The second battle between the Hamster and the Beluga became the most anticipated match in the Russian Super League. Due to the high level of the Russian Super League, not only Russian volleyball fans but also fans from all over the world were tuning in to the live broadcast through various channels.
This was probably the Russian Super League’s highest-rated match in February. In February 2018, the Winter Olympics was held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and as the most renowned global sports event, all sports enthusiasts directed their attention there.
Russia, being a northern country, always had a high popularity for winter sports, but recently, the Russian Super League’s viewership had been declining. The Hamster vs. Beluga match served as a strong remedy to boost the viewership.
Unconsciously, Qin Chunxiao, who had become familiar to the Russian Super League fans, once again exchanged high-fives with his teammates and appeared on the court. Many spectators applauded them, and some even shouted, “Misha Давай!” which was the pronunciation of “加油” (Jiāyóu) in Russian, meaning “Go for it!”
At the same time, people from various countries were tuning in to watch this game. Despite the Hamster Club being overshadowed by the Beluga for so many years, they were still a team that had a lot of followers as they were once second only to the Beluga in the Russian Super League. After all, in case the Beluga Club underestimated the game and lost, wouldn’t the team they face in the Champions League be the Hamster? They could be considered the reserve opponents!
Brazil’s Mars also connected to the internet to watch this highly anticipated regular-season game.
And long-time fans like Lu Xuandong had already taken their seats on the sofa, solemnly observing Qin Chunxiao’s figure.
Soso stood in the first position, Qin Chunxiao on his left in the sixth position, to his left was the main attacker Oleg, and Erlang was in front of Qin Chunxiao in the fourth position with his hands raised, Anton was right next to him in the third position, and to the right of Anton was the deputy attacker Danny in the second position.
Everyone held their breath and focused as the referee blew the whistle, and Roman tossed the ball, delivering a heavy serve at a speed of 130 km/h!
Without hesitation, Qin Chunxiao pounced towards the ball, and as the ball was set up, Anton ran over for an assist, while Danny immediately jumped for a quick attack! Although this guy’s blocking technique was not as good as Fu Xiaoji and Aizimaiti, his attacking speed was extremely fast!
Little did they know that the opposite team’s deputy attacker had anticipated their moves and didn’t fall for Anton’s feigned blocking. Instead, he preemptively blocked in front of Danny. With a quick move of his left hand, he successfully blocked the ball. In this critical moment, Li Ling rolled on the ground and received the ball.
“Er Leng did a good receiving!”
“Nice receive, Tulengchika!”
Qin Chunxiao rushed to the second position, and the ball flew from his hands, drawing a short arc in the air. Danny jumped again for an attack, and the ball landed, scoring the first point!
1-0, the Hamsters secured the first point of the match!
“Second setter?” Roman looked at Qin Chunxiao’s direction and exclaimed, “He’s truly an all-around hamster.”
One of his teammates stumbled, “Roman, please don’t call him that in front of others.”
Roman sighed, as he didn’t score with his serve, the serving right shifted to the Hamster Club, and Danny rotated to the serving position to start serving.
Qin Chunxiao rotated to the fifth position, continuing to closely watch the opposing attacker.
Alexander in the audience originally clenched his fists tightly, but he gradually relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. Even without him as the attacking point, the team was still playing steadily and harmoniously, and that was good enough.
From the second ball onwards, the Hamster and the Beluga began to clash with each other. Although the two representatives’ sizes were vastly different, the Hamster displayed a nimble resilience. Because Qin Chunxiao, Li Ling, and Anton were all skilled at first setting and could also be second setters, they adopted a strategy of jointly defending the net and having whoever was free go for the second setting.
It felt like the Beluga swiped the ball over the net with tremendous force, while the Hamster precariously intercepted the ball, receiving it with a light and deft move.
The two entirely different styles were displayed on the court, not only harmoniously but also making the match more exciting than ever before!
In truth, Anton and Li Ling were not as efficient in defending against Roman as Qin Chunxiao, but they didn’t need to ensure the reception. They only had to maintain their positions, with three of them at the net and a blocking line in the front row. This setup should be sufficient for defense, right?
As per Nikolai’s pre-game arrangement, they aimed to drag the Beluga into a defensive battle today. If the Beluga scored, fine. No team in the world could defend without conceding points. But the Beluga would have to pay a significant price, point by point, for every score they got!
However, after giving their all in defense, their offensive strength naturally declined. Towards the end of the first set, the Hamster’s score started falling behind.
The Beluga’s coach glanced at the Hamster’s coaching bench and saw Nikolai remain composed, but his expression became more serious.
Did you also anticipate the Hamster’s falling behind, Nikolai? What are you planning? If it’s a battle of attrition, are you so confident that you can outlast us in terms of stamina?
After a fierce battle, the Beluga narrowly won the first set with a score of 30-28, but both sides felt more drained than usual.
This set was truly thrilling, with the ball flying at high speeds between the two sides of the net, making it extremely difficult to land. Neither side gave an inch.
A Russian Super League commentator commented, “The Hamster and the Beluga are archenemies, so whenever they meet, they always ignite a fiery atmosphere that other teams lack. But I must say, I love their performance today.”
Lu Xuandong, watching the match, took a deep breath. Although the Hamster lost the first set, he wasn’t nervous because he knew they must have come prepared this time.
He murmured to himself, “Chunxiao will definitely win!”
Nikolai took out his little notebook with inspirational quotes and glanced at it, then started to encourage his players, “The opposing side is already getting tired. Maintain this style of play. Through our training in the wild, we’ve accumulated more stamina, and this is the perfect time to engage them in an attrition battle. Of course, we can’t forget about our offense.”
As he said that, Nikolai looked at Qin Chunxiao, smiling, “Misha, you, Oleg, and Tulengchika will have the green light in the upcoming time. Anton, time your actions well, and whoever has an open net in front, pass the ball to them.”
Anton nodded solemnly.
At the same time, on the volleyball frontline program of H Province Sports Channel, the two commentators were fully focused.
Wu Di said, “You can see that this time, the Hamster is determined to give the Beluga a tough time. The first set for both teams reached 30 points, and they’re playing with an extremely strong will.”
Li Laiheng added, “That’s right, we can see that both teams are resolute in their attacks, and their cooperation is excellent. The first setting and follow-ups are very strong. Keep it up!”
In the second set, Qin Chunxiao switched to using his left hand to play, and in Nikolai’s arrangement, he was directly facing Roman!
Since the aggressive approach wasn’t yielding points, they decided to go with a softer strategy!
With his explosive buff still active, Qin Chunxiao and his teammates joined forces and managed to take the second set in one go!
The score was now tied, 1-1!
Moving into the third set, Qin Chunxiao’s form remained good, though he still felt the game was challenging. However, after winning the second set, the Beluga, in their eyes, no longer seemed like the insurmountable five-time champions of the Russian Super League.
The team’s momentum was building!
As the Hamsters’ form improved, the eyes of many fans began to shine brightly.
What is the most captivating aspect of competitive sports?
Undoubtedly, it’s when athletes push themselves to their limits and perform at a high level!
Amidst the cheers of Powell Sr holding the mascot Tulengchika, Li Ling ran to Anton, who had just received the first set, and made a quick hand gesture to Qin Chunxiao: “Set!”
Qin Chunxiao took a two-step run-up, single-legged jump, and his slender body seemed to suspend in mid-air. His left hand was raised high, and on the opposite side, Roman had already jumped with both hands up, ready to block the ball!
Qin Chunxiao fixed his gaze on the gap between Roman’s arms and intended to spike the ball there. Subconsciously, Roman closed his hands a bit more, trying to push the ball back. However, in the next instant, Qin Chunxiao unexpectedly changed the direction of the spike in mid-air.
He forcefully patted the volleyball with his palm, and the ball barely grazed Roman’s hair, floating out of bounds. The Beluga’s libero immediately chased after the ball but failed to reach it.
It was a “hair-touch” out!1
After this point, the score on both sides was 24-24. Just as the Hamsters were about to lose the third set, Qin Chunxiao managed to regain one point through his “hair-touch” play.
Roman wiped off some sweat, knowing that they were about to enter the battle to win the next two points, and those two points were a test of both sides’ determination.
However, Roman deeply understood that the Beluga had been worn down by the previous positional battle. His teammates had only recently lost to ENEL Club by a small margin in the Club World Championship, obtaining second place. At this moment, they couldn’t help but feel a bit impatient. Nikolai had instructed the Hamsters to play a grueling defensive battle, both to exhaust their stamina and to break their mentality, thus increasing their error rate!
Although they had already figured out Nikolai’s intentions, being “hair-touched” by Qin Chunxiao and losing a point still left them feeling frustrated!
Qin Chunxiao even mouthed something to him.
“Strength.”
Roman took a deep breath and decided that he wouldn’t like the “Mouse Misha” for the next ten seconds. He turned and made a gesture towards the coach’s bench, prompting them to call for a timeout.
They wanted to break the Hamsters’ rhythm!
On the Hamster’s coaching bench, Nikolai kept urging his players to stay steady, assuring them that they could win!
On the Beluga’s coaching bench, the coach reminded them, “Don’t be drawn into the Hamsters’ rhythm. Don’t forget that we are one of the world’s top clubs, and each one of you has numerous honors to your name. We are the strongest in the Russian Super League! Rosie, from now on, start setting the ball higher, slow down the pace, and give the difficult balls to Roman to handle.”
The Beluga’s coach also employed the universal coaching technique: “Give the damn ball to the ace.”
So when the game resumed, Roman took the opportunity and also executed a “hair-touch” play against the Hamster Club!
Come on, Roman was a peak-level beast! His “hair-touch” ability was even better than Qin Chunxiao’s. When he said “hair-touch,” that ball was definitely going to touch Qin Chunxiao’s fingertips, nothing else!
The score was now 25-24.
When Qin Chunxiao was blocking halfway, he realized that Roman was about to execute a “hair-touch” play, so he quickly leaned back, trying to avoid the ball. However, the middle finger of his right hand still got hit by the ball. As the referee ruled in favor of the Beluga Club, the TV commentators exclaimed in surprise.
“Answer ball!”
The so-called “answer ball” was a response to a previous play. Qin Chunxiao had just scored with a “hair-touch,” and now Roman immediately returned the favor with the same technique. It was a scene that the audience and spectators loved to see – “players squaring off against each other.”
The play was executed beautifully, and many Beluga fans at the scene enthusiastically praised it. Roman was about to smile with satisfaction when he saw Tulengchika rushing over to Qin Chunxiao and gesturing to Nikolai.
Tulengchika shouted in broken Russian, “Coach, timeout!”
Anton also ran to Qin Chunxiao’s side and saw the brave, strong, clever, and adorable Misha holding his right hand, trembling slightly. Even a casual observer could tell that it hurt.
Worry surged in Lu Xuandong’s heart. He regretted not being at the scene, but as someone with an abundance of initiative, he wouldn’t hesitate for too long. He took out his phone and started booking a flight ticket. He also sent a message to Lu Yunchen, saying he wouldn’t supervise the rehearsal of the “Yanko” dance with Auntie. Instead, he would leave Long Zitan, the former manager, with them. If there was anything, Lu Yunchen could practice with Long Zitan.
On the sidelines of the game, Nikolai immediately called for a timeout. Qin Chunxiao was surrounded by his teammates and brought to the coach’s bench, where the team doctor came to examine him.
As fans following the match through TV discussed the situation, one of them asked, “Is he injured?”
“Definitely! Mao Xunfeng has been injured like this before.”
“Misha Qin is too slender. I’ve seen videos of him signing autographs for fans. His palms are big, and his fingers are long, but unfortunately not thick enough.”
“I hope Qin Team is okay.”
The team doctor was familiar with common volleyball injuries and quickly diagnosed, “It’s a soft tissue problem, fortunately not dislocated.”
Qin Chunxiao’s right middle finger had become swollen, but he was the type with particularly flexible palms, so it hadn’t dislocated thanks to that. He chuckled, “As expected, Roman’s hit was quite strong. I wonder how that guy trains, his strength is astonishing.”
Nikolai furrowed his brows, torn between the match and Qin Chunxiao’s well-being. In less than three seconds, he decided to take Qin Chunxiao off the court.
The Hamsters were already not in their complete form, with Alexander still recovering from an injury. In this match, they were unlikely to defeat the Beluga, so Nikolai had prepared for both outcomes. Losing was a chance for training, and he had even prepared comforting words for the players.
However, Qin Chunxiao saw through Nikolai’s intentions. He looked at the team doctor and said, “Please treat the injury for me. I want to return to the game as soon as possible.”
Just as Nikolai was about to say something, Tulengchika miraculously understood what Qin Chunxiao said to the team doctor in Russian and immediately crossed his arms, indicating “No.”
“Xiaozai, I won’t allow you to play injured!” Li Ling stared wide-eyed, his voice louder than ever before. Even the TV stations with better audio devices caught his words.
The blue-eyed kid looked up, extremely determined. “My injury isn’t severe enough to leave lasting consequences. I came to the Russian Super League to become stronger. I understand the coach’s concern, but I don’t want this minor injury to hinder our victory!”
Qin Chunxiao hated losing so much! The previous loss to the Beluga had bothered him for a long time. And just now, Roman had even served him an “answer ball.” If he backed down now, would he have to do this every time he faced Roman in the future?
Yes, his body was too delicate compared to those giants, and his fingers weren’t thick enough, so if he got hurt a little, should he rest and shrink like this forever? Qin Chunxiao couldn’t stand for that. No one understood one thing better than he did…
“I want to become the world’s best libero, so I don’t want to sit on the bench when the team needs me, and I don’t want to back down in front of Roman!”
In his past life, Coach Mars had once told him that if he retreated at the slightest trouble when facing strong opponents, one day, retreating would become his habit. So today, Qin Chunxiao was determined not to back down, hey!
Nikolai paused, why did this statement sound so familiar? It seemed like in a volleyball match in the last century, during a game against Brazil, he saw an opposing player named Mars, a veteran who was about to retire, shouting something similar to his coach. At that time, Mars said, “I don’t want to back down in front of a strong opponent.”
Later, Nikolai lost that match because the Brazilian team was too fierce. And at that time, the team that was still the Soviet men’s volleyball team lost the Olympic gold medal.
It was strange. Clearly, Misha Qin and Mars were two completely unrelated people. Misha Qin was a Chinese player, 16 years old this year, while Mars, that old guy, was in South America. They had never met, but at this moment, Nikolai thought of Mars and the gold medal he had missed.
Nikolai rubbed his forehead and threw away the little notebook with the motivational quotes: “If you play with an injury, Newton will definitely call to harass me, do you know how protective that guy is of you?”
Li Ling nodded in agreement beside him, “Exactly, exactly.”
Perhaps stimulated by Qin Chunxiao’s injury, this guy’s Russian was unusually fluent now.
Qin Chunxiao was about to argue a few more words, but Nikolai raised his hand, indicating for him to hold on. “Listen carefully, I’m only giving you half an hour of playtime. And if you feel unwell again, signal to me, and I’ll replace you immediately. It’s just an ordinary match, and you haven’t earned the right to go all out yet. I’m only respecting your will, that’s why I’m letting you play for a short half-hour. Do you understand?”
Nikolai picked up the tactical board, “Now I’m redeploying the tactics. Anton, I need you to handle more reception. Tulengchika, you have more freedom in setting. I’ll give you more authority to initiate attacks. Your job is to create opportunities for scoring. Danny and Oleg, you’re still in charge of the strong attacks, and Misha…”
Nikolai tapped Qin Chunxiao’s forehead, “Play well! You stubborn, annoying little rascal! Be glad that your injury didn’t reach the point where I had to drag you off the court!”
As a coach, Nikolai was supposed to dislike disobedient little devils, but seeing his athletes so full of spirit and thinking about the grudges between the Hamsters and the Beluga, he felt a surge of passion too. It’s just the Beluga? Keep going! Losing won’t be a big deal, but winning will be a huge gain!
Qin Chunxiao grinned suddenly, and his teammates looked at each other. It was the first time they had seen Misha Qin showing such a strong attitude. They used to think Misha Qin was a calm and steady athlete, and it was challenging to see him fired up like this!
But athletes always admired the tough ones. Seeing the second-in-command boosting their spirits, the Hamsters, who were previously affected by Roman’s “answer ball,” suddenly regained their fighting spirit.
Anton reached out again, “Let’s continue to tear apart the Beluga! Ura!”
“Ura!”
As the timeout ended, the players returned to the court. Roman stood at the net, looking at Qin Chunxiao’s right hand, which was now wrapped in bandages, and asked puzzledly, “Are you serious? It’s just a regular match!”
Qin Chunxiao straightforwardly replied, “I don’t care if it’s a regular match or not. I just want to beat you!”
The young man looked up with seriousness in his blue eyes, “Listen, Roman, put away that look of finding me cute! I don’t like being looked at like that on the court!”
Roman was taken aback. As someone who loved cute things, it was the first time he had been told that, and did he really view the Hamsters as cute?
Regarding this point, the Hamsters can answer: It’s really obvious.
Just think about it, they often lose more than they win against the Beluga in their matches, and after the game, they were still treated as cute by Roman. Who wouldn’t get annoyed?
They were Roman’s opponents, and if Roman wants to be friends with them, he needs to adjust his attitude, look them in the eye, not look down on them!
This time it was the Beluga serving, and Qin Chunxiao had already positioned himself to block one of the possible landing points of the ball in advance. As expected, the ball flew towards the other side.
Anton made a leap and received the ball, and Li Ling set it up for the second time. Qin Chunxiao ran, raising his hands backward, and his body sprang up like a small spring, reaching a high height.
Roman still came to block him, and Qin Chunxiao still couldn’t jump high enough to outspike Roman. The gap between them caused by their talent was so evident at that moment.
Qin Chunxiao’s body arched like a bow, and his left hand stretched back with great effort. Then, the palm of his hand touched the volleyball, and with the force he applied, the volleyball passed through the left side of Roman’s arm.
Bang!
Qin Chunxiao and the ball landed simultaneously.
25:25.
Let them continue to fight for these crucial 2 points until one side is pushed to failure.
The second battle between the Hamster and the Beluga became the most anticipated match in the Russian Super League. Due to the high level of the Russian Super League, not only Russian volleyball fans but also fans from all over the world were tuning in to the live broadcast through various channels.
This was probably the Russian Super League’s highest-rated match in February. In February 2018, the Winter Olympics was held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and as the most renowned global sports event, all sports enthusiasts directed their attention there.
Russia, being a northern country, always had a high popularity for winter sports, but recently, the Russian Super League’s viewership had been declining. The Hamster vs. Beluga match served as a strong remedy to boost the viewership.
Unconsciously, Qin Chunxiao, who had become familiar to the Russian Super League fans, once again exchanged high-fives with his teammates and appeared on the court. Many spectators applauded them, and some even shouted, “Misha Давай!” which was the pronunciation of “加油” (Jiāyóu) in Russian, meaning “Go for it!”
At the same time, people from various countries were tuning in to watch this game. Despite the Hamster Club being overshadowed by the Beluga for so many years, they were still a team that had a lot of followers as they were once second only to the Beluga in the Russian Super League. After all, in case the Beluga Club underestimated the game and lost, wouldn’t the team they face in the Champions League be the Hamster? They could be considered the reserve opponents!
Brazil’s Mars also connected to the internet to watch this highly anticipated regular-season game.
And long-time fans like Lu Xuandong had already taken their seats on the sofa, solemnly observing Qin Chunxiao’s figure.
Soso stood in the first position, Qin Chunxiao on his left in the sixth position, to his left was the main attacker Oleg, and Erlang was in front of Qin Chunxiao in the fourth position with his hands raised, Anton was right next to him in the third position, and to the right of Anton was the deputy attacker Danny in the second position.
Everyone held their breath and focused as the referee blew the whistle, and Roman tossed the ball, delivering a heavy serve at a speed of 130 km/h!
Without hesitation, Qin Chunxiao pounced towards the ball, and as the ball was set up, Anton ran over for an assist, while Danny immediately jumped for a quick attack! Although this guy’s blocking technique was not as good as Fu Xiaoji and Aizimaiti, his attacking speed was extremely fast!
Little did they know that the opposite team’s deputy attacker had anticipated their moves and didn’t fall for Anton’s feigned blocking. Instead, he preemptively blocked in front of Danny. With a quick move of his left hand, he successfully blocked the ball. In this critical moment, Li Ling rolled on the ground and received the ball.
“Er Leng did a good receiving!”
“Nice receive, Tulengchika!”
Qin Chunxiao rushed to the second position, and the ball flew from his hands, drawing a short arc in the air. Danny jumped again for an attack, and the ball landed, scoring the first point!
1-0, the Hamsters secured the first point of the match!
“Second setter?” Roman looked at Qin Chunxiao’s direction and exclaimed, “He’s truly an all-around hamster.”
One of his teammates stumbled, “Roman, please don’t call him that in front of others.”
Roman sighed, as he didn’t score with his serve, the serving right shifted to the Hamster Club, and Danny rotated to the serving position to start serving.
Qin Chunxiao rotated to the fifth position, continuing to closely watch the opposing attacker.
Alexander in the audience originally clenched his fists tightly, but he gradually relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. Even without him as the attacking point, the team was still playing steadily and harmoniously, and that was good enough.
From the second ball onwards, the Hamster and the Beluga began to clash with each other. Although the two representatives’ sizes were vastly different, the Hamster displayed a nimble resilience. Because Qin Chunxiao, Li Ling, and Anton were all skilled at first setting and could also be second setters, they adopted a strategy of jointly defending the net and having whoever was free go for the second setting.
It felt like the Beluga swiped the ball over the net with tremendous force, while the Hamster precariously intercepted the ball, receiving it with a light and deft move.
The two entirely different styles were displayed on the court, not only harmoniously but also making the match more exciting than ever before!
In truth, Anton and Li Ling were not as efficient in defending against Roman as Qin Chunxiao, but they didn’t need to ensure the reception. They only had to maintain their positions, with three of them at the net and a blocking line in the front row. This setup should be sufficient for defense, right?
As per Nikolai’s pre-game arrangement, they aimed to drag the Beluga into a defensive battle today. If the Beluga scored, fine. No team in the world could defend without conceding points. But the Beluga would have to pay a significant price, point by point, for every score they got!
However, after giving their all in defense, their offensive strength naturally declined. Towards the end of the first set, the Hamster’s score started falling behind.
The Beluga’s coach glanced at the Hamster’s coaching bench and saw Nikolai remain composed, but his expression became more serious.
Did you also anticipate the Hamster’s falling behind, Nikolai? What are you planning? If it’s a battle of attrition, are you so confident that you can outlast us in terms of stamina?
After a fierce battle, the Beluga narrowly won the first set with a score of 30-28, but both sides felt more drained than usual.
This set was truly thrilling, with the ball flying at high speeds between the two sides of the net, making it extremely difficult to land. Neither side gave an inch.
A Russian Super League commentator commented, “The Hamster and the Beluga are archenemies, so whenever they meet, they always ignite a fiery atmosphere that other teams lack. But I must say, I love their performance today.”
Lu Xuandong, watching the match, took a deep breath. Although the Hamster lost the first set, he wasn’t nervous because he knew they must have come prepared this time.
He murmured to himself, “Chunxiao will definitely win!”
Nikolai took out his little notebook with inspirational quotes and glanced at it, then started to encourage his players, “The opposing side is already getting tired. Maintain this style of play. Through our training in the wild, we’ve accumulated more stamina, and this is the perfect time to engage them in an attrition battle. Of course, we can’t forget about our offense.”
As he said that, Nikolai looked at Qin Chunxiao, smiling, “Misha, you, Oleg, and Tulengchika will have the green light in the upcoming time. Anton, time your actions well, and whoever has an open net in front, pass the ball to them.”
Anton nodded solemnly.
At the same time, on the volleyball frontline program of H Province Sports Channel, the two commentators were fully focused.
Wu Di said, “You can see that this time, the Hamster is determined to give the Beluga a tough time. The first set for both teams reached 30 points, and they’re playing with an extremely strong will.”
Li Laiheng added, “That’s right, we can see that both teams are resolute in their attacks, and their cooperation is excellent. The first setting and follow-ups are very strong. Keep it up!”
In the second set, Qin Chunxiao switched to using his left hand to play, and in Nikolai’s arrangement, he was directly facing Roman!
Since the aggressive approach wasn’t yielding points, they decided to go with a softer strategy!
With his explosive buff still active, Qin Chunxiao and his teammates joined forces and managed to take the second set in one go!
The score was now tied, 1-1!
Moving into the third set, Qin Chunxiao’s form remained good, though he still felt the game was challenging. However, after winning the second set, the Beluga, in their eyes, no longer seemed like the insurmountable five-time champions of the Russian Super League.
The team’s momentum was building!
As the Hamsters’ form improved, the eyes of many fans began to shine brightly.
What is the most captivating aspect of competitive sports?
Undoubtedly, it’s when athletes push themselves to their limits and perform at a high level!
Amidst the cheers of Powell Sr holding the mascot Tulengchika, Li Ling ran to Anton, who had just received the first set, and made a quick hand gesture to Qin Chunxiao: “Set!”
Qin Chunxiao took a two-step run-up, single-legged jump, and his slender body seemed to suspend in mid-air. His left hand was raised high, and on the opposite side, Roman had already jumped with both hands up, ready to block the ball!
Qin Chunxiao fixed his gaze on the gap between Roman’s arms and intended to spike the ball there. Subconsciously, Roman closed his hands a bit more, trying to push the ball back. However, in the next instant, Qin Chunxiao unexpectedly changed the direction of the spike in mid-air.
He forcefully patted the volleyball with his palm, and the ball barely grazed Roman’s hair, floating out of bounds. The Beluga’s libero immediately chased after the ball but failed to reach it.
It was a “hair-touch” out!1
After this point, the score on both sides was 24-24. Just as the Hamsters were about to lose the third set, Qin Chunxiao managed to regain one point through his “hair-touch” play.
Roman wiped off some sweat, knowing that they were about to enter the battle to win the next two points, and those two points were a test of both sides’ determination.
However, Roman deeply understood that the Beluga had been worn down by the previous positional battle. His teammates had only recently lost to ENEL Club by a small margin in the Club World Championship, obtaining second place. At this moment, they couldn’t help but feel a bit impatient. Nikolai had instructed the Hamsters to play a grueling defensive battle, both to exhaust their stamina and to break their mentality, thus increasing their error rate!
Although they had already figured out Nikolai’s intentions, being “hair-touched” by Qin Chunxiao and losing a point still left them feeling frustrated!
Qin Chunxiao even mouthed something to him.
“Strength.”
Roman took a deep breath and decided that he wouldn’t like the “Mouse Misha” for the next ten seconds. He turned and made a gesture towards the coach’s bench, prompting them to call for a timeout.
They wanted to break the Hamsters’ rhythm!
On the Hamster’s coaching bench, Nikolai kept urging his players to stay steady, assuring them that they could win!
On the Beluga’s coaching bench, the coach reminded them, “Don’t be drawn into the Hamsters’ rhythm. Don’t forget that we are one of the world’s top clubs, and each one of you has numerous honors to your name. We are the strongest in the Russian Super League! Rosie, from now on, start setting the ball higher, slow down the pace, and give the difficult balls to Roman to handle.”
The Beluga’s coach also employed the universal coaching technique: “Give the damn ball to the ace.”
So when the game resumed, Roman took the opportunity and also executed a “hair-touch” play against the Hamster Club!
Come on, Roman was a peak-level beast! His “hair-touch” ability was even better than Qin Chunxiao’s. When he said “hair-touch,” that ball was definitely going to touch Qin Chunxiao’s fingertips, nothing else!
The score was now 25-24.
When Qin Chunxiao was blocking halfway, he realized that Roman was about to execute a “hair-touch” play, so he quickly leaned back, trying to avoid the ball. However, the middle finger of his right hand still got hit by the ball. As the referee ruled in favor of the Beluga Club, the TV commentators exclaimed in surprise.
“Answer ball!”
The so-called “answer ball” was a response to a previous play. Qin Chunxiao had just scored with a “hair-touch,” and now Roman immediately returned the favor with the same technique. It was a scene that the audience and spectators loved to see – “players squaring off against each other.”
The play was executed beautifully, and many Beluga fans at the scene enthusiastically praised it. Roman was about to smile with satisfaction when he saw Tulengchika rushing over to Qin Chunxiao and gesturing to Nikolai.
Tulengchika shouted in broken Russian, “Coach, timeout!”
Anton also ran to Qin Chunxiao’s side and saw the brave, strong, clever, and adorable Misha holding his right hand, trembling slightly. Even a casual observer could tell that it hurt.
Worry surged in Lu Xuandong’s heart. He regretted not being at the scene, but as someone with an abundance of initiative, he wouldn’t hesitate for too long. He took out his phone and started booking a flight ticket. He also sent a message to Lu Yunchen, saying he wouldn’t supervise the rehearsal of the “Yanko” dance with Auntie. Instead, he would leave Long Zitan, the former manager, with them. If there was anything, Lu Yunchen could practice with Long Zitan.
On the sidelines of the game, Nikolai immediately called for a timeout. Qin Chunxiao was surrounded by his teammates and brought to the coach’s bench, where the team doctor came to examine him.
As fans following the match through TV discussed the situation, one of them asked, “Is he injured?”
“Definitely! Mao Xunfeng has been injured like this before.”
“Misha Qin is too slender. I’ve seen videos of him signing autographs for fans. His palms are big, and his fingers are long, but unfortunately not thick enough.”
“I hope Qin Team is okay.”
The team doctor was familiar with common volleyball injuries and quickly diagnosed, “It’s a soft tissue problem, fortunately not dislocated.”
Qin Chunxiao’s right middle finger had become swollen, but he was the type with particularly flexible palms, so it hadn’t dislocated thanks to that. He chuckled, “As expected, Roman’s hit was quite strong. I wonder how that guy trains, his strength is astonishing.”
Nikolai furrowed his brows, torn between the match and Qin Chunxiao’s well-being. In less than three seconds, he decided to take Qin Chunxiao off the court.
The Hamsters were already not in their complete form, with Alexander still recovering from an injury. In this match, they were unlikely to defeat the Beluga, so Nikolai had prepared for both outcomes. Losing was a chance for training, and he had even prepared comforting words for the players.
However, Qin Chunxiao saw through Nikolai’s intentions. He looked at the team doctor and said, “Please treat the injury for me. I want to return to the game as soon as possible.”
Just as Nikolai was about to say something, Tulengchika miraculously understood what Qin Chunxiao said to the team doctor in Russian and immediately crossed his arms, indicating “No.”
“Xiaozai, I won’t allow you to play injured!” Li Ling stared wide-eyed, his voice louder than ever before. Even the TV stations with better audio devices caught his words.
The blue-eyed kid looked up, extremely determined. “My injury isn’t severe enough to leave lasting consequences. I came to the Russian Super League to become stronger. I understand the coach’s concern, but I don’t want this minor injury to hinder our victory!”
Qin Chunxiao hated losing so much! The previous loss to the Beluga had bothered him for a long time. And just now, Roman had even served him an “answer ball.” If he backed down now, would he have to do this every time he faced Roman in the future?
Yes, his body was too delicate compared to those giants, and his fingers weren’t thick enough, so if he got hurt a little, should he rest and shrink like this forever? Qin Chunxiao couldn’t stand for that. No one understood one thing better than he did…
“I want to become the world’s best libero, so I don’t want to sit on the bench when the team needs me, and I don’t want to back down in front of Roman!”
In his past life, Coach Mars had once told him that if he retreated at the slightest trouble when facing strong opponents, one day, retreating would become his habit. So today, Qin Chunxiao was determined not to back down, hey!
Nikolai paused, why did this statement sound so familiar? It seemed like in a volleyball match in the last century, during a game against Brazil, he saw an opposing player named Mars, a veteran who was about to retire, shouting something similar to his coach. At that time, Mars said, “I don’t want to back down in front of a strong opponent.”
Later, Nikolai lost that match because the Brazilian team was too fierce. And at that time, the team that was still the Soviet men’s volleyball team lost the Olympic gold medal.
It was strange. Clearly, Misha Qin and Mars were two completely unrelated people. Misha Qin was a Chinese player, 16 years old this year, while Mars, that old guy, was in South America. They had never met, but at this moment, Nikolai thought of Mars and the gold medal he had missed.
Nikolai rubbed his forehead and threw away the little notebook with the motivational quotes: “If you play with an injury, Newton will definitely call to harass me, do you know how protective that guy is of you?”
Li Ling nodded in agreement beside him, “Exactly, exactly.”
Perhaps stimulated by Qin Chunxiao’s injury, this guy’s Russian was unusually fluent now.
Qin Chunxiao was about to argue a few more words, but Nikolai raised his hand, indicating for him to hold on. “Listen carefully, I’m only giving you half an hour of playtime. And if you feel unwell again, signal to me, and I’ll replace you immediately. It’s just an ordinary match, and you haven’t earned the right to go all out yet. I’m only respecting your will, that’s why I’m letting you play for a short half-hour. Do you understand?”
Nikolai picked up the tactical board, “Now I’m redeploying the tactics. Anton, I need you to handle more reception. Tulengchika, you have more freedom in setting. I’ll give you more authority to initiate attacks. Your job is to create opportunities for scoring. Danny and Oleg, you’re still in charge of the strong attacks, and Misha…”
Nikolai tapped Qin Chunxiao’s forehead, “Play well! You stubborn, annoying little rascal! Be glad that your injury didn’t reach the point where I had to drag you off the court!”
As a coach, Nikolai was supposed to dislike disobedient little devils, but seeing his athletes so full of spirit and thinking about the grudges between the Hamsters and the Beluga, he felt a surge of passion too. It’s just the Beluga? Keep going! Losing won’t be a big deal, but winning will be a huge gain!
Qin Chunxiao grinned suddenly, and his teammates looked at each other. It was the first time they had seen Misha Qin showing such a strong attitude. They used to think Misha Qin was a calm and steady athlete, and it was challenging to see him fired up like this!
But athletes always admired the tough ones. Seeing the second-in-command boosting their spirits, the Hamsters, who were previously affected by Roman’s “answer ball,” suddenly regained their fighting spirit.
Anton reached out again, “Let’s continue to tear apart the Beluga! Ura!”
“Ura!”
As the timeout ended, the players returned to the court. Roman stood at the net, looking at Qin Chunxiao’s right hand, which was now wrapped in bandages, and asked puzzledly, “Are you serious? It’s just a regular match!”
Qin Chunxiao straightforwardly replied, “I don’t care if it’s a regular match or not. I just want to beat you!”
The young man looked up with seriousness in his blue eyes, “Listen, Roman, put away that look of finding me cute! I don’t like being looked at like that on the court!”
Roman was taken aback. As someone who loved cute things, it was the first time he had been told that, and did he really view the Hamsters as cute?
Regarding this point, the Hamsters can answer: It’s really obvious.
Just think about it, they often lose more than they win against the Beluga in their matches, and after the game, they were still treated as cute by Roman. Who wouldn’t get annoyed?
They were Roman’s opponents, and if Roman wants to be friends with them, he needs to adjust his attitude, look them in the eye, not look down on them!
This time it was the Beluga serving, and Qin Chunxiao had already positioned himself to block one of the possible landing points of the ball in advance. As expected, the ball flew towards the other side.
Anton made a leap and received the ball, and Li Ling set it up for the second time. Qin Chunxiao ran, raising his hands backward, and his body sprang up like a small spring, reaching a high height.
Roman still came to block him, and Qin Chunxiao still couldn’t jump high enough to outspike Roman. The gap between them caused by their talent was so evident at that moment.
Qin Chunxiao’s body arched like a bow, and his left hand stretched back with great effort. Then, the palm of his hand touched the volleyball, and with the force he applied, the volleyball passed through the left side of Roman’s arm.
Bang!
Qin Chunxiao and the ball landed simultaneously.
25:25.
Let them continue to fight for these crucial 2 points until one side is pushed to failure.
