Chapter 702
focuses on one person's greed.
"After pushing this wave, recall to base immediately. Don't be greedy for that one tower plate. The enemy jungler's jungle route is right in the top half of the map."
"Cut off Camille's E skill at the right time. If she doesn't use Flash, you don't use E."
Under this subtle guidance, Solok's progress is clearly visible, and EDG's second team roster has also been advancing all the way in the Demacia Cup.
December 31st, New Year's Eve.
As evening fell, light snowflakes began to drift down in Shanghai. This was a rare first snowfall for this southern city.
After reviewing the afternoon's training matches, Su Mo clocked out at six o'clock sharp. He declined Manager Abu's New Year's Eve dinner at the base and drove back to the River View Apartment alone.
Pushing open the apartment door, the room was warm and filled with the rich aroma of chicken soup.
Several pairs of women's slippers were neatly arranged in the entryway. A thin layer of condensation had formed on the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room due to the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors.
"You're back!"
Hearing the door open, Xiran, dressed in a light gray knitted loungewear set, peeked halfway out of the kitchen, holding a soup ladle in her hand. She wasn't wearing heavy makeup, and her hair was casually pinned up with a hair clip, with a few stray strands falling down her temples, making her look gentle and homely.
"Is it snowing outside? Take off your coat quickly, don't catch a cold." Yu Shuang stood up from the sofa, walked over and naturally took Su Mo's long black trench coat, which was still chilly, and hung it on the coat rack.
"Yes, it snowed a little." Su Mo changed into slippers and went to the sink to wash his hands with hot water.
Tonight, several of LPL's top female stars declined the station's New Year's Eve gala invitation and tacitly gathered at Su Mo's apartment. In Luo Xin's words, the outside world of fame and fortune was too noisy, and it was much more reassuring to have a simple meal at Brother Mo's place.
The table was laden with a sumptuous spread of home-style dishes. There were no elaborate platings like those in upscale restaurants, so exquisite that you almost hesitate to eat them; instead, there was steaming braised pork, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a pot of golden, clear chicken soup.
Several people sat around the dining table. Outside the window was the bustling night view of the Bund, while inside was the warm and cozy atmosphere of everyday life.
"Here, have a bowl of hot soup to warm your stomach." Yu Shuang picked up the small bowl in front of Su Mo, filled it with chicken soup without a drop of oil, and carefully placed it beside him.
"Thank you." Su Mo picked up the bowl, took a sip, and the rich, savory flavor slid down his esophagus into his stomach, dispelling the winter chill.
Rita, unusually, didn't drink today, instead holding a steaming cup of corn juice. She rested her chin on her hand, watching Su Mo's profile as he quietly ate, her eyes filled with a gentle languor: "Brother Mo, I heard our second team's top laner played quite well in the Demacia Cup. People online are saying he's got your three-point shooting flair from back in the day. Are you planning to groom a successor so you can retire early and enjoy life?"
Su Mo put down his chopsticks, took a tissue to wipe his mouth, and said calmly, "Esports is a young person's game. It's good for the club to have newcomers stepping up. I'm just teaching him what I know. As for how far he can go, that depends on his own understanding."
"How old are you? You're always talking about retirement." Xiaoyu put a piece of braised pork in Su Mo's bowl and muttered softly, "If LPL doesn't have you, I don't know how to commentate on the matches."
"The earth will keep turning no matter who's gone. I can't be playing games until I'm thirty and still be competing with a bunch of eighteen-year-olds in the Rift, can I?" Su Mo chuckled, picked up the serving chopsticks next to him, and put a piece of food on everyone's plate. "Eat more, you don't need to worry about your weight for the camera tonight."
After dinner, everyone divided the tasks and cleaned up the dishes.
As midnight approached, the countdown to the New Year's Eve gala played on TV. Luo Xin and Xiao Yu were nestled in a corner of the sofa, covered with the same blanket, and had unknowingly fallen asleep, their breathing even. Rita, on the other hand, leaned against a cushion on the other side, half-closing her eyes as she scrolled through her phone.
The room was very quiet, with only a faint sound coming from the television.
Su Mo, carrying a thermos, walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the Bund's lights were still dazzling, and the fine snowflakes, illuminated by the lights, resembled dancing fireflies.
A very light footstep came from behind.
Yu Shuang took a large cashmere shawl, quietly walked to Su Mo's side, and gently draped the shawl over his shoulders.
"Are you watching the snow?" Yu Shuang's voice was very soft, afraid of waking the girls on the sofa. She stood side by side with Su Mo, gazing at the night view outside the window.
"Yes, it rarely snows in the South." Su Mo turned his head slightly, looking at Yu Shuang's face, which appeared particularly gentle and mature in the dim light. "You've been busy all day, why don't you go and get some sleep?"
"I can't sleep." Yu Shuang shook her head gently, crossed her arms over her chest, and unconsciously leaned half a step closer to Su Mo. "This year has gone by so fast. From the Spring Split to MSI, and then to winning the World Championship... Looking back, it feels like every day was a tense race forward. Only when I stand here do I feel that time belongs to us."
She raised her head, her eyes, as clear as autumn water, fixed on Su Mo: "Seven years, Su Mo. You've always been like a mountain, standing in front of everyone, protecting the team, and protecting us. You really... have you never felt tired?"
Su Mo looked at the snowflakes falling outside the window and remained silent for a moment.
He didn't answer directly, but instead raised his right hand and gently tidied a stray strand of hair that fell beside Yu Shuang's cheek. His fingertips inadvertently touched her warm cheek, causing Yu Shuang to catch her breath slightly.
“To say I’m not tired at all would be a lie.” Su Mo’s voice was low and gentle, carrying a calm that seemed to have been washed away by the world. “But every time I feel exhausted, I come back here and see the lights on, and someone has left a pot of hot soup…”
He turned his head and looked at Yu Shuang with deep eyes, a hint of tenderness in his gaze: "Just like now. A place where I can leave work in peace is enough."
At that moment, Yu Shuang's heartbeat completely went off track.
She didn't speak, but simply followed her heart and slowly rested her head on Su Mo's broad shoulder. There was no grand confession, no deliberately created romance, only two hearts leaning on each other and gradually drawing closer in the bustling city.
Su Mo didn't dodge. He let her lean on him, his left hand still holding the thermos steadily, while his right hand gently covered the back of her hand that was resting on his arm, using the warmth of his palm to dispel the chill coming from the window.
"Ten, nine, eight..."
The New Year's countdown was playing from the television.
Outside the window, although fireworks are prohibited in the city, several landmark buildings across the river simultaneously lit up with dazzling light shows, illuminating the snowy night sky.
"Happy New Year, Su Mo." Yu Shuang leaned on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and murmured softly.
"Happy New Year," Su Mo replied softly.
Just then, my phone vibrated slightly in my pocket.
Su Mo did not break the silence, but simply took out his phone with one hand and glanced at it.
It was a photo sent by Lin Xuan.
The photo appears to have been taken inside a film crew's trailer. On a table piled high with scripts sits a pure black thermos, the same model as Su Mo's, with a faint steam rising from its rim. A text message follows the photo.
Lin Xuan: [Happy New Year, Teacher Su. The crew is filming a long night scene across New Year's Eve, and I'm trying to learn your health and wellness secrets. A thermos with goji berries is definitely more effective than coffee.]
Su Mo looked at the screen, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He typed with one hand, his reply brief yet revealing genuine concern.
Su Mo: [Happy New Year. Getting enough sleep is more effective than any health remedy. Get some rest after filming.]
On the film set in Hengdian World Studios, far away.
Lin Xuan, wearing a thick down jacket, sat in the RV. Seeing the reply light up on her phone screen, a stunning smile instantly bloomed in her eyes, which were tired from staying up all night.
She pressed her phone to her chest, turned to look at the night outside the window where snow was also falling lightly, and murmured to herself, "What a...warm guy."
In two different corners of the city, different girls, yet both found the most comforting warmth on a cold winter night because of the same man.
Su Mo put away his phone, looked at Yu Shuang, who was leaning against his shoulder and already slightly sleepy, and then at his friends who were sprawled out asleep on the sofa. He sighed silently in his heart, then very gently picked Yu Shuang up and carried her to the warm guest room.
With the New Year's Day holiday just over, all the LPL teams have entered the most intense preparation period before the Spring Split.
The atmosphere in the conference room on the third floor of the EDG base was both lively and orderly.
Head coach Mingkai stood in front of the tactics board, holding several printed copies of the latest league update announcements. The changes for the new season are significant, especially the changes to the map terrain and the addition of Voidbringers, which pose unprecedented challenges to the top lane ecosystem and jungle routes.
"As everyone has seen, Riot's moves this time are very precise, basically following the same strategy that led to our championship last year." Mingkai used a marker to circle several new bushes and walls on the map for the top lane. "The addition of Void Brewster means that lane control in the top lane becomes crucial in the first fifteen minutes. If we can't get lane control in the top lane, Chen will have a very difficult time in the jungle, and may even lose control of the Rift Herald."
The team members sitting on either side of the conference table had different expressions.
JackeyLove and Meiko were discussing the impact of the new bottom lane terrain on anti-gank vision; Chen, on the other hand, was frowning, staring intently at the spawn times of the Voidbringers in the top lane, frantically simulating various jungle routes in his mind.
Only Su Mo remained as calm and unmoved as ever.
He was wearing a loose black hoodie, leaning back in his gaming chair. His left hand held his signature black thermos, while his right hand casually flipped through the documents in front of him. His gaze was as calm as a deep pool, showing no sign of anxiety due to the major version update.
"Mozi, what are your thoughts on the new terrain and the nest worms on the top lane?" Mingkai turned to look at Su Mo, his eyes filled with inquiry and reliance.
The entire team's eyes immediately turned to Su Mo.
Su Mo put down his thermos, screwed on the lid, and slowly began to speak: "The terrain has changed, which is indeed advantageous for the defending side; the ganking routes have narrowed. But the requirement for lane control remains the same. As for the Void Brew..."
He paused, his tone calm yet brimming with absolute confidence: "As long as the enemy jungler dares to step into the top lane river before the 15-minute mark, I can make sure he doesn't leave alive. No matter what champion he picks, I decide the lane priority in the top lane."
These words, spoken casually, acted like a stabilizing force, instantly calming the morale of the people in the conference room.
"Awesome! I feel relieved to hear Brother Mo say that!" Ah Chen slapped his thigh excitedly. "Then I'll focus on farming the bottom half of the map and put the pressure of controlling the dragon on the other side!"
Mingkai breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile: "Okay. Since there are no problems with the top lane, we will focus our scrimmages on the mid and bot lanes' ability to withstand pressure and the exchange of jungle resources. Also, let me keep you updated on the latest developments of the other teams."
Mingkai opened another document: "As for BLG, Bin has been practicing warriors like crazy on the Korean server lately, especially since the new version of Divine Insight was removed. He developed a new heavy warrior build, probably because he's determined to get revenge on Mozi in the Spring Split. TES's 369 is back in form, and with the chemistry between Knight and JackeyLove's former teammates, this all-Chinese team is extremely strong on paper. Although JDG let 369 go, their rookie top laner Sheer is playing very aggressively in scrims. He's supposedly JDG management's handpicked 'Su-Mo challenger'."
Upon hearing the word "challenger," a soft chuckle rippled through the conference room.
“Every year there are challengers, and every year they get crushed by Brother Mo.” Xiao Yue pushed up his glasses and couldn’t help but complain, “I think that Sheer is just a greenhorn. When he actually gets to the competition, he probably won’t even be able to touch Brother Mo’s clothes.”
"Don't underestimate your opponent." Su Mo frowned slightly, interrupting Xiao Yue's teasing. "It's good that young people are energetic; it can push me to bring out more of my abilities. Take the training matches seriously. Don't think that you can rest on your laurels just because you won the championship."
The brief reprimand made Xiao Yue immediately stop smiling and nod seriously.
……
After the meeting, there was a one-hour break before the afternoon training match.
Su Mo returned to his camera and opened his live streaming app. Although he rarely streamed, as the team's star player, he still had a fixed monthly streaming time requirement.
As soon as the notification “EDG.Mo is live” was pushed to fans’ phones, the live stream’s popularity soared to tens of millions in less than three minutes.
There was no exaggerated title or fancy special effects; the only thing on the screen was Su Mo's handsome and aloof face, and the Korean server's Challenger rank interface where players were queuing up on the computer screen.
"Good afternoon." Su Mo greeted the microphone briefly and adjusted the position of his blue light blocking glasses.
The comments flooded in like a waterfall:
Grandpa! The missing persons program you've been following is finally back on air!!
Mozi looks so handsome today! That black hoodie is amazing!
[Top laner! Show us how to play the new version!]
[Brother Mo, I heard that JDG's newcomer Sheer is saying he's going to solo kill you. What do you think?]
Su Mo glanced at the comments and then joined the queue.
"How do you play the new version? I'll show you in this game." He ignored the inflammatory comments and calmly entered the ban/pick screen.
He was on the blue side, and was matched into a Challenger game on the Korean server with over 1000 points. The opposing top laner instantly picked Darius, a champion that is extremely strong in the current version.
It was Su Mo's turn to choose.
He hovered his mouse over the champion list, not selecting his signature Camille or Fiora, nor the Tryndamere he had shone in the first game.
"Thump!" (End of this chapter)