Chapter Four: Wandering Through Life, Regretting Never Having Met a Worthy Patron
The following match quickly turned into a joyous occasion for Luo Ji’s side.
Half of Camille was already down, and after he caught the mid laner once again, the enemy jungler—already annoyed by the top laner’s constant trash talk—was pushed to his limit. Then the mid laner started berating the top laner, which delighted Luo Ji, who eagerly fanned the flames from the sidelines.
But that wasn’t enough!
If the chat had still been open, Luo Ji would have gladly stirred the pot further. Unfortunately, all chats had been disabled on October 21 during Season 11, and since it was already post-Season 11, November onward, he couldn't use that trick to escalate tensions anymore.
So how to widen the advantage now?
Simple.
No need to drag the bot lane into the fray again. With EZreal and Lulu down there surviving as best they could without hard crowd control, the key now was to ignite the emotions of one enemy player.
Thus...
Camille on the top lane was given a taste of the respect a top-tier LPL top laner deserves—a young player experiencing the cruel realities of the Rift’s Qingming Festival.
He utterly collapsed.
By mid-game teamfights, Luo Ji’s strategy was clear: the top laner was melting down, so he would surely blame the jungler. The jungler was seething. The mid laner, having been caught, was also displeased.
In that moment...
Why not just unleash the ultimate directly on the enemy bot lane duo?
Throughout the entire match, Luo Ji played with a formula: retreat swiftly as the wind, maneuver stealthily like a forest, plunder like a blazing fire, and stand immovable like a mountain when allies are in danger.
No need to dominate a single lane.
No need to show off flashy mechanics.
Luo Ji, streaming live, knew perfectly well he was performing for the audience, not competing in a professional match.
These days, who watches instructional videos? To attract viewers, you must either dazzle them or captivate them, just like in the arts where all but chess have become thrilling spectacles.
Sure enough.
When Rumble, who had been left undisturbed to farm and holding several kills, unleashed his ultimate, the enemy bot lane—Caitlyn and Lux—finally felt the true meaning of hellfire reflected in the eastern waters, a fierce strike deep inside enemy lines.
One ultimate.
Only about two seconds of exposure, and half of Lux’s health evaporated instantly.
What’s even the point of fighting?
“Damn, that damage!?”
“A normally farmed Rumble is already absurd, let alone this one who’s been left unchecked.”
“Bad influence! Streamer, could you please not cut this clip? I’m afraid others will pick this up.”
“Hidden tricks, huh? There are bad actors in the crowd!”
With Rumble and Graves both massively farmed, and no actors on the enemy team to sabotage the game, this match’s victory was firmly in Luo Ji’s hands.
Especially after the game ended.
When the scoreboard finally appeared and both teams could speak in the same channel again, the Pandora’s box was unleashed.
What started as a few players exchanging texts quickly escalated into a massive wave, with more and more players joining the fray, sparking a flood of Tibetan language messages.
Soon, a full-blown war of words erupted, as everyone hammered the ancient god’s incantations to suppress the opposing side.
The power of text was on full display.
Swarms of viewers fell one after another under the onslaught of messages. Amidst the chaos, phrases invoking body, spirit, family, money, and friends were hurled back and forth, filling the chatroom with a festive atmosphere.
A group gathered to talk about parents, the future, life—hearts pounding, cheeks flushed, greetings flowing endlessly—it was clear that youth had never really left.
The scene was so lively that if you didn’t know a few phrases in Tibetan, you’d feel out of place joining in.
Too bad the room only allowed ten players max; otherwise, this emotional resonance could have easily propelled Luo Ji’s stream into the fourth tier of audience engagement.
For the rest of the stream that morning, Luo Ji played almost by the book. Except for one or two matches where teammates faltered beyond help, his trick of psyching out teammates worked almost every time.
This style earned high praise from viewers.
Usually, when climbing ranks, no one thinks so much—they just grind it out with knives, pushing ahead in good games and surrendering in bad ones, rarely using their brains.
But now...
It seemed that occasionally thinking things through wasn’t so bad.
Offscreen, Rookie’s eyes sparkled after watching all morning.
For a pro like him, watching others play League often made him sleepy—after all, he worked with it daily. Watching the game on vacation felt like a waste of time.
Most would avoid even passing by their company on a day off, feeling cursed just by stepping outside.
But not today.
He genuinely watched intently until Luo Ji ended his stream.
He saw Luo Ji’s hidden fundamentals behind the camera, the terrifying macro vision of the opposing team, and an extraordinary ability to manage team atmosphere.
Why had Xiaohu been able to attend so many World Championships?
Aside from the lack of mid-laners in LPL, the key was that he was the team’s morale booster.
Such players can ease tension during losses, preventing the team from collapsing under pressure.
Xiaohu was one; Doinb was one; even Saint枪哥 could be counted among them—but Luo Ji wasn’t. None of the original V5 roster was.
“How about it? Feeling the urge yet?” came the voice on the phone.
Rookie realized he’d been watching the stream all morning and hadn’t hung up the call. His voice was dry from not drinking water all day.
“Hero pool?”
“I guarantee it.”
“Match experience?”
“I coached him.”
“Contract?”
“It expires in a few days.”
Rookie was stunned. He asked, “Why do you care so much about him? Is he your dad’s illegitimate son?”
“No way,” Saint枪哥 replied, scratching his ear.
“We don’t even share a surname. But this kid is strange—he just makes people feel comfortable. You’ll understand when you meet him.”
“Alright, bye.”
“Wait, almost forgot—heard you’re bringing your family along. Help sort out his contract too; he’s pretty broke.”
Rookie: “???”
You still say he’s not your dad’s illegitimate son?!
...
In the following days, Luo Ji continued streaming by day, waiting for trial invitations by night. He even proactively applied to clubs that hadn’t invited him.
No matter if it worked, he’d try first.
Five or six days later, his own contract expired. Then he started visiting clubs.
Turns out, he had been overthinking.
He hoped to leverage those lower-tier teams to raise his worth. But those teams had seen every kind of trial player and weren’t impressed. They acted indifferent and even tried to lowball him on price and contract length.
How could he stand that?
He was short on money but not desperate enough to sell himself. The highest offer came from RNG, a prestigious club standing out among the lower-tier teams.
But he didn’t dare go.
He feared he lacked A Le’s luck—what if RNG actually signed him?
“Damn it.”
“Not only did I fail the time travel, but no one even has the eye to recognize talent?”
At the park, after walking through several lower-tier teams, Luo Ji sat on a bench, already feeling discouraged. If he had to sign a five- or ten-year contract paying only a few thousand more than academy wages, it might be better not to go pro at all and just stay at EDG’s academy.
Beating up scrubs in LDL might be boring, but it was stable.
Just as he thought this, a sudden ringing phone shattered his thoughts.
“You love me~ I love you~ Mixue Bingcheng, so sweet.”
“You love me~ I love you~ Mixue Bingcheng, so sweet.”
He answered reflexively.
On the other end, a somewhat unfamiliar voice said:
“Hello, is this player Luo Ji?”
“Our company has noticed your resume. Are you available to attend a trial at V5 Esports Club? The trial location is...”
The voice continued, but Luo Ji’s mind went blank when he heard “V5 Esports Club.”
What was V5’s roster in Season 12?
Let him think.
Mid was Rookie, jungle Karsa, bot lane was Niuzi xiao Yan and PPGOD, with substitute XLB.
Strong mid-jungle synergy, though a bit old and prone to burnout.
Promising bot lane if they didn’t mess around, but weak support.
Who was top?
Rich, the “Wealthy Bro.”
Damn!
Could it be that he was really going to compete for Rich’s spot? Otherwise, why would Rookie’s connection send the trial invitation to another top laner?
His mind scrambled, but he quickly confirmed the trial date.
If it was V5, even a lower salary was acceptable.
Because V5’s headquarters was in Nanjiang.
He knew that place too well—it felt like going home. For most workers, their life story was:
Three years of college wasted, graduating and rushing to Nanjiang overnight.
A youth determined to leave the hometown, working night shifts in an electronics factory.
Tears soaking pig’s feet rice, vowing to make a million.
Online romance scammed out of 800 yuan, sealing off his heart forever.
Thinking he finally had a good trial option, though unsure if it would work out, he happily shared the news with Saint枪哥.
“Dude, you pulled an SSR in the lottery.”
“Oh yeah? And?”
Saint枪哥’s voice was lazy, indifferent.
“Means you got a good team offering a trial. Don’t rush, kid. Most trials are just for show; usually, only the pre-decided player gets the spot.”
“Pre-decided?” Luo Ji’s face stiffened, recalling the old Rich.
“Anyway, they invited you, so try it out. If it fails, come back anytime. You can still get a substitute spot.”
“Really? Luo Ji, drifting for half a life, only regrets not finding a wise master. If you don’t abandon me, I vow to be your sworn son!!!”
“Better not. I’d have to watch my back for you stabbing me in the kidneys every day.”
Hearing Saint枪哥’s words, Luo Ji was so touched he almost wanted to rush over and sing Spring Shadow with him. Failing that, they could make dumplings together.
What a good man.
Most people would try to crush a younger rival in their position, but this guy didn’t—he even helped introduce him to a team’s substitute spot.
Not everyone is a Li Xunhuan.
————————————
The next day.
When Luo Ji arrived at V5’s club entrance, by coincidence, Rich walked out just behind him, expressionless, passing right by.
Luo Ji: ?
What? Rich had already been here and left? Had the trial ended before he even started?
For a moment, he hesitated about going in.
But...
The ingrained Chinese DNA kicked in. “Since you’re here, might as well give it a shot.” No matter the connections, the trial had to be completed. He vowed to perform explosively and make them regret it!
To show them!
What it means to say, “The east bank turns to the west after thirty years—don’t underestimate the poor young man!”
As for north or south?
Ahem~
Thirty years might not be enough.
With that thought, Luo Ji’s nerves vanished. Knowing the outcome, the process became calm.
“Bring it on!”
“Big V Tianlong, your lucky charm for sixteen straight losses to Seven Nico is here~!”
With the door shaking violently.
That day.
Everyone at V5 remembered the new kid whose chuunibyou antics spread like wildfire through the club (not really).
Perhaps due to his steady mindset, Luo Ji felt terrifyingly perfect during the trial.
He crushed opponents in lane with aggressive champions, turned teamfights around with utility picks, and stylishly avoided his most familiar heroes, choosing different ones in consecutive matches. He figured it was just a formality, and after showing his flawless skills, they’d regret passing him up.
Until now, he still felt like just a participant.
Rich had probably passed already. Besides Rich, he noticed Nofe, the coach who had joined V5 with Rookie in the original world, was also present.
But it didn’t matter.
He had perfectly showcased his talent.
As an adult, though he cursed inwardly, he didn’t resent the connections—only that the connected player wasn’t him.
Humans are strange creatures.
If memory served, V5’s regular season had been impressive, but they faltered in playoffs and failed to make Worlds, showing potential but lacking the final push.
Since he couldn’t be V5’s savior, he would at least be the “white moonlight” in the villain’s heart of the regretful story—waiting for his chance to shine on a better team and make them all regret it!
Luo Ji grew calmer with the thought and even looked forward to that moment.
When the trial ended, as Nofe and several unfamiliar V5 managers calmly approached, Luo Ji prepared himself for a graceful exit after rejection.
Until...
They stopped before him.
Nofe glanced around at the assistants and analysts, then smiled:
“Looks like we don’t need any further discussion. We’ve reached a final decision.”
“Congratulations, Luo Ji.”
“From today, the gates of V5 officially open to you.”
...
“Huh?”