Chapter 39 The "Interstellar Journey" World Championship will continue...

The "Star Trek" World Championship will last for 15 days. After confirming the cooperation, the official team will also inform Zhao Zhinian of his work arrangements: mainly responsible for interviewing participants from other regions during the group stage and knockout stage, while the final stage is yet to be determined.

Besides needing to further solidify her understanding of the game and study the information of various teams and players in advance, the most important thing for Zhao Zhinian is to properly coordinate her existing work: the hosting work for the Yizhan team is fixed on Saturdays, and she is only responsible for the home games. She rarely travels with the team during the away games, so she has a bye; while the online commentary for the Glory Challenge is scheduled for Fridays, and she currently has a schedule every week. In addition, there are some other miscellaneous hosting jobs. Now, with the sudden addition of a half-month-long, intensive tournament, she must re-coordinate with all parties, try to avoid conflicts, and strive to retain more work opportunities.

The reason why Zhao Zhinian was selected, besides her hosting skills and bilingual abilities, is also due to the popularity and buzz she has accumulated in "Glory" recently.

Although StarCraft Conquest esports is international and has a world championship every year, its popularity and commercial value in China still lag behind the booming Glory esports scene.

The official move by StarCraft Conquest aims to bring in a bilingual host for the event and leverage her influence within "Glory" to attract more cross-industry attention and traffic to the competition.

Star Journey itself has several popular female hosts, including Ji Cancan, a new host who speaks Chinese, English and Korean.

However, most of the other senior hosts on the official hosting team are only capable of monolingual broadcasting, with only a few able to conduct basic Korean or English conversations. Therefore, in previous world-class events, game hosts had to rely on professional translators to assist with some interview segments.

Zhao Zhinian's work arrangements for the final stage have not been finalized, mainly due to the dilemma faced by the event organizers in selecting the host for the final stage.

There are quite a few hosts for StarCraft, so it's impossible for a newcomer like Zhao Zhinian, who works part-time in another game, to directly take on the important task of interviewing on the final stage.

Logically speaking, Ji Cancan is fluent in Chinese, English, and Korean, making her the most suitable candidate in terms of ability. However, she has only been with the company for a year and lacks experience in major competitions, so it remains to be seen whether she can handle such an important occasion as the finals.

If, for the sake of prudence, an experienced but monolingual host is to be retained, then a professional-looking and highly capable on-site translator must be provided for him.

The translator could not possibly be Ji Cancan.

These women are all part of the regular hosting team for the game "StarCraft," and there is a clear competitive relationship between them. Despite being game hosts, one has become a "supporting role" to another, which is quite subtle in terms of both hosting role and audience perception.

That's why the organizers turned to Zhao Zhinian to ask if she would be willing to participate in the finals interviews as a translator if necessary.

For Zhao Zhinian, her main career foundation is still Glory, while StarCraft is more of a part-time job. In addition, she has only been making her mark as an e-sports host for a little over three months and is still relatively inexperienced. Being able to step onto the world-class stage is a rare opportunity in itself.

So she agreed almost without hesitation, saying that if given the opportunity, she would regard it as a valuable learning experience and do her best to complete the translation work.

In the past, her role in StarCraft was only part-time, mainly responsible for audience interaction and interviews during breaks in the matches, or occasionally hosting the commentary panel. In addition, her work focus was always on Glory, so her contact with professional StarCraft players was very limited. She only got to know a few players when hosting the commentary panel and updated one or two short videos of her interacting with players on social media.

This World Championship task placed even higher demands on her. She not only needed to quickly familiarize herself with the characteristics of the players from the three teams representing her region, but also needed to understand the basic information of the major teams and players in the European and American regions in advance, so as to ensure that she could ask accurate questions, interact smoothly, and perfectly perform this job during the interview.

The professional player ecosystem in StarCraft is completely different from that in Honor of Kings.

Since the popularity and commercial value of the tournament are far less than those of Glory, the official StarCraft Conquest team and clubs strongly encourage, and even institutionalize, players to engage in frequent online activities.

In addition, the professional lifespan of players in StarCraft is generally short, and the players are also younger, with many being underage at sixteen or seventeen years old. They are more enthusiastic about surfing the Internet, and the overall style is completely in line with the new era's traffic-first operational logic.

In terms of operational strategy, StarCraft Conquest players focus heavily on short video platforms such as Douyin, and most popular players are equipped with dedicated editing and operation teams.

Popular hand gesture dances and special costume changes for a special atmosphere are updated almost daily. For contestants with talents such as singing, the team will also update a few short videos of their talent performances from time to time to further enrich their persona and expand their fan base.

The game's official team and the club have set clear requirements for the frequency of players' Weibo posts and short video updates in order to attract and maintain a large number of young female fans.

The players' personal live streams are not only frequent, but more importantly, they maintain a dedicated attitude. They are not just going through the motions to meet the required streaming time. The content of their live streams has long since transcended the limitations of the games themselves, and outdoor live streaming has become the norm.

However, this is also because the income of StarCraft players is far less than that of Honor of Kings players, so they cherish exposure opportunities even more and work hard to promote themselves.

Furthermore, the organizers have continuously planned and implemented various offline events for professional players: from esports games and annual galas to themed bonfire parties... the list goes on and on.

This complete closed loop, from online to offline, together constitutes the highly professional and systematic fan operation and content ecosystem of Star Journey.

In contrast, Glory's professional players seem much more "old-fashioned," still adhering to the relatively traditional "domination of the arena" model, with low streaming frequency and limited interaction with fans.

Honor's fan base is also more focused on the players' performance and technical skills.

A case like Ye Qiu, a three-time champion, team leader, and veteran player who has never shown his face, is completely unimaginable in the StarCraft Conquest player ecosystem.

Zhou Zekai is already a model of high commercial value and successful operation in the Glory League, but if we place him under the standards of StarCraft Conquest, his current exposure and interaction frequency are probably still "immature".

With Zhou Zekai's appearance and popularity, coupled with Samsara's recent championship win last season, updating Douyin daily will almost become a mandatory requirement in StarCraft's standards: even if he is not good at popular hand gesture dances, various costume videos with suits, ties, white shirts and a senior student vibe will inevitably become a standard feature of his operational schedule.

Although Yizhan Team is considered a team with a relatively good sense of operation in the Glory circle, and Lin Shuang has repeatedly suggested strengthening the output of personalized content by the players, due to the relatively traditional overall atmosphere of the league, and the fact that Lou Guanning and several other players are the team owners and the players are not short of money, it is natural not to ask too much of them, so these suggestions all came to nothing in the end.

In recent days, in order to better understand the players of StarCraft Journey, Zhao Zhinian has been actively preparing for hosting and translation work during the day, and even when he is resting at night, he is watching videos on the players' Weibo and Douyin accounts.

Seeing Lu Yuxing's latest outfit change video: the camera cuts and he instantly transforms from a simple team uniform into a suit with gold-rimmed glasses, accompanied by a catchy background music, and the comment section is full of fans spamming "daddy" and "father".

She had previously filmed a short interactive video with Lu Yuxing. Perhaps because they knew each other in private, there was an awkward feeling of familiar people forcing themselves to act cool. Zhao Zhinian couldn't help but laugh out loud. Looking at the comments section, she instantly thought of the well-known "Tier Herb father" in the Honor of Kings circle.

Given Captain Wang's popularity, if he were to make a video like this, the comment section would probably explode, right?

It's estimated that not only the comment section, but the entire Glory community will be shaken. The first person to jump up in anger will most likely be Huang Shaotian, the talkative Sword Saint from Blue Rain, Tiny Herb's old rival. Whether he's shocked or mocking is anyone's guess.

She swiped through a few more videos, but her thoughts drifted away, and she couldn't help but imagine what Zhou Zekai would look like in a suit.

When attending business events, Zhou Zekai usually wears team uniforms or trendy clothing sponsored by brands.

Zhao Zhinian had seen his youthful appearance in school uniform, his focused expression during team matches, his various casual clothes when they met in person, and even his unguarded moments at home, but she had never seen him in a suit and tie.

It's often said that a suit is a man's cosmetic enhancement. With Zhou Zekai's impeccable face and well-proportioned, slender figure, just imagining it is enough to make one's heart flutter.

Zhao Zhinian nestled in bed, a mischievous thought suddenly flashing through her mind. She casually forwarded the video of Lu Yuxing in his suit to Zhou Zekai, adding the comment: "Is he handsome?"

Zhou Zekai had just finished his day of training, washed up, and was drying his hair with a towel after a quick blow-dry. When the notification sounded, he paused. The moment he opened the chat window, the unfamiliar man in a sharp suit on the video cover made him slightly startled. The face looked familiar, as if he'd seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.

He hesitated before pressing play: In the video, the young player was wearing a team uniform, but a few seconds later he switched to a suit. The camera deliberately emphasized the contrast. The comments section was full of nicknames he couldn't understand, and they were very enthusiastic, as if he was very popular. Everyone was praising him for being handsome.

So, does Zhao Zhinian also think he's handsome?

Feeling somewhat agitated, he clicked into the poster's profile and discovered that it was a professional StarCraft player. He finally understood where that strange sense of familiarity came from.

Zhao Zhinian previously posted an interview video of him on Weibo, and Zhou Zekai watched that video many times.

He replied with a question mark, a pang of sadness rising in his heart. Du Ming's earlier joke suddenly echoed in his ears: "What if someone else snatches it away in another city?"

The joke that suddenly popped into his mind made his heart tighten, and he couldn't help but secretly blame Du Ming in his heart: He has no sense of language at all!

Zhao Zhinian was about to type an explanation when Zhou Zekai couldn't wait any longer. Looking at the "typing" message at the top of the chat box, he felt every second was incredibly long. He simply put down the towel, dialed the number directly, and his first words upon answering were a pitiful question: "You like him?"

"How could that be!" Zhao Zhinian didn't expect him to be so direct and quickly denied it, "I just need to host the StarCraft World Championship and get to know the players."

Zhou Zekai was naturally aware of her work schedule, and the two of them basically kept each other informed at all times. But when he thought of her question, "Is he handsome?", his voice still carried a hint of grievance: "But you think he's handsome."

"He's not as handsome as you! You can't find anyone more handsome than you in the entire Glory, the entire e-sports circle. I'm talking about the style of this video when I say handsome." Zhao Zhinian blurted out, then realized what she had said, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

The sudden, straightforward praise made Zhou Zekai fall silent. After a few seconds, he finally spoke, letting out a soft "Oh," his voice tinged with shyness and joy.

Zhao Zhinian continued to explain: "I just think that suits have a great atmosphere. Compared to Glory, the StarCraft players are much better at shooting these kinds of promotional videos."

"I can't film it." Zhou Zekai was silent for a moment, as if he had struggled internally before squeezing out these three words. Even if Zhao Zhinian thought it was cool, his personality simply couldn't handle this kind of promotional video.

"I didn't ask you to film a video." Zhou Zekai already has enough fans. If a video like this were made with his face, it would leave no room for other professional players. He would probably gain a lot more "wife fans".

Imagining Zhou Zekai filming this kind of video, Zhao Zhinian felt a strong sense of incongruity and couldn't help but smile. She paused deliberately before slowly uttering the next sentence: "Speaking of which, I don't think I've ever seen you wear a suit before."

Hearing the slightly sarcastic tone in the other person's voice, Zhou Zekai realized Zhao Zhinian's real purpose in forwarding the video today.

Unlike hosts who need to change clothes frequently, professional players basically have their team uniforms as their fixed outfits. Sitting in front of the computer every day, there are really no occasions for them to wear suits. Moreover, he is not someone who puts a lot of thought into his clothes.

But if... she wanted to see, Zhou Zekai brought his face closer to the phone, his voice suddenly lowered, with a hint of shyness: "Okay... I can just wear it for you to see."

The world seemed to suddenly fall silent. Zhao Zhinian held her phone, able to clearly hear her own heart pounding. Zhou Zekai's words were like a feather brushing against her heart, gentle and soft, yet stirring a subtle tremor that left her momentarily speechless.

"I'm only wearing this for you to see"—this doesn't sound like something Zhou Zekai would say!

A flush of shyness and excitement rose to Zhao Zhinian's cheeks. She even felt that the conversation had taken on a strange, ambiguous tone, almost like flirting!

"Zhou Zekai!" She deliberately called him by his full name, her voice carrying a blatant accusation, trying to hide her panic: "Have you been secretly taking some strange tutoring lately?"

"It's a matter of reciprocity," Zhou Zekai initially denied, then answered frankly.

"Huh?" Zhao Zhinian was stunned by his words and didn't react for a moment.

“After all…” Zhou Zekai’s low and earnest voice came through the receiver, like a night breeze brushing against your ear: “I’ve seen many different versions of you.”

Zhao Zhinian instantly understood. As a host, she did appear in front of the camera in various forms: elegant dresses, graceful cheongsams, elegant Hanfu, and even smart suits... He had seen all those different looks of her and silently remembered them, which is why he called wearing a suit a matter of courtesy.

Originally, she forwarded the video with the intention of teasing him and seeing his bewildered expression, but after a few words, she herself lost her composure first. Zhao Zhinian held the hot phone, not knowing how to respond, only feeling the heat on her cheeks lingering.

She was the one who started it, so how come she's now completely in control of the situation?

“That’s different,” she retorted softly, her free fingertips unconsciously twirling the tie of her pajamas. “That was for work.”

"Even if it's not for work... I'm willing to wear it for you to see."

That's so unfair!

These words were like a precise sniper shot from a sharpshooter, completely shattering her psychological defenses. Zhao Zhinian felt a tingling sensation in her ears. She buried her burning face in the pillow and stammered, "I'm going to sleep."

Zhou Zekai chuckled softly on the other end, as if he could see through her shy embarrassment, but considerately didn't point it out: "Good night."

Zhao Zhinian continued to lie there, without speaking or hanging up the phone, her fingertips unconsciously gripping the edge of the pillowcase.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Zekai suddenly added in a low voice, "Perhaps... we should watch less of these kinds of videos."

Zhao Zhinian keenly caught the slight unease in his tone, and her previously defeated confidence suddenly returned somewhat. She raised her head, turned over, smiled slightly into the microphone, and asked knowingly with a sly smile, "Are you very concerned?"

"I care a lot," Zhou Zekai admitted in a low voice.

All the ambiguous pushes and pulls couldn't withstand such a frank and straightforward approach.

Zhao Zhinian buried her face in the pillow again, declaring her defeat, and said in a muffled voice, "I know! Goodnight, goodnight!"