LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the EDG training room, illuminating the slightly tired yet excited young faces.

The revelry and excitement of last night have not yet completely faded; the air still seems to retain the sweet aroma of champagne and the afterglow of victory.

In the lounge, Jiejie was holding his phone, excitedly reading aloud to Meiko and Hope the new nickname netizens had given him on the forum—"Summer Kick Fairy"—which made them all burst into laughter.

Just then, the training room door was pushed open, and Manager Abu walked in with a folder in his hand, his steps brisk.

He cleared his throat, and the previously relaxed atmosphere instantly turned serious.

"Everyone, hold on a second." Abu drew everyone's attention. "We already celebrated the joy of winning the championship last night. Starting today, we're entering our 'championship period.' This afternoon at 2 PM, there's a large joint media interview at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. More than a dozen mainstream media outlets, including Tencent Sports, Sports Weekly, and Sina Esports, will be there. This is our first official appearance since winning the championship, so everyone, get ready!"

The team members nodded in agreement. Although they were already very familiar with this kind of activity, the title of "champion" made this interview much more meaningful.

At 1:30 p.m., the entire EDG team arrived at the hotel's banquet hall.

The venue had already been set up as a professional interview site, with a huge EDG team logo and the words "S10 World Champion" on the backdrop, and a row of chairs neatly arranged below.

Opposite them was a dense crowd of reporters and cameras, flashes going off constantly, creating a rather spectacular scene.

Su Mo and his teammates took their seats under the guidance of the staff, and the interview officially began.

The reporters' questions came like a tidal wave, covering almost everything from tactical reviews to personal reflections and future prospects.

Scout and Meiko, as veterans, answered calmly and appropriately.

Under the watchful eyes of the factory manager and Abu, Jiejie and Hope appeared both sincere and somewhat adorable.

Most of the firepower was focused on Su Mo.

"Brother Mozi, there are many speculations about your return. Some say you are a 'secret weapon' that has been planned for a long time, while others say it was an impulsive decision. Can you respond to these speculations?"

"Brother Mozi, was the Sword Demon pick in the last game your own insistence during the draft phase, or was it the coaching staff's arrangement? Was there any controversy within the team at the time?"

Su Mo remained calm and composed, answering questions fluently. Every word he uttered satisfied the media's curiosity without revealing any inappropriate information. In short, he was a seasoned veteran.

The one-hour joint interview quickly came to an end, and the free exchange session with the media began.

The team members were immediately surrounded by reporters.

Just as Su Mo was about to get up, a clear and pleasant voice rang out beside him.

"Hello, Brother Mozi, may I bother you for a few minutes?"

Su Mo turned his head and saw a female reporter smiling at him.

She was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with long, smooth chestnut-brown curly hair that fell naturally over her shoulders, making her small, oval face even more delicate.

Her eyes were large, clear and bright, with an intellectual gleam. Beneath her high, straight nose were lips painted with a light mauve lipstick, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, giving her both professional competence and feminine gentleness.

She wore a well-tailored off-white suit skirt, with a champagne-colored silk shirt underneath, the neckline slightly open, revealing a section of her fair and slender neck.

Beneath her straight pencil skirt were a pair of beautifully shaped calves encased in nude high heels. She exuded a faint scent of gardenias, fresh and elegant.

She wore a media sign around her neck that read "Major Esports Event" and had her name on it—Lin Wan.

"Hello." Su Mo nodded politely.

"I've watched all your matches, they were all so amazing." Lin Wan's eyes shone with undisguised admiration. "So... could I... take a picture with you and get your autograph? I'm a huge fan of yours."

Her voice was soft, with a hint of pleading, making it hard to refuse.

"Of course," Su Mo agreed with a smile. Even if the other party were an ordinary person, let alone a beautiful reporter, there would be no reason for her to refuse.

Lin Wan was immediately overjoyed. She took out her phone, moved slightly closer to Su Mo, and the two took a photo together.

When the photo was taken, Su Mo could clearly smell the fragrance emanating from her hair.

After the photo was taken, she handed over her interview notebook and a pen: "Can I sign here?"

Su Mo signed his ID with a flourish.

Jiejie and Meiko, who were not far away, saw this and started making faces and teasing each other.

"Tsk tsk, look at the treatment Mozi gets, even beautiful reporters are actively courting him," Jiejie said to Meiko in a low voice.

Meiko chimed in sourly, "What can we do? He's so handsome and good at it. We mere mortals can only watch from the sidelines."

Lin Wan put away her notebook, seemingly hesitant, but still mustered her courage, took out her phone, and said, "Um... Brother Mozi, would it be convenient to add each other on WeChat? I might have some questions about my column later that I'd like to ask you."

The reason sounded impeccable, but those bright, sparkling eyes clearly revealed that "his true intentions were not what they seemed."

Su Mo nodded and added him on WeChat.

Before Su Mo could even speak after they had just finished exchanging messages, Lin Wan spoke first, saying softly, "To thank you for accepting my interview, I wonder... if I might have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"

A gentle evening breeze blew through the cracks in the banquet hall window, ruffling a strand of her hair, creating a moment of awkward intimacy.

Su Mo's heart stirred slightly. He had to admit that the girl in front of him was outstanding in appearance, temperament, and conversation. Moreover, she was so proactive. It would be difficult for any normal man to remain indifferent to such an invitation.

But he's different; he can be a gentleman at times!
He looked at Lin Wan with sincere and frank eyes: "Thank you very much for your kindness. I appreciate the dinner invitation, but I may not be able to make it convenient for me at the moment."

His refusal was polite and direct, without any hesitation or ambiguity, and it also showed the other party sufficient respect.

A fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in Lin Wan's eyes, but she quickly regained her professional smile and nodded gracefully: "Ah, is that so? I'm so sorry, I was being presumptuous. It's alright, congratulations again to EDG on winning the championship, and I look forward to your even more brilliant performances in the future."

"Thank you," Su Mo replied with a smile.

Lin Wan put away her phone, nodded to Su Mo again, then turned and gracefully blended into the crowd.

Jiejie and Meiko sidled up, and Jiejie nudged Su Mo with her elbow with a mischievous grin: "Brother Mo, you're something else! You turned down a dinner invitation from such a pretty girl? If it were me, I definitely would have gone!"

Su Mo rolled her eyes at him: "Fine, kid. I'll tell Tingting (Jiejie's girlfriend) later."

"No, no, no, Brother Mozi, I was wrong!" Jiejie immediately begged for forgiveness.

The interview finally ended, and everyone dragged their tired bodies back to the base.

As soon as he sat down, Abu came in again with his folder and said, "Everyone, we have another job!"

"Is there anything else?" Jiejie groaned. "Brother Bu, let us rest for a few days!"

"Rest?" Abu glared at him. "Champions don't get rest! I have some news for everyone: tomorrow afternoon, there will be a large-scale online live stream event hosted by the official team, themed 'Champion's Night, Starry Canyon'."

He paused, noticing the curious looks on everyone's faces, and continued, "Simply put, it's about inviting star players from our esports scene and several popular celebrities from the entertainment industry to team up and play an exhibition match. The official intention is to further expand the influence of the LPL through this crossover collaboration. They specifically requested that the entire EDG team participate; not a single one can be missing!"

"Playing games with celebrities?" Hope's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? Who are they?"

Abu smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out the full list tomorrow. Apparently, it includes some of your favorite female celebrities. Alright, everyone get some rest and be well-rested for the event!"

After saying that, Abu turned and left, leaving behind a room full of tired but expectant team members.

Live streaming with celebrities? That's much more interesting than a boring interview.

……

The next day, in Shanghai, on the banks of the Huangpu River.

The V-Station at Tencent Esports Center, a huge venue full of futuristic and technological elements, is brightly lit and packed to capacity.

This is the venue for the "Champion's Night, Starlight in the Canyon" large-scale crossover live streaming event.

Inside the venue, a huge circular LED screen played highlights of the S10 season, finally freezing on the glorious moment when EDG lifted the trophy.

The rousing music mingled with the cheers of thousands of spectators, creating an extremely enthusiastic atmosphere.

Backstage in the dressing room, the EDG players are undergoing a completely new kind of "pre-match preparation".

"Hey sis, can you make these eyebrows lighter? I'm a jungler, why do I need to make them look so fierce?" Jiejie looked at herself in the mirror and shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't move!" The makeup artist patted him on the back. "Today, all the guests are big stars. You are world champions, so you can't lose in terms of presence!"

Su Mo sat quietly, letting the makeup artist apply makeup to his face.

Today he wore a well-tailored black casual suit with a simple white T-shirt underneath, which retained his youthful freshness while adding a touch of mature and steady temperament.

"Alright, champions! Get ready to go on stage!" Abu pushed open the door, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

With the rousing opening remarks from hosts Yu Shuang and Wawa, the entire EDG team walked onto the center of the stage amidst a deafening roar of cheers from the audience.

"Let's give a warm round of applause to our 2020 League of Legends World Championship winners—EDG!"

Amidst flashing lights and cheers, the team members took their seats one by one. Then, on the other side of the stage, amidst even more dazzling lights and screams, the other main characters of the evening—the celebrity guests—made their grand entrance.

Leading the way was Jay Chou. Dressed in trendy clothes and a black beanie, with his signature cool smile, he waved to the audience, instantly igniting the crowd. He represents the youth of countless people and is also the most famous star player of League of Legends.

Following closely behind was Wang Yuan, whose all-white outfit made him look sunny, handsome, and full of energy. When he appeared, the screams of countless young fans in the audience almost lifted the roof off.

The next three made the air in the entire venue freeze.

Dilraba wore a red sequined dress, her figure swaying gracefully, as beautiful as a blooming rose. Her delicate features shone under the lights, and every step she took exuded a breathtaking charm.

Naza wore a light purple tulle dress, looking ethereal and fair-skinned, her features as exquisitely sculpted as works of art, her beauty otherworldly.

Finally, it was Yifei who appeared. She wore only a simple white dress, without any makeup, yet she possessed an ethereal and refined气质 (qi zhi - a kind of refined elegance). Her face, hailed as the "Fairy Sister," seemed untouched by time, still as beautiful as a poem or a painting.

The three top actresses standing together turned the stage into a "ceiling of beauty," leaving the male audience members almost completely stunned.

Meanwhile, the live stream chat exploded with comments:
"Holy crap! What an amazing lineup! My eyes are going to go blind!"

"Dilraba! Gulnazar! Sissi! I'm dead! I'm dead!"

"The ticket price today was totally worth it! It's like a meeting of top celebrities!"

"The organizers really understand us! I want both the champion and the goddess!"

"..."

After some pleasantries, the most exciting part finally arrived – the draw for group assignments.

With a smile, the child said, "To ensure the fairness and fun of the competition, we will use a random draw to determine the two teams tonight! Our ten guests will each draw a card. The team that draws the red card will be the 'Red Star Team,' and the team that draws the blue card will be the 'Blue Collar Team'!"

"It's Team Blue Star!" Host Yu Shuang corrected with a smile.

On the big screen, ten cards began to be shuffled rapidly.

"Now, let's invite our representatives, FMVP Mozi and our King of Pop Jay Chou, to draw the first prize!"

Su Mo and Jay Chou stepped forward at the same time and pressed the stop button on the big screen.

Su Mo flipped open the card—it was red.

Jay Chou's card was flipped over—it was also red.

"Wow!" the child exclaimed, "Brother Mozi and Brother Jay Chou are on the same team! Is this the alliance of kings?"

Next, Wang Yuan stepped forward and drew a card, which turned up—blue.

When it was Dilraba's turn, she walked forward with a charming smile and gently touched the ground with her slender fingers.

The card is flipped open—it's red!
"Wow!" A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

Meiko and Jiejie were already pounding their chests and stamping their feet backstage, their faces clearly saying, "Why wasn't it me?"

Next up was Gulnazar, who pressed the button with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

The card was flipped open again—still red!
"No way! No way!" The chat was completely in a frenzy.

"This must be pre-arranged! I don't believe it! Director, come out here!"

"I'm so jealous! I'm really jealous! Jiejie's face has turned green!"

Finally, when Yifei walked forward with elegant steps, everyone's hearts were in their throats.

She simply glanced at the screen calmly and tapped it lightly.

On the screen, the card that was slowly unfolding was also—red!
"boom--!!!"

The entire audience erupted!

Jiejie slumped into the chair, covered her face with her hands, and looked utterly dejected.

Meiko and Hope stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief, while Scout shook his head and gave a wry smile.

Within the EDG team, apart from Su Mo, all the teammates have become withdrawn.

At this point, they didn't need to go up and draw lots; they already knew the result.

The final grouping results were officially announced on the big screen:

【Red Star Team】: Su Mo, Jay Chou, Dilraba, Gulnazar, Yi Fei.

[Blue Star Team]: Wang Yuan, Scout, Jiejie, Meiko, Hope.

The live stream chat was no longer filled with text, but rather a sea of ​​"???" and "I'm so jealous".

"Is Brother Mozi's luck even real? You can't even win the lottery this bad!"

"Damn, this is definitely inside information!"

"One god leading four pitfalls?!"

"Jiejie: ​​In the end, it was all in vain. There is no light left in my eyes."

"The Blue Team has four championships and one star, while the Red Team has one championship and four stars. How can this match be played? Hahaha!"

"I feel sorry for my Jay, he's never lost in the jungle, but he's never won a draw."

Su Mo: I'm sorry, as the champion, it's normal to have a bit of luck.

"Even if Brother Mozi loses, he still wins. After all, he's on the same team as four of my favorite celebrities, including three beautiful women. He's so awesome."

"..."

Amidst the envious and jealous gazes of the audience, the two teams walked towards their respective battle zones.

The atmosphere in the Red Star team's battle zone was subtle and interesting.

Sitting on five gaming chairs are a gaming god, a music king, and three top female celebrities from the entertainment industry.

“Um… Brother Mo,” Reba spoke first. She turned to the side, her big eyes blinking as she looked at Su Mo, her voice carrying a hint of coquetry, “You have to take good care of me later, okay? I can only play support, and I’m really bad at it.”

"Me too, me too, I'm really bad at this," Nazha whispered in agreement, a hint of embarrassment on her face, "I'm afraid I'll keep feeding kills."

Yifei simply looked at Su Mo quietly, smiled faintly, and said softly, "I will do my best."

Jay Chou leaned back in his chair coolly and said to Su Mo, "Bro, I'll jungle. Don't worry, I'll protect them."

Su Mo looked at his four "heavyweight" teammates and couldn't help but chuckle.

He adjusted the microphone, his voice calm and reassuring: "It's okay, everyone relax, just treat it as a game, have fun. Play whatever you want, I'll take responsibility for the wins and losses, okay?"

The phrase "I'll take responsibility" instantly made the three goddesses' eyes light up, and even Jay Chou couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.

Dilraba immediately clapped: "Wow, Mozi is so manly!"

Nazha: "Hehe, this sense of security is off the charts!"

Yifei: "No wonder he is the most handsome FMVP in history."

These bigwigs really delivered maximum emotional value.

On the other side, the Blue Star team's battle zone was shrouded in gloom.

"What the hell are we fighting for?!" Jiejie took off her headphones and wailed at Meiko, "The other side has three fairies and one king, and Mozi carried them all by himself, while we have four grown men carrying one little brother. Is that fair?!"

Wang Yuan, who was listening from the side, didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Brother Jie, I'm a celebrity, for goodness' sake!"

Scout patted Jiejie on the shoulder and calmly analyzed, "Stop complaining. On paper, we're the clear favorites. We have four professional players, while they only have one. As long as we play normally, we'll win for sure."

“That makes sense,” Meiko sighed, “but I just can’t stand it! I feel like we won the game, but we lost at life!”

This conversation was transmitted to the live stream via team voice chat, instantly causing viewers to burst into laughter:

"Hahaha, the current situation within the EDG team: They won the game, but lost in life!"

"Meiko: My support spirit is burning, but my goddess is on the other side!"

"I feel sorry for Wang Yuan, he's surrounded by four jealous people." (End of Chapter)