Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 9: Talking with the Ball
The whole morning was spent in busy study. Everyone was busy reviewing the knowledge points just learned. Chen Fang was no exception. After four classes, he did not go to the toilet. Until the bell rang for the last class, he lay on the desk and continued to rub his eyelids.

Reading really hurts his eyes. Now everything he sees is a little blurry.

Wang Zhen beside him was also listless, his head buried under the desk, mumbling, "I'm dying, I'm dying."

"Let's go downstairs and relax."

"Give me a break. My mind is a mess. Sometimes it's math formulas, sometimes it's words and grammar." Wang Zhen begged for mercy.

Chen Fang left the classroom first and leaned against the railing to enjoy the breeze. They were on the fourth floor, which was at a suitable height so that they could just see the Nanyang River flowing towards the sea.

Nanyang is located in Laizhou Bay of Bohai Sea. It is the Nanyang Scenic Area, a national 4A scenic spot. It is backed by mountains and faces the sea. It is a first-class Feng Shui treasure land. Although the urban area is not large, there are many health resorts in the suburbs.

Standing on the fourth floor, you can see the red-tiled and white houses on the outskirts of the city. The blue sky and white clouds of early autumn are truly refreshing.

It’s so beautiful, it would be great to live here for a lifetime.

Suddenly, a strange question came to my mind: why did I have to go to the south to make a living at that time? I could ignore the beauty of the land that gave me life and raised me.

"Chen Fang, I've been looking for you for so long!" A voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head and saw it was Wen Hui.

Wen Hui had a serious expression on her face, and pulled Chen Fang to a secluded corner: "Why did you get into a fight with Xue Chong?"

News spreads so fast. Chen Fang sighed and said, "Who knows? It's not my problem anyway."

"You, you all have temper problems." Wen Hui shook her head. He was a good guy, the kind of person who did the dirty and tiring work silently on and off the court. Chen Fang admired people with such qualities.

"There have been changes to the afternoon tryouts."

Chen Fang raised his eyebrows: "Why, do you want to cancel it?" he asked with a smile.

Wen Hui waved her hand: "It's not to the point of cancellation yet. Xue Chong doesn't have that much say. If it's not your fault and he wants to target you, I will stand up for you."

Chen Fang was surprised and looked at her carefully. He didn't expect Wen Hui to be so courageous.

"I'm the captain of the second grade. How can I not help my peers?" Wen Hui said when she saw Chen Fang's disbelieving expression.

"Thanks." Chen Fang patted his shoulder. "What's the change?"

"Captain Yue originally wanted to ask you to come over and have a chat, and then let you train for a few days, and finally confirm your admission to the school team based on your performance. But now Xue Chong directly said that you are not qualified, and said that he wants to challenge you in a one-on-one duel, and you can only join the team if you beat him."

"Captain Yue came to talk to me during the third class and asked about your specific situation. I said that you are fast, play basketball with spirit, and are loyal. After listening to me, Captain Yue said that you can come in the afternoon, but you have to play an intra-team competition. He will decide whether you can join the team based on your performance."

"Captain Wen praised me so much, I feel a little embarrassed." Chen Fang thanked him first, then continued: "It's good to play in the game, I want to play too."

"It's a real fight." Wen Hui felt that Chen Fang didn't understand what she meant, so she quickly pointed it out to him.

"We have to fight for real." Chen Fang stopped talking when he saw Wang Zhen staggering out.

Wen Hui didn't say much. She had brought the message home, and the rest was up to Chen Fang.

Wang Zhen saw Wen Hui and waited for him to leave. As the two of them walked downstairs, he immediately became alert: "Is something bad going on?"

"Small things."

"How small?"

Chen Fang raised his index finger and waved it in front of Wang Zhen.

"So small?" Wang Zhen obviously didn't believe it.

"There will be a competition in the afternoon tryout. Xue Chong needs to regain his face on the court."

"Fuck! Isn't this a clear way to mess with you?"

"That's normal. At least he didn't block me at the school gate. I kind of admire him for that."

"Wen Hui is the only one in the school team who knows you. What if you are excluded during the fight?" Wang Zhen thought of this and became worried.

"If you have the strength, you won't be afraid of this."

"Chen Fang, you are getting too cocky. I admit that you are quite capable now, but I think you are still a little short of the level of the school team," Wang Zhen said bluntly.

"Haha!" Chen Fang laughed and pretended to be mysterious: "Actually, there is something I didn't tell you."

"Kissed Lin Xi..." Wang Zhen asked in shock.

Chen Fang's head was nearly split apart by this train of thought, and he slapped Wang Zhen on the head: "From now on, if you mention Lin Xi again, I will really slap you!"

"You really hit me, ahhhh!" Wang Zhen hugged his head and jumped back. Seeing Chen Fang's fierce face, he quickly admitted his mistake: "Okay, I won't mention it anymore. If I mention it again, I'll be a dog!"

"What on earth is going on?"

"I don't want to bother with you!" Chen Fang, who had lost interest, went to the cafeteria.

Twenty minutes later, Wang Zhen walked out of the cafeteria with an incredulous look on his face: "So, you went to your grandpa's house in Guangzhou, met a peerless master, and he took you in as his apprentice and trained you for two months?"

"Don't be like a novelist and exaggerate. He's just a retired professional player. I spent money and trained with him for a summer."

"What did you teach?"

"Basic dribbling skills, and three-pointers!" Chen Fang raised his hand and made a shooting gesture.

"So, you are so powerful now?" Wang Zhen believed it. This really fits the reason why Chen Fang suddenly became so powerful.

"A little bit." Chen Fang felt relieved when he saw that Wang Zhen believed it. Otherwise, it would be far-fetched to fill this loophole after the fight in the afternoon.

"Fuck, secretly training, that's too much, are you trying to beat me up?"

"Beat you up? I beat the shit out of you in my freshman year. What are you thinking about? Hurry back to the classroom. I missed a self-study class this afternoon and I have to make up for it during lunch."

"Don't you want to play ball?" Wang Zhen was a little disappointed.

"Brother, we just finished a meal. Gastroptosis is not a good thing." Chen Fang refused the request. He felt that he didn't have enough time now. The experience in the early morning made him realize that in order to realize his plan, he needed more time to play basketball.

But he doesn't want to give up his studies, this is the most important thing.

"Okay, after school this afternoon, I'll come and raid your formation as quickly as possible."

"Okay, look at me taking the lead."

"I don't know the first three words, but I'm sure you're good at the last one."

The two of them went to the classroom laughing.

The classroom was very quiet. Some students were doing their homework, while others were taking a nap at their desks. Lin Xi was in the middle. When she noticed Chen Fang coming in, she looked over.

The two looked at each other and immediately turned away. Chen Fang could see a light flashing in Lin Xi's eyes.

What do you like about me? I really can't understand.

Chen Fang really didn't want to do anything with Lin Xi, but the head-on collision and the injustice caused Lin Xi's originally suppressed thoughts to completely come alive. In just these two days, Chen Fang felt that Lin Xi had changed a lot.

During the three years of high school, Chen Fang didn't remember Lin Xi ever looking him in the eye. Her eyes were so bright and there were many words hidden in them, but he could read them all when he looked at her.

Hide first and then go in through the back door.

Chen Fang calmed down and returned to his seat, took out the test paper and began to study. Shandong has always been the most difficult province in China for the college entrance examination, and Shandong's real test paper has always been a nightmare for Shandong students. If he wants to get into a key university, Chen Fang must go all out and race against time.

Time passed quickly. It felt like only a few questions had passed before the bell rang. Zhang Deming walked in. There were two Chinese classes in the afternoon. He looked around the classroom majestically, first checking if everyone was present, then stood on the podium in silence for a few seconds. When all the students' attention was focused on him, he slowly spoke: "In these two classes today, we will do a live analysis of reading comprehension. Everyone take out paper, and everyone should write down the key points I say during the class."

"It's based on a single class. When the time is up and the notes are collected, I will randomly pick out a student's notes and conduct a one-on-one question and answer session."

"So please every student pay close attention in these two classes."

"Okay, now let's look at the multimedia screen. The first chapter is "Autumn Rain". Students who can't see clearly should prick up their ears. I will recite and explain at the same time."

With the ups and downs of the head teacher's voice, the afternoon class began.

After two classes, everyone was exhausted. Using the brain is the most physically demanding. Although Chen Fang was slowly getting used to the pace of reading, his mind was also dizzy at the moment. Wen Hui called out to him several times from behind, but he didn't respond.

Wang Zhen nudged Chen Fang, and when he saw him looking at him, he pointed to the back door.

Chen Fang reacted and stood up unsteadily. Just as he took a step, he heard Wang Zhen shout, "Come on!"

"Yeah." He responded weakly and walked out the door, only to see his head teacher leaning against the railing, as if waiting for him.

"Chen Fang, come here."

"teacher."

Just two classes ago, Zhang Deming took out Chen Fang's cheat sheets. He was very satisfied with his answers. He recently asked other teachers and they all gave good feedback. He began to believe that this naughty student was indeed growing up.

"I have no objection to you joining the school team, but I also don't approve of it. You have to keep studying. I hope you don't slack off."

"I understand, teacher."

After agreeing, he followed Wen Hui downstairs. Along the way, the two of them didn't speak until they were almost at the stadium, when Wen Hui said, "Don't be nervous."

"Captain Wen, I think you should not be nervous."

The closer he got to the court, the more excited Chen Fang became. Basketball was already deeply rooted in his blood. He was like a veteran, always ready for battle.

The two of them stopped at the same time. Chen Fang raised his head slightly and looked at the huge open-air stadium.

Dongsheng Stadium.

He is a witness to the history of Dongsheng High School. It is 67 years old since the school was founded. From the initial cement ground, it has been expanded into a medium-sized open-air basketball court that can accommodate 3,000 people. The stone stands are as high as 12 steps, and when they are full, they have the visual effect of tens of thousands of people.

This place has always been a holy place for Dongsheng students. Chen Fang once wanted to play basketball here, but was limited by his skills and height, which was a pity.

Now, this little regret is going to be made up.

Pushing open the iron door, there was a covered corridor that was more than ten meters long. It was very wide, half the width of a classroom. Chen Fang looked up and down and followed Wen Hui in.

When you walk out of the aisle, the view suddenly becomes clear. The Dongsheng Stadium is like an oval bowl for fish, with people looking up from the bottom of the bowl.

On the south stand, a group of teenagers were sitting scattered on the stone piers at different levels, with lush green treetops hanging high above their heads.

The South Stand is the best spot because two century-old locust trees almost cover the stands with their lush branches and leaves, making the South Stand the best spot.

Seeing them come in, a tall young man stood up and waved.

"Yes, Captain Yue, I'll take you there." Wen Hui said in a low voice.

The two walked across the field and headed towards the south stand. On the way, Chen Fang tried the feel of the plastic under his feet. It was a bit old and had no elasticity. It was almost no different from concrete.

He pursed his lips, and the anticipation in his heart inevitably diminished a little.

When he got closer, Chen Fang found that he needed to look up to see it, so he jumped onto the stands.

Everyone was surprised by Chen Fang's actions. They saw this short student came to the captain in just a few steps.

"Senior grade Chen Fang!" Chen Fang stretched out his hand and introduced himself to Yue Gang.

"Yue Gang!" Yue Gang didn't extend his hand. He looked him up and down, then turned his head and pointed at Yang Shan on the left, then at Xue Chong on the right, and said to Chen Fang: "Yang Shan, Xue Chong, the three of us are the core of Dongsheng."

"We have been losing for the past two years, and we have lost our temper."

"You defeated Yang Shan, provoked Xue Chong, and said things that I didn't like to hear. Chen Fang, do you think you have a chance in this team?" Yue Gang said, looking calmly at the junior in front of him.

He started the game by attacking closely and mercilessly, he was indeed the Yue Wuqing in the rumors.

"Captain Yue, actually..." Wen Hui had just said a few words when Yue Gang interrupted her.

"Wenhui, don't talk yet."

Chen Fang glanced around the stands. Everyone looked at him coldly and rudely. The stadium was extremely quiet and the atmosphere seemed to be frozen.

All the pressure was concentrated on Chen Fang, but who was Chen Fang? Ten years later, as a top domestic baseball player, what kind of situation had he not seen?
Small scene!
Humming in his heart, Chen Fang saw out of the corner of his eye a box of mineral water a few meters away. He walked over and found that it was still unopened. He tore open the package without hesitation and pulled out a bottle.

He unscrewed it, took a big sip, then turned around, faced Yue Gang, wiped the water stains from the corners of his mouth, and said, "Drink a bottle of water, it's okay."

Chen Fang's unexpected action made Yue Gang feel a little unprepared to carry out the plan. Upon hearing this, he said, "The Dongsheng school team is not so stingy. Drink as much as you want."

"That's great. It's not bad to earn a bottle. If you have nothing to say, I'll go back to the classroom." Chen Fang patted his butt, took a few steps and jumped off the stands.

"Tsk, you idiot!" The teenagers in the stands laughed. Who wouldn't laugh at a coward?

"What are you laughing at?" Chen Fang turned around, looked at everyone, and then raised his voice by an octave, "What qualifications do you have to laugh?"

"You can't even make it to the quarterfinals, who has the nerve to laugh?"

"If I remember correctly, except for Wen Hui, the rest of you only have one year left. Have you touched the floor of the main competition? Have you touched it?"

"Yue Gang, don't try to intimidate me. You may be able to do that to others, but you are not qualified to do that to me!"

"What are you talking about here? You're so arrogant after defeating Yang Shan. I'll beat you and I'll give you one hand." Xue Chong jumped up and shouted angrily.

"Shut up, Xue Chong. You can't shoot three-pointers, you can't dribble, and you rely on brute force to break through and draw fouls to score. You're average at everything. But you always fail at the crucial moment. How many points did you score in the game against Nanyang No. 1 Middle School last year? Is this the number you can get?" Chen Fang stretched out his hand and shook it.

"You only act arrogantly in school and bully others at home!"

"What do you want to say? Today I'll let you speak freely. Don't worry, I will ensure that you walk out of the court unharmed." Yue Gang's face became darker and darker. He suppressed the anger in his heart and looked at Chen Fang who was standing on the court with his head held high and arrogant.

A gust of wind blew a basketball to Chen Fang's feet.

Stepping on the basketball, Chen Fang laughed out loud.

"Come any three of you, Wen Hui and I, five of us." Chen Fang pointed at Yue Gang and said, "The words are in the ball, play a game and you'll know!"

Giving a thumbs up, Yue Gang stood up, his black bear-like body exuding an oppressive feeling.

"If you have the guts, talk with the ball! Very good!"

"Chen Fang?" Wen Hui ran over and looked at Chen Fang as if he was a psychopath. She whispered, "Hey, what are you doing? You can't win at all."

I patted his shoulder to reassure him: "We can win!"

"Let me show you what a high level is!"

(End of this chapter)