LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The promotional video immediately went viral on major esports forums both domestically and internationally upon its release!
Not only did LPL fans share it wildly, but even on foreign websites, a wave of imitations of "Mo's quotes" swept across the internet.

[G2 Official Twitter: Dear Mo, our overtime pay is based on EU standards, and we do not accept time off in lieu. Are you still coming?]

[T1 fans: This is outrageous! This guy treats Worlds like a job! Zeus, teach him a lesson in London!]

[LEC commentator: Every time I see him pick up that thermos, I feel like the opposing top laner can take his hands off the keyboard. That's Death's water bottle!]

Despite the clamor from the outside world, Su Mo maintained his unwavering routine.

The last night before departure.

A small, private farewell dinner is underway in a river-view apartment.

Not only were Yu Shuang, hope Ran, Rita, Luo Xin and Xiao Yu all present, but Lin Xuan, who had just returned from Hengdian, also sat at the table dressed in a very low-key tracksuit.

The table was full of Su Mo's favorite home-style dishes.

"Brother Mo, this is a toast to you!" Rita raised her glass, her peach blossom eyes filled with reluctance and pride. "When you get to London, don't just focus on the competition, remember to take lots of photos and send them to us. I heard the fish and chips there are terrible, so I packed ten bottles of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce and hot pot base in your suitcase!"

"Thank you." Su Mo picked up the cup full of goji berry water, clinked it against hers, and smiled helplessly. "We're going to a competition, not a picnic, so you don't need to bring so much stuff."

"That won't do. Your stomach is so delicate. What if you can't get used to fast food?" Lin Xuan muttered softly from the side. She took out a very delicate little black gift box from her bag and handed it to Su Mo, her eyes filled with a hint of shyness. "Teacher Su, this is... I went to the temple to get you a good luck charm. It's been blessed. Keep it with you and it will protect you and help you win a championship."

Su Mo took the gift box, opened it, and saw a finely crafted Hetian jade safety buckle with a small "Mo" character engraved on it. The gentleness in his eyes deepened, and he solemnly put the safety buckle into his pocket.

"I will wear it. Thank you."

The dinner was very warm and cozy. There was no sadness of parting, only anticipation for the glory to come.

After dinner, Su Mo drove Lin Xuan back to her secluded residence and then settled the other girls in.

When he returned to his apartment alone and opened the door to his study, the clock on the wall already pointed to two in the morning.

He didn't turn on the headlights, but instead turned on the computer screen.

On the screen was a tactical analysis of various teams that he had compiled over the past two weeks. From T1's warding habits to G2's bizarre draft strategies, the analysis was dense and detailed to an outrageous degree.

He picked up the black thermos and walked to the French windows.

Outside the window, the night view of Shanghai Bund remains vibrant and dazzling, with neon lights reflecting mesmerizing shadows on the Huangpu River.

His gaze was calmly fixed on the distance.

In this world, everyone thought he was a genius, a god who could crush everything with instinct and micro-management.

But he knew that what was in that thermos was not just goji berries, but also the countless days and nights he had spent alone in front of the screen, mentally rehearsing all the possible accidents.

"London……"

He murmured something under his breath, a subtle yet sharp glint flashing in his deep eyes.

"I hope this business trip will be somewhat interesting."

The next morning.

Pudong International Airport.

Wearing their LPL uniforms, EDG and BLG boarded a flight to Great Britain amidst the cheers and flashes of countless fans.

After a long flight of more than ten hours, the flight finally landed smoothly at London Heathrow Airport.

As soon as I stepped out of the cabin, the damp, chilly air typical of Great Britain hit me. A light, gray drizzle was falling from the sky, and the whole of London seemed to be shrouded in a melancholy filter.

Achoo—!

As soon as he arrived at the officially designated hotel, Ah Chen couldn't help but sneeze loudly. He collapsed onto the sofa in the hotel lobby like a wilted eggplant. "What kind of weather is this? It's even worse than the plum rain season in Shanghai. And I didn't eat well on the plane because of jet lag. I'm so hungry I could eat a whole cow."

Xiao Yue rubbed his stomach with a worried look on his face: "Don't even mention it. I just went to the restaurant and all I saw was fried fish and chips. The fish pieces were coated in a thick layer of batter, it looked so greasy. If I eat like this for half a month, I'm afraid I won't even be able to hold a mouse anymore."

Mingkai, who was handling the check-in process, sighed helplessly upon hearing the team members' complaints: "There's nothing we can do, that's just how the food culture is here. Everyone, please bear with it for now. I'll have the team leader look for an authentic Chinese restaurant nearby tonight."

Just as several young team members were groaning from hunger, Su Mo pushed his suitcase and walked calmly to the lobby's rest area. He was wearing a long black trench coat over a simple white T-shirt, and his tall, slender figure and cold, deep face attracted frequent glances from several foreign team staff members who were passing by.

Ignoring the stares around him, Su Mo laid his suitcase flat, unzipped it, and took out a heavy package from the inside.

With a "snap".

Ten bottles of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, several large bags of Haidilao hot pot base, and several vacuum-packed pickled vegetables were neatly arranged on the coffee table in the lobby.

Ah Chen and Xiao Yue's eyes instantly lit up like two-kilowatt searchlights, and they jumped up from the sofa.

"Holy crap! Brother Mo! You're like my own brother!!" Ah Chen was so excited he almost knelt down before Su Mo, grabbing a bottle of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. "You actually brought this stuff?!"

Su Mo picked up the thermos in his hand, slowly took a sip of warm water, and said in a calm tone: "Rita insisted on stuffing this into my suitcase before we left. I'll take it to the restaurant and borrow a pot from the chef, cook some plain noodles with the base sauce, add some chili sauce, and have a meal. After eating, I'll go back to my room to sleep. I have to take some makeup photos tomorrow."

"Waaah, please thank Sister Rita for me! Brother Mo, from now on you are my second parents!" Xiao Yue hugged the hot pot base, so moved that tears were about to fall.

Watching the team members excitedly run towards the restaurant with their "lifesaving supplies," Mingkai walked over, smiled, and patted Su Mo on the shoulder: "It's all thanks to you, for planning ahead. Otherwise, these kids would definitely be throwing a tantrum tonight."

"Just some life experience." Su Mo smiled faintly, picked up his suitcase, and headed for the elevator. Since S7, he had competed in countless tournaments around the world, and he was already familiar with European cuisine. Back in his assigned single suite, Su Mo took a quick hot shower and changed into a set of gray cotton loungewear.

8 p.m. London time is exactly 3 a.m. Beijing time.

He leaned against the headboard, and just as he turned on his phone, a video call invitation popped up on WeChat. The caller ID read "A Loving Family."

Su Mo answered the video call. The screen was divided into several small squares, clearly showing that the girls at home had stayed up until midnight waiting for him to let them know he was safe.

"Brother Mo! Have you arrived yet? Is it cold in London?" On the other end of the video call, hope Ran, wearing a fluffy set of pajamas, rubbed her sleepy eyes and brought her face close to the screen, full of concern.

"Just arrived at the hotel. It's raining outside and a bit chilly, but the heating inside is great." Su Mo looked at the girls on the screen, his gaze, which had been slightly hardened by the long flight, instantly softened.

Yu Shuang appeared on camera with a face mask on, her voice still gentle: "Are you adjusting to the time difference? Don't watch any recordings tonight, get some rest. Did Rita put those Lao Gan Ma chili sauces to your table to any good use?"

Before Su Mo could answer, Rita's alluring face squeezed into Yu Shuang's camera lens. Wearing a sexy silk camisole, she smugly hummed, "Of course! I'm very shrewd. Brother Mo, aren't Chen and the others grateful to me?"

"Yes." Su Mo smiled slightly. "They said they would set up a longevity tablet for you when you return to China."

"Go to hell, don't curse me!" Rita rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.

Luo Xin and Xiao Yu were connected via microphone in their sea-view room in Sanya, with the sound of waves audible in the background: "Brother Mo, we bought you several floral shirts in Sanya. You have to wear them to show us when you come back from MSI!"

Su Mo listened quietly to their chatter. Although they were separated by 10,000 kilometers and an eight-hour time difference, he felt a corner of his heart was filled to the brim.

He glanced at the screen and suddenly realized that one person was missing.

"Where's Lin Xuan? She's not online?" Su Mo asked casually.

"Oh, Xuanxuan..." Yu Shuang's eyes flickered, and she replied somewhat awkwardly, "Although her new drama has finished filming, she's been busy with dubbing these past few days. She's probably asleep in the recording studio right now. Don't worry about her, go to sleep!"

Su Mo keenly noticed Yu Shuang's unusual behavior, but he didn't expose her. He simply nodded gently and said, "Okay. You should go to sleep early too. Good night."

After hanging up the video call, Su Mo walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the wet London night view. Recalling Lin Xuan's hesitant expression before he left for the expedition, he shook his head helplessly, but a doting smile appeared on his lips.

"This girl is getting bolder and bolder."

……

The following morning, Riot Games arranged a unified media day for the participating teams from each major region, including taking official photos and recording pre-match trash talk.

In the lounge of the filming location, players from various teams gathered together. T1 and GEN.G from LCK, G2 from LEC, and teams from LCS were all present.

When Su Mo, wearing EDG's classic black and red outfit and carrying a black thermos in his left hand, walked into the venue unhurriedly, the originally noisy hall instantly fell silent for three seconds.

Countless eyes were focused on this man.

There was fear, there was admiration, and there was also the fearless provocation of a newborn calf.

T1's top laner Zeus sat in a corner, staring intently at Su Mo, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. Meanwhile, the G2 players waved to him from afar. This team, known for its antics, had an almost fanatical adoration for this "Demon King" who had dominated since S7.

During a break in filming, a blonde, blue-eyed, extremely tall and voluptuous European female host, wearing high heels, led the cameraman straight toward Su Mo.

She is the leading lady of the LEC region and a top bilingual host who is a regular at the global finals—Xi Ya.

"Oh my god, it really is you, Mo!" Sia's blue eyes sparkled with undisguised fervor and admiration. She greeted him in fluent Chinese and sat down on the sofa next to Su Mo.

"Hello, Xi Ya." Su Mo smiled politely, but maintained a proper social distance naturally, holding the thermos cup steadily in her hand.

"Mo, you might not know this, but in Europe, your name is practically a nightmare for top laners. From S7 until now, for seven whole years, you've practically given every top laner in the LEC a psychological scar." Xia covered her mouth and chuckled, her gaze burning as she swept over Su Mo's cold face. "This time, with the 2024 MSI coming to London, our commentators are all betting on which team can force you to drink the second sip of water from your thermos."

This interview, tinged with both admiration and teasing, would likely have made other young contestants either elated or uneasy.

But Su Mo calmly unscrewed the lid and slowly took a sip of warm water in front of the camera.

"I'm just here to clock in for work." Su Mo's voice was calm, exuding an absolute sense of control. "As for who the opponent is or which city we're playing in, it doesn't matter to me. As long as the lanes meet, the work begins."

Looking at his calm demeanor, Xia was not only not bored, but even more fascinated. She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said in a volume that only the two of them could hear, "Mo, after this MSI is over, can I have one of your original autographed team jerseys? For my personal collection."

Su Mo glanced sideways at the fiery European beauty, and involuntarily imagined how jealous his family members would be if they saw this.

“A signed jersey is fine. But no original ones.” Su Mo stood up and nodded politely but distantly. “My wife is quite strict.”

After saying that, he left the disheveled Xia standing in the wind, picked up his thermos, and calmly walked towards the filming lighting area.

……

The three-day adjustment period flew by.

The group stage of the 2024 MSI Mid-Season Invitational officially kicked off at the Copperbox Stadium in London!

As the LPL's first seed for the Spring Split, EDG skipped the Play-In Stage and drew their first-round opponent to be the host team from Europe, who was also the LEC Spring Split champion – G2!

"Welcome to the 2024 MSI! This is London!" Guan Zeyuan's voice, broadcast from the commentary booth, echoed back to China amidst the deafening cheers of the European audience. "Today, we will witness the debut of LPL's number one seed, EDG, at this year's MSI! Their opponent is the very familiar European optimistic family, G2 Esports!"

Miller chimed in, "Yes. G2 has always been known in Europe for their deep strategies and penchant for unconventional plays. Especially their top laner, Bi Bi, who even pulled out incredibly annoying champions like Zac and Pyke in the LEC finals. Facing our Mozi today, I wonder what secret weapon he'll unleash." (End of Chapter)