TCWSITD – Chapter 72

***
Chapter 72 – Final Chapter (Epilogue)

By the time Lin Jiang claimed his fourth championship, he was just 22. Many believed he still had the potential to craft another legendary tale.

But as his teammates’ market values rose, OT found it increasingly hard to keep them.

At the moment of winning the championship, Duren was happy, but thinking about what would happen next, he still felt emotional: “Once this championship is won, I really won’t be able to hold onto them anymore.”

Back then, none of the six had left because they wanted one more championship. Now that goal had been achieved, and it was time for them to part ways, each setting out to prove themselves once more.

The first to leave was Zhou Wen.

Although he seemed easygoing, he had a strong will. At the championship celebration, he openly shared his thoughts. “Back when I hit a bottleneck, you all helped me through it. I’m truly grateful. Now that I’ve resolved my doubts, I want to explore the world outside. I hope none of you will blame me when I go.”

Duren waved his hand. “We don’t blame you. I’ve thought about this for a while. You’re all worth a fortune now. I can’t keep holding you back. Here, this toast is for each of you to achieve everything you desire!”

There was no tensions at this celebration, only teasing and well-wishes between friends. Under Lin Jiang’s guidance, they had learned more than just gameplay—they had learned a calm, grounded way to face the world.

After Zhou Wen left the team, he joined SNG and grew steadily, becoming a veteran capable of leading on his own.

During the Demacia Cup, Shen Ju took his usual break to recover from injuries, while Lin Jiang remained with the team. He had essentially become half a coach now, spending every day discussing player lineups with the coaching staff.

Shen Ju didn’t want to be apart from Lin Jiang, so he simply applied to stay at the club. With nothing else to do, he would wander over to the training camp every day, pretending to casually glance inside.

Lin Jiang’s popularity in the training camp was no less than that of a global superstar. The trainees chattered around him nonstop, their eyes glued to him at all times.

The more Shen Ju watched, the more uneasy he became. Too embarrassed to say anything to Lin Jiang, he secretly applied to the team that same day for an unpaid position assisting with the trainees’ training.

The moment Lin Jiang, who was giving a lecture, spotted Shen Ju at the door, his voice trailed off. “What are you doing here?”

The trainees all looked up and saw their star AD standing at the entrance, guiltily tugging his cap lower. “I’m here to help with training. Don’t scold me yet. My hand injury is already fine.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire training room burst into laughter. The glass walls on both sides were transparent, and everyone had seen Shen Ju lurking outside every day. Today, he’d finally found an excuse to come in.

The trainees, all quite young, immediately started teasing. “Captain Lin and Brother Shen are so close!”

“Of course! The model couple of esports! If Brother Shen were old enough, they’d have gotten married ages ago.”

“Captain Lin, don’t mind us. Go keep him company.”

“Hahahaha…”

Lin Jiang helplessly set down his pen and led Shen Ju away amid the teasing. “You promised to rest properly. Even assisting with training is off the table.”

Shen Ju refused to back down. “I won’t play. I’ll just watch from the sidelines.”

Lin Jiang shook his head. “No.”

“Why not? You haven’t come home in a week. You’re always with them, and I—”

“Because if you’re here, I’ll get distracted.”

Shen Ju was perhaps the easiest little “puppy” to coax in the world. Just one sentence from Lin Jiang, and his heart melted completely.

“And they’ll get distracted too. You saw it just now. All they did was tease.”

Shen Ju stared at Lin Jiang with puppy-dog eyes. “Then can’t I just wait for you downstairs from now on?”

Lin Jiang was truly defeated. “The reason I didn’t want you coming was so you wouldn’t have to wait for me in this cold weather. I’d feel bad.”

Shen Ju’s eyes widened, round and bright as he looked at Lin Jiang, warmth flooding his chest. “So I was overthinking it.”

“Overthinking what?”

“I thought you didn’t care about me anymore. You haven’t been home for so long… I was worried you’d taken a liking to some rookie in the youth team.”

So all his sneaking around outside wasn’t because he missed Lin Jiang but it was because he didn’t trust him?

Lin Jiang pinched his cheek hard, smiling without warmth. “Shen Ju’an… you really have grown up…”

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the Spring Split had ended. A’Deng voluntarily submitted a request to leave the team.

Last year, Zeng Yuan had shaken off the glory and shadows KUG left on him, achieving decent results. This year, A’Deng was eager to test himself, wanting to hone his own style.

Of the entire team, Duren was most worried about A’Deng. Staring at the resignation request, he felt a pang of discomfort. “Are you really sure about this? What if you don’t make a name for yourself?”

A’Deng nodded solemnly. “I’ve made up my mind. Over the past two years, I’ve learned many things, but I always felt something was missing. It wasn’t until recently watching Brother Zeng Yuan’s matches that I finally understood. People can’t stay in their comfort zones forever. We must pursue something. I’ve already achieved honors many players dream of, and without pressure weighing me down, I should be brave enough to chase my own path.”

Duren still wanted to keep him and spent a long time trying to persuade him, even calling Lin Jiang in for help.

But Lin Jiang didn’t try to dissuade him at all. “You’ve indeed hit a bottleneck now. To break through, you need change. Let me tell you, after you leave the team…”

The two of them immediately started discussing career plans post-departure, giving Duren a headache.

Li Qian, as unreliable as ever, watched the drama unfold with amusement, happily sipping tea and munching on melon seeds. “The sky will rain, the daughter will marry¹天要下雨，娘要嫁人 (tiān yào xià yǔ, niáng yào jià rén) – idiom meaning some things are inevitable; used to express resignation.—why try to hold him back?”

Duren sighed, having no choice but to accept reality.

Fortunately, Lin Jiang, Shen Ju, and Song Zhixu remained, keeping OT’s strength formidable. They effortlessly secured a spot in the World Championship.

This time, OT was just a bit unlucky, facing two tough opponents in a row and ultimately falling in the semifinals with regret.

Lin Jiang couldn’t extend his five-championship legend, but for him, it was enough. His name had already resounded far and wide, known by everyone.

After the World Championship, the transfer period arrived. Surprisingly, Song Zhixu still didn’t leave. Despite countless teams offering lucrative contracts, he remained unmoved, steadfast in his decision to stay with OT.

During livestreams, fans often asked him why, joking if OT had saved his life. Song Zhixu responded, “Pretty much.”

That year, Zhang Mingying also became a top-tier player, attracting attention from various teams. After the Spring Split, he too chose to leave OT.

The day before his departure, OT held a farewell party.

Zhang Mingying couldn’t drink, but he still toasted Lin Jiang three times and solemnly thanked him.

Lin Jiang waved it off, telling him, “No need for thanks. Gold will always shine.²金子总会发光 (jīn zi zǒng huì fā guāng) – true talent will always be recognized. I just happened to discover you earlier. If not me, someone else would have.”

Everyone told Zhang Mingying that Lin Jiang was his greatest benefactor, someone to thank and remember for life. When he finally decided to leave OT, he hesitated for a long time. He hadn’t expected Lin Jiang to be even more magnanimous than he imagined.

After the three toasts, all tension melted away.

From then on, he would prove to Lin Jiang another possibility for himself.

After leaving OT, Zhang Mingying joined WG, just as in Lin Jiang’s previous life.

Upon hearing the news, Lin Jiang couldn’t help but admit, “Some things really are destined by fate.”

After joining WG, Zhang Mingying’s skills improved by leaps and bounds, making a name for himself in the Summer Split. A’Deng and Zhou Wen, now on new teams, also became formidable opponents for Lin Jiang in the Summer Split, nearly preventing OT from qualifying for Worlds.

Everyone said Lin Jiang had taught a bunch of ungrateful wolves that it wasn’t worth it. Yet after the match, Lin Jiang smiled and hugged each of them, saying, “You played well.”

A single smile erased all past grievances. Even though they were no longer teammates, they could still be good friends, often meeting for meals. Whether on the team or off, Lin Jiang had always found his own way to protect them.

That same year, Lin Jiang was about to turn 25. His skills were no longer what they used to be. On the world stage, crowded with top players, he fell just short, missing the chance to compete for the championship.

“No one can stay at their peak forever. I just hope that when one peak falls, the next one comes quickly.”

Indeed, with OT weakened, LPL had gone two years without a championship. If Lin Jiang retired one day, who would take up the mantle next?

[The ones who came out of OT are all pretty good.]

[LPL’s bot lanes are fierce, top laner Song Zhixu is decent, and there are plenty of new junglers. It’s just a shame there’s no successor for the mid lane.]

[Ah, is LPL going to lose because of the mid lane again?]

The very thing everyone feared soon came to pass. On the day Lin Jiang turned 25, he stood up and walked to the balcony, lost in thought.

Then quietly, calmly, and even somewhat casually, he said: “I want to retire.”

Duren nearly jumped out of his skin, spending the whole evening pleading with him, yet Lin Jiang didn’t so much as raise an eyelid. And just like that, the decision was final.

When the news broke, the entire esports community was shaken. Some were worried, some regretted, some felt sorrow, and some were excited for the changes it would bring.

Lin Jiang didn’t hold a retirement ceremony. He left as quietly and composedly as he had arrived.

After his retirement, OT couldn’t hold onto Song Zhixu anymore. He left OT and signed with a strong team, one with hopes of contending for a World Championship.

Shen Ju’s hand injury also made it impossible for him to continue playing. After half a year of recovery, Lin Jiang transitioned into coaching, promoting several newcomers, all of whom were said to be quite skilled.

Lin Jiang as a coach was even more terrifying than Lin Jiang as a player. The coaching duo he formed with Li Qian struck fear into the hearts of countless teams.

During that time, LPL was like a rollercoaster, emotions rising and falling every day. By the Summer Split, it was like opening a mystery box. Every team that drew OT knew the terror of being dominated.

For a while, the esports scene was in upheaval. Top teams fought tooth and nail for a Worlds spot, and the overall competitive level soared to an entirely new dimension.

The sadness of Lin Jiang’s departure was suddenly overshadowed. Fans joked, “Although he’s no longer on the stage, his terrifying legend still dominates it!”

As a coach, Lin Jiang stood on stage with a harmless smile, then led his team to crush every former OT teammate who had left.

Song Zhixu was the most frustrated after the match. Even though he’d left OT long ago, it still felt like Lin Jiang had slapped him in the face.

Netizens were in stitches. So this was Lin Jiang’s revenge all along!

That year, with Lin Jiang as coach and Shen Ju as a teammate, OT fought their way through narrow victories all the way to the finals, where they faced Song Zhixu and Zhou Wen’s team.

The finals were an all-LPL civil war. The match was exhilarating, and in the end, who won or lost didn’t even matter.

Because no matter which team won, it was a victory for LPL and also for Lin Jiang. Even after leaving the competitive scene, he continued writing his legend!

After that season, Shen Ju retired as well, content with what he had achieved.

Now he had a new dream, to travel the world with Lin Jiang.

“A’Jiang, let’s stay together forever.”

“Sure.”

End of Main Story

— — — —

strawberrypoptl: The main story is now completed! Thank you for joining me in this journey. There will be 5 extra chapters after the main story. If you want to know about their previous life in He Gu’s perspective, please tune in for the extra chapters. The schedule of upload will be 1 chapter per day starting tomorrow.

I mentioned previously that I decided to MTL this story because of HE Gu and reading the extra chapters solidified this more. I won’t elaborate anymore but I recommend you guys read the extra chapters to gain more understanding on why Lin Jiang chose a new path in his reborn life.

See you!

— — — —

• 1
  天要下雨，娘要嫁人 (tiān yào xià yǔ, niáng yào jià rén) – idiom meaning some things are inevitable; used to express resignation.
• 2
  金子总会发光 (jīn zi zǒng huì fā guāng) – true talent will always be recognized.