When an Alpha is Marked by One of His Own Kind

Chapter 59

The news of Team DG being allowed to add replacement players to their starting line-up was soon announced by the league and team officials. With that, DG would be able to play in the summer tournament. Their fans let out a collective breath of relief, but that only resolved their biggest fear. New worries quickly arose.
[These are second-string players, right? It's not that I don't have faith in DG's standards, but I'm just worried these two didi will get nervous competing in a tournament of this scale for the first time. Our DG always goes undefeated in the early rounds, but it's not like we're guaranteed a spot in the playoffs…]

[I'm nervous. I'm nervous. I'm nervous. I'm nervous. I'm nervous.]

[Okay, real talk? If they're just going to go on a losing streak with these replacements, I would rather they just stop playing now. I want to remember DG in all their glory.]

[Look at the tournament schedule. They're playing WTG in two days, and they're up against COCO and BIG next week. Best-of-three matches. If they suffer a losing streak on this path to hell, they'll give up six points in a row. Just thinking about it makes me feel like I'm drowning.]

[Are you pessimists all high or something? You think DG is running a one-man team? You think everyone else is garbage without Lu Zhe? Have you forgotten about your daddies Wolfy and Money? Have you forgotten how terrifying Flower can be?]

[We're just spitting facts. DG's players all do their own thing in their own lane. They all rely on ZHE to set the rhythm and tie them together. He's the one that makes them soar. Without ZHE on the field, their opponents can clean them up as long as they neutralize Qian Bao in the picks and bans phase. Judging by the way Shen Qiao plays in the top lane, their opponents can clean him up real easy. How's DG going to keep fighting after that? It's not S5 anymore, where your bottom laners can rule the field. Everyone knows ADs are just mascots this season.]

[Oh, you trolls are just awesome. You sit at home spewing predictions like you can really guess the outcome of the tournament. If you're so great, why don't you get on the stage and play yourself?]

[Let's be a little nicer to the new kids, okay? I've watched June and Moon stream before. These kids aren't half bad. At least they're professional players. If everyone plays well, DG still has a high chance of winning.]

……

Once the official announcement was made, the comments section of Team DG's post was quickly swarmed by fans. Besides the more extreme remarks, most of the fans simply showed a mix of worry and hope. They all prayed DG would continue to maintain its level of play.

The fans didn't even care if DG could continue to crush its opponents easily. Even if DG struggled, even if they had to work harder…

They absolutely had to win.

Zheng Zhizhuo and Zhao Yue also knew they were on a tight schedule, and they knew the team had many passionate fans. If they played badly in the game against WTG in two days, the gege and jiejie who were cheering them on in DMs now would instantly turn against them and start cursing their ancestors.

After all, the world of esports was cold. In this world, to play poorly was the gravest sin.

Manager Zhou set up two new desks and computers in the training room for the two kids. He even had the whole layout of the room changed. Instead of five desks in a ring, all the battle stations were lined up against the walls now.

The game against WTG was already imminent. There wasn't any time to plan out and practice advanced tactics with the new guys. After Zhao Yue and Zheng Zhizhuo listed out their own best champions, all that the other four players could do was play with them again and again to work on their team cohesion.