Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

The group returned to the waiting area in the large classroom and happened to pass by a group with somber expressions.

Jiang Zhiyu stepped aside to make way, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a line of text on the projected screen: Rap "Never Say Goodbye" Group A.

"It's Bian... the group Zi'ang used to be in." Yao Wei whispered behind Jiang Zhiyu.

The situation of Group A in "Never Say Goodbye" is almost exactly the same as that of Group A in "The Unopened Letter," both of whom had teammates withdraw from the competition at the last minute, leading to a last-minute rehearsal.

This situation tests not only the team members' ability to adapt and respond, but also their mindset under high pressure.

But clearly, not everyone can withstand it.

Jiang Zhiyu sat back behind his sign and spaced out for a while. The others sat cross-legged nearby, still quietly reviewing their performance in the quiz.

"They're back; the results should be out soon."

The voices behind him pulled Jiang Zhiyu out of his reverie. He looked up at the door and saw the members of Group A of "Never Say Goodbye" push the door open and enter.

The group's expressions were somewhat solemn, and they didn't say a word the entire time, silently walking back to their positions under the gaze of the other trainees.

[This group looks terrible; their faces practically scream "it's going to end!"]

As expected, their practice in the first few days was already quite bumpy.

Is this Bian Ziang's previous team?

[No offense intended, but it feels a bit like the control group for "Unbelievable A".]

[They're a bunch of unlucky people, I feel sorry for them.]

The soothing music playing in the large classroom suddenly stopped, and the trainees' chatter gradually subsided as well.

Holding her cue cards, Yu Lan slowly walked to the center of the large classroom, waiting for the noise from the contestants' area to completely subside.

She didn't say much nonsense, and her tone was straightforward: "In this round of mini-tests, all the groups have presented their performances. Everyone has seen everyone's hard work and dedication during this period, and the performance of each group deserves recognition."

The room was quiet. All the trainees sat up straight, their eyes fixed on Yu Lan, their hearts pounding with tension as they awaited the crucial result.

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the room, before getting straight to the point.

"Next, we will directly announce the group that ranks first in this round of mini-tests."

As soon as the words were spoken, the background music instantly became more intense, with a captivating rhythm.

"This background music is making my heart pound." Yao Wei clutched his left chest, feeling his heart beating very fast.

Yu Lan picked up the cards and clearly read out the results: "Congratulations, first place in this round of quizzes—Group A, 'The Unopened Letter'!"

As soon as he finished speaking, applause and exclamations erupted throughout the venue. Many people in the audience turned to look at the group from "Unbelievable A," their eyes filled with envy and congratulations.

The fact that the stage, which was rearranged and practiced in a shorter time, could win first place in the preliminary test exceeded many people's expectations.

The group was stunned for a moment by this sudden first win. After they came to their senses, they couldn't hide their excitement. They bumped arms with each other and cheered quietly, their eyes filled with undisguised joy.

[The Unbelievable A is worth watching!]

Although I haven't seen the full performance, their practice sessions showed how strong this group really is.

That's incredible! They managed to carve out a path even with all the debuffs stacked up.

They're working so hard, they're practically living in the practice room.

After the mini-test, the trainees have time to continue adjusting.

In just a few hours, darkness fell and night quietly descended.

Jiang Zhiyu remembered that Mi Lan had told him to go back to the dormitory early, so he didn't stay in the practice room any longer and followed the other trainees back to 310 after get off work.

Inside 310, a staff member was already standing, holding a stack of papers and talking to Lin Sen.

He walked into the room and his eyes met those of the staff who were looking up at him.

"Hey, Jiang Zhiyu." The staff member smiled and waved to him. "Take a look at this first."

Jiang Zhiyu stepped closer, took the stack of documents handed to him by the staff, and began to peruse them.

This is a basic tutorial for "Zeroing Out", containing the most straightforward explanations of various technical terms. The title reads: "Zeroing Out: A Beginner's Guide for Dummies".

He turned two pages, his movements gradually slowing down.

This tutorial truly lives up to its "for beginners" label. It's detailed and easy to understand, using plain language to explain the game's most basic elements. Even complete beginners can quickly grasp the theoretical aspects of the game.

When he saw the line "Only the defending team can defuse the bomb," he couldn't help but look up at the staff member, his eyes filled with confusion.

"It's like this," the staff member paused for a moment and explained, "The day after tomorrow, which is the day after the first public event ends, we need you to go on an external mission."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded: "The first match of the new ZPL league season?"

"Huh? You knew that?" The other person paused for a moment, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, I've heard about it."

"The production team has secured a few viewing passes, which will be sent to the competition venue. You will need to use your GoPros to film a viewing vlog."

Lin Sen lost interest after reading two pages of the tutorial. He rested his chin on the back of his chair and asked, "Who are they?"

"There are only four of us: you two, Wei Shuang, and Yao Wei. We've found people who are relatively knowledgeable about ZPL and this game."

After saying that, he turned back to look at Jiang Zhiyu, who was still flipping through the documents: "Xiao Jiang, you must read and study this carefully. There will be an interview during the event, and it would be embarrassing if you couldn't answer."

Jiang Zhiyu agreed to everything and was still reading this tutorial, which was practically meant to soothe a child. The person who compiled the material had clearly put a lot of effort into it, thoughtfully annotating many parts.

The staff member was still worried and looked back and forth between the two of them, and couldn't help but remind them again: "If you don't understand, you can ask us. We'll answer you anytime, but you must make time to read it all in the next few days."

He silently added to himself: If he doesn't manage to ride the wave of popularity properly, then it's all over.

"Don't worry, brother." Jiang Zhiyu didn't look up, but his tone was very soft.

The staff member smiled slightly, clearly pleased with the nickname.

"By the way, if you get asked which contestant you like the most and you can't answer, just say River. It's the standard answer and you can't go wrong."

Jiang Zhiyu, who was turning the page, paused for a moment before slowly replying, "...Okay."

After the staff finished explaining the situation, they left satisfied, leaving only Lin Sen, who was in a daze, and Jiang Zhiyu, who was still engrossed in watching the tutorial, in the dormitory.

Lin Sen moved his chair closer to Jiang Zhiyu: "Zhiyu, have you played this game before?"

"I've played it."

"Then why are you looking at it so seriously?" Lin Sen was a little surprised, then smiled and leaned closer.

Jiang Zhiyu looked up, his expression serious and earnest: "It's been over a month since I last played, I'm going to refresh my skills."

Unfortunately, the ends of his hair had somehow curled up, forming a checkmark at the back of his head, completely ruining his serious and calm expression.

Lin Sen stared at it for two seconds, then couldn't help but laugh out loud. He forced himself to suppress it under Lin Sen's questioning gaze: "It's okay, just follow me. I'm an old player, I'll protect you."