LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

After the online bullying storm subsided, Su Mo also began to relax and take a break.

Because his teammates were invincible in the game, he felt justified in slacking off.

In the final stages of the regular season, Flandre firmly held the starting top lane position for EDG. After experiencing the crushing defeat against IG and receiving guidance from Su Mo, this experienced veteran seemed to have unlocked his full potential and unleashed his full potential.

Against WE, his Kennen's "Thunderbolt" left WE's backline helpless in team fights.

Against RA, his Jayce dealt massive damage with a single shot, showcasing the veteran top laner's deep champion pool.

Against LGD, he even picked Lulu for top lane, paired with Viper's Jinx, to create an ultimate four-protect-one strategy that left the opponent in despair.

After that brief, unexpected setback, EDG's machine restarted and, with an even more unstoppable momentum, crushed all the remaining opponents in the regular season.

With the dust settled on the final day of the regular season, the final standings for the LPL Spring Split of Season 11 have been officially released.

LPL Spring Regular Season Final Standings:
EDG (Edward Gaming): 16 wins - 2 losses

RNG (Royal Never Give Up): 14 wins - 4 losses

TES (Top Esports): 12 wins - 6 losses

JDG (JD Gaming): 12 wins - 6 losses

FPX (FunPlus Phoenix): 11 wins - 7 losses

Team WE: 11 wins - 7 losses

SN (Suning): 10 wins - 8 losses

RA (Rare Atom): 10 wins - 8 losses

IG (Invictus Gaming): 9 wins - 9 losses

LNG (LNG Esports): 8 wins - 10 losses

With an undisputed record of 16 wins and 2 losses, EDG topped the regular season standings and became the "final boss" in the eyes of all playoff teams.

Following closely behind is RNG, who have undergone an incredible transformation, with Xiaohu transitioning to top lane and continuing their winning streak. TES and JDG, two traditionally strong teams, have also held their ground, ranking third and fourth respectively. FPX, WE, SN, and RA narrowly secured their spots in the playoffs.

It's regrettable that IG, who had once won a resounding victory against EDG, suffered inconsistent performances afterward and ultimately finished ninth with a record of 9 wins and 9 losses, narrowly missing out on the playoffs by just one win.

LNG, where M1kuya plays, lost all hope of advancing much earlier.

With the regular season over, the atmosphere in the entire LPL has become heavy. After a short break, the even more brutal and exciting playoffs are about to begin.

This year's S11 Spring Split playoffs adopted a brand-new "double-elimination bubble" format.

EDG and RNG, ranked first and second respectively, will be directly promoted to the semifinals winners' bracket, allowing them to sit back and watch the other teams fight, thus gaining an advantage.

The remaining teams will have to go through a brutal single-elimination tournament from the bottom up to determine the two final challengers who will join EDG and RNG in the semifinals.

The playoff matchups are as follows:
Upper half:
EDG (Awaiting Qualification)
JDG (Awaiting Qualification)
SN vs WE
Lower half:
RNG (waiting to advance)
TES (Awaiting Advancement)
FPX vs RA
According to the tournament format, EDG's first playoff match will be against the winner between JDG and the winner of the match between SN and WE. Regardless of the opponent, this is destined to be a tough battle.

A week before the playoffs officially began, the LPL organizers, as is customary, held a grand "Playoffs Media Day" event at their Shanghai headquarters.

All the players and coaches representing the eight teams that advanced to the playoffs will gather together to take official photos, record promotional videos, and participate in the most anticipated "pre-match trash talk" segment.

On this day, the entire EDG team appeared at the media day event dressed in the latest black patterned suits provided by their sponsor. When Su Mo followed at the back of the team, hands in his pockets, walking lazily into the studio, all the media cameras and staff present were instantly drawn to him as if by a magnet.

Even though he didn't play for the second half of the regular season, he was still the undisputed focus of the league.

"Ink God! Take a look this way!"

"Brother Mozi! Smile!"

Amidst the flashes of cameras, Su Mo simply nodded casually at the camera before walking straight to EDG's rest area. He found the most comfortable sofa and sat down, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

The filming and interview process proceeded smoothly.

Finally, the highly anticipated "trash talk" segment has arrived.

Representatives from the eight teams walked onto the stage one by one, formed a circle, and began their pre-competition "friendly" greetings under the sweet guidance of the host, Yu Shuang.

iBoy from RA fired the first shot: "SN, I heard you guys haven't been in good form lately. I hope you can hold on a bit longer and not let us finish too quickly, otherwise it will seem like we're disrespecting our seniors."

SN's Angel immediately retorted: "We're just saving up our big move for the playoffs. As for you guys, are you comfortable riding the last train of the regular season? Don't let yourselves be eliminated in the playoffs in one day."

FPX's Doinb shouted in his signature exaggerated tone, "I don't care who comes up here! We'll send you all home one by one! Then, we'll go challenge the highest peak!" As he spoke, he pointed in the direction of EDG below the stage.

When it was RNG's Xiaohu's turn, he pushed up his glasses, his face radiating the confidence of a man who had returned to his "Spring Tiger Emperor" form: "We beat EDG in the regular season, so... I think everyone knows who the real number one is. We'll be waiting for any challenger in the finals."

The smell of gunpowder is getting stronger and stronger.

Finally, under everyone's gaze, the one who spoke on behalf of EDG was not captain Meiko, nor Flandre who performed well in the regular season, but Su Mo, who had been sitting in the audience as if he was about to fall asleep.

Meiko nudged him, and he reluctantly stood up, slowly walked onto the stage, and took the microphone from Yu Shuang.

The entire room fell silent instantly.

All the contestants and all the media were waiting for this "god" to speak.

Su Mo glanced at his eager opponents on the stage, yawned, then brought the microphone to his lips and spoke slowly in a calm tone:
"The regular season is over, and everyone seems to be in good spirits, which is great."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, but in reality, he was thinking about what to eat for lunch.

A few seconds later, he spoke again, but his eyes became sharper, like a drawn sword that instantly pierced through all the noise in the room.

"I don't have much to say, but I'd like to inform everyone of something in advance."

His gaze swept across the faces of each opponent, finally settling on the gleaming replica of the LPL Silver Dragon Cup in the center of the stage.

“We’ve already reserved this trophy. Your next matches are just about competing for a runner-up spot, and… the right to challenge us, only to be sent home by us.”

"So, good luck to all of you. I hope you can play some exciting matches and not make the finals too boring."

After speaking, he handed the microphone back to Yu Shuang, nodded politely to everyone, then turned around and walked off the stage in the deathly silence of the entire audience.

A few seconds later, a tremendous uproar and commotion erupted at the scene!

"Crazy! Too crazy!"

"This isn't just trash talk, it's a verdict!"

"Shrimp and pork heart! Just tell everyone you're only here to compete for second place!"

The expressions on the faces of the other contestants on stage became incredibly complex. There was anger, there was resentment, but more than anything, there was the immense pressure that arose from being looked down upon by an absolute powerhouse.

They knew Su Mo wasn't joking.

And this war, which belongs exclusively to spring, was completely ignited by this trash talk that can be described as a "divine declaration"!
Su Mo's declaration, "Let's make the finals less boring," was like a depth charge dropped on a calm lake.

When the LPL official released the edited "trash talk" segment video to various platforms, the public opinion surrounding the entire esports community was instantly pushed to its peak.

The video's comment section became a battleground for fans to celebrate and debate.

"Holy crap! Mozi's words are amazing! He's practically taunting us across the entire map!"

"This is the kind of domineering presence that the league's number one player should have! If others say this, it's arrogance, but when Brother Mozi says it, it's just stating the facts!"

"RNG fans are not convinced! We swept EDG twice in the regular season, and the Spring Tiger Emperor can quell any dissent!"

"Doinb has set Mozi's quote as his alarm clock. He hears it every day and is full of motivation!"

"Hahaha, the whole league has become EDG's sparring partner, right? Just waiting for a playoff upset, that would be the most entertaining!" The clamor from the outside world, like a storm before a mountain rain, foreshadowed an unprecedented playoff storm about to hit.

Meanwhile, the teams at the center of the storm have entered their final and most intense closed preparation period.

Contrary to the outside world's expectations of a relaxed atmosphere with the championship in sight, the training room at EDG's base was bustling with activity.

On the huge tactical screen, JDG's regular season match replays were being played repeatedly. Coach Abu and Clearlove, along with their analyst team, were analyzing their first potential opponent frame by frame.

“JDG is very resilient,” Abu circled JDG jungler Kanavi’s movements with a laser pointer. “Kanavi’s map control is top-notch. He is very good at using vision advantage to invade and counter-gank. Jiejie, you will face a lot of pressure in the jungle during the playoffs. We must limit him in the draft and at the same time make sure to place defensive wards at the entrance to the jungle.”

The factory manager pointed to top laner Zoom on the screen: "Zoom has a strange champion pool. He can play fighters, as well as pure tanks like Maokai and Ornn. Flandre, you're under a lot of pressure in lane. He might pick some champions to coordinate with Kanavi for top-jungle synergy. We need to be prepared for a 2v2."

The team members listened attentively, occasionally jotting down key points in their notebooks.

Su Mo, on the other hand, remains the most uniquely styled individual.

Instead of participating in the heated tactical discussion, he pulled up a chair and sat behind Flandre, leisurely reading a novel while listening to the others' discussion in a casual manner.

……

In the afternoon, Flandre was playing a custom game with the second team's top laner, practicing the details of laning against Gnar with Renekton.

After playing for more than ten minutes, although Flandre had a lead in last hits, he always felt that he couldn't gain much advantage in trading blows. Several times, he was tricked into using his key skills by Gnar's kiting, which made him seem a bit impatient.

"Gunner, you used your E skill too carelessly."

Behind him, Su Mo's lazy voice suddenly rang out.

Saint Gun was taken aback, stopped what he was doing, and turned around: "What do you mean?"

“Gnar is most vulnerable to being burst down at close range. Your two E abilities are what he fears most.” Su Mo put down his phone, walked over to him, and pointed at the screen. “You see, every time he tries to poke you, he instinctively maintains a safe distance that he can use his E to jump away. Don’t always think about using E to attack him; that’s his rhythm. What you need to do is push forward and use your positioning to force him to use his E. Once he uses his E, he’ll be a squishy champion who can only take hits for the next ten seconds or so.”

He paused, then added, "Also, your timing for using your Red Rage W was wrong. Don't always think that stunning him is enough. Sometimes, the intimidation effect of that W is much greater than when you actually use it. If you hold onto your Red Rage W and walk forward, will he dare to come up and finish him off?"

His words enlightened Saint Gun.

He played another game following Su Mo's strategy, and sure enough, the pressure in the laning phase instantly increased to a whole new level. The usually troublesome Gnar became timid and vulnerable in front of him.

At the other end of the training room, Abu and the factory manager watched this scene unfold and exchanged a smile.

This is the value of Su Mo's existence.

He may not need to undergo the same high-intensity mechanical training as other players, but his deep-rooted understanding of the game and his insight into the situation and people's hearts are the most valuable assets of the entire EDG team.

He's like a pillar of strength; as long as he's there, the team's morale won't waver.

Of course, it's not just EDG; the entire LPL has entered the final sprint stage.

The RNG headquarters was brightly lit. As the second seed, they had only one goal—to rebuild their former glory.

Xiaohu, who has been in excellent form since transitioning to top lane, is practicing long-range champions like Jayce and Kennen to make up for the shortcomings in his champion pool.

Jungler Wei and support Ming were practically inseparable, duo-queuing in high-elo Korean servers to hone their jungle-support synergy. They knew very well that EDG was their biggest enemy on their road to the championship, and Su Mo was the mountain they had to overcome.

FPX's training room, however, presents a completely different scene.

Doinb's live stream was still running, but he had no time to interact with the chat. There were three monitors in front of him: one showing EDG's match replays, one showing his own first-person perspective, and the other densely packed with various data and tactical ideas.

He would furrow his brow at times, and at other times slam his fist on the table excitedly, muttering to himself, "Ryze...Aatrox...Sett...How can this guy play everything?! No, I have to think of a way to come up with some kind of high-tech cheat..."

The TES players turned the humiliation of being defeated twice by EDG in the regular season into motivation for intense training.

Knight and Jackeylove, the two carries, practically live and work in the training room. Their Korean server ranked game history is packed with practice sessions, with daily training exceeding 16 hours. They aim to use their most refined skills to erase their regular season defeat.

In addition to the intense training within the team, the "practice sessions" between teams are also in full swing.

To simulate the highest level of competition, EDG and RNG, the top two teams in the regular season, have become each other's most fixed training partners for the first time ever.

On the first day, Flandre started, and EDG and RNG played a full five games, with both sides winning and losing, resulting in a score of 3:2, with EDG having a slight advantage.

RNG's coach Tabe said during the post-game analysis: "EDG's macro play is still very strong, but we still have a chance to break through Flandre's defense. Xiaohu, keep putting pressure on him!"

The next day, during the final game of the training match, Su Mo from EDG yawned, stretched, and said to Flandre, "I'm going to stretch my wrists."

RNG had no idea about this.

When they saw the opposing top laner's ID change from "Flandre" to "Mo", everyone was stunned for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, Su Mo, on the fifth floor of the blue team, locked in a hero that made the entire RNG team gasp in shock—

Irelia, the Blade Dancer!

"Irelia?!" Xiaohu's voice changed in RNG's voice chat. "This guy... does he really use such fancy tactics in scrims?"

As everyone knows, this hero is one of Su Mo's most skilled heroes; every time he picks it, it's basically a merciless massacre...

Unsurprisingly, that training match turned into a one-sided massacre.

Su Mo's Irelia achieved three solo kills against Xiaohu's Gnar during the laning phase.

After reaching level six, he pulled off an amazing 1v2 comeback, killing RNG's top and jungle.

In the mid-game, his Irelia was like a ghost, moving freely in team fights. RNG's backline simply couldn't handle this monster who was so far ahead in development.

At 18 minutes, RNG's base crystal was destroyed by SuMo's Irelia.

RNG's voice chat was completely silent.

After a long silence, Xiaohu said with a wry smile, "Brothers... I think I know that the two games we won in the regular season weren't played seriously at all."

There are only three days left until the start of the playoffs.

The intense preparations are coming to an end, and all the teams are giving their players half a day off to make final mental and physical adjustments.

Su Mo, unusually, did not linger at the base, but instead went to the Huangpu River alone.

Instead of going to the bustling tourist area, he found a quiet riverside promenade, enjoying the cool river breeze and watching the passing boats and the dazzling lights on the opposite bank.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Rita.

"Hey Mozi, I heard the playoffs start tomorrow. Are you nervous? Want me to give you some pre-match mental coaching? (/playful)"

Su Mo looked at the message, smiled, and replied, "It's alright. I'm thinking about whether to have crayfish or barbecue for supper tonight."

"...Can't you act like a professional player?!" Rita sent an angry emoji. "Everyone else is preparing intensely, and you're acting like nothing's wrong!"

“When it comes to competitions, mindset is the most important thing, and you know I usually don’t play,” Su Mo replied.

"Hmph, nonsense." Rita was silent for a while, then sent another message, her tone much more serious, "Seriously, good luck. Whether you play or not, I hope you can win."

Su Mo replied with a kiss emoji.

He put away his phone, put his hands in his pockets, looked at the city lights reflected on the river, and took a deep breath.

The air carried a hint of the warm, slightly damp feeling of late spring and early summer.

Sixteen wins in the regular season, bold statements on media day, crushing victories in scrimmages... all of that is now just a thing of the past.

The real war begins tomorrow.

Hopefully, I won't be proven wrong... (End of Chapter)