Clear, accurate, and logical.

The reporters present weren't listening to Zhang Xinjie's post-match analysis for the first time, but they were still amazed by his composure. After such a defeat, which buried a year's worth of hard work, no one could feel any emotional fluctuations from him.

Wasn't he in pain? Wasn't he disappointed? Didn't he have any regrets?

Of course he did!

No professional player could remain perfectly calm after such a defeat. But Zhang Xinjie was able to bury his feelings and control himself to do the appropriate thing at the appropriate time. The reporters asked for his opinion of the opponents? Fine, whether they really wanted to know or were just using it as a topic starter, since they asked and wanted him to answer, he would reply with an objective attitude.

The reporters couldn't be more satisfied.

With Zhang Xinjie's post-match analysis, their match reports today would be much more high-class.

But next, how should they bring up the topic everyone cared more about? Zhang Xinjie only talked about tactics, not at all about his feelings, which made it impossible for everyone to find any entry point from this long speech. This was Zhang Xinjie's consistently rigorous style when accepting interviews. His answers always only addressed the current question, and it was almost impossible to find any content that could lead to new topics, making it completely watertight.

Unable to bring it up smoothly, the reporters had no choice but to start a new topic themselves.

"It was indeed a very exciting match," one reporter said, echoing Zhang Xinjie's analysis. After a brief pause, he began to steer the conversation towards the next topic, "So, after today's defeat, what are your plans for the future?"

The question was direct.

And what everyone was most concerned about was precisely this question. The reception immediately fell silent.

"I can continue to fight," Captain Han Wenqing said.

The keen reporters immediately realized something. Han Wenqing used the subject "I." As the captain, his statement didn't represent the entire team at this time. Everyone immediately guessed the unspoken information revealed in his words: Han Wenqing could continue to fight, but some people couldn't…

"Me too," Zhang Xinjie replied subsequently.

Of course, him too… As a member of the Golden Generation, he still had a lot of fight left in him compared to the first and second generations of players. The question everyone was concerned about wasn't directed at Zhang Xinjie in the first place.

"I won't give up either," the next person said. But after the reporters shifted their gaze, they were even more clearly aware of something.

The seating arrangement of Team Tyranny on stage was: Han Wenqing, Zhang Xinjie, Lin Jingyan, Zhang Jiale.

Han Wenqing, as the captain, answered first, but he didn't represent the entire team. What he said was only "I."

Then Zhang Xinjie, and after that, it wasn't Lin Jingyan who came next, but Zhang Jiale.

Lin Jingyan was skipped, obviously because they knew that what Lin Jingyan would say wouldn't be in the same tone as theirs.

Everyone's gaze turned back, and the entire venue focused on Lin Jingyan. Cameras and other equipment were already prepared. Everyone had already guessed: An ending was finally about to arrive.

Lin Jingyan stood up. He had a smile on his face. This representative player of the Glory Pro-Thief class had always had a very gentle and refined temperament.

"I think it's time for me to end…" Lin Jingyan finally spoke. The reporters, who were already prepared, immediately frantically pressed the shutter buttons of their cameras. They wanted to record the scene of this moment, the sound of this moment, the scenery of this moment.

And the other three members of Tyranny sitting on the stage, Han Wenqing's expression was still as firm and unyielding as ever, Zhang Xinjie was also as calm as usual, only Zhang Jiale, his face was quite gloomy at this time. Was it because of today's defeat? Or because of Lin Jingyan's upcoming retirement? Or both?

He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he still didn't open his mouth.

Lin Jingyan's teammates had obviously already known about Lin Jingyan's decision. They might have tried to persuade him, but in the end, they still chose to respect Lin Jingyan's decision. They all remained silent, completely handing over this moment to Lin Jingyan.

"And in this last moment, I want to thank…" Lin Jingyan continued.

"First of all, I want to thank the teammates who are sitting next to me now. Before coming to Tyranny, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to fight for the championship with you one day. You are all the most outstanding players in the league. Being able to fight alongside you will be my luck and my lifelong glory."

"Therefore, I would also like to especially thank the Tyranny team, thank this team for giving me such a good opportunity in the twilight years of my career. I have been very fulfilled and happy in the past two years. The only regret is that I still haven't been able to lift the trophy with everyone. Here, I would also like to say sorry to everyone in Tyranny, I… can't work hard with everyone anymore."

"This decision is not rash. It is a careful decision I made after considering my own situation. I think my professional career should end here."

"Life is not perfect. Unfortunately, I have never won a championship, but from Team Wind Howl to Tyranny, I have always had the most outstanding teammates by my side. It is Glory that allowed me to meet you. What I want to say is that being able to play Glory and being able to become a Glory professional player is the luckiest thing in my life."

"Today, I am leaving this arena one step ahead of you, but I will not leave Glory, never. I will always watch you and wish you can realize your ideals."

"Finally, I want to bless everyone, everyone related to Glory. It is Glory that has connected us together, and this will be our lifelong glory!"

"Thank you everyone, good luck…" Lin Jingyan bowed. This was his farewell speech. The reporters finally got something more topical, but at this moment, they would rather not have such news. They would rather Lin Jingyan also say that he wanted to continue working hard like Han Wenqing, Zhang Xinjie, and Zhang Jiale.

But, no.

What happened just now was real.

Lin Jingyan had already made his retirement announcement, and he was about to leave. This top player, who joined in the second season and was known as the First Thief, had finally come to the end of his professional career.

He had never won a championship, nor had he achieved any particularly outstanding personal achievements, and he hadn't even reached the finals before joining Team Tyranny.

But he had always been tenacious and kept fighting. He had been working hard for victory from beginning to end.

No one would laugh at him, even if he had been surpassed by younger players in the late stage of his career. Because this was the inevitable law of time's development, there was nothing ridiculous about it. What everyone saw was that although Lin Jingyan had been deprived of the title of First Thief by Tang Hao, deprived of his position in Team Wind Howl, and deprived of the character he had fought with for seven years, they had not taken away his fighting spirit, nor had they taken away his championship heart.

He came to Tyranny and fought happily with his new teammates for another two years, until he himself thought it was time to end, and then he personally let go of everything.

No one could make him choose to give up except himself.

"Thank you everyone, good luck," Lin Jingyan said.

At this time, the other three players who attended the Tyranny reception had stood up, shook hands with Lin Jingyan, hugged him, and offered their blessings.

They might all have had unwillingness in their hearts, but what was overflowing on their faces was only determination. No matter which way the road led, for them, they would only continue to walk firmly. Without compromise, without regret, without retreat, always forward, straight forward.

"Goodbye!"

After mutually blessing each other with the three teammates, Lin Jingyan suddenly waved to the reporters under the stage, and then, after nodding to the three teammates one last time, he turned around and walked towards the exit passage.

Was it over?

The reporters were a little dazed, but soon, they discovered that Han Wenqing, Zhang Xinjie, and Zhang Jiale, these three players, had already sat back in their respective positions, as if nothing had happened, as if the empty seat had never been occupied by anyone from the beginning.

Lin Jingyan had his choice, and they had theirs.

Lin Jingyan had already bid farewell to this arena, so he left; and they chose to stay, chose to continue, so the press conference continued as usual.

The reporters were stunned. They had never experienced such a scene before. At this moment, they didn't even know what to ask the three players who hadn't left the stage. They had never looked forward to the press conference ending sooner like this. They felt Tyranny's strength and Tyranny's unyielding spirit, and it made them feel somewhat unable to bear it.

"So, after Lin Jingyan retires, will there be any adjustments to the Tyranny team?" Someone finally stood up and asked a question.

"Naturally, someone will come to fill the vacancy," Han Wenqing said.

"Then can you reveal who it will be? Is it from within Team Tyranny, or will there be some action in the transfer market?" a reporter asked.

"This has not been determined yet," Han Wenqing said.

"Okay…" The reporters had already lost their usual tenacity at this time. Under the completely suppressed atmosphere, after two questions, they suddenly fell silent again. Tyranny's press officer finally stood up at this time: "So, if there are no other questions, can we end the press conference here?"

"Okay, no problem…" All the reporters nodded frantically.

It was over.

Tyranny's press conference was over, and the professional career of a top player was also over. But in this arena, some people leave, but there are also people who will resolutely walk on.

The other members of Tyranny will continue to walk on, and in front of them, Team Happy, this team, they still have to walk on next. Their road this season has not yet ended. The finals, the championship, this rookie team that just entered the league actually made it all the way to the finals. Just this step is already a miracle, and this step alone is enough to generate explosive topics.

Team Happy came out.

They sent three representatives.

Ye Xiu, Fang Rui, Luo Ji.

Great! This choice of people made the reporters a little excited. Tyranny left, and they, who had returned to normal, immediately realized the topic in this. Not asking about Happy itself first, someone had already stood up and asked, "Excuse me, do you know that Lin Jingyan just announced his retirement?"

As soon as the question was asked, everyone looked at Fang Rui, this Team Wind Howl partner who had worked with Lin Jingyan for many years.