Wang Hao, as a veteran player who joined the game shortly after its launch, was now considered quite strong among amateur players.
Moreover, he played the jungle role, responsible for setting the tempo for the team, and it was the best position for stomping lower-ranked players.
Soon, he found a breakthrough, coordinating with Lu Yaoyao in the mid lane to eliminate the Bronze player Cao Mingliang.
"Hey, Cao Thief, didn't you say everything would be fine?"
Chen Zhuang immediately questioned after the mid lane was killed.
"Didn't you see the jungler helping? You weren't solo-killed. Stop talking nonsense and play your own game."
Cao Mingliang retorted with some frustration.
"Don't die anymore. Look at their top laner; I've pushed him under the tower and he can't come out."
Chen Zhuang proudly boasted.
His laning opponent was Wang Chao, whose skill level was also in the Bronze or Silver range. This allowed Chen Zhuang, the so-called Gold top lane overlord, to feel like he was finally standing tall again after a long time.
In previous ranked matches, he was usually the one getting dominated and becoming a "tower hugger." Now, this feeling was truly exhilarating!
"Get lost. Stop showing off. Be careful the jungler comes over."
Cao Mingliang reminded him impatiently.
"Let them come. With so many minions, I'm not afraid of a one-on-two."
Chen Zhuang confidently bragged.
Just then, accompanied by the excited cheers of the classmates watching, good news came from the bottom lane.
Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan, the bot lane duo, managed to turn the tide, securing a double kill against the enemy ADC and support.
"What are you doing, Zheng Ji? Didn't I tell you to just stay under the tower and not let Qin Tian farm up? We won't be able to play later."
Wang Hao, while farming jungle monsters, complained helplessly.
Zheng Ji was the young man who liked Lu Yaoyao. When positions were being assigned, he had proactively chosen the ADC role in the bottom lane, wanting to lane against Qin Tian.
Furthermore, he had ignored Wang Hao's reminder before the game and played quite aggressively.
As expected, Qin Tian deliberately feigned weakness and let the lane push, then seized an opportunity to directly kill him. The support couldn't escape either, and they successfully secured a double kill.
"Zheng Ji, you can't beat him. Don't let Qin Tian get ahead,"
Lu Yaoyao added.
"Got it,"
Zheng Ji replied with a grim expression, glancing at Qin Tian on the side, filled with resentment and indignation.
He was, of course, still unconvinced, believing that the previous play was simply his mistake and that Qin Tian's Caitlyn was left with only a sliver of health.
Little did he know, this was all within Qin Tian's calculations. The worst-case scenario was his Caitlyn trading two for one, a matter of a big win versus a small win.
"Hao Ge, let's gank mid again. If we kill their mage, we'll go to the bottom lane together."
Lu Yaoyao suggested.
"Sure, after I finish this red buff, I'll come. Look at my position."
Wang Hao agreed to her idea after checking the situation in the bottom lane.
No matter how strong Qin Tian was, he didn't believe they could lose a four-on-two.
Besides, if they didn't help in the bottom lane soon, Caitlyn's tower-pushing tempo would kick in, and the game would be lost.
Lu Yaoyao's game skill was average, but she had a talent for acting.
She created an opening for Cao Mingliang, making him believe he could kill her.
As expected, Cao Mingliang foolishly overextended, and the next second, Wang Hao's Lee Sin appeared from the brush behind them, combining with Lu Yaoyao's Annie to take him down.
"Ahhh! This Lee Sin is so annoying!"
"You know they're targeting you, why are you leaving the tower? Just farm under the tower."
Chen Zhuang began sharing his experience as a "tower hugger."
"She tricked me! I thought I could kill her!"
"What are your items and level? How could you kill her!"
"Get lost, stop blabbering!"
The two arguing completely failed to notice the enemy mid and jungle flanking them, heading straight for the bottom lane.
Qin Tian, however, had already realized it.
"Nuannuan, their mid and jungle are coming."
"Huh? Four people? What should we do? Should we retreat?"
Xia Nuannuan sounded a little flustered.
"Tian Ge, I can't get there."
Zeng Xin was clearing monsters in the top jungle and wouldn't make it in time.
"It's okay, their ADC is half-health already. We can fight. Only retreat when I say so, and remember to use teleport on the top lane's Sion!"
Qin Tian calmly and quickly directed.
"Received."
Chen Zhuang responded hurriedly, keeping an eye on the bottom lane situation, his eyes eager.
Seeing the enemy mid and jungle arrive, the enemy bot lane duo instinctively started pushing forward.
Qin Tian, leveraging Caitlyn's range advantage, kited them, chipping away at their health.
"Nuannuan, if their Annie tries to engage on me, you follow up with your ultimate, and then retreat!"
"Okay!"
Xia Nuannuan immediately backed off, simultaneously focusing on the screen, ready to coordinate with Qin Tian to outplay the enemy.
At this moment, the mid and jungle appeared in their sightline together.
Qin Tian, unhurried, placed a Yordle Snap Trap in the minion wave, accurately rooting the enemy Ezreal, Zheng Ji, and securing a headshot auto-attack to take the kill.
Zheng Ji's eyes widened, and he was completely stunned.
The situation, which was supposed to be a four-man dive, had completely collapsed.
Moreover, as the ADC died first, Lu Yaoyao's Annie had already flashed and used her ultimate.
However, Qin Tian, who was prepared, flashed to dodge it and then retreated while attacking, with another small movement dodging Lee Sin's Q skill.
"We can't fight this, retreat!"
Wang Hao decisively chose to fall back, angrily shouting, "Zheng Ji, what are you doing? They haven't arrived yet! You'll die if you wait!"
"His damage is too high, I didn't expect him to be bursted down,"
Zheng Ji argued with a pale face.
"Nonsense, he has two kills and this CS. How could his damage not be high?"
Wang Hao was exasperated.
Zheng Ji opened his mouth to find an excuse, but in the end, he was rendered speechless.
Because he had used his flash, he was stunned by Xia Nuannuan's Sona ultimate, and then Annie, who was knocked up by Chen Zhuang's Sion's teleport and ultimate from top lane, also died miserably under Qin Tian's damage.
Qin Tian secured another double kill, walked back to the tower to recall, and high-fived Xia Nuannuan beside him in celebration.
"Yeah!!"
"Well played, Brother!"
"Your crowd control was also very good, Sister!"
The two of them praised each other with bright smiles.
Behind them, the classmates watching exchanged glances, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
With Caitlyn having four kills and double the CS of the enemy, this game was basically over.
After taking the bottom lane tower, Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan immediately rotated to the mid lane to push towers, then to the top lane.
With the tower-pushing tempo established, the economic advantage widened further.
By the twentieth minute, they had already pushed onto the high ground.
"This game is lost, let's surrender!"
Wang Hao initiated the surrender vote.
The other four had nothing to say and unanimously voted yes.
"We won, hahaha... My Sion is awesome, so easy to win!"
Chen Zhuang stretched lazily and laughed triumphantly.
"Excuse me, you don't have any kills. What are you bragging about? Isn't this all thanks to Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan?"
Shen Siqi, standing behind him, rolled her eyes with amusement.
"You don't understand. You can't just look at kills and stats in this game, you know? Didn't you see that as soon as I stood in front, no one dared to appear within my ultimate's range?"
"Tch, just keep bragging. Look at you, you silly goose!"