Chapter 96: The Contrasting Dong Qingguo

On the field, many of the players currently training noticed the man with a camera beside Department Head Ota.

"Look over there!"

"Is a reporter here for an interview?"

"I know him; he's a reporter from Baseball Kingdom. I've seen him many times during training before."

"Hey, hey, who do you think he's here to interview?"

"My guess is, nine times out of ten, it's Senior Dong and Huangqian!"

In the dormitory, Huangqian Yangyi changed into a clean team uniform and waited with Dong Qingguo for news from Takashima Rei.

"Senior Dong, have you ever been interviewed before?" Huangqian Yangyi asked.

Dong Qingguo was currently holding a small wooden comb, tidying his hair in front of the mirror.

"Of course, who do you think I am!" Dong Qingguo didn't even turn his head, baring his large teeth at the mirror.

"Heh, but why do I feel like Senior Dong seems really nervous?" Huangqian Yangyi laughed. Seeing Dong Qingguo constantly tidying his clothes and hair, unable to sit still, it was obvious he was nervous.

He never expected that the tall, imposing, and usually bold Dong Qingguo would have a side like this.

Dong Qingguo was like a mouse that had its tail stepped on; he immediately got agitated.

"Huangqian, you brat, don't talk nonsense!"

"Hahahaha~"

"Don't laugh!"

"Hahaha~"

A few minutes later, Huangqian Yangyi's phone received a message from Takashima Rei telling them to come to the reception room together.

The two left the room, called for Yuki Tetsuya next door, and went to the Baseball Club's reception room together.

Inside the room, Department Head Ota was talking with Mine Fujio; hearing footsteps outside the door, Department Head Ota knew it was Huangqian Yangyi and the other two.

Coming outside, Department Head Ota said to Dong Qingguo, "Dong, you go in first; we'll take them one by one."

"Alright." Dong Qingguo nodded, then pushed the door open and walked in.

Seeing this, Huangqian Yangyi said, "Department Head, why not go in together?"

Hearing this, Department Head Ota smiled: "When Dong faces a camera for an interview, he gets nervous if there are too many people around."

Pfft~

Huangqian Yangyi laughed. It really was true; our Senior Dong also has a gap moe.

"Stop laughing, it won't be good if Dong hears you," Department Head Ota said.

Huangqian Yangyi gave an 'en' sound, turned his head, and said to Yuki Tetsuya, "Then Senior, you go second later."

Yuki Tetsuya nodded; this kind of thing didn't matter to him, it was the same whoever went first or last.

Inside the room, the tall Dong Qingguo sat opposite Mine Fujio, a camera set up to his front-left facing him, and Fujio held a pen and notebook in his hands.

After asking a few questions, Fujio discovered that this player, who looked a bit unkempt on the outside, seemed to have a rather delicate inner self. Although the other party looked a bit nervous when he asked questions, he answered fluently and very well.

"Then, Student Dong, may I ask what your future plans are?" Mine Fujio asked the final question.

Hearing this, Dong Qingguo answered without hesitation: "Professional baseball. After graduation, I will enter professional baseball."

Fujio smiled and nodded. Such an answer was normal for a player like Dong Qingguo who was being watched by professional baseball, and such a firm answer also revealed Dong Qingguo's ambition.

"Good, thank you for your cooperation, Student Dong." Fujio stood up and reached out his hand.

Dong Qingguo also stood up, shook his hand, said thank you, and walked out of the room.

The next person to go in for an interview was Yuki Tetsuya. The questions asked were similar to Dong Qingguo's, but because he was only a second-year, Fujio did not ask questions about professional career plans.

By the time Jiecheng went out, Fujio's notebook was already filled with two full pages; the interviews with just these two people had already made his trip worthwhile.

Finally, Huangqian Yangyi pushed the door open and walked in.

Fujio immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Student Huangqian, we meet again."

"Hello, Reporter Mine." Huangqian Yangyi walked to the seat and sat down.

After the two chatted for a few sentences, the formal interview began.

"Student Huangqian, may I ask..."

A full half-hour passed. Fujio asked from how Huangqian Yangyi first came into contact with baseball as a child, all the way up to Huangqian Yangyi's middle school period.

"Since entering Seido, Student Huangqian has experienced the Spring Metropolitan Tournament and the Kanto Tournament, until becoming the ace of Seido this summer. May I ask what your thoughts are, Student Huangqian?" Fujio asked.

Huangqian Yangyi thought for a moment and said, "No special thoughts. If I really had to say, it would be happiness, and at the same time, I feel the pressure and responsibility."

"It seems that even a genius Pitcher like Student Huangqian doesn't have it easy in the ace position," Fujio said.

"Of course, the Pitcher is the core of the defense, and the ace bears the expectations of the entire team, so naturally, it cannot be easy," Huangqian Yangyi said.

Fujio smiled, then asked again: "I heard that Student Huangqian came to Seido to recommend yourself, and there was even an 'ace declaration' that spread. May I ask if this is true?"

"It's true." Although Huangqian Yangyi was a bit embarrassed, he still honestly admitted it.

"Then, the final question: what is Student Huangqian's goal? Professional baseball?" Fujio asked.

Huangqian Yangyi pursed his lips and thought for a while before saying, "Entering professional baseball is indeed my goal since I was small, but it is too early to think about that now. As of now, my goal is to enter Koshien with my current teammates and take the championship!"

Hearing this, Fujio closed his notebook, smiled with satisfaction, and said, "Then I will wish for Student Huangqian's dream to come true."

"Thank you."

"Then, let's go to the field to take some photos next."

"Alright."

One hour later, after taking some photos of the three of them individually, Fujio left Seido feeling satisfied.

Huangqian Yangyi sat down on the grass with a thud; he never imagined that taking photos would be more tiring than playing baseball.

The next morning, the report that Baseball Kingdom had worked through the night to produce was already in newspapers and magazines.

When Huangqian Yangyi arrived at the cafeteria after his morning training, he saw his friends each holding a copy and reading it excitedly.

"Yo, Huangqian is here."

"It's the big star, oh."

"Quick, quick, quick, make a seat for our big star."

His familiar little buddies immediately began to tease him, but Huangqian Yangyi did not mind; after eating breakfast, he took a magazine and walked toward the teaching building.

When school ended that day, Huangqian Yangyi found more than ten love letters in his shoe locker again.

Two days later, the summer preliminary Quarter-finals were about to begin.

Seido's opponent this time was named Tongying Academy, a private high school; the team's manager, Yoshihawa Musashi, was once a Professional Baseball Player, and ever since he entered Tongying Academy to serve as manager a few years ago, the strength of the Baseball Club at Tongying Academy had been steadily rising; being able to enter the top 8 this time to compete with Seido for a spot in the top 4 was the embodiment of their progress.