Chapter 0101: Then We Go to Heaven

“Playing basketball again? You might as well ride shared bikes around or actually find an internet cafe to play video games. Old Ling definitely wouldn’t say anything.”

“He’s anxious. I’m guessing something happened after he watched the game. If we don’t soothe his anxiety, he could crash into a big truck riding a bike, or wipe out his own teammates playing video games.”

After saying that, he watched Zhou Zhexiao put wristbands and mineral water into his sports backpack, looking like he was ready to head out and play basketball immediately.

“No… no way… I’ve never seen you care so much about Ye Chaoying before?”

Sitting on the sofa, Zhou Zhexiao bent over to tie his shoelaces. The lines of his shoulders and back went taut, making someone want to jump on his back and run wild.

“Ye Chaoying cannot drop the ball. Tomorrow, we must win.”

Zhou Zhexiao lifted his head and glanced at Xia Chiyi.

The sense of power in his gaze made Xia Chiyi’s heart flutter.

Yes, they had to win.

Zhou Zhexiao had said he would place the crown of the Southeast Region on his head.

So, the core strength of the team couldn’t afford to be missing even one person.

Xia Chiyi made a WeChat audio call to Ye Chaoying. “Hey, let’s go out.”

“Which internet cafe are we going to?” Ye Chaoying sounded listless, barely squeezing out a trace of excitement.

Xia Chiyi sent him a WeChat location. It was the place where Zhou Zhexiao and Zhao Lingcong had played basketball together previously.

“Wait a minute, why does this look like a basketball gym?” Ye Chaoying asked.

“It is a basketball gym. Emperor Zhou said he’s going to personally teach you how to be a human.”

A “gulp” sounded from Ye Chaoying’s throat on the other end of the line.

“H-How about we forget it? I should conserve my energy and sleep well…”

“Too late, Emperor Zhou has already left the room.”

---

Outside the hotel, Xia Chiyi taught Zhou Zhexiao how to use his smartwatch to scan the shared bicycles.

When the bike emitted a series of beeps and the lock popped open, one could visibly see Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes light up.

This guy unlocked another new skill!

Xia Chiyi adjusted the seat to the highest level for him and tightened it. Suddenly thinking of something, he asked, “Zhou Zhexiao, you do know how to ride a bike, right?”

For the first time, Zhou Zhexiao didn’t give a clear and simple answer, but merely looked at him in silence.

“So… you actually don’t know how?”

“Before my car accident, I should have known how. We had a mountain bike at home.”

Xia Chiyi almost fainted on the spot.

“We’re not riding. Safety first. We have a game tomorrow, let’s take a taxi.”

“I want to try.”

“After tomorrow’s game, I’ll keep you company trying it until the end of time.”

But Zhou Zhexiao had already swung his leg over, wearing a “this is my mount, I’m never getting off” expression.

Then, with a push of one leg, he shot out.

The bike visibly took a massive swerve, nearly scaring Xia Chiyi’s soul out of his body.

Zhou Zhexiao reacted quickly and immediately supported himself with his foot.

Xia Chiyi let out a long, slow breath.

“Bro, who are you trying to scare to death?”

Looking at the spinning wheel, Zhou Zhexiao wore a very silent expression.

That silence seemed to say: I can drift under the basket, yet I can’t ride a bicycle well?

At that moment, Ye Chaoying arrived carrying his backpack. Looking blankly at Zhou Zhexiao’s silhouette, he asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing, we’re taking a taxi!”

Xia Chiyi walked over and locked the bike. The system notified that Zhou Zhexiao had been deducted one yuan.

“Just like that, one yuan is gone?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Then you should have let me ride for the full time that one yuan pays for.”

Xia Chiyi felt a pain in his chest. “Bro, you’re not exactly lacking that one yuan.”

The three flagged down a taxi. Ye Chaoying sat in the front passenger seat, while Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi were in the back.

As the car started moving, even though the radio was blasting “Most Dazzling Folk Style” and Ye Chaoying was bobbing his head to the beat with the driver, he glanced in the rearview mirror—only to find Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao with their heads leaning against each other, asleep again!

Do these two really have absolutely no psychological burden?

Are you two koalas? Do you do nothing but eat and sleep?

Tomorrow is the finals, the finals of the Southeast Region! Do you two not have even a tiny bit of awe for last year’s King of the Southeast?

He, Ye Chaoying, had walked with the same arm and leg forward (a stiff, uncoordinated gait) on his way back to his room and was mocked by his teammates for a full thirty seconds without being able to correct it. Then look at these two… Even Qincheng University would be infuriated if they saw this.

---

Arriving at that basketball gym, they booked a court for an hour.

“There’s only three of us, how are we going to play?” Ye Chaoying asked.

“You watch from the side first. Play after you finish watching,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

After saying that, Zhou Zhexiao walked to the vicinity of the three-point line and lifted his chin at Xia Chiyi. “You defend me.”

“Me defend you? Won’t I be leaked like a sieve?”

Despite saying that, Xia Chiyi still stepped up opposite Zhou Zhexiao.

Zhou Zhexiao lifted his chin toward Ye Chaoying. “You’re responsible for passing me the ball.”

“Okay.” Ye Chaoying asked tentatively, “Don’t tell me… you’re going to play Li Shunchuan’s position?”

“Right. You and Xia Chiyi have similar physical conditions. Observe how Xia Chiyi defends against me for reference.”

The look in Ye Chaoying’s eyes toward Zhou Zhexiao was filled with admiration.

He was simply an all-purpose cosplayer on the basketball court!

During team practices, Zhou Zhexiao had imitated Yang Huaiyu, Ma Tao, and even Liu Suchen. Even Ling Huanzhen said he grasped the technical essence of these players.

And today, he could actually even imitate Li Shunchuan…

Bro, you’re freaking insane!

Relying on his wingspan, Zhou Zhexiao received Ye Chaoying’s high pass, but under Xia Chiyi’s interference, he had no opportunity to sink the ball and generate power for a shot.

Zhou Zhexiao continuously held the ball, probing and faking, making it impossible to guess his breakthrough direction.

Opposite him, Xia Chiyi’s expression was very focused. Since entering the regional tournament, Zhou Zhexiao had barely played face-to-face against him.

Now, seeing Xia Chiyi observing him with no distractions, Zhou Zhexiao had become the center of his world; all other interferences had drifted away.

There was no Brother Cong, no Yang Huaiyu, and no Mo Xiaojie—only him, Zhou Zhexiao.

His slightly upturned, somewhat stubborn nose, his soft, fragmented bangs, and his eyelashes trembling with his movements… it all made Zhou Zhexiao recall him saying yesterday that if they won the Southeast championship, he had to confess.

He had said so many things, every sentence landing right in the depths of Zhou Zhexiao’s heart, making him love every single word incredibly.

But this little brat hadn’t uttered a single word of confession himself, so why was he acting as if he had already completely monopolized him?

Xia Chiyi reacted sharply, sliding left and right with various defensive footwork. Suddenly, Zhou Zhexiao shifted Xia Chiyi’s center of gravity to the right, then immediately pulled back to the left, opening up space in the blink of an eye!

Ye Chaoying thought to himself: It’s over! Zhou Zhexiao is going to shoot!

Who knew that Xia Chiyi would suddenly exert force in his lower body, taking a massive stride to block Zhou Zhexiao once again. Losing his open look, Zhou Zhexiao cleanly passed the ball back to Ye Chaoying.

As soon as the pass was made, Xia Chiyi collided with Zhou Zhexiao.

“Hiss…”

He wouldn’t have known if they didn’t bump, but upon impact, he felt the tight solidity of Zhou Zhexiao’s muscles all over. Xia Chiyi almost staggered backward.

Glancing up, Xia Chiyi found that Zhou Zhexiao seemed to be… smiling?

Did this guy bump into me on purpose?

With off-ball movement, Zhou Zhexiao created open space to receive a pass. “Pass the ball—”

Ye Chaoying tried to make another high pass. Xia Chiyi lunged forward and swatted the pass away.

“So… fast…”

Ye Chaoying was stunned.

Is this Xia Chiyi? He can even steal a high pass?

Zhou Zhexiao said calmly, “This is what Li Shunchuan does often—when he can’t shoot, he passes back to Ke Yan, then uses the opportunity to create shooting space, and Ke Yan will immediately pass the ball back.”

“When Ke Yan passes back, that’s my chance to steal!” Ye Chaoying’s eyes lit up.

Xia Chiyi nodded. “Right!”

“So, the key isn’t defending Li Shunchuan when he holds the ball, but guarding his receiving side when he’s moving off-ball.”

Although Gao Jinshu had specially trained him in long-and-short arm defense during their defensive drills, no one could simulate the passing and receiving between Ke Yan and Li Shunchuan. Today, the data analysis team summarized the coordination between those two, and Zhou Zhexiao was imitating them based on that data.

Zhou Zhexiao retrieved the basketball. “Chujiang University used a box-and-one defense on Xia Chiyi, but it was largely ineffective because they didn’t stop him from receiving the ball.”

“But Southeast Mining locked down my receiving position, so their effectiveness was much more obvious.” Xia Chiyi spread his hands.

“Xia Chiyi, let’s demonstrate the long-and-short arm defense.”

“Alrighty!”

Xia Chiyi walked up to Zhou Zhexiao. “The short arm is pressed against the opponent’s arm to provide physical resistance.”

After he spoke, Zhou Zhexiao pushed forward forcefully, trying to occupy Xia Chiyi’s position, but Xia Chiyi used this arm to wedge Zhou Zhexiao in place.

Seeing Xia Chiyi gritting his teeth and wrestling against him, Zhou Zhexiao let out a very light chuckle.

“The long arm must be extended out to prevent him from receiving the ball, blocking the opponent’s possible passing lanes.”

As he spoke, Xia Chiyi extended his other arm. “Ye Chaoying, try passing the ball again!”

Holding the ball, Ye Chaoying saw both Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao extending their arms, fighting for position. When the ball was passed toward them, Xia Chiyi suddenly accelerated. His footwork was very steady, and even though his wingspan wasn’t as long as Zhou Zhexiao’s, he knocked the ball away first.

“Because you pinned him down!” Ye Chaoying shouted.

“Exactly! So the short arm must wedge against the opponent’s waist and apply physical pressure!”

With that, Xia Chiyi’s forearm pressed forcefully against Zhou Zhexiao’s waist.

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t budge an inch.

Xia Chiyi frowned. Why isn’t it as easy to wedge him as it was a moment ago?

He increased the pressure. Zhou Zhexiao lowered his center of gravity, his muscles tensing up. Xia Chiyi still couldn’t shake him.

“Were you letting me win just now?”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t need you to let me win.”

Saying that, Xia Chiyi forcefully tried to wedge Zhou Zhexiao outward. Zhou Zhexiao only shifted half a step before stabilizing again.

Xia Chiyi’s face turned visibly red. Half of his body was pressed against Zhou Zhexiao’s chest, yet he still couldn’t push him out of his current position.

“Mgh…”

Don’t think I didn’t see it, you freaking smiled! Am I a puppy? Are you teasing me?

Competitiveness made Xia Chiyi grit his teeth. Zhou Zhexiao was like an iron wall—if he couldn’t get past, he just couldn’t.

Suddenly, Zhou Zhexiao withdrew his force. Xia Chiyi plunged straight into his embrace, his nose nearly bumping into his chin.

The next second, Zhou Zhexiao’s arms wrapped around Xia Chiyi. As soon as Xia Chiyi stood firm, the other let him go.

Xia Chiyi suddenly felt displeased. Why did this guy let go? I worked so hard, would it kill you to hug me a little longer? My jersey didn’t even get warm!

On the side, Ye Chaoying silently reviewed the “long-and-short arm defense” in his mind. When he looked up again, he found Xia Chiyi initiating a second round of physical confrontation with Zhou Zhexiao.

He clearly couldn’t win, and Xia Chiyi’s cheeks were puffed out.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhexiao kept his head down, saying nothing, allowing Xia Chiyi to fight for position. His expression seemed to say: Bring it on, I’m enjoying this.

With his hands on his hips, Ye Chaoying sighed at the ceiling. “Hey, I’m the one defending Li Shunchuan tomorrow! Xia Chiyi—could you stop throwing yourself into his arms?”

“When did I do that?” Xia Chiyi turned his head to glare at Ye Chaoying, but his neck and ears betrayed him by turning entirely red.

“Even I feel like Zhou Zhexiao is provoking you on purpose.”

Ye Chaoying shook his head.

Zhou Zhexiao gently rubbed the top of Xia Chiyi’s head and continued his explanation: “If Li Shunchuan wants to shake off your tight defense, his off-ball movement will be several times what it normally is. Even if he scores while under your defense, you don’t need to care too much.”

“Because his stamina gauge will drop rapidly. In the entire Division I league, the people who can sustain high-intensity off-ball movement and still play the whole game…” Ye Chaoying glanced at Xia Chiyi. “There probably aren’t many.”

“But Li Shunchuan, as a famous shooter, has definitely faced long-and-short arm defense in the past. Especially last year against Yandu University’s captain, who was an absolute fighter plane when it came to tight, face-to-face defense. He only guarded Li Shunchuan for one quarter, but using this same defensive technique, he held Li Shunchuan to only one three-pointer in ten minutes.”

Hearing this, Ye Chaoying felt a lump in his throat.

Since they had already suffered this loss, Qincheng University had definitely trained Li Shunchuan on how to break through this defense.

“He will use physical contact to pop out and receive the ball. For example, the NBA three-point legend Reggie Miller would suddenly initiate contact to bounce off the defender and gain space to receive the ball,” Xia Chiyi said.

“That’s the V-cut, right?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. If he receives the ball, you just rapidly place your arm on his waist. Li Shunchuan’s shooting form is just like mine; he has to sink the ball first!”

Ye Chaoying’s eyes lit up: “Oh, oh, oh, I get it! Once the ball sinks to waist level, I can strike again!”

“Bingo!” Xia Chiyi stretched his hand out toward Ye Chaoying. “Come, let’s show Li Shunchuan our ultimate off-ball defense!”

“Yeah!” Ye Chaoying’s eyes lit up. “You practice with me, let’s find the feeling a few more times!”

Seeing Ye Chaoying’s confidence restored, Xia Chiyi also breathed a sigh of relief.

Conversely, it was Zhou Zhexiao who suddenly asked out of nowhere, “So what exactly happened?”

“What ‘what happened’?”

“The reason for your sudden anxiety.”

Xia Chiyi exhaled slowly. Bro, what are you doing? Which pot doesn’t boil, you lift that one!

Ye Chaoying suddenly got emo again. What are we going to do?

Zhou Zhexiao just looked quietly at Ye Chaoying.

If it were Xia Chiyi being stared at like that, he would probably be quivering already.

Ye Chaoying dribbled the ball rhythmically for a while and rubbed the back of his head. “Actually, after watching the game, I overheard some guys from Southwest Aviation University chatting in the bathroom.”

The bathroom… truly a great place for eavesdropping.

“They were discussing tomorrow’s game, saying that even though Ningchang University’s bench is shallow, our lineup is the closest to Qincheng University’s level.”

“That should be a compliment, right?”

“Yeah, the most obvious thing is that both our teams have strong shooters—you and Li Shunchuan. The Southwest Aviation guys said that among active Division I players, the only one who can completely lock down shooters like you guys is Lu Yingnan.”

“They just don’t know you…”

“Lu Yingnan was in the bathroom. He’s really amazing, he directly guessed Coach Ling’s layout. He said, ‘Ningchang University will definitely send that guard named Ye Chaoying to play one-on-one defense on Li Shunchuan, but he won’t be able to stop him. If Li Shunchuan’s off-ball movement ranks second, no one in the Division I league ranks first.'”

This feeling of being evaluated from a lofty height really sucked.

But unfortunately, that person was Lu Yingnan—the goal Ye Chaoying had always aimed to surpass.

“What he said is wrong,” Zhou Zhexiao stated.

“Ah? What’s wrong?”

“Xia Chiyi’s off-ball movement is the true top-tier.”

Ye Chaoying really wanted to fight him. “Are you humblebragging (Versailles) right now?”

“So, if your sparring partner is the absolute top-tier, could you really not beat the guy who ranks second?”

Ye Chaoying turned his face away, hands on hips, unsure if he was pondering or trying to hold back a laugh.

After a long while, he finally spoke: “Okay, okay, okay, you win, you win. Xia Chiyi is flawless, Xia Chiyi is the center of the universe, Xia Chiyi is number one in the world! The way you hype up Xia Chiyi is just like how he hypes up Sheng Xingming.”

“Alright, alright, let’s stop hyping each other up and continue practicing the long-and-short arm defense!”

---

At this moment, Ling Huanzhen was on a WeChat audio call with Jiao Yingfeng.

“Jiao Jiao, my heart keeps going thump-thump-thump. Do you think there’s something wrong with me?”

“Go check if you’re on stimulants.”

“Tomorrow is the Southeast Regional finals, aren’t you going to come over?”

“No. If we both sit on the coach’s bench together, even if we win, we’ll be mocked by Li Xiaoran.”

“And what if we lose tomorrow?”

“That won’t prevent you from winning the national championship.”

“Have you ever read shōnen manga? In sports manga, the protagonist’s team always loses first before they win. We haven’t lost a single time up till now, and this is the very last game! Is the prophecy going to come true in this match?”

Jiao Yingfeng rolled his eyes. “You have to actually be the protagonist before you talk to me about the ‘protagonist loses first to win later’ halo! Hurry up, take the socks out of your basketball shoes, roll them up, and stuff them into your own mouth.”

With that, Jiao Yingfeng hung up the call.

Ling Huanzhen lay melancholically on his bed. The first major challenge of his coaching career was fast approaching.

His phone vibrated again; it was a message from Li Xiaoran.

“This guy is definitely going to throw cold water and mock me again!”

But unexpectedly, the other party had sent a long voice message.

Ling Huanzhen paused. Is Li Xiaoran going to trash-talk me again and mess with my mentality?

Even though he hadn’t clicked play, Ling Huanzhen started imagining what Li Xiaoran had said.

“Please don’t let your team play worse than your stinky socks tomorrow.” He could finish saying that in four seconds.

“You have no future on the coaching path, go home early to drink beer and eat barbecue.” He could spew that out in five or six seconds.

“You’re suited for playing solo, not for leading a team…” Three or four seconds would be enough.

What on earth could Li Xiaoran talk about for almost a minute?

Ahhhh, I really want to listen.

But I’m afraid my mentality will collapse if I do.

In the coaching industry, he was still just a baby!

“Mm… mm… True warriors dare to face any challenge, even if Li Xiaoran’s mouth is as stinky as his face.”

Taking a deep breath, Ling Huanzhen clicked on the voice message.

[Qincheng University’s chemistry and tactical execution are stronger than yours, so during the game, you absolutely cannot rely on one-on-one defense. No matter who you want to send to lock down their shooter, even if Li Shunchuan can’t shoot, he won’t lose his mobility—he can still disrupt your positioning. Don’t forget, Xia Chiyi isn’t the only shooter on your team. If you put two perimeter shooters on the court, even in an extreme one-for-one trade, you can still retain one perimeter scoring threat. I’ve witnessed Zhou Zhexiao’s strength; he can completely hold it down on both ends of the court. Therefore, you can take out a forward and swap in a cannon (shooter). If you hold onto golden eggs like Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi and still manage to lose, you really deserve to be mocked for the rest of your life.]

Ling Huanzhen froze for a moment, raising a hand to cover his forehead.

“This guy… making me feel bad for hating him.”

Ling Huanzhen: [Does the hundred-meter barbecue stall promise still count?]

Li Xiaoran: [I reflected on myself. Have I been spoiling you too much?]

Ling Huanzhen: [You should reflect on yourself. You definitely don’t pamper me enough.]

Li Xiaoran: [I’ve already screenshotted this and sent it to Jiao Yingfeng.]

Ling Huanzhen was furious enough to explode. So many years had passed, and Li Xiaoran’s ultimate move in their bickering was still, ‘I’m telling Jiao Yingfeng.’

This was just like elementary school kids arguing, always threatening to tell their parents in the end.

“How old are we, and you’re still pulling this crap!”

---

Online discussions about this final were in full swing, with higher heat than any previous regional final.

Especially after the short program featuring Yang Huaiyu and Xia Chiyi aired, it brought in a new wave of fans.

Some viewers thought it was an ad for a new variety show on Coolang. Who knew that once they clicked in, they wouldn’t be able to leave? People who originally had no interest were met with Yang Huaiyu’s baseline drift, evoking a chorus of “Wows.” As for Xia Chiyi’s backward shot, many people made sour remarks saying it was a show effect, which angered the live audience. They all stood up to testify that it was made in one single shot—no editing, no special effects, no trickery.

The night before the match, Coolang invited the National Youth Team’s head coach Xie Huai, as well as Yuan Tingxuan, the most famous active CBA player, to be guests in a chat room.

Hosting the chat was Xu Mi.

The atmosphere was very relaxed. Due to limited time, Xu Mi skipped the pleasantries and focused on introducing the guests.

“This is Xie Huai, a veteran of Chinese basketball, with students all over the world and a house full of famous generals. The Three-Point King Jiao Yingfeng, Asia’s Chief Power Forward Ling Huanzhen, Li Xiaoran, Gao Jinshu, Ji Bo… Everyone is familiar with them. You could say Coach Xie single-handedly forged the rise of our men’s basketball, allowing us to compete against the European and American powerhouses. Especially Sheng Xingming, the eternal pride of our basketball world—he was also Coach Xie’s student.”

Xie Huai shook his head. “I didn’t single-handedly forge the rise of men’s basketball. I was just very lucky to be born in that era. The only thing I did was gather these outstanding athletes together. I witnessed the glory of men’s basketball, and I also saw it hit rock bottom with my own eyes. A thousand pieces of gold are easy to obtain, but a great general is hard to find.”

The moment this sentence came out, Yuan Tingxuan’s fans in the chat room were furious.

[Is this old man still living in the last century? Can’t he see Yuan Tingxuan right next to him?]
[A great general and fine steed are right beside him, yet he turns a blind eye. What kind of airs is he putting on, spouting nonsense about a great general being hard to find?]
[Is Yuan Tingxuan not strong enough? He played in the NBA for three years and returned to serve his country. What’s the use if his teammates are useless?]

“Actually, I’ve been quite disappointed in basketball over the past few years. We no longer have that persistence to push forward. Players stay in their comfort zones, playing just for the sake of playing. They have no desire for victory, and don’t even believe they can win. I still remember the Olympics more than ten years ago, when we faced a European powerhouse in the semifinals. Ling Huanzhen jumped twice in a row for blocks under the basket, with power that pierced the rainbow—even the opposing coach stood up to applaud. Jiao Yingfeng was about to be triple-teamed, but he decisively pulled up for a game-sealing buzzer-beater. And Sheng Xingming, shooting in desperate situations, turning the tide against the wind, maneuvering unhindered, scoring 15 straight points. His ‘gods block, kill gods’ aura suppressed the opponents until they lost their tempers, forcing their coach to call two timeouts.”

Xie Huai paused, looked at Yuan Tingxuan beside him, and sighed. “Our basketball no longer has that kind of fierce courage to survive in desperate straits.”

Yuan Tingxuan’s spirited expression darkened. Everything spoke through ability. Compared to the players of that era, his nutrition was clearly better, his training conditions and methods were richer and more scientific, yet ironically, he lacked that courage to fight to the death and be reborn.

The comments in the chat room also began reminiscing about the Golden Generation of that year.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew a bit melancholic, with countless comments sighing that “Sheng Xingming truly is a rare treasure that can only be encountered by chance.”

[The old man spoke so well. For those ten years, we were invincible in Asia, and quite a few players made a name for themselves in the NBA!]
[Sheng Xingming is both the glory of an era and the regret of an era.]

Xu Mi quickly pulled the atmosphere back, smiling as she said: “Coach Xie, your willingness to be a guest in our chat room means you must have seen new hope. I wonder if there are any players in the Division I league that have caught your eye?”

“That’s hard for me to say. If I say it, I’m afraid they’ll get arrogant and stop playing properly. But I am indeed very much looking forward to this season’s Division I league.” Xie Huai took a slow sip of tea.

The comments exploded instantly, with countless names of players flooding in. Fans all hoped the players they favored would catch Coach Xie’s eye.

Xu Mi asked with a smile, “The Southeast Regional finals are coming up soon. Coach Xie, could you give us a prediction: Who will win, Ningchang University or Qincheng University?”

Coach Xie looked at Yuan Tingxuan next to him: “Tingxuan, who do you think will win? Don’t always ask this old man. I’m not handsome, and I don’t go on the court to play. If you keep making me talk, the audience will get bored.”

Yuan Tingxuan’s face reddened slightly, and he immediately waved his hands. “It won’t be boring. Anyone who truly loves basketball will understand the weight and meaning in Coach Xie’s words.”

“Then let us, grandfather and grandson, have a chat. Which team do you favor?”

Coach Xie’s use of “grandfather and grandson” instantly closed the distance between the two, instantly relaxing the atmosphere in the chat room.

Yuan Tingxuan thought for a moment and said, “If I hadn’t watched Ningchang University’s game against Southeast Mining, I would categorically say Qincheng University will definitely win. But Ningchang won against Southeast Mining, and Xia Chiyi even tagged me on Weibo. After training that day, I checked my Weibo notifications and was full of question marks. Looking closer… this kid is really popular! Even Liu Suchen, Coach Du Luan, and even Jiao Yingfeng… they all retweeted his Weibo! Wasn’t this intentionally putting me in a spot where I couldn’t back down?”

Xu Mi couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Sorry, sorry, I retweeted it too.”

The audience also jeered in the comments: [Sorry, sorry, we all retweeted it too.]

“So, as soon as I got back, I watched that game. And then I was dumbfounded. Has the college Division I league already reached this level? Xia Chiyi’s shooting release speed is at the professional level. Later, when I saw him being face-guarded tightly by Southeast Mining, I thought to myself: Kid, let’s see you act crazy now, you’ve been shut down, right?“

Xu Mi and Coach Xie both laughed.

“Who knew he couldn’t be shut down? This kid can steal the ball, drive, and penetrate into the paint himself. Ma Tao, Li Renjie, and Zhao Lingcong are all hot picks for the draft this year… don’t blame me for name-dropping you guys, who told you to let this little kid score swish-swish-swish.”

Ma Tao, who had already finished his schedule, was watching this program and revealed an expression of extreme constipation.

If you know we lost face, don’t say our names!

“And then there’s Ningchang University’s Zhou Zhexiao. He is truly strong. Ma Tao, Li Renjie, and Zhao Lingcong were all fed ‘hot pots’ (blocked) by him consecutively… He’s simply a block-dispensing maniac! The key is that his team awareness is very strong; he and Xia Chiyi are like twin stars. You help defend, I score. I draw the fire for you, you rack up points like crazy under the basket. I saw the CP (shipping) fans waving flags and shouting—You two, hurry up and get married! They have both the skills and the current traffic code, making a loner like me look very uninteresting!”

Glancing at Coach Xie, Xu Mi noticed his smile was different from his previous elder-like smile; the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkled up, as if hearing others praise his own children and grandchildren.

“So, I can’t predict which team will win. After all, Qincheng University also has Yang Huaiyu and Li Shunchuan, this inside-and-outside scoring duo. Last year’s King of the Southeast definitely didn’t get that title for nothing. Anyway, I booked a ticket and will be watching the game live tomorrow.”

With Yuan Tingxuan saying this, the official ticketing channels were about to crash.

Xu Mi looked at Coach Xie again. “Then regarding your former player Ling Huanzhen transitioning into a coach, do you have any message or evaluation for him?”

Xie Huai opened his thermos and took a sip.

“Actually, when Ling Huanzhen retired and ran off to Ningchang University to be a coach, I thought he had lost his fighting spirit and wanted to lie flat, going to a college team to scam a salary. I even wanted to talk to him, tell him that retiring at his age wasn’t a good look.”

Sure enough, a wave of [We thought the exact same thing] swept across the comment section.

“Moreover, he has no coaching experience. During the Asian Championship group stage back in the day, he actually managed to be bait for offensive fouls five times and foul out. His mid-range jumper is awful, and he was frequently the target of the ‘Hack-a-Shaq’ (intentional foul) tactic—although when it came to clutch shots, he’d suddenly deliver. With him being like that, when he told me he went to a university to be a coach, I thought… Ningchang University is going to be laying bricks (missing shots) again.”

Yuan Tingxuan added, “I’ve also seen Ling Huanzhen’s ‘Cowardly Highlights.’ He’s a textbook example of negative teaching material.”

“However, I found that his basketball IQ seems to have grown in reverse since his retirement. The ‘elevator doors’ tactic at the end of yesterday’s game was very decisive. I give it a thumbs up. Thanks to Ningchang University for giving him this opportunity to grow.”

Xie Huai paused, took out his phone, and glanced at it. “Ah, let’s not talk about him anymore.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ling Huanzhen said tomorrow is the finals and begged me to leave him his last pair of underpants (some dignity).”

Yuan Tingxuan said, “If we’re not talking about him, can we connect with the players from both sides? I’d love to hear them face off before the game.”

Xu Mi laughed. “I see what you’re doing. You want to fan the flames and watch them clash before the game!”

Yuan Tingxuan made a gesture of secrecy. “Seeing through it without pointing it out is basic adult etiquette.”

The first to be connected was Yang Huaiyu. The guy was sleeping, and his voice sounded a bit gravelly.

“Mm… my thoughts on tomorrow’s finals? Then I thank my friends from Ningchang University for working so hard to reach the finals and witness us winning the championship again.”

Xu Mi asked with a smile, “It seems you and Xia Chiyi get along pretty well. If he loses, how do you plan to comfort him?”

“I’ll treat him to oyster cakes, with free delivery to his door for life.”

From Yang Huaiyu’s phone, another person’s voice could be faintly heard—it was his roommate, Ke Yan.

“Are you even human? You know he can’t stand the smell of oyster cakes, yet you say lifetime delivery?”

The audience was delighted, laughing: [So Xia Chiyi’s weakness is oyster cakes], [If you want to defend Xia Chiyi, just dye your jersey with oyster flavor], [The birth of a new oyster legend in the Division I league].

Xu Mi asked again, “Besides oyster cakes, what else can you send?”

Ke Yan leaned in and said, “If our friends from Ningchang University lose, I’ll treat them to a seafood hotpot. They can order as many oysters and abalones as they want, and Yang Huaiyu will foot the bill.”

Yuan Tingxuan nodded. “Now that sounds generous!”

Yang Huaiyu opened his phone: “Did you bother to check my account balance?”

After finishing the call with Qincheng University, Xu Mi dialed Xia Chiyi’s phone number.

“Hello. What is it?”

A slightly cool voice came through, carrying a trace of distance.

“Are… are you Xia Chiyi?” Xu Mi asked.

“I am Zhou Zhexiao. Xia Chiyi is scrubbing the soles of his shoes,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

“For tomorrow’s game?”

“They’re not the shoes for tomorrow’s game. He stepped on gum right after going out.”

Zhou Zhexiao spoke like a robot. For a moment, Xu Mi couldn’t find an angle to continue the conversation. Even the comments in the chat room felt awkward for her.

Instead, it was Yuan Tingxuan who spoke up: “Just now, Yang Huaiyu declared that he thanks you for making it to the finals to witness Qincheng University winning the championship again.”

The other end of the line was quiet for a second before Zhou Zhexiao’s voice sounded: “We’ve set our sights on the championship seat. Please ask them to wipe it clean and move aside tomorrow.”

Yuan Tingxuan nodded, an expression of “here for the drama” on his face, indicating that this response was highly approved.

Xie Huai leaned forward slightly and asked slowly, “Facing off against Yang Huaiyu tomorrow, do you have confidence?”

Zhou Zhexiao’s fingers holding the phone tightened slightly. “He’s not yet formidable enough for me to need to consider the issue of confidence.”

Xie Huai rarely laughed so hard he couldn’t close his mouth: “Your style of speaking… sounds very familiar.”

The comments in the chat room scrolled frantically.

[Holy crap, if old man Newton were still alive, Zhou Zhexiao wouldn’t be floating this high up in the sky!]
[This bro exchanged pecks with noobs for eight hundred rounds, and now he thinks he’s a fire phoenix?]
[Hahaha, I fully support your arrogance, just so I can watch you get beaten into an idiot in the finals!]
[Ningchang University made it all the way to the finals. Is there still someone who thinks they relied on luck?]
[I suggest those making sarcastic remarks go watch their games against Fǔgong and Southeast Mining. Zhou Zhexiao has the capital to be arrogant!]

At that moment, Xia Chiyi’s voice echoed faintly from the bathroom, thick with displeasure and resentment. Even without seeing his face, one could imagine his expression as he vigorously scrubbed his shoe.

“Those people who spit gum everywhere, I curse them to only have seasoning packets when they eat instant noodles, to have no pearls when they drink bubble tea, and to sumo wrestle gorillas every single day!”

Although his voice wasn’t loud, everyone in the chat room heard it.

[Seconded!]
[Seconded +1]

Xie Huai laughed outright. “This little brat is quite interesting. Ask him for me, how many points does he plan to score tomorrow?”

Zhou Zhexiao walked to the bathroom door and knocked lightly on the panel. “Coach Xie is asking you, how many points can you score tomorrow?”

“Huh? Coach Xie? Which Coach Xie?”

Xia Chiyi was still battling the gum stuck in the crevices of his shoe sole, scrubbing so hard a fine layer of sweat had broken out on his forehead.

“Coach Xie Huai of the National Youth Team.”

With a click, the toothbrush slipped off the sole of his shoe. Xia Chiyi mouthed to Zhou Zhexiao: “The Coach Xie who took you to the Olympics?”

Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

Xia Chiyi swallowed hard, pondered for a moment: “Thir… thirty points?”

After saying it, Xia Chiyi wondered if he was getting ahead of himself, daring to boldly claim thirty points.

Zhou Zhexiao repeated into the phone, “He said thirty points.”

Xie Huai chuckled and said, “Is this kid getting stage fright, or being conservative? If I remember correctly, this kid’s average is 32.8 points per game.”

Xu Mi asked, “Then what does Coach Xie think would be an appropriate military pledge (points target)?”

Xie Huai bent over slightly, leaned toward Xu Mi’s phone, and said loudly, “Get 45 points.”

Yuan Tingxuan was shocked: “Co… Coach Xie, that’s Qincheng University!”

Xu Mi also nodded along: “Yeah, yeah, 45 points is too difficult!”

Xie Huai said slowly, “I just want to ensure he can secure the MVP. 45 points is basically 15 three-pointers. Who knows, Li Shunchuan might be able to do it.”

As his words fell, Yuan Tingxuan and Xu Mi’s expressions shifted from surprise to thoughtfulness.

This was the first time Coach Xie had so explicitly expressed anticipation for a specific player—and not even a professional player at that.

Xia Chiyi stared blankly at Zhou Zhexiao. “Co… Coach Xie said 45 points?”

Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

Xia Chiyi wiped his hands. “Is he trying to send me to heaven?”

“Don’t you still have me?” Zhou Zhexiao said coolly. “Then we go to heaven.”

“Th-Then I’ll try?”

“This isn’t buying fruit, where you can ‘try’ if it’s sweet.”

“…No matter how sweet it is, it’s not as sweet as your mouth—sweet to the point of being toxic.”

Xu Mi revealed a huge smile. “Do you two know that a lot of viewers can hear you bickering like this?”

Xia Chiyi immediately fell silent.

A meteor shower of “Hahaha” drifted through the comment section.

---

[Author’s Note]

Xia Chiyi: My specialty is showing off affection in public.
Zhou Zhexiao: My specialty is responding to his public affection.