LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

Yu Shuang bent down slightly, her warm breath brushing against Su Mo's ear as she spoke. A pleasant, light fragrance lingered around Su Mo's nose.

"Thank you." Su Mo nodded, her gaze still fixed on the Teamfight Tactics board. "Just have the hotel dry clean your clothes and send them to me from the front desk. You don't need to make a special trip."

"That won't do. If you borrow something from someone, you should return it in person to show your sincerity." Yu Shuang looked at the chess pieces on the screen that were automatically fighting monsters and couldn't help but smile.

She leaned closer and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Everyone outside is saying that EDG's top laner is definitely in seclusion right now, practicing hard and figuring out how to deal with Zeus. If your fans knew that their god is currently rolling for a three-star five-cost unit on the chessboard, their illusions would probably shatter."

Su Mo casually crafted a piece of equipment, speaking in a low-key tone: "I'm just a worker. The key to staying healthy is to balance work and rest. Besides, the coaching staff can worry about T1's tactics; I'm just here to clock in and out."

Hearing this self-righteous and nonchalant statement, Yu Shuang couldn't help but chuckle. She stretched out her slender white fingers and very naturally straightened Su Mo's slightly upturned collar.

"Alright, working class. Good luck in the finals. If you win, I'll treat you to something delicious when we get back to China."

Yu Shuang didn't linger. After greeting everyone, she turned and left the training room, leaving only a faint lingering fragrance in the air, which caused a few single young men nearby to exchange knowing glances.

"Brother Mo, we're so envious of Sister Shuang's treatment," Ah Chen said sourly, taking a sip of his iced Americano.

"Practice your last-hitting skills more, and gossip less." Su Mo said calmly without turning his head, instantly silencing Ah Chen.

At 2 PM, Mingkai clapped his hands, signaling everyone to gather and watch the replay video.

On the big screen, a video of T1 defeating their opponent in the semifinals was being played.

“Look here.” Mingkai pointed at Zeus on the screen with a laser pointer. “T1’s core strategy now relies heavily on Zeus’ split-pushing and split-pushing in the top lane. His champion pool is similar to Mozi’s; he can play Jayce, Yone, and even Fiora. Oner spends about 70% of his early game energy in the top half of the map.”

Mingkai turned to Su Mo: "Mozi, what are your thoughts on facing Zeus in the finals?"

Su Mo leaned back in his chair, fiddling with the empty paper cup in his hand, his expression still lazy and as if he hadn't woken up yet.

"I don't have any particular thoughts." Su Mo yawned. "His fundamentals are very good, and his reactions are quick. Just play normally in lane."

"That's it?" Xiao Yue's eyes widened. "Brother Mo, this is Zeus! The LCK's new generation of mechanical monsters! Aren't you going to use your signature moves to counter him?"

“No need to prepare any special skills.” Su Mo put down the paper cup and crossed his hands in front of him. Although his tone was casual, his words revealed an inherent confidence.

"He wanted to play skillfully, so I played with him. He wanted to farm, so I pushed down the towers early. League of Legends is a tower-pushing game. As long as you destroy the enemy's Nexus, you can go home. There's no need to make it so complicated."

This is Su Mo. He doesn't like to spout those passionate slogans, nor does he make any harsh statements before a match. He always does the most ruthless things in the entire canyon with the most calm tone.

On domestic forums, the discussion about his statement last night that "five ban slots are not enough" continues to ferment.

Some say he's too arrogant and looks down on everyone. Others say that's the confidence of a true strongman.

Even some LCK media outlets came to stir up trouble, asking the other EDG members what they thought of Su Mo's statement.

When Meiko was cornered by reporters in the hotel lobby, he responded with a smile: "You guys really misunderstood. What our Brother Mo said wasn't a provocation. He's the kind of person who's too lazy to even play one more ranked game. What he meant was that there are too many good heroes for T1, and five ban slots aren't enough for EDG. He was just too lazy to think about how to deal with it, so he just made up an excuse."

After the interview was released, netizens not only didn't stop creating memes, but instead felt that Su Mo was even more unfathomable.

[Got it, what Mozi means is: I can win no matter what I choose, so it doesn't matter whether you ban it or not.]

On the surface: Five ban slots aren't enough for us. In reality: Even if you T1 had ten ban slots, you still couldn't kill me!

This kind of understated, low-key display of wealth is the most lethal.

At the T1 base, several kilometers away.

Zeus sat in front of his computer, repeatedly watching the first-person perspective recordings of Su Mo's recent matches.

From Camille's extreme maneuvering to Teemo's psychological warfare, the young LCK prodigy top laner's brow furrowed deeper and deeper, and a fine layer of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

“What is he thinking… why would he take this step back at this point in time?” Zeus muttered to himself, his pen filling his notebook with complex roadmaps.

Faker walked up behind him with a glass of water and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't try to guess all of his thoughts, Sang-hyeok." Faker pushed up his glasses, looking intently at the familiar ID on the screen. "Su Mo's matches are sometimes illogical. The more you treat him as a calculating god, the heavier the burden you'll carry during the laning phase."

Zeus took a deep breath and nodded: "I understand, Sang-hyeok. In the finals, I will only trust my own skills."

Time flew by, and it was already the evening before the final.

The Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the final battleground for the S13 World Championship, is currently undergoing final rehearsals and equipment testing.

Su Mo sat on the sofa in the players' lounge, looking down at the messages on his phone.

Rita posted a selfie of herself having coffee on the streets of Seoul, wearing a fitted knit dress that showed off her curves: "The final battle is almost here! I'll be watching you win the championship from the commentary booth tomorrow. Don't forget you owe me a meal~"

Luo Xin and Xiao Yu also sent various encouraging emojis in the group chat, reminding them to keep warm.

Su Mo only replied with a simple "Mm" and a thumbs-up emoji, the kind often associated with older people. He gave a reply, but completely ended the conversation.

Just then, the door to the lounge was pushed open, and Mingkai walked in, looking somewhat serious.

"I just received a notification that the organizers have arranged a special entrance ceremony for tomorrow's finals. T1 will have all members walk out of the tunnel, while for us, the organizers hope that you can represent us and walk at the front holding a replica of the trophy."

Mingkai looked at Su Mo, somewhat worried that this laid-back personality would make him feel like a burden.

Su Mo put his phone in his pocket, stood up, and stretched.

"It's just carrying a prop, no big deal." He picked up the thermos on the table and walked towards the door. When he reached the door, he paused and turned back to look at Mingkai.

A familiar, sharp light finally appeared in those eyes that usually exuded laziness.

As night deepened, the early autumn air in Seoul carried a touch of coolness.

After finishing rehearsals for the Gocheok Sky Dome, the EDG team bus returned to the hotel at 11 PM. Most of the players were wearing headphones and resting with their eyes closed, conserving their energy for tomorrow's final battle. Su Mo stepped off the bus, his usual black thermos in hand. As soon as he entered the hotel lobby, he saw a faint light from a phone screen on the sofa in the lounge area.

hope Ran was wearing a soft beige knit sweater, her long hair casually tied back, and a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She was writing and drawing on a thick stack of cue cards, with a cup of coffee that had already stopped steaming beside her.

Hearing footsteps, hope Ran looked up and saw Su Mo. A glimmer of light flashed in her tired eyes.

"Is the rehearsal over?" She put down her pen and rubbed her aching wrist.

Su Mo walked over and sat down on the single sofa opposite her, casually placing the thermos on the coffee table.

"Yeah, just got back." Su Mo glanced at the card in her hand. "Still memorizing your bilingual hosting script for tomorrow?"

“After all, it’s the finals, LCK’s home ground. I have to make sure every Korean pronunciation is correct. I can’t let LPL down.” Xi Ran stretched, outlining her beautiful curves, and then looked at Su Mo half-jokingly, “But you, you’re playing against T1 tomorrow, how come you don’t seem nervous at all? The internet is full of discussions about the challenge you issued to T1 yesterday, even the Korean forums are in an uproar.”

"There's nothing to be nervous about." Su Mo unscrewed the lid, poured a small cup of warm goji berry water, and pushed it in front of hope Ran. "Cold coffee is bad for your stomach. Drink some hot water and go to bed early. Dark circles don't look good on camera."

Xi Ran paused slightly, looking at the cup of hot water pushed in front of her, her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. She picked up the cup, her fingertips inadvertently touching the lingering warmth left by Su Mo, and whispered, "You're always so thoughtful in these strange places."

She took a small sip, and the warm water flowed down her throat, dispelling the chill of late autumn.

“Tomorrow…” hope Ran looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation and a barely perceptible tenderness. “I’ll be waiting for you in the interview area tomorrow. We promised to bring back that real trophy.”

Su Mo stood up, put one hand in his trench coat pocket, looked down at her, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Keep the interview questions simple. I want to go home and sleep early after the BO5."

Watching Su Mo walk towards the elevator, hope Ran couldn't help but chuckle. This man, no matter how big the stage, his inherent lazy, never-say-die attitude hasn't changed at all.

……

The next day, at four o'clock in the afternoon.

The final battle of the S13 World Championship has officially begun at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.

The stadium was packed, with tens of thousands of spectators creating a sea of ​​excitement. After a spectacular opening ceremony, accompanied by a deafening battle anthem, the two teams representing the highest honor in their respective regions took to the stage.

"Let us welcome the glory of LCK, the creators of a four-time world champion dynasty—T1!!!"

Amidst the deafening cheers of the Korean fans, Faker led the team onto the stage, accompanied by Zeus, Oner, Gumayusi, and Keria. Their red and black team uniforms shone brightly under the lights, exuding an imposing aura.

Faker pushed up his round-framed glasses, his gaze calmly fixed on the silver Summoner's Cup in the center of the stage.

On the other side of the passage, the spotlights instantly transformed into the LPL's iconic red and black colors.

"Next, let's welcome LPL's number one seed, our Grand Slam legend—EDG!!!"

Ah Chen and Xiao Yue took a deep breath and followed JackeyLove and Meiko out. At the very back was that familiar figure.

The director's camera focused on Su Mo.

He wasn't wearing a jacket today, just an EDG short-sleeved team jersey, his long arms hanging naturally at his sides. Among the players whose expressions were serious due to tension, he appeared remarkably relaxed. He even held that well-known black thermos in his left hand.

In the LPL commentary booth below the stage, the three commentators could no longer contain their excitement.

"They're here! Two historically strong teams have finally met on the final stage!" Guan Zeyuan exclaimed. "Look at Mozi's state, he's so relaxed! He's even chatting with the referee next to him!"

"What a nerve!" Miller shook his head with a smile. "Others come here to fight to the death, but Mozi looks like he's just here to clock in for work."

Both players took their seats in the soundproof booth.

The atmosphere in T1's team voice chat was very focused.

"Sang-hyeok, we're on the blue side this game, what's the strategy?" Oner asked while adjusting his peripherals.

Faker looked at the EDG team's opposing squad and said calmly, "Go with what we decided in yesterday's meeting. Focus on the top lane; don't let him get a fighter with too much split-pushing pressure. Zeus, are you confident this game?"

Zeus gripped the mouse tightly, his young face filled with a fighting spirit eager to prove himself: "Don't worry, Sang-hyeok. I studied his replays all night. As long as the draft isn't bad, I definitely won't get crushed by him online."

Inside EDG's soundproof booth, the scene was completely different.

"Brother Mo, what did you eat for lunch? I think the boxed lunch backstage was a bit salty, and I'm so thirsty now," Ah Chen complained while putting on his headphones.

“Vegetable salad. Eating too much makes you sleepy.” Su Mo yawned, adjusted his blue light blocking glasses, and glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the screen. “Coach, let’s try to get off work early today. There’s a pretty good barbecue restaurant in Seoul. I’ll treat you guys to it after the game.”

Mingkai, holding a tactical board, stood behind Su Mo and couldn't help but roll his eyes at Su Mo's nonchalant remarks: "The other side is T1, do you think we're playing against bots? Get serious, we're on the red side this game, the counter-pick is yours, so stop messing around."

"Let's see what they choose," Su Mo said casually, opening the rune page.

"Alright, the first round of ban/pick phases for both sides officially begins!"

On the big screen, the screen switched to the Ban/Pick interface.

T1 is on the blue side, and EDG is on the red side.

T1 gave up their first three bans without hesitation.

"Ban Fiora! Ban Jax! Ban Camille!"

There was an uproar at the scene.

"Another three bans on top laners!" Ji De exclaimed on the commentary stage. "T1's coaching staff isn't stubborn either! They know how destructive Mozi's three signature warriors are on the sidelines, so they sent them all to the ban room!"

On EDG's side, Mingkai banned Maokai, a strong jungler in the current version, as well as Orianna and Neeko, limiting Faker's champion pool. (End of Chapter)