Chapter 29: Second Update

"He should be thrilled that he can even find someone to teach him!" Ling Huanzhen pondered for a moment before clinking glasses with Jiao Yingfeng again. "And then there’s He Bin—I still need your guidance for him."

"A team's 3-and-D player is crucial. Since you’ve chosen this He Bin, I suggest finding a true 3-and-D specialist to train him," Jiao Yingfeng said calmly.

Ling Huanzhen patted his cheeks. "My reputation is nearly exhausted. If I’m not paying them, why would they work for free?"

"Host a reunion for old friends. Invite them over for barbecue and beer. When they’re half-tipsy, use the bond of your brotherhood to guilt-trip them into it."

"Good grief, do you think this is some scheme to lure them into a mahjong game?" Ling Huanzhen sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "This is the first time I’ve realized how torturous it is to be broke. I really hope that after the grassroots tournament, I can get Principal Feng to increase the budget so we can hire professional physical trainers and coaches for these kids."

After the meal, Jiao Yingfeng prepared to head back to his hotel.

Xia Chiyi couldn't help but ask, "When will I see you again, Master? You aren't just going to be my master for three hours, are you?"

Jiao Yingfeng paused before the steps. It was the first time he had felt such attachment. Though the boy was no longer a child, the sensation of being needed and trusted made Jiao feel his own value for the first time in the two years since he had left the court.

"You brat, what are you thinking? The next time you see me, you’ll be crying," Jiao Yingfeng said, patting Xia Chiyi’s shoulder. "I need to discuss your situation with the trainers, strength coaches, and other friends I know. The training plan must be scientific and targeted; we can’t let your sweat and time go to waste."

"Thank you, Master!"

"Mm. For now, just stick with Zhou Zhexiao. He’s very balanced when it comes to physical training; he really knows his stuff."

With that, Jiao Yingfeng went upstairs.

On the way back to the school, Ling Huanzhen couldn't help but describe his training plans to the two in the back seat. "It’s a good thing our team is small. For players like Du He, Shuai Bei, and Chen Chuan, who primarily play as forwards, I can teach them myself."

"Can you handle all of them?" Zhou Zhexiao asked.

"Well, I’ll add you to the mix..." Ling Huanzhen paused, then added to justify his demands, "Don't hold back on the techniques you learned at Oak Hill Academy in the U.S.—share them with the team! I’ll leave Xia Chiyi to Jiao, and He Bin can be trained by Jiao as well. If I’m lucky enough to get Old Ji to come over for a few sessions, it would benefit He Bin for a lifetime. As for Ye Chaoying, I’ll leave him to Gao Daman! For the others, I’ll pay out of my own pocket to find them a trainer. Yes, the plan is perfect—"

"Indeed," Zhou Zhexiao said dryly. "As long as you’re thick-skinned enough to exploit your old teammates, every plan is perfect."

Xia Chiyi thought to himself that "Old Ji" must be the famous CBA 3-and-D player Ji Bo, who also ranked second in three-point percentage. It was rumored that Ji Bo came from a wealthy family and, after retiring, dedicated himself to grassroots basketball education, founding many youth basketball schools to popularize the sport and ignite passion in children.

Ji Bo’s schools were the most famous in the country, with abundant resources and tuition that most working-class families could afford. They were currently the top choice for youth basketball training.

Would such a big boss actually come to teach college students?

"Excuse me, who is Gao Daman?" Xia Chiyi couldn't help but ask. He couldn't place the name at all.

Ling Huanzhen laughed aloud. "It’s so obvious, how can you not guess? The famous 'Steamed Bun'!"

Zhou Zhexiao spoke up: "It’s the person Ye Chaoying always talks about—the one who relied on his looks in the CBA, and after retiring, even tossed his face aside—the perpetually bloated Gao Jinshu."

Xia Chiyi nearly choked on his own saliva. He suddenly wasn't sure if this was good news or bad news for Ye Chaoying.

After Ling Huanzhen parked the car back at the school, the three went their separate ways. Xia Chiyi walked ahead with a light step, humming an off-key tune.

Zhou Zhexiao followed at a leisurely pace, his hands in his pockets, watching the boy's retreating figure. Xia Chiyi’s shoulder blades seemed as though a pair of wings might sprout from them at any moment, ready to catch a breeze and soar into the sky.

"Zhou Zhexiao... today really felt like a dream. Jiao Yingfeng actually took me on as his student! My master is Jiao Yingfeng... the King of Three-Pointers in Asian men's basketball, the greatest shooting guard..."

"Mm," Zhou Zhexiao replied faintly.

The boy suddenly stopped, raising his hand as if to grasp the moon in the night sky. "Zhou Zhexiao, you said everything I want will be mine, as long as I don’t give up. But... I want to play basketball with Sheng Xingming, and that’s one thing that will never come true."

"You’ve already achieved it," Zhou Zhexiao answered.

"How?" Xia Chiyi turned, looking at him with expectant eyes.

That familiar sensation of blood rushing uncontrollably to his heart returned. Zhou Zhexiao walked over calmly, lifted Xia Chiyi’s right hand, and gently interlaced his fingers with the boy's.

"The star he gave you is still there, isn't it?"

Xia Chiyi’s eyes widened, shining bright as if countless eternal candles were burning endlessly for someone within them. "How did you know this star was given to me by Sheng Xingming?"

"Of course I know."

"I attended a basketball camp when I was a kid, and Sheng Xingming was my coach for a few days."

"Mm." Zhou Zhexiao was not surprised.

"He taught me my catch-and-shoot turn-around jumper. Back then, I was too impatient, so I couldn't find my focus after turning and kept shooting frantically, missing every time. Sheng Xingming noticed the problem and drew this star between my fingers, giving me a target point to find immediately after turning. He said this star represented him watching me, and if I didn't find that target point after turning and just shot wildly, he would know."

Xia Chiyi, who had already walked ahead, turned and ran back to stand in front of Zhou Zhexiao, looking up slightly. "Guess where Sheng Xingming told me the target point was?"

"The knot of the net on the rim," Zhou Zhexiao answered.

Xia Chiyi paused, then immediately asked, "What knot?"

"The net under the rim has a circle of knots. No matter which angle you face the hoop from, there will always be three knots facing you. You just need to aim at the middle one."

Zhou Zhexiao walked forward at a steady pace, his expression unchanged.

Xia Chiyi quickly caught up. "How do you know?"

"Because I aim there too. The knot is the most obvious target point the eye can find."

"But... many people don't aim at the knots. I asked Ye Chaoying, and he doesn't!"

Zhou Zhexiao suddenly turned, and Xia Chiyi, caught off guard, bumped straight into his chest.

"Hisss..."

Luckily, he braked in time, or his nose tip would have hit the other man’s chin—a true human tragedy. Xia Chiyi looked up, meeting Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze, and noticed a hint of a smile on his lips.

"That’s why we’re both so accurate."

In that moment, Xia Chiyi had an illusion... as if he had plucked the moon from the sky. He felt a tremor in his heart; Zhou Zhexiao really shouldn't smile, it was practically cheating.

He immediately averted his gaze, circled around Zhou Zhexiao, and walked ahead, hurriedly trying to think of something else to distract himself.

"Ah, ah, ah! What am I going to tell Ye Chaoying when I get back?"

Zhou Zhexiao said calmly, "You don't have to tell him. If you want to pursue a professional path, you’ll need to spend a lot more money finding trainers, strength coaches, nutritionists, and sports medicine staff. No one succeeds solely on talent and hard work. Ye Chaoying knows this better than you do, and his financial situation is better than yours. If I’m not mistaken, he already has his own trainer."

"But I still want to tell him. Because if I don't say anything now, he might be very angry when he finds out later." Xia Chiyi took a deep breath. "Even though we were rivals for the past three years, I know what kind of person he is."

"You decide how to talk to your friends."

Back in the dormitory, Xia Chiyi called Ye Chaoying out to the balcony. Ye Chaoying looked a bit nervous.

"Xia Chiyi, you look so serious it makes me worried that the next thing you’re going to tell me is... you need to borrow money."

Xia Chiyi raised his fist, wanting to hit him, but decided to pull his ear instead and whispered, "I met Jiao Yingfeng today!"

Ye Chaoying’s eyes went wide. "Where? Did you ask for an autograph? Did he give you any shooting tips? Ah, that’s so unfair, why didn't you call me!"

"We met at the Ningchang Youth Basketball Training Center. I didn't ask for an autograph, but I played basketball with him for nearly three hours."

"Three hours... my god... how much stamina does that take?"

"To tell you the truth, my legs are shaking just standing here by the balcony." Xia Chiyi took a deep breath. "And then, he took me on as his student."

After saying that, Xia Chiyi watched Ye Chaoying carefully. Surprise and envy flickered in the other boy's eyes, followed by unparalleled joy as he pounded Xia Chiyi on the back.

"Did you save the galaxy in your past life, kid?! That’s Jiao Yingfeng! He’s a legendary beauty—how is he now? Is he bald? Is he greasy? He didn't turn into Gao Jinshu, did he?"

Xia Chiyi swallowed. Buddy, the "greasy" Gao Jinshu you’re talking about might just become your master.

"No, he’s still a handsome man."

"My god, my teammate, my roommate, is actually Jiao Yingfeng’s student. It’s over, it’s over—why do I suddenly feel so low?" Ye Chaoying grabbed his own forehead, looking deeply troubled.

"Hey, you have to believe that Coach Ling has special arrangements for you too. They say he found a guy who was incredibly handsome back in the day, a guy who had cheerleaders chanting his name the moment he stepped on the court, to teach you how to become a top-tier point guard..."

"Really?" Ye Chaoying asked suspiciously. "The most beautiful men in Chinese basketball are Jiao Yingfeng and... your 'white moonlight.' Are there others?"

"There are, there are. Look, Coach Ling doesn't seem like the type to lie," Xia Chiyi said, passing the buck against his conscience.

"Haha, he doesn't lie, but he sure knows how to sell dreams." Ye Chaoying ruffled Xia Chiyi’s hair and laughed. "Buddy, I’m happy for you. Actually, even if Coach Ling didn't help me find an expert, I’ve always had my own trainer. To be honest, when I was cut by Ma Hongming, I felt a sense of relief. Because I wasn't even sure if I wanted to be an athlete."

"Mm," Xia Chiyi replied softly.