After the start of the third set, Yang Lan took off his slippers.
For an H Island player, being barefoot meant they were ready to compete with their opponents. Qin Chunxiao had experienced playing against barefoot Fu Biyang, who dominated the court, catching every ball.
By the end of the game, they were drenched in sweat, but they also knew that Yang Lan was about to lose.
Qin Chunxiao stood in the serving area, farther away from the net than the backcourt, and retied his shoelaces. He moved his wrists, then threw the ball forcefully onto the ground. The ball soared high, then came down, caught by his left hand, and started rhythmically colliding with the ground.
“Left-handed…” Wen Lang looked at Qin Chunxiao in astonishment and immediately turned to Qin Chunfeng, asking, “Is your brother also left-handed like you?”
Qin Chunfeng nodded, “Yes, both Xiaoxiao and I are left-handed. When we were young, the kindergarten teachers wanted us to be right-handed for the sake of uniformity. They asked our parents to correct our left-handedness, but I didn’t get used to it and cried a lot without changing. Xiaoxiao changed halfway, so he can eat and do homework with his right hand.”
But being left-handed is not something that can be easily changed, especially since Qin’s parents didn’t force their children to switch. Qin Chunxiao could write with his right hand and even drive with his right hand when he got his driver’s license as an adult, but his left hand remained his dominant hand for most other activities.
When he was doing planks and practicing setting the ball, setting with his left hand felt natural, but when he switched to his right hand, it took some adjustment.
In sports involving balls, being left-handed means having a different direction of force and therefore being more challenging to defend against. That’s why left-handed players have advantages in sports like tennis, volleyball, and others.
The volleyball with alternating blue and yellow colors was thrown high in the air. Qin Chunxiao took a few steps for momentum, jumped up high, leaned back slightly, bent his legs backward, and his body formed a poised bow ready to unleash.
The powerful hang time made it seem like he paused in mid-air for a moment. Then, he exerted force from his core, engaging his abdominal muscles and twisting his body to further propel the swing of his arm. The bowstring went from being taut to snapping back as his left hand heavily struck the volleyball from below and in the middle.
The volleyball, spinning fiercely, pierced through the crowd.
Many people on the court didn’t even see the trajectory of the ball, and the few who did try to receive it could only watch helplessly as the ball landed squarely on the line.
Yangpen hurriedly asked, “Is it out of bounds?”
Yang Yun tossed the ball back into the court and said, “No, it just landed on the line.”
Qin Chunxiao scored a point with his serve, delivering an ace. He rotated his left wrist and thought to himself, “The speed of my serve is still not enough.”
As an athlete, his physical abilities were already at their peak for his age, and he had been deliberately training his strength recently. However, serving a ball over 100 was still a challenge for him.
Yang Yun was pleased. Exactly, this is how a 21st-century male volleyball player should serve. Regardless of the sport, male athletes and the aesthetics of power and violence are inseparable. The high ball speed that is almost impossible to follow, the sound of impact when it lands, and the symbolism of strength behind it all contribute to the captivating charm of men’s volleyball.
The jump serve is a powerful attack from the serving area; it must have impact.
Yang Yun felt that this jump serve was much more pleasing than Qin Chunxiao’s previous “health ball,” which had a soft playing style that made him want to play the song “Song of the Neurotic” on the erhu as the background music.
Yangpen stared blankly at Qin Chunxiao and slowly uttered a word, “Damn.”
When Yangpen realized that the kid on the opposite side had excellent volleyball skills, he initially thought he might be a setter or libero from a youth team. But considering his jumping ability, being left-handed, and the powerful attacking style he would face next, it was clear that he was an all-out dominant attacker.
He would be the main attacker to the extreme.
Qin the Actor goes off the court, and Qin the Attack temporarily takes his place as the main attacker.
Qin Chunxiao started frequently calling for the ball from Chewing Gum, the setter, and then smashed it forcefully on the other side. He may have played a relaxed shot earlier, but it didn’t mean he believed his jumping ability and strength should be concealed.
He shouts briefly, “Me!” Give me the ball!
Gum pushes the ball up, saying, “Go!” Here’s the ball for you!
Yang Lan quickly goes for a block, but the opposing teenager had already run to the net and jumped at an unbelievable speed.
In the moment Qin Chunxiao strikes the ball, Yang Lan realized that his hand could only reach the opponent’s wrist, far from the palm of their hitting hand and the ball that represents the score.
This was a super hand spike, where the hitter’s contact point was higher than the blocker’s hands, signifying the athlete’s ability to forcefully break through the opponent’s block using their exceptional jumping ability.
Boom!
The ball lands, and Qin Chunxiao stood firm. He made a victory gesture towards the crowd, while Yang Yun fliped through the calendar and sighed. He knew this kid had good jumping ability.
When watching from the sidelines earlier, Yang Yun had noticed that when ordinary volleyball players jump, the force exerted by their hips, thighs, and pelvis was very noticeable. However, when Qin Chunxiao played the relaxed shot, he jumped casually, rising up with just a slight raise of his feet, clearly not using his full strength.
He knew that this kid could jump better than he showed. But to be able to execute a super hand spike in front of a blocker who was over 10 centimeters taller, his jumping ability was truly impressive.
The old man adjusted his glasses and concluded that Qin Chunxiao’s vertical jump must be at least 3.3 meters.
As for Yang Lan, he was both furious and frustrated. He pointed at Qin Chunxiao and said, “Are you imitating me again?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “Huh? How am I imitating you again?”
Didn’t he just score with a powerful spike? He didn’t borrow anyone’s hand, didn’t deceive anyone, and didn’t use any timing tricks.
Yang Lan said, “You weren’t jumping seriously before!”
Qin Chunxiao responded, “Oh, I see what you mean. That was just a relaxed shot, not an imitation of you.”
When facing a strong team, deliberately starting off by showing a low jump and then suddenly jumping high for a spike is a tactic. But when playing against rookies, it’s just a way to relax and show off his own strength.
Qin Chunxiao was very honest, which further infuriates Yang Lan. Even when he played for the provincial youth team, no one dared to play relaxed shots in front of him! What’s the point of relaxing when you’re in your teens? It’s too disrespectful!
After two or three powerful spikes, Qin Chunxiao truly began to showcase his acting skills once again, occasionally relying on a helping hand, adding the occasional soft lob, and employing various unpredictable attacking strategies that made it impossible to defend against.
Qin Chunxiao was eager to quickly bring the battle to an end.
Yang Yun, who was watching from the sidelines, remarked, “Not long after the kid’s playing style became more aggressive, he immediately became even more crafty than before, toying with his opponents.”
It was a pity for his grandson, who had only been out of the provincial team for two years and had already fallen to the point of being bullied by middle school students.
Due to the aortic aneurysm caused by Marfan Syndrome, Yang Yun retired early last year from his position as the coach of Province Y’s provincial team and was brought back to his hometown of G City by his youngest daughter for recuperation.
The eldest grandson, Yang Lan, was just as tall as him. With long fingers, after finishing middle school, he was instructed by his family to leave the field and not pursue a career in professional sports, as too many athletes with Marfan Syndrome have lost their lives in many sports.
The average life expectancy of people with Marfan Syndrome was only 40 years old.
Yang Lan possessed above-average talent, combined with a family background and solid foundation, so there was no problem with playing professionally. However, it was difficult for him to make it into the national team. After much consideration, his family decided to let him give up sports and focus on studying. Yang Lan retired from the game before his life was in danger. However, he couldn’t resist occasionally hanging out on the court, and in the end, he was dragged to the basketball court by a new classmate and was bullied by a fried dough stick.
Yang Yun could tell that Qin Chunxiao was the most formidable opponent Yang Lan had encountered since leaving the field. Even if he hadn’t retired, he might not have been able to defeat his opponent.
IQ and game awareness of the two sides were not on the same level. Qin Chunxiao cannot be easily deceived by Yang Lan. That kid was nimble and fast. There was no ball he cannot save. He quickly moved into position and his positioning was very accurate. It was clear that others had already seen through the penalty kick in Yang Lan.
But the eldest grandson was still playing very energetically, which brings relief to Yang Yun. He sat next to him, touches his stomach, and sighs. As long as he can run and jump, he won’t become a chubby old man after retirement. He jokingly says he can lost two pounds trying to match Qin Chunxiao.
Ten minutes later, to the disbelief of his teammates, Qin Chunxiao delivered the final smash. Yang Lan roared and rushed to catch the ball, but he watched in dismay as the ball landed just an inch away from his fingertips.
Qin Chunfeng flipped the calendar to the 25th and said to Wen Lang, “I told you earlier that the athletic abilities of sports students are beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Look, Xiaoxiao hitting the big guy on the opposite side is as easy as pie.”
Wen Lang thought to himself that it was evident that Yangpen on the other side also had a sports background, yet he still failed to defeat Qin Chunxiao, indicating that Qin Chunxiao’s skills were far superior to an amateur level.
The score of the third game was 25:8.
Yang Yun approached with a smile and said, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to Runfulou to eat. Zaizai, bring your teammates along.”
Yangpen lay on the ground, biting his cheek, taking a few deep breaths, and then thumping the ground to get up. “Got it!”
He played with all his might this time, and even vaguely regained the feeling of being in the provincial team. The pressure of facing a strong opponent, the mental and physical exhaustion, pushed him to his limits, igniting his blood.
It had been a long time since he played a game like this. Unfortunately, his former teammates were not by his side. With them, he might not have lost.
He silently put on his jacket and slippers, packed his things, and before leaving the stadium, he turned around and took a picture of the court with his mobile phone to share on his social media.
_Yangpen
It was the first time in two years that he faced off against a professional player again, and he was a very skilled opponent.
But it was an amazing game!
[Picture]_
Runfulou Building was not far away, and everyone decided to walk there, allowing their bodies to relax after the intense exercise.
Although it was said to be a treat for the old man, no one ordered inexpensive dishes. Yang Yun looked at the menu, added a few more dishes, and handed it back to the waiter.
He glanced at Qin Chunxiao, who was drinking water, and asked, “Hey, Xiao Qin, how many years have you been practicing sports? Which coach did you have before?”
Qin Chunxiao replied honestly, “I’ve been practicing football, volleyball, and track and field since the first grade of elementary school. In junior high school, I had specialized training with Coach Wu from the city’s sprint team. He is the one who fled to the United States after a doping incident a few months ago, but I didn’t join the national team, and I didn’t consume anything he provided. The drug test results came out clean.”
Yang Yun and Yangpen widened their eyes and exclaimed, “Sprint?”
Not volleyball?!
Qin Chunfeng was filled with pride as he said, “That’s right! After the drug test results came out, Xiaoxiao also won first place in the youth group of the city’s sprint competition last year!”
After the start of the third set, Yang Lan took off his slippers.
For an H Island player, being barefoot meant they were ready to compete with their opponents. Qin Chunxiao had experienced playing against barefoot Fu Biyang, who dominated the court, catching every ball.
By the end of the game, they were drenched in sweat, but they also knew that Yang Lan was about to lose.
Qin Chunxiao stood in the serving area, farther away from the net than the backcourt, and retied his shoelaces. He moved his wrists, then threw the ball forcefully onto the ground. The ball soared high, then came down, caught by his left hand, and started rhythmically colliding with the ground.
“Left-handed…” Wen Lang looked at Qin Chunxiao in astonishment and immediately turned to Qin Chunfeng, asking, “Is your brother also left-handed like you?”
Qin Chunfeng nodded, “Yes, both Xiaoxiao and I are left-handed. When we were young, the kindergarten teachers wanted us to be right-handed for the sake of uniformity. They asked our parents to correct our left-handedness, but I didn’t get used to it and cried a lot without changing. Xiaoxiao changed halfway, so he can eat and do homework with his right hand.”
But being left-handed is not something that can be easily changed, especially since Qin’s parents didn’t force their children to switch. Qin Chunxiao could write with his right hand and even drive with his right hand when he got his driver’s license as an adult, but his left hand remained his dominant hand for most other activities.
When he was doing planks and practicing setting the ball, setting with his left hand felt natural, but when he switched to his right hand, it took some adjustment.
In sports involving balls, being left-handed means having a different direction of force and therefore being more challenging to defend against. That’s why left-handed players have advantages in sports like tennis, volleyball, and others.
The volleyball with alternating blue and yellow colors was thrown high in the air. Qin Chunxiao took a few steps for momentum, jumped up high, leaned back slightly, bent his legs backward, and his body formed a poised bow ready to unleash.
The powerful hang time made it seem like he paused in mid-air for a moment. Then, he exerted force from his core, engaging his abdominal muscles and twisting his body to further propel the swing of his arm. The bowstring went from being taut to snapping back as his left hand heavily struck the volleyball from below and in the middle.
The volleyball, spinning fiercely, pierced through the crowd.
Many people on the court didn’t even see the trajectory of the ball, and the few who did try to receive it could only watch helplessly as the ball landed squarely on the line.
Yangpen hurriedly asked, “Is it out of bounds?”
Yang Yun tossed the ball back into the court and said, “No, it just landed on the line.”
Qin Chunxiao scored a point with his serve, delivering an ace. He rotated his left wrist and thought to himself, “The speed of my serve is still not enough.”
As an athlete, his physical abilities were already at their peak for his age, and he had been deliberately training his strength recently. However, serving a ball over 100 was still a challenge for him.
Yang Yun was pleased. Exactly, this is how a 21st-century male volleyball player should serve. Regardless of the sport, male athletes and the aesthetics of power and violence are inseparable. The high ball speed that is almost impossible to follow, the sound of impact when it lands, and the symbolism of strength behind it all contribute to the captivating charm of men’s volleyball.
The jump serve is a powerful attack from the serving area; it must have impact.
Yang Yun felt that this jump serve was much more pleasing than Qin Chunxiao’s previous “health ball,” which had a soft playing style that made him want to play the song “Song of the Neurotic” on the erhu as the background music.
Yangpen stared blankly at Qin Chunxiao and slowly uttered a word, “Damn.”
When Yangpen realized that the kid on the opposite side had excellent volleyball skills, he initially thought he might be a setter or libero from a youth team. But considering his jumping ability, being left-handed, and the powerful attacking style he would face next, it was clear that he was an all-out dominant attacker.
He would be the main attacker to the extreme.
Qin the Actor goes off the court, and Qin the Attack temporarily takes his place as the main attacker.
Qin Chunxiao started frequently calling for the ball from Chewing Gum, the setter, and then smashed it forcefully on the other side. He may have played a relaxed shot earlier, but it didn’t mean he believed his jumping ability and strength should be concealed.
He shouts briefly, “Me!” Give me the ball!
Gum pushes the ball up, saying, “Go!” Here’s the ball for you!
Yang Lan quickly goes for a block, but the opposing teenager had already run to the net and jumped at an unbelievable speed.
In the moment Qin Chunxiao strikes the ball, Yang Lan realized that his hand could only reach the opponent’s wrist, far from the palm of their hitting hand and the ball that represents the score.
This was a super hand spike, where the hitter’s contact point was higher than the blocker’s hands, signifying the athlete’s ability to forcefully break through the opponent’s block using their exceptional jumping ability.
Boom!
The ball lands, and Qin Chunxiao stood firm. He made a victory gesture towards the crowd, while Yang Yun fliped through the calendar and sighed. He knew this kid had good jumping ability.
When watching from the sidelines earlier, Yang Yun had noticed that when ordinary volleyball players jump, the force exerted by their hips, thighs, and pelvis was very noticeable. However, when Qin Chunxiao played the relaxed shot, he jumped casually, rising up with just a slight raise of his feet, clearly not using his full strength.
He knew that this kid could jump better than he showed. But to be able to execute a super hand spike in front of a blocker who was over 10 centimeters taller, his jumping ability was truly impressive.
The old man adjusted his glasses and concluded that Qin Chunxiao’s vertical jump must be at least 3.3 meters.
As for Yang Lan, he was both furious and frustrated. He pointed at Qin Chunxiao and said, “Are you imitating me again?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “Huh? How am I imitating you again?”
Didn’t he just score with a powerful spike? He didn’t borrow anyone’s hand, didn’t deceive anyone, and didn’t use any timing tricks.
Yang Lan said, “You weren’t jumping seriously before!”
Qin Chunxiao responded, “Oh, I see what you mean. That was just a relaxed shot, not an imitation of you.”
When facing a strong team, deliberately starting off by showing a low jump and then suddenly jumping high for a spike is a tactic. But when playing against rookies, it’s just a way to relax and show off his own strength.
Qin Chunxiao was very honest, which further infuriates Yang Lan. Even when he played for the provincial youth team, no one dared to play relaxed shots in front of him! What’s the point of relaxing when you’re in your teens? It’s too disrespectful!
After two or three powerful spikes, Qin Chunxiao truly began to showcase his acting skills once again, occasionally relying on a helping hand, adding the occasional soft lob, and employing various unpredictable attacking strategies that made it impossible to defend against.
Qin Chunxiao was eager to quickly bring the battle to an end.
Yang Yun, who was watching from the sidelines, remarked, “Not long after the kid’s playing style became more aggressive, he immediately became even more crafty than before, toying with his opponents.”
It was a pity for his grandson, who had only been out of the provincial team for two years and had already fallen to the point of being bullied by middle school students.
Due to the aortic aneurysm caused by Marfan Syndrome, Yang Yun retired early last year from his position as the coach of Province Y’s provincial team and was brought back to his hometown of G City by his youngest daughter for recuperation.
The eldest grandson, Yang Lan, was just as tall as him. With long fingers, after finishing middle school, he was instructed by his family to leave the field and not pursue a career in professional sports, as too many athletes with Marfan Syndrome have lost their lives in many sports.
The average life expectancy of people with Marfan Syndrome was only 40 years old.
Yang Lan possessed above-average talent, combined with a family background and solid foundation, so there was no problem with playing professionally. However, it was difficult for him to make it into the national team. After much consideration, his family decided to let him give up sports and focus on studying. Yang Lan retired from the game before his life was in danger. However, he couldn’t resist occasionally hanging out on the court, and in the end, he was dragged to the basketball court by a new classmate and was bullied by a fried dough stick.
Yang Yun could tell that Qin Chunxiao was the most formidable opponent Yang Lan had encountered since leaving the field. Even if he hadn’t retired, he might not have been able to defeat his opponent.
IQ and game awareness of the two sides were not on the same level. Qin Chunxiao cannot be easily deceived by Yang Lan. That kid was nimble and fast. There was no ball he cannot save. He quickly moved into position and his positioning was very accurate. It was clear that others had already seen through the penalty kick in Yang Lan.
But the eldest grandson was still playing very energetically, which brings relief to Yang Yun. He sat next to him, touches his stomach, and sighs. As long as he can run and jump, he won’t become a chubby old man after retirement. He jokingly says he can lost two pounds trying to match Qin Chunxiao.
Ten minutes later, to the disbelief of his teammates, Qin Chunxiao delivered the final smash. Yang Lan roared and rushed to catch the ball, but he watched in dismay as the ball landed just an inch away from his fingertips.
Qin Chunfeng flipped the calendar to the 25th and said to Wen Lang, “I told you earlier that the athletic abilities of sports students are beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Look, Xiaoxiao hitting the big guy on the opposite side is as easy as pie.”
Wen Lang thought to himself that it was evident that Yangpen on the other side also had a sports background, yet he still failed to defeat Qin Chunxiao, indicating that Qin Chunxiao’s skills were far superior to an amateur level.
The score of the third game was 25:8.
Yang Yun approached with a smile and said, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to Runfulou to eat. Zaizai, bring your teammates along.”
Yangpen lay on the ground, biting his cheek, taking a few deep breaths, and then thumping the ground to get up. “Got it!”
He played with all his might this time, and even vaguely regained the feeling of being in the provincial team. The pressure of facing a strong opponent, the mental and physical exhaustion, pushed him to his limits, igniting his blood.
It had been a long time since he played a game like this. Unfortunately, his former teammates were not by his side. With them, he might not have lost.
He silently put on his jacket and slippers, packed his things, and before leaving the stadium, he turned around and took a picture of the court with his mobile phone to share on his social media.
_Yangpen
It was the first time in two years that he faced off against a professional player again, and he was a very skilled opponent.
But it was an amazing game!
[Picture]_
Runfulou Building was not far away, and everyone decided to walk there, allowing their bodies to relax after the intense exercise.
Although it was said to be a treat for the old man, no one ordered inexpensive dishes. Yang Yun looked at the menu, added a few more dishes, and handed it back to the waiter.
He glanced at Qin Chunxiao, who was drinking water, and asked, “Hey, Xiao Qin, how many years have you been practicing sports? Which coach did you have before?”
Qin Chunxiao replied honestly, “I’ve been practicing football, volleyball, and track and field since the first grade of elementary school. In junior high school, I had specialized training with Coach Wu from the city’s sprint team. He is the one who fled to the United States after a doping incident a few months ago, but I didn’t join the national team, and I didn’t consume anything he provided. The drug test results came out clean.”
Yang Yun and Yangpen widened their eyes and exclaimed, “Sprint?”
Not volleyball?!
Qin Chunfeng was filled with pride as he said, “That’s right! After the drug test results came out, Xiaoxiao also won first place in the youth group of the city’s sprint competition last year!”
