Chapter 129: Five Consecutive Wins

Dai Chen respawned, and Jiang Zheng also emerged from the fountain after purchasing his equipment. Dai Chen’s technique was not on par with the opponent Jiang Zheng had faced previously; as long as Jiang Zheng played steadily, victory was assured. As expected, Jiang Zheng secured three kills in short order and won the match. Having won the first game, Jiang Zheng had fully grasped Dai Chen’s operations and tactical patterns.

Dai Chen’s defeat sparked a wave of abuse in his livestream chat. In truth, ever since he had given up "first blood," his chat had been polarized—some viewers were scolding him harshly, while others remained steadfast in their support. Initially, the two sides were evenly matched in number, but once he lost the game, those cursing him completely took over the chat. Staring at the screen full of vitriol, Dai Chen clenched his fists, struggling to suppress his mounting fury. He was unwilling to accept that he had lost to a mere casual player. He knew full well whether his opponent was a professional; he was acquainted with all the pros in the circle and was familiar with everyone's specific playstyles and maneuvers. Since his opponent’s style matched none of those he knew, he was certain the man was not a professional player.

Dai Chen had received an invitation from the platform to play in a showcase match. Initially, he assumed the platform wanted him to lose to help build hype for his opponent, leveraging the "professional player" label to pave the way for them. This was something Dai Chen understood and did not resent. His professional career was nearing its end, and he was relatively old for a pro; he felt lost regarding his future. Given the opportunity to earn a little extra money, he chose to take it; as for the honor of being a professional player, he no longer cared.

Unfortunately, the platform had only invited him to play a standard match, with the promise of increased support should he transition into streaming and sign a contract with them later. There was no requirement to throw the match. Since the terms weren't particularly demanding, Dai Chen accepted, viewing it as a way to relax between training sessions. Professional players often frequented lower-ranked games to "smurf" for the sake of relaxation. Yet, he never imagined that even without throwing the game, he would still lose. His opponent’s skill level was remarkably high; both his execution and game sense were on par with any professional.

As the second game began, the psychological pressure on Dai Chen mounted. Having lost the first, he could not afford another defeat. Upon entering the game, he chose a conservative, steady strategy—he simply refused to engage, focusing entirely on farming. Watching his opponent adopt such a cowardly tactic, Jiang Zheng did not rush; he focused on his own farming to ensure the gap didn't widen. Both players spent their time clearing jungle camps; aside from the minor dragon, which they couldn't yet handle, they were aggressively clearing everything else. However, the jungle was limited in size, and they would occasionally cross paths. Whenever they did, Dai Chen would immediately burn his abilities to escape.

Jiang Zheng did not pursue, choosing instead to farm Dai Chen’s jungle camps. As the game dragged on, the audience in the chat grew bored. They weren't seeing the spectacular plays they had imagined; all they saw were two money-grubbing machines. In Jiang Zheng's chat, viewers complained: "The opponent is such a coward; he doesn't even dare to fight." "What’s the point of dragging this out? Just end it quickly so we can start the next one." "This is so dull; the opponent is too scared, he runs every time they meet."

In Dai Chen’s chat, the insults were even more rampant. While there were those who staunchly defended him, they were quickly drowned out. The audience came for the high-level combat and the brilliant plays that defined professional competition. Constantly last-hitting minions and clearing camps was mind-numbing. His opponent was too slippery; the moment they met, he would flee. Jiang Zheng couldn't chase him down even if he wanted to, as the opponent refused to engage.

By farming efficiently, one player could reach "god-tier" equipment quickly. After recalling to buy his final build, Dai Chen prepared for a decisive showdown. Dragging it out further served no purpose. He had initially hoped that his professional understanding of the game would allow him to out-farm his opponent and widen the economic gap. The game mechanics were such that if the gold lead was large enough, it could compensate for a gap in mechanical skill. However, as he farmed, Dai Chen realized something was wrong: the economic gap had indeed widened, but it was his opponent who had pulled ahead. In this situation, he was even more afraid to fight, knowing that a confrontation meant certain death. He stalled until both players reached full build; only then did he find the courage to engage.

At the level of full gear, a single skirmish would decide the outcome. With three kills and a tower advantage, whichever player lost the fight would see their tower fall, securing victory for the other. As they locked their heroes in combat, Dai Chen realized with growing alarm that his opponent seemed to be reading his mind. Every movement he made was anticipated and countered.

He was decisively defeated and killed, and Jiang Zheng marched with his minion wave to tear down Dai Chen’s tower. The viewers were thoroughly dissatisfied with this match. In their eyes, Dai Chen’s performance was abysmal—even worse than the first game. Unable to withstand the barrage of abuse, Dai Chen abruptly shut down his stream.

After Jiang Zheng’s victory, the chat was filled with a mix of praise and accusations of match-fixing. Seeing that the game had concluded, Lin Yu quickly arranged for the next player to step in. This professional was of a similar caliber to Dai Chen—at the bottom tier of the professional scene. Having watched the previous matches, he was on high alert, treating his opponent as a professional equal. He resolved to treat this as a real pro match, without a hint of carelessness. With that mindset, he entered the fray. Not long after, he lost, and he was left completely stunned.

With two consecutive victories over professional players, the popularity of Jiang Zheng’s stream soared once again. The platform used internal accounts to send large tips, constantly inflating his viewer numbers, while the steady stream of small gifts from real users proved highly profitable. After two wins, Lin Yu quietly messaged Jiang Zheng: "Mr. Jiang, you can take a break, chat with your viewers, or play some ranked games." They felt that defeating two pros in one day was enough; in a continuous run, Jiang Zheng was likely to eventually lose.

"Let's continue. The popularity is still rising. On the first day, the more, the better—it will maximize the livestream's impact," Jiang Zheng replied.

Lin Yu sent a message back a moment later: "Mr. Jiang is right. However, if you feel your state slipping, please tell us immediately. For now, we will continue to arrange opponents for you."

Jiang Zheng did not reply. Soon, another professional player appeared. Having learned from the failures of the previous two, this player adopted an unconventional, surprise-based strategy, but it still ended in defeat. Out of the three professionals, not one could even force a third game against Jiang Zheng. Then came the fourth, and the fifth. After competing against five professional players in a row and winning all five matches, Jiang Zheng finally ended his stream.