LOL: I just turned 18, let me fight back and be reborn

Chapter 359 Gold Medal! Glory and Pride!
The spotlights on the stadium dome converged on the central stage, and tens of thousands of roars from different languages ​​collided and merged in the air, eventually turning into a deafening tsunami of cheers.

"Congratulations to Team China! You have won the League of Legends esports event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games!"

"After 5 years, the Chinese national team has won the League of Legends championship again!"

Wang Duoduo shouted passionately from the commentary booth.

"At the same time, we also need to tell all the audience."

"The first-ever esports gold medal in Asian Games history belongs to us! It belongs to China's League of Legends esports event!"

The scene erupted in flames once again.

Because the League of Legends event was deliberately scheduled as the first event, this was the first gold medal won in the esports category at the Asian Games.

Initially, the first game to be presented should actually be "Honor of Kings".

—After all, the probability of not winning gold in the King of Glory event is even lower than the probability of "Saudi Arabia defeating Taipei first, then South Korea, and finally defeating China to win gold in one fell swoop!"

But in the end, due to the perfect performance of the Chinese team and the expectation that they would win the final almost without a doubt, the Chinese team prevailed.

This honor ultimately went to the League of Legends project, which had the most suspense and the highest level of attention.

This time.

The Chinese national team did not disappoint anyone.

Although the Asian Games, in terms of "gold content", is certainly not as strong as the World Championship or even the MSI.

After all, a team of five temporarily assembled members undergoing a short-term training camp of one month is definitely not as good as a team that has been honed into a cohesive unit.

But this is the first time that an esports event has been featured in a traditional sporting event like the Asian Games—no matter how things develop in the future, at least the first Asian Games championship will always belong to League of Legends!

At the same time, they can openly and legitimately represent the country in raising the national flag and playing the national anthem, wear team uniforms embroidered with the national flag, receive gold medals, and receive honors recognized and acknowledged by the country.

The special significance attached to this is something that no amount of so-called "value" can compare to.

It's roughly like the Champions League and the World Cup in the football world. The latter has significantly less competitive pressure than the former, but any high-level football player will definitely want to go to the World Cup to represent their country!
Take South Korea for example. Even if you win 10 S-level championships, you are not eligible for "exemption from military service" - only Asian Games gold medals or Olympic medals can grant this privilege!

The live stream chat was filled with celebratory cheers.

[This coding was so much fun, guys!!!]

We are the champions! We are the champions again! We are still the champions! We are always the champions!

[To be honest, Master Ip's achievement should already be the record for the fastest Grand Slam in history, right? He won the ultimate Grand Slam within a year of his debut! It feels like there will never be another like him!]

[Do we really need to add so many qualifiers? How many of the things he's done and the actions he's taken can be surpassed?]

[It's true! I hereby declare that if Master Ye can defeat EDG and lead V5 to the Golden Age this year, he'll be a shoo-in for the top spot!]

[All I can say is that Master Ip deserves it!!]

All the Chinese spectators in the stands who came to watch the game seemed to share in the pride.

Everyone's face was filled with heartfelt joy and pride. Ye Bo's parents in the front row were also infected by the atmosphere and joined a group of young people in shouting.

"You're awesome, son! You're the best!"

You are Mom's pride!!!

Ye Ying, who was shouting like a fangirl, suddenly felt emotional and her eyes welled up with tears, but her pride and joy were evident on her face.

Ye Xiong, standing next to him, reached out and patted the other's shoulder. Although he refrained from shouting along, he looked at the center of the stage with an unprecedentedly bright smile, his eyes filled with the same sense of satisfaction and pride.

"Uncle! Auntie is so passionate!" A fan who looked like a student struck up a conversation with Ye Xiong: "Are you also fans of Master Ye?! Me too!"

"He is my son."

Ye Xiong spoke softly, but the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened, almost to the point of crookedness.

However, the student fans looked strange upon hearing this and turned to whisper to their companions.

"??"

"I've never seen anything like this before. I've seen plenty of mom fans, but this is truly the first time I've seen a dad fan."

For the older generation of middle-aged people, winning gold in a city games, let alone a traditional world event like the Asian Games, is an incredibly glorious thing.

In their minds, those who could stand in that position at the Asian Games were people they could only see on television.

But at this moment, under the central spotlight, receiving everyone's gaze and cheers, is his own child.

After shaking hands with the members of the Taipei team, including Casa Snake.

Ye Bo and his teammates returned to the center of the stage with smiles and bowed in greeting. They then walked back to the contestants' passage to prepare for the awards ceremony later.

As soon as he stepped backstage, Mingkai and EDG's jungler and support were already waiting at the door, excitedly embracing everyone.

"Yo ho! Trying to get a gold medal, trying to get a gold medal~~~~" Jie Jie joked optimistically.

Meiko, who was listening nearby, intentionally showed a slightly embarrassed expression.

After all, JieJie played one game in the quarterfinals against Vietnam, but he really hasn't played a single game. At least he played two games in 18.
However, he quickly came to terms with it.

Given that he was in far worse form than Liu Qingsong this year, and that his opponent was almost exploited as a weak point in the later matches, Meiko knew very well that substituting him in would not change the outcome, and might even make it worse.

"Substitute Grand Slam" is fine, just say "Substitute Grand Slam".
Why isn't a Solo champion a champion? Why isn't a 10th anniversary skin a skin?
Why isn't a Grand Slam a substitute Grand Slam a Grand Slam?

Mingkai looked at Ye Bo with deep emotion in his eyes, as if he had a thousand words to say but didn't know where to begin.

"Master Ye, I never thought that both of my dreams would come true. Thank you so much."

The guy next to him, Flandre, was a little curious, so he cosplayed as Wang Feng in a swivel chair and asked, "Factory Manager, what is your dream?"

Ye Bo did know.

Because he watched a documentary a few years ago, in which the retired factory manager said that his dream was to "make up for the regrets of his playing days".

He wants to lead a team to victory as a coach, and eventually become the head coach of the national team to compete in the Asian Games and the Olympics.
Even Mingkai himself probably didn't expect this.

His previous goal was essentially "achieved indirectly" last year due to the pandemic—but this year, thanks to Ye Bo's casual recommendation, he has overtaken others and truly achieved his second goal!
It's absolutely true that Ye Bo helped him complete it.

"This is nothing!" Ye Bo encouraged the other player, "Let's cheer each other on! See you on the field next year when you officially coach us!"

Mingkai was just about to say something, feeling touched, when Jie Jie next to him poked him in the butt.

"Sigh, maybe next year the factory manager will have to find a strong team to coach, otherwise I feel like we still won't make it to the World Championship!"

"Zhao Lijie, you're really asking for it!"

While everyone was chatting and laughing.

The main stage has been rearranged for the awards ceremony, and the host's warm-up announcements can be heard in the backstage area.

No one left the venue during this period, and the atmosphere quickly returned to normal when the key part of the event began.

"First up is the fourth-place finisher in the League of Legends competition—Saudi Arabia!"

The biggest difference between traditional sports and esports may be that esports generally only respects the champion.

Even a runner-up with a score of 3 to 2 will still be regarded as a complete loser and will receive the same treatment as all other semi-finalists, quarter-finalists, and even round of 16 players.

However, in traditional sports, not to mention the runner-up and third place, even the top six and top eight have their own trophies and rankings!
When the five Saudi athletes, each wearing a white headscarf, walked onto the podium, their faces beamed with radiant smiles. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought they had won gold medals!

"Next, please welcome the bronze medalist—Republic of Korea!"

When the South Korean team members heard the announcement of the bronze medal, their faces stiffened, looking no different from those of someone with a gloomy expression.

The seven people, dressed in their South Korean national flag uniforms, silently lined up and went up on stage. Not one of them had a smile on their face, which was a stark contrast to the jubilant atmosphere in Saudi Arabia earlier.

Despite the fact that the South Korean team had given their all in the earlier fourth and third place matches, utterly humiliating and crushing the innocent Saudi team in three games, hoping for a good ending.

However, this was clearly not enough to quell public opinion in China.

The Korean team members were well aware of their fans' tactics and were already wondering what awaited them upon returning home. Meanwhile, the members in the LPL were secretly delighted!
In this segment, Koma didn't even want to go on stage himself, and directly let Score take his place for this "moment of honor".

Score also glared fiercely at the other side of the passage, constantly plotting how his GEN team would get revenge at the World Championship!
"Next up is our runner-up, the silver medalist—Chinese Taipei!"

The Taipei team members walked onto the stage laughing and joking. As they passed the South Korean team, the change in the atmosphere around both sides became more apparent.

Although the team was swept in the final, the silver medal was far beyond the expectations of the Taipei team!
In particular, the Chinese team actually played quite leniently in the last two matches, deliberately "changing" many players to make the score less ugly, which can be considered as saving face.
And then came the time for them to go on stage.

The Chinese team members backstage also stopped fooling around, their expressions immediately becoming solemn and serious, and some even became a little nervous.

Ye Bo's fingers gently caressed the bright red five-pointed star pattern on his chest, his emotions surging.

He knew that he was only entitled to wear this award ceremony outfit when he represented the Chinese national team and ultimately won a medal.

The next opportunity to wear them will be at least 4 years from now.

at last.

The most enthusiastic and passionate cheers came from the scene.

"Finally! We would like to invite the champion and gold medalist of the League of Legends esports event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games—The People's Republic of China! China!"

The atmosphere around the scene instantly became a series of exciting moments.

Ye Bo then grabbed a corner of the giant national flag again, led the team at the front, and walked towards the podium with his chest out and head held high.

First, it passed by Saudi Arabia standing below the stage, then skipped South Korea with the shortest steps, and then brushed past Taipei, which was half a step higher.

Finally, they arrived at the highest podium.

"Three, two, one!"

Everyone put their arms around each other's shoulders to count down, and then they all strode forward, stepping onto the highest podium representing the champion's gold medal amidst cheers and thunderous celebrations!
Applause erupted, and the flashbulbs in the audience never stopped as countless spectators tried to capture this historic moment!
And then the awards ceremony ended.

The special honor reserved for medal winners—the sacred flag-raising ceremony—is about to begin.

Ye Bo turned to look at the flagpole with a solemn expression.

The stage lights stopped changing, and the entire Hangzhou Square seemed to fall into silence in an instant.

Appeared immediately afterwards.

It was a familiar melody that was powerful, magnificent, and instantly stirred the hearts of all Chinese viewers, both at the venue and in front of their screens!

The national flag was raised continuously.

The five-star red flag is gradually rising, passing over the South Korean Taegeukgi at the bottom, then over the five-ring regional flag of Chinese Taipei, and continuing to rise slowly.

Ye Bo also led the group, raising their right fists above their heads and saluting in that direction in the posture they had learned since childhood.

As the melody soared, the audience in the stands spontaneously stood up and sang along, their voices seemingly converging into a vast ocean!
"Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!"

"Let our flesh and blood build our new Great Wall."

At this moment, Chinese e-sports projects successfully made the "March of the Volunteers" resound throughout Hangzhou!
And when the last syllable ends.

The five-star red flag resolutely fluttered in the sky above the venue!

Every Chinese audience member present had their gazes turned sacred as the long national anthem played, as if they could all feel a surge of power.

Glory and pride.

It felt as if, at this moment, we could overcome anything!

Even many Taiwanese compatriots at the scene felt a sense of belonging at this moment, and many people around them were saying, "We are champions too!"

And all the people from all over the world who came to Hangzhou were watching, this was the pinnacle of e-sports.

This is a major step forward for Chinese esports, and it is destined to have a profound impact.
The cameras in front of the podium flashed wildly, capturing the final moments of the Asian Games results—among which the snapshot of "three smiles and one cry" contrasted the various characters and created a rather entertaining scene!

Photos from the scene were quickly uploaded to various online forums and message boards.

At this moment, almost all esports-related social media platforms pinned a banner that read "Congratulations to the Chinese team on winning the Asian Games!", seemingly a prelude to a grand celebration!

"We! Are! The! Champions!"

"China team! Awesome!!!"

"Speak louder! We are—the Gold Medal Division!!!!"

Netizens expressed their emotions in the simplest way.

The photo, filled with glory, is rapidly spreading to every corner of the Chinese internet and will soon be featured in official media along with other "gold medal reports."
(End of this chapter)