually starting to miss my keyboard.”
Pangda waved his hand helplessly. “Go, go. A bunch of internet addicted youngsters. You’re all hopeless.”
Just as Danqing had already stepped into the training room with one foot, Pangda suddenly remembered something.
“Hey, Danqing, take your box to your room first! What did your mom pack for you? If there’s food in there, put it in the refrigerator as soon as possible. It’ll go bad if you leave it out.”
“Coming, coming!”
Danqing immediately turned around again and hurriedly shouted toward Jiangnan, “Wild Dad, wait for me for a bit! Don’t queue yet, okay? You’re not allowed to start without me!”
He had brought quite a lot of things with him, with bags of various sizes along with a suitcase. Lin Anke helped him carry several of them.
Danqing breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, thanks! Anke, are you coming later? It just so happens that the three of us can queue together, mid, jungle and support.”
Lin Anke had been livestreaming and playing quite a lot these past few days, so he shook his head. “I’m going back to take a shower.”
Danqing was already panting heavily as he struggled with the suitcase. Lin Anke freed one hand to help steady it and after some effort, they finally managed to get the suitcase up to the second floor.
Danqing exhaled deeply but that didn’t stop him from continuing to chat. “That works too. Your ADC isn’t here anyway. It’d be bad if you got matched with some useless player.”
Danqing had plenty of experience when it came to this.
“For people like us who play mid, the thing we fear most is getting matched with some orphaned jungler. They just farm their jungle all game without ever ganking and as if messing up the tempo isn’t bad enough, they won’t even take the objectives! It makes me want to get on voice chat and curse them out. You support players have it even worse. No matter how terrible the marksman is, you still have to protect them.”
At that point, Danqing couldn’t help laughing.
“Yuan Shan went for a physical examination last time and the doctor told him that besides his lumbar spine problem, he also had slightly high blood pressure. I’m guessing it’s probably because he gets pissed off too much on a daily basis. You really have to be careful. The best solution is simply not to solo queue.”
Lin Anke’s lips curved slightly, amused by him. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
Danqing clicked his tongue. “Your temper is way too good. The way I saw you tear into the Young Boss before, I thought you were pretty fierce.”
Lin Anke froze for a moment. “The Young Boss?”
Danqing scratched his head. “You don’t know? I mean Safer. He’s our boss’s biological younger brother. We usually call him the Young Boss.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The coffee spirits are watching. 👁️☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · He was substituted off the fieldChapter 2 · I’ll avenge youChapter 3 · Leaving TIGChapter 4 · Point and shootChapter 5 · Join DGChapter 6 · Live stream collisionChapter 7 · MysteriousChapter 8 · Transfer NoticeChapter 9 · Want the championshipChapter 10 · Galaxy BattleshipChapter 11 · Be my DogChapter 12 · Post match ConflictChapter 13 · ReportedChapter 14 · Weibo CodeChapter 15 · Live Streaming to attract FansChapter 16 · Duan Chi’s horse was exposedChapter 17 · Emotional articlesChapter 18 · Match voice recording