LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

In RNG's team voice chat, Wei's voice was hoarse with tension: "Ming, I have no vision, I can't see what's going on in the dragon pit at all! I have no choice but to gamble!"

"Don't rush!" Ming stared intently at the three teammates' icons pinned to the bottom lane on the minimap. "Wait! Wait until their health is down to half, then we'll look for an opportunity!"

In the bottom lane, this 3v1 gank has turned into a humiliating "dog walk".

"He won't use E!" Cryin's voice was full of frustration. "I don't dare to go up and use EQ. He's holding onto E, so if I go up, I'll just be giving away free kills!"

GALA gritted his teeth: "I can't even scratch him! His armor is too high! This weapon is a monster!"

Xiaohu's big tree could only drop its saplings at Jax's feet again and again, trying to slow down the destruction of the defensive crystal with this insignificant damage.

Su Mo's Jax didn't even activate his ultimate ability.

He was there, calmly clearing the minion wave, occasionally turning back to attack the defense crystal, each attack taking away a large chunk of its health.

His movement was agile and provocative; he could always take a small step back during the pre-cast animation of RNG's three skills, causing all their non-targeted skills to miss.

He was like a cat toying with three mice, enjoying the thrill of his prey struggling in despair.

"They're stalling for time!" Su Mo said calmly in the team voice chat. "Go straight for the kill, don't worry about me. Take down the dragon quickly, they won't dare to come any closer."

"Roger that!"

Jiejie pressed the punishment button!

[EDG.Jiejie kills Baron Nashor!]

A purple beam of light shot into the sky, and Baron Nash's wail echoed throughout the canyon!
"They've taken it!" Miller's voice suddenly rose. "EDG has successfully secured Baron! RNG used three players to limit Mo, but in the end, they suffered a complete defeat on the main battlefield! This decision has sealed their fate!"

Upon hearing the notification sound indicating that Baron Nashor had been killed, the three members of RNG's bottom lane were instantly struck dumb.

"Go!" Xiaohu roared desperately in the voice chat.

However, Su Mo would not let them leave so easily.

The moment they turned around, the weapons master who had always been "gentle and refined" finally revealed his ferocious fangs!

Yasuo is the closest Yasuo to him when his Q skill, Leap Slash, is unleashed!

E skill [Counterattack Storm] activated!
W skill [Charged Strike] resets basic attack!
The lamp in his hand suddenly shone with a deadly light!

"He's going to fight back! He's going to take on three of us!" The doll had already stood up.

Cryin's Yasuo used Flash, but Su Mo's Jax followed up with Flash, stunning him on the spot!
One blow, two blows!

The Wind Swordsman, who once caused EDG a lot of trouble in the mid-game, was as fragile as a piece of paper in front of the Jax who was two major items ahead, and instantly turned gray!

GALA's Kai'Sa activated her E skill to try and create distance, but Su Mo used his Q skill to jump to the ward and followed up, taking her down with two more hits!

Double Kill!

Xiao Hu struggled to control the big tree for a long time, but it was of little use. He was chased to death by the weapon under the gate tower.

【Triple Kill!】

Three kills!

"He's insane! He's completely insane!" Miller was speechless. "What kind of monster is he?! After holding off three opponents for several minutes, he launched a perfect counterattack. Numbers mean nothing to him!"

……

The outcome of the match has already been decided.

With the Baron Nashor buff, the four members of EDG marched in from the mid lane onto RNG's high ground.

Su Mo's Jax also joined the tower-pushing team.

The remaining two opponents, facing the overwhelming pressure of the minion wave, could only symbolically unleash two skills before being melted into the crowd.

Finally, with the crisp and loud explosion of RNG's base crystal, this thrilling BO3 came to an end with EDG sweeping the series 2-0.

【VICTORY】

The bright red letters of victory were frozen in the center of the screen.

At the EDG booth, the players jumped up excitedly, rushed towards the man who was still calmly taking off his headphones, lifted him high, and tossed him into the air!

The entire Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center was completely transformed into a sea of ​​black and gold joy!

"Let's congratulate EDG!" Miller's voice was hoarse but full of passion. "2-0! They finished their regular season with a perfect record! A perfect victory! With two very different games, they showed us the team's unfathomable tactical reserves and unparalleled individual abilities!"

Wawa sighed deeply: "RNG played well enough. Their tactics in the second game were very bold and even worked at one point. But there was nothing they could do. They were facing an unreasonable opponent. When a team has a player like Mo who cannot be restricted by tactics, any ingenious design can be crushed by his purest brute force."

On the big screen, the MVP of the second game was once again unsurprisingly awarded to the Jax who took on three opponents under the tower.

During the post-match handshake, the RNG players' faces were filled with disappointment and resentment, but even more so with respect for the strong.

"Brother Mozi, that weapon of yours... I feel like I'm not playing the same hero at all." Xiaohu shook hands with Su Mo with a wry smile. "I feel like I've been in jail for the entire match."

"Your lineup is quite innovative," Su Mo rarely praised, "I almost let you guys have a go at it."

This affirmation made Xiaohu's eyes light up, as if all his grievances had been comforted at that moment.

Wei looked helpless: "I swear, I've never felt so frustrated in my entire professional gaming career. I've never seen a complete set of jungle monsters in my jungle."

After the handshake ended, all members of EDG came to the center of the stage and bowed.

Next came the MVP interview at the end of the regular season.

When the host, Yu Shuang, handed the microphone to Su Mo, thunderous applause and screams erupted from the audience.

"Congratulations to EDG for finishing the regular season with a perfect record, and congratulations to Mo for winning MVP again." Yu Shuang's smile was still sweet. "In the second game, facing RNG's unconventional global strategy, the team was at a disadvantage for a time. What was the communication like within your team at that time? Did you feel nervous?"

“There wasn’t much communication,” Su Mo’s answer remained concise. “When they ganked bot, I pushed up. When they ganked mid, I still pushed up. Later on, I was better equipped than them.”

This simple and unpretentious answer once again elicited good-natured laughter from the audience.

"So, the regular season has come to a successful end, and EDG has entered the playoffs as the top seed." Yu Shuang posed the final question, "What are your and your team's goals for the upcoming, even more brutal playoffs?"

Su Mo took the microphone, glanced at his smiling teammates beside him, and then at the sea of ​​black and gold cheering for them below the stage.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire venue.

"Target?"

"We have no goal."

"Because we're here, the championship can only be ours."

The moment the words were spoken, the entire venue fell silent. After a brief silence, the scene was completely engulfed by a deafening roar of "EDG" chants.

After the interview, when Su Mo stepped off the stage and returned to the backstage dressing room, he was greeted by his already excited teammates and coaching staff.

"Brother Mozi, I almost knelt down right there and then after hearing your last sentence!" Jiejie rushed up, so excited he was almost incoherent. "That was so cool! Absolutely so cool! That's the spirit EDG should have! Only you dare to say that, and only you can say that!"

Su Mo was somewhat exasperated by his exaggerated reaction, and simply waved her hand: "Alright, it's just a regular season game. How about the celebration party? I'm hungry."

"Let's go, let's go!" Abu clapped his hands with a laugh. "The restaurant was booked a long time ago! Tonight, by the Huangpu River, we'll drink until we drop!"

While the entire EDG team was heading to their victory celebration, the final standings and playoff bracket for the 2021 LPL Summer Split regular season were officially released.

With a terrifying record of 16 wins, EDG has secured the top spot in the regular season without any doubt and entered the playoffs upper bracket semifinals with their heads held high, enjoying a precious rest period of nearly two weeks.

Following closely behind is FPX, who also demonstrated strong dominance, ranking second with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, and also qualifying directly for the semifinals.

Teams such as RNG, TES, LNG, WE, RA, BLG, SN, and OMG, ranked third through tenth respectively, will compete in a brutal single-elimination or double-elimination tournament starting from the first or second round of the playoffs, vying for the only two chances to challenge for the throne.

The overall landscape of the summer season is characterized by "one dominant force and many strong contenders".

EDG stands like an insurmountable snow-capped mountain at the summit, while strong teams like FPX, RNG, and TES are fiercely battling it out halfway up the mountain, all eager to earn the right to fight the "gods" in the final battle.

Online, predictions and discussions about the playoffs are everywhere, but almost all the mainstream opinions are surprisingly consistent—the suspense of the championship seems to lie only in how EDG wants to lift the trophy.

……

The Huangpu River under the night sky is shimmering with light and color.

EDG's victory celebration was held in a private room at a top-tier restaurant on the Bund, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of Shanghai's most dazzling nightscape.

The team members changed out of their team uniforms and into casual clothes, sitting together in twos and threes, creating a relaxed and enthusiastic atmosphere.

"Come on! The first toast!" Abu, the manager, stood up, raised his glass, and said, "To ourselves! To this perfect regular season! Everyone worked so hard!"

"cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses, the clear yellow liquid shimmering mesmerizingly under the crystal chandelier.

Just then, the door to the private room was gently pushed open, and two beautiful figures walked in.

It was Rita and Luo Xin who had arrived from the venue ahead of time.

The two women were clearly dressed up carefully. Rita wore a simple black dress, exuding elegance and sophistication; Luo Xin, on the other hand, wore a playful white mini-skirt, radiating youthful energy. Their presence instantly brightened up the otherwise masculine atmosphere of the private room.

"Hey! Speak of the devil!" Jiejie, with her sharp eyes, was the first to exclaim, "Brother Mozi's personal support team has arrived!"

Su Mo was busy eating a steak when he heard this. He looked up and saw the two smiling girls. A smile appeared on his lips as well.

Abu had previously asked Chen Lie to inform them to come over for dinner.

After all this time, everyone is quite familiar with each other.

Rita and Luo Xin greeted everyone in a natural and generous manner, and then sat down next to Su Mo without any hesitation.

They don't shy away from anything.

"Here, the freshly squeezed juice you ordered earlier, to quench your thirst." Rita pushed a half-finished glass of orange juice in front of Su Mo.

"Brother Mozi, this lobster is very fresh, let me peel it for you." Luo Xin put on disposable gloves and began to work diligently.

Their natural and affectionate behavior left Jiejie, Meiko, and the others at the same table speechless with envy.

"Ahem," Meiko pushed up her glasses and deliberately spoke loudly, "Brother Mozi, isn't this treatment a bit too much? We single guys can't stand this! Could Sister Tazi and Sister Tuozi introduce us to someone?"

"Exactly!" Jiejie immediately chimed in, "I want one too!"

Despite his teammates' teasing, Su Mo remained unfazed, comfortably enjoying the services of the two beauties, and simply replied, "Go find a partner yourself!"

One sentence left Jiejie and Meiko speechless for a long time. They could only channel their grief and anger into their appetite and frantically stuff food into their mouths.

The factory manager was at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated by this group of clowns.

He raised his glass: "Brother Mozi, you played brilliantly today. Especially that last interview line, it was awesome! Come on, let me toast you."

"Cheers!" Su Mo also raised his orange juice, because he would have to drive later.

The atmosphere of the dinner party gradually reached its climax amidst delicious food, fine wine, and relaxed conversation.

They chatted about interesting things that happened during the regular season, looked ahead to their playoff opponents, and occasionally gossiped about various news in the industry.

Su Mo was always the focus of attention.

Rita and Luo Xin were like two competent secretaries, taking meticulous care of him.

"Brother Mozi, try this, tuna."

"Brother Mozi, give me your phone, I'll download the highlights of the match for you."

Their thoughtfulness, combined with Su Mo's lazy and casual demeanor, created a wonderfully harmonious scene that made onlookers grit their teeth in envy.

The celebration banquet lasted until late at night.

Most of the team members were slightly tipsy and returned to the base one after another in the cars arranged by the club.

Su Mo, meanwhile, drove his minivan, carrying Rita and Luo Xin, and merged into the traffic of Shanghai late at night.

The atmosphere inside the car was much quieter than during the dinner.

Soft music flowed through the carriage, and the neon lights outside the window flashed by, casting dappled light and shadow on the three people's faces.

"Thank you all for today," Su Mo said suddenly as he drove.

"What are you thanking us for?" Rita turned her head, her beautiful eyes sparkling in the night.

"It's nothing," Su Mo smiled.

Luo Xin leaned over from the back seat, placed her hands on the back of Su Mo's seat, and said with admiration, "Brother Mo, you were so handsome today! Especially that last interview, it was so cool! Now so many girls online are saying they want to have your babies!"

"Really?" Su Mo raised an eyebrow. "Then they'll have to wait in line."

"Tch, so vain." Rita rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help but smile.

She looked at Su Mo's profile as he focused on driving and asked softly, "You have about two weeks of rest ahead of you. What are your plans?"

"No plans," Su Mo replied as always. "Back to base, sleep, play games, and wait for the semifinals?" (End of Chapter)