Chapter 41 Zhao Zhinian's schedule for the next two days...

Zhao Zhinian's schedule for the past two days has been packed to the brim.

She not only had to prepare for the rehearsals for the StarCraft World Championship, but also had to find time to prepare for the commentary work for this round of the Glory Challenge. Fortunately, the Glory organizers were considerate and assigned her a team with less hype, but one she was familiar with, to ensure she could handle both tasks under pressure.

Because her interviews for the World Championship mainly involved players from teams outside the main regions, the preparation work was exceptionally demanding. She not only had to prepare interview transcripts in both Chinese and English, ensuring smooth transitions between the two languages, but also had to be familiar with a large number of in-game technical English terms. She compiled a thick notebook for this purpose, printing out everything from skill names to tactical terms, and has been repeatedly memorizing and practicing it these past few days.

She meticulously prepared dozens of interview questions in advance, compiled both Chinese and English versions, and prepared possible answers for each question, along with a universal Chinese-English bilingual Q&A template.

But that's not enough. She also has to take time to watch game recordings and record key moments in the game as it progresses, in order to develop her ability to instantly discover highlights for interviews.

The outcome of each match is unpredictable, so she has to prepare interview plans for both teams simultaneously, and then make dynamic adjustments based on the actual match results and the final contestants who go on stage.

Most importantly, you need to confirm the questions with the contestants in advance, understand their general thinking process for answering, and have a general expectation of their answers to avoid suddenly getting stuck. This way, you can conduct interviews and translations with ease during the live broadcast.

While struggling with the densely packed documents, Zhao Zhinian couldn't help but think: It wouldn't be bad if all the professional players from other regions were like Zhou Zekai. Although it would be a bit awkward during interviews, at least translating would be a piece of cake.

However, based on her experience after repeatedly watching interview videos from other regions, the overall style of the contestants from other regions is more like a "mischievous" version of Huang Shaotian.

The rehearsal process for the World Championship was relatively simple. It mainly involved Zhao Zhinian confirming the routes for going up and down the stage and the interview positions based on the prompts from the director inside her earpiece.

Zhao Zhinian and the staff member who was rehearsing in place of the players walked onto the stage and smoothly delivered the opening remarks: "Hello everyone, welcome to the post-match interview. I'm your host, Zhinian. Congratulations to Team XX for winning this match! We have invited XXX to the post-match interview area. Hello, XXX, please say hello to everyone..."

The staff members cooperated by acting as contestants and interacting with the audience: "Hello everyone, I am XXX."

Following the prompts in her earpiece, Zhao Zhinian randomly asked a question: "Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans who have always supported you?"

The staff on the other end simply recited a string of numbers: "12345678910..." directly simulating the contestant's answer by reciting numbers in this way.

Besides the on-site rehearsals, the coordination of the host's clothing, shoes, and jewelry is also a major focus.

The official StarCraft team provided the hosts with a selection of formal wear, but the hosts had different styles, heights, and weights. In addition, the official procurement was done quite early, so the provided clothes were not satisfactory in terms of style and fit.

Since the victory of the first righteous battle, Zhao Zhinian has been buying suits and ties of various styles. After all, these suits can be worn at work and are used much more often in daily life than those gorgeous dresses. Most importantly, they keep you warm.

She also subtly tried to communicate with the makeup artist and the event organizers: "At Yizhan's home venue, I often wear a suit or Hanfu to host, and the audience feedback has been very good."

However, the official stance of StarCraft Conquest remained conservative: "During the group stage and knockout stage, female hosts must wear formal attire. Hanfu is acceptable as long as it's not too extravagant, but suits..." The person in charge paused, "If you are needed to act as a translator for the finals, then you can wear a suit."

The host for the finals has been decided. After careful consideration, the organizers chose Zhou Fei, who has extensive experience hosting finals. Therefore, if a team from another region wins, Zhao Zhinian will have the opportunity to go on stage as a translator.

After trying on several dresses provided by the organizers in the dressing room, Zhao Zhinian had to start considering renting dresses.

So, she specially took half a day out of her busy schedule to try on dresses at the dress shop. She needed to fit the solemn atmosphere of the event while also showcasing her personal style. After confirming the dresses, she also had to purchase matching shoes and jewelry. Finally, she had to confirm the overall look for her several interviews with the makeup artist from StarCraft. It really took a lot of effort.

In addition, through the company's coordination, Yi Zhan lent her a cameraman, and Lin Shuang also volunteered to help out when Yi Zhan wasn't competing, acting as Zhao Zhi Nian's assistant. After all, she needed to frequently update Weibo and Douyin during this World Championship, and after the World Championship ended, she also needed to create a special VLOG to record this important experience.

With the World Championship approaching, Zhao Zhinian has focused all his energy on preparations for StarCraft Conquest. Yi Zhan's only home game during this period clashes with his work schedule on the last day of the StarCraft Conquest group stage, where he will face the Tyranny team, currently leading the standings – a tough battle indeed.

Zhao Zhinian originally wanted to communicate with the StarCraft team, hoping that he could switch shifts and return to Yizhan to host this important competition.

Unexpectedly, Lou Guanning and Lin Shuang took the initiative to find her and told her that they had contacted a Glory commentator who agreed to fill in for Yi Zhan on the day of the event.

Lin Shuang noticed her embarrassment and comforted her, "It's okay. In this match against Tyranny, our chances of winning are at most 19%, and we probably won't win. You should focus on your work on Interstellar Journey. The fact that you turned down your work there to come here puts even more pressure on us."

Although Lin Shuang was telling the truth, it was definitely not the right thing to say. Zhao Zhinian immediately retorted, "Nothing is certain before the competition starts. What you're saying is really hurting the feelings of Team Lou and the others!"

Lin Shuang waved his hand dismissively: "It's also a skill to correctly recognize the gap in strength between the two teams. Samsara couldn't gain any advantage over Tyranny before, after all, we were shut out 10-0 by Samsara. Besides, the hosting arrangements for this match were specifically arranged by Captain Lou, weren't they?"

Lou Guanning immediately chimed in with a smile: "Next up is Tyranny, who are number one on the leaderboard. I guess we won't have any fan interaction. When we signed the contract with you, we said that we could communicate if there were any work conflicts. This opportunity in Interstellar Journey is rare, and everyone hopes that you can show yourself on a bigger and better stage."

A warm feeling welled up in Zhao Zhinian's heart, and she sincerely thanked him: "Thank you, Captain Lou! However, I still hope that Yizhan can win! Go Yizhan!"

After Zhao Zhinian left, Lin Shuang's expression immediately changed. She turned to Lou Guanning and sternly rebuked him: "What I said just now was to comfort Zhinian. But Captain, how can you have such a cowardly attitude before the battle even begins? As the team leader and the owner of Yizhan, is this appropriate?"

Lou Guanning watched her sudden change in attitude speechlessly, shook his head with a wry smile. Now Lin Shuang was increasingly disregarding him as her boss.

Zhao Zhinian's performance during the group stage and knockout stage was commendable. Although she spoke a little too fast due to excessive nervousness in her first interview, she quickly adjusted after being reminded by the audience, and became more and more composed and calm afterwards.

Her professional and fluent bilingual hosting and accurate and vivid translation have won unanimous praise from audiences at home and abroad, and her number of followers on her personal social media accounts continues to rise.

The contestants from other regions not only cooperated well, but also showed a lively, humorous and playful side, often inviting her to participate in the filming of various fun short videos: from post-competition celebration dances to impromptu performances of game references, these infectious interactive clips have been widely circulated.

With her excellent language skills, solid hosting abilities, and the cultural inclusiveness gained from her overseas study experience, Zhao Zhinian quickly established a relaxed and harmonious working relationship with contestants from other regions. She continuously updated behind-the-scenes footage of the world competition on various platforms, including professional and rigorous interview notes as well as lively and interesting interactive moments, showcasing the vibrant and lively side of the contestants outside of the competition.

The hand gesture dance video she previously filmed with the ESG team continued to gain popularity, and players from the other two teams also took the initiative to ask her to film videos together. Zhao Zhinian naturally did not refuse, and after several interviews and interactions, she gradually became familiar with the players.

Zhao Zhinian's most popular video clip occurred during the first round of the quarterfinals.

Yang Chen, a player from DG, the third seed team in this region, ran into Zhao Zhinian before the match. Yang Chen is also an outgoing and lively player. After several interviews and interactions during the group stage, the two became quite familiar with each other.

On that day, DG's opponent was the number one seed from the North American region, a former champion team and a favorite to win the championship this year. When the draw results came out, DG's fans were disheartened, complaining online that DG had drawn the "worst draw." Although no one wanted to dampen their players' spirits, everyone knew that DG's chances in this match were slim, and the quarterfinals might very well be the end for this team.

Because the dressing room was too crowded that day, Zhao Zhinian moved a chair and squatted in the corridor. She leaned over the chair and scribbled on her cue cards with a ballpoint pen, preparing her interview questions in advance.

As Yang Chen passed by, he saw her lying in a strange position and asked curiously, "Are you doing an interview today?"

Zhao Zhinian looked up and saw him. Thinking that something was wrong, she quickly stood up and said, "Yes."

Yang Chen leaned over and looked at the cards she had placed on the chair. The top part had Chinese questions, and below that, she was writing English vocabulary.

Professional players generally have low levels of education. Yang Chen didn't even get into a regular high school. He spent two months in vocational high school before being scouted by DG's youth training program. Although he couldn't understand the specific content, the young man was still full of confidence: "No need to write in English. You don't have a chance to speak English today. Get ready to interview me!"

After saying that, Yang Chen turned around and left with a dashing air. His ostentatious confidence infected Zhao Zhinian, making her chuckle. She stood there, stunned, staring at his back. Yang Chen didn't turn around, but waved to her with a flourish.

This incident was captured by the official photographer of StarCraft.

Originally, if the team had lost the competition, this footage would have been destined to never see the light of day.

However, the charm of esports lies in its unpredictability: in the quarterfinals, the third seed DG surprisingly eliminated the North American number one seed!

When the victory notification finally appeared on the screen, the entire DG team embraced excitedly. Yang Chen roared with excitement, raising his arm and making a "1" gesture. This flamboyant gesture instantly ignited the entire arena, with thunderous cheers and the commentator's hoarse shouts blending together, perfectly capturing the youthful spirit.

Zhao Zhinian was standing offstage preparing for a post-match interview. Looking at the situation on the field, he had to admit: the underdog defeating the strong is the most captivating moment in esports.

As the first match of the quarterfinals, no one had high expectations, but DG actually won! This exhilarating victory prompted the official StarCraft Conquest account to release a flurry of videos, and the backstage encounter was naturally carefully edited together. The boy's confident back view was seamlessly connected with his post-match heroic posture, and the final shot focused on Zhao Zhinian's interview segment. The boy stood in front of the camera, his eyes still full of excitement and joy from winning the match. He looked at Zhao Zhinian and couldn't help but tease, "I wasn't kidding you, was I? You didn't need to use English, did you?"

If Yang Chen loses the match, his flamboyant confidence might be ridiculed by his haters as arrogance. However, in esports, the winner takes all, and under the halo of victory, the young man's bold words become a praiseworthy tale.

The photo of Yang Chen confidently waving and walking away backstage was widely circulated on social media after netizens blurred the surrounding scenery, and it was even hailed by fans as "Yang Chen's life photo".

The youthful spirit and determined posture in the picture perfectly reflect his unwavering belief when facing strong opponents, making it one of the most representative moments of this World Championship.

Another version that subsequently surfaced sparked even more heated discussion.

The same scene, the same composition, but this time there's an extra Zhao Zhinian staring intently into the frame.

Against the backdrop of a slightly cluttered corridor, two figures stand one behind the other. Yang Chen moves forward with determination, while she stands quietly behind him, as if silently watching over this youthful exuberance.

This photo of the two people from behind quickly spawned a group of fans who shipped them as a couple, giving the image various romantic interpretations: "The young man's spiritedness is so dazzling that everyone behind him stops in their tracks," "He forges ahead without hesitation, just to fulfill his promise to 'let you interview me'"...

However, because the interaction between the two sides remained open and natural throughout the match, and the game was still ongoing, more rational spectators voiced their opinions to guide the discussion.

"Don't overinterpret! It's okay to have friends of the opposite sex in this world!" "Please ship this as a friendship! This is the camaraderie of fighting side by side!"

Riding the wave of popularity, Zhao Zhinian promptly updated her "Behind-the-Scenes Stories of the World Championship" vlog series, recalling this amusing backstage incident in a lighthearted and humorous tone: "The backstage area was chaotic at the time. I was leaning on a chair preparing for questions when Yang Chen walked over, glanced at me, and said with great confidence, 'You don't have a chance to speak English today.' To be honest, I was stunned by his imposing manner, and I didn't expect to be photographed like that." This was a veiled response to the photo of her standing still.

The phrase "DG won't let Chinen speak English" quickly became a popular meme, with fans joking in the comments section: "Chinen, you speak English very well, but don't speak it today," "Yang Chen keeps his word, his credibility is 100%!" "We suggest awarding Yang Chen the 'Most Considerate Host Award' for knowing how to save Chinen translation work!"...

After several days of continuous updates on Interstellar Journey content, many Honor of Kings fans have started eagerly asking in the comments section: "Sister Chinen, will you come back to Honor of Kings?"

Recently, StarCraft has been gaining a lot of popularity due to the World Championship. The official Weibo accounts of Glory Challenge and Righteous Slash immediately followed suit, commenting: "Sister Chinen, are you coming back?"

Yuan Baiqing from Team Tiny Herb happened to see Zhao Zhinian's Weibo post. Now that Team Tiny Herb and Team Yi Zhan are quite familiar with each other, and Zhao Zhinian even hosted his birthday party, he decided to join in the fun and commented, "Sister Zhinian, are you coming back?"

Subsequently, several young members of Tiny Herb and all members of Yizhan joined in this "call for love" for Zhao Zhinian.

Zhao Zhinian replied to each one: "Yes, yes, yes! I'm still commentating on the Challenger League next Friday!"

Zhao Zhinian couldn't resist teasing Lou Guanning: "Captain Lou, you seem... to be... older than me!"

The comment section instantly became lively, with fans flocking to watch and, incidentally, rubbing salt into Lou Guanning's wounds.

"Hilarious! Team Leader Lou is being rejected because he's too old!"

"Building Captain: Are you being polite?"

"Team Leader Lou: This host is no longer needed!"

"Chinen, you've got some nerve, daring to mock your own boss!"

A day later, this Weibo post received another unexpected comment from Zhou Zekai: "Sister Zhinian, will you come back?"