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Panda Novel

Clear, accurate, logical.

The reporters present had all heard Zhang Xinjie make this kind of post-match analysis before, but they were still amazed at Zhang Xinjie’s calm. Even after this defeat, which had ruined a year’s worth of hard work, no one could tell that his mood had been affected at all.

Was he not bitter? Was he not disappointed? Was he not regretful?

Of course he felt those things!

No pro player could remain completely unaffected after this kind of defeat. But Zhang Xinjie could hide his own mood like this, could control himself to do the appropriate thing at the appropriate time. The reporters ask for our opinion of the opponents? Alright, whether you actually want to know or are just making conversation, since you’ve asked this, when it’s my turn to answer, I will answer in a direct manner.

The reporters couldn’t be more satisfied.

With the post-match analysis that Zhang Xinjie gave, their reports on this match could be much more sophisticated.

But now, how could they bring up the topic that everyone was more concerned about? Zhang Xinjie only talked about strategy, not emotion, so they couldn’t find a good transition point anywhere in the whole speech he gave. This was Zhang Xinjie’s consistently strict style in accepting interviews. His answers always addressed the current question, nothing more. You couldn’t find any content in them that would give rise to new topics. Not a single drop ever leaked.

There was no way to progress naturally from here, so the reporters could only start anew.

“It really was an incredibly thrilling match.” One reporter followed Zhang Xinjie’s analysis with a word of praise, then began to change the topic. “Then, after today’s loss, what are all of your plans for the future?”

The question was very direct.

And this was exactly the question that everyone was most concerned about. Instantly, the press conference quieted down.

“I can still continue to fight,” said Captain Han Wenqing.

The keen reporters immediately realized something. Han Wenqing had used the word “I.” Even though he was the captain, at this moment, he did not speak for the whole team. Everyone immediately guessed the hidden news revealed by this sentence: Han Wenqing could continue to fight, but some people could not…

“I as well,” Zhang Xinjie answered after him.

Of course he could… He was of the Golden Generation. Compared to Season 1 and 2 debuts, he still had plenty of matches left to fight. The question that everyone cared about had never been directed at him.

“I won’t give up either,” the next person said. But when the reporters’ gazes turned, they already began to recognize something even more clearly.

Tyranny’s current seating order onstage: Han Wenqing, Zhang Xinjie, Lin Jingyan, Zhang Jiale.

As the captain, Han Wenqing answered first, but he didn’t represent the whole team, he only spoke for himself.

And then Zhang Xinjie. And then, it wasn’t the next person in line, Lin Jingyan, who spoke, but Zhang Jiale.

Lin Jingyan was skipped. Evidently, it was because they knew that what Lin Jingyan was going to say wouldn’t be of the same atmosphere as the rest of them.

Everyone’s gazes turned back to Lin Jingyan. Cameras and everything were all at the ready. They had all already guessed: an ending had finally arrived.

Lin Jingyan stood up. He wore a smile on his face. This representative of Glory’s Brawler class, he himself had always had a refined and gentle air about him.

“I think, it’s about time I finished…” Lin Jingyan finally opened his mouth. The prepared reporters instantly clicked the shutters of their cameras. They needed to record these images, these sounds, this scene.

And of the other three Tyranny players sitting onstage, Han Wenqing’s face was as strong and unyielding as ever, and Zhang Xinjie was also calm. Only Zhang Jiale’s face showed a bit of sadness at this moment. Was it because of today’s loss? Or was it because of Lin Jingyan’s imminent retirement? Or a bit of both?

It seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn’t open his mouth.

It was clear that his Tyranny teammates already knew Lin Jingyan’s decision. Perhaps they had tried to persuade him otherwise, but in the end, they chose to respect his decision. None of them said anything, giving this moment entirely to him.

“And in this end, I want to give thanks,” Lin Jingyan continued to say.

“First, I want to thank the teammates sitting beside me. Before coming to Tyranny, I never thought that one day I’d have the chance to fight alongside all of you for the championship. You are all the most outstanding players in the Alliance. To be able to fight side by side with you is my fortune, and the glory of my lifetime.

“Therefore, I also want to give special thanks to Tyranny as a team. I thank this team for giving me such a good opportunity, even in the twilight years of my career. These two years, for me, have been fulfilling and happy. My only regret is that I was still unable to lift that championship trophy alongside everyone, and here I would like to apologize to Tyranny, that I… cannot continue to work hard with everyone.

“This decision does not come lightly. It is a careful decision that I have made after considering my own condition. I believe that my professional career should end here.

“No life is perfect, and it’s unfortunate that I wasn’t able to win a championship. But from Wind Howl to Tyranny, I have always had the most outstanding teammates at my side. It is Glory that allowed me to meet you all. What I want to say is, to be able to play Glory, to become a Glory pro player, this is the greatest fortune of my entire life.

“Today, I leave this stage first. But I won’t leave Glory – I never will. I will still watch you, and I hope that you will fulfill your dreams.

“In the end, I want to give my best wishes to everyone, everyone connected to Glory. It is Glory that has linked us all together, this will be the glory of our lifetimes!

“Thank you everyone, I wish you all the best…” Lin Jingyan bowed, concluding his farewell speech. The reporters had finally gotten to a relatively interesting topic, but in this moment, they wished that this news didn’t exist. They wished that Lin Jingyan could be like Han Wenqing, Zhang Xinjie, Zhang Jiale, and express his intent to continue working hard.

But, no.

Everything that had just happened was real.

Lin Jingyan had already declared his retirement. He was leaving. This Season 2 debut, this pinnacle player, the number one Brawler, had finally finished walking the path of his professional career.

He hadn’t won a championship, and he hadn’t had any special individual accomplishments. Before he’d joined Tyranny, he’d never even made it to the finals.

And yet he still was indomitable, he still pressed on relentlessly, he still worked hard for victory.

No one would laugh at him, even if he was already surpassed by his junior during his career. Because, this was an inevitable law created from the passage of time, there was nothing laughable about this. What everyone saw was that, even when Tang Hao seized the title of number one Brawler from him, seized his position in Wind Howl, seized the character with which he’d fought for seven years, he hadn’t seized his fighting spirit, nor had he seized his championship heart.

Lin Jingyan came to Tyranny, and with joy and elegance he fought alongside his new teammates for another two years, all the way until he himself felt that he’d reached his end. Only then did he set everything down.

No one could force him to choose to leave, no one but himself.

“Thank you everyone, I wish you all the best,” Lin Jingyan had said.

And now, the other three Tyranny players onstage had already turned around. They shook hands with Lin Jingyan, they embraced him, they gave him their well-wishes.

Perhaps there was sadness in their hearts, but on their faces, nothing but determination brimmed. No matter where the road led, they would continue to walk it with determination. No compromise, no regret, no hesitation. Walk forward, straight ahead.

“Goodbye!”

After he finished his exchanges with his teammates, Lin Jingyan waved to the reporters below. He gave a final nod to his three teammates, before turning and walking toward the exit passageway.

Was it over?

The reporters were a bit stunned, but soon, they realized that Han Wenqing, Zhang Xinjie, Zhang Jiale, these three players had already sat back down at their seats. It was as though nothing had happened, as though that empty seat had been empty since the beginning.

Lin Jingyan had made his decision, and they had made theirs as well.

Lin Jingyan had already bid farewell to this stage, and so he left; and they had chosen to stay, chosen to continue, and so, this press conference would continue.

The reporters were in a daze. Having never experienced this kind of scene before, they didn’t know what they should ask the three remaining players. They even hoped that this press conference would quickly come to an end, which was something they’d never felt before. Tyranny’s determination, Tyranny’s unwavering spirit, they felt it, and they almost couldn’t bear the weight of it.

“Then, after Lin Jingyan’s retirement, what adjustments will Tyranny make?” In the end, someone still stood up to ask a question.

“Naturally, there will be someone to fill the opening,” said Han Wenqing.

“Then could you reveal who it’ll be? Will it be someone in Tyranny, or will moves be made during the transfer window?” one reporter asked.

“This hasn’t been decided yet,” said Han Wenqing.

“Alright…” By this point, the reporters no longer had their normal strength to desperately fight for answers. The atmosphere was completely smothered, and after these two questions, it instantly became silent again.

At last, Tyranny’s news official stood up and said, “Then, if there are no further questions, the press conference can end here?”

“Alright, that’s fine…” The reporters quickly agreed.

It was over.

Tyranny’s press conference was over, and the professional career of a top player was also over. But on this stage, even as some people left, others would continue to resolutely walk onward.

Others of Tyranny would walk onward. And right now, Happy, this team, their road this season hadn’t ended yet, they still had more to walk. The finals, the championship, this newbie team in the Alliance had actually made it to the finals. Just making it here was already a miracle, just this step was enough of an explosive topic.

Happy walked onstage.

They’d sent out three representatives.

Ye Xiu, Fang Rui, Luo Ji.

Excellent! These people got the reporters excited. After Tyranny left, they’d returned to their normal condition and instantly detected the interesting topic here. Without even asking about Happy themselves, someone had already stood up and asked, “Do you know that Lin Jingyan just announced his retirement?”

As soon as the question came out, everyone looked at Fang Rui, Lin Jingyan’s partner of many years in Wind Howl.

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