**Chapter 265: Bet You Didn’t See This Coming—Season 2!**
"Ladies and gentlemen, dear players, please don’t leave just yet—our event still has one final surprise!" Just as the audience was about to disperse after Allen Adham’s closing remarks, Leng Zhimeng suddenly reappeared on stage and made the announcement.
"Another segment?!" The crowd was stunned. *How many more surprises does this finals event have?*
Still, curiosity got the better of them, and everyone settled back into their seats, waiting to hear the final announcement.
"Everyone, ever since the release of *Warcraft III* blind boxes, they’ve been immensely popular among players. However, many of you have reached out to us, saying the current skins have grown stale and asking if we could introduce new ones."
"Others pointed out that only certain units have skins, while others don’t—which feels unfair."
"Some even wrote letters complaining that iconic units like the Undead’s Frost Wyrm or the Night Elves’ Chimera still lack skins, which ruins their gaming experience."
"So, to meet your expectations and fulfill your wishes, today we’re proud to present… *Warcraft III Blind Boxes: Season 2*!"
"Wahhh—!!" The venue erupted in chaos. No one had expected *this* to be the final surprise. Of course, most players were thrilled—new skins were always welcome.
But then reality hit. They instinctively clutched their wallets, remembering the months of surviving on cheap steamed buns just to afford the last batch of blind boxes. Tears welled up as they silently screamed, *"No! Stay away! My wallet can’t take this!"*
Yet resistance was futile. Soon, a trailer began playing on the giant screen behind the stage.
To everyone’s shock, the production quality was insane. This wasn’t just in-game footage or basic animations—it was a full 3D cinematic, with visuals rivaling *Warcraft III*’s iconic opening cutscene.
Characters that appeared pixelated in-game now looked breathtakingly detailed. For instance, Tyrande Whisperwind’s… *ahem*, *distinctive assets* were enough to make anyone swallow hard.
But the heroes were just a tease. The real stars were the units, now decked out in completely redesigned skins. Every unit that had been left out in Season 1 finally got their moment in the spotlight.
Each grunt unit got about a second of screen time, but the four races’ ultimate units? They each enjoyed a glorious three-second showcase.
- The Undead’s Frost Wyrm now resembled a **Concorde jet**.
- The Night Elves’ three-headed Chimera had been transformed into a **Christmas sleigh pulled by reindeer**, complete with gift-laden carriages (though Santa was suspiciously absent).
- The Orcs’ Tauren Chieftain had undergone a total makeover, now looking like the **Bull Demon King** from *Journey to the West*, complete with a mythical water buffalo mount.
- And the Humans’ Knights? Their horses had been swapped out for **Harley-Davidson motorcycles**, their armor replaced with biker leathers—so cool it hurt.
Then came the **Deluxe Edition rewards**.
At first, the audience was confused—there were no units on screen, just sweeping aerial shots of each faction’s base.
But then they realized: **the buildings themselves had been reskinned.**
- The Human base had morphed into a **modern metropolis**.
- The Orc stronghold now boasted **multi-turreted artillery towers**, as if designed by the "More Dakka" school of thought.
- The Night Elf structures had abandoned their tree-like designs in favor of **mechanical mechs**.
- And the Undead? Their necropolises now looked like **ancient temples**—fitting for a faction that specialized in "cleansing" the living.
"Deluxe rewards… for **building skins**?!" The crowd was floored. Unit skins had already been groundbreaking, but **entire base makeovers**? That was next-level.
And the audience just happened to include about **5,000 hardcore whales**—players who’d spare no expense to get their hands on exclusive content. For them, not owning these deluxe skins would be a **mortal shame** in their wealthy circles.
As for Tomes? He was practically **drowning in his own drool**. *How could anything be this cool? And why wasn’t it his yet?*
No. He **had** to have it.
Nearly every deep-pocketed player in the audience had the same thought. The casual players, though? They were at peace. They knew pulling a deluxe skin would cost **at least 10,000 RMB**, so they’d happily settle for snagging a rare unit skin—like that biker Knight—and call it a win.
Beyond the in-game content, the blind boxes also included **physical collectibles**. The standard fare (figurines, etc.) was expected, but the Deluxe Edition offered **buildable faction base models**—43 plastic sheets, **962 parts** in total.
For context, the previous Human tank model had only **400 parts**. This was **over twice** as complex, truly worthy of the "deluxe" label.
Finally, Leng Zhimeng announced that the **on-site sales area was now open**, with **1 million Season 2 blind boxes available** (limit 100 per player). Display models were also set up for preview.
The result? **Almost no one left.** Instead, the crowd stampeded toward the sales counters. Even with **16 checkout lanes**, every line was packed.
Originally, all **80,000 attendees** were supposed to get a chance to buy. But because **so many players maxed out their 100-box limit**, only **40,000** walked away with loot. The rest were left fuming—until Boss Huang **rushed an extra 500,000 boxes** from the warehouse to meet demand.
What was supposed to end by **8 PM** dragged on until **midnight**. By then, **1.5 million blind boxes** had been sold, raking in **15 million RMB** in a single night. Observers could only shake their heads in awe—this was a **money-printing machine** disguised as a game.
### **The Aftermath: A Cultural Phenomenon**
The finals’ impact was massive. The **cosplay opening act** alone became a sensation.
CCTV had dedicated a **special program** to cover the event. Their **sports channel** even aired a live broadcast—after all, esports was now officially recognized as China’s **100th national sport**, so this was a natural fit.
And the ratings? **Unexpectedly high.** While not yet rivaling soccer or basketball, it **outperformed all other sports broadcasts** that day, securing **third place in overall viewership**. This marked the beginning of CCTV’s long-term interest in esports coverage.
But the **real ratings explosion** came the next day, during a rerun of the *Electronic Sports World* segment. Why? Because it included the **full cosplay performance**, mesmerizing even non-gamers.
People might not understand *Warcraft III*, but **an archer dueling an armored knight, followed by a Chinese sword immortal’s grand entrance?** That was **once-in-a-lifetime spectacle**.
The rerun’s ratings **surpassed the original broadcast**, thanks to word-of-mouth hype. And the biggest winner? **Li Xiaoyao** (the actor). His dashing looks won over hordes of female fans—**despite his show not even airing yet**.
The upcoming *Chinese Paladin* TV series suddenly found itself **flooded with anticipation**. Everyone wanted to see this charismatic swordsman in action.
---
*(Note: Some creative liberties were taken to adapt cultural references, humor, and pacing for an English-speaking audience while preserving the original tone and excitement.)*