Outside the Sai Wu International Grand Theatre in Dongya, under a clear blue sky, reporters were gathered in droves. Countless sports news journalists had completely blocked the plaza in front of the theatre, creating a scene of utter congestion. The bustling traffic flowed continuously, and it was estimated that the only places in Dongya city experiencing severe traffic jams were here.
The Sai Wu International Grand Theatre was the venue for today's awards ceremony. The entire theatre covered an area of nearly 2 square kilometers, about half the size of a race track. Its oval-shaped construction featured transparent glass on the outside and a hollow interior. The overall style leaned towards a blend of artistic and technological, interwoven in a way that was neither dated nor gaudy, representing a timeless architectural aesthetic.
As Dongya's national theatre, Sai Wu was undoubtedly fitting for hosting an awards ceremony.
"Good morning, everyone. I am your sports reporter, Xiao Wan. I am currently standing at the entrance of Dongya's Sai Wu Theatre. As you can see, the area around me is packed with people. This year's Laureus Awards ceremony is as lively as ever..."
Amidst the crowd of reporters, a smaller figure held a microphone towards the camera in front of her, speaking in a rather formal tone, adopting the quintessential voice of a sports reporter from the outset.
In front of her, besides the cameramen, were two other individuals, a man and a woman, both with Chinese features and dressed as reporters, just as formally as Xiao Wan.
If Zhang Mingzhi were present, he would have recognized all three. The man was Zhang Jifei, and the woman Zhang Mingzhi had also met before. These were the same three people who had visited Lin Yan's hotel room that day. The female reporter holding the microphone was the one who had asked Zhang Mingzhi questions.
The plaza in front of the Sai Wu Theatre was approximately a thousand square meters, currently filled to capacity with people. In the center of the crowd, a red carpet had been cleared, the only area without reporters. People occasionally walked across it.
At this moment, two young men in suits walked by quietly, waving to the cameras.
"Now entering the venue are Dongya's renowned golfer, Albert, and Oscar's football star, Kevin. Both of these individuals are legendary figures in the global sports world, and they are also invited guests for today's Laureus Awards ceremony."
Upon seeing them, Xiao Wan enthusiastically introduced them to the camera. After her introduction, she craned her neck to look towards the outer perimeter of the plaza.
Luxury cars were frequently stopping at the entrance of the plaza. A Bentley slowly emerged from the traffic. Li Wei got out and opened the car door, from which Lin Yan and Su Mojin emerged.
"So many people!"
Seeing the crowd, Su Mojin exclaimed softly as she stepped out of the car.
Lin Yan gently patted the back of her hand, fearing she might be nervous.
Su Mojin was wearing a silver-white evening gown today, which complemented her fair, delicate skin. Her hair was unusually down, and she wore silver-white high heels. As beautiful and captivating as ever, she gently held Lin Yan's arm.
Lin Yan was dressed in a black suit made of a subtly luxurious fabric, clearly custom-made.
As for their appearance, there was no need to mention it; they were the most eye-catching presence the moment they appeared.
Lin Shen, Lin Shen is here.
Upon seeing Lin Yan and Su Mojin alight from the car, a group of reporters immediately surged towards the red carpet. The biggest favorite for this year's Best Male Athlete had arrived.
Truly young!
The moment the reporters saw Lin Yan, the same thought flashed through their minds.
Xiao Wan also spotted Lin Yan and Su Mojin and, with her cameraman, squeezed towards the red carpet.
Stepping onto the red carpet, Lin Yan smiled and waved to the surrounding reporters and cameras. Seeing so many people, Su Mojin's hand felt a little stiff, but she maintained a composed expression, a faint smile on her lips, as they walked the entire length and entered the theatre.
"Lin Shen, this is China's Lin Shen, the only top contender nominated for a Laureus award this year!"
"Look, Luka is here too. Is it a coincidence, or intentional? Two major contenders appearing at the same time."
Just as Lin Yan was about to step through the main entrance of the theatre, he heard the surprised voices of reporters nearby. Luka? Lin Yan's heart stirred slightly, but he didn't stop, continuing his stride inside.
Luka was the person competing with Lin Yan for Best Male Athlete, an F1 professional driver and a multiple world champion in recent years. He was very strong, but... not as astonishing as Lin Yan's performance, who achieved peak status from the moment he emerged, dominating all senior competitors with crushing force right from his debut.
These unscrupulous media outlets are truly clickbait artists.
Stepping into the venue, Lin Yan mused inwardly. Although Luka was his competitor, the man wouldn't be foolish enough to deliberately appear at the same time as him. It could only be a sheer coincidence.
With so many cameras, no one would engage in such trivial behavior.
Fearing Su Mojin's nervousness, Lin Yan quickly passed through the red carpet area, and Xiao Wan didn't even get a good look.
"Stop looking, they've already gone inside."
Seeing this, the woman next to Zhang Jifei teased her. She could see the live broadcast backstage, and the comments about the reporter's posture of craning her neck had already erupted in laughter.
Hearing her superior's words, Xiao Wan adorably scratched her head, a hint of embarrassment on her face, and slowly turned around.
She hadn't seen them in person much in the hotel room last time; she wanted to take a good look this time.
Despite the slight awkwardness, she quickly regained her composure and continued introducing the audience.
Many famous athletes were present, with top figures from virtually every field in attendance. Although there were less than ten awards, each award had a considerable number of nominees.
Upon entering the theatre, Lin Yan found his seat and settled in. The interior was decorated simply, with a grand hall exceeding ten thousand square meters. In the center of the hall was a podium covered by a red carpet.