Chapter 234
Fairnd's offline promotional event attracted a large number of fans to the scene.
"Let's give another round of applause to the players of Team Extinction, and look forward to them bringing us exciting matches in the upcoming King's Cup competition."
Fans gathered below the stage:
"Exterminate the bones!! We must win the championship!!"
"A top-tier team from the Chinese server! Ahhhhh!"
"Captain Tu Ning! You will always be my favorite player."
......
The five members of the Extinction Team waved to the fans around them before stepping down the steps from one side of the stage.
Then the host continued:
"Now let's welcome the members of Team MiLing to the stage to interact with the fans~"
The four people, dressed in black team uniforms, came up from the other side of the platform steps and went to the players' seats.
Arao turned her head and noticed the three people behind Yuanye, and sighed, "She really didn't come."
"It seems like we really won't be able to see Youyou in the finals."
"I heard that Fairy-One will find someone else to take over her account and force Youyou to withdraw from the competition. The public opinion this time is indeed getting out of control."
"It's too close to the competition; there's not enough time to clear up the public opinion." Sui Xing adjusted his glasses and continued:
"The spotlight of the finals is more important than a player's future."
Sui Xing spoke the truth. As contestants, they had already heard some rumors, and seeing that Ying Ning was not here today, they knew whether those rumors were true or false.
"Stop gossiping about other people's private affairs and sit properly in your seats," Captain Tu Ning said, turning his head.
"Okay," A-Rao replied honestly.
The shattered stars fell silent.
A moment later, the five members of the Extinction Bone Team quietly sat down in the team members' seating area, their eyes all fixed on the main stage.
The host had also received advance notice, so he introduced the four members of the Mi Ling team in turn, deliberately downplaying Ying Ning's presence.
Even so, there were still many viewers expressing their dissatisfaction and sighs.
The host put on a smiling face, ignoring the atmosphere around him, and immediately started asking questions:
"Captain Yuanye, the backstage footage from before has earned the team members a lot of goodwill from the audience. Are you all this close off-screen too?"
"Because I noticed that the MiLing team seems to have more autonomy than other teams."
In the first seat of the home stadium, Yuan Ye, dressed entirely in a black team uniform that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, held the microphone, his charismatic voice filling everyone's ears:
"yes."
"Our team doesn't have too many club rules; we play the game almost like friends."
"The team atmosphere is really great."
The host then asked a few more questions about the team, and was just thinking about the final segment where they would interact with some fans.
Then a voice from below the stage shouted:
"Why didn't You Yingning come?!"
"Aren't you afraid to come?"
The host and many fans immediately noticed a man holding a phone, wearing sunglasses and a mask. The host reacted very quickly:
"Some contestants' schedules clash with our offline event schedules..."
"That sea queen probably won't dare to come, right?"
The masked man's few words provoked outrage from the entire audience, sparking numerous discussions:
"Isn't You Yingning going to withdraw from the competition yet?"
"They really have a thick skin, stubbornly insisting on playing the game like this. I really admire them."
"With her there, I can't even watch the final."
"Me too, I really can't stand her."
"Make her withdraw from the competition!!"
"Withdraw from the competition! Withdraw from the competition!!"
......
Seeing the situation gradually getting out of control, the host hurriedly tried to calm the fans down:
"Everyone, please be quiet."
"Please keep quiet."
......
The masked man, still holding up his phone, continued shouting relentlessly:
"Just now, You Yingning's ex-boyfriend exposed her online. Is the company still determined to protect a contestant with no moral bottom line?!"
"I don't want to watch a match with such disgusting players."
The man wearing a mask piqued the curiosity of all the fans at the scene with just a few words, and they immediately opened Weibo to see the "hot" trending topic on the gaming charts:
#Rumored Ex-Boyfriend of Esports Player Youyou Reveals Details#
The Weibo post was a video of a recorded phone call. Upon opening it, a muffled voice could be heard asking the person on the other end of the line:
"Are you student Duan X?"
"Yes." The male voice on the other end was calm.
"Someone tipped us off, saying you know something about Fairy-One contestant You Yingning," the caller said, getting straight to the point.
"Are you her ex-boyfriend?"
The other party remained silent.
It seemed the person making the call already had connections with students at X University and knew about the relationship between some of the male students and Yingning, so they continued by asking:
“I heard from your classmates that you and contestant You Yingning broke up some time ago.”
“We don’t want to pry into your privacy. We’re contacting you today to find out if the rumors about You Yingning circulating online are true.”
The boy opposite seemed to be silent for a moment before suddenly speaking:
"I'm sorry, I already have a girlfriend."
The person who made the call was still persistent:
"So, do you think contestant You Yingning is really, as the internet says, someone who manipulates men?"
After a long while, the boy's calm voice struggled slightly, trembling as if he had been forced to speak:
"She's become..."
"I don't recognize them anymore."
......
At the same time, the account immediately posted another update:
"The person who is suspected to be You Yingning's ex-boyfriend gave us more information after hanging up the phone."
Nine photos were uploaded to the feed, showing chat logs between "You Yingning" and many men from her perspective. The profile picture and ID were exactly the same as those previously exposed on the forum.
However, these leaked images involve more solicitations of gifts and money, and some even contain explicit language.
This Weibo post was immediately forwarded by countless people, and many marketing accounts also hyped it up, gaining a lot of traffic and popularity.
*
The fans at the offline event were enraged, and the discussions gradually grew louder.
Yuan Ye snatched the host's phone and saw the news online. He recognized the boy's voice as the one he had met at the entrance of Yingning Community.
His palms clenched tightly.
My phone started vibrating, and the caller ID showed: Manager Sun.
The host immediately grabbed the phone and ran to the side of the stage to answer the call:
"I was at the scene..."
"Regarding contestant You Yingning..."
"Manager Sun, I just saw it too..."
......
"Just give me your instructions, Manager Sun, and I will definitely handle this matter properly."
"Okay, okay, manager, goodbye."
As soon as the host turned around, he saw the tall man standing behind him, and Yuan Ye's expression was not good:
"What is it?"
He noticed the host when he heard Ying Ning's name.
The host had no choice but to reveal the company's decision:
"Captain, the company's senior management has decided that tomorrow they will inform you directly on the official Weibo account that player You Yingning has voluntarily withdrawn from the competition due to recent public opinion."
"So let me first use this news to reassure the fans here."
Yuanye looked terrible.
"As you know, this incident has already had a significant impact on the event. I'm just a host, and I can only follow the instructions of my superiors..." the host continued to explain.
Yuan Ye, however, seemed to have thought of something and turned to walk onto the main stage.
He wanted to help her salvage the situation.
Yuan Ye picked up the microphone that had been set aside, took a deep breath, and slowly began to speak:
"Hello everyone, please be quiet for a moment."
"I am Yuanye, the captain of the Miling team."
The fans' chatter gradually subsided, and all eyes turned to Yuanye, who was wearing a black team uniform on stage.
The masked man holding up his phone to film also arrogantly said:
"Let You Yingning come out and give us fans an explanation!"
Many fans echoed this sentiment, demanding that Ying Ning apologize and withdraw from the competition.
As he listened to the sounds coming from all directions, Yuan Ye's lips parted slightly, but a muffled sob quietly disappeared into the microphone.
"Here, I have something I regret to tell all my fans."
"Our team's player... You Yingning..."
"Due to health reasons, she will withdraw from the Fairy-one King Cup competition."
"On her behalf, I apologize to everyone."
*
*
The "e-sports sea king" incident spread from forums to Weibo, and within just a few days, it pushed Yingning to the forefront of public attention. The terrifying thing about the internet is that it can indiscriminately and forcibly pin baseless accusations on a person.
When Pei Yuqing found Yingning, it was at the seaside in a neighboring city.
"Did you run here to hide from someone?" His voice sounded tired.
Pei Yuqing had temporarily put aside the newly developed project and had Zhang Zhu investigate her flight records, so she rushed over here.
"You are three days overdue on our contract."
The usually nitpicky CEO Pei seemed unconcerned about breaking his promise in front of Ying Ning, and he sat on the beach just like her.
There wasn't a single star in the night sky.
She gazed at the boundless deep sea, which seemed to be slipping out of Pei Yuqing's grasp.
"Pei Yuqing, why did you come here?" Yingning asked.
She was clearly without makeup, and the crimson dress against her fair skin, with its hem resembling layers of ocean waves, gave Pei Yuqing an inexplicable sense of impending danger.
In those fox-like eyes, only the sea was visible, not his reflection.
Pei Yuqing followed her gaze, a hint of helplessness in his voice:
"I?"
"Of course, they're worried that I might accidentally lose the sleeping pills that I spent a lot of money to get."
After Pei Yuqing learned about the online revelations, he immediately contacted the technical department to verify the authenticity of the photos. Upon receiving the answer, he was initially furious, but he quickly came to his senses.
No matter how much the You family faces difficulties, she wouldn't care about that money.
...
Pei Yuqing put away his usual carefree smile: "I can make another concession on the profit margin of the You family contract."
"But if you just enjoy playing, I can play with you."
"Those men, are they no longer needed?"
Pei Yuqing naturally didn't take those people seriously. He continued, "Things on the internet will take some time to resolve. I'll have the publicity department help you mitigate the negative impact."
"I can send you abroad to study during this period."
"With Pei Ling."
“Pei Yuqing, your behavior is strange right now, not like the person you used to be.” Yingning stood up, the sea breeze making her crimson dress look particularly hot.
"You're being so kind?"
"You're right."
“I’m not that kind,” he said.
“So I have requirements.” Pei Yuqing patted the fine sand off his body, staring at Ying Ning’s figure, his noble eyebrows and eyes showing a subtle twist of possessiveness.
"I want you."
"Stay by my side from now on."
Pei Yuqing took off his coat, revealing a black suit that concealed his burning figure. Standing beside Ying Ning, he spoke with a hint of madness:
"This suggestion isn't bad for you."
"I think you'll say yes."
Pei Yuqing wanted to reach out and touch her palm, but she simply dodged him.
"So, you also think I did those things?" Yingning raised an eyebrow slightly.
Does it really matter whether it is or isn't?
“You know, in this world, if everyone says you are someone, then you are.” Pei Yuqing felt that she was still too naive, and that public opinion was not as easy to handle as she imagined.
He believed that the girl in front of him could get his help:
"They don't care what you think. They're after popularity and traffic. Even your team captain made you withdraw from the competition for his own benefit, didn't he?"
Pei Yuqing has a very high standard of conduct, and his desire for control, which he developed since childhood, makes him act willfully.
“I refuse.” Yingning raised her hand and ripped off her suit jacket.
"President Pei's ideas shouldn't be imposed on me."
Pei Yuqing, however, felt that Yingning was throwing a tantrum:
"What's the reason?"
“I can handle this myself.” Ying Ning stepped onto the soft sand and turned to look at Pei Yuqing seriously.
Behind her, the sea gradually darkened.
The wind was gradually picking up, and the repeated crashing of the waves made people uneasy.
Pei Yuqing scoffed: "Solve it?"
"You don't actually think Fairy-One will let you play again next year, do you?"
"Would they really allow an esports player with a tarnished past to influence the tournament?"
"And the You family's level is simply not enough to help you get out of this media storm."
"Ningning, the only one you can rely on is me."
He tried to bind her to his side with the cruel reality, while turning a blind eye to the previous revelations.
But he heard her say:
"Pei Yuqing, you've crossed the line."
These words instantly ignited Pei Yuqing's hidden anger.
"Whether it crosses the line or not, Ningning, it's not up to you to decide."
Having held a high position in the business world for many years, Pei Yuqing was used to his ideas not allowing for questioning or rebuttal. He told Yingning about the consequences, his voice somewhat defiant:
"Without the Pei family's help, you couldn't have quelled this storm."
"I heard that those people who are hyping this up have already dug up your father, who is the chairman of the You Construction Group."
“Pei Yuqing, why don’t you just tell me what your plan is?” Yingning’s words were somewhat probing.
Pei Yuqing walked up to Ying Ning, but the indifferent look in her fox-like eyes triggered something in her. He reached out and forcefully pinched her chin.
"My plan?"
"Naturally, it would be best if Ningning agreed."
"If you refuse me."
"I seem to... not mind adding fuel to the fire."
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