Third game
The second game ended, and the score was tied at 1-1.
VLG turned the tide, with viewership in the live stream soaring and discussions on chat and social media reaching their peak.
The hottest topic is "Why does Chen Yuchuan keep running down the road?"
"He lost the first game because he was out of his mind and made a careless mistake. He even dared to do it again in the second game. If he hadn't won, I would have scolded him already."
"Honestly, he didn't need to go down in those waves at all, did he?"
"Catching someone once or twice is understandable, but so many times, if it weren't for their strength, the situation would have been ruined long ago."
"I just have one question: Is this the jungler or the third player in the bot lane?"
Some people calmly analyzed: "Actually, Chen Yuchuan was indeed pressuring Styx's development. Although he lost some rhythm, it can still be considered a strategy."
Some people also said, "If it weren't for Styx's incredibly stable performance, ASG would have been completely crushed in this game. The jungler's rhythm was just too bad. Sigh."
Someone chimed in: "After being disrupted for so long, and then still being so terrifying in the later stages, who can imagine the damage a Ranger who wasn't suppressed could do?"
The discussion also split into two camps:
One group lamented that Chen Yuchuan was too rash and irrational, but he was experienced enough to have the situation under control.
The other side was shocked by the terrifying operation of sinking the boat into the river and the calm response.
Just then, someone captured a close-up shot of the match.
After Shen He's counterattack, he remained calm and composed.
The moment Chen Yuchuan killed the enemy, a smile actually appeared on his lips.
"These two have matching expressions, hahaha."
"This guy from Sichuan seems to be acting a bit strange. Didn't he used to have a deathly expression all the time?"
"One's expressionless, the other's smirking—what are they up to?!"
"Stop arguing about tactics, I'm going to sneak a sip first."
Ultimately, #River's man-marking jungling# and #Styx's extreme plays# both trended on social media.
The anticipation for the third game was at its highest.
The third and decisive game.
The BP countdown timer lit up, and the bans were the same as in the previous two games.
In the pick phase, VLG let their mid laner take [Star Apostle] first, while ASG immediately locked in [Moon Chaser]. This is a mage who can use skills and basic attacks to unleash high burst damage, with strong wave clear and fast tempo control, clearly wanting to challenge the enemy mid laner.
In the player's shot, after seeing the opponent lock onto [Zhu Yue], Chen Yuchuan paused for a moment on the mouse, his expression thoughtful.
Shen He smiled unexpectedly.
The fourth marksman position is locked in as [Firefly Star], an ADC with average damage but who can hold his own against anyone and has decent survivability.
Chen Yuchuan continued his counter-strategy, picking the tanky mage jungler [Frostbite] to counter the opponent's top and jungle.
Commentator's remarks: "Both sides have decent lineups, with versatile marksmen and junglers. As long as they have resources, they won't collapse too much. It all depends on which side can maintain their rhythm."
The decisive game begins.
In three minutes, the bottom lane minion wave was quickly cleared.
Shenhe didn't rush home. Instead, he stood in the shadows of the grass, his eyes fixed on the mini-map.
Everyone knew that Chen Yuchuan would be coming this time.
The next second, the [Daughter of Extreme Cold] indeed appeared at the mouth of the river, and a burst of laughter erupted from the scene.
The opposing bottom laner wanted to immediately push forward and coordinate with the jungler to form a gank, but the minion wave blocked their position.
ASG has not backed out either.
The support player flashed first and threw out a point-control skill, a stun that accurately hit River.
Almost simultaneously, Shenhe activated the [Firefly Star] skill, bursting forth with flames. While the control was negated, the counter-damage exploded, instantly shattering his health bar.
Screams erupted from the audience.
The commentator exclaimed, "Styx even laid an ambush first! This isn't a passive response, it's an active counterattack!"
His partner laughed and said, "Styx is really daring. Normally, when a Firefly without his ultimate sees the jungler coming, his first reaction would be to retreat, but he directly ambushed them. He's got a plan."
Chen Yuchuan reacted just as quickly. He unleashed a wave of icy energy, forcibly halting Chen He's movement. His last sliver of shield managed to block the final blow.
In the footage, [Arctic Maiden] had only one bar of health left. She flashed away, and the enemy bottom lane quickly responded. Shenhe had a decent amount of health, but he knew that chasing further would only give away the game, so he decisively stopped.
The comments section was scrolling very fast:
"They're really locked in a battle now."
River: I'm coming to bot lane. Styx: I've been waiting for you.
"If we had closed this out, we would have made a killing. What a pity!"
"Ahhh! So close!"
"That reaction was really fast! I was already on the mouse!"
Commentator's summary: "ASG actually won this wave. They forcibly interrupted the jungler's rhythm. Although they didn't get the kill, they forced him to use Flash and had to go back to base to replenish his supplies."
On the contestants' bench, Shen He remained indifferent, while Chen Yuchuan, though fleeing somewhat disheveled, couldn't suppress the upward curve of his lips.
For the next while, everyone seemed to be stuck in a cycle. Chen Yuchuan would often wander into the bottom lane bushes.
But they had already made preparations for sinking into the river.
He managed the minion wave extremely well, positioning it two tiles in front of the tower, making it very difficult for the opponent to initiate a fight. He even reminded the mid laner at the six-minute mark: "Let the wave go and hold for me for a while."
Li Anze cooperated well, pushing the lane and positioning himself in the river, setting up vision with the support. He also sacrificed minion waves to help the bottom lane pressure the enemy marksman and support, causing Chen Yuchuan's two ganks to fail.
The audience burst into laughter:
"Is Chuan Gou thinking of switching to ADC?"
River: I'm coming to find you. Styx: Whatever, I can't be bothered.
"Haha, I can feel how annoying it is even through the screen. It's amazing that he could hold out until the third game before calling for his teammates to help."
The commentator's tone carried a hint of helplessness: "Actually, River's strategy was correct in several waves. The enemy's top and jungle were strong, so our mid laner could only lock down the top half of the jungle and open up the bottom half of the jungle to stabilize the economy. But Styx's handling was too calm. He took care of the minion waves, vision, and support in every aspect."
With the bottom lane proving difficult to break through, everyone noticed that Chen Yuchuan was now targeting the mid laner, [Zhu Yue].
He used Flash twice to forcefully engage in a fight, keeping Li Anze trapped in the mid lane and unable to move.
After ambushing and killing Zhu Yue, who was preparing to flank and provide support, the camera on the player's bench captured him giving a disdainful smirk.
The audience couldn't hold back any longer:
"Displaced anger, isn't this displacement of anger!"
"Who can give me back my smart, calm, and all-around jungler? Who is this god-like player?"
Styx: I can't be bothered with you. River: Fine, I'll beat up anyone who tries to stop you from talking to me.
After being repeatedly targeted in the mid lane, Zhu Yue had to be extremely cautious every time he went online, while Zhou Yifan and Zhang Cheng chose to abandon the perfect top half of the map and frequently provide support.
Several rescue attempts went too deep, and the team was countered by the Extreme Cold Girls' control, completely disrupting their rhythm.
On the players' bench, Shen He kept his eyes on the game, only telling his teammates, "Stay calm, I can handle the late game."
The commentator frowned: "Although [Chase the Moon] is a strong hero, he is only a tool to balance the top and bottom jungles. He is not the core of the rhythm. Once the jungler is shut down, the whole strategy will be slowed down."
The partner added: "ASG played too hastily. If the mid laner dies, so be it; at worst, they can just give up the outer turret. Several forced rescues only resulted in economic losses."
The bottom lane is the only stable position. Shenhe's Firefly didn't have any outstanding performance, his KDA was average, but his CS was comparable to the opposing champion player.
Even though the tower plates were being whittled down and the bottom lane was constantly being pressured for vision, he still did his best to catch up in gold.
My teammates were still complaining in my headset: "We should have won this round." "I was just one second away from saving the game with my skill."
Shenhe felt helpless, but he didn't respond. He had no say in how to play the game, and the situation was so predictable that even the ADC couldn't save it.
Twenty minutes later, the dragon team broke out.
VLG positioned themselves early, and ASG's mid and jungle attempted to teleport into the team fight in coordination with the top laner. However, River initiated a team fight with his ultimate, and although ASG managed to flash out of range, their formation was scattered, with the mid laner falling first. Zhang Cheng's teleport was interrupted by the opponent, who then took advantage of the teleport's momentary lapse to finish him off. The situation instantly collapsed.
Chen He had no choice but to grit his teeth and find the right angle, his gun muzzle constantly spitting out fireflies.
The marksman's damage output was maximized, severely damaging the enemy mid and jungle, but unfortunately, the shield couldn't withstand the burst damage, and the health bar was quickly depleted.
The word "ACE" lit up on the screen.
A collective sigh rippled through the audience.
Commentator's summary: "Styx has done his best. His development, team fight output, and positioning are all flawless. However, ASG's strategy was flawed. They abandoned their advantage and snowballed, resulting in a complete lack of rhythm between the 10 and 20-minute mark. Their overall economy became unbalanced, and their top, mid, and jungle players made consecutive mistakes. There is almost no chance of a comeback in this game."
At 32 minutes, VLG destroyed the base crystal.
They won the match with a score of 2-1.
The camera pans to the players' seats.
Shen He took off his headphones and silently packed up his equipment. His palms, which were gripping the mouse, were slightly white, but his expression remained unchanged. His loose hair concealed his emotions, leaving only his calm breathing.
On the opposite side of the contestants' bench, Chen Yuchuan sat back in his chair with his hands relaxed, but he didn't look very happy.
Although he won this round.
As the decisive game ended, cheers and regret filled the arena. The players took off their headphones and stood up from their seats.
According to the competition rules, the two sides lined up at the referee's signal and walked to the center to shake hands.
This is a custom and a form of etiquette.
Chen Yuchuan's obsessive-compulsive disorder is well-known in the competition. Every handshake is just a fleeting touch, with his fingertips barely touching before withdrawing, leading some to criticize him for being "rude, like he's greeting people from afar."
This time was no exception.
He touched each of the ASG members one by one, his movements were crisp and indifferent, and he didn't even look them in the eye.
Until they reached the sinking river.
In a brief moment, what appeared to be a routine handshake, with very light pressure, was clearly a firm grip—from the palm to the knuckles.
Shen He looked up and met his gaze.
The light fell on the two people's eyes and brows, as if isolating them from the noise of the venue.
He glanced at Chen Yuchuan with narrowed eyes, and the other man raised an eyebrow at him.
The next second, Chen Yuchuan had already let go and turned to walk to the other end of the stage. The movement was so clean that it was as if nothing had happened.
In the exit tunnel, the ASG players silently returned to the locker room. Li Anze sighed deeply, while Zhou Yifan slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
The river remained still. He coiled up the keyboard cable, put it back in the box, and then into his backpack. For him, the competition was just like ranked games—a daily routine.
Just then, there was a noise at the door. People from VLG passed by, with Chen Yuchuan at the back.
He paused, then glanced into the lounge.
After a brief pause, he actually pushed the door open and walked in.
Standing by the door, Gao Mingyuan instinctively asked, "Yu Chuan, is there something you need?"
Chen Yuchuan glanced at him and said, "You played alright."
Shen He put down the spool in his hand, his expression as calm as ever: "What are you doing here?"
Gao Mingyuan was stunned.
Chen Yuchuan curled his lips slightly and casually placed the water bottle on the table. His fingertips paused on the bottle for a moment before releasing it: "Just passing by."
After saying that, he turned and left, his steps calm and unhurried, leaving no trace, as if it were just an ordinary action.
Shen He picked up the bottle of water, the cool touch penetrating his palm. Next to it was a plainly packaged candy. He tapped it lightly on the table with his fingertips and casually put it into his pocket.
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