Chapter 60: Heaven Rewards Diligence, Not the Incompetent! [Monthly Votes Requested!]

"That's fantastic! Absolutely fantastic, Boss!" Abu's high-pitched voice pierced through the phone speaker, resembling the cybernetic version of a notorious palace maid stabbing Edward Zhu on the other end. "Little Ye's mindset is genuinely flawless. He's so smart, and every single wave of shot-calling was crucial!"

"Our EDG has always been missing a player like this!"

Nearby, Meiko was casually supporting his arms, touching his nose to pretend to be cool.

Upon hearing this remark, although he had long since grown used to being praised, he still instinctively stiffened for a second, almost triggering his signature combo.

"The main thing is that these tactics of his were thought up on the spot. Unless this guy was hiding his true depth from us, this kind of on-the-spot adaptability is truly terrifying."

As a member of the coaching staff, Meiko didn't directly participate in the draft, but he naturally knew the pre-match arrangements.

At the very least, the most crucial turning point of the game—tricking the opposing top laner and then using Teleport for a four-man dive bot lane—was definitely something they had not prepared for beforehand. It could only have been conceived on the spot.

"Little Ye also contributed a lot during the draft. He came up with this composition: a variant of Sejuani and Akali, paired with Renata in the bot lane... The effect actually turned out to be really good," Maokai chimed in from the side.

"Not bad, not bad. This composition is worth practicing more. It feels like it could become our new signature tactical system!"

Although Abu's game rank wasn't high and he had long since stepped away from the front line, his years of coaching experience remained. He could naturally recognize the strength of the game three composition.

When it came to the speed of stacking Sejuani's passive, Viego was only faster!

Operating on the same mechanism where abilities interrupt basic attack backswings, Viego's Q passive, the [Blade of the Ruined King] mechanism, was even more unique. It was equivalent to a Wind-Auto-Q-Auto sequence where only two basic attacks were needed to fully stack it, taking less than a second in total!

Originally, both champions appeared in the jungle position. While top lane Sejuani had occasionally been researched by some players in the past, she was truly developed and popularized into the mainstream in the Season 12 Summer Split.

The reason lay in the Durability Patch, as the true "version answer" for the top lane had not yet been discovered.

Current mainstream understanding relied heavily on "scaling top laners" like Kayle, Gwen, Vladimir, and Gangplank, or all-rounders like Gnar, Gragas, and Renekton.

The reason top lane Sejuani rose to prominence, apart from her early-game fighting capability being practically in a tier of her own among tanks, was that after Gragas was nerfed, Sejuani's affinity made her the perfect superior substitute.

Compared to Gragas, Sejuani was a champion capable of "initiating team fights from a long distance without risk or danger."

Ye Bo's train of thought in devising this composition was very simple.

When a champion's operational understanding had already been fully explored, the next area that could be further developed was the coordination and synergy with other champions.

He wondered: what is the best-matching jungle for Akali?

Is it a tank?

Ye Bo found an answer from Jiejie's champion pool—Viego!

What Viego needed most was a corpse to pick up so he could "reset." What he feared most was his own team failing to kill anyone for a long time, leaving him as a fragile pseudo-backline with no opportunity to enter the fray.

Coincidentally, this happened to be what Akali excelled at!

Extending the thought further, this mid-jungle duo required a frontline top laner, and subsequent experiments revealed that Viego could create synergy with Sejuani.

Finally, based on the heroic characteristics of Viego and Akali, they paired them with a Renata, who could provide Akali with fierce dive potential and Viego with strong execution opportunities when necessary...

A composition that had never been developed by anyone else, yet proven in strength during this match, was thus born!

More importantly, the effect of others trying to imitate this composition would be greatly diminished.

Because the three and a half most important components of this composition were best utilized by players right here in EDG!

Akali, Viego, Renata, and half a Sejuani!

The voices of Meiko and Abu were not loud, belonging to a normal conversation.

However, Scout, who vaguely overheard these words, had a noticeably more agitated expression, while his sense of urgency and crisis intensified sharply.

"What is the meaning of all this... What does this mean?!"

Yesterday, Abu had already confided in him regarding Ye Bo's contract. After all, Ye Bo was about to complete the challenge, and this matter was already a set-in-stone fact.

Half of the matches?

How did it look now... as if the clause had been tailored specifically for me?!

Moreover, after these two matches, he thought of an even more terrifying possibility.

If the opponent continued to maintain these past two performances, wouldn't they have to put the opponent in for all future matches against strong teams?!

Only leaving the weak teams for me to play—have I become his former self?

The more Scout thought about it, the more anxious he became.

What he wanted this season wasn't just money!

To be precise, he wanted more than just one year's salary!

His real goal was to finish playing this year, return to South Korea, and join T1 or perhaps KT.

Earlier this year, T1 was among the teams Scout had contacted. They were his primary choice, and the other party at the time indeed seemed to show some willingness—because in 2021, Lee Sanghyeok's form had declined significantly, temporarily reducing him to a substitute, and his contract renewal had been repeatedly delayed.

Yet facts proved he had overthought it; they had simply used him as a bargaining chip to negotiate a renewal with Lee Sanghyeok, and in reality, they had never entertained even a shred of genuine intention.

It was only later that he settled for the unfortunate KT.

But now, given that his performance in the Spring Split was already poor, if he could only play against weak teams in the Summer Split, serving as a half-year "pseudo-substitute"!

How could it possibly be possible for him to return to South Korea next year?

The LCK was a region where the mid lane position was least lacking. Even a player of Lee Sanghyeok's caliber spent year after year resisting and contending against the likes of Chovy, ShowMaker, BDD, and Zeka within the domestic league.

Then who would want a mid lane player with an exorbitant salary, no distinct or unique style, and who was reduced to playing only against weak teams?

Unless their brain was stuffed with pickled cabbage.

By that time, his salary might even be slashed in half!

Scout gazed distantly at the livestream screen at the smiling young man.

Even he had to admit to himself that the opponent's performance in these two games could no longer be described simply as good, which only made him even more anxious and upset.

"A rookie who has only played professionally for a few months... how can he be this strong?"

"What kind of freak is he?!"

Everyone on stage stood up.

All four teammates immediately rushed over to celebrate with the returning Ye Bo.

Comparison brought contrast.

Originally, everyone merely felt that this person played quite well and brought about new changes; other feelings weren't all that intense.

It wasn't until the second game, when V5 handed them a victory close to a bot match, that the feeling of being led by the nose throughout made everyone feel the kind of bewilderment reminiscent of a consecutive losing streak in spring.

Followed by the third game, where they immediately turned around and handed back an even more one-sided bot-like match!

The immediate contrast was simply too stark, forcing everyone to re-evaluate the changes Ye Bo had brought to EDG.

He could shot-call, his mechanics were fierce, his strength was formidable, and his personality and mindset were both great. On many occasions, he could even steadily stabilize the team's morale.

To be honest, compared to a source of pressure, who wouldn't prefer this kind of teammate?

Ye Bo warmly shook hands and hugged his teammates one by one, accepting their goodwill before walking across the stage together toward the opposing players' seating area.

Along the way, the passionate post-match wrap-up from the caster desk could be heard.

"EDG successfully extracts their revenge, defeating V5, who was previously undefeated in the Summer Split! Their record now stands at 3-2, ushering in their third consecutive win of the season!"

"Rookie YE has broken through all obstacles along the way, absolutely deserving to be called the biggest core and the greatest contributor to EDG's winning streak!"

"Following his victories over Doinb and Angel, now even Rookie has fallen to him!" Wa Wa's tone grew increasingly elevated. "No one knows where YE's upper limit truly lies. Let us look forward to his future performances together!"

"And compared to EDG, the condition of BLG in today's opening match is truly somewhat ominous..."

[Six micro-matches, five different champions, five consecutive MVPs! I dare anyone else to top that!]

[How terrifying is this? There are only a total of 3 Worlds champions and 3 Worlds runners-up in the LPL mid lane. Excluding the one on the team and the one underground, our boy has already beaten two-thirds of them!]

[Climbing up by stepping on championship mid laners, huh? Looks like we still have to rely on the domestic league king to deal with you!]

[YE: Heh, what Tiger Emperor or Scout, don't let me catch you in the LPL! No good fruit for you to eat!]

[Asking for a friend, is Ye Wen the most dazzling rookie performance in LPL history? He's genuinely ferocious, right?]

[That's still lacking a bit of meaning; there are actually quite a few fierce rookies in the regular season. Our JackeyLove won Worlds in his very first year as a pro!]

[Still talking about JKL, still talking about Scout, just wait! We'll take down your Water-Sailor next week!]

Ye Bo wasn't very familiar with four of the V5 players and simply performed a polite fist-bump ceremony.

He mainly had a warm fan-meeting moment with Rookie~

"Chenglu told me yesterday that your laning is very strong, and it really is formidable," Rookie praised proactively.

"Hehe, Yijin-hyung, you're amazing too! If we get the chance, we should schedule a solo match!" Ye Bo replied with a smiling and happy expression.

His solo training with Theshy over the past couple of days had given him the feeling that his understanding of laning had improved significantly; every player truly possessed their own unique comprehension of the lane.

This was a "special training" opportunity that could not be obtained within the "Trial Grounds," and Ye Bo had no intention of letting it go.

"No problem! I'll have to ask you for pointers on Akali when the time comes," Rookie responded with a gentle personality and great modesty.

Finishing the handshakes, they returned to the center of the stage to bow.

This time, the cheers responding from within the arena hit them in the face, vastly louder than before!

Ye Bo could clearly feel that a significant portion of them were rooting for him personally.

Clearly, just like the feelings of the EDG players and internal backstage staff, many EDG fans had also felt the importance of this new mid laner to the team through this sharply contrasting match!

Judging by the current state of affairs, it truly didn't seem like something that could be easily replaced!

At the player's desk, Ye Bo was delayed by a tangled mass of keyboard and mouse cords, and Jiejie put down his own gear set to come over and help.

"Master Ye, your equipment really needs an upgrade. This G102 is practically worn smooth," Jiejie joked. "And this keyboard of yours... wait, what brand is this?"

"Darshark, top-tier peripherals!" Ye Bo loudly shouted out the promotional slogan.

Modern professional players basically all held a Logitech G Pro X Superlight in hand, and wireless mice were inevitably the mainstream of the future.

The long-discussed so-called "receiving latency" no longer posed any technical difficulties as long as the price was right.

Ye Bo had genuinely wanted one previously; after all, cords getting tangled all the time and the drag resistance when moving the mouse over a large distance were somewhat annoying.

Only when he later checked the price—

Well, a single mouse cost over a thousand yuan...

Suddenly, he felt his 99-yuan G102 was still pretty good!

As for this keyboard, he had even bought it from a caster's Taobao shop three years ago and had been using it ever since. He actually didn't feel like there was anything wrong with how it functioned.

However, Ye Bo was indeed thinking that once this month's salary was paid, he should probably upgrade his gear!

The one who received the official post-match interview invitation today was Jiejie, perhaps because Ye Bo hadn't appeared in the second game.

Yet Ye Bo couldn't afford to idle either.

As soon as he returned backstage, he received a themed interview request from "Weibo Esports."

Weibo had become one of the sponsors of the LPL league in 2022, making them insiders of a sort. From time to time, they would drop by to snag a post-match interview with the daily trending teams, and there was no way to refuse.

He followed the interviewing staff member into the interview room.

"Alright, today in Weibo Esports, we are interviewing EDG's mid lane player, YE Ye Bo! He is also the absolute core and key factor behind EDG's victory over V5 today!"

"So for our first question, let's ask player Ye Bo: how would you rate your performance in today's BO3 series?"

This was Ye Bo's first time accepting an interview conducted in a 1v1 small cubicle.

However, he never suffered from stage fright; he raised the microphone and began to answer.

"I'd give myself an 80 points. Deduct 20 points so I won't get too proud~"

The staff member smiled. Interviewers loved guests who brought their own entertainment value, as it prevented awkward silences and generated better topics of conversation.

"Alright, now we know that player Ye Bo, as a rookie newcomer, has already achieved a three-match win streak in major matches right upon his debut in the top tier league. Moreover, your MVP count is far ahead, and you have consecutively defeated two championship mid laners and one runner-up mid laner..."

"So regarding your subsequent opponents, do you have any expectations? Or rather, is there any specific opponent you particularly want to play against?"

Ye Bo first responded naturally, "I don't really have any expectations. Opponents don't really make a difference to me; I'll face all of them with everything I've got."

"As for specific opponents I want to play against..."

Saying this, Ye Bo paused to think carefully.

He found that the first ID that popped into his mind was one he couldn't bypass.

"Although it might still be a bit too early for me to talk about this, if I must name an opponent I particularly, particularly want to play against, it would definitely be player Faker!"

"A mid laner who doesn't want to solo-kill Faker is not a good mid laner!"

The staff member was slightly surprised by this answer, but it was clearly well within reason.

Following that, the topic shifted to the next question: "Ah, in today's matchup, player Ye Bo successively pulled out two of your signature picks, both of which delivered dazzling and unexpected performances. But I think what everyone is even more curious about is why, when you practice new heroes like Akali and Taliyah, you also possess an understanding that surpasses ordinary people?"

"Is there some shortcut to mastering them quickly?"

Ye Bo answered earnestly, "There aren't really any shortcuts. It's just practicing more, reviewing replays more. Practice a hundred times, and its meaning will naturally reveal itself!"

"Oh? Would it be convenient to ask roughly how many matches you practice every day?"

"Seventy or eighty games... uh, I mean counting scrims and solo matches combined, of course."

Ye Bo accidentally blurted out the truth.

Fortunately, the other person wore a suggestive "I understand, I understand" expression, raised a single thumb and index finger in acknowledgment, and did not press further.

"Then lastly, let's talk about club life. Can you tell us who you get along with best after joining the team?"

"Everyone is really nice to me. If I have to name someone, it's Jiejie. After all, we're the only ones who can be considered peers."

It wasn't that the other three weren't good.

Flandre was his roommate and usually took good care of Ye Bo, but Ye Bo genuinely lacked an understanding of celebrity fandom and ACG culture, leaving them with few shared topics. That was why the two of them often wore headphones and kept to themselves in the dorm.

As for the bot lane duo, their personalities were relatively more reserved—or perhaps because they were a bit "older" in terms of age, they definitely belonged to a "previous generation" within the esports circle, leaving them with truly no common topics either.

At the very end, the staff member also threw in a flash-quiz with rapid-fire questions about daily life.

"Favorite fruit?"

"Bananas!"

"Do you like dogs or cats?"

"Cats! Our base has lots of cats, and every single one of them is super affectionate with me!" When Ye Bo said this, he seemed to carry an inexplicable sense of pride, as if he had just won some kind of championship.

"Favorite signature champion? You can only pick one, oh."

"Just one... then it's Akali. I feel like there are still many aspects of my Akali that haven't been shown yet, and I hope I have the chance to perform them for everyone!"

Walking out of the interview room on his way back, Ye Bo checked the extra rewards gained from this match.

[Congratulations! "Limit Mechanics" (Yone) triggered!]

[Congratulations! "Limit Mechanics" (Akali) triggered!]

That sequence of "Triangle Kill" with Yone earned a reward of {10,000} EXP.

Meanwhile, the tower-dive operation + hidden-shuriken falcon-dance counter-kill operation with Akali each yielded {5000} EXP rewards.

Because both were at peak level seven, all rewards overflowed to MAX and were added directly to the EXP pool, making the EXP pool bountiful once again.

However, Ye Bo was in no rush to use them, as there was no urgent demand for the time being.

He would just treat them as a backup hidden energy reserve...

Since Weibo wasn't an official platform, the process wasn't as formal and didn't require much preparation, making it relatively brief.

Therefore, when Ye Bo finished and returned backstage, Jiejie's post-match interview hadn't concluded yet.

And when YuShuai in front of the screen asked the hot-button question: "EDG made two substitutions today. What kind of considerations did you make? Were you researching a special tactical system?"

Jiejie answered Scout first, wearing an utterly honest expression: "Um, pretty much. Ruicheng-hyung is our old system core, and Ruicheng-hyung tried his best today..."

"However, regarding Master Ye... player Ye Bo!"

"Player Ye Bo is really amazing. This is all the result of his usual hard work. You guys probably don't know this, but every time he finishes a match and goes back, when the rest of us are about to rest, he's still practicing. He often drags me and Flandre along too. We all suspect he's a robot running on rocket fuel."

"Including the game three composition and the macro shot-calling throughout the entire match, he was the absolute core driving force behind their execution!"

"And to secretly tell everyone, the rumor that Master Ye sleepwalks is true, hehe. When he sleepwalks, he thinks about how to play matches, and Flandre now has a psychological shadow regarding the dish 'Double-Fried Slippery Eggs'..."

Hearing the two mid laners' contrasting attitudes amused the livestream chat immensely.

One was honest and brief with a few words, acting as if he didn't dare say too much.

Another spoke endlessly without pause, unconsciously using nicknames again, as if he could never finish talking.

[Taoist: I should be under the table~ not here~]

[Obviously I came first!!]

[To be honest, Jiejie already pays a lot of attention to brotherhood. How could anyone try their hardest in this second game? That's purely a mid lane gap!]

[An outsider's words are the truest. This is what you call divine diligence rewarding effort! As an old fan who watched from the Auntie-Ge era, I'm truly emotional.]

[One-third of the truth: it still depends on the person. Diligence rewards effort, but it doesn't reward trash and XX!]

[Indeed, if he can genuinely maintain this mindset all along, it really feels like seeing the dawn of an LPL homegrown mid lane god!]

[Our boy got another MVP today. Playing like this means it's over for real! Taoist Saint hasn't just had his chair stolen, even his title is gone! Completely finished!]

Clearly, for various reasons, this match had a far-reaching impact.

And Ye Bo's fame, built upon his previous accumulations, fermented continuously through this event, erupting with accumulated strength!