Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 53 Everyone’s Attention
Chen Fang stood in the stands and spoke to the team that was about to set off.

"Some teams like to hold mobilization meetings before the game and avoid talking about what to do if they lose. I have a different view on this."

"If we win against Nan'an, we will be happy for a few days, but if we lose against Nan'an, we will be sad for a few days."

"What else can there be? After a long time, there is nothing left but a little regret."

Yue Gang didn't say anything. He didn't understand what Chen Fang's lines meant, but out of trust, he didn't stop him.

"We like playing, and we are happy when we win. We have also experienced losing, and we know what it feels like. It is painful, but not to the point of life and death."

"Today, we are going to play against the Affiliated High School. Are they stronger than Nan'an? Maybe. We will only know after the game."

"I'm standing here talking to you guys, not to give you a shot of prevention or to encourage you. The training we've been doing these days may help us score a few more points."

“But I tell you very clearly that winning depends on how determined you are not to lose.”

"I won't give up until the last minute. I will observe everyone, both on and off the court, and show my attitude."

"Can it be done?"

"We can do it!" the whole team shouted.

"Then we'll see you at the stadium!"

After jumping off the stands, everyone started packing their belongings and preparing to board the bus.

"How does it feel to play in a game as an assistant coach for the first time?" Chen Fang asked.

Sun Lexian was stuffing his notebook into his bag when he heard this and said, "I don't feel anything. You are the one who is to blame for the loss. The most I'm going to do is feel sad and can't eat today."

"So rational?" Chen Fang slapped him with a smile and scolded him, then walked towards Han Nuo: "You look very nervous."

"Yes, a little bit, Captain Chen." Han Nuo felt uncomfortable in his legs.

"Don't be afraid. This is the first time. You probably have little competition experience. I won't let you play today."

Han Nuo was happy at first, but then he became depressed.

Chen Fang looked at Kou Feng next to him and said, "You can also see that Nanyang's level is not low."

"I know, I will." Kou Feng nodded.

"Get ready to go!" Yue Gang shouted.

A group of thirteen people left the stadium. Yue Gang was the last one to leave. He looked back at the stadium and thought to himself that he didn't know what mood he would be in when he came back.

"Don't be sad. Instead, think about how to fight later." Chen Fang took Yue Gang's hand and walked towards the bus.

This time, two large buses and one minibus went to the sports center. Wang Zhen's information was correct, but the school leaders took comprehensive considerations and randomly selected two classes by drawing lots to serve as the cheering group.

Class 12 was not so lucky, as a class of sophomores and freshmen were selected.

At this moment, they had already gotten on the car and were looking at them excitedly through the glass.

At the front was the minibus, the same one from last time, which was more than enough to carry the entire team.

Zhou Lihai is still the person in charge of this mission, but he is now a deputy. The school has added Vice President Guo Xiaotian, who is in charge of the trade union, as the first person in charge of this mission.

This is also the result of consideration from many parties. Managing the union is equivalent to managing welfare. How much welfare the school team can get requires the signature of the union chairman.

As the minibus started, a row of three vehicles moved forward slowly. The school gate was already open. Old man Liu stood there, holding a cigarette in one hand and a long firecracker in the other. The moment the minibus drove through the gate, the old man lit the firecracker.

The deafening noise and the rising smoke clouds were telling the whole school that the Dongsheng basketball team had set off.

In the classroom of Grade 12, Zhang Deming, who stopped teaching because of the noise of firecrackers, threw his chalk on the podium, looked at the students who were listening attentively, and said: "We are always facing challenges. Now it is a small test, and soon it will be a monthly test, and in the future it will be the college entrance examination."

"When we get to university, we have to face postgraduate entrance exams, civil service exams, job interviews, and probation periods."

"Classmates, are you tired?"

"Tired!" everyone said in unison.

“But it’s even more tiring later!”

Looking at the wailing people, Zhang Deming smiled and said, "But have you forgotten the joy of getting good grades? Do you still remember the joy you felt when you received the admission letter from Dongsheng during the high school entrance examination?"

As the students pondered, Zhang Deming's voice echoed in the classroom: "Behind the challenge is a reward and more importantly, a confidence. We always become stronger after facing challenges again and again, until we are fearless and no longer afraid of difficulties."

"Let's continue the class." Zhang Deming ended the topic at the right time.

In the car, Yue Gang was checking his phone messages. He suddenly said, "The two games this morning are over. Yuehu beat Limei, and No. 1 Middle School beat Nanyang No. 7 Middle School."

"So now it all depends on us, the attached high school, and Taihu?"

"um, yes."

"Wu Zhen from Yuehu became famous in one battle and made Li Mei lose her temper!" Yue Gang said.

"Well, Wu Zhen is indeed strong." Chen Fang also nodded.

"Wu Zhen is the most popular person right now. Everyone knows how tough Li Mei is, but she was defeated by Wu Zhen. She was leading the whole game, but in the last five minutes, Li Mei tried every trick, but still fell behind by more points." Yue Gang summarized the comments in the group.

Chen Fang didn't respond and just listened quietly.

"Wu Zhen has stolen all your limelight."

"I'm not popular, let him be."

"But someone in the N6 group told me that many people are there, waiting to see you."

"Am I getting so much attention?" Chen Fang asked in surprise.

"It seems that Xue Yi sent you a message. Now many people want to know what makes you stand out because of your height!"

"Is it outstanding? Looks like it will be exposed today!"

"Just like I said before, when we get to the quarterfinals, we can't hide it anymore."

"Then do it."

"Go!" Yue Gang laughed loudly, then raised his hands to his teammates behind him and shouted: "Go!"

"Fuck!" Everyone raised their hands and roared.

※※※※

Nanyang Sports Center is located in the CBD of the new city area. On the right is Nanyang Library, on the left is Children's Palace, and behind them is NY City Government. The avenue is wide with four lanes in both directions, and the central area is the Nanyang Central Plaza which covers a large area.

As the car slowly drove into the sports center, Chen Fang saw three buses coming from the opposite direction.

It is Nanyang High School.

People from the two schools got off the bus almost at the same time, and were only twenty meters apart from each other amid the noisy formation.

The cheering group naturally wore the same school uniform, Dongsheng wore red and white, and the Affiliated High School wore emerald green.

The school teams did not need to gather as they did not have the same entrance. Under the guidance of the staff, the two teams gradually walked side by side.

Silence became the dominant tone.

They all looked straight ahead.

When we arrived at the entrance of the stadium, the atmosphere in that closed environment became even more solemn.

Han Nuo's legs were shaking. Kou Feng behind him held his shoulders, silently giving him support.

This time, Chen Fang walked in front, followed by Yue Gang. It can be seen that Chen Fang's calmness was not pretended, but he was indeed very relaxed. He was also the only one looking around.

On Chen Fang’s left was Sun Yi. There was a height difference of more than ten centimeters between them, and Chen Fang had to look up to see his face.

Sun Yi's profile is very strong, like a stone sculpture.

There might be some ceremony ahead that had not been completed yet, and the staff had no motivation, so the two teams could only stand quietly in the aisle and wait in silence.

"Don't be so nervous, say hello to your classmates in the affiliated high school." Chen Fang suddenly turned around and said to everyone.

The entire passage suddenly became quiet, and a second later, all kinds of polite greetings filled the small space.

The players from the affiliated high school were caught off guard and had to respond passively, forcing themselves to smile.

"I've heard a lot about you!" Chen Fang also extended his hand to Sun Yi.

Sun Yi looked at him and stretched out his hand to shake it.

"I've heard a lot about you!" he replied.

"You can enter now!" said the staff.

The two hands loosened and the passage became quiet in an instant.

They filed out one after another, and the entire picture of the stadium was finally visible.

It is very big, very new but also very old-fashioned. The stands and the court are far apart and the ceilings are very high. On the right side of the court is the anteroom, and behind the high wall hangs a huge LED screen and scoreboard. The court floor is also brown and yellow, looking very old-fashioned.

This is such an old-fashioned design. I wonder which design institute’s archives this old version came from.

But for the Dongsheng players who had never seen a real stadium, it was shocking enough.

Yue Gang knelt on one knee and felt around with his hand. Chen Fang walked over and said, "Finally you touched the floor, right?"

"Yes!" Yue Gang stood up happily: "I got what I wanted."

Chen Fang didn't feel anything. A few years later, he came here to play basketball quite a few times and won several championships. Even now, he feels like he's back home.

"Let's start warming up." Chen Fang estimated the time and thought that there was still about half an hour before the game.

"Okay." Yue Gang went to gather the people. Chen Fang went to the basketball hoop alone and started his warm-up.

He needs to activate all parts of his body one by one, especially his lower limbs and hip joints.

After finding a place that looked clean, Chen Fang sat down. Then he put one leg on the floor and the other against his chest, and swayed sideways repeatedly.

"Which one is Chen Fang?" Asked one of the people sitting in the north stand, which is in the middle of the long stand opposite the technical stand.

"That No. 21." Xue Yi was really impressed that he was pulled out of the ravine, and coach Qian Yong even agreed to let him come, saying that he wanted to see how outstanding people play.

When he arrived at the stadium, he saw many old acquaintances. As Xue Yi had been in Nanyang for three years and was familiar with everyone, he naturally had good social skills.

Those sitting here now are basically eliminated, the loser alliance is too united.

"It looks ordinary. I thought it was something magical with three heads and six arms." Someone laughed.

"Hey, you were eliminated in the morning, so why are you so happy in the afternoon?" Xue Yi asked.

The person being asked was Luo Tian, the captain of No. 7 Middle School. His face froze when he heard this, and he retorted, "If we lose to No. 1 Middle School, will we still cry?"

"Haha." A group of people laughed. At this time, four or five more people came to the stands.

"It's Lei Shaochen from Limei." Someone recognized the man.

Lei Shaochen and his companions did not come over, they just found a place to sit down.

"Yue Hu and Li Mei had a great fight this morning. I never knew Wu Zhen was so powerful!" someone sighed.

"Lei Chen is not bad, but Wu Zhen is stronger. I watched this match this morning and was really stunned."

"I think Wu Zhen's level is good enough to enter the professional echelon."

"Haha, he has already been one, the news has spread, he has already been admitted to the U16 team of the Shandong Sports Bureau."

"So that's how it is, wow." A cry of envy came from the stands.

"I heard that Sun Yi also has a chance?"

"He's already 18, the chances are slim. If he loses today, it's all over!"

"Hey, Sun Yi is actually very strong and a good person, but he just has bad luck. If he had won the championship last year, he might have signed the contract a long time ago."

Xue Yi did not respond. He had had opportunities before, but now he is not as motivated as before. Coach Qian Yong is still encouraging him to work hard, but after going through so much, Xue Yi knows that he has no talent and cannot make a living as a professional.

We all got eliminated, so it's normal to complain.

"Xue Yi, is Chen Fang really that powerful?" Somehow the topic turned back to Xue Yi.

"About the same as Wu Zhen." Xue Yi answered lazily.

Everyone gasped and questioned.

"Wu Zhen is 190cm tall and Chen Fang is 177cm tall, a difference of 13 centimeters. Is that almost the same? Isn't that a disguised way of saying that Chen Fang is better?" A well-reasoned rebuttal.

"What is there to argue about? The fight is about to start. Don't you have eyes?" Xue Yi was annoyed.

Not far away, Lei Chen was still comforting his teammates: "Come out to relax and watch the game is the first choice. Don't be sad. Losing is losing. The coach gave us a day off, not to embarrass you."

"I know, captain! But I couldn't help it. It's all my fault." The speaker was Liying's future star, Fang Zhijue. He made several mistakes today. The freshman in high school consciously took the blame for the loss.

"Look at how others play. It's all passed. There's someone as good as Wu Zhen, and he's an average-sized guy. I brought you here to show you how others play."

"Got it, Captain." The boys nodded.

On the side of the court, behind the technical table, Wang Yuan pointed at Chen Fang under the basket and said to Liao Hui, "That No. 21 is the Chen Fang I'm talking about."

Before coming, Wang Yuan told the truth, but after what happened last night, such details could be ignored. Liao Hui took out a telescope and took a look.

"I can't tell for now, he's quite thin."

"Yes, this kid hasn't fully grown yet, but he's already very good. Once the game starts, you'll know I'm not exaggerating." Wang Yuan was very confident.

Pan Anji came over, greeted Wang Yuan first, and then apologized: "I have to sit over there on the rostrum. If anything happens, I'll keep an eye on it."

"You go ahead." Liao Hui was also looking at the Affiliated High School, and saw a few eyes shining: "Anji, help me get a list of the two teams."

"Okay, you wait."

After getting the list, they matched the numbers: "Yan Zhen, number 9. Sun Yi, number 2."

"These two look good." Wang Yuan also looked at them for a while and praised.

"Yeah, I have the height and the skills."

However, it is difficult to make a judgment based on warm-up training alone.

"Chen Fang is on the stage." Wang Yuan said suddenly.

Liao Hui switched his gaze and saw that No. 21 had finally finished warming up and entered the court.

Someone immediately fed him the ball, and many of his teammates stopped shooting, as if they were afraid of affecting their shooting percentage.

Chen Fang shot very quickly, and the number of people feeding the ball increased from one to two.

He was in the top area of the arc, constantly moving to receive the ball and then shooting. Except for one interception at the beginning, all his shots were successful.

After all, it’s your own basketball hoop.

Chen Fang was very satisfied. He counted to the 30th in his mind, then waved his hand to indicate that it was not necessary. Then he patted the ball by himself near the center circle, doing a ball sense awakening exercise.

In the stands, the warm-up shots that had been played had caused a stir.

"Is it so accurate?" Everyone was in disbelief.

Xue Yi didn't say anything. The hit rate in this kind of training is scary, but it's still so high in the competition. Wouldn't you be scared to death?

Lei Chen asked Fang Zhijue, the boy is the best three-point shooter in the team and made four three-pointers today.

"What's your hit rate in training?"

Fang Zhijue said without hesitation: "21% of the time, this No. has a very high hit rate."

Wang Yuan patted the seat in front of him and said with a smile: "Look, how accurate it is."

Liao Hui nodded. He saw more details. Compared with the hit rate, No. 21's shot surprised him more.

At the corner of the east and west stands, Wu Zhen and Lu Yun sat there very low-key.

Looking at Lu Yun wearing a baseball cap, Wu Zhen asked, "Are you afraid they will see you?"

"Not really, I just don't want to be pointed at by others, but you seem to be the same." Lu Yun smiled at Wu Zhen who was wearing a mask.

"I'm afraid of being seen by Wu Zi."

"Speaking of Wu Zi, I think you siblings are weird. You seem to rarely communicate."

"Because I know exactly what she's thinking, and so does she."

"This answer is perfect. Okay, let's move on to the next topic."

"Who do you think will win?"

“I never guess.”

"It's so boring. I have to wait for several minutes. It's unbearable. Everyone says that No. 21 is very good. It makes me feel itchy."

"Do you hate Sun Yi and the others so much?"

"It's not hatred, it's dislike. The reason why we can become friends is because I think we are the same kind of people." Lu Yun said to Wu Zhen: "I believe that you hate Sun Yi too."

"That's right." Wu Zhen admitted directly: "I hate people who want to control everything and manipulate everything."

"Then just wait for Dongsheng to beat the Affiliated High School. I'm looking forward to it."

(End of this chapter)