Chapter Sixty-Eight: Four in Company

"Nan Nan, who is this?" Lin Lang noticed the man walking straight toward them, and judging by his demeanor, it seemed he knew Lin Nan. Lin Lang opened his mouth to ask.

Lin Nan, usually confident at school, felt a bit shy in front of his father. He scratched his head and said, "He's the owner of this Walmart, and also a fan of mine. Apparently, he's watched my games on the court."

Hearing this, Lin Lang found it quite amusing—his son actually had basketball fans.

Lin Lang then smiled, turning to look at the man who seemed to be roughly his age. With a crew cut and an honest face, dressed in a thick cotton coat and basketball shoes, he looked entirely like a man from the countryside—nothing about him suggested he was the owner of such a large supermarket.

Nevertheless, Lin Lang extended his right hand and said, "Hello, I'm Lin Nan's father, Lin Lang. May I ask your name?"

"I'm Wang Dashan. Just call me Dashan," Wang Dashan replied in a dialect tinged with the rural accent.

Lin Nan couldn't distinguish the accent, but Lin Lang recognized it immediately. Perhaps it was because in his previous life, Lin Lang had spent his later years in the city, speaking standard Mandarin more often, and only slowly reacquired his regional accent after his rebirth.

Fortunately, Ye Xinlan and Lin Nan hadn't noticed.

Now, hearing Wang Dashan's dialect, Lin Lang immediately sensed subtle differences from the accent within QS County.

Though Wang Dashan's accent had nearly shifted to standard, it still retained a trace. And indeed, Lin Lang's guess was correct.

Wang Dashan was born in a small mountain village near QS County. In his youth, he went to the county town to work, and when he saw the opportunity, invested all his savings and his parents' lifelong savings to open a small supermarket on the busiest street in the county.

At the time, there weren't many supermarkets in the county, so Wang Dashan made a considerable profit. Later, seizing another opportunity, he invested all his savings and took a substantial loan from the bank, successfully securing the Walmart franchise for QS County.

As the largest supermarket in QS County, business at Walmart improved year by year with the rise in living standards. Wang Dashan soon found himself among the wealthiest in the county.

But Wang Dashan always knew he wasn't well-educated, his vision and abilities limited, and that he'd reached his peak. He began to focus more on his son.

His son had always loved basketball, and Wang Dashan, by extension, became familiar with and fond of the sport. Previously, he admired Yao Ming most, but after Yao's retirement last year, his interest in the NBA waned, and he understood deeply the struggles athletes faced with injuries.

Luckily, Shishuo Online launched a national high school basketball league. Wang Dashan's son was a freshman and managed to join the school team, even if only as a substitute.

Thus, Wang Dashan watched every game played by Qingshui No. 1 High School. Naturally, he became one of Lin Nan's many fans.

Lin Nan's playing style was exhilarating—short in stature, yet able to drive, shoot, and dunk—reminiscent most of Iverson.

At this moment, the frown that had been etched on Lin Nan's brow suddenly eased.

Lin Nan had always thought his fan Wang Dashan looked somewhat familiar, which was why he'd accepted his treat last time. Now, hearing his name—Wang Dashan—Lin Nan instantly thought of Wang Jinsong.

Comparing their appearances more closely, Lin Nan became increasingly convinced they were father and son.

He immediately asked, "Uncle Wang, are you Wang Jinsong's father?"

Wang Dashan grinned at Lin Nan, "You figured it out! No wonder you're my idol! Haha!"

Lin Nan scratched his head again in embarrassment. If Wang Jinsong had witnessed this, he'd realize Lin Nan behaved entirely differently with peers than with elders—reckless with the former, respectful and modest with the latter.

Lin Lang, too, marveled at the serendipity. He'd seen Qingshui No. 1's team profile on Shishuo Online and vaguely recalled Wang Jinsong as a freshman substitute. He hadn't expected his father to be Lin Nan's fan.

What Lin Lang didn't know was that the entire Qingshui No. 1 basketball team were his fans, since they all knew Lin Nan's outstanding skills were taught by his father.

Lin Lang's generation were fans of Lin Nan, and Lin Nan's peers were fans of Lin Lang—an amusing father-son dynamic.

After some small talk, they returned to the main topic.

Wang Dashan asked curiously, "What are you two buying all these things for? Visiting relatives? That's quite a lot!"

Lin Lang replied honestly, "Today is Lin Nan's birthday. He wants to visit children from impoverished families in the mountains, so we're buying these things to give to them."

These words stunned Wang Dashan.

He'd seen kids want all kinds of gifts for their birthdays, but a wish filled with kindness like this was a first.

Wang Dashan immediately said, "As an uncle and a fan, I want to contribute too. I see you haven't bought clothes or snacks, so I'll get someone to bring a few boxes over."

Lin Lang thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Winter clothes would be great, but snacks aren't necessary. If they only eat them once, it's better not to. As for the toys and books, I'll pay for those—it's my gesture as a father."

Wang Dashan glanced at the toys—rubik's cubes, puzzles—and quickly understood their meaning.

He couldn't help but look at Lin Lang with newfound respect. No wonder he'd raised such an outstanding child as Lin Nan.

Wang Dashan agreed to Lin Lang's request. He turned to go fetch the clothes, but then stepped back and suggested, "How about I go with you? I'll bring Wang Jinsong too. The journey's long; we can take turns driving, and the kids can keep each other company."

Lin Nan's eyes lit up, and he glanced sideways at Lin Lang, signaling his approval.

Lin Lang understood and laughed, "That's a good idea. Thank you both for your help."

"Not at all—not at all, it's for a good cause," Wang Dashan replied promptly.

They agreed to meet at the entrance, and Wang Dashan went upstairs to get two boxes of children's clothing.

On the way, Wang Dashan felt he was making a wise choice. Bringing Wang Jinsong along to experience the lives of children in poverty would teach him to cherish his own circumstances.

He also decided that in the future, Wang Jinsong should spend more time with Lin Nan—it could only benefit him.

Perhaps Wang Dashan himself didn't realize the wisdom of the decision he'd made today.

...

When they brought the goods to the door, Wang Dashan saw the large SUV and was once again impressed by Lin Lang's thoroughness, further solidifying his earlier decision.

Lin Nan, ever considerate, climbed into the back seat, leaving the front passenger seat for Wang Dashan.

The SUV's trunk was packed full with the two boxes of clothes.

Then, the three of them drove to Jinxiu Garden, the most upscale neighborhood in QS County.

Wang Jinsong, after receiving his father's call at home, eagerly packed their clothes and rushed to the entrance, where he hopped into the SUV's back seat alongside Lin Nan.

As soon as he got in, Wang Jinsong shouted, "Hello, Uncle Lin!"

He then playfully punched Lin Nan's chest, pulled out a palm-sized figurine, and handed it to him, saying, "Just found out it's your birthday—how about this gift? Pretty cool, right?"

Lin Nan immediately recognized the familiar number three, the familiar pose—right hand cupped to the ear, exuding rebellious charm. It was his favorite idol, Iverson!

"It's awesome!" Lin Nan replied happily, and returned the punch with equal force.

And so, what started as two became four.

Within fifteen minutes, Lin Lang drove out of the county and onto the highway.

They drove for over two hours before exiting, then another hour before reaching a place called Pinshan Town.

At first, Lin Nan and Wang Jinsong were full of conversation and laughter in the car, talking nonstop.

Lin Lang and Wang Dashan in the front chatted casually as well.

But eventually, the two boys began to feel the strain. It was their first time sitting in a car for so long, and they didn't know how to pass the time.

Despite the seats being as comfortable as leather sofas, the fatigue of sitting for hours was worse than physical training.

It was much like how standing at attention is more tiring than marching or stepping in formation.

The two adults, however, chatted on without pause—both raised in the countryside, they'd endured all kinds of hardships. Sitting in a car for a few hours was nothing. In the old days, squeezing onto trains and standing for days was commonplace.