My Soulmate is A Libero
“Hello, dear audience, and welcome to the live broadcast of the men’s beach volleyball preliminary round at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On the court right now, we have the Italian duo of Kristian and Tim, facing off against the Brazilian team of Cicuuni and Stephenson.”
While indoor volleyball matches were in progress, beach volleyball was also in full swing.
While the Chinese national team was either resting or training, Chang Xiaole had come to the beach volleyball venue.
Under the scorching sun, the players who had been running on the beach year-round had dark, healthy skin and a wild, rugged aura.
The atmosphere at the venue was quite lively. If this match were held in China, there would probably be even more spectators, especially considering the better vaccine coverage there.
Chang Xiaole sat in the stands, smiling as he watched Kristian’s figure. However, he soon heard some people behind him arguing in Chinese.
“We’ve already agreed that I’ll spike. Ming Zhouzhou, you selfish guy, every time you see a chance to spike, you charge forward. It’s your own fault if I have to keep receiving your passes.”
“Selfish? Weren’t you the one craving turtle meat that day? Wei Yaozi, if you dare to take my bunk after the match, watch out.”
“You’re using that to threaten me again! I was the one who made your breakfast this morning!”
These two individuals, taking advantage of the fact that few people in the foreign country understood Chinese, were arguing spiritedly. Chang Xiaole endured it for a while, but when their conversation veered into R-rated territory, he couldn’t help but turn around and say, “Can’t you discuss this in your room? This is a public place!”
The two top male beach volleyball players were dumbfounded.
“Senior Xiaole!”
“Xiao, Senior Xiaole!”
This time, there was only one slot available for men’s beach volleyball in China. Wei Yaozi and Ming Zhouzhou had started their countdown of 24 hours together with their negative-distance invisible soulmate over a year ago. After completing it, their synergy improved, and they successfully secured this precious opportunity.
Their coach, Zhang Fei, was a good friend of Chang Xiaole from their active duty days, so it was only natural to address him as “Senior Xiaole.”
Chang Xiaole had noticed that the bandages on the left shoulders of these two players had disappeared during the national championship (also the Olympic quota competition). He knew they had gone all out, and now, he rolled his eyes repeatedly.
These two kids had talent. Wei Yaozi was 2.05 meters tall, while Ming Zhouzhou was 1.99 meters tall, both with wingspans over 10 centimeters longer than their height. They had long arms and legs, strong explosiveness, endurance, high volleyball IQ, and excellent skills. They were selected from the best talents in the country, and it was expected that they would enter the championship window during the Paris Olympics cycle.
The only drawback was that both of them were troublemakers during their time on the provincial team, with explosive tempers and proud personalities. Additionally, they were both born in 2000, having just turned 18 the year before and only two years removed from their “edgy” phase. When they clashed, they didn’t talk to each other for days.
At that time, everyone involved in beach volleyball in China, from leadership to athletes, felt like they were in deep trouble. Even Chang Xiaole, who had heard about the situation, couldn’t help but rub his temples and mutter, “Is God messing with us beach volleyball players?”
Now, looking at Wei Yaozi and Ming Zhouzhou, he felt a strange sense of relief. “I watched your first preliminary match; you played well.”
Ming Zhouzhou was modest, “Not at all. It’s all thanks to our coach’s guidance.”
Wei Yaozi, on the other hand, grinned and put his long arm on his partner’s shoulder, saying, “Don’t worry, Xiaole Ge, we’ll definitely win medals in beach volleyball faster than indoor volleyball.”
Chang Xiaole responded with an “Oh.” He hoped that Ding Rong, Fu Biyang, Qin Chunxiao, and the others didn’t hear these words. Otherwise, it might not be easy for him to hold onto his position in beach volleyball.
The next moment, Wei Yaozi’s hand was slapped away, but he wasn’t upset. Their hands reconnected as they left, ready to participate in the second preliminary match.
Chang Xiaole thought to himself, “It’s okay; as long as they’re happy.” He couldn’t help but pity their coach, Zhang Fei.
Kristian and Tim also easily won their preliminary match. After the game, Kristian joyfully blew a kiss in Chang Xiaole’s direction, and Chang Xiaole responded by pretending to catch it.
The official match between the Chinese team and the Brazilian team began at 3:00 in the afternoon.
One minute before the match started, some fans were already discussing the main lineups of both teams and their chances of winning.
An older fan looked at the Chinese team and suddenly said, “Maybe the team that wins this match will become the champions of the men’s volleyball event at this Olympics.”
Hearing this, the others looked surprised and waved their hands, saying, “That’s a bit too much. It’s possible that the winner might get on the podium, but calling them champions is an exaggeration.”
Although Brazil consistently held the top spot in the world rankings and was undoubtedly a strong contender for the championship, what about the Chinese team? Well, that’s a different story.
The Chinese team had spent too many years as underdogs, and not many people had high expectations for them.
However, an older fan said earnestly, “But if they can defeat the championship-favorite Brazilian team, doesn’t that mean they have the potential to win the championship?”
The one who beats the champion becomes the next champion. isn’t that the eternal truth in sports?
This statement left his companion momentarily speechless, but then the companion retorted, “But the chances of the Chinese team beating the Brazilian team are lower than my daughter coming out of the closet right now.”
This companion’s daughter was considered the school flower at an all-girls’ school, and she had no shortage of suitors from a young age. Last year, she had even chosen a few excellent young men to date, all of whom were outstanding. Although she hadn’t dated anyone in the past six months, her father believed she was focusing on her studies. She was definitely heterosexual. After all, how could someone who had changed boyfriends six times in six months not like guys?
The older fan responded, “It’s not necessarily the case.”
During warm-up, Qin Chunxiao listened attentively to Newton and Jiang Xiaohai’s tactical discussions.
With the decline of Brazil’s former team captain, Caique, it was likely that he would retire after this Olympics. This time, Brazil brought two setters, with Caique as the main setter and the other being a player of comparable strength, Eddie. Eddie was a fair-skinned player with silver hair, sharp and handsome features. He was often jokingly referred to as the “Giant of Light” because of his height, which stood at 2.04 meters, just 10 centimeters shorter than You Ziyu.
Could you imagine that? Qin Chunxiao, who was considered tall among ordinary people, felt like a dwarf standing among this group of giants, who were easily 20 to 30 centimeters, or even 40 centimeters taller than him. He was often referred to as the “adorable little one” online, which infuriated him.
Apart from Eddie, who was a new setter and needed attention, the rest of the Brazilian team consisted of familiar opponents. This included the physically gifted Dominique, who was a beast at the net. Joshua, the captain of the Campinas club, who excelled in diagonal spikes; Mason, a jumping floater specialist. Pedro, a super opposite hitter; and libero Billy.
Before the match, Qin Chunxiao had a thorough body treatment from the team doctor, Wang Yan. He used a foam roller to massage his entire body and did some light exercises to loosen up. Everyone on the team was in similar condition. They were energetic, full of fighting spirit, and their bodies were slightly warm, indicating they were ready to exert themselves fully in the battle against a strong opponent.
In the first set, the Chinese team secured the right to serve. You Ziyu stood at the serving position, recalling what his mother had said when she called him the night before.
“Son, your father and I have decided that if you win a medal this time at the Olympics, we’ll provide some additional financial support. With your savings, you’ll be able to buy a 130-square-meter new house at Wuhan University.”
You Ziyu replied with determination, “For victory!” For the glory of the Chinese team, for the national flag to rise, and for the opportunity to buy a house for himself!
Bang!
With a high-spin underhand serve, he scored a point right away.
Joshua got up and his face turned ugly. “If we can’t effectively limit Fish’s serving, once he stands at position 1, we’ll be in a difficult position.”
Billy massaged his knee, which had been hit moments ago. “I understand.”
It was crucial to control the high-spin underhand serve. In beach volleyball, combinations aspiring to reach the top-level competitions had to hone their skills to defend against this kind of serve; otherwise, they would suffer greatly on the court.
However, compared to Qin Chunxiao, who had Kristian and You Ziyu as practice partners, Billy was still unfamiliar with this type of serve. While You Ziyu had used it against the Brazilian team before, his spin wasn’t as powerful back then.
In fact, You Ziyu had made considerable improvements in his high-spin underhand serve since then.
The Chinese team took an early lead in the first set, thanks to You Ziyu’s serving, with a three-point advantage.
However, Billy managed to receive You Ziyu’s serve effectively on the fourth ball, and his set was surprisingly precise, making the second touch easy for Joshua.
This was the experience of an experienced libero.
But this time, the Chinese team had improved significantly since their last encounter. While their defense had once relied heavily on Qin Chunxiao, that was no longer the case. Even Qiao Mingming could chase down balls now, so what was Qin Chunxiao worried about?
He started running joyfully all over the court, and for a while, Qin Chunxiao was everywhere, and he could be seen all over the field.
Wu Di said, “A great play! Qin Chunxiao just completed the first block in this match by picking up Dominique’s spike.”
Li Laiheng added, “This player, Qin Chunxiao, is characterized by extremely agile footwork and excellent touch. That’s why you can see his sets are very soft, making it easy for the second touch.”
Wu Di: “Brazil’s Billy is also an outstanding libero, and he’s very experienced. In the libero position, his club salary is second only to our Qin Chunxiao’s, which is quite high.”
【Second only to Qin Chunxiao, so his club value is still lower than mine.】
【I, the Wolf, am not only the highest-paid libero but also have a high commercial value that others can’t match.】
【Regardless of why Wolf gets such a high salary, I’m just delighted to know that he’s on our side.】
【Wolf has a strong track record; he has outplayed the world’s top five spikers. Doesn’t he deserve the high salary?】
This was another battle of liberos, and it was Qin Chunxiao, representing the new generation, challenging Billy, the former top libero of the old era. If the Chinese team won, Qin Chunxiao would move one step closer to becoming the world’s number one libero!
Both teams were playing intensely, exchanging points rapidly. The serving right switched between the two teams at lightning speed. Apart from You Ziyu, the rest of the Chinese team didn’t have a clear advantage in serving over the Brazilian team. At best, they were evenly matched. The Brazilian team had the upper hand with their “half a pound of gold” serving, while the Chinese team had “eight ounces of silver.”
However, in the aspect of receiving the opponent’s serves, the Chinese team had a higher efficiency, which meant that Qin Chunxiao, single-handedly, was limiting Brazil’s serving.
The rotations changed rapidly. You Ziyu started at position 1, but soon, he rotated to position 1 again to prepare for his serve.
Kristian and Tim, who had been fighting in the beach volleyball arena for the past two days, were now happily watching their apprentices challenge Brazil in indoor volleyball. These two had already eliminated two Brazilian pairs in beach volleyball, including the bronze medalists from the previous Olympics (who were now strong contenders for gold). The two of them had quietly shifted their goal from merely making a name for themselves on the podium to defending their title.
Kristian said with a smile, “Look how competitive our ‘Fish’ is.”
Tim sighed, “It’s a pity your wrist requirements for serving are too high; otherwise, we could take in more apprentices and offer coaching for a fee.”
Kristian replied, “Indeed, if your wrist were more flexible, both of us could become serving killers.”
The score was tied at 14:14. The Brazilian team had been trailing by several points initially, but they managed to catch up through their powerful spikes and even took the lead by one point. The Chinese team didn’t back down and quickly equalized the score.
You Ziyu served again, and Billy received it smoothly. Their setter, Caique, single-handedly sent the ball towards the Chinese team’s side. Qin Chunxiao, like a seal, charged forward, slid underneath his body, and just managed to lift the ball with his hand, narrowly avoiding the ground.
Tim exclaimed, “Oh, Misha, that save was truly magnificent!”
When Kristian’s serve was received by the opponent, Tim would do everything in his power to cover any defensive gaps. Seeing Qin Chunxiao’s incredible save, he immediately empathized with him.
Er Leng rushed to Qin Chunxiao’s side, clasping their hands to lift the ball diagonally backward. Liu Yuelou had already jumped up and unleashed a powerful diagonal spike.
The ball hit the ground.
15:14.
Qin Chunxiao stood up, gently patting his elbow that was still wrapped in a bandage. He had scraped a large piece of skin off this area during their match against Poland. When he slid on the ground just now, he felt pain from his wound. Fortunately, he managed to endure the pain without letting it affect his performance.
“Hisss.” Li Ling heard Qin Chunxiao’s sharp intake of breath.
He twisted his shoulder, his gaze becoming even more determined.
My Soulmate is A Libero
“Hello, dear audience, and welcome to the live broadcast of the men’s beach volleyball preliminary round at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On the court right now, we have the Italian duo of Kristian and Tim, facing off against the Brazilian team of Cicuuni and Stephenson.”
While indoor volleyball matches were in progress, beach volleyball was also in full swing.
While the Chinese national team was either resting or training, Chang Xiaole had come to the beach volleyball venue.
Under the scorching sun, the players who had been running on the beach year-round had dark, healthy skin and a wild, rugged aura.
The atmosphere at the venue was quite lively. If this match were held in China, there would probably be even more spectators, especially considering the better vaccine coverage there.
Chang Xiaole sat in the stands, smiling as he watched Kristian’s figure. However, he soon heard some people behind him arguing in Chinese.
“We’ve already agreed that I’ll spike. Ming Zhouzhou, you selfish guy, every time you see a chance to spike, you charge forward. It’s your own fault if I have to keep receiving your passes.”
“Selfish? Weren’t you the one craving turtle meat that day? Wei Yaozi, if you dare to take my bunk after the match, watch out.”
“You’re using that to threaten me again! I was the one who made your breakfast this morning!”
These two individuals, taking advantage of the fact that few people in the foreign country understood Chinese, were arguing spiritedly. Chang Xiaole endured it for a while, but when their conversation veered into R-rated territory, he couldn’t help but turn around and say, “Can’t you discuss this in your room? This is a public place!”
The two top male beach volleyball players were dumbfounded.
“Senior Xiaole!”
“Xiao, Senior Xiaole!”
This time, there was only one slot available for men’s beach volleyball in China. Wei Yaozi and Ming Zhouzhou had started their countdown of 24 hours together with their negative-distance invisible soulmate over a year ago. After completing it, their synergy improved, and they successfully secured this precious opportunity.
Their coach, Zhang Fei, was a good friend of Chang Xiaole from their active duty days, so it was only natural to address him as “Senior Xiaole.”
Chang Xiaole had noticed that the bandages on the left shoulders of these two players had disappeared during the national championship (also the Olympic quota competition). He knew they had gone all out, and now, he rolled his eyes repeatedly.
These two kids had talent. Wei Yaozi was 2.05 meters tall, while Ming Zhouzhou was 1.99 meters tall, both with wingspans over 10 centimeters longer than their height. They had long arms and legs, strong explosiveness, endurance, high volleyball IQ, and excellent skills. They were selected from the best talents in the country, and it was expected that they would enter the championship window during the Paris Olympics cycle.
The only drawback was that both of them were troublemakers during their time on the provincial team, with explosive tempers and proud personalities. Additionally, they were both born in 2000, having just turned 18 the year before and only two years removed from their “edgy” phase. When they clashed, they didn’t talk to each other for days.
At that time, everyone involved in beach volleyball in China, from leadership to athletes, felt like they were in deep trouble. Even Chang Xiaole, who had heard about the situation, couldn’t help but rub his temples and mutter, “Is God messing with us beach volleyball players?”
Now, looking at Wei Yaozi and Ming Zhouzhou, he felt a strange sense of relief. “I watched your first preliminary match; you played well.”
Ming Zhouzhou was modest, “Not at all. It’s all thanks to our coach’s guidance.”
Wei Yaozi, on the other hand, grinned and put his long arm on his partner’s shoulder, saying, “Don’t worry, Xiaole Ge, we’ll definitely win medals in beach volleyball faster than indoor volleyball.”
Chang Xiaole responded with an “Oh.” He hoped that Ding Rong, Fu Biyang, Qin Chunxiao, and the others didn’t hear these words. Otherwise, it might not be easy for him to hold onto his position in beach volleyball.
The next moment, Wei Yaozi’s hand was slapped away, but he wasn’t upset. Their hands reconnected as they left, ready to participate in the second preliminary match.
Chang Xiaole thought to himself, “It’s okay; as long as they’re happy.” He couldn’t help but pity their coach, Zhang Fei.
Kristian and Tim also easily won their preliminary match. After the game, Kristian joyfully blew a kiss in Chang Xiaole’s direction, and Chang Xiaole responded by pretending to catch it.
The official match between the Chinese team and the Brazilian team began at 3:00 in the afternoon.
One minute before the match started, some fans were already discussing the main lineups of both teams and their chances of winning.
An older fan looked at the Chinese team and suddenly said, “Maybe the team that wins this match will become the champions of the men’s volleyball event at this Olympics.”
Hearing this, the others looked surprised and waved their hands, saying, “That’s a bit too much. It’s possible that the winner might get on the podium, but calling them champions is an exaggeration.”
Although Brazil consistently held the top spot in the world rankings and was undoubtedly a strong contender for the championship, what about the Chinese team? Well, that’s a different story.
The Chinese team had spent too many years as underdogs, and not many people had high expectations for them.
However, an older fan said earnestly, “But if they can defeat the championship-favorite Brazilian team, doesn’t that mean they have the potential to win the championship?”
The one who beats the champion becomes the next champion. isn’t that the eternal truth in sports?
This statement left his companion momentarily speechless, but then the companion retorted, “But the chances of the Chinese team beating the Brazilian team are lower than my daughter coming out of the closet right now.”
This companion’s daughter was considered the school flower at an all-girls’ school, and she had no shortage of suitors from a young age. Last year, she had even chosen a few excellent young men to date, all of whom were outstanding. Although she hadn’t dated anyone in the past six months, her father believed she was focusing on her studies. She was definitely heterosexual. After all, how could someone who had changed boyfriends six times in six months not like guys?
The older fan responded, “It’s not necessarily the case.”
During warm-up, Qin Chunxiao listened attentively to Newton and Jiang Xiaohai’s tactical discussions.
With the decline of Brazil’s former team captain, Caique, it was likely that he would retire after this Olympics. This time, Brazil brought two setters, with Caique as the main setter and the other being a player of comparable strength, Eddie. Eddie was a fair-skinned player with silver hair, sharp and handsome features. He was often jokingly referred to as the “Giant of Light” because of his height, which stood at 2.04 meters, just 10 centimeters shorter than You Ziyu.
Could you imagine that? Qin Chunxiao, who was considered tall among ordinary people, felt like a dwarf standing among this group of giants, who were easily 20 to 30 centimeters, or even 40 centimeters taller than him. He was often referred to as the “adorable little one” online, which infuriated him.
Apart from Eddie, who was a new setter and needed attention, the rest of the Brazilian team consisted of familiar opponents. This included the physically gifted Dominique, who was a beast at the net. Joshua, the captain of the Campinas club, who excelled in diagonal spikes; Mason, a jumping floater specialist. Pedro, a super opposite hitter; and libero Billy.
Before the match, Qin Chunxiao had a thorough body treatment from the team doctor, Wang Yan. He used a foam roller to massage his entire body and did some light exercises to loosen up. Everyone on the team was in similar condition. They were energetic, full of fighting spirit, and their bodies were slightly warm, indicating they were ready to exert themselves fully in the battle against a strong opponent.
In the first set, the Chinese team secured the right to serve. You Ziyu stood at the serving position, recalling what his mother had said when she called him the night before.
“Son, your father and I have decided that if you win a medal this time at the Olympics, we’ll provide some additional financial support. With your savings, you’ll be able to buy a 130-square-meter new house at Wuhan University.”
You Ziyu replied with determination, “For victory!” For the glory of the Chinese team, for the national flag to rise, and for the opportunity to buy a house for himself!
Bang!
With a high-spin underhand serve, he scored a point right away.
Joshua got up and his face turned ugly. “If we can’t effectively limit Fish’s serving, once he stands at position 1, we’ll be in a difficult position.”
Billy massaged his knee, which had been hit moments ago. “I understand.”
It was crucial to control the high-spin underhand serve. In beach volleyball, combinations aspiring to reach the top-level competitions had to hone their skills to defend against this kind of serve; otherwise, they would suffer greatly on the court.
However, compared to Qin Chunxiao, who had Kristian and You Ziyu as practice partners, Billy was still unfamiliar with this type of serve. While You Ziyu had used it against the Brazilian team before, his spin wasn’t as powerful back then.
In fact, You Ziyu had made considerable improvements in his high-spin underhand serve since then.
The Chinese team took an early lead in the first set, thanks to You Ziyu’s serving, with a three-point advantage.
However, Billy managed to receive You Ziyu’s serve effectively on the fourth ball, and his set was surprisingly precise, making the second touch easy for Joshua.
This was the experience of an experienced libero.
But this time, the Chinese team had improved significantly since their last encounter. While their defense had once relied heavily on Qin Chunxiao, that was no longer the case. Even Qiao Mingming could chase down balls now, so what was Qin Chunxiao worried about?
He started running joyfully all over the court, and for a while, Qin Chunxiao was everywhere, and he could be seen all over the field.
Wu Di said, “A great play! Qin Chunxiao just completed the first block in this match by picking up Dominique’s spike.”
Li Laiheng added, “This player, Qin Chunxiao, is characterized by extremely agile footwork and excellent touch. That’s why you can see his sets are very soft, making it easy for the second touch.”
Wu Di: “Brazil’s Billy is also an outstanding libero, and he’s very experienced. In the libero position, his club salary is second only to our Qin Chunxiao’s, which is quite high.”
【Second only to Qin Chunxiao, so his club value is still lower than mine.】
【I, the Wolf, am not only the highest-paid libero but also have a high commercial value that others can’t match.】
【Regardless of why Wolf gets such a high salary, I’m just delighted to know that he’s on our side.】
【Wolf has a strong track record; he has outplayed the world’s top five spikers. Doesn’t he deserve the high salary?】
This was another battle of liberos, and it was Qin Chunxiao, representing the new generation, challenging Billy, the former top libero of the old era. If the Chinese team won, Qin Chunxiao would move one step closer to becoming the world’s number one libero!
Both teams were playing intensely, exchanging points rapidly. The serving right switched between the two teams at lightning speed. Apart from You Ziyu, the rest of the Chinese team didn’t have a clear advantage in serving over the Brazilian team. At best, they were evenly matched. The Brazilian team had the upper hand with their “half a pound of gold” serving, while the Chinese team had “eight ounces of silver.”
However, in the aspect of receiving the opponent’s serves, the Chinese team had a higher efficiency, which meant that Qin Chunxiao, single-handedly, was limiting Brazil’s serving.
The rotations changed rapidly. You Ziyu started at position 1, but soon, he rotated to position 1 again to prepare for his serve.
Kristian and Tim, who had been fighting in the beach volleyball arena for the past two days, were now happily watching their apprentices challenge Brazil in indoor volleyball. These two had already eliminated two Brazilian pairs in beach volleyball, including the bronze medalists from the previous Olympics (who were now strong contenders for gold). The two of them had quietly shifted their goal from merely making a name for themselves on the podium to defending their title.
Kristian said with a smile, “Look how competitive our ‘Fish’ is.”
Tim sighed, “It’s a pity your wrist requirements for serving are too high; otherwise, we could take in more apprentices and offer coaching for a fee.”
Kristian replied, “Indeed, if your wrist were more flexible, both of us could become serving killers.”
The score was tied at 14:14. The Brazilian team had been trailing by several points initially, but they managed to catch up through their powerful spikes and even took the lead by one point. The Chinese team didn’t back down and quickly equalized the score.
You Ziyu served again, and Billy received it smoothly. Their setter, Caique, single-handedly sent the ball towards the Chinese team’s side. Qin Chunxiao, like a seal, charged forward, slid underneath his body, and just managed to lift the ball with his hand, narrowly avoiding the ground.
Tim exclaimed, “Oh, Misha, that save was truly magnificent!”
When Kristian’s serve was received by the opponent, Tim would do everything in his power to cover any defensive gaps. Seeing Qin Chunxiao’s incredible save, he immediately empathized with him.
Er Leng rushed to Qin Chunxiao’s side, clasping their hands to lift the ball diagonally backward. Liu Yuelou had already jumped up and unleashed a powerful diagonal spike.
The ball hit the ground.
15:14.
Qin Chunxiao stood up, gently patting his elbow that was still wrapped in a bandage. He had scraped a large piece of skin off this area during their match against Poland. When he slid on the ground just now, he felt pain from his wound. Fortunately, he managed to endure the pain without letting it affect his performance.
“Hisss.” Li Ling heard Qin Chunxiao’s sharp intake of breath.
He twisted his shoulder, his gaze becoming even more determined.
