Chapter 156: A Plea

As night quietly fell, many people held their phones or sat in front of their computers, opening live-streaming apps, searching for a room, and patiently waiting for a broadcast to begin.

The time on the screen ticked by slowly. The dark livestream room was already filled with dense, scrolling comments. In the absence of a host, viewers excitedly debated the much-anticipated showdown of the evening.

“The long-awaited ultimate battle is finally here.”

“I bet a dime that the streamer will win!”

“A dime? That shows serious distrust in the streamer. I’ll bet fifty cents!”

“I’ll bet a dollar!”

“Guys, the opponent is the champion team. Don’t be too confident.”

“Is there ever any doubt about the streamer’s skill? They’ve never lost!”

“This time it’s different. This time it’s the champion team!”

...

At this moment, inside a club’s training room:

“Are you ready?” the coach asked sternly.

“Ready!” the players answered in unison.

“Good! Before the match starts, I have a few things to remind you,” the coach said.

The players sat upright, listening attentively.

“This match is unlike the previous ones. Although it’s not a professional league, you must treat it like one! The opponents are strong—you all know that without me saying more.

They’ve almost swept through the entire pro scene, to the point where no pro player dares to challenge them.

You are the last line of defense, the final face of the esports community.

You cannot lose this match. Not only that, you must win decisively and brilliantly! Because you are the champions, the best League of Legends players in the world!

The honor of champions, the last pride of professional players, rests on your shoulders!”

By the end, the coach was practically shouting.

The players’ emotions were stirred; their faces flushed, hands clenched, ready to fight.

Seeing this, the coach nodded inwardly, pleased that his words had the desired effect.

He had initially been reluctant to accept the platform’s invitation for this event. Their training schedule was tight, leaving little time for a live competition.

In the end, the platform’s offer persuaded him.

They promised to dedicate a livestream channel exclusively for their matches, and share a portion of the revenue with the club.

It was well known that the champion team had a huge fanbase. Many players were devoted fans, though they usually kept a low profile. Once the platform mobilized these fans, the potential earnings would be substantial.

After agreeing on the revenue split, the club gave their consent.

The match itself would be genuine—no fixed games.

The club wouldn’t agree to throwing matches—this was no ordinary pro team, but the reigning champions.

The losses from fixing matches would be too great, and the platform’s offer insufficient to justify it.

For the platform, there was no need for rigged games; they even urged the club to give their best performance.

This “Battle Night” had to be spectacular.

If the match wasn’t exciting, then what would “Battle Night” even mean?

Jiang Zheng arrived at the hotel, but instead of rushing to go live, he sat at his computer and focused on getting into the right mindset.

Facing the champion team, he knew he had to give it his all, without the slightest lapse.

His condition had to be at its peak.

At this level, skillful gameplay alone no longer decided the outcome; it was the details and mentality that mattered most.

Whoever mastered the finer points, who stayed composed without revealing weaknesses, would claim victory.

Jiang Zheng settled his mind and launched the livestream.

He had a feeling that whether he completed his mission depended entirely on today’s match.

If he could defeat the champion team, perhaps he could fulfill his system task.

Under the watchful eyes of thousands, Jiang Zheng’s livestream finally went live, revealing his familiar figure.

The chat exploded with excitement; messages flooded the screen.

Meanwhile, the champion team’s channel also attracted many fans cheering them on.

Although both sides had large fanbases, Jiang Zheng’s was somewhat larger.

This was largely due to his recent matches against foreign pros, which had won him many admirers.

Some fans were captivated by Jiang Zheng’s talent.

In terms of viewer count, Jiang Zheng’s channel pulled far ahead of the champion team’s.

The platform had heavily promoted this Battle Night, drawing even those previously uninterested.

Thus, the total audience far exceeded the combined fan numbers of both sides.

While both teams prepared for the match, the other side was busy as well.

“Attention everyone, the viewer count is very high tonight. We must ensure the servers stay stable!” Lin Yu shouted.

“We’re barely holding on; the servers are already struggling,” someone called out.

“Hold steady! We must keep it stable! I’ll find a solution!” Lin Yu yelled.

“There’s someone stirring up trouble in the chat,” another voice warned.

“Mute and ban all troublemakers immediately! Tonight’s livestream cannot have any issues!” Lin Yu commanded.

“Isn’t that too extreme?” someone hesitated.

“They’re already riding us hard—there’s no room for moderation! We cannot let the chat get out of control!” Lin Yu insisted.

...

This match was different from previous ones, equipped with referees and commentators, making it resemble a formal competition.

At this moment, the referee addressed the audience:

“Now, I will explain the rules for this match.

This competition will be one-on-one, best of three rounds, with the streamer selecting their opponents and the champion team choosing the battle routes.”

The rules were straightforward, with almost no restrictions.

However, the opponent selection posed a challenge for Jiang Zheng.

If he chose a weaker player, his chances of winning would increase; if he picked a stronger one, his chances would diminish.

But with previous match videos as reference, it wasn’t a blind selection.

“Now, please have our streamer select their opponent!” the referee announced.

“Wait a moment. I have a request,” Jiang Zheng spoke up.

“Please, go ahead,” the referee smiled.

“I’d like to ask: if I win against one opponent, can I continue to face the next?” Jiang Zheng said.

The room erupted.

Though Jiang Zheng hadn’t stated it outright, his meaning was clear—he wanted to challenge every member of the champion team one-on-one!

The chat flooded with messages; the servers began to lag under the load.

The referee looked troubled.

This wasn’t in the prepared script.

“Well... I need to consult with others. Please wait a moment,” the referee said.

“That’s fine, I can wait,” Jiang Zheng replied gently.