Chapter 33: The loss to Tiny Herb was a huge blow, and the righteous slaying...
The loss to Tiny Herb was a huge blow, and Yi Zhan was indeed depressed for a few days. But as Zhou Zekai said, no team will give up their desire for the championship. You can feel that everyone is slowly adapting to the rhythm of the professional arena, and all the players have made progress. However, the first victory is still like a star that is out of reach in the sky. Yi Zhan has been unable to score more than 5 points for a long time.
However, Zhao Zhinian has recently been unable to focus all her attention on the outcome of Yizhan's matches as she did at the beginning of the season: after all, she is only the host of Yizhan, not a player. This role is particularly delicate during the losing streak.
The team has lost too many times, and even their own fans are getting angry at everything they see.
Not only was Lin Shuang angry every day from seeing all the private messages on the official Weibo account, but she was also targeted by some irrational Yi Zhan fans because she hosted the post-match interaction of Tiny Herb.
Helpless, she could only silently turn off Weibo private messages, out of sight, out of mind, and she was extra conscientious and cautious when hosting, for fear of offending her fans.
At the same time, the commentary schedule for the Glory Challenge has become noticeably more intensive.
Although she was mostly assigned to less popular matches, and her exposure was vastly different from her colleagues who were commentating on high-profile teams like Excellent Era and Happy, Zhao Zhinian accepted every opportunity and cherished each commentary chance.
She knew she was still inexperienced. For an ordinary player like her without talent, even with Zhou Zekai as a "cheat code" and guidance from the Yizhan team members, accumulating Glory experience couldn't be achieved overnight. Only through extensive practice could she grow quickly.
So even though there were few viewers in the online live stream and the two sides were mismatched, she still gave it her all.
Before each commentary session, he would do his homework thoroughly, and afterwards, he would relentlessly review the recordings: meticulously analyzing his verbal slips, pacing issues, and tactical prediction errors, etc.
Seeing her fellow commentators quickly gain popularity by covering popular matches, it would be a lie to say she wasn't envious. But Zhao Zhinian understood the importance of being grounded and accumulating experience. All she could do was focus, cherish every opportunity to play, and strive to do better in each match than the last.
What keeps her even busier is the hosting job she took on for "Interstellar Journey," which is clearly turning her side job into her main job.
Because of the positive feedback from her several substitute shifts, and since Yizhan didn't have any more assignments, she devoted more and more time to this unfamiliar field.
Faced with this game that is completely different from Honor of Kings, Zhao Zhinian dared not slack off. In addition to Honor of Kings, he squeezed out time to catch up on the basic gameplay, mainstream tactics and star players of "StarCraft".
She doesn't expect to be able to analyze things in depth like a professional commentator, but she at least needs to be able to understand the basic jokes, not speak in a layman's way on stage, and interact smoothly and appropriately with the guests in the commentary panel.
This dedication quickly paid off. Compared to the internet celebrities or laymen that the official team usually invited, Zhao Zhinian's professionalism and clear speech left a deep impression. In addition, her beautiful appearance, quick wit, and ability to guide the conversation and create a lively atmosphere quickly made her a minor celebrity among "StarCraft Conquest" players, with some fans even calling on the official team to give her more hosting opportunities.
However, cross-industry activities inevitably encounter eccentric fans.
During an offline fan interaction session, she interviewed a fan who claimed to be a "dual master" of two games. When the fan took the microphone, he didn't answer the questions according to the procedure at all. Instead, he spoke jokingly and directly "brought it on": "Aren't you the host of Yi Zhan? Is it because Yi Zhan kept losing and couldn't make a living in Glory that you came to StarCraft Conquest?"
This question is quite impolite and clearly provocative. If not handled carefully, it could provoke conflict between the two player groups or offend the audience on both sides.
A fleeting look of helplessness crossed Zhao Zhinian's eyes, but she maintained an impeccable smile on her face.
She calmly looked at the audience member and said in a gentle tone, "Judging from your question, you must be a fan of Yizhan. As a newly formed team, they do need time to grow, but I believe they won't disappoint fans like you who have been following them for a long time."
She subtly shifted the topic back to herself: "As for myself, like many viewers, I am a fan of both games. After all, both games are excellent, making it difficult for me to choose. I really have to thank the official StarCraft team for inviting me here, giving me a chance to experience the charm of this game and the enthusiasm of everyone as a 'substitute host'."
She then frankly clarified: "However, on the Glory side, I am not only the host of Yi Zhan, but also the online commentator for the Glory Challenge. Perhaps it is because there is no opportunity to show my face online that some friends feel unfamiliar with me. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely invite everyone to pay attention to the Glory Challenge. Perhaps you can 'hear' me in the commentary booth. Of course, you are also welcome to 'see' me on StarCraft Journey."
Finally, she concluded humbly yet humorously: "In the end, I'm just a small-time host and commentator, going wherever I'm needed. You viewers are my bread and butter, and I need your understanding and support no matter what I do for a living."
She smiled and steered the conversation back on track: "But today, we're on the StarCraft stage. Fan, would you mind telling everyone which StarCraft team you're supporting today?"
This impromptu response during the live stream defused an awkward situation with composure and humility, while also subtly promoting her work and winning goodwill through her modesty. The clip quickly went viral online, solidifying Zhao Zhinian's image as someone with "high emotional intelligence" and "strong professional skills."
Because of this fan's pointed question, many fans of Yi Zhan and even fans of other Glory teams voiced their support for her online. The ripples of public opinion gradually spread, and it even seemed to evolve from supporting Zhao Zhinian into a small-scale conflict between the fan groups of the two games.
As the incident gained traction, official Weibo accounts from various parties joined in, pushing the controversy to its climax.
Lin Shuang, who manages Yi Zhan's official Weibo account, naturally came to support him immediately. Because Yi Zhan's recent performance has been poor, the official Weibo account of Yi Zhan has started to "make fun of itself".
"I've added 'earning a living for our own hosts' to the team's KPIs for this week! I'm going to beat up the players when I get back today. The boss said: if we lose again, he'll deduct the players' bonuses and use the money to buy chicken legs for Chinen! There's no other way, after all, we at Yizhan are so broke we only have money left! PS: These 'good-for-nothing' guys can go home and inherit the family business even if they lose, but the official Weibo account is really going to starve!"
Although the Glory Challenge has gained immense popularity this year due to Excellent Era, it still falls slightly short of the professional league. Naturally, they wouldn't miss this opportunity to expand their reach and quickly retweeted the official Weibo post of Yi Zhan.
"Who says our commentators aren't eating? @ZhaoZhinian, our Zhinian has always shone brightly in the Challenger League commentary booth! Thanks to the StarCraft Conquest players for their support, we'll provide plenty of chicken legs and Glory! //@YizhanTianxiaOfficialWeibo:..."
While StarCraft's official tournaments haven't reached the same level of mainstream popularity as Honor of Kings, they were naturally happy to ride the wave of popularity, responding in a friendly manner: "Welcome to 'part-time' in StarCraft anytime! Chicken legs and applause are plentiful! We also thank Honor of Kings for lending us such an excellent host!"
Several official Weibo accounts chimed in, and Zhao Zhinian naturally reposted each one, with the core message being: "Thank you everyone for giving me chicken legs~"
Even more surprisingly, the official Weibo account of Team Tiny Herb rushed to the scene and commented under Zhao Zhinian's Weibo post: "Zhinian was super professional in hosting fan interactions for Tiny Herb before! Hope there will be opportunities to cooperate again in the future, and of course, chicken legs will be plentiful!"
It's unclear whether the official team arranged for online trolls to guide the discussion, but the humorous collaboration among several official Weibo accounts successfully transformed a potential escalation of tension into a heartwarming "chicken leg" story, while also boosting the popularity of StarCraft and Glory Challenge.
Thanks to this, Zhao Zhinian's fan count visibly increased. As soon as she returned to the Yizhan base, Lin Shuang rushed over, intending to comfort her, but instead saw Zhao Zhinian holding her phone, sharing with her the news. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the increase in fans, and she couldn't suppress her smile, showing no sign of frustration.
"I was worried about you for nothing!" Lin Shuang breathed a sigh of relief, then lowered her voice and excitedly revealed some news that hadn't been officially announced yet: "But there's more good news! We're about to take over part of the Wuji team's assets, and our strength is now incomparable! Just wait and see, we'll definitely win the next match and give you a good beating!"
Of course, some gossipy players also noticed this crossover event. Messages were flying through the professional players' group chat, with some teasing Yi Zhan for not living up to the girl's expectations, others praising Zhao Zhinian, and naturally, there were plenty of jokes about Zhou Zekai.
Night Rain's Annoying Voice: "Wow! Wow! Wow! This host of Yi Zhan's event was amazing! His eloquence is quite reminiscent of my Sword Saint style! With just a few words, he took care of the troublemakers, his own team, and the two game officials, and even managed to promote his other jobs! This maneuver was smoother than my Phantom Invisible Sword. Learn from him, @OneShotThroughClouds!"
Fengcheng Yanyu: "That person who asked the question was clearly nitpicking. If it were me, I probably would have just snapped back. Professional hosts are different. Learn from them, @一枪穿云"
Soksar: "Quick reaction, humble attitude, yet eloquent words. Truly worth learning from @一枪穿云."
Luanlu Yinchen: "So this is what complementarity looks like? Zhou's taciturn nature versus Zhao's eloquent speech. I don't dare to tag Zhou, but I really want to see Zhao interview Zhou!"
Fengshan Guiqi: "So Captain Zhou likes people who can talk."
A Hundred Flowers in Full Bloom: "Then why don't you like Huang Shaotian? Remember last season's finals when Huang Shaotian lost and said he had nothing to say? Zhou Zekai said that was great."
Wang Buluoxing: "There is a difference between being eloquent and being a chatterbox. One solves problems with the art of language, while the other creates problems with trash talk."
A riot of colors: "Hahahaha, that hits the nail on the head."
Zhou Zekai had been watching the screen for a while, and finally got his chance to enter: "@Wang Buluoxing Hmm!"
Night Rain's Annoying Voice: "Wang Daye, what do you mean?! This Sword Saint was using trash talk to disrupt the enemy's mind, it's a tactic! Don't you understand tactics?! And who wants Zhou Zekai to like it! And Zhou Zekai, what are you 'uh-huh'ing about! You didn't reply when I tagged you before, but you came out to agree with Wang Jiexi's attack on me!"
Luanlu Yinchen: "Captain Zhou is out. Xu Yuan wants to see Host Zhao interview Captain Zhou!"
"Interviewing Zhou Zekai is one thing, but why make things difficult for the girl?"
"How can you call it difficult? Anyone bet on it? If this girl interviews Captain Zhou, he'll definitely talk a lot!"
"After all, he proactively answered questions from the teleprompter during previous interviews and even shared his high school confession experience!"
"Zhou Zekai transforms into Huang Shaotian for love?"
"I just imagined what it would look like, and it's terrifying!"
"That's terrifying +1"
"That's terrifying! +10086"
...
In the Reincarnation Training Room, Jiang Botao and the others gathered around Zhou Zekai and asked with concern, "Captain Zhou, is Miss Zhao alright?"
Zhou Zekai glanced at the messages popping up in the group chat, then at the screenshot of Zhao Zhinian's Weibo follower count that she had just sent on his phone. Zhao Zhinian's tone was clearly excited: "Look! We've turned misfortune into blessing, and gained so many followers!"
Zhao Zhinian: "Moreover, the Glory Challenge probably thinks I've gained some popularity this time, because they just notified me that they've scheduled me for a commentary session with Happy! Although it's not Excellent Era, with Ye Shen on the team, they're still a team with a lot of attention!"
Zhao Zhinian: "No wonder people online say that being controversial is also a form of fame. It's true that you only get attention when there's controversy and buzz!"
Zhou Zekai: "Your good handling is why you gained followers."
Zhao Zhinian couldn't help but laugh when she saw his reply: "Zhou Zekai, I've discovered that you have an 800-meter-thick fan filter for me! But... I love listening to it. Who said the Gun King can't talk? He's got a sweet tongue, doesn't he?"
On the other side of the screen, Zhou Zekai looked at the last line of text, his ears slightly burning, but a faint smile involuntarily curved his lips. He looked up, meeting the curious gazes of his teammates, a hint of obvious boasting in his voice: "They're praising my sweet talk."
The people of Samsara looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
Lu Boyuan muttered under his breath, "This...isn't this a case of 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'? It's just as absurd as praising Huang Shaotian for being reserved and steady, Ye Qiu for being kind-hearted, and Fang Rui for being upright and incorruptible..."
Wu Qi nudged him with his elbow: How dare you! How can you question the captain?
Recently, Du Ming has been paying extra attention to Tang Rou of Happy, and he's become more curious about love. He couldn't help but ask, "Captain, I feel like you and Host Zhao clearly like each other, so why aren't you together yet?"
The training room fell silent for a moment. Zhou Zekai remained silent, his thick eyelashes drooping, concealing the complex emotions in his eyes. After a long while, he whispered, "I can't... become a burden to her."
As one of Zhou Zekai's main "relationship advisors," Jiang Botao quickly explained on her behalf: "Ms. Zhao's career is just starting out, which is a crucial period. Dating at this time, especially with a popular contestant like the team leader, will attract too much public attention, which may not be a good thing for her and may bring a lot of unnecessary pressure and negative comments."
He paused, glanced at Zhou Zekai who remained silent, and continued, "Besides, with our intense competitions and training, the captain has very limited time to devote to romance. Long-distance relationships are already tough, with little time spent together. The captain probably feels that it wouldn't be fair to her if we started something hastily now. He doesn't want his feelings to become a burden for her, making her accept a relationship full of distance and uncertainty before she's ready."
Zhou Zekai didn't look up, but his fingers on the keyboard tightened slightly. Jiang Botao's words truly expressed most of his concerns. He cherished her, so he was willing to give her time and space.
"What if... someone else snatches it away from us in another location?" Du Ming's words were met with immediate criticism from the other members of Samsara before Zhou Zekai could even react.
"How could anyone possibly steal our captain?!"
"Do you understand? Wherever the bullets reach, Zhou Zekai is the rule!"
Is this a suitable phrase to use here?
"Why is it inappropriate? Just think about it!"
Seeing Du Ming's thoughtful expression, Jiang Botao changed the subject: "There shouldn't be anything to worry about with the captain. But you, Du Ming, you seem to be particularly concerned about the Challenger Series and Team Happy lately?"
Du Ming blushed and quickly waved his hands to explain, "No, no! I just... I just wanted to check on Excellent Era and Ye Qiu's activities! Yes, I wanted to check on the greats!"
The reincarnations saw through it but didn't say anything, giving Du Ming a "you better be" look.
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