LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The moment the first game ended, the entire arena was still immersed in Akali's elusive assassination art, unable to recover for a long time.

The victory emblem bloomed on EDG's screen, while Su Mo calmly took off his headphones, casually picked up the water on the table and took a sip, completely unfazed.

This extreme contrast made Miller, the commentator, sigh: "I've been commentating on so many games over the years, I've seen Faker at his peak, I've seen TheShy at his peak, but I've never seen a player like Mo who combines individual skill with control of the game so perfectly. He's not playing the game, he's defining the game."

In the live stream chat, the comments section was filled with question marks.

【Huh? That's it? I just ordered takeout, and it hasn't arrived yet!】

[TheShy: I picked Lucian to counter him. Mozi: Oh. (He then gets 13 solo kills.)]

[Stop overhyping, this isn't just a matter of strategy, it's a complete technological leap! I feel like Mo has a God-like radar in his head; he knows exactly where SofM is coming from!]

My heart aches for TheShy. He played to his full potential, but unfortunately, the opponent was a god.

["Clocking in at work, and incidentally becoming a god-tier player"]

During the brief halftime break, the atmosphere in both teams' locker rooms was like night and day.

On the EDG side, Jiejie shouted exaggeratedly as soon as he entered the door: "Brother Mozi, you are still as awesome as ever!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "Don't flatter me too much, I was just lucky."

Abu and the factory manager exchanged a glance, both seeing smiles and reassurance in each other's eyes.

They didn't say anything, they just patted Su Mo on the shoulder.

No tactical arrangements are needed, because with him there, the tactic is the most reliable.

"Keep going next time, just keep up the good form." That was the only sentence Abu summarized at the end.

Meanwhile, in WBG's lounge, the atmosphere was oppressive.

Everyone kept their heads down, and no one spoke.

The coach paced back and forth in front of the tactics board, but couldn't write a single word.

All tactics pale in comparison to that unreasonable individual ability.

“My problem,” TheShy suddenly spoke, his voice a little hoarse, “I was too hasty, that tower dive… I shouldn’t have done that.”

The coach shook his head and said with a wry smile, "It's not your fault. Any top laner would have gone for it if faced with that kind of health pool."

"What do we do next?" SofM scratched his head. "Should we keep banning top laners five times? It doesn't seem to make a difference; his champion pool is too deep."

This question caused the coach to fall silent once again.

Yes, there are too many to ban, absolutely too many to ban.

You can block five of his heroes, but he can still bring out a tenth, or even a hundredth, hero of equal skill to crush you.

Finally, the coach sighed and looked at TheShy.

"Next game, we won't target him anymore. We'll play freely and choose the lineup we're most confident in." He said, emphasizing each word. "Kang Chenglu, pick whatever you want. Let's... use the style we're best at to face him again!"

TheShy raised his head, a complex light flashing in his eyes—shock, but more so, a burning fighting spirit.

He nodded without speaking, but his clenched fists spoke volumes about his resolve.

After a short break, both teams returned to the stage.

When the audience saw that WBG had stopped banning top lane champions on the BP screen, the entire venue erupted in uproar.

"They've given up! WBG has abandoned their top lane banning strategy!" Miller exclaimed in surprise. "Are they... going for a head-on confrontation?"

When it was time to choose players, WBG was on the first floor and locked in the pick instantly again!

It's still Lucian, the Purifier!

The whole place was excited!

"Lucian again!" Wawa shouted. "TheShy is going to use Lucian again! He's going to get back at him with the same champion!"

Faced with WBG's dramatic draft picks, EDG's player selection appeared calm and composed.

Finally, the lineups for both sides were finalized!

Blue side WBG:

Top Lane: Lucian, the Purifier

Jungle: Blade of the Ruined King - Fryegor
Mid Lane: Orianna
Marksman: Jhin, the Virtuoso

Support: Leona, the Dawn Goddess

Red team EDG:

Top Lane: Jayce, the Future Guardian
Jungler: Jarvan IV, the Prince of Demacia
Mid Lane: Ryze, the Rune Mage
Archer: Aphelios, the Reaper of the Crescent Moon
Support: Thresh, the Chain Warden
"Jayce versus Lucian!" Guan Zeyuan adjusted his glasses. "This is another clash of spears! It all comes down to who executes the details better!"

Game start!
TheShy's Lucian played even more aggressively than in the previous game. He seemed to pour all his anger into his gameplay, launching a relentless attack as soon as he entered the lane.

However, Su Mo's Jess was like an insurmountable mountain.

His positioning was so exquisite it was unbelievable.

Every time TheShy's Lucian raises his hand, intending to use his Q skill [Piercing Light] to poke through minions, Su Mo's Jayce can always dodge the skill's trajectory with a slight sidestep or a forward step.

Once, twice, three times...

On the screen, Lucian's holy light passed through the air around Jayce time and time again, but could never touch the hem of his clothes.

"He dodged it! He dodged it again!" Miller's tone had completely turned into amazement. "Mo's positioning has reached a state of perfection! All of TheShy's attacks have hit thin air!"

TheShy's mentality gradually became distorted due to these repeated ineffective expenditures.

At level three, he seized the opportunity when Jayce was last-hitting minions, used his E skill to slide forward again, and wanted to unleash a burst of damage.

However, the moment he used E to engage, Su Mo's Jayce seemed to have anticipated it, unleashing a QE combo, with the enhanced Q hitting Lucian's face at near zero distance!

Immediately afterwards, switch to hammer form, activate W skill, and unleash Q skill [Leap of the Sky]!
A smooth combo instantly reduced Lucian's health by nearly half!
Jayce only lost a third of his health.

TheShy retreated in a sorry state, while Su Mo calmly switched back to his cannon form, created distance, and continued to finish off minions.

At this moment, the superiority or inferiority of the opponent in the laning phase becomes immediately apparent.

The rest of the game was almost a carbon copy of the previous one.

Su Mo's Jayce, with his impeccable positioning and precise skill execution, completely dominated TheShy's Lucian from start to finish.

Six minutes later, he completed a solo kill against his opponent.

Ten minutes later, with the help of Jiejie who arrived, they tower-dived and secured another kill.

Eleven minutes later, they destroyed the top lane tower and began roaming.

WBG's defenses were forced to retreat steadily in the face of Jess's devastating long-range artillery fire.

Ultimately, the match lasted only twenty-five minutes before it came to an end again.

2: 0!

EDG easily won this highly anticipated "battle of gods and demons" with an almost overwhelming victory. When the victory emblem lit up for the second time, Su Mo remained calm, took off his headphones, stood up, and prepared to shake hands with his opponents.

Meanwhile, in WBG's match booth, TheShy leaned back in his chair, looking at his 0-4-3 score, and remained silent for a long time.

He lost, and he accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.

During the handshake, when Su Mo walked up to TheShy, the usually arrogant and talented top laner bowed slightly to Su Mo.

He said softly in somewhat broken Chinese, "You... are still so strong."

Su Mo paused for a moment, then reached out and gently patted his shoulder, responding with the same simple two words: "You too."

In the post-match interview, the host naturally wouldn't let Su Mo off the hook.

"Welcome back, Mo! After returning to the competition after more than half a season, you have won over all the audience with two impeccable performances. Is there anything you would like to say to everyone?"

Su Mo took the microphone, thought for a moment, and said, "Um...it went pretty smoothly. Everyone, remember to eat on time."

The simple and perfunctory answer once again sparked laughter from the entire audience.

For him, it was really just a boring workday of clocking in and out.

For the LPL as a whole, they have once again confirmed an irrefutable truth:

God is still God.

That evening, when Su Mo returned to his villa in Sheshan, he was greeted by even more enthusiastic cheers from the competition venue, as well as a celebratory banquet prepared by three stunning beauties.

“Our baby is back!” Rita was the first to rush over, clinging to him like a koala, showering him with kisses.

"That was so cool!" Luo Xin looked at him with stars in her eyes. "Especially that Jayce, his positioning was amazing!"

Yu Shuang smiled and handed him a glass of lemonade, her eyes overflowing with tenderness.

Su Mo enjoyed this emperor-like treatment and felt very comfortable.

While the glory on the field is dazzling, for him, these tangible acts of kindness are the most genuine rewards.

Just as he was preparing to enjoy the sumptuous dinner, his phone rang again at an inopportune moment.

It's an unfamiliar overseas number.

Su Mo frowned and casually pressed the answer button.

A voice with a heavy European accent came from the other end of the phone.

"Excuse me, is this Mo God?" the person on the other end asked in English.

"It's me, who is it?"

"Hello, Mo Shen. I am Carlos, the owner of G2 Esports Club. I apologize for bothering you, but I would like to discuss a collaboration with you that could potentially change the entire landscape of League of Legends."

Su Mo raised an eyebrow, a playful smile playing on his lips.

He got up and went to the terrace, looking at the distant night view, and said softly:
"Oh? Tell me."

On the other end of the phone, G2's owner Carlos was clearly surprised by such a casual response, but he quickly adjusted his mindset and began his statement in a very seductive tone.

“Mr. Mo, I know you have a great time at EDG and have achieved unparalleled success. However, I hope you can imagine a possibility—a truly global dynasty that you define.”

Carlos's voice was full of passion: "We, G2, are willing to offer you a blank check. Yes, you heard right, you fill in the salary. But this is just the bare minimum."

"We will give you unprecedented power: you can choose any player you want to be your teammate from all over the world, whether they are from LCK, LPL or LEC. As long as you ask, we will take care of bringing them to your side."

“More importantly,” Carlos emphasized, offering what he considered the most irresistible offer, “you will not be an employee of G2, but a partner. We will provide you with a substantial stake in the G2 esports team. You will become one of the owners of this team. Mr. Mo, let’s work together to build an unprecedented, truly your own galactic battleship in Europe!”

These words are enough to drive any professional gamer in the world crazy.

This is no longer a contract; it is a crown, the key to an empire.

Carlos waited confidently, believing that no one could resist such a temptation.

However, Su Mo only yawned on the other end of the phone.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard this line of reasoning.

The ambitious Qin family girl offered similar conditions, promising him shares and unlimited power in hopes that he would join a newly formed capital giant.

"Are you done talking?" Su Mo asked calmly.

“…Yes, Mr. Mo. I look forward to your reply.” Carlos paused for a moment, but maintained his composure.

Su Mo's answer was simple and straightforward: "Not interested."

"What?" Carlos thought he had misheard.

“I said, I’m not interested.” Su Mo repeated, “First, moving is too much trouble; second, learning a foreign language is too much trouble; third, managing a team is even more troublesome.”

He paused, then, in a statement of fact, gave his final conclusion: "I have no interest in establishing a dynasty in Europe; Shanghai is just fine."

After saying that, he didn't even give the other person a chance to speak again and hung up the phone directly.

"Beep beep..."

As he listened to the busy tone on the phone, Carlos froze in his Berlin office, phone in hand.

He could understand the other two reasons, but what was with the "learning a foreign language is too troublesome" nonsense? Didn't he just communicate with him in English?!

……

On the terrace, Su Mo put her phone back in her pocket and turned to walk back to the restaurant.

"Who is it?" Rita asked curiously, blinking her big eyes.

"The owner of G2, but I don't know if it's true." Su Mo picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of crayfish meat that Yu Shuang had just peeled for him, and put it in his mouth. "He wants me to go to Europe to play in the competition, and he even gave me shares or something."

Rita was somewhat surprised: "G2, the European powerhouse? Their owner personally called you to poach you? It's not even the transfer window yet..."

"Hmm," Su Mo ate another piece of watermelon that Luo Xin handed him, and casually said, "I refused it."

The three of them knew Su Mo well, so they weren't surprised.

The rest of their daily lives unfolded gently in a peaceful and sweet atmosphere.

Su Mo's enthusiasm for "clocking in for work" quickly faded after finishing WBG.

In the remaining games of the regular season, he comfortably returned to the bench, handing the stage over to his teammates.

EDG lived up to expectations, advancing proudly into the playoffs with a perfect record in the regular season.

The playoff schedule is even more brutal, but for EDG, it still doesn't seem to pose much of a challenge.

Su Mo continued his "strategic rest rotation".

The main attitude is to resolutely refuse to go to work if one can slack off.

This is the life he truly wants. (End of Chapter)