Did The Captain Catch Up With The Coach Today [Esports] Chapter 45
byChapter 45
“I’ll show you the 1!”
He sounded full of confidence.
However, to Wen Shi Yu, this sounded less like a declaration of victory and more like a flag.
And it truly became a flag.
The mechanics of the hero Overlord Blade gave him the characteristic of being invincible when ahead, and throwing the game when behind.
Using him in professional play was fine for bullying late-game teams like DIE, but playing against MID, a team whose early-game ferocity was no less than FHM’s, was complete suicide.
Despite this, Wen Shi Yu didn’t think FHM would necessarily lose, as the heroes the others picked were relatively stable, and Zhou Miao Miao’s Xing Guang had been practiced up; even if mistakes occurred, they wouldn’t be too outrageous.
However…
Less than 3 minutes into the game, Zhou Miao Miao’s Xing Guang was solo-killed by the opposing MID Phoenix’s Ri Xi. Wei Xiao rushed to the mid-lane, and was about to finish off the low-health Ri Xi, but the opponent used a tricky movement to fly away from under Wei Xiao’s raised blade. Wei Xiao took a tower hit, used Flash to escape before the next tower hit, but was then killed by the enemy Jungler who rushed over.
Good news: two kills at the start.
Bad news: the opponent got them.
Two Assassins who needed gold were killed early by the enemy MID and Jungler, causing the subsequent tempo to be dictated by the enemy MID.
Phoenix’s Ri Xi flew everywhere, killing everywhere—flying to the top lane to kill the Top Laner, flying to the bottom lane for a double kill.
“Hiss—they really are strong,” Zhou Miao Miao still had the presence of mind to admire the opponent.
Wei Xiao, however, was wearing a mask of pain: “I’ve become the 0.”
His teammates: “…”
Wen Shi Yu, listening to the voice chat: “…”
After Phoenix’s Ri Xi got ahead, the economic gap between the two sides widened rapidly. Wei Xiao’s Overlord Blade couldn’t even walk sideways; he basically couldn’t beat anyone and would die if he encountered anyone, forced to hide in the bushes and play ambush.
At 10 minutes, the opponents swapped lanes. Wei Xiao bypassed the enemy Support, slashed the ADC once, and ran, scaring the enemy ADC into a string of question marks and exclamation points.
[All] MID-loong (Frost Love): ???!!!
[All] MID-loong (Frost Love): Holy cow! You’re worth nothing, and you can still one-shot me?
Training matches naturally don’t need to follow the rules of formal competitions. Since the opponent sincerely typed to ask, Wei Xiao graciously typed back a reply.
[All] FHM-xiao (Overlord Blade): Yeah, I’m worthless, so why don’t you let me have it?
[All] MID-loong (Frost Love): Have your coach sign an autograph for each of us, and we’ll give you five kills.
[All] FHM-xiao (Overlord Blade): Dreaming big.
Such a transaction was not only impossible to discuss, but didn’t even need consideration.
Brother Wen signs autographs for whoever he wants, and he will earn his kills himself!
At 20 minutes, Wei Xiao’s score was 8-2-2.
He still managed to steal quite a few kills by hiding in the bushes and one-shotting people.
But at the same time, Phoenix’s score was 12-1-4.
Wei Xiao could avoid being killed, but he couldn’t stop his teammates from being killed.
It wasn’t that his teammates played poorly, but that different roles have different survival capabilities. Some heroes, when disadvantaged, are simply meant to be suppressed and crushed.
The one suffering the most this game was Lu Qing Yang’s Thorn Whip. Ri Xi rode up to his face and hit him twice, and he was gone. He couldn’t stack his passive or use his ultimate, making his presence even weaker than Wei Xiao’s Overlord Blade.
Yet, if anyone in their lineup could tank a bit, it was him. If even he couldn’t hold up, the others certainly couldn’t.
At 25 minutes, the kill ratio reached a staggering 21:42, exactly double.
Of those 21 kills, half were stolen by Wei Xiao—he killed and ran.
Qin Jin Yao had turned into a split-pushing machine, pushing lanes whenever there was an opportunity, running when enemies came, and dying if he couldn’t run, with a team fight participation rate of less than 10%.
As long as he drew fire in the top lane, the others would group up and push the bottom lane.
In this way, FHM managed to rely on split-pushing to keep their early-game lineup barely alive until 25 minutes.
But after MID easily secured a Dragon, they collapsed completely.
Game 1, MID wins.
During the 5-minute review time, Wei Xiao cautiously raised his eyes to gauge Wen Shi Yu’s reaction.
Wen Shi Yu was looking at him with an almost playful gaze. Instead of being disappointed or angry, he seemed to be gloating over the result?
“Had enough fun?” Wen Shi Yu asked everyone.
Wei Xiao nervously rubbed his nose.
“There’s not much to say about this game. None of the three lanes had an advantage, so the outcome was no longer up to the Jungler,” Wen Shi Yu shifted his gaze from Wei Xiao’s face to his screen. “However, this is the first time I’ve seen you guys hit with such an economic disparity by another team. I was surprised.”
“My fault, my fault.” Wei Xiao picked up the blame that Wen Shi Yu had casually kicked away and put it on his own head. “I felt something was wrong when I gave up the first kill. Our lineup against theirs, once we fall behind, we’re just going to be crushed. If I had picked any other Jungler, it wouldn’t have been like this. I should have listened to you…”
“It’s fine, we were just playing one game. In a formal match, I won’t let Phoenix get Ri Xi,” Wen Shi Yu replied calmly. “But it’s okay for him to take it in a training match. If you can handle his Ri Xi, you can handle his other heroes, because no matter what he picks, he plays with the same style—ferocious, violent, and reckless. If his Ri Xi has 200% attack and 100% evasion, then his other heroes only have 150% attack and 50% evasion.”
Wei Xiao: “Goodness, the legendary innate enchantment? Why doesn’t my Overlord Blade have that?”
Wen Shi Yu: “You got 11 kills, what more do you want? Although it was a 0-blade, you still ‘showed me the 1’.”
Wei Xiao: “…”
Wei Xiao covered his face with his hand, utterly embarrassed.
Did he really say something that embarrassing? He seemed to have said it… Ahhh, he shouldn’t have said it!
The rest of FHM, who had been waiting to be scolded, were struggling to hold back their laughter.
Five minutes later, Game 2.
FHM still didn’t ban Ri Xi, but this time, MID neither banned nor picked it.
Clearly, MID knew they wouldn’t get this hero in a formal match, so they didn’t want to waste the training match showcasing it.
But if MID didn’t pick it, FHM certainly would.
With Wen Shi Yu’s permission, Zhou Miao Miao decisively locked in Ri Xi: “I want revenge!”
Lu Qing Yang immediately shouted: “Avenge us!”
Wei Xiao also shouted: “Avenge us!”
In this game, Wei Xiao locked in Phantom Assassin. In the 3rd minute, he coordinated with Zhou Miao Miao, who had reached level 3, to dive the tower and kill Phoenix’s Xing Guang. Wei Xiao then escaped with low health, leaving Zhou Miao Miao to intercept and kill the enemy Jungler, Blade Shadow Dancer.
Again, two kills at the start, but this time, the tables had turned!
Both kills went to Zhou Miao Miao. The first kill was accidental; Wei Xiao didn’t intentionally give it up. The second kill was because Wei Xiao’s condition wasn’t good enough to continue fighting, so he had to yield it. But Ri Xi is a hero that can carry, so since he had already secured two kills, Wei Xiao simply helped him snowball.
Thus, 5 minutes later, Zhou Miao Miao, with a massive economic lead, began his rampage!
You killed our Top Laner last game, right? I’ll kill your Top Laner too!
You got a double kill in our bottom lane last game, right? I’ll get a double kill in your bottom lane too!
In 1v1s, he finished the fight in one combo.
In team fights, after he dealt his damage, someone else would clean up the kills.
At 10 minutes, FHM aced MID for the first time.
At 16 minutes, FHM aced MID for the second time.
Ultimately, FHM pushed down MID before the Elder Dragon even spawned, completely avenging their previous loss!
Before Game 3 started, the opponents couldn’t help but open voice chat and praise them.
“Miao Miao, your Ri Xi is awesome!” The speaker was Phoenix.
Zhou Miao Miao was stunned for a moment before realizing he was being called, and couldn’t help but correct him: “It’s Miao Miao. Come on, repeat after me, M-i-a-o, Miao~”
Qin Jin Yao burst out laughing on the spot: “Which cat is meowing?”
“Hahahaha!” Wei Xiao roared with laughter.
Phoenix then praised Wei Xiao: “Wei Xiao, your Phantom Assassin is genuinely strong. If it weren’t for God Yu’s style being less sneaky than yours, I’d think God Yu was playing.”
Hearing this, Wei Xiao, who was still laughing, choked on his own saliva: “Cough, cough, cough… What kind of talk is that? Who’s sneaky? I play very openly and honestly!”
“Damn it, you call it open and honest when you sneak into my jungle, scare me, and then run away? You almost gave me a heart attack!” The opposing Jungler was the first to object!
“I just take a gamble. If you’re not there, I steal the jungle. If you are, I don’t steal it. That’s a perfectly normal tactic!”
After protesting, Wei Xiao asked Wen Shi Yu: “Brother Wen, you don’t steal jungle?”
“I steal,” Wen Shi Yu admitted readily, but his next sentence was, “I bring the main force with me to steal.”
“Goodness, so that’s what you call open and honest?” Wei Xiao was defeated.
Phantom Assassin has mobility, invisibility, and speed boost. Not taking a stroll through the enemy jungle would be an insult to the hero’s characteristics!
In Game 3, the opponents finally stopped leaving the ban slots empty, banning both Ri Xi and Phantom Assassin.
Wen Shi Yu told Wei Xiao to try the Radiant Knight, so Wei Xiao locked it in, and the game ended in 18 minutes, crushing the five members of MID.
In Game 4, MID banned Radiant Knight. Under Wen Shi Yu’s guidance, Wei Xiao picked Chrono Tracker and focused entirely on Phoenix, grinding Phoenix into the dirt.
This led to the opposing Phoenix’s teammates complaining wildly before Game 5 started.
“The captain swore more last game than he did throughout the entire regular season combined.”
“It was truly miserable. I’d break down if I were targeted like that.”
Wei Xiao nervously said “Ah”: “It’s tactical necessity, not targeting the player.”
“Hey, I know,” Phoenix spoke up. “If I didn’t have this level of mental fortitude, how could I carry? Being targeted is the fate of the strong. I’m strong, so I accept it!”
Wei Xiao chuckled, feeling that Phoenix had a genuinely good personality—he dared to say anything and didn’t hold grudges afterward.
He joked with relief: “Hey, if you put it that way, I won’t target you next game. I’ll target your Jungler!”
“Ah—no way—” This was the wail from the opposing Jungler.
Although he said he wouldn’t target Phoenix, in Game 5, Wei Xiao couldn’t help but focus his attention on Phoenix again.
But this time, Phoenix’s vigilance was greatly increased. Several times he slipped away from Wei Xiao’s grasp, playing much more cautiously. Yet, when it was time to secure kills, he was completely decisive. Both his awareness and mechanics had improved significantly, like a drunkard finally sobering up, or a lazy martial arts master finally getting serious and showing his true skill.
Ultimately, Game 5 concluded with Phoenix’s Soul Suppressor carrying the entire game and winning.
Out of the five games, FHM won the three middle games, and MID won the first and last two.
After five games, both sides wanted to keep playing, but they were stopped by their respective coaches—the halftime break in training matches is too short, and five games need to be reviewed from scratch. If they kept playing, the sun would rise before the review was done.
The two sides reluctantly said goodbye.
“I look forward to facing you in the formal competition,” Phoenix said. “But more than just deciding a winner, I want to have a thrilling match with you that leaves neither of us with regrets.”
“Got it, friendship first, competition second!” Wei Xiao replied with a smile.
The room name for this training match was “Friendship First, Competition Second.”
Tonight’s match truly lived up to that room name. Both sides could feel the passion the other invested in the game—it wasn’t just a desire for victory, but an appreciation and challenge toward each other.
However, there is only one champion, and they would ultimately have to decide a winner.
The only thing they could guarantee was that no matter who won or lost, it wouldn’t affect the friendship between the teams and the players.
Oh, and of course, the admiration and worship of Wen Shi Yu by the MID members.
“God Yu, see you later!”
“You must sign autographs for us on the day of the match!”
Wen Shi Yu walked up to Wei Xiao and used his mic to reply with a “Sure.”
After the review ended, everyone returned to their rooms.
Wei Xiao habitually stayed until the end.
Wen Shi Yu was also used to him staying until the end.
The two left the training room together, walking side-by-side toward their respective bedrooms.
When they were close to their rooms, Wei Xiao suddenly asked, “That… ah, how should I put this… about Overlord Blade, do you dislike me mentioning 1 and 0 all the time?”
Although Overlord Blade becoming a 0-blade when disadvantaged was a meme, it carried some suggestive implications, and some people disliked it. Wei Xiao only realized it might be inappropriate after playing it so much. He wanted to know Wen Shi Yu’s thoughts, and also wanted to take the opportunity to test him.
Does Wen Shi Yu actually like men? Is he okay with being the bottom?
Wei Xiao might not accept being the bottom, even if the person was Wen Shi Yu.
But as long as Wen Shi Yu was willing, Wei Xiao wouldn’t mind being his soulmate for life, simply staying by his side, protecting him, satisfying him, but not touching him.
However, whether Wen Shi Yu received his brainwaves or not, upon hearing the question, he first chuckled, and then replied before entering his room: “No, it’s quite cute.”
With that, he entered his room: “Good night.”
Wei Xiao blankly replied “Good night,” watching him close the door, then raised his hand to scratch his head.
Eh, it seems he didn’t manage to test anything… Never mind. Anyway, there are plenty of ways to not go inside, aren’t there?