China News Service, Beijing, April 9 (Reporter Wang Hao) The weather in Nanjing in late spring is cloudy and sunny. When it is hot, the temperature seems to be summer soon, and when it is cloudy, it becomes cold and damp. In such weather, the second round of the KPL King of Glory Professional League Spring Split came to an end, and Nanjing Hero Jiujing failed to wait for a miracle.
Fearless. Photo provided by interviewee
This was Wuwei's first spring split from jungle to roaming. He and his teammates ultimately missed the playoffs. For him, the past few months have been a "sad" experience. But Wuwei did not doubt whether his change of position was right or wrong. He made the decision after careful consideration, and now he wants to go on firmly. Despite all the efforts he has made to stay in the competition, Wu Wu’s ultimate goal has not changed, and he is still the champion.
"Growing up too slowly"
In the spring split, the most impressive game for Wuwei was against Shanghai RNGM in the second round of the regular season. Nanjing Hero Jiujing won from two to three, ushering in its first two-game winning streak in the spring split. After the second game of that game, Nanjing Hero Jiujing was almost in dire straits. Wuwei said to his teammates: "Just do your best and obey fate, brothers."
In the end, they were able to overturn their opponents because they finally played out the content of the training match. Compared to being clueless at the start of the spring split, this team seemed to have found some ways to win the game at the end of the second round, but it was too late.
"I can only say that I failed because my current results are not ideal." Wuwei was not satisfied with his performance in the spring competition because "the growth was too slow."
Wuwei's real name is Yang Tao. He celebrated his 22nd birthday in September last year and is no longer a young player. In the professional arena of Honor of Kings, there are many examples of players achieving good results after changing positions. However, in the early stages of changing positions, they all experienced more or less a "pain period", which was a great test for the players' mentality.
Fearless (middle) and his teammates. Photo provided by interviewee
Objectively speaking, there are quite a few differences in game ideas between the jungle and roaming positions, and these differences will be further amplified in high-level competitions. Fearless was more accustomed to the jungle mindset when he initially switched positions, but he quickly discovered that this didn't work. So he could only work harder to expand the hero pool, and the coaching staff also gave him a lot of advice.
In the process of making changes, Wuwei naturally did not feel comfortable. He admitted in a calm tone that he had also had times when his confidence was frustrated. However, many years of professional experience have already taught him how to adjust his mentality. "Since you have made this kind of decision, it is normal to have setbacks. Only when you are under pressure can you be motivated. Just be yourself."
“I just want to stay in the arena as long as possible”
Going back to before the start of the spring split, when the news of Fearless' position change first came out, many people found it unbelievable. It was not an easy decision for him either. Wuwei recalled: "I had been thinking about it for a long time at the time, and I asked a lot of friends. (My friends' suggestions) were mixed."
During that time, Wuwei listened to many opinions from all sides, but what really made him make up his mind was actually a very simple desire - "I just want to stay in the game and play more."
Wuwei mentioned more than once that he wanted to stay on the court longer, but the pain in his hand caused him some trouble. Since becoming a professional player in 2019, people have paid attention to his highlight operations on the field for many years, but like many athletes in other competitive sports, Wuwei also needs to face professional injuries.
Fearless. Photo provided by interviewee
Wuwei pinched the thumb of his right hand with his left hand and gestured with a smile: "Because I have been operating with my fingers for too long. Jungling requires a lot of operations and you have to keep clicking." If you just looked at his expression, you would probably think so. They were talking about a relaxing topic, but he should be able to truly feel the discomfort behind these few words better than anyone else.
The first season after switching positions was not a success. He said that this spring was a "relatively sad experience". After all, he was "full of confidence" at the beginning. Wuwei considers himself an optimist, and did not show too many negative emotions when recalling the various difficulties in the spring split. The "sadness" said by the optimist probably means really "sadness."
Fortunately, the team's condition improved at the end of the spring split. Wuwei can clearly feel that everyone is getting better and better, which gives him a certain degree of confidence.
Wuwei said that he did not doubt whether the decision to change positions was correct. "To be honest, there is no need to doubt it. Since you have made this decision, just think about how to change it for the better."
“You can’t be knocked down.”
After losing to Wuhan eStarPro in the last game of the second round of the Spring Split, Wuwei looked very calm. Before this game, they were already determined to miss the playoffs. He was the first to stand up and listen to the on-site staff's instructions for the next process. He was fearless and kept smiling when he hugged his opponent and greeted his opponent.
Fearless. Photo provided by interviewee
The background music at the game was a bit sad, but Wuwei and his teammates did not show too many emotions. This spring is indeed too short for them, but there are always people who believe that spring is not the only time of the year to have beautiful scenery. It is up to them to decide whether they will reap joy or bitterness in the coming seasons.
Of course, Nanjing Hero Jiujing will face many challenges in the future. Wuwei believes that after the continuous adjustments in the spring split, the team's thinking has become clearer and clearer in daily training. But how to bring this kind of performance into official games is a problem they have to solve.
Wuwei still needs to prove himself in the roaming position, and as he hopes, he can grow faster. Recently, Wuwei often talks about "doing his best and obeying fate", but what he is doing right now is "doing his best".
Looking back at the past few months, he made bold decisions in the face of doubts, and then moved forward despite the pressure. All of this came from the same driving force. "I just still love it. How should I put it? I want to win another championship." Wuwei said.
Therefore, from his perspective, the setbacks and pain he experienced became an episode in the process of moving towards the championship. "Anyway, it will be over after a sleep. After all, we have to work hard tomorrow. We can't be knocked down!"
Wuwei's tone was as brisk as talking about the most common thing: "Time is moving step by step anyway, and you can't stop moving forward, right?" (End)