LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

evening.

The setting sun bathed the streets of Shanghai in a warm hue.

A black minivan slowly drove out of the venue, but the interior was bustling with activity and women.

Su Mo, on the other hand, served as the driver.

"Brother Mozi, your Riven today was absolutely amazing!" Luo Xin, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around with sparkling eyes. "I just don't understand, you don't usually train much, so how come you're still so fierce in matches!"

Su Mo held the steering wheel with one hand and rested the other on the window sill, a faint smile on his lips: "Basic operation, mainly it's about the other side giving you opportunities."

"Keep pretending!" Rita sat in the back seat with her legs crossed, scrolling through Weibo on her phone. "Look at the trending topics, five out of the top ten are about you. You're the only true god on the entire internet right now."

Yu Shuang sat next to Rita, straightening her slightly disheveled skirt, and added with a smile, "There's another interesting trending topic, #SuMo'sSubstituteTopLaneVersailles#. Everyone's saying that if this level of skill is considered a substitute, then all the other top laners in the LPL might as well retire."

Although Xiaoyu didn't talk much, her adoring eyes never left the back of Su Mo's head.

She held Su Mo's team uniform jacket in her arms, occasionally sneaking a sniff of the faint scent of laundry detergent on it.

"Alright, stop bragging, or I'll get cocky." Su Mo glanced at the rearview mirror. "What do you want to eat tonight? It's my treat to celebrate the successful conclusion of my debut."

"Japanese food!" Rita raised her hand. "I want sashimi!"

"I want to eat barbecue!" Luo Xin protested, "I want the kind of sizzling, oily pork belly!"

"That's too greasy..." Yu Shuang hesitated, "How about we have hot pot? It's healthier."

"This is the first time I've ever heard of hot pot being good for your health," Luo Xin said, pursing her lips.

The group argued back and forth, and finally all turned to look at Su Mo and Xiao Yu.

"Xiaoyu, what would you like to eat?" Su Mo asked again.

Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then looked at her older sisters and whispered, "Um... I know a private restaurant with a great atmosphere. They have sashimi, grilled meat, and nourishing soups... they have everything."

"Let's go there!" Su Mo made the final decision. "Send me the navigation."

……

The dinner was extremely enjoyable.

Perhaps it was because of Su Mo's dominance on the field today, or perhaps it was the joy of having the four beauties together, but everyone drank some sake and the atmosphere became slightly tipsy.

It was already 10 p.m. when we got back to the villa in Sheshan.

As soon as Su Mo entered the room, Luo Xin grabbed the corner of his clothes.

“Brother Mozi, it’s a long night and I can’t sleep. How about… you start a live stream?” Luo Xin blinked her big eyes. “Your fans are definitely waiting for you. You only played one game today and then went home. Everyone didn’t get enough of you.”

Su Mo thought about it and agreed.

He has indeed been streaming less and less to interact with his viewers lately.

Moreover, with Riven being so popular today, striking while the iron is hot is a must for professional players.

“Okay, then I’ll stream for a bit.” Su Mo loosened his collar and headed towards the e-sports room in the basement.

"Yay! I'll go cut some fruit for Brother Mozi!" Xiaoyu immediately ran to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Su Mo's live stream quietly started on Huya.

The title is simple: [Substitute Top Laner, Making Up for Playing Time Online.]

As soon as the broadcast started, before Su Mo could even speak, the popularity of the live stream exploded.

Countless long-awaiting fans flooded in like a tidal wave, the barrage of comments was so dense that it caused the app to lag.

[Open the door!!!]

[Missing person returns!]

Is this the guy who instantly locked in Riven on the first floor?

[Brother Mozi, Bin is crying, aren't you going to go and comfort him?]

[Substitute top laner? Who are you mocking?]

[Riven was so cool today! Can we have another tutorial game?]

Wait... I think I heard a woman's voice?

Su Mo adjusted the camera, revealing only his face, which, though without makeup, was still quite striking, and the back of the gaming chair behind him.

"Ahem, good evening, brothers!" Su Mo picked up the Coke on the table and took a sip. "We won the game today, so I'm in a good mood. I'm just logging in to rack up some time and play some games. What do you guys want to see? Riven? I'm tired of Riven today, let's play something else."

[Versailles! It's started again!]

[Play Fiora! I want to see her get four critical hits in one second!]

Play Yasuo! I want to see his E charge forward without fear!

Just as Su Mo was preparing to rank up, a slender, fair hand suddenly appeared in the frame, placing a plate of sliced ​​cantaloupe on the table.

"Brother Mozi, let's eat some melon seeds."

The voice was soft and sweet, and although no one showed their face, it instantly ignited a frenzy of comments on the live stream.

【? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 】

Whose voice is that?!

[Wait, she looks a bit like Luo Xin?]

[Those hands are so white! She must be a beautiful woman!]

[Brother Mozi, are you home? This isn't the base, is it?]

[This background...a mansion! Is Mozi keeping a mistress?]

Su Mo calmly forked a piece of cantaloupe and put it in her mouth, saying indistinctly, "Don't guess, this is my... nanny. Hmm, the new housekeeper, she cooks quite well."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the study door was pushed open again.

Rita, wearing a loose bathrobe and carrying a glass of red wine, swaggered in and came up behind Chen Lie.

"Brother Mozi, would you like a drink?" she said deliberately, her voice slightly husky.

Once she noticed that Chen Lie had started broadcasting, she quickly slipped to the side.

The barrage exploded instantly:

[Holy crap! That's Rita's voice! It's definitely Rita!]

[A silk robe?! I knew it! I knew it!]

Who was that auntie from earlier? And now Rita's here?

【Brother Mozi, that's going too far! We're watching you play games, and you're building a harem at home?】

【I also want to be Mozi's housekeeper, I don't want a salary!】

Su Mo's lips twitched, then he turned his head and said seriously, "Um... my dear Rita is here to discuss commentary techniques with me. As you know, I also want to develop in the commentary field."

【I believe you as a ghost! 】

[Discussing commentary techniques late at night? Discussing them in bathrobes?]

What techniques are we discussing? Are they the kind that require two people to work together?

The car wheel from upstairs ran over my face!

[Why are you all so excited? Mozi and Tazi already officially announced their relationship, so it's perfectly normal for them to live together!]

[I just want to know if that was Sister Hunchback!]

Seeing that the game was about to get going, Su Mo hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, let's watch the game. It's a Challenger game on the Korean server, I'll show you my special skill this time."

He put on his headphones and clicked on the ranked match.

Soon, the game entered the BP (Ban/Pick) interface.

Su Mo was relegated to the mid lane this game.

“Mid lane…” Su Mo stroked his chin, “Since it’s mid lane, I’ll show you a hero who’s just as fun.”

He immediately locked onto Akali, the Rogue Assassin!
The opposing mid laner's ID is also quite famous—T1 Faker.

"Hey, Brother Li, what a coincidence!" Su Mo perked up. "This round is getting interesting."

In this game, Su Mo demonstrated what the ultimate assassin aesthetics are all about.

Facing Faker's signature Azir, Su Mo's Akali secured a solo kill at level six.

Using the pull of the shroud, interrupt the attack intervals of the Tsar's sand soldiers, start with an R attack, hang in the air with an E attack, and instantly kill upon landing.

"This is called Flying Thunder God." Su Mo explained as he operated the device. "Watch closely, kill in the mortal world, escape from the midst of blades."

Fifteen minutes later, Su Mo's Akali had already become godlike.

Of course, he only killed the Tsar once; the rest of the time he bullied his teammates.

He was strolling around the opposite jungle like he was in his own backyard.

However, only half of the viewers' attention was on the game.

During this time, it was incredibly lively behind Su Mo. One moment Yu Shuang was asking if the air conditioning temperature was suitable, and the next moment Luo Xin ran over to show him her newly bought stickers.

Although they were careful not to show their faces, their sweet, chattering voices, and the occasional glimpses of their clothes or hair, were enough to inflict a devastating blow on the single viewers in the live stream.

[Don't kill Mozi! He kills Faker in the game, he'll kill us in real life!]

Is this the monotonous life of LPL's number one player?

I admit I'm jealous. This isn't playing a game; it's choosing a concubine!

[Faker: You're flirting with four girls, while I'm switching screens to watch my teammates. Is this the difference between us?]

After the game ended, Su Mo looked at the screen full of "sour grapes" comments and sighed helplessly.

"Brothers, this isn't what you think. This is called co-living, you know? Co-living."

[Sharing an apartment? Sharing an apartment with the four beauties of the LPL? Do you think we're stupid?]

Send me the address, I want to share an apartment too!

Just then, Rita changed into a more normal set of home clothes, moved a chair and sat down next to Su Mo, revealing her face.

"Alright, stop explaining, it'll only make things worse." Rita waved generously at the camera. "Good evening, everyone, this is Rita. I knew Mozi was going to stream today, so I called my best girlfriends to join in and entertain you all. So let's play something else later, watching LOL alone isn't fun."

"What do you want to play?" Su Mo thought to himself that this girl was quite clever, and asked cooperatively.

Rita grinned mischievously and pulled out a pre-prepared horror game icon—"The Haunted Hong Kong Chronicles".

"Dare to play this? I heard it's super scary." Rita looked at Su Mo provocatively. "If you shout, you have to grant a request from the comments. How about it?"

Su Mo scoffed, "What a joke. I've never known the meaning of fear in my entire life. Come on!"

ten minutes later.

The study was filled with women's screams.

"Ahhhh! The ghost is out!" It was Luo Xin, who had squeezed in at some point and was hiding behind Su Mo, covering her eyes.

"Don't open the door! There's definitely something inside!" It was Xiaoyu, who also moved closer to the side.

"Brother Mo, look to the left! Look to the left!" Although Rita had suggested playing, she was also terrified and wanted to cling to Su Mo.

Surrounded by three women, Su Mo calmly manipulated the mouse, even taking a sip of water.

"No... ladies, if you're scared, then don't watch." Su Mo said helplessly, "It's hard for me to operate like this. And Rita, stop pinching my thigh, that's my flesh, not a ghost's flesh."

The viewers in the live stream were laughing hysterically.

[Hahahaha! Is this Mozi's status in the family?]

[Called a horror game, but actually a fan service!]

This isn't a horror livestream, it's a face wash livestream!

[Mozi: I was terrified at the time, I was holding onto two women, and I didn't dare to move.]

Is this what they call a human pendant? I want to be scared too!

The live stream continued until midnight, ending amidst laughter and screams.

After turning off the live stream, Su Mo let out a long sigh of relief.

"Okay, okay, let's go to sleep." Su Mo stretched. "We have to go to the base tomorrow."

As night deepened, the Sheshan Villas returned to tranquility.

After the somewhat chaotic horror game livestream, the girls were all exhausted and went back to their rooms to rest.

Su Mo took a shower and returned to the master bedroom with her half-dry hair.

I had just lain down in bed and hadn't even had time to turn off the light when the doorknob suddenly made a soft "click" sound.

Su Mo raised an eyebrow, but before he could speak, a slender figure darted in like a cat and locked the door behind her.

By the dim, warm light of the bedside lamp, Su Mo could see who had come in.

It's Rita.

She had changed out of the more conservative loungewear she wore during the live stream and was back in the loose silk robe she had been wearing earlier.

The silky fabric clung to her graceful curves, and the slightly open neckline revealed a large expanse of fair skin that shimmered with a lustrous sheen under the light.

"What? Are you too scared of games to sleep alone?" Su Mo leaned against the headboard, a playful smile playing on his lips.

Rita gave a soft hum, walked a few steps to the bedside, lifted the covers and crawled in, her movements very practiced.

"No way, how could a game of that level scare me?" Rita retorted stubbornly, but her body betrayed her by pressing against him, wrapping her arms around Su Mo's waist and clinging to him like a koala. "I just... came to check on him."

"Room check?" Su Mo reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender waist, feeling her soft, warm skin. "Didn't you just check during the live stream?"

Rita raised her head, her alluring peach blossom eyes sparkling with a hint of charm: "That was for the audience just now, but now... it's just for you."

As she spoke, her slender fingers gently traced circles on Su Mo's chest, her voice becoming languid and husky: "Just now in the live stream, you said we were roommates? Hmm?"

Su Mo grabbed her mischievous little hand and kissed it: "Wasn't I afraid your fans would come and attack me with knives? I call this a strategic retreat."

"An excuse." Rita gave him a coquettish glare, then leaned over him, pinning Su Mo down. Her long hair fell down, the ends brushing against Su Mo's cheeks, sending a ticklish sensation through her.

"Since it's a shared apartment, shouldn't I pay some rent, sir?"

Her breath was fragrant and warm, brushing against Su Mo's ear with a unique rose scent that instantly warmed the room.

This time, tacitly, no one disturbed them.

In the quiet of the night, it seemed as if only the two of them remained in the whole world.

Su Mo's eyes darkened, and he turned around to regain the initiative.

"This rent probably isn't enough..."

The gentle moonlight outside the window illuminated the enchanting scenery inside.

……

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the French windows and onto the messy bed.

When Su Mo woke up, the seat next to her was empty.

There was a sticky note on the bedside table with Rita's handwriting: I'm going to work at the station now. Breakfast is in the microwave, remember to eat! Love you~
Su Mo smiled and got up to wash up.

After eating the breakfast Rita left behind, Su Mo noticed that her other sisters were also not there; they had obviously all gone to work.

He secretly thought that perhaps being a gigolo wouldn't be a problem for him.

They then drove to the EDG base.

As soon as I stepped into the training room, I felt a strange gaze upon me.

Jiejie was playing ranked games with dark circles under her eyes when she saw Su Mo come in. She immediately took off her headphones and said with a resentful look, "Brother Mo, you're here."

"Why the long face? Didn't you sleep well?" Su Mo pulled out his gaming chair, sat down, and casually turned on his computer.

"Did you sleep well?" Meiko chimed in, her tone laced with sarcasm. "I watched your livestream last night, and the more I watched, the more energized I felt, and the more I realized I was just a miserable single dog toiling away. Mozi-ge, you really deserve to die!"

Saint Gun Bro also came over and chuckled, "Brother Mozi, why did you turn off the live stream so early last night? I hadn't watched enough yet."

"Go away, kid, don't pry into adults' business." Su Mo chuckled and scolded, then casually logged into his Korean server account. "Hurry up and train, there's a competition in a couple of days, isn't there?"

Just as everyone was joking around, Abu walked in with a small notebook in his hand.

"Hey, everyone's here." Abu glanced at Su Mo, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Brother Mo, it's rare to see you come to the base on your own initiative. You look to be in good spirits."

"Not bad." Su Mo flexed his wrists.

Abu walked up behind Su Mo and patted him on the shoulder: "I want to talk to you about something."

"explain."

"We're playing LGD the day after tomorrow," Abu said. "Although LGD's performance this season has been mediocre, you know, this team has a nickname: 'the strong team certifier,' and they used to be called 'the water ghost.' They always manage to do something at the end of the season or at crucial moments. And the atmosphere at their home stadium in Hangzhou has always been quite enthusiastic."

Su Mo raised an eyebrow: "So?"

"So, we want you to go up and play some more." Abu closed his notebook. "Firstly, it's to be on the safe side, since we're on a winning streak right now and we don't want to get upset by LGD; secondly, the sponsors have also spoken up. Your debut yesterday generated so much buzz, and they hope you can get more exposure, even if you don't play the full BO3, just playing the first game would be fine."

Su Mo turned his gaming chair around and looked at Abu: "Let's play against LGD..."

Although LGD is no longer the optimistic family it once was, just mentioning these three letters always brings back special e-sports memories.

“Sure,” Su Mo agreed readily. “Going to Hangzhou to eat the famous West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce, and maybe even play a match, would be a great idea.”

"Great!" Abu exclaimed with delight. "Then I'll officially announce you as a starter."

When Jiejie heard that Su Mo was going to join the fight, she immediately perked up: "Brother Mo, what are you planning to do this game against LGD? Do you want me to be your dog?"

Su Mo glanced at him and said leisurely, "Playing against LGD... since they're such a veteran team, we need to pick some heroes that will be entertaining. We'll see how it goes."

"Alright! As long as you go in, this round is in the bag!"

The training room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere once again.

For the EDG players, just having Su Mo sitting in that position, even without him saying a word, gave them a sense of security and confidence that no coach's motivational speeches could match. (End of Chapter)