Kuroko's Basketball: I'm not the boss?

The hours of sleep on the plane and the slight turbulence of the car at this moment could not disturb Lingzi's desire to have a heart-to-heart talk with the Duke of Zhou.

Xiangyang glanced at Lingzi, whose mouth was slightly open as if she were sleeping soundly, and shook his head with amusement. He then turned his attention back to Brother Shu, occasionally whispering words of encouragement to Brother Shu continue his "scenic introduction".

Perhaps it's because of his past life, but now when he hears about China in the Kuroko's Basketball world, he finds it particularly interesting. Even if it's just an ordinary tree by the roadside, he can listen to Tree Bro's explanation.

It takes about half an hour to get there.

Brother Shu smacked his lips, still wanting more. It had been a long time since anyone had listened to him for so long, not to mention that Xiang Yang would occasionally respond to him, perfectly embodying the role of "perfect listener."

"We've arrived, let's get off the bus."

Brother Shu's tone carried a hint of regret. After picking up and dropping off Xiangyang this time, he didn't know when he would be able to find such a loyal listener again.

With a slightly somber mood, Brother Shu turned around and was about to call Xiangyang and the other two to get out of the car when he saw Lingzi's exaggerated sleeping posture with her mouth wide open! There were even some glistening tears sliding down her lips.

Look towards the sun, focus on your nose, and then focus on your heart; pretend you didn't see anything.

Brother Shu was immediately furious. Looking at Lingzi's sleeping appearance, he immediately raised his right hand and placed it on the steering wheel.

Beep beep beep beep——

A piercing horn blared.

Lingzi suddenly sat up with a start, her eyes still sleepy as she looked around as if searching for the source of the noise.

Xiangyang covered his mouth and coughed lightly twice.

He forced back the smile that was rising on his face.

He's specially trained so that no matter how funny something is, he won't laugh!

Unless you can't help it...

Brother Shu glanced at Lingzi expressionlessly, then opened the car door and got out first.

Judging from the force with which he slammed the door, Brother Shu doesn't seem to be in a good mood right now...

Lingzi looked up and sighed, her expression turning somewhat melancholy.

Although it's unclear what exactly happened, Brother Shu's current behavior indicates that he's about to start scolding people again.

And the person being reprimanded... was obviously her.

There was no way around it; what had to be faced had to be faced. As expected, as soon as Lingzi got out of the car, a barrage of lectures and nagging came at her.

Xiang Yang followed Lingzi out of the car with a relaxed expression. After all, he wasn't the one being lectured. Besides, he had missed the Chinese-style lecturing he hadn't heard in a long time.

And so, amidst a series of chattering sounds as background music, Xiangyang and his group entered the hotel one after another.

……

……

"Let me see... Room 7 on the second floor, this is it!"

Brother Shu led the way, pushing open the door and entering first. Behind him were Lingzi, who was picking her ears and looked like she was questioning the meaning of life, and Xiangyang, who was looking around at his surroundings.

What Brother Shu said when he picked them up at the airport wasn't just empty talk. Judging from the hotel environment and the attitude of the waiters, this restaurant, which Brother Shu called "very famous," lived up to its reputation.

Xiangyang, who often mingles with Masako and Akashi in high-end places, has this much insight and knowledge.

Of course, for Xiangyang, the dining experience at this meal was not the most important thing.

Following behind Brother Shu, Xiang Yang discreetly surveyed the environment inside the private room.

The facilities inside the private rooms are just as impressive as the elegant ambiance outside the dining area.

An elderly man with gray hair, well past fifty, sat on the back of the chair behind him. There was a cane on the back of the chair. Hai Lao was dressed just like when Xiang Yang first met him. He was wearing an old-fashioned suit, and you could feel his old-fashioned nature from a distance.

On the other side, not far from Hai Lao, a middle-aged man sat upright. Judging from his face, he was probably in his forties. He was also wearing a suit, and apart from not having a cane, he looked exactly like Hai Lao.

"Little Tree is here, sit down, everyone sit down."

Elder Hai rose slightly. Although he was a senior, he was still very courteous. After seeing that Xiang Yang and the other two had taken their seats, he nodded to the man next to him.

Xiang Yang glanced at him. With Lingzi and Brother Shu having introduced him beforehand, he knew that the person was Coach Sun.

"The food is ready to be served."

Coach Sun gestured to the waiter who had been waiting at the door, and the waiter responded and went to the kitchen to order the food.

Hai Lao glanced at the waiter's departing figure, then turned his gaze to Xiang Yang. At that moment, he looked at Xiang Yang as if he were looking at a precious treasure.

Xiangyang didn't react yet, but Lingzi rolled her eyes without making a sound.

From the day she joined the Chinese Basketball Association, over a period of five or six years, she met with Mr. Hai at least eighty or a hundred times.

However, in all their meetings, she had never seen such a "deeply affectionate" look on Hai Lao's face.

"This is Coach Sun, my student, and he will be your coach in the future."

Hai Lao pointed at Coach Sun and spoke to Xiang Yang in fluent Japanese.

Xiang Yang nodded slightly, then turned to Coach Sun with a smile, as if to say hello.

“Master, you can’t say that. No matter how much you think highly of this player, I haven’t personally tested him yet.”

Coach Sun picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and looked up at Xiang Yang with an indescribable expression in his eyes.

"Things are never certain."

Chapter 185 The Main Quest Completed a Year Late (Two Chapters Combined)

节）

"Things are never certain."

As Coach Sun uttered those words with a profound meaning, the atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became somewhat strange.

Lingzi frowned slightly, looking at Coach Sun with an unfriendly expression.

Xiangyang was a player she personally recruited from Japan. From Reiko's perspective, anyone who harbors ill will towards Xiangyang is practically slapping her in the face.

Even the kind-hearted Brother Shu sensed that something was amiss, but given his current status, he didn't have the right to speak at the dinner table.

As the person involved, Xiang Yang calmly followed Coach Sun's example, picking up the teacup on the table and taking a sip before turning his gaze to Elder Hai.

His meaning was clear: since Coach Sun is Hai Lao's apprentice, how could the master allow his apprentice to arbitrarily suppress and discipline the players he favors?

As expected, the moment Xiangyang and Hai Lao made eye contact, the latter immediately burst into laughter. He patted Coach Sun on the back and said, "Don't worry, your coach has already vetted you beforehand. Xiangyang is a player who will definitely satisfy you!"

"Haha, Master, you're joking. Of course, I don't doubt your judgment at all. It's just that since this is my first time meeting Xiangyang, proper communication and understanding are essential."

Coach Sun agreed with his mentor, and the expression on his face immediately became much more relaxed.

He spoke in Japanese, without trying to hide it from Xiang Yang. Seeing the scrutinizing look on Xiang Yang's face, Coach Sun chuckled and extended his right hand towards him.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Xiangyang. I made a little joke just now, please don't mind!"

Coach Sun's tone was very polite, and there was no trace of the veiled sarcasm in his words.

Xiang Yang narrowed his eyes slightly and extended his right hand to shake hands with him.

"Hello Coach Sun, of course I don't mind. By the way, your Japanese is excellent."

"Haha, really? To be honest, I've practiced seriously!"

Coach Sun scratched his head, his face amiable, but his gaze toward Xiang Yang held a hint of approval.

Despite the sarcasm in the stranger's words, Xiang Yang remained unfazed and immediately found a way to respond. Although Coach Sun has not yet witnessed Xiang Yang's skills firsthand, his composure alone already meets Coach Sun's minimum standard for a point guard.

[This kid is quite calm. If his skills are up to par, he might be developed into a cornerstone player, as his mentor suggested... Hmm, let's observe him further.]

After the handshake ended, Coach Sun nodded subtly to Elder Hai. Seeing this, Elder Hai stroked his beard, clearly in a good mood.

He knew his disciple, who had inherited all of his coaching skills, very well, and naturally knew that Coach Sun had a good impression of Xiang Yang at their first meeting.

For a team, having its star player and coach stand on the same side and work together is the first step towards success!

"Come on, come on, have some vegetables."

Probing phase

As the dishes were served one by one, Elder Hai invited everyone to eat.

I don’t know about other places, but in China, eating is absolutely the most important thing!

Considering that Xiangyang hadn't lived in China for very long, Hai Lao specially arranged for many dishes to have a Japanese style.

Xiang Yang remained outwardly calm, but secretly made a mental note of it.

Soon, as various dishes were served, everyone had a small taste and started chatting.

It's almost a national characteristic for flower growers to chat about everyday life during meals and gatherings. Even an old-fashioned person like Mr. Hai couldn't resist this custom, chatting with Coach Sun about his youth.

Of course, Xiangyang couldn't get a word in edgewise on this topic; he just sat there silently, eating with his head down.

On the other hand, Reiko was a little uneasy. In Japan, as a stranger in a foreign land, she was able to maintain a mask on her face and show a quiet and elegant demeanor. However, back in China, the inner world of this crazy woman was quietly revealed.

Pretending to drop the cutlery on the ground, Lingzi pretended to be looking down to look for it, but secretly moved closer to Xiangyang and said to him, "Hey Xiangyang, why don't we use the excuse of going to the toilet to run away together!"

Xiang Yang looked down at Ling Zi in surprise; Ling Zi still had half a chicken wing in his mouth and hadn't swallowed it.

"Why? Could it be... that the food is poisoned??"

Lingzi:…

"Oh, of course not! It's just that I feel uncomfortable in this atmosphere, so I don't want to stay here anymore."

Lingzi shook her head and revealed the real reason.

Just Ei-lao alone could make her physically uncomfortable, let alone with Coach Sun, who could be described as a "younger version of Ei-lao"? For Reiko, making her eat this meal was like sitting in a classroom taking a test when she was a child. Putting aside whether she could do it or not, the psychological pressure alone was enough to make her feel suffocated!

Xiangyang simply rolled his eyes at Lingzi's outrageous suggestion, not even bothering to reply, and continued to eat the dishes on the table.

Although the conversation between Hai and the other man was boring to Xiangyang, it must be said that the food at this restaurant was quite good!

Especially after Hai Lao's arrangement, those Chinese cuisines with a style that leans towards Japan not only catered to Xiang Yang's eating habits, but also added a touch of Chinese culinary style to them, making Xiang Yang unable to resist and even less willing to leave!

Lingzi, of course, knew how outrageous her suggestion was. Seeing that Xiangyang ignored her, she wasn't angry. She just sat there sullenly, eating her food half-heartedly, praying in her heart that the dinner would end as soon as possible.

Of course... it's all in vain.

A full hour passed, and Hai Lao was still chatting with Coach Sun about everyday things. The two of them were still in high spirits, as if the hour that had just passed had never happened.

This time, not only was Lingzi devastated, but even Xiangyang was struggling to keep up. A full hour of continuous eating was too much for Xiangyang, whose appetite and food intake had increased significantly after his muscle-building regimen!