Without the Slightest Timidity

"Oh, quite eager for a solo."
Lin Xiao remarked.
Dian Dong Ci Li Bang clicked his tongue: "Ai, how long has it been since we saw a Top Garen in a solo match? This game is a bit interesting~"
Both of them were in a relaxed state, watching the show and making sarcastic comments.
Jiang Ran didn't join the discussion.
But he felt full of sympathy for Jiang Hao Jie, who was currently soloing—no matter who it was, encountering that Tu Dou, they would probably be so angry they'd spit blood...
Qiao Xin Yu smiled gently: "Tu Dou's Garen is actually not bad, who knows, he might have a chance."
The young girl's words sounded sincere and pleasant, but they made Jiang Hao Jie even more furious:
"What the hell! What kind of game is this! Who solos me with a Top Garen! Damn it, you told me to be a training partner, can't your team members be a little serious! What kind of Top Garen! This isn't a Bronze tier solo match! What's there to watch playing like this—"
Lin Xiao happily consoled him: "Don't be angry, Xiao Yu is right, Tu Dou's Garen is actually very good~"
These words were not wrong; one must know that in just the past few days, student Tu Dou's Top Garen had repeatedly achieved success in Diamond-tier ranked matches in the Ionia region of the national server, basically dominating the lane.
Jiang Hao Jie angrily retorted: "Good for what! He's clearly teasing me, isn't he!!!"
Alright, of course, if the opponent was Jian Ren Ni Tian, who is currently recognized as the national server's number one Top Laner, then playing Top Garen in a solo match... was indeed a bit unreliable.
...
Listening to the lively conversation, Tu Dou suddenly blurted out:
"My Garen is actually very powerful."
His voice was filled with straightforward confidence.
Jiang Hao Jie: "What the hell is powerful, my Irelia is the national server's number one Irelia, you know!"
This was not bragging.
Top-tier Top Laners in the national server were already scarce. If one disregarded the "number one Irelia" players hyped up by video game casters, then the most reliable and convincing number one Irelia in the national server currently was indeed none other than Jiang Hao Jie.
But these words, when heard by Tu Dou, made him shake his head repeatedly:
"No, no, the national server's number one Irelia is Kang Qiao Qing Ge."
Jiang Hao Jie was stunned. At this moment, he even forgot to continue being angry, unconsciously asking:
"Who is Kang Qiao Qing Ge?"
Tu Dou: "I don't know."
Jiang Hao Jie really wanted to flip the table: "Damn it, if you don't know, then why are you saying he's the national server's number one Irelia!???"
Tu Dou remained righteous and confident: "Because his Irelia beat my Olaf."
Jiang Hao Jie: "...So what?"
Tu Dou persistently explained: "My Olaf is the national server's number one Olaf. If he can beat me with Irelia, then he must be the national server's number one Irelia."
The logic was indeed impeccable, yet it made one want to cry after hearing it.
Jiang Hao Jie was utterly helpless. He finally realized that talking nonsense with Tu Dou... this mashed potato was completely pointless.
He still had to rely on strength to speak!
"Alright, stop talking nonsense! Talk after the game!"
Jiang Hao Jie said in a rather annoyed tone, rarely without his usual incessant chatter.
At the same time, the game loading screen had finished, entering Summoner's Rift, accompanied by the female system voice prompt:
"Welcome to Summoner's Rift—"
Tu Dou's fighting spirit soared, his face radiant: "Oh oh oh, just don't be scared!"
Jiang Hao Jie: "...Shut up!"
...
Tu Dou versus Jiang Hao Jie, the first Top Lane solo match, began.
After ten minutes, the first solo match ended.
"Sigh... I lost..." Tu Dou's regretful voice echoed in the YY voice channel.
Jiang Hao Jie, having vented his anger, now felt refreshed: "Damn it, see! Let you play Top Garen against me in a solo! It'd be a miracle if you didn't lose! If you could win this, my title of Jian Ren Ni Tian would have to be written backward in the national server from now on—"
With his mood improved, that person reverted to his usual incessant chatter.
Lin Xiao praised: "Oh, Jian Ren Ni played quite well this game."
Qiao Xin Yu smiled in agreement: "Indeed, as expected of the national server's number one Top Laner."
Dian Dong Ci Li Bang pouted: "This skill can only bully Tu Dou's Garen, I guess..."
But it must be said, Jiang Hao Jie truly won this game without much thought.
In a Top Lane match, Irelia solos Garen.
In fact, Garen is a rather strong, or rather, annoying, hero in solo matches. His passive skill, Perseverance, gives him better health regeneration than his opponent even without consumables in lane. His Q skill can be used effectively for both accelerating chases and escapes, and its silence effect is also a major killing move.
To put it bluntly, Garen's solo playstyle is very simple: activate W, then charge with Q-E, constantly sticking to the opponent and spinning his great sword. It's like a simple boat.
Conversely, as an opponent, if Irelia wants to take down a thick-skinned, durable Garen who can withstand damage and escape for three or four minutes, it truly requires some skill.
In this recently concluded solo match, Jiang Hao Jie relied on the flexible use of his Q skill to control Irelia, constantly dashing back and forth through minion waves, making small movements. Even during this, he used such movement techniques, combined with exploiting vision in and out of bushes, to repeatedly make Tu Dou's Garen's Q skill, after being activated, fail to reach its target and be wasted. He then seized the opportunity to decisively turn and charge back for a counter-attack combo, firmly and effectively maintaining his advantage.
After all, he was a world-class player who once stood in the WCG Hall of Fame.
This title of national server's number one Top Laner was not an exaggeration.
Lin Xiao, after watching this solo game, was also pleased and satisfied. Finding someone like Jian Ren Ni as a training partner would undoubtedly greatly benefit Tu Dou's Top Lane mechanics.
Of course, some people might develop psychological trauma or lose confidence due to continuous failures, making this type of training counterproductive.
But for Tu Dou, Lin Xiao was not worried at all.
With Tu Dou's open-minded personality, it was unlikely that this kind of psychological trauma even existed in his dictionary.
Just judging by the conversation between the two of them just now, perhaps with more training, Jiang Hao Jie would be the one to develop psychological trauma...
Furthermore, Lin Xiao didn't think Tu Dou would just keep losing.
This was only the first game.
When the second game began, after understanding his opponent's strength, Tu Dou would probably start taking it seriously and give his all~
After all, he was the Top Laner that Lin Xiao himself had built for Team Back.
Even when facing the recognized national server's number one Top Laner, he shouldn't be timid at all.