Chapter 40 Interstellar Journey: The announcement of this year's World Championship...
The promotional video for this year's StarCraft World Championship ultimately adopted a dual-version plan.
The first version is a high-octane battle version, precisely catering to the current audience's preference for "e-sports ensemble portraits." Players from the three participating teams take turns appearing on screen, displaying cool expressions in close-up shots, repeatedly performing a series of iconic e-sports actions such as crossing arms, putting hands in pockets, looking up, and making tactical gestures, which are then added in post-production with their respective pre-match declarations.
Another version pursues the charm of ancient Chinese culture. The contestants changed out of their team uniforms and into smart Zhongshan suits and elegant new Chinese-style clothing, interpreting the charm of the East in a setting full of traditional aesthetics.
As arranged by the organizers, all four female hosts of this World Championship also participated in the filming of this ancient-style promotional video. They are Zhao Zhinian, Ji Cancan, and two senior female hosts from StarCraft, Xiao Yuxuan and Zhou Fei.
In order not to affect the filming schedule, Zhao Zhinian got up very early, gathered at the designated location, and took the official bus to the first filming location: the Great Wall.
In the biting cold wind, she waited for the contestants to take their photos first, wrapped in a thick military overcoat. Underneath the overcoat was a long, thick, loose-fitting down jacket, and the innermost layer was today's photoshoot outfit: a moon-white cheongsam.
To keep warm, she wore fleece-lined leggings under her cheongsam and thick snow boots on her feet.
This outfit is really mismatched, but in temperatures close to zero, beauty must ultimately give way to warmth.
Filming a promotional video at the Great Wall in this season while wearing a cheongsam undoubtedly confirms the long-standing joke circulating in the hosting industry: "The most important professional quality of a female host is actually the ability to withstand the cold."
The contestants' photoshoot was progressing slowly. These athletes, who were so formidable on the field, seemed quite lost in front of the camera, especially given the unusually cold weather. After all, each profession has its own expertise, and their experience in front of the camera was far too limited. The photographer kept shouting instructions: "Make your gaze more determined!", "Don't grip your hands so tightly!", "Walk with more composure!", "You're walking with the same gait!"
The four female hosts squeezed together in a makeshift tent, which served as both their dressing room and their safe haven.
The tent rattled in the cold wind, forcing them to raise their voices as they shared their favorite "heat-generating" items for the female host: heated shawls and blankets, heated hair extensions, flesh-colored heat packs, tight-fitting heated clothing, heated shoes, a belly warmer, and they even talked about heated microphones available on some platforms...
Unfortunately, in this biting cold wind, the cold-weather gear they had was ultimately a drop in the ocean.
What's even more frustrating is that today's photoshoot outfits are fitted cheongsams, which can't hold much warm clothing. And to avoid wrinkling the cheongsams and causing trouble for the staff, they can only wear relatively loose coats and try to maintain a standing posture.
Because the contestants kept getting retakes during filming, the group could only stomp their feet to keep warm while chatting. Zhao Zhinian was a newcomer, so the conversation inevitably turned to her, especially the incident a few days ago where the male host added scenes at the last minute, making things difficult for her and causing such a stir. As female hosts, they had all experienced similar situations to some extent, and couldn't help but complain a bit about the male host's behavior.
The matter was over, and Zhao Zhinian didn't want to dwell on it any longer. Talking behind someone's back might get spread by malicious people, so she explained softly, "Brother Liu probably just wanted to make a joke. I thought it would be quite warm indoors in the mall that day, but the air conditioning seemed broken. I was so cold for so long that my brain couldn't function properly, and I didn't speak very carefully. It was just a small matter, but I didn't expect it to attract so much attention after the official account shared it."
She glossed over the matter with a few words, and the other three immediately understood and tacitly changed the subject.
Ji Cancan rubbed her hands together and breathed on them to warm them up, then laughed and said, "But Chinen, your dance was really beautiful. I watched it several times. You can tell you're a professional."
“That’s right,” Xiao Yuxuan chimed in. “These days, if you don’t have some talent or skill, it’s hard to get by in the hosting industry. If I were asked to perform at the last minute, I’d probably just be trembling on the spot.”
As one of the senior hosts in the early days of the StarCraft Conquest League, Xiao Yuxuan personally witnessed the process of the industry's host selection process evolving from lenient to standardized. Nowadays, the requirements for hosting are becoming more comprehensive, so she is often compared to newcomers. This self-deprecating remark hides a touch of the sentiment of someone who has been through it all.
Zhou Fei glanced outside the tent and lowered her voice: "Honestly, being a female host in winter is really tough! Last year, when we filmed a winter promotional video, the temperature was probably similar to today, and I got a high fever after filming."
“I remember,” Xiao Yuxuan recalled, “I stood outside in high heels for three hours, and when I went back and soaked my feet, they were completely numb.”
Listening to their complaints, Zhao Zhinian couldn't help but sigh: In this industry, female hosts may seem glamorous, but in reality, their skin is basically the same all year round. In winter, they are forced to switch to "beautifully freezing" mode.
After chatting for a while, a staff member lifted the tent flap and called out, "Female host, get ready, filming will begin in ten minutes!"
The four women exchanged a nod and began their tasks, quickly getting into work mode. One by one, they removed their heavy coats and warm clothing, deftly checking their makeup and hair, adjusting their accessories, and tidying their clothes. The earlier complaints and idle chatter seemed to have never happened; each face now wore a composed and professional smile.
Zhao Zhinian took a deep breath, preparing to face the cold. She took off her heavy military coat and down jacket, revealing a well-tailored moon-white cheongsam. The chill instantly enveloped her, and she shivered involuntarily, but immediately straightened her back as the makeup artist gave her the final touches.
When she lifted the curtain and stepped out, a perfectly timed, gentle smile played on her lips. Her composed demeanor made it seem as if she were not standing atop the Great Wall in the biting north wind, but strolling in the warm, spring-like south.
The other hosts were the same; their earlier awkwardness of breathing heavily and stamping their feet inside the tent had vanished without a trace. No matter how harsh the environment, as soon as the camera was on, they presented themselves in their most perfect form, collectively demonstrating the dignity and resilience of their profession.
The filming schedule was very tight. After the first stop, the group could only have a quick lunch in the car before heading to the next park to shoot scenes. After all, cheongsams and modern Chinese-style clothing are best suited to the ambiance of small bridges and flowing water.
The team was busy all day and didn't return to the studio until evening. After shooting a few more scenes under bright lights, the photographer began taking official photos of the narrators and hosts one by one.
Zhao Zhinian, who had just finished taking her official photos, was resting in the break room. After standing all day and posing for various poses, she was exhausted. She made herself a cup of coffee, put on her coat, and sat down to play on her phone.
From afar, Zhao Zhinian saw Lu Yuxing running towards her like a joyful, large dog, wearing the league's newly customized team uniform. ESG was the number one seed in this year's StarCraft Conquest, and the photoshoot order followed seeding, so their players were naturally the first to finish their photos.
"Chinen-nee! Congratulations! You've become a host for the World Championship!" The boy's voice was clear and bright as he offered his congratulations with a bright smile. Then, he changed the subject and pretended to be aggrieved, complaining, "But you're so unfair! I've seen your dance videos online! You dance so well, but last time I asked you to film a hand gesture dance, you said you couldn't!"
"I should be congratulating you on making it to the World Championship." Zhao Zhinian looked at her younger brother, who was three years her junior, and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. A three-year age difference wasn't usually a big deal in the workplace, but Lu Yuxing's overly lively and outgoing personality always left her unsure how to handle it. She tried to explain, "I really don't pay much attention to these things. You see, I hardly ever update my Douyin..."
“I can teach you!” Lu Yuxing immediately replied, her eyes sparkling. “You have a dance background, it’s very simple, you can learn it in no time!”
Seeing Zhao Zhinian's hesitant expression, he changed his strategy: "Or you can teach me! I'll dance your routine! But what you know is too professional and too difficult, I probably won't be able to learn it."
Then he started rambling on and on: "All the other female hosts have filmed videos with me. Not to mention Sister Can and Sister Fei, we film together all the time. Even Sister Yuxuan, who can't dance, filmed a lip-syncing video with me! You're a formal host of StarCraft now, you better figure it out! And your show, you didn't invite me on. Is StarCraft not as good as Glory? Or am I not as good as Yizhan? How can you be so biased!"
This outburst suddenly reminded Zhao Zhinian of Huang Shaotian, a renowned figure in Glory. Unfortunately, she didn't know Huang Shaotian; otherwise, she should have introduced the two of them.
As a newcomer to the company, this year has been her probationary period, so the company naturally doesn't provide newcomers with an independent editing and operations team. She has focused her main energy on Weibo and Honor-related content, so her Douyin account has been neglected and basically never updated.
In addition, since most of the original off-site hosts of StarCraft Conquest were internet celebrities, and some of them had aroused the resentment of fans by trying to gain popularity by associating with the players, she has always been careful to keep a proper distance when interacting with the players after joining StarCraft Conquest, for fear that getting too close to the players would affect her reputation and work.
Therefore, the only StarCraft player she is currently familiar with is Lu Yuxing, a Super E-person, and the two have only filmed one interactive video together.
Fearing he would continue to ramble on, Zhao Zhinian first addressed the program: "The program has already explained it to you. As the host of Yizhan, I have to prioritize getting our boss on camera! Team Leader Lou pays my salary. You don't understand the humility of a working person! We'll definitely invite you later."
Now that she has become an official host of the StarCraft World Championship, and since the other hosts have all worked with Lu Yuxing, she is also ready to adapt to the StarCraft operation mode. She agreed to work with them: "I don't really know much about hand gestures or anything like that, so you can pick something simple."
Lu Yuxing, who has always loved collecting videos of different stamp collectors and staff, immediately beamed and pulled out her phone: "Let me find some of Brother Wen's exclusive collection for you, see which one you like!"
Wen Ge is the operations manager assigned to Lu Yuxing by the club, specifically responsible for updating his multiple platform accounts. Wen Ge is usually the one who selects and conceives the short videos that Lu Yuxing posts.
As the two were choosing their phones, several teammates who had finished filming curiously gathered around, offering suggestions all at once: "This is really popular right now!" and "This move is simple and suitable for beginners!"
They talked and gestured as they spoke, exuding youthful energy.
As Zhao Zhinian watched the group of young people enthusiastically selecting videos, she suddenly felt a strange sense of unease, wondering if she was getting too old.
"Don't you think they're a bit noisy?" Xiao Yuxuan walked over after filming, a knowing smile on her face. She was not young anymore, and had just gotten married last year. She always looked at these contestants with a kind of brotherly affection.
Zhao Zhinian smiled helplessly and explained, "They are quite lively, but I don't usually post on Douyin, so I don't really know much about these things. Glory's promotional methods are also relatively understated. I only recently started watching some of our players' videos, which has opened up a whole new world for me."
"You'll get used to it." Xiao Yuxuan laughed. "Everyone said before that Lu Yuxing was a social butterfly on Interstellar Journey. Wherever he went, he would chat with everyone. He even forced me to film him."
Zhao Zhinian already had a dance background, so these hand gesture dances were no challenge for her. She learned them very quickly, and later she simply took the initiative and started instructing the others. Originally, she was only filming alone with Lu Yuxing, but after teaching her, she also filmed a video with the other two ESG contestants who had finished their filming tasks.
For this official photo shoot, ESG naturally sent a photographer and manager to accompany the team. The official Weibo account's female staff immediately rushed out, telling everyone to stay still and calling the photographer over to prepare for a group portrait of the team.
"Come on, Chinen, stand in the center!" the operations manager enthusiastically arranged. "Yuxuan, would you like to join?"
"My old bones can't handle this," Xiao Yuxuan said with a smile, waving her hand and offering to help adjust the formation.
Although StarCraft players frequently film short videos, their skill levels vary greatly, with some relying entirely on fan adoration for their dancing. Two players who weren't originally participating were forcibly added to the team, and in the final video, only Zhao Zhinian's movements were standard and graceful, while the others appeared to be dancing haphazardly.
"Perfect!" The photographer gave an OK sign, and the official Weibo account representative also came over to shower everyone with praise, showering everyone with compliments.
“Her praise isn’t even half credible; she only cares about her KPIs,” Lu Yuxing secretly complained. “I had a really stupid video once, and she kept praising me and insisted on posting it, which made me a laughingstock among my fans for a long time.”
The sound wasn't loud, just enough for everyone around to hear, and everyone couldn't help but laugh. Then Lu Yuxing received a sharp, murderous glare.
With a professional team involved, Zhao Zhinian doesn't need to worry about the editing; she can simply add a co-creation link later.
However, today also made her realize that it's time to start seriously managing her social media presence. Now that she's an official host of the StarCraft World Championship, catering to the style of this community and appropriately increasing her exposure is part of her job.
A few days ago, the company was discussing whether to provide her with a dedicated operations team. She was interested in recommending Yizhan's partner team, but the company was still hesitant, worried that with the continuous development in the future, it would be impossible to handle the work needs of both sides. They just said they would think about it some more.
The day's filming finally came to an end. Because she was too tired, Zhao Zhinian declined the ESG team's invitation to have hot pot together and instead packed a simple dinner from outside to take back to her dormitory.
The first thing she did upon returning home was rush into the bathroom and let the warm water wash over her entire body. The moment the hot water touched her skin, she couldn't help but shiver; she had indeed accumulated quite a bit of coldness in her body throughout the day.
The bathroom was filled with steam. She stood under the showerhead, feeling the warmth. The chill in her body seemed to dissipate with the rising heat. After standing there for a while, Zhao Zhinian couldn't help but fantasize: If Yizhan were a little more generous, it would be great if the dormitory had a bathtub.
Zhao Zhinian dried her hair and came out of the bathroom. Just as she was about to eat, she heard a knock on the door. Lin Shuang stood outside the door with a steaming cup of brown sugar ginger tea and some cold medicine in her other hand.
"You must be freezing today. Drink this while it's hot to warm yourself up!" Lin Shuang handed her the ginger tea. Seeing that Zhao Zhinian hadn't eaten yet, Lin Shuang considerately didn't chat much, but gently reminded her, "Hurry up and eat, then get some rest. Don't catch a cold. If you feel unwell, take some cold medicine as a precaution."
After thanking Lin Shuang profusely and seeing her off, Zhao Zhinian sat down at the table with the warm ginger tea in her hands, opened the takeout food, and slowly began to eat.
A must-have skill for modern people: eating while scrolling through Weibo. ESG team just posted photos of their hot pot gathering: beside a steaming pot of red oil, the boys laughed brightly and freely; she casually gave it a like.
Thinking about the upcoming collaborative video, even though I understand that this is just part of the job, Zhou Zekai's deep "I care about it" seems to echo in my ears again.
Zhou Zekai should still be training at this time, but Zhao Zhinian still opened Zhou Zekai's chat box and started her daily work report: "I was filming a promotional video on the Great Wall today, and it was freezing cold."
Not wanting him to worry, she added, "After I got back, I took a hot shower and drank the ginger tea that Lin Shuang gave me. I'm feeling much better now. I'm really super resistant to the cold!"
"Today I also filmed several hand gesture dance videos with the ESG players in the studio." Zhao Zhinian reported his work schedule for the day word by word, as if he wanted to lay out every detail in front of him.
When writing about the collaborative video, she specifically added: "They often collaborate with hosts, and I figured I'm practically a host myself, so I didn't refuse this time."
"I took photos with several people, not just one person."
"Finally, the official Weibo account asked everyone to do a group dance, which was a bit chaotic. I don't know how it went."
"This job is quite interesting."
Finally, she couldn't help but emphasize again that this was an interaction for work reasons. After sending this long message, she let out a soft breath, put her phone aside, and continued eating.
Exhausted from a day of filming, Zhao Zhinian found the bed especially warm. After a while, her eyelids drooped, and she fell into a deep sleep without waiting for Zhou Zekai's reply.
She only saw Zhou Zekai's reply when she opened her phone the next morning.
"I'm a little tired from training today."
"Dinner will be braised pork."
"You should like it."
The above is Zhou Zekai's daily report. The last sentence is a special reply to Zhao Zhinian's message that said "it's not a photo shoot with anyone alone": "I know, I'm not that petty."
Two minutes later, another message appeared: "Stingy for not having a formal status."
Finally, it's another pitiful emoji.
Zhao Zhinian was at a loss for words. Looking at the pitiful little penguin emoji, she suddenly felt like an irresponsible and unrecognizable "scumbag woman".
While she was hesitating, she received a message from the official Weibo account of ESG: "Um... Chinen, are you familiar with Zhou Zekai?"
Zhao Zhinian didn't know why she suddenly asked this question. While she was thinking about how to reply, she received a screenshot from the other end. It was a group dance video that ESG officially updated last night, and Zhou Zekai had liked the video.
This "like" seems particularly abrupt. Although they are both professional players, they play different games. The collaboration between Zhou Zekai, the number one player in Glory, and the StarCraft ESG team is a cross-dimensional collaboration.
As expected, the comments section was filled with shocked fans. No one knew whether Zhou Zekai was going to play StarCraft or ESG was going to enter the Glory League.
Are the two games going to have a collaboration?
Various speculations arose immediately.
Although Zhou Zekai's "like" made the video extremely popular, the official ESG Weibo account was puzzled. After much thought, the comments section reminded them that the only possible connection between Zhou Zekai and ESG was Zhao Zhinian, who was standing in the center.
Zhao Zhinian first forwarded the screenshot to Zhou Zekai, and then replied against her conscience: "He probably just accidentally clicked the wrong button."
Zhou Zekai replied quickly, sending only a meme of a little penguin with wide eyes, attempting to get away with it by being "cute".
Zhao Zhinian ignored the corporate meme that was pretending to be stupid: "Don't tell me you accidentally clicked it."
The other end displayed "typing..." for a while, but finally sent a seemingly unrelated question: "Do you eat braised pork?"
Zhao Zhinian was speechless at his clumsy attempt to change the subject, and deliberately asked him, "More than braised pork, I'd like to know why Captain Samsara liked a video from the other game?"
This time, Zhou Zekai replied quickly: "Is it not allowed?"
It was clearly sophistry, yet he spoke with such conviction that Zhao Zhinian was stumped. Indeed, there was nothing wrong with it.
Before she could reply, Zhou Zekai's next message popped up: "I'll wait for you."
"I will also try my best to make my name associated with you."
Love is not about rushing, but about waiting. I will respect your unique trajectory and rhythm, and wait for you to slowly become dazzling.
Love is waiting, and it will eventually lead to being side by side. The place beside you should be mine. Until then, I will build our connection in my own way.
Zhao Zhinian felt that she had roughly understood the unspoken meaning beyond the words: "Zhou Zekai, let's talk next time we meet."
"Aren't you calling me Brother Kai anymore?" Zhou Zekai's focus was rather unusual.
"Brother Kai! Brother Kai! Brother Kai!" Zhao Zhinian cried out three times in shame and indignation, "I have to get up and work! Goodbye!"
Zhou Zekai was satisfied, a triumphant smile on his face: "Hmm!"
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Author's Note: The next time we meet should be at the All-Star Game, I guess. I need to finish hosting this "Interstellar Conquest" episode first. Suddenly I realize time in my novel moves so slowly!
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