Mysterious Small Group
Anonymous User 2: “Ah, ah, ah! What did I see?!”
Anonymous User 4: “What’s Dong Ge doing? Why did he suddenly carry a bag and give my Lao Wolf something? What’s that thing? Shoe insoles?”
Anonymous User 1: “Upstairs, yes, it’s shoe insoles. Newton complained on Weibo that my Lao received balls too aggressively, and he wore out his custom-made insoles, which are quite expensive. It would take some time to get new ones. We originally thought we had to make do with them for the match against Argentina, but unexpectedly, Zhe Yue’s young master personally brought a big bag of insoles!”
Anonymous User 8: “This is what you call a conscientious company! What do you call excellent after-sales service! Watch me do a backflip! Today, I’ll go to Zhe Yue’s place to buy shoes!”
Anonymous User 5: “These shoes are super durable, and their after-sales service has been getting better over the past half year. The shoes have also become more stylish, and their prices are relatively more affordable compared to other shoes of the same level.”
Anonymous User 7: “What kind of magical operation wears out insoles… My shoes take half a year to break.”
Group Owner: “Athletes consume a lot, but the gesture of the young master personally delivering insoles is really touching. My Lao even handed water to Dong Ge. I don’t care; this is our love water!”
Anonymous User 3: “I heard that when Dong Ge received the news that my Lao needed insoles, he happened to be in Ningbo discussing Tangyuan business. Hahaha, so he helped deliver the insoles.”
Anonymous User 2: “Tangyuan deserves credit. Ningbo’s Tangyuan is incredibly delicious. If anyone in the group is going to Ningbo for tourism, you must have a bowl.”
Group Owner: “The match against Argentina is about to begin!”
The group fell silent, and the members moved in front of the TV.
Chang Xiaole casually observed Lu Xuandong and noticed that after he comforted Newton, he left the court naturally and nonchalantly took out tickets, sitting in the front row.
What he actually took out a set of tickets for the entire VNL station! With one ticket, he could watch any match during the VNL China station from excellent seats.
Although Qin Chunxiao was the spokesperson for Zhe Yue’s popular basketball shoes, Wasn’t it a bit excessive for the young master to pay so much attention to him? Although many people know that the young master was a die-hard fan of Qin Chunxiao and would even chase after him to Russia to watch games, Chang Xiaole still felt that as a former singer and current heir of a listed company, Lu Xuandong’s devotion to Qin Chunxiao was too much.
However, as the game was about to start, Chang Xiaole did not disturb Qin Chunxiao with these questions. He neatly arranged the athletes’ water bottles within easy reach, as the boys were about to face a tough battle.
It was known that a total of 16 teams were participating in the VNL, and the Chinese men’s volleyball team was ranked 18th in the world. So, how had the Chinese team performed in previous leagues?
The informed person Jiang *spoke with a mosaic*: “They were basically at the bottom, even winning one match was a profit, and winning two matches would be a big success.”
So when the volleyball association learned that the men’s team won 3:1 against Bulgaria, they almost thought they had mistaken the women’s team’s performance for the men’s team’s.
But who doesn’t hope for good results for their own athletes? So when the game was about to begin, Newton not only received encouragement messages from the leaders but was also mentioned by the official account of the volleyball association. Before the game started, the coach of Zhejiang’s provincial men’s volleyball team brought a group of young boys to watch the game. They had red flags on their faces and little flags in their hands, looking very encouraging.
During warm-up, Argentina’s current main attacker came over to greet Qin Chunxiao, “Hey, Soso’s teammate, I’ve seen your performance in the Russian league.”
Qin Chunxiao thought the other person was talking about Soso’s friend and replied warmly, “Hello, nice to meet you.”
Who knew the guy would give a cold smile and say, “I’ll deal with you properly.”
Qin Chunxiao looked puzzled, and then saw the Argentine setter come over in a few steps, pulling the main attacker away, leaving with an apologetic smile to Qin Chunxiao before leaving.
At this moment, Newton walked over, patted Qin Chunxiao’s shoulder, and said, “Soso was on good terms with him before leaving the Argentine national team.”
Soso had always been dominating with his serves. After a serious injury affecting his serve, he planned to retire. At this time, Nikolai extended an invitation to him, and he accordingly left, preparing to explore new opportunities in the Russian league. After his injury improved, he transferred teams and even played as a server during the Rio Olympics.
For his former teammates in Argentina, this was a betrayal, and no one wants to see their teammates switch to another country’s nationality.
Qin Chunxiao, who understood the situation, thought to himself: “… Although I can understand the feelings of the Argentine players, I still feel unjustly targeted.”
The warm-up time ended, and with the referee’s signal, players from both sides stepped onto the court. The atmosphere ignited as lively music filled the venue, and the starting players from both teams appeared one by one.
Knowing that Argentina’s team was strong, Newton sent out his best lineup from the start: “Qiao Mingming, Qin Chunxiao, Ding Rong, Fu Biyang, Kong Duojin, and You Ziyu.”
The players stepped forward one after another.
Newton glanced at Argentina’s coach and said, “Play seriously.”
He had a feeling that today the Chinese team would face a tough battle.
This Argentine team, like the Chinese team, had an average age of around twenty. It was a young team, and half of the Rio veterans had retired. By the time of the match, the Argentine coach sent out a second-string team mainly composed of young players, leaving only the experienced setter Nicolò to steady the situation.
The position of the setter becomes more crafty with age. Sometimes, their experience, tactics, and technical finesse can influence the team more than their physical abilities. Nicolò was highly skilled in this aspect; he was once the world’s number one setter before Italy’s Mattia’s rise!
Under Nicolò’s leadership, the Argentine second-string team did not fall too far behind China. Qin Chunxiao relentlessly chased after balls, creating counterattack opportunities for his teammates, and barely managed to win the first set with a score of 25:21.
Newton saw the key point: “Ding Rong and Mao Xunfeng are no match for Nicolò.”
Ding Rong excelled at deceiving blockers, making false movements, and had great second-touch attacks. He was already an excellent setter within Asia.
During domestic matches, many new players were fooled by Ding Rong’s fake movements, thinking that he would attack from position two, so they all moved to block position two. As a result, Ding Rong passed the ball to position four, where the attacker had an easy spike since no blockers were there.
As the attackers jumped to block Ding Rong’s fake attack, their movements were quite comical, leading some old fans to praise Ding Rong as “Deputy Captain Ding, making opponents bounce around like melon-headed children on a trampoline.”
However, Nicolò’s level of deception was even higher than Ding Rong’s, and he excelled in blocking, attacking, and overall player coordination and control. Especially his spatial awareness and ball placement, the difference between the two setters was apparent.
Regardless of the team, the setter is always the tactical core; there was no doubt about this. The Chinese team’s core was not as strong as the other team’s, which put them at a disadvantage.
Little did they know that the Argentine coach was also secretly sweating.
What was going on with the Chinese team this year? Even if they were strengthened, starting the game by taking a set was too exaggerated, right? Was this still the Chinese team he remembered?
Moreover, that receiver, why could that kid Qin Chunxiao accurately chase and receive the ball when Nicolò had already shaken off the block and hit a free ball?
The Argentine coach secretly changed the lineup to an absolute main force for the second set.
Newton also replaced Ding Rong with Mao Xunfeng.
Although Xiao Mao was an honest child and couldn’t match Nicolò in cunning, his spatial awareness and ball control were not bad! Moreover, since returning from the Japanese league, Xiao Mao’s range of play had become even more diverse.
Newton looked serious and said, “Listen, Xiao Mao, don’t feel pressured. Trust your teammates and give the ball to them. Others, stay sharp and don’t get deceived again. If you can’t accurately judge the opponent’s attack route, block on one side and leave the other to Xiaozai.”
Qin Chunxiao took a sip of sports drink and raised his hand, indicating that he had no problem.
If we consider the volleyball match as a game of animal chess, almost every team may encounter teams that counter their style, but if their form is good, there is also a chance of winning against stronger opponents.
Nicolò was the sharp tooth that Argentina used to devour most teams, and Qin Chunxiao was the guardian who ensured that China was not devoured.
Newton had the remaining tactics set up, signaled for Xiao Mao to communicate tactics with the attackers, and then patted Qin Chunxiao’s shoulder. Everything was understood without saying a word.
In the second set, the game turned into an extremely grueling battle of attrition.
With the comprehensive upgrade, the Chinese team felt like they had returned to the time of the World Youth Championship when they played against Brazil. They faced immense defensive pressure, and scoring points was difficult. However, unlike back then, what made Argentina formidable was their overall level.
Outstanding skills, strong physical qualities, flexible and sharp tactics, and an experienced core player – these combinations made them a world-class team even without god-tier players.
They were locked in a fierce struggle with Argentina until 26:28, but ultimately lost the second set.
Qin Chunxiao missed the final ball, allowing Argentina to reach 28 points.
He pounded the floor and stood up. Qiao Mingming came over and hugged him, whispering, “It’s not your fault.”
Fu Biyang pounded his chest, saying, “It’s my fault. I thought I could read Nicolò’s attack routes, but he deceived me in blocking again. I’m sorry, Xiaozai. I didn’t perform well today, and you carried most of the defensive pressure.”
The defensive responsibility should have been shared by blockers and receivers. Fu Biyang felt that he didn’t do his job well.
Qiao Mingming shouted to him, “It’s not your fault either!”
He thought, if he could score more points, with the effort of his teammates, they could have won this set. The problem was that, as an attacker, he couldn’t show absolute strength to determine the outcome of the match!
Mao Xunfeng also pounded his chest, “Stop arguing. It’s me. It’s me, as a setter, not being good enough. If I could play at Nicolò’s level, we wouldn’t…”
Newton interrupted, “Alright, stop talking.”
Players looked at the coach. When the team encountered difficulties, the players always turned to the coach for advice. At times like this, even if the coach just poured some chicken soup for them, it could alleviate their confusion and fatigue.
The usually doting Newton now showed no mercy and said, “It’s your all-around immaturity that allowed Nicolò to seize the opportunity.”
Everyone: … Coach, you’re so straightforward.
Newton’s tone changed, “But I guess your fighting spirit is not lost yet. Even if the opponent is strong in all aspects, you still want to fight, just like Bulgaria did yesterday till the end.”
Qin Chunxiao defended himself, “Coach, the gap between us and Argentina shouldn’t be as big as the gap between us and Bulgaria, right?”
Newton waved his hand, “Doesn’t matter. Both are about playing as the underdog. Right now, it’s 1:1, and you haven’t fallen too far behind! Squid, in the next set, we’re serving, and you should strive to gain a few points’ advantage with your serves. Then I’ll let Erlang replace you!”
As the saying goes, when things were going well, they sent in Ding Rong and Mao Xunfeng alternately. When facing adversity, they bet on the unpredictable Er Lang. What if this kid performs miraculously tonight? If it doesn’t work out, this kid can also form a twin star pattern with Xiaozai to relieve his defensive pressure.
Li Ling immediately jumped up, did a few push-ups, and said to the coach and You Ziyu, “Lingzi is ready.”
During the Russian Super League championship, Soso did pre-game push-ups and then pounded his chest and roared to boost morale. Although that guy was a Latin heartthrob, he looked quite silly when he did that, but Er Leng followed suit and learned all those silly actions.
You Ziyu twisted his wrist guard and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll have to wait a little longer before you can go in.”
With these words, as You Ziyu stepped into the serving area again, he adopted the stance of an underhand serve.
In indoor volleyball matches, the underhand serve is a technique that has long been eliminated. However, in the domain of beach volleyball, it remains powerful. Since beach volleyball courts are outdoors, skilled players can serve the ball high, making the receiver have to look up at the sky and get blinded by the sunlight.
You Ziyu had played beach volleyball before, but it was too tiring, and he disliked getting tanned, so he firmly chose indoor volleyball. Nevertheless, he still practiced the underhand serve.
With his delicate touch, he could send the underhand serve high up without touching the lights or ceiling. So far, he was one of the rare servers in indoor volleyball who could score consecutively with an underhand serve!
With the sound of hand and ball striking, the yellow-blue volleyball flew high in the air and then landed swiftly.
Boom! 1:0.
The audience cheered excitedly.
“Nice serve, Squid!”
“Good ball, You Team!”
You Ziyu remained expressionless. He received the ball from the staff, adopted the underhand serve stance again, and this sweet-faced handsome guy, who usually smiled a lot and had dimples, appeared very amiable, but at this moment, in the eyes of his opponents, this man known to foreign fans as “Squid” had become an imposing figure.
Boom! 2:0.
Boom!
Boom!
4:0.
After the underhand serve, You Ziyu alternated between jump serve and jump float until the fifth ball was finally broken.
4:1.
Li Ling held up the number 11 sign and replaced You Ziyu as the coach signaled.
Newton mentally paid homage to various deities and buddhas. He was willing to light incense for all the temples in Beijing when he returned. As long as Er Leng performed exceptionally well tonight. Unfortunately, Ningbo’s signal was not good today, so whether it was the gods or Er Leng, they didn’t hear Newton’s urgent plea.
When Argentina served, Qin Chunxiao set the ball in front of Er Leng, and Er Leng swung his arm to hit the ball on the opposite side of the net.
He touched the net with his arm.
Newton covered his face and sighed.
Li Ling quickly turned to his teammates and chest-bumped them, “Sorry, everyone, it’s my fault.”
His good teammates replied in unison, “Of course, it’s your fault!”
Li Ling was aggrieved, “Don’t be so harsh.”
Strangely, as Li Ling entered the court, the tense atmosphere on the Chinese team’s side disappeared. Even the barrage on various video websites became more relaxed.
[Guys, did you feel that Er Leng made the scene funnier as soon as he came in?]
[That’s right. After all, Er Leng is the top comic star of Asian men’s volleyball. He still has that infecting power.]
[I heard five people speaking in unison for the first time, but Er Leng managed to get all five teammates to shout ‘your fault’ together. I even heard it, haha~]
[The live sound quality is great. I clearly heard Er Leng calling himself Lingzi when the coach was scolding him just now.]
Lu Xuandong couldn’t shout “Xiaozai, come on!” out loud. Seeing Li Ling go in, he quickly put his hand to his mouth, “Lingzi! Come on! Work well with Xiaozai!”
Li Ling gave the audience a thumbs-up gesture.
Qiao Mingming glanced at Newton, who shook his head, indicating that he wouldn’t change players for now. They would continue playing, and Qiao Mingming understood that Coach Newton was still gambling with the nerve knife.
Mao Xunfeng quietly said to Qin Chunxiao, “Er Leng seems a bit off today. You better try to give me the ball.”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “… Let’s see how it goes. If he’s in a good position, then I’ll pass to him.”
When there were two setters on the court, Qin Chunxiao also decided whom to give the ball based on the situation. He couldn’t just pass to a setter just because they demanded it, as it would go against the tactical intent of having two setters on the team.
The match continued. Since touching the net or hitting the ball out of bounds was common in volleyball, almost all players have their moments of making mistakes. So, the Argentine team thought that the guy named Tulengchika just had a temporary lapse. They expected him to play like a regular setter next.
But if Li Ling could be so easily predicted, Coach Newton wouldn’t have put him on the court.
After a few points, the score reached 6:4, and the Argentine team started to catch up. Qin Chunxiao received a few balls and noticed that Li Ling was in a perfect position, suitable for delivering a good set. So, he decisively passed the ball to Li Ling. The Argentine team was on full alert, ready to mark this setter’s movement and see which attacker he would set the ball to. The attackers on the Chinese side were also preparing to coordinate with Li Ling.
But what caught everyone’s attention was when Li Ling raised one hand and flicked the ball with his fingertips. The ball softly passed over the net. The Argentine libero’s pupils contracted. If he hadn’t stretched his foot and saved the ball, Li Ling would have scored.
Nicolò quickly organized the defense, and the Argentine team got the next point.
6:5.
The Argentine players and coaches let out a sigh of relief. That was close, they almost lost that point.
Qin Chunxiao remained silent for a few seconds. When the next serve came from the opposite side, he chose to give the ball to Li Ling again, gambling that the Argentine team wouldn’t expect Er Leng to attack for the third time, and also that Er Leng dared to go for a third attack.
It was hard to believe, but when Li Ling entered the court, Qin Chunxiao often ensured that his sets were good enough for Li Ling to attack. So, it wasn’t wrong to call him a vice setter. He had the task of organizing attacks, but the players he organized were other setters.
Li Ling didn’t disappoint him. This time, his attack succeeded!
7:5.
Er Leng raised both hands, roaring as he went to hug and chest bump his teammates. Even though he scored only one point, he acted as if he had won the VNL championship.
Newton stood up and applauded. “Well played!”
Jiang Xiaohai asked, “Newton, did Erlang forget his setter’s role again today? He has attacked three times, which is something only attackers do, right?”
Newton, with extremely flexible tactical thinking, replied, “Scoring is what matters. If it works, it’s good.”
After all, whether Er Leng carried his setter’s role or not was unpredictable.
Only the reliable underage player, Qin Chunxiao, reminded Li Ling responsibly, “Er Leng, remember, you’re a setter. If you keep attacking and ignore setting, then I’ll pass all the balls to Xiaomao (Mao Xunfeng), and you’ll just wait for the third ball to attack.”
Qin Chunxiao knew Er Leng too well. Once he tasted success, he would want to keep going. If he scored once, he would continue attacking, making it easy for the opponents to figure him out.
Er Leng readily replied, “Okay okay, I’ll set.”
He said that, but Qin Chunxiao still gave the next ball to Mao Xunfeng. And as expected, Mao Xunfeng didn’t disappoint and teamed up with Fu Biyang for a quick attack, securing the point.
The match seemed to return to normal from that point. Everyone was scoring as usual. When Qin Chunxiao finally gave the ball to Li Ling again, Li Ling set the ball properly at an angle suitable for a set. Since China had two setters on the court, it became challenging for the opponents to predict their plays. For a moment, the gap in strength between Argentina and China was filled with these tactical nuances.
When the score reached 24:23, everyone knew that another crucial moment that would decide the fate of the third set had arrived.
The Argentine server already knew how outstanding China’s number 8 was at defense. Every time he served in this match, the ball was received by the other side flawlessly.
He wondered as he served the ball, whom would Qin Chunxiao pass to this time?
The ball crossed the net, and Qin Chunxiao lunged to reach it. With a lift of his left arm, he passed the ball to Li Ling, who set the ball with a jump. Qin Chunxiao, seeing his movement, felt a sense of foreboding.
Sure enough, Li Ling actually passed the ball back to Qin Chunxiao!
Qin Chunxiao had just finished receiving the set and was cursing inside as he rushed forward. Five centimeters away from the three-meter line, he jumped for a spike. Li Ling’s pass was very close to the net. If Qin Chunxiao hadn’t run fast and jumped high, not anyone else might have been able to spike that ball.
Boom!
25:23, China took the third set!
As soon as Qin Chunxiao landed, he roared at Li Ling, “What if I hadn’t been able to hit that ball!?”
Li Ling showed eight teeth and confidently said, “I knew you would make it. After all, you’re Xiaozai!” After saying this, he also gave Qin Chunxiao two thumbs up.
Nonsense! Today, Qin Chunxiao was tasked with playing all five sets by Coach Newton. The Argentine team wasn’t made up of newcomers from the Youth World Championship, receiving their spikes took a lot of physical effort. If Qin Chunxiao had to handle both attacking and defending, he might have ended up exhausted on the court! If this particular play hadn’t worked, Qin Chunxiao would have almost attacked Li Ling, the husky setter.
Fu Biyang and Qiao Mingming sensibly blocked Qin Chunxiao and Er Leng.
Fu Biyang persuaded, “Xiaozai, forget it. Li Er Leng also trusts you.”
Qiao Mingming coaxed Li Ling, “Er Leng, give me the attacking balls.”
Qin Chunxiao said, “Alright, no need to persuade me. I’m not a hot-tempered person, and I won’t nitpick with Er Leng over a set.”
Fu Biyang murmured, “You didn’t need to nitpick in the first place. You always nitpick in ounces.”
Taking advantage of them standing behind You Ziyu, the audience couldn’t see their actions, so Qin Chunxiao reached out.
Fu Xiaoji : “Ao!”
The Argentine coach, looking at the lively Chinese team, thought, “They’ve improved a lot since the last Asian Championship. My research on them was already limited, and now it’s impossible to come up with targeted tactics against them. But their weaknesses are still evident, Nicolò?”
Nicolò smiled, “Yes, their youthfulness is visible, and I guess they will become even stronger after experiencing several major competitions. They might become a top-tier team. But we are fortunate to meet them before they fully mature. This is our opportunity.”
In the VNL, every win and loss is crucial, and the Argentine team didn’t want to increase their number of losses against China.
Nicolò gathered his teammates and the coach in a circle to discuss tactics.
“Don’t worry about Tulengchika. He’s an unpredictable player, but his inconsistency means China can’t rely on him. We just need to focus on #8, Misha Qin, and Tulengchika will inevitably come to his aid. Then Mao will become the setter…”
Coach Newton, on the other side, pointed to the tactics board, “Qin Chunxiao has already shouldered most of the defensive responsibilities. The opponent will surely target him next to wear him down. I’ll substitute Du Xiaofeng for Xiao Mao. You two will defend together, and Li Ling, the setting task is all yours.”
Finally, both coaches said a similar phrase.
“Our opponents in this match are strong in all aspects, from technique to tactics. Whether we win or lose depends on you. Hold on, and the one who endures until the end will be the winner!”
Now, it’s a battle of perseverance!
Qin Chunxiao wiped his face with a towel, looking at the Argentine team, feeling extremely calm inside.
The American team they would face tomorrow was even stronger than the Argentine team. If they couldn’t win against Argentina today, they would likely struggle against the USA team tomorrow. In the first stop of the VNL, accumulating two losses would be extremely disadvantageous for China’s ranking.
Nicolò looked at Qin Chunxiao with the same thought. They had already lost to the USA team in yesterday’s match. If they lost to China again, it would mean starting the VNL with two consecutive losses, which would be a massive blow to the Argentine team’s morale.
They must win!
A fierce battle began.
The Argentine team was considered one of the top teams, closest to the top-tier among the elite teams. They usually secure an Olympic spot and have received honors on the podium in various major competitions. They are a seasoned and strong team.
China, on the other hand, has always been considered an underdog, but after changing the national team coach last year, they finally showed signs of improvement.
Despite the apparent difference between these two teams, they miraculously fought on equal ground.
In the fourth set, both teams reached a score of 31:33, and Argentina pulled one set back.
In the fifth set, they fought relentlessly, seemingly aiming to push the score above 40.
Time passed minute by minute, and Newton stared at the court, barely blinking. Chang Xiaole checked his watch and found that it was already 18:30, meaning two hours and thirty minutes had passed since the match started.
Volleyball matches usually last around an hour and a half, but the match between China and Argentina had dragged on for an extra hour. One can imagine how many intense rallies and challenging moments they had experienced in this time, fighting for every point.
With Qiao Mingming’s all-out effort, the score reached 40:39, and finally, China took a one-point lead. One more point, and they would win!
Qiao Mingming’s chance to attack came from Qin Chunxiao once again receiving Argentina’s main attacker’s spike.
As Qiao Mingming was about to turn around and celebrate with his teammates, he noticed Qin Chunxiao still kneeling on the ground, yet to get up.
Qin Chunxiao was supporting himself with both hands on the floor. He wanted to stand up, but his muscles felt extremely sore. Despite wearing a headband to prevent sweat from running into his eyes, his nose, upper lip, and chin were soaked in sweat. Even his palms were damp, and the floor was covered in sweat marks.
He was so tired, and he wondered why he felt this exhausted. Did he get this tired when playing in the Brazilian league? Perhaps not even during matches in the Russian Super League? Why was it so taxing to play against Argentina?
Then, it dawned on him. When he played in the Russian Super League, his teammates were all members of the Russian national team, boss-level players. As for his time in Brazil, it seemed like a previous life, and he was already a fully grown player back then, physically in better shape than now.
He was still recovering.
Thinking about the possibility of facing his former Russian Super League teammates in the VNL made him feel even more fatigued.
Du Xiaofeng helped Qin Chunxiao up, asking, “Xiaozai, can you still go on?”
Qin Chunxiao mumbled, “Sweat…”
Du Xiaofeng asked again, “Huh?”
Qin Chunxiao said, “Wipe off the sweat.”
When exhausted, the brain seemed to become even more active, and thoughts turned wild. Qin Chunxiao recalled a time when he slipped on sweat during a run, and now there was so much sweat on the floor.
Newton called for a timeout, and Qin Chunxiao sat on a chair. Wang Yan and Chang Xiaole massaged his shoulders from both sides.
Newton asked with concern, “Only one point left, Xiaozai, can you hold on?”
Qin Chunxiao nodded, lacking the strength to speak, but his eyes were determined.
The last point.
No matter what, they had to win this point at least.
With this belief, Qin Chunxiao returned to the court, slightly crouching, feeling like he did when he learned to run as a child, preparing to start.
China served, the ball leaped over the net, got blocked, and Qin Chunxiao didn’t move. Du Xiaofeng successfully received the ball.
Li Ling quickly took his position and set the ball, and Qiao Mingming attacked!
The Argentine libero quickly received the ball, but it bounced off his wrist and flew over the net.
Now’s the time!
Qin Chunxiao ran, jumped, and tapped the ball with his left hand, just as the Argentine main attacker rushed over to block. Unexpectedly, the ball hit his fingers and went out of bounds.
41:39.
The match ended!
Qin Chunxiao landed and lifted his collar to wipe his face. He smiled slightly at the Argentine main attacker on the other side of the net, “Now, you can’t call me ‘Soso Teammate’ anymore.”
The Argentine main attacker was puzzled, “Then what should I call you?”
Qin Chunxiao cheerfully said, “Call me by my name, Qin Chunxiao, or Misha Qin, either is fine.”
Hearing this, the Argentine main attacker frowned at first, then couldn’t believe it. After a moment, he faced this short figure squarely.
He said, “Okay, Misha Qin, I’m Jenner.”
After this match, Qin Chunxiao didn’t appear in the match against the USA the next day. It was evident to everyone that he had been exhausted, and even on the way back to the hotel, he had to be carried on his teammates’ backs.
Using up the core defender Qin Chunxiao in the first stop of the VNL wouldn’t be acceptable. After careful consideration, Newton used the starting lineup of Liu Yuelou, Aizimaiti, Mao Xunfeng, Min Yaoyang, Tong Shulan, and Xiong Wu in the match the next day, with other players rotating into the game.
William was very dissatisfied with this decision. After the match, he ran to Qin Chunxiao and asked loudly, “Why didn’t you come up?”
Qin Chunxiao held a water bottle and pointed to his calf, “I got a cramp after yesterday’s match. The team doctor suggested I take a rest.”
William said, “Huh? Are you not feeling well? Then never mind.”
He squatted down, looking just as tall as Qin Chunxiao who was sitting. The two of them stared at each other, and William reached out his hand: “So you have to remember to make it to the finals, I’m still waiting to have a match with you. You may be able to defend against Roman, but you might not be able to defend against me.”
Qin Chunxiao shook his hand and said, “I will definitely make it to the finals!”
Mysterious Small Group
Anonymous User 2: “Ah, ah, ah! What did I see?!”
Anonymous User 4: “What’s Dong Ge doing? Why did he suddenly carry a bag and give my Lao Wolf something? What’s that thing? Shoe insoles?”
Anonymous User 1: “Upstairs, yes, it’s shoe insoles. Newton complained on Weibo that my Lao received balls too aggressively, and he wore out his custom-made insoles, which are quite expensive. It would take some time to get new ones. We originally thought we had to make do with them for the match against Argentina, but unexpectedly, Zhe Yue’s young master personally brought a big bag of insoles!”
Anonymous User 8: “This is what you call a conscientious company! What do you call excellent after-sales service! Watch me do a backflip! Today, I’ll go to Zhe Yue’s place to buy shoes!”
Anonymous User 5: “These shoes are super durable, and their after-sales service has been getting better over the past half year. The shoes have also become more stylish, and their prices are relatively more affordable compared to other shoes of the same level.”
Anonymous User 7: “What kind of magical operation wears out insoles… My shoes take half a year to break.”
Group Owner: “Athletes consume a lot, but the gesture of the young master personally delivering insoles is really touching. My Lao even handed water to Dong Ge. I don’t care; this is our love water!”
Anonymous User 3: “I heard that when Dong Ge received the news that my Lao needed insoles, he happened to be in Ningbo discussing Tangyuan business. Hahaha, so he helped deliver the insoles.”
Anonymous User 2: “Tangyuan deserves credit. Ningbo’s Tangyuan is incredibly delicious. If anyone in the group is going to Ningbo for tourism, you must have a bowl.”
Group Owner: “The match against Argentina is about to begin!”
The group fell silent, and the members moved in front of the TV.
Chang Xiaole casually observed Lu Xuandong and noticed that after he comforted Newton, he left the court naturally and nonchalantly took out tickets, sitting in the front row.
What he actually took out a set of tickets for the entire VNL station! With one ticket, he could watch any match during the VNL China station from excellent seats.
Although Qin Chunxiao was the spokesperson for Zhe Yue’s popular basketball shoes, Wasn’t it a bit excessive for the young master to pay so much attention to him? Although many people know that the young master was a die-hard fan of Qin Chunxiao and would even chase after him to Russia to watch games, Chang Xiaole still felt that as a former singer and current heir of a listed company, Lu Xuandong’s devotion to Qin Chunxiao was too much.
However, as the game was about to start, Chang Xiaole did not disturb Qin Chunxiao with these questions. He neatly arranged the athletes’ water bottles within easy reach, as the boys were about to face a tough battle.
It was known that a total of 16 teams were participating in the VNL, and the Chinese men’s volleyball team was ranked 18th in the world. So, how had the Chinese team performed in previous leagues?
The informed person Jiang *spoke with a mosaic*: “They were basically at the bottom, even winning one match was a profit, and winning two matches would be a big success.”
So when the volleyball association learned that the men’s team won 3:1 against Bulgaria, they almost thought they had mistaken the women’s team’s performance for the men’s team’s.
But who doesn’t hope for good results for their own athletes? So when the game was about to begin, Newton not only received encouragement messages from the leaders but was also mentioned by the official account of the volleyball association. Before the game started, the coach of Zhejiang’s provincial men’s volleyball team brought a group of young boys to watch the game. They had red flags on their faces and little flags in their hands, looking very encouraging.
During warm-up, Argentina’s current main attacker came over to greet Qin Chunxiao, “Hey, Soso’s teammate, I’ve seen your performance in the Russian league.”
Qin Chunxiao thought the other person was talking about Soso’s friend and replied warmly, “Hello, nice to meet you.”
Who knew the guy would give a cold smile and say, “I’ll deal with you properly.”
Qin Chunxiao looked puzzled, and then saw the Argentine setter come over in a few steps, pulling the main attacker away, leaving with an apologetic smile to Qin Chunxiao before leaving.
At this moment, Newton walked over, patted Qin Chunxiao’s shoulder, and said, “Soso was on good terms with him before leaving the Argentine national team.”
Soso had always been dominating with his serves. After a serious injury affecting his serve, he planned to retire. At this time, Nikolai extended an invitation to him, and he accordingly left, preparing to explore new opportunities in the Russian league. After his injury improved, he transferred teams and even played as a server during the Rio Olympics.
For his former teammates in Argentina, this was a betrayal, and no one wants to see their teammates switch to another country’s nationality.
Qin Chunxiao, who understood the situation, thought to himself: “… Although I can understand the feelings of the Argentine players, I still feel unjustly targeted.”
The warm-up time ended, and with the referee’s signal, players from both sides stepped onto the court. The atmosphere ignited as lively music filled the venue, and the starting players from both teams appeared one by one.
Knowing that Argentina’s team was strong, Newton sent out his best lineup from the start: “Qiao Mingming, Qin Chunxiao, Ding Rong, Fu Biyang, Kong Duojin, and You Ziyu.”
The players stepped forward one after another.
Newton glanced at Argentina’s coach and said, “Play seriously.”
He had a feeling that today the Chinese team would face a tough battle.
This Argentine team, like the Chinese team, had an average age of around twenty. It was a young team, and half of the Rio veterans had retired. By the time of the match, the Argentine coach sent out a second-string team mainly composed of young players, leaving only the experienced setter Nicolò to steady the situation.
The position of the setter becomes more crafty with age. Sometimes, their experience, tactics, and technical finesse can influence the team more than their physical abilities. Nicolò was highly skilled in this aspect; he was once the world’s number one setter before Italy’s Mattia’s rise!
Under Nicolò’s leadership, the Argentine second-string team did not fall too far behind China. Qin Chunxiao relentlessly chased after balls, creating counterattack opportunities for his teammates, and barely managed to win the first set with a score of 25:21.
Newton saw the key point: “Ding Rong and Mao Xunfeng are no match for Nicolò.”
Ding Rong excelled at deceiving blockers, making false movements, and had great second-touch attacks. He was already an excellent setter within Asia.
During domestic matches, many new players were fooled by Ding Rong’s fake movements, thinking that he would attack from position two, so they all moved to block position two. As a result, Ding Rong passed the ball to position four, where the attacker had an easy spike since no blockers were there.
As the attackers jumped to block Ding Rong’s fake attack, their movements were quite comical, leading some old fans to praise Ding Rong as “Deputy Captain Ding, making opponents bounce around like melon-headed children on a trampoline.”
However, Nicolò’s level of deception was even higher than Ding Rong’s, and he excelled in blocking, attacking, and overall player coordination and control. Especially his spatial awareness and ball placement, the difference between the two setters was apparent.
Regardless of the team, the setter is always the tactical core; there was no doubt about this. The Chinese team’s core was not as strong as the other team’s, which put them at a disadvantage.
Little did they know that the Argentine coach was also secretly sweating.
What was going on with the Chinese team this year? Even if they were strengthened, starting the game by taking a set was too exaggerated, right? Was this still the Chinese team he remembered?
Moreover, that receiver, why could that kid Qin Chunxiao accurately chase and receive the ball when Nicolò had already shaken off the block and hit a free ball?
The Argentine coach secretly changed the lineup to an absolute main force for the second set.
Newton also replaced Ding Rong with Mao Xunfeng.
Although Xiao Mao was an honest child and couldn’t match Nicolò in cunning, his spatial awareness and ball control were not bad! Moreover, since returning from the Japanese league, Xiao Mao’s range of play had become even more diverse.
Newton looked serious and said, “Listen, Xiao Mao, don’t feel pressured. Trust your teammates and give the ball to them. Others, stay sharp and don’t get deceived again. If you can’t accurately judge the opponent’s attack route, block on one side and leave the other to Xiaozai.”
Qin Chunxiao took a sip of sports drink and raised his hand, indicating that he had no problem.
If we consider the volleyball match as a game of animal chess, almost every team may encounter teams that counter their style, but if their form is good, there is also a chance of winning against stronger opponents.
Nicolò was the sharp tooth that Argentina used to devour most teams, and Qin Chunxiao was the guardian who ensured that China was not devoured.
Newton had the remaining tactics set up, signaled for Xiao Mao to communicate tactics with the attackers, and then patted Qin Chunxiao’s shoulder. Everything was understood without saying a word.
In the second set, the game turned into an extremely grueling battle of attrition.
With the comprehensive upgrade, the Chinese team felt like they had returned to the time of the World Youth Championship when they played against Brazil. They faced immense defensive pressure, and scoring points was difficult. However, unlike back then, what made Argentina formidable was their overall level.
Outstanding skills, strong physical qualities, flexible and sharp tactics, and an experienced core player – these combinations made them a world-class team even without god-tier players.
They were locked in a fierce struggle with Argentina until 26:28, but ultimately lost the second set.
Qin Chunxiao missed the final ball, allowing Argentina to reach 28 points.
He pounded the floor and stood up. Qiao Mingming came over and hugged him, whispering, “It’s not your fault.”
Fu Biyang pounded his chest, saying, “It’s my fault. I thought I could read Nicolò’s attack routes, but he deceived me in blocking again. I’m sorry, Xiaozai. I didn’t perform well today, and you carried most of the defensive pressure.”
The defensive responsibility should have been shared by blockers and receivers. Fu Biyang felt that he didn’t do his job well.
Qiao Mingming shouted to him, “It’s not your fault either!”
He thought, if he could score more points, with the effort of his teammates, they could have won this set. The problem was that, as an attacker, he couldn’t show absolute strength to determine the outcome of the match!
Mao Xunfeng also pounded his chest, “Stop arguing. It’s me. It’s me, as a setter, not being good enough. If I could play at Nicolò’s level, we wouldn’t…”
Newton interrupted, “Alright, stop talking.”
Players looked at the coach. When the team encountered difficulties, the players always turned to the coach for advice. At times like this, even if the coach just poured some chicken soup for them, it could alleviate their confusion and fatigue.
The usually doting Newton now showed no mercy and said, “It’s your all-around immaturity that allowed Nicolò to seize the opportunity.”
Everyone: … Coach, you’re so straightforward.
Newton’s tone changed, “But I guess your fighting spirit is not lost yet. Even if the opponent is strong in all aspects, you still want to fight, just like Bulgaria did yesterday till the end.”
Qin Chunxiao defended himself, “Coach, the gap between us and Argentina shouldn’t be as big as the gap between us and Bulgaria, right?”
Newton waved his hand, “Doesn’t matter. Both are about playing as the underdog. Right now, it’s 1:1, and you haven’t fallen too far behind! Squid, in the next set, we’re serving, and you should strive to gain a few points’ advantage with your serves. Then I’ll let Erlang replace you!”
As the saying goes, when things were going well, they sent in Ding Rong and Mao Xunfeng alternately. When facing adversity, they bet on the unpredictable Er Lang. What if this kid performs miraculously tonight? If it doesn’t work out, this kid can also form a twin star pattern with Xiaozai to relieve his defensive pressure.
Li Ling immediately jumped up, did a few push-ups, and said to the coach and You Ziyu, “Lingzi is ready.”
During the Russian Super League championship, Soso did pre-game push-ups and then pounded his chest and roared to boost morale. Although that guy was a Latin heartthrob, he looked quite silly when he did that, but Er Leng followed suit and learned all those silly actions.
You Ziyu twisted his wrist guard and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll have to wait a little longer before you can go in.”
With these words, as You Ziyu stepped into the serving area again, he adopted the stance of an underhand serve.
In indoor volleyball matches, the underhand serve is a technique that has long been eliminated. However, in the domain of beach volleyball, it remains powerful. Since beach volleyball courts are outdoors, skilled players can serve the ball high, making the receiver have to look up at the sky and get blinded by the sunlight.
You Ziyu had played beach volleyball before, but it was too tiring, and he disliked getting tanned, so he firmly chose indoor volleyball. Nevertheless, he still practiced the underhand serve.
With his delicate touch, he could send the underhand serve high up without touching the lights or ceiling. So far, he was one of the rare servers in indoor volleyball who could score consecutively with an underhand serve!
With the sound of hand and ball striking, the yellow-blue volleyball flew high in the air and then landed swiftly.
Boom! 1:0.
The audience cheered excitedly.
“Nice serve, Squid!”
“Good ball, You Team!”
You Ziyu remained expressionless. He received the ball from the staff, adopted the underhand serve stance again, and this sweet-faced handsome guy, who usually smiled a lot and had dimples, appeared very amiable, but at this moment, in the eyes of his opponents, this man known to foreign fans as “Squid” had become an imposing figure.
Boom! 2:0.
Boom!
Boom!
4:0.
After the underhand serve, You Ziyu alternated between jump serve and jump float until the fifth ball was finally broken.
4:1.
Li Ling held up the number 11 sign and replaced You Ziyu as the coach signaled.
Newton mentally paid homage to various deities and buddhas. He was willing to light incense for all the temples in Beijing when he returned. As long as Er Leng performed exceptionally well tonight. Unfortunately, Ningbo’s signal was not good today, so whether it was the gods or Er Leng, they didn’t hear Newton’s urgent plea.
When Argentina served, Qin Chunxiao set the ball in front of Er Leng, and Er Leng swung his arm to hit the ball on the opposite side of the net.
He touched the net with his arm.
Newton covered his face and sighed.
Li Ling quickly turned to his teammates and chest-bumped them, “Sorry, everyone, it’s my fault.”
His good teammates replied in unison, “Of course, it’s your fault!”
Li Ling was aggrieved, “Don’t be so harsh.”
Strangely, as Li Ling entered the court, the tense atmosphere on the Chinese team’s side disappeared. Even the barrage on various video websites became more relaxed.
[Guys, did you feel that Er Leng made the scene funnier as soon as he came in?]
[That’s right. After all, Er Leng is the top comic star of Asian men’s volleyball. He still has that infecting power.]
[I heard five people speaking in unison for the first time, but Er Leng managed to get all five teammates to shout ‘your fault’ together. I even heard it, haha~]
[The live sound quality is great. I clearly heard Er Leng calling himself Lingzi when the coach was scolding him just now.]
Lu Xuandong couldn’t shout “Xiaozai, come on!” out loud. Seeing Li Ling go in, he quickly put his hand to his mouth, “Lingzi! Come on! Work well with Xiaozai!”
Li Ling gave the audience a thumbs-up gesture.
Qiao Mingming glanced at Newton, who shook his head, indicating that he wouldn’t change players for now. They would continue playing, and Qiao Mingming understood that Coach Newton was still gambling with the nerve knife.
Mao Xunfeng quietly said to Qin Chunxiao, “Er Leng seems a bit off today. You better try to give me the ball.”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “… Let’s see how it goes. If he’s in a good position, then I’ll pass to him.”
When there were two setters on the court, Qin Chunxiao also decided whom to give the ball based on the situation. He couldn’t just pass to a setter just because they demanded it, as it would go against the tactical intent of having two setters on the team.
The match continued. Since touching the net or hitting the ball out of bounds was common in volleyball, almost all players have their moments of making mistakes. So, the Argentine team thought that the guy named Tulengchika just had a temporary lapse. They expected him to play like a regular setter next.
But if Li Ling could be so easily predicted, Coach Newton wouldn’t have put him on the court.
After a few points, the score reached 6:4, and the Argentine team started to catch up. Qin Chunxiao received a few balls and noticed that Li Ling was in a perfect position, suitable for delivering a good set. So, he decisively passed the ball to Li Ling. The Argentine team was on full alert, ready to mark this setter’s movement and see which attacker he would set the ball to. The attackers on the Chinese side were also preparing to coordinate with Li Ling.
But what caught everyone’s attention was when Li Ling raised one hand and flicked the ball with his fingertips. The ball softly passed over the net. The Argentine libero’s pupils contracted. If he hadn’t stretched his foot and saved the ball, Li Ling would have scored.
Nicolò quickly organized the defense, and the Argentine team got the next point.
6:5.
The Argentine players and coaches let out a sigh of relief. That was close, they almost lost that point.
Qin Chunxiao remained silent for a few seconds. When the next serve came from the opposite side, he chose to give the ball to Li Ling again, gambling that the Argentine team wouldn’t expect Er Leng to attack for the third time, and also that Er Leng dared to go for a third attack.
It was hard to believe, but when Li Ling entered the court, Qin Chunxiao often ensured that his sets were good enough for Li Ling to attack. So, it wasn’t wrong to call him a vice setter. He had the task of organizing attacks, but the players he organized were other setters.
Li Ling didn’t disappoint him. This time, his attack succeeded!
7:5.
Er Leng raised both hands, roaring as he went to hug and chest bump his teammates. Even though he scored only one point, he acted as if he had won the VNL championship.
Newton stood up and applauded. “Well played!”
Jiang Xiaohai asked, “Newton, did Erlang forget his setter’s role again today? He has attacked three times, which is something only attackers do, right?”
Newton, with extremely flexible tactical thinking, replied, “Scoring is what matters. If it works, it’s good.”
After all, whether Er Leng carried his setter’s role or not was unpredictable.
Only the reliable underage player, Qin Chunxiao, reminded Li Ling responsibly, “Er Leng, remember, you’re a setter. If you keep attacking and ignore setting, then I’ll pass all the balls to Xiaomao (Mao Xunfeng), and you’ll just wait for the third ball to attack.”
Qin Chunxiao knew Er Leng too well. Once he tasted success, he would want to keep going. If he scored once, he would continue attacking, making it easy for the opponents to figure him out.
Er Leng readily replied, “Okay okay, I’ll set.”
He said that, but Qin Chunxiao still gave the next ball to Mao Xunfeng. And as expected, Mao Xunfeng didn’t disappoint and teamed up with Fu Biyang for a quick attack, securing the point.
The match seemed to return to normal from that point. Everyone was scoring as usual. When Qin Chunxiao finally gave the ball to Li Ling again, Li Ling set the ball properly at an angle suitable for a set. Since China had two setters on the court, it became challenging for the opponents to predict their plays. For a moment, the gap in strength between Argentina and China was filled with these tactical nuances.
When the score reached 24:23, everyone knew that another crucial moment that would decide the fate of the third set had arrived.
The Argentine server already knew how outstanding China’s number 8 was at defense. Every time he served in this match, the ball was received by the other side flawlessly.
He wondered as he served the ball, whom would Qin Chunxiao pass to this time?
The ball crossed the net, and Qin Chunxiao lunged to reach it. With a lift of his left arm, he passed the ball to Li Ling, who set the ball with a jump. Qin Chunxiao, seeing his movement, felt a sense of foreboding.
Sure enough, Li Ling actually passed the ball back to Qin Chunxiao!
Qin Chunxiao had just finished receiving the set and was cursing inside as he rushed forward. Five centimeters away from the three-meter line, he jumped for a spike. Li Ling’s pass was very close to the net. If Qin Chunxiao hadn’t run fast and jumped high, not anyone else might have been able to spike that ball.
Boom!
25:23, China took the third set!
As soon as Qin Chunxiao landed, he roared at Li Ling, “What if I hadn’t been able to hit that ball!?”
Li Ling showed eight teeth and confidently said, “I knew you would make it. After all, you’re Xiaozai!” After saying this, he also gave Qin Chunxiao two thumbs up.
Nonsense! Today, Qin Chunxiao was tasked with playing all five sets by Coach Newton. The Argentine team wasn’t made up of newcomers from the Youth World Championship, receiving their spikes took a lot of physical effort. If Qin Chunxiao had to handle both attacking and defending, he might have ended up exhausted on the court! If this particular play hadn’t worked, Qin Chunxiao would have almost attacked Li Ling, the husky setter.
Fu Biyang and Qiao Mingming sensibly blocked Qin Chunxiao and Er Leng.
Fu Biyang persuaded, “Xiaozai, forget it. Li Er Leng also trusts you.”
Qiao Mingming coaxed Li Ling, “Er Leng, give me the attacking balls.”
Qin Chunxiao said, “Alright, no need to persuade me. I’m not a hot-tempered person, and I won’t nitpick with Er Leng over a set.”
Fu Biyang murmured, “You didn’t need to nitpick in the first place. You always nitpick in ounces.”
Taking advantage of them standing behind You Ziyu, the audience couldn’t see their actions, so Qin Chunxiao reached out.
Fu Xiaoji : “Ao!”
The Argentine coach, looking at the lively Chinese team, thought, “They’ve improved a lot since the last Asian Championship. My research on them was already limited, and now it’s impossible to come up with targeted tactics against them. But their weaknesses are still evident, Nicolò?”
Nicolò smiled, “Yes, their youthfulness is visible, and I guess they will become even stronger after experiencing several major competitions. They might become a top-tier team. But we are fortunate to meet them before they fully mature. This is our opportunity.”
In the VNL, every win and loss is crucial, and the Argentine team didn’t want to increase their number of losses against China.
Nicolò gathered his teammates and the coach in a circle to discuss tactics.
“Don’t worry about Tulengchika. He’s an unpredictable player, but his inconsistency means China can’t rely on him. We just need to focus on #8, Misha Qin, and Tulengchika will inevitably come to his aid. Then Mao will become the setter…”
Coach Newton, on the other side, pointed to the tactics board, “Qin Chunxiao has already shouldered most of the defensive responsibilities. The opponent will surely target him next to wear him down. I’ll substitute Du Xiaofeng for Xiao Mao. You two will defend together, and Li Ling, the setting task is all yours.”
Finally, both coaches said a similar phrase.
“Our opponents in this match are strong in all aspects, from technique to tactics. Whether we win or lose depends on you. Hold on, and the one who endures until the end will be the winner!”
Now, it’s a battle of perseverance!
Qin Chunxiao wiped his face with a towel, looking at the Argentine team, feeling extremely calm inside.
The American team they would face tomorrow was even stronger than the Argentine team. If they couldn’t win against Argentina today, they would likely struggle against the USA team tomorrow. In the first stop of the VNL, accumulating two losses would be extremely disadvantageous for China’s ranking.
Nicolò looked at Qin Chunxiao with the same thought. They had already lost to the USA team in yesterday’s match. If they lost to China again, it would mean starting the VNL with two consecutive losses, which would be a massive blow to the Argentine team’s morale.
They must win!
A fierce battle began.
The Argentine team was considered one of the top teams, closest to the top-tier among the elite teams. They usually secure an Olympic spot and have received honors on the podium in various major competitions. They are a seasoned and strong team.
China, on the other hand, has always been considered an underdog, but after changing the national team coach last year, they finally showed signs of improvement.
Despite the apparent difference between these two teams, they miraculously fought on equal ground.
In the fourth set, both teams reached a score of 31:33, and Argentina pulled one set back.
In the fifth set, they fought relentlessly, seemingly aiming to push the score above 40.
Time passed minute by minute, and Newton stared at the court, barely blinking. Chang Xiaole checked his watch and found that it was already 18:30, meaning two hours and thirty minutes had passed since the match started.
Volleyball matches usually last around an hour and a half, but the match between China and Argentina had dragged on for an extra hour. One can imagine how many intense rallies and challenging moments they had experienced in this time, fighting for every point.
With Qiao Mingming’s all-out effort, the score reached 40:39, and finally, China took a one-point lead. One more point, and they would win!
Qiao Mingming’s chance to attack came from Qin Chunxiao once again receiving Argentina’s main attacker’s spike.
As Qiao Mingming was about to turn around and celebrate with his teammates, he noticed Qin Chunxiao still kneeling on the ground, yet to get up.
Qin Chunxiao was supporting himself with both hands on the floor. He wanted to stand up, but his muscles felt extremely sore. Despite wearing a headband to prevent sweat from running into his eyes, his nose, upper lip, and chin were soaked in sweat. Even his palms were damp, and the floor was covered in sweat marks.
He was so tired, and he wondered why he felt this exhausted. Did he get this tired when playing in the Brazilian league? Perhaps not even during matches in the Russian Super League? Why was it so taxing to play against Argentina?
Then, it dawned on him. When he played in the Russian Super League, his teammates were all members of the Russian national team, boss-level players. As for his time in Brazil, it seemed like a previous life, and he was already a fully grown player back then, physically in better shape than now.
He was still recovering.
Thinking about the possibility of facing his former Russian Super League teammates in the VNL made him feel even more fatigued.
Du Xiaofeng helped Qin Chunxiao up, asking, “Xiaozai, can you still go on?”
Qin Chunxiao mumbled, “Sweat…”
Du Xiaofeng asked again, “Huh?”
Qin Chunxiao said, “Wipe off the sweat.”
When exhausted, the brain seemed to become even more active, and thoughts turned wild. Qin Chunxiao recalled a time when he slipped on sweat during a run, and now there was so much sweat on the floor.
Newton called for a timeout, and Qin Chunxiao sat on a chair. Wang Yan and Chang Xiaole massaged his shoulders from both sides.
Newton asked with concern, “Only one point left, Xiaozai, can you hold on?”
Qin Chunxiao nodded, lacking the strength to speak, but his eyes were determined.
The last point.
No matter what, they had to win this point at least.
With this belief, Qin Chunxiao returned to the court, slightly crouching, feeling like he did when he learned to run as a child, preparing to start.
China served, the ball leaped over the net, got blocked, and Qin Chunxiao didn’t move. Du Xiaofeng successfully received the ball.
Li Ling quickly took his position and set the ball, and Qiao Mingming attacked!
The Argentine libero quickly received the ball, but it bounced off his wrist and flew over the net.
Now’s the time!
Qin Chunxiao ran, jumped, and tapped the ball with his left hand, just as the Argentine main attacker rushed over to block. Unexpectedly, the ball hit his fingers and went out of bounds.
41:39.
The match ended!
Qin Chunxiao landed and lifted his collar to wipe his face. He smiled slightly at the Argentine main attacker on the other side of the net, “Now, you can’t call me ‘Soso Teammate’ anymore.”
The Argentine main attacker was puzzled, “Then what should I call you?”
Qin Chunxiao cheerfully said, “Call me by my name, Qin Chunxiao, or Misha Qin, either is fine.”
Hearing this, the Argentine main attacker frowned at first, then couldn’t believe it. After a moment, he faced this short figure squarely.
He said, “Okay, Misha Qin, I’m Jenner.”
After this match, Qin Chunxiao didn’t appear in the match against the USA the next day. It was evident to everyone that he had been exhausted, and even on the way back to the hotel, he had to be carried on his teammates’ backs.
Using up the core defender Qin Chunxiao in the first stop of the VNL wouldn’t be acceptable. After careful consideration, Newton used the starting lineup of Liu Yuelou, Aizimaiti, Mao Xunfeng, Min Yaoyang, Tong Shulan, and Xiong Wu in the match the next day, with other players rotating into the game.
William was very dissatisfied with this decision. After the match, he ran to Qin Chunxiao and asked loudly, “Why didn’t you come up?”
Qin Chunxiao held a water bottle and pointed to his calf, “I got a cramp after yesterday’s match. The team doctor suggested I take a rest.”
William said, “Huh? Are you not feeling well? Then never mind.”
He squatted down, looking just as tall as Qin Chunxiao who was sitting. The two of them stared at each other, and William reached out his hand: “So you have to remember to make it to the finals, I’m still waiting to have a match with you. You may be able to defend against Roman, but you might not be able to defend against me.”
Qin Chunxiao shook his hand and said, “I will definitely make it to the finals!”
