LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The day after the match, EDG gave the players a half-day off to relax and prepare for the upcoming finals.

Su Mo naturally wouldn't miss this good opportunity to slack off.

Of course, even if EDG doesn't give him a break, he'll still slack off, since nobody cares.

So, after politely declining Meiko's offer of a ranked climb and Jiejie's Korean server solo training, Su Mo leisurely left the base alone.

He didn't have a specific destination; he just wanted to wander around Shanghai and enjoy the rare tranquility.

He first went to a well-established noodle shop and ordered a bowl of steaming hot plain noodles. The noodles were chewy and the soup was delicious, and he ate to his heart's content.

Next, he wandered into an antique market and glanced at the various old objects.

In the afternoon, Su Mo went to a movie theater and casually bought a ticket for a recently released art film.

The film tells a mundane story about pursuing dreams and loss. In the dark theater, Su Mo watched the light and shadow on the screen and felt the emotional fluctuations brought by the film, as if he had completely withdrawn himself from the hustle and bustle of competition.

When he came out of the movie theater, he took out his phone and found several unread messages.

One of the messages was from Luo Xin, asking if he wanted to go hiking together.

Su Mo hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Okay, when?"

Luo Xin quickly replied, "I've already arranged with Rit for tomorrow morning, we'll go together!"

Su Mo smiled and replied, "Okay."

The next morning, at the foot of a mountain near Shanghai, Su Mo met Luo Xin and Rita.

Luo Xin was wearing a light gray tracksuit and had her hair tied in a high ponytail, making her look youthful and energetic.

Rita wore a tight-fitting yoga outfit that perfectly accentuated her shapely figure, and she also wore a pair of large sunglasses, making her look like a star.

Both of them wore light makeup and looked exceptionally radiant in the sunlight.

"Brother Mo! Over here!" Rita spotted Su Mo at a glance and waved happily.

Su Mo stepped forward and greeted them with a smile: "Two beautiful ladies, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Rita looked Su Mo up and down and laughed, "Oh, it's rare to see you in sportswear. Don't you usually wear T-shirts and shorts?"

Su Mo shrugged: "Isn't this to match you two beauties?"

After exchanging a few jokes, the three of them began their mountain climbing journey.

The mountain road winds its way up, flanked by dense forests and fresh air.

At first, everyone was in high spirits, chatting as they walked.

As the altitude increases, the mountain road begins to become steeper.

Rita has a regular fitness routine, so although she was a little out of breath, she could still keep up.

Luo Xin gradually began to feel physically exhausted and needed to stop and rest from time to time.

"Ouch, I can't take it anymore, my back is killing me!" Luo Xin said, panting, as she leaned against a nearby tree trunk.

"Sister Hunchback, your stamina is terrible!" Rita teased from the side.

"What do you know? I've put all my energy into the explanation!" Luo Xin retorted stubbornly.

Seeing Luo Xin drenched in sweat, Su Mo stepped forward and said, "How about I give you a hand?"

He reached out his hand, and Luo Xin glanced at Rita, who rolled her eyes: "Why are you looking at me? Sister Tuozi is my best friend, do you think I have a problem with you pulling her?"

"Ahem, mine." Su Mo realized he had been petty.

So along the way, Su Mo would occasionally help Luo Xin up, or catch her waist quickly when she was about to fall.

After walking for a while, Rita said, "Brother Mozi, I'm tired."

Su Mo immediately said, "How about I carry you on my back, Sister Ta Zi?"

"No, please pull me up. Can you pull me and Sister Hunchback together?"

"Okay, of course!"

So, Su Mo started climbing up, pulling one person with each hand.

The three of them stopped to rest at a viewing platform halfway up the mountain.

From here, the city scenery below can be seen in its entirety, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

Luo Xin took out her phone and took a few photos of the distance, then turned to Su Mo and said, "Brother Mo, why don't you move over a bit and I'll take a picture of you?"

Su Mo walked over with a smile and struck a casual pose.

Luo Xin raised her phone, pointing it directly at him. Su Mo's face on the screen appeared sharply defined in the sunlight. This usually lazy young man was radiating a unique light at this moment.

With a "click," the shutter fell.

"Okay, take a look." Luo Xin handed the phone to Su Mo.

Su Mo took the phone and glanced at it. The photo showed herself against the backdrop of a distant city and blue sky, and it was quite well-taken.

He nodded: "Not bad, not bad, Sister Hunchback's photography skills are top-notch."

“That’s right, I’m a professional commentator, well-rounded.” Luo Xin proudly raised her chin.

Rita looked at the two of them, her eyes darting around, seemingly lost in thought.

After a short rest, the three continued climbing and finally reached the summit.

The wind was strong at the top of the mountain, but the view was expansive, which made one feel open-minded.

The three sat down in the pavilion at the top of the mountain and each took out a bottle of water to replenish their fluids.

"Hey, seriously." Rita suddenly stopped smiling and looked at Su Mo with a serious expression. "Brother Mo, do you... have any feelings for Sister Tuozi?"

This question came out of nowhere, leaving Su Mo momentarily speechless.

The fact that these words came from Rita's mouth made it all the more strange.

Luo Xin quickly waved her hand: "Sister Ta Zi, what are you saying? Brother Mo Zi and I are just good friends."

Su Mo touched his nose and smiled awkwardly, "Your question is too direct."

“Oh, what’s wrong with saying this? We’re all adults, just say what you want to say,” Rita encouraged. “Just think of it as a truth or dare game, there are no outsiders here.”

Su Mo remained silent for a few seconds, then looked up at the distant sky, pondering how to answer.

Does he like Luo Xin? Perhaps he has some feelings for her, but not enough to make him want to take things further.

He has always been one to let things take their natural course, neither forcing nor deliberately avoiding them.

"Luo Xin is a very good girl." Su Mo finally gave a somewhat official answer, "Gentle and generous, and very hardworking."

"Hey, stop giving me that bureaucratic airs!" Rita frowned in annoyance. "I'm asking if you have those kinds of feelings for her! You mean... the kind of feeling where you want to date her!"

Su Mo smiled helplessly: "Don't I already have you?"

Rita pouted, clearly not satisfied with the answer.

She suddenly leaned closer to Su Mo, lowered her voice, and said in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Brother Mo, let me ask you something even more shocking. If... I mean, if you really like Sister Tuozi, then I... I can actually accept it. I know she definitely likes you."

Su Mo was truly stunned this time. Looking into Rita's eyes, which held a hint of cunning yet also a touch of seriousness, he was momentarily speechless.

"What...what do you mean by this?" Su Mo asked tentatively.

Rita blinked, her smile becoming somewhat ambiguous again: "It means exactly what it says. We're sisters, after all. If Sister Tuozi finds happiness, of course I'll be happy for her. And... Brother Mozi is so outstanding, I wouldn't mind having another... well, another sister is still a sister."

As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at Luo Xin, whose cheeks were flushed.

Su Mo instantly understood what Rita meant, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry!
Su Mo patted Rita on the shoulder, feigning seriousness: "Stop talking nonsense. If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll have to keep my distance from you."

"Oh, just kidding!" Rita stuck out her tongue and laughed again, but there was still a hint of something unreadable in her eyes.

Luo Xin finally turned around, looked at Su Mo, then at Rita, her eyes filled with doubt: "What are you two whispering about? What secret are you keeping from me?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" Rita immediately waved her hand. "Brother Mozi said you did a great job climbing the mountain today, you had a lot of perseverance!"

"Really?" Luo Xin's face lit up with a happy smile, clearly pleased with the compliment. Su Mo could only shake his head helplessly; these two women... they really made him both annoyed and amused.

After resting for a while at the summit, the three began their descent.

The path down the mountain is relatively easier, but some parts are quite steep.

After descending to the foot of the mountain, the three found a small restaurant and had a simple meal.

At the dinner table, Rita and Luo Xin chatted back and forth, while Su Mo listened quietly, occasionally chiming in.

After dinner, Rita took Luo Xin back first, saying she didn't want to disturb Su Mo as he went back to the base to work.

Su Mo thought that Rita probably wanted to say something to Luo Xin alone.

However, he didn't care much and chose to return to the base alone.

After returning to the EDG base and taking a shower, he lay on his bed, reflecting on his hiking trip that day.

Rita's words, "I can actually accept it," kept echoing in his mind.

He smiled and shook his head.

Never mind, we'll deal with the rest later.

Now, the most important thing is the upcoming matches.

The next day, the EDG base quickly returned to its usual tense and solemn atmosphere.

With only three days left until the Spring Split Finals, the air is thick with the smell of gunpowder as the big battle approaches.

Their opponent is also a veteran powerhouse, RNG, who fought their way up from the winners' bracket in the regular season.

This spring, RNG is on a roll, and the story of top laner Xiaohu "rebuilding his glory" has inspired countless people.

It is the strongest obstacle on EDG's road to victory.

Coach Abu and the factory manager gathered all the team members in the conference room for a final tactical review.

On the huge electronic screen, RNG's playoff game recordings were played repeatedly.

"RNG's core strategy is to protect Gala in the bot lane, while using Wei's tempo to influence Xiaohu and create synergy between the top and jungle." Abu drew circles on the screen with a laser pointer. "Jiejie, Wei's gank routes are very tricky, so you need to pay more attention to counter-ganking. Viper and Meiko in the bot lane will face a lot of pressure, and Gala's current form..."

The team members listened intently, and even Su Mo, who usually liked to daydream during meetings, unusually put aside his laziness and stared at the screen with great interest.

Before the meeting ended, Manager Abu cleared his throat: "Tomorrow morning, the league has arranged for the filming of the promotional video and trash talk segment for the finals. Everyone get ready. Especially Mozi, the cameras will definitely give you a lot of screen time. Remember to trash talk and humiliate the other side. Anyway, they can't beat you."

Su Mo's lips twitched: "Sister Bu, you really aren't afraid of me getting scolded?"

The crowd burst into laughter, which eased the tense atmosphere considerably.

The next day, at the LPL official photography studio.

The huge studio was brightly lit, and staff members were bustling about, appearing extremely busy.

The players from both EDG and RNG have already done their makeup and changed into their distinctive black and white team uniforms, and are waiting in their respective rest areas.

Su Mo always kept his distance from such occasions. He almost fell asleep while the makeup artist was applying makeup to his face. After finally getting through it, he immediately found a corner sofa, put on his headphones, and prepared to continue "slacking off."

"Hey, isn't this EDG's new star player? Why are you hiding here all by yourself?" A cheerful voice came from behind.

Su Mo took off one earphone and looked up, only to see RNG's top laner Xiaohu walking towards him with two cups of coffee.

"Brother Tiger," Su Mo greeted him politely. He had a lot of respect for this veteran who had been playing since his debut and could still deliver top-level performances after switching from mid lane to top lane.

"Here you go, Brother Mozi." Xiaohu handed him a cup of coffee and sat down next to him.

"Thank you." Su Mo took the coffee and took a sip.

"Are you going to play?" Xiao Hu asked casually.

"So you're here to gather intelligence, huh?" Su Mo raised an eyebrow. "That depends on the coach's arrangements. Generally speaking, if we're going to win, I'll slack off."

"I knew it. If you're going to go first, remember to go easy on me."

"No, out of respect for you, I must give it my all!"

"..." Xiao Hu chuckled, "Alright, whatever happens, I'll give it my all. See you on the field, Brother Mozi!"

OK! See you on the field!

The two exchanged a smile, not a tense exchange, but rather a tacit understanding of mutual respect.

After all, both of them are considered veterans of the LPL.

Shortly afterward, filming officially began.

The contestants were required to make various cool and domineering expressions.

The photographer was fine with the others, but when it came to Su Mo, he was in a bind.

"Teacher Su Mo, make your eyes even fiercer! Yes, imagine you've just killed your opponent in a one-on-one fight!"

Su Mo tried to widen her eyes.

He thought to himself, "Not many opponents can defeat me in a one-on-one fight..."

"...Teacher Su Mo, your expression doesn't look like you've just casually defeated someone in a one-on-one fight, but rather like you've just casually defeated someone else in a one-on-one fight."

The entire audience burst into laughter. Jiejie laughed the loudest: "Brother Mozi, show me the kind of fierceness you showed when you stole my blue buff!"

Finally, Su Mo gave up struggling and simply looked at the camera with his signature lazy and disdainful gaze.

Unexpectedly, the final product turned out surprisingly well.

That nonchalant demeanor, under the spotlight, actually created a unique and powerful aura, as if nothing in the world mattered to him.

After filming, it was time for the much-anticipated trash talk segment.

The two teams of contestants sat on opposite sides, with a camera set up in the middle.

RNG will start first.

Support player Ming fired first, saying to Meiko, "Tianye, it's been so many years, shouldn't I get a Spring Championship by now? You've won so many championships."

Meiko smiled slightly: "Xiaoming, no one will ever complain about having too many championships."

The jungler, Wei, looked at Jiejie and said, "I heard you're the 'pig farm bully'? I'm taking over the jungle in the finals. You should go back to raising pigs."

Jiejie retorted without backing down: "In my jungle, even pigs will be chained up if they come. You'd better think twice about what you're doing."

When it was Xiaohu's turn, he looked intently at Su Mo: "Brother Mozi, your individual skills are very strong, but League of Legends is a five-player game. Our RNG team is best at playing as a team! Welcome to RNG's team game."

The tension grew stronger, and everyone's attention was focused on Su Mo.

As EDG's trump card, his remarks have attracted much attention.

Su Mo slowly picked up the microphone, glanced around at the RNG players opposite him, a lazy smile curving his lips, and began to speak:
"I've heard that RNG has a wealth of tactical reserves and does a very detailed review of their games, leaving no detail overlooked."

He paused, and the RNG members, not understanding why, thought he was going to offer some polite praise first.

Su Mo abruptly changed the subject, his tone casual yet carrying an undeniable air of dominance:

"That's good, but we've already started studying MSI's competitors ahead of time."

"On the day of the final, I will try to finish in three games so as not to delay everyone's dinner."

After he finished speaking, the entire room was silent for a few seconds.

RNG remained silent because they couldn't find anything to refute.

If it were someone else saying it, it wouldn't be so bad, but Su Mo's strength is undeniable...

On EDG's side, Jiejie was stunned for a moment, then burst into a thunderous laugh, while Flandre slapped his thigh and cheered.

That trash talk is so Su Mo's style!
There were no profanities, no roaring, yet it was arrogant to the extreme!
The director couldn't help but laugh out loud behind the camera and gave Su Mo a thumbs up.

Su Mo is usually very humble in post-match interviews, even the director was worried he might talk trash, so he remained humble. Now it seems Su Mo does know how to create some drama. (End of Chapter)