LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

Su Mo smiled and said, "However, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. No matter what they do, we'll handle it."

He spoke these words casually, yet they exuded a powerful confidence.

Jiejie chuckled and leaned over to hug Su Mo: "Exactly! No matter what kind of trouble they cause, Brother Mo will just take on five of them! Brother Mo, it's a deal, three to zero, so tonight's Icelandic lobster is on me, all you can eat!"

"You should keep that little bit of your salary for yourself," Viper muttered slowly in broken Chinese, "so you don't end up starving."

"Go away, my salary can't compare to Brother Liezi's, but it's still much higher than the average person's!" Jiejie retorted, and the break room was immediately filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Everyone was very relaxed. Winning two games in a row, and in such a crushing way, relieved everyone of the heavy pressure they had before the match.

Seeing the relaxed smiles on his teammates' faces, Abu felt a little relieved. He looked at Su Mo again, ready to discuss the draft strategy for the third game with him.

However, Su Mo suddenly said something surprising.

"How about," Su Mo suggested in a consultative tone, "since it's already 2-0, how about... we take a break in the next game and let Saint Gun go up and have a go?"

The entire lounge fell silent the moment he said that.

Should we let Flandre go in?
In the semifinals of the S11 World Championship?
Everyone looked at Su Mo with an expression that seemed to say, "Dude, are you kidding me?"

"Cough cough," Abu was the first to react. He almost choked on his own saliva and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Brother Mozi, this is the semi-finals, not the regular season. We must win in one fell swoop and not give DK any chance to breathe. After all, they are quite strong."

"I'm not joking." Su Mo's expression was unusually serious. "Think about it, after two games, Khan has pretty much figured out my tactical style. DK will definitely try every means to target me. Sending Flandre in at this time will actually catch them off guard."

He paused, then continued, "Besides, Flandre has been here for so long, following us all the way. We can't just let him be a mascot, can we? Doesn't he have any pride? Furthermore, I believe in Flandre's strength. He's more than capable of taking on Khan, who's on the verge of a mental breakdown."

These words seemed to make some sense, but Abu's brows remained tightly furrowed.

This is too risky. Replacing the team's most reliable carry is tantamount to cutting off one's own arm.

Just as Abu hesitated, the factory manager, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

"I think it's feasible."

The factory manager's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a lot of weight.

All eyes were on him.

The factory manager looked at Su Mo and said, "Brother Mo is right. We can't always rely on him alone. EDG is a team, and each of us should be able to stand on our own. Besides, it would be good to let Flandre go up and play, after all, he's very strong."

He turned to Li Xuanjun, the Holy Gunner, who was sitting in the corner and had been in a daze ever since Su Mo made his suggestion.

"Xuanjun, we've already secured match point, so there's no pressure. Go up there and treat it like a practice match. Pick your most confident hero and play freely. If you lose, it's not your fault. We've got you covered, and Mozi will back you up."

The factory manager's words were not only for Flandre, but also for all the team members.

This is a kind of trust, a kind of courage.

Saint Gun suddenly stood up, his face filled with excitement and burning fighting spirit.

“I can!” he exclaimed excitedly.

Jiejie was completely convinced and said, "Brother Mozi, I see now. You're not trying to be a surprise weapon, you just want to slack off! You can even go AFK in the semifinals, you're in a class of your own!"

Scout couldn't help but laugh and said, "Brother Mozi, if you want to rest, just say so. You don't need to make up so many excuses."

Viper and Meiko were also secretly laughing.

Although everyone was used to it, they couldn't help but complain about his behavior, which could be described as "terminal laziness".

We were used to his slacking off, but no one expected that in the semi-final match point game, he could also choose to go AFK and watch the game without any qualms.

"What are you talking about? I'm just trusting my teammates." Su Moyi retorted righteously, without the slightest embarrassment at being exposed. "Besides, if it goes to the fourth or fifth game, wouldn't I be able to carry even better if I conserve my energy?"

"Alright, alright, you're right." Abu shook his head helplessly. Since the factory manager had agreed, he wouldn't insist anymore. He glanced at the time and clapped his hands. "Alright, time is running out. Xuanjun, come here, let's quickly go over the draft strategy for the third game. Everyone else, don't just stand around, help Xuanjun think about what DK might pick."

The atmosphere in the lounge became lively again, but the focus of the discussion shifted from Su "Mo" to Holy Gun Bro.

Su Mo leaned back in his chair contentedly, picked up a bottle of water, and leisurely drank it, as if the earth-shattering duel to come had nothing to do with him.

Although everyone was joking with Su Mo, no one was actually angry or worried.

Because everyone knows that this man is EDG's strongest trump card.

As long as he's still sitting in the lounge, they'll never lose.

……

As the third game was about to begin and both players returned to the stage, Miller, the commentator, received the latest news from the director.

He glanced at the cue cards and a look of surprise crossed his face.

"Wait a minute...we just received...something that's arguably the most unexpected substitution news since the start of this World Championship!" Miller said. "EDG has chosen to substitute their top laner Mo in the third game, replacing him with their substitute top laner, Flandre, the Holy Gun!"

Upon hearing this, not only Miller, but also Wawa and Guan Zeyuan were stunned.

After a brief silence, the audience erupted in a commotion and discussion.

"Replace Mozi?"

"Are you kidding me! Taking the MVP out when we're leading 2-0?"

"Wow, I thought you, Brother Mozi, just liked to slack off all the time, even during the semi-finals when there were no order slips!"

The live stream chat rooms around the world exploded at that moment.

【What? My internet is lagging? Did EDG replace their star player?】

[Regarding the fact that I felt a bit tired after playing two matches, so I decided to leave early after the semifinals]

[Mozi: Feeling bored, time to go home.]

Is this the ultimate contempt? Leading 2-0, substituting the world's best top laner, telling you: "Don't struggle, even if I let you have a god, you still can't win."

[Holy Gun Guy: Waaaaah, finally it's my turn! Guys, I'm not a mascot!]

[I suspect that Mozi ordered Icelandic seafood buffet takeout from backstage, afraid that Jiejie would renege on the payment.]

[DK: We have nothing left to lose. EDG: No, you can still lose to our substitute top laner.]

[To kill someone is to destroy their spirit! To destroy their spirit is even more painful than a 3-0 victory!]

In the commentary booth, the three commentators also recovered from their initial shock.

"This substitution... I can only say, skill breeds daring," Wawa said, trying to organize his thoughts. "EDG's coaching staff, or rather, Mozi himself, has absolute confidence in his own and his teammates' abilities. He believes that even without him on the field, EDG is capable of winning the game."

“That’s right,” Guan Zeyuan adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “This might be a psychological tactic! To tell DK that we have more than just Su Mo as our ultimate weapon. This confidence itself will put enormous pressure on the opponent. Moreover, Holy Gun’s hero pool and playstyle are completely different from Mozi’s, which could be a surprising move!”

"Regardless, this is absolutely the boldest substitution in the history of the S-series! Let's look forward to Flandre's performance, and let's see if DK can seize this last opportunity against an EDG without SuMo!" Miller's voice rose again. Meanwhile, in DK's rest room.

When kkOma learned from the referee that EDG had made a substitution, he froze.

"What did you say? EDG... substituted Mo?" His voice held a hint of joy.

All the DK members looked up abruptly, their faces filled with astonishment.

ShowMaker's mouth opened slightly as he subconsciously looked at the ID on the screen—Flandre.

A feeling of utter absurdity welled up inside me.

What followed was not relief, but an indescribable sense of helplessness.

What is this? Is it charity?
Or is it blatant humiliation?

Khan's reaction was the most intense.

His body trembled uncontrollably at first, and his nerves, which had been taut for two whole rounds, seemed to snap suddenly at that moment.

The sudden disappearance of immense pressure left him feeling dizzy.

He no longer has to face that monster whose last-hitting was torture!
However, after the immense euphoria came a deeper chill.

EDG's move seems to be a declaration to the world: Look, we don't even need our strongest player to defeat you.

“They…they’re underestimating us! Just like they underestimated RNG before!” Canyon gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words.

The atmosphere in the entire lounge became extremely eerie.

Suppression, confusion, resentment... all sorts of emotions intertwined.

"Quiet down!" kkOma suddenly growled.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He knew that now was not the time to consider the other party's intentions, and that complaining would not solve any problems.

He stared intently at his teammates: "Mo's off the field, which really surprised everyone. You can think it's their arrogance, their humiliation. But it's also our opportunity!"

His gaze swept over everyone: "They gave us a chance, a chance to drag the game out! A chance to prove our LCK champions' dignity! Do you want to just slink home like this, sent home by a substitute?!"

"No!" ShowMaker was the first to speak up.

"Khan! You're not facing Mo anymore! Show me your strength!"

"Canyon! ShowMaker! Their mid-jungle synergy is gone now, without that sudden, devastating attack! Get our rhythm back!"

Finally, kkOma's gaze fell on BeryL.

BeryL's expression was the calmest of all, with even a faint, eerie smile playing on her lips.

The chaos of his opponents is his favorite melody.

kkOma saw a hint of madness in his eyes.

He knew that the shackles he had broken were unleashing a true beast.

“BeryL,” kkOma’s voice became deep and powerful, “The plan remains unchanged. No, it should be said that the plan must be carried out to the end. They have disrupted their own formation, and now it is your turn to turn their world upside down.”

“Understood.” BeryL nodded slowly, cracking his wrist as he did so, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Go,” kkOma said in a deep voice, looking at the team members’ renewed fighting spirit, “make them pay the price for their arrogance!”

Su Mo leaned back on the soft sofa in the lounge, his posture languid, holding a bottle of chilled mineral water in his hand. Water droplets occasionally dripped from the bottle onto the back of his hand, bringing a touch of coolness.

Instead of looking at the ongoing BP broadcast on the big screen, he quietly watched Flandre, who was adjusting equipment on stage a few meters away, through the one-way glass in front of him.

Li Xuanjun stood ramrod straight, his back radiating an barely suppressed excitement.

He knew very well that for a team to go all the way and lift the Summoner's Cup, it could not rely on just one person's "miracle".

Everyone must be a hero capable of standing alone.

After all, Su Mo himself wasn't sure how long he would fight.

Flandre needs this stage to prove that he is not just a "mascot".

Jiejie and Scout also need victory after victory without his backing to solidify their championship aspirations.

This was a high-stakes gamble, but Su Mo believed he wouldn't lose.

Because he trusted his teammates.

"DK's draft picks... have indeed changed." The factory manager's voice pulled Su Mo back to reality.

Su Mo looked up at the screen.

DK's champion selection has become very strange, even unconventional.

They abandoned the rigorous operational system of the previous two games and instead chose a lineup that emphasizes early-game confrontation and roaming support.

BeryL even locked in a champion that surprised everyone – support Pantheon.

"This is going to be a level 1 team fight, from start to finish," Su Mo muttered to himself.

He could clearly sense that the string called "discipline" on the other side had completely snapped, replaced by a desperate madness.

His gaze returned to Flandre on the stage; EDG had already locked in Jayce for him in the top lane.

This is an extremely aggressive hero, and one of Flandre's signature moves.

With the lineups finalized, the match officially began.

Welcome to Summoner's Rift!

The familiar female voice of the system rang out, but this time, Su Mo's identity changed from a contestant to a spectator.

I have to say, this kind of slacking off is more enjoyable.

When you're playing a game, you have to think about a lot of things, but it's different when you're a spectator; at most, you just worry about your teammates.

Even if he lost, Su Mo didn't care, since he could still go up.

But if he can win, then his attempt to slack off will be a great success.

He also hoped EDG could defeat their opponent directly and finish get off work early. (End of Chapter)