I Really Am Just a Substitute – CH14

Chapter 14

Even though Ning Zhou’s knowledge outside of volleyball was pitiful, he’d at least heard of the Yu Corporation—The largest domestic sports brand in terms of scale.

Snowboards, rollerblades, swim goggles, volleyball kneepads…

As long as it was sports equipment, Yu Corp. was in on it—and in many categories, they had become top-tier, representative products.

In his previous life, Ning Zhou and Yu Bai had been on the national team together for five years, yet he had never once heard Yu Bai was the Yu family’s son.

If it weren’t for this coincidence of them appearing on a show with Yu Bai’s sister, Yu Bai probably wouldn’t have brought it up at all…

“Wait, that doesn’t add up…” Nie Feiang frowned hard, baffled. “I remember the media reporting Yu Corp’s CEO had a son and daughter—and both were basketball players!”

Ning Yang nodded, analyzing. “Yu Tong was on the women’s national basketball team and just retired last year. But Yu Bai… isn’t he here playing volleyball with us?”

Yu Bai wasn’t interested in the conversation. He took a sip of water before replying, “I play basketball too. If this training camp goes well, I’ll switch to specializing in volleyball afterward.”

Nie Feiang slumped bonelessly into his chair, eyes vacant, muttering, “So Yu Bai really is one of the heirs to the Yu brand…”

Chen Wenyao was equally stunned. After some steady thought, he hesitantly asked,  “So… if you don’t do well at volleyball or basketball, you’d have to go home and inherit the family business?”

Yu Bai swallowed a mouthful of water hard, his expression tightening into gloom. “Mm…”

“Don’t make that depressed face!” Nie Feiang clutched his chest and stomped his feet, heartbroken. “You’re literally sitting on a pile of blessings without knowing it!”

Ning Yang also swallowed down his envy. “Bro, if you don’t want this blessing, give it to us—we’d gladly shoulder it for you!”

“…Don’t say that, Mie Mie.” Ning Zhou made a timeout gesture. “If you actually took over a corporation that big, you’d probably never have time to play games again.”

“Then forget it,” Ning Yang said firmly.

Yu Bai suddenly turned his head, his gaze locking onto Ning Zhou’s face…

“?” Ning Zhou pointed at himself, raising a doubtful brow.

“…” Yu Bai silently retracted his gaze, his posture suddenly sitting straighter, more proper.

Ning Zhou: …What the hell was that about!?

While the few of them were still circling around the topic of Yu Corp, the match on court had reached its climax.

In terms of sheer ability, Garry’s chosen players had the upper hand. But in terms of coordination, Vice Coach Ning’s group—who had insisted on training in units—held a slight advantage.

After five grueling sets, Vice Coach Ning’s team edged out a victory in the final set by a narrow margin, winning the match 3–2.

Nie Feiang shut his eyes tight and sighed. “Lost. Damn it!”

“It’s fine!” Chen Wenyao patted his back, consoling. “Think about it this way—even if our group had won, the stats of any middle blocker playing with Ning Zhou in the same set wouldn’t have looked good…”

Nie Feiang followed the logic and felt much better. “Brother Chen’s right. Damn you, Zhou Zhou!”

Ning Zhou: …

Since when did Nie Feiang start calling him Zhou Zhou too?

After the match, the coaching staff had a brief discussion, then gathered all the players together for a post-game summary. Everyone felt like a feather was tickling them inside, unbearably itchy. They all knew—the real highlight was finally here—The first spot on the national A team. Whose hands would the lucky ticket fall into…?

“You think they’ll pick Ning Zhou as MVP?”

“I think Du Jun’s more likely. After all, the whole coaching staff votes, and Vice Coach Garry and Assistant Coach Hou will definitely favor the scorers!”

“But what if Vice Coach Ning pushes for Ning Zhou?”

“It’d be ironic if Ning Zhou’s the first one to make A team. Just a few days ago, most people were whispering behind his back that he only got in through connections—and soon he’d smack everyone right in the face with it…”

“I don’t mind either way. In the first set, Ning Zhou’s setting was on point. Vice Coach Garry swapped through every middle blocker, but none of them could read Ning Zhou’s passing pattern.”

The fragmented whispers reached Ning Zhou’s ears, sounding like they came from far, far away…

In his past life, Ning Zhou had barely made the A team at all—his name only added to the roster at the very last deadline before the national team’s official formation. At that time, he was one of the hardest-working players in the coaches’ eyes. Could it be that this current “slacker Zhou” actually had a chance to make it into the national team early?

Ning Zhou stared at the floor in a daze, blinking a few times before emptying his head—

Whatever. If he was lucky enough to get into the national team, he’d obediently sit on the bench. If not, he’d just find a job teaching kids how to play volleyball. As long as he could make a living, that was enough…

“Alright then, I’ll announce the best player selected from the group matches!”

Coach Luo unfolded a crumpled sheet of paper, “Based on the stats recorded by the assistant coaches, the coaching staff has decided that in the winning team led by Assistant Coach Ning, the award for best player goes to—Du Jun!”

The entire court went silent for a moment before erupting into warm applause. Everyone congratulated the most senior veteran player, looking at him with admiration and envy…

Ning Zhou clapped with all his might, genuinely happy for Du Jun.

“As expected, they chose an attacker. Picking Du Jun is something almost everyone can accept.”

“Yeah, his scoring efficiency was high—he was basically the top scorer for Ning’s team. He deserves it!”

“Yu Bai and Du Jun scored about the same in the matches. Too bad—if Garry’s team had won, the one directly entering the national team would have been Yu Bai…”

“True. Yu Bai was smashing those balls with everything he had—you could see how much he wanted this opportunity.”

Ning Zhou’s clapping slowed, his ears echoing with Yu Bai’s words—

“If this training camp goes well, I’ll specialize in volleyball from now on.”

If he didn’t make the national team after training camp, would he give up volleyball altogether?

Ning Zhou rose on his tiptoes and tilted his head to look toward Yu Bai’s direction. But a tall teammate blocked his view—he could only see Yu Bai’s pressed lips, carrying a trace of disappointment, but no bitterness…

“Congratulations, Du Jun. From now on, I hope you can, as a senior on the national team, lead everyone in forming a team that keeps progressing!”

Coach Luo said a few formal words, coughed lightly, then smiled in a meaningful way, “As promised before the match, besides entering the first team, Du Jun also has the privilege of choosing which assistant coach’s team he’ll continue training with. Du Jun, do you want to transfer into Assistant Coach Garry’s group, or stay with Assistant Coach Ning’s?”

The team fell into silence, waiting intently for Du Jun’s answer—Garry was a coach brought in by the volleyball association at high cost; everyone was eager to learn different training techniques from him. Ning Xu, meanwhile, was Coach Luo’s old partner, seasoned and experienced.

It was a tough choice…

After a moment of thought, Du Jun flexed his knee, “Since surgery, I’ve been training under Assistant Coach Ning, and my recovery has been good. I’d like to continue with his methods.”

“Alright then, you’ll remain with Assistant Coach Ning. Go back to your team!”

Coach Luo checked the time and raised one hand, “Everyone worked hard today. We’ll dismiss early—rest well this afternoon!”

“Yes, sir!”

…

That afternoon was the first recording session for the variety show Sports Forward. Ning Zhou hesitated for a few seconds about what he should wear, only to realize his closet was full of nothing but sportswear. He casually put on a sporty pullover with three-quarter pants, then stood under the shade outside the gym, waiting for the show’s contact person to pick him up.

Bored, he killed time by doing finger exercises. Out of the corner of his eye, someone stood beside him like a statue—motionless.

“?”

Ning Zhou turned his head. The guy was about two meters tall, most likely a men’s team member from the training camp. A suitcase sat at his side, and his whole body radiated melancholy. Sensing Ning Zhou’s gaze, the guy lowered his head, locking eyes with him. Freckles dotted his nose and cheeks, and combined with his blank stare, he looked almost cute: “…”

Ning Zhou grew so awkward he couldn’t keep doing his finger drills: “Uh… hi. Are you also on the volleyball team? You’re heading home even though it’s only one afternoon off?”

“Yes… no…”

It was hard to imagine such a tall guy speaking so softly—his voice was barely above a whisper.

“I left my withdrawal request on the coach’s desk. I’m preparing to leave for good.”

Ning Zhou tilted his head to listen closely. Once the guy started, he poured it all out in that same low voice, “I’ve played volleyball for so many years, and I’m still useless.

I thought I’d seize my last chance during this morning’s scrimmage, but I blew it again… I don’t have the courage to touch volleyball anymore. Maybe leaving now is the best choice.”

“I see…” Ning Zhou let out a long breath, smiling lightly. “Safe travels, then!”

The guy froze, lips trembling, “You… you’re not going to try to stop me?”

Ning Zhou hadn’t caught it. He leaned closer, “Stop you how?”

“Lots of people tell me to hang in there a little longer…” the guy gripped the handle of his suitcase tighter. “Stuff like, ‘You’ve played for so many years already,’ or, ‘Just endure this training camp and see how it goes’…”

Ning Zhou thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head, “I don’t want to persuade you, and there’s no need to. You must be seeking a life that suits you better—one that can make you happier. If you’ve decided, then go embrace tomorrow!”

He stretched his body and yawned lazily, his smile bright and warm like a sunflower facing the sun, “After leaving the world of volleyball, don’t give yourself too much pressure. Just live healthily and happily!”

“…”

The guy was stunned, his mouth opening but no words coming out. His grip on the suitcase loosened unconsciously…

That sense of ease seemed contagious. The sunflower turned toward the sun, as if saying: Look, the sunlight is shining right down on you!

“I…”

Beep beep—

A car pulled up in front of the training center, honked twice. The variety show staff rolled down the window and waved toward them.

“I’ve got to go!” Ning Zhou jogged forward, waving goodbye. “Bye! See you if fate allows!”

It wasn’t until Ning Zhou’s figure disappeared inside the car that the guy came back to his senses. He dragged his suitcase back and forth in front of the gym for a while—then suddenly dashed inside…

Ning Yang yawned as he fiddled with the serving machine, his prominent ears wiggling slightly with the motion. He waved lazily over his shoulder, “I won’t teach anyone. Go find a coach if you want to learn!”

“Please, Ning Yang!” Xu Zichang clasped his hands together, almost like he was praying. “You’re the best passer I’ve ever seen—please, I’m begging you!”

“No way!” Ning Yang walked to the other half of the court, ignoring him. “I really can’t teach. Just ask any assistant coach, they’d be more reliable than me.”

Xu Zichang looked deflated, his bleached-yellow bangs drooping. He helped Ning Yang start up the serving machine and tossed in a ball. The volleyball rolled down into the device and shot out from the nozzle at over 100 kilometers per hour…

Ning Yang widened his eyes, watching the ball’s spin—

A fist suddenly intercepted it mid-flight, slamming the ball away right in front of Ning Yang. The owner of the fist spoke in a cold, firm tone, “Please teach me how to pass.”

Ning Yang: …

One after another—when will this end!?

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