Returning to '97, creating a new life

Inside the high school gymnasium, in one of the few seats on either side, Yunshang sat, staring blankly ahead, no longer running directly to Xu Kai's side as before.

Abide by school rules and regulations.

Xu Kai stood with Park In-ji and Yoo Da-sung and discussed for a long time. Then Fei Wenxin's position on the court changed. It wasn't just a change in the three-on-three half, but a change in his position within the entire school team.

With his strong athleticism and expanded defensive range, Coach Park began to teach Fei Wenxin what help defense was. He couldn't learn too much; the key was to learn how to quickly return to his original position after helping defense and not lose his position. That was the goal.

On the offensive end, Xu Kai came on and, from a fan's perspective that was not professional but several versions ahead of its time, had Fei Wenxin switch to the power forward position, letting him stand in the high post to facilitate. Too much complexity wouldn't work, so he only practiced pick-and-roll and passing in the high post.

The traditional Chinese strategy for using twin towers in the paint is to control the inside. This time, Xu Kai discussed with Fei Wenxin about the 3x3 basketball challenge, suggesting that he try to give Fei Wenxin more opportunities to move around in different positions. If this works, Fei Wenxin may have to practice his mid-range shot for a long time this year, which will improve his future prospects.

Fei Ai-drinking-bathwater Wenxin, the low-end domestic version, how about it?

Xu Kai watched a domestic game that Coach Park had someone record for him. Well, it was a low-budget version, but it was still a deadly weapon on the court. He would ask the opponent in the same position, "Are you coming out or not? If you're not, I'll shoot you to death."

Compared to Du Xiaoshuai, who is a former star player, what about Fei Wenxin? In Xu Kai's team, he was assigned any dirty or tiring work without complaint, and he was happy to be a blue-collar power forward.

[Teacher Park is a true friend, and so is my friend Kai.]

The subsidy that Park In-ji applied for for Xu Kai is no longer needed by him, and he didn't continue to take advantage of him. He transferred it directly to Fei Wenxin, so that the kid doesn't need to bring his own lunch anymore. The meal allowance is enough for him to have a good lunch in the cafeteria, and his family can still afford to provide him with a snack before evening self-study.

Overall, his family's financial situation is slightly better than Xu Kai's. The left-behind boy lives with his grandmother, while Xu Kai's parents at least work in the south and earn two jobs.

If Fei Wenxin pulls out, the inside will become less crowded. In high school basketball, there is no such thing as whether or not someone can shoot a mid-range shot. Whether you let Fei Wenxin shoot a mid-range shot or defend against him, the shooting percentage is about the same. Given the current level of high school competitions in China, letting him shoot and having him make one out of several shots is a good demonstration of a new tactic.

Six wins out of six, an overwhelming victory, and the captain hasn't even made an appearance yet.

In just one weekend, the school's attention to the competition increased again, providing more support and setting higher expectations.

Xu Kai and Dong Bin became school celebrities in just over a week. As freshmen, they didn't encounter any trouble on campus. This was partly due to the basketball team's overall status in the school, which prevented even the most mischievous and unruly seniors from bothering them, and the overall atmosphere of the high school didn't allow for any more arrogant students. Secondly, there was the intimidating presence of Yun Shang, who had been an untouchable figure in the school since the beginning of high school.

From Ma Xin to Song Jun, and actually from the time Xu Kai partnered with Xu Dalong to open a video arcade, less than half a year after his rebirth, he had already transcended this era and this age group.

Campus basketball stars, while not necessarily having priority in choosing a partner, still attract countless girls who scream for them, and receive almost the most love letters on campus. Such groups are often envied and targeted; successful resistance is fortunate, but unsuccessful resistance may lead to further targeting, bullying, and mistreatment.

Xu Kai is willing to devote himself wholeheartedly to this competition, and the fruits of his hard work over the past year since his rebirth are his source of confidence.

Making money at the arcade was my first small fortune; it also helped me build a small network of connections.

In just one month, the provincial competition was over. Xu Kai only made two appearances. In the final four joint final, he was the pillar of strength, ensuring that Songcheng No.1 High School became the number one in its region and participated in the national competition.

The competition was secondary. For a month, Park In-ji and Yoo Da-sung were engaged in intense semi-professional training, almost talking late into the night, studying and developing training plans and game tactics every day, and then instilling them into the entire basketball team during the day.

It's not just Xu Kai and his three teammates; the entire basketball team has entered into more professional training. With the core players Xu Kai, Dong Bin, and Fei Wenxin fully established in the team, the college-level tactical system built around these three has been practiced quite effectively.

It's not complicated; the key is accurate execution.

If faced with an impenetrable fortress or an unstoppable attack, Xu Kai will be the X-factor for the entire team. At that time, he will have unlimited shooting rights and use his long-range shooting skills, which are incomprehensible and unacceptable in the tactical understanding of any coach, to tear apart the opponent.

After a month of practice, Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin, without any formal instruction, developed a wide-range mobile screen and pick-and-roll ability entirely to support Xu Kai. In their words, it was instinct. "Kai-ge needs screens and picks, and we've trained our physical abilities, so of course we have to cover the entire court to support him."

In the final joint competition, the vice principal in charge personally attended the provincial competition. Xu Kai's dominance, which allowed him to play the entire game, gave the school more confidence to expect better results. In return, before the national competition officially started, Liu Duosheng's transfer order was officially issued, and he officially became a physical education teacher at a high school after the National Day holiday.

………………

My maternal grandfather's house was not within the jurisdiction of Wang Jianshe and Xu Dalong's workplace, but through them, he was introduced to a manager in that area.

Xu Kai arranged two dinner parties, and both the host and guests enjoyed themselves, agreeing to the proper etiquette between them.

Xu Kai rented a single-story house near his maternal grandfather's house, close to a small street, and opened a mahjong parlor for his mother. Well, it has only recently started to have a nicer name – a mahjong parlor.

Sun Xiuyun spent more than half a month at home adapting to her laid-off life. The storage room at home was renovated, and a set of water-heated heating pipes was added to Xu Kai's small room inside the house.

Xu Kai wanted his mother to have something to do and hoped she could be happy. He knew that sitting for long periods playing mahjong was bad for her health, and the smoky environment was also bad for her health. As the saying goes, it's rare that I'm willing, my mother likes it, and it's within the scope that he can manage for the time being. Making a mahjong room for his mother is the most suitable thing for her.

In the first month of the arcade's profit sharing, Xu Kai used a portion of the money, without letting his mother pay a single penny, to buy several mahjong machines. All the simple painting, cleaning, and purchasing of tables and chairs were paid for by Xu Kai. He didn't intend for his mother to embark on a new path in life without any psychological burden, nor did he want her to bear any pressure of potentially losing money in business.

At another family gathering, not many young people came. Xu Kai was called by his eldest uncle to sit at a table with his maternal grandparents and several uncles and aunts.

Thanks to his second aunt Xu Meilan and the capable Xu Dalong, the elders in the family have changed their attitude towards Xu Kai significantly. At least they no longer treat him like a child. More than just a change in appearance, his mother, Sun Xiuyun, speaks more loudly at her parents' home. She's no longer the type to do more chores and talk less when she returns. For the weekly gatherings, Xu Kai, if he has time, buys extra meat, fruit, and vegetables for his mother a day in advance so she can take them to his maternal grandfather's house.

"Come on, Xiao Kai, can you have a drink? Have a couple of drinks with your uncle."

Xu Kai didn't hesitate or refuse. He walked straight over and looked at his six uncles, two aunts' husbands, and grandparents: "How can we just have a couple of drinks?"

Second Uncle Sun Mingyi laughed heartily. He was now closest to this nephew. When his wife first went to work at the arcade, she thanked her distant brother-in-law. After a month or two, the couple realized that the person in charge at the arcade was actually their nephew, who had just started high school.

"Big brother, our Xiao Kai has a pretty good alcohol tolerance. Xiao Kai, I heard from Da Long that you can drink at least a pound of baijiu, and you can always make Director Wang drink more than usual."

Men from ordinary families often have a bit of vanity, which isn't necessarily a flaw, but it's more about self-importance. They like to add a touch of boasting to conversations, projecting an air of superiority and mentioning important figures, regardless of whether they've actually met them, giving the impression that their knowledge and experience surpass those of the people at the table.

Second Aunt's husband, Xiao Jianshe, likes to drink and is the one with the highest alcohol tolerance in the family. Upon hearing this, he pulled Xu Kai to sit next to him and said, "Come on, Xiao Kai, have a good drink with your second uncle."

The only cousin of Xu Kai's generation today is Xiao Lili, the daughter of his second aunt. She is one year older than Xu Kai and attends an ordinary high school. Being able to get into high school is a source of pride for the family, and in the past, she looked down on her cousin somewhat.

This year, everything took a complete turn.

"Dad, Uncle, Second Uncle, please don't force my little brother to drink. He has such great athletic talent, he can't afford to drink and hurt his health. In a while, he'll be representing Songcheng High School in Beijing for the National Basketball Challenge." Xiao Lili came over from the women's and children's table, put her hand on Xu Kai's shoulder, and explained to the group of uncles and grandpas at the table that her cousin was now an idol among the youth in Songcheng.

Xiao Jianshe looked at his daughter with doting eyes: "Tell Dad how good our Xiao Kai is now. His former colleagues at the factory said they haven't seen my nephew play ball in a long time."

Even now, many people in my family still can't understand what it means to get into a top high school just by playing basketball. This has changed some of their perceptions, making them realize that top high schools aren't as sacred as they once thought.

Xiao Lili placed her hands on Xu Kai's shoulders, using them to support her body. They had never been so intimate before. True relatives might help each other in times of trouble; but without spending time together, their relationship was just so-so.

"In the entire province, the number one team, the strongest team across junior and senior high schools, my younger brother is the captain of that high school team, the strongest member of that strongest team..."