LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

He wasn't afraid of ghosts; he was afraid that the screams of these women would be loud enough to blow the roof off.

Moreover, taking five girls to a haunted house is hardly a fun trip; it's clearly about using them as human shields.

"Ahem, I don't think it's appropriate," Su Mo tried to argue. "Going to a dark place during the Lunar New Year is unlucky..."

"Su Mo, you're not scared, are you?" Xiao Yu leaned closer, blinking her big eyes, her tone full of provocation. "Who was it that just said 'I'm the most invincible in the LPL'? How come you're afraid of even a fake ghost?"

"Exactly!" Luo Xin chimed in, fanning the flames. "Hey, if Brother Mozi is too scared to go, then forget it. Let's find a few brave friends to go with us..."

"Who says I don't dare?"

Su Mo raised an eyebrow, his competitive spirit instantly ignited. No way, how could he say no at a time like this?

He put down his teacup and waved his hand dismissively: "Go! You absolutely have to go! Just don't come begging and begging me for help!"

"Then it's decided! I'll book the tickets now!" Luo Xin placed the order at lightning speed, afraid that Su Mo would change his mind.

Looking at the order confirmation screen, Su Mo felt a strange sense of foreboding.

……

Three days later, the group drove to the "Silent Hill" escape room located in the suburbs.

As soon as they reached the door, the eerie background music and dim lighting immediately chilled the atmosphere. Apart from Luo Xin and Rita, who were still trying to remain calm, Yu Shuang, Xiao Yu, and Xi Ran had already begun to unconsciously shrink behind Su Mo.

"Attention all players, once you enter the hospital, no matter what happens, please do not attack the NPCs..." After the staff finished explaining the precautions, the large iron gate slammed shut.

Darkness descended instantly.

"what!!"

Three screams of varying pitches rang out simultaneously, and Su Mo instantly felt as if he were being weighed down by heavy objects.

Yu Shuang gripped his left arm tightly, Xiao Yu hugged his right arm, and hope Ran even wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, burying her face in his back and refusing to lift it up.

"Ladies...it hasn't even started yet...just say so if you want to take advantage of me." Su Mo sighed helplessly, dragging the three "accessories" on her body, and moved forward with difficulty.

Although Rita and Luo Xin were walking ahead, they would occasionally turn back to check Su Mo's location, clearly showing that they were all bark and no bite.

Ten minutes into the game, they got lost in a corridor covered in bloody handprints.

"Where are the clues to solve this mystery?" Rita asked, waving her flashlight around, her voice trembling slightly.

Suddenly, the lights at the end of the corridor flickered a few times, and a huge figure wearing a blood-stained white coat and holding a chainsaw slowly walked out.

"Zzzzzzz—" The sound of the chainsaw running echoed in the narrow corridor, a veritable death knell.

"Holy crap! The butcher is here! Run!!" Luo Xin screamed and turned to run, but in her panic she bumped into a cart next to her, blocking half the road.

"Ahhhh! He's coming!" Xiaoyu was so scared that tears were about to come out. She clung to Su Mo tightly and wouldn't let go. Her legs were so weak that she couldn't move at all.

As the NPC brandished his chainsaw and drew ever closer, the sense of oppression was palpable.

An ordinary guy would probably panic at this point. But who is Su Mo? He's the man who could calmly steal the dragon in a do-or-die game of the S-series finals.

At this critical moment, Su Mo's eyes sharpened, and his brain raced.

The road was blocked, and there was a dead end behind us. There was no way we could escape with these terrified girls.

Since we can't escape, we have no choice but to take some action.

"Stop yelling! Listen to my command!" Su Mo shouted, instantly calming the panicked women.

He suddenly bent down, hoisted Xiaoyu, whose legs were the weakest, onto his shoulder, then put his left arm around Xiran, who was about to collapse, and grabbed Yu Shuang's wrist with his right hand.

"Rita, Luo Xin! Push the cart over! Block the road!"

Startled by Su Mo's shout, Rita and Luo Xin instinctively complied, working together to overturn the medical cart and temporarily block the NPC's path.

"Run to the pharmacy on the left! There are ventilation ducts there!" Su Mo made the most accurate judgment based on the map he had just glanced at.

He carried one person on his back and dragged two others, yet he still ran incredibly fast.

"Stay close to me! Don't look back!"

The figure appeared incredibly tall in the dim red light.

Rushing into the pharmacy, Su Mo quickly closed the iron door and then used the cabinet next to it to block it.

"Bang! Bang!" The NPCs outside started banging on the door, and the sound of chainsaws was right next to their ears.

"Where is the ventilation opening?" Su Mo put Xiao Yu down, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

“Up there…” hope Ran pointed to a gap in the ceiling.

It's too high, I can't reach it.

Without saying a word, Su Mo squatted down: "Step on my shoulders to get up! Quick!"

Seeing Su Mo's determined gaze, the fear in the girls' hearts miraculously dissipated.

One by one, Su Mo acted as a human ladder, sending them into the ventilation duct.

When it was Xiran's turn, the outer door had been pushed open a crack, and a withered hand reached in.

"Ah!" hope Ran was so startled that she slipped and fell off Su Mo's shoulder.

With lightning speed, Su Mo caught her in mid-air, turned around, and shielded her in his arms before his back slammed heavily against the wall.

The ghostly hand just missed.

Su Mo looked down at hope Ran, who was still shaken, in his arms, and a roguish smile appeared on his lips: "Are you alright? Looks like I'll have to carry you upstairs."

At this moment, hope Ran felt that Su Mo was a million times more handsome than any male lead in an idol drama.

……

Two hours later, the group finally escaped from the exit, looking disheveled and exhausted.

The moment they saw the light of day again, the five girls collapsed onto the grass without any regard for their image.

Su Mo was also exhausted; this was incredibly tiring. He leaned against the railing, panting heavily. His hoodie was soaked with sweat, and he had even scraped his arm while protecting them.

"How was it? Was this Lantern Festival exciting enough?" Su Mo unscrewed a bottle of water, gulped down half of it in one go, and teased with a smile.

The women, who had been complaining about their "weak legs" and "ruined makeup," suddenly fell silent when they saw Su Mo's disheveled yet reassuring appearance.

A moment later, Yu Shuang stood up, walked to Su Mo, took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, her eyes so tender they could drip water: "Thank you for your hard work, great hero."

"Brother Mozi, you were so incredibly cool when you carried me just now!" Xiaoyu chimed in, not to be outdone, her face full of admiration.

Rita walked over, looked at the scrapes on Su Mo's arm, and frowned slightly: "Does it hurt?"

"This little injury is nothing," Su Mo was just about to show off.

"Since it doesn't hurt, let's go bungee jumping!" Luo Xin blurted out, oblivious to the danger.

Su Mo's smile froze instantly.

"Luo, Xin! You come here right now, I promise I won't kill you!"

Under the setting sun, Su Mo chased after Luo Xin as they ran across the grass, followed by the clear laughter of Yu Shuang, Rita, Xiao Yu, and hope Ran.

This was indeed quite tiring for Su Mo.

But looking at the smiles on their faces, he thought that this was probably the reason why he was willing to "take the risk" and protect all of this.

Of course, it would be even more perfect if next time we could choose a less physically demanding activity, such as... a hot spring for everyone.

Su Mo made a silent wish in his heart.

The atmosphere in the nanny van on the way back was completely different from when we arrived.

The more arrogant they were when they went, the more pathetic they came back.

Besides the driver, there were several "corpses" lying haphazardly in the carriage.

Luo Xin's head was tilted against the car window, and she was so asleep that she was drooling; Xiao Yu was curled up in a ball, covered with Su Mo's coat; hope Ran and Yu Shuang were huddled together, and even though they were asleep, their brows were still slightly furrowed, obviously they had been quite frightened just now.

Rita was the only one still awake. She sat in the back of the passenger seat, holding a small mirror in her hand, and carefully inspected her manicured nails, which had broken off, in the dim light of the car.

“Brother Mozi…” Rita’s voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of resentment, “My fingernail broke, I scratched your clothes just now.”

Su Mo, sitting in the last row with his eyes closed, didn't even lift his eyelids: "It's broken, it's broken. I'll get you a new set later. Just don't tear my flesh off." "Hmph, straight man," Rita muttered, then turned her head, looking at Su Mo with a mixture of lingering fear and excitement, "But seriously, when that NPC suddenly jumped out of the cabinet in that morgue, that roundhouse kick of yours...didn't it almost actually hit him in the face?"

Su Mo opened his eyes, a helpless smile playing on his lips: "That's muscle memory. Who told him to attack at face level? Luckily I held back, otherwise tomorrow's headlines would be 'EDG top laner beats up NPC, suspended for three months'."

Rita chuckled, reached across the seat, and gently poked Su Mo's knee: "Alright, great hero, let's go back and take good care of you."

……

It was already 11 p.m. when we got back to the villa.

Su Mo originally thought that today's schedule was over and everyone could wash up and go to bed.

But he clearly underestimated the women's obsession with "taking a bath" and the limitations of the villa's hot water supply system.

Although the villa was luxurious and had three bathrooms, it was still insufficient for six people (especially five girls who needed meticulous bathing) to take a shower at the same time.

"I want to take a bath! I want to wash away all the yin energy on my body!" As soon as Luo Xin entered the room, she grabbed a bath towel and rushed to the largest guest bathroom on the second floor.

"Me too! My hair is covered in ash!" Xiaoyu followed suit, not to be outdone.

Yu Shuang and hope Ran tacitly took over the bathroom on the first floor.

Su Mo stood in the middle of the living room, carrying large and small bags, dumbfounded as she looked at the suddenly empty living room and the tightly closed bathroom door.

"So... nobody cares about me anymore?"

Su Mo shook his head and could only carry his change of clothes towards the master bedroom. Fortunately, there was a large bathtub in the master bedroom, which was his last vestige of dignity as the "head of the family."

However, just as Su Mo had finished preparing the hot water and added bath salts, ready to enjoy a relaxing "manly bath," the door to the master bedroom was pushed open.

Rita, wearing a silk slip dress and holding two glasses of red wine, leaned against the door, watching Su Mo, who was about to take off his pants, with a half-smile.

"Oh, Master Su, getting ready to take a bath?"

Su Mo froze for a moment: "Ahem, Sister Ta Zi, what brings you here? This is my private territory."

Rita didn't say anything, but simply walked in with cat-like steps, hooking the door shut behind her. She walked to the bathtub, stretched out her delicate foot to test the water temperature, and nodded in satisfaction.

"The water temperature is good. Didn't I tell you in the car that I'd take good care of you when we got back?"

Su Mo's Adam's apple bobbed: "How exactly do you intend to serve me?"

Rita placed the red wine on the marble countertop beside the bathtub, turned around, and pressed herself close to Su Mo, tracing circles on his chest with her fingers, her eyes filled with seductive allure.

"Like...can I borrow your bathtub?"

Before Su Mo could react, the master bedroom door was pushed open again.

"Rita! You're so cunning! We agreed to soak together!"

Xiaoyu and Luoxin, wrapped in bath towels, rushed in.

Immediately afterwards, Yu Shuang and hope Ran appeared at the door, with Yu Shuang holding a bunch of face masks and essential oils.

“The water flow downstairs is too weak, and there’s only a shower,” Yu Shuang said matter-of-factly. “Mo Zi, we’re going to requisition your bathtub for a spa party. You don’t mind, do you?”

Looking at the five beautiful women who had suddenly filled the bathroom, and the scenery that was faintly visible through the swirling mist, Su Mo felt a surge of heat in his nostrils.

What an incredible plot!
"I mind! I mind a lot!" Su Mo made a last-ditch effort. "This is a men's dormitory! A men's dormitory, don't you understand!"

"Oh, don't be so stingy." Luo Xin had already started pouring bubble bath into the bathtub. "At worst... you can scrub our backs?"

"Pfft—" Su Mo almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Ultimately, under the "coercion and enticement" of the five beauties, Su Mo was forced to sign a contract—to give up the master bedroom bathroom for two hours and to be responsible for preparing chilled drinks and fruit platters for them outside.

Listening to the laughter and water sounds coming from the bathroom, and the occasional conversations like "Rita, you have such a great figure" and "Sister Shuang, I want to use that face mask too."

Su Mo sat on the bed in the bedroom, listening to the sounds of women talking inside. He sighed helplessly, but couldn't help imagining the scenes inside.

I want to join too!

He was thinking, maybe we should build a heated swimming pool so everyone can shower together without it being crowded...

Just then, my phone rang.

He picked up his phone and opened the email sent by the Riot Games designer.

That was the initial draft of the championship skin.

……

Happy days are always short-lived.

After the Lantern Festival, the LPL Spring Split resumed.

This villa, filled with laughter and joy, has finally come to an end.

Although everyone is in Shanghai, once the season starts, Su Mo will have to go back to the base to show his face, and the hosts and commentators will also be busy with their own schedules and activities.

The night before they left, everyone cooked a big mixed hot pot with all the remaining ingredients in the refrigerator.

"Let's go."

Su Mo stood at the entrance of the villa, carrying a peripheral bag.

Five girls stood on the steps to see him off.

"See you at the base," Yu Shuang said gently, straightening his collar.

"Good luck in the game! If you lose, don't come back to see us!" Rita was still as stubborn as ever.

"Remember to think of me!" Luo Xin made a heart shape with her hands.

Su Mo smiled and waved, then turned and got into the van that had come to pick him up.

Watching the figure recede into the distance in the rearview mirror, Su Mo took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening once more.

Wenwen Township is the Tomb of Heroes.

But it was precisely this gentleness that gave him a reason to keep winning.

……

EDG base.

When Su Mo pushed open the training room door, the familiar sound of keyboard typing and the shouts of his teammates instantly pulled him back to the atmosphere of the professional arena.

"Brother Mo! You're finally back!" Jiejie was the first to rush over. "With you gone for so long, I've been getting wrecked by the top laner every single ranked game. I was about to lose my mind!"

"That's because you're bad at the game." Su Mo laughed and put down his bag. "Where's Viper? Still practicing that new champion, Zephyr?"

"They've gone crazy with practice." Meiko pointed to the figure in the corner. "This version of Zeli is insane. Park Do-hyun said he's going to master it."

The factory manager and coach walked over with a notebook in hand, a satisfied smile on their faces: "Brother Mozi, how's your form? Our first match of the Spring Split is the day after tomorrow, against JDG."

"JDG?" Su Mo raised an eyebrow. "I heard they're known as the 'Galactic Battleship'?"

"Yes, 369, Kanavi, Knight, Ruler, Missing. An all-star lineup." Clearlove smiled. "Everyone's saying this is a preview of the S13 World Championship..."

"A preview?" Su Mo sat down in his gaming chair and skillfully opened the client. "Then let them see what the genuine product is and what the counterfeit is."

"Oh, right." The factory manager seemed to remember something, "Riot sent over a demo of your Jayce skin's recall animation. Take a look and see if you're satisfied."

Su Mo opened the video file.

On the screen, Jayce, dressed in black and gold mecha armor and exuding a futuristic feel, pressed the recall button and then slammed the Mercury Hammer in his hand into the ground, shattering the floor beneath his feet and revealing the EDG team logo.

Next, Jess transformed the warhammer into a cyberpunk-style electric guitar.

The spotlight shines.

Jess put on a pair of cool sunglasses, his fingers flew across the strings, and a rousing rock song began to play.

Finally, he stepped on the speaker, struck an extremely cool and stylish pose, and then created a golden firework effect behind him.

"Cool!" Su Mo snapped his fingers. "This is it! But I have a suggestion for the designer: could those sunglasses be even cooler? Maybe make them like aviator sunglasses."

The factory manager's lips twitched: "...I will pass it on, but I can't guarantee they will understand your aesthetic sense."

...(End of chapter)