LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

That evening, EDG Club generously booked out a high-end restaurant in downtown Reykjavik with a view of Fahsa Bay.

This restaurant is known for its fresh Icelandic seafood and unique Nordic cuisine, and outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is the magnificent Icelandic summer sunset that lasts for hours.

The celebration banquet was both lively and relaxed. There were no business tycoons or media reporters present, only the entire EDG team, coaching staff, and a few LPL official staff who had traveled with the team.

"Come on! Let's toast to our back-to-back MSI championships!" Meiko raised her juice, beaming with pride.

"cheers!"

The laughter and chatter of the boys echoed in the warm restaurant.

Su Mo did not participate in the young people's playful antics; all his attention was focused on the plate of grilled Icelandic lobster served on a volcanic rock plate in front of him.

Bright red shrimp shells, plump shrimp meat, paired with a special butter and garlic sauce, create an irresistible aroma.

"Finally, I can eat." Su Mo cut off a piece of shrimp meat with satisfaction and put it in his mouth. The firm and chewy texture and the unparalleled sweetness made him close his eyes comfortably.

The factory manager, carrying a glass of lemonade, sat down next to him. Looking at his gluttonous appearance, he couldn't help but laugh and cry: "You're supposed to be the number one player in LOL, is this all you aspire to?"

"Otherwise what?" Su Mo asked without looking up. "After winning the championship and getting the prize money, isn't the point to eat well and sleep well?"

These insightful words made the teammates around him laugh.

Just then, Abu walked over with his phone, a smile of excitement on his face: "The country is in an uproar! We're in seven of the top ten trending topics on Weibo! #EDG 3:0 DK#, #MoRiven#, #GodsDontBleed#... they're all trending! Even CCTV News' official account posted a congratulatory message!"

This news brought the atmosphere at the scene to another climax.

Jiejie exclaimed excitedly, "Really? Let me see! I'm truly honored to have brought glory to my ancestors!"

Looking at the overwhelming praise and congratulations on her phone, even the usually composed Meiko's eyes welled up with tears.

They knew that all their efforts had been rewarded in the best way at this moment.

Halfway through the celebration banquet, the club manager announced the upcoming itinerary: "Considering everyone's hard work these past few days, the club has decided to give everyone two days off before returning home. We'll spend these two days enjoying Iceland's unique natural scenery together, and all expenses will be reimbursed by the club!"

"Long live!" Jiejie cheered again.

……

On the morning of the second day, after bidding farewell to the tense competition, the entire EDG team embarked on a real trip.

They rented a comfortable tour bus and traveled along Iceland's most famous Golden Circle route.

The first stop was Thingvellir National Park, where the massive rift valley formed by the separation of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates made everyone feel the wonder of nature.

The second stop was Geyser. When the towering water jet burst forth amidst the gasps of the crowd, Jiejie was as excited as a child, dragging Scout to take a funny photo of them "foaming at the mouth".

Su Mo had little interest in the scenery that required waiting. He found a quiet bench, put on his headphones, and enjoyed the rare tranquility.

However, when the bus arrived at Golden Falls, even Su Mo was stunned by the sight before him.

The enormous waterfall is divided into two tiers, cascading down from the fault with a thunderous roar. The spray from the waterfall, illuminated by the sunlight, forms a magnificent rainbow.

The sheer grandeur and magnificence emanating from the heavens and earth make all the noise and strife in the world of esports seem insignificant.

"So?" Meiko walked up to him. "Which is more spectacular, the one in the game's Summoner's Rift or the one in the game?"

“There’s no comparison,” Su Mo shook his head and sighed sincerely, “One is the limit of human creation, and the other is a doodle by God at will.”

The two-day trip allowed the team members to completely relax.

They saw volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, and black sand beaches, and soaked in the Blue Lagoon hot springs to wash away their fatigue.

On the last half-day of their holiday, they returned to downtown Reykjavik to buy some souvenirs to take back home.

An unexpected incident occurred in a beautifully decorated souvenir shop on the busiest shopping street in the city center.

Jiejie took a fancy to a Viking-shaped horn cup and insisted on buying it to use as a prop for her live stream.

Viper, on the other hand, was enamored with the adorable Icelandic puffin plush toys.

Su Mo wasn't interested in these things; he simply strolled around with the others.

When Meiko called everyone to pay the bill, Su Mo habitually touched his pants pocket, preparing to take out his wallet.

However, his pockets were empty.

Su Mo's brows furrowed instantly.

He calmly searched all the pockets, but still found nothing.

My wallet is gone.

"What's wrong, Brother Mozi?" The observant Meiko noticed his unusual behavior.

“It’s okay,” Su Mo shook his head, his tone still calm. “I might have left my wallet at the hotel. You guys go ahead and buy what you need; I’ll pay with my phone.”

Although Su Mo spoke casually, Meiko still sensed something was amiss.

Su Mo is not the kind of person who is forgetful.

After paying and leaving the store, Meiko pulled Su Mo aside and whispered, "Is it really lost?"

Su Mo sighed and nodded: "Yeah, it was probably stolen. There wasn't much cash, but the ID and cards were a real problem."

"What?! Stolen?" Jiejie, who had sharp ears, immediately bristled. "Damn it! Who dared to steal our Brother Mozi's wallet! Call the police! We have to call the police!"

His shouting immediately attracted the attention of all his teammates.

"Don't rush," Su Mo said, restraining the impulsive Jie Jie, his eyes becoming unusually sharp. "Calling the police is too slow, and the chances of finding it are slim. Let me handle it myself."

After saying that, he slowly closed his eyes.

His teammates were stunned, not understanding what he was going to do.

Only the factory manager and Abu looked at him thoughtfully.

In Su Mo's mind, the scenes from the moment he entered the shopping street began to replay rapidly, like a videotape that had been fast-forwarded and slowed down.

Every passerby who brushes past him, every subtle physical contact, every glance... all the information recorded by his subconscious is being filtered, analyzed, and reorganized at an unprecedented speed.

This is his monstrous brain processing ability and dynamic visual memory, honed to the extreme by e-sports.

A few seconds later, Su Mo suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his pupils.

He spotted a scene: right in front of that souvenir shop, a man wearing a gray hoodie and a baseball cap brushed past him, making a very subtle gesture by bringing his arm close to his body.

He didn't pay attention at the time, but looking back now, he realizes that it was the most classic pickpocketing technique.

He didn't offer much explanation, but simply told everyone, "Wait for me here, I'll be right back."

After saying that, he turned around and walked back slowly in the direction he had come from, against the flow of people.

His steps were unhurried, but his eyes, like those of a hawk, scanned every corner of the street.

According to the habits of professional pickpockets, after a successful theft, they will not leave immediately, but will find a corner, quickly take out the cash from the wallet, and then discard the wallet and documents.

Su Mo's goal was to find the guy who was selling the stolen goods.

Sure enough, at the entrance of a small alley not far away, Su Mo saw the familiar figure in the gray hoodie. The man was facing away from the street, head down, seemingly fiddling with something in his hands.

Su Mo did not choose to rush up and shout, as that would only frighten the other party and make them run away.

He simply slowed down, took out his phone from his pocket, and pretended to look at a map, just like an ordinary tourist, and approached step by step.

Five meters, four meters, three meters...

Just as the two were about to pass each other, Su Mo spoke softly in fluent English at a volume only the other person could hear:
"Sir, how was the harvest?"

The man's body instantly froze on the spot, as if he had been frozen in place.

He slowly turned his head, his face beneath the baseball cap filled with disbelief.

Su Mo didn't speak again, but just looked at him quietly, a faint, cold smile on her lips.

The gaze carried no murderous intent, yet it was more oppressive than any threat, as if scrutinizing a flying insect caught in a spider web, struggling in vain.

Like icy seawater, it instantly engulfed the pickpocket.

He had spent years on the streets and boasted of having seen countless people, but he had never seen such a look in anyone's eyes.

He had no doubt that if he made any unusual moves, this seemingly thin young man from the East would make him remember this day forever in a way he could never have imagined.

A few seconds later, the man took the black wallet out of his pocket, handed it over respectfully with both hands, and mumbled something in Icelandic, probably an apology and a plea for forgiveness.

Su Mo took the wallet, opened it and checked it; cash, cards, and identification were all there.

He didn't leave immediately.

“Cellphone,” Su Mo said in English.

The pickpocket paused, puzzled, but still shakily pulled out his old phone.

Su Mo took it, turned on the front camera, and then stuffed the wallet back into the pickpocket's hand.

"Take it, and give me a smile." Su Mo's tone left no room for argument.

The pickpocket was completely stunned, but his survival instinct forced him to stiffly twitch the corners of his mouth, squeezing out a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Click."

After taking the photo, Su Mo stopped a patrolling police officer nearby, explained the problem, and handed the thief over to him.

He wouldn't be soft-hearted when dealing with such a despicable person.

When Su Mo returned to his original spot, Jiejie and the others immediately surrounded him like a group of anxious penguins.

"How's it going, Brother Mozi! Did you find it?"

Su Mo waved the wallet in his hand and said calmly, "Return it to its rightful owner. Let's go, it's getting late, we should go back to the hotel to pack our luggage and get ready to go home."

……

On the bus back to the hotel, Abu cleared his throat and suggested, "Everyone, we played exceptionally well at MSI this time. Back home, there will definitely be a series of commercial activities and live streams. Clearlove and I discussed it, and since the club gave us two days off, why don't we stay a couple more days? Let's experience Iceland's midnight sun, or maybe see the Northern Lights and completely relax?"

However, surprisingly, there were very few responses.

"No way, Buguo," Jiejie was the first to complain. "The scenery here is nice, but I'm getting so tired of eating Western food every day! I miss spicy hot pot and crayfish! And I haven't streamed for days, my fans must be missing me terribly!"

Viper and Scout whispered to each other in Korean. Then Scout spoke up, "Coach, we want to go back soon too... We want to eat barbecue and kimchi soup, and... we miss the beds at the base."

The team members' reactions left Abu both amused and exasperated.

They are world champions who dominate the scene, but in the end, they are still a group of internet-addicted teenagers who can't live without the internet and miss the taste of their hometown.

In the end, everyone's eyes turned to Su Mo, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Su Mo slowly opened his eyes and yawned: "Let's go home. I really can't sleep soundly in the bed outside."

He made the final decision, and it passed unanimously.

EDG's Iceland trip has come to an end.

On the return flight, unlike the tension and anticipation of the journey there, the cabin was filled with a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Jiejie couldn't wait to pull out her notebook and start brainstorming content for her first live stream after returning to China. She even had the title in mind: "Champion Jungler Online Tutorial! Teaching You How to Bring Glory to Your Ancestors!"
Viper and Scout each had an iPad and were engrossed in watching the latest Korean drama, occasionally letting out a fond, aunt-like laugh.

Meiko, along with Clearlove, reviewed the data of all the teams at this MSI to prepare for the upcoming Summer Split.

Su Mo, from the moment the plane took off, put on an eye mask and noise-canceling headphones, isolating himself from the world and falling into a deep sleep.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with him.

After a flight of more than ten hours, the plane landed smoothly at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

As the plane was still taxiing, an announcement suddenly came over the intercom: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. On behalf of the entire crew, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to our special passengers on this flight—the League of Legends MSI Mid-Season Invitational World Champions, EDG team! Welcome home, welcome back, heroes!"

The cabin erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers, and many passengers looked curiously toward the business class seats in front of the EDG team members.

Jiejie blushed with excitement, straightened her back, and savored this exclusive honor.

However, as they passed through the VIP channel and prepared to head to the baggage claim area, they truly understood what it meant to be a triumphant hero.

At the end of the passage, outside the glass door leading to the arrival hall, lies a bustling world.

Hundreds and thousands of fans surrounded the entire international arrivals area, forming a sea of ​​people that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Some of them were even wearing the same team uniforms as EDG, holding up various support signs and banners.

"Welcome back EDG in triumph!"

"Mo Shen is amazing! The world's number one top laner!"

"MSI title defense! Aiming for S11!"

The shouts of the fans merged into a huge wave of sound, almost breaking through the airport dome.

The flashes were as bright as day, and the sound of camera shutters was incessant.

Everyone was so shocked by the exaggerated scene before them that they were speechless.

Jiejie was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes, and he waved his arms vigorously at the crowd.

With the help of club staff and airport security personnel, the EDG team slowly made their way through the crowd.

Although the fans were excited, they remained restrained and simply kept chanting their names.

"Mo! Mo! Mo!"

Su Mo's name is undoubtedly the most resounding among them.

He also kept waving and greeting the fans.

Such a simple and calm response always manages to ignite an even more frenzied scream.

Finally, after a nearly half-hour journey, the entire EDG team boarded the minibus sent by the club to pick them up at the airport. (End of Chapter)