Chapter 17. After hanging up the phone with the director, a promise was made...
After hanging up the phone with the director and promising to give him a reply before the end of the workday tomorrow, Zhao Zhinian leaned back in her chair, looking slightly tired. The tangled mess in her heart seemed to be getting tighter and tighter.
She's always been this kind of person. While she tries her best to do her job well, she always harbors a pessimistic expectation of "doing her best and leaving the rest to fate." Like when she chose her department upon joining the company, she selected a relatively safe and less competitive department based on her performance review and the pressure of competition. To put it nicely, it's self-awareness, a kind of prudent approach, but deep down, she knows it's also a form of escapism, a fear of the humiliation of failing even after giving her all. Deep down, she admires those who can go all in for their dreams and shine brightly, but she always habitually has a backup plan.
Actually, she also has a hidden tendency to avoid Zhou Zekai. She avoided his confession in high school because of other factors, and her current "take it slow" attitude may also be a result of that.
When she got home from get off work, the scales in her heart were still swaying back and forth. She called her best friend Lin An'an and talked on and on for more than half an hour, repeatedly explaining the pros and cons of the two choices.
"From a job perspective, the Star Wars is a sure thing for a stable job. As for the job with Glory, I can only wait for the company to assign me one. The selection for the online commentators and offline hosts for the Challenge Tournament is about to begin, but the results are hard to say," Zhao Zhinian explained, his tone full of hesitation.
Lin An'an quickly understood the current situation and offered her opinion: "I suggest you continue to persevere with Glory."
"I think we shouldn't just look at current job opportunities, but also at future prospects. Putting aside the popularity of the two game leagues, the prospects of the two games are different even within your company. You don't have any competitors for the job opportunity in Honor of Kings at this stage, but if you shift your focus to Star Wars, it's hard to say what will happen in Honor of Kings. Moreover, in Star Wars, your department has a more professional Chen Yupeng, who is definitely ahead of you now. Even if you end up evenly matched, the resources will be shared equally between the two of you."
"In addition, there's the matter of learning about games. You've invested quite a bit of energy in Glory over this period of time, and you also have Zhou Zekai's help." Lin An paused, his tone slightly teasing. "Although I'm not entirely clear on the current state of your relationship, to be honest, Zhou Zekai is arguably your strongest connection in Glory. You won't have another Zhou Zekai when you go to Star Orbit War."
Lin An'an knew a bit about Zhao Zhinian and Zhou Zekai's relationship, and Zhao Zhinian naturally understood her best friend's implication. Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly interrupted, "No! Let's talk about work!"
“All the Star Wars matches are held in Shanghai, while the Glory Challenge offline matches are in Beijing. Even the online commentary will be broadcast from a studio in Beijing. The director also reminded me that if I choose Glory, the company will focus on helping me connect with some job opportunities in Beijing in the future.” Zhao Zhinian revealed her biggest dilemma.
“Okay, work location is indeed a big factor,” Lin An’an said knowingly. “But Beijing is alright, your dad is still abroad, and you're all alone in Shanghai. Don’t you want to experience a different city?”
Zhao Zhinian found that she really didn't want to leave Shanghai. It was a familiar environment for her, and there was another reason she was a little embarrassed to admit—the Samsara Club was also in Shanghai.
She knew, of course, that Zhou Zekai might not have much time at the start of the season and might even need to travel to various cities to play games. However, given the existence of the home-court advantage, she still had some expectations for playing in the same city. Even if she was just a spectator, she would have many more opportunities to watch his games in Shanghai.
“Then think about it again. After all, I only have the right to suggest, and you have the right to decide.” Seeing that Zhao Zhinian did not reply for a long time, Lin An’an added, “If you really can’t decide, how about flipping a coin? Don’t look at the result, look at the expectation in your heart at the moment of the toss.”
Around 8 PM, Zhao Zhinian and Zhou Zekai met again for the tenth server dungeon. Because she was preoccupied, Zhao Zhinian was somewhat distracted during the game, making more mistakes than usual.
Zhou Zekai keenly noticed her unusual behavior and, after leaving the instance, asked, "What's wrong?"
She hesitated for a moment about how to explain. Her analysis with Lin An'an that evening gradually made her realize that Zhou Zekai's existence, and the potential change in distance that might result, was indeed a significant factor influencing her decision. Ultimately, she tried to explain the situation calmly and simply.
Zhou Zekai listened quietly and said, "I understand," without immediately offering any opinion.
Zhao Zhinian was a little puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "I thought you would give me advice?"
Zhou Zekai countered, "Do you want to hear it?"
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Zhinian decided to be true to herself and answer honestly, "I'm a little tempted to hear it, but also a little reluctant to." She wanted to hear it because she trusted him, but she didn't want to because she was afraid his advice would make her more conflicted, or that she would hear something she didn't want to hear.
Zhou Zekai didn't speak. In the game, however, his character moved, reaching out and gently touching [One Knowledge One Thought]'s hand.
Zhao Zhinian looked at Zhou Zekai's subtle actions on the screen, puzzled: "What's this?"
His gentle voice, tinged with seriousness, came through the earphones: "Telepathy."
Because she said she wanted to hear but didn't want to, he chose a way to express himself without words.
Zhao Zhinian was charmed by his somewhat nonsensical yet sincere response and couldn't help but laugh: "What a pity, I don't have mind-reading abilities."
"I really want Doctor Strange's abilities so I can see the endings of the two 'what if' scenarios in advance," Zhao Zhinian sighed. "Did you have any reservations about going pro?"
"It's alright," Zhou Zekai replied simply and decisively, "because I like Glory."
"I'm a little envious of you, knowing exactly what you want." Zhao Zhinian's tone carried a hint of admiration and longing.
"Do you like Glory?" Zhou Zekai suddenly asked.
Zhao Zhinian didn't expect him to ask this suddenly. She subconsciously looked up at the ceiling before answering into the microphone, "I think I like him. You see, now that you've suddenly asked this, I'm conflicted."
"Do you like Star Wars?" he asked again.
"Will you decide the outcome with two games?" Zhao Zhinian thought for a moment and felt that Zhou Zekai's question made some sense. After all, once you choose a direction, you will likely be tied to that game for a long time. So he replied, "I don't know much about it. I'm really not good at pure shooting games."
"Glory leads the way," Zhou Zekai concluded.
“But,” Zhao Zhinian took a deep breath and still said what she was most worried about, “If I choose Glory, my work focus may shift to Beijing.”
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end. Just when Zhao Zhinian thought the signal had been lost, Zhou Zekai's voice rang out again. He repeated the question, but his tone was more serious, as if he wanted to probe her heart through his voice: "Do you like Glory?"
"No COS repeaters allowed." Zhao Zhinian subconsciously complained, but couldn't help but think about the issue again.
Yes, isn't that the core question he kept asking? Stripped of all practical considerations, weighing pros and cons, fear of the unknown, and worries about distance, that pure love and passion is the fundamental driving force that keeps her going.
She seems to... understand a little.
Does she like Honor now?
The answer is actually yes.
Although she initially followed the company's decision, the time and energy she's invested recently, the knowledge and passion she's accumulated subtly, and her interactions with her fellow reincarnation teammates in the Tenth District are all real. She was simply temporarily blinded by external factors like "safety," "escapism," "the unknown," and "distance," almost forgetting that what truly attracted her, inspired her longing, and fueled her passion was Glory itself.
The Battle of Star Orbits was merely an "opportunity," not her "passion."
“Do what you love.” Zhou Zekai’s tone was incredibly certain, as if he had never doubted her passion and goals. “Don’t get distracted.”
His voice, coming through the earphones, landed clearly on her heart, like a gentle breeze that softly dispelled her lingering hesitation.
Yes, if you love something enough, you can probably find a way to overcome any difficulties. But if you choose a path you don't really love, even if you stay in Shanghai, will you regret it in the future?
“I understand.” Zhao Zhinian’s voice was much lighter, with a firmness that came after sudden enlightenment. “Thank you for your ‘telepathy.’ It seems… I received a signal.”
Zhou Zekai seemed to chuckle slightly: "Mm."
Just then, Gu Yin's cautious yet gossipy voice suddenly came through the earphone: "Um... Sister Nian, what are you two talking about? Why did Captain Zhou ask you if you like Glory? Are you going to play in the competition?" He had been unlucky enough to be pushed out by the other members of the guild to urge their god-like player back to the dungeon, and as soon as he walked in, he heard Captain Zhou's soul-searching question.
Zhao Zhinian chuckled. How could someone with her skill level possibly compete? She quickly explained, "No, no, it's another job opportunity I was considering. But I've already decided, I'll focus on Glory!"
"Oh, oh, oh! Absolutely! Glory above all!" Gu Yin immediately echoed loudly. Although he didn't fully understand, supporting Glory was never wrong.
With their major concerns resolved, the two returned to the dungeon. Zhao Zhinian's skills improved even more, and they quickly reached the final boss. After the dungeon ended, Gu Yin, as the team leader, went to collect the rewards. Zhao Zhinian couldn't help but lean closer to Zhou Zekai and whisper, "If... I mean, if I really have to go to Beijing for a while, we..." She paused, unsure how to phrase it, "...would Gu Yin's self-proclaimed tenth-server reincarnation dungeon team have to disband temporarily?"
After asking her, she felt a little silly. Zhou Zekai was a professional player, how could he possibly spend all his time in the online game playing dungeons with her? It was just that he had some free time during the off-season.
After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Zekai's calm yet firm reply came through Zhao Zhinian's earphones: "No."
"Um?"
“You can play anywhere,” Zhou Zekai said. “Glory is the same everywhere.”
He meant that whether she was in Shanghai or Beijing, as long as she was in the world of Glory, they would not lose contact.
Distance may cause inconvenience, but it is not insurmountable.
Zhao Zhinian's heart gently settled back into a sense of security, even feeling a touch of warmth.
"And," Zhou Zekai added, his tone unusually serious, "I'll be going to Beijing... to play in a competition."
Zhao Zhinian instantly understood his unspoken meaning, realizing that Zhou Zekai had also understood the implied meaning of her tactful question. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and the slight gloom in her heart caused by the possibility of separation was completely dispelled by his words.
"Okay." A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips. "Then... shall we try to meet in Beijing sometime?"
"Okay," Zhou Zekai replied, his voice seemingly tinged with amusement. "See you in Beijing."
The path ahead seems clearer now. Focus on what you love right now and give it your all. No matter the outcome, at least on this journey of pursuing what you "love," you are not alone.
A note from the author:
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