TCWSITD – Chapter 60

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Chapter 60 – The Finals Begin

Time Remaining Until The Final Match: 2 hours

The venue for the finals was not the same as the semifinals. Lin Jiang methodically organized everyone to pack their things and follow the team to the new arena for the final showdown.

Teammates boarded the bus one after another. Even the slowest, Song Zhixu, had made it. Lin Jiang checked the time—they were already five minutes past the scheduled departure, and there was still no sign of Shen Ju.

He turned to Ryan. “Go check on him again.”

Ryan went inside to search but came back empty-handed. Just as everyone was growing frantic, Shen Ju finally appeared, accompanied by Duren. He had his backpack slung over his shoulder, his belongings already packed.

Lin Jiang went over everything again. “Equipment and backups—are you absolutely sure you have everything?”

“Got it all.”

“Medicine?”

Shen Ju paused, then rummaged through his backpack for a while before pulling out a blister pack of pills. “Painkillers. I have them.”

Lin Jiang glanced at them but said nothing, only reminding him, “Take it in advance; the effect will be better.”

Shen Ju nodded, hoisting his backpack onto the bus with movements noticeably quicker than usual. Lin Jiang hesitated, feeling like he was missing something.

“Captain Lin,” Ryan panted as she ran over. “I couldn’t find… huh, Shen Ju’s already here?” She wiped the sweat from her brow and climbed onto the bus. “Why didn’t anyone tell me? I was searching everywhere…”

Song Zhixu laughed at her. “Can’t even find someone this big? You must be blind in one eye.”

Ryan lunged at him, playfully hitting him until Song Zhixu begged for mercy. Laughter erupted around them, and the little incident was soon forgotten.

Lin Jiang boarded the bus as well, taking a seat across the aisle from Shen Ju.

As usual, the two didn’t greet each other, maintaining their distance.

Shen Ju fell asleep as soon as he sat down, while Lin Jiang organized his things. He stole a few glances at Shen Ju, thinking he seemed unusually docile.

From the back seat, Song Zhixu’s voice carried over. “I peeked at the online chatter yesterday. Everyone’s saying if we win, it’s a huge bonus, and if we lose, it’s no big deal. So don’t stress, guys. Just play your best.”

“Wow, how come you have a phone? Aren’t we supposed to hand them all in?”

“Song Zhixu, did you secretly go find Old Du? Did you go get your phone back?”

“Hey, hey, wait…” Song Zhixu hurriedly explained, “I accidentally saw it! Old Du definitely didn’t give me my phone, I swear to heaven…!”

“Yeah right, like I’d believe that!”

Duren couldn’t help cursing at him: “Song Zhixu, you bastard, you promised not to drag me into this, and then you immediately sell me out…”

Listening to their bickering, Lin Jiang couldn’t help but laugh. Beside him, Li Qian squinted teasingly. “It’s the finals and you’re still causing a ruckus. Not even a hint of nerves. Your teammates really are something else.”

Lin Jiang smiled without responding, focused on jotting down data in his notebook, occasionally chiming in with the others.

Amid the lighthearted atmosphere, the entire team arrived at the venue.

Although the match was held abroad, many domestic fans had traveled thousands of miles to support them. Holding up signs with familiar Chinese characters and shouting each player’s ID, they bolstered the team’s confidence in this foreign land.

No matter what, they had to give their all to win this match.

Lin Jiang led his teammates off the bus. The previously cheerful group immediately turned serious upon arrival. Tall and brimming with confidence, they already held an unyielding presence.

Time Remaining Until The Final Match: 1 hour

The venue was packed with fans. Many had scrambled for tickets to South Korea just to cheer for OT. Gazing at the endless sea of light boards, the domestic broadcast commentators joked, “The ratio’s almost 1:1 here, isn’t it?”

The live chat erupted in laughter, with many lamenting they should’ve gone too and turned the venue into a home game.

After equipment checks and walkthroughs, players from both teams briefly exchanged greetings before returning to their respective lounges to await the start.

Lin Jiang reminded everyone of potential mistakes, reviewed tactics once more with Li Qian, and finally turned to Shen Ju in the corner. “Did you take your meds?”

Shen Ju paused, then nodded.

He was drinking water, his hand strength steady, and everything seemed fine.

Finally reassured, Lin Jiang relaxed into his seat, ready for the match.

The crowd’s enthusiasm was overwhelming, their cheers audible even through multiple walls. This was a showdown between LCK and LPL—a battle for the title of the top region.

This match carried national pride—it was no longer just about them as individuals.

Domestic netizens were equally invested, flooding social media with support. Some even jokingly performed “rituals,” attempting to aid OT’s victory through sheer superstition, much to everyone’s amusement.

With all preparations complete, the match officially began.

As the host introduced them, players from both teams walked onto the stage. HIT, playing in their home arena, appeared relaxed, prompting Korean fans to praise their composure.

When OT’s turn came, Song Zhixu was the first up. Unfazed by any match, he wore his usual cheerful demeanor like he was never nervous.

Next was the unflappable Zhang Mingying—the blade Lin Jiang had specifically chosen to counter LCK. Despite being the newest member, he showed not a hint of hesitation.

Lin Jiang was as composed as ever, Zhou Wen was a bit shy but not nervous, Shen Ju’s hand also seemed much better, and even coach Li Qian jogged onto the stage, greeting everyone with a French salute.

Seeing them in such good form, netizens were showering them with praise, dominating forums both domestic and international. When it came to public opinion, they absolutely couldn’t lose!

Both sides were brimming with momentum. Now it all comes down to skill.

The two teams entered the game and began their respective BP phases.

Both sides had clear objectives: take the first game and lock in morale. Thus, each chose their most reliable compositions.

HIT excelled at macro play, securing Azir and Kai’Sa as their scaling dual carries. Kai’Sa could step up to deal damage in the mid-game, while Azir could carry the late-game.

OT specialized in aggression, drafting an especially fierce composition.

Song Zhixu picked K’Sante, ready to break through the enemy top lane.

Zhang Mingying’s Jarvan IV was banned, so he opted for Lee Sin as a substitute. His main goal in this game was to suppress the enemy dual carries’ farm.

The bot lane secured Xayah and Rakan. Even if the game dragged to late game, they still had solid damage output.

As for Lin Jiang, he was the most ruthless of all.

He picked Jayce.

Domestically, hardly anyone dared to leave Jayce open for Lin Jiang. To limit his impact, HIT banned his LeBlanc, inadvertently freeing up Jayce.

The domestic commentators were stunned by the draft: “Is OT planning to crush HIT in the early to mid-game? This composition is way too aggressive. If they gain an early lead, it’ll be too easy to snowball.”

And Lin Jiang was a Jayce master!

His laning prowess was already formidable and paired with Jayce, a champion capable of unleashing two full-spell rotations in two seconds, it was a case of a lane bully meeting another lane bully. The devastation was predictable!

Domestic fans dug up Lin Jiang’s past Jayce performances. In his most outrageous game, he ended the match in 19 minutes. While others were still farming, he was already pushing high ground with minions.

The commentators couldn’t resist joking, “Looks like LCK has forgotten the terror of river’s Jayce.”

[Hahaha, I’m dead. They actually left Jayce open.]

[I was so scared they’d ban it that Lin Jiang might forget how to play him.]

[HIT, pray for yourselves.]

[LPL fans are sending their condolences.]

Back in the day, Lin Jiang’s Jayce had dominated Worlds. Afterward, nearly every team made it a must-ban, and countless Korean netizens were now recalling this fact, lambasting HIT for carelessly leaving it open.

Under the gaze of the global audience, the two teams entered the game, tacitly avoiding a Level 1 fight.

Lin Jiang immediately switched to ranged form upon reaching lane, poking Azir relentlessly.

Azir was inherently a late-game champion, limited to summoning one Sand Soldier at a time with no follow-up attacks. Lin Jiang simply skirted around the soldier, using Jayce’s superior range to harass Azir into submission.

The minion wave was pushed under the tower, but Lin Jiang wasn’t afraid. He secured Level 2, upgraded his E ability, and continued his relentless assault. The enemy jungler didn’t dare to come help.

They had watched OT’s semifinals. WAG’s jungler had attempted a Level 2 gank mid and failed. They then got relentlessly invaded by Zhang Mingying, never recovering. So the jungler absolutely couldn’t afford to lose tempo.

Mid lane would just have to endure the pressure. Azir had no choice but to grit his teeth and hold on.

Twice, the enemy mid laner faked having backup and aggressively pressured Lin Jiang, but Lin Jiang seemed to have a sixth sense. He refused to back off, matching the pressure blow for blow.

Even a saint would lose patience under such pressure. The enemy jungler abandoned a camp and headed mid to gank Lin Jiang. The moment he found an opening, Lin Jiang suddenly cast an Acceleration Gate¹Acceleration Gate (E) – is a utility ability that places a gate, granting a movement speed boost to any allied champions that pass through it. and sped away.

HIT’s jungler: ???

Was there a ward here? How does he know he’s being ambushed?

From a god’s-eye view, Lin Jiang indeed had no vision in that area, yet it was as if he could actually see. Every mark he placed almost perfectly pinpointed the enemy jungler’s location despite the lack of vision.

That’s what made it truly shocking!

If Lin Jiang’s aggressive pressure and retreats could be chalked up to a professional player’s instincts, then what level was it to track the enemy jungler with such precision?

Old Mao in the livestream couldn’t hold back his praise:Guys, this is literally cheat-level! Lin Jiang is insane in this finals!”

At Level 1, Lin Jiang had noticed a tiny movement pattern from the enemy and instantly deduced their entire pathing for the first three levels, relaying it to his teammates. Was this kind of skill even real?

And it wasn’t just Lin Jiang. Zhang Mingying was also collaborating in calculating the enemy’s movements.

The two would mark possible locations, sometimes leading to branching predictions, but through verification, they gradually eliminated incorrect paths until only the correct one remained.

In other words, the enemy jungler’s every move was under Lin Jiang’s watchful gaze!

Once this deduction surfaced, every major region was stunned. No one knew what OT had gone through to improve so rapidly and so terrifyingly.

Even Korean netizens were frightened. With a god’s-eye view, they could sense a creeping terror. How much worse must it be for the players actually in the Summoner’s Rift?

An eerie sense of insight loomed over HIT. No matter how they played, no matter the pace, it was as if something was pulling the strings. They were always one step behind, forever just short.

“Are they… calculating my pathing?”

“Impossible. Even if they could, the mental toll would be ten times that of normal play. No one would do that.”

No one would. Except Lin Jiang.

Before the match, he had discussed tactics with Li Qian. He was determined to crush his opponents outright and secure an early victory. He absolutely wouldn’t let Shen Ju’s hand injury flare up again.

For that, he could expend immense effort, dragging through complex calculations, and force himself to perform at 120%, pulling off plays he’d never dare attempt normally.

Because this time, his goal was a flawless victory.

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  Acceleration Gate (E) – is a utility ability that places a gate, granting a movement speed boost to any allied champions that pass through it.