When an Alpha is Marked by One of His Own Kind

Chapter 36

Once Shen Qiao finished smoking the cigarette in his hand, he stubbed it out on the top of a nearby trash can and bent slightly to toss it into the garbage after the sparks had been smothered.
He wandered over to a sink and turned the tap, squeezing a dollop of liquid soap onto his palm before thoroughly washing his hands. Afterwards, he tugged out a few sheets of paper towels and dried his hands, then chucked the towels into the bin and turned to leave.

Upon turning around, he spotted the person who had approached just a short while ago-Mo Mo.

Shen Qiao nodded towards Mo Mo by way of a greeting. Just as he was about to slip past Mo Mo, he saw Mo Mo try to spark his lighter a few times-click, click-without success. Habitually, Shen Qiao took out his own lighter and lit it, offering up the flame.

Mo Mo lit his cigarette and took a deep inhale. Smiling, he said to Shen Qiao, "You've been in a pretty good state recently. Ever since our last practice match against you guys, we've all been eagerly awaiting this day."

Shen Qiao flashed a lazy smile. "No need to be that eager. Won't make that much of a difference in the results."

Mo Mo raised his eyebrows and exhaled his lungful of smoke. With a smile in his eyes, he countered, "Careful now. Don't get carried away, or you may end up choking on your own words-no crying when you lose, got it?"

Shen Qiao didn't offer up a response. He noticed Lu Zhe waiting for him, still, from not far away. After exchanging some customary trash talk with his ex-captain, Shen Qiao turned and made his way towards Lu Zhe.

......

Ten minutes before the match.

The stadium in Hua City was already packed to the gills. DG was a powerful star that had seen a meteoric rise in recent years, and they had brought home the first world championship title for the LPL. It was only natural that they had vast seas of fans.

And BLX was an old, well-established team. Mo Mo and Lele had been a famously formidable bottom lane duo for a long time already. In the seasons when the ADC reigned supreme, BLX had been considered the strongest contenders for the world championship-but, unfortunately, they only ever rose to the rank of runner-ups in that tournament.

But that in no way hindered Mo Mo's immense popularity. Within the LPL, he was still the gold standard.

Many old esports fans were fans of Mo Mo and Lele. They placed high hopes and expectations on the shoulders of these two young men. Nowadays, the tactic of playing four champions defensively while one attacked was outdated and largely ineffective. But as long as BLX played this famous duo, their fans would continue to support them.

The two of them, and their team, represented an entire era of the game.

"Welcome to the LPL's summer tournament in Hua City! Let us welcome the two teams facing off today! BLX! DG!" The commentator's passionate voice roared through the arena's speakers.

"Both teams are currently on a red hot winning streak! Whose streak will be cut short today? Let's wait and see! First, let's welcome the members of Team BLX. We all know their new recruit, the top laner Xu Xiao.

"Xu Xiao actually spent some time at the LPL's rookie training camp before joining the ranks of the LCK in Korea. Then, this year, he was recruited back to the LPL by Team BLX-clearly, he was meant to return to us here in the LPL!"

As the commentator made these introductions, Xu Xiao walked out to his own battle station. He greeted the cameras and the live audience with polite smiles, but then his gaze subconsciously traveled over to the place where the DG players were gathered.