LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

Su Mo met Qin Lan's beautiful eyes, which seemed to see right through people, and calmly drank the last sip of champagne in his glass.

The rich aroma of the wine spread across his tongue, yet his mind was clearer than ever before.

“A broader stage?” He put down his wine glass, his voice completely calm. “Miss Qin, you might as well be more specific.”

Qin Lan wanted his composure. If he were easily blinded by this grand concept, he wouldn't be worth all this trouble.

She leaned forward slightly, the neckline of her evening gown creating an even more breathtaking curve, but her voice was extremely low, carrying the rigor and decisiveness of a business negotiation: "Specifically, it will be done in three steps. The first step, and the most crucial one, is to secure a permanent spot in the LPL."

She held up a slender finger: "As you know, since the league reform, LPL no longer has promotion and relegation. The slots are fixed, and there are only two ways to enter: either wait for the league to expand its recruitment, but that's a long way off and the competition is fierce; or, you can acquire a slot from an existing team."

“I’ve checked,” her eyes sharpened. “Currently, there are several LPL teams that consistently rank at the bottom, have underdeveloped commercial value, and whose investors are experiencing cash flow problems and are seeking to be sold. For example, TT or V5, their asking price is around 2 to 3 million. I’ll cover that money.”

Su Mo raised an eyebrow slightly.

Two or three hundred million yuan came out of her mouth as easily as buying a piece of clothing.

Qin Lan seemed oblivious to his surprise and continued, extending her second finger: "The second step is to build a team. You will be the absolute core and captain, and we can even give you a portion of the equity, making you one of the team's owners. As for the players, besides you, we need four top-tier teammates. This is the simplest part; as long as you, Mo Shen, raise the call, free agents from across the LPL and even the world will be scrambling to join. As for the coaching staff, analysts, and support team, we can directly poach the best from the LCK. The base and equipment will all be the best."

"The third step," her eyes gleamed with ambition, "is our true 'empire.' Team performance is just the foundation. What we want to do is use your personal brand as the core, radiating throughout the entire pan-entertainment industry. We'll establish an MCN agency, sign top streamers; develop co-branded streetwear brands; invest in and produce esports-themed films and television dramas; and even build our own youth training academy, creating a complete and sustainable esports ecosystem. What we want to create is not another EDG or RNG, but a behemoth spanning esports and capital."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Su Mo quietly, waiting for his reply.

She believed that no man could refuse such a blueprint for creating his own empire.

Su Mo fell silent.

It must be admitted that Qin Lan's plan is logically clear, ambitious, and every step is grounded in reality.

She wasn't just making empty promises; she actually presented a highly feasible business plan.

Owning a team that is entirely your own and building it according to your own philosophy is indeed a very tempting thing.

But he also knew what that meant.

This means he will transform from a pure player into a composite figure with multiple identities, including player, boss, and businessman.

He will bear the responsibility for the entire team's operations, performance, and the future of all its members. His current leisurely days of "playing when he's good and resting when he's not" are gone forever.

More importantly, he has a special affection for EDG, for Abu, and for Clearlove.

“This blueprint sounds very ambitious.” After a long while, Su Mo finally spoke slowly. He looked at Qin Lan with calm eyes, “But Miss Qin seems to have overlooked one issue.”

"what?"

"I am still a member of EDG."

Upon hearing this, Qin Lan was not disappointed at all; instead, her smile widened even more: "Of course I know. What I admire is precisely your quality of valuing relationships. I didn't ask you to make a decision immediately; I'm just offering you a new possibility. You can take your time to consider it."

Just then, the refined-looking man, Zhou Yi, walked over again, holding a wine glass.

"It seems you two are getting along very well." Zhou Yi had a gentle smile on his face, but his gaze subtly swept between the two of them. "You wouldn't mind if I joined in, would you?"

"Of course not, Mr. Zhou, please have a seat." Qin Lan gracefully turned to the side.

“Brother Mozi,” Zhou Yi turned his gaze to Su Mo, “I just heard President Qin talk about the e-sports empire, which was indeed very exciting. However, I have a different opinion.”

"Oh?" Su Mo looked at him with interest.

“Going from zero to one certainly has the thrill of pioneering new territory, but the risks and costs involved are also enormous.” Zhou Yi swirled the whiskey in his glass. “With your talent and industry insight, Brother Mozi, there is actually another easier and more influential path you can take.”

He paused, then extended his offer: "Our Shengshi Group's strategic investment department is currently preparing an investment fund focused on emerging cultural industries, with a scale of tens of billions. We desperately need an expert like you—someone who truly understands the industry, understands young people, and possesses top-tier prestige—to serve as our 'special advisor.' You won't need to handle complicated daily affairs; you only need to provide your professional opinions when we make major investment decisions. Of course, the corresponding advisory fees and project profit sharing will definitely satisfy you."

If Qin Lan's suggestion was to let Su Mo step down and become king, creating a kingdom of his own...

Zhou Yi's proposal was to directly invite Su Mo into the power core of an existing, vast empire, to become the "Imperial Tutor" who would guide the country.

Of course, Su Mo felt that it might not actually be as good as he described.

Two completely different paths lay before Su Mo.

Qin Lan's expression darkened slightly; she hadn't expected Zhou Yi to poach her right in front of her.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat awkward.

Just then, an untimely voice broke the moment of tranquility.

It was Mr. Li from Tianhong Capital. He was slightly drunk and staggered over, slurring, "Oh, Mr. Zhou and Mr. Qin are both here... I still think you guys overestimate these gamers. Influence? Can influence put food on the table? In the end, isn't it all about youth? Once their performance declines in a couple of years, who will remember them?"

These words, filled with drunken arrogance and prejudice, instantly brought the atmosphere to a freezing point.

A cold glint flashed in Qin Lan's eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Su Mo laughed first.

He stood up, walked over to Mr. Li, picked up an unopened bottle of champagne from the table, handed it to him, and said with an innocent smile, "Mr. Li is right, our industry really is a young person's game."

Mr. Li was taken aback, thinking that Su-Mo was admitting defeat, and a smug look appeared on his face.

However, Su Mo's next words instantly froze the smile on his face.

“However, this is a young person’s game,” Su Mo’s voice remained calm, but every word was like a nail, “Last year, when we won the S-series championship, the prize money from the official tournament organizers and the live streaming platforms alone amounted to eight figures after tax. Not to mention the subsequent commercial endorsements and club renewal fees. I roughly calculated that it could buy about 3% of the circulating shares of the listed company that you, Mr. Li, own.”

He paused, then shoved the champagne into Mr. Li's arms, patted him on the shoulder, and his smile became meaningful: "So, you're right, I have to eat as much as I can while I'm young. Otherwise, when I get old, I might only be able to fill my stomach by bragging, just like you, Mr. Li."

"Pfft..."

Someone in the crowd couldn't help but laugh.

Mr. Li's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. He pointed at Su Mo, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Su Mo didn't look at him again, turned around and raised her glass to Qin Lan and Zhou Yi: "I had a very pleasant evening, thank you both for your hospitality. It's getting late, I have to go back to the base now."

After saying that, he turned around and calmly walked towards the elevator amidst the complicated gazes of the crowd.

Only after his figure disappeared behind the elevator doors did Zhou Yi withdraw his gaze, glance at the trembling Mr. Li beside him, shake his head, chuckle lightly, and turn to leave.

Only Qin Lan remained, gazing in the direction Su Mo had left, her beautiful eyes sparkling with wonder.

This man was much more interesting than she had imagined.

……

It was late at night when we got back to the base.

Su Mo took a shower and lay in bed, her mind still replaying everything that had happened that night.

Qin Lan's "imperial blueprint" and Zhou Yi's "invitation from the imperial tutor" were like pebbles, stirring up ripples in his originally calm heart.

He knew that as his reputation continued to grow, he would have more and more of these choices in the future.

But there must be a lot of calculation involved, which you need to discern for yourself.

After thinking for a moment, he picked up his phone and, almost unconsciously, opened the factory manager's WeChat.

Are you asleep?

Unexpectedly, the factory manager replied almost instantly after the message was sent.

"No, I'm watching a game replay. What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

Su Mo didn't hide anything and briefly told the factory manager about what happened that night, as well as Qin Lan and Zhou Yi's suggestions.

The factory manager remained silent for a long time on the other end of the phone.

“Xiao Mo,” he said again, his voice tinged with emotion, “you have reached a height that all of us professional players dream of but can never reach.”

“I don’t have any good advice for you,” the factory manager said sincerely, “because both paths are promising for you. I just want to ask you one question.”

"what?"

"Do you still want to win?" the factory manager asked. "Not as a boss, not as a consultant, but just as a player, do you still want to stand on that stage and lift that trophy? Is that fire in your heart still burning?"

Su Mo held his phone, looked out at the deep night, and fell into a long silence.

Is that fire still there?
he asked himself.

The answer is self-evident.

Just as he was lost in thought, his phone screen lit up again with a new WeChat message.

It's neither Qin Lan nor Zhou Yi.

It's Rita, not Rita.

"Still out fooling around? I heard a rich woman came looking for you today in an aircraft carrier? (/disdain)"

Su Mo looked at the message, which was filled with jealousy, and smiled helplessly.

The dynasty had not yet been established, but the harem was already on the verge of collapse.

He didn't explain much, only replying, "I can smell the sourness of this bowl of vinegar even through the phone screen. Don't worry, Sister Ta's position as the empress is as secure as Mount Tai."

After the message was sent, there was a long silence on the other end before a red face emoji with a little fist punching your chest was sent back.

After ending the call with Rita, Chen Lie sighed silently again.

The factory manager's soul-searching question—"Is that fire still burning in your heart?"—was the answer.

Su Mo had already given himself the answer that night.

Still.

Not only was it still there, but after witnessing the even larger and colder world represented by Qin Lan and Zhou Yi, built by capital and power, the flame of competition in his heart burned more intensely than ever before.

A business empire? A capital advisor?
That's not what he wants right now.

Because he disliked living under someone else's roof.

Even if he really wanted to build his own esports empire, he would have the resources to be his own boss.

But all of this seemed a bit too troublesome for someone like Su Mo who liked to be lazy.

I'll think about it more before making a decision later.

……

The landscape of the LPL changed dramatically over the next two weeks.

Su Mo did not appear again, and EDG's starting top laner was firmly handed over to Flandre.

After defeating TES, EDG's morale and confidence reached their peak. Flandre also seemed to have unlocked his full potential, no longer fixated on playing it safe, and his playstyle began to incorporate what Su Mo called "banditry".

Against WE, his Kennen unleashed devastating attacks, electrifying the entire game.

Against SN, his Gwent was agile and graceful, taking down the enemy general amidst a sea of ​​enemies.

EDG has been on a winning streak, maintaining its dominant position at the top of the leaderboard with near-invincibility.

In an instant, public opinion on the internet reversed once again.

"I declare that EDG has already secured the Spring Split championship! Their dominance is terrifying!"

"Holy Gun is the perfect piece of the puzzle for EDG! He can tank and carry, and his champion pool is bottomless!"

"Viper is simply a god! He consistently carries the game, this is what a champion AD carry should be!"

"That's it, Mozi can really go on a date with the rich woman without worry, EDG doesn't need him anymore."

"..."

Praise poured in from the outside world, and the EDG team members unknowingly underwent a subtle change in their mentality.

Victory can sometimes be the best glue, and sometimes it can be the most numbing poison.

In the seventh week of the regular season, EDG faced a tough opponent on their winning streak – IG.

Although IG at that time had long since lost the glory of its peak in S8, TheShy and Rookie, the mid and top lane duo, were still the most lethal spearheads in the LPL.

Their playing style is always unpredictable, full of chaos and passion. When they have the upper hand, they are unstoppable demons; when they are at a disadvantage, they can always create incredible miracle team fights.

The EDG players were clearly underestimating their opponents.

On match day, the atmosphere in the backstage lounge was as relaxed as if they were preparing for a regular ranked game. "Playing against IG? Easy," Jiejie boasted while having his hair styled by the makeup artist. "Watch how I'll thrash Xun this game, treating his jungle like my own backyard!"

Saint Gun also seemed very confident: "TheShy plays too aggressively, he's full of openings. I'll stay calm and wait for him to get carried away."

Only Su Mo sat on the sofa in the corner, looking at IG's pre-match data on the screen, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"Don't be careless," he reminded them. "You can't judge IG by common sense."

However, his reminder was clearly not taken seriously enough by his teammates.

In the first game, EDG made their first mistake during the draft phase.

They unleashed TheShy's signature champion – Kalista, the Spear of Vengeance.

"Putting Kalista in?" Su Mo saw this draft backstage and immediately said to Clearlove next to him, "This is too risky. There isn't a champion in Flandre's champion pool that can reliably counter Kalista."

The factory manager nodded: "It is a bit risky. They probably think that we have an advantage in the bottom lane and can win through team fights."

The match began, and the laning phase in the top lane quickly proved Su Mo's concerns true.

Flandre picked Gnar, attempting to use his long-range advantage to kite the enemy. But TheShy's Kalista, with an almost unreasonable kiting style, took the word "kiting" to its extreme.

Every jump, every spear thrust, felt like a gash being ripped open in Flandre's heart.

It was as if Chen Lie was beating anyone else, giving his opponent no chance to breathe.

Five minutes later, without any jungle intervention, TheShy took advantage of the minion wave and seized on a slight mistake by Gnar in controlling his rage, securing a solo kill on Flandre in lane!

First Blood!

This solo kill was like toppling the first domino.

EDG's formation is in disarray.

Eager to help the top lane regain their footing, Jiejie abandoned his original jungle farming rhythm and insisted on ganking the top lane. As a result, Rookie and Xun, who were prepared, executed a perfect counter-gank, resulting in the deaths of both the top laner and jungler.

The snowball started rolling wildly towards IG.

After securing two kills, TheShy's Kalista completely transformed into a top lane demon. He even abandoned farming, directly controlling the minion wave in front of the tower, repeatedly diving the tower to whittle down Flandre's health.

Saint Gun's mentality has undergone a subtle change.

He started to get impatient, and his actions began to go awry.

Twenty minutes later, IG, with a huge economic advantage, easily took down Baron Nashor.

At 25 minutes, TheShy's Kalista secured a pentakill in front of the fountain, and EDG's main crystal exploded.

A thoroughly satisfying massacre.

The atmosphere in the backstage dressing room was somewhat somber.

When the team members walked in, their faces were filled with disbelief.

"Cheer up! It's just one game!" Abu tried to boost morale. "Next game, we'll ban Kalista and play well!"

In the second game, EDG banned Kalista.

But IG pulled out an even more unreasonable lineup.

Rookie picked Lucian for mid lane, while TheShy chose Vayne for top lane!

"Top lane Vayne?!" Miller's voice changed in the commentary booth. "IG has completely gone mad! They're going to use the most extreme offense to destroy EDG's defense!"

And indeed, that was the case.

Flandre's Renekton was completely overwhelmed by TheShy's Vayne in lane. Every time he tried to trade blows, Vayne would push him away with her E skill and then chase him down with several arrows.

EDG's entire lineup appeared sluggish and rigid, completely unable to keep up with IG's relentless offensive pace.

Another crushing defeat in 23 minutes.

0: 2!

EDG's winning streak was unexpectedly and abruptly ended by IG in the most brutal and ruthless way!

When the EDG players returned to the rest room, the atmosphere had reached rock bottom.

Saint Gunner huddled in the corner of the sofa, holding his head in his hands, looking utterly remorseful.

Jiejie slammed her headphones on the table in frustration, making a loud thud.

"What happened?! Huh?!" Abu finally lost his temper, pointing at the glaring statistics on the tactics screen, "The two games combined were less than 50 minutes! You got crushed 0-2! Is this the strength of someone ranked first on the leaderboard? Where is your confidence? Where is your strategy? Were you all wiped out by TheShy alone?!"

No one dared to speak.

Su Mo stood up, waved his hand to signal Abu not to speak, then walked to the water dispenser, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Holy Gun Bro, who was huddled in the corner.

"Have some water." His voice was calm.

Saint Gun slowly raised his head, his eyes reddening, his voice hoarse: "Brother Mozi...it's...it's my problem."

His confidence has been destroyed by TheShy's two unreasonable hero choices and plays.

He looked at his distraught teammates and then at Flandre, who was already in a state of self-doubt, and took a deep breath.

He knew he had to do something.

He walked to the tactical whiteboard, picked up a pen, and erased all the data analysis on it.

Then, he turned around and his gaze swept across the faces of each team member.

"We lost." His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, instantly drawing everyone's attention. "It was a humiliating defeat. Right now, outside, online, they're probably tearing us apart. Calling us a 'fake powerhouse,' all sorts of nasty things are being said about us."

He paused, his eyes sharpening: "But so what?!"

"Is it shameful to get crushed by TheShy's long-range attacks in two games?!" He stared directly at Flandre. "It's not pleasant, but what's there to be upset about? Have you forgotten how I chased him from the first tower to the fountain with Fiora in S8? TheShy isn't human. If you try to reason with him, you've already lost! To deal with a madman, you have to be madder than him!"

He then looked at Jiejie: ​​"And you? You've been completely overwhelmed by Xun, a rookie jungler, and forgotten how you slaughtered Canyon like a pig at the World Championship?"

Finally, his gaze swept over the entire team: "We are the champions! We are the world champions who lifted that trophy over the corpses of countless opponents! One regular season loss has robbed you of your courage?!"

His words struck like heavy blows to everyone's hearts.

The rest room remained silent, but the team members' eyes had begun to change.

"Next match, we're playing FPX." Su Mo's voice softened. "I hope everyone can be more confident and believe in themselves. Losing one or two matches is normal."

Saint Gun looked up at Su Mo and nodded seriously.

However, at this moment, Abu spoke up: "How about you go up and play a game in the next match, Mozi, to promote it in advance and reassure the fans?"

“This…” Su Mo hesitated.

He wasn't trying to slack off, but he felt that if he was always made to handle things, what would happen if he left EDG? What would he do then?
Before he could think it through, the factory manager chimed in, "Let's play a game together, Mozi. It'll be a chance for you to show your face, so that everyone doesn't forget that EDG even has a player like you."

"Alright then," Su Mo could only reluctantly agree.

……

The news of EDG's crushing defeat to IG, and the announcement that Su Mo would once again "save the day," were like two bombshells, igniting the entire LPL media frenzy once more.

Fans' emotions were like a rollercoaster ride, instantly shifting from disappointment with EDG to fervent anticipation of the "return of the gods."

A week later, EDG will face off against FPX.

The highlight of this match was undoubtedly the top lane duel – Mo vs Nuguri.

One is the FMVP of S10, and the other is the top top laner of S10.

In the first game, Su Mo chose Camille for the top lane.

Nuguri then brought out one of his signature champions—Kennen.

Everyone thought this would be a classic Kennen long-range vs. short-range matchup.

However, Su Mo's almost abnormal positioning and perfect control of distance made Nuguri's Kennen extremely uncomfortable from start to finish.

At level three, Su Mo seized the opportunity when Nuguri went forward to last-hit a minion, used his E skill to hook the wall, and then used his second kick to stun Kennen. This smooth combo took away half of Kennen's health and forced him to use Flash.

At level six, after pushing the minion wave to the tower, Su Mo immediately activated his ultimate, [Hextech Ultimatum], trapping Nuguri under the tower. After dodging the fatal damage from Kennen's ultimate, [Thunder Prison], Su Mo unleashed a burst of damage, securing a solo kill on Nuguri!

Throughout the match, Su Mo's Camille was like the most elegant assassin, tearing FPX's formation to pieces.

EDG easily won the first game!

In the second game, FPX seemed to have been woken up. They banned Camille, and Nuguri picked Gnar, hoping to stabilize the laning phase.

Su Mo, in his last counter pick, locked in a hero that surprised everyone—

Ocean disaster, Planck!

"Captain?!" the doll exclaimed. "Using Captain against Gnar? The early laning pressure is just too much!"

However, the course of the match once again exceeded everyone's expectations.

Su Mo's captain, in an almost "sneaky" way, perfectly weathered the early game's weak phase. He used the range of his Q skill and the vision in the bushes to constantly kite Gnar.

FPX's jungler Bo attempted to gank the top lane twice, but Su Mo easily thwarted both attempts with a well-timed orange and precise positioning.

As the game progressed into the middle stage, Su Mo's terrifying power truly became apparent after his captain acquired Trinity Force and Collector.

Two-barreled containers, three-barreled containers...

Each barrel was like a precision-guided bomb, exploding loudly within FPX's formation!

FPX's backline didn't even dare to approach the front lines easily.

Finally, in a team fight around Baron Nashor, Su Mo used a "family bucket" hidden in the bushes to instantly reduce FPX's two carries to low health, securing the victory!

2: 0!

EDG defeated the formidable FPX with overwhelming force!

After the match, Flandre sat on the bench behind Su Mo, looking at the figure in the center of the stage receiving cheers from the entire audience, his eyes filled with complex emotions, yet also with a bright light.

He seemed to... understand something.

Just as the entire EDG team was immersed in the joy of victory, no one noticed that an undercurrent targeting Su Mo was quietly surging online.

That evening, a marketing account called "Esports Insider" suddenly published a long article, along with several carefully edited photos taken at ambiguous angles.

[Shocking revelation! Bullying within EDG confirmed? Veteran player forced to step down; behind the god-like image lies manipulation and ruthless suppression by capital!]

The article is full of incitement and smear campaigns.

It blamed Flandre for EDG's loss to IG, and distorted Su Mo's "firefighting" actions as a "premeditated script" to suppress Flandre and consolidate its own "dominant position" within the team.

Those photos were maliciously edited.

One photo is a candid shot of Su Mo "scolding" Saint Gun in the lounge, and the other is a distant shot of him and Qin Lan chatting happily at a wine tasting event.

The article concludes by implying that Su Mo's significant influence within the team is inseparable from the support of "mysterious capital."

This article quickly went viral in a short period of time!
Some uninformed "righteous bystanders" and haters who already harbored resentment towards Su Mo swarmed in like sharks smelling blood.

#SuMoTeamBeater#
#My heart aches for Flandre#
#EDG Capital Team#
One topic after another quickly rose to the top of the trending searches.

At EDG's base, Abu looked at the distorted and outrageous exposé on his phone, trembling with rage.

"This is outrageous! Someone is definitely sabotaging us behind the scenes!"

Su Mo, however, remained surprisingly calm as he looked at the trending topic.

He thought about it carefully and realized that he hadn't offended anyone.

If I had to name one, it would probably be that CEO surnamed Li. (End of Chapter)