Chapter 730
The Journey
"Forty minutes! Mozi's Fiora, at the last moment, with an incredible maneuver and a quadra kill in a 1v3 situation, completely shattered BLG's last hope! He showed everyone what the ceiling of top laners is!" Rita's eyes reddened with excitement, and her voice trembled.
A shower of golden rain fell from the sky above the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
The cheers from the crowd were like a tsunami that engulfed the entire venue.
Su Mo took off his noise-canceling headphones and, listening to the deafening shouts around him, rubbed his slightly sore wrists.
He stood up and looked at Ah Chen, Xiao Yue, and Leave, who were hugging each other and crying with excitement. A gentle smile appeared in his deep and cold eyes.
He didn't go to hug and celebrate; instead, he picked up the black thermos on the table, unscrewed the lid, and drank the last sip of warm goji berry water.
"Let's go shake hands. Don't keep them waiting."
He gently patted Ah Chen on the shoulder, his voice remaining calm and reserved amidst the noise.
Inside the river-view apartment, the four girls were already so excited that they hugged each other and cried.
As Yu Shuang held her teacup, she looked at the composed figure in the golden rain on the screen, her eyes glistening with tears that shimmered with a tender beauty that could topple kingdoms.
"It's time to get off work," she murmured softly.
Su Mo walked at the head of the group, his tall and slender figure appearing exceptionally composed amidst the golden rain. From his meteoric rise in Season 7 to becoming a seven-time world champion and league title holder, he was already accustomed to these moments of triumph. For him, it was more like completing a daily check-in task.
The EDG team crossed the stage and arrived at BLG's battle area.
The BLG team members were still sitting in their gaming chairs. Xun covered his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly; Elk and ON stared at the dim screen with bloodshot eyes, unable to come back to their senses for a long time.
Su Mo, who was walking at the front, stopped in front of Bin.
Bin slowly raised his head. In his bloodshot eyes, there was resentment and frustration, but even more so, a deep awe, as if facing a towering mountain.
In this competition area, no one would disrespect the man in front of them.
Su Mo extended his right hand, without looking down from a high position or the arrogance of a victor, but simply like a gentle older brother.
"You've worked hard." Su Mo's voice was soft, but it clearly reached Bin's ears. "You did a great job on Quesanti in the third set. But defense alone can't win a game. Your fighting spirit is in the warriors, don't lose it."
Bin was stunned for a moment, and his eyes instantly reddened. He knew that Su Mo was trying to remind him that his decision to abandon warriors and choose tanks in the previous game was actually a form of retreat after a series of setbacks.
He stood up, grasped Su Mo's hands tightly, and nodded heavily: "Thank you, Brother Mo... Xia Tian, I will definitely lead my warriors to fight back."
Su Mo nodded slightly, released his hand, and walked towards Xun beside him.
"You played very decisively with the Smite, and you stole that Baron Nashor beautifully." Su Mo patted Xun on the shoulder. "Don't let that loss affect your judgment. You're a very intelligent jungler."
Xun sniffed, fighting back tears, and bowed respectfully: "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Mo."
Next up were Knight, Elk, and ON. Facing this league's undisputed number one player, the young BLG players showed him the utmost respect. Knight even chuckled and said, "Brother Mo, next time during the Baron fight, could you please not go so far around the map? My heart can't take it."
Su Mo simply smiled gently and didn't say anything more.
After the handshake ceremony, the five members of EDG walked to the center of the stage and, under a shower of golden rain and spotlights, jointly raised the Silver Dragon Cup, which symbolizes the highest honor of the LPL Spring Split.
"Let's congratulate EDG once again on lifting the 2024 LPL Spring Split championship trophy!!"
The host, Ren Dong, dressed in a sharp suit, held a microphone and made a loud announcement.
After a brief photo opportunity with the trophy in hand, the awards ceremony officially began.
As representatives of LPL's official sponsors, several high-ranking executives from Tencent Esports, dressed in suits, took to the stage.
"Next, please welcome Mr. Jin Yibo, Co-CEO of Tencent Sports, to present our champion team with the Spring Season championship prize money—a check for two million RMB!"
A huge check was handed to Mingkai and Achen, and the team members couldn't stop smiling. Two million in prize money was a very substantial income for these young players.
Next came the highly anticipated FMVP award ceremony.
Ren Dong, holding his cue cards, deliberately drew out his words, creating suspense: "In today's three thrilling matches, there was one player who shattered the stars with Yone's blade, danced on the edge of a knife with Kalista's glide, and ended the suspense with Fiora's quadra kill. He is—"
The entire audience erupted in unison, shouting the same name at a deafening roar.
"Mo!!!"
"Mo!!!"
"That's right! The 2024 LPL Spring Split Finals FMVP is well-deserved—EDG.Mo!"
Ren Dong announced loudly.
Su Mo walked forward calmly and accepted the heavy FMVP trophy and an additional 100,000 yuan prize from the presenter. He didn't raise the trophy high to enjoy the cheers of the crowd; he simply held it casually with one hand, as if he were holding not the league's highest individual honor, but merely his black thermos.
In the post-match interview, Xiran was in charge of the interview.
She was wearing an elegant white fitted evening gown today, her long hair pulled back, making her look dignified and radiant. When Su Mo stood next to her, their overwhelming chemistry drew screams from the fans below the stage.
Looking at the man beside her, whose expression was cold yet exuded a fatal attraction, hope Ran suppressed the surging love and excitement in her heart and picked up the microphone.
"Congratulations to EDG on winning the Spring Split championship, and congratulations to Mo for winning the FMVP again!" hope Ran's bright eyes sparkled with tears. "These three games today were really intense, especially the grueling 50-minute battle in the second game and the comeback in the third. How does Mo feel now that you've won this championship?"
Su Mo took the microphone and calmly glanced at the glow sticks waving like waves below the stage.
"I'm in a pretty good mood." His voice was low and calm, without a trace of emotion. "Everyone was exhausted today, so winning means we can go back and rest earlier."
This simple and unpretentious speech, which sounded like he was clocking out of get off work, instantly drew bursts of good-natured laughter from the fans in the audience.
[Haha, it has to be Mozi! The first thing he thought about after winning the championship was getting off work!]
"You can go home and rest early"—how come these words sound so sophisticated coming from the mouth of a seven-time champion?
[No wonder he's the king of paid employees; neither a two million yuan bonus nor the FMVP award could stop him from leaving get off work!]
hope Ran was amused as well. She covered her mouth to calm herself down and continued to ask, "We saw that in the second and third games, BLG targeted your champion pool very aggressively, even banning five top laners. Faced with this kind of targeting, what were you thinking when you picked Kalista and Fiora and made those breathtaking plays in the late game?"
This is a question that can easily lead people to make outrageous statements.
Su Mo merely lowered his head slightly, glanced at the microphone in his hand, and spoke in the same gentle and unassuming tone that always put people at ease. "League of Legends has over a hundred champions, but only five are banned. Their targeting of me shows they fear me; it's a sign of respect," Su Mo said calmly. "As for late-game mechanics… that's just muscle memory. When you've played on this stage for seven years and experienced countless desperate situations, you'll know that the more dangerous the situation, the less you need to think; you just need to execute what you've practiced. They played very well, but we made fewer mistakes."
These words, devoid of any boasting, exude a profound depth and wisdom born from years of experience. They reveal not the arrogance of a genius, but absolute confidence built through hard work and time.
Backstage in the BLG lounge, Bin watched the interview on the screen, sighed deeply, and the last trace of resentment in his eyes completely vanished. Before this man, he had not only lost in skill, but also in the unfathomable depths of his mind.
At the end of the interview, hope Ran slightly turned her head, her eyes carrying a hint of cunning and anticipation.
"So finally, the MSI journey is just around the corner. As the LPL's number one seed, what would Mo Ge like to say to the opponents around the world?"
The entire arena fell silent instantly, everyone eagerly awaiting the moment when this absolute god of the LPL would utter a powerful statement that would ignite the entire audience.
Su Mo did not answer immediately.
He turned his head, his gaze passing over the blinding spotlight to the deep darkness of the stadium's dome, as if he could see further into the distance through it.
"There's nothing particularly I want to say." Su Mo withdrew his gaze, spoke into the microphone, his voice still calm, yet carrying a powerful force that seemed to suppress everything.
"I just go to clock in for work. As for them..."
He paused, a restrained glint of cold light flashing in his deep eyes.
"Hopefully they have prepared overtime pay."
"boom--!!!"
The entire venue erupted in cheers!
This sentence, which contains no profanity and even sounds like a workplace joke, has become the most domineering declaration of LPL's expedition to MSI!
After the interview, the entire EDG team left the stage amidst thunderous cheers.
Back in the backstage lounge, everyone was excitedly discussing the celebratory banquet that evening.
"Brother Mo, where should we eat tonight? The boss said he'd pay. How about the revolving restaurant on the Bund?" Ah Chen excitedly leaned over.
Su Mo casually stuffed the FMVP trophy into his peripheral bag, slung the bag over his shoulder, and picked up the thermos that had been refilled with hot water.
"You guys go ahead and eat. Mingkai can just deposit my bonus into my account." Su Mo politely declined. "I'm a little tired, I'll go back and rest first. See you before the MSI training camp."
Before anyone could stop him, he turned and walked out of the lounge.
For him, the two million team bonus and the one hundred thousand FMVP bonus were just numbers ticking on his paycheck. The real celebration wasn't about the boisterous toasts and celebrations.
He drove his black SUV away from the brightly lit Mercedes-Benz Arena and into the bustling nightscape of Shanghai.
It's 11:30 p.m.
River-view penthouse apartment.
Pushing open the door, the warm yellow light inside seemed exceptionally soft.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of pork rib and corn soup.
Apart from Lin Xuan, who was filming in Hengdian, the five beauties—Yu Shuang, hope Ran, Rita, Luo Xin, and Xiao Yu—stood in the entrance hall, each dressed in their own comfortable loungewear.
When Su Mo walked in, there was no noise from fireworks or exaggerated screams.
Yu Shuang stepped forward and naturally took his coat and the peripheral bag full of honors, her movements as gentle as if she were welcoming an ordinary husband coming home from get off work.
"You're back. The soup is freshly made and the temperature is just right." Yu Shuang's voice was gentle and soothing.
hope Ran walked over, her eyes still brimming with the excitement of the interview, and handed over a pair of comfortable soft-soled slippers.
Rita giggled and leaned forward, planting a fragrant kiss on his cheek without any hesitation: "Congratulations to our hero for clocking out. How are you planning to reward us with that 100,000 yuan overtime pay?"
Su Mo changed into slippers and looked at the heartwarming scene before her.
In his eyes, which had been like a stagnant pool for years, the deepest and softest warmth finally surfaced.
He didn't say anything, but simply reached out and put his arm around the waists of Yu Shuang and Rita, who were closest to him.
In this world full of interests and fierce competition.
He doesn't need the admiration of thousands, nor does he need those glittering trophies.
All he needs to do after get off work is push open this door, where there is a bowl of hot soup, a light left on for him, and people who are willing to spend the long years with him.
"Drink the soup first."
Su Mo's voice was deep and gentle, carrying an unprecedented sense of relaxation.
"The remaining overtime pay... we'll settle it tonight."
The day after winning the championship, the sun in Shanghai was so bright it was almost blinding.
The lobby on the first floor of the EDG base was piled high with gifts from fans and congratulatory flower baskets from various sponsors. The entire base was filled with a relaxed atmosphere on the eve of a long holiday.
10:00 AM, Tactical Conference Room.
“This year’s MSI is being held in London.” Mingkai stood in front of the whiteboard and posted a schedule on it. “Because we are the Spring Split champions, we directly enter the best-of-three group stage as the number one seed. But this year, the LCK is very strong, especially T1 and GEN.G. Their tactical execution in the Spring Split was terrifying.”
Abu adjusted his glasses and added, "The league has granted us a five-day break. After five days, the whole team will gather at the base for a two-week closed training camp, and then fly directly to London. During these five days, everyone should rest, relax, and unwind."
Upon hearing that they would have a five-day holiday, Ah Chen and Xiao Yue were so excited they almost jumped out of their chairs.
"Finally, I can go home and have my mom's braised pork!" Ah Chen rubbed his hands excitedly.
Su Mo sat on a single sofa in the corner, dressed in a loose gray casual outfit. Unlike the younger team members who were overjoyed, he simply picked up his signature black thermos and slowly took a sip of warm water infused with goji berries and chrysanthemums.
"Mozi, what are your plans for the next few days?" Mingkai turned to look at the team's pillar of strength. "Should the base book you a flight back home?"
"No need." Su Mo put down his thermos, his deep eyes revealing his usual calm. "I'll stay in Shanghai. If you need sparring or to watch videos before the training camp, just call me." (End of Chapter)