Who Swapped the Chinese Medicine for Dichlorvos?
On March 31, the FKL spring playoffs kicked off. The playoffs used a BO5 format, with the first team to win three of five games taking the match, and proceeded through a grouped bubble bracket. The fourth-, fifth-, eighth-, and ninth-place teams formed one group, while the third-, sixth-, seventh-, and tenth-place teams formed the other.
Within each group, the lower-ranked teams played first, and the winner then faced a higher-ranked team. After the bubble bracket, the last winners from the two groups would enter a double-elimination bracket with the first- and second-place teams, ultimately determining the league champion.
WSK, the dark-horse team that had previously faced GOD, had broken through layer upon layer of obstacles to make the top ten. Unfortunately, they ran into the GUT Team and were stopped there.
The two teams that ultimately advanced were YH and BOR, both powerhouse star teams.
YH in particular had grown more formidable with every match under captain Ji Chengyan's leadership, achieving outstanding results. They also had Yet, FKL's number-one top laner, making them a force to be reckoned with.
YH was the team facing GOD today.
Team names carried hopes and different meanings. GOD, for instance, had simply and bluntly used the English word for a deity as its name, so GOD was also known as the Team of Gods.
YH's full name was "young hero": a hero in their youth.
It suited the team's character perfectly. Every member had risen to fame young and was a brave, skilled fighter.
Yet had been terribly disappointed when he learned Wu Jin was suspended, sighing again and again. He wanted nothing more than a satisfying match against Jin; only Jin could compete with him for the title of FKL's number-one top laner.
"Top lane is so boring without Jin!"
Ji Chengyan tapped his drooping head. "Even without Jin, you can't underestimate the opponent."
Ji Chengyan's eyes flickered slightly as he rested his head against the car seat.
He was looking forward to playing a match against Jin too.
Although Wu Jin wasn't playing, Brother Qian hadn't let her sit idle. Just like that, Wu Jin had become GOD's temporary data analyst and was accompanying GOD to the match venue.
In the car, the GOD members were chatting when a message suddenly popped up in the group chat.
Wantonly's eyes went wide. "Little A Jin, what did you send?"
Clear rolled his eyes at him. "If you're blind, don't play games. It's obviously an analysis of the YH Team's data!"
Shi Mu studied the information on the screen thoughtfully.
Wu Jin nodded. As the data analyst, she had needed to stay up late and watch videos of all YH's matches at increased speed.
She had thoroughly dissected the YH Team's most frequently used tactics, which lane their jungler liked to help first, and the laning habits and personalities of the players in each lane.
Coach Ming was somewhat shocked. Looking over the material on YH, he couldn't help marveling: Wu Jin wasn't just good at gaming; her meticulous data analysis was beyond reproach, even more comprehensive than his own.
The girl closed her eyes, intending to take a nap, her full red lips moving.
"Sun, don't get greedy when you lane against Ji Chengyan. He Zhen, don't contest the side jungle with Yet on the first rotation. You'll give up first blood."
Having finished her instructions, Wu Jin settled down to sleep.
Several of the veteran players couldn't help being shocked. Little A Jin had actually said such a long sentence.
He Zhen nodded in a daze and committed Wu Jin's words to memory.
Sun obediently said "Oh," then put his headphones back on and continued humming softly.
The new teammates got along well with the other "old hands." He Zhen, the substitute, was above all obedient and sensible, treating his seniors' words like imperial edicts.
Sun was gentle like a guinea pig. No matter what anyone said, he looked as though he had no desires or demands, just like a pure and innocent version of Wu Jin.
Why say that? Because ever since everyone had learned that Wu Jin could knock an adult man down with one punch, they had viewed her through a "berserk loli" filter.
Besides, Wu Jin was even-tempered because she had frozen her emotions, while Sun had no temper at all. Wasn't he a pure and innocent version of Wu Jin?
Wantonly was very fond of Sun, calling him "baby" this and "baby" that in the Rift every day, filling the air with pink bubbles. Clear was so sickened that he no longer wanted to help in bot lane.
Shi Mu summed it up: "Spring is here, and spring has come to bot lane too."
The venue was a sea of people as always, fans shouting their respective support chants. The space that had been empty yesterday was packed full today, with not a single seat vacant.
Seeing a scene like this for the first time, He Zhen couldn't contain his delight, and the corners of Sun's mouth rose involuntarily too.
"Now that's a normal reaction. Little A Jin was as steady as a battle-hardened veteran at her first match."
WAntonly teased with a laugh.
He Zhen rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Jin-jie's realm is too high for us mortals to reach."
Smiling, Shi Mu took a bottle of milk from his pocket, inserted a straw, and handed it to Wu Jin.
"It's fine. You won't be able to smile once you get onstage."
Wu Jin bit down on the straw without expression and gave a cold "Mm."
Clear looked at the two people on the sofa: one saying cutting words with a smile, the other silently agreeing with a cold face. Somehow, they were a little well matched.
The way those two talked was really toxic.
Who had swapped the Chinese medicine they took to improve their health for dichlorvos?
He Zhen: (╥﹏╥)
[Wu Hu: I'm really looking forward to today's match too, because GOD has a new ADC. His very first match is against the seasoned YH. I wonder how he'll handle it.]
[Qingqing: I think they might create a different kind of spark. As far as I know, Sun is a very talented player, and he's as young as Jin-a young player.]
[Wu Hu: Ah, I really miss matches with Jin. Jin deserves a lot of credit for GOD's unstoppable run through the spring season. I wonder if GOD can adjust to their new teammate without Jin?]
[Qingqing: Haha, we'll have to wait until the summer season to see Jin. For now, let's turn the camera to the stage and take a look at the two teams' players.]
Qingqing: (smile)
Wasn't he basically saying GOD couldn't do it without Jin?
She would apply for a different partner as soon as she got off work today.
He really dared to say anything.
The first game, the ban-pick phase.
GOD had the first move, and Coach Ming told Sun to ban Ahri, the hero Ji Chengyan had made his name with, without hesitation.
Wantonly: "I bet they'll ban Fulina."
Clear rolled his eyes. "Did you need to guess?"
"Then what do you say they'll ban?"
"Fulina."
Wantonly: What's wrong with you?
The next second, Fulina appeared in the ban slot.
Wu Jin lay on the sofa, watching the television screen lazily. Brother Qian arranged the newly delivered takeout on the table, all snacks he had ordered for Wu Jin.
"Yamei."
"Hidden Void."
Brother Qian heard Wu Jin muttering and didn't understand. "Hm? What about those two heroes?"
The next second, the commentator announced the heroes YH had picked, and they were indeed Yamei and Hidden Void.
Brother Qian plopped down on the sofa and hurriedly asked Wu Jin, "Sweetheart, how did you know they'd pick those?"
Wu Jin took a bite of the ice cream in her hand.
"Sun picked Mina, and YH banned Centaur, so they'd definitely pick Yamei to pair with Misha."
"They picked Hidden Void. I'm guessing they want to put early pressure on He Zhen. No hero at the same level can beat Hidden Void one-on-one."
It was a perfectly normal strategy. After all, that was the easiest lane to break through. Once top lane collapsed, bot lane would come under pressure, and Sun was a newcomer. If he couldn't withstand the pressure, all that awaited GOD was defeat.
"Then what will they pick for the remaining two?"
"Bo'er and Sea Shark."
"YH's bot lane is relatively weak early on, so they'll pick a strong jungler to help feed them kills and build them up. For top lane, they'll pick a hero who's strong early to keep He Zhen pinned down."
The ban-pick phase ended, and the two sides' lineups were as follows:
GOD: Akaloi, Mou, Moon Cicada Maiden, String Master, Mina
YH: Bo'er, Sea Shark, Hidden Void, Yamei, Misha
The YH Team's picks were exactly what Wu Jin had said they would be.
Watching the girl before him analyze the situation clearly and concisely, Brother Qian couldn't help feeling admiration and pride. His precious girl was a genius!