Chapter 83 2/2

One of the cameramen immediately understood and pointed the camera at the two paparazzi and the stand-in.

Paparazzi, often unwelcome by formal journalists, were surprised to be casually chatting with the celebrities. The paparazzo seized the opportunity to create a topic:

“It was supposed to be crowded, but Sheng Quan was in the front, and they all went to take pictures of Sheng Quan.”

“Sheng Dong?!”

The guest showed a shocked expression, whether genuine or for the sake of the show:

“Is she here in Fangcheng? My goodness, is she still at the airport? Can I go up now to ask for a photo opportunity?”

Lin Qing from Star Radiance Entertainment also joined in, looking surprised and excited: “Sheng Dong is here. Where is she?”

With their coordinated reactions, the somewhat awkward scene immediately turned around, especially with Lin Qing’s expression that seemed to say, “Where is Sheng Dong? I want to flatter her,” adding a touch of humor.

The paparazzo efficiently added, “She’s already left. You missed her. Hey, I also wanted to go over, but there were too many people.”

The guest also showed a regretful expression: “Look at you guys, what are you afraid of with so many people? That’s Sheng Dong; even if there are more people, you should try your best.”

She had an expression as if she could carry the camera and go up herself.

Glancing at the barrage and seeing all the laughter, the executive director breathed a sigh of relief. Contemporary variety shows don’t favor conflicts, especially in travel shows. The audience mostly watches for relaxation, and if the viewers find it annoying, a drop in ratings is not far away.

The popularity of “Happy Travels” was already declining, which was why they couldn’t invite well-known guests. They had to cobble together hosts from cooking shows and a slightly famous small esports team, making it a mishmash among all the variety shows of the same period.

Luckily, although the guests this time weren’t very famous, they were cooperative. The group immediately started chatting.

On the Breaking Water team, the youngest girl, Chen Mo, knew that being on a variety show meant trying to get more screen time. She suppressed the anger on her face and joined in:

“Is it the rich Sheng Dong that I know?”

“It’s Sheng Dong, you know. It’s a pity. Sheng Dong is known as the golden hand in the industry. Anyone she favors becomes popular quickly. How did we miss her?”

Another guest jokingly said, his eyes showing a hint of genuine regret.

“If one of us could catch Sheng Dong’s attention, our show would explode, believe it or not?”

Chen Mo, still young, was influenced by his emotions, showing some regret as well:

“Such a pity. If only we had come out a little earlier.”

The executive director also felt a bit of regret. If they really ran into Sheng Quan, there was a Star Radiance artist among their guests. Even if they had boldly sent Lin Qing to greet her, they could have snagged a few shots. If Sheng Quan’s popularity wasn’t at the level of “Sheng Dong comes out, no one dares to compete,” she still had a bunch of highly popular artists under her. If they cooperated and manipulated a bit, the show’s popularity would surely soar.

just a little bit short.

He sighed, wishing he could turn back time and rush with the whole team to Sheng Quan as soon as they got off the plane.

Listening to the guests chat with each other, the executive director couldn’t help but fantasize a bit. If Sheng Quan really fancied someone from this guest lineup…

Forget it; don’t daydream.

“Notify everyone, we’re departing.”

Tan Chen, who had left the team to be interviewed by a paparazzo, came back.

Even after experiencing the attack from anti-fans, the young coach returned with a nonchalant smile on his lips. He lowered his head, softly comforting the players where the camera couldn’t capture them.

The young players, aged eighteen or nineteen, were indeed appeased by his attitude. They seemed less worried and anxious than before.

The executive director’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on Tan Chen.

At only 26 years old, Tan Chen, despite being an esports coach, was no less attractive than the celebrities in appearance, especially his sharp and subtly deep eyes.

The executive director found himself increasingly pleased as he looked at Tan Chen.

“Poke around more with this esports team’s coach. He looks really photogenic.”

The photographer raised an eyebrow. “Director, Tan Chen isn’t a guest. He’s just an accompanying staff.”

“I don’t care what he’s here for. What’s their team called again? Breaking Water. Esports players joining a travel variety show, you really think they love traveling? They need money, they need exposure; that’s why they came to our show.”

“Otherwise, it’s the season right now. Why aren’t they training properly? It’s probably because they’re broke and can’t afford the next game’s plane tickets and hotels. Relax and film, give their team more screen time, and they’ll be grateful to us.”

The photographer suddenly realized this, nodding in agreement. Watching Tan Chen in the distance talking quietly with the players, he couldn’t help but sigh, “He used to be so vibrant and full of spirit. Winning the global championship at eighteen, dominating individual tournaments for over a year. His tournament winnings should be considerable, but now he has fallen to this state. Ah…”

The executive director asked, “What do you mean by fallen? Joining our variety show, is that considered falling?”

“Director, I think I need to do some additional shooting in the back. I’ll go!”

Tan Chen, who was being discussed by the two, had already comforted the players. Walking through the production team, he carried a heavy backpack and even helped other staff members carry things.

After a bustling day, they finally boarded the large bus. As someone who wasn’t a guest, Tan Chen was assigned to the last row of another bus. Leaning against the window, he quietly gazed outside.

He always liked sitting by the window. Even during his time with Team DE, even when surrounded by fans or anti-fans, Tan Chen insisted on sitting by the somewhat unsafe window.

After a match, when they rode the bus back, he would lean against the window, watching the banners and celebrating people outside. Sometimes, teammates would bump his arm.

“Tan Chen, do you think we can win the championship in the finals? I-country’s cj is strong.”

“What are you afraid of? We could beat them before, and we can definitely do it now!”

“Hahaha, you’re quite arrogant. Just now, I saw you arguing with those anti-fans. If it weren’t for Yu Jie pulling you away, you two might have actually fought. You’re something, not even afraid of the coach scolding you for being too ostentatious.”

“The coach said my style is ostentatious. I’m just following the coach’s intentions. Not only am I ostentatious now, but I’ll also be ostentatious in the future. I won’t yield to them. If someone scolds me, I’ll definitely scold back.”

Tan Chen reminisced, and suddenly the bus stopped. “Get off, get off. What do you want to eat today?”

“Boxed meals. I hope there’s more meat. Our production team is too stingy. No matter which city we go to, the meals are always so skimpy on meat.”

A nearby staff member, seeing Tan Chen not getting up, asked with concern, “Did you get hit just now? Nothing serious, right? In my opinion, those people are too much. Losing a game is losing a game. Why chase them offline?”

“Maybe they need a place to vent. Don’t worry about them; they’re just some greens. No big deal.”

Tan Chen, indifferent, smiled and touched the spot where he had been hit by the cabbage leaf. Although it was just a leafy vegetable, with enough force, that area still turned red.

He said softly, “It just hurts a little.”

***

After checking into the hotel, Sheng Quan found more news about “Breaking Water.”

【Refuses to admit tactical mistakes, vows to do better】

She clicked on it and saw another series of insulting comments. However, compared to other videos, this time the attacks were concentrated on Tan Chen, the coach who had arranged the tactics.

【His character is not bad.】

Sheng Quan analyzed with 006: 【This time it’s obviously not his fault, but he voluntarily came out to take the blame and endure the insults to avoid affecting the players.】

She didn’t play “Polar,” but she could understand the situation through various popular esports streamers and the comment sections. Moreover, after a quick review of related game knowledge, it was clear that the blame for this round rested on Yixiang Yuan (Yi Wu), the bottom lane.

Whether from Tan Chen’s past game recordings or his real-life actions, he was clearly not the impulsive and reckless type. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been hit by a cabbage leaf and responded the way he did.

Similarly, if he chooses to take the blame himself, he must be aware of the consequences. In the world of esports, anti-fans were notorious for being crazy. By standing up now, Tan Chen would only become the target of all the firepower, this time being cabbages, but who knows what it would be next time?

Regarding his seemingly indifferent attitude, Sheng Quan only believed about three points of it. Who would enjoy being hated, cursed, and insulted by so many people? Especially someone who once achieved many honors and was considered a genius. Just looking at the past footage could reveal how carefree and arrogant Tan Chen used to be.

She called He Xi:

“Buy me a gaming device suitable for playing games, the best one.”

He Xi asked, “Sure, may I ask what kind of game you plan to play? I will prepare it as quickly as possible according to the game’s required configuration.”

Sheng Quan closed the news page.

“Polar.”