My Soulmate is A Libero
Australia, Poland, and Brazil’s men’s volleyball teams were all strong. However, when facing the Australian team, China still employed the strategy of using the second team as the main force and the first team as support.
Everyone practiced on the court, preparing for tomorrow’s match against Poland.
The Australian team was also well-behaved, politely greeting before the match. One of their main attackers had teased Qin Chunxiao for being short last year, but this year he was running really fast. How did that song go? “I’m scared when you’re a thousand miles away,” that was the meaning.
Qin Chunxiao felt that this might be one of the aftereffects of the conflict between the Chinese team and the French team. Now everyone respected him.
However, when they actually faced the Polish team, the Chinese team, prepared for a tough battle, found out, “Oh no, where’s Sebastian!”
Poland’s setter and deputy team captain, Fabio, saw the Chinese team poking around and said impatiently, “Don’t bother, Sebastian is currently recovering from an injury.”
He didn’t say what injury it was, which was understandable. After all, in most cases, an athlete’s injury status was considered precious information.
Mr. Elliott, the coach of the Polish men’s volleyball national team, was talking to two young players. They were both seventeen or eighteen years old. Qin Chunxiao had seen these two players when playing against the Lynx Club. They would be the rising strong attackers of the Paris cycle for Poland. However, unfortunately, the Lynx Club’s head coach, Paul, wasn’t good at using new players.
While Qin Chunxiao was observing the young players of his age, Fu Biyang asked Fabio, “Did Sebastian get bitten by a snake on the butt again?”
Li Ling also asked, “Did he swallow a ring again?”
Fabio was annoyed, “Neither! He has Metatarsalitis!”
The foot bones, like the calcaneus, were prone to inflammation. Because volleyball players generally have a large body weight and often jump around, foot problems were not uncommon.
But Sebastian was still young. He was six years older than Qin Chunxiao, 24 years old this year, theoretically in his prime as an athlete. Resting due to injury at this time either meant he trained too intensely or played for too long during matches, putting an excessive burden on his body.
Qin Chunxiao stretched lazily, walked up to Newton, and pointed at the two young attackers from Poland, “Although Sebastian is resting, his two successors aren’t vegetarians. That blond guy, McLean, is a strong jumper with a powerful jump serve. The other one with golden-brown hair, Bell, has a versatile ball route.”
Newton looked at him curiously, “Oh, our Dun Dun is paying attention to young players too? What about it, thinking of taking over as Coach Newton after retiring?”
Newton would actually be quite happy if Dun Dun succeeded him as the coach. After all, Dun Dun’s vision was there, whether it was finding talent, identifying players’ weaknesses, observing opponents’ tactics during matches, or dealing with any rule violations, Qin Chunxiao had a natural advantage.
Qin Chunxiao decisively declined, “No, after retiring, I want to work in the field of marine science.”
Newton was quite disappointed, “Well then.”
Poland was a traditional powerhouse. Even without Sebastian on the court, the Chinese team still had to put in a lot of effort and energy to win a match against them.
What Qin Chunxiao was worried about, the new opponents turning the tide, didn’t happen in the match. Those two players were too young. After losing their backbone, they couldn’t properly support the team.
What really posed a challenge for the Chinese team was Poland’s setter, Fabio. His setting accuracy was higher than that of Tom from the U.S. team, but he lacked Tom’s ability to rally the whole team with passion. However, his calm and meticulous play could still bring significant trouble to the opponents.
It was often said that defense was the floor and offense was the ceiling. In that case, the setter was the team’s brain that connects defense and offense.
Mao Xunfeng was kept on the bench by Newton for the first three sets. Until the fourth set, with China leading by two sets, Newton finally put him in.
Coach Newton smiled, “You’ve been observing for so long, do you want to try your hand?”
Mao Xunfeng took a deep breath, “That’s exactly what I intend to do!”
He knew that his final evolved form might be like Fabio’s – high-precision setting, a rich variety of tactics, excellent serves, and blocks. As long as he could achieve these, even if he wasn’t a naturally gifted beast, he would still be able to help the team towards victory.
Although once he was on the court, Mao Xunfeng felt the pressure. The opponent’s setter’s excellence was presented in the most direct way in front of him. If it weren’t for his teammates’ support, Mao Xunfeng wouldn’t have been able to compete with Fabio.
After 1 hour and 45 minutes, the Chinese team defeated the Polish team with a score of 3-2.
Mao Xunfeng returned with a pensive expression, feeling that just this match alone was enough to ponder over for a long time.
Newton and Jiang Xiaohai discussed, “Some players, like Er Leng and Xiao Ji, are more straightforward. You just need to open their mouths and feed them. And then there are players you don’t need to manage much, just provide them with a good environment. Players like Ding Rong and Dun Dun fall into this category. Players like Xiao Mao, you have to feed them more delicately.”
Jiang Xiaohai interjected, “Slow down, slow down, Newton. Are you categorizing players based on whether they use their brains or not?”
Newton coughed, “Ahem! Personality is also important! Look at Dun Er, he’s mentally tough. Sometimes you can be a bit rough with him, and he can handle it. But someone like Xiao Mao is more sensitive and thinks a lot. If you feed him roughly, he’ll choke.”
Chang Xiaole walked by, “Are you guys raising athletes or running a pig farm?”
Newton responded firmly, “Could I be running a pig farm? It’s more like a zoo!”
However, when it came to playing against the Brazilian team, Newton was determined to use this match to feed everyone.
Before the match started, Newton didn’t say anything about being prepared for this match or that they might not win, but starting from when he read out the starting lineup, everyone understood Newton’s intentions.
“Min Yaoyang, Liu Yuelou, Aizimaiti, Luo He, Mao Xunfeng, Xiong Wu.”
This was the second team lineup, while the first team was sitting on the bench.
Ding Rong expressed dissatisfaction with this arrangement, “Coach, if we send out the second team from the beginning, the Brazilian team will pull away in points, and even if the first team goes on later, it will be hard to reverse the situation.”
This was common sense. Did Lao Niu not realize that making such an arrangement was akin to admitting defeat?
Qiao Mingming also looked at Lao Niu with a disagreeing expression.
Newton simply said, “Next year, even if you want to retreat, I won’t give you the chance. Because I expect all of you to win every game you can win next year and aim for the highest honor.”
Next year was 2020, and theoretically, the Tokyo Olympics would be held in the summer of that year. By then, the major volleyball powerhouses would be competing for the Olympic gold medal.
“But this year, your level is still not enough. So, I want the second team to learn to survive under Brazil’s first team. And you, the first team of the Chinese team, need to learn to catch up when facing adversity. I don’t care about winning or losing in this match. I only care about whether you can get a meal from this match!”
After saying that, Newton walked to the sidelines and attentively observed the situation of both teams. He was always like this, sometimes not even caring to use a sly squatting posture to observe whether the opponents were making any foul moves, just to secure every opportunity for his team to score.
The members of the Chinese first team looked at each other. Qin Chunxiao clenched his fist, “I feel underestimated.”
Tong Shulan agreed, “Exactly, we’ve actually beaten quite a few strong teams.”
Chang Xiaole counted on his fingers, “Exactly, last year we won against the U.S. team in the finals by exploding as a whole team. This year, the U.S. team exploded again and won back. We won against the Russian team because their whole team had diarrhea, and against Poland because Sebastian wasn’t there…”
You guys are still a bit away from the most powerful teams. Even if you’re unwilling, you must learn to recognize the reality and then catch up. This is a lesson that all athletes must learn.
Chang Xiaole could see that this group of young men, who had been upgraded again this year, was getting a bit carried away. Lao Niu took advantage of this match to rein them in, which wasn’t a bad thing.
The Chinese fans watching the match were also puzzled.
【Is there something wrong with this starting lineup? Not taking Qiao Mingming and Qin Chunxiao against Brazil? Are they kidding? Aren’t the attacking and defending cores usually on the court for the whole match against strong teams? Even when the captain had to rotate, I’ve often seen Lang Lang play the whole five sets!】
【Fu Xiaoji is currently the most skilled at quick attacks in our country. Why isn’t he playing? Can Luohe’s skinny arms really block Dominique multiple times?】
Countless people questioned this lineup, not because they thought Newton and Zhao Youde were playing mind games to torment the players. After all, it had been several years, and everyone knew that Lao Niu wasn’t that kind of person. However, it wasn’t until the match entered the third set that everyone felt that today’s Chinese team seemed a bit different.
【Damn! Luo He actually scored three times by blocking Dominique at the net! Is that still Luo He?】
【Wait a minute, I compared Luo He’s current appearance with photos from a few years ago. He has gained a lot of muscle! Standing next to Li Ling, he’s even more muscular!】
【Aizimaiti’s fast attacks were on fire today, and his efficiency in scoring was quite impressive!】
【Although our second team lost two sets in a row, both sets were fought to over 22 points. It’s really surprising!】
【Coach Newton is starting to send in the first-team players… Oh my god! They’re so energetic today! They started with a 27:25 win in the third set, turning the game around for one set!】
【They won the fourth set too. Wow, it seems like they observed the Brazilian team for a long time off the court and then launched a fierce assault on their weaknesses as soon as they got on the court. That momentum is so impressive!】
Players’ passion could influence the fans, and this was the most captivating aspect of competitive sports. Today, the Chinese team’s players were provoked by the coach’s words, and each of them held back their anger. As soon as they entered the court, they immediately displayed a brilliant and passionate comeback battle.
The Brazilian team was also initially thrown off their game, but they were an experienced powerhouse. Quickly adjusting their rhythm under Coach Mars’ guidance, they exchanged points with the Chinese team in the fifth set. Although this approach was exhausting, it was the most stable method for a strong team to secure victory.
In the forefront of volleyball.
Commentator Li Laiheng focused on the screen, “China is in a precarious situation again… Very good, Li Ling stepped up, using a second attack to score. He’s really daring today… Dominique executed a back-row attack, Qin Chunxiao received it!”
Wu Di flipped through the documents in his hand, “Once again, the Chinese team has shown incredible determination against a strong team. No matter how formidable the opponent is, whether they’ve held the world’s top position for years, they dare to challenge. None of the players are backing down. I believe this is the most valuable aspect of athletes and where their potential lies.”
As the two commentators spoke, Chinese fans supporting the team were nervously swallowing saliva, clenching their fists, and sweating on their foreheads. They were extremely tense and couldn’t bear to take their eyes off the TV screen.
The Brazilian team also felt strong pressure today.
Especially for Dominique, he was an intuitive player, particularly sensitive to the opponent’s condition. He didn’t know what was going on with these Chinese players. Starting with the second team, they made it seem like they were giving up the match, and the Brazilian team was then entangled by the second team, consuming a lot of energy. Following that, Qiao Mingming, Qin Chunxiao, and other experienced players came on and displayed aggressive attacks. This put significant pressure on Brazil’s defense. If it weren’t for Coach Mars, a few young players on their team might have been intimidated by China’s momentum.
But now, victory belonged to Brazil!
Dominique attacked strongly again, securing the final point and victory for the Brazilian team. However, as he excitedly embraced his teammates, he inadvertently looked at the Chinese team and saw their fiery gaze.
Coach Mars turned to Newton and sighed softly, “Using the world’s top team, Brazil, to ignite the players’ determination. What a bold strategy.”
What was most unexpected was that this year’s Chinese men’s volleyball team had extremely high morale, and they were indeed motivated by Newton’s methods.
Mars had a premonition that this group of Chinese players might be one of Brazil’s biggest competitors in the Tokyo Olympics.
After losing to Brazil again, thanks to Lao Niu’s psychological tactics, the members of the Chinese team weren’t feeling very satisfied.
After Qin Chunxiao returned to his hotel room, he punched his pillow a few times and then called Lu Xuandong, who was in China, for a phone chat.
Once he had vented his frustration, he heard a scream from outside his door.
Qin Chunxiao jumped up, “What’s going on?”
Min Yaoyang rushed in, sobbing uncontrollably. He had sprinted all the way to what he considered the safest place – the room of his good friends, Li Ling and Xiaozai.
“Waaah, I went to the stairwell earlier to sneak a snack, and suddenly the power went out. Then I heard ghostly cries and howls. I turned around and saw a huge set of white teeth in the air – it was a big-toothed ghost! It chased me all the way to Australia!”
On the other end of the phone, Lu Xuandong was taken aback by the loud volume, “Chunxiao, what’s happening over there?”
Qin Chunxiao calmly replied, “It’s not a big deal. We’ll talk later.”
He hung up the phone, walked over to Min Yaoyang, and took a handkerchief from Li Ling to wipe his face, saying, “Yangyang, you have to believe in science. There’s no such thing as a big-toothed ghost in this world.”
Meanwhile, on the Brazilian team’s floor, two floors below Qin Chunxiao’s room, Dominique was also in tears as he faced his coach, “A snake! When I was sneaking an energy bar in the stairwell, I saw a snake! And I heard someone screaming in the background. It must be a snake demon from hell! This hotel is too scary! I don’t want to stay here anymore!”
Coach Mars fell into silence for a while. Change hotels? Are you kidding? The Australian station of the competition was over, and they were leaving tomorrow. Changing hotels now would be troublesome, and who would cover the extra expenses? What reasons could he give when reporting the budget to the Brazilian Volleyball Federation? Coach Mars felt exhausted, using a tone like pacifying a child, he said to Dominique, “Kid, you have to believe in science.”
My Soulmate is A Libero
Australia, Poland, and Brazil’s men’s volleyball teams were all strong. However, when facing the Australian team, China still employed the strategy of using the second team as the main force and the first team as support.
Everyone practiced on the court, preparing for tomorrow’s match against Poland.
The Australian team was also well-behaved, politely greeting before the match. One of their main attackers had teased Qin Chunxiao for being short last year, but this year he was running really fast. How did that song go? “I’m scared when you’re a thousand miles away,” that was the meaning.
Qin Chunxiao felt that this might be one of the aftereffects of the conflict between the Chinese team and the French team. Now everyone respected him.
However, when they actually faced the Polish team, the Chinese team, prepared for a tough battle, found out, “Oh no, where’s Sebastian!”
Poland’s setter and deputy team captain, Fabio, saw the Chinese team poking around and said impatiently, “Don’t bother, Sebastian is currently recovering from an injury.”
He didn’t say what injury it was, which was understandable. After all, in most cases, an athlete’s injury status was considered precious information.
Mr. Elliott, the coach of the Polish men’s volleyball national team, was talking to two young players. They were both seventeen or eighteen years old. Qin Chunxiao had seen these two players when playing against the Lynx Club. They would be the rising strong attackers of the Paris cycle for Poland. However, unfortunately, the Lynx Club’s head coach, Paul, wasn’t good at using new players.
While Qin Chunxiao was observing the young players of his age, Fu Biyang asked Fabio, “Did Sebastian get bitten by a snake on the butt again?”
Li Ling also asked, “Did he swallow a ring again?”
Fabio was annoyed, “Neither! He has Metatarsalitis!”
The foot bones, like the calcaneus, were prone to inflammation. Because volleyball players generally have a large body weight and often jump around, foot problems were not uncommon.
But Sebastian was still young. He was six years older than Qin Chunxiao, 24 years old this year, theoretically in his prime as an athlete. Resting due to injury at this time either meant he trained too intensely or played for too long during matches, putting an excessive burden on his body.
Qin Chunxiao stretched lazily, walked up to Newton, and pointed at the two young attackers from Poland, “Although Sebastian is resting, his two successors aren’t vegetarians. That blond guy, McLean, is a strong jumper with a powerful jump serve. The other one with golden-brown hair, Bell, has a versatile ball route.”
Newton looked at him curiously, “Oh, our Dun Dun is paying attention to young players too? What about it, thinking of taking over as Coach Newton after retiring?”
Newton would actually be quite happy if Dun Dun succeeded him as the coach. After all, Dun Dun’s vision was there, whether it was finding talent, identifying players’ weaknesses, observing opponents’ tactics during matches, or dealing with any rule violations, Qin Chunxiao had a natural advantage.
Qin Chunxiao decisively declined, “No, after retiring, I want to work in the field of marine science.”
Newton was quite disappointed, “Well then.”
Poland was a traditional powerhouse. Even without Sebastian on the court, the Chinese team still had to put in a lot of effort and energy to win a match against them.
What Qin Chunxiao was worried about, the new opponents turning the tide, didn’t happen in the match. Those two players were too young. After losing their backbone, they couldn’t properly support the team.
What really posed a challenge for the Chinese team was Poland’s setter, Fabio. His setting accuracy was higher than that of Tom from the U.S. team, but he lacked Tom’s ability to rally the whole team with passion. However, his calm and meticulous play could still bring significant trouble to the opponents.
It was often said that defense was the floor and offense was the ceiling. In that case, the setter was the team’s brain that connects defense and offense.
Mao Xunfeng was kept on the bench by Newton for the first three sets. Until the fourth set, with China leading by two sets, Newton finally put him in.
Coach Newton smiled, “You’ve been observing for so long, do you want to try your hand?”
Mao Xunfeng took a deep breath, “That’s exactly what I intend to do!”
He knew that his final evolved form might be like Fabio’s – high-precision setting, a rich variety of tactics, excellent serves, and blocks. As long as he could achieve these, even if he wasn’t a naturally gifted beast, he would still be able to help the team towards victory.
Although once he was on the court, Mao Xunfeng felt the pressure. The opponent’s setter’s excellence was presented in the most direct way in front of him. If it weren’t for his teammates’ support, Mao Xunfeng wouldn’t have been able to compete with Fabio.
After 1 hour and 45 minutes, the Chinese team defeated the Polish team with a score of 3-2.
Mao Xunfeng returned with a pensive expression, feeling that just this match alone was enough to ponder over for a long time.
Newton and Jiang Xiaohai discussed, “Some players, like Er Leng and Xiao Ji, are more straightforward. You just need to open their mouths and feed them. And then there are players you don’t need to manage much, just provide them with a good environment. Players like Ding Rong and Dun Dun fall into this category. Players like Xiao Mao, you have to feed them more delicately.”
Jiang Xiaohai interjected, “Slow down, slow down, Newton. Are you categorizing players based on whether they use their brains or not?”
Newton coughed, “Ahem! Personality is also important! Look at Dun Er, he’s mentally tough. Sometimes you can be a bit rough with him, and he can handle it. But someone like Xiao Mao is more sensitive and thinks a lot. If you feed him roughly, he’ll choke.”
Chang Xiaole walked by, “Are you guys raising athletes or running a pig farm?”
Newton responded firmly, “Could I be running a pig farm? It’s more like a zoo!”
However, when it came to playing against the Brazilian team, Newton was determined to use this match to feed everyone.
Before the match started, Newton didn’t say anything about being prepared for this match or that they might not win, but starting from when he read out the starting lineup, everyone understood Newton’s intentions.
“Min Yaoyang, Liu Yuelou, Aizimaiti, Luo He, Mao Xunfeng, Xiong Wu.”
This was the second team lineup, while the first team was sitting on the bench.
Ding Rong expressed dissatisfaction with this arrangement, “Coach, if we send out the second team from the beginning, the Brazilian team will pull away in points, and even if the first team goes on later, it will be hard to reverse the situation.”
This was common sense. Did Lao Niu not realize that making such an arrangement was akin to admitting defeat?
Qiao Mingming also looked at Lao Niu with a disagreeing expression.
Newton simply said, “Next year, even if you want to retreat, I won’t give you the chance. Because I expect all of you to win every game you can win next year and aim for the highest honor.”
Next year was 2020, and theoretically, the Tokyo Olympics would be held in the summer of that year. By then, the major volleyball powerhouses would be competing for the Olympic gold medal.
“But this year, your level is still not enough. So, I want the second team to learn to survive under Brazil’s first team. And you, the first team of the Chinese team, need to learn to catch up when facing adversity. I don’t care about winning or losing in this match. I only care about whether you can get a meal from this match!”
After saying that, Newton walked to the sidelines and attentively observed the situation of both teams. He was always like this, sometimes not even caring to use a sly squatting posture to observe whether the opponents were making any foul moves, just to secure every opportunity for his team to score.
The members of the Chinese first team looked at each other. Qin Chunxiao clenched his fist, “I feel underestimated.”
Tong Shulan agreed, “Exactly, we’ve actually beaten quite a few strong teams.”
Chang Xiaole counted on his fingers, “Exactly, last year we won against the U.S. team in the finals by exploding as a whole team. This year, the U.S. team exploded again and won back. We won against the Russian team because their whole team had diarrhea, and against Poland because Sebastian wasn’t there…”
You guys are still a bit away from the most powerful teams. Even if you’re unwilling, you must learn to recognize the reality and then catch up. This is a lesson that all athletes must learn.
Chang Xiaole could see that this group of young men, who had been upgraded again this year, was getting a bit carried away. Lao Niu took advantage of this match to rein them in, which wasn’t a bad thing.
The Chinese fans watching the match were also puzzled.
【Is there something wrong with this starting lineup? Not taking Qiao Mingming and Qin Chunxiao against Brazil? Are they kidding? Aren’t the attacking and defending cores usually on the court for the whole match against strong teams? Even when the captain had to rotate, I’ve often seen Lang Lang play the whole five sets!】
【Fu Xiaoji is currently the most skilled at quick attacks in our country. Why isn’t he playing? Can Luohe’s skinny arms really block Dominique multiple times?】
Countless people questioned this lineup, not because they thought Newton and Zhao Youde were playing mind games to torment the players. After all, it had been several years, and everyone knew that Lao Niu wasn’t that kind of person. However, it wasn’t until the match entered the third set that everyone felt that today’s Chinese team seemed a bit different.
【Damn! Luo He actually scored three times by blocking Dominique at the net! Is that still Luo He?】
【Wait a minute, I compared Luo He’s current appearance with photos from a few years ago. He has gained a lot of muscle! Standing next to Li Ling, he’s even more muscular!】
【Aizimaiti’s fast attacks were on fire today, and his efficiency in scoring was quite impressive!】
【Although our second team lost two sets in a row, both sets were fought to over 22 points. It’s really surprising!】
【Coach Newton is starting to send in the first-team players… Oh my god! They’re so energetic today! They started with a 27:25 win in the third set, turning the game around for one set!】
【They won the fourth set too. Wow, it seems like they observed the Brazilian team for a long time off the court and then launched a fierce assault on their weaknesses as soon as they got on the court. That momentum is so impressive!】
Players’ passion could influence the fans, and this was the most captivating aspect of competitive sports. Today, the Chinese team’s players were provoked by the coach’s words, and each of them held back their anger. As soon as they entered the court, they immediately displayed a brilliant and passionate comeback battle.
The Brazilian team was also initially thrown off their game, but they were an experienced powerhouse. Quickly adjusting their rhythm under Coach Mars’ guidance, they exchanged points with the Chinese team in the fifth set. Although this approach was exhausting, it was the most stable method for a strong team to secure victory.
In the forefront of volleyball.
Commentator Li Laiheng focused on the screen, “China is in a precarious situation again… Very good, Li Ling stepped up, using a second attack to score. He’s really daring today… Dominique executed a back-row attack, Qin Chunxiao received it!”
Wu Di flipped through the documents in his hand, “Once again, the Chinese team has shown incredible determination against a strong team. No matter how formidable the opponent is, whether they’ve held the world’s top position for years, they dare to challenge. None of the players are backing down. I believe this is the most valuable aspect of athletes and where their potential lies.”
As the two commentators spoke, Chinese fans supporting the team were nervously swallowing saliva, clenching their fists, and sweating on their foreheads. They were extremely tense and couldn’t bear to take their eyes off the TV screen.
The Brazilian team also felt strong pressure today.
Especially for Dominique, he was an intuitive player, particularly sensitive to the opponent’s condition. He didn’t know what was going on with these Chinese players. Starting with the second team, they made it seem like they were giving up the match, and the Brazilian team was then entangled by the second team, consuming a lot of energy. Following that, Qiao Mingming, Qin Chunxiao, and other experienced players came on and displayed aggressive attacks. This put significant pressure on Brazil’s defense. If it weren’t for Coach Mars, a few young players on their team might have been intimidated by China’s momentum.
But now, victory belonged to Brazil!
Dominique attacked strongly again, securing the final point and victory for the Brazilian team. However, as he excitedly embraced his teammates, he inadvertently looked at the Chinese team and saw their fiery gaze.
Coach Mars turned to Newton and sighed softly, “Using the world’s top team, Brazil, to ignite the players’ determination. What a bold strategy.”
What was most unexpected was that this year’s Chinese men’s volleyball team had extremely high morale, and they were indeed motivated by Newton’s methods.
Mars had a premonition that this group of Chinese players might be one of Brazil’s biggest competitors in the Tokyo Olympics.
After losing to Brazil again, thanks to Lao Niu’s psychological tactics, the members of the Chinese team weren’t feeling very satisfied.
After Qin Chunxiao returned to his hotel room, he punched his pillow a few times and then called Lu Xuandong, who was in China, for a phone chat.
Once he had vented his frustration, he heard a scream from outside his door.
Qin Chunxiao jumped up, “What’s going on?”
Min Yaoyang rushed in, sobbing uncontrollably. He had sprinted all the way to what he considered the safest place – the room of his good friends, Li Ling and Xiaozai.
“Waaah, I went to the stairwell earlier to sneak a snack, and suddenly the power went out. Then I heard ghostly cries and howls. I turned around and saw a huge set of white teeth in the air – it was a big-toothed ghost! It chased me all the way to Australia!”
On the other end of the phone, Lu Xuandong was taken aback by the loud volume, “Chunxiao, what’s happening over there?”
Qin Chunxiao calmly replied, “It’s not a big deal. We’ll talk later.”
He hung up the phone, walked over to Min Yaoyang, and took a handkerchief from Li Ling to wipe his face, saying, “Yangyang, you have to believe in science. There’s no such thing as a big-toothed ghost in this world.”
Meanwhile, on the Brazilian team’s floor, two floors below Qin Chunxiao’s room, Dominique was also in tears as he faced his coach, “A snake! When I was sneaking an energy bar in the stairwell, I saw a snake! And I heard someone screaming in the background. It must be a snake demon from hell! This hotel is too scary! I don’t want to stay here anymore!”
Coach Mars fell into silence for a while. Change hotels? Are you kidding? The Australian station of the competition was over, and they were leaving tomorrow. Changing hotels now would be troublesome, and who would cover the extra expenses? What reasons could he give when reporting the budget to the Brazilian Volleyball Federation? Coach Mars felt exhausted, using a tone like pacifying a child, he said to Dominique, “Kid, you have to believe in science.”
