Lost again.
On Saturday, ASG will face FLG in their second-bigtest match of the league.
According to the alliance's fixed rotation model, ASG is assigned to Lan City, while VLG is assigned to An City, with the two locations being quite a flight apart.
FLG isn't among the absolute strongest, but they shouldn't be underestimated. Especially in the bot lane, the opposing ADC is widely recognized as one of the top players in the league, a long-established star known for his aggressive style and meticulous mechanics.
"Today is a tough battle." The coach said solemnly in the pre-match meeting, "The most difficult teams are the ones that play well. They don't have any obvious weaknesses and they are not easy to make mistakes. Everyone must be disciplined, obey commands, and avoid making mistakes."
The laning phase was unusually tense. The opposing bot lane was their usual duo, and they were pushing the pace very hard. They started testing each other's skills as soon as the minion wave crossed the river. Chenhe was playing as the Ember Spirit, whose range was slightly inferior in the early game, so he could only let the wave go and block the minions in front of the tower.
“We can look for an opportunity to make a big push,” he whispered to Gao Mingyuan.
The opposing duo made a probing advance, and Gao Mingyuan pretended to return to base. Under the cover of his movements, he casually threw out a control skill, which hit accurately.
Shenhe immediately followed up with a slowdown, and his passive refreshed his rapid-fire. The opposing ADC reacted quickly and used his movement skill to escape, but still lost two minions and a potion.
“The bottom lane is out of health potions, so we can come and counter-gank,” Gao Mingyuan said.
"Don't make a move, I'm going to rush into the blue buff area." Zhou Yifan pressed into the voice chat, his tone decisive.
Gao Mingyuan can only act as a defensive ward.
As expected, the enemy jungler ambushed them in the first wave. The moment the true sight was revealed by the ward in the bush, Shenhe had already retreated in advance. Gao Mingyuan shielded himself and absorbed the crowd control, and the two of them escaped cleanly.
However, the pace of the upper half of the map fell behind. The opposing mid and top laners prioritized giving up lane control and stationed themselves in the river. After the jungler controlled the resources in the bottom lane, they were able to return to defend most of the jungle.
"If this dragon isn't fighting, let's switch to a vanguard." Zhou Yifan quickly made the adjustment.
"I'm in my power spike right now, I can take both sides, why switch?" Li Anze chuckled in the mid lane.
"We're still far from the top, so let's play it safe." Zhou Yifan's voice was devoid of emotion.
Shenhe remained silent and continued laning in the bottom lane.
He knew that the opposing duo wouldn't deliberately reveal any weaknesses, so he had to keep an eye out for opportunities himself.
The opportunity slipped away in a second. The opposing support moved straight forward, and Gao Mingyuan decisively controlled him. Chenhe didn't rush to follow up with damage, and sure enough, a figure flashed out from the bushes.
"Wait for me." Li Anze followed suit.
Chenhe pushed forward at the right time, slowing the enemy down and landing a passive hit. The enemy jungler abandoned part of the jungle and quickly came to support. Both sides traded blows, and after dealing a set of damage, Chenhe flashed away.
No kills, but a significant health advantage has been established.
“Push the bottom, don’t go down the middle,” Zhou Yifan said. “I’ll go drain the river.”
“If you can’t refuse, don’t come.” Shen He replied crisply.
Zhou Yifan remained silent for a moment and then stopped walking.
For the next few minutes, the battle remained deadlocked. Every minion wave intersection felt like a test; whenever Shenhe moved forward slightly, as long as our mid and jungle players revealed vision, the enemy ADC would immediately counter-push the lane.
"This person is indeed quite remarkable," Gao Mingyuan remarked.
Shen He simply replied, "It's really good."
He could tell that the opposing ADC, like him, was waiting for that moment to break through the laning phase. It was just that both sides were being too cautious.
After several probing attacks, the opposing team slowed down their pace and became more conservative.
"Watch out for the lane change; they're starting to move their vision upwards," Shen He warned.
FLG's jungler and support started roaming more frequently.
ASG's top lane was ganked twice in a row. In an attempt to minimize losses, Zhou Yifan released the Rift Herald, which was originally intended for pushing the mid lane. Although they managed to take down the first tower, they still lost the second dragon. The vision line across the map gradually tilted, and the situation began to look bad.
The voice channel was silent for a moment.
"They're trying to quickly kill the dragon again," Li Anze said.
“I’ll take care of the rhythm,” Zhou Yifan said in a low voice. “You guys stay calm and don’t panic.”
The opposing team swapped lanes, and Li Anze launched a counter-offensive, but the opposing team retaliated. Both players performed at a high level, and neither made any fatal mistakes.
Zhou Yifan called for a lane swap several times, but he didn't move. This team isn't creating opportunities for their ADC, so they'll just farm at their own pace.
Shen He said calmly, "Don't move. I'll guard you."
He didn't control the tempo, but he knew the jungler had to stay focused on that lane. He needed to survive, find the right moment to engage, and be able to stand still and deal full damage for the game to have a chance.
The key is the dragon fight at 25 minutes.
Zhou Yifan decisively initiated a team fight, seizing the opportunity presented by the enemy mid laner's positioning to launch an attack. The enemy jungler anticipated this and flanked to counterattack, but Zhou Yifan's teleportation landed two seconds too late, and the enemy formation had already crumbled. Shenhe used both summoner spells to create space for damage output, but could only salvage the situation slightly.
"This is a desperate move," Gao Mingyuan said through gritted teeth.
"I started too early, next wave—" Zhou Yifan tried to salvage the situation.
"There won't be another wave," Shen He said softly.
Subsequently, the opposing team took advantage of the momentum to start the dragon. With the support of various buffs, ASG was forced to retreat step by step. Although the top and jungle made some brilliant teleport flanks while blocking vision, they had already been worn down to the point where they had no chance to fight back.
After reaching the high ground, ASG barely cleared the minion wave before their crystal exploded.
The match ended, and the voice channel fell silent.
"The rhythm was broken on my end, I'll adjust next time." Zhou Yifan tried to sound calm.
Li Anze didn't speak, but simply pulled the microphone slightly away and breathed softly.
Shen He didn't say a word.
They've got the rhythm they needed, and they have the right strategies.
But things get out of control in every moment when there's "not enough perfection, not enough trust".
It's not anyone's fault; it's just one of the most common ways to lose in professional competitions.
Before everyone could recover from the dullness of the first game, the draft phase for the second game had already begun.
FLG opted for a lineup that leaned more towards the top side of the map, while still maintaining their standard macro-play strategy. ASG also made targeted adjustments to their draft, focusing on the bottom side of the map and selecting a jungler capable of tower diving.
However, once they entered the site, all the arrangements frequently fell apart.
Shenhe still chose the Ember Gunner. The opponent's combination was slightly weaker in lane, so he took control of the lane from the start and played a poke game, actively creating opportunities.
"Support, don't leave. I can force a move," he reminded him.
"Prepare to take the mid lane." Zhou Yifan quickly replied, but Li Anze was not so trusting and only said, "I haven't finished clearing the lane yet, wait until I reach level six."
As a result, they waited for the enemy's bot lane to retreat in advance.
The three players surrounded the point but missed. The jungler turned around to try and control the dragon area resources. Shenhe glanced at the map and said, "They're going to counter-gank."
"Take it first, then we'll talk. Come straight to the mid lane, and teleport to the top lane depending on the situation," Zhou Yifan replied quickly.
The result was that we were surrounded by the enemy jungler, support, and mid laner. Our support arrived too late, and our momentum was disrupted again.
In the mid-game, FLG exerted tremendous pressure through several lane rotations.
Shenhe repeatedly reminded them to teleport to the bottom lane for a fight, but ultimately chose to teleport to the top lane.
"We can't defend the bottom lane anymore," Gao Mingyuan said in a low voice.
Shenhe remained silent. It was highly likely they would lose this round.
The second half of the game became increasingly disorganized, as if they were struggling to catch their breath in a half-finished situation, with no one able to truly take over the match.
Gao Mingyuan wanted to lead Shenhe to control resources in the top lane, but the top laner refused. The mid laner tried to roam, but the jungler interrupted him. From start to finish, there wasn't a single instance of the five players coordinating their attacks effectively.
In less than 30 minutes, ASG suffered a crushing defeat in their second game, barely managing to organize any decent team fights before being wiped out by their opponents in one fell swoop.
Their loss was predictable and uneventful.
Shortly after the match ended, hashtags such as #ASGTwoStraightLosses#, #StyxPerformance#, and #LegendOfTheFastestDefeatInTheLeague# climbed to the top of the trending lists on various forums and social media platforms.
The comment and bullet screen sections were in complete chaos, with countless voices raining down on us simultaneously:
Someone posted a recap thread: "[The number one ADC in ranked matches came online and then went offline? Analysis of Styx's two matches]"
"...I don't deny that his mechanics and awareness were on point, but the entire BO3 can be summed up in one word: sluggish. Go back and review the replays yourselves; Styx dealt massive damage several times but couldn't secure kills. Why? No support, no rhythm, the team didn't treat him as their core. Honestly, any stable AD carry could have done that; why did he even come on?"
[You sign a flashy, tempo-oriented ADC, and then you pair him with a conservative, stable team composition? ASG must be crazy.]
[They played with absolutely no spirit. The roster has changed so much, yet they're still playing the same old team tactics? Has the ASG coach really lost his mind?]
[They bought Styx, then forced him to wait to farm; the coaching staff really knows how to manage things. If I didn't watch their commentary so often, I would have thought this guy was a ranked god.]
Some people also made sarcastic remarks.
[Is this the legendary number one ADC in ranked matches? Is this just a live exhibition match by an internet celebrity player?]
[Maybe they only know how to play Wind String Hunter; they won't know how to play another hero.]
[Playing so cautiously, why not just pick an Archangel and farm until 30 minutes before venturing out? Why choose a lane-pushing champion?]
However, most people are still quite objective.
[It's not that he can't perform, it's that he doesn't have the environment to perform well, right? We saw it in the last game; the jungler didn't help, the top laner didn't pass to him, what's the point of having an AD carry like him?]
Styx was the only bright spot; he played steadily and calmly, while everyone else seemed out of their minds, and the coaching staff was utterly clueless.
[What a waste. If you don't use his fighting spirit, you might as well not buy him at all.]
[Wasting talent +1, buying a genius just to use him as a tool?]
To be honest, playing like this is worse than letting Styx stream. At least I'd enjoy watching him play by himself.
[Requesting a Styx livestream +1]
The coaching staff and the jungler's rhythm have been caught in a media storm.
The entire team lost their rhythm, playing like a disorganized mess with a terrible, sluggish tempo.
[The coaching staff really deserves criticism. Using a top-tier ADC like this? Can the league please stop with this health-conscious approach?]
[Can the ASG coaching staff please stop pretending not to see this? How could they play like this? Don't they treat the AD carry like a human being?]
Honestly, ASG has become increasingly less aggressive since changing their bot lane duo. They used to at least put up a fight, but now they just play it safe all the time, and that's how they end up losing.
[The jungler's rhythm is completely disrupted, and the coach is still choosing a lineup around the jungler? Other teams have their junglers setting the pace, but their jungler is just bringing silence.]
Ignoring the commotion on the forum, everyone returned to the lounge one after another, and no one spoke.
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
The coach stood still, his face calm. He glanced at the whole team, but his gaze finally settled on Shen He.
"You still don't follow instructions." His tone wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of dissatisfaction. "You've been wandering around the bottom half of the table the whole time, not saying a word, just playing your own game. This is a team game, not just yours."
Shen He showed no expression, but simply picked up the water on the table and took a sip.
The atmosphere froze for a second.
Zhou Yifan suddenly spoke up: "It's my problem, it has nothing to do with him."
The coach frowned: "You..."
Zhou Yifan interrupted him, "My rhythm in those few waves was indeed bad, and my judgment was too conservative. If we can't compete for resources in the bottom half of the map, we should take the initiative to change the rhythm, instead of letting him get trapped in the bottom lane."
His tone was calm and unhurried, yet carried an air of unquestionable authority.
“And ultimately,” he paused, “we never really focused on the bot lane. You expect him to follow the tempo, but where is the tempo?”
Shen He looked down at his phone without saying a word. Chen Yuchuan, for some unknown reason, sent him dozens of messages.
Gao Mingyuan took off the wristband from his hand and placed it down rather heavily, as if he was indignant on behalf of someone, or as if it was an outlet for his irritable emotions.
The coach glanced at Zhou Yifan, but ultimately said nothing more, only saying, "Let's review it when we get back."
The air grew quiet, and it was as if everyone could hear their own heartbeat.
Chen He's heartbeat was very steady.
The coaching staff and jungler were preparing for interviews, and the rest room became quiet for a while.
Shen He was about to grab his coat and get up when Zhou Yifan walked over, his tone a little softer than usual.
"We can talk privately when you have time; it won't take up too much of your time."
Shen He glanced at him and nodded: "Okay."
There were no further questions, nor were there any extra words.
Their relationship isn't the kind that needs immediate explanation; as long as they're both on the team, this conversation is bound to happen sooner or later.
He opened the door and went out. The corridor outside was empty and quiet. He had only taken two steps when he saw a person standing by the wall in the corner, looking down at his phone.
He casually draped a black jacket over his red team uniform and wasn't wearing a mask.
Chen He paused for a moment.
Hearing the noise, Chen Yuchuan looked up, a smile playing on his lips, as if he had expected to run into him: "I knew you'd come out at this time."
"Why are you here?" Shen He asked.
"Didn't I tell you? I'll come see you after the competition."
Shen He raised an eyebrow at him, and he immediately changed his tune, "I'll come see my Styx brother as soon as the competition is over."
It's made to sound so natural, like flying from Anshi is just a matter of taking a bus.
Shenhe told him, "Wait for me, let me pack my things."
Chen Yuchuan nodded: "Take your time, I'm fine."
Actually, I had something to do, but it wasn't important. The most important thing was to come here and see Chenhe one last time.
As Shen He walked back to the rest room, he glanced down at his phone. Gao Mingyuan had just sent him an emoji with the caption, "Don't take the coach's words too seriously."
He didn't reply, so of course he wouldn't take it to heart.
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