Chapter 81 - 82: The Event Venue
Amid everyone’s eager anticipation, time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was the beginning of the next month.
The New Year in The Galaxy was based on the few surviving texts from Ancient Aethel. However, because most of the records had been lost, many of the holiday’s customs and rituals were gone as well.
In the Empire, the public largely treated it as a time for review, a chance to take stock of the year’s experiences. Consequently, all the major families, corporations, and platforms would hold grand, large-scale events at the end of the year.
This time was no different. The organizers clearly placed great importance on the event, having secured a massive venue on Karath to host the festivities.
A day or two before the event, fans on StarNet were already buzzing with anticipation.
It was time to scramble for tickets. Traditionally, fans were always invited to the year-end events.
After all, for an event centered on live streaming platforms, the streamers were only one part of the equation; the audience was also a huge component.
Each year, the major platforms could usually get several hundred fans to attend in person. Of course, larger platforms with bigger fanbases could even bring in over a thousand.
To ensure fairness, the tickets were generally allocated proportionally based on the platform’s size and the number of participants in each category. The final count was then determined by fan voting.
In the past, Hollis had always outnumbered Stellara. This was because Stellara’s Cultural and Entertainment District was practically empty, effectively leaving them an entire category short and naturally reducing their numbers.
But this time was different!
The moment the organizers released the tickets, fans began snapping them up at a ferocious pace. Sophie Wexler’s fans were completely amped up, and the numbers for the Stellara Cultural and Entertainment District skyrocketed.
This was Sue Shiver’s first in-person event since she started streaming. To see her, the fans went all out!
Their fervor at one point surpassed that of the perennially popular Gaming District, putting them nearly on par with the Military District.
Some people began to mock them for overestimating their own strength. No matter how popular a streamer from the cultural and entertainment district was, how could they possibly surpass the Military District?
After all, the Empire was a militaristic society, and the Military District was a perennial chart-topper.
And they were right. In the final ticket count, Stellara’s Military District took first place, and the Cultural and Entertainment District came in second.
Sue Shiver’s fans were more than satisfied with this result; after all, surpassing the Military District was an incredibly difficult feat.
After securing their tickets, many people happily left comments on Sophie Wexler’s homepage, saying they could finally go see her. Many even asked what songs she would be performing at the event.
Meanwhile, Sophie Wexler had already received her official invitation.
It stated that she could bring two guests with her.
Benjamin Wyatt was her manager, so he would definitely be going. As for the other spot...
Sophie Wexler, invitation in hand, was just about to knock on the door next to hers when it was suddenly opened from the inside.
Sophie Wexler was about to speak, but she looked up to see the man’s expression was stern. He was dressed and ready to go out.
"Do you need something?" Cillian Forrest hadn’t expected to see Sophie Wexler at his door, and his expression softened as he asked.
"Are you going out?"
Cillian Forrest affirmed with a hum. "I have some business to take care of."
He was just about to go tell Sophie Wexler anyway, so he told her then. "I have to leave for a few days. I’ll probably be back after the New Year. While I’m gone, General York will have someone assigned to ensure your safety."
Sophie Wexler was a little surprised. This was the first time he would be gone for several days since they had met.
Seeing Cillian Forrest’s solemn expression, Sophie Wexler knew it must be something important. He didn’t elaborate, so she didn’t ask.
"Alright." Sophie Wexler nodded to show she understood and added, "Stay safe."
"I will."
Cillian Forrest’s eyes rested on her. After a moment, he asked, "Was there something you needed me for?"
At his words, Sophie Wexler remembered that she had been planning to ask him to the event with her. But seeing the situation, he obviously wouldn’t have time.
Sophie Wexler discreetly hid the invitation behind her back and shook her head with a smile. "It’s nothing."
Cillian Forrest’s gaze caught her movement, and his eyes darkened. In a deep voice, he said, "I’ll try to get back early."
"Okay."
The last day of the year arrived in a flash. StarNet was already abuzz with activity, and the hype was enormous.
In addition to the fans invited to the venue, the organizers also started a live stream on StarNet, allowing the general public to participate.
Even before the event began, the live stream had already gone live for a warm-up period.
Countless viewers were already camped out in the stream, and the on-screen comments were already scrolling by at a furious pace.
[The day I’ve been dreaming of is finally here!]
[Ahhhh, Sue! I’m so happy just thinking I’ll get to see my wife Sue Shiver in a bit.]
[I wonder what performances there will be this time. The anticipation is killing me! I want to hear Sue’s songs.]
[I just want to see what new content the big shots from the Military District brought this year.]
[Me! Me! I want to see the Gaming District guys have a match!]
[Hurry up and start! Why is time passing so slowly? I’m gonna die of impatience!]
[I wonder if Sue will show her face today. We still don’t know what she looks like.]
[Probably not. Every year they invite some faceless streamers, and they just come wearing masks. The organizers allow it.]
[Several of the streamers invited from the Gaming District this time are also faceless. That Sue Shiver will probably wear a mask just like them.]
[Aww, then I won’t get to see what Sue looks like.]
Instantly, many fans cried out in dismay.
[Maybe she just wears a mask because she’s too ugly to look at. Only you fans would actually want her to show her face. Hilarious.]
[If she were good-looking, she would’ve shown her face already. Look at the Cultural and Entertainment District—how many faceless streamers are there? I bet she’s too ugly to show her face in public.]
Before Sophie Wexler had even made an appearance, a heated debate about her looks had already erupted on StarNet.
The most she had ever revealed on stream was her hand. The only time her full body was shown was in an official video released by the Seventh Legion, and even then, it was just a fleeting glimpse of her wearing a mask. People were far more familiar with the sound of her voice.
Hollis was determined to crush her, putting out numerous hit pieces. For a while, claims that Sophie Wexler was ugly were all over the internet.
Sophie Wexler was completely unaware of these comments. She was currently in a flyer on her way to the event venue.
Benjamin Wyatt was sitting beside her. He looked up from his Light Brain and shot Sophie Wexler a teasing glance. "A lot of people on StarNet are saying you’re ugly right now."
"What a shame. If they saw your face, they definitely wouldn’t be saying that," Benjamin Wyatt said, clicking his tongue.
"Then again, if they did see your face, they’d probably just find a different angle of attack. After all, your past reputation..."
Before Benjamin Wyatt could finish, Sophie Wexler shot him an irritated glare. ’Calling him sharp-tongued wasn’t an exaggeration in the slightest,’ she thought.
Just then, the flyer arrived at its destination.
The livestream camera caught the arrival as well, and the chat instantly erupted!