She chose the strategy with the most bullet comments.

Believe in yourself, keep going.

She didn't say anything polite like "you guys are strong," because losers don't need that kind of dry consolation.

The most important thing in esports is the will to win. If you don't even believe in yourself and fall into self-doubt, you will only stay in the same place or even regress.

Liu Liu was stunned. Being slightly shorter, she looked up at Su Mu and caught a glimpse of the clean and pure smile on Su Mu's face, which seemed to be conveying something.

After shaking hands blankly with the two people behind her, Liu Liu couldn't help but turn her head to look at the center of the stage, staring at Su Mu's back.

"What are you daydreaming about? Let's go, the stage no longer belongs to us." - Pipa

"Oops..."

Liu Liu snapped out of her daze, unplugged the USB from the external device, and silently followed her teammates toward the backstage entrance.

The cheers from the audience rose and fell like waves.

The lights, belonging to the winner, were about to disappear at the entrance when Liu Liu turned back one last time to look at Su Mu, who had finished interacting with the audience and was walking towards the other passage.

Looking at her smiling profile, Liu Liu felt her disappointment gradually dissipate, and her self-doubt vanished completely.

Yes, there are always people better than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. No one can be invincible forever.

Xiao Mu, thank you... She wants to know how to move forward on her own.

All ten contestants disappeared from the stage, and only then did the cheers from the audience begin to subside, with only the commentator's voice continuing to ring out.

"From the quarterfinals to the semifinals, these two best-of-five matches were absolutely thrilling, a true test of skill and determination!"

"This amazing team always comes up with different strategies that surprise us. After the last game, I have a feeling that the mid-lane Titan and AP jungler combo might steal some popularity from the solo lane Soraka."

"We should be able to pick up quite a few. There are many strong jungle carries in version 1.9. Xiaowei alone has shown us several, such as Karthus, Taliyah, and Ekko. Others, such as Diana and Nidalee, can also synergize with Nautilus, who has a lot of crowd control skills," Luanming said with a smile.

"From the beginning of the offline competition to now, there have been too many voices on the Internet expressing their skepticism about Step by Step Win. However, they have amazed countless people by steadily advancing to the finals with a unique system and style of play. At this moment, all we can say is congratulations to them."

"Next, let's review the exciting team fights in the decisive game. Actually, everyone knows who had the most of the highlights. I wonder who Yun Jie thinks is the MVP?"

“Hmm…” Jian Yun pondered for a moment, “From the perspective of team contribution, I will vote for the mid-laner Xiao Mu.”

"Pretty much, both mid and jungle can get MVP. Since Sister Yun prefers Xiao Mu, then I'll play a balanced game and vote for Xiao Wei, haha."

After the replay ended, the screen above the stage flickered and finally settled on a picture with a Titan as the background. The subject in the picture wasn't a very professional photoshoot; it was none other than Su Mu.

The audience erupted in applause once again.

After so many matches, everyone knows that the criteria for awarding MVP in a match are different from those in ranked games; good-looking stats alone are not enough.

Clearly, in the eyes of the audience, Su Mu deserved to win the MVP award.

"After today's BO5, the pressure will fall on the two teams tomorrow."

"There might be some pressure, after all, Step by Step Win has shown overwhelming strength. Hopefully, tomorrow's match between Starshine and Fantastic Five can bring a game that is just as exciting as today's match."

"..."

……

The first semi-final match has ended, and the post-match interviews have generated considerable buzz for the competition.

The buzz stems from Zhang Xiaoyu's very bold behavior.

During the interview where the two were on stage together, when the host asked Zhang Xiaoyu about her position in the team, she honestly and generously admitted that she was the worst performer.

They don't hide their opinions at all, calling themselves "tools" or "human-shaped wards."

After speaking, while still within the camera's view, he made a move that surprised everyone, including Su Mu—

She squatted down and reached out to hug Su Mu's thigh tightly.

Finally, he uttered a classic statement that made everyone's eyes twitch.

"A vegetable should act like a vegetable, clinging tightly to the powerful, never going west when the powerful command to go east, and never retreating when told to be a meat cushion to be eaten."

At that moment, Bai Wei and the other two in the rest room couldn't help but cover their eyes.

Zhang Xiaoyu is still as unpredictable as ever, yet it's something she's capable of doing...

No one could have imagined that Zhang Xiaoyu's action would make her and Su Mu one of the most enduring memes in the LOL player community, manifesting as emojis.

When many players want to team up with friends, they will usually send out a screenshot of Zhang Xiaoyu clinging to Su Mu's coattails, the meaning of which is self-evident.

As their popularity grew, emojis evolved into various forms of anime and manga expression, such as panda heads, mischievous rabbits, and fish-themed rabbits…

Zhang Xiaoyu, who never expected to be remembered in this way, later became a top entertainment anchor and a die-hard fan of Su Mu.

Of course, these are all for later.

Su Mu and his teammates are not complacent or relaxed because they have entered the finals. Instead, they are reviewing the three games of today.

Everyone will encounter problems during the game, and if you can't identify them yourself, your opponent may find them and exploit them, or use them as a weak point.

Su Mu knew that any seemingly insignificant factor on the field could trigger a butterfly effect that could lead to a loss, so he took it very seriously and continued his habit of reviewing the game after each match, just like in his previous life.

Different games, same meaning.

It wasn't until late at night that the five of them yawned and went back to their rooms, preparing to get up the next day to watch the Stars vs. the Fantastic Five match.

……

Around 11 a.m. the following morning.

Su Mu slowly woke up, feeling a slight tingling sensation on the inside of her neck. She realized that Bai Wei was still in the dream world.

She wasn't in a hurry.

In winter, it takes courage to get out of bed immediately. Isn't it wonderful to have a beautiful, soft, and fragrant woman in your bed, keeping you warm together?

"Huh, how did this happen?"

Su Mu glanced at the system messages and saw that the reward he received yesterday had met the trigger conditions, leaving him completely bewildered.

[One-in-a-thousand version of the Queen of Ten Thousand Women: After being kissed by a beautiful woman, you will receive a special buff that lasts for 72 hours, attracting beautiful women to you. Note—You won't get pregnant repeatedly, but giving up resistance when necessary is the best option…]

Blinking in confusion, Su Mu looked at Bai Wei's fair and flawless face.

Could it be that Bai Wei accidentally kissed him while he was sleeping last night?

It's not impossible that the system didn't specify where to kiss, meaning it could count as kissing the face, lips, or even the neck.

Su Mu quickly stopped worrying about it.

But she didn't know that only kissing could trigger it... and the Yiqi Baba (Seven) Liuyi System wouldn't explain it to her either...

123. Final Opponent

On the first floor of the e-sports hotel, several people dressed in formal suits gathered, staring at each other.

The atmosphere wasn't exactly bad, but it certainly wasn't great either. Putting aside personal relationships, everyone was a competitor; it would be strange if it were good.

"Now that I've found you guys here, I'm not going to pretend anymore. Xiao Mu, we at AIC are determined to have you!"

"Brother Ledi, don't be in such a hurry. It's too early to talk about these things before the competition is even over. Who knows, tomorrow's final might be a close call."

"Tch, then what are you doing here, Blue Octopus, staking out people? As far as I know, the mid-laner TFS signed not long ago seems to be underwhelming..."

"No one is stopping me from familiarizing myself with the environment beforehand and waiting for the champion team to emerge," Lan Zhangyu said calmly, unconcerned by the hint of sarcasm in the former's tone.

"Hehe, why be so hypocritical? Just because your TFS mid-laner is so-so right now doesn't mean he'll be so-so in the future. There's no need to compete with us for him, right?" Jett said with a crooked mouth.

Lan Zhangyu smiled helplessly, too lazy to argue with the former.

TFS does have the idea of ​​changing their mid laner, but it's not that Xiao Mu is indispensable. After all, before the trip, the boss vaguely hinted that if they could sign him, they would do so, and if they couldn't, they would cause trouble for other teams by raising their prices.

It may have been a loss, but who can say that in professional competitions, the clashes are limited to the players on stage?

Using small tricks to deplete a competitor's season budget is also a strategic approach.

"You two shouldn't be so confrontational; you'll run into each other again soon."

“Alright, then let’s talk about you, Night Wind and Full Moon. RT already has Youzi, the third-ranked star mid-laner in the international server. Who are you here to target?” Jett asked rhetorically.

"Well, being eager to recruit talent is a policy that our club adheres to..." Night Breeze and Full Moon maintained a polite smile.

Hearing her words, everyone present inwardly scoffed.

No one is a fool; they can hear the unspoken meaning behind the words of the night breeze and the full moon.

"They even wanted to sign Xiao Mu and let her try other positions, how inhumane! What if they waste or even ruin her youth? Tsk tsk tsk..."

It's not easy for professional players to switch positions. Similarly, the better someone plays a certain position, the more effort they put in, and the more stable their style becomes, making it more difficult to switch positions and easily resulting in nothing being achieved.

If you fail, wasting and ruining your youth is no exaggeration.

"Chen Zeliang, DTG only signs male players. You wouldn't come here for a player who's always on the verge of victory, right?"

"Uh, don't bring this up. I can't be the one to do that..." Chen Zeliang shrugged.

"Huh? Your boss... your boss has no more trauma from female players? Aren't you afraid of repeating the mistake of having your Heroes of the Storm division completely dismantled, almost dragging down the entire club?"

As soon as he finished speaking, not only did Chen Zeliang frown, but two or three others also looked rather unpleasant.

Jett's words were...really disrespectful.

What kind of person do you think of someone who wins step by step? Nobody wants to be a worthless person who accepts anyone.

"I advise you to just say this here. Of course, I don't mind if you repeat it to the contestant later," Chen Zeliang said slowly.

After glancing at everyone's expressions, Jett realized that what he had just said was inappropriate, and his face fell.

"The Stars vs. the Fantastic Five game is this afternoon, I'm leaving now."

Another woman, who hadn't spoken a word the whole time, got up from the sofa, left a message, and walked out with her long legs covered in black stockings.

"Huh? Coco, aren't you afraid that Xiao Mu might suddenly come down and we'll seize the opportunity?"

"Don't worry, they won't come down." Liu Keke shook her head and quickened her pace to leave.

Seeing her leave, Night Breeze and Full Moon shook their heads and also got up, no longer lingering.

"Good luck to you all." Lan Zhangyu smiled and was the third to leave.

The remaining few people didn't quite understand or believe in superstitions, and ignoring the strange looks from the hotel receptionist, they continued to stay there staring at each other.

It wasn't until it got dark and I hadn't seen any of the Step by Step Winners that I understood why those guys had left so decisively.

The schedule is very tight. Today is the last semi-final, and tomorrow is the final. There is no rest period for either team, not even half a day.

To win step by step, I will definitely watch the game, use the remaining precious time to study my opponent, and make limited preparations for the final.

In their haste and eagerness to succeed, they overlooked this most basic point and wasted most of their time.

……

As night approached midnight, in the temporary training room dedicated to the "Step by Step to Victory" strategy.

"I didn't expect Xingmang to make it to the finals." Zhao Lisi closed the match recording page, a look of surprise flashing across her face.

"Compared to the quarterfinals, Xingmang's level has fluctuated quite a bit. They don't seem like the same team at all. They're a team that's keeping a low profile," Zhou Xuemin said solemnly.

In the match between StarCraft and the Fantastic Five, the Fantastic Five, who were favored by more people before the match, were swept 0-0 by their opponents.

Similarly, no one expected that both BO5 semifinal matches would end in the shortest possible time.

"If they ban Alchemy, I might get targeted by Senna to the point where I can't take care of myself..." Zhang Xiaoyu said weakly.

In the third game of the BO5 series, the top laner for the Starshine team picked Senna, using the same strategy Su Mu had employed, but with a different positioning.

“Starry Sky is indeed something special, especially the top laner Tian Shu. He actually learned the essence of Xiao Mu’s skin-peeling Senna technique so quickly,” Zhao Lisi said.

"No, no, no." Su Mu stretched out his index finger and shook it, his expression meaningful. "She doesn't seem to have learned it from me. She probably developed her own routine."

"Huh? No way..." Zhang Xiaoyu stared wide-eyed in astonishment, "If you had already developed the skin-peeling Serena a long time ago, why are you only releasing it now?"

“Mumu’s thoughts are similar to mine.” Bai Wei adjusted her right eyeglass frame with two fingers. “Tian Shu’s top lane Senna isn’t something that can be mastered in a short time. I suspect it might be inspired by Mumu’s mid lane Soraka.”

Zhao Lisi and the other two looked at Su Mu, and seeing her tacit expression, surprise rose in their eyes.

"Don't underestimate the top players in the Chinese server. If we can develop so many things, others can too..." (by Yu)

Su Mu chuckled softly and continued calmly, "I suspect that top lane Senna isn't Starburst's strongest trump card, just like we also have something up our sleeves."

"Yeah... I'm under so much pressure..." Zhang Xiaoyu pouted.

"We've come this far, let's just keep going."

"I was just saying, Brother Mu, don't you know me? I may be bad at the game, but my attitude and mindset are absolutely top-notch!" Zhang Xiaoyu patted her chest confidently.

Su Mu smiled without speaking, shut down the computer, and said to everyone, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Win or lose, these are all valuable experiences in our youth. Life will always leave regrets, but it will also have successes that live up to expectations. In short, keep a calm mindset."