Before the post-match press conference, Qin Lie stopped Cheng Che outside the players' locker room.
"Watch your words when you go in," Qin Lie said in a low voice, handing him a bottle of water. "You're getting too much attention right now; one wrong word and you're trending. Last time you said 'goal Champion,' some praised your confidence, others mocked your arrogance. Reporters will definitely ask similar questions this time, so watch your tone."
Cheng Che took the water and drank a sip.
How to collect it?
"Don't be too forceful, but don't be too soft either." Qin Lie thought for a moment. "If they ask about your goal, just say it, don't add anything unnecessary. If they ask about your opponent, just praise them a bit, don't belittle them. If they ask about winning the championship, just say you'll go all out, don't say 'you'll definitely win.' That way, even if someone tries to stir up trouble, they won't be able to."
Cheng Che nodded. "Okay."
Qin Lie glanced at him and added:
"Also, there are more reporters today than before. Several entertainment media outlets are here too, and they might ask some questions unrelated to tennis. Just ignore them and say 'next question.'"
"Good."
Qin Lie patted him on the shoulder and pushed him into the press conference hall.
When Cheng Che entered the press conference room, it was already full of reporters.
The flashbulbs went off everywhere, several times more than in the previous rounds.
He had barely sat down when the first question was thrown his way.
"Congratulations Cheng Che on advancing to the quarterfinals. In the last press conference, you said your goal was the Champion, and many people thought you were too confident. Now you have defeated Berrettini, Volkov, and Tsitsipas in succession, and your next opponent Medvedev. Has your goal changed?"
Cheng Che glanced at the reporter, his tone as calm as last time.
"Nothing has changed. Still the Champion."
No one in the audience laughed.
No one questioned it anymore.
Cheng Che was telling the truth: four matches, four opponents, three of whom were in the world's top 20, and one was Australian Open Champion.
He won both sets in straight sets.
"Your next match is against Medvedev, ranked fifth in the world and the runner-up at this year's US Open. How good do you think your chances are?"
"The outcome of a match is determined by the game," Cheng Che said. "He's strong, but I'm not weak either."
What do you think are your strengths?
"Serving and receiving," Cheng Che said. " Medvedev's serve is also very good, but my receiving can put pressure on him. I will try my best to control the rhythm of each game."
"You mentioned winning the championship at the press conference. Now there are still three top-ten players in the world among the quarterfinals. Who do you think is your biggest threat?"
Cheng Che thought for a moment.
"Everyone is like that. At this stage, no one is easy to beat. I take it one match at a time."
The reporters bombarded him with questions, and Cheng Che answered them all.
He was more patient than before, answered in more detail, and was more gentle in his manner.
This wasn't like him at all, but he was certainly patient today. The reports these people wrote would reach a wider audience, and each of his responses increased people's trust and goodwill towards him.
After the press conference, Cheng Che and Qin Lie got into the car.
Qin Lie sat in the driver's seat, scrolling through his phone with a smile on his face.
" Esquire said your cover photo received a very good response. They're planning to increase promotion and feature your photos on the homepage of several international fashion platforms."
"Hmm," Cheng Che responded, but his mind was clearly not on it.
His attention was entirely focused on the system panel.
[ Charisma Trial - Stage 4: Win the favor of 500,000 people. Completed!]
[Congratulations, host, you have acquired the active talent " Faces of All Beings ".]
[ The Faces of All Beings: You can perceive the core essence of various characters in the world. The deeper your perception, the greater the overlap with that character. When fully immersed in the role, your demeanor, tone, actions, and way of thinking perfectly match, reaching the state of "you are him/her." This is the foundation of a versatile actor; there are no roles you cannot play, only roles you haven't yet grasped.]
[Congratulations, host, on obtaining the title " Red Sleeves Add Fragrance "!]
[ Red Sleeves Add Fragrance: You can bind yourself to women with high attractiveness and high intimacy levels. Each bound woman grants you a corresponding exclusive buff. The higher the attractiveness of the bound woman and the deeper the intimacy with you, the stronger the buff effect. You can bind to multiple women simultaneously, and the buffs stack.]
Cheng Che stared at the two rewards for a long time, unable to suppress the upward curve of his lips.
The effect of [ The Faces of All Beings ] is too clear.
The versatile actor was brought into the entertainment industry.
He used to switch between several different personas with " Boy of Many Styles," but that was more like a "filter," while " The Faces of All Beings " allowed him to truly immerse himself in the character's soul.
The deeper the understanding, the higher the degree of overlap, and finally, one reaches the state of "you are him".
The most needed aspect—acting skills—has been completely improved. Moreover, it doesn't conflict with [ Boy of Many Styles ], as one involves switching between different personas daily, while the other involves deeply immersing oneself in a role.
[ Red Sleeves Add Fragrance ] is more practical.
He already possesses considerable talent in various areas, but most of it has a supportive effect, with few directly enhancing his combat power.
By binding with a woman who is attractive and has a high level of intimacy, you can obtain an exclusive buff, which can be stacked.
This means that the stronger and closer the people around him are, the more his own strength will increase.
However, there's no binding button displayed on the title, so it seems I'll have to bind it in person.
He glanced at the panel with some regret and put his phone away.
When the car arrived at the hotel, Cheng Che had just gotten out when he heard someone call his name.
Cheng Che!
He turned his head.
Su Miaoyin stood beside the revolving door in the hotel lobby, smiling sweetly at him.
Today she wore a cream-colored knitted cardigan over a light pink slip dress, the hem of which fell above her knees, revealing a section of her straight calves.
She wore a pair of low-heeled white sandals, with a thin silver chain around her ankle.
Her hair was loose, with slightly curled ends, and a small pearl dangled from her earlobe.
She wore light makeup, with a thin layer of water-red on her lips. Under the warm yellow lights of the hotel, she looked gentle and refined.
She walked towards Cheng Che at a moderate pace, her smile never faltering.
Cheng Che watched her walk up to him, when he suddenly heard a system notification.
[Boundable target detected: Su Miaoyin. Appearance: 92. Intimacy: 80. Bound?]
Cheng Che was taken aback.
Then he nodded.