LOL: What is a roaming mid laner?

The two made an appointment at a milk tea shop close to the TOP base.

Su Cheng was working on his final essay in the study room. When he saw Lin Ran getting up and walking out, he got up and came out and asked, "Why are you going?"

"Zhuo Ding has something to do with me," Lin Ran took a brown scarf from the hanger, "It probably has something to do with the transfer period."

Usually, if there is nothing important, the two of them can explain it clearly on WeChat. If it really doesn't work, they can just make a phone call.

Looking at Zhuo Ding's tone, it was clear that he was not just meeting up to reminisce about old times. Lin Ran could guess what the other person was thinking after ruling out several other possibilities.

Su Cheng looked at the time.

Professional players usually wake up late, but now it's three o'clock in the afternoon, and it will probably be completely dark when my boyfriend comes back.

"How about we eat takeout tonight..." She suggested, stepping forward to help tie the scarf.

"彳亍, you can order whatever you want to eat, I can do it." Lin Ran kissed his girlfriend on the cheek, took the car keys, opened the door and left.

The TOP base is in the suburbs. I drove there without any traffic jams and arrived at the milk tea shop smoothly.

Zhuo Ding was wearing a loose sweater and was sitting by the window, holding milk tea to warm his hands. When he saw Lin Ran come in, he immediately stood up and greeted him.

Pushing the door open and going in, the heating in the room was turned on so much that Lin Ran's glasses were covered with a layer of white mist.

He took out a piece of lens cleaning paper from his pocket and wiped the lenses clean, ordered a cup of red bean milk tea, and then sat next to Zhuo Ding.

"Brother Ran won three consecutive championships, congratulations..." Zhuo Ding's hair length is comparable to Xiaoyao during the World Championships, but his speech is much smoother than before.

Lin Ran listened to the congratulatory speech that was coherent and smooth. Without even thinking about it, he knew that this was what Knight had prepared in advance. Otherwise, it would be a bit awkward for him to say these words directly on the spot.

Zhuo Ding is not Guo Hao, so this is acceptable to Sister Li.

"Let's get down to business. What's wrong?" Lin Ran decided to get straight to the point after listening to Zhuo Ding's few greetings.

Zhuo Ding also breathed a sigh of relief.

For an introverted patient like him who has little literary literacy, it is unrealistic to continue to flatter him with rhetoric.

"It's just... my contract has expired. I want to visit various places." Knight scratched his head. "Ask about the price and find a more suitable team."

He only came to YM in the second half of 2016, and did not catch up with the spring breeze when PDD was first formed. At that time, in order to retain Lin Ran and others, Liu Mou's contract period was short and relatively loose.

When Zhuo Ding arrives at YM, newcomers generally sign two to three-year contracts, which are now expiring.

When he was at YMA, he hadn't made much of a mark yet, and his salary wasn't particularly high.

Knight can complete the take-off of income during this transfer period.

"This year's domestic mid-lane contract price is extremely high," Zhuo Ding's voice began to be unclear again, "it's probably a few million per year."

For a young man like him who has yet to achieve particularly outstanding results, a few million dollars is already an exaggerated figure.

"I have a general understanding of this..." Lin Ran also heard some rumors.

Mainly because there are really not many powerful Huazi mid laners now.

Lin Ran supported the domestic mid laners in the LPL back then, but when he decided to take a break next season, netizens discovered that there was no successor.

The top mid laners behind him are Song Yijin and Xiaodi, both of whom are Korean players. Currently, there is no policy to switch to local players. No matter what, they must occupy a foreign player quota, which will squeeze the team's recruitment space.

Among the remaining domestic players, the players are good in the league, but they basically only play in RNG, and other teams cannot buy them. Even if RNG releases them, the price is quite high.

Xiye is now a free man, but the overall performance of the S8 is unpredictable.

Moreover, Xiye, who was born in 1997, will be 22 years old next year and has reached the end of his peak period. Few teams are willing to pay high salaries to bet on his status.

An 18-year-old talented midfielder like Zhuo Ding enters the transfer period as a free agent. He is definitely a coveted target for many clubs, and the price will naturally rise.

Lin Ran took a sip of milk tea, letting the aroma of red beans overflow in his mouth, "As for the contract, I hope you will look at it more carefully. Don't put money first and just sign it stupidly when you see the tens of millions of annual salary. …”

Knight looked up at him, blinking and not understanding what he meant.

Lin Ran also felt that his statement was ambiguous, so he explained and added, "I am not advising you as a superior person or from the perspective of financial freedom to not pay too much attention to money. That really seems a bit shameless."

"It's about the details of the contract," he took out the calculator on his mobile phone. "I don't know the specific annual salary each club will give you. Let's use an analogy."

"Club A will give you a pre-tax salary of 2,400,000,000 for three years and a live broadcast contract. This 8,000,000 per year does not include any reward clauses. That is, you can get this money no matter how well the team performs. The reward clauses are calculated separately. For example, if you reach the World Championship, reach the semi-finals, or finally win the championship, there will be additional bonuses.”

"Club B, the pre-tax salary is 12 million for two years; Club C, 5 million for one year. The live broadcast contract and reward terms of the two are the same as those of club A. If three invitations are placed in front of you and the lineups are similar, which one will you sign?" Lin Ran asked the question.

The only problem with the contract is to package the live broadcast contract.

For top players such as Lin Ran, Jack, and Uzi who are very popular and have good live broadcast effects, they are used to holding live broadcast appointments in their own hands, and their income will be higher.

However, Zhuo Ding's live show had average results, and the only highlight was the random killings in the Chinese and Korean server ranking matches.

The streaming contract is of no use to Knight.

Zhuo Ding hesitated for a moment, thinking about the three invitations given by Lin Ran, "...should sign A."

2400W, even excluding the tax payment, he still has more than 1500W in his hands.

In his hometown of Pingxiang, the average housing price is less than 5,000 per square meter. This 1,500W can buy a small residential building.

After working for three years, he will definitely have enough food and clothing for the rest of his life, as long as nothing special happens.

"Big mistake!" Lin Ran rejected his idea.

Zhuo Ding frowned, "Why?"

"First of all, you have to consider the market environment," Lin Ran carefully analyzed it for him, "Do you think there is still room for growth in League of Legends e-sports?"

"Definitely," Knight replied without hesitation, "it can continue to develop."

He figured it out after saying this.

As the e-sports market continues to expand, more and more hot money will come in, and player contracts will naturally become larger and larger.

At least for now, this trend shows no signs of abating.

If you want to sign a contract, there is no need to sign a long-term contract.

Otherwise, this year's maximum salary might be an average price next year.

"Another point," Lin Ran said earnestly, "the 2019 transfer period is the top priority."

"Do you know where S10 will be held?" he asked again.

"Our local..." Zhuo Ding suddenly realized after he finished speaking, "You mean the contract will increase during the S9 transfer period?"

It is the same as the S6 transfer period that year.

Capital knows how much fresh blood, countless sponsors and advertising, and exaggerated influence a local battle in the World Championship will inject into the professional league.

Although Lin Ran and YM already achieved the feat of winning the Bird's Nest Cup last year, no one would mind doing it again.

In order to win the championship, everyone must invest more in recruiting strong players. Mid laners like Zhuo Ding will become even more scarce.

"So, my suggestion to you is to sign for one year," Lin Ran said his final conclusion. "It doesn't matter even if the money you get is less than the long-term contract. As long as your strength does not decline, you can sign during next year's transfer period. A more lucrative contract.”

Zhuo Ding thought about this problem and his heart instantly settled down.

Lin Ran's words could help him eliminate many wrong options.

"Another thing..." Knight struck while the iron was hot, "Brother Hao told me two days ago and asked me if I wanted to return to YM."

What Guo Hao offered him was a one-year contract, which was exactly what he wanted.

Lin Ran pondered for two seconds, "To be honest, it's difficult to find someone for this position."

"Not many players are willing to come."

YM's current situation is different from SKT's.

Faker has not retired. Being his teammate will not be particularly stressful, as long as he can resist the external fans.

But Lin Ran announced his break at his peak, and the next mid laner who replaced him would definitely be compared.

Once the replacement performs slightly worse, he will have to endure the abuse and criticism from YM fans.

Old players are reluctant to come because they know it is impossible to recreate Lin Ran's glory.

The trough after the peak is very difficult to endure.

For newcomers, they are bold but inexperienced, and their mentality has not been tempered. If they are criticized by YM supporters, they are likely to explode and collapse.

Guo Hao simply targeted Zhuo Ding.

This is considered a direct lineage released by YM, and he is very close to Lin Ran himself.

Most of Zhuo Ding's initial fan base was diverted from YM.

If knight can come back, many old fans will express their support.

"Then do you think it's appropriate for me to come back?" Zhuo Ding said this and looked at Lin Ran with hope.

He is nostalgic.

YM is where his career started. He misses the teammates there where he could laugh and play with him, the crowded training room on the first floor of the base, and the championship photos displayed in the dormitory area.

He missed everything there.

"I can only say..." Lin Ran considered his words, "You are the most suitable mid laner for YM right now, but YM may not be suitable for you."

"I can't help you make a decision on this kind of thing," he shrugged. "Everything depends on you."

Zhuo Ding nodded solemnly, "I understand. I'll think about it carefully before I reply."

He drank the last bit of milk tea and said, "Come on, Brother Ran, I'll treat you to a meal. Thank you for coming out and helping me clear my mind."

"Farewell," Lin Ran waved his hand, "Let's wait until you officially sign the contract and get the money."

"Besides, I'm not really helping you much."

The analysis of the transfer period given by Lin Ran can be understood by any club manager, and it is not considered profound or obscure.

Zhuo Ding only had one thing in his mind: playing the game, and couldn't understand the twists and turns. Lin Ran could just respond with a few words.

"That's it, I'll tell you as soon as I sign the contract," Zhuo Ding smiled shyly, "Thank you, Brother Ran."

Lin Ran remembered that Su Cheng liked drinking milk tea, so he ordered another cup of Yangzhi Manna, and then started to go back.

When he got home, the starlight was already pouring down. Lin Ran stood downstairs in Tongji Beiyuan, looking up at the bright lights reflected in the rental house, and felt warm to the bottom of his heart.

He rushed home carrying the still warm milk tea.

"I'm back!"

Su Cheng's voice came from the study, "Then go take a shower quickly, the lobster and sea sausage rice will be here soon!"

Lin Ran opened the study door and handed over the milk tea, "I saw that you were drinking this when we went shopping last time, so I brought you a cup."

"You're so kind, are you thinking of me too?" Su Cheng was very surprised, "Are you going to drink?"

"No, I just drank a large cup of red bean milk tea before I came back, and now my stomach is a little bloated." Lin Ran refused decisively.

After hearing this, his girlfriend took the milk tea and opened the lid with a straw, took a sip and showed a satisfied smile, "How about I give you a taste."

Under the light, she has bright eyes and white teeth, and a smile as bright as a flower.

After a while, Lin Ran relaxed his breathing.

In addition to the sweetness of milk tea, there is also a scent of orange on the corners of my lips.

Just as the doorbell rang, Lin Ran turned around to get the takeout, while Su Cheng touched her tipsy cheeks and took a sip of milk tea to suppress her roiling emotions.

…

Lin Ran received a call from Jack the next night.

"You will also take a break next year?" He was very surprised.

"Yes, let's not fight." The Shiba Inu side was so quiet that Lin Ran could hear his breathing. "You have made enough money and become famous, but you still want to have a career as a hammer?"

For a lazy dog ​​like him, he can survive this year because of three consecutive championships.

Regardless of whether S8 can win the championship, he does not want to continue his career path.

After winning the championship, he retired with satisfaction and perfection. If he didn't win the championship, he wouldn't have the energy to compete for another three consecutive championships.

Rest is the best choice for him.

"The worst I can do is be a host in Shark Fighting, and now they are begging me to start broadcasting to increase the traffic and popularity of the platform," Jack said with a dissatisfied attitude, "Anyway, there is no shortage of money."

"You won't all leave one by one, right?" Lin Ran had a bad premonition in his heart.

YM's double C+ top laners are all confirmed to take a break next year, and the team is on the verge of falling apart.

He hung up Jack's call and quickly dialed Xiaoyao.

"What are you doing?" The classic weak voice of Garlic Bastard reached Lin Ran's ears again, mixed with a deep sense of sleepiness.

"Are you going to fight next year?" Lin Ran went straight to the point without all the bells and whistles.

"...To be honest, I haven't decided yet." Xiaoyao, who was lying on the bed in the dormitory, yawned, scratched his messy hair, and fell into silence.

"Let me tell you, Zhuo Ding came to see me yesterday afternoon. Brother Hao wants him to return to YM, but it hasn't been confirmed yet. Isn't the relationship between you two very good? If we get together, it will be great for another year. I hope..." Lin Ran's voice came from the phone receiver.

Xiaotian turned his head and looked at the other bed.

Now it's empty, covered with quilts.

The silver suitcase under the bed has disappeared, and even the Charmander doll on the bedside table has been taken away.

It looks like no one has ever lived here.

But the Garlic Bastard knew that he had spent a thousand days and nights in this room with his best brother.

Lin Ran was able to direct when he was confused, help him understand when his mentality exploded, cheered and celebrated together when he won, and summed up experiences and lessons when he failed.

These three years have been really tiring and hard.

I take 4 days off a month and train 15 hours a day on the remaining days. I face Summoner's Rift every day. Sometimes my mentality is about to explode just thinking about it.

But the memory of a group of like-minded people coming together with the same dreams and working hard together is also a treasure worth cherishing in this life.

He still remembers January 17, 2016.

It was the day before the opening of the secondary league, and they were about to face the ZTR team led by South Korea's second brother and Watch. The two were so excited that they stayed awake for half the night, and their chat was filled with admiration for their seniors and longing for the future.

At that time, no one could have imagined that YM had embarked on a legendary journey. Along the way, no team could stop them.

A group of teenagers have become the symbol and business card of League of Legends e-sports.

And now, the legendary journey seems to be coming to an end.

Xiaoyao knew in her heart that she would never meet another Lin Ran again.

If he chooses a rhythm-based jungler, he will pick a strong mid laner, and after seizing the lane rights, he will immediately accompany him into the jungle to invade and capture people; if he chooses a grass-eating and pattern-controlling jungler, he will choose a big core output and sneakily eat his own jungler. Weird, after being caught, he still showed a mean smile...

He met Lin Ran at the beginning of his career, and the garlic bastard couldn't tell whether it was good or bad.

He has adopted the criteria by which he selects his teammates.

If the fight continues, Xiaoyao feels that he will definitely not be able to accept this gap.

No matter who it is, no one can replace Lin Ran's role in the game.

Zhuo Ding is indeed very good, but it is difficult for Xiaoyao to adapt.

"I think..." Gao Tianliang's Adam's apple rolled slightly, and his tone was sour and choked, "Let's stop here."

The breathing on the other end of the phone paused briefly, and then there was gentle laughter.

"Okay, let's get together when we get back."

The Garlic Bastard turned over, hugged the Bulbasaur doll in his arms, and fell asleep with his eyes slightly closed.

He didn't want to think about the future anymore.

At least not tonight.

…

Next door, SKT finally released a transfer period announcement at 5 pm on November 22.

SKT Esports Club: [I am honored to share our 2019 season roster with you today, and please support me]

Previously, savvy netizens had guessed the arrival of Deft, Mata and Pawn based on the exposed photos.

As for the Ueno and Ueno positions, we have never been able to find player models that match the photos.

It wasn't until the official announcement was made that they knew it was two players who were not well-known before.

Top order: Nuguri

Jungler: Canyon

Mid laner: Faker

Bottom lane: Deft

Assist: Mata

Coaching staff: Kkoma, PoohManDu, Fly, Pawn

Lin Ran didn't know how SKT allowed Mr. Dai and Fat General, the famous brothers in LOL, to join. After Pawn joined the coaching staff, he announced the end of his player career.

When SKT released its roster for the new season, Pawn also released a retirement statement on his personal social media.

The ongoing back injury and obsessive-compulsive disorder made it impossible for him to continue to compete in the professional arena at a high level.

The 'little pawn' whose appearance remained unchanged despite the collapse of Mount Tai was eventually defeated by time and injuries.

SKT fans were very dissatisfied and kept arguing on the official blog.

[Deft wants to be bound to Pawn. OK, I can understand it. It’s no problem to let Pawn come over and join the coaching staff. Mata and Deft are indeed packaged with strength and experience, but what does it mean to have two newcomers in the jungle? 】

[Let the three eldest brothers in the middle and lower level bring the two younger brothers in the jungle to work together. When the younger brothers grow up, the older brothers will almost be buried. Is this your signing for SKT? 】

[I have never heard of Nuguri and Canyon before. I guess they are not as powerful as Thal and Xiaohei! 】

[Is this the lineup our first club has come up with? Why do I think next year’s champion will be from LPL again? 】

There are constant disputes on the Internet, and LPL is still holding its breath.

There is an undercurrent inside, and several breaking news and lineups have not yet been announced.

I'm guilty