Chapter 39: She Wasn't Going To Let Them Down

Chen Guo pulled a pen from his breast pocket and walked it over to Zhao Yingyue. He was surprised that she was so quick to accept the contract so quickly. Did she not even have a single question?

She accepted it, placed the contract on the wall, and signed it. She really had no regrets even after she handed it back to Chen Guo.

She was now an official member of TBQ5!

A shout from every member of the team proceeded—startling her to the point she had almost dropped the pen when she flinched. Remembering that she also had it, she handed it to the manager, too.

"Welcome to the best qualified!"

Zhao Yingyue smiled but didn't have much time to recover before they were all being rushed around. Now that the contract was signed, it was time to get down to business. They had a flight to catch and fans to face once again.

Chen Guo opened the door to welcome in a bellhop who immediately started loading the luggage onto the cart.

Watching everyone move around was chaotic yet she could tell that they had done this many times as it was also strangely organized. No one bumped into anyone as they all pulled on their jackets and sneakers in a rush.

When Zhao Yingyue looked at Liu Haoyu, he perked his eyebrows as if he was showing off his team to her. He could have also been alluding to this being apart of her life now but there was some touch of arrogance in the action so she believed it had to be the former.

She didn't have much time to think more on it though as she was practically being pushed out of the room. Before she knew it, the eight of them were in the elevator descending the building she'd reached the top of not even half an hour before.

This time, when they stepped out, the doors were closed yet the voices were infinitely louder than before. The news had managed to spread and attract a lot more people in such a short period of time.

Li Dongyang smiled at her. "Don't worry Little Sister, we'll protect you. Just walk forward like they aren't there."

Only then did she realize that the group surrounded her like security guards around a celebrity. Every step they took, they maintained these positions. She wondered why they'd done it when they didn't really have to. She was already covered up and no one could tell who she was.

From the noise level, she could tell that the crowd was at least twice as many people as when they'd first gotten there. She could only imagine how many people dropped everything to sneak a peak at her that they would not be getting that day.

Once they were outside, the numerous flashes and voices were nearly overwhelming. Cameras went off one after the other and voices drowned voices out until it was all an inaudible mass of shouts.

However, Zhao Yingyue knew that they were shouting for her. They wanted to see who she was, hear her voice, and ask her questions.

The men surrounding her shielded her from the chaos but she felt an odd sense of guilt since she knew that she was the cause of it. Oddly, she also felt a sense of satisfaction. She would be lying if she said that she didn't feel prideful or like her ego had been boosted.

Soon enough, they were all boarding a van. She could only assume that it was rented since they hadn't tagged the vehicle with the team's logo or image.

As the members shuffled their way in, people continued to try to push their way through, but security held them all back. The team could only relax once they were finally settled in their seats.

Li Dongyang let out a loud sigh. "Wow! They don't even know how fantastic our sister is yet and they're already all over her. I wonder what will happen at the press conference!"

Zhao Yingyue reached for her mask—feeling suffocated after having it on so long and especially after fighting through the crowd. They were on the bus so it had to be okay for her to take the thing off, right?

Yang Ruoxuan calmly held up one finger and said, "Not yet."

All of the boys rushed around and pulled up the shades in the van that blocked sun from entering the van. Then, only when they pulled off did they allow her to take off her mask.

Yang Ruoxuan said, "You still have to be careful. Since your identity is our secret for the time being, you must also take care to keep it. You can only leave your disguise when there isn't any possibility of someone getting a picture of you."

Zhao Yingyue nodded as she snatched her glasses off and finally let out a breath of relief. They were a while from the airport so they finally had a moment to catch their breaths. Thinking back to her life before this, she still couldn't believe where she had managed to get to. She was surrounded by Q5 and was a member of the team, too!

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Zhao Yingyue felt someone slide into the seat next to her. Previously, she had been sitting alone, by choice, so that she could rest a bit.

When she turned to see who was next to her, it was Wu Bocheng.

"Sorry we couldn't talk much earlier. We had to hurry so that we can make the flight in time. Now that we're on the road, we have time. First, I should return your heartfelt greeting from earlier. My name is Wu Bocheng. It's a pleasure to meet you, Zhao Yingyue."

Zhao Yingyue immediately straightened herself up—feeling a sudden burst of energy. She was really talking to Wu Bocheng!

She remembered the days where she would study his gameplay to incorporate into her own gaming style. Back then, she would have done anything to meet him. If anyone were to tell her back then that this day would come, she'd have them locked up in an insane asylum.

"It's nice to meet you!"

She had no idea what else to say. Now that she was faced with him, she was at a loss for words. When she'd spent so long idolizing him, she had to admit that it was hard seeing him as just another person.

Luckily, he continued the conversation so that she wouldn't have to awkwardly grasp at ways to do so herself.

"I've been waiting to meet you for a while now. When I first saw you play, I wondered who could be the person sitting behind the monitor. In case you're wondering, I watched a lot of your games when we were sorting through candidates of people to succeed me. It's safe to say that I've seen the evolution of your play style."

Zhao Yingyue wasn't sure the proper way to respond to this.

She could only muster up a small, "I'm honored."

Wu Bocheng then said, "Seeing that is what made me pick you as my successor. I tell you now, we intend to groom you into an even better player than I am. I know that you can achieve that goal if you put the work in. I'm excited to see that happen."

She smiled gently. "Thank you. I'll work hard so that I don't let you down!"

"You'd better. After all, even though I'm retired, I've already decided that the last mark I'll leave on this industry is you. Before I take my leave for good, I will act as the coach for this team and work with Brother Yaozu to realize that goal."

"I won't let you guys down!"

Wu Bocheng smiled before sliding out of the chair and back toward the front of the van with the other managing members of the team.

Zhao Yingyue felt a new wave of pressure. She would be taught by Wu Bocheng himself, along with Deng Yaozu, on how to improve her skills. It was sure to be different than when she had taught herself at home.

Looking around, she looked at the members of her new team. They all seemed to get along well, even when some of them seemed naturally aloof. One look at them already showed a brotherhood bond built strong their hardship.

This team seemed to her to be a family more than anything. On the screen, they were serious and calculating and always focused on victory. One look behind the scenes was all it took to tear that mask away from her.

Were they all amazing players in their own rights? Yes, of course. Had they made it to nationals every year since formation and even won twice? Yes. But were they still people behind what people saw on the screen? Absolutely.

And she got to see that and be apart of that. She joined their family.

As a gamer, she was nervous, excited, and honored all at once. In her heart, she was fired up. The team had put their faith in her and she wasn't going to let them down.