New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live



As the pair reached the ground floor of the hospital, they could see through the glass doors to the entrance a plethora of flashing lights, as well as Jack's built form, who was already in front of the stand.

Guo was waiting on the inside. When he saw Kary and Alex, he rushed over to them, looking them all over, to make sure no blood or wounds were visible on their skin.

"You made a mess again, Mr. Leduc. Cleaning behind you is getting more and more frequent and exhausting. Learn some restraint, by the gods."

Alex sneered a bit.

"It's not like I went looking for trouble. They attacked us, not the other way around."

Guo glared at him from the corner of his eye.

"You know what I meant. Anyway. Let's not cry over spilled milk. You seem fine and presentable. I hope you have your part memorized. Mr. Boudreau has already started the press conference.

"He had to when the threat of gunshots became apparent. The distraction worked, and no one noticed the flashes coming from the sixth floor. But that also means your turn is coming up sooner than expected."

Alex looked at him with a frown.

"No one heard the gunshots?"

Guo snickered.

"Mr. Leduc. This is a high-grade hospital, where privacy is paramount. The windows here are all bulletproof, soundproof, and paparazzi-proof. Any camera lens aimed at it will see only black windows.

"Sadly, the human eye isn't affected by this, and if Mr. Boudreau hadn't distracted them, the five flashes from earlier would most definitely have brought attention. Good thing Mr. Boudreau is a smart man, or the troubles would have kept pilling up on your plate."

Alex looked apologetic for a moment before going back to normal.

Kary, still hanging onto his arm, looked outside, bracing herself mentally for the cameras about to be locked onto them. She was used to this, but this time, they wouldn't be trailing her as much.

She had stopped reciting her little mantra in the elevator, quickly making peace with the events from only minutes prior. She had no time to feel remorse right now.

It would have to wait until later when they weren't assaulted by flashes and questions.

Guo raised his hand to his ear, listening to his earpiece.

"It seems your cue is coming up, young man. Good luck."

As he said that, Alex saw Jack step aside from the small tribune with his hand extended toward the glass doors. Taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, Alex walked out.

The cacophony of camera flashes and flying drones overhead, plus the dozens of questions that suddenly fused his way, was deafening. But he maintained his confident look and stride and walked to the tribune, where the microphones awaited him.

"Young man! What is your name?!"

"What is your connection to Jack Boudreau?!"

"What do you know about the service tunnel incident?!"

They hurled questions at him in quick succession, making it hard to focus on any question in particular. But just like Jack and Kary had told him earlier, he focused on one question he could hear and pointed to the woman who asked it.

"You first. You asked what my name is. I think that is the most important matter to tackle first. I shall introduce myself," Alex started.

As soon as he spoke, the journalists quieted down, so they could hear his response clearly.

The sudden silence, aside from the occasional click of a camera flash, made Alex uncomfortable. He suddenly heard his heartbeat in his ears.

But he soldiered on.

"My name is Alexander Leduc. I am not a very well-known person yet. But I intend to change that in due time. Some of you may think they recognize me. Which they wouldn't be wrong to assume. I also go by the name Astaroth, in New Eden."

As soon as he finished saying this, he saw some eyes widen in realization.

This was a golden opportunity

No one had interviewed the runner-up for the first tournament yet, and he hadn't stepped forward until now. This gave him some immediate and very-needed clout.

A torrent of questions unfurled once again, most of them incomprehensible among the others. But he heard one clearer than the others.

"What is your connection to Jack Boudreau, and why is he the one introducing you?!"

Pointing at the man who asked this, Alex locked eyes with him.

He and Jack had already discussed what to answer if this question came up.

"Mr. Boudreau is my official sponsor for New Eden pro playing, as well as a business partner. The reason he introduced me is that in a sponsor capacity, it is his right and privilege."

Notes were being jotted down on notepads, and recordings were annexed with personal comments by podcasters and small-time amateur journalists. All the while, the news channel journalists restarted their shouting contest, hoping the young man would answer their question next.

Alex raised his hand to ask for silence.

"Before I answer your questions, I would like to go through the main reason we gathered all of you here today. You can ask your questions once I have addressed this."

The journalists quieted down, ready for the scoop of the year.

"Regarding the service tunnel incident. I heard earlier, one of you asked what I knew about it. The answer is the following. I know everything. I was present when it happened."

A journalist shouted a question, interrupting Alexander.

"If you were present, then tell us! What happened down there?!"

Alex locked his eyes on him, giving him a death glare. The journalist gulped down nervously, suddenly feeling like he was getting faced down by a predator.

"I am going to. If you stop interrupting me, that is."

The man nervously nodded his head.

"Some of you might have heard rumours about what happened down there. Or seen some footage of freelance reporters crawling their way past the police cordon in the tunnels to get a shot of what happened. But today, I will tell you the entire story of how it went down, and why I was down there."

Silence suddenly permeated the area. Aside from shutters and the buzzing of drones, not a single sound could be heard.

Alex slowly passed his gaze over everyone, seeing he had their full attention. With a deep breath, he readied himself for the future.

'No more privacy or low-key for me. Here on out, it's high profile…'

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