Chapter 12: What We’re Really Playing For Is a Good Mindset

The S8 World Championship was still raging fiercely, with the dust yet to settle, but the entire S8 season seemed to revolve solely around the iG team. Other teams had long since lost interest.

That evening, as the EDG team released a transfer announcement on Weibo, Lu Ziang’s name once again soared to the top of the trending searches.

“Lu Ziang joins the EDG family. Let’s create new glory together! (Cheer up!) Also, in the next season, EDG will undergo a fundamental transformation. Everyone, please stay tuned.”

Alongside the text, a polished photo was posted of Lu Ziang wearing the EDG team uniform—one word: “Handsome.”

Comments flooded in:

“Who would’ve thought EDG was forming some kind of singing and dancing group?”

“You call this an ‘eSports player’? Damn. Most idols aren’t even this good-looking...”

“This is the end of the line. EDG is going full fandom mode now? WE’s big bro would get crushed in a beauty contest.”

“eSports’ Yan Zu.”

“There’s been so much news about this handsome guy lately. Just this morning, his statistics from the LDL league leaked—I seriously suspect someone’s hyping him behind the scenes.”

“+1 for the fans of good looks!”

“Shock to the face of all the beauty fans!”

“This move from EDG is a brutal backstab to RNG.”

“RNG [angry emoji]”

The fanbase of the National Electric team included a significant number of female fans. With eSports becoming more popular, more girls had started to love the scene. It was no longer just a boys’ club; female influence, especially for popular teams like EDG, was considerable. Women’s spending power was stronger, after all.

At that moment, in RNG’s team manager’s office, Feng Ge read the news and clenched his fist instinctively. “Well done, Abu. That’s a smart move.”

Feng Ge was undeniably disgusted—but it was self-directed disgust, not for EDG’s strategy. After all, Lu Ziang’s departure was RNG’s mistake, not his.

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.

The speed of the official Weibo post alone proved that Lu Ziang held a very high priority and was highly valued within EDG.

In the training room, the RNG players all wore strange expressions upon hearing the news, their feelings difficult to describe.

Especially Shi Senming, the support who had teamed with Lu Ziang in the do-or-die quarterfinals. He could clearly feel that Lu Ziang’s game sense, mechanics, and reactions far surpassed UZI’s.

Even he himself had trouble keeping pace with Lu Ziang’s rhythm. Without exaggeration, if Lu Ziang had a support who didn’t hold him back, he could absolutely dominate the bottom lane...

“EDG... impressive. The next time we meet on the stage, we’ll be enemies. I’ll show you that I am a presence you’ll never reach.”

UZI thought to himself, still not taking Lu Ziang seriously—after all, he was UZI. How could he regard a rookie ADC as a threat?

The other four RNG players felt a bit disappointed. Having played against Lu Ziang, they had a preliminary understanding of his skill.

If Lu Ziang had stayed with RNG next season, maybe the club would have achieved better results.

...

After signing his contract and completing all formalities, Lu Ziang ordered two 4K cameras and a directional microphone from JD.com—treating himself to a small luxury that cost him nearly ten thousand yuan.

These were for his streaming setup. Having accepted the system’s challenge, he had to find a way to meet its requirements within the specified timeframe.

Five million followers—at this stage, an almost impossible task for Lu Ziang.

He wasn’t a legendary star like Factory Head or UZI, with hardly any fanbase. Under these conditions, gaining 5 million followers within 100 days was extremely difficult.

EDG’s contract was relatively lenient, with no clause prohibiting streaming; on the contrary, the team encouraged it. Yet most players were too lazy to broadcast.

Entertainment streaming and competitive gaming were two very different things—not every pro player was cut out to be a game streamer. Just quietly playing games wouldn’t attract many viewers.

So Lu Ziang had to set up two cameras: one to capture his facial expressions, strengthening viewers’ impression of his image; the other focused on his hand movements to showcase his gameplay details.

The directional mic was also essential—the verbal interaction would greatly enhance the spread of his streams.

Lu Ziang already had a preliminary plan. While his popularity was still hot, he needed to strike while the iron was hot and convert casual viewers into loyal fans.

He was a man of strong execution; once he had an idea, he acted on it immediately.

---

MeikO, nearby, watched Lu Ziang set up the cameras with a slightly surprised expression. Unable to restrain his curiosity, he asked, “Are you planning to stream while training?”

“Yeah,” Lu Ziang nodded, not hiding it at all. Everyone was in the same training room and could see it anyway.

MeikO, an honest man, kindly warned, “I think you’re right at the epicenter of the eSports storm right now. It might be better not to stream.”

“You don’t know how brutal some of our eSports viewers can be, especially after RNG just lost to G2. Many fans are still angry.”

He thought for a moment and added, “Streaming now will definitely get you tons of attention—the platform will also ride your wave and promote you.”

“But you’re basically walking into the line of fire,” MeikO said, looking at Lu Ziang, expecting him to seriously consider his advice.

Instead, Lu Ziang gave a radiant smile, his handsome face calm and composed. “Thanks for your concern. Don’t worry, I’m all about maintaining a good mindset.”

MeikO was momentarily stunned.

He had to admit, Lu Ziang was a hard person to dislike. His smile was infectious, like a breath of spring air—almost healing.

Both men, yet MeikO found himself feeling genuine admiration for Lu Ziang—not in any strange way, but simple appreciation.

Originally indifferent to Lu Ziang’s arrival, MeikO now felt a spark of happiness!

This year, EDG had been knocked out in the round of sixteen. The entire team was in a tough emotional place; MeikO had cried many nights alone in his bed.

Now, the whole EDG squad seemed trapped in a kind of revenge-driven, frenzied training, each drowning in their frustration and confusion.

Lu Ziang’s resilience in the quarterfinals was something Abu valued deeply. The mindset of a professional player determined their floor.

Without a doubt, Lu Ziang’s floor was very high. In conversations with him, Abu sensed no trace of negativity.

...