Chapter 25
“Zhou Zhou! Such a pity you didn’t get the final prize!”
“It doesn’t matter, you already did great. We’re so proud of you!”
As soon as Ning Zhou returned to the dorm, Nie Feiang and Xu Zichang gave him an enthusiastic welcome, pouring water and handing him towels, offering full-on “fan” service like seasoned veterans.
“…Thanks. Don’t you guys have other ways to entertain yourselves?”
“Nothing’s as fun as watching your show!” Nie Feiang said eagerly. “Zhou Zhou, everyone says whenever you’re on camera, you end up creating a new meme.”
Xu Zichang nodded quickly, “You’re blowing up! There are so many haters in the comment feed, and we don’t have the firepower to fight them off. Next time we’ll have to call more people to watch together…”
“No need!”
Ning Zhou couldn’t help but laugh, “Forget the comments. I don’t care what they say.”
Xu Zichang sighed with admiration, “See? Zhou Zhou has the mindset of a true superstar!”
Ning Zhou burst into laughter, “You guys are flattering me to death!”
After some joking around, Nie Feiang poked Ning Zhou sneakily, “Zhou Zhou, did your director agree to my suggestion?”
“You mean about being a special guest?” Ning Zhou explained, “Our contact asked for you. Director Zhang said she does plan to invite special guests, but they at least need to bring some popularity with them.”
Nie Feiang looked a little dejected, but Xu Zichang comforted him, “Just because you’re a complete unknown now doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way. Lots of people will watch the Asian Championships. Maybe you’ll catch some attention.”
“You’re right!” Nie Feiang perked up. “If I do well in the Asian Championships, I can gain fans with my skills! Xu Zichang, Zhou Zhou, let’s all…”
Xu Zichang smacked him hard. Nie Feiang’s enthusiasm dropped like a waterfall when he realized what he’d just said.
He glanced nervously at Ning Zhou’s expression and stammered, “No, I meant to say…”
Ning Zhou smiled casually, picking up his words to smooth things over, “Yeah, let’s all work hard in our matches, and then record a show together afterward!”
“Zhou Zhou…” Nie Feiang and Xu Zichang were moved to the point of wide, tearful puppy-dog eyes.
Afraid they’d get overly sentimental, Ning Zhou quickly waved them away, “We have to report to our new teams tomorrow. Go to bed early!”
Xu Zichang listened and left for his dorm. But Nie Feiang was still full of energy, ignoring the “go rest early” order. Starting with envy over Ning Zhou’s new shoes, he rambled nonstop, even complaining about Assistant Coach Hou…
Ning Zhou gave half-hearted responses, eyelids growing heavy.
“Lucky to have you, Zhou Zhou. If I’d stayed gloomy after being moved to the new group, I don’t know if I’d even get a chance at the Asian Championships…I’m probably just a filler middle blocker, but if I could play even one set, no, even half a set, I’d be satisfied…”
His voice droned on with hopes and dreams as Ning Zhou slipped into drowsiness. Right before sleep overtook him, Ning Zhou thought:
Nie Feiang likes volleyball this much… it was the right choice to pull him in back then.
This time, no quitting volleyball, big guy…
*
The next morning, the two roommates set out on completely different paths.
Half an hour before the official gathering time, Ning Zhou arrived at the training court—only to see several players had beaten him there.
The U21 team was full of 20- and 21-year-olds bursting with energy, practicing fierce spikes early in the morning…
Since the other setters hadn’t arrived yet, the hitters passed to each other, then immediately complained about the terrible sets, arguing while they spiked.
Ning Zhou stretched at the sidelines: …
Tsk, young people…
Seeing the argument heating up, he yawned and strolled onto the court, “Hey, I’m Ning Zhou. I can help set for you guys!”
One hitter glanced at him and said, “I appreciate it, but I want sets I can really spike. You’re a libero, right? Liberos aren’t even allowed to set inside the three-meter line.”
Ning Zhou bounced on his toes, trying to make himself look taller, “Don’t be so quick to refuse. Try hitting a few off me first…”
In the first round, his sets felt standard, nothing special. But by the second round, the hitters all looked at him with new respect, “Brother Ning, we underestimated you as a setter!”
“No problem. Just tell me what kind of set you prefer, and I’ll adjust to fit you.”
Ning Zhou’s looks had already left a good first impression. Add to that his calm, gentle presence, and before long the players were all calling him “Brother Ning.”
The players thought: A rare gentle setter! We’ve got to stay on his good side!
When the U21 head coach finally arrived, Ning Zhou had already figured out most of the hitters’ styles. The coach’s eyes were sharp, but his tone was lifeless, like he carried no enthusiasm, “Gather up. A team thrown together last-minute has nothing worth practicing. No matter what, you’re not going to suddenly build chemistry.”
One player muttered unhappily, “It’s still better than not practicing at all…”
“Spiking like maniacs early in the morning without warming up—if someone gets injured, it’s worse than not practicing.” Hands clasped behind his back, the coach radiated a kind of weary pessimism. “If you have a problem with that, step out. No need to listen to me. Go train by yourselves.”
The players exchanged looks, torn between rebellion and admitting he had a point.
“This old guy’s tone is infuriating! So slow, like he’s mocking us!”
“Just hold it in, he’s right—we forgot to warm up…”
“Weird, why does he look so familiar?”
While they whispered, Ning Zhou’s face flushed with excitement. He blurted out, “Zhang Kang!?”
“…”
The shout was so loud it froze the entire gym. Even a passing janitor poked their head in to see the commotion…
As the rush cooled, Ning Zhou stammered, “I—I mean, hello Coach Zhang…”
Zhang Kang ignored him, giving a light command instead, “Everyone, jog slowly around the court… As for the one who just called out the coach’s full name—come find me alone after practice.”
Ning Zhou: TAT
Less than three minutes after meeting him, he had already gotten himself noticed…
And what’s worse, Zhang Kang was Ning Zhou’s idol—He had been part of the golden generation of Chinese men’s volleyball.
In the team that made back-to-back Olympic Final Four appearances, Ning Zhou’s adoptive father Ning Xu had been the starting libero, while Zhang Kang was the main setter.
In that era when volleyball techniques across the world were still relatively rough, Zhang Kang’s flexible and unpredictable sets had been a lesson to the volleyball world…
When he was a kid, Ning Zhou idolized Ning Xu the most. But after switching to setter, he became “obsessed” with Zhang Kang, often clutching blurry old recordings to study his setting strategies.
Now, getting to call him “Coach” filled Ning Zhou with endless energy. Time to add a new rule to the slacker’s code: Before your idol, everyone is equal—even slackers.
He trained like he was on adrenaline the whole morning, but when it came time to apologize to Zhang Kang afterward, he shrank into a timid ball. Zhang Kang, however, seemed to have forgotten the earlier incident. He didn’t blame him, and instead reminisced, “You must be one of the kids Ning Xu adopted, right? It’s been so long since I last saw him. So? Has that stern face of his changed much, or are his brows still so tight they could squash a fly?”
Ning Zhou thought about it, then nodded seriously, “They probably could.”
Zhang Kang gave a nasal “hmph,” almost like a laugh.
“At least the kid he raised has a bit of a sense of humor. You’re a setter?”
“Yes.” Ning Zhou’s admiring little eyes had nowhere to rest. “There’s so much I’d like to ask you…”
“You should already have my contact info. If you’ve got questions, message me outside training hours. Don’t bother looking for me here—I don’t like these stiff environments.”
After retiring, both Zhang Kang and Ning Xu had been invited to join the coaching staff. But unlike Ning Xu, Zhang Kang hadn’t stayed. He only showed up occasionally as a temporary coach when national team schedules overlapped.
As he spoke, Zhang Kang kept casually tossing a ball with one hand. His ball control was so smooth that the volleyball seemed utterly tamed in his palm.
“When I first got the U21 roster, your name wasn’t on it. I heard you were part of the main training camp. Who’s the head coach there now?”
Ning Zhou blurted out, “Coach Kong.”
“Kong? Kong who?” Zhang Kang caught the ball, frowning in thought. “Did they hire some new coach with the surname Kong?”
Ning Zhou instantly wanted to slap himself, “No, no, I misspoke. It’s Coach Luo.”
Damn, he’d been corrupted by those teammates who always tossed around nicknames…
Zhang Kang froze for a moment, then his expression turned meaningful, “So today’s young players not only dare to call out coaches by full name, they’re even giving them nicknames…”
Ning Zhou winced, “Uh, no, that’s not—”
“That’s the spirit!” Zhang Kang casually lobbed the ball. It landed neatly in the ball cart. “Young people are supposed to be a little rebellious!”
Ning Zhou, who was just about to apologize: ?
Zhang Kang returned to the earlier topic, “I don’t get why your Coach Luo singled you out to come over here…”
His tone was flat, nearly emotionless, as he turned toward the gym exit.
“This U21 batch—every last one of them was picked after he’d already chosen the main training squad. Just the leftovers. What’s his angle, sending you here?”
He muttered to himself, clearly puzzled, and let out a faint sigh.
“Coach Zhang.”
Ning Zhou understood Zhang Kang wasn’t really asking for an answer. Still, he stopped him.
Zhang Kang turned his head, and saw Ning Zhou standing there—neither humble nor arrogant, but with a subtle stubbornness in his words, “Maybe I’m here to prove they’re not just ‘leftovers.’”
The twenty-year-old’s face was still youthful, yet steady and unyielding, like wings not yet grown but already spread wide—protecting his equally young teammates behind him.
Zhang Kang paused, gazing at the scene, his expression momentarily dazed—Because once, at twenty, that had been him. When passion still burned bright, and teammates still stood by his side.
A genuine sigh escaped him, “Ning Xu raised a fine setter…”
Ning Zhou shook his hands quickly, “My setting still has many flaws!”
“It’s not about the setting.” A smile tugged at Zhang Kang’s lips. “Those brats don’t even listen to me, yet after one morning with you they’re all calling you ‘brother.’ That kind of cohesion—that’s what makes a true setter.”
Ning Zhou was stunned, embarrassed by the praise. This time, when Zhang Kang turned away, his steps were lighter than before.
“I’ll be waiting to see it, Ning Zhou. Use those so-called ‘scraps’ well, and make your Coach Luo regret not choosing them! Hahaha…”
Since meeting him, this was the loudest laugh Zhang Kang had given. Ning Zhou didn’t fully understand, but he put the ball cart away, tidied the court, and finally left.
Buzz buzz!
His phone vibrated twice. Opening it, Ning Zhou saw Zhang Kang had created a group chat for the U21 players. The group name, “Not Leftovers, Not Rejects”
Zhang Kang, “I’ll post the schedule and training plan here. The tournament’s tight—no absences allowed.”
“Got it, Coach Zhang… Just curious, does the group name have anything to do with volleyball?”
Zhang Kang, “No. Just wanted to stress that you’re not rejects, that’s all.”
Ning Zhou’s eyelid twitched. If you split the words up like that, doesn’t it look even worse than calling us rejects!?
Coach Zhang’s sense of humor was… bizarre.
Resisting the urge to rename the chat, Ning Zhou opened the schedule.
Since there weren’t many teams in the U21 World Championship, including training, travel, and matches, the whole thing would only take a little over two weeks.
Which meant he’d miss two episodes of Sport Forward!
Director Zhang had been understanding of active athletes from the start, even writing “time-off flexibility” into Ning Zhou’s contract. But in a rising career, reducing screen exposure meant slowing momentum. So when Director Zhang received Ning Zhou’s leave request, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. She gave Ning Zhou one condition: during his leave, he had to post more on Weibo—at least two posts.
Two posts. Astronomical…
Ning Zhou never expected that even asking for leave came with a KPI. He scratched his head in distress. Since registering his account, he had only posted two times in total—one of which was just a repost. Not wanting to waste too many brain cells, he simply logged in, typed a few words, and sent it out:
“Ning Zhou Not Taken: Going to participate in the U21 World Championship, taking leave for two episodes. /fist/”
Director Zhang quickly appeared in the comments: “I told you to post two times during leave, and you’re using this to count? You must have majored in Fooling People Studies. /smile/”
“Ning Zhou Not Taken: Hehe, KPI progress bar at 50%! /peace sign/”
Below the thread was a neat row of “hhh”s…
After laughing, people began to discuss the content of Ning Zhou’s post:
[Go Ning Zhou! First competition and it’s the World Championship, amazing!]
[Just to clarify, the U21 World Championship isn’t the same as the World Championship the senior national team plays in—it’s the Youth Championship.]
[Still, he’s representing China, doesn’t that make him part of the national team?]
[Not really. The newly formed first team is going to the Asian Championship. I looked at the U21 roster—it’s all players who don’t get much attention. The rising stars are on the Asian Championship squad.]
[China’s men’s volleyball badly needs to improve its world ranking. That’s important for qualifying and seeding in the big three tournaments. That’s why the top players were sent to the World Championship to earn ranking points…]
[Got it. So Ning Zhou hasn’t reached the first team level yet.]
[He’s fun to watch on variety shows though. Good-looking and talented. Seems like his side career is hotter than his main career.]
[When God opens one door, He closes a window…]
[Doesn’t matter. He’s already excellent. If I can’t support him as an athlete, I’ll just support him as a screen idol!]
…
Recently, Ning Zhou’s popularity had been rising quickly, which also attracted haters who clung to the fact he was only in the U21 squad, mocking his poor volleyball performance everywhere.
Online undercurrents surged, but Ning Zhou’s mindset was steady as a mountain. He hardly logged into his own account, so the haters’ words never reached his ears. Even if he heard them, he had no time to bother—preparations before the competition were too busy.
Zhang Kang, with a firm hand, handed the team captain title to Ning Zhou. On one side, he had to coordinate and pass down messages from the coaching staff. On the other, his teammates were always calling “Brother Ning, Brother Ning.” Ning Zhou spun around like a top, living a life of “elders above, juniors below.”
“Brother Ning, how much longer do I have to practice this? I don’t want to anymore!”
“Yeah, Brother Ning, let’s practice combos. If I don’t spike, my palms are itching.”
“Brother Ning~ Captain Ning~”
The attackers lined up against the wall, practicing bumping, thighs sore and complaining endlessly.
Captain Ning, stern-faced, “No. Your fundamentals are too weak!”
Teammates: Where’s the promised gentle setter!?
He walked over to one teammate, tapped his wrist, “Don’t let your wrist go loose.”
“Brother Ning, my arms are so sore I can’t hold them tight anymore, can we switch—”
“Endure it!”
With the mentality of a 25-year-old, Ning Zhou looked at them like juniors, moving to each player to give pointers, “Your center of gravity is still too high, lower your waist a bit more…”
The player obeyed, bending lower. Ning Zhou wrapped both hands around his waist from behind to support, “Tighten your core!”
The player, ticklish, twisted like a water snake, miscontrolled the bump, and the ball rebounded straight into his own face…
The teammates burst into laughter, abandoning practice, whipping out phones to record the unlucky guy clutching his face.
Ning Zhou stepped back, smiling, “Well, that’s it—now you’ve got even less energy to practice, huh…!”
Suddenly, a cold chill spread behind him. His smile froze. He turned his head—Yu Bai stood by the entrance of the training hall, half-leaning on the wall, expression unreadable.
“Yu Bai?”
Ning Zhou greeted the coach quickly, then jogged over to Yu Bai, voice unconsciously lighter:
“Yu Bai, when did you get here?”
“When you were touching that kid’s waist…”
“……” Ning Zhou choked, pressed his lips together. “I wasn’t. I was correcting his form.”
“You practically hugged him!” Yu Bai’s eyes drooped, grievance almost spilling over…
Ning Zhou looked up. Hearing such words from a short-haired ace spiker in that clear, cold voice—it felt out of character, “What did you actually come here for?”
Yu Bai wrinkled his nose, averted his eyes, sulking, “I tried that laundry detergent you mentioned, but it doesn’t smell the same as you… Which shampoo do you use?”
Ning Zhou froze, staring at him in a daze for a few seconds, question marks floating over his head:
“You ran all the way across several training halls during practice time just to ask me this?”
Yu Bai’s gaze wavered, accidentally met Ning Zhou’s eyes, and like being pricked by a needle, he straightened up stiffly, eyes darting past Ning Zhou’s head to somewhere else, “…Yeah.”
Ning Zhou sighed, glanced at the crooked tape on Yu Bai’s finger, and felt a pang of softness. He told him the shampoo brand, “…The body wash is the same brand too. Don’t come all the way here just for this.”
Yu Bai silently memorized it. Not far away, Ning Zhou’s U21 teammates were sneaking glances, looking ready to rush over and protect their setter.
Yu Bai’s face sank further, even more upset, “Zhou Zhou, tell your coach—I want to play U21 too.”
“What? Yu Bai, get a grip!” Ning Zhou said helplessly. “You’re already 22…”
Even Yu Bai’s breathing halted for a moment, his face full of stifled frustration.
Ning Zhou smiled faintly, a little resigned, “What happened? Are things not going well in training with everyone?”
Yu Bai slowly shook his head, then in a very low voice said, “Tomorrow, I have to get on the plane…”
Ning Zhou paused for a moment. “So soon? Our flight isn’t until three days later.”
Yu Bai seemed deflated and didn’t reply. Seeing him like this, Ning Zhou suddenly had an idea. He tiptoed and said, “Yu Bai, lower your head.”
Yu Bai did as told, and Ning Zhou patted his head…
“Good luck in the tournament. To be able to represent the national team at just 22 years old, and even as a starter! I’m so envious of you! Remember to rely on Brother Du and the others, don’t just charge in blindly, and don’t get hurt…”
Yu Bai’s hair was stiff and coarse, making Ning Zhou’s palm itch.
The texture was like a rough wool sweater. Ning Zhou only left his hand there for a few seconds before withdrawing it. Yu Bai appeared calm, but his eyes were locked on Ning Zhou’s retreating hand.
He adjusted his breathing a few times. “Y…you…you too, good luck.”
As soon as he finished, he practically bolted out of the training hall, leaving only a gust of wind in his wake. Ning Zhou blinked in confusion.
“?”
Still puzzled, Ning Zhou returned to training. The U21 teammates immediately crowded over, prying for answers, “Brother Ning, was that player just now someone training with you?”
“When he looked over coldly just now, it was terrifying. I thought some gangster came to collect debt from you…”
“What position does he play? If he’s that good-looking, there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed him in the league.”
“His name is Yu Bai. He’s an outside hitter.”
Ning Zhou pushed the curious crowd away. “I don’t need to say much. You’ll remember him soon enough.”
“What do you mean?”
Ning Zhou thought for a moment, then gave a mysterious smile.
“After the Asian Championship, everyone in China who follows men’s volleyball will know who he is…”
Ning Zhou successfully played the prophet. In just half a month, the name “Yu Bai” spread like wildfire among Chinese volleyball fans and even trended online, unstoppable:
#After the golden generation, men’s volleyball finally welcomes a new star#
#Averaging 17 points, rookie overturns the tide in his first international tournament#
#Yu Bai — can this super outside hitter change the awkward situation of Chinese men’s volleyball?#
Drawn in by these headlines, fans joined the wave of following the Asian Championship. Group stage, semifinals, finals…This newly assembled national team fought all the way into the finals, where they would face Asia’s number-one ranked R Country for the championship.
On the day of the final, word spread that men’s volleyball had a handsome new top-tier star. Even casual viewers who never watched volleyball clicked into the livestream—Bulging veins on spiking arms, the sudden tightening of his waist and core, the sculpted muscles under his uniform shorts…
Yu Bai’s explosive spikes looked as if chiseled out of marble, hormones practically spilling out of the screen. His jump height and hang time were among the best in the tournament. And since he was a newcomer, the opponents hadn’t studied him, making it hard to block or defend against him.
However, he was the only scoring point for China’s team…The other players had already been on the world stage for a long time. Whether it was Shao Qiu’s setting patterns, or the spiking routes of Du Jun and Chen Wenyao, R Country had studied them thoroughly.
Even when Coach Luo rotated in the backup setter, Xu Zichang, and new players like Nie Feiang, it made no difference. With only a single scoring option against R Country’s multi-pronged attack, China lost 1–3 in a close but clear defeat.
[Ugh, I thought with that powerful spiker we could win…]
[Their passing is way too fast, they organize attacks instantly, there’s no way to block it!]
[Why don’t we have a fast setter?]
[Shao Qiu’s sets were good, but the opponent knows his rhythm too well. The backup setter was just awful!]
[Exactly, what a waste of his height. Slow, predictable sets—I don’t even play volleyball and I could tell where he was going to set…]
[Sigh, Chinese men’s volleyball really is still third-rate globally.]
[If we get crushed in Asia like this, we’ll just embarrass ourselves in world tournaments. /grimace/]
[The only silver lining is discovering Yu Bai. With him, at least we can stop our world ranking from sinking further…]
Amidst the criticism, the hashtag #Men’s Volleyball wins Asian Championship silver medal# appeared low on the trending list.
At the same time, Ning Zhou’s fans saw his update:
“Ning Zhou Not Taken: Mission of posting two Weibo updates completed (2/2). Thanks to my teammates, thanks to my coaches, and thanks to everyone who supported us! [Image]”
The picture showed Ning Zhou and his teammates, each wearing a medal around their necks, smiling brightly. Fans who had just come over from the trending page left comments to comfort him:
[It’s okay, Ning Zhou. Even though you lost to R Country, you guys already did great!]
[Wait? I remember Ning Zhou wasn’t on the Asian Championship roster. Back then people were mocking him for that…]
[/shocked/ What!? Then the medal in that photo is from…]
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