Early the next morning, Chi Shu arrived at the conference room with the rookies who passed the interview.
Head coach Brother Rui briefly explained the rules of Team GD to them, handed out a training schedule, and then let the four of them train with Team GD's trainees.
Every afternoon from 2 to 6 PM was four hours of basic training, including last-hitting, hero operation details, etc. Everyone practiced on their own. The training software developed by the club monitored each player's data in real-time and automatically recorded the screen, making it impossible to slack off.
The three hours from 8 to 11 PM were for group training. Practicing lineups in internal scrims, or scheduling scrims with other teams, followed by replay analysis and summarization. Training ended at 12 AM. The rest of the time was self-arranged; night owls who didn't want to sleep could duo-queue in ranked or play casual games to relax.
The 3 trainees accepted with Chi Shu were all 16 or 17-year-old teenagers, their faces full of youth and immaturity. Chi Shu was 21, and with his calm and steady personality, he always seemed out of place among a group of trainees.
The teenagers whispered privately: "What's up with this bro? Running here to be a trainee at 21?" "Heard Brother Yang begged the coach to keep him; guess he'll be gone after a month of tryouts." "Brother Yang gave him a chance out of soft-heartedness, right? I reckon he won't stay long either."
No one was optimistic about Chi Shu.
Chi Shu didn't care about these discussions at all.
His situation was special, and it was excusable that everyone didn't believe in him. He could only speak with results.
Every morning at 7 AM, Chi Shu got up and went to the training room to watch professional league videos. In the afternoon, he practiced heroes and consolidated operational skills. In the evening, since there were no scrims recently, he played ranked alone in the game.
His alt account had already reached the Challenger rank.
That evening, Coach Brother Rui suddenly said, "We scheduled a scrim with KOP, playing against their 2nd Team. Do any of the newcomers want to play?"
Chi Shu raised his hand first: "I want to try."
Seeing him so active, the other hesitant teenagers also raised their hands one after another: "Me too!" "Count me in!"
Soon, 5 people were assembled. Except for the Top laner who was a substitute for the 2nd Team, the other 4 were newly accepted trainees. It was their first time teaming up, so their coordination definitely wouldn't be very tacit.
Brother Rui said, "This scrim is just for the coach to observe everyone's recent training results. Winning or losing doesn't matter; try to play to your level."
Soon, players from both sides logged into the game and pressed ready in the created room.
The coach allowed free bans, letting players pick their favorite heroes. Chi Shu picked [Lee Sin] jungle.
Players on both sides were rookies of the 2nd Team. Rookies naturally wanted to show off in front of the coach. GD's new mid-laner played very aggressively and accidentally fed a kill.
KOP's bot lane duo was also very fierce, tower-diving and forcefully killing GD's marksman.
Not long after the start, Mid and Marksman died once each, falling directly into a disadvantage.
Watching the match from the conference room next door with the referee's perspective, Ye Shaoyang couldn't help saying, "Rookies are still too impetuous, only wanting to show off; a bit too many mistakes."
Brother Rui laughed. "It's normal to lose since it's the first time the 5 of them coordinated. I just wanted to see the results of training during this period… Sigh, a plate of loose sand, no one wants to command?"
Suddenly, Chi Shu's low and calm voice sounded in the voice channel: "Bot lane stabilize, Mid cooperate with me to gank top."
Several teenagers froze for a moment.
Don't know why, this voice had a reassuring power, perhaps because it was too calm? Among them, Chi Shu was the oldest. Since Chi Shu stood up to command, the teenagers were willing to cooperate.
After all, the coach and captain were watching; losing would be embarrassing too.
Everyone immediately cheered up.
The Mid-laner circled from his own jungle to meet Chi Shu.
Just as the two walked to the top lane, the opposing jungler also arrived. Chi Shu, hiding in the bush, pressed the attack prompt, followed by a combo—[Lee Sin] suddenly blinked a distance, circled behind the opponent, and kicked the opposing jungler and top laner to his teammates with one kick!
No matter how slow GD's Top laner was, he knew what to do, hurriedly controlling the opponent. The Mid-laner also followed up with skills. The two joined forces to cripple the opponent. Chi Shu took the jungler's head with a Q, then turned back to kill the opposing top laner.
This set of operations was smooth and flowing, done in one go.
——Double Kill!
Double Kill!
Ye Shaoyang watching the match couldn't help praising: "Nice!"
The coach's eyes lit up. "His [Lee Sin] insec kick is very skillful! Fast hand speed, timing grasped very well too. Predicted the opposing jungler would gank top and squatted in advance; game sense is indeed good."
Ward-hop insec kick was a high-end operational technique for the hero [Lee Sin], requiring pressing a fast combo of Q-Q-W-R in a short time, borrowing a ward placed in the jungle to complete the blink, flanking, and kicking people back.
Chi Shu's combo just now was clean and decisive, kicking two back directly and taking a double kill in one breath!
Ye Shaoyang couldn't help sitting up straight and continuing to watch.
This double kill in the top lane turned the early game disadvantage around, and the bot lane marksman also began to stabilize farming. With a double kill, Chi Shu's economy gradually rose, and he began roaming the whole map to drive the rhythm.
He didn't talk much, only pinging prompts on the map: "On my way," "Initiate attack." Seeing him coming to gank, teammates prepared in advance.
Chi Shu ganked bot, deleting the opposing marksman.
Ganked mid, killing the opposing mid-laner.
Then he started invading the jungle, snatching buffs, and compressing the opposing jungler's farming space.
Soon, Team GD's opening disadvantage turned into an advantage. Chi Shu had the highest economy in the game, kicking one and deleting one. The [Lee Sin] haunting the entire canyon gave the opponent a huge headache.
Match ended. Chi Shu's score: 7-0-4, MVP of the match.
Brother Rui watched with fear and trepidation. "This Chi Shu, his rhythm sense is too strong!"
For a jungler player, the most important thing was rhythm sense. Knowing what to do at what time point, which lane to support to establish an advantage more easily—this required extremely strong macro view and calm judgment.
A jungler with spirituality could always appear by his teammates' side when they needed him most.
Compared to the other teenagers who were flustered and eager to show off during the match, Chi Shu's judgment of the overall situation was very clear. He had his own ideas and rhythm, and he could drive the rhythm of the whole game. This was the most commendable part.
Ye Shaoyang stared at the computer screen, eyes shining. Perhaps this person really will become my best partner?! He looked at the coach immediately and said, "Starting tomorrow, let Chi Shu train with me."
Brother Rui froze for a moment. "What?"
Ye Shaoyang lowered his voice. "Isn't A-Nan retiring? Our main team happens to lack a jungler. Let Chi Shu try, partner with me to practice for a while first."
Brother Rui frowned. "After A-Nan retires, the 2nd Team jungler will fill in first. The higher-ups are also scouting during the transfer period, wanting to poach a jungler from other clubs to partner with you. Chi Shu is a rookie after all; partnering with you directly doesn't quite fit the regulations…"
Ye Shaoyang smiled and said, "Isn't the jungler position not decided yet? Try it first. Who can be the starter in the end, let strength speak."
Brother Rui was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, then let's try it first."
Anyway, with a one-month tryout period, if Chi Shu performed exceptionally well, they wouldn't need to spend a lot of money to buy a jungler. If Chi Shu couldn't keep up with the rhythm, the transfer period opened next month. Whether buying someone or promoting a substitute from the 2nd Team then, it would still be in time.
After this scrim, the teenagers who were privately discussing "he definitely won't stay long" immediately became respectful towards Chi Shu, calling him "Brother Shu" very affectionately.
Chi Shu's attitude towards them was also mild. After all, these were GD Team's newcomers. He didn't want conflicts within GD Team to make things difficult for Yangyang; everyone getting along harmoniously was best.
Brother Rui came to the training room and reviewed the match, saying earnestly, "First scrim, winning or losing doesn't matter. You rookies still need to practice coordination more, don't just care about yourselves. Starting tomorrow, team up for ranked at 8 PM every night to cultivate tacit understanding." He paused and looked at Chi Shu: "Chi Shu, come with me for a moment."
Chi Shu stood up and followed the coach to the main team training room next door.
He saw Ye Shaoyang sitting in the wheelchair at a glance.
Ye Shaoyang also happened to look up at him, with a smile on his face and eyes full of appreciation. "Chi Shu, played well in that game just now. Starting today, practice ranked with me."
Chi Shu suppressed the excitement in his heart and nodded. "Okay, Captain."
Ye Shaoyang pointed to the side. "Sit here, let's duo-queue."
The two added each other as friends and went to play ranked together.
Coincidentally, their alt account names were Sunshine and Moonlight, which reminded Chi Shu of the happy times when the Sun-Moon duo swept the international server.
Chi Shu's gaze towards Ye Shaoyang softened involuntarily. Ye Shaoyang didn't notice this, putting on his headphones and asking, "What heroes are you good at?"
Chi Shu said, "I'm fine with anything. See what you like to play; I'll coordinate with you."
Ye Shaoyang froze for a moment and looked back at him. "You mean, you can play all jungler heroes?"
Chi Shu: "Mn."
Ye Shaoyang smiled and said, "Seems your hero pool is quite deep? Then pick Xin Zhao next game, try coordinating with my LeBlanc, okay?"
Chi Shu: "No problem."
Jungler [Xin Zhao], Mid-laner [LeBlanc]. This was a typical Mid-Jungle synergy combo with high early game burst and flexible mobility. The two coordinating could easily kill enemy squishies.
The weakness was being relatively fragile in the ultra-late game and easily targeted early on.
Ye Shaoyang's mage assassin [LeBlanc] was famously fierce, sometimes even solo-killing the opposing mid-laner during the laning phase. After entering ranked, Chi Shu took Xin Zhao in slot 1, and Ye Shaoyang picked LeBlanc in slot 2.
Chi Shu ganked mid at Level 6, coordinating with Ye Shaoyang to get First Blood on the opposing mid-laner.
Immediately after, Chi Shu went to gank bot. Ye Shaoyang followed. The two tower-dived and crushed the opposing marksman and support. Chi Shu assisted Ye Shaoyang in getting a double kill.
Ye Shaoyang's economy took off, unstoppable, ending the game with a triple kill in the last wave.
Winning was so satisfying!
Ye Shaoyang rubbed his hands, beaming. "Again. I'll take Lulu this game, you take Kha'Zix."
Lulu was a control mid-laner, and Kha'Zix was a harvesting jungler. As long as Lulu's multiple control skills landed accurately, Kha'Zix could enter later to kill everyone.
In this game, both sides farmed steadily at first. In a key Small Dragon fight, Ye Shaoyang controlled 2 opponents. Chi Shu entered timely, getting a double kill in one breath. Both economies took off again.
Ye Shaoyang got more excited the more he played. "Very good, another game!"
In this game, Ye Shaoyang chose Orianna, and Chi Shu chose Jarvan IV to coordinate. Two team-fight heroes. In a late-game Baron fight, Ye Shaoyang pulled 4 opponents with one ultimate. Chi Shu followed up with control. Seamless chain control left the opponents unable to move for 3 seconds. Chi Shu successfully snatched the Baron and wiped out the opposing team in one wave!
Looking at the victory words popping up on the screen, Ye Shaoyang's mood couldn't calm down for a long time.
Haven't had such smooth and hearty coordination for a long time!
Whichever lane he wanted to gank, Chi Shu would appear in that lane.
When he was ganked and needed protection, Chi Shu could always arrive by his side in time to support.
Their understanding of the game was consistent, and their rhythms could keep up with each other. This feeling of "minds thinking alike" was something Ye Shaoyang rarely experienced. Even his old teammate jungler, who played with him for three years, sometimes had divergent ideas. But Chi Shu could always think together with him.
Ye Shaoyang said excitedly, "Another game…"
Chi Shu interrupted him in a low voice, "It's already 3 AM. Captain, aren't you sleepy?"
Ye Shaoyang glanced at the time in the bottom right corner, only then realizing he unknowingly duo-queued with Chi Shu until 3 AM. And he wasn't sleepy at all now; instead, he was very hyper.
Ye Shaoyang coughed lightly in embarrassment. "Haven't played so satisfyingly for a long time."
Chi Shu's lips curled up slightly, his gaze exceptionally gentle. "Sleep first. I'll accompany you to duo-queue again tomorrow."
Ye Shaoyang nodded. "Mn, then I'll go sleep first. You rest early too."
He wanted to turn around in his wheelchair. Chi Shu immediately stood up, helped him grab the wheelchair, and pushed it forward while saying, "Which dorm room do you stay in? I'll send you back."
Ye Shaoyang said, "Room 1 on the 3rd floor, thanks."
Chi Shu pushed Ye Shaoyang to the door of Room 301. Looking at the familiar room number, he pretended to ask casually, "Captain, you also live in a double room, right? Where's your roommate?"
"A-Nan retired, packed his bags, and went back to his hometown. Currently, I live alone."
"If I can stay after the tryout period ends, can I live with Captain?"
Ye Shaoyang froze for a moment and looked back at him. "You live with Xiaoyu currently, right? Not used to it?"
Chi Shu found an excuse: "Mid and Jungle living together makes it more convenient to exchange insights. I just came to Team GD; there are still many things I don't understand and want to ask Captain for advice."
Ye Shaoyang smiled and said, "Sure, let's talk after you can stay."
Chi Shu: "I will work hard."
Chi Shu pushed Ye Shaoyang into the dorm and settled him down before turning back to his room.
In the following time, Ye Shaoyang and Chi Shu duo-queued every day, and their coordination became more and more tacit. Ye Shaoyang had a very strange feeling; Chi Shu was like living inside his brain, always able to keep up with his thoughts immediately.
In disadvantageous games, Chi Shu withstood pressure with him; in advantageous games, Chi Shu harvested with him. The two could produce wonderful coordination in every game, and Ye Shaoyang also got triple kills and penta kills many times with Chi Shu's help.
The coach paid attention to their match recordings every day, becoming more startled the more he watched.
Was this the best teammate sent by God?!
With just a week of coordination, not to mention Chi Shu's amazing record, even Ye Shaoyang seemed to have returned to his peak condition at 17 or 18, playing smoother and fiercer.
That GD Lieyang who was once crazily targeted by coaches, that once brilliant and brutal mid-laner, seemed to be back?
Meeting a teammate with compatible thinking could improve each other's strength.
As a coach, Brother Rui naturally understood this. However, Chi Shu lacked tournament experience after all. Playing well in scrims didn't necessarily mean he could be stable in official matches.
In the blink of an eye, Chi Shu's tryout time was almost up, and the league transfer period officially opened. Two jungler players were listed in the transfer window, both with good results and popularity.
The club's higher-ups intended to buy one of the god-tier players and asked the manager to make contact.
But Ye Shaoyang said firmly to the coach, "I only want Chi Shu."
Brother Rui persuaded, "Chi Shu can be a substitute first. He's already 21 and has no match experience; he can't go straight to starter, right? No matter how well he coordinates with you usually, he might not be able to withstand the pressure during matches."
Ye Shaoyang said, "I believe he can. Buying another jungler means I have to run in with them again. But Chi Shu coordinates with me especially well. I believe you watched the training videos from this period too, Brother Rui. Whether it's awareness, macro view, rhythm sense, or operation, is there any aspect where he is inferior to those two professional players in the transfer window?"
Brother Rui: "…"
Ye Shaoyang said, "Chi Shu is really talented. And he's already 21; if he plays substitute again, when can he stand out? We shouldn't delay such a talent. Match experience can be accumulated slowly. The regular season is long; I believe he can adapt quickly."
Brother Rui: "…"
Ye Shaoyang concluded, "In my heart, Chi Shu is the best partner."
The coach rarely saw Ye Shaoyang argue with him so seriously. Brother Rui was silent for a moment, then made a decision: "How about this, let Chi Shu play a few scrims with the main team first to test, then decide based on the results."
Outside the door, hearing Ye Shaoyang's debate with the coach, Chi Shu couldn't help curling his lips in gratification.
Yangyang was working hard to fight for him, just like he fought for Yangyang back then.
Their appreciation for each other was a resonance from the soul.
Even in a different world—you are still the designated best partner in my heart.