Chapter 40: Stay Naive

"Alright, mask up."

Those three words alerted Zhao Yingyue to the fact that they were now approaching the airport. She wasted no time in adjusting her mask and sunglasses to cover her face again.

She felt like one of those western superheroes having to walk around in disguise and couldn't say that she was really too opposed to the feeling. She knew that it wouldn't be long before she was revealed as the person behind the mask, but the mysterious aura was pretty cool.

There was a sort of thrill to parading around as she was now.

As the van slowed to a stop in front of their Terminal's drop off, everyone got out of the van. Once again, there was a crowd of people.

How did they know this would be their destination? Did these reporters always have someone just waiting near the airport?

There were pictures being taken of the group and screams being billowed at her trying to find out even the smallest bits of information.

Her teammates once again started surrounding her to protect her from the onslaught of people wanting to sneak a peak as they maneuvered through the crowd.

"Luna, Luna! Please won't you just show us how you really look like? We're some of your biggest fans!"

"Luna, Luna! Are you really just a man under there? I mean look at those clothes and your height!"

Chen Guo stood toward the back and she could hear him trying to speak to the crowd. "I'm sure you've already heard when we plan to have our press conference. Please wait until the allotted time where all of your questions will be answered!"

The crowd then shifted their attention to him with barrages of questions ranging from why they couldn't see her right then or if they'd allow the smaller companies to join the release. They didn't want to wait at all or risk not being the first one to drop the story.

Chen Guo answered what he could without giving away any real information at all. Just like that, he had managed to shift their attention to himself to allow the team to get inside quicker and stop being bothered by the crowd.

Zhao Yingyue could barely see anything through the other members but found it admirable. No wonder he was considered one of the best managers in the industry. She'd even heard of the things he'd do to protect the team in bad times.

She then looked around at her teammates. As they escorted her, she realized that this wasn't the usual for them. They were actually usually extremely interactive with their fans when they are out and about.

Now, they closed in around her as if she hadn't already been disguised completely. She didn't think it necessary to be concealed to this degree yet they were doing this still.

In her heart, she felt a prickle of gratitude.

Maybe they had already really accepted her as one of their own.

Once inside the airport, they went through the normal rush of getting through security and to their gates. There was one point, however, where all of the teammates had to block her once again when they were matching her face to her ID.

Curious onlookers had tried getting a peak at the woman, but with the men all surrounding her, they weren't lucky enough to see the face behind the mask and sunglasses. They groaned in disappointment, knowing that it was the only chance that they'd get to see her without the sunglasses or mask covering it.

Once they were settled in the VIP waiting area by their gate, Chen Guo left to get everyone some water from the bar.

With e-sports being such a big industry, all teams were able to use the same VIP waiting areas as other celebrities and officials freely. Zhao Yingyue, who had already been used to this kind of treatment, was just relieved to finally be free to rest once again.

As she sipped from her glass of water, Deng Yaozu came to sit down next to her.

"Bocheng said he already talked to you in the van. I thought now would be a good time to sit and talk. It's nice to meet you Zhao Yingyue."

She smiled and bowed her head to him, "It's nice to meet you, too."

"Ya know, seeing you is a breath of fresh air. Doe-eyed and ready to face the world of esports. Don't ever lose that naivety."

"What do you mean?"

Deng Yaozu took a sip of his own water before placing it on the nearby coffee table.

"This industry takes a lot from you. It's not just sleep or meals that you lose out on. You work hard and sometimes, it seems endless. As many fans as you gain, you will gain haters, too. There are times where you may feel as if the whole world is against you—especially in the times where tensions are high. However, once you lose love for the game, playing well becomes an impossibility."

Zhao Yingyue nodded along. She already knew what was to come in terms of fans and anti-fans but it seemed everyone here was extremely worried. That was why they blocked her regardless of her disguise, wasn't it?

Still, Deng Yaozu continued.

"Find your reason and hold onto it until the end. Though, from what I hear, you should be able to make it through."

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you join Q5 as a coach? I know what you've said in front of cameras but that all sounds a little scripted. Excuse me if this crosses a line with you."

Before, when interviewers would ask him, he would always say that he joined because he saw promise in the team and wanted to help them grow. However, Zhao Yingyue thought there had to be more.

Even if she had always idolized Q5, they weren't the only team with good players and promise. He was already famous in his own right and she knew most teams would've offered any amount to have him.

As a gamer, she knew that money didn't mean much in the world of games—especially when it came to choosing who you'd like to work with.

"It's alright to ask. Well, I suppose that as a player, I knew nothing more than playing games. I had actually been chosen as a beta tester for 'Honor' before it came out. Even though I never formally participated in the tournaments, I had seen the potential long before. So I decided that would be my next big thing. In the face of all the teams who wanted my coaching, there was a certain group that caught my attention."

Deng Yaozu smiled at the memory. Back then, he had only seen their faces and their interactions with other people but it had been more than enough to sway him.

"They had been arguing with another team who had thrown all kinds of curses and nasty names at them. Instead of cursing and screaming, a certain person shut everyone up with only a couple sentences. Do you know what he said?"

Zhao Yingyue shook her head and asked, "What is it that he could have said that won you over?"

"He said, 'I can shout and argue and curse all day, but all that talk means nothing. I'll see you in the game and only then will we settle this.' At that moment, I knew that I saw a future captain and someone who would leave a legacy greater than mine. When I saw how his team immediately stopped arguing and looked at him with a great amount of passion, that was all I needed."

Zhao Yingyue's eyes lit up as they subconsciously wandered over to Liu Haoyu. She knew who Deng Yaozu had to be talking about, but was still surprised to hear such an impactful story.

Deng Yaozu, who had watched her eyes wander, said, "You're right, you know? That day, Liu Haoyu won me over. A kid with a drive to learn and win, who also graciously accepted it every time he fell. He was also so exceptional at holding back his anger and dealing with situations maturely, even though he was only a teenager."

"Wow."

"You will soon see that side of him. To others, he's ice cold. But for his family, he will always defend them to the end. He also is always a firm believer of actions over words. People could always say whatever they wanted but it meant nothing without actions to back it up. He even made it a rule on the team. When there's a problem, solve it in game. After all, the game is dear enough in our hearts to hold it at high value. There can be no conflict in the team where you act as one."

She hadn't heard of that one yet but it did make sense. In games, it was necessary to trust each other. Without trust, there was no properly working together and the others would also struggle. The idea of solving problems in game wasn't too far-fetched either.

Sometimes playing inspired her thinking and allowed her to cool down herself.

But she already knew how he treated family. What he had done for her was something to special that she would always have a place for him in her heart. He had saved her from the cage that was her life before and vowed to never allow her to be harmed again.

"So that's how conflicts are settled here then? With a game?"

"For the most part."

"So does it ever make you sad? Watching them play while knowing that you'll never be able to play at your best again?"

"It used to. Then I remembered what my purpose here is. I can't sulk over who I used to be when I am building this team to be better than I ever was. Life moves on. Sometimes, we old people need to just sit back and let the young ones push forward."

Zhao Yingyue could only imagine the feeling. It sounded rather melancholic but he seemed to have made peace with it so that seemed to be all that mattered.

"Little Sister, it seems that you've already made headlines again!"