HGTM CH25
Chapter 25: Ling Huanzhen Takes Office
Ling Huanzhen lit a candle in his heart for Xia Chiyi… If Sheng Xingming was a Great Demon King, then Jiao Yingfeng was at least a devil.
Perhaps knowing that the head coach had changed, the originally dull military training became full of anticipation for Xia Chiyi, counting down the days on his fingers.
But the intensity of the second day’s military training was much higher than the first. The instructors came up with all sorts of tricks to torment this group of university students.
During the afternoon physical training, after a weighted long-distance run, the boys had to do one minute of push-ups, and the girls had to do sit-ups; only after finishing could they rest.
For a moment, wails filled the field.
Aside from breathing, Little Pang had absolutely no strength left, leaning on Ye Chaoying. “Can I ask… what are push-ups…”
“It’s the exercise you can’t get up from. Don’t lean on me… I’m going to fall too.”
As a result, the boys hadn’t even done push-ups for five seconds before the instructor blew the whistle. “Are you guys unable to perform?”
If this were a high school PE class, this group of boys would have jokingly interpreted the word “unable to perform” (impotent), but now there was total silence.
It was a silent answer: Really can’t perform anymore.
“Alright, to ensure quality, you all know the common method, right? One lies underneath, one props up above. If you don’t want to ruin your friendship by having face-to-face contact with your good bro, then prop yourself up properly. Pair up yourselves; whoever finishes first can end early and go back to rest.”
Ending early was a huge temptation for anyone.
Looking at the scorching heavens, this was probably the instructor’s euphemistic way of letting them off.
Ye Chaoying didn’t even think before going to look for Xia Chiyi. Otherwise, choose Pang Shuai beside him? He can’t even prop himself up!
No, more importantly, I don’t want to be crushed to death by Pang Shuai.
While the classmates were still looking for partners, Zhou Zhexiao was already dragging Xia Chiyi forward by the wrist.
“Hey? You’re not uncomfortable from the sun? Don’t you want to rest a bit?”
The other’s strides were too large, nearly dragging Xia Chiyi’s hat off; he hurriedly reached out to hold it down.
“2:30 PM is Ling Huanzhen’s first coaching session. If we rush over now, we can still catch the tail end of the training.”
“What? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Hearing this, Xia Chiyi also became anxious.
The two of them passed by Ye Chaoying without glancing sideways. Ye Chaoying’s eyes widened, and Pang Shuai’s gloating voice rang in his ears, “Accept your fate, your only partner is me.”
Seeing Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao, the instructor flashed a mouthful of white teeth: “Didn’t expect you two to be the first pair. Then please, department hunks, demonstrate properly.”
The surrounding students gathered around, the excitement in their eyes too obvious. Xia Chiyi thought, Are we a pair of pandas or something?
Actually, they had experienced this kind of paired push-up in high school military training; it wasn’t anything rare! Occasionally they’d even trash talk to tease each other; it was indeed more interesting than doing push-ups alone.
Xia Chiyi turned his head, met Little Pang’s eyes which seemed to be having a terminal lucidity moment, and suddenly realized… maybe it really was rare.
“You lie down, I’ll go first.” Zhou Zhexiao expressionlessly rolled up the sleeves of his camouflage uniform, revealing his forearms.
Just seeing the lines of his forearms, the surrounding students started oohing and aahing.
“Why… why do you go first?”
For some reason, as Zhou Zhexiao walked closer, Xia Chiyi felt inexplicably nervous.
Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head: “Didn’t you just say you wanted to rest a bit?”
“Ah… oh.”
So this is Zhou Zhexiao’s effective way of letting me rest first?
Ye Chaoying was the first to jeer: “Hey, Xia Chiyi! Zhou Zhexiao has rolled up his sleeves, yet you’re still dawdling and refusing to lie down?”
Other students also laughed heartily.
Xia Chiyi pointed two fingers at his own eyes, then pointed at Ye Chaoying: Your mouth is so sassy, believe it or not, I’ll poke your eyes out.
He immediately lay down on the spot, assuming a stiff posture.
“Wow, even a zombie isn’t as stiff as you—” Ye Chaoying continued to laugh.
Xia Chiyi smiled: “You wait, when we get back I’ll smear all of your 380-yuan hair wax on your face!”
Zhou Zhexiao was already facing Xia Chiyi directly, his legs straddling Xia Chiyi’s calves.
Because of the angle from lying down, Zhou Zhexiao’s legs looked exaggeratedly long. That belt restrained not just flesh and blood, but a more hidden, surging impulse like ten thousand galloping horses.
When he knelt down, accompanied by the strange noises from other students, Xia Chiyi’s heart leaped into his throat.
Zhou Zhexiao’s arms first tested the pressure on either side of Xia Chiyi’s ears. He was very close. Xia Chiyi didn’t dare breathe; he knew if he turned his face he would be mocked by Ye Chaoying, so he could only force himself to pretend indifference and look at the other.
This perspective was completely like the scene where the male lead in an idol drama is about to force a kiss. The closer Zhou Zhexiao’s features were, the more sharp and defined they appeared. Those exquisitely contoured eyes seemed to say: Look at me, there is no scenery elsewhere.
Zhou Zhexiao adjusted into the preparation posture for push-ups. With a whistle from the instructor, timing began.
The standard set by the instructor was to complete ten in one minute. Everyone started counting.
Normally, with Zhou Zhexiao’s physical fitness, completing ten push-ups would take thirty seconds… no, twenty seconds would be enough.
Who knew this guy would descend so damn slowly? Watching that explosively handsome face approach at a constant speed, Xia Chiyi’s originally calm breathing became nervous. He had to hold it in his throat, afraid that when Zhou Zhexiao got close, his breath would touch the other.
As if even that would be an offense.
The closer he got, the clearer Xia Chiyi’s own reflection became in Zhou Zhexiao’s amber eyes.
Can’t this guy look somewhere else? Why keep staring at me? It’s awkward, okay?
The calmer and more indifferent the other’s expression was, the more chaotic Xia Chiyi felt inside, his back tensing until it ached.
Moreover, Zhou Zhexiao was wearing a hat. The brim was turned slightly to the other side, perfectly staggered with Xia Chiyi’s brim. When they were closest, it completely blocked the line of sight from the instructor’s side.
It was like a semi-enclosed small space where Xia Chiyi’s vision and senses were confined.
Zhou Zhexiao’s body gradually approached parallel to his. His stable support didn’t shake in the slightest, so Xia Chiyi felt no weight from him. But through the layer of camouflage uniform, his body heat transmitted like an illusion. Xia Chiyi seemed to feel the restrained power in Zhou Zhexiao’s tense muscles.
Initially thinking Zhou Zhexiao was gauging the distance for the first two push-ups and thus doing them slowly, the third one… seemed even slower.
The instructor laughed: “Student, let me remind you, doing it slowly while tense like this actually consumes more energy, right?”
This was already the fourth approach. Zhou Zhexiao’s eyelashes were almost brushing against his eyeballs. Xia Chiyi belatedly realized why the other was going so slow—because he had said earlier that he wanted to rest.
He almost raised his knee to nudge him, but just as he moved, he received a warning look from Zhou Zhexiao.
“I’ve rested enough, no need… no need to keep lying down.”
Xia Chiyi’s voice wasn’t loud, but the students nearby heard it.
“Why do I inexplicably feel like I’ve been fed a mouthful of dog food?”
Hey, buddy, you’re not a dog, what dog food are you eating?
“So he was ‘doing’ it so slowly just to let Xia Chiyi lie down longer?”
My ears aren’t deaf yet, can you not drag out the word ‘doing’ like that?
“Sure you’re not tired anymore?” Zhou Zhexiao’s steady voice sounded.
Is this guy a fitness monster? Five push-ups and his voice isn’t even breathless?
“Not tired. Didn’t we say we’d go watch the training together?”
“Okay.”
The remaining five, suddenly like a rocket launching, were completed by Zhou Zhexiao without any hesitation.
Standard, straight, textbook-perfect. Crucially, he had a good figure, looking like he deliberately held back his strength to avoid touching a certain fragile person. The surroundings were silent until Little Pang gave a weak, godly comment: “Why does it feel simultaneously ascetic, restrained, and so spicy?”
“Because he has broad shoulders, long legs, and abs. If it were you… a hot air balloon crash-landing, an air disaster.” Ye Chaoying ruthlessly roasted his roommate.
When Zhou Zhexiao pushed himself up from the side with one arm, his aura disappeared, and the smell of grass rushed into Xia Chiyi’s nose. He suddenly missed that tense feeling just now.
As if he was anticipating every one of Zhou Zhexiao’s approaches.
The surrounding students applauded.
The instructor looked at Xia Chiyi and smiled: “Your partner was a standard template. Everyone saw clearly, right? Sagging waists don’t count, uneven backs don’t count, not pushing all the way up doesn’t count.”
Xia Chiyi nodded: “Don’t worry, instructor, I will also maintain the standard.”
Zhou Zhexiao had already lain down, hands by his sides, that well-behaved feeling returning.
Someone nearby said, “So envious, I want to lie on him~”
It was clearly a joking remark, but Xia Chiyi almost tripped.
“Hurry up!”
“You don’t understand, men can’t be fast!”
“Xia Chiyi, can you not do it?”
Xia Chiyi suddenly regretted that his aura wasn’t strong enough usually. These guys bullied the weak and feared the strong, daring not to tease Zhou Zhexiao, but all coming to joke about him?
He quickly adjusted his position and propped himself up above Zhou Zhexiao.
There was a height difference between them, so when Xia Chiyi pressed down, his eyes were level with the other’s chin. Avoiding eye contact, Xia Chiyi suddenly felt lucky.
When Xia Chiyi did the first one, he realized that looking at Zhou Zhexiao’s lips was also something that could mess up his heartbeat.
Clearly, this person was his roommate and future teammate, and most importantly, a guy. But those naturally closed lips seemed to have some strange attraction to his gaze, making Xia Chiyi doubt if his arm strength was insufficient, feeling like he was sinking into the seam of the other’s lips.
Even more fatal was… from this angle, Zhou Zhexiao’s eyelashes… looked so soft, making one inexplicably want to nuzzle them with the tip of their nose.
The problem was he was being so careful, yet Zhou Zhexiao looked completely unfazed.
Unfair, a bit angry.
By the fourth push-up, Xia Chiyi suddenly looked at his own nose tip, crossing his eyes.
Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze clearly paused.
It was like a kindergarten kid receiving applause, filling Xia Chiyi with a desire to perform.
Fifth push-up: crooked nose and mouth, eyes rolled up to the sky.
Zhou Zhexiao evaluated: “So ugly.”
Funny faces are supposed to be ugly!
Xia Chiyi persisted, instantly puffing up his cheeks and squinting his eyes into slits. He intended to “pfft” when closest to Zhou Zhexiao, but the other revealed a kingly scorn, meaning: Dare to “pfft” and you’re dead.
Xia Chiyi cowardly propped himself back up, quickly conceiving an idea in his mind. His features flew apart, turning into the world-famous painting The Scream.
“Heh.”
Now it was Zhou Zhexiao’s turn to despise him.
“Clearly so good-looking, yet insist on being weird.”
Zhou Zhexiao’s voice was very soft. Xia Chiyi’s shoulder trembled, nearly smashing onto the other, thankfully braking successfully in a split-second crisis.
When he moved away, his bangs swept across the seam of Zhou Zhexiao’s lips.
The boy’s hair was actually very soft. As it swept past, Zhou Zhexiao’s upper lip was slightly and briefly brushed open, and the valves of his heart were plucked along with it, but the other quickly moved away unaware.
Xia Chiyi was oblivious to Zhou Zhexiao’s emotional fluctuations. After propping himself up steadily, he kept a straight face and quickly finished the remaining push-ups.
Just when Zhou Zhexiao thought he was finally being serious, on the last push-up, Xia Chiyi suddenly made the face of the baboon from The Lion King, successfully making Zhou Zhexiao cough out a laugh.
Xia Chiyi scrambled up, hopping twice on the spot, triumph shining in his round eyes, as if saying: You still broke character, I won this round!
Clearly a little Simba, insisting on pretending to be an old baboon.
Zhou Zhexiao quietly exhaled, stood up, clasped the back of Xia Chiyi’s neck, and said to the instructor, “Then we’ll be dismissed first.”
After saluting, the two turned and ran towards the outside of the playground.
While running, Xia Chiyi loudly reminded Ye Chaoying: “Basketball hall training ends at 5:30—”
Ye Chaoying slapped his forehead. These two ran so fast because they wanted to see Ling Huanzhen coaching! How could such a world-famous painting wait ten days to be admired?
“Who will partner with me? Who will partner with me?” Ye Chaoying became anxious.
Little Pang revealed a look of abandonment. “I’m right beside you… and you still want to choose someone else?”
“I have the courage to do push-ups on top of you, but do you have the confidence not to crush me to death?” Ye Chaoying asked back.
“Oh no, you are Sun Wukong, then I must be the Five Finger Mountain.”
Little Pang could only watch his roommate fly solo.
The exercise volume of military training was nothing to Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi, apart from the intense sun.
After leaving the playground, the two could still stride out and run.
It was also at this time that Xia Chiyi experienced Zhou Zhexiao’s endurance and speed. This guy didn’t need to slow down at all. Following him to the basketball hall entrance, Xia Chiyi was panting.
Zhou Zhexiao tugged at his back collar. “It would be great if you could divert half the mind you use for making funny faces to physical training.”
“If you have the ability, don’t laugh when I make faces!” Xia Chiyi retorted.
“Except for the first one, the others weren’t funny.”
“So you admit you were amused by me!”
Zhou Zhexiao didn’t answer him, already climbing the steps to the basketball hall.
Usually, no one was allowed to visit the basketball team’s training, let alone now that the head coach was Ling Huanzhen. If visits were allowed, people from other schools would definitely come running, inevitably interfering with the training.
Facing the basketball hall administrator, Xia Chiyi lied without blushing or skipping a beat, saying he and Zhou Zhexiao were freshmen on the basketball team who wanted to catch the last half hour of training after military training.
The administrator remembered seeing these two in the match.
“You two are so skilled, must be main players! Now that you have such a good coach, you have to play well!”
“Of course, thank you, teacher!”
Just like that, relying on his harmless appearance, Xia Chiyi snuck in with Zhou Zhexiao.
Heaven knows they hadn’t even submitted their application forms yet!
Zhou Zhexiao leaned back in his chair with hands hanging by his sides, looking like a big boss.
Xia Chiyi lay on the front railing, arms draped over it, looking with delight at the team members doing dribbling drills in front of him.
“Wow, do you feel their dribbling is much faster than last time?”
Zhou Zhexiao said coolly, “Because they are afraid of Ling Huanzhen.”
Indeed, the over-two-meter-tall Ling Huanzhen, wearing a round-neck T-shirt and sweatpants, whistle around his neck, stopwatch in one hand and other hand on his hip, was frowning enough to crush a fly.
“Faster, faster, faster! Said it a million times, pick up the rhythm! Lower your center of gravity! Faster, faster, faster—”
Ling Huanzhen’s roar was extremely penetrating, echoing above the basketball hall. Every enunciation was like firing a cannonball, nearly shocking the players on the court into dropping the ball.
Precisely because of this, everyone’s concentration was 120% focused.
Chen Chuan, who had arrogantly shouted about “ranking by seniority” before, was now working very hard.
As for He Bin, his speed dribbling across the full court was only mid-level in the team; it seemed most of his training focus had been on three-pointers.
Another round ended, and the sound of exhausted breathing came from the players.
Ling Huanzhen looked at the time, still dissatisfied. “Giving you one minute to adjust your breathing! Look at your results, too trash!”
The players looked at Ling Huanzhen with despair. They once thought having such a coach was an honor, but now they felt… they would die.
Chen Chuan was the first to break, raising his hand. “Coach… Coach Ling… I know you are a CBA player, but if we could reach the dribbling speed you want… we would be playing in the CBA…”
Other players also complained in low voices.
“Yeah, can’t be any faster…”
Ling Huanzhen laughed coldly. “Heh, you have the nerve to compare yourselves with the CBA? Are you thinking too highly of yourselves, or looking down on me?”
Everyone shut up immediately.
Ling Huanzhen took the board from Assistant Coach Cheng Qing and loudly read the data on it—all from school teams like Jin Province Normal University, Chengjiang College, and the University of Science and Technology.
This surprised everyone present. Ma Wenhua had never brought out data from other schools for comparison before, even though he had stayed at those schools.
But Ling Huanzhen had only been coach for one day and had already done enough preparation to get training data from other universities in the province!
“Babies, your training data is at the bottom among Jin Province universities! I heard Jin Province is organizing a new Arts and Media University. I’m worried that if those art students start playing basketball, your ranking will drop another spot.”
At these words, the players were speechless.
“Also, who said you can’t be faster?” Ling Huanzhen looked at everyone amusingly. “Come over and see for yourselves. Isn’t your speed faster with each round? So I say, before training ends today, do one more round and break your own records.”
Ling Huanzhen threw the record board directly. After Chen Chuan caught it, all the players gathered to look.
Everyone was surprised to find that indeed, each time was faster than the last, even if only by a fraction of a second; progress was progress. And the recorder was Assistant Coach Cheng Qing; he wouldn’t lie.
A silent yet exhilarating feeling welled up in everyone’s hearts.
Ling Huanzhen clapped his hands. “Alright, don’t waste time. Either do another round to push yourselves, or scram back now. Someone is watching you. You lost the game before; are you going to lose your training momentum too? The reason losers are losers is because they feel they can’t win before the competition even starts.”
Chen Chuan and He Bin turned around and saw Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao sitting in the stands.
Xia Chiyi was all smiles, dazzlingly bright.
As for Zhou Zhexiao, expressionless, hands hanging naturally, eyelids drooping, looking like he would fall asleep from boredom the next second.
“Guys! One more round!” Seeing these two, Chen Chuan’s first reaction was timidity, but Ling Huanzhen’s countless “losers” were very refreshing and stimulating. A fire rushed up from his heart; he felt that if he didn’t persist through this round, he would never be able to lift his head in front of these two freshmen in this lifetime.
He Bin glanced at Xia Chiyi, silently rotated his wrist, preparing for the next round.
Xia Chiyi turned to look at Zhou Zhexiao. “Why do I feel Coach Ling is using us?”
“Mn, just using,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.
Assistant Coach Cheng Qing swallowed, looking at Ling Huanzhen’s back, feeling an indescribable excitement deep inside.
Finally, someone was bringing the school team’s training onto the right track.
Before, these players spent their thoughts on how to cater to Ma Wenhua’s wishes, brushing up their presence in various ways, except for refining their basketball skills.
During the days Ma Wenhua was hospitalized, Cheng Qing had earnestly advised them to maintain training, but the players didn’t care about the data he provided. Now he could finally heave a sigh of relief.
At this moment, the basketball hall door opened again. Ye Chaoying quickly rushed to Xia Chiyi’s side. Not only did he come, but he also grabbed a handful of Wangzai ice pops.
“Where did you get these?” Xia Chiyi asked in a whisper.
“Sigh, you two are almost campus idols. Someone gave them to me as soon as I got near the basketball hall.”
Zhou Zhexiao held the rock-hard frozen stick, completely clueless about what it was for.
Beside him, Xia Chiyi lowered his head, held both ends of the stick, twisted and turned, snapping it into two pieces. Then he stuffed one end into his mouth and sucked hard.
He glanced at Zhou Zhexiao beside him, laughed out loud, and stuffed the other half into his hand.
“This is for sucking, not a glow stick for cheering! And you wouldn’t cheer for them anyway, right?”
Zhou Zhexiao mimicked Xia Chiyi, holding the other half in his mouth.
The sight of the three of them lying on the stands sucking ice pops, like watching monkeys in a circus, thoroughly enraged the old team members.
For this final full-court dribbling test, everyone put in 120% effort. Most people set new records. Even Xia Chiyi on the sidelines couldn’t help but want to join them.
After training ended, Ling Huanzhen strictly required everyone to stretch, then gathered everyone together.
Ling Huanzhen’s gaze glanced bluntly at the stands, then swept over the old team members present.
“Do you think that with those three fearless freshmen on the stands, the starting lineup is almost full, and the rest of you have basically no chance?” Ling Huanzhen swept a cold look over them.
Chen Chuan and He Bin remained silent.
Losing the intramural game was a humiliation for them, to the point where they even considered quitting the basketball team.
Especially hearing that Ling Huanzhen was cut from the provincial team in his youth by none other than Provincial Coach Ma Hongming, leading to his forced journey overseas and a difficult, high-pressure NCAA career.
His agreement to coach the Ningchang University team probably carried some intention against Ma Hongming—who asked Ma Wenhua to be Ma Hongming’s cousin?
But they were unwilling to give up, and more curious about what difference a school team led by Ling Huanzhen would have.
Only regarding the starting lineup, they knew… it definitely wouldn’t be their turn.
Ling Huanzhen sneered, “You think too highly of those three unweaned idiots, don’t you?”
Xia Chiyi was stunned. “Unweaned?”
Ye Chaoying gritted his teeth. “Idiots?”
Zhou Zhexiao frowned. “Why three?”
Xia Chiyi stuffed the ice pop into Ye Chaoying’s hand: “He must be mocking us for eating kids’ stuff!”
Ling Huanzhen was very pleased with Zhou Zhexiao’s reaction and continued: “Each game in the university First Division league has four quarters, ten minutes each. Adding up to forty minutes, not including overtime in case of a tie. Someone calculated that in professional games like the NBA… and CBA, the total distance a player runs without the ball is comparable to a 10,000-meter run.
But without running off-ball, how do you screen for teammates, how do you help defend, how do you get good positions? But running means massive physical consumption. Physical consumption means gradual decline in form.”
Hearing this, He Bin’s heart beat fast because off-ball movement was essential for every three-point shooter, so this passage sounded more like it was spoken to him.
Relying on running to get catch-and-shoot opportunities, while simultaneously having stamina drop due to constant running, accuracy would also plummet.
“So, even the strongest player in the team isn’t necessarily a starter. Even a starter might be swapped out in the second or third quarter. A game is like chess; the opposing coach and I are the players moving the pieces. The opponent has a bench or even a whole cheerleading squad of pieces. And me? Just those three sucking on ice pops; do you think that’s enough?” Ling Huanzhen’s gaze swept over all of them.
He Bin’s throat moved, and he asked, “Then Coach Ling, how can we become your chess pieces?”
Ling Huanzhen revealed a dazzling smile: “Then you have to ask yourself, what are you best at? How to maximize your strengths? Babies, don’t always think about being some hexagon warrior; even schools don’t hang banners for ‘comprehensive development’ anymore. The school arranged an office for me. I welcome you to come chat with me, proactively let me know what position you want to play and what skills you excel at.”
The players were stunned. Before, Ma Hongming preached every day about his cousin Ma Hongming’s doctrine of comprehensive development, but Ling Huanzhen said the complete opposite.
Will this work?
Ling Huanzhen saw their concerns and laughed: “Everyone knows my shooting sucks. Many people flamed me, telling me to practice mid-range shots. Sorry, I really don’t have the talent for mid-range shots. But it doesn’t matter, isn’t there Jiao Yingfeng? Three-pointers are Jiao Yingfeng’s business; I just need to be responsible for grabbing the rebound when he misses. Because—I am the Rebound King! As long as I’m here, Jiao Yingfeng dares to shoot anytime. This is positioning.”
“Wow… I suddenly regret flaming Ling Huanzhen so much… I’m indeed too young.” Ye Chaoying felt a bit of admiration rising in his heart.
That sentence “I am the Rebound King” was truly badass.
Zhou Zhexiao snorted lightly. “Never seen anyone describe their terrible mid-range shooting so elegantly.”
“Training ends here for today. Dismissed.” Ling Huanzhen clapped his hands, bent down to pick up his cola, and suddenly fell silent.
Cheng Qing walked to his side and asked curiously, “Coach Ling, what’s wrong?”
“Hiss… I just feel I should switch to a thermos cup; that would be more coach-like.”
Xia Chiyi, walking from the stands to the aisle, overheard this sentence inadvertently, chuckled suddenly, and then quickly covered his mouth.
Xia Chiyi thought the other didn’t hear, but unexpectedly, the back of his neck was pinched by Ling Huanzhen.
The other’s hand was large. Xia Chiyi’s shoulders shrank up, looking exactly like a turtle.
“Student, what were you laughing at just now?”
“No… nothing? Just wanted to ask if Coach Ling is going to put cola in the thermos cup?”
For some reason, he used to think Ling Huanzhen must be that kind of powerful, arrogant, scary guy. But after hearing what he said as a coach, Xia Chiyi suddenly felt he was more like a reliable big brother, and started joking with him.
“Of course not.” Ling Huanzhen was amused. “Thermos cup is for goji berries, of course.”
“Hahaha, feels like you’ll go bald.” Xia Chiyi touched the tip of his nose.
Ling Huanzhen paused, reviewing those coaches in the national team and CBA teams in his mind. It seemed… those holding thermos cups indeed didn’t have very thick hair.
“Then I’ll stick with cola.” Ling Huanzhen let go of Xia Chiyi’s neck and patted his back. “Brat, don’t think I don’t know you and Zhou Zhexiao haven’t submitted your application forms yet. Right now, immediately, go submit the applications to me.”
“Ah?” Xia Chiyi thought, Are Zhou Zhexiao and I already on his list? Otherwise, why rush to join before military training ends?
Ling Huanzhen draped his arm over Xia Chiyi’s shoulder and patted it, speaking earnestly: “Join the team early so we can analyze your situation specifically and create a training plan exclusive to you. Otherwise, without being sure if you are my disciple, why would I waste time conducting in-depth analysis on you?”
Hearing this, Xia Chiyi’s eyes lit up.
Exclusive training plan? Ling Huanzhen’s disciple? In-depth analysis?
Feeling so special!
Xia Chiyi nodded immediately. “Apply! Apply! I’ll go apply right now immediately!”
“Go then. Fill out all the forms seriously.” Ling Huanzhen looked at Zhou Zhexiao with a smug expression. “Zhou Zhexiao, you too. Height, weight, wingspan, fill everything clearly!”
“Oh.” Zhou Zhexiao followed behind Cheng Qing to fill out the application form.
When Ye Chaoying passed by, he was stopped by Ling Huanzhen. The other beckoned him with a finger. Ye Chaoying thought for a moment and smiled: “Coach Ling, I don’t smoke…”
The next second, his head was smacked.
“I don’t smoke either. Where’s the stuff you guys were sucking on just now? Wasn’t it cool? Give me one too!”
Ye Chaoying immediately handed over all the ice pops in the plastic bag.
That night, Xia Chiyi tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Hugging the quilt, he turned from left to right, then right to left. It was already 1 AM, and he was still awake, his mind full of imagining what kind of training plan Ling Huanzhen would create for him after military training ended.
Opposite him, Ye Chaoying and Little Pang were already asleep.
Although their beds didn’t creak, Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao’s beds were adjacent. Every time Xia Chiyi turned over, Zhou Zhexiao shook along with him.
After the hundredth or hundred-and-first turn, Zhou Zhexiao let out a heavy breath and suddenly sat up, comparable to a midnight zombie resurrection, scaring Xia Chiyi into freezing on the bed.
“Come here.” Not only was Zhou Zhexiao’s tone low, but his gaze was also dark and scary.
“…Ah?”
If I really go over, will I be smothered to death with a pillow?
The two looked at each other; the sudden silence was the scariest.
“Bring your phone and earphones over.” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice softened just a tiny bit.
Feeling like he heard an imperial decree, Xia Chiyi climbed over from the headboard shelf. Zhou Zhexiao was already leaning sideways against the wall, leaving half the bed for him. Xia Chiyi immediately lay down, incredibly surprised inside—Zhou Zhexiao actually invited him to his bed?
Zhou Zhexiao searched for a video on his phone and signaled Xia Chiyi to put on the earphones. Xia Chiyi offered one side to him, but Zhou Zhexiao shook his head, meaning he didn’t need it.
After lying down properly, Xia Chiyi realized Zhou Zhexiao had found training footage of Sheng Xingming playing in the NCAA over a decade ago.
Sheng Xingming at that time was far less robust than when he entered the NBA. Compared to his college teammates, he looked somewhat thin, bearing some resemblance to the current Xia Chiyi.
The video started filming from the morning. Sheng Xingming’s training volume was immense, mixing aerobic and anaerobic exercises until his stamina was depleted. Even someone as strong as Sheng Xingming would be exhausted to the point of vomiting into a trash can. Various dribbling drills, sprint drills… only when Sheng Xingming’s stamina was nearly empty did three-point shooting training begin.
Xia Chiyi’s originally excited heart gradually calmed down. At this moment, he understood there were no so-called geniuses; all achievements were reached after constantly surpassing one’s own limits.