China News Service, Beijing, February 6 (Reporter Wang Hao) "Congratulations on getting rich!" After Rookie said this sentence in Cantonese during the post-game interview, the audience laughed. Of course his pronunciation is not very standard, after all, Cantonese is still a bit difficult, but his smiling expression and his performance on the field make the blessing particularly contagious. He and his teammates had just finished their last game before the Spring Festival and welcomed the holiday with pretty good results.
Rookie. Image source: NIP club official blog
At the turn of winter and spring, Rookie started his new season like every previous year, and he seemed to be in good shape. Like a piece of water with occasional waves, it is broad and tolerant. He experienced ups and downs in a foreign country and always maintained the attitude of a gentleman. And the flame under the water has been burning brightly since he stepped onto the field.
go home
"I'm glad you're back. We're still familiar with each other." In December last year, when NIP announced Rookie's joining, the copy said "Welcome home." Rookie's game ID prefix appears in NIP for the first time, but in 2022 he played for V5, the predecessor of NIP.
It was a very unforgettable story. It was unforgettable that Rookie unexpectedly left his old club IG at the end of the transfer period. It was unforgettable that a group of frustrated people worked together to create countless highlight moments. It was also unforgettable that they fell outside the gate of the global finals after high expectations.
Rookie's real name is Song Yijin, and he is a Korean who plays in the League of Legends LPL division. Although he has fully adapted to the Chinese lifestyle, he still retains some Korean eating habits, such as asking the club’s chef aunt to grill Korean-style pork belly. In the year of V5, the team members lived in Shanghai, but now they have come to Shenzhen, the home stadium of NIP, and the chef aunt has also changed.
Rookie commented on the level of grilled pork belly at different clubs. This content was originally very ordinary, but it became particularly interesting because of his relishing description. "Now she is the best cook among the aunties I have ever seen." He finally certified that NIP's chef aunt is the best at cooking.
Rookie (second from right) and teammates. Image source: NIP club official blog
From V5 to NIP, the club has changed a lot. There is only one former teammate left. Rookie feels that he is also "a little different, but he can't tell what is different." However, he obviously integrated quickly, and in private he seemed very relaxed, as if he was back home. On the field, there are still some problems getting used to the new teammates, but I can see that everything is getting better.
In the second game of the Spring Split, NIP easily defeated IG 2:0. After the game, when asked how he felt about defeating his old club, Rookie was very calm: "Actually, I have been away for many years, so I don't feel much like beating them."
As Rookie said, it has indeed been a long time since the end of 2021. After bidding farewell to the club where most viewers thought he would play until his retirement, Rookie changed teams in every transfer period in the past three years.
He has adapted well to the change of pace in his career, largely due to his optimistic and gentle personality. Rookie laughed and joked: "Every club has outstanding players, and there are also players who take the blame." In his opinion, different clubs and teammates mean different roles. This change makes him A lot has been gained.
ten years
In December last year, Rookie celebrated his ninth anniversary in the LPL. Including the experience of playing in South Korea, his career is even longer. Rookie once said that his next goal is to play in the LPL until his tenth anniversary.
Having lived in China for a long time, he speaks Mandarin very well and can probably understand the obscure meanings in Chinese. It is very easy to communicate with Rookie. He is quick in thinking and good at quickly grasping the direction of the problem. He is also very talkative and willing to give sincere answers.
Of course, Rookie occasionally makes innocuous mistakes in the order of words. For example, in 2018, when he was playing for IG, he led his team to win the global finals, and then cried on the stage and said: "I have longed for this championship for a long time." Now he occasionally misses himself at that time, because "After all, it is the best memory of my career."
Image source: League of Legends event official blog
Rookie summed up his past career experience in three words - it was not easy, but he was not the only one who found it difficult. He felt that it was not easy to stay in any industry for many years.
He is satisfied with the results he has achieved and regrets not being able to win more championships. "I think I can get it a few more times, but in fact I haven't gotten it more. I feel regretful in this aspect, so I have always had this desire to persist until now."
In recent years, Rookie has always been just shy of reaching the global finals, and frustration is inevitable. As he is about to turn 27, he will have the thought of retiring for a few moments, but will soon put it behind him. "I thought about it later and realized that I had to prove myself again, so I decided to return to the arena and play with everyone."
For e-sports players, getting older will have an impact on their condition, and Rookie is no exception. But he considers himself quite lucky, "there is still talent in this industry."
After being exposed to League of Legends for so long, he has almost never lost interest in the game. "If I really knew that I wasn't good enough, I would probably give up on this career, but I don't feel like I'm not good enough yet."
Last year's global finals was held in South Korea, which was the same as in 2018. Rookie went to watch the game as a spectator. At that time, he thought: If I play on this stage, it will feel good.
Contrast
Last spring, LPL selected the top ten players for its 10th anniversary, and Rookie ranked third. For a Korean, the affirmation behind being ranked in this position is self-evident. This is not difficult to understand, because since he landed in the LPL, he has always had a gentle personality outside the court and a strong performance on the court.
Rookie. Image source: NIP club official blog
Rookie is very satisfied with this contrast, which he calls "contrast charm". "If I am very emotionally stable in daily life, I feel like my temper can explode somewhere. Usually during competitions, if I know that I am very powerful, I will be aggressive towards others."
If you just listen to Rookie's description and his friendly appearance, it's hard to imagine how "violent" he is to others. The fat guy who first came to the LPL has gained more edges and corners after successfully losing weight. What remains the same is that he still looks silly when he smiles. But those who have watched the game will know that Rookie has indeed maintained a very oppressive style of play.
His identity as an e-sports player gives him a special charm and prevents him from experiencing the experiences of ordinary young people. Rookie sometimes wonders what it would be like if he did not enter the arena at his most passionate age, but lived a college life and became an ordinary boy who often had time to play with friends. However, his imagination had no results. The only thing that was certain was that I still like my current living situation very much.
As he gets older, Rookie becomes more comfortable with his balance inside and outside the court. "In the past, I would still play this game during holidays, but now I will think more about managing my own mentality. So usually during holidays, I will relax myself."
Of course, performance is still what "e-sports player Rookie" cares about most right now. Before he won the global finals championship, he would shyly talk about his dream of winning the championship in interviews. Now that he really has the championship in hand, Rookie seems more thorough when talking about his achievements.
"The result I most hope for is definitely to win the world championship. Sometimes this thing is very unrealistic. But I think if each of us knows what we should do and knows where our shortcomings are to solve, I think it is possible to get it. ."(over)