Boom!
The volleyball landed heavily on the ground and bounced into the spectator stands. Excited spectators rushed to grab the ball, and those who managed to get hold of it swung it back onto the court, receiving a wave of acknowledgment from one of the players.
A lucky spectator smiled and said to their companion, “How many balls have been smashed into the stands today?”
The companion replied, “This is the seventh one. The men’s volleyball teams this year are really fierce.”
A guy wearing a sheep-head mask behind them chimed in, “Two of those balls were borrowed by Qin Chunxiao.”
A ball hit out of bounds is a target ball aimed at touching the opponent’s limbs and then going out of bounds. Sometimes, the ball’s trajectory is aimed towards the audience, so it seems reasonable that a borrowed ball would float into the stands.
The Xinjiang Province team, who was being dealt with by Qin Chunxiao in this manner, felt particularly helpless. Their system focused on blocking, with offense as a secondary priority. Their ground technique wasn’t that good, and they had more rough male players on their team.
As a key player, Aizimaiti represented the pinnacle of the Xinjiang team’s style. However, his technique wasn’t refined enough, and he had gained some weight recently, resulting in a decrease in his agility. Previously, when Qin Chunxiao borrowed a ball while in the air, he would lean back to avoid it, but Aizimaiti didn’t have that flexibility.
Consequently, when facing the ball sent towards his fingertips by Qin Chunxiao, Aizimaiti could only confront it head-on.
Aizimaiti and Qin Chunxiao, the two players who could score the most points, forcefully held each other back. Whenever other players from the Xinjiang team tried to score, the Guangdong team would easily receive the ball. On the other hand, the Guangdong team’s attacks were easily blocked, resulting in a situation of mutual explosions.
Fu Biyang watched anxiously and said, “Aizimaiti is not doing well. If he could close his arms a little more and jump a bit higher, he could block Xiaozai’s balls back. By borrowing like this, their mental state is going to collapse.”
Ding Rong leaned against the railing and replied, “Aizimaiti would like to jump higher and improve his blocking success rate, but he can’t do it.”
Qin Chunxiao, who could reach a height of 3.5 meters in Asia, was not easy to block. Moreover, he had Li Ling and Gao Depi supporting him, and his teammates’ defense was not lacking.
Ding Rong marveled, “This year’s Guangdong team is really strong. At this rate, they might make it to the final four.”
The next day’s competition was also tiring, considering the frequency of playing two matches in a day. After the match, Qin Chunxiao found a restaurant, ordered nothing, and laid down for a while, hugging a bottle of mineral water, before finally taking out his homework to complete.
It was impossible to do homework at the accommodation because Qin Chunxiao’s good friend, Fu Xiaoji, had brought a bunch of romantic movies for analysis. Fu Xiaoji hoped that by combining the psychological knowledge Qin Chunxiao had studied in advance with the analysis of romantic movies, they would have a chemical reaction to help Fu Xiaoji’s beautiful life.
Qin Chunxiao just couldn’t concentrate on his homework with the sounds of “Jack” and “Rose” in the background.
Unfortunately, Qin Chunxiao didn’t have the kind of brain that could sleep in class every day, be occasionally late or skip classes, and still score full marks. Even if he had the chance to start over, he would still need to study hard to ensure that he could continue attending his prestigious university.
Sighing, he thought, why can’t a single acceptance letter be valid for two lifetimes? Now he had to go through the process of taking the exams again.
A slender hand, picked up a pencil and drew a line on the draft paper, then carefully wrote a formula and neatly added a line of upright calligraphy in the lower right corner.
This way of writing will be simpler.
Qin Chunxiao looked up at Lu Xuandong and thought to himself that when he was studying, he only knew that this person had been recognized by the Lu family and had been admitted to a prestigious foreign university in less than six months. It was evident that he had a solid grasp of high school knowledge and had been preparing for his plan to earn enough money to go to school.
But now, experiencing it firsthand, Qin Chunxiao had only one thought.
Having a free tutor is so great.
Lu Xuandong had clear thinking, a good temperament, and was proficient in both arts and sciences. It was clear that he had brushed through countless questions and was an experienced exam god.
Speaking of which, this person was like his sister, who seemed to have been the top scorer in the entrance examination as well.
And Qin Chunxiao’s father not only topped the entrance examination, but also the college entrance examination.
Is it enjoyable to be surrounded by top scorers in life?
Qin Chunxiao’s bag contained several notebooks of study materials. The notebooks not only recorded key review points and solutions to difficult problems, but also had small notes with encouraging words like “Keep going.” He would occasionally receive caring phone calls or messages, and his two study god father and sibling at home would help him with exam predictions.
In the future, the study gods who predict exam questions might become three.
Isn’t this life just amazing?
Why was Qin Chunxiao able to maintain his academic performance while playing volleyball? And why had he never given up on his dream of attending his prestigious university? It was all thanks to these ministers who had been supporting him.
In the past, when Qin Ling was busy with his research at the institute and Qin Chunfeng had a heavy workload at Renmin University, Qin Chunxiao could only save up his academic questions and ask them when he found the time.
Lu Xuandong was different. He clearly stated that he wanted to retire from the entertainment industry and focus on reviewing his high school coursework. In the second half of this year, he planned to take the SAT in the United States. If he could achieve his desired score and get into his ideal school, then that would be it. If he couldn’t, he would participate in the college entrance examination in the first half of next year.
The Lu family lacked neither money nor connections. Regarding their newly recognized eldest son, it was hard to say how they would get along specifically, but his parents would help arrange his exams. Lu Xuandong just needed to prepare his knowledge and take the exams.
In short, Lu Xuandong had more free time during this period, and Qin Chunxiao could ask him any questions he had, whether it was about academics or other aspects, without being overly polite.
Qin Chunxiao really didn’t need to be polite with Lu Xuandong. He accepted the notes given to him and when their review session was over, he would treat Lu Xuandong to a cold drink.
With a five-figure bank account, the little Qin team was now able to splurge a bit. They could easily buy Häagen-Dazs ice cream, and Qin Chunxiao could treat Lu Xuandong to two cups of the $20 mixed fruit and vegetable juice every day. Qin Chunxiao himself didn’t eat outside food, but Lu Xuandong didn’t mind. So from time to time, Qin Chunxiao would also treat him to durian mille-feuille or chiffon cake.
When they ate at the athlete’s dining hall, they would split the bill. They ate healthy and nutritious meals, with meat, eggs, and milk as the main components and carbohydrates as a supplement. They also ate plenty of fruits and vegetables. After finishing their meal, Qin Chunxiao would remind Lu Xuandong to engage in 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day.
Lu Xuandong: Okay.
Lu Xuandong had initially been dieting to maintain a slim figure, but now that he had resumed a normal diet, he was making good progress in his muscle-building plan. He would run in the sports park in the morning and evening and do an hour of Pilates in his hotel room. Coupled with getting enough sleep, having a pleasant mood, his overall state of mind had completely changed.
The most noticeable change was that he looked more handsome.
Previously, he was just a popular young idol in the entertainment industry, but now he vaguely exuded the aura of a handsome grass-level international superstar.
Every day, Qin Chunxiao would hang out with this handsome guy after the matches, but they wouldn’t do anything else. They would simply review their high school knowledge together and while spending time for the countdown of their soulmate.
By the time the Guangdong team reached the quarterfinals, Qin Chunxiao’s total score in the mock exams had improved by ten points, bringing him closer to receiving an acceptance letter from a prestigious university.
As Qin Chunxiao’s scores improved, Fu Biyang also integrated well with the weightlifting team. With his muscular build and large frame, it didn’t seem out of place for him to mix with this group. Moreover, his emotional intelligence suddenly skyrocketed. He would call people “brother” here and “sister” there, hand out towels with a smile on his face, and finally, he managed to get Wang Chuntian’s WeChat contact.
Fu Xiaoji even learned the power technique of dumbbell single-arm rows from one of the weightlifting team coaches. He could now row with a weight of 40 kilograms, which roughly meant that he could perform this exercise even with a little girl hanging on his arm.
However, the GOAT of the weightlifting team could perform single-arm rows with a weight of 100 kilograms. With that in mind, Fu Biyang’s strength didn’t seem all that impressive.
Fu Biyang happily said to Qin Chunxiao, “Chuntian told me that weightlifting and volleyball are both sports that involve opposing gravity. They just use different methods, so our techniques are interchangeable.”
Speaking of this, Fu Biyang’s face revealed an intoxicated expression. “Fighting against gravity, what a romantic concept. I think I’m falling in love with weightlifting.”
Qin Chunxiao teased, “Not only falling in love with weightlifting, but also falling in love with the girls from the weightlifting team, right?”
Fu Biyang coughed and said, “Ahem, ahem!”
Qin Chunxiao continued, “Wang Chuntian won the bronze medal in the women’s 76-kilogram weightlifting category at the Rio Olympics. It seems like you still have a little way to go in terms of achievements compared to her, right?”
In reality, he was just joking. Seeing Fu Biyang’s expression, Qin Chunxiao immediately wanted to backtrack and tell him that the connection between love and career wasn’t always that significant. Kong Duojin’s girlfriend had won gold and silver medals in world championships and the Olympics, but she still willingly supported Kong Duojin financially.
Fu Biyang remained silent for two seconds and then held Qin Chunxiao’s hand. “Xiaozai, you’re a great teammate, aren’t you? Can we work together and strive for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics in three years? Let’s all put in our efforts together. Can you help me win a medal?”
Qin Chunxiao took turns and replied, “That’s ambitious, and coincidentally, I also want to win a medal. Let’s work hard together.”
With Qin Chunxiao’s experience in major competitions, every team goes through cycles of becoming stronger and weaker. This was related to whether the main players in the team were young and healthy. If all the key players in a team were on an upward trajectory, the team would be vibrant and continuously improve, just like the current men’s national volleyball team.
The Guangdong provincial team was also in an upward phase. Lao Chen’s luck had been outstanding in recent years, forming a team with three UR and SSR cards. The other R cards had also been well developed, and the attributes of each character complement each other. Unfortunately, the teams they faced in the National Games were not as well-constructed as the Guangdong provincial team, which made their victories come easily.
However, this stroke of luck ended with the quarter-finals. There were no weak teams in the quarter-finals. The eight teams were once again divided into two groups for a round-robin tournament within each group. Guangdong team was grouped with the Bayi team, Shandong team, and Sichuan team.
When fans saw this grouping, they couldn’t help but complain, “Who made this grouping? The teams with podium potential are all lumped together. Are we going to watch the finals ahead of time?”
The organizing committee of the event felt helpless because they based the grouping on the rankings from last year’s national tournaments. At that time, the Bayi team and Shandong team had many injured players and were eliminated in the quarter-finals. But who knew they would recover from their injuries this year and form strong teams? As for the Guangdong team, who was once considered a weak team, they had transformed into a strong team. Thus, the situation of strong teams being grouped together arose.
Although the Hainan team didn’t make it to the quarter-finals, they still had to stay and participate in the matches for 8th to 13th place. So, when Qin Chunxiao went to the gym every night, Fu Xiaoji remained his companion.
During their workout, when Qin Chunxiao held two 5-kilogram weightlifting plates in one hand and Fu Biyang held two 10-kilogram plates in the other for lateral raises, they talked about the luck of the Guangdong and Hainan teams.
Fu Biyang sighed, “We encountered the Bayi and Shandong teams before and after the group stage. Originally, our coach, Coach Zheng, wanted to make a push for the quarter-finals. But now, we’ve faced strong teams one after another, and they have eliminated us directly.”
Qin Chunxiao looked serious and said, “Don’t mention it. The Bayi team also has three veteran national team players. Ding Rong is self-explanatory, and the second setter’s level is so skilled that we can’t even figure out where he’s going. Zhang Feng was the former top opposite hitter in the national league, and he didn’t move much due to a shoulder injury during the Asian Championship. There’s also He Shiping, the number one libero born in ’85.”
The Shandong team had Tong Shulan and Kong Duojin, both with an average height that ranks first in the men’s volleyball event at this year’s National Games. They had a restraining buff against the Guangdong provincial team.
Qin Chunxiao was genuinely worried. Fu Biyang asked, “Should we give up?”
Qin Chunxiao grinned and replied, “How is that possible? I’m thinking of ways to deal with them.”
In his previous life, Qin Chunxiao had achieved good results in domestic competitions several times but never won a gold medal. However, he always believed in his teammates and coach. With the addition of Gao Depi in this life, how could he not give it his all? A gold medal is always welcomed by athletes!
Qin Chunxiao put down the weight plates and stretched his wrists. “The biggest advantage we have against them is fewer injuries. We can resort to a war of attrition if necessary!”
Fu Biyang quickly reminded him, “Don’t jinx it. Sometimes, the more you talk about being injury-free, the more likely something will happen.”
Qin Chunxiao retorted, “Pah! You’re the one who will jinx it!”
He was very cautious! When Qin Chunxiao trained lateral raises with a weight of 8 kilograms in the provincial team, he only used 5 kilograms during the National Games to maintain his usual state. Wasn’t that cautious enough?
Just then, Wang Chuntian called out to them, “Xiaozai, you were going to practice heavy squats, right? Come over here. I’m available to spot you.”
The two young men immediately ran over, and Wang Chuntian effortlessly lifted a 62.5-kilogram barbell onto the rack. Qin Chunxiao lowered himself, resting the barbell on his shoulders, while Wang Chuntian gently supported the barbell from behind with both hands to prevent Qin Chunxiao from being overwhelmed by the weight.
“Good, slowly squat down, maintain it, 3, 2, 1, now slowly stand up.”
With Wang Chuntian’s assistance, even with an additional 5 kilograms, Qin Chunxiao successfully completed five squats and then jumped in place.
Hmm, he was in good condition.
He was indeed cautious. He wouldn’t engage in excessive strength training before reaching adulthood to avoid affecting bone development. Increases in the weights for squats and bench presses were done gradually, and high-intensity training was avoided before competitions.
As for his maximum lifting records, well, Lao Chen and Lao Niu were the only ones who knew. However, they also agreed with Qin Chunxiao’s approach of focusing on self-care from now on. Perhaps they were also scared by the injured players they had encountered before.
Wang Chuntian said to him, “You have a match tomorrow, five sets will be enough for a trial. Apply ice to your joints afterward and get a good rest.”
Fu Biyang looked at Wang Chuntian with admiration and said, “Thank you, Chuntian, you’re such a great teacher.”
Wang Chuntian smiled modestly, “Really? I actually planned to retire and become a coach after this National Games. With your affirmation, I feel more confident.”
Fu Biyang eagerly asked, “So, will you be coaching the national team or returning to the provincial team?”
Wang Chuntian was from Hunan. If she were to return to the provincial team, Fu Biyang would have to start watching Hunan TV every day to get to know the local customs and culture as soon as possible.
Wang Chuntian smiled gently, with a hint of mystery in her eyes. “I studied Sports Science in college and I plan to specialize in strength training in the future. After completing the retirement procedures, I will probably go to the United States for further studies. I can only determine my future workplace when I come back.” She patted Qin Chunxiao’s shoulder, winked, and walked away.
Fu Biyang stared blankly at her figure and murmured, “So cool.”
Currently, there were no top-level female strength trainers in China, and there were not many first-class male strength trainers either. However, their existence was extremely important for athletes. Wang Chuntian was trying to enter a field that few women have ventured into before and is determined to achieve results.
Fu Biyang was captivated by her.
Qin Chunxiao also knew that he was captivated by her.
Wang Chuntian walked to the resting area and made a phone call. “Coach Niu, it’s me. I’ve made up my mind. Thank you for the opportunity. I’m very willing to go to the Springfield Institute for advanced studies in strength training… Yes, please rest assured, my English is sufficient to handle foreign courses.”
Not far away, the coach of the weightlifting team exerted force with his muscular arms and punched the door, causing a crack to appear. The weightlifting team’s coach, who was also a former weightlifter and had a background in the Bayi team, was a top-notch tough guy in the coaching world. He grumbled, “That Newton guy is a worthless thing! The kid that we painstakingly trained was stolen by him just like that!”
Wang Chuntian had excellent academic performance in college, and she originally planned to keep her in the team as a coach to eventually take over his position. Who would have thought that after she had already written the application, a Lao Niul from the volleyball team emerged and snatched his student away!
The weightlifting team’s GOAT and other champion veterans couldn’t help but laugh and cry. They had been around for so long, but it was the first time they had seen someone poach from the weightlifting team.
That Coach Niu had quite the audacity!
Everyone could only approach and console him with kind words. “Coach, try to be more open-minded. Chun Tian just wants to explore a broader field.”
“Yes, yes, Coach Newton gave her the opportunity to study at the Springfield Institute. That’s so rare. If I were in her shoes, I would go too.”
The next day, in order to show their respect for the opponents, the Guangdong team arrived early at the stadium for warm-up. Just then, a commotion erupted from the spectator stands. Qin Chunxiao looked towards the stands and followed the gaze of some people towards the entrance of the stadium. He saw Ding Rong with Zhang Feng on his left and He Shiping on his right, walking in a very social manner.
Someone muttered, “Isn’t this scene a bit familiar?”
Wasn’t this the iconic entrance of the Chinese men’s volleyball team in international matches?
Not far away, on Court B, Qiao Mingming opened his mouth wide and exclaimed, “Ah! Ding Ge stole my signature move!”
Ding Rong took off his sunglasses and waved to this side with a cool gesture.
Lu Xuandong sat quietly in the front row of the spectator stands, wearing a mask and sunglasses.
Boom!
The volleyball landed heavily on the ground and bounced into the spectator stands. Excited spectators rushed to grab the ball, and those who managed to get hold of it swung it back onto the court, receiving a wave of acknowledgment from one of the players.
A lucky spectator smiled and said to their companion, “How many balls have been smashed into the stands today?”
The companion replied, “This is the seventh one. The men’s volleyball teams this year are really fierce.”
A guy wearing a sheep-head mask behind them chimed in, “Two of those balls were borrowed by Qin Chunxiao.”
A ball hit out of bounds is a target ball aimed at touching the opponent’s limbs and then going out of bounds. Sometimes, the ball’s trajectory is aimed towards the audience, so it seems reasonable that a borrowed ball would float into the stands.
The Xinjiang Province team, who was being dealt with by Qin Chunxiao in this manner, felt particularly helpless. Their system focused on blocking, with offense as a secondary priority. Their ground technique wasn’t that good, and they had more rough male players on their team.
As a key player, Aizimaiti represented the pinnacle of the Xinjiang team’s style. However, his technique wasn’t refined enough, and he had gained some weight recently, resulting in a decrease in his agility. Previously, when Qin Chunxiao borrowed a ball while in the air, he would lean back to avoid it, but Aizimaiti didn’t have that flexibility.
Consequently, when facing the ball sent towards his fingertips by Qin Chunxiao, Aizimaiti could only confront it head-on.
Aizimaiti and Qin Chunxiao, the two players who could score the most points, forcefully held each other back. Whenever other players from the Xinjiang team tried to score, the Guangdong team would easily receive the ball. On the other hand, the Guangdong team’s attacks were easily blocked, resulting in a situation of mutual explosions.
Fu Biyang watched anxiously and said, “Aizimaiti is not doing well. If he could close his arms a little more and jump a bit higher, he could block Xiaozai’s balls back. By borrowing like this, their mental state is going to collapse.”
Ding Rong leaned against the railing and replied, “Aizimaiti would like to jump higher and improve his blocking success rate, but he can’t do it.”
Qin Chunxiao, who could reach a height of 3.5 meters in Asia, was not easy to block. Moreover, he had Li Ling and Gao Depi supporting him, and his teammates’ defense was not lacking.
Ding Rong marveled, “This year’s Guangdong team is really strong. At this rate, they might make it to the final four.”
The next day’s competition was also tiring, considering the frequency of playing two matches in a day. After the match, Qin Chunxiao found a restaurant, ordered nothing, and laid down for a while, hugging a bottle of mineral water, before finally taking out his homework to complete.
It was impossible to do homework at the accommodation because Qin Chunxiao’s good friend, Fu Xiaoji, had brought a bunch of romantic movies for analysis. Fu Xiaoji hoped that by combining the psychological knowledge Qin Chunxiao had studied in advance with the analysis of romantic movies, they would have a chemical reaction to help Fu Xiaoji’s beautiful life.
Qin Chunxiao just couldn’t concentrate on his homework with the sounds of “Jack” and “Rose” in the background.
Unfortunately, Qin Chunxiao didn’t have the kind of brain that could sleep in class every day, be occasionally late or skip classes, and still score full marks. Even if he had the chance to start over, he would still need to study hard to ensure that he could continue attending his prestigious university.
Sighing, he thought, why can’t a single acceptance letter be valid for two lifetimes? Now he had to go through the process of taking the exams again.
A slender hand, picked up a pencil and drew a line on the draft paper, then carefully wrote a formula and neatly added a line of upright calligraphy in the lower right corner.
This way of writing will be simpler.
Qin Chunxiao looked up at Lu Xuandong and thought to himself that when he was studying, he only knew that this person had been recognized by the Lu family and had been admitted to a prestigious foreign university in less than six months. It was evident that he had a solid grasp of high school knowledge and had been preparing for his plan to earn enough money to go to school.
But now, experiencing it firsthand, Qin Chunxiao had only one thought.
Having a free tutor is so great.
Lu Xuandong had clear thinking, a good temperament, and was proficient in both arts and sciences. It was clear that he had brushed through countless questions and was an experienced exam god.
Speaking of which, this person was like his sister, who seemed to have been the top scorer in the entrance examination as well.
And Qin Chunxiao’s father not only topped the entrance examination, but also the college entrance examination.
Is it enjoyable to be surrounded by top scorers in life?
Qin Chunxiao’s bag contained several notebooks of study materials. The notebooks not only recorded key review points and solutions to difficult problems, but also had small notes with encouraging words like “Keep going.” He would occasionally receive caring phone calls or messages, and his two study god father and sibling at home would help him with exam predictions.
In the future, the study gods who predict exam questions might become three.
Isn’t this life just amazing?
Why was Qin Chunxiao able to maintain his academic performance while playing volleyball? And why had he never given up on his dream of attending his prestigious university? It was all thanks to these ministers who had been supporting him.
In the past, when Qin Ling was busy with his research at the institute and Qin Chunfeng had a heavy workload at Renmin University, Qin Chunxiao could only save up his academic questions and ask them when he found the time.
Lu Xuandong was different. He clearly stated that he wanted to retire from the entertainment industry and focus on reviewing his high school coursework. In the second half of this year, he planned to take the SAT in the United States. If he could achieve his desired score and get into his ideal school, then that would be it. If he couldn’t, he would participate in the college entrance examination in the first half of next year.
The Lu family lacked neither money nor connections. Regarding their newly recognized eldest son, it was hard to say how they would get along specifically, but his parents would help arrange his exams. Lu Xuandong just needed to prepare his knowledge and take the exams.
In short, Lu Xuandong had more free time during this period, and Qin Chunxiao could ask him any questions he had, whether it was about academics or other aspects, without being overly polite.
Qin Chunxiao really didn’t need to be polite with Lu Xuandong. He accepted the notes given to him and when their review session was over, he would treat Lu Xuandong to a cold drink.
With a five-figure bank account, the little Qin team was now able to splurge a bit. They could easily buy Häagen-Dazs ice cream, and Qin Chunxiao could treat Lu Xuandong to two cups of the $20 mixed fruit and vegetable juice every day. Qin Chunxiao himself didn’t eat outside food, but Lu Xuandong didn’t mind. So from time to time, Qin Chunxiao would also treat him to durian mille-feuille or chiffon cake.
When they ate at the athlete’s dining hall, they would split the bill. They ate healthy and nutritious meals, with meat, eggs, and milk as the main components and carbohydrates as a supplement. They also ate plenty of fruits and vegetables. After finishing their meal, Qin Chunxiao would remind Lu Xuandong to engage in 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day.
Lu Xuandong: Okay.
Lu Xuandong had initially been dieting to maintain a slim figure, but now that he had resumed a normal diet, he was making good progress in his muscle-building plan. He would run in the sports park in the morning and evening and do an hour of Pilates in his hotel room. Coupled with getting enough sleep, having a pleasant mood, his overall state of mind had completely changed.
The most noticeable change was that he looked more handsome.
Previously, he was just a popular young idol in the entertainment industry, but now he vaguely exuded the aura of a handsome grass-level international superstar.
Every day, Qin Chunxiao would hang out with this handsome guy after the matches, but they wouldn’t do anything else. They would simply review their high school knowledge together and while spending time for the countdown of their soulmate.
By the time the Guangdong team reached the quarterfinals, Qin Chunxiao’s total score in the mock exams had improved by ten points, bringing him closer to receiving an acceptance letter from a prestigious university.
As Qin Chunxiao’s scores improved, Fu Biyang also integrated well with the weightlifting team. With his muscular build and large frame, it didn’t seem out of place for him to mix with this group. Moreover, his emotional intelligence suddenly skyrocketed. He would call people “brother” here and “sister” there, hand out towels with a smile on his face, and finally, he managed to get Wang Chuntian’s WeChat contact.
Fu Xiaoji even learned the power technique of dumbbell single-arm rows from one of the weightlifting team coaches. He could now row with a weight of 40 kilograms, which roughly meant that he could perform this exercise even with a little girl hanging on his arm.
However, the GOAT of the weightlifting team could perform single-arm rows with a weight of 100 kilograms. With that in mind, Fu Biyang’s strength didn’t seem all that impressive.
Fu Biyang happily said to Qin Chunxiao, “Chuntian told me that weightlifting and volleyball are both sports that involve opposing gravity. They just use different methods, so our techniques are interchangeable.”
Speaking of this, Fu Biyang’s face revealed an intoxicated expression. “Fighting against gravity, what a romantic concept. I think I’m falling in love with weightlifting.”
Qin Chunxiao teased, “Not only falling in love with weightlifting, but also falling in love with the girls from the weightlifting team, right?”
Fu Biyang coughed and said, “Ahem, ahem!”
Qin Chunxiao continued, “Wang Chuntian won the bronze medal in the women’s 76-kilogram weightlifting category at the Rio Olympics. It seems like you still have a little way to go in terms of achievements compared to her, right?”
In reality, he was just joking. Seeing Fu Biyang’s expression, Qin Chunxiao immediately wanted to backtrack and tell him that the connection between love and career wasn’t always that significant. Kong Duojin’s girlfriend had won gold and silver medals in world championships and the Olympics, but she still willingly supported Kong Duojin financially.
Fu Biyang remained silent for two seconds and then held Qin Chunxiao’s hand. “Xiaozai, you’re a great teammate, aren’t you? Can we work together and strive for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics in three years? Let’s all put in our efforts together. Can you help me win a medal?”
Qin Chunxiao took turns and replied, “That’s ambitious, and coincidentally, I also want to win a medal. Let’s work hard together.”
With Qin Chunxiao’s experience in major competitions, every team goes through cycles of becoming stronger and weaker. This was related to whether the main players in the team were young and healthy. If all the key players in a team were on an upward trajectory, the team would be vibrant and continuously improve, just like the current men’s national volleyball team.
The Guangdong provincial team was also in an upward phase. Lao Chen’s luck had been outstanding in recent years, forming a team with three UR and SSR cards. The other R cards had also been well developed, and the attributes of each character complement each other. Unfortunately, the teams they faced in the National Games were not as well-constructed as the Guangdong provincial team, which made their victories come easily.
However, this stroke of luck ended with the quarter-finals. There were no weak teams in the quarter-finals. The eight teams were once again divided into two groups for a round-robin tournament within each group. Guangdong team was grouped with the Bayi team, Shandong team, and Sichuan team.
When fans saw this grouping, they couldn’t help but complain, “Who made this grouping? The teams with podium potential are all lumped together. Are we going to watch the finals ahead of time?”
The organizing committee of the event felt helpless because they based the grouping on the rankings from last year’s national tournaments. At that time, the Bayi team and Shandong team had many injured players and were eliminated in the quarter-finals. But who knew they would recover from their injuries this year and form strong teams? As for the Guangdong team, who was once considered a weak team, they had transformed into a strong team. Thus, the situation of strong teams being grouped together arose.
Although the Hainan team didn’t make it to the quarter-finals, they still had to stay and participate in the matches for 8th to 13th place. So, when Qin Chunxiao went to the gym every night, Fu Xiaoji remained his companion.
During their workout, when Qin Chunxiao held two 5-kilogram weightlifting plates in one hand and Fu Biyang held two 10-kilogram plates in the other for lateral raises, they talked about the luck of the Guangdong and Hainan teams.
Fu Biyang sighed, “We encountered the Bayi and Shandong teams before and after the group stage. Originally, our coach, Coach Zheng, wanted to make a push for the quarter-finals. But now, we’ve faced strong teams one after another, and they have eliminated us directly.”
Qin Chunxiao looked serious and said, “Don’t mention it. The Bayi team also has three veteran national team players. Ding Rong is self-explanatory, and the second setter’s level is so skilled that we can’t even figure out where he’s going. Zhang Feng was the former top opposite hitter in the national league, and he didn’t move much due to a shoulder injury during the Asian Championship. There’s also He Shiping, the number one libero born in ’85.”
The Shandong team had Tong Shulan and Kong Duojin, both with an average height that ranks first in the men’s volleyball event at this year’s National Games. They had a restraining buff against the Guangdong provincial team.
Qin Chunxiao was genuinely worried. Fu Biyang asked, “Should we give up?”
Qin Chunxiao grinned and replied, “How is that possible? I’m thinking of ways to deal with them.”
In his previous life, Qin Chunxiao had achieved good results in domestic competitions several times but never won a gold medal. However, he always believed in his teammates and coach. With the addition of Gao Depi in this life, how could he not give it his all? A gold medal is always welcomed by athletes!
Qin Chunxiao put down the weight plates and stretched his wrists. “The biggest advantage we have against them is fewer injuries. We can resort to a war of attrition if necessary!”
Fu Biyang quickly reminded him, “Don’t jinx it. Sometimes, the more you talk about being injury-free, the more likely something will happen.”
Qin Chunxiao retorted, “Pah! You’re the one who will jinx it!”
He was very cautious! When Qin Chunxiao trained lateral raises with a weight of 8 kilograms in the provincial team, he only used 5 kilograms during the National Games to maintain his usual state. Wasn’t that cautious enough?
Just then, Wang Chuntian called out to them, “Xiaozai, you were going to practice heavy squats, right? Come over here. I’m available to spot you.”
The two young men immediately ran over, and Wang Chuntian effortlessly lifted a 62.5-kilogram barbell onto the rack. Qin Chunxiao lowered himself, resting the barbell on his shoulders, while Wang Chuntian gently supported the barbell from behind with both hands to prevent Qin Chunxiao from being overwhelmed by the weight.
“Good, slowly squat down, maintain it, 3, 2, 1, now slowly stand up.”
With Wang Chuntian’s assistance, even with an additional 5 kilograms, Qin Chunxiao successfully completed five squats and then jumped in place.
Hmm, he was in good condition.
He was indeed cautious. He wouldn’t engage in excessive strength training before reaching adulthood to avoid affecting bone development. Increases in the weights for squats and bench presses were done gradually, and high-intensity training was avoided before competitions.
As for his maximum lifting records, well, Lao Chen and Lao Niu were the only ones who knew. However, they also agreed with Qin Chunxiao’s approach of focusing on self-care from now on. Perhaps they were also scared by the injured players they had encountered before.
Wang Chuntian said to him, “You have a match tomorrow, five sets will be enough for a trial. Apply ice to your joints afterward and get a good rest.”
Fu Biyang looked at Wang Chuntian with admiration and said, “Thank you, Chuntian, you’re such a great teacher.”
Wang Chuntian smiled modestly, “Really? I actually planned to retire and become a coach after this National Games. With your affirmation, I feel more confident.”
Fu Biyang eagerly asked, “So, will you be coaching the national team or returning to the provincial team?”
Wang Chuntian was from Hunan. If she were to return to the provincial team, Fu Biyang would have to start watching Hunan TV every day to get to know the local customs and culture as soon as possible.
Wang Chuntian smiled gently, with a hint of mystery in her eyes. “I studied Sports Science in college and I plan to specialize in strength training in the future. After completing the retirement procedures, I will probably go to the United States for further studies. I can only determine my future workplace when I come back.” She patted Qin Chunxiao’s shoulder, winked, and walked away.
Fu Biyang stared blankly at her figure and murmured, “So cool.”
Currently, there were no top-level female strength trainers in China, and there were not many first-class male strength trainers either. However, their existence was extremely important for athletes. Wang Chuntian was trying to enter a field that few women have ventured into before and is determined to achieve results.
Fu Biyang was captivated by her.
Qin Chunxiao also knew that he was captivated by her.
Wang Chuntian walked to the resting area and made a phone call. “Coach Niu, it’s me. I’ve made up my mind. Thank you for the opportunity. I’m very willing to go to the Springfield Institute for advanced studies in strength training… Yes, please rest assured, my English is sufficient to handle foreign courses.”
Not far away, the coach of the weightlifting team exerted force with his muscular arms and punched the door, causing a crack to appear. The weightlifting team’s coach, who was also a former weightlifter and had a background in the Bayi team, was a top-notch tough guy in the coaching world. He grumbled, “That Newton guy is a worthless thing! The kid that we painstakingly trained was stolen by him just like that!”
Wang Chuntian had excellent academic performance in college, and she originally planned to keep her in the team as a coach to eventually take over his position. Who would have thought that after she had already written the application, a Lao Niul from the volleyball team emerged and snatched his student away!
The weightlifting team’s GOAT and other champion veterans couldn’t help but laugh and cry. They had been around for so long, but it was the first time they had seen someone poach from the weightlifting team.
That Coach Niu had quite the audacity!
Everyone could only approach and console him with kind words. “Coach, try to be more open-minded. Chun Tian just wants to explore a broader field.”
“Yes, yes, Coach Newton gave her the opportunity to study at the Springfield Institute. That’s so rare. If I were in her shoes, I would go too.”
The next day, in order to show their respect for the opponents, the Guangdong team arrived early at the stadium for warm-up. Just then, a commotion erupted from the spectator stands. Qin Chunxiao looked towards the stands and followed the gaze of some people towards the entrance of the stadium. He saw Ding Rong with Zhang Feng on his left and He Shiping on his right, walking in a very social manner.
Someone muttered, “Isn’t this scene a bit familiar?”
Wasn’t this the iconic entrance of the Chinese men’s volleyball team in international matches?
Not far away, on Court B, Qiao Mingming opened his mouth wide and exclaimed, “Ah! Ding Ge stole my signature move!”
Ding Rong took off his sunglasses and waved to this side with a cool gesture.
Lu Xuandong sat quietly in the front row of the spectator stands, wearing a mask and sunglasses.
