Chapter Fifty-Two: Shimizu vs. Lingnan (Part One)

(P.S.: I’ve heard that before a novel is put on sale, you need to have chapters in reserve. Since I’ve never stockpiled chapters, I can only promise to maintain two updates per day from now on—each update being about 3,000 words.)

The first round of the National High School Basketball League—the district-level matches—had already come to an end. Over the course of a month, the top teams from each county or district emerged, advancing to the next round.

Naturally, Qingshui No. 1 High School made it through, and Yangcheng High School, under the leadership of Wang Shiying, also broke through the ranks. Unlike QS County, which sits on the outskirts, Yangcheng High School was located in the bustling heart of a major metropolis.

Wang Shiying not only led his team to victory in such a fiercely competitive environment, but also maintained his position at the top of the comprehensive scoring chart, dispelling all initial doubts. His name blazed across the basketball world—son of a famous player, standing at 188 centimeters, with an elegant yet solid playing style. He was always the first to arrive at the gym and the last to leave.

Many even hailed him as the future star of Chinese basketball. With his rise, Yangcheng High School also basked in the limelight. Resourceful netizens soon discovered that many of the country's homegrown basketball stars were alumni of this very school.

Yangcheng High School became known as the cradle of Chinese basketball talent, to the point where even NBA viewership ratings had noticeably dipped in recent days. The school's games were broadcast live on the city's top television station, held at the most renowned local sports arena.

Day by day, the crowds grew larger, and advertisers swarmed to get a piece of the action. Online, someone asked: Why has the CBA never been this popular? The reply came instantly: "Apart from a handful of local stars, the CBA is just a showcase for foreign imports. You might as well watch the NBA instead."

But the National High School Basketball League was different. These were all homegrown youngsters, making the games feel much more relatable. While their skills, athleticism, and entertainment value were still far from the NBA, they were young, fearless, and played with real passion—never shrinking from responsibility, never afraid to take the heat, and full of competitive spirit, all from the same cultural background.

Among them were many with impressive skills and unique playing styles. Some, due to reasons like height, might never pursue basketball professionally, but within the high school league, they played without restraint—hoping to fulfill one final basketball dream before graduation.

As a result, this year’s National High School Basketball League attracted widespread support and attention. Even renowned streetball legends and retired pros were busy online, showing off their high school protégés.

Eight out of the top ten players had mentors registered on the Master’s Network, with the exceptions being Wang Shiying at number one and Lin Nan at number eight. Their mentors were, of course, their own fathers, so neither felt the need to seek another master.

Of course, in any competition, it’s always the champion who seizes the spotlight—people only remember the one who stands at the top. For now, Lin Nan was only a minor celebrity within Linnan City.

But every high school basketball team in Linnan had their eyes locked on Lin Nan’s name in the rankings. In their minds, QS County was just the countryside—a rural backwater—while they themselves were city folk. None of them had cracked the top ten, yet a “country boy” had made it.

They didn’t care whether Lin Nan was truly strong or not; all they knew was that in the coming round, whoever faced Qingshui No. 1 High School would show no mercy.

At that moment, Lin Lang was at the headquarters of the Master’s Network, having just announced the format for the second round of the National High School Basketball League.

It would be a points-based tournament lasting two months. Teams within each city would be randomly drawn to play eight games each. A win earned one point, a loss none. The top two teams by points would advance to the next round. If teams were tied on points, net point differential would be the tiebreaker.

As soon as the news broke, coaches across the country scrambled to study the strengths of the qualifying teams in their respective districts.

Coach Gorilla, for instance, quickly grasped the situation. Linnan City, including the city proper and its districts, had twelve teams in total. With each team playing eight games, that meant there were three teams you wouldn’t face at all. With a bit of luck—if you managed to avoid playing the top three teams—going undefeated was entirely possible.

But the one team Coach Gorilla most wanted to avoid was Linnan High School—the city’s best, and also its wealthiest.

As the capital of Jiangnan Province, Linnan City had developed rapidly in all areas in recent years, with per capita GDP climbing higher each year. As the city’s top high school, Linnan High enjoyed full support from above. The campus had expanded again and again, now rivaling some universities in size.

With the highest university acceptance rate in the province, it had poached the best teachers from neighboring cities. The school also invested heavily in arts and sports—basketball courts, football fields, badminton and tennis courts, swimming pools, music rooms—everything, all taught by professionals.

In basketball, Coach Gorilla had learned that Linnan High actively scouted tall graduates from middle schools, recruiting them as sports-focused students and nurturing them as athletic talent.

Such is the power of wealth.

Coach Gorilla knew Linnan High would be a formidable opponent—at the very least, the entire roster stood no shorter than 185 centimeters, and after three years of scientific training, their strength could hardly be doubted.

Yet, in the next moment, he saw the group draw on the Master’s Network: Qingshui No. 1 High School versus Linnan High School.

Coach Gorilla considered immediately bringing over that star player from the branch campus, but then he remembered that with the points format, there was no rush. Judging by that kid’s passion for basketball—and the branch campus’s average skill level—he’d come over on his own soon enough. After all, the rankings were clear: Qingshui No. 1’s Lin Nan was sitting at number eight.

Upon learning that their next opponent was so powerful, Zhu Bo, Lin Nan, and the others threw themselves into training with newfound intensity.

The school provided the basketball team with special privileges: exemption from self-study periods for extra practice, unlimited drinks from the campus store, and even a dedicated window at the cafeteria. Principal Zheng personally bought each of the fourteen team members a pair of quality basketball shoes out of his own pocket.

Each player was moved to tears the moment they received their new shoes.

During the weekend, Zhu Bo invited the Chen brothers, Chen Zheng and Chen Zhen, to the school for some coaching. The brothers were more than happy to help.

Students—or, more broadly, people in this country—are like this: within a class, competition is fierce, but at the grade level, classes unite to face other grades. When it comes to inter-grade rivalry, classmates put aside their differences to support their own.

So it was now. As fellow Qingshui natives, they stood together against outsiders. If Qingshui No. 1 advanced again, Lin Nan and the others would reveal their Linnan roots and win support from the entire city. But that was for the future; for now, they were simply Qingshui boys.

After an afternoon of guidance from the Chen brothers, the Qingshui No. 1 basketball team’s teamwork improved dramatically.

They came to understand a crucial truth: to mold a team into a cohesive unit and achieve perfect coordination, two things are essential.

The first is trust. Basketball is a team sport—when you see a teammate get open, you must pass the ball without hesitation. Only then will everyone be motivated to move and find space. Otherwise, if someone works hard to get open but is ignored for a solo play, next time no one will bother moving.

The second is judgment. You must accurately read the situation on the court. For instance, if Lin Nan is on fire, hitting shot after shot, don’t try to take the ball yourself—set screens for him, create space, keep feeding him the ball, or pass it right back so he can shoot while he’s hot. That’s the most efficient way for the team to score.

In short, an excellent basketball team shifts freely between single-core, dual-core, and team play. Sometimes one player must take over; if that doesn’t work, a second steps up. Basketball is a team sport, but there must always be a core, because only one person can put the ball in the hoop at a time.

Switching the core depends on chemistry and long-term practice. That’s why every second of pre-match training is precious.

...

Lin Lang was quite satisfied with the progress and impact of the basketball league. Although the first stage had been costly, bringing in high schools from across the nation, it was necessary for the inaugural event.

Once the first season concluded, things would be much simpler. The top-performing schools from each region would become local representatives. In the second season, only 64 or 128 high school teams would compete, each representing their area.

With these schools gaining fame, talented students with dreams of a basketball career would naturally transfer to the prominent regional basketball schools.

This would make the league more competitive and entertaining, without the logistical headaches of the inaugural season.

In Lin Lang’s grand vision, there would be basketball schools, football academies, and more across the country. The Master’s Network would host league after league. Expertise comes with specialization; every child would set clear goals early, grow under the guidance of mentors and the trial of competition, and ultimately succeed through perseverance.

He knew his vision was beautiful, and he understood how hard it is to get started. That’s why, for now, the most important thing was to ensure the first National High School Basketball League continued smoothly.