LPL History

Chapter 338 Playoffs: Life or Death on the Brink, Maybach Faces a Trapped Dragon in the Rainy Night

Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai.

Several nurses were huddled together, whispering and chattering amongst themselves.

"That young man in ward number three is living the good life. His girlfriend comes to visit him every day."

"I heard he was a professional e-sports player, and it's pretty bad; he broke his hand."

"He doesn't seem like a respectable person. I heard from the head nurse that at least eight or a thousand girls come to the hospital every day to inquire about him!"

"You wouldn't believe it, but a while ago there was a girl who deliberately broke her own hand just so she could share a hospital room with him. It's just outrageous."

"Seriously?! These fans are going way too far!"

"Hey, that's nothing compared to what happened the other day. Remember when the security guard, Xiao Liu, caught a suspicious woman in the hallway? Guess what she was doing there? She was stealing someone's underwear!"

"Oh my God!"

Several nurses covered their mouths.

"Can you really have so many fans just by playing games? I get so annoyed whenever I see my boyfriend playing games, I feel like smashing his computer."

"If your boyfriend could earn millions a year playing video games, would you still be willing to spend money on him?"

"But you know what, Zhou Li in room number three is quite different from the internet addict I remember. He's actually pretty handsome. Do you guys think I have a chance?"

"You little slut, what do you think his girlfriend is doing all day in the hospital room?"

"I think his girlfriend is too narrow-minded. Such a great guy should definitely be shared with her girlfriends, hehe..."

Zhou Li's ears twitched. He glanced somewhat awkwardly at Xiao You, who was peeling an apple for him, then silently stood up and closed the door.

Time flies, and it's already August. The LPL regular season has ended, and the playoffs have begun.

During this time, Zhou Li was recuperating in the hospital, but the IG team did not disappoint him and successfully made it into the playoffs.

There are eight teams in the playoffs: OMG, EDG, LGD, M3, Snake, VG, QG, and IG.

Miller's excited shouts could be heard coming from the phone.

"UZI! He's still dealing damage! IG's front line can't hold on anymore! OMG has scored a 4-for-1 trade! IG is now on the brink of elimination!"

Right now, at the Zhengda Plaza in Shanghai, the IG team and the OMG team are playing a placement match in the bubble to compete for a spot in the semifinals of the Summer Split.

The match between the two sides has entered the third game. After IG won the first game, OMG tied the score. In the third game, IG's situation is not optimistic. At 35 minutes, they are already 8,000 gold behind. After another team fight defeat, OMG took down Baron Nashor and pushed down IG's two high ground towers, widening the gold gap to 11,000.

Miller's voice sounded very anxious in the commentary booth.

"IG! It seems they are no longer able to withstand OMG's relentless attacks!"

Meanwhile, the live stream chat was filled with a dense barrage of comments!
Go IG!

[OMG was in such good form today, it feels like they're going to be eliminated in the playoffs.]

I miss my brother. I wish he were here.

[Do you still remember when my brother played Vayne top lane...]

[Sima LGD, give me back my brother's hand!]

Sigh, I'll have to keep trying next year; the gap is really quite large.

I really feel sorry for my brother; he had such a good chance this year.

[Without his brother around, Kakao always gets lost!]

After the match against LGD, Zhou Li successfully shed the "Chu" character (出字辈, meaning "outstanding generation" or "unrefined").

With female fans leading the way in calling him "brother," the nickname "brother" gradually became synonymous with Zhou Li.

IG player seat.

Kakao bit his lip hard.

His fingers trembled uncontrollably under immense pressure.

"Damn it... We can't lose... I promised my brother I would make it to the World Championship... I have an absolutely compelling reason not to lose!"

Miller exclaimed in surprise from the commentary booth!
"Kakao! At the crucial moment, he used an R-flash to kick UZI back! IG! In the face of desperation, thanks to Kakao's kick, they found a reason to keep the game going! But now, the huge gap between the two sides is still there! OMG, all they need to do is wait for UZI to respawn and launch the next wave of attacks!"

The IG rest area at this moment.

Zhu Kai was intently watching the match when his phone rang.

Upon seeing the caller ID, Zhu Kai paused for a moment before quickly pressing the answer button.

"Hello, boss?"

"Zhou Li? He should still be in the hospital."

"But it's probably too late to call him now... Are you there? Go get your Maybach?!"

"Okay! I'll go pick it up myself!"

Zhu Kai glanced at the match, then without further hesitation, rushed out of the rest room.

He started running, displaying the same ferocity he displayed when picking up takeout. He skipped the elevator and rushed down the stairs in the emergency exit to the underground parking garage.

Parking area in Zone B.

The headlights of the Maybach illuminated the darkness of the underground parking lot, where the driver had already parked the car.

Zhu Kai opened the car door and got in, panting as he spoke:

Ruijin Hospital!

The Maybach sped out of the underground parking lot.

"Wow!"

Just as the vehicles came into view of the sky, a torrential downpour began!

This caused the driver to lose sight of what was ahead for a moment, the front of the Maybach swayed slightly, and the tires splashed up a white spray.

Zhu Kai glanced anxiously at his watch.

"We have to take the elevated road, otherwise we won't have enough time!"

The Maybach's dashboard needles soared to the redline, and the car body cut through the rain like a swift knife!
At the match venue, the five members of OMG reunited.

Kakao looked at his Flash, which was still not fully healed, and a sense of helplessness shone through his stubborn eyes.

Rookie seemed to sense the emotions of the older brother beside him. He stared at his Flash ability, suppressing the nausea he felt due to nervousness, and said:

"I'll try it!"

The shouts from the audience completely drowned out the sound of the torrential rain outside!

The baby's exclamation still echoed above the venue!
"Rookie! Rookie stepped up at the crucial moment! LeBlanc's entry completely melted UZI! IG! They're still holding on!"

A Maybach was speeding along the overpass on a rainy night.

The streetlights flashing in the torrential rain outside the car window now appeared as a blinding beam of light to Zhu Kai.

In the rearview mirror, the headlights of other vehicles, growing smaller and smaller as the Maybach overtook them, were visible.

Zhu Kai turned on his phone, but the cell phone signal was not ideal due to the heavy rain.

But he could see that the IG players on the field still hadn't given up.

"Faster, faster!"

"Boom boom boom!"

He could almost hear his own heart beating.

The outcome of the third game was already decided, and the delays were only to buy more time for the fourth game.

Before the final life-or-death struggle begins, he must bring that man back.

In esports, there is no such thing as invincibility.

But for some reason, it seems that as long as they can bring that man back, they can find a way out for IG, which is on the edge of a cliff!
Zhu Kai's heart was beating faster and faster.

He could hear his own heartbeat and the roar of the engine mingling together.

"The game has reached the 45-minute mark! IG has already breached all three lanes, and even one of their inhibitor turrets has been destroyed by OMG! But they still stubbornly withstood wave after wave of attacks! But now, OMG! With the Baron buff, they have once again charged onto IG's high ground! If heroes could bleed, this high ground would probably already be covered in crimson! Now, OMG wants to end this farce!"

OMG player bench.

UZI's face already showed displeasure.

He nervously twitched his right leg, instinctively reaching out to bite his finger, but then stopped abruptly as if remembering something.

What are they doing on the other side?

UZI's tone was filled with impatience.

"There's no way we can win, why waste our time!"

OMG had victory firmly in their grasp. But for some reason, with every second the match went on, UZI found himself becoming increasingly anxious.

It was as if something was hidden behind the still-standing IG base, something that made him tremble.

IG player seat.

Kakao sighed.

"Let's play the next one..."

A wry smile appeared on Rookie's face.

The gap between them was simply too great; they had tried everything.

She pursed her lips.

He stared intently at Nar's anger and spoke softly:
"If I flash in and use my ultimate, can I follow up?!"

Cheers erupted once again from the commentary booth, shattering the dark dome!
"Zz1tai! Gnar flashes in and hits four OMG players! IG is still fighting back!!"

Neither Kakao, Rookie, nor Zita knew what Zhu Kai was doing at that moment.

Those on the field cannot receive instructions to stall for time.

Everything is for the sake of winning.

Even if there is little hope.

They still vividly remember the words Zhou Li said to them on his sickbed.

Never give up until the very last moment. What if you win?

The young man who had endured endless hardships to climb out of hell had just vindicated himself when his career suffered a major blow.

Kakao's Lee Sin landed a Sonic Blast on UZI's Caitlyn.

As Kakao glided along with the sonic wave, a slideshow seemed to flash through his mind.

"Brother, I'll be able to sit next to you again during the World Championship."

"Ichiku!"

Miller's vocal cords could no longer withstand such intense shouting, and he was almost hoarse!

"Kakao! They took down the female police officer in seconds! IG! They've once again defended their last bastion, their last hope!"

"But how will IG respond to the next Elder Dragon wave when all three lanes are breached?!"

Ruijin Hospital.

orthopedics.

Ward 3

Xiao You straightened Zhou Li's clothes, her expression revealing deep concern.

"your hands?"

Zhou Li chuckled and flexed his wrists in front of Xiao You.

"It's been long gone."

"Don't push yourself, you're still young."

Zhou Li nodded slightly, but Xiao You knew that this man hadn't listened to a word she said.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the corridor, accompanied by the nurse's exclamation.

"Hey! What are you doing! Register! Register!"

Zhu Kai had no time to respond to the nurse's calls. He had walked this road countless times, but never before had he felt so anxious.

His rain-soaked leather shoes slipped several times on the marble floor. Zhu Kai suddenly reached for the doorknob of ward number three, but the door was opened from the inside.

Zhu Kai stumbled and fell to the ground.

He eagerly looked up, and Zhou Li was smiling at him.

"Little Zhu, how have you been?"
-
"IG!!!"

Miller's voice was already hoarse from speaking.

"They fought to the very last moment! But now, they are powerless to stop OMG's advance!"

In the Elder Dragon fight, OMG scored a 1-for-4 exchange in the river!

UZI's face had visibly turned red.

The match has now reached the 45-minute mark.

The game should have ended ten minutes ago, but it has been dragged on until now.

IG's pointless resistance completely enraged UZI.

Knowing full well that he couldn't win, why waste time? If it were him, he would have already left the game and gone to take a shower.

"Kakao, still putting in a final effort! But it's all in vain! OMG destroyed IG's base, changing the score to 2-1! In this BO5 match, OMG has taken the lead and secured match point!!"

Even at the last moment before the IG base exploded, UZI's pent-up anger remained unreleased.

He pressed the return-to-base button.

A question mark suddenly appeared on the public screen.

In the live stream, OMG's fans went into a frenzy.

[Haha, stupid Instagram, what a waste of time.]

Congratulations OMG!

Go puppy, come back from a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1!

Go IG!

[Could you please bring my brother back?]

[Hilarious! Your brother doesn't even dare to go on stage.]

[What a question mark! This is Mad Dog! Haha, I love it!]

[I really think my brother should come!]

[Hurry to the Western Paradise and invite the Buddha!]

[Screw the Buddha, even if you summoned Hongjun Laozu on Instagram today, it wouldn't do any good, I'm telling you!]

[IG is doomed, I told you so, even Jesus couldn't save them!]

IG lounge.

The group returned looking dejected.

Kakao mustered his spirits and said:

“We still have a chance, Zhu Kai…”

He looked around but couldn't find Zhu Kai.

Kakao looked at the teaching assistant, who had been studying Chinese diligently for some time and had already made considerable progress in his Chinese, making daily communication no problem at all.

Where is Coach Zhu Kai?!

The teaching assistants exchanged glances and shook their heads.

They only saw Zhu Kai answer a phone call and then rush out, and he hasn't returned yet.

Kakao clenched his fist.

With a do-or-die situation looming, their coach has vanished without a trace.

This made Kakao, who has always had a bad temper, unable to hold back any longer, and he kicked the door down.

"Oh!"

In a fit of rage, Kakao kicked down the door to the lounge!
Everyone fell silent, knowing Kakao's temper. Although he had toned it down considerably recently, it was still quite frightening when it flared up.

In the midst of this oppressive atmosphere, a soft laugh rang out, completely out of place.

"Who is it?! Are you out of your mind?!"

Everyone's faces were filled with astonishment.

Then, someone slowly walked in from outside the door.

"Hey, brother!"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

(End of this chapter)