Chapter 14: Have you been seeing someone behind my back?

Lu Ziang does not have a fixed position in ranked games. Top, jungle, mid, or support—he is capable of handling them all. As for why he chose the ADC position when he turned professional, it was simply because he had a particular fondness for that role.

In these entry-level matches, there was naturally no need for two top-tier players to stick to fixed roles.

The match started quickly. Lu Ziang chose his hero last, essentially filling the remaining slot. He would wait to see what positions the other players picked and then choose whatever was left.

The Korean server is quite different from the Chinese server. In low-tier ranks on the Chinese server, players are extremely averse to the "support" role—you could say even a dog wouldn't want to play it—but on the Korean server, everyone fights over the support position.

In the end, Lu Ziang went into the jungle, playing Master Yi. He had no choice; his level was too low, and there weren't many heroes available to him.

Jelly went to the top lane, playing Garen. For these two, such entry-level matches could be won with their eyes closed. In less than fifteen minutes, the first game concluded—the pace was incredibly fast.

Lu Ziang is extremely focused whenever he plays, even in the lowest-ranked matchmaking games; he takes them with total seriousness.

After the first game ended, he checked the live-stream statistics and was surprised to find that his popularity score had already exceeded 500,000, and his follower count had broken the 1,000 mark.

The chat was flooding with messages. These viewers were clearly just here to watch the spectacle:

"Shark's move this time really made my scalp tingle; he's riding the hype train like crazy!"

"Who is this streamer? How did he hit 500,000 in popularity the moment he started streaming?"

"A former RNG substitute and current EDG ADC, Falcon," someone in the chat explained, filling others in on Lu Ziang's history.

"Uh, I thought I accidentally wandered into the 'handsome guys' section. Why is the streamer so good-looking? It feels a bit unreal."

"To be honest, he doesn't look like a pro gamer; he looks more like an idol trainee."

"Hey, you're the one who stole the Dragon with Varus's Q last night. I just want to know how much EDG paid to sign you? Pure curiosity."

Lu Ziang had never streamed before, but he wasn't an introverted or shut-in type. He immediately greeted the viewers with a smile:

"Good evening, everyone. This is EDG's Falcon, a fresh newcomer."

"Don't worry about sending gifts; it's not easy to make money. If you have the time, just follow the channel!"

As he spoke, the second match began.

To gain attention in the League of Legends streaming section, there are basically two paths: being funny and talkative, or having high-level, visually impressive skills.

The representatives of the entertaining, talkative, and lively style—like PDD, Da Sima, Xiao Tuanzi, or Dai Mei—focus on high entertainment, banter, irony, companionship, and memes.

Then there are the mid-ground streamers like Sao Nan.

Finally, there are the many streamers who focus on high-skill gameplay. These streamers usually don't have as much popularity as the entertainment-focused ones.

Lu Ziang wasn't good at banter, so his plan was to stick to a steady, skill-based approach. At most, he would do a few stunts. The overall vibe was "sincerity," sunshine, and positive energy.

As Lu Ziang began to talk, the chat became instantly active:

"Wow! I actually thought he was a foreign mercenary brought in by EDG. He really is much more handsome than the Koreans."

"My take: even the 'Big Brother-in-law' can't compare."

"6, how should I put this? The streamer’s diction is so crisp, and his Mandarin is perfect—no accent at all. It’s like he graduated from a broadcasting department."

"Fan of his looks +1. I feel like the streamer has single-handedly raised the average appearance of the entire e-sports scene."

"Visual-obsessed fans are ecstatic!"

"Just another traitor from RNG, heh."

"Is the guy above brain-dead? Or just a dog-hater (UZI fan)? Why is Falcon a traitor to RNG? Don't make a fool of yourself here."

"Falcon's data from the LDL has been exposed. It was the RNG team that benched him for two years, and then made him the scapegoat during the World Championship. The sequence of events is clear, and the evidence is solid."

"Understanding +1, sympathy +1."

As his popularity rose, the chat became increasingly crowded. Lu Ziang only glanced at it occasionally. Many viewers were arguing fiercely in the chat, which, in a way, helped boost his popularity.

Popularity scores on Shark Live are often inflated. Of course, almost every streaming platform in the country plays this game—it's a bait-and-switch concept; popularity score does not equal the number of real-time concurrent viewers.

The e-sports scene has been a toxic environment since its inception, but that's normal. If you look at any sports scene, are there many that aren't toxic?

The e-sports scene, in particular, is a young person's circle—full of youth and vigor, with nowhere to vent their excess energy, so their combativeness is naturally incomparable to other circles.

To put it in the words of a veteran from the Anti-League forum: you could pull any random guy from the e-sports scene, and he could make those celebrity fan-club people beg for mercy on their knees.

Watching the dense scroll of messages, Lu Ziang thought about how he was just like that when he watched matches. During games, he was also a typical "Zaunite."

Time passed quickly.

By now, Lu Ziang had won five consecutive games, with an average of over 27 kills per game and zero deaths, earning the MVP title in every single one.

Even though these were casual matchmaking games in lower tiers, one could clearly feel the quality of the matches gradually increasing along with their winning streak.

The viewers in the chat were having a blast, especially since Lu Ziang’s mechanics were extremely smooth—like Dove chocolate. It could only be described in one word: "Satisfying!"

Especially since this was on the Korean server, the psychological satisfaction of winning was doubled. Combined with Lu Ziang’s occasional deadpan jokes, the entertainment value was top-tier.

Even Jelly was surprised and sent a message directly to Lu Ziang: "(Terrified) Ziang, what kind of demonic training did you go through in the last six months? Your skill improvement is way too fast! (Aggrieved) I can barely keep up with you anymore (Going crazy)."

Seeing the message, Lu Ziang’s typing speed was at its limit; he was still in the middle of an operation, but he had already sent the reply:

"That must be your imagination."

Energetic Little Jelly: "Impossible. Five games in a row. Even if they're low-tier, you had zero mistakes?!! Tell me (scolding) what on earth did you go through (patting head)."

Lu Ziang: "..."

Energetic Little Jelly: "(Aggrieved) Did you go behind my back and start dating someone in the last six months (going crazy), and then you got dumped by that woman (dazed)?"

Lu Ziang: "What the hell?!"

Lu Ziang: "Do I look like that kind of person to you? (Black guy question mark)"

Energetic Little Jelly: "That's good. I thought you went behind my back to date someone."

Lu Ziang: "(Serious) Jelly, I'm not interested in men. Also, e-sports doesn't need girlfriends."

Energetic Little Jelly: "I'm not interested in women (lewd)."

Lu Ziang: "..."

Jelly's reply almost made Lu Ziang lose his composure, because he wasn't sure if Jelly was a man or a woman.