Chapter 29: I Am a Man with Dreams

"Operational strategies cannot save the LPL!"

Yu Shuang covered her small mouth, stunned by such an astonishing answer. Lin Ruo's words were destined to cause a massive sensation after the match. In the back office, inside the EDG training room, Aaron sat in distress. He just wanted to find someone to drag this brat down immediately—what kind of nonsense was he spouting?

"He's that kind of person, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Clearlove" (Ailoli) said speechlessly, "Hasn't he always been like that?"

"Now for the final question. Does player Lin Ruo have any expectations for the future?"

On the interview stage, Lin Ruo gripped the microphone again, a profound smile playing on his lips. Yu Shuang could barely stand steady; that familiar sense of dread had returned.

"Future expectations? I wonder if the audience remembers that our EDG soul, Ming Kai, once had a famous quote: 'I will prove to the world who the best jungler is.' Since that's the case, my future expectation is to simply prove to the world who the best AD carry is."

The live stream chat exploded instantly.

[Good, good, good, he's going all out.]
[There's a mole inside EDG, stop the trades.]
[Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter.]
[Worthy of being an EDG leader. The Factory Manager (Clearlove) may be gone, but his soul of faith remains.]
[The second generation of the Factory Manager is officially born.]
[Clearlove: I'll prove to the world who the best jungler is. Alright, I proved it—Insec is the best jungler in the world.]
[Too wild. I'm not watching post-match interviews anymore if this EDG AD isn't there.]

Back in the EDG lounge, the carefree Mouse was already laughing until he sounded like a squealing pig. "Damn, he really dared to say that. Even though I often tease the Factory Manager, I wouldn't dare say that."

A grim-faced Aaron picked up the phone. On the other end, Ming Kai's voice came through, clearly having been lurking. "What does he mean by that? Attacking his own people? Put him on the phone."

As soon as Lin Ruo returned to the lounge, the Factory Manager’s "gank" arrived at his ear—truly a jungler with game sense. "What's the meaning of this, kid? You'd better give me an explanation."

Lin Ruo rubbed his nose and said with extreme gravity, "Factory Manager, have you truly forgotten your former dreams?"

"You were once high-spirited, facing the morning sun, unafraid of any rumors or gossip, striving toward the goal of becoming the world's best jungler."

"But after a few years of failure, have you really become what the haters say—lost your drive—and convinced yourself that 'the best jungler in the world' is just a derogatory nickname?"

"Don't forget, these were words you spoke with full confidence, representing all your hopes and efforts. How can a dream be something too painful to look back on?"

"It's okay. Whether you are still that same young man or not, I will strive to carry your expectations forward."

"If I win in the future, I'll be the best in the world. If I lose, I'll just be hated for a lifetime. It's no big deal; I have a strong mentality."

After Lin Ruo finished, heavy breathing came from the other side of the phone, followed by a long silence. After a while, the Factory Manager hung up in silence, left to contemplate his life. Perhaps he was reminiscing about running under the sunset of days gone by, his lost youth.

"What did the Factory Manager say in the end?" Mouse asked, not having heard clearly.

Because the Factory Manager hadn't said a single word.

Lin Ruo looked at the ceiling, his tone slow and heavy: "The Factory Manager said he thanked me for helping him regain his confidence. He said he will definitely return as a king in the Summer Split and fight alongside us again."

Mouse couldn't laugh anymore. The atmosphere in the lounge shifted. Is this the spirit of a veteran? It's magnificent!

As a member of the crew who had gone through thick and thin with Ming Kai, Aaron understood deeply. He understood the effort Clearlove had put into chasing his dreams. Lin Ruo daring to say he would become the world's best AD was definitely not just for memes or shock value. It was the immense confidence of a thriving young man.

Aaron was filled with emotion. He walked over and patted Lin Ruo's back heavily. "Your salary for this month is gone."

...

On the bus back to the club, Lin Ruo sneakily opened WeChat and sent a message to a contact nicknamed "Little Fatty." As a true fan, how could he not have his idol's WeChat? Ridiculous.

"My proudest AD, my most revered idol, your teammates played too poorly today, causing you to lose the match. I was furious and couldn't help myself, so I decided to seek justice for you and launched an attack during the post-match interview. Thinking about it now, I was too impulsive and truly feel ashamed before you."

The reply came quickly, seemingly a genuine outpouring of emotion from the Little Fatty.

"Good brother, I don't blame you. You are my most loyal believer, but don't do this in the future; it easily disrupts the unity between me and my teammates."

"The Little Fatty is so wild, calling me a 'loyal believer'." Lin Ruo couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Aaron, sitting in the front row, stiffened and suddenly turned around, glaring. "What the hell are you doing now?"

Lin Ruo instantly put on a serious face, swearing with conviction: "Since I said I would transform EDG into a diverse team, I will definitely do it. Therefore, from now on, I have decided to join the coaching staff at my own expense to work with Comrade Nofe and put my reform plan into practice."

Tian Ye, sitting across the aisle, groaned: "Don't do this. Can't you just be a player?"

Hearing this, Lin Ruo smiled dismissively. He rummaged through his bag, pulled out a document dozens of pages long, and gently handed it to Tian Ye.

Tian Ye, receiving the document, was dumbfounded, rubbing his eyes hard to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

*Ten-Year Anti-Korean Strategy Plan (Alias: EDG Eight-Quarters Breakthrough Plan.)*

"No, you're for real?" Tian Ye flipped through it briefly; it was filled with dense, impassioned text.

Lin Ruo hummed triumphantly. Did people really think he said those things just for shock value? Since he said he would transform EDG, he had to do it. Moreover, he didn't believe the current EDG could win a world championship.

Condition was one thing, but the champion pool was another. The damn top laner only played the "Three Illusory Gods" plus a Jayce. How could they win a world championship? Even the former "Invincible Tong" could play Gnar and Fiora.

Besides, he wasn't a jungler who could influence the whole map at any time. He was just an ADC with limited influence. Even if the future "Ardent Censer" meta arrived—the peak era for ADCs—wasn't it the more well-rounded SSG who took the crown? So, for an AD to carry, it was important, but the team's overall strength had to be improved.

Mouse glanced over suspiciously, discovering the first page was aimed directly at him.

"Damn, you want me to practice Jayce? I can't."

Lin Ruo looked over: "Why not? You're not some '333'."

"Who is 333?"

"You could also call him 369. A former middle school roommate of mine. Couldn't learn a Gnar in three years, couldn't learn a Jayce in two. He was trash."

"Damn, is there really someone that bad?"

Upon hearing this, Mouse suddenly gained confidence. If there was someone that bad, he couldn't possibly be worse than him, right?