When the club’s offer came out, Qin Chunxiao, who received the biggest contract, became the highest-earning player in the Chinese men’s volleyball team. However, after Qiao Mingming signed endorsement deals with his hometown’s fresh flower cakes and fertilizers, he surpassed Qin Chunxiao.
By September, Qin Chunxiao regained the top spot in the Chinese men’s volleyball team’s income rankings through endorsements with Zhe Yue.
Unlike basketball and football sneakers, the volleyball shoe market is limited. Even if Qin Chunxiao promoted his own reputation to the sky, it was not possible to expand the market all at once. However, the basketball and football shoe markets didn’t rely solely on star players either.
It was important to note that not all shoe buyers were fans. Most of them just want a pair of comfortable, durable, and easy-to-match shoes. Some people who buy branded sneakers didn’t even know who the spokesperson was; they simply thought the shoes looked cool and bought them to match their outfits. But these were the most common consumers.
Under Lu Xuandong’s efforts, “Fly Wolf” was designed with a refreshing appearance that appeals to teenagers, and Zhe Yue specifically added technologies such as shock absorption and ankle protection.
After trying on the shoes, Qin Chunxiao felt that they were soft and provided good assistance for jumping, running, and even had slip resistance… It was said that the slip-resistant design was inspired by Qin Chunxiao’s split during the Asian Championship, which made the designer feel the need to incorporate that feature into the shoes.
After signing with Zhe Yue, Qin Chunxiao would always wear Zhe Yue’s shoes on the court, preferably the “Fly Wolf” model. Even if it was just for the sake of the players’ long-term health while wearing their shoes on the court, the shoes shouldn’t hinder their performance.
Upon seeing the concept design of this product, Lu Hao decisively decided, “The price should not be lower than 1,200 yuan.”
His assistant hesitated and said, “But boss, when we signed Wang Ziran before, his co-branded sneakers were also priced at 1,200 yuan.”
Domestic shoes generally had lower prices compared to big international brands, and reaching the four-digit range was already considered high-end. Compared to Wang Ziran, who had over ten million Weibo fans, Qin Chunxiao was just a rising star in the relatively less popular men’s volleyball. Would setting such a high price for his co-branded sneakers provoke dissatisfaction among Wang Ziran’s fans?
Lu Hao’s expression twitched at the mention of Wang Ziran, “Don’t mention him to me. Don’t renew his contract this year!”
Wang Ziran was a popular young idol in the entertainment industry. He had been doing well in idol dramas in the past two years and had a good fan following. Last year, Zhe Yue tried to collaborate with Wang Ziran on a casual shoe model, hoping to ride on his popularity. However, within half a year, Wang Ziran’s involvement with a married man almost got exposed.
Even though the other party’s management company managed to suppress the incident, Zhe Yue, as Wang Ziran’s collaborator, still felt a lingering fear. They were just trying to ride on his popularity; what’s wrong with that? Who knew that the newly designed casual shoes would almost be ruined by Wang Ziran’s scandalous behavior.
If the incident hadn’t been suppressed, would those shoes still sell? Would they still make money?
Zhe Yue was a business, and they were in it to make money. A problematic spokesperson didn’t serve their interests.
Compared to the fading popularity of a celebrity they had decided to let go, Qin Chunxiao, as their spokesperson, clearly held more value for Zhe Yue.
Qin Chunxiao’s appearance was even more outstanding than Wang Ziran’s. He had a pair of captivating blue eyes that looked like they were adorned with blue crystal beads, making him look more like a work of art than a real person. With just those eyes, how many fans could Qin Chunxiao attract?
Furthermore, the members of the men’s national volleyball team publicly disclosed their final exam scores on the Internet, which the public regarded as mere spectacle at the time. However, Qin Chunxiao’s final exam score was above 650 points, and with his face, wouldn’t he attract positive attention from passersby?
In addition, it was revealed by some fans that Qin Chunxiao’s father was a researcher, his mother was a director and executive of an emerging electric car brand, and his sister scored high enough to be admitted to Renmin University. It was unlikely that children raised in such a family would become a scandal due to mismanagement of their personal lives.
Most importantly, Qin Chunxiao’s price was much cheaper than domestic entertainment idols. Affordable and of good quality, that was all there’s to it.
From a business perspective, in Lu Hao’s eyes, Qin Chunxiao was much more appealing than Wang Ziran.
Lu Hao made the decision, “With such high aesthetics and excellent functionality, even without player endorsements, the price cannot be lower than four digits. Let’s set it at 1,400!”
Unlike those who secretly persuaded their father to offer Qin Chunxiao endorsement deals, Qin Chunxiao truly had no understanding of the shoe market. In the past, he was only responsible for buying and wearing shoes.
When Zhe Yue’s staff arrived, he didn’t do anything that would fit the protagonist’s all-knowing abilities in a novel. He simply cooperated with Zhe Yue’s staff, who measured his shoe size, foot shape, and even provided him with several insoles.
The staff reminded him, “I know athletes like you go through shoes quickly. In sports like basketball and football, one game can wear out a pair of shoes. From now on, we will take care of your shoes, but make sure to preserve the custom-made insoles. They’re more expensive than the shoes themselves.”
That’s right, shoes were consumables for many athletes, while custom-made insoles involved more advanced technology and were more challenging to produce. Therefore, shoes could be replaced more frequently, while insoles should be used for a longer period.
Qin Chunxiao’s endorsement fee from Zhe Yue was 8.1 million yuan after tax for three years, and on top of that, the Hamster Club gave him a bonus of 300,000 US dollars. Suddenly, Qin Chunxiao realized that he had become a rich man.
He knew that Lu Xuandong had put a lot of effort into this matter, so as soon as he received the contract, he immediately sent a thank-you message.
Qin Chunxiao: [I have signed the contract. Thank you for helping me so much.]
Lu Xuandong: [Zhe Yue has made a profit.]
Qin Chunxiao: [Huh?]
Lu Xuandong: [I did a statistical analysis of Zhe Yue’s previous shoe designs and sales. The most profitable ones are the low-end casual models. The high-end functional models don’t have enough aesthetics to compete with other brands. However, Fly Wolf is the most aesthetically pleasing among all of Zhe Yue’s shoes and has a great chance of filling the gap in the market.]
Lu Xuandong: [Zhe Yue definitely won’t lose, but in order to promote this product, they will also enhance your reputation. It’s a win-win situation, and you don’t need to thank me.]
When big brands like N*ke and Adid*s sign top athletes, they also promote the spokesperson’s reputation, adding labels and using their signature phrases and gestures to increase the selling points of their products.
Lu Xuandong himself had done endorsements for some brands, so he understood the logic behind it.
Qin Chunxiao didn’t understand because Zhe Yue was the first endorsement deal he had ever received in his two lifetimes. However, he accurately extracted one piece of information: his shoes should belong to the type that sells well.
After putting on his new shoes, Qin Chunxiao hopped in place, moved his joints, and leaped up, touching the ceiling with his palm.
Then he replied on WeChat.
Qin Chunxiao: [I think consumers who buy these shoes won’t be disappointed. They are really comfortable to wear, and the shoes are lightweight. I felt relaxed when I touched the ceiling while wearing them.]
Lu Xuandong: [Ceiling?]
Lu Xuandong stood up, stretched his hand, hopped around, but couldn’t even reach the edge of the ceiling. He sighed, realizing that even if he had been recruited to play volleyball by the sports school, with his vertical jump of only 5 points of 10, he wouldn’t have made it to the national team or joined Qin Chunxiao’s team.
When Qin Chunxiao finished dealing with the endorsement and advertising shoots, as well as the posters, October was approaching.
It was time for the players to go abroad.
Unlike the Guangdong Twins, who were invited by the Hamster Club and were well paid, Gao Depi had a more complicated journey. After tearing his Achilles tendon, ENEL Club in Italy initially had doubts about signing him.
After all, no matter what league, there were restrictions on the number of foreign players that could be recruited. It was a hesitation whether to allocate a spot to a 26-year-old player who was injured. Therefore, Gao Depi needed to go for a trial in advance, and he went there in September.
Based on Lao Niu’s connections, Gao Depi quickly won over the uniform department of ENEL Club during his one-week trial and was offered a good contract. He became teammates with UR’s setter Mattia.
On the other hand, Fu Biyang and Qiao Mingming’s contract negotiations with the Barbeque Club were more complicated. When coach Lorenzo tried to approach the athletes and incidentally bought 300 chickens, they initially thought he was a fraud.
After finally confirming that he was indeed Lorenzo, the negotiations dragged on due to salary issues. Because there were rumors of unpaid salaries in some clubs in Italy last year, Newton demanded that the other party pay part of the salary in advance. Newton even brought in a highly experienced international labor lawyer to handle the contract. After a long negotiation, they finally secured a reliable contract for Fu Biyang and Qiao Mingming.
As for Gao Depi, he didn’t have to worry at all. He was going to ENEL, which was Lao Niu’s old nest, and the contract had already been negotiated.
Among all the players going abroad, the Guangdong Twins were among the first to depart.
According to the agreement with the Hamster Club, Qin Chunxiao would soon be heading to St. Petersburg, Russia, to play for the Hamster Club along with Li Ling.
Li Ling was quite happy about it: “Playing abroad is definitely not easy, but as long as we only stay there for three months and come back, it should be fine.”
Li Ling’s older brother, Li Yan, squatted next to him, folding the clothes he was going to take: “Your studies won’t be affected too much.”
Li Ling’s parents also nodded along.
Qin Chunxiao: “It depends. The Hamster Club1 had a poor performance in the 26 rounds of the regular season last year. I’ve done some research, and their receiver was weak, and the main attackers were frequently injured. That’s why they didn’t make it to the Champions League or the playoffs.”
Li Ling’s family: “Oh?”
Qin Chunxiao calmly explained, “The Russian Super League starts with the 26 rounds of the regular season. If we can make it to the playoffs, we will have European competitions afterward. Maybe we’ll have a chance to compete against Mingming, Xiaoji, and Pishen. And if we perform well in the European competitions, we’ll have the prestigious Club World Cup waiting for us.”
Li Ling’s family: “Wow!”
Qin Chunxiao explained that there were actually quite a few matches in the Russian Super League. After all, the club didn’t pay such high salaries for nothing. The Hamster Club told them there were fewer matches mainly because they didn’t play many matches last year.
With key players injured and club management restructuring, it was a miracle for the club to reach the Russian Super League and even qualify for the Champions League or Club World Cup.
At this point, Qin Chunxiao discussed with Li Ling the importance of safety when living abroad. For example, when playing at the seaside, they should stay away from sea snakes, avoid bears if encountered, and definitely avoid hooligans and troublemakers because Li Ling’s combat ability was only 0.5 higher than Min Yaoyang’s, and everyone could beat them.
Qin Chunxiao: “Question, what should we do if we encounter danger?”
Li Ling decisively replied, “Run to a safe place and, depending on the level of danger, call you or the police!”
Qin Chunxiao: “Correct!”
Qin Chunxiao also asked about the emergency hotline in Russia and everyday phrases. Li Ling answered them all correctly, and his family applauded.
It was a good decision to let the younger son go out with Qin Chunxiao. After spending time with Xiaozai, he had become more sensible than before.
As a reborn person, Qin Chunxiao knew that after overcoming various difficulties, the Hamster Club would soon complete its rebuilding under Nikolai’s leadership and became a dominant force in the Russian Super League. If Qin Chunxiao could fill their biggest weakness as receiver, they would have the ability to compete in higher-level tournaments.
Just as Lao Niu said, when players went abroad, they also had the task of studying the playing styles of foreign players. Qin Chunxiao carefully selected the Hamster Club for his own reasons.
In case they really made it to the Club World Cup, he would be able to face off against various strong opponents in advance and study them.
Li Ling counted on his fingers, “Before June next year, we still have the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), and in September, there’s the Asian Cup. If we perform well in the 2018 Asian Cup, we will have a chance to participate in the 2019 FIVB Men’s World Cup. So, we have matches to play all year round?”
Qin Chunxiao praised Li Ling’s head and patted it, “Exactly! That’s why we will initially sign a one-year contract. If the Hamster Club is really good and allows us to compete against various strong opponents, then we can consider signing for a few more years.”
After understanding all this, Li Ling knew what to do. He had already discussed online courses with his university professors and brought back a pile of books designated by the professors. According to the professors, Li Ling would have to come back for the final exams, and the exam content would be in those books.
Li Ling’s parents and older brother bought thick clothing, toiletries, and everything they thought would be needed while abroad. Qin Chunxiao was responsible for removing unnecessary items, such as pots and pans, and organized a large backpack and a suitcase.
Based on Qin Chunxiao’s experience in Brazil, these items were enough.
In early October, Qin Chunxiao, who had just entered the top thirty of the year in the mid-term exams, took a long vacation from school and boarded flight SU222 with Li Ling.
Guangzhou had a direct flight to Moscow. If they fly with Air China or China Southern Airlines, the flight experience wouldn’t be much different from usual. But when Qin Chunxiao saw the “SU” airline code on the plane ticket, he knew that Chen Aiguo had booked them on a Russian airline.
Li Ling looked at him puzzledly, “Xiao Zai?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “It’s nothing, let’s get on the plane.”
It was just a Russian airline, it couldn’t be more unreliable than Air France.
However, what Qin Chunxiao never expected was that they arrived two hours ahead of schedule.
At Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, Qin Chunxiao took Li Ling to collect their luggage. Li Ling followed closely behind him, excited and curious, observing everything around them. Meanwhile, Qin Chunxiao looked around with a small notebook in hand.
Someone called his name.
“Misha, Misha! Over here!”
Qin Chunxiao turned around and saw a tall woman wearing a pilot jacket. Her face was weathered with wrinkles, and her silver curly hair was tied up in a bun. She had long legs and a model-like figure, standing upright with military-like bearing.
She smiled and said, “Your eyes are just like Ivan’s. Welcome to the homeland of your grandfather, Little Bear from China.”
This lady looked about 80% similar to Ivan, and behind her stood Anton with a subtle expression.
After Qin Chunxiao and his great-aunt Natasha exchanged greetings, Anton walked over and smiled politely at Qin Chunxiao, “Welcome to Russia, Misha.”
He looked at Li Ling, and his expression became more subtle, “Hello, Er Leng.”
Before, Anton had mocked teams with more than one setter, laughing at those setters who stole the ball from the first setter, but now he suddenly realized something. That was, the Hamster Club had more than one setter too.
Anton, the coach chose to reinforce the team to compete in higher-level tournaments. You need to be sensible because you’re the leader in the Hamster Club’s locker room. It’s your responsibility to maintain a good relationship with foreign players!
Anton encouraged himself internally and was about to help Qin Chunxiao with the luggage when Li Ling effortlessly took the luggage cart containing their suitcases from Qin Chunxiao’s hand. He even flashed a sweet husky smile at Natasha.
“Hello, Ms. Natasha. I’m Li Ling, Misha’s good friend. He told me that you used to be a pilot, and I didn’t expect you to look so cool in person.”
Who wouldn’t want to hear kind words from a young and handsome guy? As soon as Natasha heard Li Ling’s English, flavored with a hint of Russian accent, a genuine smile appeared on her face.
Anton felt a little uneasy, sensing a crisis in his heart.
When the club’s offer came out, Qin Chunxiao, who received the biggest contract, became the highest-earning player in the Chinese men’s volleyball team. However, after Qiao Mingming signed endorsement deals with his hometown’s fresh flower cakes and fertilizers, he surpassed Qin Chunxiao.
By September, Qin Chunxiao regained the top spot in the Chinese men’s volleyball team’s income rankings through endorsements with Zhe Yue.
Unlike basketball and football sneakers, the volleyball shoe market is limited. Even if Qin Chunxiao promoted his own reputation to the sky, it was not possible to expand the market all at once. However, the basketball and football shoe markets didn’t rely solely on star players either.
It was important to note that not all shoe buyers were fans. Most of them just want a pair of comfortable, durable, and easy-to-match shoes. Some people who buy branded sneakers didn’t even know who the spokesperson was; they simply thought the shoes looked cool and bought them to match their outfits. But these were the most common consumers.
Under Lu Xuandong’s efforts, “Fly Wolf” was designed with a refreshing appearance that appeals to teenagers, and Zhe Yue specifically added technologies such as shock absorption and ankle protection.
After trying on the shoes, Qin Chunxiao felt that they were soft and provided good assistance for jumping, running, and even had slip resistance… It was said that the slip-resistant design was inspired by Qin Chunxiao’s split during the Asian Championship, which made the designer feel the need to incorporate that feature into the shoes.
After signing with Zhe Yue, Qin Chunxiao would always wear Zhe Yue’s shoes on the court, preferably the “Fly Wolf” model. Even if it was just for the sake of the players’ long-term health while wearing their shoes on the court, the shoes shouldn’t hinder their performance.
Upon seeing the concept design of this product, Lu Hao decisively decided, “The price should not be lower than 1,200 yuan.”
His assistant hesitated and said, “But boss, when we signed Wang Ziran before, his co-branded sneakers were also priced at 1,200 yuan.”
Domestic shoes generally had lower prices compared to big international brands, and reaching the four-digit range was already considered high-end. Compared to Wang Ziran, who had over ten million Weibo fans, Qin Chunxiao was just a rising star in the relatively less popular men’s volleyball. Would setting such a high price for his co-branded sneakers provoke dissatisfaction among Wang Ziran’s fans?
Lu Hao’s expression twitched at the mention of Wang Ziran, “Don’t mention him to me. Don’t renew his contract this year!”
Wang Ziran was a popular young idol in the entertainment industry. He had been doing well in idol dramas in the past two years and had a good fan following. Last year, Zhe Yue tried to collaborate with Wang Ziran on a casual shoe model, hoping to ride on his popularity. However, within half a year, Wang Ziran’s involvement with a married man almost got exposed.
Even though the other party’s management company managed to suppress the incident, Zhe Yue, as Wang Ziran’s collaborator, still felt a lingering fear. They were just trying to ride on his popularity; what’s wrong with that? Who knew that the newly designed casual shoes would almost be ruined by Wang Ziran’s scandalous behavior.
If the incident hadn’t been suppressed, would those shoes still sell? Would they still make money?
Zhe Yue was a business, and they were in it to make money. A problematic spokesperson didn’t serve their interests.
Compared to the fading popularity of a celebrity they had decided to let go, Qin Chunxiao, as their spokesperson, clearly held more value for Zhe Yue.
Qin Chunxiao’s appearance was even more outstanding than Wang Ziran’s. He had a pair of captivating blue eyes that looked like they were adorned with blue crystal beads, making him look more like a work of art than a real person. With just those eyes, how many fans could Qin Chunxiao attract?
Furthermore, the members of the men’s national volleyball team publicly disclosed their final exam scores on the Internet, which the public regarded as mere spectacle at the time. However, Qin Chunxiao’s final exam score was above 650 points, and with his face, wouldn’t he attract positive attention from passersby?
In addition, it was revealed by some fans that Qin Chunxiao’s father was a researcher, his mother was a director and executive of an emerging electric car brand, and his sister scored high enough to be admitted to Renmin University. It was unlikely that children raised in such a family would become a scandal due to mismanagement of their personal lives.
Most importantly, Qin Chunxiao’s price was much cheaper than domestic entertainment idols. Affordable and of good quality, that was all there’s to it.
From a business perspective, in Lu Hao’s eyes, Qin Chunxiao was much more appealing than Wang Ziran.
Lu Hao made the decision, “With such high aesthetics and excellent functionality, even without player endorsements, the price cannot be lower than four digits. Let’s set it at 1,400!”
Unlike those who secretly persuaded their father to offer Qin Chunxiao endorsement deals, Qin Chunxiao truly had no understanding of the shoe market. In the past, he was only responsible for buying and wearing shoes.
When Zhe Yue’s staff arrived, he didn’t do anything that would fit the protagonist’s all-knowing abilities in a novel. He simply cooperated with Zhe Yue’s staff, who measured his shoe size, foot shape, and even provided him with several insoles.
The staff reminded him, “I know athletes like you go through shoes quickly. In sports like basketball and football, one game can wear out a pair of shoes. From now on, we will take care of your shoes, but make sure to preserve the custom-made insoles. They’re more expensive than the shoes themselves.”
That’s right, shoes were consumables for many athletes, while custom-made insoles involved more advanced technology and were more challenging to produce. Therefore, shoes could be replaced more frequently, while insoles should be used for a longer period.
Qin Chunxiao’s endorsement fee from Zhe Yue was 8.1 million yuan after tax for three years, and on top of that, the Hamster Club gave him a bonus of 300,000 US dollars. Suddenly, Qin Chunxiao realized that he had become a rich man.
He knew that Lu Xuandong had put a lot of effort into this matter, so as soon as he received the contract, he immediately sent a thank-you message.
Qin Chunxiao: [I have signed the contract. Thank you for helping me so much.]
Lu Xuandong: [Zhe Yue has made a profit.]
Qin Chunxiao: [Huh?]
Lu Xuandong: [I did a statistical analysis of Zhe Yue’s previous shoe designs and sales. The most profitable ones are the low-end casual models. The high-end functional models don’t have enough aesthetics to compete with other brands. However, Fly Wolf is the most aesthetically pleasing among all of Zhe Yue’s shoes and has a great chance of filling the gap in the market.]
Lu Xuandong: [Zhe Yue definitely won’t lose, but in order to promote this product, they will also enhance your reputation. It’s a win-win situation, and you don’t need to thank me.]
When big brands like N*ke and Adid*s sign top athletes, they also promote the spokesperson’s reputation, adding labels and using their signature phrases and gestures to increase the selling points of their products.
Lu Xuandong himself had done endorsements for some brands, so he understood the logic behind it.
Qin Chunxiao didn’t understand because Zhe Yue was the first endorsement deal he had ever received in his two lifetimes. However, he accurately extracted one piece of information: his shoes should belong to the type that sells well.
After putting on his new shoes, Qin Chunxiao hopped in place, moved his joints, and leaped up, touching the ceiling with his palm.
Then he replied on WeChat.
Qin Chunxiao: [I think consumers who buy these shoes won’t be disappointed. They are really comfortable to wear, and the shoes are lightweight. I felt relaxed when I touched the ceiling while wearing them.]
Lu Xuandong: [Ceiling?]
Lu Xuandong stood up, stretched his hand, hopped around, but couldn’t even reach the edge of the ceiling. He sighed, realizing that even if he had been recruited to play volleyball by the sports school, with his vertical jump of only 5 points of 10, he wouldn’t have made it to the national team or joined Qin Chunxiao’s team.
When Qin Chunxiao finished dealing with the endorsement and advertising shoots, as well as the posters, October was approaching.
It was time for the players to go abroad.
Unlike the Guangdong Twins, who were invited by the Hamster Club and were well paid, Gao Depi had a more complicated journey. After tearing his Achilles tendon, ENEL Club in Italy initially had doubts about signing him.
After all, no matter what league, there were restrictions on the number of foreign players that could be recruited. It was a hesitation whether to allocate a spot to a 26-year-old player who was injured. Therefore, Gao Depi needed to go for a trial in advance, and he went there in September.
Based on Lao Niu’s connections, Gao Depi quickly won over the uniform department of ENEL Club during his one-week trial and was offered a good contract. He became teammates with UR’s setter Mattia.
On the other hand, Fu Biyang and Qiao Mingming’s contract negotiations with the Barbeque Club were more complicated. When coach Lorenzo tried to approach the athletes and incidentally bought 300 chickens, they initially thought he was a fraud.
After finally confirming that he was indeed Lorenzo, the negotiations dragged on due to salary issues. Because there were rumors of unpaid salaries in some clubs in Italy last year, Newton demanded that the other party pay part of the salary in advance. Newton even brought in a highly experienced international labor lawyer to handle the contract. After a long negotiation, they finally secured a reliable contract for Fu Biyang and Qiao Mingming.
As for Gao Depi, he didn’t have to worry at all. He was going to ENEL, which was Lao Niu’s old nest, and the contract had already been negotiated.
Among all the players going abroad, the Guangdong Twins were among the first to depart.
According to the agreement with the Hamster Club, Qin Chunxiao would soon be heading to St. Petersburg, Russia, to play for the Hamster Club along with Li Ling.
Li Ling was quite happy about it: “Playing abroad is definitely not easy, but as long as we only stay there for three months and come back, it should be fine.”
Li Ling’s older brother, Li Yan, squatted next to him, folding the clothes he was going to take: “Your studies won’t be affected too much.”
Li Ling’s parents also nodded along.
Qin Chunxiao: “It depends. The Hamster Club1 had a poor performance in the 26 rounds of the regular season last year. I’ve done some research, and their receiver was weak, and the main attackers were frequently injured. That’s why they didn’t make it to the Champions League or the playoffs.”
Li Ling’s family: “Oh?”
Qin Chunxiao calmly explained, “The Russian Super League starts with the 26 rounds of the regular season. If we can make it to the playoffs, we will have European competitions afterward. Maybe we’ll have a chance to compete against Mingming, Xiaoji, and Pishen. And if we perform well in the European competitions, we’ll have the prestigious Club World Cup waiting for us.”
Li Ling’s family: “Wow!”
Qin Chunxiao explained that there were actually quite a few matches in the Russian Super League. After all, the club didn’t pay such high salaries for nothing. The Hamster Club told them there were fewer matches mainly because they didn’t play many matches last year.
With key players injured and club management restructuring, it was a miracle for the club to reach the Russian Super League and even qualify for the Champions League or Club World Cup.
At this point, Qin Chunxiao discussed with Li Ling the importance of safety when living abroad. For example, when playing at the seaside, they should stay away from sea snakes, avoid bears if encountered, and definitely avoid hooligans and troublemakers because Li Ling’s combat ability was only 0.5 higher than Min Yaoyang’s, and everyone could beat them.
Qin Chunxiao: “Question, what should we do if we encounter danger?”
Li Ling decisively replied, “Run to a safe place and, depending on the level of danger, call you or the police!”
Qin Chunxiao: “Correct!”
Qin Chunxiao also asked about the emergency hotline in Russia and everyday phrases. Li Ling answered them all correctly, and his family applauded.
It was a good decision to let the younger son go out with Qin Chunxiao. After spending time with Xiaozai, he had become more sensible than before.
As a reborn person, Qin Chunxiao knew that after overcoming various difficulties, the Hamster Club would soon complete its rebuilding under Nikolai’s leadership and became a dominant force in the Russian Super League. If Qin Chunxiao could fill their biggest weakness as receiver, they would have the ability to compete in higher-level tournaments.
Just as Lao Niu said, when players went abroad, they also had the task of studying the playing styles of foreign players. Qin Chunxiao carefully selected the Hamster Club for his own reasons.
In case they really made it to the Club World Cup, he would be able to face off against various strong opponents in advance and study them.
Li Ling counted on his fingers, “Before June next year, we still have the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), and in September, there’s the Asian Cup. If we perform well in the 2018 Asian Cup, we will have a chance to participate in the 2019 FIVB Men’s World Cup. So, we have matches to play all year round?”
Qin Chunxiao praised Li Ling’s head and patted it, “Exactly! That’s why we will initially sign a one-year contract. If the Hamster Club is really good and allows us to compete against various strong opponents, then we can consider signing for a few more years.”
After understanding all this, Li Ling knew what to do. He had already discussed online courses with his university professors and brought back a pile of books designated by the professors. According to the professors, Li Ling would have to come back for the final exams, and the exam content would be in those books.
Li Ling’s parents and older brother bought thick clothing, toiletries, and everything they thought would be needed while abroad. Qin Chunxiao was responsible for removing unnecessary items, such as pots and pans, and organized a large backpack and a suitcase.
Based on Qin Chunxiao’s experience in Brazil, these items were enough.
In early October, Qin Chunxiao, who had just entered the top thirty of the year in the mid-term exams, took a long vacation from school and boarded flight SU222 with Li Ling.
Guangzhou had a direct flight to Moscow. If they fly with Air China or China Southern Airlines, the flight experience wouldn’t be much different from usual. But when Qin Chunxiao saw the “SU” airline code on the plane ticket, he knew that Chen Aiguo had booked them on a Russian airline.
Li Ling looked at him puzzledly, “Xiao Zai?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “It’s nothing, let’s get on the plane.”
It was just a Russian airline, it couldn’t be more unreliable than Air France.
However, what Qin Chunxiao never expected was that they arrived two hours ahead of schedule.
At Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, Qin Chunxiao took Li Ling to collect their luggage. Li Ling followed closely behind him, excited and curious, observing everything around them. Meanwhile, Qin Chunxiao looked around with a small notebook in hand.
Someone called his name.
“Misha, Misha! Over here!”
Qin Chunxiao turned around and saw a tall woman wearing a pilot jacket. Her face was weathered with wrinkles, and her silver curly hair was tied up in a bun. She had long legs and a model-like figure, standing upright with military-like bearing.
She smiled and said, “Your eyes are just like Ivan’s. Welcome to the homeland of your grandfather, Little Bear from China.”
This lady looked about 80% similar to Ivan, and behind her stood Anton with a subtle expression.
After Qin Chunxiao and his great-aunt Natasha exchanged greetings, Anton walked over and smiled politely at Qin Chunxiao, “Welcome to Russia, Misha.”
He looked at Li Ling, and his expression became more subtle, “Hello, Er Leng.”
Before, Anton had mocked teams with more than one setter, laughing at those setters who stole the ball from the first setter, but now he suddenly realized something. That was, the Hamster Club had more than one setter too.
Anton, the coach chose to reinforce the team to compete in higher-level tournaments. You need to be sensible because you’re the leader in the Hamster Club’s locker room. It’s your responsibility to maintain a good relationship with foreign players!
Anton encouraged himself internally and was about to help Qin Chunxiao with the luggage when Li Ling effortlessly took the luggage cart containing their suitcases from Qin Chunxiao’s hand. He even flashed a sweet husky smile at Natasha.
“Hello, Ms. Natasha. I’m Li Ling, Misha’s good friend. He told me that you used to be a pilot, and I didn’t expect you to look so cool in person.”
Who wouldn’t want to hear kind words from a young and handsome guy? As soon as Natasha heard Li Ling’s English, flavored with a hint of Russian accent, a genuine smile appeared on her face.
Anton felt a little uneasy, sensing a crisis in his heart.
