All-Round Mid Laner

The esports stadium in the capital city was even bigger than the venue in Star City. It was the capital, after all. The capital stadium was also more impressive than other esports arenas. Every year, the finals of the professional league were held here—at the biggest esports stadium in the country.

Tianhuan arrived at the venue at five. By then, quite a large crowd was already waiting to enter the stadium.

November in the capital was the tail end of autumn. The temperature was gradually dropping. Many of the spectators were wearing thick jackets, but their energy was far from frozen over. Their faces were filled up with excitement. Tonight, Team ICE-Binghun and Team Jingzhe would face off in a deciding match. Ye Shaoyang looked through the car window and saw many fans with banners of support for both teams.

Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Team Tianhuan's car is here!"

A wave of people swarmed over, blocking their car's path. From outside, excited voiced called out—

"Captain Chi, Captain Chi!"

"Captain Chi, I love you!"

The car was forced to stop in the middle of the road. Chi Shuo rolled down the car window and flashed the fans a hand signal. The fans all shrieked, and immediately afterwards a girl's sobbing voice sounded out—

"Next season, I want to see you in the finals! Go, Tianhuan!"

The choked up voice almost seemed to pierce the skies.

The players in the car all had complex feelings in their hearts. Chi Shuo nodded to that girl and said in a low voice, "Thank you. We'll do our best. Everyone, get ready to enter the venue. Stay safe."

A handsome, serious alpha with a deep, pleasant voice had a powerfully calming effect on people. He pointed to the place where people were queueing up to enter, indicating that everyone should go back. Their fans waved at the car while reluctantly slinking away.

Finally, the driver could advance. The car swiftly reached the underground parking garage.

Although Tianhuan didn't make it into the finals of the playoffs this season, they were still a long-established team with a decade of history. They had plenty of diehard fans. Cheng Xing, sitting to the side, quietly mumbled, "I used to be a fan of Tianhuan too. I went out to watch games live too. Tianhuan was seriously awesome in S6."

Xie Xiaotian joked, "Mhm, everyone knows you're Captain Chi's diehard fan."

Hearing that, Ye Shaoyang couldn't help but look over and ask, "So, Little Xing started out as a jungler in hopes of inheriting your idol's mantle?"

Cheng Xing's ears flushed red. He snuck a glance at Chi Shuo. "I just thought… playing jungler was pretty cool."

A period of silence descended upon the car.

Chi Shuo, in S6, really had been very cool. He took multiple pentakills in the regular season, becoming the player with the most kills in that whole season and establishing himself as one of the top junglers in the Chinese division. Later, at the world championships, he was even more incomparable. Chi Shuo was only eighteen years old that year. He was like a new star, gradually rising into the sky. The hopes of many people from the Chinese division had been pinned on him.

However, it was like his anti-fans said—Chi Shuo peaked when he debuted.

Ever since their loss at the finals of the S6 world championships, Tianhuan had been on the decline. Captain Ming retired, and Chi Shuo picked up his title. From S7 to S9, Tianhuan had continuously slid downwards. Chi Shuo's edges seemed to have been ground down and dulled. He never again glowed as brightly as he did in S6.

Ye Shaoyang looked at the captain next to him. Only someone who had been a captain could understand the pressure Chi Shuo had withstood all these years. For Tianhuan's sake, Chi Shuo had slowed his own pace and changed himself. His own condition hadn't declined at all, and he definitely hadn't been going downhill after peaking in his debut season—he was only hiding his own edges for his teammates' sakes.

Ye Shaoyang lightly patted Chi Shuo on the shoulder. He whispered in his ear, "Next season, this indomitable and cool jungler, Little Xing's idol, will return. Right?"

Because he was whispering, the space between the two of them was very small. Chi Shuo could feel the omega's warm breath falling upon his ear.

Chi Shuo's ears turned faintly red. He nodded rigidly. "Mm."

Ye Shaoyang settled back in his own seat, completely unaware of anything untoward about an omega and an alpha exchanging some quiet words. Hearing those fans sobbing and calling out for the team had made Ye Shaoyang feel a bit unsettled. He was simply worried that Chi Shuo would feel uneasy as well, and he'd just wanted to give his teammate some encouragement.

The car finally came to a stop inside the underground garage. Tang Can got out and used the access pass from the league to activate the elevator reserved for players. The elevator took them straight to the spectating area on the second floor, where she went ahead to sign them in.

The entryway to the spectating area up here also had pheromone detectors and extra alpha masking sprays. Any alpha players who forgot to mist themselves before heading out could pick up a bottle here.

Ye Shaoyang had just passed the security check when he heard a man complaining from ahead of him.

"Passing through security every time is such a hassle. It's not like we have any omega players in the professional league. What are we afraid of if we don't use this damn spray? Do we really think alphas are going to get into fights with one another just because their pheromones clash?"

A cool female voice from next to him said, "You're the only one who complains so much."

The man instantly withered, losing some of his bravado. "I'm just saying."

Ye Shaoyang was silent.

He didn't even need to guess. These were Team Beimu's twins—Zhao Xinping and Zhao Xin'an.

After the rest of Team Tianhuan passed through the security checkpoint, they spotted the group of Beimu players standing nearby, preparing to head into the spectating area. The tall Miss Zhao Xinping was extremely outstanding in the crowd. When she heard footsteps approaching, she turned and met Chi Shuo's gaze. She politely greeted, "Captain Chi, you guys came too?"

Chi Shuo nodded. "Captain Zhao. Long time no see."

More than a month had passed since the Tianhuan vs Beimu playoffs game at the Star City Esports Center. That day, Tianhuan had lost 2-3 to Beimu. But immediately afterwards, Beimu had lost 2-3 to Jingzhe.

As two teams who had been eliminated early on in the playoffs, they had all gathered to watch the commotion as spectators today.

Coach Lin cordially shook hands with Beimu's coach, then led his players into the spectating area.

An exclusive area had been reserved for professional players from the league, media reporters, and specially invited commentators. Around one hundred people could be seated in that area. The view from those seats was exceptionally good. Spectators could see the grand stage directly below them, and a big screen which would display the match was situated directly in front of those seats.

Ye Shaoyang followed behind Chi Shuo, heading towards the third row of reserved seats.

When they passed Zhao Xinping, they heard her suddenly blurt out, "Wait a minute."

Ye Shaoyang and Chi Shuo stopped in unison.

Zhao Xinping looked at Ye Shaoyang and said, "I don't think I've seen you before?"

Tianhuan's second-string players often appeared at games as substitute players. Zhao Xinping knew most of them. But this person in front of her today looked very unfamiliar to her. The young man's facial features were refined and handsome. His chestnut-blond hair framed a pale face, and his eyes were especially round and bright. His lashes were thick, and when he smiled, his eyes seemed to light up.

This kind of handsome little ge—if she'd seen him before, she definitely would have remembered him.

Chi Shuo furrowed his brow for a second, then said, "He's a newcomer to Tianhuan, Little Ye."

Ye Shaoyang smiled towards Zhao Xinping and nodded. "Hello, Captain Zhao."

Zhao Xinping was silent.

A newcomer? A newcomer who had just been signed to the team, or a newcomer who'd just joined the club's rookie training camp?

Zhao Xinping was just in the middle of mulling this over when she heard a noisy voice sound out from next to her. "Jie, let's sit over here. The view is good here. We can see the center of the stage on the first floor."

Zhao Xinping politely nodded towards Ye Shaoyang, then turned to leave. Her high ponytail swayed behind her, giving her a very sharp and clean look. Ye Shaoyang watched her retreating back and couldn't help but think that this female alpha was really cool after all. She had such a sharp, cool presence. Lots of girls would like a jiejie like Zhao Xinping, right?

Chi Shuo saw that Ye Shaoyang was watching Zhao Xinping leave. He couldn't help but cough lightly before he said, "Come sit over here."

Ye Shaoyang pulled back his gaze and followed Chi Shuo into the spectating area. They took seats in the middle of the third row.

A moment later, another team arrived.

This was Team Huowen. They weren't wearing their uniforms that day. Zhou Jiawen was wearing a slim-fit khaki overcoat. Although this alpha player was young, he was very handsome and he was also well-dressed. He was styled like a very fashionable model. His slight smile gave him a very refined look. And so, less than two years after going pro, he'd become just as popular as older players like Fang Zhengqing.

Zhao Xin'an shouted from the front of the seating area, "Little Zhou!"

Zhou Jiawen smiled at him and greeted Zhao Xinping. "Captain Zhao, you guys came all the way from Star City to watch the game. That's a pretty long trip."

Zhao Xinping answered mildly, "We have nothing to do anyway, there aren't any games to play. The league will reimburse us for our airfare."

Team Huowen's Coach Li smiled brightly and scooted over to Lin Feng. He asked, "Rumor has it your Tianhuan's marksman and support have retired, right? Have you settled on your marksman and support for next season yet?"

As soon as that question was asked, everyone who heard pricked up their ears.

Lin Feng answered with a smile. "Not telling you."

Coach Li fell silent.

Zhao Xin'an laughed boisterously from up ahead. "Coach Li, your undisguised espionage is too much."

Coach Li shrugged. "I haven't asked you anything yet, what are you getting worked up for! Your Beimu's mid laner has retired too, right? How's it going? Have you found a suitable new mid laner yet?"

Zhao Xin'an really wanted to complain—he'd originally wanted to sign the streamer Xiao Bai, but someone else had beaten him to the punch! Just the thought of it made him mad.

Zhao Xinping calmly answered, "We've actually been thinking we'd like to have Captain Zhou sign with us. Will Huowen let him go?"

Zhou Jiawen politely flashed a slight smile. "Captain Zhao really wants to sign me? Then I'll talk to my club and request a transfer."

Zhao Xin'an flapped a hand. "Forget it. You're too expensive, we can't afford you!"

Everyone laughed and joked together. Chi Shuo wasn't really the type to crack jokes, so he sat calmly without saying a word. It wasn't until a while later, when another group arrived and moved to the fourth row, that Chi Shuo stood up. He turned and gave the captain of this new team a light hug as they greeted each other.

This captain was wearing a light gray sweater. Although he wasn't extraordinarily handsome, he looked very proper. He looked like he was full of vitality, and his laugh was very refreshing. "Chi Shuo, you guys got here pretty early!"

Chi Shuo said, "Tianhuan's base is right in the capital. It would have been inexcusable to arrive late."

Others in the crowd also politely called out, "Captain Xu!"

The man swept his gaze over the group. He finally settled his attention on Ye Shaoyang and curiously asked, "Who's this handsome little ge? How come I haven't seen you before?"

Chi Shuo said, "He's our Tianhuan's newbie."

After saying that, he lowered his voice and said to Ye Shaoyang, "This is Team Yueying's captain, Xu Zhuo."

Xu Zhuo was known as the best anti-pressure top laner in the Chinese division. He had been decorated with countless awards and titles from the international league. He, Chi Shuo, and Fang Zhengqing had come out of the same class of Star City's rookie training camp.

He and Chi Shuo had known each other for four years. It was no wonder Chi Shuo would go out of his way to greet only him.

Ye Shaoyang stood up and extended his hand with a small smile. "Hello, Captain Xu. I'm Little Ye, new to Tianhuan."

"Oh," Xu Zhuo acknowledged. He shook Ye Shaoyang's hand while joking, "You guys at Tianhuan are getting more and more attractive. Are you guys planning to star in an idol drama?"

Hearing him say that, everyone started to look over at Ye Shaoyang again.

The person next to Chi Shuo truly was very attractive. His facial features were outstanding, and he seemed to be mixed race. His hair was naturally a chestnut-blond, but not in a garish way. Rather, his hair complemented his pale skin well. His eyes were extremely beautiful. When he smiled, he gave people a feeling of warmth. He was a typical sunny, handsome young man.

Chi Shuo had brought him to the live venue, and he was sitting next to Chi Shuo. It was obvious that he was very important.

Was this Tianhuan's new support?

Zhao Xin'an scooted over to his sister and whispered in her ear, "This should be Tianhuan's new support. Their second-string marksman, Fu Yue, might be taking the marksman role next season. With this handsome little ge as their support, their lineup will be complete."

Zhao Xinping answered, "It's possible. I don't have any impression of this person at all. He probably wasn't recruited from some other team. He could have been trained in Tianhuan's own rookie training camp."

Zhao Xin'an nodded. "I think so too. If he's new, then we won't know how strong he is."

"We'll know next season," Zhao Xinping said.

Everyone was very curious about this new face on Team Tianhuan. Sometimes, they would cast a searching gaze towards Ye Shaoyang. Regardless of whose gaze Ye Shaoyang met, he would always respond with the same ^_^ expression. Gradually, everyone grew a bit too self-conscious to keep looking at him. They returned their gazes to the main stage.

The game had yet to begin. On the big stage below, stadium employees were hastily adjusting the equipment.

From one side, Zhao Xin'an loudly called out, "Hey, hey, should we bet tonight? On who's going to win?"

Zhou Jiawen laughed and said, "I'll bet on Jingzhe. We defeated Jingzhe in this playoffs season, after all. If Old Fang takes the championship title, we'll save some face as well."

Huowen had defeated Jingzhe earlier. If Jingzhe became the champions in the end, then wouldn't that mean Team Huowen's power was no less than that of the champions?

Zhao Xin'an's eyes flashed. "Captain Zhou's logic is wicked cool! Then I want to bet on Jingzhe winning too. We were eliminated by Jingzhe. We would save face if we were eliminated by the champions too!"

Xu Zhuo sat in the row behind Chi Shuo. Hearing this, he couldn't help but ask, "A-Shuo, what do you think?"

"I think Binghun will win," Chi Shuo answered mildly.

Xu Zhuo laughed and leaned back in his chair. He lazily drawled, "Little Chen doesn't have it easy. He's taken this ragtag team of Binghun players all the way to the finals. I want to see him win one too."

Ye Shaoyang lowered his head and quickly looked up this team's information on his phone.

Team ICE-Binghun's captain, Chen Qianhua, was the most popular beta player in the league.

Chen Qianhua had been in the same rookie training camp as Chi Shuo, Xu Zhuo, Fang Zhengqing, and Xie Yuan. These five players were, respectively, a support, a jungler, a top laner, a mid laner, and a marksman. Netizens often called them the five gods that had graduated from Star City's rookie training camp.

Chen Qianhua had debuted in S6 as well, but he hadn't performed very well at the beginning of his career. He was a far cry from the indomitable Chi Shuo and Fang Zhengqing. Later on, he gradually made a name and play style for himself. He could be considered a player who'd built himself up slowly, over time.

Team Binghun's lineup had been changed up twice. After Chen Qianhua became the captain, he fought desperately to keep his team—which had almost been eliminated from the professional league in S8—in the running. And in S9, he'd actually led them to the finals.

Chi Shuo had debuted at a peak, and his tournament achievements slid downwards from there. Chen Qianhua, on the other hand, was the exact opposite—he'd debuted without any glory, but he slowly learned and accumulated strength until he was ready to counterattack and topple the giants in the league.

This person had a level of courage that was very hard for normal people to attain.

Binghun's greatest strength was team fights. Their teamwork was exceptionally strong. Under the guidance of their support Chen Qianhua, the five of them were far more powerful than a team of five individuals added up together.

Many teams that played against Binghun would gain an advantage in early-game.

But as soon as they got into a team fight, they would collapse.

Binghun, led by Chen Qianhua, facing off against Jingzhe, led by Fang Zhengqing. Which team had a greater chance of victory?

Ye Shaoyang looked towards the main stage with anticipation.

The S9 champion of the Chinese division would be born here!

Author's Notes:

Let me make one thing clear, I don't want to write a main team that just sweeps their enemies away and bulldozes their way to a championship win. I don't want the supporting characters to all be like background props.

So, I also thought a lot about the construction of these supporting teams~

The #1 support Chen Qianhua leads ICE-Binghua, a team strong in team fights.

The laziest captain in the league, Fang Zhengqing, created the poison comp with Jingzhe.

The twin brother and sister of Beimu specialize in taking the outer lanes by storm.

Zhou Jiawen, from the international server, leads Huowen with the burn comp centered around the Flame Goddess.

And there's Chi Shuo's good friend Xu Zhuo, who just showed his face today. He's a top laner who can withstand a 1v2 fight.

It's fine if you don't remember them, our main team will play against them all next season. The games will be a tense back and forth, it's more interesting that way. ^_^