One advantage of getting along with the N provincial youth team was that Li Ling finally had someone willing to take the initiative to play with him during practice matches.
In team sports like volleyball, practice matches were essential during training camps. Fortunately, Qin Chunxiao had versatile skills and could contribute to any team. He had his place on the court.
Li Ling couldn’t handle it anymore. Despite being top-notch in China as a setter, he would occasionally make sudden mistakes that would frame his teammates, causing some players to be reluctant to play with him. Even when they did play together, the temporary teammates struggled to adjust and match Li Ling’s erratic passes.
Qin Chunxiao: I’ve boasted about my adjustment and attacking skills being world-class.
But here’s the problem. Li Ling couldn’t rely solely on teaming up with Qin Chunxiao, and there would come a day when Qin Chunxiao would focus on defense. At that time, who would Li Ling team up with as an attacker?
However, after Min Yaoyang was sent back to his room by Qin Chunxiao in the dark night with howling wind, the N provincial youth team developed a direct friendship with Qin Chunxiao. They felt a similar connection with him. After some exchanges, the N Provincial Youth Team pledged to include Li Ling more in the upcoming practice matches.
The lineup for this practice match included Qin Chunxiao, Qiao Mingming, Fu Biyang, Liu Yuelou, Du Xiaofeng, and Mao Xunfeng.
Except for libero Du Xiaofeng and setter Mao Xunfeng, everyone else was a powerful attacker, and Qin Chunxiao… he had long been accustomed to being a setter in the hands of attackers.
Li Ling, Aizmaiti, Xiong Wu, Luohe, Min Yaoyang, and You Ziyu were also skilled players. They excelled in both offense and defense. Min Yaoyang and You Ziyu were main attackers for a strong team, with You Ziyu particularly standing out. He was the only player in the U21 games to score more than 40 points in a single game. His serve was strong, and his receiving and blocking skills were excellent.
According to Qin Chunxiao’s experience in the game, You Ziyu’s high serve and Luo He’s jump were the most challenging to handle among the male volleyball players of their generation. They could also score points in international matches. Both of them belonged to the H provincial youth team, which is why volleyball fans nicknamed that team the “serving team.”
Moreover, You Ziyu’s blocking efficiency was better than that of Ai Zimaiti, who had struggled to lose weight, and it was difficult to block him.
Qin Chunxiao and Mao Xunfeng exchanged glances and tacitly handed over the right to act to Qiao Mingming and Liu Yuelou. One was the main attacker for the four major tournaments, and the other was the main attacker for the championship team. Let them handle the tough battles.
Unlike Li Ling, Mao Xunfeng was a steady setter with solid skills. He may not have stood out, but he never made erratic moves, and his teammates trusted him. He was also willing to communicate with his teammates and promptly adjust to their status.
Note: Mao Xunfeng’s lack of prominence was only relative to the top international setters. In China, he was already a legitimate first and second setter for the post-95 men’s volleyball team.
Mao Xunfeng stood at 194 cm tall and was born in December 1997. He was also a teammate of Qin Chunxiao on flight AF251.
Although boarding that flight was not a good thing, Old Niu’s judgment was reliable. The 12 people he selected were essentially the best 12 players from the post-90s to the post-2000s in the past decade. Their battles in the two teams were just as thrilling as the finals of the adult players in the National Championships.
At this point, the game was nearing the end of the third set. With the score at 24-23, Qin Chunxiao’s team had a match point. If they scored this point, the score would be 2-1.
Everyone worked hard for this point, and the offense and defense in the game were intense and prolonged. The ball went back and forth between the teams, staying in the air for half a minute.
Qin Chunxiao raised his leg and kicked You Ziyu’s spike. Mao Xunfeng quickly positioned himself and set a low-quality ball to the net. The ball struck Luo He’s finger as he attempted to block it.
The ball flew off Luo He’s ring finger, and he yelled in pain, “Touch!”
Xiong Wu immediately rushed to save the ball, successfully saving it. Min Yaoyang jumped up and wanted to spike it, while Qiao Mingming jumped up to block. Qiao Mingming managed to block the spike and score on his own. Mao Xunfeng signaled for a timeout at that moment.
He raised his voice, “Luo He’s hand is injured!”
Luo He covered his fingers and took a deep breath. “I’m fine. Who hasn’t sustained a little finger injury while blocking the net?”
Mao Xunfeng looked at him disapprovingly. “If there’s an injury, it needs to be addressed immediately. Otherwise, a bigger problem may be brewing. Look at those famous generals who were taken down by injuries. Didn’t they all have small injuries that turned into major ones? Even Gao Depi…”
Speaking of this, Mao Xunfeng paused and turned to look for the team doctor. Luo He was puzzled because he only had a cracked fingernail, which wasn’t serious.
“If you split your nails, it’s not too big of a deal, but if it gets infected, it can be quite painful. It’s better to have the team doctor disinfect it,” Qin Chunxiao explained to Luo He and smiled at him. “In any case, it won’t waste much time, maybe just one or two minutes, and then we can continue the game.”
You Ziyu also walked over to Luo He’s side. “Are you bleeding?”
Luo He sighed. “Just a little bit. Even if I tear off the hangnail, it will bleed more than this.”
Lin Yuelou also approached and apologized. “I’m sorry.”
Luo He waved his hand. “It’s okay, there’s no need to apologize for this kind of accident in the game. Old Mao is just being overly cautious. Why do we need a team doctor for such a minor injury? By the time the team doctor arrives, it will have healed on its own.”
At that moment, the team doctor hurried over. Seeing that Luo He wasn’t seriously injured, the bald man let out a sigh of relief, sprayed disinfectant spray twice, applied a band-aid, and left.
“Ding Rong is still receiving electrotherapy, I need to go back and check on him.”
The game continued, and with Qin Chunxiao’s team having a strong offense and solid defense, along with Mao Xunfeng, the best second setter in China, providing excellent support, it wasn’t difficult for them to win this game.
On the other hand, Li Ling on the opposing team struggled a few times. After the game, Qin Chunxiao went to thank Min Yaoyang and Xiong Wu, and handed towels and water bottles to the others, including Li Ling.
Min Yaoyang wiped off his sweat and said to Qin Chunxiao, “I think I understand why there are fewer attackers who can match Li Ling. Li Ling always sets the ball to a position where he thinks he can score, but that ball might not be suitable for others. Even if the intentions are the same, the attacker’s technical level might not be able to reach it.”
For example, if Li Ling sets the ball to a height of 3.9 meters, who can hit it at that height? Even Tong Shulan, a quasi-divine beast, couldn’t reach that height before she got seriously injured.
Li Ling himself couldn’t jump that high. His peak ball height was 3.6 meters. Of course, this height might not be as high as those in Europe and the United States, but it was similar to the fort-type attacker in the neighboring small book. He wasn’t even on par with the domestic Qiao Mingming, who was the best fort.
Captain Qiao’s peak ball height was 3.7 meters, and he was also a quasi-divine beast, but he reached that height after training in Europe and America. Currently, he was still hovering around 3.6 meters.
Qin Chunxiao sighed, “So when he sets the ball too high, I just wait until it descends a little before jumping, otherwise I won’t be able to reach it.”
Xiong Wu came over and admired, “Captain Qin, your ability to adjust the attack is excellent.”
Qin Chunxiao modestly replied, “Not at all. Your saving skills are also excellent. I spiked several times, and you saved half of them.”
Just then, Min Yaoyang invited them, “Shall we go
to the restroom together?”
Qin Chunxiao hesitated for a moment but agreed, as he also needed to use the restroom. However, for some reason, he found it a bit strange to go to the restroom hand in hand with Min Yaoyang.
Xiong Wu whispered to him, “Yaoyang used to play with rubber bands in elementary school and was close to his female classmates. He often went to the restroom with them, and we only separated at the door.”
Qin Chunxiao asked in surprise, “You both went to the same elementary school?”
Xiong Wu smiled wearily, “We even went to the same kindergarten.”
Xiong Wu was born in 1998, and Min Yaoyang was born in 2000, making them two years apart. After Min Yaoyang’s mother, a famous surgeon in N province, taught her son addition and subtraction up to 10 until she collapsed, Xiong Wu took on the responsibility and supported him throughout their journey from elementary school to high school.
According to Min Yaoyang, when he first started playing volleyball, he saw Xiong Wu practicing spiking, but no one was there to receive his spikes. Feeling sorry for him, Min Yaoyang reluctantly picked up the ball and practiced his receiving skills. He planned to become a libero when he grew up. At that time, some teachers and Min Yaoyang’s parents had already mentioned that it would be difficult for him to pass the high school entrance exam, so they suggested he try sports.
Qin Chunxiao exclaimed, “No wonder your receiving skills are impressive. Wait, you used to be a libero?”
Min Yaoyang proudly smiled and put his arm around Xiong Wu’s shoulder. “Actually, Xiong Wu was taller than me when we were young. After all, he was two years older, but after elementary school, I became taller than him, so we switched roles.”
Xiong Wu elbowed him in the waist, causing Min Yaoyang to scream and cover his waist. He ran into the restroom in a huff, accidentally knocking his forehead on the door frame.
Qin Chunxiao quickly realized another advantage of having a good relationship with Xiong Wu. Not only was he patient and skilled at teaching, but he could also handle tutoring Fu Biyang and Li Ling with ease. Qin Chunxiao didn’t have to worry about it anymore.
Finally, he could sit back and enjoy something entertaining on his tablet.
Li Ling taunted him, “The documentaries Xiaozai watches, like ‘Heaven and Earth Mystery’ and ‘The Story of the Wind,’ are so boring that everyone falls asleep.”
Fu Biyang, focused on his math problem, responded without looking up, “No, those documentaries are quite poetic. It’s just that you’re the only one who falls asleep.”
Xiong Wu glanced at Qin Chunxiao’s tablet and noticed he was watching “Alien vs. Predator.” In the movie, there was a black heroine climbing an iceberg who seemed to be an extreme sports enthusiast.
Many people didn’t know that after watching this movie, Qin Chunxiao developed a strong desire to visit Antarctica. And after watching “Godzilla King of the Monsters,” he became even more eager. Qin Chunxiao wanted to explore unknown places and do things that no one else had done, like uncovering prehistoric monsters buried under the ice.
One advantage of getting along with the N provincial youth team was that Li Ling finally had someone willing to take the initiative to play with him during practice matches.
In team sports like volleyball, practice matches were essential during training camps. Fortunately, Qin Chunxiao had versatile skills and could contribute to any team. He had his place on the court.
Li Ling couldn’t handle it anymore. Despite being top-notch in China as a setter, he would occasionally make sudden mistakes that would frame his teammates, causing some players to be reluctant to play with him. Even when they did play together, the temporary teammates struggled to adjust and match Li Ling’s erratic passes.
Qin Chunxiao: I’ve boasted about my adjustment and attacking skills being world-class.
But here’s the problem. Li Ling couldn’t rely solely on teaming up with Qin Chunxiao, and there would come a day when Qin Chunxiao would focus on defense. At that time, who would Li Ling team up with as an attacker?
However, after Min Yaoyang was sent back to his room by Qin Chunxiao in the dark night with howling wind, the N provincial youth team developed a direct friendship with Qin Chunxiao. They felt a similar connection with him. After some exchanges, the N Provincial Youth Team pledged to include Li Ling more in the upcoming practice matches.
The lineup for this practice match included Qin Chunxiao, Qiao Mingming, Fu Biyang, Liu Yuelou, Du Xiaofeng, and Mao Xunfeng.
Except for libero Du Xiaofeng and setter Mao Xunfeng, everyone else was a powerful attacker, and Qin Chunxiao… he had long been accustomed to being a setter in the hands of attackers.
Li Ling, Aizmaiti, Xiong Wu, Luohe, Min Yaoyang, and You Ziyu were also skilled players. They excelled in both offense and defense. Min Yaoyang and You Ziyu were main attackers for a strong team, with You Ziyu particularly standing out. He was the only player in the U21 games to score more than 40 points in a single game. His serve was strong, and his receiving and blocking skills were excellent.
According to Qin Chunxiao’s experience in the game, You Ziyu’s high serve and Luo He’s jump were the most challenging to handle among the male volleyball players of their generation. They could also score points in international matches. Both of them belonged to the H provincial youth team, which is why volleyball fans nicknamed that team the “serving team.”
Moreover, You Ziyu’s blocking efficiency was better than that of Ai Zimaiti, who had struggled to lose weight, and it was difficult to block him.
Qin Chunxiao and Mao Xunfeng exchanged glances and tacitly handed over the right to act to Qiao Mingming and Liu Yuelou. One was the main attacker for the four major tournaments, and the other was the main attacker for the championship team. Let them handle the tough battles.
Unlike Li Ling, Mao Xunfeng was a steady setter with solid skills. He may not have stood out, but he never made erratic moves, and his teammates trusted him. He was also willing to communicate with his teammates and promptly adjust to their status.
Note: Mao Xunfeng’s lack of prominence was only relative to the top international setters. In China, he was already a legitimate first and second setter for the post-95 men’s volleyball team.
Mao Xunfeng stood at 194 cm tall and was born in December 1997. He was also a teammate of Qin Chunxiao on flight AF251.
Although boarding that flight was not a good thing, Old Niu’s judgment was reliable. The 12 people he selected were essentially the best 12 players from the post-90s to the post-2000s in the past decade. Their battles in the two teams were just as thrilling as the finals of the adult players in the National Championships.
At this point, the game was nearing the end of the third set. With the score at 24-23, Qin Chunxiao’s team had a match point. If they scored this point, the score would be 2-1.
Everyone worked hard for this point, and the offense and defense in the game were intense and prolonged. The ball went back and forth between the teams, staying in the air for half a minute.
Qin Chunxiao raised his leg and kicked You Ziyu’s spike. Mao Xunfeng quickly positioned himself and set a low-quality ball to the net. The ball struck Luo He’s finger as he attempted to block it.
The ball flew off Luo He’s ring finger, and he yelled in pain, “Touch!”
Xiong Wu immediately rushed to save the ball, successfully saving it. Min Yaoyang jumped up and wanted to spike it, while Qiao Mingming jumped up to block. Qiao Mingming managed to block the spike and score on his own. Mao Xunfeng signaled for a timeout at that moment.
He raised his voice, “Luo He’s hand is injured!”
Luo He covered his fingers and took a deep breath. “I’m fine. Who hasn’t sustained a little finger injury while blocking the net?”
Mao Xunfeng looked at him disapprovingly. “If there’s an injury, it needs to be addressed immediately. Otherwise, a bigger problem may be brewing. Look at those famous generals who were taken down by injuries. Didn’t they all have small injuries that turned into major ones? Even Gao Depi…”
Speaking of this, Mao Xunfeng paused and turned to look for the team doctor. Luo He was puzzled because he only had a cracked fingernail, which wasn’t serious.
“If you split your nails, it’s not too big of a deal, but if it gets infected, it can be quite painful. It’s better to have the team doctor disinfect it,” Qin Chunxiao explained to Luo He and smiled at him. “In any case, it won’t waste much time, maybe just one or two minutes, and then we can continue the game.”
You Ziyu also walked over to Luo He’s side. “Are you bleeding?”
Luo He sighed. “Just a little bit. Even if I tear off the hangnail, it will bleed more than this.”
Lin Yuelou also approached and apologized. “I’m sorry.”
Luo He waved his hand. “It’s okay, there’s no need to apologize for this kind of accident in the game. Old Mao is just being overly cautious. Why do we need a team doctor for such a minor injury? By the time the team doctor arrives, it will have healed on its own.”
At that moment, the team doctor hurried over. Seeing that Luo He wasn’t seriously injured, the bald man let out a sigh of relief, sprayed disinfectant spray twice, applied a band-aid, and left.
“Ding Rong is still receiving electrotherapy, I need to go back and check on him.”
The game continued, and with Qin Chunxiao’s team having a strong offense and solid defense, along with Mao Xunfeng, the best second setter in China, providing excellent support, it wasn’t difficult for them to win this game.
On the other hand, Li Ling on the opposing team struggled a few times. After the game, Qin Chunxiao went to thank Min Yaoyang and Xiong Wu, and handed towels and water bottles to the others, including Li Ling.
Min Yaoyang wiped off his sweat and said to Qin Chunxiao, “I think I understand why there are fewer attackers who can match Li Ling. Li Ling always sets the ball to a position where he thinks he can score, but that ball might not be suitable for others. Even if the intentions are the same, the attacker’s technical level might not be able to reach it.”
For example, if Li Ling sets the ball to a height of 3.9 meters, who can hit it at that height? Even Tong Shulan, a quasi-divine beast, couldn’t reach that height before she got seriously injured.
Li Ling himself couldn’t jump that high. His peak ball height was 3.6 meters. Of course, this height might not be as high as those in Europe and the United States, but it was similar to the fort-type attacker in the neighboring small book. He wasn’t even on par with the domestic Qiao Mingming, who was the best fort.
Captain Qiao’s peak ball height was 3.7 meters, and he was also a quasi-divine beast, but he reached that height after training in Europe and America. Currently, he was still hovering around 3.6 meters.
Qin Chunxiao sighed, “So when he sets the ball too high, I just wait until it descends a little before jumping, otherwise I won’t be able to reach it.”
Xiong Wu came over and admired, “Captain Qin, your ability to adjust the attack is excellent.”
Qin Chunxiao modestly replied, “Not at all. Your saving skills are also excellent. I spiked several times, and you saved half of them.”
Just then, Min Yaoyang invited them, “Shall we go
to the restroom together?”
Qin Chunxiao hesitated for a moment but agreed, as he also needed to use the restroom. However, for some reason, he found it a bit strange to go to the restroom hand in hand with Min Yaoyang.
Xiong Wu whispered to him, “Yaoyang used to play with rubber bands in elementary school and was close to his female classmates. He often went to the restroom with them, and we only separated at the door.”
Qin Chunxiao asked in surprise, “You both went to the same elementary school?”
Xiong Wu smiled wearily, “We even went to the same kindergarten.”
Xiong Wu was born in 1998, and Min Yaoyang was born in 2000, making them two years apart. After Min Yaoyang’s mother, a famous surgeon in N province, taught her son addition and subtraction up to 10 until she collapsed, Xiong Wu took on the responsibility and supported him throughout their journey from elementary school to high school.
According to Min Yaoyang, when he first started playing volleyball, he saw Xiong Wu practicing spiking, but no one was there to receive his spikes. Feeling sorry for him, Min Yaoyang reluctantly picked up the ball and practiced his receiving skills. He planned to become a libero when he grew up. At that time, some teachers and Min Yaoyang’s parents had already mentioned that it would be difficult for him to pass the high school entrance exam, so they suggested he try sports.
Qin Chunxiao exclaimed, “No wonder your receiving skills are impressive. Wait, you used to be a libero?”
Min Yaoyang proudly smiled and put his arm around Xiong Wu’s shoulder. “Actually, Xiong Wu was taller than me when we were young. After all, he was two years older, but after elementary school, I became taller than him, so we switched roles.”
Xiong Wu elbowed him in the waist, causing Min Yaoyang to scream and cover his waist. He ran into the restroom in a huff, accidentally knocking his forehead on the door frame.
Qin Chunxiao quickly realized another advantage of having a good relationship with Xiong Wu. Not only was he patient and skilled at teaching, but he could also handle tutoring Fu Biyang and Li Ling with ease. Qin Chunxiao didn’t have to worry about it anymore.
Finally, he could sit back and enjoy something entertaining on his tablet.
Li Ling taunted him, “The documentaries Xiaozai watches, like ‘Heaven and Earth Mystery’ and ‘The Story of the Wind,’ are so boring that everyone falls asleep.”
Fu Biyang, focused on his math problem, responded without looking up, “No, those documentaries are quite poetic. It’s just that you’re the only one who falls asleep.”
Xiong Wu glanced at Qin Chunxiao’s tablet and noticed he was watching “Alien vs. Predator.” In the movie, there was a black heroine climbing an iceberg who seemed to be an extreme sports enthusiast.
Many people didn’t know that after watching this movie, Qin Chunxiao developed a strong desire to visit Antarctica. And after watching “Godzilla King of the Monsters,” he became even more eager. Qin Chunxiao wanted to explore unknown places and do things that no one else had done, like uncovering prehistoric monsters buried under the ice.
