Rebirth is fine, but I get eight hundred dollars right from the start?

The post-match handshake session.

Lin Shu walked along the players' bench and shook hands with the NA team members one by one.

Having likely lost the game, the young men's faces were filled with frustration.

However, when he got to the senior brother, the man was leaning against the edge of the competition area, one hand in his jacket pocket and the other hand grabbing a handful of hair. A few stray hairs on his forehead were scratched up by him. Unlike his dejected teammates, he exuded an aura of "losing but still able to stand up straight".

He watched Lin Shu approach, his expression neither serious nor relaxed. His lips twitched slightly, and he spoke first:

"Honestly, as the host, can't you go a little easier?"

The senior brother voiced his complaint, knowing that the man in front of him could understand, as the man had previously interacted with viewers from other regions in English during his live streams.

Lin Shu paused for a moment and looked into his senior brother's eyes.

There was no real complaint in the other person's expression; it was more like a self-deprecating remark after being completely defeated.

Without hesitation, he extended his hand, his tone very proper: "I'm sorry, but in competitive sports, giving your all is a sign of respect for your opponent. Especially when the opponent is the powerful NA region."

When Lin Shu finished speaking in a serious tone, the North American team members and the four members of the LPL representative team behind him immediately turned their gazes toward him.

The powerful NA region?

Okay, you won the game, so you're in charge.

The eldest disciple was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Haha, even if you say that, I will never forgive you..."

He said he wouldn't forgive her, but he pulled his right hand out of his pocket and stretched it towards Lin Shu.

But halfway through, he didn't open his palm; instead, he clenched his fist, knuckles facing forward, and stopped in mid-air. "Damn, I'm really defeated by you guys."

He shook his head, a smile that was both helpless and impressed. "Isn't this supposed to be called a fist bump? I've seen you guys do this after LPL matches before."

Lin Shu glanced down at the fist, then withdrew his hand, clenched it into a fist, and pressed his knuckles together.

A soft "thump".

"You absolutely must win the next match and take the championship."

The senior's voice suddenly became serious, his playful tone disappearing. "After losing to you guys, I don't want to go back and have people say, 'Oh, Doublelift, the one who lost to a top four team'—"

He shrugged and added, "Losing to the champion isn't exactly a good thing, but at least it doesn't sound as shameful."

Lin Shu nodded, his tone casual and matter-of-fact: "Of course, no team has yet emerged that can defeat our LPL."

"Haha, buddy, everyone says you're humble, but you're way more arrogant than I am... but you have the right to say that!"

Upon hearing this, the eldest brother blinked first, then burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking with laughter, completely relaxing from the state of losing but maintaining his dignity.

He patted Lin Shu on the shoulder, took a step forward and gave him a hug, patting Lin Shu's back twice with his right hand.

Lin Shu was slightly taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm, and then reached out and gently patted the other person's back.

……

In the backstage monitoring room, several screens are arranged in a row, with the one in the center broadcasting live footage of the post-match handshake on stage.

The director stood behind the control panel, nearly crushing the walkie-talkie in his hand. His gaze was fixed on the screen, watching the moment when the core North American player clenched his fist and extended it towards the LPL mid laner.

He turned and yelled into the walkie-talkie in his hand, his voice echoing in the small monitoring room.

"Quick, quick, give us a close-up! Give us a close-up!"

"where?"

The cameraman's hand trembled from the shout, and the lens almost tilted. He quickly steadied the camera, but there was still no confirmation from the walkie-talkie, so he could only ask.

"Damn it—of course it's the athlete's right hand when they bump fists! Are you suggesting a close-up of their underdeveloped brainstem?"

The director was so excited that he made an extremely sarcastic invitation to the cameraman who had turned the tables on him.

The cameraman didn't dare to retort. The camera steadily zoomed in, focusing on the right hand of the senior brother and Lin Shu as they clenched their fists and touched.

The middle-aged man, who had been furious just a second ago, suddenly fell silent as he looked at the scene on the screen.

He slowly leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, stared at the frozen close-up shot for a full three seconds, and then a slow smile spread across his face.

As a veteran who transitioned from traditional media, he knew all too well what this scene meant.

With a little interpretation, this is not a mere formal handshake between the two teams after the game, nor is it a ceremonial procedure.

What is it?

This is how the LPL team completely crushed a core player from a top global region with two consecutive games, a shutout victory, and near-perfect tactical execution, leaving him utterly convinced of their superiority.

Raising a fist is not an invitation to a duel, nor is it just polite talk. It's an initiative to approach someone after acknowledging their strength. It's using the etiquette of the opposing team to respond to the opponent's strength. It truly embodies the best response of "opponents on the field, friends off the field."

The middle-aged man was already planning in his mind how to thank his childhood friend, who held an important position in the publicity department, after the competition ended today.

Kneel down and call him godfather?

That's just a polite greeting.

In the words of their propaganda department.

What is this scene called?

It's called "winning respect through competitive strength" and "cross-cultural friendly exchanges on the e-sports field."

The article states, "Through two clean and decisive victories, the LPL team demonstrated to the world the comprehensive growth of Chinese esports in terms of tactical systems, player quality, and teamwork."

"The fist bump response from the NA players exemplifies the core principle that 'sportsmanship knows no borders'."

"The two athletes exchanged fist bumps and smiles after the match, demonstrating both their professional fighting spirit on the field and their gentlemanly conduct off the field, perfectly embodying the sportsmanship of 'friendship first, competition second.'"

"Hehehe, I'm such a genius. A small job as a broadcast director is a complete waste of my talents."

The more the middle-aged man thought about it, the more he felt that the scene was captured perfectly.

Thinking of this, he tapped the edge of the table twice with his fingers and said to his assistant, "Take a screenshot of this scene, keep the whole thing, and show it at the beginning and end of tonight's match highlights. If the official media wants it tonight, just give them the original footage and add a note—'Give it your all on the field, and let friendship last forever off the field.'"

Director?

We can certainly get involved in the work of the Cultural and Publicity Department.