"Welcome to the Hua City Stadium, home of the LPL's summer tournament! The two teams taking the field today are… DG and WTG! I'm sure everyone is aware of the incident DG experienced during the international tournament a short while ago. We must remind everyone, once again, to exercise moderation in your pursuit of celebrity figures."
A commentator sat in the live broadcast booth, smiling faintly at the camera with an earnest gaze.
The second commentator nodded and voiced agreement before turning to the field and adding, "Due to this horrible incident, the league officials have allowed Team DG to add substitutes to their roster in the middle of the season—this is a first. Today, DG will be fielding two kids from their second-string team. Moon and June, and if I remember correctly… this will be their first appearance in the LPL."
"Yes, and their opponents today are WTG, the champions of the spring tournament. Everyone must be as excited as I am to see how DG will perform today. Will they still dominate the jungle without their king jungler, Lu Zhe? Let's wait and see—!"
While the commentators' voices rang out, DG took their positions on their side of the stage.
Five computers were lined up neatly, and the five players each finished adjusting their equipment and putting on their headsets. The blazingly bright lights that shone down from overhead gradually dimmed.
The computer monitors entered the picks and bans stage.
Old Wo smacked his lips. Without Lu Zhe, their pre-game trash talk ritual was gone as well. It left him feeling a little unsettled.
Coach Fang's voice was already sounding out through their headsets. "Ban Yuumi first, then Irelia and Xayah."
They had to tear apart the formidable Xayah and Rakan duo, and they couldn't allow any particularly difficult support champions to be chosen. This season, Yuumi absolutely had to be banned.
Shen Qiao and the others had no problems with the coach's orders. They did as instructed. Then, the other side banned Vladimir, Qiyana, and Renekton.
It was obvious that, in Lu Zhe's absence, the enemy's bans were targeted against Qian Bao and Shen Qiao.
Coach Fang wasn't surprised by these choices. He picked up his notebook and paced behind the players for a while. DG was the blue side that match, meaning they would choose a champion first.
"Let A-yue take the first pick."
Old Wo unscrewed the lid of his thermos and took a sip of his warm goji berry water. Er-Hua laced his fingers together, stretching his wrists. Qian Bao crinkled the corners of her eyes and smiled as she said, "A-yue, don't be nervous. Choose who you want to choose."
Shen Qiao tilted his head as he heard Zhao Yue's voice sound out through their headsets.
"I'll use Jarvan IV," Zhao Yue said. "Is that okay?"
"Okay," Coach Fang answered.
"Alright, we've just seen DG lock in Jarvan IV! Wow! A totally by-the-book, unsurprising choice. If memory serves, Moon's win-rate with Jarvan IV on the Korean server is extremely high! Of course, this is a very popular champion for the jungle this season… let's see what tactics WTG prepared to deal with DG today! Oh, here we go—they've locked in Miss Fortune and Leona!"
"Leona for support, and Miss Fortune to block Jarvan IV from providing too much assistance. WTG has really thrown a wrench in DG's team comp here. They've always been very stable in the jungle. I wonder who they'll play today? Will Moon see some pressure in the jungle?"
"Whoa, okay! Braum is a must-have. DG has just taken Varus as well. Not bad, not bad. Both sides are in pretty good shape right now. All that remains to be seen is how their top and middle lanes will look."
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When an Alpha is Marked by One of His Own Kind
RomanceWithin the industry, everyone knew Team DG's captain Lu Zhe and Team BLX's top laner Shen Qiao didn't get along. They said it was due to hormones. They said it was a basic AA incompatibility. Lu Zhe once said of Shen Qiao: "Obsessed with kills. Lone...