Chapter 22: A Force of Nature in the Press Room, Reviving the Era of Trash Talk!

A-Bu’s face darkened as he listened from backstage.

The dynamic between starters and substitutes is as delicate as the power struggles in a period drama. With Chen Yan introducing himself this way, there is no telling how many versions of this story will circulate online. Even now, the live stream chat is already buzzing with wild conspiracy theories. Some of the most absurd ones even suggest that Chen Yan is being suppressed by EDG and that Scout is the illegitimate son of the team owner.

The more A-Bu watched the chat, the angrier he became. Clearlove, on the other hand, gave a slight smile. "Interesting."

It reminded him of his own days giving trash-talk interviews after matches. Back then, everyone was truly uninhibited. But in recent years, as the LPL suffered consecutive losses, the fans had become filled with resentment, and naturally, no one dared to engage in trash talk anymore. Now that Chen Yan was stirring things up, it was much more entertaining.

On stage, Candice glanced at the young man beside her, a bad premonition rising in her heart. Her first impression had been quite good, but the moment he started speaking... something felt off. However, as a professional, Candice quickly pushed her personal feelings aside, put on a professional smile, and continued the interview.

"Chen Yan, your return to the competitive stage this time has been truly eye-catching, earning the MVP in both games. Did you expect to sweep OMG 2-0 before the match? And how are you feeling right now?"

It was a standard post-match interview question. The audience felt a bit disappointed but not surprised; they knew the LPL was like this, rarely producing anything exciting.

Candice handed the microphone to Chen Yan. He remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. Assuming he was nervous, Candice offered a bright, encouraging smile, making eye contact to put him at ease.

However, the moment Chen Yan opened his mouth, Candice’s smile froze.

"To be honest, I didn't feel much after beating OMG. Perhaps my expectations for OMG were a bit too high. After actually playing against them, I felt..."

He paused and looked at Candice, his eyes asking if he should continue. But the words that followed wouldn't have made any difference; the meaning was already clear.

Candice was stunned. *Are you kidding me, buddy? Did you come here to cause trouble? Who taught you to answer post-match interviews like this?* Her head was spinning; she could already imagine how the internet would explode.

"Boom!"

Without a doubt, the chat went wild.

"Holy cow, he's so brave."
"I have to say, that’s a bit arrogant."
"So what if he's arrogant? Are you only allowed to be arrogant when you lose, not when you win?"
"Everyone in the chat, shut up and listen to Brother Yan!"

The LPL had been too quiet for too long, and post-match interviews had become stagnant. Today, Chen Yan was like a bombshell dropped into that dead water. In an instant, turmoil erupted, and everyone began debating the topic.

Some praised Chen Yan for his talent, others admired his boldness, some cursed him for his arrogance, and others were demanding he start his stream immediately. The reactions were endless.

In the OMG backstage lounge, there was a deathly silence. Chen Yan’s words were undoubtedly a harsh, public humiliation.

"Who does he think he is!" iCOn gritted his teeth. "It's just one match. Does he think he's invincible?"

Everyone was silent, feeling just as bitter, but when they thought about it, they had no logical reason to refute him. To prove him wrong, they would have to beat EDG in their next encounter. At that thought, the members of OMG felt a fire burning in their chests.

Meanwhile, the interview continued on stage. Candice, being experienced, knew she couldn't dwell on that topic and quickly changed the subject.

"Your opponent was one of the LPL’s powerful mid-laners, iCOn. After two games against him, could you evaluate your opponent?"

This was a cliché question. It was very old-fashioned, but the audience was always willing to hear players evaluate their opponents. Especially now, looking at Chen Yan on the screen, the viewers were filled with anticipation.

Chen Yan smiled. That smile made Candice’s heart skip a beat; her bad premonition grew even stronger.

"As for 'Cold Dish'—no, wait, 'Cold Young Master'."

"???"
"Did you just say 'Cold Dish'?"

Candice felt like her vision was going dark. She knew it... That slip of the tongue—or intentional jab—instantly ignited the atmosphere. The chat went absolutely wild.

"LMAO, 'Cold Dish' is hilarious."
"Hahaha, he accidentally said what he really thought."
"Damn, where did EDG find this talent?"
"I'm not gonna lie, the nickname 'Cold Dish' is actually spot on."

*Cold Dish?!*

When iCOn heard that, his brain seemed to explode. His face flushed red. He stood up abruptly, shouting, "I have to get him today!"

His teammates quickly held him back. iCOn eventually calmed down, but he made a silent vow: he would teach Chen Yan a lesson next time, even if it meant getting suspended.

...

Chen Yan chuckled awkwardly. "That was actually a slip of the tongue. Please, don't mind it."

Chat:
"That wasn't a slip."
"You already said it, you can't take it back now."
"Say your last words, I'm genuinely afraid this EDG mid-laner won't survive until tomorrow."

Chen Yan felt helpless. It really was a slip of the tongue; he was so used to calling him "Cold Dish" that it just came out. But on second thought, it didn't really matter—the name was well-deserved. However, since he was in public, he had to try to smooth things over.

"I actually recognize Cold Young Master's strength. Maybe he didn't sleep well yesterday, or maybe it was a cold, a fever, or his peripherals were acting up... in any case, there were many reasons why he didn't perform well. Once he adjusts, I look forward to facing him again."

When he finished, the audience couldn't help but laugh again.

"Damn, are you defending him? You just blocked every exit he had!"
"Cold Dish is probably fuming to the point of passing out."
"Wow, he's killing him and then twisting the knife."
"I have to say, this EDG mid-laner has a real talent for speaking. Why be a pro player when you could be a stand-up comedian?"

The volume of the chat remained sky-high. Usually, viewers left after the match, and post-match interviews had little engagement. But today was different; the stream’s popularity was exceptionally high, and the chat was filled with a joyous atmosphere.

Candice, realizing things were going off the rails, didn't dare to ask any more questions of that nature and steered the conversation back to the game.

"In the first game, your Nidalee secured a solo kill in lane despite being countered. What was your thought process behind that maneuver?"

Chen Yan didn't pull any stunts regarding the game mechanics and answered directly, "Actually, there wasn't much to it. It’s just that the Jayce missed a lot of skills. With his EQ and his second Q-Flash both missing, my damage was definitely higher than his. I can only say that the Jayce was too eager to establish a laning advantage, and I seized the opening."

Candice breathed a sigh of relief. "Then in the second game, during that Baron fight, your Lucian flanked and crippled OMG's backline. What was your thought process? Why were you in that position?"

"Because the team couldn't find an opening to start a fight, and we needed a trigger. As the team's core, I felt I had to do something."

"But you were playing a squishy AD carry. Did you ever worry about being insta-killed?" Candice pressed.

Chen Yan smiled slightly. "Insta-killed? Then I'd get flamed. But if you don't even dare to make a play, how will an opportunity ever appear out of thin air? I’ve always believed that courage is a hero's seventh item."

Everyone present, even the professional players, felt a jolt and fell into deep thought. Candice hadn't expected the usually irreverent Chen Yan to say something so thought-provoking, and she couldn't help but change her opinion of him slightly.

"Last question: now that you've won today, what would you like to say to the audience watching?"

"Hmm... I do have something to say..."

Chen Yan gathered his thoughts and then quickly added, "I am a professional player, but I'm also a streamer. I hope everyone can come to the Gouya platform to watch my stream. My channel ID is XXXXXX."

Looking at Chen Yan, who was talking away on the screen, everyone was stunned into silence.