Chapter 102: You Really Have to Ask Him, You Really Do!

"Congratulations to EDG! A clean and crisp 3-0 victory in this best-of-five, proudly advancing to the winner's bracket semifinals!" Guan Zeyuan announced in a high-pitched tone.

"In the third game, EDG's entire roster was on fire! And the young rookie Ye continued his scorching form today, showcasing a completely eye-opening Azir playstyle with multiple body-engages in the third game, proving with his performance the true value of the Best Rookie and Regular Season MVP awards!"

Wang Duo agreed one hundred percent: "This Everfrost Azir is definitely a magical understanding exclusive to him. At least on the professional stage, we haven't seen any other player use it, and thinking about it, it really is a playstyle that suits player Ye perfectly!"

"This player, I truly feel he is constantly improving and transforming. It hasn't actually been that long since the last time I saw him use Azir, but now it is a completely different story—he is like a different person. It can truly be called 'taking small steps to cover a thousand miles, improving day by day'!"

The freshest part of the third game was the understanding of Everfrost Azir.

This was also a piece of "scientific research" Ye Bo conducted after studying for a period of time. After putting it into practice in this match, he found it really worked!

Currently, the two most common Mythic item choices for Azir are the Crown of the Shattered Queen for increased error tolerance, and Liandry's Anguish for increased damage.

But no matter what is built, Azir needs at least 2-3 core items to stand out and exert power; before that, he mostly acts as a utility tool for engaging.

So Ye Bo thought.

If that's the case, why not build Everfrost?

It has a similar build path to the Crown and similar stats; the difference lies in having an extra form of crowd control, whereas the other focuses on increasing error tolerance.

The reason Azir cannot exert power in the early game is precisely because he lacks damage, and his only crowd control is his ultimate, which has a long cooldown. Even if used for ganking, the efficiency is too low, and it significantly reduces his survivability.

At this point, an Everfrost with a 30-second cooldown can change this status quo!

Azir's long E-Q combo is further and faster than Lissandra's E.

And the key point is that "Azir can cast Everfrost in advance while in the air during his E-Q."

E-Q in to get in their face, use Everfrost, and save the ultimate for self-preservation—it's practically instantly transforming into a Lissandra model!

It's equivalent to playing the early-to-mid-game weak-phase Azir as a "utility" hero, and once the strong late-game phase arrives, naturally transforming back into his original self.

With items, Azir really doesn't lack that little bit of ability power damage.

In any case, Ye Bo felt this playstyle suited him quite well.

A hero's playstyle shouldn't be fixed or rigid to begin with; without a doubt, this was a change that suited Ye Bo's style, and as long as it worked, it was good.

Besides, based on past experience, perhaps this playstyle would soon become popular.

"Three-zero!" Jiejie jumped up from his seat in excitement and lunged toward the person next to him: "Fierce, Master Ye! When did you secretly practice Azir!"

"Haha, that's right, who do you think I am!" Ye Bo deliberately struck an exaggerated pose with his hands on his hips, joking with him.

Entering the playoffs for the first time, and winning a best-of-five series for the first time, Ye Bo couldn't help but feel his heart surging.

It was indeed a completely different feeling from a best-of-three.

Sitting on the edge, Flandre also couldn't hide his excitement, and even the bot lane duo, who usually had the most indifferent expressions, couldn't help but smile.

For them, having a perfect start to their playoff journey was definitely worth celebrating!

You have to know, throughout the entire Spring Split, the state of the entire EDG roster was incredibly worrying. Even Meiko himself, when chatting with his old teammate Viper, admitted that everyone's form had been very poor this year, and they would likely just try their best to adjust for the Summer Split.

Back then, they would never have imagined the current situation!

Especially the third game.

All four of the other EDG members had been playing professionally for so many years, yet they still felt "freshness" and "surprise."

How should one put it?

No previous teammate had ever given them this kind of gaming experience; it seemed to be a very novel... way of shot-calling?

Ye Bo turned his head to look at the post-game damage panel, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught Flandre walking behind him, voluntarily reaching out his hand.

He turned around and shook it without hesitation, his smile growing even brighter.

"You played really well," Flandre praised from the bottom of his heart, "It really feels like what the netizens say—you can play any hero and make it feel like Akali!"

"Isn't that just 'Aka-Chicken'?" Viper made a humorous pun.

"I think it's 'Aka-Donkey'!" Jiejie chimed in loudly: "Those few spinning pushes were even more stubborn than Lee Sin!"

"That's true, that's true," Meiko nodded repeatedly: "But actually, I think the coolest part was that last wave. Ye Bo, how did you get over that river wall? I've seen Scout get caught and die in that position several times before!"

Hearing this, Jiejie immediately looked curious: "Huh? What happened?"

When Ye Bo was caught, the other three were busy with the tense and exciting task of stealing the Baron; they were only checking the screen occasionally and hadn't actually seen the specific process.

They only knew that Ye Bo and Meiko were providing cover and camouflage in the mid lane, and the opponents, desperate, tried to force a catch but failed. They pursued too deep, and in the end, not only did they delay the time until the Baron was taken, but they also directly found an opportunity to counter-push and wipe out the team.

"Master Ye was at that river wall, the enemy Aphelios flashed up to auto-attack with the purple gun to slow him, and Tahm Kench directly W'd into the river bush to intercept, but unexpectedly..." Meiko got stuck here.

As a support player, he didn't play much Azir.

Anyway, he just remembered that it was the position where Scout often got caught and died.

Because theoretically, although Azir's E-Q combo can extend the displacement distance to the limit by "E-ing to a distance infinitely close to the sand soldier and then Q-ing"—that was how Ye Bo cleared the double walls in the top lane.

But wanting to jump directly across from one river bank to the opposite mid-lane river wall was a completely different matter.

Many Azir players had died in this position because E-Qing across the wall only reaches the midline; at the absolute limit, one can only displace to the edge of the wall, hit it, and then be followed up on and killed.

The top lane displacement was completed by hugging the wall limit, but the river wall is very thin, and it seems there isn't much to hug...

Meiko really couldn't describe it vividly, so he simply skipped the process.

"Anyway, he flew incredibly far. I felt like his Azir was flying in the sky! The five enemies thought he had E-Q'd into the bush, and Xin Zhao directly flashed and W'd to chase, but he just flashed and poked at nothing—everyone was stunned!"

Jiejie's expression could only be described as "not knowing what it is, but feeling it's powerful."

However, the vague description only piqued his curiosity, and he pulled Ye Bo, wanting him to explain it.

"That's a bit troublesome to explain, I'd have to start a game..."

"Hey, Chen Zebin is initiating an interaction!"

A message suddenly flashed in the public chat box on the results screen.

【BLG-Bin】: "Awesome, Flandre, how could you catch me in that wave?"

【BLG-Bin】: "@AkaliKing! In the second game, how did you know Weiwei was there? I watched the replay for a long time and couldn't understand."

Chen Zebin didn't use the mainstream nickname netizens currently used, but instead used the nickname Ye Bo had on Bilibili videos in the past.

When the two interacted inadvertently on Bilibili before, that was how he addressed him.

Ye Bo felt a sense of familiarity and was just about to explain it to him.

However, Jiejie chuckled, stopped Ye Bo's hand, and replied on his behalf in his own chat box.

【EDG-Jiejie】: "Brother Bin, you can't learn for free. You give monthly tickets when reading novels, and you have to give a 'one-click triple' on Bilibili!"

【EDG-Jiejie】: "How about becoming an apprentice? Join my Calabash Brothers army, and let our Master Ye teach you a trick or two!"

The broadcast screen had already been cut off at this point; these were all internal chats between the two sides.

Chen Zebin really wanted to know.

Although as the "Huanggang Double B Brother," he liked to talk trash and show off outside the game, which perfectly complemented the other person who liked to show off in the game.

But he was never ashamed to ask questions about improving his game—otherwise, the conversation between the two wouldn't have happened.

【BLG-Bin】: "Ye! Master! Hurry up and tell me, we have to go to the interview soon, it's urgent!"

Jiejie was still unsatisfied, feeling he was being slippery, while Ye Bo smiled and told him that was enough.

Ye Bo actually always felt that there were no "secrets" in this game. Even for those level-7 techniques he mastered, could he dare say that among the tens of millions of League players worldwide, not a single one understood them?

Obviously impossible!

Even taking a step back, even if it were true.

These were techniques Ye Bo had already used in front of the public; as long as one went to review and study the match, there would definitely be people who knew them and would come out to explain them.

And in fact, no matter how hidden a technique or operation is, as long as there are enough matches, it will definitely be mastered in the end.

That is the so-called "one-trick pony."

It's just that normal professional players are unlikely to play like this, and even if they know, thinking of it at the right moment in actual combat and successfully executing it without error are two completely different things.

Ye Bo then briefly explained the mechanism and principle of "Cloud Shroud Enemy Seeking."

"Damn! So that's how it is, I really didn't know that!" Weiwei, on the BLG player bench, looked surprised.

"Don't talk about you, even I didn't know..." Bin was equally surprised.

This was one of the two questions he was most confused about in this match.

There was another question, which was Flandre's guess in that wave.

He was very convinced that he hadn't made any mistakes in exposing his position; he was quite sensitive to distance control, and it couldn't have been because he slowed down and exposed his vision.

However, seeing that the other side didn't reply, he guessed they might have gone to accept the winner's post-game interview, so he didn't pursue it further.

"Hey, where's Scout?" Bin turned his head to look at the open door; the sofa in the next room was empty: "I still wanted to ask him why that Azir could fly over like that in the last wave; I remember him getting caught and dying in that position."

"He..." The expression of Chashao, who walked in, was strange.

"Don't know, he ran out the door as soon as the last wave ended; maybe he took a bit of a hit."

"What's there to be hit about?" Bin, who was good at "I will return," couldn't understand. He shrugged, took out his phone, and opened the livestream.

Chashao said casually: "You aren't afraid of being hit, but when you find someone who is even more proficient at your most proficient hero, and can even do things you couldn't do before..."

The match livestream was in the post-game segment, while on the other side, EDG was preparing for the post-game interview.

And the MVP selection sparked controversy again.

It was given neither to the Azir who roamed the whole map, nor to the Viego who exploded with tempo, the Camille who solo-killed multiple times, or the Ziggs who had explosive tower-taking and AOE output.

Although in such a dominant game, theoretically giving it to anyone seemed reasonable.

After all, the audience couldn't hear the in-game voice communication at this moment and didn't know the source of those key decisions that happened in this match.

But giving it to the "Water Ghost" still seemed strange!

【No way? This can be given to the Water Ghost for MVP!】

【I'm numb, kills aren't as good as Viego, assists aren't as good as Azir, deaths aren't as good as Ziggs, not a single place is outstanding, why?】

【Don't tell me... just because of that hook at level one that looked like a Blitzcrank? That wasn't purely on him either!】

【Three heroes fighting Lu Bu, in the end, the horse won!】

【Don't be biased! As the MVP, the highest-value best player, the number of kills doesn't matter! Assists don't matter! Deaths don't matter! The audience's opinion matters even less—what the judges think is important is what's most important!】

【No, no, I get it now! No wonder the Saint of Thieves didn't play in the third game. He hid himself at the judges' table—he's the one who stole the MVP!】

The members of EDG didn't see the post-match stats at the very end, as they had already gathered in the pre-arranged screen room at their base to wait.

Playoff matches are supposed to be a tier above regular season matches in every aspect, but because it was an online tournament, many procedures had been extremely simplified, so they could only ramp things up in areas that could be set up within the base.

Like the interviews, for example.

EDG was doing a post-match interview with all five players; since they were all at the base anyway, they just went on together.

As for the home stage, they saved where they could, and the shot of the three commentators transitioning to their seats soon appeared on the feed.

Guan Zeyuan and Wang Duo were both wearing formal suits, while Rita was wearing a jewel-green, off-the-shoulder dress with a scarf, sitting sideways with a blanket over her legs.

"Welcome to the post-match interview! Congratulations again to EDG for advancing to the winner's bracket!"

Guan Zeyuan spoke first: "Let's start by interviewing today's MVP, Meiko. You performed excellently on the rare pick of Pyke; it feels like your proficiency is really high. Is this a secret weapon you've prepared for the playoffs?"

Meiko first looked confused about who the MVP was, then scratched his head and said honestly: "I wouldn't call it a secret weapon. Actually, I'm still not that great at Pyke, but we have a Pyke master on our team, and the special training he helped me with had quite an obvious effect."

Meiko's hooks are actually very accurate; after all, he is a veteran support player who came up playing Thresh in the ancient era, it's just that in recent years, he hasn't quite kept up with the current roaming tank-support meta.

Guan Zeyuan nodded and continued to ask: "Then, both sides had brilliant level-one mind games in each of these three matches, and EDG also executed several wonderful tactical shifts. I'd like to know if this was tactical preparation for these playoffs, or if it was designed specifically for BLG?"

This question really stumped Meiko.

You're asking me? I have no idea!

My friend, I'm just a heartless tactical execution machine right now...

"For this question, you have to ask him; Ye Bo is our shot-caller now~"

Meiko smiled, tilted his head to signal, and passed the microphone over to Ye Bo.

Guan Zeyuan also turned his head to look at the other side.

"Hmm, there were indeed some deliberate targeted designs, because BLG's team style is to excel at playing the top side, so our main setup was to restrict the top side..."

After Ye Bo finished speaking, Wang Duo smoothly picked up the next topic:

"Since we're talking about the top lane, let's interview Saint Gun Brother!"

"Saint Gun Brother contributed many brilliant solo kills in the third game and exerted strong pressure on the side lanes, and you even used Camille, a champion the opponent is also very good at. The most important change was clearly that prediction during the vision-blocking mind game!"

"So Saint Gun Brother, what made you discover the opponent's intentions in that moment? I saw your execution, it was very confident and decisive!"

Li Xuanjun took the microphone that was handed to him, not even having time to warm it up.

Hearing this question, he instantly seized the opportunity to slack off.

"For this question, you also have to ask him; he told me the opponent was in that bush."

The three people on the opposing commentary desk showed slightly surprised expressions.

Ye Bo took the microphone from the grinning Saint Gun Brother and began to explain again: "Like I just said, playing against BLG means playing the top side. The top lane is easier to find a breakthrough, so we did a lot of review and research on player Bin. I happened to have watched the recording of that match of his, so, um..."

Chen Zebin, who was just idly watching the livestream, felt quite proud when he saw the first half.

Master Ye, you really understand the game; you truly know who is carrying!

As a result, upon hearing the second half, his face immediately turned black and red.

What do you mean "the top lane is easier to find a breakthrough"!

But Chen Zebin felt more shock than anything else; only now did he realize that he had been discovered by Ye Bo, who was all the way in the mid lane?

No way, my friend, you can switch screens to watch other lanes while laning!?

Are you Erlang Shen or something!

Then... that moment when Akali kited the Renekton, he wasn't switching screens then too, was he?

Originally, the next person to be interviewed was supposed to be Ye Bo, but since he had been talking the whole time, the third interviewer, Rita, turned the topic to Jiejie.

"So for the third question, Jiejie, that spiritual rotation to counter-gank the bottom lane, haha, this wouldn't also be..."

Rita was originally just making a joke.

As a result, she didn't expect Jiejie to be so righteous that he didn't even take the microphone, instead leaning his head close to the mid-laner.

"For this question, you really have to ask him!"

"..."

Ye Bo helplessly raised the microphone.

Damn, why does all the work fall to me!

Ye Bo briefly explained the thought process, such as how he analyzed Seraphine's mana pool and Tahm Kench's hero characteristics—not being good at roaming but better at tower-hugging and coordination.

This time, the three commentators and everyone in front of their screens were filled with incomprehensible astonishment.

【No way, my friend? How is everything done by you! Are you a Transformer!】

【This is what our mid-lane players are like. Teammates just need to listen to the commands and do the work. Mid-laners have to consider so many things: laning, drafting, and shot-calling. This is 'with great responsibility comes great power'!】

【Yeah, yeah, what does it have to do with the mid-laner? A certain mid-laner doesn't say a few words all game, just like a dung beetle lying on a teammate's corpse and sucking it dry!】

【Laughing to death, doing the work of five people in the game, and still having to do the work of five people in the post-match interview! Truly miserable.】

【Can the streamer teach Xiaofei how to play Zoe and Azir? Xiaofei gets embarrassed every time he gets solo-killed. Xiaofei clenched his fists, his face turned red, and in the end, he could only say, 'I got solo-killed, meow~'】

【What about those who said he would reveal his true colors once he reached the playoff BO5? Get out here and talk! He evolved directly to the second stage in the playoffs!】

It was supposed to be a group interview session, but it somehow turned into a "special interview."

Because no matter what question was asked, it seemed like it could always be steered toward the mid-lane—after all, that was indeed the truth.

The EDG members were all happily enjoying the leisure; the job of being interviewed was thankless anyway, and saying either good or bad things never worked out well.

It was only hard on little Ye Bo, doing the whole team's work by himself!

"So for the last question, regarding the upcoming winner's bracket opponent in the semifinals, are you more optimistic about JDG or TES... let's have player Ye Bo answer this one!"

Ye Bo had never felt an interview session was so long; now that he finally felt it was about to end, he said without thinking: "Either one is fine!"

"I mean... Factory Manager often taught us that if you want to prove you are number one, you have to defeat all opponents! So it doesn't matter who comes up, we have confidence in ourselves!"

"Our goal is to aim for the Silver Dragon Cup!"

Ye Bo skillfully made up a couple of lines, and the teammates beside him were all snickering.

However, everyone gave him face and followed along, shouting the goal in unison, calling out the team's confidence and momentum!

Mr. Clearlove, who had suddenly had a stomachache, was humming as he walked out of the restroom, preparing to go upstairs to see how the interview was going.

With so many people in the group interview today, nothing could go wrong, right?

"Achoo!!!"

"Damn, which brat is thinking of me..."

The recording of this playoff quarterfinal match was uploaded to major platforms shortly after the match.

Various secondary-creation analysis bloggers quickly jumped on the bandwagon, and all the major teams began intensive analysis.

And the echoes and repercussions triggered by this were unexpectedly unprecedented!

(End of chapter)