The next morning, Bai Yu got up early. There was a match today, and he was lined up downstairs.
Everyone else had come down, except Lu Sheng. Bai Yu sent Xu Bo up to check, and he came back saying the game wasn’t over yet. The person Lu Sheng was up against happened to be WG’s mid laner for today’s match.
Chen Yanxing, Star.
Bai Yu’s thoughts stirred when he heard this and decided to go upstairs to take a look. Xu Bo followed him.
WG was actually a strong team. They always just fell short. Last year, if Bai Yu hadn’t forced a team fight from behind in gold and barely won 3-2, WG would’ve gone to Worlds instead. There wouldn’t have been the top-16 finish, nor would there be this current team.
Their mid laner, Chen Yanxing, was also a very young pick.
His playstyle was completely different from Lu Sheng’s. He excelled at roaming, especially loved going bot, and their bot laner Tang Su, Candy had also been performing excellently this year. Both of them were stable carry players with perfect synergy. Since debut, they’d been called WG’s Twin Stars.
Last year, Chen Yanxing camped bot hard, and with Tang Su’s aggressive style, Bai Yu couldn’t hold up at all. Their top laner Cheng Lin fell far behind in farm. Bai Yu had thought it was over, but then WG’s jungler got exposed for relying too much on vision. Bai Yu capitalized on it with a few successful plays and managed to turn the game around from a losing position.
This year, they’d scrimmed WG a few times and lost most of them.
Normally, Lu Sheng could gain advantage against anyone, but he had no answer against the roaming-heavy Chen Yanxing, who wouldn’t even lane against him. All the pressure went bot lane. WG was very good at the “four protect one” strategy, so whether they could win against WG basically came down to whether Qi Yi could handle the pressure.
When Bai Yu arrived at the training room, he took one look and immediately understood the situation.
Chen Yanxing was hard-camping bot, and their AD was performing excellently. Judging by positioning habits, Bai Yu could tell that the enemy AD was probably Tang Su’s smurf.
WG’s double carry duo duo-queuing at this hour?
Were they trying to test something?
Bai Yu watched closely. Chen Yanxing picked Aurelion Sol, and Tang Su picked Kai’Sa. This combo was pretty aggressive. As long as someone got caught out alone, they’d instantly get killed. The number of Chen Yanxing’s assists and Tang Su’s kills also matched up. Double AP’s offensive pressure was intense, though they probably wouldn’t dare pull this off in an actual match.
Because Lu Sheng was a master of assassins. Aurelion Sol wouldn’t survive.
The current match was slightly in Lu Sheng’s favor. He had absolute burst potential, and the enemy Sol had to play very carefully in team fights or he’d get killed instantly.
“Why would he pick Aurelion Sol against Lu Sheng?”
Lu Sheng’s account was already at 800 LP in Challenger. In this kind of high-Elo game, the pool of opponents was very small. There was no way the other side didn’t know it was Lu Sheng.
Bai Yu fell into thought. Downstairs, Zhou Xunwen called to hurry him up. “Come down already.”
“I’ll be right there,” Bai Yu replied.
After the game ended, Bai Yu immediately took over Lu Sheng’s computer and quickly skimmed the scoreboard and key moments. Just as he had suspected, Tang Su’s Kai’Sa was excellent, but the mid lane Aurelion Sol pick was odd. The champion mastery wasn’t even that high.
Lu Sheng, who was also watching, pointed out something weird. “That Sol maxed E first.”
Maxed E? Who maxes E on Sol?
Bai Yu stared at it for a while but couldn’t figure out what was wrong. “Let’s go downstairs.”
They got in the car and headed to the venue. Bai Yu mentioned this game to Song Bo, who also couldn’t understand it, and the two of them discussed it for a bit.
Soon, they arrived at the venue. The match before theirs ended quickly, so their game was moved up.
Bai Yu hadn’t planned on beating WG. But since they had been playing so well and barely dropped any small points, he couldn’t help but start thinking about fighting for a top-two finish.
The match soon began. RAG first-picked jungle, and WG grabbed Kai’Sa and Nautilus.
Tang Su’s Kai’Sa was indeed performing well this year, but not well enough to warrant a ban in Bai Yu’s opinion, so they let it through.
Bai Yu’s side followed up with a very solid comp, not afraid of the enemy. If they had to score it, Bai Yu’s draft actually had a slight edge.
The match started. Lu Sheng had great lane pressure in mid. As soon as both sides hit level 6, Chen Yanxing stopped laning and started roaming bot. Bai Yu’s early vision control and map awareness were excellent, giving Qi Yi plenty of time to scale. As the game went on and damage ramped up, Bai Yu’s side struggled to keep up. Qi Yi died twice but also picked up two kills. The situation was roughly even.
But RAG’s top-jungle-mid synergy was playing extremely well.
Bai Yu had said before that Lu Sheng’s strength was in laning, not roaming, so their strategy was: control the sides, and contest jungle and mid resources.
With this, RAG held a slight gold lead.
On stage, the casters kept marveling. “Both sides are playing very clean and calculated, but the undercurrent is fierce. They’re both performing at their best, though RAG has a slight edge.”
WG needed to secure a top-four finish. They’d already lost to IKG, TIN, and FFT. Beating RAG was a must.
If they won 2-0, they’d be guaranteed top four. If it was 2-1, it would depend on other teams.
RAG also wanted top two. They had to beat WG.
No wonder it was so intense.
No one was making mistakes. This was already finals-level gameplay.
If we’re talking finals quality, IKG vs TIN was still the best.
This year’s finals will likely be IKG vs TIN. RAG making top two is tough. Even if they beat WG, they’d still need to steal points off IKG or TIN.
Still, you never know until you try.
Late game, both sides remained flawless. RAG’s early advantage from Lu Sheng was nearly erased. In the final team fight, Bai Yu initiated beautifully. Lu Sheng burst someone instantly, and Qi Yi’s follow-up damage was perfect. They managed a full ace with a sliver of advantage and took the win.
In Game 2, both sides kept mostly the same draft.
This time it was WG’s side selection. They had first pick and thus more control, which gave them a slight edge in draft.
The early game was fairly even. Once mid-game objectives came into play, WG’s draft advantage began to show, and they slowly wore RAG down.
Game ended. Series was now 1–1.
Bai Yu quickly returned to the break room and called an emergency meeting. “Our skill difference is minimal. It’s all about draft advantage. We have side selection this time. The other side will definitely adjust their strategy. Fang Zhixu, especially you, stay alert, be careful, very careful.”
Fang Zhixu nodded hard. He hadn’t felt this level of tension in a long time. Every cell in his body was fired up.
Back on stage, RAG had side selection and Bai Yu locked in Sejuani for Fang Zhixu. This champion had excellent early-game tempo, and in Game 1, it had helped suppress the enemy jungle. It was also a great peel option for Qi Yi in late game.
WG seemed like they weren’t changing much. They picked Kai’Sa and Nautilus again.
The casters were puzzled. “They’re sticking with the same comp? Won’t it just be a repeat of Game 1?”
Bai Yu knew WG wouldn’t use the same comp again.
There had to be something they hadn’t spotted.
His mind flashed back to the game Lu Sheng played before they left. Tang Su had picked Kai’Sa, and Chen Yanxing had oddly picked Aurelion Sol.
Pulling out a weird champ like that right before a match and even having Tang Su use a smurf, it was hard not to think they were testing something.
Song Bo picked up on it too. He reminded Bai Yu, “Pick top and ADC first.”
Bai Yu agreed. He locked in top and ADC to buy time and observe WG’s plan.
WG’s comp didn’t change much, except their jungle, they picked Nocturne.
Bai Yu sucked in a sharp breath. He realized the enemy must be setting up something. Nocturne was a tempo jungler, but inferior to Sejuani in most other ways. What kind of comp made them confidently pick Nocturne on red side?
Like lightning, Bai Yu remembered Lu Sheng’s words: “That Sol maxed E.”
In that moment, the answer clicked.
Just as the countdown was about to end, Bai Yu blurted out, “Pick Braum and Viktor.”
Lu Sheng was far better on assassins than mages, and even if it had to be a mage, Ahri would’ve made more sense, she could both lane and roam.
Song Bo opened his mouth but didn’t say anything.
In times like this, he’d rather doubt himself than doubt Bai Yu.
On stage, Qi Yi also trusted Bai Yu completely. Without hesitation, he locked in Braum and Viktor.
The sudden pivot shocked everyone. WG also visibly hesitated.
What was happening? Why did RAG suddenly switch their strategy?
Bai Yu had just realized the core question. What does an E-max Sol represent?
Normally, Sol players stack damage, max Q, and take W in secondary runes to improve roaming.
But E max, a pseudo-CC ability, combined with an ADC like Kai’Sa who can dive the backline and instantly clean up, the answer was clear.
Lissandra. The Ice Queen.
A champion with stable CC and mobility. If she reached RAG’s backline and locked someone down, Kai’Sa could dive in and clean up easily.
But this lineup had a serious flaw: Bai Yu would definitely start with a Crucible. With his reaction speed, he could cleanse any crowd control instantly. So whether it was Lissandra or Kai'Sa diving in, the outcome would be the same.
Death.
That’s why they picked Nocturne.
During Nocturne’s ultimate, Bai Yu couldn’t see his teammates. Lissandra could dive in and lock people down, and Kai'Sa could follow up to instantly kill the backline. They only needed three seconds, and RAG’s backline would be wiped out.
And Lissandra was a perfect counter to assassins. She directly countered Lu Sheng’s assassin playstyle and his Ahri.
When Bai Yu realized this, he felt a chill down his spine. He hadn’t expected WG to have such a brilliant strategist behind them, someone capable of creating such a flawless comp. That meant their pre-game testing was likely focused on verifying the coordination between Chen Yanxing and Tang Su's damage output and whether it could suppress Lu Sheng.
Even though Lu Sheng had won that earlier scrim, the other side clearly got the data they needed, which was why they brought this comp out confidently in the official match.
Bai Yu picked Braum to ensure Qi Yi's survival, and gave Lu Sheng Viktor to counter Lissandra.
As soon as these two picks were locked in, the opposing coach’s face turned grim.
Their final pick really was Lissandra. They hadn’t expected Bai Yu to see through it.
Now, picking her became awkward. If they chose her, Viktor would counter her completely. But if they didn’t, Nocturne was already locked in, and there was no other champion that could replace her.
In the end, after much deliberation, they still picked Lissandra just before the timer ran out.
The two casters were stunned.
"Wow, I was wondering why both sides were drafting so strangely. Turns out they were secretly playing mind games the whole time!"
There had been drafting mind games before, but none as intense as this. Only this match reached that level.
Whether it was WG’s brilliant composition or RAG’s counters, it was textbook-level drafting.
[Wow, that was satisfying.]
[Captain Yu never fails. His drafting is still top-tier.]
[I knew something was off when they picked Nocturne!]
[The draft in these three games was even more exciting than the matches themselves.]
[How on earth did Captain Yu guess Lissandra?]
[He got cautious the moment Nocturne was picked. That’s why he picked top and ADC first, normally you’d pick mid earlier.]
[RAG’s comp doesn’t suppress the opponent, but at least they didn’t fall into WG’s trap.]
[Both lineups are balanced. It all comes down to execution.]
[Looks like a 50-50 match. This is going to be tight.]
[I’m hyped now.]
Bai Yu knew it too, RAG’s comp wasn’t dominating but at least they avoided being crushed by WG. What came next depended on player performance.
Before the game started, he quickly gave out assignments:
“Fang Zhixu, your tempo is stronger than theirs. Shut him down. Don’t let him find any rhythm. When their jungler hits level six, remind everyone, his first gank is lethal. Nobody dies. Chen Shi’an, your job is to not just hold your lane but push it forward. Lu Sheng, be careful. Your lane is the most dangerous. You don’t need to kill, just focus on farming.”
Then came Qi Yi’s instructions. Bai Yu’s tone had never been this serious before.
“Qi Yi, your role in the late game is crucial. I’ll protect you early on, but later I can only cover half. The rest is up to your own mechanics. Watch my movements closely. We need perfect synergy if we want to win this.”
After the first two grueling rounds, everyone understood: the gap between them and WG was razor-thin. Victory or defeat would come down to seconds.
Qi Yi gave a serious “Mm” and tightened his grip on the mouse.
Maybe it was too tense, so Bai Yu added lightly, “If we win, I’ll treat you all to late-night snacks.”
The tension eased. Chen Shi’an smiled. “I’ll eat a lot.”
Bai Yu replied, “Win first.”
Bai Yu had the team tightly unified. Once the match started, everyone executed their roles exactly as instructed. But things never go exactly as planned. New problems emerged quickly.
Lu Sheng frowned. “They keep focusing mid. I’m going to have a hard time surviving under tower next wave.”
Bai Yu responded immediately. “Bot lane recall. I’ll cover mid. Fang Zhixu, keep farming.”
Mid was stabilized, but trouble hit the jungle.
Fang Zhixu said quickly, “My bad, I messed up. Smite was late, I didn’t get their buff.”
Mistakes like this were critical in high-level games. But Bai Yu quickly came up with a plan. “Farm top-side jungle. I’ll cover bot-side for you.”
Top lane was stable, but nothing more. Chen Shi’an sighed, “Looks like we’re relying on bot lane this game.”
Qi Yi got even more nervous, leaning so close his head almost touched the screen.
Bai Yu reminded him, “Ignore what everyone else is saying. Just follow my lead.”
But after a while, Bai Yu noticed Qi Yi was still affected. He frowned, then made a call.
“Qi Yi, mute everyone else.”
Qi Yi and the others were shocked. “Wait, isn’t that too much?”
But Bai Yu said calmly, “From now on, I’ll give all commands. I’ll protect Qi Yi. You all don’t need to worry.”
In other words, Qi Yi didn’t need to think anymore.
He only needed to listen to Bai Yu’s calls and focus on mechanics, just like how Xu Bo used to play.
Qi Yi had never completely given up control before, not even to Bai Yu. That was why he couldn’t achieve the kind of trust Xu Bo had.
But this was Bai Yu’s command, so Qi Yi obediently muted everyone else and only listened to him.
The world suddenly went quiet. His mind sharpened. He could see every one of Bai Yu’s movements and read every intention. Their synergy became seamless. Even after all teammates had fallen, Qi Yi dodged every enemy skill with Bai Yu’s protection and positioning, and wiped them all out at low HP.
He couldn’t hear his teammates, but he could feel the roar of the crowd.
In his headset came Bai Yu’s smiling voice: “Nice job. Everyone’s praising you.”
Qi Yi’s ears turned red. Even though he always acted like he didn’t care, he actually craved recognition.
He stammered, “You taught me well.”
After fully surrendering his control to Bai Yu, Qi Yi felt like a whole new world had opened up. He didn’t need to think anymore, just focus on mechanics and Bai Yu’s positioning. Bai Yu would judge when to fight or retreat. And Bai Yu never misjudged.
The match suddenly felt easy. Qi Yi played more confidently with every second.
RAG didn’t gain much in the early game, but Qi Yi’s late-game performance was overwhelming. He and Bai Yu executed perfect synergy, didn’t make a single mistake, and won two teamfights straight!
The caster practically broke their mic:
“Oh my god! This bot lane duo is unbelievable!”
[It’s like watching Xu Bo and Bai Yu in their prime!]
[I think Qi Yi’s mechanics are even better than Xu Bo’s.]
[He’s finally playing without holding back, he always seemed hesitant on OT.]
[That kind of synergy requires absolute trust!]
[How is RAG suddenly so in sync?]
[I swear RAG is full of clutch players. Life-or-death games just unlock their full power.]
[LOL probably because they remembered the BN loss.]
[Unforgettable black history…]