After Chapter 46's post went viral, those who love to follow the gossip...
After the post went viral, netizens who love gossip turned into archaeologists, frantically visiting the official websites and public accounts of the two high schools, trying to dig up more long-forgotten stories about the two.
During his high school years, Zhou Zekai was quiet and low-key. Apart from his decent math scores, his greatest strength was his talent for winning honors. However, this was obviously not an advantage that would be recorded by the school authorities, so he left very few traces, just like his demeanor in a crowd: taciturn and unassuming.
However, Zhao Zhinian was different. She was the typical "other people's child," excelling in all aspects of morality, intelligence, physical education, aesthetics, and labor. The list of awards, photos of art performances, and silhouettes of sports meets on the school's official website... despite their age and poor pixelation, can still piece together her bright, dazzling, and energetic appearance back then.
Now, many netizens who were just watching the drama "understood" Zhou Zekai.
Who wouldn't feel fond of a girl who is just beginning to blossom in high school?
The boy's sudden attraction became a natural progression, but his quiet and reserved nature led to his unexpected confession, leaving the other person in disbelief, resulting in a dramatic ending.
The fact that Zhao Zhinian suddenly went abroad afterward added a layer of regret unique to youth to this high school experience.
Years later, the two unexpectedly met again in the same circle, which netizens considered a "destined fate" straight out of novels and TV dramas.
Zhou Zekai also gained a persona of being "faithful to one person" and "waiting patiently for many years," winning widespread sympathy and support from netizens who couldn't wait to see their relationship blossom.
This wave of "gossip" naturally swept through the professional gaming community as well. Several female Glory players who love watching dramas followed the story closely and deeply resonated with this "reconciliation after a long separation" saga, eager to know what would happen next.
The fact that this mainstream public opinion is so peaceful, even romanticized, is naturally due to the efforts of various parties behind the scenes. Not only the Samsara Club, but also Zhao Zhinian's company is secretly guiding it.
Shortly after the post went viral, Zhao Zhinian received a call from the company's director.
"Chinen, what exactly happened between you and Zhou Zekai?" The director's voice was tentative, yet also tinged with barely concealed excitement.
Zhao Zhinian explained the relationship between her high school classmates in the simplest language, deliberately downplaying all the details that might be magnified and explored.
"Why didn't you mention that during the last live broadcast?" the director pressed, his tone tinged with reproach. "That was a perfect juicy moment!"
“It happened many years ago. Nobody asked about it back then, and I didn’t feel comfortable bringing it up myself.” Zhao Zhinian’s voice was calm and even. “It was just an old classmate reunion. There’s no need to over-interpret it. Back then, I was a newcomer, and I wanted to focus on my career. Exposure wouldn’t have been good for either of us. Besides, it’s a private matter after all. I remember our company didn’t restrict dating.”
She was all too aware of the company's current calculations: profit was paramount, and once the relationship was exposed, they would inevitably start thinking about how to monetize it or gain traffic. However, she really didn't want to cooperate, which is why she appeared particularly stiff during this communication.
The director was practically fuming on the other end of the line: "Of course the company doesn't restrict your freedom to date! But that's Zhou Zekai! A top star in the Glory circle! Do you know how much attention he gets? This kind of traffic..." He took a breath and cut to the chase: "What exactly is your relationship now?"
I am currently single.
"And then what?" the director pressed.
"No one can predict what will happen in the future." Her voice remained calm as she firmly stated her thoughts: "Therefore, I suggest that the company not rush to make a fuss about this. Maintaining the status quo and not explaining is the best explanation. Over-exploiting this relationship will not benefit anyone."
The manager continued his earnest persuasion over the phone: "Do you know how many resources the company has invested in developing you? Now that we have such a great opportunity, we can make good plans..."
Zhao Zhinian gently interrupted him: "Precisely because I cherish the effort the company has put into training me, I feel even more strongly that we should stick to the professional path. I am a little worried that if we rely too much on hyping up personal topics to gain popularity, it will not only be difficult to sustain, but may also erode everyone's trust in the company's professional image. I personally firmly believe that solid personal skills and works are the best way to repay the company and the team, and I hope to get your understanding and support."
These words left the director speechless for a moment. He realized that Zhao Zhinian was no longer one of those newcomers who could be manipulated at will; she clearly knew her own value and understood what a sustainable development path was.
After careful consideration, the director had to admit that Zhao Zhinian's words made sense.
Forced relationships are never sweet; pushing too hard can backfire, especially since the company still hopes to renew Zhao Zhinian's contract.
Since she has already shown the potential to become a top e-sports host, coupled with the inherent popularity brought by her "ambiguous relationship" with Zhou Zekai, no matter how things develop in the future, as long as the public opinion is well controlled, the company will definitely make a profit.
Ultimately, the company's public relations strategy was set to be: neither admit nor deny, guide appropriately, quell negative sentiment, welcome success, and plan for the long term.
Therefore, despite the uproar online and the numerous jokes in the professional players' group from Zhang Jiale, Huang Shaotian, and others, such as "Zhou Zekai, come out and tell your youth story," the two parties involved maintained an amazing tacit understanding and adhered to the principle that "silence is golden."
Even Zhou Zekai's controversial "like" has not been removed, and the official Samsara Club has remained unusually silent.
This attitude is seen by netizens as tantamount to tacit approval.
It is generally believed that because the two are in the same circle, they do not want to put things out in the open and maintain a tacit understanding.
However, only the person involved knows that the crucial layer of paper is still a little bit short of being broken through.
Although Zhou Zekai is very composed in public, he would ask Zhao Zhinian on WeChat with a hint of innocence and embarrassment, "Did I... cause you any trouble?" which was quite sarcastic.
Zhao Zhinian found the message amusing and replied, "It's okay, they've already dug it up anyway, whether you like it or not won't make any difference."
Perhaps it was the confidence brought about by her recent career development that made her genuinely unconcerned. In fact, Zhou Zekai's seemingly clumsy yet meticulously planned actions of "asserting his dominance" gave her an unprecedented sense of security. He seemed to be telling everyone, including her, about his seriousness in his own way.
However, daily life will still be affected to some extent.
At Yizhan, everyone treated her as usual. Lou Guanning just joked that Yizhan's future fame would depend on her.
After leaving Yizhan, whether it was her colleagues at the company or the official staff of Glory and StarCraft, there were always people who would subtly inquire about her. Zhao Zhinian always responded with a smile, pretending to be clueless, and offering no further explanation.
She clearly understood that this was the price she had to pay for standing next to someone who was too dazzling.
To stand shoulder to shoulder with him, rather than being completely overshadowed by his brilliance or merely seen as "Zhou Zekai's rumored girlfriend," the only thing she could do was to become more outstanding and stronger, seize every opportunity, and let her impeccable professional skills speak for themselves.
Only in this way can she become a tall tree standing shoulder to shoulder with him, rather than a vine clinging to and clinging to him.
The StarCraft World Championship Finals have arrived as scheduled.
There was no match for Yizhan that day, so Lin Shuang specially accompanied Zhao Zhinian to the venue. Although she was there to work as an assistant, she claimed that she wanted to experience the atmosphere of the finals in advance.
"We don't know how many years we'll have to wait to get into the finals with Yizhan. Let's experience the backstage atmosphere of the finals in advance," Lin Shuang said, holding her hand with a sigh.
Backstage, Zhao Zhinian changed into a sharp suit with stiletto heels, making her look professional and capable.
Yang Chen from the DG team walked over, saw her outfit, his eyes lit up, and he smiled and exclaimed, "Zhinian-jie, you look so cool today!"
He paused, his tone familiar, and teased in a low voice, "As expected of... the 'heart's sweetheart' of the number one player in Glory."
It's clear that Yang Chen was also following the gossip online while preparing for the competition.
His Weibo comment section has been unusually lively these past few days, filled with fans "wailing": "It's over, Yang Chen, you're out of luck!", "Your opponent is Zhou Zekai, how can you win?", "It's over! They're childhood sweethearts, you have no chance of winning! My favorite couple broke up after only a few days!", "Forget it, love is just a burden. We may be unlucky in love, but lucky in sports. Let's win the championship first and then think about these things."
Seeing his deliberate teasing, Zhao Zhinian rolled her eyes at him and warned him, "Just focus on the competition. I'm just a translator today, don't give me a chance to go on stage."
If DG wins, as the champion team, they will be interviewed, and Zhao Zhinian, as the translator, will not need to be on stage for the finals interview segment; simultaneous interpretation will be provided during broadcasts in various countries. Conversely, if DG loses, she will need to accompany host Zhou Fei on stage as a translator to interview the other winning team for the sake of the local audience at the venue and the domestic live broadcast.
Yang Chen naturally understood this as well, patted his chest, and said confidently, "Don't worry! I definitely won't let you go on stage!"
However, in the world of esports, nothing is absolute.
After a fierce battle, DG team ultimately lost to their opponent by a large margin, becoming the runner-up in this year's World Championship.
What was most suffocating was not the defeat itself, but the overwhelming sense of helplessness and dominance that the entire match conveyed.
DG team was clearly not in good form today. Perhaps due to nervousness in their first appearance in the finals, their tactics were slow to execute and they made frequent mistakes. They were like a newly formed team that had not been properly integrated and was defeated one after another in the face of their opponent's smooth offensive.
This was not a narrow defeat, but a complete and undisputed rout, so utterly devoid of any trace of struggle.
The atmosphere backstage froze the moment the final result was announced.
The previously tense expectations and hopes have all turned into a cold reality, pressing down on every corner like a thick fog, almost suffocating.
The stage lights and cheers always belong to the victors. The DG team members walked off the stage in silence, heads bowed.
Zhao Zhinian glanced at the back of the DG members as they left the stage, took a deep breath, and forcefully suppressed the regret that was not hers but was incredibly real.
Perhaps it is because of her connection with the Yizhan team that she always has a more instinctive understanding and attention to the losers on the field.
Victory deserves to be celebrated, but the silent retreats after hard work also deserve to be seen.
At this moment, however, her role is that of a competition translator, and her professionalism requires her to remain calm and detach herself from any unnecessary personal emotions.
Zhao Zhinian followed host Zhou Fei onto the stage and settled down under the spotlight.
She deliberately focused entirely on the language translation itself. As a translator, she didn't need to control the flow or guide the atmosphere, which allowed her to be more at ease in the pure language conversion. Her translation was professional, fluent, and accurate, perfectly conveying the winner's joy and excitement, as well as their summary of the match, ensuring the smooth progress of the entire process.
However, DG's defeat cast a pall over the entire region, with many spectators leaving early or with tears in their eyes.
Zhou Fei, standing beside her, is a veteran host who has been deeply involved in StarCraft esports for many years and has a deep affection for the local teams. Watching the foreign teams raise their trophies high, and recalling the DG team's dejected exit, she finally couldn't control her emotions. Her voice began to choke, and her eyes reddened slightly.
Although Zhao Zhinian did not show her emotions as openly as Zhou Fei, she was just as sad for DG.
What alarmed her even more was that, at the same time as the awards ceremony, the DG team's online reputation was experiencing a silent avalanche.
Just a few days ago, netizens were shouting "DG's last hope" on various platforms. Now, they have turned their guns on the team that just lost, venting all their resentment and anger at the defeat.
The praise and flattery receded quickly like a tide, leaving only accusations, ridicule, and disappointment.
The rules of victory and defeat in esports have always been cold and ruthless, with the script of the winner taking all playing out time and time again. But this time, it's DG's turn.
The "player performance rating system" launched on various competition platforms, originally intended for entertainment, has unexpectedly become the biggest outlet for netizens to vent their emotions.
Amidst waves of anger and disappointment, low scores and harsh reviews rained down.
However, in this storm of trials that swept across the entire internet, two names that should have remained uninvolved—Zhao Zhinian and Zhou Fei—quietly rose to the top of the ratings.
They are neither contestants nor coaches, yet their professional performances have garnered a rare consensus among netizens amidst the storm of public opinion.
Zhao Zhinian won the audience's approval with her calm and accurate translation and her composed and poised stage presence; while Zhou Fei also completed her job smoothly, and her slightly choked-up genuine emotions resonated with countless viewers in front of the screen.
As the entire team floundered in the storm of public opinion, these two female professionals on the fringes of the competition unexpectedly became the second-best team on the scoring list, in an almost absurd way. On this night dominated by emotions, professionalism and sincerity unexpectedly became the most touching forces.
Zhao Zhinian's comment section was subtly "harmonious," with some genuinely praising her professional translation skills, steady stage presence, and capable attire tonight, but the majority of comments still revolved around that well-known name.
"Please give a thumbs up to our Samsara team's wife for her translation!" "Did Zhou Zekai come to watch?" "Does Captain Zhou know that your translation is so good?" "When are you hosting Samsara's matches?"...
Comments flooded in like a tidal wave, washing away her meticulously prepared translation, composed command of the stage, and professional competence, turning them all into a blurred background.
All her efforts throughout the night were ultimately just a fleeting footnote in their sweet romance, as if all her hard work under the light was merely to reflect the shadow of another person.
She exited her own homepage and instead opened Zhou Zekai's comment section. Sure enough, there were traces of her everywhere there.
Well, now they are indelible marks in each other's worlds.
She doesn't resist this connection, but Zhou Zekai is too dazzling. She doesn't yet have his strength and confidence, and she's afraid that her own value will be overshadowed by his dazzling light, and that all her efforts will ultimately be reduced to a label of "someone of Zhou Zekai".
Ultimately, the public's attention is naturally drawn to gossip and drama, and Zhou Zekai's dazzling success has never been a fault.
This is simply a lesson that every public figure who chooses to stand in the spotlight must learn alone: how to let the world see the complete, real "me" that does not belong to any subordinates amidst the clamor of voices.
"Keep trying, Zhao Zhinian," she whispered to herself.
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