YingJue discovered through her research that team competitions would be part of the tournament. She wasn't sure if the teams would be created randomly or if they would be self-made. Erring on the side of caution, YingJue felt it wouldn't hurt to at least try and make some friends/allies in case she needed to form her own team. She grabbed the invitation to the cocktail reception she had found and made her way down to the lobby. There was no harm in being civil: this was supposed to be a friendly competition after all, though she understood if some people tended to take it a bit too personally.

At the reception, she sort of hung back, being an unimposing wallflower type of person. She grabbed a small plate of hors-d'oeuvres but didn't get anything to drink. As much as alcohol was an entrenched part of grad school life, YingJue abstained for the most part, as her ability to think clearly was something she held sacred.