[Time God? Damn, it’s actually Time God!]
[My God, Time God appeared!]
[Ahhh the god who controls time in ancient Greece! You finally came back!]
[Time God? Who? Never heard of him.]
[Chen Shi'an, Chron, you must have heard of him? The god of time who was undefeated domestically and internationally back then!]
[Turns out it’s Chron! I’ve watched his match videos, super exciting!]
[He was the top laner who created the world myth with Bai Yu back then, and the only player who could still stand up again after leaving TG.]
[Speaking of which it’s really sigh-worthy, back then the five players left TG after winning the Grand Slam, and it was like they were cursed, they never won a championship again.]
[Chen Shi'an should be the only one who broke the curse? But after he broke it, he suddenly retired, such a pity.]
[Ah, why did he retire?]
[Don’t know, an unsolved mystery.]
[Maybe he retired after achieving success.]
[I heard that after he retired he never touched this game again, and didn’t attend any events.]
[Eh, then why is he here today?]
The chat at the sub-venue had always been quite bold. After the host finished talking with Chen Shi'an about other topics, they finally asked the question everyone most wanted to know: "Time God announced retirement right after that match, and the account never logged in again. We even officially invited you to some events but you didn’t attend. Why did you agree to come today? And I also heard that your account started logging in frequently a few days ago. Is there a special reason?"
Chen Shi'an leaned back on the soft sofa, still smiling so warmly and reliably, as if time had not left any trace on him, "Because of a match, I guess."
"What kind of match?"
Chen Shi'an thought for a moment, "A match that could change destiny."
After he finished speaking, he smiled, looking very casual in his answer, but there was an unusually serious look in his eyes, as if one could glimpse that match through his pupils.
When the fragile yet divine Lux leaped onto the battlefield, like a lonely and misunderstood soul exploring in the darkest night.
Only two endings awaited her.
Either she would be smashed into pieces, or she would pierce the darkness with her faint light.
When the light covered the arena, bright as daytime, Chen Shi'an suddenly didn’t dare to meet her gaze.
He knew that the chance of Lux being played was only 1%, and that the chance of a reverse sweep was less than 5%, so before that match started, he made a silent promise to himself:
If Bai Yu could really use faint light to reverse destiny, then he was willing to give himself another chance.
And give himself the courage to start over.
Facing the screen, Chen Shi'an always kept smiling, very much with a grandmaster style, "Maybe because I saw some possibilities, I suddenly missed the feeling of being on the battlefield."
[What does he mean? Missed the feeling of being on the battlefield? Is Time God thinking about a comeback?]
[Ahhh who’s match is he talking about! Anyone knows?]
[Reverse sweep? Was there a reverse sweep match recently? I watched every game, did I miss something?]
[You guys don't know? Time God's smurf has been logging in frequently lately, rushing rank like crazy, already rushed to Diamond 2, and using only heroes that are used in matches.]
[Ah? Is he really going to come back?]
[My God, what a good day today!]
[I told you! Someone that strong wouldn’t just stay away from the battlefield! His sudden retirement really made me sad for so long.]
[It’s true! His smurf got exposed! Someone’s replaying his matches! Quick go to xxx’s stream!]
[Damn, he’s climbing really fast, reached Diamond 2 in a few days.]
[Time God’s rank climb is really scary, back then even in the era full of top players, he held the record for double server No.1 for two consecutive years, with terrifyingly high win rate...]
[As expected of my Time God.]
[He’s been retired for almost two years right? Still keeping such high professional standards.]
[But rebuilding must be really hard. I get rusty after not playing for two months, let alone at their level. He must be suffering unimaginable pain.]
[My God, trying to come back after two years of retirement? Basically impossible.]
[Honestly, although Chron is a god in my heart, the probability of a successful comeback is basically zero.]
[To be honest, if he comes back and plays badly, I can’t imagine how people on the internet will attack him. It’s better to enjoy retirement.]
[Ugh, Time God must have a reason why he has to come back!]
[My eyes are about to pee.]
Bai Yu covered his pounding heart, trying to calm himself down, and beside him, Zhou Xunwen was chirping: "Why would Chen Shi'an suddenly want to come back? Did some team contact him? Esports winter really is here, people are getting dug up everywhere, even pulling out players retired for two years..."
Before he finished speaking, Bai Yu suddenly stood up with a "whoosh," scaring him: "What are you doing?"
"Going to the sub-venue."
"Going... to the sub-venue? Damn, you’re not trying to poach someone on the spot are you? Wait! I’ll go with you! I'm afraid you’ll lose if a fight breaks out!"
Zhou Xunwen drove. Bai Yu watched that match on his phone, the sound of the sub-venue playing in his earphones.
Even with the sounds mixing together, Bai Yu could still accurately catch the key information. When the host asked Chen Shi'an if he had thoughts of returning, he seriously thought about it, with a slightly relaxed smile: "Recently indeed some people contacted me, I also have some thoughts, and I'm preparing for it. But whether it works out or not, it still depends on the effect after rebuilding."
The host "wow"ed, wishing to dig deeper.
But Chen Shi'an just smiled, not intending to talk further.
[Who! Who is it!!]
[Could it be TIN?]
[Is it IKG? Their top laner's contract expires this year! Heard they’re already contacting other top laners, very sincere!]
[No wonder Chen Shi'an would want to come back, turns out it's IKG.]
[Ahhh so that's why Time God came to the sub-venue today! Because today is IKG's semifinal!]
[Damn, bullet comments figured it out!]
[It’s really IKG!]
[Their results are pretty good this year, just missing a steady top laner. If Time God joins, they’ll definitely fly high!]
[I was going to bet on TIN, but now I'm betting on IKG.]
[What’s IKG management doing! Don’t just stand there! Hurry and contact Chen Shi'an!]
[Ah, is Time God joining us? Ahhh I'm looking forward to it!]
It was peak commuting hour, the road was jammed solid, and every second felt like torture to Bai Yu.
Zhou Xunwen, worried that Bai Yu was too anxious and it would be bad for his heart, quickly comforted him: "The match still has two or three hours left, don’t worry, it’s definitely in time."
Bai Yu knew. He just couldn’t calm down.
Chen Shi'an was too important to him.
His joining would decide whether they could succeed in the upcoming promotion matches.
On the screen, IKG’s match just reached its climax, almost ending the match in one wave. Zhou Xunwen could tell just by the sound, "IKG is really fierce this year, fiercer than last year. The internal group is all saying they’re charging for the world championship this year."
Bai Yu didn’t think so.
He had watched IKG’s matches this year and also matches from other regions, "I think they can’t make it."
"Why?"
"Their top laner lacks that final touch. In big matches like world championships, a top laner's ability to control the game often decides the entire match. So tournament experience is extremely important. Their top laner can still manage domestically, but once it’s the world championship, he won’t be able to hold it, collapse is just a matter of time."
Zhou Xunwen listened half-understanding, remembering vaguely someone in the group chat said something similar, but he didn’t pay attention. After they passed the most congested area, the road finally cleared up, and he suddenly thought: "Eh, according to what you said, Chen Shi'an is just the perfect fit for IKG? Then won’t they try to grab him like crazy?"
Bai Yu took a deep breath, "It’s not just IKG, he fits all teams."
In Chen Shi'an's eight-year professional career, he had joined six teams, participated in all domestic and international tournaments, seen all kinds of opponents, tactics, and systems, witnessed countless version changes, and possessed far more match experience than any current top laner, so he could almost adapt to any team’s style changes.
Top lane was a position that needed control over the whole game, requiring broad thinking and a vision above others.
And Chen Shi'an's control ability was the strongest he had ever seen, without exception.
If they could secure Chen Shi'an, the team's win rate would be guaranteed, which was the main reason why Bai Yu contacted Chen Shi'an first after founding the team.
Bai Yu clenched his hands and stayed in a praying state until reaching the venue. Now the match had reached the fourth game, nearing the end. Though the night was chillingly cold, his whole body was burning hot, full of fighting spirit for the future.
Zhou Xunwen sat next to him and suddenly refreshed something, "I knew it, IKG is really trying to get Chen Shi'an."
He handed the phone to Bai Yu. In their internal group, someone had immediately posted the news that after Chen Shi'an expressed the possibility of a comeback, IKG's management had even stopped watching the match and went straight to the sub-venue to intercept him. Now he had been stopped by them and wouldn't be released anytime soon.
Zhou Xunwen worried, "It’s getting late, have they already made a deal?"
Bai Yu didn’t know either, but he had a strange premonition, "He probably won’t go to IKG."
Time dragged on. Just when Zhou Xunwen suspected the person had already left, Chen Shi'an suddenly appeared at the door, accompanied by IKG management, seemingly chatting. Then they invited him onto their team’s exclusive bus, apparently preparing to return to the base for detailed discussions.
Zhou Xunwen stood up abruptly, "It’s over, they’re taking him away!"
Bai Yu suddenly stood up and rushed directly toward the bus. Along the way, he was bumped by passing crowds. Zhou Xunwen was nearly scared to death, "Be careful!"
The bus slowly started, about to leave. Bai Yu urgently dialed Chen Shi'an’s number, and the first sentence after connecting was, "I’m Bai Yu!"
As if some kind of telepathy, Chen Shi'an suddenly turned around and looked in Bai Yu’s direction.
Bai Yu was still chasing the bus forward, speaking faster than ever before, "I watched the sub-venue live stream. Was the match you talked about mine?"
Although Chen Shi'an had spoken vaguely, features like "reverse sweep after losing two games" and "sixty-seven thousand damage" instantly made Bai Yu lock onto himself.
It was not IKG, nor TIN. The match that made Chen Shi'an change his mind was the one he had played.
Chen Shi'an finally saw Bai Yu. He suddenly pushed through the crowd, walking from the front to the back of the bus, trying to get closer to him, but the bus was already on the road and couldn’t stop.
He looked worried, palm pressed against the glass, looking at Bai Yu through the window, "Be careful, don’t faint."
At this moment Bai Yu couldn’t care about anything else. He pushed through the crowd, staring closely at Chen Shi'an’s expression through the glass, not missing any tiny change, "Did I guess right? Are you really planning to come back? I want to know what you’re thinking now. Can you answer me now? This relates to my next question."
Chen Shi'an always knew that although Bai Yu looked weak, he was more stubborn than anyone. If he didn’t get an answer, he wouldn’t let it go. Chen Shi'an firmly said, "I’m serious. After you left that day, I downloaded the game again. Even though I tried hard to forget, it seemed I couldn’t. My hands could be controlled, but my thoughts couldn’t. Fortunately, your match made me see a bit of possibility in the impossible, so I want to try again."
His tone carried a half-joking manner, but Bai Yu knew he never made promises he wasn’t confident about. He took a deep breath and spoke seriously, "Chen Shi'an, as RAG’s person in charge, I formally invite you to join. The team is still in the early stages, no salary for now, no fans either. We might even lose badly later and be embarrassed. Will you come? I want to sign you right now."
Chen Shi'an’s voice carried a smile, still so gentle and calm, "Embarrassment is nothing. I have thick skin."
But his voice was still tinged with faint worry, "It’s just that I’m not sure if I can adapt yet. Give me a little more time. I’ll give you a satisfactory answer."
The red light finally ended, and the bus disappeared at the end of the road.
Bai Yu could no longer see Chen Shi'an. After receiving his answer, his heart instantly calmed down like taking a reassurance pill.
Zhou Xunwen caught up and looked him over, "Damn, you don’t want your life? You ran faster than me!"
Bai Yu looked at him, "Chen Shi'an agreed."
"What?"
"He just agreed to join our team."
"Huh? When did that happen? Just now? How did you do it? You just called him and he agreed? Damn... something IKG management couldn’t achieve even in their dreams, you did it. Bai Yu, do you have superpowers?"
When Bai Yu called Chen Shi'an, Zhou Xunwen’s internal group had sent another first-hand update. This time it was from IKG’s manager, who was almost breaking down: The executives wanted to get Chen Shi'an but failed. He wasn’t interested in our team. Now I just want to know which team Chen Shi'an was talking about. I want to see where IKG is lacking.
On the way back, Bai Yu told Zhou Xunwen about going to find Chen Shi'an. Zhou Xunwen thought for a long time and finally figured it out, "So Chen Shi'an was talking about your match? Haha, right, reverse sweep after losing two games, how could I forget that, hahaha I’m dying. IKG’s manager is still asking in the group which team it was. They’ll go crazy when they find out it’s us..."
Bai Yu couldn’t help laughing too. He was really in a good mood today.
He understood Chen Shi'an. He wouldn’t do anything he wasn’t confident in. Most likely, after some rehabilitation, he found he could still do it, so he dared to think about a comeback.
He couldn’t wait to arrange, "When Chen Shi'an comes, let him live in the room next to Lu Sheng. The air is better there, and the room is cleaner. He’s a neat freak."
"Okay, but I found that we’re almost out of rooms. You still want to recruit a jungler and a mid laner. We can’t let them squeeze into a double room with Zhang Peng, right?"
Bai Yu did not even think: "Let Lu Sheng move out."
The car passed through the traffic, quickly heading toward the base.
Lu Sheng, who had just finished showering, suddenly sneezed. He wiped his dripping wet hair, picked up his phone, and the message he sent to Bai Yu still had no reply.
Outside the door in the hallway, Zhou Xunwen's voice sounded: "To avoid long nights with many dreams, better hurry up and sign, only after signing can I feel at ease... By the way, have you found a new jungler? Didn’t the person in charge send you two? How do you feel?"
Bai Yu’s voice was very light: "He sent, I haven’t looked yet, I’ll look later…"
After that, could not hear anymore.
Lu Sheng stood at the door, hair dripping water.
On his phone was the message sent to Bai Yu two hours ago: Busy man, where did you go again, so busy you don’t even want to eat.
Bai Yu still had not replied.
After half an hour, maybe after showering and preparing to sleep, finally willing to reply him: Busy signing people.
Lu Sheng found that tonight he could not sleep. He quickly typed: Signed who? It’s not a mid laner, right? Why don’t you show me, I can help you check.
Bai Yu: Forget it, I’m afraid you’ll steal them.
Because of this, Lu Sheng even more wanted to know. He wiped his hair dry with force, didn’t even put on a jacket, went next door, knocked on Bai Yu’s room door, "Still awake?"
Bai Yu opened the door, looking at him with a ghost-seeing expression: "What’s the matter with you?"
Lu Sheng laughed: "Want to see the new mid laner you signed."
Inside the room was only the sound of the video, very strange. Bai Yu really did want him to help check. Seeing he didn’t speak, he asked actively: "Is there a problem?"
On the screen were two junglers Bai Yu had found. Hard to say which one was better, but it could be seen that neither was very good. Lu Sheng did not think highly of them, "Aren’t these just two trash?"
Although he was already used to Lu Sheng’s way of speaking, Bai Yu still was heavily impacted inside. He silently turned off the video, just thinking about how to reply to the person in charge, when he suddenly saw the other send another message: Recently found a mid laner, plays okay, sending to you to see.
He instinctively clicked, after watching was truly disappointed, especially with Lu Sheng sitting next to him, this person's operations looked even uglier.
But to avoid discouraging the person in charge’s enthusiasm, he still replied: Saw it, pretty good.
Just happened the video was at the late-game team fight, he clearly could have entered first to strongly pressure the opponent's double carry, but instead first sold out his teammates, then entered again, took three low-health kills, looked like he tried to save the game, but actually his entire playstyle had problems, even lowered the team’s win rate.
On the professional field, this behavior was a big taboo.
Lu Sheng watched and began to laugh, bluntly commented: "If you are preparing to sign this kind of mid laner, I think you can stop thinking about LPL."
But even such a mid laner, still had two teams contacting him.
Bai Yu suddenly felt uncomfortable, maybe because it was too quiet at night, emotions surged, he couldn't help but retort: "You think it’s easy to sign players now? LDL just banned a large group, youth training' newcomers are not enough, everyone is scrambling for people, even these ones I might not be able to get."
Maybe it was Bai Yu’s illusion, Lu Sheng’s gaze suddenly softened, he stared at the screen, rarely not sarcastic, "I know."
Bai Yu originally prepared to fight several more rounds, but suddenly had no opponent, couldn't help but look at Lu Sheng several more times, feeling he was strange but couldn’t say where.
Video was barely finished watching, the person in charge eagerly asked: Captain Yu, do you want? If you want, I will make a move.
The keyboard was right next to Lu Sheng, he seriously typed to reply: Don’t want.
The person in charge was a little distressed: Captain Yu, your requirements are really too high, I feel I can’t do this job anymore.
Bai Yu finally found such a responsible person, afraid he would quit, hurried to comfort him: Your eye is very good, just that I need to consider more.
The person in charge regained some confidence: Then should I first contact him?
Lu Sheng continued typing: Don’t want.
Bai Yu couldn’t bear it: "Can’t you be a bit more tactful?"
Lu Sheng didn’t understand what tactful meant: "Refusing just refuse thoroughly, hesitating, low efficiency."
Bai Yu really wanted to curse, hurried to comfort the other side again: "Finally kept this person, don't make him quit for me, you see how late he is still working, even if no achievements, there is hard work, now the circle’s hiring pressure is big, you don’t know how many have already left…"
He hadn’t finished complaining when suddenly heard a voice beside him: "Bai Yu, do you want me?"
Bai Yu’s hand shook, thinking he heard wrong, "What?"
Lu Sheng sat next to him, half leaning on the sofa, eyes not looking at him, voice very flat, like not speaking to him: "I plan to return to North America tomorrow."
Bai Yu’s brain froze briefly, then reacted, "So fast?"
Lu Sheng "Mm"ed, "Temporary decision."
After speaking, seeing Bai Yu not reacting, he suddenly said again: "I quite like the room, can you leave it for me?"
If Bai Yu recruited newcomers, there would not be enough rooms, but he still instinctively nodded, after that reacted, "Ah, you still want to come back?"
Lu Sheng stared at the screen, faint blue light fell on his face, no expression, unexpectedly soft, "Will come back."