After the All-Star game, the Russian Super League playoffs officially began. The top four teams on the points table secured their spots in the playoffs, while the remaining two teams had to fight again.
Yes, the Russian Super League changed its format once again this year. It became a system where the top six teams were selected based on points. These teams were then divided into two groups for round-robin matches, and the top two from each group would proceed to the semifinals. The matches for the 5th to 8th positions, which had lower attention in the past, were eliminated.
The Hamster Club, ranked fourth on the points table, comfortably made it to the playoffs. But as they eagerly awaited the start of the playoffs, the most anticipated first match was between the Cornucopia Club and the Belugas Club!
Upon seeing this news, the Hamster Club members breathed a sigh of relief. Great! The Russian Volleyball Association didn’t create any trouble for them this year. No one wanted to face the Belugas Club in the first match of the playoffs.
However, what surprised everyone was that the Cornucopia Club also performed exceptionally well this year. They surpassed their previous results and secured a spot in the playoffs.
During a 3vs3 training session at the Hamster Club, a few players started betting on how many sets the Cornucopia Club could take against the Belugas Club.
Alexander made a powerful spike and said, “I think they can end the match in the third set. Given Beluga’s strength, besides us, the Hamster Club, who else can go all the way against them?”
Qin Chunxiao agilely received the ball and replied, “You never know.”
Anton set the ball, and Oleg made a kill, but the ball was picked up by Danny. Anton, Oleg, and Qin Chunxiao on this side were not happy, but Li Ling laughed and ran over to prepare for the second set. However, in the moment he jumped, he skillfully twisted his shoulder in the air, changing his posture and hitting the ball to the other side of the net.
Through their experiences in the Russian Super League, Li Ling’s talent began to shine. His strong shoulders and agile waist supported a more flexible playing style. Combined with his remarkable thinking ability, he had become one of the top attacking setters in the Russian Super League.
The ball flew to the net, and Anton used a header to send it over. The score was 25:23, and this set ended.
The Hamster Club had more than one attacking setter!
Li Ling shouted, “It doesn’t count, let’s play another set!”
Everyone laughed heartily, “Tulengchika, you made another mistake.”
Qin Chunxiao walked to the sidelines to pack his things. “No need for another set, the official training is already over. We’ve had enough extra practice, and tomorrow we have the first game of the playoffs.”
Their first opponent in the playoffs was an old friend, the Rapids Club, whom they had faced in the regular season. This team was made up of players from the Russian national team’s second squad. They were a team that couldn’t quite make it to the top, but also wouldn’t be bullied by weaker teams. However, they always had exceptional new talents, making it an excellent place for young players to level up and improve. The level of attention they received was not inferior to that of the Hamster Club.
The Rapids Club had a reputation for producing high-quality new players, and even the Russian national team scouts visited there frequently to find promising talents. It was said that their system for discovering and developing new players was the best.
The only downside to the club was that they never recruited foreign players. Young players from other countries eager to train there were unable to do so.
As the playoffs heated up, various interesting occurrences took place on the court. As the match began, the DJ twisted his body and shouted out the starting players’ names for both teams, presenting various titles and nicknames.
The starting players for the Hamster Club were: Anton, Alexander, Qin Chunxiao, Li Ling, Danny, and Oleg.
In this match, Qin Chunxiao was still playing as a receiver. Nikolai believed that the Rapids Club wasn’t yet at the level to require Qin Chunxiao to go all out in defense.
Li Ling had firmly secured his starting position, but the Rapids Club had a different starting lineup from the last time they faced each other. It was rumored that their head coach had found some new talents.
Nikolai observed the Rapids players with a look of a “miner evaluating raw gemstones,” and he seemed satisfied. “Not bad, not bad. That old man is still good at finding talent.”
Perhaps all coaches with some reputation loved to look at the Rapids players with such eyes. The Rapids Club themselves accepted that their matches were more for training than solely focused on winning or losing.
Given this situation, the Hamster Club didn’t hold back either!
The average age of the Rapids Club’s starting players was 18, and Qin Chunxiao was one year younger than them. In the eyes of the audience, this match became a scene where Qin Chunxiao, one of the cores of the Hamster Club, led the team to “bully the kids.”
The Hamsters had no intention of wasting any extra energy here, so they used their “Hamster Tactics” they used against the White Whale. With agility and cunning, they thwarted every attack from the other side.
The efficiency of the opposing team’s attacks couldn’t even reach half of the Hamster Club’s, while the Hamster Club decisively attacked with Anton and Alexander as the offensive core, continuously striking the Rapids’ defensive members.
Compared to the inexperienced new players on the Rapids’ side, the Hamster Club had more seasoned veterans with a slick playing style, completely outmaneuvering the Rapids.
In the end, the match ended with a dominant score of 25:21, 25:19, 25:16 in favor of the Hamster Club. As the game progressed, the Rapids team seemed to collapse.
After the match, the Rapids players were all disheartened as they went to their coach. The coach was not surprised by the outcome of the game and calmly analyzed the match while comforting them.
Standing by Nikolai’s side, Qin Chunxiao watched the Rapids’ players, who were now libero, with teary eyes in front of their coach. He wanted to go over but was unsure if it was appropriate.
Nikolai gave him a push from behind and said, “Go ahead.”
Qin Chunxiao glanced back at him, smiled, and then went over to the Rapids’ rest area. He approached the libero and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey, your defense is impressive. You blocked several of my spikes. You have great talent and quick reflexes. But when you change direction, don’t just rely on your legs for power. Coordinating with your waist and upper body will improve your efficiency.”
Qin Chunxiao babbled a bunch of advice, and after that, the young player actually burst into tears. He choked and said, “Thank you, Misha Qin. You’re the libero I admire the most. Thank you for encouraging me at a time like this.”
Qin Chunxiao’s expression softened. He thought that because he had never received such comfort in his failures in the past, he wanted to help this young guy. Knowing that the player was his fan came as an unexpected joy.
After defeating the Rapids, the Hamster Club went on to face two other teams, winning both matches 3:1.
The once powerful Hamster Club, who had dominated the Russian Super League and the Five Continents Championship, declared their comeback with these three playoff matches!
Countless Hamster fans cheered for this achievement.
“Our Hamsters have successfully rebuilt the team!”
“Look at how spirited our young players are!”
“I love Misha Qin! He’s the best libero!”
According to the rules, the top two teams from the round-robin phase would face off against each other in the semifinals. The winners would advance to the gold medal match, while the losers would compete for the third-place spot.
Before the start of the semifinals, Qin Chunxiao received messages from his friends. The group of players who had gone overseas to play had all joined clubs of decent strength, and they were all boasting in the group chat about playing in the playoffs.
Gao Depi: “Even though I’ve won a gold medal in the World Club Championship, I’m still serious about the Russian Super League playoffs.”
Qiao Mingming: “Gao Depi, don’t get too complacent. Watch how Xiao Ji and I deal with you!”
Fu Biyang: “That’s right! Our Roasted Meat Squad won’t lose to you!”
Li Ling: “Everyone, stop bickering. Wait for Xiao Zai and me to win the Russian Super League championship, and then we’ll meet you in the European Champions League.”
You Ziyu: “I should have the Japanese V-League championship in the bag this year.”
Gao Depi joined the ENEL Club, which was the champion team of this World Club Championship. He became the first Chinese male volleyball player to achieve this honor, which made everyone envious. But what could they do when he joined such a strong club? ENEL was in top form this year and managed to push the Beluga, who were vying for another championship, to the runner-up position.
Qiao Mingming and Fu Biyang also joined strong clubs, and now they were eager to knock Gao Depi off his pedestal.
You Ziyu was even more remarkable. He went to the Japanese V-League as the ace player, and his team was close to winning the championship. It was said that both Xiong Wu and Min Yaoyang also performed exceptionally well, making it to the playoffs.
Qin Chunxiao: “What about Xiao Wu and Yangyang? How are they doing?”
Xiong Wu: “We’re doing well. We learned about positioning from Japan’s number one libero.”
Yangyang: “Both Xiao Wu and I made it to the playoffs. Now, let’s see if we can challenge the Squid Squad and win the gold medal.”
You Ziyu: “Bring it on.”
After this season, it was expected that many more Chinese players would be signed by valuable clubs because they were all part of top four teams in their respective leagues.
The Hamster Club advanced to the semifinals with absolute dominance and faced off against the Cornucopia Club. The Russian Volleyball Federation surely manipulated the fixtures again, as they didn’t want the Hamster Club and the White Whale to meet before the gold medal match.
Franco Marozov, the opposite hitter from the Russian men’s national team, led his team out from the player tunnel. On the other side, Qin Chunxiao walked out with his teammates. The two players exchanged a nod, recalling their previous encounter when Franco had come up to Qin Chunxiao to say something.
Looking forward to the next match…? And now they were about to face each other.
Qin Chunxiao wore his knee pads, wristbands, and arm sleeves, while Franco prepared himself in silence.
As the cheers of the fans filled the court, the DJ began calling out the players’ names, and the coaches took their seats in the coaching area.
Qin Chunxiao and Franco locked eyes across the net, their determination burning like flames.
Let’s do this!
With the toss of the ball and a powerful jump serve, the match officially began.
Volleyball Frontline’s host, Wu Di, had followed Qin Chunxiao in numerous matches, but starting from this one, his voice never ceased.
“The Hamster Club’s setter executed a quick and short play, and Li Ling scores!”
“Beautiful! Qin Chunxiao’s defense today is tight and cautious. He’s truly serious when facing the Cornflower Club. Let me repeat, Cornucopia’s main hitter, Franco, is a top-ten player in the Rio Olympics data rankings. To be able to defend him to this extent, Qin Chunxiao is truly the best emerging libero!”
“Both teams are not giving an inch, and the score is neck-and-neck! Alright, we’re already in the fourth set, and the score is currently 2:1. Can the Cornucopia Club win this set and take the match to a fifth set?”
At this moment, the camera panned across the audience, and some viewers caught a glimpse of Lu Xuandong’s figure!
Sitting in an excellent position, Lu Xuandong held up his Hamster Club flag. Whenever the Hamster Club scored a point, he would excitedly stand up.
“Oh my god, it’s Dong-ge!”
“Dong ge went to watch the live game of the Russian Super League!”
“Awesome! I thought only international students could go to the live matches, but I didn’t expect Dong ge to be there too!”
“Superfan Lu Xuandong, your image remains unbeatable! If it weren’t for yomi’s absence for so long, I’d bet high and low!”
The Russian Super League commentators were also shouting, “Misha Qin is closely marking Franco. He’s very agile! He’s constantly running and rolling on the court, restricting Franco, but he’s trying to break free!”
Qin Chunxiao’s main task today was to significantly reduce Cornucopia’s attacking efficiency. As long as the ball didn’t touch the ground, his teammates would be ready to counterattack.
The volleyball, with its yellow and blue colors, flew through the air. Alexander made a powerful kill, determined to end the match here and not let it go to the fifth set!
Franco, on the other hand, was unwilling to yield. As Cornucopia’s star player, he was in an upward trajectory, and when he was in top form, he could create miracles. This time, he believed he could do it again!
However, as he spiked the ball through the gap between the opposing blockers’ arms, Franco saw Qin Chunxiao chasing after it. At the critical moment, Qin Chunxiao sent the ball back with another block kill.
Anton set the ball to the net, and in a split second, Li Ling was in position to smash it back. A quick attack, another quick attack, and yet another quick attack!
The Hamsters sped up the pace relentlessly, running and jumping alongside their opponents. Everyone was sweating, and the ball flew faster and faster! Eventually, it became a blur of yellow and blue!
This time, the Hamsters didn’t give Cornucopia a chance to drag the match into the fifth set. They used their tireless efforts to forcefully end the match in the fourth set.
3:1.
The team advancing to the gold medal match was the Hamster Club!
At the moment the match ended, Qin Chunxiao almost didn’t want to stand anymore. He and Franco went a bit crazy today, which brought out an unprecedented level of performance, but it also resulted in exhaustion.
He looked across the net at Franco, who was also looking at him. Both of them grinned and walked to the net, fist-bumping each other.
Franco excitedly said, “The gold medal match will be your last game in the Russian Super League this season. I’ll definitely be there in person to cheer for you!”
Qin Chunxiao finally realized, “Oh, is my season in the Russian Super League coming to an end?”
Indeed, time had flown by, and it was already this moment. After the gold medal match, the next season wouldn’t start until October, and he wasn’t sure if the Hamster Club would renew his and Li Ling’s contracts.
Alexander put his hand on Qin Chunxiao’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “After the gold medal match, you guys will come back.”
Qin Chunxiao turned to look at him. “Are you sure?”
Alexander replied with certainty, “Absolutely.”
Alexander was certain that this would be his last active season. Once they won the Russian Super League gold medal, his professional career would end without regrets. As he retired, there would be enough salary space in the team for Nikolai to increase the Twins’ salaries and even sign another good attacker.
He hadn’t shared these thoughts with Qin Chunxiao, just speaking gently, “Now, let’s focus on winning this final battle, for the sake of our teammates’ wishes and for yourself.”
On April 20th, the most highly anticipated and final battle of the Russian Super League had finally arrived. Amidst great expectations, Qin Chunxiao and his teammates once again entered Moscow’s Druzhba Sport Center.
Before the match, the DJ came to ask the Hamster Club for their disc. According to their tradition, after every point in the Russian Super League, music would be played during the intermission, making the atmosphere lively and energetic.
The Hamster Club had prepared the music in advance, with Nikolai collecting songs from the players. Qin Chunxiao picked a Cantonese song from Beyond, while Li Ling chose the background music from his favorite Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
As the lights in the arena shone brightly, the spectators filled the stands, supporting their respective teams. Lu Xuandong also sat in the front row with Misha Hamster, next to Mr. Powell.
Lu Xuandong exclaimed, “The atmosphere at the venue is fantastic.”
Mr. Powell adjusted his reading glasses, “Of course, the Russian Super League is one of the top leagues in the world, and volleyball enthusiasts from all over the world will watch this match.”
The broadcast announced with excitement, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final battle of the 2017-2018 Russian Men’s Volleyball Super League! Tonight, the players will decide the ultimate destination of the gold medal. Enjoy this feast!”
“Game, start!”
Amidst the grand music, Qin Chunxiao took a deep breath and ran towards the end of the player’s tunnel, following his teammates.
After the All-Star game, the Russian Super League playoffs officially began. The top four teams on the points table secured their spots in the playoffs, while the remaining two teams had to fight again.
Yes, the Russian Super League changed its format once again this year. It became a system where the top six teams were selected based on points. These teams were then divided into two groups for round-robin matches, and the top two from each group would proceed to the semifinals. The matches for the 5th to 8th positions, which had lower attention in the past, were eliminated.
The Hamster Club, ranked fourth on the points table, comfortably made it to the playoffs. But as they eagerly awaited the start of the playoffs, the most anticipated first match was between the Cornucopia Club and the Belugas Club!
Upon seeing this news, the Hamster Club members breathed a sigh of relief. Great! The Russian Volleyball Association didn’t create any trouble for them this year. No one wanted to face the Belugas Club in the first match of the playoffs.
However, what surprised everyone was that the Cornucopia Club also performed exceptionally well this year. They surpassed their previous results and secured a spot in the playoffs.
During a 3vs3 training session at the Hamster Club, a few players started betting on how many sets the Cornucopia Club could take against the Belugas Club.
Alexander made a powerful spike and said, “I think they can end the match in the third set. Given Beluga’s strength, besides us, the Hamster Club, who else can go all the way against them?”
Qin Chunxiao agilely received the ball and replied, “You never know.”
Anton set the ball, and Oleg made a kill, but the ball was picked up by Danny. Anton, Oleg, and Qin Chunxiao on this side were not happy, but Li Ling laughed and ran over to prepare for the second set. However, in the moment he jumped, he skillfully twisted his shoulder in the air, changing his posture and hitting the ball to the other side of the net.
Through their experiences in the Russian Super League, Li Ling’s talent began to shine. His strong shoulders and agile waist supported a more flexible playing style. Combined with his remarkable thinking ability, he had become one of the top attacking setters in the Russian Super League.
The ball flew to the net, and Anton used a header to send it over. The score was 25:23, and this set ended.
The Hamster Club had more than one attacking setter!
Li Ling shouted, “It doesn’t count, let’s play another set!”
Everyone laughed heartily, “Tulengchika, you made another mistake.”
Qin Chunxiao walked to the sidelines to pack his things. “No need for another set, the official training is already over. We’ve had enough extra practice, and tomorrow we have the first game of the playoffs.”
Their first opponent in the playoffs was an old friend, the Rapids Club, whom they had faced in the regular season. This team was made up of players from the Russian national team’s second squad. They were a team that couldn’t quite make it to the top, but also wouldn’t be bullied by weaker teams. However, they always had exceptional new talents, making it an excellent place for young players to level up and improve. The level of attention they received was not inferior to that of the Hamster Club.
The Rapids Club had a reputation for producing high-quality new players, and even the Russian national team scouts visited there frequently to find promising talents. It was said that their system for discovering and developing new players was the best.
The only downside to the club was that they never recruited foreign players. Young players from other countries eager to train there were unable to do so.
As the playoffs heated up, various interesting occurrences took place on the court. As the match began, the DJ twisted his body and shouted out the starting players’ names for both teams, presenting various titles and nicknames.
The starting players for the Hamster Club were: Anton, Alexander, Qin Chunxiao, Li Ling, Danny, and Oleg.
In this match, Qin Chunxiao was still playing as a receiver. Nikolai believed that the Rapids Club wasn’t yet at the level to require Qin Chunxiao to go all out in defense.
Li Ling had firmly secured his starting position, but the Rapids Club had a different starting lineup from the last time they faced each other. It was rumored that their head coach had found some new talents.
Nikolai observed the Rapids players with a look of a “miner evaluating raw gemstones,” and he seemed satisfied. “Not bad, not bad. That old man is still good at finding talent.”
Perhaps all coaches with some reputation loved to look at the Rapids players with such eyes. The Rapids Club themselves accepted that their matches were more for training than solely focused on winning or losing.
Given this situation, the Hamster Club didn’t hold back either!
The average age of the Rapids Club’s starting players was 18, and Qin Chunxiao was one year younger than them. In the eyes of the audience, this match became a scene where Qin Chunxiao, one of the cores of the Hamster Club, led the team to “bully the kids.”
The Hamsters had no intention of wasting any extra energy here, so they used their “Hamster Tactics” they used against the White Whale. With agility and cunning, they thwarted every attack from the other side.
The efficiency of the opposing team’s attacks couldn’t even reach half of the Hamster Club’s, while the Hamster Club decisively attacked with Anton and Alexander as the offensive core, continuously striking the Rapids’ defensive members.
Compared to the inexperienced new players on the Rapids’ side, the Hamster Club had more seasoned veterans with a slick playing style, completely outmaneuvering the Rapids.
In the end, the match ended with a dominant score of 25:21, 25:19, 25:16 in favor of the Hamster Club. As the game progressed, the Rapids team seemed to collapse.
After the match, the Rapids players were all disheartened as they went to their coach. The coach was not surprised by the outcome of the game and calmly analyzed the match while comforting them.
Standing by Nikolai’s side, Qin Chunxiao watched the Rapids’ players, who were now libero, with teary eyes in front of their coach. He wanted to go over but was unsure if it was appropriate.
Nikolai gave him a push from behind and said, “Go ahead.”
Qin Chunxiao glanced back at him, smiled, and then went over to the Rapids’ rest area. He approached the libero and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey, your defense is impressive. You blocked several of my spikes. You have great talent and quick reflexes. But when you change direction, don’t just rely on your legs for power. Coordinating with your waist and upper body will improve your efficiency.”
Qin Chunxiao babbled a bunch of advice, and after that, the young player actually burst into tears. He choked and said, “Thank you, Misha Qin. You’re the libero I admire the most. Thank you for encouraging me at a time like this.”
Qin Chunxiao’s expression softened. He thought that because he had never received such comfort in his failures in the past, he wanted to help this young guy. Knowing that the player was his fan came as an unexpected joy.
After defeating the Rapids, the Hamster Club went on to face two other teams, winning both matches 3:1.
The once powerful Hamster Club, who had dominated the Russian Super League and the Five Continents Championship, declared their comeback with these three playoff matches!
Countless Hamster fans cheered for this achievement.
“Our Hamsters have successfully rebuilt the team!”
“Look at how spirited our young players are!”
“I love Misha Qin! He’s the best libero!”
According to the rules, the top two teams from the round-robin phase would face off against each other in the semifinals. The winners would advance to the gold medal match, while the losers would compete for the third-place spot.
Before the start of the semifinals, Qin Chunxiao received messages from his friends. The group of players who had gone overseas to play had all joined clubs of decent strength, and they were all boasting in the group chat about playing in the playoffs.
Gao Depi: “Even though I’ve won a gold medal in the World Club Championship, I’m still serious about the Russian Super League playoffs.”
Qiao Mingming: “Gao Depi, don’t get too complacent. Watch how Xiao Ji and I deal with you!”
Fu Biyang: “That’s right! Our Roasted Meat Squad won’t lose to you!”
Li Ling: “Everyone, stop bickering. Wait for Xiao Zai and me to win the Russian Super League championship, and then we’ll meet you in the European Champions League.”
You Ziyu: “I should have the Japanese V-League championship in the bag this year.”
Gao Depi joined the ENEL Club, which was the champion team of this World Club Championship. He became the first Chinese male volleyball player to achieve this honor, which made everyone envious. But what could they do when he joined such a strong club? ENEL was in top form this year and managed to push the Beluga, who were vying for another championship, to the runner-up position.
Qiao Mingming and Fu Biyang also joined strong clubs, and now they were eager to knock Gao Depi off his pedestal.
You Ziyu was even more remarkable. He went to the Japanese V-League as the ace player, and his team was close to winning the championship. It was said that both Xiong Wu and Min Yaoyang also performed exceptionally well, making it to the playoffs.
Qin Chunxiao: “What about Xiao Wu and Yangyang? How are they doing?”
Xiong Wu: “We’re doing well. We learned about positioning from Japan’s number one libero.”
Yangyang: “Both Xiao Wu and I made it to the playoffs. Now, let’s see if we can challenge the Squid Squad and win the gold medal.”
You Ziyu: “Bring it on.”
After this season, it was expected that many more Chinese players would be signed by valuable clubs because they were all part of top four teams in their respective leagues.
The Hamster Club advanced to the semifinals with absolute dominance and faced off against the Cornucopia Club. The Russian Volleyball Federation surely manipulated the fixtures again, as they didn’t want the Hamster Club and the White Whale to meet before the gold medal match.
Franco Marozov, the opposite hitter from the Russian men’s national team, led his team out from the player tunnel. On the other side, Qin Chunxiao walked out with his teammates. The two players exchanged a nod, recalling their previous encounter when Franco had come up to Qin Chunxiao to say something.
Looking forward to the next match…? And now they were about to face each other.
Qin Chunxiao wore his knee pads, wristbands, and arm sleeves, while Franco prepared himself in silence.
As the cheers of the fans filled the court, the DJ began calling out the players’ names, and the coaches took their seats in the coaching area.
Qin Chunxiao and Franco locked eyes across the net, their determination burning like flames.
Let’s do this!
With the toss of the ball and a powerful jump serve, the match officially began.
Volleyball Frontline’s host, Wu Di, had followed Qin Chunxiao in numerous matches, but starting from this one, his voice never ceased.
“The Hamster Club’s setter executed a quick and short play, and Li Ling scores!”
“Beautiful! Qin Chunxiao’s defense today is tight and cautious. He’s truly serious when facing the Cornflower Club. Let me repeat, Cornucopia’s main hitter, Franco, is a top-ten player in the Rio Olympics data rankings. To be able to defend him to this extent, Qin Chunxiao is truly the best emerging libero!”
“Both teams are not giving an inch, and the score is neck-and-neck! Alright, we’re already in the fourth set, and the score is currently 2:1. Can the Cornucopia Club win this set and take the match to a fifth set?”
At this moment, the camera panned across the audience, and some viewers caught a glimpse of Lu Xuandong’s figure!
Sitting in an excellent position, Lu Xuandong held up his Hamster Club flag. Whenever the Hamster Club scored a point, he would excitedly stand up.
“Oh my god, it’s Dong-ge!”
“Dong ge went to watch the live game of the Russian Super League!”
“Awesome! I thought only international students could go to the live matches, but I didn’t expect Dong ge to be there too!”
“Superfan Lu Xuandong, your image remains unbeatable! If it weren’t for yomi’s absence for so long, I’d bet high and low!”
The Russian Super League commentators were also shouting, “Misha Qin is closely marking Franco. He’s very agile! He’s constantly running and rolling on the court, restricting Franco, but he’s trying to break free!”
Qin Chunxiao’s main task today was to significantly reduce Cornucopia’s attacking efficiency. As long as the ball didn’t touch the ground, his teammates would be ready to counterattack.
The volleyball, with its yellow and blue colors, flew through the air. Alexander made a powerful kill, determined to end the match here and not let it go to the fifth set!
Franco, on the other hand, was unwilling to yield. As Cornucopia’s star player, he was in an upward trajectory, and when he was in top form, he could create miracles. This time, he believed he could do it again!
However, as he spiked the ball through the gap between the opposing blockers’ arms, Franco saw Qin Chunxiao chasing after it. At the critical moment, Qin Chunxiao sent the ball back with another block kill.
Anton set the ball to the net, and in a split second, Li Ling was in position to smash it back. A quick attack, another quick attack, and yet another quick attack!
The Hamsters sped up the pace relentlessly, running and jumping alongside their opponents. Everyone was sweating, and the ball flew faster and faster! Eventually, it became a blur of yellow and blue!
This time, the Hamsters didn’t give Cornucopia a chance to drag the match into the fifth set. They used their tireless efforts to forcefully end the match in the fourth set.
3:1.
The team advancing to the gold medal match was the Hamster Club!
At the moment the match ended, Qin Chunxiao almost didn’t want to stand anymore. He and Franco went a bit crazy today, which brought out an unprecedented level of performance, but it also resulted in exhaustion.
He looked across the net at Franco, who was also looking at him. Both of them grinned and walked to the net, fist-bumping each other.
Franco excitedly said, “The gold medal match will be your last game in the Russian Super League this season. I’ll definitely be there in person to cheer for you!”
Qin Chunxiao finally realized, “Oh, is my season in the Russian Super League coming to an end?”
Indeed, time had flown by, and it was already this moment. After the gold medal match, the next season wouldn’t start until October, and he wasn’t sure if the Hamster Club would renew his and Li Ling’s contracts.
Alexander put his hand on Qin Chunxiao’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “After the gold medal match, you guys will come back.”
Qin Chunxiao turned to look at him. “Are you sure?”
Alexander replied with certainty, “Absolutely.”
Alexander was certain that this would be his last active season. Once they won the Russian Super League gold medal, his professional career would end without regrets. As he retired, there would be enough salary space in the team for Nikolai to increase the Twins’ salaries and even sign another good attacker.
He hadn’t shared these thoughts with Qin Chunxiao, just speaking gently, “Now, let’s focus on winning this final battle, for the sake of our teammates’ wishes and for yourself.”
On April 20th, the most highly anticipated and final battle of the Russian Super League had finally arrived. Amidst great expectations, Qin Chunxiao and his teammates once again entered Moscow’s Druzhba Sport Center.
Before the match, the DJ came to ask the Hamster Club for their disc. According to their tradition, after every point in the Russian Super League, music would be played during the intermission, making the atmosphere lively and energetic.
The Hamster Club had prepared the music in advance, with Nikolai collecting songs from the players. Qin Chunxiao picked a Cantonese song from Beyond, while Li Ling chose the background music from his favorite Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
As the lights in the arena shone brightly, the spectators filled the stands, supporting their respective teams. Lu Xuandong also sat in the front row with Misha Hamster, next to Mr. Powell.
Lu Xuandong exclaimed, “The atmosphere at the venue is fantastic.”
Mr. Powell adjusted his reading glasses, “Of course, the Russian Super League is one of the top leagues in the world, and volleyball enthusiasts from all over the world will watch this match.”
The broadcast announced with excitement, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final battle of the 2017-2018 Russian Men’s Volleyball Super League! Tonight, the players will decide the ultimate destination of the gold medal. Enjoy this feast!”
“Game, start!”
Amidst the grand music, Qin Chunxiao took a deep breath and ran towards the end of the player’s tunnel, following his teammates.
