Chapter 26 The Reincarnation Clan didn't see the main character, disappointed...

The group of reincarnated souls returned disappointed after failing to see the main character. A few of them lingered behind, muttering complaints all the way.

"How could we have just missed each other...?"

"What a wasted trip, I didn't even see a soul..."

When Jiang Botao turned around, a warning look swept over them, followed by Zhou Zekai's silent pressure. Everyone quickly changed their tune.

"Yizhan looks to be in good spirits! We can't lose either!"

"Yes, we must win the opening match!"

"Let Gizen witness the power of Samsara!"

"We can't let the captain down!"

"Fight for the captain's love!"

Jiang Botao quickly interrupted them: "Stop! You are fighting for Glory! For Reincarnation! For your fans! For yourselves!"

Zhao Zhinian and Lin Shuang were busy distributing support items at the audience entrance. During a break, Zhao Zhinian's phone vibrated. It was a notification from the work group about the commentary arrangements for the second round of the Glory Challenge.

She clicked to read it carefully, her eyes gradually dimming.

The notice mainly concerns the second and third rounds of the challenge. Since Team Happy and Team Wuji were drawn together in the second round, and both teams have a high profile, this clash of titans is highly anticipated. The organizers have decided to assign two commentators to each round: one to commentate on this key match and the other to commentate on the winner's next match.

In addition, the official team is unwilling to let go of the popularity of Excellent Era, so they will assign a commentator to Excellent Era's matches in the second and third rounds.

The list included six potential hosts, and four were ultimately selected.

Zhao Zhinian's name was not among them.

As if to reassure everyone, the notice specifically emphasized that after the three rounds, everyone would have the opportunity to give a presentation, and colleagues who were not scheduled for a shift should prepare well.

Although she knew in her heart that as a newcomer with a mediocre company background and only hosting experience, her understanding of the game and her commentary skills still needed improvement, and she shouldn't have too high expectations, being eliminated from the six-to-four selection list, which indirectly meant she was one of the last two among the six, still made her somewhat sad.

She silently put away her phone and continued her work, but her mood was noticeably down.

The person in charge of the challenge, probably worried that she might have some reservations, called her privately. Zhao Zhinian quickly went to a quiet corner in the corridor to answer the phone.

As soon as the call connected, the other end asked directly, "Chinen, did you see the notification in the group chat?"

Whether she saw it or not was irrelevant to someone who hadn't been assigned any work, but she couldn't say that. Zhao Zhinian quickly replied with a smile, "I just saw it and was about to reply 'received' when your call came in."

The person on the other end knew this was just small talk, and said, "Then we're on the same wavelength," before getting to the point: "I'd like to discuss and confirm the follow-up work arrangements with you."

Zhao Zhinian quickly replied, "Please go ahead."

"Regarding the commentary scheduling, our team has held several meetings, and everyone's opinion on you is very consistent: we all feel that with your image, eloquence, and understanding of the game, it would be a real shame if you weren't the main host of Honor of Kings! It's actually a bit of a waste for you to be on the commentary stage!"

The other party continued to explain that if the commentary for the subsequent challenge match and the offline host selection clashed, having too many commentary shifts would distract her. The team hoped that she could concentrate all her strengths and stand out steadily in her main track.

"Look, even Yizhan is eager to officially announce you as the resident host. We've all witnessed your hosting skills. This arrangement is actually to allow you to prepare for the host selection without any worries. To be honest, you're already the top candidate among the offline hosts for the challenge. As long as you perform normally, you're basically guaranteed the spot. As for commentary, you'll always be a member of our core team. Although you weren't scheduled for these two rounds, you'll definitely be on the schedule later, and we'll try our best to get you a spot in the highlight match."

Zhao Zhinian maintained a polite smile and responded warmly, "Received, understood! I am especially grateful to the team for considering my career development so thoroughly. Rest assured, I will definitely prepare well for the selection and live up to your expectations. I will also be on standby for online commentary work, waiting for the team's arrangements."

The two exchanged polite pleasantries for a while before hanging up. Zhao Zhinian sighed and returned to the door.

The observant Lin Shuang quickly noticed her unusual behavior and leaned closer to ask in a low voice, "What's wrong? Whose call was that?"

Zhao Zhinian forced a smile and showed her the notification in the group chat: "It's nothing, it's just that the organizers originally didn't plan to arrange commentary for the first three rounds of the challenge, but now they don't want to give up the hype, so they changed the plan. But I wasn't scheduled, and they were probably afraid I'd get upset, so they called to 'promise me' and reassure me to prepare for hosting. Sigh, someone like me who's a host can't beat those with commentary experience."

Lin Shuang quickly browsed through the videos. She had received a lot of help from Zhao Zhinian recently and considered her like family. She immediately reassured her, "I've watched all your commentary videos too. They're excellent, very insightful, and I feel really connected to them! Their selection process is definitely comprehensive, considering things like qualifications, experience, connections, company background… a whole bunch of things. With so many candidates, they use strict criteria to randomly filter people out. Your personal factors probably only account for a small part! And what if the person scheduling the sessions doesn't appreciate it and doesn't recognize its value? It would be a waste for you to be down because of that. You stood out from a group of competitors and were among the top six, officially announced as a commentator—that's considered top six nationwide! Just like our Yizhan, although they're newcomers, we have a bright future!"

Seeing that Zhao Zhinian was still a little down, she put her arm around her shoulder and looked to the future with great enthusiasm: "Don't be sad! Once our Yizhan has made a name for itself and established itself, I'll persuade Team Leader Lou to buy the entire Glory League! Then, you can commentate on whichever match you want! You can even host! As for me, I'll inherit all the official Glory accounts—Weibo, Douyin, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu—I won't let a single one slip by. I'll post updates about our Yizhan every day, and you're not allowed to post a single message about any other team!"

This overly ambitious plan successfully amused Zhao Zhinian, and the slight disappointment in her heart was also dispelled. She slapped away Lin Shuang's hand that was wrapped around her shoulder: "You're always dreaming, and you even arrange for me to do all the commentary and hosting. You're going to work me to death."

"Hehe, you have to have dreams!" Lin Shuang said with a grin. "Let's go, let's go back to the rest room, the competition is about to start."

At this moment, Zhao Zhinian and Lin Shuang had just returned to the lounge when they sensed the subtle atmosphere.

"What's wrong?" Lin Shuang asked curiously.

The team members exchanged glances. They had just been warned by Lou Guanning, and unlike Lin Shuang, they didn't spend as much time with Zhao Zhinian and were therefore less likely to be unrestrained. So, they didn't press a girl for gossip. In the end, Wen Kebei gave a vague answer: "The entire Samsara team just came for a 'friendly visit'."

Zhao Zhinian's heart skipped a beat as she thought of Zhou Zekai, but she remained outwardly calm. She had a rough idea of ​​what was going on, but with the competition imminent, and no one saying anything, she didn't ask either.

But when she actually sat in the competition venue and witnessed Zhou Zekai's appearance, she truly felt the overwhelming popularity that swept the entire audience.

"Zhou Zekai! Zhou Zekai! Zhou Zekai!" The thunderous cheers almost lifted the roof off the stadium. Under the spotlight, the familiar figure was wearing the Samsara team uniform, looking focused and calm, completely different from the shy demeanor he sometimes showed in front of her in private.

He simply stood there, and it seemed as if he had drawn all eyes to him.

Zhao Zhinian sat in the Yizhan camp, holding a Yizhan support banner in her hand, like a spectator who had accidentally wandered into someone else's home field. Every time Zhou Zekai made a brilliant move, the screams that erupted from the scene were like invisible waves that pushed her further away.

For the first time, she realized so clearly that the "Zhou Zekai" she knew was only a small part of her, while the more dazzling version of him belonged to this arena and to glory.

The result of the match was no surprise; Gizen suffered a crushing 0-10 defeat to Samsara.

From individual matches to team matches, the overwhelming dominance made the Yi Zhan team deeply realize the cruelty of the professional league.

Although they were mentally prepared, the atmosphere in Yi Zhan's rest room still plummeted to freezing point when they were actually completely humiliated. The "pay-to-win" players in online games only get crushed on the professional stage. Glory taught Yi Zhan and his group of "rich people" the most painful lesson: money isn't everything, at least not in the world of esports.

Seeing the dejected look on her teammates' faces, Zhao Zhinian's mood also became heavy.

Perhaps influenced by the previous commentary schedule, that heaviness was mixed with an indescribable sense of bewilderment.

The image of the man who shone brightly on the field, was hailed as the "King of Guns," and was so powerful that he was unbeatable, is constantly intertwined and fragmented with the image of Zhou Zekai in her memory, who would blush and smile shyly at her words and would carefully put away her house key.

Between them, there was not only the 10-0 score on the field, but also the deafening cheers and countless admiring and adoring glances.

This sense of distance made her feel even more powerless and panicked than Yi Zhan's defeat. Zhou Zekai was hailed as the number one player in Glory, while she herself might not even be qualified to commentate on the Challenger League.

While packing her things, her phone suddenly rang. Seeing the three words "Zhou Zekai" on the screen, Zhao Zhinian instinctively hid in a corner to answer the call.

"Have you eaten?" His voice came through the receiver, still gentle.

"Not yet," Zhao Zhinian replied softly, anticipating what he was about to say, and spoke first: "I'm going to have dinner with everyone from Yizhan later. Today's competition was very exciting. The Gun King truly lives up to his name. You're amazing, congratulations."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a soft "Mmm".

That "hmm" was like a tiny needle, gently piercing her feigned composure. She could almost imagine Zhou Zekai's confused and disappointed expression at that moment, which made her even more unsettled.

Lou Guanning had promised before the first round of the Yi Zhan tournament that we would have a good meal regardless of the outcome, so she couldn't very well miss it.

Moreover, at this moment, she did not want her "slightly affected" emotions to affect Zhou Zekai, nor did she want to immediately face an "overly dazzling" Zhou Zekai, which would exacerbate her unease and sense of unworthiness.

"You guys in Reincarnation must have a celebration party too, right? Eat up, and good luck in the upcoming matches. See you in Beijing." She ended the call, trying to appear calm.

After hanging up, Zhao Zhinian noticed the multiple unread messages he had sent on WeChat. Caught in the grip of the feeling that "am I too far removed from his world," she ultimately didn't reply. She reassured herself: It's okay, I called. Zhou Zekai just won the game, and he's very busy with the new season. I shouldn't bother him. It's not a big deal. I need to quickly adjust myself and prepare well for the upcoming commentary and hosting work.

On the other end of the chain, Zhou Zekai listened to the busy tone on the phone, his grip on the phone tightening slightly. He stared at the darkened screen, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. That feeling returned: like cautiously approaching a wary cat, only to have it suddenly retreat just as he thought he was getting close. The politeness and distance in her tone were completely different from the playful "provocative" message she'd sent before the match. Although she acted as usual, he could clearly sense that she was in a bad mood. What had happened? Or had he... done something wrong?

"What's wrong? Is Miss Zhao angry?" Du Ming asked cautiously, noticing his captain's noticeably somber demeanor.

Zhou Zekai shook his head, his tone carrying a rare hint of confusion: "She... is a little different."

"How is it different?" Jiang Botao leaned closer, keenly noticing the problem.

"Very polite," Zhou Zekai said, searching for the right words, "like they were avoiding me."

"Is it because we won too badly?" Lu Boyuan scratched his head. "After all, she is a member of Yizhan. She was completely wiped out in her team's debut, so she's in a bad mood."

"No." Zhou Zekai denied it again. He knew Zhao Zhinian; she was not the kind of person who would take her anger out on the result of a competition.

Fang Hua, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. Being older and the only married member of the team, his words carried an air of authority: "Xiao Zhou, when it comes to relationships, girls can be quite sensitive. What you consider trivial might be a big deal to her. Especially since you two aren't officially a couple yet, and with the new season starting, you both have your own careers to attend to. It's understandable that she might be worried about bothering you, but dealing with emotions alone can easily lead to problems..."

Seeing Zhou Zekai's thoughtful expression, he continued to advise, "Listen to me, if you feel anything is amiss, you must resolve it face-to-face. Sending messages or making phone calls creates a barrier, and the worst thing you can do is drag things out and let misunderstandings fester. I heard that Miss Zhao is going back to Beijing later, right? Once the distance increases, some small problems may turn into big troubles."

“Brother Fang is right.” Jiang Botao immediately agreed. “Captain, it’s best to ask him directly if there’s anything wrong.”

Zhou Zekai raised his head, his gaze sweeping over his teammates who were even more anxious than he was. A clear determination gradually emerged in his eyes, which were always focused on the game and the actions. He nodded and replied briefly but firmly, "Yes."

The atmosphere at Yizhan's dinner was initially so tense it was almost oppressive, but Lin Shuang and Zhao Zhinian worked hard to lighten the mood. Everyone felt embarrassed seeing the two girls trying so hard to liven things up, so they all chimed in. Lou Guanning quickly recovered, reassuring everyone and rallying the team: "After all, the opposing team is the champion team, and we're just rookies making our debut. It's not unfair that we lost. The important thing is to learn from this experience and win the next game!"

After dinner, Yi Zhan and the others returned to the hotel, while Zhao Zhinian wanted to go home. Lin Shuang and Lou Guanning were worried about her being alone, so they insisted on having a taxi take a detour to drop her off downstairs.

"We'll pick you up tomorrow and we'll go back to Beijing together!" Lin Shuang leaned out of the car window and waved.

Zhao Zhinian stood downstairs, watching the taxi drive away, feeling a warmth in her heart. She felt even more like a member of the righteous community.

The elevator slowly ascended, and the excessively quiet solitude made her thoughts sink deeper and deeper.

Today's 10-0 scoreline is like a mirror, cruelly reflecting the distance between her and Zhou Zekai.

The sense of insignificance and insecurity that arose from his immense popularity was amplified at this moment.

If it weren't for their high school friendship, she would probably have remained just a blurry face among his thousands of fans, never even worthy of standing before him. Without the company's platform, she wouldn't even have been able to secure a commentary opportunity for the challenger competition…

Memories involuntarily drifted back to her high school days. Zhou Zekai was indeed taciturn back then, but what about herself? She didn't seem to have anything particularly outstanding about her. Could his affection and lingering feelings simply stem from the unforgettable incident of being suspected of hacking her account after confessing her feelings...? This feeling of uncertainty made her chest tighten.

"Ding!" The elevator has arrived.

Zhao Zhinian took a deep breath, stepped out of the elevator, and began rummaging through her bag for her keys. Just then, she was surprised to find someone standing at her front door.

Zhou Zekai leaned quietly against the wall, the dim light from the stairwell casting a soft halo around him. He lowered his head slightly, glancing at his phone with a hint of anxiety, but the moment he looked up and saw her, his previously dim eyes suddenly brightened, as if a traveler in the desert had finally found his own spring of clear water.

“Welcome home,” Zhou Zekai said to her.

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A message from the author: Happy National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!