LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

"I feel like whoever wins between DWG and TES will be the champion."

"Of the remaining three teams, EDG is a complete waste, and GEN and G2 are not a threat no matter which one advances."

"This year! Top Esports will win their first championship!"

"DWG doesn't seem as strong as I thought. They didn't have an advantage in the early laning phase against DRX."

At this moment, everyone in the TES group chat got excited.

369: "Brothers, let's take off! If we take down DWG, we've got this in the bag."

Karsa: "Go, guys!"

Yuyanjia: "The question is, can you handle Nuguri? I'm worried about getting on the road."

369: "I'll pick Ornn, what can he do? If we drag this out to the late game, my Ornn will be invincible in team fights."

Jackeylove: What if the enemy bans Ornn?

369: "I also have a crocodile, and I'm pretty good at playing bear too. It's too easy to play online."

Su Mo didn't participate in the discussion, feeling that TES was too optimistic.

Suddenly, Su Mo received another message from Chovy:
"Mr. Mo, before I go back, I'd like to see you again, is that alright?"

Su Mo: "I have to go to work during the day."

Chovy: "It's okay, tonight is fine too, just meeting once is enough."

Su Mo: "Alright."

So Su Mo and Chovy agreed to meet at a restaurant at 8 p.m. the next day.

A few days ago, 369 texted him, saying that he couldn't beat Nuguri in the top lane and asked him to come up with a solution.

Now he's suddenly starting to boast, it feels like he's acting impulsively and is overly optimistic about the situation.

The following day, the best-of-five series between GEN and G2 began.

Either team could win, but Su Mo is slightly more inclined to support G2.

In the end, G2 defeated GEN 3-1, securing the last semifinal spot.

With this, the semi-final matchups are now set.

TES vs. DWG.

EDG vs. G2.

There is a five-day rest period in between, and the semi-finals will be held next weekend.

All four teams are probably training hard.

Abu immediately began communicating with Su Mo to discuss the current situation of EDG.

EDG's previous victories against GEN and SN have greatly boosted the team's confidence.

Overall, G2 is slightly stronger than GEN.

The key is that his approach is very unusual; he likes scientific research.

If Su Mo were in EDG, EDG wouldn't be afraid at all, but the key is that Su Mo isn't here now.

If G2 pulls off something big, EDG will have a hard time dealing with it.

That evening, Su Mo arrived at the agreed-upon restaurant on time and met Chovy at the entrance... and his friend, Doran.

Doran followed behind Chovy like a little brother.

"You've been waiting long, haven't you? Come on, let's go inside," Su Mo said, stepping forward.

"No, we just arrived too." Chovy led Doran to catch up with Su Mo.

The three of them found a corner to sit down and started ordering.

Chovy began to complain to Su Mo: "My performance in this World Championship was really disappointing. I feel like I let down my teammates and fans who supported me."

Su Mo could understand Chovy's feelings. In the past two years, Chovy has been very popular in LCK. The official team wanted to cultivate him and gave him a lot of screen time, making him the protagonist in various promotional videos.

Chovy has many fans who highly recognize his skill and consider him the strongest mid-laner in lane, making him a highly anticipated player.

But he just couldn't get the results he wanted, and each time he said he'd try again next time.

Su Mo comforted her, saying, "That's how competitions are. There can only be one winner. It's impossible for everyone to win, and even if everyone does, there's no reason why they can't afford to lose."

"Sigh..." Chovy sighed.

Doran, standing to the side, was lost in thought, probably reflecting on the day's match.

It's really hard to accept that they were swept by DWG in the Summer Finals, and now they've been swept by DWG again.

Soon, the waiter brought out the food, and Su Mo said, "Let's eat first, you must be hungry too."

Su Mo started eating, and Doran didn't stand on ceremony.

Chovy picked up her chopsticks but hesitated to eat, still immersed in grief.

Seeing this, Su Mo said, "Would you like some wine? You guys drink when you're on vacation, right?"

Su Mo knew that many LCK players actually drank alcohol, but usually only during their holidays. If there were matches, they definitely wouldn't do that.

Chovy nodded: "Mm."

Su Mo then called the waiter to bring the wine, and said at the same time:
"When I feel unwell, a little alcohol makes me feel better."

Soon, the waiter brought the drinks, and Su Mo filled Chovy and Doran's glasses.

"Thank you."

"Thank you."

The two were quite polite.

Without saying a word, Chovy downed it in one gulp.

It seems like she's really feeling bad.

Su Mo filled it up again.

After downing three glasses in a row, Chovy finally started eating.

Suddenly, Chovy said, "Mo, come with me to LCK and join DRX! We're willing to pay any price."

Su Mo knew Chovy was definitely drunk, and laughed, "Then what about your good brother Doran?"

Doran, who was frantically eating nearby, was taken aback, as if only then realizing what was happening. He looked at Chovy with a puzzled expression.

Chovy then said, "You play mid and I'll go... jungle, or you can jungle, either is fine."

"If all else fails, you can be the coach, and I'll listen to you! I feel like only you can help me perform at my best."

Su Mo laughed and said, "If that's the case, why bother retiring? Wouldn't it be easier to win a championship if you stayed with EDG?"

"Hiccup..." Chovy burped, paused for a moment, seemed to realize something, then picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp, overwhelmed with sorrow.

Su Mo continued eating when suddenly, Chovy grabbed his arm.

"Huh?" Su Mo was puzzled.

Chovy muttered, "I want to win the championship, Mo, I want to win an S-series championship!"

Su Mo nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know. Keep up the good work. I believe in you."

Chovy shook her head frantically: "No, you don't know, you don't know how hard I worked, how much I wanted to win an S-series championship."

Su Mo was stunned. The usually aloof and cool young man was now like a vulnerable child who desperately needed comfort.

Su Mo could only continue, "It's okay. The version will change in the future. Maybe next year's version will be perfect for you. You just need to maintain your form, and you'll have your chance."

Chovy retorted, "Really? Is there a chance... Mo, don't lie to me."

Su Mo replied, "I really didn't lie to you."

Chovy continued, "Do you think... our current DRX roster is capable of winning the championship?"

Upon hearing this question, Su Mo became cautious and subconsciously glanced at Doran.

Doran is still eating; he drank two glasses of wine but hasn't shown any reaction yet.

Su Mo chose to change the subject: "There are no strongest teammates, only the most suitable teammates, right? Whether you can win the championship depends on how well you and your teammates work together..."

Su Mo did have some thoughts on DRX's current roster, but some things couldn't be made clear, so he could only gloss over them.

A moment later, Chovy slumped onto the table, muttering to himself, but it was hard to hear what he was saying.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Su Mo looked at Doran and said, "Doran, can you take care of him? You can take a taxi back to find your teammates, or you can just book a room and rest."

Doran nodded: "Yes, no problem, I can take care of him."

Su Mo paid the bill and left first.

Su Mo returned home to rest. Suddenly, Abu sent her a message; upon opening it, she saw a photo.

The photo is low resolution, and it looks like it was taken from a distance and zoomed in, with a glass partition in between. On the other side of the glass, three young people are sitting around a table...

It's him, Chovy, and Doran!

A photo of the three of them having a meal was taken.

Abu: "Someone is spreading rumors that you want to join LCK, and this photo was posted by the person spreading the rumors."

Su Mo: "These days, editors will say anything for the sake of traffic."

Abramovich: "What can I do? You're a triple crown winner, who wouldn't want to ride your coattails?"

Su Mo: "Okay, it seems to be my problem."

Abu: "Hahaha, I was just kidding."

Su Mo began to deny the rumors on Weibo, stating that she was just having dinner with friends.

However, this explanation leads to another topic:
"Mozi and Chovy are actually friends?"

"It seems that Brother Mozi has a good relationship with many professional players."

"Could it be that Mozi orchestrated DRX's loss to DWG?"

"That's enough. If Mozi makes a move, DRX will win."

Although Su Mo didn't participate in the S-series, at least half of the attention has been on him since the start of the competition.

Before the competition even started, star players from various regions all came to Su Mo's place to check in.

Then, in the S-series promotional video, the official team paid tribute to Su Mo.

Next, Su Mo expressed optimism about the LPL. The LPL's performance so far has been worthy of optimism, and this is also seen as Su Mo's move.

Furthermore, EDG's narrow victory over GEN and advancement was also related to Su Mo.

Over the next few days, things calmed down a bit. The teams that made it to the semifinals were all training hard and didn't have time for anything else.

Su Mo received a thank-you message from Chovy: "Mo, thank you so much for your comfort and guidance. I will pick myself up and start the new season..."

Finally, Chovy specifically asked, "Mo, I don't usually drink much... so I wouldn't be this out of control... so, could you please keep what happened last night a secret? Thank you."

Su Mo replied, "No problem."

The semifinals begin, starting with the first BO5, TES vs. DWG.

The battle of focus!

Early in the morning, the trending topics started generating buzz.

#15:00 TES VS DWG
#TES vs DWG: Whoever advances to the finals will be the champion.

While eating breakfast, Su Mo took a look at the forum.

As expected, netizens are now analyzing who will win between DWG and TES.

#Match Preview: DWG vs TES Matchup Analysis

The post already had tens of thousands of replies, so Su Mo decided to click on it to take a look.

Top lane
Nuguri vs 369, 70/30 chance
The comment below reads: "73? How can you assume that 369 will draw 3 today?"

"If 369 is 9 today, does that mean it's 10/90?"

"That's enough, Han Xiaozi. Does he really think DWG can beat TES?"

"Korean fans are dreaming again; this year's champion will definitely be an LPL team."

Su Mo felt that everyone was too optimistic and didn't seem to think DWG was that strong.

Let's continue looking at the jungler position.

Canyon vs Karsa, 60/40 split
The comments below are also full of criticism:
"Six-four split? Three-seven split!"

"I have no idea what the point of DWG's jungler is?"

"Canyon is too selfish. He only knows how to play Graves and Lillia. His tempo ability is like Karsa's, so it's a 20/80 split."

"Karsa was invincible for the first fifteen minutes."

Let's continue looking at the mid lane position.

Showmaker vs. Knight, it's a 50/50 match.

The comments below immediately exploded:

"Fifty-fifty? How can a human being say that?"

"Left Hand is number one among the top 20 contestants, where is Showmaker? Is it really a 50/50 situation?"

"Showmaker's laning phase relies on his defense and his teammates."

"Showmaker can only play card games to muddle through the game, and at most he can pick Syndra."

Syndra is a left-handed specialist, don't try to fool me.

Let's continue looking at the ADC position.

Ghost vs. Jackeylove, 40/60 split.

The comments below are still full of criticism:
"How can that piece of trash Ghost Emperor go toe-to-toe with Brother Shuizi at 40/60? It's more like 10/90 at most."

"Zero to ten, no explanation needed."

"Ghost King is just a decoration in DWG, he's completely useless."

"I think it's a 40/60 split between Ghost Emperor and me, don't try to take advantage of Brother Shuizi."

Let's continue looking at the support positions.

BeryL vs Yuyanjia, 70/30 chance.

The comments below immediately caused an uproar:
"Huh? Do you even understand this game? It's a 50/50 chance at best."

"So, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can try to scam you, huh?"

"Although the prophet didn't warn us, this BeryL is even worse."

"This guy doesn't seem to like laning. It's okay, TES's bot lane will crush their bot lane."

The final conclusion is: DWG vs TES, 5.5:4.5.

This conclusion was naturally met with widespread ridicule.

Since GEN was defeated by G2, LCK's status and reputation have plummeted.

As the only remaining team, DWG is looked down upon by many.

Of course, the main reason is that LPL's performance over the past three years has been too good, and winning the championship has become a given. Therefore, teams from other regions have a "weakness filter" and always feel that the other teams are not good enough.

It was afternoon, and the competition was about to begin.

Su Mo received a message from the TES group chat.

369: "@Mo, Brother Mozi, from now on, TES will carry the banner of LPL. Remember to cheer for us!"

Su Mo: "I'm busy at work."

Jackeylove: "It's okay, Mozi. Remember to come to the celebration party when we win the championship. By the way, you're not going to be the one presenting us with the awards, are you?"

Su Mo: "That's unlikely. The awards for the World Championship will definitely be presented by Riot Games executives."

369: "You can also just go along with it and take a picture together or something."

Su Mo's curiosity was piqued by TES, and he wanted to see if TES could actually beat DWG.

It was 3 p.m. when Su Mo took out his phone, opened the live stream, and started working while playing the live stream.

"Welcome to the 2020 League of Legends World Championship. The semifinals are about to begin, featuring the LPL's number one seed Top Esports against the LCK's number one seed DWG."

"Many netizens jokingly call this match the real final, with the winner being the champion. While that's a bit of an exaggeration, both teams do represent the highest level of their respective regions..."

At this moment, inside EDG's training base, the EDG team members were also gathered together watching the match.

At this moment, the EDG players and coaches had very mixed feelings.

Although they haven't beaten G2 yet, if they do, and make it to the finals, their opponent could be TES or DWG...

Meiko suddenly said, "I still support TES. If TES makes it to the finals, our region's championship is guaranteed."

Hope nodded: "Indeed, it's better than DWG taking it."

Aodi muttered, "Can DWG really beat TES? TES is in such good form right now."

The factory manager shook his head: "You should ask, can TES really beat DWG now? DWG is in better form; they swept DRX 3-0 in the semifinals."

"DRX's strength is about the same as JDG's. They played scrims before, and it was basically a 50/50 match, so to be honest, DWG is clearly stronger." (End of Chapter)