Volume 2 - CH 23

Playing Fish Trapped in the Secret Room

Book 2: You’re Beautiful

Chapter 23

The round of sixteen went through smoothly.

Dt and Inin both won their games in the morning.

After a short break, the quarterfinals began.

The round of sixteen still had some players from other countries, but the quarterfinals was a battleground for the Koreans.  Except for Dt and Inin belonging to Chinese clubs, only one player from America was still competing.

“I finally know how it feels for foreigners to compete in Ping-Pong and diving with Chinese athletes.”  Ai Qing unscrewed a bottle of water and passed it to Inin with a smile.  “Are you under a lot of pressure?”

Inin had a worried frown.  He drank a few mouthfuls of water:  “Yes.”

“What’s there to be pressured about.”  Ai Qing laughed.  She brought the ice cold mineral water bottle to his forehead.  “It is just a competition.  Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.  We aren’t here representing a country.  We belong to clubs.  No need to put pressure on yourself.”

Apparently, their talk had little effect.

Before Inin walked out to the stage, Ai Qing pulled his arm and dragged him into a big hug.  She switched to a different method to motivate him.  “Inin, me, your jiejie’s bonus for the next half year all depends on you now.”

The fifteen years old young boy was as tall as her.  His face turned instantly red with the hug.

He kept hastily nodding:  “I definitely will win!  Definitely!”

The onlookers, Gun and Grunt, couldn’t help raising their eyebrows after they saw this scene.  It was so scary.  Why was SP’s manager behaving like a nanny now, having to act like an understanding elder sister to counsel others.

Dt took his club’s black jacket and wore it over his long sleeves T shirt.  The lights on stage began to dim as he put it on.

As Dt walked pass Ai Qing, he glanced at Inin.  The young boy abruptly came out from Ai Qing’s hug.  His expression begged for mercy: I was forced to do it, I absolutely didn’t take your girl. He then waddled with a flushed face onto the stage.

The eight pairs of computers were set back to back with empty chairs in front of each computer.

Except the one American arriving from the rest area on the opposite side, the others all came from the Chinese and Korean rest areas.

The Korean players all looked quite relaxed.  Players from several clubs walked together like how they practiced back home.  This was…...the atmosphere of the strongest country of StarCraft.  Perhaps, when players were playing with their own people in the competition, they didn’t feel nervous at all.

She sighed and prayed silently.

She hoped that <Secret Room Storm> could be like WarCraft and DotA and become a strong game in China.