You’re Beautiful When You Smile

You’re Beautiful When You Smile

It was three minutes into the match and Tong Yao had been constantly poking[1] Jin Yuguang because she wanted to kill him– –In the beginning, her aggressive tactic worked, causing Jin Yuguang to miss several minions from her constant harassment.
Even the commentators were crying out “crazy”……

 

On the ZGDX chat channel, Lu Sicheng gave a command in a rather calm voice: “Little Fatty, go back and pull down the minion lane, don’t push it, really don’t push it.
If you push the minion lane over, their jungler will come– –”

 

Old Cat: “Their jungler is hiding in my bush at top.
This time it’s the feline’s sixth sense.
And, Old K, you come over, I’m afraid.”

 

Lu Sicheng calmly changed his command: “Stop, Little Fatty…………………….
If you push the minion lane over, their top would teleport down here.”

 

Old Cat immediately said: “Push it, hurry.
If their top’s out of here, I can happily and freely play by myself.”

 

Little Fatty, fed up with the nagging, went directly into the bush: “I’m going back.
You two take your time and keep at it.”

 

Old Cat, Lu Sicheng: “……”

 

There was no Little Fatty around to push around.
Lu Sicheng changed his target to mid: “Someone go to mid and drag that mad dog back.
Pushing the minion lane so deep, do you have a deathwish? It’s impossible for OP to let you harass Jin Yuguang like this without interfering…… Your blue is almost empty and you still– –”

 

Before he could finish what he wanted to say, he saw the other side’s jungler jump out from the river on the top lane, exactly like that “feline’s sixth sense” had predicted.
Tong Yao reacted quickly, the moment Kindred’s head popped out of the bush, she used flash to back away– –But Jin Yuguang also reacted quickly.
He followed after with a flash and nailed Tong Yao with a time bomb, stunning her.
By the time the stun ended, Tong Yao’s health was almost gone!

 

Tong Yao hid under the turret.
A wave of OP minions began advancing and Jin Yuguang followed the minions under the turret.
He didn’t do anything until he was within striking distance and then used a combo of abilities to kill the weak Tong Yao– —

 

First blood!

 

Tong Yao threw her mouse, murmuring “shoot”.
She saw the image of Ai Jia in Jin Yuguang– –A player who was good at defense and counterattacks.

 

Before the summer competition, Tong Yao was incapable of countering this type of player.
During the summer competition, she had learned how to deal with it through tears and sweat.
She learned to brace herself to play safe while going against this type of player……

 

After dying, Tong Yao lost her creep score lead as Jin Yuguang caught back up.
The small advantage she enjoyed at mid earlier with her aggressiveness had evaporated…… Or, it could be that her advantage didn’t exist to begin with.
It was all Jin Yuguang’s strategy!

 

“I’ve said that the other side wouldn’t let you pester a strong carry like Jin Yuguang without interfering.” The lazy voice of Lu Sicheng came over the headphones: “You won’t listen to me.
See, now you’re dead.”

 

— –The tone of his voice was like he was teaching his child: I told you the road isn’t flat and you had to go jump there.
See, now you fell down.

 

The relaxed tone of Lu Sicheng’s voice made Tong Yao calm down.
She steadied her nerve and touched her chin: “I won’t push it, won’t push it.
I’ll be good, and develop more– –”

 

Before she could finish, the other side’s jungler came to challenge her again!

 

With a quick reaction and some health, Tong Yao used the ball to push him away and rooted him as she pulled back.
She barely survived– –Though she had missed some minions, she was still alive.
Fortunately, Zilean’s and Kindred’s ultimates weren’t too damaging, otherwise she would have died again!

 

“This damn jungler! Why is he targeting me all the time!”

 

“You’ve just used flash.
Who else would he target if not you.
OP has a lot of different tactics but their core strategy is: mid and jungler work as a team.” Lu Sicheng calmly said: “Just keep laying low, don’t be indignant.”

[1]: Poking is when players will use long ranged abilities or attacks to hit enemy champions, but not commit to a full fight.
This is used to harass or weaken an enemy so that they’ll be easier to kill (or will retreat from being at low health).

Though OP’s bot had made Lu Sicheng use his two summoner abilities at level one, after the cooldown period for Lu Sicheng’s summoner abilities the advantage OP’s bot had enjoyed gradually diminished.
OP initiated a successful lane change.
Both teams’ top and bot lanes switched…… Old Cat had no choice but to come back to bot.
At the moment when he was about to stroll into the lane, he was rooted by Maokai.
Working with Kindred who had just come to the triangle bush at bot after harassing Tong Yao, Maokai and Kindred tried to tower dive– —

 

“Where’s our jungler! Is our jungler dead!”

 

Old Cat kept signaling his team with his mouth– –Where was the signaling function of the game? It seemed to be nonexistent.

 

Fortunately, Old Cat’s champion was Rumble.
He fought against the two and dealt enough damage to them.
He pulled up under the turret and killed Maokai the moment before Kindred became level 6! Kindred used its ultimate to barely escape from the attack from the turret and got a safe distance away.
Yet in the end, he wasn’t able to cheat death.
When he had only a sliver of health left, he ran into ZGDX’s jungler Old K who had finally rushed over to bot.
Old K easily killed Kindred!

 

“Nice.”

 

“We also have a jungler.”

 

“A frivolous jungler who develops by stepping on his teammates’ bodies to collect kills.”

 

“It’s alright.
Now the kills are 2 : 2.
We’re out of danger now.
Credit goes to Old Cat.
Tong Yao takes the blame and should bring warm water for Old Cat to wash his feet when we get back after the game.”

 

The other side’s top and jungler had underestimated Old Cat’s damage and made the rash decision to tower dive, ZGDX therefore could get two kills and get even with OP at this point.
In the ZGDX channel, the team began to speak in optimistic tones– —

 

“It’s less than 8 minutes into the game and you guys have already assigned the blame.” Tong Yao didn’t look up: “Don’t talk to me now.
I’m having a terrifying feeling that Jin Yuguang will kill me at any minute– –It’s all Lu Sicheng’s fault, flattering Jin Yuguang in front of me every day.
To hell with it, all you know is how to boast about the enemy!”

 

Lu Sicheng sneered: “Blaming me again.”

 

Tong Yao: “I shouldn’t blame you?”

 

Lu Sicheng: “Alright, blame me, blame me.”

 

During their exchange, ZGDX started their first wave of offensives– –Little Fatty’s Alistar and Lu Sicheng’s Sivir changed lanes again and returned to bot, working together with their jungler, Old Cat, to attack Maokai.
Yet OP seemed to have guessed their intentions.
Their Kindred was hiding in the bush behind the turret!

 

Lu Sicheng gave out a brief order “team fight.”

 

Tong Yao gave up farming the minions immediately and turned to go to bot.
Jin Yuguang and Old Cat teleported at the same time and OP’s bot duo also arrived near the dragon arena.
OP pulled back to bring the battleground towards bot lane– —

 

The ten players from both sides converged at bot!

 

Commentator D: [Team fight! ! ! From the time ZGDX had conceived of attacking till OP came up with a response and the teams began to gather, all of that took less than 4 seconds to happen!]

 

Commentator F: [OP was pulling back from the fight so they could group up with both of their carries, but it was a little too late.
Zilean at the front had already lost health from being attacked by Chessman, he could only cast his ultimate on himself! Rumble also used his ultimate.
This terrain! 5 fire roasted players! A perfect ultimate! OP has been caught out of position!]

 

Commentator D: [But Kindred also used its ultimate to save the five players of his team from the torture of Rumble’s ultimate! Tahm swallowed their AD and used a shield to withdraw.
With Kindred and Zilean in their team, OP players were always able to get away with a sliver of health left! This line-up! Their ability to survive is impressive!]

 

Commentator F: [At this point, both sides have exchanged ten thousand abilities already but no one has died! Though ZGDX had initiated a perfect team fight, OP was able to successfully retreat without losing a player!]

 

Commentator D: [What coordination! The speed at which they support each other! It’s enough for other teams to have problems catching up! Brothers, take a good look and learn from it!]

 

When highly skilled players fight against each other, victory or defeat could be decided at a whim– —

The tug of war between OP and ZGDX lasted till the late game.
ZGDX was in the lead with 3 more kills and a small economic lead of 2000 gold.
OP, which had a mountain drake and a cloud drake under their belt, however they knew how to make full use of their advantage.
They came up with a bright idea and changed lanes quickly so they could steal Baron to the surprise of ZGDX!

 

When Lu Sicheng sensed the change and asked Little Fatty to go check on Baron, it was already too late.
OP took advantage of the brief moment of neglect from ZGDX and started their counterattack.
With Baron buff, OP was able to destroy the second line of turrets one after another on top, mid, and bot lanes.
They were able to catch up in gold and even surpassed ZGDX……

 

The game had now reached the 40th minute mark– —

 

OP, after upgrading their items, initiated a team fight.
ZGDX defended their base with their backs against their nexus.
Unfortunately, OP’s Kindred, who had made most of the team’s kills, had become very powerful at this point.
Kindred coordinated with Tahm to kill Old Cat.
Tong Yao had a sliver of health left and tried to flash away, but Zilean cast a bomb on her.
Tong Yao died and the explosion also damaged Lu Sicheng who was nearby!

 

The mid part of ZGDX’s base was destroyed.

 

The inner and inhibitor turret at ZGDX’s bot were also taken down.
OP retreated right afterwards.

 

ZGDX didn’t even have a chance to counterattack– —

 

At the 43rd minute, all five OP players advanced as a group once again and they would destroy something of ZGDX’s with each attack– —

 

At the 47th minute, ZGDX had only a bare base left.
In the final team fight, the abilities of OP’s champions perfectly complemented each other and the team was able to give their carry a watertight protection.
In the end, OP won the first round of the match!

 

……

 

The red light signaling defeat was shone on ZGDX players.
Tong Yao stood up, took off her headphones, and her head was filled with the ticking sound of Zilean’s bomb which almost drove her crazy……

 

Tong Yao rubbed between her eyebrows and was about to tell her teammates that for the next ban phase, she didn’t want to see the Tahm + Zilean + Kindred life saving line-up ever again…… But right at this moment, Ming god announced that Lu Yue would replace Tong Yao as the mid for the next round.

 

Tong Yao was stunned a little, but soon understood the decision.
ZGDX’s mid rotation was specifically designed for the S series world competition.
As long as the switch could help the team move ahead toward their ultimate goal, it wouldn’t matter who was playing!

 

“I can take a rest and may be able to find the breaking point after watching Jin Yuguang play for the next round.” 

 

Tong Yao said with a smile to reassure her teammates.
She tried to show them that she wasn’t as resistant as before for the rotation and walked over to high five with Lu Yue to signal the exchange.
She even offered a blessing: “Don’t get killed.”

 

Lu Yue raised his eyebrows and laughed in high spirits: “You think I’m you?”

 

Tong Yao stood up on her tippy toes to pat his shoulder then took a deep breath to sit down on the chair.
She rubbed her somewhat stiffened fingers and when she turned her head, she saw Lu Sicheng was looking at her with a tilted head sitting not too far from her– –It looked like he wasn’t sure whether Tong Yao really didn’t mind the rotation or was just pretending.

 

Tong Yao knew what he was thinking about and didn’t want him to carry the uneasiness to the next round.
She stood up to walk over to him.
She held his face and gave him a loud smack on his forehead.
Then she said with a smile: “You carry the next round.
Don’t let your brother shine too much so I won’t be pushed into the substitute seat forever.”

 

Lu Sicheng paused for a moment but soon said “en” as if he had relaxed.

 

He held on to Tong Yao’s wrist as she was about to leave to pull her back and let her sit on his lap: “No team will preserve their strength anymore in the quarter-finals.
Carefully observe Jin Yuguang’s play style.
You might have only one round to break through this hurdle.”

 

Tong Yao squinted her eyes and smiled with a nod, her eyes were like a crescent moon.

 

She told him: Captain, rest assured, how could I leave you by yourself on the battlefield.