ARML CH87

Ranked was not a competitive match, after all. There was no need for pro players to be too aggressive against randoms. Both sides farmed peacefully for a while in the early game until the junglers hit level 6 and started roaming.

Chi Shuo pinged a mark in the bottom lane, meaning he was going to gank bot. Fang Zhengqing quickly cleared his wave and followed. The enemy jungler and mid laner also rushed over shortly. The first 4v4 team fight in the bot lane was about to break out.

In this wave, both sides had 2 pro players and 2 randoms.

On the surface, it looked like a 50-50 fight.

Chi Shuo pressed the [Initiate Attack] ping.

His [King of Fighters] had an AoE crowd control skill; he could jump from a super long distance to actively engage, stunning the target with a single punch.

In theory, once Chi Shuo stunned and whittled down the enemy marksman, Fang Zhengqing would immediately follow up with a full combo from his [Cobra King], letting the little snakes entangle the enemy marksman, and they would secure the kill.

The netizens in the stream stared at the screen in anticipation.

Chi Shuo hid in the brush and launched a surprise attack—

Taking advantage of Xie Yuan’s forward positioning, he charged in with his ultimate, stunning him in place!

However, Fang Zhengqing’s little snakes did not entangle Xie Yuan as Chi Shuo had expected. His little snakes suddenly slithered into the adjacent brush, entangling the enemy jungler who had come to back them up.

Chi Shuo: “?”

Fang Zhengqing: “?”

Xie Yuan almost died laughing and quickly burned his Flash to escape.

Chi Shuo’s [King of Fighters] had explosive damage in the late game, capable of one-shotting a squishy with a single punch. However, in the early game before he had his items, his burst combo wasn’t enough to instantly kill a full-health marksman with a shield. Thus, he watched helplessly as Xie Yuan escaped with a sliver of health.

At this point, Fang Zhengqing hadn’t reached level 6 yet and didn’t have his ultimate. A flurry of button-mashing wasn’t enough to burst down the enemy [Fighter] jungler. Thus, he watched helplessly as the enemy [Fighter] hopped over a wall to safety.

This wave of mid-jungle synergy, with you attacking target A while I attack target B, was truly…

Where was the tacit understanding? Did they even know how to focus fire?

The netizens typed out rows of question marks.

Fang Zhengqing opened the voice chat and said, “Burst down the enemy jungler, then counter-jungle—wouldn’t that be great?”

Chi Shuo: “…We definitely should have killed the marksman first, what were you thinking?”

They both had a point.

In Fang Zhengqing’s eyes, the enemy jungler was clearly hiding in the brush. If Chi Shuo stunned the jungler with a punch, and he followed up with a Q-W combo, they would instantly kill the enemy jungler. Then they could counter-jungle, snowball, and steal buffs—wouldn’t it be an easy win?

In Chi Shuo’s eyes, with the enemy team comp playing [Poison Warlock] in the ADC position, that hero was their core damage dealer. If he was allowed to farm and get items, no one would be able to withstand five stacks of his poison. Therefore, the marksman had to be suppressed in the early game.

As a result, in their first wave of mid-jungle synergy, Fang Zhengqing went to kill the enemy jungler, and Chi Shuo went to CC the enemy marksman. The outcome was that neither managed to kill anyone… The two operated with the ferocity of tigers, only to look back and realize they got 0 kills.

Chi Shuo was helpless. “Fine, fine. Let’s take the dragon first.”

Before he even finished speaking, Fang Zhengqing pressed the recall button and returned to their crystal.

Chi Shuo: “?”

Chi Shuo: “We’re taking the dragon, why are you going home right now?”

Fang Zhengqing: “I’m almost out of mana, going back to buy items.”

The netizens in the stream: “…”

Something doesn’t seem quite right here?

Chi Shuo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He took the dragon with his low-health support and marksman. He pinged the bottom lane and said, “After you go back to mid and clear the wave, keep ganking bot.”

Afraid that Fang Zhengqing would make another blunder, he reminded him again: “Kill the marksman.”

Fang Zhengqing: “Got it.”

After clearing a rotation of jungle camps, Chi Shuo once again hid in the bottom lane brush.

After pushing his wave, Fang Zhengqing also arrived at the bottom lane.

By this time, their marksman and support had been poked down by several layers of poison and had to recall. The enemy marksman and support still had healthy health bars. Chi Shuo’s ultimate CD was back up, and Fang Zhengqing was already level 7.

2v2 in the bottom lane.

Chi Shuo pressed [Initiate Attack]!

Xie Yuan’s Flash was on cooldown. Chi Shuo leaped from a distance, stunning him with a punch. This time, Fang Zhengqing didn’t drop the ball; he immediately followed up with damage. Four little snakes tangled around Xie Yuan like vines, instantly applying 5 stacks of poison on him!

Seeing Xie Yuan’s health drop frantically, Li Yunmo’s [Dark Priest] wasn’t just there for show. He instantly cast an “Aura of Curses” on Chi Shuo, converting 50% of Chi Shuo’s health into a lifesteal shield.

A blood-red shield appeared on Xie Yuan.

As the CC duration ended, Xie Yuan immediately retreated, turning on his Q skill while retreating to hit Chi Shuo with basic attacks. Fang Zhengqing’s little snakes chased behind him. Li Yunmo then cast his ultimate, “Dark Blood Sacrifice,” transferring his own health to Xie Yuan!

The way the [Dark Priest] support healed was either by sucking the enemy’s health to create a shield for his teammate, or by transferring his own health to a teammate. His single-target protection capability was extremely strong.

With five stacks of poison on him, Xie Yuan’s health was still dropping steadily, but he wouldn’t die right away.

Chi Shuo said, “Chase!”

Saying so, he used his W to dash over, smashing a combo into the marksman and breaking Xie Yuan’s shield!

At the same time, Chi Shuo’s health plummeted as he was continuously shot by Xie Yuan’s poison arrows.

Chi Shuo quickly retreated. His skills were all on cooldown, and Xie Yuan only had 20% health left. Fang Zhengqing could instantly kill him with one ultimate poison explosion. Since he was low on health, retreating first and letting Fang Zhengqing take the kill was fine.

Just then, Xie Yuan suddenly activated his ultimate—

Poison Arrow Pierces the Heart!

The Poison Warlock’s lock-on tracking ultimate, dealing heavy toxic damage!

A dark green poison arrow tore through the air, about to hit Chi Shuo. Chi Shuo immediately stepped to the left, hiding behind Fang Zhengqing, thinking that Fang Zhengqing could help body-block it.

However, Fang Zhengqing suddenly stepped to the right, leaving a gap that allowed Xie Yuan’s poison arrow to shoot straight into the chest of his teammate, the [King of Fighters].

—[Yuanyuan Runrun (Poison Warlock) killed [Jungler No. 8 (King of Fighters)]!]

Chi Shuo: “…Are you an undercover agent sent by the enemy team?”

Fang Zhengqing said innocently, “I thought you were going to move right, I was trying to block the ultimate for you.”

But Chi Shuo moved left.

Thus, the scene became—

Xie Yuan fired a tracking poison arrow from a distance, aiming for the low-health Chi Shuo. Fang Zhengqing was at full health; as long as he blocked it slightly, Chi Shuo wouldn’t die. However, Fang Zhengqing actively stepped aside, allowing the poison arrow to smoothly hit Chi Shuo right in the forehead.

The netizens in the stream: “…………”

Body-blocking an ultimate for your teammate—why did you two move in opposite directions, one left, one right?!

—[Fangfang Zhengzheng (Cobra King) killed [Yuanyuan Runrun (Poison Warlock)]!]

Although Fang Zhengqing secured Xie Yuan’s kill with a poison explosion, due to his and Chi Shuo’s “reverse movement synergy,” Xie Yuan also successfully took Chi Shuo’s life. This 1-for-1 trade was truly a disastrous accident of mid-jungle synergy.

Chi Shuo sighed inwardly. “I’ll go gank top.”

Fang Zhengqing: “Okay.”

Chi Shuo: “Don’t follow me.”

Fang Zhengqing, who was already following: “??”

The netizens in the stream were completely bewildered.

The third wave of mid-jungle synergy was approaching, and everyone couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

Chi Shuo arrived at the top lane, and Fang Zhengqing also arrived at the top lane.

Xie Yuan understood his own captain and knew they were going to gank top. He had his teammates clear the bottom wave while he and Li Yunmo ran to the top lane.

This 3v3 was an all-pro matchup.

Chi Shuo hid in the top lane brush, while Fang Zhengqing hid in their own jungle waiting for an opportunity.

As the minion waves met in the river, Chi Shuo pinged: [Initiate Attack]!

Ye Shaoyang and Chi Shuo still had great synergy. Seeing Captain Chi’s attack ping, the [Black Dragon Knight] directly Flashed forward, unleashing a “Black Dragon Roar” taunt that instantly caught the enemy marksman and support positioned further back.

Chi Shuo followed closely behind, using a “Gale Punch” to stun both of them!

This seamless chain CC truly showed they were teammates; they kept the enemy crowd-controlled for a full 2.5 seconds.

However, as a tier-one support in the league, Li Yunmo had exceptional game sense. The moment Ye Shaoyang leaped in, he instantly cast “Aura of Curses,” converting 50% of the Black Dragon Knight’s health into a shield for the marksman!

Although the marksman was squishy, the [Black Dragon Knight] was a tank, so a shield equal to 50% of his health was extraordinarily thick. Once this shield was applied, the marksman’s effective health instantly broke ten thousand. Chi Shuo couldn’t burst him down with a full combo and needed Fang Zhengqing to follow up with damage.

Yet… where was Fang Zhengqing?

While Chi Shuo was pressing: [Initiate Attack]! over here.

Fang Zhengqing was frantically pinging: [Initiate Retreat]! over there.

This guy actually Flashed away to escape!

—Because Reporter Zhao had suddenly flanked to dive him.

The [Vampire Duke] Zhao Xin’an picked this game was a highly offensive fighter. Once his ultimate was activated, all his attack skills carried lifesteal, allowing him to tank the enemy’s damage while relentlessly chasing them down.

Xiao Zhao was already a fierce player in matches, and this wave of flanking to dive the mid-laner carried an aura of fighting to the death!

Fang Zhengqing had been dived by Zhao Xin’an so many times in tournaments that he instinctively burned Flash to dodge skills, blinking far away. Zhao Xin’an chased him across the rift; Fang Zhengqing dropped snakes as he ran back.

However, how could a squishy mid-laner be a match for a lifestealing fighter with his ultimate active? His little snakes were chopped to pieces, and without self-peel or teammate protection, the Cobra King helplessly collapsed at the fighter’s feet!

On the other side, having blown all his cooldowns, Chi Shuo failed to kill the shielded Xie Yuan.

Xie Yuan immediately retreated and kited Chi Shuo from afar. One poison arrow after another struck true. Hit simultaneously by the “slow effect” and the “poison effect,” Chi Shuo’s health plummeted instantly.

—[Reporter Zhao (Vampire Duke) killed [Fangfang Zhengzheng (Cobra King)]!]

—[Yuanyuan Runrun (Poison Warlock) killed [Jungler No. 8 (King of Fighters)]!]

Netizens: “…”

One went in to engage, the other Flashed to run away.

Mid-jungle synergy: one dies, the other feeds?

#Tacit Understanding#??

Ye Shaoyang couldn’t 1v3 either, so he helplessly recalled and gave up the outer turret.

Originally, he was doing perfectly fine in a 1v1 against Zhao Xin’an and could have held the top turret. But then the mid-laner and jungler came… good heavens, they single-handedly caused his top lane to collapse with their “skills”!

It would have been better if you guys didn’t come!

Fang Zhengqing asked, “The enemy fighter flanked to dive me, why did you force the engage?”

Chi Shuo replied, “If you had followed up, we could have killed the enemy marksman. Who told you to run?”

Fang Zhengqing: “…”

Chi Shuo: “…”

Fang Zhengqing believed that since Xiao Zhao popped his ult to dive him, they couldn’t take the fight and should have retreated first.

Chi Shuo felt the fight was winnable and decisively engaged.

The jungler and mid-laner had different ideas, leading to the accident of “mid-jungle synergy, one dies, the other feeds,” staging a classic “world-class negative example of immovable mid-jungle synergy.”

Ye Shaoyang tried his hardest to hold back his laughter. No wonder Chi Shuo and Fang Zhengqing couldn’t be teammates.

Whenever they synergized, they were guaranteed to bring down three lanes!

With the help of their mid-jungle synergy—

Their bottom outer turret was destroyed, and their top outer turret was also destroyed.

Xie Yuan got fed, and Xiao Zhao was diving the backline like a mad dog; they simply couldn’t handle it.

The critical Baron team fight.

Fang Zhengqing suddenly Flashed in to engage the enemy marksman, while Chi Shuo decisively turned around and left to clear the minion wave.

Fang Zhengqing, who had charged in to engage: “?!”

The netizens in the stream were about to die from laughter.

[Discussing “The Tacit Understanding Between Old Friends”]

[Carrying the enemy to destroy three lanes with your skills, you two are really something!]

[A world-class negative example, please don’t let the mid and junglers of major teams learn from this [Doge.jpg]]

[Is this what they call mid-jungle synergy, one dies, the other feeds?]

[I finally understand why they don’t join the same team T_T]

The stream chat was plastered with bullet screens saying [Chi Shuo and Fang Zhengqing have zero tacit understanding].

The netizens had finally learned this earth-shattering secret!

Before the game ended, Chi Shuo said, “I’m still playing Ranked. You wait 1 minute before queuing, I don’t want to run into you again.”

Fang Zhengqing said, “I’m going to play Ranked. You wait 5 minutes before queuing, let’s not get matched together again.”

Wait 1 minute. Wait 5 minutes.

Their rhythm was indeed permanently out of sync.