Chapter 198 197: Make history and reach the semi-finals!
"Three to zero!" I remember shouting angrily, "VG swept Samsung and advanced to the semi-finals!"
"We are destined to see the LPL team in New York!"
The spotlight on the stage dome of the Chicago Theater flashed crazily, and finally focused on the VG player seats on the side.
The LED horizontal screen at the rear shows the VG group makeup photo, and the huge Victory logo suddenly arrives with the wings of victory!
The cheers from the audience were endless, lingering in every corner of the venue!
The person on the commentary desk was still immersed in the ecstasy of victory, "After two years, the LPL division once again entered the semi-finals, and it was the first time in the past two years that the LCK team was defeated on the global finals stage!"
"The last time was back in 2014 when Planet Light OMG faced Najin White Shield in the quarter-finals," he kept telling his inner excitement, "It was also 3-0, VG defeated the LCK third seed. Get off your horse!”
The camera showed the contestants' seats, and Gu Xing's mouth burst into a bright smile.
Before he could get up, he saw from the corner of his eye that Mr. Hou took off his earphones and reached out to him.
Gu Xing shook hands with Li Zhixun without hesitation.
Before he could say anything, Gu Shengbin also pounced on him like a Taishan.
"Gu Gu, let's go to New York!" Imp looked excited, waving his chubby hands randomly and knocking over the paper cups on Gu's table.
"Be careful..." Gu Xing quickly lifted up the paper cup with his quick eyes and helplessly complained, "You almost spilled water on me."
His paper cup was placed at the intersection of the table and the mouse pad. There happened to be an uneven area where Imp would easily tip over when touched.
Gu Shengbin forgot how to say mouse pad in Chinese for a while.
But he still wanted to retort with a shy face, "Obviously... the table is not good, what does it have to do with the nest?"
Allen Chu came forward with a smile on his face and embraced everyone enthusiastically.
Duan Deliang took off his headphones and let out a sigh of relief. Before he could say anything, he was pulled into the crowd by his teammates to celebrate.
There was a lot of noise around him, and in the midst of the chaos, Gu Xing made a scissor gesture towards Li Zhixun.
Easyhoon was stunned at first, and looked along the line of sight of his jungler, but he didn't see the camera either.
It took him a moment to react.
Gu Xing was not gesturing for a photo.
The meaning of the number ‘2’ is obvious.
There are still two BO5s left to defeat SKT in the top half.
Li Zhixun understood and showed a gentle smile.
I remember seeing the five members of VG gathered in a circle, and I couldn't help but have a happy smile on my face, "They will face the winner of ROX and EDG in a week!"
After saying this, he noticed that something was not right with his partner, "Teacher Zeyuan, what's wrong with you?"
Remember to briefly recall that from VG bulldozing the Samsung main crystal to now, Zeyuan seems to have not spoken a word.
He kindly reminded him to prevent his partner from having his salary deducted when he returned.
Zeyuan looked in a daze, "I'm okay..."
After finally calming down, Zeyuan looked at the Samsung player seats on the other side of the stage.
Ruler unconsciously smoothed the hair on his head that was weighed down by the headphones, and showed a bitter but relieved smile.
In the three games before and after, he was no match for imp.
The BP restriction is targeted, coupled with the collapse of the mentality of forehand and backhand teaching.
In the end, Ruler even felt frustrated - could he really defeat Gu Shengbin?
Especially in the third game, his self-confidence was completely lost. In the mid-term, his operations were deformed. When he used skills to stack Goddess Tears on the minions, his Q would always come out crooked!
At this moment, Ruler saw that he had lost the game, and his first reaction was that he was glad that the nightmare of the quarterfinals was finally over.
Crown pursed his lips and looked negative. In the end, he couldn't accept the painful fact of stopping here. He took off his glasses and covered his face with his hands, no longer looking at the scarlet word failure in front of him, and not wanting to show other emotions in front of the camera.
"It can only be said that this is the tuition fee that most new teams have to pay to participate in the global finals," Zeyuan adjusted his emotions and concluded, "Samsung showed amazing sharpness in the first round of the group stage, but in the second round and even the quarterfinals In the stage competition, they paid the price for their youth!”
In terms of hard power, Samsung is not so bad.
Their ability to defeat LCK Summer Split runner-up KT in the bubble match is enough to prove that the player level is not bad.
But the negative impact caused by mentality is too serious.
In the past 10 days of games, they only won a small game against the CIS wild card!
There has always been an atmosphere of doubt and worry in the team. In addition, the five members have little experience in the World Championship and do not know how to adjust.
During a losing streak, the original 100-point strength can only be used at 60-70%.
In the end, it plummeted for thousands of miles, and no one can save it!
While talking, the VG players had finished their short celebration ceremony and went to SSG to shake hands after the game.
Gu Xing patted the shoulders of the Samsung bottom lane team in turn and gave them a few words of encouragement.
Then he set his sights on An Bixin.
"It was a good fight," Manager An sincerely praised, "much better than the previous training match."
In the entire BO5 game, he faced the continuous high pressure from Gu Xing. Whether it was rhythm control or operational details, he was far behind!
Anbixin is convinced by this.
Together with the early and mid-term operations of the entire team, it has also become smoother under Gu Xing's improvement.
In the group stage, the winning percentage of the training matches between the two sides was about 64%. VG had a slight advantage, but it was not as crushing as it was today.
An Bixin believes that apart from SSG's on-the-spot performance and mentality problems, VG also ushered in another wave of evolution after arriving in Chicago, and the final score was so clean and one-sided!
Leader An has made appointments with VG for at least 100 games this year. He has watched the opponent go from being young and ignorant at the beginning of the summer split to being more comfortable now.
He suddenly felt like he was playing some kind of development game.
Hearing An Bixin's compliment, Gu Xing showed a satisfied smile.
The affirmation from his opponent made him feel even more happy, and his heart was filled with the joy of a good harvest.
Seeing Gu Xing's face beaming with joy, An Bixin immediately added angrily.
"But don't be too happy too early. I will definitely get back my place when we meet next time!"
Ambition is not as passive-minded as his teammates.
His ability to maintain a strong level of competition since the establishment of the Korean League is inseparable from his excellent ability to adjust his mentality.
In the OGN era, he was defeated by Lee Sang Hyuk, who had just debuted, and was completely humiliated.
Like another Yue Lun who was used as a backdrop, he went directly to the outer competition area to make a living.
Leader An insisted on staying in South Korea.
He moved to the jungle position and successfully gained the second spring of his career, and also entered the global finals for the first time.
It depends on this fighting spirit and tenacity.
He believed he could get up again.
Gu Xing's smile became even brighter when he heard this, "Then I will try to wait for you at the World Championships next year and never miss my appointment."
An Bixin seemed to have gotten rid of the negative emotions he had just lost the game, with firm eyes and a vigorous nod to show his commitment.
Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something, grabbed Gu Xing and added in broken English, "Nicole must win the championship!"
Gu Xing's head was full of questions.
Seeing that he didn't understand, Leader An explained a little, "We are all out anyway, and the other two LCK teams must be as miserable as possible... I feel that you have the potential to win the championship."
And if VG really wins the championship in the end, An Bixin can go back and brag that he was eliminated early because he lost to the champion.
In this way, Samsung, which was swept out 3-0, didn't seem so embarrassed.
Gu Xing was left speechless by him.
An Bixin almost said it bluntly that he wished ROX and SKT would die.
Cuvee, who was at the edge of the contestants' bench, still had the same expression of 'I'm sad but I want to cover up my sadness with a smile'. The corners of his mouth were clearly raised, but it felt like he was about to cry in the next second.
Gu Xing exchanged a few words with him and then walked past him. He went to the center of the stage with his teammates and bowed to the audience.
Different from the group stage, starting from the quarter-finals, each knockout round will go to a new city.
This was VG's final Chicago theater appearance.
The international students on site and the North American audience gave them a wave of warm cheers!
From the audience's perspective, VG's style of play is pleasing to the eye.
Although SKT is strong, it can be obsessed with operating a slightly weak early offense, relying on teamfighting and a little bit of side-banding to win.
In contrast, VG's early attack was extremely fierce, and it was also very powerful in lane transitions and team battles, and there would be no brain hemorrhage decisions.
The entire team's thinking was extremely clear, calm and correct.
Looking at the overall situation, VG's offensive rhythm is quite smooth, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as flowing!
This left a very deep impression on the audience.
After all, most people watch games just for the enjoyment.
Although LCK's classic torture king style is powerful, its performance in international competitions in recent years has also been very stable, winning almost all world competitions.
But in the end, VG’s similar style is more pleasing.
Among them, Gu Xing received the warmest welcome, with many audience members even shouting his ID.
This surprised him, and he waved goodbye to the audience before leaving the stage.
Just as Gu Xing expected, Vincent brought news of a post-game interview on the main stage.
He could only hand over the peripheral equipment to his teammates and watch the other four happily return to the lounge to celebrate.
During this period, the Samsung players also returned backstage and met Gu Xing face to face.
Head coach Edgar was standing guard at the entrance. Seeing Crown's low mood and slightly red eyes, he offered gentle words of comfort.
"It's okay, it's all over..." He rubbed the back of Crown's neck in an affectionate manner.
"Don't take it too seriously," Edgar turned to communicate with others, "This is the first World Championship. We still have unlimited possibilities, and our entire career is not defined by a simple failure. ”
He said to his ADC, "Jaehyuk, do you know what the results of the first World Championship against Gu Shengbin today are right?"
Ruler did not hesitate, "The top 16."
Park Jae Hyuk remembers it very clearly. It was his first contact with the League of Legends competition. The scene of Imp being beaten by the arctic lane control king Genja is still vivid in his mind.
"Koo Shengbin won the championship in the top 16 of the first World Championship in the second year. We are eliminated in the quarterfinals. Isn't it too much to win the championship in S7?" Edgar was well-founded and his logic was touching.
Crown suddenly asked, "Can we come back next year?"
He is in really good form this year. From the group stage to the quarterfinals, only Hou Ye can be on par with him. The rest of the mid laners are no match for Crown.
Crown was naturally dissatisfied with the loss to the top eight this time.
Facing the expectant gaze of his family, Edgar answered without hesitation, "Of course, we can come back again."
Before coming to the United States, he specifically communicated with the club management to understand the contract information of the players.
Since most of them are newcomers and the contracts they signed are relatively long, there is a high probability that Samsung will not make any adjustments during this year's transfer period.
Next year it will still be these five people.
Even though the audience was very dissatisfied with Samsung's performance in the World Championship, from the perspective of the management, it was already a sure-profit deal.
Except for Ahn, the salary level of the other players among the starting five is quite low, probably around 100 million won.
LCK is currently a league with low overall salary levels, and 100 million won is considered low in it.
One can imagine how outrageous Samsung’s salary structure is.
The entire training department's annual expenditure is only 1.5 billion won. If converted into RMB, it is probably only enough to pay Gu Shengbin's salary for one year!
With such a small expense, you can actually make it to the World Championships. The management makes a lot of money, so what else do you need for a bicycle?
After receiving a positive answer from his coach, Crown pulled the big gold chain in his team uniform and finally felt relieved.
Crown believes that he and his teammates suffered purely from the format and lack of experience.
If they adjust well, they will definitely be more than the top eight!
Edgar thought the same way, "The competition was a bit tight and didn't give us enough time. It would be nice if I could study the version thoroughly..."
He took part of the pot on his body and went to chat with the team members with a smile, "We still have to stay in Chicago for two days. We can go around and relax, or we can have a couple of dinners together. Does anyone have any ideas?"< br>
Cuvee immediately raised his hand, "I heard the deep dish pizza here is famous!"
"Okay, let's eat this tonight..." Edgar successfully changed the topic.
The pessimistic attitude that had been lingering in the Samsung team before was swept away.
Under Edgar's guidance, they even began to look forward to the upcoming off-season vacation, planning to go fishing and surfing in Jeju Island.
Gu Xing could only hear the chatter in Korean and had no idea what they were talking about.
But from the facial expressions of everyone at Samsung and the changes in Edgar's demeanor and tone, he could also feel Edgar's personality charm.
Having stayed with one club for more than ten years, from trough to peak to trough, Edgar is undoubtedly the absolute core of the team.
Gu Xing smiled and greeted the three-star team members, watched them return to the lounge arm-in-arm, and then turned his attention to the TV screen at the entrance of the passage.
The MVP selection results of the third round are being played inside.
Still himself.
The injury rate is 35%, and the group participation rate is as high as 100%!
However, the economic difference is only 1557.
The game ended too quickly. Gu Xing focused on ganking this game and did not counter An Bixin's too many wild monsters. Otherwise, the economic gap would definitely be much larger if it dragged on.
When he took the stage for an interview, the supporters in the audience once again made a huge noise.
Sjokz waited for the cheers in the audience to die down before asking the first question.
"From 2015 to today, the LCK division has maintained an undefeated record on the world stage. Today it was broken by VG. What do you think?"
The dominance of the Korean League has reached a high point in recent years. From the S3 season to the S6 mid-season, it lasted for three and a half seasons. They only lost the 2015 MSI championship, which was simply terrifying.
"I'm very excited," Gu Xing said honestly, "Samsung is a very strong team. Before the game, we thought we could win, but we didn't expect it would be 3-0."
"LCK's dominance is indeed very strong, but it turns out that it is not invincible. I think this quarter-final match is just the glorious beginning of the rise of LPL, rather than the glorious end of the past."
There were a lot of international students on site. When I heard Gu Xing’s interview, I was so excited that I banged my light stick hard on my seat!
Many of them drove here from nearby Chicago to watch the game. They wanted to see how VG, which had been surprising since the beginning of the group stage, would perform in the knockout rounds.
Now this hearty sweeping victory makes everyone feel that the decision to come all the way to support VG is extremely correct!
"In the second game, there was a turning point that not only determined the outcome of the small game, but even affected the direction of the entire series - that is when Virtue player grabbed the baron," Sjokz smiled broadly. "How did you and the team make decisions at that time? ?”
Gu Xing pondered for two seconds, recalling the situation in his mind, "When Samsung opened Baron, our family was alone in the bottom lane and could push the lane. Frontal battles were more difficult, and the opponent rushed Baron very quickly. , only Brother Long and I can rush to the battlefield, so we want to take a look.”
"I rushed in with my sprint and ultimate skills. I used my SSG skills to focus the fire dragon at the beginning. It didn't kill me instantly. I cooperated with Brother Long's Ekko. Our two killing lines were compared. Gao, it’s relatively easy to grab the dragon.”
He finally added, "Of course, I have to thank Zyla for the flowers. Que's was a big help."
After the second game, Gu Xing watched the video replay of Dalong Pit and knew that it was Corejj who had made a contribution in lowering Baron Nash's health.
Sjokz then asked the last question, "The next semi-final opponent is the winner between ROX and EDG. Virtue player, which team do you want to face?"
Gu Xing thought for a moment before raising the microphone.
"I think EDG is a more suitable choice of opponent from all aspects."
The atmosphere in the LPL match live broadcast room was high.
Netizens are still immersed in the joy of VG sweeping Samsung, and the screen is full of 666.
It also contains some comments on Gu Xing’s interview.
[Expect EDG to win against the Tigers? Very blue】
[High emotional intelligence: EDG is a suitable opponent in all aspects.
Low EQ: EDG is just a group of weaklings, beating them is equal to being sent to the finals】
[It is indeed better to play EDG. LPL has given up a spot in the finals. The team that lost in the semi-finals has no pressure from public opinion, but it is unrealistic! 】
[Let’s prepare as soon as possible how to beat the Tigers. I feel like ROX can tyrannize EDG tomorrow morning]
[Haha, you look down on me Collier's Dirty Dancing? Tomorrow I will open the eyes of the little black fans, the pattern-controlling jungler specializes in fighting players like Peanut who only know how to invade! 】
Gu Xing handed back the microphone and hurried back to the lounge.
The members of the competition and training department had already started celebrating. I don’t know who bought two tubes of ribbons from outside and sprayed them into the air like fireworks.
The contestants' hair was covered with ribbons, and it took a while to clean them up.
"How is it?!" Gu Shengbin was still talking about it, "Did I beat the opponent violently?"
"The output in all three games was higher than Ruler's. He also won two EZ games, but in the end, he couldn't even beat the policewoman in output. What a pure basket!" Imp held his head high and akimbo, very proud.
"Isn't that right?" Gu Xing frowned, "I remember that in the last game your damage was about 22,200, and the opponent's Ruler was 23,500."
While he was waiting for the interview backstage, he glanced at it inadvertently and was impressed by it.
"Ah," Gu Shengbin waved his hand, his face not red, his heart not beating, "2200 and 3500 are almost the same, they are the same, don't worry about this."
"Same as before, I will have a day off tomorrow afternoon, and there will be a training match against H2K at 7 p.m...." Hongmi lowered his head and picked up his notebook, telling the team members about the follow-up arrangements.
VG needs to wait for the four teams in the semi-finals to be settled before rushing to New York on the east coast.
Before that, daily training had to be done in a Chicago hotel.
Ding Jun smiled like a flower, "I really didn't expect that our team would reach the semi-finals after entering the World Championship for the first time. Oh, it's really cool!"
When he was happy, he started throwing coins.
"I will pay for the top four out of my own pocket, and each of them will receive a 150,000 bonus..." Ding Jun's face glowed red, "The substitutes will also have a share."
"If we can keep going, the bonus will definitely keep up!"
Ding Jun takes a long-term view.
For the team to reach the semi-finals, it is already a good performance in the LPL. After all, the only other team to reach the top is Royal Family's two-time runner-up.
Just relying on the top four of the World Championship, VG can gain a foothold in the LPL league and even become a wealthy division!
Word-of-mouth results and subsequent hidden benefits can definitely make up for the bonuses you give out.
Hearing that substitutes can also get bonuses, the world girl Huya can't hide it.
Gu Xing also has two small round MVPs in this series, and according to Ding Jun, there will be additional bonuses.
He did the math and was shocked by the amount he came up with.
Hurry up and go surfing to calm down your shock.
Originally, as soon as the World Championships arrived, the popularity of anti-bar remained high.
Not to mention that VG just won the key game.
The posts inside are densely packed and refreshed quickly, which is dizzying.
[LPL’s second 3-0 against LCK! 】
[VG single-handedly brought the LPL head-to-head record to a level where they can barely fight back]
[Xiao Gu’s BO5 is really a blood C, it is a dragon grab and a rhythm. The incarnation of Conan who was beaten by the leader An can’t find the north]
[Now the pressure is on EDG and RNG]
[Looking back now, was quitting school a wise choice? 】
There were also a bunch of posts praising Gu Xing for blowing rainbow farts, and Gu Xing didn’t even dare to look down.
Jack was typing on the keyboard of his mobile phone quickly next to him, looking intently and intently.
"Li Zai Gan God Demon?" Gu Xing went over to take a look and found that Yu Wenbo was posting.
"Post a few posts and check out VG. I'm very experienced." Jack said matter-of-factly.
Gu Xingyi had a question mark on his forehead.
"Don't you understand?" Jack taught him the secret. "Now the post bar is full of people praising you. If you post a post with the same praise, will anyone click on it?"
"To experience water, you have to be innovative!"
Gu Xing understood, "You are what they say you need experience but not..."
"I am criticizing and encouraging with reason, and I have never been rude!" Jack interrupted, "I also did a simple review to analyze the superficial problems that occurred in the three rounds of VG, and finally made up for a few A sentence of encouragement for the semi-finals.”
"Do you think it's easy to gain experience?"
Gu Xing was too lazy to pay attention to him.
On the way back to the hotel by bus, he also received phone calls from his parents and girlfriend to greet him, and his cell phone never stopped for a moment.
During the video call, Shen Guanshan's eyes were filled with stars and his voice was clear.
"You are so strong. I see that among all 16 teams now, your Olaf is the most skilled!"
Seeing her clear eyes, Gu Xing couldn't help laughing for some reason, "After all, he is a new hero in the jungle position, and I can get started pretty quickly..."
For those older junglers with veteran roles, they can rely on experience to hone their proficiency little by little.
Just like Lee Sin, veteran junglers can basically play it, so there’s nothing unusual about it.
But Olaf used to play top laner, and was very popular most of the time, so he basically didn't practice the jungle position deliberately.
Everyone started from scratch at the World Championships - only Jankos, the pioneer, took the first step, but his initial lead was not large.
In this situation, Gu Xing's talent was fully demonstrated, his proficiency improved rapidly, and he had already trained Olaf into a signature hero!
"Especially your outfit plan when you return to the city for supplies for the first time, it is all paving the way for subsequent actions," Shen Guanshan said excitedly, "Props such as naked CD shoes or red crystals are just for taking the initiative to gank and get benefits. The green jungle knife proves that I don’t want to fight for the time being..."
"You looked at it very carefully," Gu Xing was quite surprised, "Have you noticed this?"
"I'm not Gu Pan. As a diamond goalkeeper, I have some understanding of the game, right?" Shen Guanshan retorted.
She just finished the promotion match yesterday, and after completing √××√√, she finally reached diamond five.
At this level, Shen Guanshan is already struggling.
She is clumsy, her hand speed is really slow, and her head often reacts but her fingers cannot press the keys.
Being able to get diamonds is purely based on understanding the game in the wild.
It is completely different from Gu Pan who only relies on hand speed.
"Gu Pan isn't with you?" When Gu Xing heard Shen Guanshan speak like this, he guessed that his sister was not nearby.
Shen Guanshan turned her phone 360° in a circle. She was standing in the corridor of the dormitory building with no one around her. It was a paradise for social terror.
"She went to do some activities. I heard..." She explained roughly.
Gu Xing has a deep understanding of his sister's social skills. It is simply unrealistic for her to spend every day in the library and be friends with books like Shen Guanshan.
The two briefly exchanged a few words and then ended the call. Before hanging up, Shen Guanshan planned to say some more love words, but she didn't want to disturb Gu Xing's training, and she was too clumsy in this regard.
He hesitated for a long time without saying anything.
Gu Xing saw that she was hesitant to speak, and thought he had encountered some difficulty, "What's wrong?"
Shen Guanshan came to his senses when he heard his boyfriend's soft voice coming from the earphones.
"I wanted to tell you to come back early..." she muttered, "but it turns out something is wrong. Isn't that a curse on you, but coming back later sounds more awkward."
Shen Guanshan felt quite conflicted.
Gu Xing chuckled and said, "I understand what you mean."
Shen Guanshan tried to change the topic, "Don't let down your guard during the remaining few days in Chicago..."
"Don't worry," Gu Xing showed her the environment outside the window, "The hotel is not very far from the venue, and the official has also arranged a special bus to ensure safety. It is difficult to leave alone."
The day after Gu Xing said these words, team leader Jin Wenhe's wallet was robbed.
He and his manager Lu Wenjun went together to buy some fruit and sandwiches for the team members to eat during training.
As a result, the wallet was targeted by a few black people. Fortunately, he followed the advice of the beautiful country man Jianghu and stuffed a lot of banknotes in it to use it to lose money and avoid disasters.
The two were not seriously injured and escaped back to the hotel safely.
"You scared me to death..." Ding Jun's face turned pale. If something really happened, he couldn't explain it.
Now I just lost some money, so the problem is not serious.
"Didn't Fist say that if you act in pairs, nothing will happen to you?" Jin Wenhe's tone was filled with the joy of surviving the disaster, "It's useless at all!"
"You have to look at your body shape, brother!" Gu Xing interjected from the side, "If two people were announced to be dead and stood on the street, who in the right mind would dare to go up and look for trouble?"
As he spoke, he looked at the team leader and manager up and down.
The two of them have been following the e-sports club for such a long time, and their body shapes have also changed accordingly.
He is quite tall, but his limbs are fleshless and basically piled on his belly.
Coupled with loose sportswear, there is nothing offensive about it when you go out.
With two East Asian faces, it is normal for them to be targeted for robbery in Chicago.
Before anyone could continue talking, World Girl, who was staring at the computer, suddenly let out a loud shout.
"Fuck, Clearlove! What are you doing?!"
The adjustments have been made, all the materials for preparation have been sorted out, and updates will begin later.
7400 words, 7.89w.
(End of chapter)