“I want to be alone for a while, Captain.”

After a moment of silence, Thorn Snake finally spoke up.

He was well-behaved, though his expression was particularly grim. He managed to control his emotions and didn’t vent his frustrations on anyone else.

Rong Yi paused for a moment and then nodded. “Alright, shall we have dinner together?”

Ci She remained silent, seemingly tormented by the thought of speaking.

For the time being, he couldn’t face anyone because he couldn’t face himself, who had caused the team’s failure.

“Okay,” Rong Yi nodded. “I’ll pack you some Wagyu Beef and Foie Gras Rice. If you’re feeling down, you can have an uncomfortable night. We’ll continue our regular training tomorrow, the third stage of our special training. Do you understand?”

Ci She nodded sullenly.

Rong Yi and Wu Dao Gu left.

Ci She followed the driver back to the VIT headquarters. Rong Yi and Wu Dao Gu waited for Xiao Yin and Hui Mao to finish their post-match interviews before heading to the restaurant they usually frequented after games.

Immediately after the match, VIT was already facing criticism online. Most of the blame was directed at the bot lane that collapsed today, especially Ci She.

It was the first time since VIT entered the domestic league that they faced such a massive internal attack.

At the dinner table, Xiao Yin casually instructed his assistant, “Lower the heat, limit the comments tagging Ci She’s name. Block any severe insults and false accusations.”

Assistant Xiao Zhou expressed concern, “Won’t the fans accuse us of hiding the truth? Being criticized is part of the professional gaming industry itself.”

“Neither I nor Rong’s team needs it, but they are still young. They don’t have to deliberately bear so much…” Xiao Yin said.

“Insults and normal audience opinions are two different things,” Xiao Yin said. “Protecting the players and their emotions is also our responsibility. Let others say what they want.”

Rong Yi nodded in agreement.

The fundamental reason is that the audience in the esports industry is different from that in traditional sports, and the environment is more toxic, with complex personnel.

Some of the negative comments are no longer part of the normal competitive industry, but with the widespread use of the internet, they inevitably appear in front of everyone, silently affecting a large number of people.

Xiao Yin’s decision was unchangeable, arbitrary, and didn’t care what others said.

After dinner, everyone returned to the club together.

The villa was dark, and Ci She wasn’t in the living room. There was someone in the room, but the lights were off, creating an eerie darkness.

Everyone looked at each other.

“What should we do?”

Rong Yi weighed the Wagyu Beef and Foie Gras Rice in his hand. “I’ll go. Let’s all review the match.”

Everyone agreed in unison.

Rong Yi knocked on the door. “Xiao She, I brought you some food. Can I come in directly?”

Ci She didn’t respond. Rong Yi pushed the door open and entered with the food.

Ci She curled up on the bed, facing away from the door. When he saw Rong Yi, he sat up and ran his hand through his messy hair. “Thank you, Captain.”

Ci She’s emotions were visibly low.

“Let’s talk,” Rong Yi said.

Ci She got up from the bed, his head hanging.

Rong Yi placed the food container on the table. “What are your thoughts on today’s match?”

“I dragged down the whole team.”

“That’s true,” Rong Yi said casually.

Ci She almost choked on his breath.

“What’s next? What are you planning to do?” Rong Yi asked.

Ci She hesitated, twisting his fingers anxiously.

“I can’t adapt to this stage of training. I can’t handle it yet.”

“Captain, it’s really difficult,” Ci She’s voice trembled with growing frustration, “This system really doesn’t suit me. I feel like all my talents are being stifled.”

“You’re right, but it doesn’t matter,” Rong Yi said calmly. “Whether your talent is stifled or not, it’s not that important.”

Ci She: “…………….”

He was shocked by Rong Yi’s words, to the point of forgetting his sorrow.

It was too shocking!!!

Everyone knew that Ci She was the ADC with the highest talent among the new generation. He had confidence in himself; otherwise, Xiao Yin wouldn’t have chosen him.

Everyone always said that he was a prodigy, capable of surpassing even the peak performance of Yao Cao. Ci She had heard the term “talent” countless times, but it was the first time someone said it wasn’t important.

After a while, Ci She slowly said, “So… should I… leave?”

Rong Yi patted his head. “There’s no need for that.”

Ci She: “…………….”

He looked at Rong Yi with a sad expression.

“Just look at your brother Yin. He has such high talent, but it won’t let us lie on the champion’s podium.”

Outside the door, Hui Mao and Wu Dao Gu, who were eavesdropping, exchanged glances.

Hui Mao couldn’t help but whisper, “Brother Yin, Rong Team said you can’t lead us to the champion’s podium.”

Sitting on the sofa, Xiao Yin wrote down the analysis instructions and raised an eyebrow.

“Look at QILIN and CH, they don’t have as much natural talent, but they can still reach a high position.”

“Talent and effort are different philosophies for choosing one’s path in life.”

Rong Yi said, “The methodology of our team has already been decided: it’s an AI-style coordinated cooperation and high-precision risk-taking.”

“This is the cruelest elimination. Everyone has to suppress their personal style and act in coordination with the team. Your talent is also your characteristic. It’s not that you can’t adapt to the current stage of training, but your sensory command is still in conflict with your rational command.”

“You’re not rational enough.”

Rong Yi saw Ci She’s confused gaze and nodded with certainty.

Ci She: “…………….”

Ci She looked around and found a small paper knife at the bedside. He said despairingly, “Captain.”

“Why don’t you just use this to stab me?”

The two people outside the door broke out in a cold sweat.

Isn’t this too terrifying!!!

What kind of team counseling and heart-to-heart conversation is this!

Ci She completely fell into a state of emotional turmoil. He choked in his throat and wanted to find a crack to hide in and ignore the world.

“But lift your head and look into my eyes,” Rong Yi said calmly. “This is not an unsolvable problem. People grow, problems get solved, and escaping has no practical meaning.”

Ci She wanted to argue: “I didn’t. I just wanted to try playing the way I used to…”

“I’m asking you,” Rong Yi said, “What are the drawbacks of playing the way you used to?”

Ci She’s voice dropped, “It can be countered by rotational lineups, and defensive-operational strategies like CH can target it even more effectively.”

“How do you solve it?”

“Learn… learn your and Yin-ge’s predictive methods, learn to synthesize all the information on the competitive field,” Ci She said with a choked voice.

Rong Yi smiled gently.

“You see, the path is right here.”

“After walking the initial part of the path and falling down, you say you want to go back. I know you can’t accept today’s result. It was just a casual remark. But just this once, do you understand?”

Rong Yi said, “E-sports is like this, cruel. You may not always win in the way you’re most confident, and you may not win in the state you like the most.”

“The captain was forced to play support before…”

Ci She said softly, “Did you also think that way?”

“Yes,” Rong Yi nodded calmly, “Everyone experiences pain, confusion, and doubt, but moving forward is always the right choice. Don’t turn back.”

He spoke calmly, but for Ci She, Hui Mao, and even Wu Dao Gu, it was unimaginable.

To be so calm and ruthless in analyzing one’s own role and development, not arrogant, not inferior, but able to crush anyone’s self-righteous pride.

Even the dissatisfaction after losing a match seemed like ordinary melodrama.

Rong Yi made Ci She so embarrassed that he didn’t dare to look at him.

“I’ll come for the review after finishing my meal, Captain. You guys start without me, and I’ll join later. I’ll practice more tomorrow.”

Rong Yi looked at him, not knowing which words had an effect, and nodded, “I’ll accompany you.”

Seeing that the situation was quickly pacified, Rong Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

He really knew how to comfort people.

Hui Mao, being a well-behaved child, needed encouragement and guidance, setting an example.

Ci She, with his prickly personality, rarely accepted defeat. If someone more mature and calm than him came along, he would immediately shake off his small emotions and quickly catch up, so as not to appear uncool.

But he rarely imposed his own standards on others.

Rong Yi got up and pushed the door open. Hui Mao and Wu Dao Gu were still caught up in their excitement and hadn’t had a chance to retreat.

Rong Yi casually gave an order, “Go in and take a picture of him.”

Hui Mao: “?”

Wu Dao Gu: “?”

Rong Yi: “After we win the championship, enlarge and print this picture and hang it in the living room. This picture will become the eternal black history of our Xiao She’s growth.”

Impressive, truly impressive.

Their captain is someone who can’t be underestimated for even a moment.