After the Chicago station, China had accumulated 9 wins and 3 losses, with only 1 win away from their ultimate goal of reaching the 10-5 win-loss ratio required for the finals.
This distance seemed like a chasm for them, as they were going to face tough opponents in the final station in Italy. The three opponents they would be up against were France, Russia, and Italy.
Russia was currently ranked first in the world.
Italy was ranked third in the world.
France was ranked fifth in the world and had defeated Russia to win the men’s volleyball gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Italy station was like a real hell mode, as getting a victory against these three teams was not much easier than reaching the Olympic finals!
After seeing the match schedule for the Italy station, Lu Xuandong stayed up all night and compiled the past records of these three teams to post them online, hoping that the fans could understand that China was facing formidable opponents and urging them to watch the matches with a rational mindset.
At the same time, he planned to message Qin Chunxiao to check on him. But before he could do that, Qin Chunxiao reached out to him to ask about something.
Qin Chunxiao: “Dongzai, when I was reading the news recently, I noticed that Lian Zhiqi from beach volleyball seems to have broken up with his fiance. You have connections in that circle, can you find out if they really split?”
Lu Xuandong: “Wait a moment.”
He quickly went online to search for related news and found out that Lian Zhiqi was a former top player in China’s men’s beach volleyball. His performance declined after he and his former partner split up, but they had gained popularity through a reality show about love, so their online presence had increased.
Then, he called Long Zitan. On the other end of the line, there were lively sounds of gongs and drums, and a group of aunties singing joyfully, “A grand river with wide waves…”
Long Zitan shouted, “Hey, Xuandong, your brother and I are practicing choir singing with the aunties. What’s up?”
Lu Xuandong remained silent for a few seconds and then asked for gossip. Long Zitan also replied with a “wait a moment.” A minute later, Long Zitan replied on WeChat.
Cai Wang – Xiaolong: “Yes, they broke up. Lian Zhiqi’s soulmate is named Sun Feng, an abstinent model, who has built a good public image. However, a few months ago, he attended a same-sex party and contracted an illness. The whole modeling agency’s models ended up in the hospital, and people in the industry are laughing about it. Lian Zhiqi got infected by mistake and broke up with Sun Feng.”
Faced with such scandalous information, Lu Xuandong thought for a moment and selectively answered the question.
Lu Xuandong: “Yes, they broke up. Recently, Lian Zhiqi is also going to participate in a beach volleyball event in Italy, and the location of the event is close to your next destination. If you happen to meet, don’t have a meal together with him. A few months ago, he got infected by his former fiance with some undesirable illness.”
Just the day before, Lian Zhiqi and his current boyfriend announced their breakup on social media. It was said that after being together for a year, they finally realized that as soulmates, they were more suitable as friends than lovers because both of them were too stubborn to accommodate each other’s edges.
Lian Zhiqi’s former fiance was a model who liked smoking and drinking and had a promiscuous past. Their relationship had deteriorated to the extreme before they separated, and they even had a physical fight. However, the actual truth was unclear, and their breakup left many fans who shipped the soulmate couple heartbroken.
Lu Xuandong knew how unfortunate it was for Lian Zhiqi to contract an illness, but he cared more about Qin Chunxiao’s well-being.
Qin Chunxiao: “… Alright, I’ll be careful.”
Qin Chunxiao: “Today, Xiaole-ge was on the phone in the corridor for a long time, and he came back with a really bad mood. I’m really worried about him, so I asked you. Thanks.”
Chang Xiaole was the sparring coach of the men’s volleyball national team and a good friend of Qin Chunxiao. He was also Lian Zhiqi’s former partner and former boyfriend.
After their conversation ended, Lu Xuandong realized that he hadn’t told Qin Chunxiao about the dangers of the Italy Station and hadn’t wished him luck in the matches or advised him not to have too much mental pressure.
Lu Xuandong sighed and let it go. After all, Xiaozai was a professional athlete, and he was probably more aware of these things than he was.
As for the matters related to the Italy Station, Newton had already done some psychological preparation for the players before the match: “Those three teams may not go all out in the station matches, so we only need to deal with them in their regular state. Isn’t that good news?”
Jiang Xiaohai commented coolly, “That’s true, but we are the team they can easily bully at the Italy station. Compared to playing against the other two strong teams, they must be determined to win against us.”
Empathizing with the situation, if Jiang Xiaohai saw a soft persimmon right in front of him and was asked not to squeeze it, it would feel as impossible as asking a cat not to play with a ball of yarn.
Jiang’s assistant coach’s words made the team fall into silence.
Newton then turned his gaze to Dundun, thinking that the team’s spirit would be more persuasive than the coach at this moment.
Qin Chunxiao received the coach’s signal and nodded in understanding. He stood up and said, “Everyone, the atmosphere is already here, it wouldn’t be nice if nothing happens. We have already won nine matches, and it would be embarrassing if we don’t win this last one to reach the finals. Besides, we have challenged several opponents in the finals, like certain players from the Brazilian team, the Polish team, and the other teams.”
Hmm, he couldn’t even count them on his ten fingers. It’s strange. With his friendly and lovely personality, why did he arrange to meet so many of them in the finals? It must be those opponents who loved provoking others.
For the sake of his own face and reaching higher stages, Qin Chunxiao said, “It’s nothing significant, just that we will be facing the world’s first, third, and fifth-ranked teams. Our current world ranking is already 14th, and the gap between us is not as big as before! Besides, when we compete in the Olympics, we’ll have to face them too, so relax!”
After saying that, Dundun gave a thumbs-up.
His good teammates felt something was off.
Fu Biyang whispered to Mao Xunfeng, “Dunzi has made arrangements to meet many people in the finals. He’s put the word out, but if he can’t make it to the finals, won’t that be embarrassing?”
Mao Xunfeng replied, “That’s true, but what he said makes sense. The atmosphere is already here, and if we don’t make it to the finals, it won’t be acceptable. It seems like this is the closest we’ve been to the VNL finals this year, right?”
Ding Rong, Gao Depi, and Tong Shulan murmured, “We are already quite old, and with injuries on top of that, we don’t know if we’ll still be in this form next year. If we don’t make it this time, we might not have the chance to make it in the next one.”
Tong Shulan nodded in agreement, “Yes, after all, we’ll be one year older next year, and youth passes by quickly.”
Gao Depi considered more, “And as soon as Coach Yang led us to achieve good results, Zhao Old Ghost came down from the sky to pick peaches. Although Lao Niu’s tricks are quite decent, what if another guy with a stronger background comes along? We should seize all the opportunities we have now.”
Newton had an expressionless face. “Xiao Pi, the coach heard what you said. Thank you for your concern about my coaching career, but I don’t need you to worry about it for now.”
So, everyone on the plane agreed that they would give their all at the Italy Station.
Qiao Mingming patted Qin Chunxiao’s head. “Don’t worry, Xiao Zai, we will definitely make it to the finals.”
When they went to see Lake Michigan, Qiao Mingming felt the love of a teammate from Xiao Zai. Now it was his turn to support Xiao Zai.
“That’s right, we’ll definitely have you joining Sebastian and Dominique in the finals.”
“Don’t worry, Xiao Zai, you have the best teammates in the world!”
“We will definitely make it to the finals!”
It seemed that Xiao Qin not only swung between the positions of a receiving player and a libero but also simultaneously held the positions of a team dad and a team pet.
When they arrived at the airport, the Chinese team found that one of their opponents, the Italian team, had actually sent someone to pick them up! The libero Dario and the opposite hitter Louis, who they had met at the World Youth Championship, were there.
Dario was the only defensive genius during the Tokyo Olympics cycle who could compete with Billy and Qin Chunxiao for the title of the best libero.
Louis, on the other hand, was the protagonist of the jokes about tactics in the volleyball world.
As they were all old friends, the Chinese team greeted them warmly. In addition to these two, Gao Depi’s ENEL club teammate, the world’s number one setter Mattia, also came over. He was wearing a floral shirt, beige beach shorts, flip-flops, had black hair, big black eyes, and stood at a height of 1.99 meters.
Upon seeing Gao Depi, Mattia approached him with a smile, “My good brother, I watched all your matches in the VNL, and your reception and serving have improved.”
The way these three greeted each other was very reserved, using only words and not actions.
Qiao Mingming and Fu Biyang were much more enthusiastic when they met their teammates at the Barbecue club.
With them were three strapping guys from the club, averaging a height of 2.04 meters, with well-proportioned bodies that left passersby envious. They smiled sincerely and bumped chests with Captain Qiao and Fu Xiaoji.
Qin Chunxiao didn’t mean anything else, but he couldn’t help but exclaim that the sound of their chests bumping together was quite shocking.
As soon as they came out of the airport, they saw several luxury cars lined up. It was said that these cars were given to the club by the sponsor.
Qin Chunxiao speculated that these sponsors probably had businesses as a side gig, with their main business likely being involved with the underworld.
But the luxury cars were quite comfortable to ride in. At least the sound insulation was pretty good. During the half-hour journey from the airport to the hotel, Qin Chunxiao, who was struggling with jet lag, dozed off.
The brilliant sunlight and the Mediterranean breeze seeped in through the window cracks. Chang Xiaole lowered the air conditioning temperature and took off his coat to cover Qin Chunxiao.
Qin Chunxiao was indeed quite adaptable to low temperatures. While playing volleyball in Russia, he once wore a short-sleeved T-shirt and played snowball fights with people. However, he was a player with a body fat percentage in the single digits, and Chang Xiaole subconsciously felt that his cold resistance was not enough.
Qin Chunxiao sleepily opened his eyes and Chang Xiaole hurriedly said, “Sleep, we haven’t arrived yet.”
Qin Chunxiao closed his eyes again, tilted his head, and leaned on Qiao Mingming’s shoulder. Qiao Mingming was also dozing off. When he felt someone leaning on him, he just subconsciously moved aside, squeezing his large frame into a corner, looking somewhat pitiful.
When they finally arrived at the hotel, Qin Chunxiao opened his eyes and yawned when he got off the car. Only then did he notice the first flaw in the car – the door was not designed well and couldn’t be opened from the inside. Someone from outside had to help open it.
The driver said, “This car is designed for others to drive from the outside, while passengers enjoy the ride.”
Qin Chunxiao asked innocently, “But what if the car catches fire? Wouldn’t it be difficult for me to escape?”
The driver had no answer to that.
They were staying at a five-star hotel with a golden beach right next to it. Tall palm trees lined the hotel entrance, and passersby were dressed in cool clothes. Many of them had healthy wheat-colored skin, shimmering with a healthy glow in the sunlight.
As they entered the hotel, they saw a group of beautiful ladies lining up at the hotel entrance, waiting for a bus. Mattia introduced, “Miss Universe is currently shooting here.”
Fu Biyang wasn’t interested in that at all, he liked the style of Wang Chuntian. The others were also quite calm and didn’t bother to peek over there. After all, they were used to seeing Qin Chunxiao every day, so their threshold for being impressed was quite high. It was challenging to surprise them.
However, a white-haired old man in charge of their team did cast several glances over, pointing and discussing with a few ladies next to him.
“These athletes are quite impressive.”
“They’re all tall and have long legs.”
Volleyball players are generally tall with good figures and proportions, and all of them had long legs. From the perspective of a beauty pageant judge, these Chinese athletes could be described as beautiful.
When it was time for dinner, the white-haired old man came over to chat. At that moment, Fu Biyang was chatting with the coaches and took the opportunity to video call Wang Chuntian, asking her many considerate questions. Newton and Jiang Xiaohai couldn’t be bothered with him, and the other players were not there.
After Fu Biyang’s video call ended, the white-haired old man spoke to him, “Hi, Biyang, long time no see.”
Fu Biyang turned around, a puzzled look in his eyes. “Hello.”
Who was this old man?
The white-haired old man introduced himself, “I am Robert, the producer of Miss Universe. We met during the Milan Fashion Week before. Are you here to play volleyball?”
Fu Biyang still couldn’t recall who this old man was, but he politely replied, “Yes, we are all members of the Chinese Men’s National Volleyball Team, here to participate in the Italy Station of VNL.”
Robert said, “You all look like very outstanding young people.”
As the producer of a beauty pageant, Robert didn’t know how skilled these players were. His evaluation of them was based on an aesthetic perspective.
He looked at Aizmaiti and Min Yaoyang with a loving gaze, and finally asked seemingly casually, “And what about the shortest boy?”
Once Robert asked that, Newton and Jiang Xiaohai had a sudden realization.
Of course, the only one in their team who could attract the attention of a beauty pageant producer was Xiao Zai, who had already won the title of the number one handsome guy in volleyball.
Newton laughed and pointed outside the hotel. “That kid played in the Russian Volleyball League for a season. The Russian national team called him up before. They should be playing beach volleyball below the hotel.”
“Beach volleyball?” Robert asked.
“Yes, beach volleyball. There’s a beach volleyball competition nearby, and many talented players have come. I’ll take you to see. I’m also curious about how that kid plays with professional beach volleyball players.”
At 19:00 local time, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and the moon rose. Bonfires were lit on the beach, and Robert followed Newton to the beach and found that there were many big guys there, all at least 1.9 meters tall, with 10 of them standing at over 2.1 meters!
They were male volleyball players from Russia, Italy, and France. If Robert were a volleyball fan, he would have been screaming at these volleyball stars.
Roman, Sidney, Mattia – these three names represented the pinnacle of human performance in volleyball, the perfect combination of skill and power.
But now, all these stars’ eyes were focused on the beach volleyball court.
Qin Chunxiao was standing with a bearded man on the court. Qin Chunxiao stood at the net, while his temporary partner was getting ready to serve. On the other side of the net, Lian Zhiqi and his partner were preparing to receive the serve.
The bearded man sent the ball high into the air, and both players on the other side started to prepare to receive the ball but ultimately failed.
Qiao Mingming, standing in the referee position, signaled that Xiao Zai’s team had won another point.
Newton led Robert to a handsome man with blond hair and dark skin and an extremely fit figure.
“Xiao Le, how are they doing?”
Chang Xiaole didn’t react.
Newton raised his voice and called again, “Xiao Le!”
Chang Xiaole snapped out of his thoughts and turned around. Robert then noticed that this handsome man’s eyes were filled with tears.
“They’ve been dominating the game,” Chang Xiaole wiped his face, “Xiao Zai seems to have developed some beach volleyball skills. Lian Zhiqi’s partner isn’t strong enough, and he himself is not in top form. That’s why Xiao Zai’s team is winning.”
Chang Xiaole continued with a smile, “I’ve never seen Xiao Zai so aggressive before.”
Earlier, Lian Zhiqi had invited Chang Xiaole to have a meal, seemingly intending to talk to him. Chang Xiaole was planning to accept the invitation when Qin Chunxiao snatched the coconut from Fu Biyang’s hand and slammed it on the ground between them.
“Xiaole ge is going to play with us, he can’t have dinner with unrelated people!”
In the blink of an eye, Qin Chunxiao was already standing in front of Chang Xiaole, tilting his chin and upper body, taking on a protective stance. “Listen, Xiaole ge is very busy.”
Qin Chunxiao knew that Lian Zhiqi was suffering from a serious illness, but he cared more about Chang Xiaole’s well-being!
Lian Zhiqi recognized this rising star in Chinese volleyball and furrowed his brow, looking at Chang Xiaole. “Xiao Le, can you ask this kid to step aside? I really want to talk to you about our past.”
Qin Chunxiao got angry. “Who are you calling a kid?”
Then he started arguing with Lian Zhiqi. Qin Chunxiao spoke in a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin, and he berated Lian Zhiqi so fiercely that he was left bewildered. Er Leng and Xiaoji were also there to back Qin Chunxiao up, while Li Ling could only shout, “I support you!”
Fu Biyang, on the other hand, was even more intimidating. Whenever Lian Zhiqi saw Fu Xiaoji’s muscular arms, he didn’t dare to have any thoughts of getting physical and could only suggest settling the matter with a volleyball match, hoping to handle things through beach volleyball.
This decision saved his life because if they had actually fought, the scene would likely have turned into Qin Chunxiao brutally beating up the jerk, while Chang Xiaole and Fu Biyang courageously intervened on either side. Li Ling would be calling for an ambulance.
Originally, Qin Chunxiao had considered calling You Ziyu, who had experience in beach volleyball, to be his partner. But luckily, as soon as he arrived at the beach, he saw the Rio male beach volleyball champion, Kristian Fisher..
Chang Xiaole had faced him before in Rio, but unfortunately, he suffered from a severe waist injury and was eliminated by the opponent after just a few sets.
This kind-hearted guy not only lent them the court to play a match but after taking one look at Chang Xiaole, he promptly volunteered to be Qin Chunxiao’s partner.
Newton pointed around at the tall players nearby and asked, “Are these other players from different countries?”
Chang Xiaole replied, “I don’t know where they came from, but they have been observing for quite some time. And Sidney from France even said that after Xiao Zai finishes dealing with Lian Zhiqi, he wants to step up and play against him.”
After the Chicago station, China had accumulated 9 wins and 3 losses, with only 1 win away from their ultimate goal of reaching the 10-5 win-loss ratio required for the finals.
This distance seemed like a chasm for them, as they were going to face tough opponents in the final station in Italy. The three opponents they would be up against were France, Russia, and Italy.
Russia was currently ranked first in the world.
Italy was ranked third in the world.
France was ranked fifth in the world and had defeated Russia to win the men’s volleyball gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Italy station was like a real hell mode, as getting a victory against these three teams was not much easier than reaching the Olympic finals!
After seeing the match schedule for the Italy station, Lu Xuandong stayed up all night and compiled the past records of these three teams to post them online, hoping that the fans could understand that China was facing formidable opponents and urging them to watch the matches with a rational mindset.
At the same time, he planned to message Qin Chunxiao to check on him. But before he could do that, Qin Chunxiao reached out to him to ask about something.
Qin Chunxiao: “Dongzai, when I was reading the news recently, I noticed that Lian Zhiqi from beach volleyball seems to have broken up with his fiance. You have connections in that circle, can you find out if they really split?”
Lu Xuandong: “Wait a moment.”
He quickly went online to search for related news and found out that Lian Zhiqi was a former top player in China’s men’s beach volleyball. His performance declined after he and his former partner split up, but they had gained popularity through a reality show about love, so their online presence had increased.
Then, he called Long Zitan. On the other end of the line, there were lively sounds of gongs and drums, and a group of aunties singing joyfully, “A grand river with wide waves…”
Long Zitan shouted, “Hey, Xuandong, your brother and I are practicing choir singing with the aunties. What’s up?”
Lu Xuandong remained silent for a few seconds and then asked for gossip. Long Zitan also replied with a “wait a moment.” A minute later, Long Zitan replied on WeChat.
Cai Wang – Xiaolong: “Yes, they broke up. Lian Zhiqi’s soulmate is named Sun Feng, an abstinent model, who has built a good public image. However, a few months ago, he attended a same-sex party and contracted an illness. The whole modeling agency’s models ended up in the hospital, and people in the industry are laughing about it. Lian Zhiqi got infected by mistake and broke up with Sun Feng.”
Faced with such scandalous information, Lu Xuandong thought for a moment and selectively answered the question.
Lu Xuandong: “Yes, they broke up. Recently, Lian Zhiqi is also going to participate in a beach volleyball event in Italy, and the location of the event is close to your next destination. If you happen to meet, don’t have a meal together with him. A few months ago, he got infected by his former fiance with some undesirable illness.”
Just the day before, Lian Zhiqi and his current boyfriend announced their breakup on social media. It was said that after being together for a year, they finally realized that as soulmates, they were more suitable as friends than lovers because both of them were too stubborn to accommodate each other’s edges.
Lian Zhiqi’s former fiance was a model who liked smoking and drinking and had a promiscuous past. Their relationship had deteriorated to the extreme before they separated, and they even had a physical fight. However, the actual truth was unclear, and their breakup left many fans who shipped the soulmate couple heartbroken.
Lu Xuandong knew how unfortunate it was for Lian Zhiqi to contract an illness, but he cared more about Qin Chunxiao’s well-being.
Qin Chunxiao: “… Alright, I’ll be careful.”
Qin Chunxiao: “Today, Xiaole-ge was on the phone in the corridor for a long time, and he came back with a really bad mood. I’m really worried about him, so I asked you. Thanks.”
Chang Xiaole was the sparring coach of the men’s volleyball national team and a good friend of Qin Chunxiao. He was also Lian Zhiqi’s former partner and former boyfriend.
After their conversation ended, Lu Xuandong realized that he hadn’t told Qin Chunxiao about the dangers of the Italy Station and hadn’t wished him luck in the matches or advised him not to have too much mental pressure.
Lu Xuandong sighed and let it go. After all, Xiaozai was a professional athlete, and he was probably more aware of these things than he was.
As for the matters related to the Italy Station, Newton had already done some psychological preparation for the players before the match: “Those three teams may not go all out in the station matches, so we only need to deal with them in their regular state. Isn’t that good news?”
Jiang Xiaohai commented coolly, “That’s true, but we are the team they can easily bully at the Italy station. Compared to playing against the other two strong teams, they must be determined to win against us.”
Empathizing with the situation, if Jiang Xiaohai saw a soft persimmon right in front of him and was asked not to squeeze it, it would feel as impossible as asking a cat not to play with a ball of yarn.
Jiang’s assistant coach’s words made the team fall into silence.
Newton then turned his gaze to Dundun, thinking that the team’s spirit would be more persuasive than the coach at this moment.
Qin Chunxiao received the coach’s signal and nodded in understanding. He stood up and said, “Everyone, the atmosphere is already here, it wouldn’t be nice if nothing happens. We have already won nine matches, and it would be embarrassing if we don’t win this last one to reach the finals. Besides, we have challenged several opponents in the finals, like certain players from the Brazilian team, the Polish team, and the other teams.”
Hmm, he couldn’t even count them on his ten fingers. It’s strange. With his friendly and lovely personality, why did he arrange to meet so many of them in the finals? It must be those opponents who loved provoking others.
For the sake of his own face and reaching higher stages, Qin Chunxiao said, “It’s nothing significant, just that we will be facing the world’s first, third, and fifth-ranked teams. Our current world ranking is already 14th, and the gap between us is not as big as before! Besides, when we compete in the Olympics, we’ll have to face them too, so relax!”
After saying that, Dundun gave a thumbs-up.
His good teammates felt something was off.
Fu Biyang whispered to Mao Xunfeng, “Dunzi has made arrangements to meet many people in the finals. He’s put the word out, but if he can’t make it to the finals, won’t that be embarrassing?”
Mao Xunfeng replied, “That’s true, but what he said makes sense. The atmosphere is already here, and if we don’t make it to the finals, it won’t be acceptable. It seems like this is the closest we’ve been to the VNL finals this year, right?”
Ding Rong, Gao Depi, and Tong Shulan murmured, “We are already quite old, and with injuries on top of that, we don’t know if we’ll still be in this form next year. If we don’t make it this time, we might not have the chance to make it in the next one.”
Tong Shulan nodded in agreement, “Yes, after all, we’ll be one year older next year, and youth passes by quickly.”
Gao Depi considered more, “And as soon as Coach Yang led us to achieve good results, Zhao Old Ghost came down from the sky to pick peaches. Although Lao Niu’s tricks are quite decent, what if another guy with a stronger background comes along? We should seize all the opportunities we have now.”
Newton had an expressionless face. “Xiao Pi, the coach heard what you said. Thank you for your concern about my coaching career, but I don’t need you to worry about it for now.”
So, everyone on the plane agreed that they would give their all at the Italy Station.
Qiao Mingming patted Qin Chunxiao’s head. “Don’t worry, Xiao Zai, we will definitely make it to the finals.”
When they went to see Lake Michigan, Qiao Mingming felt the love of a teammate from Xiao Zai. Now it was his turn to support Xiao Zai.
“That’s right, we’ll definitely have you joining Sebastian and Dominique in the finals.”
“Don’t worry, Xiao Zai, you have the best teammates in the world!”
“We will definitely make it to the finals!”
It seemed that Xiao Qin not only swung between the positions of a receiving player and a libero but also simultaneously held the positions of a team dad and a team pet.
When they arrived at the airport, the Chinese team found that one of their opponents, the Italian team, had actually sent someone to pick them up! The libero Dario and the opposite hitter Louis, who they had met at the World Youth Championship, were there.
Dario was the only defensive genius during the Tokyo Olympics cycle who could compete with Billy and Qin Chunxiao for the title of the best libero.
Louis, on the other hand, was the protagonist of the jokes about tactics in the volleyball world.
As they were all old friends, the Chinese team greeted them warmly. In addition to these two, Gao Depi’s ENEL club teammate, the world’s number one setter Mattia, also came over. He was wearing a floral shirt, beige beach shorts, flip-flops, had black hair, big black eyes, and stood at a height of 1.99 meters.
Upon seeing Gao Depi, Mattia approached him with a smile, “My good brother, I watched all your matches in the VNL, and your reception and serving have improved.”
The way these three greeted each other was very reserved, using only words and not actions.
Qiao Mingming and Fu Biyang were much more enthusiastic when they met their teammates at the Barbecue club.
With them were three strapping guys from the club, averaging a height of 2.04 meters, with well-proportioned bodies that left passersby envious. They smiled sincerely and bumped chests with Captain Qiao and Fu Xiaoji.
Qin Chunxiao didn’t mean anything else, but he couldn’t help but exclaim that the sound of their chests bumping together was quite shocking.
As soon as they came out of the airport, they saw several luxury cars lined up. It was said that these cars were given to the club by the sponsor.
Qin Chunxiao speculated that these sponsors probably had businesses as a side gig, with their main business likely being involved with the underworld.
But the luxury cars were quite comfortable to ride in. At least the sound insulation was pretty good. During the half-hour journey from the airport to the hotel, Qin Chunxiao, who was struggling with jet lag, dozed off.
The brilliant sunlight and the Mediterranean breeze seeped in through the window cracks. Chang Xiaole lowered the air conditioning temperature and took off his coat to cover Qin Chunxiao.
Qin Chunxiao was indeed quite adaptable to low temperatures. While playing volleyball in Russia, he once wore a short-sleeved T-shirt and played snowball fights with people. However, he was a player with a body fat percentage in the single digits, and Chang Xiaole subconsciously felt that his cold resistance was not enough.
Qin Chunxiao sleepily opened his eyes and Chang Xiaole hurriedly said, “Sleep, we haven’t arrived yet.”
Qin Chunxiao closed his eyes again, tilted his head, and leaned on Qiao Mingming’s shoulder. Qiao Mingming was also dozing off. When he felt someone leaning on him, he just subconsciously moved aside, squeezing his large frame into a corner, looking somewhat pitiful.
When they finally arrived at the hotel, Qin Chunxiao opened his eyes and yawned when he got off the car. Only then did he notice the first flaw in the car – the door was not designed well and couldn’t be opened from the inside. Someone from outside had to help open it.
The driver said, “This car is designed for others to drive from the outside, while passengers enjoy the ride.”
Qin Chunxiao asked innocently, “But what if the car catches fire? Wouldn’t it be difficult for me to escape?”
The driver had no answer to that.
They were staying at a five-star hotel with a golden beach right next to it. Tall palm trees lined the hotel entrance, and passersby were dressed in cool clothes. Many of them had healthy wheat-colored skin, shimmering with a healthy glow in the sunlight.
As they entered the hotel, they saw a group of beautiful ladies lining up at the hotel entrance, waiting for a bus. Mattia introduced, “Miss Universe is currently shooting here.”
Fu Biyang wasn’t interested in that at all, he liked the style of Wang Chuntian. The others were also quite calm and didn’t bother to peek over there. After all, they were used to seeing Qin Chunxiao every day, so their threshold for being impressed was quite high. It was challenging to surprise them.
However, a white-haired old man in charge of their team did cast several glances over, pointing and discussing with a few ladies next to him.
“These athletes are quite impressive.”
“They’re all tall and have long legs.”
Volleyball players are generally tall with good figures and proportions, and all of them had long legs. From the perspective of a beauty pageant judge, these Chinese athletes could be described as beautiful.
When it was time for dinner, the white-haired old man came over to chat. At that moment, Fu Biyang was chatting with the coaches and took the opportunity to video call Wang Chuntian, asking her many considerate questions. Newton and Jiang Xiaohai couldn’t be bothered with him, and the other players were not there.
After Fu Biyang’s video call ended, the white-haired old man spoke to him, “Hi, Biyang, long time no see.”
Fu Biyang turned around, a puzzled look in his eyes. “Hello.”
Who was this old man?
The white-haired old man introduced himself, “I am Robert, the producer of Miss Universe. We met during the Milan Fashion Week before. Are you here to play volleyball?”
Fu Biyang still couldn’t recall who this old man was, but he politely replied, “Yes, we are all members of the Chinese Men’s National Volleyball Team, here to participate in the Italy Station of VNL.”
Robert said, “You all look like very outstanding young people.”
As the producer of a beauty pageant, Robert didn’t know how skilled these players were. His evaluation of them was based on an aesthetic perspective.
He looked at Aizmaiti and Min Yaoyang with a loving gaze, and finally asked seemingly casually, “And what about the shortest boy?”
Once Robert asked that, Newton and Jiang Xiaohai had a sudden realization.
Of course, the only one in their team who could attract the attention of a beauty pageant producer was Xiao Zai, who had already won the title of the number one handsome guy in volleyball.
Newton laughed and pointed outside the hotel. “That kid played in the Russian Volleyball League for a season. The Russian national team called him up before. They should be playing beach volleyball below the hotel.”
“Beach volleyball?” Robert asked.
“Yes, beach volleyball. There’s a beach volleyball competition nearby, and many talented players have come. I’ll take you to see. I’m also curious about how that kid plays with professional beach volleyball players.”
At 19:00 local time, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and the moon rose. Bonfires were lit on the beach, and Robert followed Newton to the beach and found that there were many big guys there, all at least 1.9 meters tall, with 10 of them standing at over 2.1 meters!
They were male volleyball players from Russia, Italy, and France. If Robert were a volleyball fan, he would have been screaming at these volleyball stars.
Roman, Sidney, Mattia – these three names represented the pinnacle of human performance in volleyball, the perfect combination of skill and power.
But now, all these stars’ eyes were focused on the beach volleyball court.
Qin Chunxiao was standing with a bearded man on the court. Qin Chunxiao stood at the net, while his temporary partner was getting ready to serve. On the other side of the net, Lian Zhiqi and his partner were preparing to receive the serve.
The bearded man sent the ball high into the air, and both players on the other side started to prepare to receive the ball but ultimately failed.
Qiao Mingming, standing in the referee position, signaled that Xiao Zai’s team had won another point.
Newton led Robert to a handsome man with blond hair and dark skin and an extremely fit figure.
“Xiao Le, how are they doing?”
Chang Xiaole didn’t react.
Newton raised his voice and called again, “Xiao Le!”
Chang Xiaole snapped out of his thoughts and turned around. Robert then noticed that this handsome man’s eyes were filled with tears.
“They’ve been dominating the game,” Chang Xiaole wiped his face, “Xiao Zai seems to have developed some beach volleyball skills. Lian Zhiqi’s partner isn’t strong enough, and he himself is not in top form. That’s why Xiao Zai’s team is winning.”
Chang Xiaole continued with a smile, “I’ve never seen Xiao Zai so aggressive before.”
Earlier, Lian Zhiqi had invited Chang Xiaole to have a meal, seemingly intending to talk to him. Chang Xiaole was planning to accept the invitation when Qin Chunxiao snatched the coconut from Fu Biyang’s hand and slammed it on the ground between them.
“Xiaole ge is going to play with us, he can’t have dinner with unrelated people!”
In the blink of an eye, Qin Chunxiao was already standing in front of Chang Xiaole, tilting his chin and upper body, taking on a protective stance. “Listen, Xiaole ge is very busy.”
Qin Chunxiao knew that Lian Zhiqi was suffering from a serious illness, but he cared more about Chang Xiaole’s well-being!
Lian Zhiqi recognized this rising star in Chinese volleyball and furrowed his brow, looking at Chang Xiaole. “Xiao Le, can you ask this kid to step aside? I really want to talk to you about our past.”
Qin Chunxiao got angry. “Who are you calling a kid?”
Then he started arguing with Lian Zhiqi. Qin Chunxiao spoke in a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin, and he berated Lian Zhiqi so fiercely that he was left bewildered. Er Leng and Xiaoji were also there to back Qin Chunxiao up, while Li Ling could only shout, “I support you!”
Fu Biyang, on the other hand, was even more intimidating. Whenever Lian Zhiqi saw Fu Xiaoji’s muscular arms, he didn’t dare to have any thoughts of getting physical and could only suggest settling the matter with a volleyball match, hoping to handle things through beach volleyball.
This decision saved his life because if they had actually fought, the scene would likely have turned into Qin Chunxiao brutally beating up the jerk, while Chang Xiaole and Fu Biyang courageously intervened on either side. Li Ling would be calling for an ambulance.
Originally, Qin Chunxiao had considered calling You Ziyu, who had experience in beach volleyball, to be his partner. But luckily, as soon as he arrived at the beach, he saw the Rio male beach volleyball champion, Kristian Fisher..
Chang Xiaole had faced him before in Rio, but unfortunately, he suffered from a severe waist injury and was eliminated by the opponent after just a few sets.
This kind-hearted guy not only lent them the court to play a match but after taking one look at Chang Xiaole, he promptly volunteered to be Qin Chunxiao’s partner.
Newton pointed around at the tall players nearby and asked, “Are these other players from different countries?”
Chang Xiaole replied, “I don’t know where they came from, but they have been observing for quite some time. And Sidney from France even said that after Xiao Zai finishes dealing with Lian Zhiqi, he wants to step up and play against him.”
