I Picked Up Someone by the Road and They Can Help Me Win the Championship [Esports]

Lou Jing led VEX to a world championship right after going pro. The only homegrown top laner to win the FMVP, he went on to finish second at Worlds two years in a row.

Fu Suizhi was a pitiful kid Lou Jing picked up off the street, driven to run away from home after being abused by his family.

VEX urgently needed an ADC for the new season.

Lou Jing went to great lengths to strike up a conversation with Aura online. Aura was a top-tier ADC who'd climbed to the top of the national ranked ladder in just two months, a true all-rounder.

After Lou Jing wouldn't take no for an answer, Aura finally blocked him.

Then Fu Suizhi, who was staying at Lou Jing's place, announced, “I want to go pro.”

Lou Jing: “Just stay home and play games, you gaming addict.”

But Fu Suizhi wouldn't back down, so Lou Jing decided to let him experience the brutal truth that there was always someone better in esports.

At the VEX club, Lou Jing deliberately arranged for Fu Suizhi to scrim against a starting player.

Before the match:

Lou Jing: “This is going to be a one-sided slaughter. Let's put that ADC on the other team through the wringer.”

During the match:

Teammate: “God Lou, I can't lane against their ADC.”

Lou Jing: ...

Teammate: “God Lou, weren't we supposed to put them through the wringer? How did you, the top laner, get solo-killed by an ADC?”

Lou Jing: ...

Twenty-five minutes later, their crystal exploded. The enemy ADC's ID: Aura.

Lou Jing demanded, “You're Aura! Then what was the point of all the trouble I went to before?”

Fu Suizhi: “It means you have bad eyesight.”

The next day, a mysterious newcomer suddenly joined VEX as their starting ADC.

The whole internet mocked VEX, saying they'd gone mad after taking second place so many times.

With Fu Suizhi calling the shots, the team broke VEX's ten-game losing streak.

Netizens: “They beat some random no-name team and now they're acting like hot stuff. Let's see them face a real contender.”

VEX beat a strong team and made it to the playoffs.

Netizens: “They beat one good team and now they're acting like hot stuff. It was just luck.”

VEX won the domestic league, and Fu Suizhi took home the FMVP.

Netizens: “They won one domestic title and now they're acting like hot stuff. They'll just be free points for other teams at Worlds.”

VEX made it to the World Championship finals.

Netizens: “They made it to Worlds and now they're acting like hot stuff. Wait, you said you made it to what?”

[Bonus Scene]

At home one night.

“Commander Fu sure has plenty of energy during the day.”

Lou Jing kept teasing him with a grin. “But at night, don't keep falling asleep halfway through, ”

Fu Suizhi immediately covered his mouth, his voice trembling slightly.

“I know. I'll stay awake next time.”

Lou Jing clasped Fu Suizhi's hand, still not satisfied.

“Then you should be a little more considerate of me during the day. At night, I'm always the one...”

A few things to know before reading:

* “Older, flirty, battle-hardened veteran” x “cold, aloof esports genius puppy”

* The MOBA game is original, but its competition format and setting draw inspiration from KPL and LPL.

* The protagonists' backgrounds are entirely original, with no real-life inspirations.

* No need to know how to play games. The match scenes are easy to follow.

* Both protagonists are each other's only partners.

Theme: You were always meant to be at the top