LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The event ended successfully.

The celebration banquet backstage was held at a distinctive courtyard hot pot restaurant in Chengdu.

Compared to the grand banquet after the S-series tournament, which brought together sponsors and bigwigs, tonight's gathering felt much more genuine and relaxed. There were no suits and ties, no mutual flattery, just a steaming hot pot and a group of young people brought together by their shared passion.

The long table was almost filled with half of the LPL's members.

It was more of an offline dinner gathering for LPL players than a celebration banquet.

Su Mo was a little behind. When he went in carrying his trophy, he found TheShy eating tripe in hot pot, while Rookie was enthusiastically explaining the "seven up, eight down" technique to him. Uzi and Jackeylove were arguing heatedly about "who is the real ADC King, Draven or Kalista," while Meiko and Ming, like two referees, kept adding fuel to the fire, making everyone burst into laughter.

"Brother Mozi, come sit here, I saved this seat especially for you!" Rookie, with his sharp eyes, greeted him warmly, patting the empty seat next to him.

Su Mo smiled as he sat down. The rising steam from the hot pot blurred the halos on everyone's faces, leaving only their most genuine smiles.

“This trophy of yours,” Uzi said casually, pointing to the MVP trophy that Su Mo had casually placed on the table, while holding a glass of plum juice. “This is the fourth one already. If you take it down again, do you have nowhere to put it or what?”

“That’s a problem,” Su Mo joked, picking up a slice of marbled beef. “How about next time I win, I’ll just send the trophy to your house?”

"Get lost!" Uzi laughed and cursed. "I'm afraid my fans will be heartbroken if they see this."

The group burst into laughter again. From analyzing the details of the laning phase to various bizarre gossips during the transfer window, and even complaining about their club's cafeteria auntie, the topics were unrestricted. Here, there were no gods, no legends, just a group of big boys enjoying a rare moment of relaxation after the smoke of battle had cleared.

After a few rounds of drinks, TheShy, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly turned to Su Mo and said, word by word, in his unique, slightly awkward Chinese, "I've discovered that you're really strong."

Su Mo nodded: "You're very strong too."

This conversation, which most people didn't hear clearly, was actually the highest level of greeting between two men at the pinnacle of their skills.

All-Star Weekend has come to an end, but the waves it has created are only just beginning.

The video of Su Mo defeating TheShy in the Solo competition was edited into various versions and spread wildly on various platforms.

Topics such as #MoYiQiSui# and #GodsFighting# dominated the trending search list.

The biggest question—whether Su Mo will play in the new season—has become the focus of discussion among all fans and media.

Two weeks of vacation passed in the blink of an eye.

When the team members returned to EDG's Shanghai base, the air was filled with a fresh yet tense atmosphere.

Flandre, nicknamed "Holy Gun," and Park Do-hyun, nicknamed "Viper," have officially moved in.

Li Xuanjun, also known as Flandre, is one of the "living fossils" of the LPL. With his cheerful and quirky personality, he quickly became friends with Jiejie, Meiko, and others. His signature "Ouch, my god!" could be heard from time to time in the training room.

Viper, just like his ID, is quiet and reserved, with sharp, snake-like eyes. He spends most of his time sitting silently in front of his computer, frantically playing ranked games. His focus is so intense that it draws everyone's attention.

The first tactical meeting before Season 11 was held in a serious atmosphere.

Abu stood in front of the whiteboard, his expression solemn: "Welcome Flandre and Viper. The Demacia Cup championship is a good start, but it's far from enough. Our goal will always be the same—the World Championship. This year, our challenge will be even greater."

His gaze finally settled on Su Mo.

"Xiao Mo, we talked before. Based on what you said, we started Flandre in the Spring Split."

After he finished speaking, the training room fell silent. Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to Su Mo.

Flandre was leaning back in his chair when he heard this, and he immediately sat up straight, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

He came to EDG for the championship, but what he is going to replace is the championship monument itself.

This pressure is as heavy as Mount Tai.

Facing everyone's gaze, Su Mo calmly nodded: "I agree. I need to rest. Saint Gun's skill and experience are top-notch. Moreover, the team needs to learn how to win games when I'm not on the field."

"And what about you, Brother Mozi?" Jiejie couldn't help but ask.

"Me?" Su Mo laughed. "I'm still here, aren't I? Just think of me as the team's hidden boss. You guys go ahead and charge into battle, and if you can't win, I'll come out and clean up the mess."

These words were spoken with great confidence, even bordering on arrogant, yet no one questioned them.

And so the decision was made.

EDG officially announced their Spring Split roster shortly after: starting top laner Flandre and substitute top laner Mo.

As soon as the news came out, public opinion was in an uproar.

"What?! Mozi is a substitute?!"

"Are you crazy, EDG?! They've benched a god-like player?"

"To be honest, this is the most extravagant substitute in history, bar none!"

"I get it, EDG is playing the deep end. They're using the regular season to fine-tune their new roster, keeping Mozi as a nuclear weapon, and then unleashing him in the playoffs to seal the victory!"

"Don't overthink it, everyone. It's just that Mozi wanted to slack off. Otherwise, who in EDG would dare to do that?"

The 2021 LPL Spring Split has gradually begun amidst much anticipation.

However, just three days before the start of the competition, a call came from the LPL official organization to EDG manager Abu's mobile phone.

"Brother Bu, this is the tournament organizer from Riot Games." The voice on the other end of the phone was enthusiastic.

"Hello, Mr. Zhang, what are your instructions?" Abu immediately recognized the other party's identity.

"I wouldn't presume to give instructions," Mr. Zhang smiled. "There's something I'd like to discuss with your club, especially with Brother Mozi. You know how much attention the opening match of the Spring Split, the first match of the year for our LPL, receives. So, the league, including all our broadcasting platforms and sponsors, unanimously hope... that Brother Mozi can fire the first shot."

Abu frowned: "Mr. Zhang, this... we've already announced the roster and formulated a rotation plan for the Spring Split. Starting Flandre is the result of careful consideration by our coaching staff, and it's for the team's long-term benefit..."

“I understand, I completely understand!” Manager Zhang interrupted him. “We’re not trying to interfere with your tactical arrangements, it’s just this one match, the opening match! Think about it, a four-time champion FMVP, annual MVP, Solo King, starting the new season under his leadership, what a huge buzz this is! This isn’t just for EDG, it’s for the entire LPL’s start to the year!”

Abu was still hesitating when General Manager Zhang changed the subject, lowering his voice:
“I know Mozi is a rather… easygoing person. Please tell him for me that this isn’t a club task, but rather the league asking him to do them a favor. To express our gratitude, we will officially pay Mozi one million yuan as a separate ‘special guest appearance fee’. After tax.”

Abu gasped.

One million, for a best-of-three series.

This is no longer an appearance fee; this is blatant "money power."

Although this amount of money may not seem like much to Su Mo, objectively speaking, it is already quite a lot.

He probably doesn't even command an appearance fee as high as many top entertainment stars...

Most importantly, although Su Mo is a bit too lazy, he wouldn't object to playing a couple of rounds.

The organizers really went all out to generate buzz for the opening match.

"...I'll try my best to convey it." Abu hung up the phone and walked towards Su Mo's lounge with a complicated expression.

"One million?" Su Mo raised an eyebrow after hearing Abu's account, then smiled. "These people really know me." "Then you..."

"Let's play." Su Mo answered decisively. "It's stupid not to make money when you can. Tell Saint Gun to let him rest for one more game. I'll take over for the first game, just to give the league some face."

When the news was announced within the team, Jiejie was the first to yell: "Holy crap! Mozi, this one game of yours is worth a year's salary for me! That's inhuman!"

Flandre breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled wryly and said, "So I'm the highest-paid 'sparring partner' in LPL history, right? Just a tool for Mozi to warm up."

This minor incident quickly escalated into a public relations disaster through official channels.

LPL's official Weibo account released another announcement:

[Starting lineup updated for the S11 Spring Split opening match: EDG.Mo will start as the top laner, kicking off the new season!]

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Far away at T1's base in South Korea, Faker was watching the recording of the fifth game of the S10 finals alone in the training room.

When his teammates showed him the news, he simply nodded calmly, his gaze never leaving the demon wielding a giant sword on the screen. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse:

"He... is still evolving."

On Reddit, a popular forum in Europe and America, the related post was immediately pushed to the front page.

After all, as a four-time champion, Mo's every move is closely watched, no matter where he is.

Discussions about him on the international internet are endless:
"Holy crap? Mo is playing the opening match? I thought Flandre was their new top laner?"

"Rifle China knows all too well how to boost ratings. It's all about money, baby!"

"Honestly, I feel sorry for Flandre. The pressure must be immense."

"Who cares about Flandre? I'm just here to watch God play! Charge!"

Amidst all the excitement and anticipation, the opening match of the LPL Spring Split has officially arrived.

Location: Shanghai Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center.

It's not far from EDG's base, so it's very convenient to get there.

When Su Mo and the others arrived, it was already past four in the afternoon, more than an hour before the start of the competition. The area outside the venue was already packed with people, a sea of ​​excitement.

Fans from all over the country gathered here, turning this place into a pilgrimage site for the LPL. The silver flags bearing the EDG team logo and the LNG Qilin battle flag complemented each other. Fans had face paint on them, waved light sticks of their idols, and sang battle songs at the top of their lungs. Their heartfelt enthusiasm could almost completely dispel the chill of early spring.

Inside the venue, the lights were as bright as day.

On the huge circular screen, the brand-new promotional video for Season 11 was playing on a loop. The exciting music mixed with the deep bass from the sound system being tested on-site, making every audience member's heart race and their blood boil.

The atmosphere in the backstage dressing room was completely different from the hustle and bustle outside.

The LNG team members sat upright, with the coach giving them final tactical instructions behind them, and a solemn expression on each of their faces.

Their opponents are the defending champions EDG, and even more so, that man—Mo.

This match was not just the opening game for them, but also a trial to challenge divine authority, and the pressure was immense.

On the other side, the atmosphere in EDG's lounge was much more relaxed.

"Brother Mozi, your net worth is too high," Jiejie said while having the makeup artist fix her hair, still envious of what had happened before. "One best-of-three series is enough for me to buy so many pairs of limited-edition sneakers!"

Before Su Mo could speak, Meiko chimed in, "If you can win four FMVP awards, let alone a million, the league would be willing to send you ten million if you wanted it."

Jiejie was speechless after hearing that sentence, which made everyone around her burst into laughter.

Time ticked by, and finally, the lights in the stadium dimmed in an instant.

After a brief pause, the cheers of thousands of spectators merged into an even louder roar as they awaited the start of the ceremony.

A spotlight suddenly shone on the center of the stage.

Amidst the billowing smoke, a tall, well-dressed figure in a sharp suit slowly emerged.

His face was clearly reflected on the big screen at the venue—a face that was both familiar and long-lost to LPL viewers.

"It's him! It's Ren Dong!"

"Brother Dong! Holy crap, it really is Brother Dong!"

"My youth has returned!"

An incredulous gasp and applause erupted from the audience.

Ren Dong, the former star host of LPL, has reappeared on the stage of this highly anticipated opening match after experiencing the ups and downs of his life!

He stood in the center of the stage, took a deep breath, and wore a familiar, calm, and powerful smile.

He gripped the microphone tightly and, with his signature, penetrating, and magnetic voice, announced the start of the new season:
"Uncompromising in spirit, unrestricted in action! Summoners, welcome to the 2021 League of Legends Pro League Spring Split! I am your host today, Ren Dong!"

"Oh!!!"

No need for many words, just this name and this voice are enough to ignite the emotions of all the longtime viewers.

Ren Dong's eyes reddened slightly, but he quickly composed himself and began the next part of the process with the utmost professionalism and enthusiasm.

"A new season, a new journey! Today, two top teams will fire the first shot of this new year for us! First, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome the challengers—LNG, the formidable team from Suzhou!"

To the accompaniment of rousing music, the LNG team members took the stage one by one.

The man standing in the middle, whose ID is "Tarzan," has sharp eyes. He is LNG's most crucial signing this season and the team's absolute core.

They bowed to the audience, their faces showing a determined desire for victory.

"Now, next up is our defending champion of the S10 World Championship! The four-time LPL champion! Let's welcome EDG with the loudest cheers!!!"

The sound reached its peak at that moment!

Jiejie, Scout, Viper, and Meiko were the first to walk out, eliciting screams from the audience.

Ren Dong's voice rose to its highest point at this moment: "Finally, let us welcome the player who single-handedly wrote a legend of an entire era! LPL player number 001! Our FMVP! Our Solo King! Our MVP of the Year! Welcome—EDG.Mo!!!"

The moment Su Mo's figure emerged from the shadows of the passageway and appeared under the lights, the entire venue seemed to tremble!
"Mo—!!!"

"god--!!!"

That thunderous roar was faith, worship, and the most direct respect from LPL viewers for the man who brought them unparalleled glory.

Su Mo simply waved casually to the audience, a faint smile playing on his lips. His composure made it seem as if he wasn't there for a fierce competition, but rather for a relaxed date. (End of Chapter)