The event ended successfully.
The celebration banquet backstage was held at a unique courtyard hot pot restaurant in Chengdu.
Compared to the grand dinner after the S game that brought together sponsors and various big shots, tonight’s party seemed more pure and relaxed. There are no suits and ties, no business exchanges, just steaming Jiugongge hotpot and a group of young people gathered together because of their love.
At the long table, almost half of the LPL people were seated.
It is better to say it is a celebration banquet than an offline dinner for LPL players.
Su Mo was a little behind. When he went in with his trophy, he found TheShy licking his belly, and Rookie was happily explaining to him the secret of "up and down"; Uzi and Jackeylove were arguing over the topic of "who is the real ADC King, Draven or Kalista", while Meiko and Ming next to them were like two referees, adding fuel to the fire from time to time, making everyone laugh.
"Brother Mozi, come and sit here, it's specially reserved for you!" Rookie greeted warmly with sharp eyes and patted the empty seat next to him.
Su Mo sat down with a smile. The smoke from the hot pot was rising, blurring the aura on everyone's face, leaving only the truest smile.
"This trophy of yours," Uzi held a cup of sour plum soup, pointed at the MVP trophy that Su Mo had casually placed on the table, and said carelessly, "This is already the fourth trophy. If you take it off again, will you have no room to put it at home or what?"
"That's a question," Su Mo picked up a piece of snowflakes and said jokingly, "How about next time I win, the trophy will be sent directly to your house?"
"Get out!" Uzi scolded with a smile, "I'm afraid my fans will be sad after seeing this."
The people at the table burst into laughter again. From reviewing the details of the match, to all kinds of bizarre gossip during the transfer period, to complaining about the aunt in the cafeteria of his own club, there are no taboo topics. Here, there are no gods, no legends, just a group of big boys enjoying the rare relaxation after the smoke clears.
After drinking for three rounds, TheShy, who had not spoken much, suddenly turned to Su Mo and said word by word in his unique and slightly jerky Chinese: "I found you are really strong."
Su Mo nodded: "You are also very strong."
This conversation, which most people did not hear clearly, was the highest-level greeting between two men standing at the top of the operating pyramid.
The All-Star Weekend has come to an end, but the waves it caused have just begun.
The video of Su Mo's victory over TheShy in the Solo match was edited into various versions and spread wildly on major platforms.
institutions institutions institutions institutions , such as #神仙fight# , and other topics have dominated the hot search list.
And the biggest suspense - will Su Mo still play in the new season? It has also become the focus of discussion among all fans and media.
The two weeks of vacation are like a fleeting moment.
When the team members returned to the EDG Shanghai base again, there was a fresh and nervous atmosphere in the air.
"Holy Gun Brother" Flandre and "Viper" Park Daoxian have officially moved in.
Handgun brother Li Xuanjun, one of the "living fossils" of the LPL, has a cheerful and funny personality. He quickly got along with Jiejie, Meiko and others, and his iconic "Oh, my mom" screams were heard from time to time in the training room.
As for Viper, just like his ID, he is quiet, restrained, with eyes as sharp as snakes. He spends most of his time sitting silently in front of the computer, crazily performing Ranking, and his concentration makes everyone look at him.
The first tactical meeting before the S11 season had a serious atmosphere.
Abramovich stood in front of the whiteboard with a solemn expression: "Welcome the Holy Gunners and Viper. The German Cup championship is a good start, but it is far from enough. Our goal will always be only one - the S championship. This year, our challenge will be even greater."
His eyes finally fell on Su Mo.
"Xiao Mo, we have talked before. According to what you said, in the spring game we started Brother Holy Spear."
As soon as he finished speaking, the training room fell into silence. Everyone's eyes subconsciously turned to Su Mo.
Flandre was leaning on his chair. Hearing this, he sat up straight and his expression became a little complicated.
He came to EDG just for the championship, but what he wants to replace is the championship monument itself.
This pressure is as heavy as Mount Tai.
Su Mo looked at everyone with a calm expression and nodded: "I agree. I need to rest. Brother Shengqiang's strength and experience are top-notch. Moreover, the team needs to learn how to win the game when I am not on the court."
"What about you? Brother Mozi?" Jiejie couldn't help but ask.
"Me?" Su Mo smiled, "Am I still here? You just think of me as the hidden boss of the team. You go to the front and charge forward. If you can't defeat me, I'll come out to clean up the mess."
These words were very confident, even a little arrogant, but no one questioned it.
This decision was made.
EDG officials soon officially announced the roster for the spring split: starting top laner Flandre and substitute top laner Mo.
As soon as the news came out, public opinion was in an uproar.
"What?! Brother Mo Zi is a substitute?!"
"EDG, are you crazy! Just put God on the bench?"
"There is a saying, this is the most extravagant substitute in history, bar none!"
"I understand, this wave of EDG is in the atmosphere. In the regular season, they will adjust the new lineup, hide Brother Mozi as a nuclear weapon, and then release it in the playoffs. The final decision!"
"Everyone, don't think too much, it's just Brother Mo who wants to be lazy, otherwise EDG would dare to do this."
The 2021 LPL Spring Split has gradually begun under the spotlight.
However, just three days before the start of the game, a call from the LPL tournament official came to the mobile phone of EDG manager Abramovich.
"Bro, I am the event organizer of Riot Games." The voice on the other end of the phone was enthusiastic.
"Hello, Mr. Zhang, what are your instructions?" Abu immediately knew the identity of the other party.
“I don’t take the instructions seriously,” Mr. Zhang smiled, “I just have something I want to discuss with your club, especially Brother Mozi. The opening game of the Spring Split, our first game of the LPL year, you know how high the attention is. Therefore, the league, including all our broadcast platforms and sponsors, are unanimous I hope... Brother Mozi can take the first shot."
Abu frowned: "Mr. Zhang, this... we have announced the roster and made a rotation plan for the spring season. Letting Brother Sanqian start is the result of careful consideration by our coaching staff, and it is also for the long-term benefit of the team..."
"I understand, I completely understand!" Mr. Zhang interrupted him, "We are not trying to interfere with your tactical arrangements, just this one, just the opening game! Think about it, four consecutive FMVP, annual MVP, Solo King, starting the new season under his leadership is a big break! This is not only for EDG, but also for the enthusiasm of the entire LPL to start the year!"
Abu was still hesitant, but Mr. Zhang changed the topic and lowered his voice:
"I know that Brother Mozi is quite... casual. Please help me tell him that this is not a task of the club, but a favor from the league. To express our gratitude, we will officially pay Brother Mozi one million in the name of "special guest appearance fee". After tax."
Abu took a deep breath.
One million, fight a BO3.
This is no longer an appearance fee, this is naked "money ability".
Although this amount of money may not be much to Su Mo, objectively speaking, it is already a lot.
I'm afraid the appearance fees of many top entertainment stars are not as expensive as his...
The most important thing is that although Su Mo is a bit too lazy, he will not have any objection to letting him play two games.
The officials have really spent a lot of money to build up the popularity of the opening match.
"...I tried my best to convey it." Abu hung up the phone and walked to Su Mo's lounge with a complicated expression.
"One million?" Su Mo raised his eyebrows after listening to Abu's narration, and then smiled, "These people really understand me."
"Then you..."
"Fight." Su Mo replied simply and neatly, "You are a bastard if you don't make money. You tell Brother Holy Spear to let him rest for one more game. I will do it for the first game. I will treat it as helping the alliance to save face."
When the news was announced in the team, Ji ejie was the first to scream: "Holy shit! Brother Mozi, you are worth my salary for a year in this game! You are so inappropriate!" Flandre breathed a sigh of relief, and then smiled bitterly: "Then I am the most valuable "sparring partner" in the history of the LPL, right? A tool for Brother Mozi to warm up. "
This small episode quickly turned into a nuclear bomb that detonated public opinion through official channels.
LPL official Weibo announced again:
【Updated starting lineup for the opening game of the S11 Spring Split: Will serve as the starting top laner and start the first game of the new season! 】
One stone stirs up a thousand waves.
Far away at the T1 base in South Korea, Faker was alone in the training room watching the video of the fifth game of the S10 finals.
When his teammates showed him the news, he just nodded calmly without looking away from the demon god wielding a giant sword on the screen. After a long time, he slowly spoke with a hoarse voice:
"He... is still evolving."
And on the European and American Reddit forums, related posts were instantly pushed to the front page.
After all, as a four-time champion Mo, there are always people paying attention to his movements everywhere.
There are endless discussions about him on the Internet:
"Holy shit? Mo played the opening game? I thought Brother Sangun was their new top laner?"
"Rist China knows how to get ratings. It's all about money, baby!"
< br/> "To be honest, I feel sad for Brother Holy Spear, the pressure must be huge."
"Who cares about Brother Holy Spear? I just came to watch God play! Go!"
Amidst all the noise and expectations, the opening game of the LPL Spring Split has officially arrived.
Location, Shanghai Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center.
It's not far from the EDG base and it's very convenient to get there.
By the time Su Mo and others passed by, it was already past four o'clock in the afternoon, more than an hour before the start of the game, and there was already a sea of people outside the venue, a boiling ocean.
Fans from all over the country gather here, turning this place into a pilgrimage site for LPL. The silver flag with the EDG team emblem and LNG's Kirin war flag complement each other. Fans painted their faces, waved their idol's lanterns in their hands, and sang war songs loudly. The enthusiasm from the heart can almost completely dispel the chill of early spring.
In the venue, the lights are as bright as day.
On the huge circular screen, the new promotional video of the S11 season is playing in a loop. The exciting music is mixed with the heavy bass of the on-site debugged sound, making every audience's heart beat faster and blood pumping.
In the contestant dressing room backstage, the atmosphere was completely different from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
The LNG players were sitting upright, with the coach giving final tactical instructions behind them, and everyone's face was solemn.
Their opponent is the defending champion EDG, and even more so that man - Mo.
For them, this game is not only the opening game, but also a trial to challenge the divine authority. It is understandable that the pressure is great.
On the other side, in the EDG lounge, the atmosphere is much more relaxed.
“Brother Mozi, your net worth is too high,” Jiejie asked the makeup artist to fix her hair, still envious of what happened before. “A BO3 game is enough for me to buy several pairs of limited-edition sneakers!”
Before Su Mo could speak, Meiko on the side said: "If you can win four FMVPs, let alone one million, the alliance will give it to you if you want 10 million."
This sentence choked Jiejie speechless, causing everyone around him to burst into laughter.
Time passed by minute by minute, and finally, the lights in the venue dimmed in an instant.
The cheers of thousands of spectators in the audience gathered into an even louder wave after a brief pause, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
A beam of chasing light suddenly hit the center of the stage.
In the midst of the smoke, a tall figure wearing a crisp suit slowly walked out.
His face was clearly reflected on the big screen at the scene - it was a face that the LPL audience was familiar with but had not seen for a long time.
"It's him! It's Ren Dong!"
"Brother Dong! Damn it, it's really Brother Dong!"
"My youth is back!"
In the audience, incredible exclamations and applause broke out.
Ren Dong, the former ace host of LPL, after experiencing the ups and downs of life, appeared again today on the much-anticipated opening stage!
He stood in the center of the stage, took a deep breath, with a familiar, calm and powerful smile on his face.
He held the microphone tightly and announced the start of the new season with his iconic, penetrating and magnetic voice:
"The heart is uncompromising and the actions are not limited! Summoners, welcome to the 2021 League of Legends Professional League, Spring Split! I am today's host, Ren Dong!"
"Oh!!!"
No need for too many words, just this name and this voice are enough to ignite the feelings of all old viewers.
Ren Dong's eyes were slightly red, but he quickly adjusted his mood and started the next process in the most professional and passionate manner.
"A new season, a new journey! Today, two top teams will fire the first shot of the new year for us! First of all, let us give warm applause to welcome the challenger - LNG, the Qilin division from Suzhou!"
In the midst of exciting music, the members of LNG appeared one after another.
Standing in the middle is the man with the ID "Tarzan", with sharp eyes. He is LNG's most critical signing this season and the absolute core of the team.
They bowed to the audience, their faces filled with determination to win.
"Then, what is about to appear next is our defending champion in the S10 Global Finals! The four-time champion of the LPL! Let us greet - EDG with the loudest and warmest cheers!!!"
The noise reached its peak at this moment!
Jiejie, Scout, Viper, and Meiko walked out first, causing screams from the crowd.
Ren Dong's voice reached its highest pitch at this moment: "Finally, let us welcome the player who single-handedly wrote the legend of the entire era! LPL player No. 001! Our FMVP! Our Solo King! Our annual MVP! Welcome——!!!"
The moment Su Mo's figure walked out of the shadow of the passage and appeared under the lights, the entire venue seemed to be shaken!
"Mo——!!!"
"God——!!!"
That roar like a tsunami is faith and worship. It is the most direct respect that the LPL audience has for this man who has brought them supreme glory.
Su Mo just waved to the audience casually, with a calm smile on his lips, as if he was not participating in a fierce competition, but just on a relaxing date.