In the afternoon of the same day, YM held their first full meeting after landing in Berlin.
"There are a total of six teams in this mid-season competition …" Red Mi, who had arrived in Berlin on the same flight as Team KZ, had just woken up. His voice was laced with fatigue.
"Among them, YM, KZ, TL, and FNC are guaranteed to enter the main competition. The remaining teams are LMS champion Lightning Wolves and VCS (Vietnam) team EVS."
The results were no different from the 2017 mid-season competition. The five main divisions, plus the strongest wild card Vietnam, made up all the teams in the main competition.
"The six teams will play a double-loop BO1. Each team will play ten matches in the group stage. The four teams with the best records will advance to the knockout stage …"
Even though it was not the first time the team had participated in the mid-season championship, Red Mi still explained the rules to them.
Because he was new to MSI, he did not pay much attention to the rules.
"Here's the main point." He cleared his throat. "The team that gets first place in the group stage will have priority in choosing their opponents in the knockout stage. They can pick a pushover between the third and fourth place teams."
"I don't think that's very useful." Jin Gong was a little skeptical. "They're already in the third and fourth place teams. They're not that strong to begin with."
"Why do I feel like this is to avoid what happened in 2016?" Lin Yan laughed.
The S6 MSI held in Shanghai had a schedule that Fist did not want to see.
At that time, the host team RNG, who had just won the Spring Season, had an impressive record of 8 wins and 2 losses in the group stage. They had led the entire way to first place.
The rules back then were not as flexible as now. The first place team would fight the fourth place team, and the second place team would fight the third place team.
After all, in most cases, the fourth place team in the group was considered the weaker team.
However, 2016 was an exception.
The fourth place team in the group that year was SKT.
SKT, led by Faker, Bang, and Wolf, stood at the pinnacle of the competition.
The result was obvious. SKT, who had entered the knockout stage, improved rapidly. RNG was just a small rock in front of them. They did not even know that they had crushed RNG.
After the semi-finals, RNG was eliminated, and the host couldn't advance any further. With the Sino-Korean showdown at the front, the viewership ratings for the finals naturally couldn't be guaranteed.
Lin Yan felt that Fist had learned his lesson this year. He decided to give the champion of the group an advantage and let him choose his own opponent.
This way, you can't go back on your word, right?
Red Rice thought the same. He knocked on the whiteboard. "There's no doubt that we're in the first tier with KZ …"
"The remaining three teams are Lightning Wolves, FNC, and TL." Red Mi analyzed the situation. "Among them, FNC is undoubtedly the strongest."
No one had any objections to this.
During the fourteen hours on the plane, the YM members did not slack off. Lin Ran, who could not sleep, watched the Spring Season finals of both the European and Korean divisions.
FNC's performance this spring was quite outstanding. They were first in the league in the regular season with 14 wins and 4 losses. In the finals, they swept G2 with a score of 3: 0.
Based on the previous competition rankings, Europe was ranked third after China and Korea. It was much stronger than North America and LMS.
"So we're going to take the first place in the group?"
Jack felt that Red Rice was talking nonsense. KZ and FNC were too strong. It wouldn't be good to fight against these two teams in the semi-finals. In the end, they would still have to take the first place. Could they choose Lightning Wolves or TL and easily advance in the semi-finals?
"No, no, no." Red Rice shook his head after listening to Jiang Chenglu's feedback. "The KZ coaching team will also do the analysis of the strength of the teams I told you."
"You mean …" Lin Yan's eyes lit up.
Red Rice and Lin Yan looked at each other with approval. "Yes, KZ also doesn't want to face us and FNC in the semi-finals."
He continued, "On May 13 and May 15, we will face KZ twice. It can be said that the outcome of these two group games will determine the final ranking."
"If KZ wants to guarantee the first place in the group, he will definitely use his trump card in these two games. Only by defeating us can he guarantee that he will win the first place in the group. In this way, Gouba and I will break one of KZ's trump cards."
Red Rice straightened out his thoughts and spoke faster and faster. "Even if we face FNC in the semi-finals, there's no need to rush. Let's not talk about whether FNC can pose a fatal threat to us. Even if they can, we're just using our trump card to exchange for our trump card. No one will lose."
"If KZ also tries to hide his cards, then I believe that we'll be stronger than them in a normal fight. We'll get first place in the group and let FNC fight KZ. We'll skin him alive!"
Manager Guo Hao nodded as he listened. He was intoxicated and his eyes were shining brighter.
He, S6, could come up with the idea of using the US server's ranking to fake the illusion that Mongoose was proficient in the Leopard Girl. He was not a fool.
When he heard Red Rice's plan, he regarded him as a confidant.
"Then our strategy for the group stage is basically set," Red Rice finally concluded. "Play normally and hide all our cards in the elimination round. Don't force yourself to be the first place in the group. The competition is very long. The winner is the one who laughs to the end."
…
May 11th, the official start of the MSI competition.
The weather in Berlin was much colder than in Shanghai. In addition, it had been cloudy and dark for the past few days. Sometimes, when Lin Yan left the hotel at night to walk around, his fingers would turn numb from the cold wind.
Today, in order to keep warm, the group of people put on short-sleeved sweaters that Teng Jing had prepared for this year's MSI competition.
This time, they came to Germany, the birthplace of their sponsor, BMW. As expected, they received preferential treatment. A brand new BMW 7 Series car with YM's team logo sent them to the venue for the group stage — LCSEU's studio.
"… Why does this look like a factory?" Jack could not help but complain when he saw the full view of the venue through the car window.
Lin Yan and Jin Gong, who were in the same car, nodded in agreement with Shiba Inu's words. The venue did not look good from the outside. They were not used to the rough architecture and casual decoration style.
"It's not bad inside." Winston, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, turned around and explained to them, "Graffiti culture is prevalent in Berlin. Look in front, there's LCSEU's very unique graffiti wall."
There were already many spectators lining up to enter the venue. The BMW with the unique team logo instantly attracted their attention.
The spectators held their phones and were ready to take photos. At the same time, they cheered loudly.
When the six YM members got out of the car, they put on the MSI competition suits to keep out the cold. The German audience's eyes lit up.
The classic red and white background, and the sleeves were embroidered with China's traditional cloud pattern. On the back, there was the LPL competition logo with a golden dragon surrounding it.
This outfit was very eye-catching in a foreign country like Berlin. The spectators responded enthusiastically.
"So cool!"
A boy who looked like a German boy pointed at Lin Yan's back and asked in fluent English, "Where can I buy this outfit?"
Winston answered this question while protecting the player. The spectators were too enthusiastic. Some even surrounded them to ask for a photo.
“Couldyoupleaseletmethrough？
(Can you let me pass?) "Lin Yan still wanted to hurry into the venue, so he could only keep repeating, trying to make the spectators in front of him move aside.
He felt that if he continued to say this, he would soon become Letme.
At the same time, the KZ team arrived outside the venue on the bus provided by Fist.
However, there were no eye-catching team logos, no luxury cars, and no extremely unique outfits. In addition, the KZ team's historical results were average. Other than Little Peanut, the others weren't very popular in Germany …
Only a few Korean international students gathered around the KZ team, wanting to get Little Peanut's autograph and take a photo with him. Counting carefully, there weren't even more spectators than the KZ team members.
If it were any other time, it would be fine.
But right now, the KZ team's biggest imaginary rival in this season's midseason competition, YM, was not far away, enjoying the thunderous applause of the German audience!
How could they tolerate this?
Khan's eyes were bright red, and he looked like a fierce rabbit.
"Ah …" Gera let out a habitual Korean exclamation. "BMW. So rich."
"What are you talking about?" Khan's heart was sour, but his mouth was unconvinced. "Is it as good as the Yakos?"
The Yakos was considered a modern high-end car model in Korea. Its price was close to a million yuan, and it was highly recognized by the Korean public.
"Ssi … East River, are you kidding me?"
Pray, the veteran Rat King, laughed. "The Yakos is good, but it can't compare to a BMW."
When Khan saw that Lin Yan was still trying to get away from the enthusiastic crowd, while he didn't even have any fans around him, his fists instantly hardened in anger.
Was this what it meant to die from drought or from drowning?
"Do you want a photo?" He looked at the female international student next to him.
The girl's eyes darted between Khan and the delicate and cute Little Peanut, and she chose the latter without hesitation.
Khan looked at the girls who had surrounded Little Peanut, and his heart was filled with grief and indignation. He felt like a sand mouth.
He trembled with anger. Could this world still be good?
Lin Yan put in a lot of effort to get away from the German audience, and he successfully entered the stadium with his teammates and coaches.
The moment he entered, he saw LCSEU's huge physical logo. It used 3D technology and looked quite stunning.
After passing through the first security check and confirming that no one was carrying any prohibited items, they were allowed to pass.
A narrow corridor led to the team's lounge backstage, and the glorious history of the European competition was recorded on the walls on both sides.
The group photo and the corresponding skin portrait of the S1 champion and FNC champion were very prominent, and everyone who entered could see them at a glance.
After that, there was a series of champions from smaller competitions. All of them added together probably weren't as valuable as the first champion of S6.
Before entering the team's lounge, Lin Yan even saw a souvenir display cabinet. Something inside caught his attention.
"This is?" He pointed at a pirate keyboard in the cabinet, feeling that it looked familiar.
Winston was standing in front of him, leading the way. When he heard Lin Yan's question, he immediately turned around.
"Oh, this." He wasn't surprised. "This is the keyboard you used in the S6 global finals. You were elected MVP, and this keyboard is also very memorable, so we kept it for our collection."
The pirate keyboard in the glass cabinet was dim and dull. The well-maintained keycaps were clean and tidy, and there was a small YM Ran tape on the palm rest. Back then, it was a device used to distinguish teammates, but now, it had become the proof that Lin Yan had used this keyboard to conquer North America.
"The pirate keyboard next to it is Marin's. He won MVP in the S5 global finals held in Europe. Before that, there's also the Black Widow that Faker used in the 2014 Paris All-Star Match and the 2013 global finals." As a member of the Fist team, Winston was quite familiar with this history.
"My S6 was competing in North America. Why did the keyboard come to Europe?" Lin Yan was very curious.
Winston shrugged. "North America and Europe aren't separated now, and they're both LCS. It's reasonable for things to be transported back and forth."
He led the group to a room with the YM team logo on the door. He pushed the door open and entered. Inside, there were tables and chairs arranged neatly.
In the middle of the room was a Summoner's Canyon whiteboard, as usual. This was also the standard for all the big teams nowadays. The coaches and team members could discuss and plan tactics on it.
The television screen in the room was already connected to the LCSEU commentary platform. What was better than the LPL was that the commentator and director had more detailed information on the data.
For example, right now, Lin Yan saw two commentators analyzing the route of YM's activities in the first fifteen minutes of the match.
"Ran usually starts his first attack at two minutes and forty seconds …" Commentator Vedius tapped on the screen with his finger.
The screen showed Lin Yan's hot spots in the early stages of the two best-of-five matches in the playoffs. The density of points in the two jungles was quite high. The closer he was to the side, the sparser the distribution of points.
"He'll take advantage of the gap between the first wave of cannon troops to find the opponent's jungler," another commentator, Meidc, analyzed. "It's mainly because he won't buy shoes before returning to the city for the first time. If he forcefully rushes to the two sides at a slower speed, he'll waste a lot of time and might even lose minions. In comparison, the jungles are closer to the middle lane, so the time cost of roaming won't be very high."
Lin Yan placed his backpack on the chair and unzipped it to take out his keyboard and mouse while listening to the two commentators' analysis. He treated it as training his English.
"And when Crisp gets the Bull's Head, he likes to call the jungler to help push the line and deplete the opponent's health. Then, he'll use the gap between the cannon troops' advance or the opponent's return to the city to resupply to leave the side lane to help his own jungler …"
"Okay, okay," the famous female host, Sjokz, interrupted the two commentators. "I know that YM is the favorite to win this MSI, but can we stop the analysis of them now?"
"Please, today's opening game is FNC versus TL, the focus of EU and NA. Can't you guys analyze this game?" She shook her blonde hair and said with a hint of ridicule.
Vedius shrugged. "Come on, maybe let Doublelift become Doctor Strange and go to the future to see 14 million endings. He'll probably find a way to defeat FNC."
This was a joke from "The Avengers 3," which had just been released in Europe at the end of April this year. The commentator used it and directly moved it to the confrontation between EU and NA.
As soon as this sentence was said, the three people in the studio laughed mercilessly.
No matter how China and Korea fought, it would not attract too much attention from Europe and North America. They only cared about whether they could defeat their old enemy.
“Let'sGoFnatic！”
Sjokz cheered for her home team. "This time, let the world see your strength!"
"Set a small goal. Let's first get back the Intercontinental Championship that we lost last year." Meidc winked and teased.
Not only would the LPL-LCK-LMS regularly hold Intercontinental Championships, but Europe and America would also hold such competitions.
Unfortunately, in the 2017 Intercontinental Championship, North America swept Europe with a score of 3: 0 and successfully held the first Intercontinental Championship trophy. All the North American viewers were elated and began to mock the Europeans.
Although they could not even enter the top eight in the international competition, the winner of a head-to-head competition like the Intercontinental Championship would enjoy the right to speak online for a whole year.
The European viewers, who had always had the upper hand, were very dissatisfied with this. This MSI was a good opportunity for them to redeem themselves.
"Bring the keyboards and mice over quickly!"
In the waiting room, Winston was still urging the contestants. "I'll send the peripherals for testing later. Remember to follow the staff to the dressing room!"
The six contestants placed their peripherals into the boxes. Winston squatted down and easily lifted the big box with his arms.
"Aiyo, your waist is pretty strong."
Lin Weixiang pursed his throat and even reached out to touch Winston's abs. He was almost hit on the head by the box.
By the time they were done with their makeup, more than half an hour had passed. The YM members took off their Conquest gear. The continuous heating in the stadium allowed them to wear their team uniforms and short sleeves.
"When you go on stage later, just step on the yellow line that was drawn in advance. You won't go wrong." Winston brought the keyboards and mice back, then brought them to a spot that was separated from the main stage by a wall. "Lin Yan, your mission is to bring the MSI Championship trophy to the high platform in the middle of the stage. The other five are even simpler. Just stand behind him. You don't have to do anything else."
The mid-season competition trophy was far from being as big as the Summoner's Trophy. There was no need for the five of them to work together. Lin Yan would be able to lift it up by himself.
The six members nodded in unison, indicating that they understood Winston's instructions.
When the KZ members, who were leaning against the wall, saw the championship trophy in Lin Yan's hands, their eyes revealed obvious desire.
Khan had an unruly look on his face as a champion, as if this golden trophy was already in his bag.
From the moment he stepped onto the path of his career, his only goal was to become the champion.
The live audience was already waving their support sticks and spontaneously shouting the countdown. The restless voices and undisguised excitement and joy poured into Lin Yan's ears through the wall.
"Three, two, one!"
An explosive cheer rang out, followed by the sound of a fist smashing the glass!
Lin Yan's heart trembled. He took in a deep breath and tried hard to calm the agitation that was spreading from the bottom of his heart.
This sound also kicked off his and YM's journey in this mid-season competition!
The first to play was the promotional video for this mid-season championship. The various landmarks in Berlin appeared in front of everyone's eyes one after another.
The camera finally stopped on the Brandenburg Gate.
Then, Ou Cheng's well-defined and handsome face appeared in the middle of the screen.
The locally popular player made the live audience even more restless and passionate. The fans all shouted Martin (Ou Cheng's real name), cheering for him!
"Martin?" Phyllostachys Pubescens didn't forget to ask sarcastically, "Is it Ding Huang, the European branch emperor?"
Jack stopped in his tracks and immediately burst out laughing.
"This is the seventh year of my career." In the promotional video, Ou Cheng combed his shiny hair back. "Before this, I've never led a team into the finals of a world-class competition."
"But I think this is an opportunity." Ou Cheng's tone was firm. "A new FNC, a new hope for Europe."
"I'll use practical actions to tell LPL and LCK that you've dominated this stage for long enough. Now is the time for Europe to revive!"
There were cheers from the audience. Even in the chat channel of the mouse channel, many Europeans were expressing their expectations with various expressions.
Regardless of whether Ou Cheng's words could be realized in the end, he really understood the situation in terms of public opinion.
The camera switched to the senior who was with the team this year. He had a muscular body and an inverted triangle figure. It seemed that he had been working out recently. His pectoralis major filled out the liquid team uniform.
"When everyone thinks of North America, the first impression always loses." The senior's smile was still cheerful. "But this time, we'll show something different. It's time for the audience to change their stereotype of NA."
[Previously, NA could still win two games. Now that they're eliminated without a single victory, the audience will break the stereotype of NA and put them on the same level as Vietnam.]
[NA and Vietnam, lol]
[EU monster, what are you barking for? You haven't been beaten into submission yet, have you?]
[I'm dying of laughter. Can North America qualify for the international competition without relying on C9?
Autumn Pear Cream]
[What, C9 isn't an NA team, right?
The US Air Force will be at your door soon!]
It had to be said that the name of C9's sponsor was well-known enough. As soon as the US Air Force made their move, the entire live chat channel was filled with emoticons.
In the LCSEU studio in Berlin, the promotional video was still playing on the big screen.
Maple crossed his arms and appeared in the center of the camera.
"Everyone thinks that LMS is declining. They even say that we're the weakest of the five divisions …" His sarcastic accent was similar to Goba's. Lin Yan heard it for a long time and felt a little familiar. It was probably as contagious as the Northeastern dialect.
"But this time, the Lightning Wolves will use their actions to prove that we're definitely not fish on the chopping block."
Next, the Vietnamese team also came over to say some harsh words. However, they looked fierce on the outside but weak on the inside. It was obvious that they were not as confident as the previous star players.
Khan's champion face appeared. Just like last year's international competition, he was still quite domineering and cool. "I've already conquered LCK. Now, the top laners of the world, bow down in front of me!"
The live German audience appreciated Khan's words and applauded with some praise.
Finally, Lin Yan's face appeared on the screen.
In just a short moment, the stadium erupted into cheers that reverberated in the enclosed space!
All the German audience members used all their strength to hit the support sticks in their hands. The momentum was so great that it made people's hearts surge!
It was currently the peak of the evening in China. There were many people watching the live broadcast of the tournament. This scene made many Chinese viewers speechless.
[GG, what kind of card is this?]
[After all, he's the double champion. What do you think?]
[If Li Xianghe doesn't come, Brother Ran will be the God of this MSI!]
[What kind of precious thing is KZ? Wait until YM gets another championship. We'll slap Han Za's face until it's swollen. Why is he throwing it at us?]
"All the players have said some bold words." Lin Yan's voice was very calm on the screen. "I'm different."
"I don't expect to improve in this MSI. I just want the same results as last year." He nodded as if he was serious. "I'll be honest with you. I'm quite easily satisfied."
The live audience roared with laughter. Even Sjokz could not hold it in.
[GG, GG, GG, YOU'RE STARTING AGAIN?]
[I didn't expect the same results as last year. You can just say that you're the champion (dog head)]
[Indeed, Brother Ran's starting point is the goal of everyone's entire career.]
[Ran: I'm not targeting anyone. I'm talking about everyone here …]
[You're stealing my senior brother's lines, right?]
The promotional video came to an end.
"Next, let's welcome the champion of the 2016 and 2017 global finals, the champion of the 2017 MSI, Young Miracles!" Sjokz shouted loudly.
Lin Yan held the champion's trophy. Under Winston's guidance, he followed the yellow line on the stage and came to the center of the stage.
He stretched out his hands and placed the champion's trophy on the stage amidst the endless cheers!
When the trophy landed, the dry ice mist that erupted from the edge of the stage made a loud sound!
Behind him, the other five members of YM stood apart. They did not smile and pretended to be cold.
Sjokz waved his arm to stir up the atmosphere. "Let's welcome KingZone from the LCK division, TeamLiquid from the LCSNA division, FlashWolves from the LMS division, EVOSEsports from the Vietnam VCS division … and Fnatic from the LCSEU division!!"
The appearance of the host team, FNC, brought the already restless atmosphere to a climax!
…
After the team's entrance ceremony, Lin Yan and his teammates returned to the backstage lounge. They were ready to watch the opening match between EU and NA.
In the first match, FNC's mid laner, Caps, had already displayed his strength. His chosen player, Ryze, had used the Canyon Vanguard to flatten Liquid's mid lane tower in just over ten minutes.
On the other hand, Ou Cheng was still steadily developing against his senior brother in the bottom lane.
Nicknamed Europe's Gao Xuecheng, his playstyle was very similar to Smile's. He was more stable in lane battles and took over the team battle.
The entire team's engine was handed over to Nakano Fuku.
Especially the support, Hai Sang, who played Bull's Head to perfection. He frequently roamed around to drive the pace of the game.
"FNC's skill level is not bad!"
Lin Yan had watched their match against G2. He realized that he had underestimated this rising European overlord.
Jin Gong and Lin Yan had similar thoughts. "The main thing is that their three lanes are not weak. The strength of the entire team has been raised."
In this game, the three lanes were the foundation. As long as the lanes were strong enough, even a jungler could win.
This was because the jungler could protect the jungler's bottom line.
The jungler was responsible for driving the pace of the game in the early stages. He could feed back the advantage of the lane and raise the upper limit of the entire team's strength.
Therefore, the pattern was quite obvious.
Most of the strong teams in the league had the strength of the three lanes. At the very least, they could not have any obvious weaknesses. As long as the strength of the three lanes was there, coupled with a decent jungler, it was enough to dominate the league.
As for the historical strong teams that dominated the world tournament, they also had a jungler with a very high upper limit on the basis of the lane strength.
From Dumb Chicken to Xiao Tian, some of them had outstanding awareness, some of them won with maneuvers, but there was no doubt that they had crushed other players in their championship years.
Now, FNC relied on the lineup of top laner Bwipo, mid laner Caps, and bottom laner Ou Cheng. It was enough to be called a strong team in the league.
But whether they could go further still depended on the jungler.
"Caps Shark is crazy!"
The European commentator roared. "He's harvesting the game. The Rune Mage has completed Beyond God!"
Under the camera, Caps, who looked like Mr. Bean, grinned wildly. In this game, he refreshed his record to 804 in just 22 minutes.
Now, the three-piece set Ryze was tanky and had high damage output. Big Brother saw that he had less than 14 HP left and wanted to go forward and collect the bounty.
He manipulated Kesha to turn into a phantom and rushed behind Ryze!
"Caps was prepared. He activated the active effect of Seraph's Embrace and refreshed a layer of shield. EW fixed Big Brother. The explosive damage of Overload is incredible!"
"He destroyed TL!"
In 22 minutes, the economic gap between the two sides was as high as 12,000. FNC defeated Dragon and was ready to end the game!
The German audience excitedly banged their support sticks to express their inner excitement!
[EU > NA!]
[North America's 10% discount water bottle?
I'm dying of laughter!]
[Big Brother dares to fly?]
[Fly fly fly fly fly!]
The mouse channel highlighted the truth. The North American audience switched to Sima Face and stopped talking, allowing the European audience to ridicule them.
"Let's go, let's go. Get ready to go on stage!" Red Rice clapped his hands to get the team members to focus.
Lin Yan went to the bathroom, then took a drink and walked to the stage with his peripherals.
"TL fought and retreated, giving up two high ground. FNC fought steadily and returned to the base to resupply. With a huge advantage of 15,000, they pushed Liquid's high ground!"
Big Brother still wanted to struggle, so he bought a Mercury to increase his control space.
"Caps flashed forward, QEQ coordinated with Azreal's big move to kill Big Brother!"
Doublelift was dumbfounded. His big Kesha was gone just like that?
"FNC pushed all the way and destroyed the opponent's base!" The European commentator could not hide his joy. "Congratulations to Fnatic for a successful start!"
"This is a good start!
The sleeping overlord of Europe is waking up! "
The players from both sides shook hands and left the stage. The players of YM and Lightning Wolves went on stage, ready to welcome their first match!