LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

When Su Mo returned to the base, the cool night breeze dispelled some of the effects of the alcohol.

Yu Shuang's words, "Everything is fine," and her last meaningful sentence, "I hope there will be another opportunity next time," still echoed in his mind.

He shook his head and chuckled. Perhaps he was overthinking it. As the face of the LPL, Yu Shuang had extremely high emotional intelligence, and maintaining good relationships with players in the industry was simply part of her job.

Back in the dorm, Jiejie was indeed still awake, wearing headphones and chatting with viewers in his live stream. Seeing Su Mo enter, he immediately took off his headphones, grinning mischievously as he approached: "Brother Mo, not bad, coming back so late, were you with Aunt Yu Shuang... hehehe."

"Get lost," Su Mo rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "It's just a meal with friends, how can your thoughts be so filthy?"

"Tch, I don't believe you for a second." Jiejie scoffed, but didn't ask any more questions. She put her headphones back on and immersed herself in her live streaming career.

After Su Mo finished washing up, he lay on the bed, and his phone screen lit up briefly.

It was a message from Yu Shuang: "Have you arrived home yet?"

Su Mo replied, "I've arrived. How about you?"

"We've arrived. Goodnight [smile]."

Su Mo did not reply, placed her phone face down on the bedside table, and closed her eyes.

However, what he didn't know was that his ordinary dinner with Yu Shuang had already stirred up a huge wave in the ocean of the internet.

A paparazzi studio known for breaking news about scandals in the entertainment and e-sports circles released a set of high-definition photos at 11 p.m. sharp.

In the photo, Su Mo and Yu Shuang walk out side by side in front of an elegant Japanese restaurant. Although there are no overly intimate gestures, the scene of the two smiling at each other and getting into the same car, under the ambiguous lighting and tricky shooting angle, seems to be full of a story.

[Exclusive Scoop! Esports God Mo Spotted Having Dinner with LPL's Top Star Yu Shuang, Sparking Relationship Rumors!]

This title, like a depth charge, instantly ignited Weibo.

The topics #SuMoYuShuang'sRelationship# and #ThePerfectCoupleInEsportsCircle# rose to the top of the trending search list in just half an hour with unstoppable momentum, followed by a bright red "hot" sign.

The comment section was completely flooded with comments:
"Holy crap! Holy crap! My two dimensional barriers have been broken! What kind of god-like combination is this?!"

"I can't accept this! Brother Mozi is mine! Aunt Yu Shuang is mine too!"

"To be honest, they are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. I'll bow in respect first!"

"Guan Zeyuan wept bitterly! The cooked duck flew away!"

"Don't bring irrelevant people upstairs. I'm shipping Mo Shuang this time. Who agrees? Who disagrees?"

"I object! Mozi and Rita are clearly a couple! I can't accept this!"

The vortex of public opinion quickly spread to another party involved.

At this moment, Rita had just finished a live stream and was lying lazily on the sofa, scrolling through her phone while wearing a face mask.

When she saw that glaring trending topic, the smile on her face instantly froze.

She clicked on the photo and looked at the harmonious and well-matched figures of Su Mo and Yu Shuang in the picture. A strange bitterness and grievance welled up in her heart.

She picked up her phone, her finger hovering over Su Mo's number for a long time before finally dialing it.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Su Mo's sleepy voice came from the other end: "Hello? Sister Ta?"

"Did I disturb your rest?" Rita's voice didn't reveal much emotion, but Su Mo still sensed something was off.

"No, I was just about to go to sleep. What happened?"

“It’s nothing serious,” Rita paused, but couldn’t help asking, “I just wanted to ask you… was your dinner with Yu Shuang… good?”

Su Mo instantly regained his senses.

He opened Weibo, saw the trending topic, and immediately felt a headache coming on.

He smiled wryly and said, "It was just her treating me to a meal, a normal colleague gathering."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.

"Okay, I understand." Rita's voice sounded a little muffled. "Then you should get some rest. Goodnight."

After saying that, she hung up the phone.

Su Mo sighed helplessly as he listened to the busy tone on his phone.

He knew that although Rita said she was fine, she was definitely jealous inside.

What is this called!
I didn't gain any advantage at all!
I wonder which shameless guy took these photos secretly for the sake of getting views.

……

The scandal gradually subsided as both parties ignored it.

After all, this wasn't the first or second time Su Mo had been involved in such scandals, so the general public just treated it as entertainment and didn't delve too deeply into it.

Meanwhile, the LPL Spring Split is in full swing.

As planned, Su Mo entered "vacation mode," and Flandre took over as EDG's starting top laner.

With the additions of Viper and Flandre, EDG displayed overwhelming dominance in the early stages of the Spring Split, achieving a winning streak and topping the standings. Viper's unparalleled laning ability and Flandre's seasoned experience made this EDG team seem flawless.

In an instant, the internet was filled with praise for this galactic warship.

"Viper is amazing! This is what a champion AD should be like!"

"Holy Gun has joined EDG, and he no longer has to be the carry. He's playing so comfortably now!"

"That's it, Mozi can retire now, this EDG team doesn't need him anymore!"

However, in the fourth week of the regular season, EDG faced their first real test of the new season – against the reorganized RNG.

RNG has undergone a major roster change.

With legendary ADC Uzi retiring, mid laner Xiaohu transitioning to top lane, and rookie mid laner Cryin and jungler Wei taking on key roles, this seemingly "out-of-the-way" RNG team has unexpectedly unleashed astonishing energy, achieving a winning streak and securing second place in the standings, closely following EDG.

This match, hailed as the "battle for the top spot," is also seen as a fateful duel between two generations of powerhouses.

On match day, the stadium was packed to capacity.

"Welcome to the highlight match of the LPL Spring Split regular season!" Miller's voice was passionate as he spoke from the commentary booth. "Today's match is between the undefeated EDG and the unstoppable RNG! This is destined to be a clash of titans!"

Su Mo sat on the sofa in the lounge, watching the game on the big screen.

Beside him was the factory manager, who also hadn't played.

"This game won't be easy," the factory manager said suddenly, looking at the draft picks on the screen.

In the first game, EDG narrowly defeated RNG thanks to Viper's perfect performance with Kai'Sa in the late-game team fights, taking the first game.

But it was clear to everyone that EDG's victory was not easy.

RNG's jungler Wei put immense pressure on Jiejie's jungle, while Xiaohu, who transitioned to top lane, played Gnar with unparalleled skill, making it very difficult for Flandre's Jayce to play.

In the second game, the tide turned dramatically. RNG's bot lane duo, GALA and Ming, picked Xayah and Rakan, and exerted absolute dominance in the lane, completely overwhelming Viper and Meiko's Senna and Tahm Kench.

Meanwhile, Xiaohu's Gnar stepped up once again, delivering several crucial "Buddha's Palm" attacks that shattered EDG's formation.

RNG has successfully turned the tide!
In the deciding game, the atmosphere between the two sides was extremely tense.

To prove himself, Flandre picked Lucian, a champion known for his strong laning phase, hoping to dominate Xiaohu's Gnar in lane.

However, Xiaohu, a veteran player with many years of experience, perfectly neutralized Flandre's offensive. He controlled the lane, called for the jungler, and even in a skirmish after reaching level six, used precise rage control to execute a smooth combo, securing a solo kill on Flandre!

This solo kill became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

RNG's morale was at an all-time high, and they snowballed their advantage in the top lane. Finally, at the 32-minute mark, RNG decisively won the decisive game!
2: 1!

RNG ended EDG's winning streak!
As the RNG players rushed to the center of the stage and embraced in celebration, the EDG booth was deathly silent.

Saint Gun Bro lowered his head, his hands covering his face and trembling slightly.

He came to EDG to chase the championship, but he never expected to become the one who ended the team's winning streak.

The immense pressure and self-blame nearly crushed him.

The atmosphere in the backstage dressing room was incredibly tense.

Abu and the factory manager looked grim, and the team members were also dejected; no one spoke.

Just then, Su Mo, who had been silently watching the screen, stood up.

He walked over to Flandre and patted him on the shoulder.

Saint Gun raised his head, his eyes reddening: "Brother Mozi, I..."

"It's alright." Su Mo's voice was calm, yet it carried a reassuring power. "Losing a regular season game is nothing to worry about. What we should be doing now is identifying the problem and solving it."

He looked around at his demoralized teammates and said slowly, "You are all very strong, but you are playing too 'politely' right now. You are always thinking about playing the safest combination and the most perfect team fight, but League of Legends sometimes requires some unreasonable things."

He paused, his gaze finally settling on coach Abu.

"Brother Bu," his voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, "Let me play in the next match against TES."

Abu and the factory manager exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and relief in each other's eyes.

They knew that the sleeping "hidden boss" was finally about to be awakened.

Su Mo's words were like a reassuring pill, instantly easing the oppressive atmosphere in the entire lounge.

Jiejie was the first to jump up, wailing, "Brother Mozi! You've finally come out of seclusion!"

Saint Gun also raised his head, looking at Su Mo with a complex mix of gratitude, guilt, and relief.

He knew that Su Mo chose to return at this time not because he was playing poorly, but to help him and to share the pressure with the whole team.

"Thanks, Brother Mozi," he said sincerely.

"No need to thank me, we're teammates. Don't forget I'm your substitute." Su Mo smiled, his calm and composed demeanor as if his team hadn't just lost the game. "Take a few more games to rest, adjust your mindset, and see how I play on the field. Sometimes, playing games requires a bit of a 'bandit' spirit."

Abu nodded, his expression serious as he addressed everyone: "Alright, now that Xiao Mo has decided to play, we need to readjust our tactics. The next match against TES will be a tough battle! Jackeylove and Knight are in top form, we can't afford to be complacent!"

The news of EDG's loss to RNG quickly caused a huge uproar online.

"EDG's undefeated streak has been broken! RNG is awesome!"

"I told you, without Mozi, EDG is just so-so!"

"Holy Gun Bro is still lacking; he can't step up in crucial moments."

"I feel sorry for Viper. He tried his best in every game, but the top lane was his weak point."

Various doubts and pessimistic voices have become rampant.

However, amidst this uproar, EDG's official Weibo account released a brief announcement the following day at noon:

[LPL Spring Split Week 5, EDG vs TES, starting lineup updated: Top laner EDG.Mo.]

This announcement was like a thunderbolt, instantly shaking the entire LPL esports community.

"???????"

"My God! Is a god about to emerge from the mountains?!"

"Hahahaha! I knew it! Mozi couldn't sit still after EDG lost! This is the king's return, here to clean house!"

"TES: I was terrified! We just wanted to play a regular season game, why did we get matched against the final boss?!"

"Knight vs Scout, Jackeylove vs Viper, Karsa vs Jiejie, these are already top-tier matchups, and now we're adding Mo vs 369? This is too much to bear! The match hasn't even started yet, and I'm already suffocating!"

The news of Su Mo's imminent return quickly overshadowed all the negative impacts of EDG's defeat, and fans' expectations were instantly raised to the max.

Everyone wanted to see how this god, who had been slacking off for almost a month, would lead EDG to face the powerful Top Esports team.

A week passed in the blink of an eye amidst intense training and the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

On match day, the Shanghai Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center was once again filled with enthusiastic fans. Red TES support flags and silver EDG support flags complemented each other, creating a spectacular sea of ​​fans.

Backstage, in the TES lounge, the atmosphere was relaxed and confident.

"Brothers, let's play well today!" Coach White Crescent clapped his hands, giving a final pep talk. "EDG just lost a match, their morale is definitely affected. Although Mo is playing, we're not pushovers! Knight, put some pressure on mid lane! Karsa, focus on top lane early on, don't let him have an easy time!"

Meanwhile, in EDG's rest room, Su Mo was resting with his eyes closed.

Jiejie paced back and forth, looking even more nervous than if she were going to play herself: "Brother Mozi, are you sure you can handle it? It's been so long since you've played a match, are you out of practice?"

"What do you think?" Su Mo didn't even lift his eyelids.

“I think…” Jiejie thought for a moment, then smiled obsequiously, “I think TES’s top laner can already start preparing for the next game.”

Su Mo's lips twitched: "Can't you be a little more reliable when you talk? People will hate you if they hear you like that."

"Hehe, with you, Brother Mozi, leading the way, what am I afraid of?" Jiejie grinned mischievously, leaving Su Mo feeling helpless.

However, it's clear that everyone is in a good mood right now and hasn't been too affected by the previous loss to RNG.

Amidst great anticipation, both players took to the stage.

When Su Mo reappeared on stage, the cheers from the audience were even more deafening than during the opening match. It wasn't just a welcome; it was an anticipation of a "king's return."

"Alright, viewers! Welcome to the highly anticipated LPL Spring Split matchup! EDG vs. TES!" Miller's voice was filled with excitement as he spoke from the commentary booth. "After a short break, we see that man is back! Mo will be making his regular season debut in this clash of titans!"

Wawa also remarked, "TES must be under immense pressure right now. But this is what the LPL should be like! The strongest players, on the most prestigious stage, engaging in the ultimate showdown! I can't wait!"

The match has officially entered the draft phase. (End of Chapter)