Chapter Sixty-One: The First Solo Outing

December 31st, early morning.

Zheng Zemin was in his office, reviewing the list of performances for the New Year's Day gala tomorrow. This was one of the few grand events held annually for the high school students at the school.

Initially, Zheng Zemin had thought about having the basketball team perform a basketball routine, since they had achieved such remarkable results and brought honor to the school. Many people online were now asking what kind of school Qingshui No. 1 High was, capable of producing two outstanding players like Lin Nan and Zhao Zhongshi.

But then Zheng Zemin remembered how hard the basketball team members trained. If they were to participate in the performance, they would have to rehearse as well, which would take up their time. So he decided not to involve them.

At that moment, his phone rang suddenly on the desk. He glanced at the caller ID—a strange number, with the location marked as Shanghai. Could it be an official from Shishuo Net? But their headquarters was supposed to be in Shenzhen.

Zheng Zemin pondered for a moment, then answered the call.

“Hello, is this Principal Zheng of Qingshui No. 1 High?” The speaker’s Mandarin was flawless, and sounded like someone in their thirties or forties.

“Yes, this is he. May I ask who’s calling?” Zheng Zemin replied.

“I’m calling from the Nike China headquarters. Considering Lin Nan’s outstanding performance in the National High School Basketball League, our company would like to discuss basketball shoe endorsement matters with him. Principal Zheng, do you happen to have his parents’ contact number?”

The caller spoke at a measured pace, making their intentions crystal clear.

Zheng Zemin was stunned for a moment, but quickly regained his composure, realizing the authenticity of the situation. As expected of Nike—they moved swiftly!

Lin Nan’s sunny and handsome image, coupled with his superb skills and graceful play, made him an excellent choice for an endorsement. And with the current lineup at Qingshui No. 1 High, there was a real chance of winning the championship.

Finally, Zheng Zemin searched the academic system on his computer and found Lin Nan’s parent’s phone number, which he provided to the Nike representative.

After hanging up, Zheng Zemin noticed the parent contact listed was Lin Nan’s father, Lin Lang.

He recalled the man he’d met a few times during the summer vacation—so his name was Lin Lang, an intimidating-sounding name. Yet, in Zheng Zemin’s impression, Lin Lang always appeared steady and composed, not at all matching his fierce name.

Of course, Zheng Zemin had no way of knowing that in a previous life, Lin Lang had thrown himself into basketball after his son left him, knowing that Lin Nan’s only passion was basketball. Eventually, he earned the renowned title of “Wolf Coach.” But in this life, Lin Lang was much more restrained; after living another lifetime, his character had naturally changed.

Zheng Zemin still remembered that Lin Nan’s skills weren’t particularly impressive at the time, but his physical attributes were already quite good. It seemed that Lin Lang stopped coming around just as Lin Nan’s basketball skills began to improve rapidly.

Looking back now, Lin Nan’s impressive abilities surely had a lot to do with his father’s training. In this era, it was rare for parents to nurture their sons in basketball, but so far, Lin Lang’s approach had proven very successful.

Zheng Zemin wondered how Lin Nan’s classmates would react if they learned that he, still a first-year student, had already received an endorsement offer from Nike. The endorsement fee must be substantial!

But, judging by Lin Lang’s demeanor, he didn’t seem to be someone in need of money.

That phone call left Zheng Zemin deep in thought, alone in his office.

He began to contemplate whether academics were truly the only path forward, and what changes would come to China’s current exam-focused education system in the future.

Suddenly, Zheng Zemin realized the ambitions behind Shishuo Net; organizing a nationwide high school basketball league seemed to be just their first step. Their goal was to discover prodigious talents like Lin Nan ahead of time, to find those youths across the country who were suited to basketball. Regardless of background, as long as a student possessed exceptional basketball talent, they would shine on the league’s stage. Even if they didn’t stand out this time, as long as the league continued, the day would come when their brilliance was recognized.

As an educator with decades of experience, Zheng Zemin quickly connected these dots.

He muttered to himself, “Shishuo Net is truly a conscientious and great enterprise!”

...

In the classrooms, every class across the school was preparing for the New Year's Eve party tonight, and Class 8 of Grade 1 was no exception. Unlike the school-wide gala, the New Year's Eve party was held within each class, and the school did not interfere.

Interestingly, according to a classmate who was always chatting in the school forum, each grade and class at Qingshui No. 1 High had different activities. For instance, during the first two years of high school, every Saturday evening from 6:00 to 8:30, each class could use a projector in the classroom to watch a movie for relaxation.

Class 8 did this as well, but since Lin Nan was always out training in the evenings and returned only after dark, he never saw a complete movie.

However!

Some grade directors were strict and never allowed their grades to watch movies, while some homeroom teachers forbade their own classes from doing so. Thus, every grade and class was different.

When this was mentioned, the students felt lucky—the strict grade director was now teaching Grade 2, and their homeroom teacher, Yu Xianglin, though seemingly stern, never once stopped their weekly movie nights.

Lin Nan sat in the classroom, wondering if he could help with anything. The basketball team had the day off, allowing everyone to enjoy their class’s New Year's Eve party. However, the team still did morning and evening physical training; only the daytime was for rest.

Lin Nan saw that the girls in the class were cleaning the windows. He had just given up his window seat to Si Dong. Watching Si Dong “struggle” to wipe away the dust, Lin Nan doubted whether her slender arm could clean it properly.

Just as he was about to step forward and offer to help, the class’s life committee member, He Simin, walked over—a refreshingly straightforward girl.

She handed Lin Nan three hundred yuan and said, “Superstar, all the other boys have their tasks assigned, only snacks remain. Would you mind going out for us?”

Lin Nan had grown accustomed to this nickname. Ever since his popularity soared online, “Superstar” had caught on, though he wasn’t sure by whom.

Lin Nan smiled, took the money, and his eyes sparkled. He replied, “Sure, I’ll go, but I only know what the boys like to eat. I’m not sure about the girls. How about Si Dong comes with me?”

Ever since that day when he “cried” with Si Dong, Lin Nan felt his world had expanded beyond basketball.

He Simin instantly understood, though waves of surprise surged inside her: Could it be that the superstar likes his desk mate Si Dong?

Luckily, He Simin wasn’t one for gossip. She looked at Si Dong, who was wiping the window, and asked, “Can you go?”

Perhaps because she never knew how to refuse, Si Dong glanced at Lin Nan’s expectant eyes and replied softly, “Yes…”

Satisfied with the answer, He Simin handed Lin Nan a pass signed by the homeroom teacher and graciously took Si Dong’s rag, urging the pair to leave quickly and return early.

As Lin Nan was leaving, he saw He Simin wipe away the dust that Si Dong had struggled with for half an hour in just two swipes.

...

It was the last self-study period of the morning, and the campus was deserted.

Lin Nan and Si Dong walked side by side, half a meter apart, toward the school gate.

Si Dong suddenly remembered something and said softly, “I don’t usually eat snacks, so I don’t know what girls like to eat.”

Lin Nan, ever the straightforward guy, blurted out, “Then why did you come with me?”

Seeing Si Dong stop in her tracks, Lin Nan realized he’d misspoken and quickly laughed, “It’s fine, we’ll just buy candy. Girls always like sweets.”

Si Dong resumed walking alongside Lin Nan.

At the gate, Lin Nan showed the pass to the guard, who promptly opened the gate with a remote.

Every Sunday, the basketball team gathered at the gate to board their bus. As the team’s core member, Lin Nan was well known to the guard.

The guard glanced at Si Dong behind Lin Nan and teased, “Is this your little girlfriend?”

Lin Nan blushed, neither affirming nor denying, “She’s a classmate. We’re going out to buy snacks for the New Year's Eve party.”

The guard chuckled but said nothing more.

Outside the gate, Lin Nan waited for an empty taxi, waved it down, and courteously opened the back door for Si Dong before taking the front seat himself.

Once the doors were closed, Lin Nan called out loudly, “To Walmart, please.”

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the Walmart shopping center at Qingshui Square.

As the largest shopping mall in QS County, Walmart was bustling every weekend evening. Fortunately, it was still morning and the crowds were sparse.

Lin Nan led Si Dong straight to the second floor, where the snack shelves were. At first, he grabbed a few bags of his favorite Lay’s chips, but realized that with so many classmates, the portion would be too small. He decisively put them back and picked up some sunflower seeds instead.

Looking at the three hundred yuan in his hand, and thinking about the fifty or sixty classmates, Lin Nan decided to buy loose, weighed snacks so everyone could have a share; pricier snacks were out of the question.

Thus, he grabbed a bit of everything—dried meat, Oreos, Want Want crackers, White Rabbit candies. The White Rabbit candies and Oreos were a bit expensive, so Lin Nan figured one per person would do.

After calculating the prices, he saw he had a few dozen yuan left and decided to buy some tangerines on the first floor, which were the most economical choice.

Throughout the trip, Si Dong quietly followed him, letting Lin Nan pick and decide on all the snacks. It seemed she was just there for a walk and some fresh air.

When Lin Nan was at the checkout, ready to leave, a middle-aged man wearing basketball shoes suddenly approached from down the aisle. Reaching Lin Nan, he asked excitedly, “Are you Lin Nan?”

Lin Nan looked at the stranger, puzzled, and nodded.