Beijing, March 3 (Zhongxin Net) -- Unlike the "introverted" many people describe, Xiang Yu, who faces the camera, is a little shy, but still talkative. Especially when it comes to the content of the game, he is more relaxed and begins to talk endlessly, touching on his most confident topics, and his eyes seem to be exceptionally bright.

Xiang Yu, who is not yet 21 years old, has been in the KPL King of Glory Pro League for three full years, has sat on the bench, and won the championship. Choosing to become a professional player completely changed the trajectory of his life.

Choice

"If I didn't have esports, I might be doing auto repair." Xiang Yu said with a smile. Although his career is already on track, his once apprehensive mood seems to be yesterday.

Xiang Yu, whose real name is Cai Youqi, was born in a small mountain village in Chongqing, and he was away from home from home with his parents who went out to work. My mother picked strips of cloth in the factory, and my father worked as a cement worker. Often Xiang Yu has fallen asleep before his parents can return home, and he can already sense that life is not easy.

Do auto repair jobs with more manageable prospects, or pursue the risky dream of esports?

To the fish. Photo courtesy of interviewee.

This is a dilemma for fish in adolescence. He said: "I was a little new to the career path of esports, I was just playing games and didn't cooperate with my teammates. ”

Xiangyu's parents initially did not approve of him becoming a professional player. "When I was young, I used to make them angry, what do they think this child should do in the future? At that time, they would be a little worried that I would be scammed when I went out, and they would not dare to let me go out alone. ”

Xiang Yu can now smile and recall this past, but it is not difficult to guess that he wants to carry the responsibility of family on his shoulders, but at the same time he has a lot of uncertainty in his heart, which is not a problem that can be easily solved for a teenager.

The persuasion of relatives temporarily dispelled Xiang Yu's parents' concerns, and finally Xiang Yu followed his heart and walked out of the house with apprehension.

Weibo screenshot. Xiang Yu first appeared in the KPL arena, when Wolves were also named QGHappy.

If you want to describe e-sports players in one sentence, it is probably "thousands of troops crossing a single-wood bridge". Countless adolescent children have dreams of esports, but not many of them can become professional players, and even fewer can stand in the center of the stage.

Xiangyu's story is not representative, but individually, his choices changed the direction of his life. The once restrained and shy little boy slowly grew into a different look.

Waves

The game ID "Ask the Fish for Water" has been used by Xiangyu since childhood, and on a rainy day, he simplified it to "Xiangyu"—for no profound reason, just that it is more like a person's name. In the spring of 2020, the ID "Xiangyu" was officially unveiled in the KPL arena.

If you want to find out the "water" in the professional arena, what "fish" do you need to ask?

Towards the fish and teammates in the game. Photo courtesy of interviewee.

Xiang Yu said that the most difficult time of his career was when he was sent to the second team, "There was a time when my 'mortality rate' was high and I lost a lot of games, and then I went to the second team. ”

In August 2021, Xiang Yu and his teammates won the King of Glory World Champions Cup, the first major tournament title of his career. He won the world championship in the second year of his debut, and he looks like Xiangyu has a promising future. However, during last summer, he was relegated to the second team.

"At that time, there was a teammate Xiao Fat who accompanied me, and he took the initiative to help me find out those problems, and then thought about how to change them, and I am very grateful to him for helping me during that time." He recalled.

In March this year, Xiang Yu watched the movie "Chinese Ping-Pong", and he said that one of the lines that impressed him the most about the movie was "They may have practiced a thousand times, but we have practiced 3,<> times."

2021 World Champions Cup Xiangyu won the championship poster. Image source: KPL King Glory Pro League official blog

In fact, all sports are nothing more than that, and every drop of sweat put in between players with top talent will affect the balance of victory. Whether in the second team or the first team, whether on the bench or on the field, Xiangyu has always been the one who keeps moving forward.

In the 2022 summer tournament full of uncertainty for the fish, he ushered in a good result - he returned to the first team and won the championship with the team. In addition to trophies, Xiangyu has also gained more and more recognition.

expectation

In the first round of Group S of the 2023 KPL Spring Tournament, Chongqing Wolves unexpectedly lost to RW Heroes and suffered a black start. However, Wolves quickly adjusted and won the next three games. Competitive competitions are like this, and they encounter all kinds of difficulties on the way to victory. But now, Xiang Yu is no longer the little boy who has too many concerns.

"I'm more proactive than before, I'm getting bolder, speaking my mind and daring to operate in the game. Now I can enjoy myself on the field and dare to operate bravely. That's what he said about himself.

In addition to his own growth, Xiangyu has now become the pillar of the family. "Help them reduce their burden a little bit and give them expectations for my future career." He used the word "expectation", perhaps the child who always annoyed his parents thought in his heart: let them have expectations of themselves.

Poster for Wolves' victory in the summer of 2022. Image source: KPL King Glory Pro League official blog

"My dad will send me a voice to cheer for this game, and he will also say who the opponent is in the next game, so let's study them well." Xiang Yu said that his father actually couldn't play games, but because he watched more of his own games, he also understood a little. "He wanted to help me, so he kept an eye on the game."

Xiang Yu is fulfilling what others expect of him, and he has his own expectations.

"Everyone can see the usual behavior of e-sports players, you have to establish a good image for everyone to learn, because in everyone's eyes you are a role model." Xiang Yu said that he must always maintain a good competitive state and become a good role model.

If you want to find out the "water" in the professional arena, what "fish" do you need to ask? Xiang Yu gave the answer with action. For him, the "fish" asked by "asking the fish for water" is himself. But today's Xiangyu no longer needs to ask for water. (End)