Chapter 558: Near Grand Slam

The moment VG locked onto the bomb person.

With a buzz, FIFAHUN suddenly got tinnitus, his brain turned into a mess—he never imagined VG would actually pull this out!

The arena instantly exploded, and the gasps of over twenty thousand spectators burst forth.

The LPL livestream also exploded, Guan Zeyuan turned into a doll, opening his mouth wide:

"Wah!!!"

"What?!"

"This isn't right, is it?!"

Changzhang stared wide-eyed,

"Aren't these four AP?"

FIFAHUN stood stunned behind the KT players' bench, completely dazed.

Isn't this something only weaklings in the play‑ins would play? It's already been proven unsuitable for the meta, so why is VG still playing it?

Moreover… VG's three lanes, including support, are all AP champions!

The only physical champion in their lineup is Firrrrrre's Mantis!

What alternative Wild Core play is this that VG came up with?!

Damn it!

How dare you mess around in a match like this—you'll pay the price!

The referee's urging came through the headset; FIFAHUN saw no need to scare himself, so he composed himself, took off the headset, and left the player's bench.

He came to center stage and bumped fists with VG's coach.

Loong is a new coach; previously he was VG's top laner. FIFAHUN knew Loong didn't have much say in VG, so out of politeness he gave Loong a smile, then strode expressionless into the backstage.

Zhu Xiaolong lagged a step behind, feeling odd—this guy seemed a bit arrogant…

"Haven't you won a championship? What are you being arrogant about?"

But Zhu Xiaolong thought it over: LCK coaches seem to be like that, though there are exceptions—those who aren't have all come to the LPL…

Meanwhile, FIFAHUN entered the backstage, faced with the doubtful gaze of department manager CuiXianjun, he nodded and said firmly:

"Don't panic, the advantage is ours. If they dare to mess around, our kid will surely make them pay."

The department manager finally relaxed, smiled, shifted on the chair to a more comfortable position, and prepared to watch a good show.

The arena camera panned over both teams' benches; the players' expressions were slightly excited.

Liang Yan leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced behind his head, looking relaxed, eyes on the screen, chin slightly lifted—compared to his usual gentle demeanor, this posture gave off a sharper edge.

The LPL livestream filled with comments of "husband."

In the second‑lane stream on a certain fish platform, Wang Ji also immediately chimed in with a tease:

"Oh wow, looking at this, the husband really is handsome and suave, right, Rita?"

Rita sat nearby holding a doll used to weigh down a skirt, her face slightly flushed, she lowered her head embarrassed and said:

"It's over, it's over, this meme's past—I was just a bit excited that day…"

"Got it."

Wang Ji interrupted Rita's words, began taking things out of context:

"You were a bit excited, then you blurted it out subconsciously, right? Those who get it, get it—this kind of subconscious reaction accidentally leaks one's true inner thoughts."

"……"

Rita had no reply.

The second‑lane stream had fewer restrictions, so Wang Ji continued:

"But getting back to the point, Rita actually has a chance, since Jiao Shen has never been linked to any rumors—he probably doesn't have a girlfriend."

Joker, sitting on the other side, wasn't very interested in the topic, but to boost his presence he added two lines:

"There are rumors, but as for someone who's been definitively proven, there isn't any."

"Yeah, if Rita wants to make a move, she'd better hurry—hahaha……"

Rita said nothing, just her face turned redder.

She really had no thought at all, but after those two teased her, she somehow found herself wondering: really, is there a chance?

A sudden burst of signal tones snapped the day‑dreaming Rita back to reality; she looked up and saw both sides had entered Summoner's Rift.

The final match of the 2017 Mid‑Season Championship officially began.

Both sides temporarily showed no abnormal moves, and Wang Ji started chatting idly again:

"By the way, I have a question."

Joker: "What is it?"

Wang Ji: "If VG wins today, does Jiao Shen count as a Grand Slam player or not?"

Rita: "Huh?"

Joker counted on his fingers: "He debuted only in the second half of last year... Euro summer crown… S crown… then LPL spring crown… plus this MSI crown… Hmm, that could count as a Grand Slam, but strictly speaking, his summer crown was won in Europe, his spring crown in the LPL—two titles from different regions, so…"

Rita nodded: "A near‑Grand Slam."

This wording won the audience's approval, and the barrage started rolling with it.

But Joker shifted gears: "Yeah, but beating KT isn't that easy—this VG lineup has a low margin for error; any slip could cause a collapse, so VG must handle every detail extremely carefully to have a chance to win."

Rita countered: "I think VG's lineup is pretty good—though it's four AP, KT's lineup actually lacks a front line; all five are squishy, whereas VG has a Wine Barrel to soak up damage."

Wang Ji got serious and nodded: "I agree with Rita—KT's lineup truly has no tank, you could even say it lacks a front line!"

"In that case, I believe the team fights will start with poking and probing, only erupting into a full fight when someone's health drops to a dangerous point—and VG holds the engage advantage, since the Wine Barrel can flash‑E to initiate."

"But the real decider is whose poke skills land more accurately and with greater threat—so, theoretically comparing the two sides' poke abilities:"

"The top‑lane Wine Barrel is stronger than Rambo,"

Jungle mantis is stronger than male gun,

Zhong Lu Syndra and Jayce are evenly matched,

The most crucial part is Xia Lu; the poke ability of Bomb Man + Karma is obviously superior to that of Ashe!

Rita listened attentively, then added:

Moreover, VG has Karma who can give a shield to the front-line barrel to block skills, while KT has no means to absorb poke damage; this is also a major advantage for VG.

Just as they were speaking, the live broadcast picture suddenly switched, and the camera cut from Shang Ban Qu to the lower half.

The first wave of engagement in this battle has begun.