Chapter Five: Growing Up Together

Driving along the rural road back to the county town, Lin Lang glanced in the rearview mirror at the mother and son behind him. Ye Xinlan was leaning back in her seat, eyes closed in sleep, cradling Lin Nan in her arms, who had also drifted off. Seeing the peaceful expressions on their faces, Lin Lang felt an immense sense of security; this warm, harmonious family atmosphere was the greatest happiness of all.

He drove the bumpy Santana at a leisurely, steady pace, letting his thoughts wander as the car rolled through the silent night. Education is the future of a nation—Lin Lang, once a distinguished educator in his previous life, understood this deeply. Exam-oriented education is the most suitable system for present-day Huaxia. While Lin Lang couldn't change the way Lin Nan learned at school, he knew that parents are, in a way, a child’s first teachers.

At birth, human nature is innately good. There was once a scholar in later generations who said: “Many young people nowadays have children early, but lack the time and energy to accompany them as they grow, leaving them instead to be raised by the grandparents. This is shirking responsibility!” He wasn’t wrong. Most grandparents are prone to spoiling their grandchildren, giving them whatever they want, indulging their every whim, and failing to foster independence from the outset.

Even the more enlightened elders are often out of step with the new era, unable to provide the best possible guidance. Only a rare few elders can raise an outstanding child.

But what does it mean to be “outstanding”? Some say it’s being top of the class, getting into a prestigious university; landing a job with a million-yuan salary, owning a house and a car—that is excellence. Others add: to excel academically and possess a special talent—music, chess, painting, singing, or dancing—and to be filial and sincere at work, that is even better. Some say these are just the basics; for children born into great wealth, a famous school is simply the standard, domestic ones not even considered, and as for work, the family business offers endless options. Good manners and poise are ingrained from childhood, and having a special talent is just as ordinary—perhaps performing a piano piece at a music restaurant, effortless and unremarkable.

But is that truly excellence? At least, not in Lin Lang’s eyes. He’d seen countless so-called “outstanding” children in later years, with many parents asking him to mentor their kids. He never looked at family background or innate talent. What Lin Lang valued most was persistence.

A good background and natural talent might make you stand out among your peers and allow you to succeed once, twice, maybe even three times. But when you step onto a larger stage, facing fiercer competition and stronger opponents, persistence is the only secret to lasting success.

With sincerity and devotion, even stone and metal yield. To truly love something and persist in it to the end—that’s how you become invincible and laugh last.

He remembered a youth basketball class he once taught. Two children from totally different backgrounds, but both loved basketball.

Child A came from a wealthy family. His father had taken him to NBA games from a young age, and he fell in love with the sport. Child B’s father was a nouveau riche, who doted on his only son. For whatever reason—maybe passing a street court, maybe seeing highlights online—B also fell for basketball.

Both families sought Lin Lang’s guidance. He accepted, not for money, but because he saw true passion in their eyes.

Ten middle-school graduates, about Lin Nan’s age, trained for two months in a private gym. They had professional trainers from the US, the most balanced diets, the perfect training plan. Lin Lang taught them everything he knew about basketball.

A had a solid foundation and, unsurprisingly, ranked first in every comprehensive assessment Lin Lang gave throughout the two months.

B started with little skill but tremendous tenacity. Every morning, Lin Lang arrived early at the gym, and B was always the first one there. His ranking slowly climbed from the bottom to the middle.

Everyone predicted a bright future for A. Only Lin Lang remained silent, smiling.

Later, the two went to different high schools. A joined the school team, became the undisputed captain, and was the object of every girl’s secret affection. Surrounded by accolades, he gradually slacked off; basketball became more a tool for showing off than a true passion.

B didn’t join the school team—Lin Lang had already taught him all he could; the rest was up to him. For three years—1,095 days—B appeared on the court every morning for training.

Later, both entered the same university as athletic recruits for basketball. When they met again, the gap in ability was vast. While A continued to use basketball as a stage for attention, B was noticed early on by a visiting American coach during a freshman game.

Bruce, a renowned NCAA coach, hadn’t expected his university exchange tour to yield such a discovery. The unremarkable boy with yellow skin left a deep impression—his explosiveness and will to win on the court were astonishing. Especially his eyes, burning with the desire for victory; Bruce had only ever seen that look once before, in a player named BLNT.

The moment the game ended, Bruce went down to speak with him. And so, to A’s disbelief, B transferred to a top American school and set out for the NCAA.

B became a sensation. No one who knew him could believe it, except Lin Lang, who merely showed a look of knowing expectation.

Only then did A awaken, realizing that after three years, his basketball skills had barely improved. One morning, forcing himself to get up and enter the gym early, he threw a shot that missed everything. In that moment, he finally understood he had never truly loved basketball.

Three more years passed. A basketball journalist, by chance, discovered that B—now a rising star in the NCAA—had once been a student of the legendary coach Lin Lang. Eagerly, he went to interview Lin Lang.

“Aren’t you worried about your former student B competing in the NCAA? Do you think he’ll make it to the NBA?”

Facing the sharp question, Lin Lang smiled serenely: “I’ve never worried about B, because persistence is always the key to victory—and he has never let that go.”

…

How many three-year periods are there in a life? And for how many things have you persisted for three years?

The Santana finally rolled back home. Lin Lang parked the car in the garage, turned to see the mother and son still fast asleep.

He pulled out his phone, chose a song, skipped straight to the climax, cranked the volume to maximum, and hit play.

In an instant, a surge of electrifying music burst through the car: “Love even unto death! Without going all out, there is no satisfaction! Only in this way can the depth of my feelings be declared! Love even unto death! No peace without crying until you smile! Even if the universe is destroyed, my heart remains!”

Only then did the mother and son awaken, the raucous sound shattering the remnants of their sleep. Rubbing his bleary eyes, Lin Nan mumbled, “We’re home, Dad. Someday I want to confess at Firefly too!”

Lin Lang and Ye Xinlan exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

In the elevator, Lin Lang suddenly recalled that in his previous life, the only thing Lin Nan had persisted in was basketball. Looking at Lin Nan, now nearly as tall as himself, he wondered: In this life, will you still love basketball?

That night, Lin Lang and Ye Xinlan fell asleep in each other’s arms. In her husband’s embrace, Ye Xinlan found deeper peace, but this time, she seemed to dream of Lin Nan holding a basketball…

The first day of the New Year holiday passed perfectly.

The next morning, Lin Nan awoke and stepped out of his room, heading to wash his face. As he passed the study, he was surprised to see his father playing Red Alert—a game he loved. Forgetting to wash up, Lin Nan rubbed the sleep from his eyes and moved closer to watch.

Lin Lang was controlling a sea of Rhino tanks storming the enemy base. Judging by the enemy’s base layout, it wasn’t the computer; with so few units left, a decisive push was coming.

Sure enough, within a minute, the screen flashed “WIN.” The thrill of victory made Lin Nan eager to jump in and play an intense match himself.

A voice broke his reverie. “Go wash up first, then have breakfast—after you eat, you can play as much as you like today! Your mom’s out, so it’s just the two of us. We can play all day!” Lin Lang’s words filled him with joy and surprise.

Early that morning, Lin Lang had sent Ye Xinlan off to the hotel, saying he’d spend the day with Lin Nan. She’d wondered what he was up to, but agreed.

“What? All day!” Lin Nan rushed through his morning routine and wolfed down breakfast, lost in happy anticipation.

But when he returned to the study, Lin Lang had switched to playing CrossFire. No matter; Lin Nan liked the adrenaline-pumping Biohazard mode just as much. He wasn’t picky about games—there were so many fun ones, and he enjoyed most of them.

As promised, Lin Lang handed over the controls, watching from the side. They agreed to take turns, one life each, making every chance in the game all the more precious to Lin Nan.

Again and again, he appeared in the biohazard pyramid—on platforms, in dungeons, at the highest point—leaving his SWAT avatar everywhere.

But even the best games grow tiresome. By midday, Lin Nan suggested switching back to Red Alert. Lin Lang smiled and agreed readily.

For several more hours, they played Red Alert. At one point, Lin Lang simply had lunch delivered from the hotel, and the father and son ate and played together.

After another half afternoon, Lin Nan grew bored with Red Alert too, but there were no other games on the computer. While he stepped out to use the bathroom, he returned to find Lin Lang watching basketball highlights.

On screen, a small player wearing number 3 scored in every way imaginable, dribbling with such skill that he sent defenders sprawling, even dunking—every spectacular play met with wild cheers from the crowd.

Lin Nan stood there, a complex look on his face. Their PE teacher had taught a little basketball at school, but only the basics—there had never been a school tournament, and he’d never seen anyone with such advanced skills.

For the first time, Lin Nan felt basketball’s deep pull. Whether it was that number 3 player or the frenzied audience after each basket, something about it resonated with him, stirring his heart.

Looking at Lin Lang, Lin Nan suddenly exclaimed, “Dad, let’s go play basketball!”