The reporters were extremely eager to extract more information from Miyuki.
Unfortunately, they were destined to be disappointed.
Although Miyuki privately enjoyed clashing with his seniors, he was not clueless. He only acted so exaggeratedly for the sake of the baseball team. Accepting an interview was not just about him; it concerned the entire team and could even affect his seniors' future paths.
No matter what, he could not undermine everyone at such a moment.
As a result, his answers were almost identical to those of his seniors. Every response was a safe cliché, carefully crafted to make him appear like a well-behaved, sensible kid. Paired with his sincere expression, rosy lips, and white teeth, his words sounded even more convincing than those of his seniors.
There was no helping it. He was simply good-looking.
Compared to someone like Azuma Kiyokuni, who was burly and gave off an intimidating air, Miyuki looked far more agreeable.
Naturally, the reporters were more willing to spend time on him, snapping photo after photo.
Zhang Han watched in amazement.
No wonder people said they wanted to stay children forever. The cost of growing up was simply too high. No matter how unique one's personality was, with time, restraint would come, and rough edges would gradually be smoothed away.
Even free-spirited people like Azuma Kiyokuni and Miyuki could not avoid this fate.
It was not because they were thick-skinned, but because they were intelligent.
During interviews at Koshien, was it possible for someone to say something shocking? Of course.
Baseball was a sport, and in any sport there were bound to be a few truly simple-minded, muscle-bound types.
When those people were interviewed, even with prepared drafts from their coaches, they often blurted out astonishing remarks.
But Seido High School Baseball Team had no such oddities.
Then it was Zhang Han's turn.
He received the most attention of all.
Setting aside the topic itself, just his appearance alone was enough. With his image on the cover, who would still worry about sales?
Previously, many people had not realized just how good Zhang Han looked.
With even a casual pose, he was a perfect model candidate.
The questions the reporters asked him were no different from those posed earlier.
How did he feel about winning the game? What was it like standing on the Koshien field? As the first player from the mainland to compete at Koshien, someone destined to be recorded in history, what were his thoughts?
What was his daily life at school like? How did he get along with his seniors? How did he fall in love with baseball during middle school?
And finally, what were his future plans, and what expectations did he have for the team?
Hearing these questions, Zhang Han recalled the draft Coach Kataoka had prepared for him.
It was perfect.
Every question matched exactly. Not a single one deviated.
It was almost unbelievable.
Thinking about it more carefully, however, it was only natural.
Reporters who reached this level were all shrewd people. Since they did not truly understand Zhang Han's personality, they could only adopt this safe approach.
They had answers they wanted, content they could write into newspapers and magazines.
So they deliberately guided Zhang Han to say the things they wanted to publish.
No one would ask overly intrusive or risky questions. There was too much uncertainty. If Zhang Han were to accidentally say something inappropriate, they would not be able to explain it.
After all, Zhang Han was the first player representing China to participate in Koshien, and his performance had been outstanding. He had scored five runs, accounting for half of Seido's total.
This carried epoch-making significance.
No matter how many players from China appeared in the future, none would be able to replace Zhang Han's position in history, because their breakthroughs would never be as dramatic as his.
This was the leap from zero to one.
For such a player, the Koshien media naturally hyped him up. They also hoped Koshien could become a global event, not just one confined to Japan.
From a broad perspective, this would expand influence and promote culture. From a narrow one, it involved enormous economic interests.
Even a slight opening of the mainland market would bring astonishing profits.
Zhang Han could only cooperate.
Since these were the questions they asked, he would answer them.
Answering benefited him and helped the team gain recognition.
Why wouldn't he?
"I'm extremely excited. It's an honor to have such an opportunity…"
"The Director and my seniors have taken great care of me…"
"Matsukata Little League. That's where I learned baseball…"
"That's right. Last year, I followed the team to the national tournament and finished as runner-up. I'm also very grateful to Coach Ono for his guidance."
Although he could not steer the conversation freely, Zhang Han still mentioned Matsukata and Ono Binchi.
Even though, given their reputation, they probably did not need Zhang Han to raise their profile, he still wanted to do his part when he could.
He was very happy at Seido.
But the person who had helped him the most in baseball was still Ono Binchi.
That man who, after downing a few bottles of sake, promised to teach him baseball for free had kept his word after sobering up. He had run around for days, helping Zhang Han secure an opportunity.
Because of that, Zhang Han's years of study in Tokyo had gone smoothly.
Not just those few years. This might even affect his entire future.
If it were not for Ono Binchi, even if Zhang Han had played baseball, it would have started with ordinary school baseball, and he would never have reached his current level.
The interview proceeded smoothly.
When asked about the team's future goals, Zhang Han answered without hesitation.
"Our goal is, of course, to go all the way. This is the common goal of every generation of Seido High School Baseball players."
One reporter frowned.
"Zhang-kun, aren't you taking Koshien too lightly?"
The moment those words were spoken, the reporter was bombarded with cold glares from all directions.
If looks could kill, he would have been torn to pieces on the spot.
Everyone present thought the same thing.
Had they ever seen someone so tactless?
Zhang Han was briefly stunned. He immediately realized that his expression might have caused a misunderstanding, making it seem as though he were boasting.
However, this was not a bad thing.
He had no intention of correcting the misunderstanding and instead chose to go along with it.
"My goal is to dominate the nation. In every game I participate in during my high school career, that is what I aim for. And I firmly believe that at Seido High School, this goal will definitely be achieved."
Zhang Han spoke with unwavering resolve.
This was different from the deeply ingrained Japanese sense of humility, and it made the words sound jarring to many.
Everyone stared at Zhang Han in shock.
The scene fell silent.
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