Although Feifei’s clarification didn’t have much effect on Lin Lan, seeing it did improve his mood slightly.
Between the lines, Feifei focused on alleviating Lin Lan’s troubles, diverting all the public opinion onto himself. In a way, this helped alleviate the pressure on Lin Lan for the finals.
Even if DT lost, people would be a little more understanding considering the massive online backlash Lin Lan had faced recently.
The barrage before the match was very harmonious. ENG fans weren’t as fanatic as IB’s. Since ENG and DT had a good relationship, ENG fans didn’t launch any attacks.
Regardless of whether they won or lost, both teams would happily advance to the World Championships together. They would still need to support each other in the end.
After the storm of Lin Lan’s online backlash, DT’s fans became more lenient towards the players. It was already impressive that these five rookies had made it this far, so what more could they ask for?
With this in mind, fans from both sides were inclined to reconcile. They cared more about seeing a high-quality match than the outcome.
Countdown to the match: 30 minutes.
While the screen played promotional videos for both teams, the two commentators in the live stream kept introducing the match.
In these videos, there were previously unreleased clips. The host interviewed Qi Mo and Lin Lan, asking them the same question: “What are your expectations for the summer split?”
At different times but in the same location, they both answered in unison, “The championship.”
Their eyes showed an unusual agreement. Even the usually mild Qi Mo appeared sharp, displaying the determination of a champion.
This post-match interview immediately ignited excitement among fans on both sides. Even those who weren’t initially concerned about the outcome were now stirred with a competitive spirit by this promotional video.
In the audience, Qi Rong excitedly grabbed her friend’s sleeve. “Ah, my cousin looks so handsome like this! But Lin Lan is still more handsome!”
“Then if your cousin and Lin Lan were to compete, who would you want to win?”
Qi Rong: “Of course, I hope Lin Lan wins! My cousin has already won two summer championships, why would he compete with newcomers!”
“Hahaha, your cousin went through so much trouble to get you tickets, and now you want Lin Lan to win. He’ll probably want to disown you…”
Qi Rong: “Shhh, please don’t tell him.”
Everything was ready on the field, with the championship trophy of the summer split placed in the center, serving as the ultimate goal for tonight’s showdown between ENG and DT.
In the semifinals of the spring split, ENG lost to DT by a margin of 0.5 seconds. It was a regret for the entire ENG team and a significant regret for Qi Mo.
In the months that followed, he would often regret his actions in that scene. If he hadn’t underestimated DT, underestimated Lin Lan, or if he had given his all at the last moment, the outcome would have been different…
Endless regrets lingered in his mind, gradually becoming a thorn in Qi Mo’s heart.
But fortunately, fate gave him a chance to make amends. This time, he was determined to remove that thorn from his heart.
The players from both sides entered the arena, adjusting their equipment.
Lin Lan and Qi Mo remained serious throughout, not daring to relax for a moment.
The commentators on stage were also looking forward to the match. From their tone, it was evident that they admired both Qi Mo and Lin Lan, referring to them as the new hopes of the LPL mid-lane.
At this moment, his partner asked him a mischievous question: “Between these two players, who do you think is stronger? Who will win tonight?”
The commentator was thrown off guard for a moment, then cleverly replied, “This is a team game, testing overall strength. It’s not easy to evaluate based solely on individual player abilities.”
The barrage erupted in laughter, impressed by the commentator’s survival instincts.
After the laughter died down, the match officially entered the ban-pick phase. Everyone knew that DT’s coach was strong, but ENG’s coach was no slouch either, and ENG definitely had more experience in major tournaments than DT.
Due to DT’s higher ranking, they had the priority in selecting sides, giving them the option to choose the blue side for the first game and the first pick.
Both teams banned three champions each, including Lin Lan’s signature champions Akali and Zed, and Xiao Shengjing’s Lee Sin was also among them.
“Pick Gragas.”
This was almost a must-pick for DT because both Jiang Xu and Xiao Shengjing played Gragas exceptionally well, and it also provided flexibility in roles.
ENG calmly selected Kai’Sa and Ornn, aiming to force Gragas into the jungle role.
Playing Gragas against Ornn indeed wouldn’t make much sense. Coach Shi Quan picked Sion for Jiang Xu, allowing him to match up against Ornn and focus on farming. For the bottom lane, they picked Varus, giving Xu Shengwei the tools to counter Kai’Sa.
Now it was ENG’s turn to pick champions again.
After deliberation, they chose Taliyah for the jungle.
“Hmm? Taliyah jungle? Are they trying to match our tempo?”
Similar to Gragas, Taliyah was a jungle champion focused on coordination and tempo. In terms of tempo, Xiao Shengjing believed he could match anyone. “I can handle it.”
With the first three picks locked in, it was time for the second ban phase.
ENG didn’t hesitate to ban Caitlyn and Yuumi, clearly targeting Jiang Jin. Surprisingly, all of Lin Lan’s champions were left unbanned, including his proficient champions like Galio, Twisted Fate, and Zoe.
What exactly was ENG planning?
Lin Lan suddenly realized, “They want to pick Galio.”
As soon as the words fell, ENG instantly picked Galio, leaving only the support position unselected.
Taliyah + Galio… Were they planning to play a supportive early game?
Lin Lan’s mind sank a little. Although he had plenty of champions left to choose from, most of them were unable to provide support or were very late-game oriented. Only Twisted Fate could potentially match up against the opponent.
But picking Twisted Fate…
Coach Shi Quan said, “Pick Twisted Fate for mid-lane, and for support, take Taric.”
Matching Taliyah’s tempo with Twisted Fate somehow felt a bit weak…
For their final pick, ENG supplemented their support with Zilean. Lin Lan’s heart sank again. Zilean’s mobility and resurrection abilities far surpassed Taric’s, making him feel like Jiang Jin was being targeted.
This draft phase seemed unfavorable for DT, but Shi Quan didn’t let it affect their morale. He simply said, “Do your best. We have a chance.”
Both teams had evenly matched top lane and jungle duos, with the mid-jungle synergy also being even. However, the bottom lane seemed to be at a slight disadvantage.
As soon as Lin Lan entered the game, he reminded them, “Be careful bot lane, they might be camping you.”
Xu Shengwei went to the bush and probed with his Q ability. Sure enough, someone was camping inside.
The commentator remarked, “This Varus’s Q skill is very skilled. He can hide in the bush, trigger the skill, and then release it after, avoiding any danger with the sound cue of the Q.”
Fans were worried that their picks might put them at a disadvantage, and if they fell behind in the early game, they might be in trouble. However, they didn’t expect Xu Shengwei to be so clever, and the chat flooded with praises for the rising star.
But this didn’t affect ENG much. Both teams went to their lanes, and the laning phase began.
The mid and top lanes were evenly matched, and the jungle areas remained quiet. However, the bot lane was where Xu Shengwei, still relatively young, struggled a bit. Jiang Jin’s pick of Taric was a bit clumsy, lacking effective responses before reaching level six.
As both sides reached level six, there were no explosive team fights or kills. Both junglers had visited the lanes, but they hadn’t accomplished much. Even the vision control seemed balanced.
This intense tug-of-war had fans on the edge of their seats, proving that the showdown between these two powerhouse teams was indeed living up to its reputation.
As Lin Lan continued to play, he felt increasingly uneasy. Despite the opposing team picking an early-game supportive composition, they hadn’t initiated any team fights. Their counter-picked composition, on the other hand, hadn’t had an opportunity to engage either.
As time passed, the gap in the bot lane widened invisibly, and even Xiao Shengjing, sitting beside him, began to feel restless. “We can’t compete with them in the late game.”
Indeed. Bot lane development was crucial for the late game, but DT’s bot lane picks were falling behind. As the game progressed, this gap would only widen.
In other words, if ENG didn’t initiate team fights, DT would become increasingly passive.
That cunning old fox, Qi Mo…
Lin Lan calmly stated, “We’ve been tricked. Qi Mo picked Galio to force me to pick Twisted Fate. Twisted Fate’s initiation is weaker than Galio’s, and we can’t initiate actively; we have to wait for them to make the first move.”
“They won’t make the first move; we have to initiate,” Xiao Shengjing said as he finished clearing a camp of jungle monsters and returned to the mid-lane.
Although initiating was challenging, it was necessary for DT to have a chance.
Lin Lan pondered how to lure Qi Mo over. Actively entering his E skill range would be too obvious. He needed to provoke him subtly, but how could Twisted Fate provoke a fight? If he used his Gold Card, Qi Mo would retreat; he would never E forward…
The initiative lay in Qi Mo’s hands. As long as he didn’t make a mistake, he would maintain control of the game, and DT would remain passive…
Lin Lan tightened his grip on the mouse, feeling cold sweat in his palms for the first time.
The pre-game unease was confirmed.
Xiao Shengjing waited in ambush for a while but found nothing and had to leave.
However, Lin Lan didn’t retreat. He pressed forward in an extreme manner, unleashing a combo of attacks. Qi Mo still didn’t take the bait; instead, his position was too far forward.
The commentators exclaimed, “Kiner’s position is too deep; Taliyah only needs one ult to cut off his retreat!”
Lin Lan knew this was their only chance and shouted, “Captain!”
Xiao Shengjing instantly understood his plan. He rushed from the jungle, just as Taliyah’s ult flew toward Lin Lan.
Taliyah’s ultimate creates a mountain range, dividing the battlefield into two parts. He can choose to move with the mountain range or select a landing spot halfway through to join team fights. It’s an invincible skill for zoning.
Lin Lan’s position was about to be sealed off by Taliyah, and he had to flash to escape over the mountains.
But Taliyah had another move: his W skill, Seismic Shove. As long as he timed it well, he could still push Lin Lan back, and with the addition of Galio’s crowd-control skills, Lín Lán would almost certainly meet his demise.
Everyone was baffled by what happened to Lin Lan; suddenly, he was within the enemy’s kill range. He used to be so cautious…!
At the moment Taliyah’s ultimate began, Xiao Shengjing flashed in with a powerful move, blasting Taliyah from the sky, causing him to crash down from the mountain with a loud “bang”, landing on the other side of the wall.
Lin Lan flashed over the wall and instantly stunned Taliyah. With Xiao Shengjing’s control, they effortlessly took down the fragile Taliyah.
On the other hand, Galio was trapped on the other side of the mountain by Taliyah’s ultimate and would have to use his ultimate to come to support. However, Taliyah’s frailty was well-known; he wouldn’t survive until Qi Mo’s ultimate landed. This would put the mid-lane at a disadvantage. So, Qi Mo, after weighing the pros and cons, decisively gave up on him.
Commentary: “The big move by Taliyah has trapped itself to death.”
Qi Mo’s expression sank, “Zhang Chao, don’t fall for their tricks. Let’s play at our own pace.”
Zhang Chao felt a bit embarrassed, “Okay. I was impulsive just now.”
Lin Lan’s suicidal style of play helped DT regain some initiative, also resulting in the first kill of the match, which Lin Lan gave to Xiao Shengjing, hoping to regain some momentum with his help.
DT fans became excited in the barrage, not realizing that DT was still in a passive position.
Although Xiao Shengjing managed to regain some momentum and secure a dragon, he was soon dragged back by Qi Mo’s strange balancing method.
It was undoubtedly a sure loss in the late game for this match, Jiang Jin understood this himself. He could only allow Xu Shengwei to develop in the bottom lane while he roamed to find some rhythm.
But every move he made would be followed by the enemy’s Zilean, who was obviously much more agile than the Taric. Regardless of who Taric’s ultimate hit, Zilean would use his ultimate to resurrect his teammates.
And DT simply lacked the ability to capitalize on their advantage; their output was just too weak.
The gloomy atmosphere enveloped everyone from DT, a dilemma that seemed impossible to win. As time passed, the dilemma became more and more apparent, exposing the glaring flaw of DT’s late-game damage output shortage.
The barrage finally realized: [Dang. DT’s lineup lacks damage output.]
[Both Twisted Fate and Varus deal insignificant damage.]
[ENG may not have much damage from mid and top, but their jungle provides damage, and they can still play with a four-protect-one strategy. Just protect the AD carry in the late game, and you win, right?]
[Seems like they only lost in the bot lane during the draft, but they actually lost the entire late game.]
[Even Gragas’s advantageous period is gone…]
[My goodness, how can they win?]
[DT simply has no chance of a comeback.]
DT simply has no chance of a comeback.
Even if they pull off a beautiful team fight, the flaw of insufficient damage output would still arise.
They were outsmarted by ENG’s lineup. Even if Lin Lan plays Twisted Fate, it’s still better than having Twisted Fate for a comeback chance. Before the game started, they all thought ENG would play aggressively in the early game.
But they never expected ENG to pick an early-game lineup and drag the game into the late game for a comeback.
In the lounge, Shi Quan had already anticipated the direction of the game. He sighed and then got up to fetch some water, while Coach Zhang beside him looked equally distressed.
If ENG takes the victory in the first game, DT’s morale will undoubtedly be affected. I wonder if those five youngsters, who are not very old, can withstand such pressure.
The team fight time kept being pushed back indefinitely. Except for the wave of proactive attacks led by Lin Lan that resulted in kills, there were no other kills until Kai’Sa completed two items, signaling ENG’s offensive. They began to play aggressively, with Qi Mo frequently initiating fights, and the top laner no longer solo-pushed mindlessly.
DT did try to group up, but they realized they couldn’t win fights. They lacked the damage to compete with Kai’Sa who had completed two items!
They were constantly losing control of jungle resources passively, only able to watch as ENG took dragons and Rift Heralds, giving up towers one after another, and their formation kept retreating.
Until there was no more room to retreat, the silence in the voice chat was terrifying.
Only Xiao Shengjing’s voice broke the silence: “It’s okay. It’s only the first game.”
It was only the first game, but the pressure on DT had already started to multiply. One loss leads to another. If they lose the next game as well, DT might as well pack up and go home.
Because no one can challenge ENG’s dominance.
Qi Mo was the linchpin of ENG. As long as he was there, ENG’s decisions would never go wrong.
What could a team that never makes mistakes be challenged with?
Lin Lan’s thoughts sank deeper and deeper. It was as if he had been pulled back to that battle from years ago, where Qi Mo had defeated him with such exquisite tactics.
He even had a feeling that, even if he hadn’t been injured, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the ENG at their peak.
Because no matter how sharp the blade, it couldn’t shake Qi Mo, the linchpin.
The crystal slowly exploded, signaling DT’s failure.
Even the commentator himself said, “ENG’s lineup is completely unbeatable, DT simply has no chance of a comeback. There’s no way to win in the late game, DT did their best…”
The barrage flooded in instantly: [Why pick such a lineup? Isn’t an offensive lineup better?]
[Look how fierce DT was when they played against KIG’s lineup. Why not let Lin Lan have a carry champion?]
[Going head-to-head with ENG’s supportive strategy, what were they thinking…]
[Pick the lineup you’re good at!]
[Stop letting Lin Lan play Twisted Fate!]
[He’s just not suited for this champion!]
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