Let Me Play

At the Changcheng Internet Cafe, in the VIP room.
After watching the recorded match video of the Fudan University team, everyone conveniently fast-forwarded through the second video.
As expected, it was still a crushing victory by the Fudan University team.
"Damn it... Facing these guys, why do I feel like there's not a shred of hope left..."
Looking at the video playing on the computer screen, Mao Zi couldn't help but exclaim.
After the match video was played, everyone in the Changcheng team also had a fairly intuitive preliminary understanding of the Fudan University team's strength.
One word: "Strong."
Moreover, they were strong not just in one position. Apart from their Mid Laner captain Yang Fan, the players in Top, Jungle, Support, and ADC positions were also not inferior in strength.
"If I were to face their Top Laner, the best-case scenario would only be a four-six split." A Chuan honestly admitted that his strength was not as good as the Fudan University team's Top Laner in the video.
Liu Ge also said somewhat awkwardly: "Well... if I were to pick Lucian as ADC, it might be okay, otherwise I'm afraid I'd also be crushed..."
Lao Xiao was still admiring the mechanics of the Fudan University team's Support player in the third game's video: "This Janna... all her skills and ultimate were perfectly executed!"
Hearing his teammates express their attitudes one after another, Qian You Lu's face almost crumpled into a bitter gourd:
"You kids, can you stop boosting others' morale and diminishing your own prestige? I worked so hard to gather intelligence on other teams, not for you to concede before even meeting them..."
Mao Zi rarely lowered his head: "It's not conceding, but damn it, these university students are really too strong... I feel like my jungle will be completely crushed by their Jungler."
This was not an exaggeration by Mao Zi, because his inherent weakness as a Jungler was his weak early-game jungle control, and the Fudan University team's Jungler in the video clearly excelled at invading and counter-ganking the enemy jungle. This was truly a natural counter.
Among everyone, Lin Xiao had the best temperament, happily comforting them: "It's okay, although this Fudan University team is strong, they're not completely unbeatable..."
"How do we beat them?" Mao Zi asked irritably, then his eyes fell on Lin Xiao, suddenly brightening a bit: "Oh right, if Xiao Zi you play, and pick Draven, maybe you can really carry us again!"
Lin Xiao chuckled, waving his hand: "A champion like Draven is fine for a gimmick, but if he gets targeted or directly banned, there's nothing left to joke about."
It wasn't that Lin Xiao was feigning modesty; in reality, apart from Draven, he couldn't guarantee he could carry with other ADCs when facing a team with a standard close to professional second or third tier like Fudan University.
After all, his most proficient position was Support.
Mao Zi was disheartened: "Damn it, then isn't there no way to fight?"
Lin Xiao happily clarified: "No, Fudan University mainly has specialized strategies and playstyles. In the early game, they try to ensure no mistakes to create a small advantage, and then exert their power in mid-to-late game team fights. If we can seize the tempo ourselves from the start, beating them won't be too difficult."
After speaking, he paused, then patted his chest with a solemn expression: "I'll be your tactical coach, I guarantee it'll be fine!"
Liu Ge's eyes also lit up upon hearing this: "Xiao Zi is right, in this match, Fudan University indeed exerts its power in the mid-to-late game. If we face them, we must look for opportunities to strike first in the early game to seize the tempo! There really isn't no way to fight!"
Lin Xiao nodded repeatedly: "Hmm, that's the idea."
Lao Xiao chimed in: "To put it plainly, there's no need to be afraid, just go for it!"
"That's right, exactly!" A Chuan also interjected.
For a moment, everyone's fighting spirit was rekindled, each rubbing their hands eagerly, as if they could go and challenge the Fudan University team immediately.
Seeing everyone's spirits lift, Lin Xiao happily added:
"Moreover, wanting to meet the Fudan University team is at least something that happens after making it into the top sixteen."
"By then, who knows if they might be unexpectedly eliminated in the qualifiers~"

***

The Changcheng team regained their fighting spirit, each eagerly going to continue team practice.
Lin Xiao took Qian You Lu's email account, opened the computer, launched the browser, and logged into the email homepage with the account password. He quickly found the email containing the match videos sent by the tournament organizer's "internal spy" in the [Inbox], downloading all video files other than the Fudan University match.
In the list of video files, they were marked as recorded matches of the Huadong University of Science and Technology team, the Huadong University of Finance and Economics team, and the S City Jiaotong University team, respectively.
Lin Xiao opened the match video of the Huadong University of Finance and Economics team.
Using the mouse to continuously drag the video progress bar, he finished watching this match in about ten minutes. But looking at the ending video, Lin Xiao felt a bit regretful.
Because he couldn't find even half a familiar feeling among the five members of the Huadong University of Finance and Economics team in this video.
However, why did he feel so familiar when he heard the name of this university before...
"My memory is getting a bit worse."
Lin Xiao sighed, his mood a little troubled.
The feeling of familiarity yet being unable to find any real clues was truly frustrating.
But what Lin Xiao didn't expect was that there was something even more frustrating waiting for him.
On the fourth day after the Tian Xie Cup officially began, the school's mock exam results were announced. Lin Xiao's total score in all subjects dropped by more than ten points compared to the previous semester's exam, and his rank in the grade dropped by more than forty places.
But this was not because he had neglected his studies earlier; the reason appeared to be a rather "annoying" problem:
On his English test answer sheet, when shading the multiple-choice answers A, B, C, D with a pencil, he accidentally shaded them in the wrong order, then consecutively got six multiple-choice questions wrong, and these were also questions with relatively high point values.
Therefore, due to this small oversight, his English score was more than ten points lower than it should have been.
Immediately after, he was called by the senior student Tang Guo after school for a "talk."
The content of the talk at that time was as follows:
"How could you get six questions wrong?"
"Are you perhaps too addicted to playing LoL recently, getting distracted?"
"What? Shaded them in the wrong order!?"
"You can even make such a low-level mistake!"
"Hmph, if it happens again next time, you'll see what happens!"
Lin Xiao lowered his head, leaving the English department office with an unvented frustration, and cycled to the Changcheng Internet Cafe.
Passing through the lobby and entering the VIP room, he happened to see several members of the Changcheng team discussing something with serious and solemn expressions.
Seeing Lin Xiao enter, everyone greeted him: "Oh, Xiao Zi is here~"
Lin Xiao nodded sadly, then asked: "Have we found our opponent for the second qualifying round yet?"
The day before, the Changcheng team had just finished the first qualifying round of the Tian Xie Cup, defeating their opponent 2-0 to advance to the final qualifying round.
"Hmm, yes, we have." Liu Ge replied, his expression a bit serious: "This opponent... won't be easy to deal with."
Lin Xiao nodded: "It's fine, leave it to me."
Liu Ge was stunned upon hearing this: "Huh? What did you say, Xiao Zi?"
"Ah, I said, I'll play this round."
A student who had just shaded his English test answers in the wrong order leading to a drop in performance, and had just been lectured by a senior student, was now suppressing a belly full of unvented frustration, and said this.