I Really Am Just a Substitute – CH29

Chapter 29

“Lower your head, bring your ear closer…”

Ning Zhou whispered a few words into Song Hanrun’s ear, giving his suggestion.

After listening, Song Hanrun was surprised, “That’s it? You’re not asking me to hit a cross shot?”

Ning Zhou shrugged his neck, “You spike however you want. How attackers choose to attack is your freedom—it’s not for the setter to control.”

Just like Ning Zhou himself. Even if others forced him to dive-roll during a match, physically he simply couldn’t do it. If he pushed Song Hanrun too hard, he’d only turn him into the Ning Zhou of his past life…

*

“What do you think those two are scheming?”

Zhang Kang was very curious about Ning Zhou and Song Hanrun’s whispers, probing the people around him for opinions.

Chen Wenyao transformed into “the impatient king”, “Don’t stop me, I’m going to sneak over and listen!”

“…,” Du Jun caught the hint, blocking him lightly. “They’ve probably come up with a counter-strategy.”

Coach Luo rubbed his fingers along his pants seam, tilting his face toward Shao Qiu, “You’re a setter too. What’s your take?”

“Those last two balls both drew single blocks. As far as the setter’s responsibility, that’s already mission accomplished.

I don’t understand that opposite hitter. A cross shot would’ve scored—why can’t an opposite hitter at training-camp level read the court properly?”

Coach Luo pondered for a moment, then pressed further, “If you were the setter on court now, what would you say to that opposite?”

Shao Qiu’s voice was steady, almost cold, “‘Whoever scores steadily, I’ll set to them. I’ll have to reduce your touches.’”

Zhang Kang snapped his fingers, “Agreed. I was a setter too. I wouldn’t let go of a powerhouse like Yu Bai. Honestly, just setting every ball to him would win the game.”

Coach Luo smiled deeper, “Mm. If the seven-man team had been assigned a coach before the match, the coach would almost certainly have told Ning Zhou the same thing…”

As they spoke, the next rally began. Having just scored off a block and kept serve, the training squad was full of confidence, their serves more aggressive.

Yu Bai struggled to receive, shanking the ball into the air above position four. A poor pass—this ruined the seven-man team’s chance to run a quick.

Normally, in this situation, the setter would choose to bump high, letting the outside hitter at position four swing a broken play.

The training squad’s middle blocker read it early, running toward Yu Bai’s side even before Ning Zhou touched the ball…

At least two blockers for position four. Not only the training squad thought this way—Yu Bai was also convinced the ball was his. He stepped back a few paces, clearing space for Ning Zhou to bump, already preparing his approach for a strong swing.

The entire court seemed to fall into a set routine. The “volleyball system” in everyone’s minds told them what would happen next; they just needed to run the program.

Step one: Setter Ning Zhou runs to the shanked pass.
Step two: While moving, Ning Zhou insists on using overhead hands and backsets to position two.
Step three…

Wait! A backset to position two!?

As the ball flew toward Song Hanrun, the court and the stands alike went silent.

Because Ning Zhou, this “bug,” had broken the code of the program…

“Huh!?”

Chen Wenyao exclaimed, “Three times in a row to position two? And after the opposite got blocked the last two times!?”

Shao Qiu’s face twitched in disbelief, “With an outside like Yu Bai—Asia Championship’s Best Outside!—he ignores him again and again, just to set a useless one!?”

Ning Xu’s brow furrowed deeply, “Why does Zhou Zhou trust that opposite so much? An opposite who can’t even break a single block—how could he handle a broken play?”

Assistant Coach Hou shook his head repeatedly, “Hopeless. Ning Zhou is gambling the whole team’s win-loss record with this behavior!”

In the stands, except for two people, no one believed in this set…

Coach Luo and Zhang Kang exchanged glances, both startled by what they saw—Ning Zhou had used overhead hands!

Overhead setting is faster and more precise; it’s the setter’s natural choice. But with a shanked pass, setters usually resort to bump setting—just get it in the general area and let the hitter handle the rest.

Yu Bai’s pass had gone way off. Ning Zhou had to cover nearly the whole court. Just managing to bump it up and keep the play alive would’ve been enough.

But Ning Zhou, mid-run, twisted into an awkward body position—and still chose to set with hands overhead…

That one ball showed Ning Zhou’s volleyball foundation far surpassed that of a typical twenty-year-old.

Beyond his foundation, what shocked Coach Luo and Zhang Kang even more—Ning Zhou was seriously organizing the offense.

Not going through the motions, not choosing the least-worst option—but doing everything possible to protect the attack, to patch over the broken pass.

In him, they could see a kind of obsession: Even if all he could do was tear a one-millimeter gap in the block, he would still attempt it without hesitation…

Zhang Kang gave a derisive laugh, “Ning Zhou looks like a little old man off the court, calm and laid-back in a way that doesn’t fit his age. But the moment he steps on the court, the madness in his bones can’t be hidden.”

Coach Luo teased, “See a bit of your younger self in him?”

“At my peak I wouldn’t have dared set such a reckless ball,” Zhang Kang said with a pout. “Though… didn’t Ning Zhou set this one too short?”

The ball that should’ve landed by the antenna seemed to lose power, beginning to drop before reaching its destination…

If it fell too quickly, the hitter wouldn’t be able to spike—he’d only be able to tip it over.

Luckily, Song Hanrun was very experienced.

During his approach he already saw the ball was short, so he adjusted his stride and direction. At takeoff, he chased it instantly, contacting the ball before it fell too low…

The blocker on the other side, still jumping right by the antenna: Huh??

Song Hanrun brushed the edge of the blocker’s arm and unleashed his straight-line swing—finally scoring the point…

“Perfectly offsetting the block’s position!” Coach Luo exclaimed in amazement.

Zhang Kang’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me Ning Zhou meant to set it short, coordinating with the opposite hitter to crash a quick short ball?”

“They’ve only known each other a few days. I’ve never seen them practice any tactical plays together!”

Coach Luo puffed at his bangs, frowning. “With that kind of difficult body position, Ning Zhou couldn’t have delivered a precise short-on-purpose. I’d guess it was just coincidence…”

15:15

19:16

25:19

…

Starting from that “coincidence” ball, the Seven-Man Team seemed to have unlocked their inner potential, pulled ahead, and cleanly took the second set.

Coach Luo and Zhang Kang exchanged bewildered looks, “So it wasn’t a coincidence?”

“…Shall we watch another set just to be sure?”

In the third set, the Training Team completely lost their ability to resist, stuck in a rotation right from the start. (Stuck in rotation = consecutive point losses preventing proper rotation)

Song Hanrun’s offense was completely unleashed.

Ning Zhou would now and then feed him a short ball, relying on Song Hanrun’s strong adaptability, even daring to vary the back-row attacks.

The defenders tasked with blocking Song Hanrun couldn’t touch his down-the-line spikes. When they called in the middle blocker for help, Ning Zhou seized the gap at position three and kept dishing out quicks instead…

The Training Team’s block was reduced to decoration, leaving them gnashing their teeth in frustration.

What broke them even more was that, once Song Hanrun’s scoring percentage shot up, his confidence soared.

Service aces, block points—even his defense was steadier than a typical opposite hitter…

With Song Hanrun, Ning Zhou, Ning Yang, plus the two outside hitters, their defense was airtight.

The Training Team had never faced such sticky defense before. Their spikes simply wouldn’t land, and the attackers practically wanted to howl at the sky:

Why does it feel like the entire other side is made of liberos!?

It’s normal for outside hitters to be all-around and strong defensively, but what kind of team has an opposite and a setter digging every heavy spike like madmen!?

Song Hanrun and Ning Zhou.

The two people the Training Team most wanted to crush were instead eating them alive with overwhelming skill…

Couldn’t beat them in play, couldn’t even match them as people.

“The Training Team has already been humbled,” Zhang Kang raised a brow, asking Coach Luo, “So your purpose in organizing this scrimmage has been achieved, right?”

Ning Xu cut in, “Exactly. By settling it with a match, the cut Training Team players can finally accept Coach Luo’s selections.”

Assistant Coach Hou suddenly pulled out his little notebook, scribbling furiously, “I see now. Crushing rivals directly in play is the most efficient way to silence doubts…”

“I did want the players convinced, but not crushed.”

Catching the edge in Hou’s tone, Coach Luo straightened, voice grave with authority, “Ning Zhou and Song Hanrun—the two selected players—shine just as brightly even among a team of full first-squad members. I simply wanted everyone to see that.”

Hou fell silent, his pen pausing before pressing down even harder…

Beep—

No suspense at all: the Seven-Man Team won the third set, taking the match 3–0.

The result was as everyone expected, but the process turned out quite differently—The supposedly game-carrying star Yu Bai lost his dominance, while late additions Ning Zhou and Song Hanrun burned the brightest.

The friendly match came to an end.

Chen Wenyao’s expression was complicated, “For some reason, even though those brats won, I still feel like punching them…”

Du Jun chuckled, “Looks like we’ll be welcoming two new teammates.”

“…” Shao Qiu’s gaze sank heavily onto Ning Zhou. He muttered under his breath, “Backup setter…”

“?”

Sensing someone’s eyes on him, Ning Zhou glanced around. Too many people crowded the sideline, so he couldn’t pinpoint who it was. He just went on celebrating the victory with the Seven-Man Team.

“Awesome!” Nie Feiang shouted to the sky, spraying spit everywhere. “My quicks are unstoppable today!”

Ning Yang looked disgusted, “Gross. You’re so tall you’re basically doing artificial rainfall.”

Nie Feiang shut his mouth fast, terrified of being kicked out of the group chat, and gulped hard.

“Your quicks only work because Zhou Zhou’s setting is good,” Xu Zichang bragged. “My points are the real essence—the kind you can put in the volleyball history books!”

Song Hanrun looked like he wanted praise but didn’t dare say it out loud.

Amused, Ning Zhou went around and complimented everyone—naturally skipping right over Yu Bai…

The fun was theirs. Yu Bai had nothing at all. _gif_

Ning Yang cringed on Yu Bai’s behalf, awkwardly changing the subject, “Did you notice the coaching staff? They’ve been discussing nonstop, and a few even took notes. They must be very pleased with Zhou Zhou and Song Hanrun.”

“!” Xu Zichang slapped his thigh, belated realization dawning. “So that’s why they set up the friendly match!”

Nie Feiang caught on too, “Does this mean Zhou Zhou is going to the first squad!? Oh my god, I get to keep being Zhou Zhou’s roommate!”

Yu Bai looked up, “Roommate?”

“You wish, big dummy!” Ning Yang snorted twice. “If I hadn’t joined the training camp a few days late, you never would’ve gotten to room with Zhou Zhou. This time for sure, they’ll assign us together!”

Xu Zichang grinned, “Or maybe we all live in one room, make it lively!”

“No way. First squad dorms are all singles.”

Several pairs of eyes turned toward Ning Zhou, “How do you know that, Zhou Zhou?”

Ning Zhou: …

Damn. He’s not supposed to know that yet.

“I just guessed. Official national team members should have better conditions, right…” Ning Zhou mumbled vaguely.

“Fair point. Captain Du Jun and the others lived in the first squad dorms before. We can just ask them.”

Nie Feiang and Xu Zichang, excited, dashed straight toward the sideline.

Du Jun and the others were discussing how to welcome the new first-squad members.

“See? They came to us right after the match!” Chen Wenyao was moved. “They must want our help reviewing the game. Such hardworking, motivated juniors—I take back wanting to punch them!”

Shao Qiu and Du Jun were also gratified, “Yes, very eager to learn.”

But “Nie the Eager” and “Xu the Eager,” under their seniors’ expectant eyes, blurted out bluntly—

“After joining the first team, do we move into shared dorms?”

“……”

Du Jun wanted to slap himself from a minute ago. Gritting his teeth, he snapped, “Why are you worrying about useless stuff right after a match? Go review the game with your teammates!”

Nie Feiang and Xu Zichang drooped in response, then turned their heads—only to find no one there.

“…Where are our teammates?”

*

Yu Bai gripped Ning Zhou’s wrist, pulling him out of the court to a quiet corner.

“Zhou Zhou, don’t be mad.”

Ning Zhou pulled his hand free. “You promised Coach Kong before: if you fight again, you’ll be disciplined. What if this fight causes trouble for you?”

Yu Bai looked a little wronged, his eyes flicking toward Ning Zhou’s arm. “I just think when facing deliberate provocation, you should respond with physical intensity.”

“Even if it’s basketball, physical contact doesn’t mean throwing punches…”

Yu Bai lowered his gaze slightly, not denying it.

Ning Zhou realized how naïve his earlier thinking had been.

He had believed that if you pulled a lone wolf into a pack, it would learn to live socially.
But a lone wolf’s instincts are hard to change—it’s used to solving problems alone, guarding its food and territory with the law of the jungle. It ignores the rules of the pack.

In his previous life, Yu Bai had been even more stubborn than now.

At home, any player who crossed him got “taught a lesson.”
In international games, he never held back—if an opponent mouthed off, he went straight at them. Yellow cards, red cards—he collected them all.

Half his online presence was fans, half haters. For every person who admired his strength, there was one calling him violent.
The national team and the Yu family had to suppress much of the backlash for him.

In that past life, Ning Zhou rarely interacted with him. He was indifferent, only quietly envying this peer who had become China’s undisputed core.

But now Ning Zhou couldn’t just ignore it.

“Yu Bai, in my heart, volleyball is a very gentle sport.”

Ning Zhou lifted his hands in front of him, staring at his own fingers.

“Every touch of the ball carries the belief of the person before.
When the setter touches it, he feels ‘the outside hitter worked so hard to receive that serve.’
When the spiker hits, he feels ‘the setter trusts me to finish this ball.’
When defending, you understand ‘the opponent is desperate to score’…”

As he spoke, Ning Zhou slowly curled his fingers into a fist.

“So don’t play with malice. The other side really can feel it.”

He looked up, seeing Yu Bai listening intently, and his heart softened.

“Just focus on playing during matches. Handle personal grudges off the court, okay?”

Yu Bai’s attention, however, was fixed on the tiny mole on Ning Zhou’s ring finger, delicate enough to hold his gaze…

Only when the mole disappeared into the closed fist did Yu Bai return to himself.

“Okay.”

He didn’t know if volleyball was gentle, but its owner surely was.

Ning Zhou: …

Why did it feel like all his words had gone to waste?

“I’ll take that as a promise!” Ning Zhou sighed. “No fighting during games. And don’t spike straight at people either.”

“Not even in today’s situation?” A flash of hostility lit Yu Bai’s pupils. “That guy clawed at your arm—he knew you were the setter. What if he injured your hand?”

Ning Zhou raised a brow. “Yu Bai, do you think I’m a bun in a steamer basket? Just sitting there waiting to be bullied?”

Yu Bai hesitated a second, then shook his head.

“You actually paused to think!?” Ning Zhou fumed. “The most effective way to crush a pro is by winning with a big score! That was my plan!”

Yu Bai stepped closer. “I was wrong… Can you set for me like before?”

“Sure, as long as you trust your teammates.” Ning Zhou sidestepped. “Trust that together, we can face down the opponent.”

Yu Bai’s expression dimmed, and he murmured faintly in reply…

“Oh, right!”

A scene flashed in Ning Zhou’s mind, and he blurted out, “That spike you aimed at the guy—wasn’t the angle a two-straight? (Between a line shot and a cross-court)”

Yu Bai tried recalling, but failed. “It was the direction he was standing…”

“Then it must be!” Ning Zhou’s eyes sparkled. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you hit a two-straight! Were you saving it as a trump card for critical moments?”

Yu Bai: ?

Ning Zhou’s smile froze. “…Wait. Don’t tell me—you don’t even know what shots you can hit?”

Yu Bai’s dark eyes looked innocent. “Coach taught me all the lines.”

“Huh?” Ning Zhou was stunned. “So you can hit more than just power-line spikes? Why never use them before?”

When spiking, the strongest direction is the power line—usually cross-court, where it’s easiest to put your full strength.

The more Ning Zhou thought, the stranger it seemed. “But your power line is always right into the middle blocker’s high block! If their timing is sharp, you’d get stuffed every time. You should mix up your lines depending on the block!”

Yu Bai grew awkward, explaining slowly, “Setters prefer giving the ball to hitters who can slam it down hard…”

“Who told you that? That’s not true!”

Ning Zhou laughed. “I like setting to whoever scores. Whether it’s a powerful spike, a tip, or even a libero’s emergency save—it’s still one point.”

He imagined Yu Bai expanding his range of shots: sometimes dodging the block with precision, sometimes smashing through with sheer force.

If Yu Bai could evolve to that stage, China’s scoring power would double!

“Zhou Zhou—”

Nie Feiang’s shout broke Ning Zhou’s train of thought. He came running, gasping for breath.

“Zhou Zhou, why’d you hide in this corner? And without your phone—I ran around the whole training hall to find you! Huff… puff…”

“What is it?”

“You think I’m sprinting laps for fun?” Nie Feiang shoved his own phone into Ning Zhou’s arms. “See for yourself. I’m catching my breath first, huff…”

Ning Zhou focused his gaze and saw the explosive video title, “Conflict Within the Men’s Volleyball Team — Popular Variety Show Star Leads a Brawl”

Leads a brawl!?

Ning Zhou instinctively turned to Yu Bai and asked, “Do you have a nickname like ‘Variety Show Star’?”

“No one on the men’s team has been on a variety show except you!” Nie Feiang cut in quickly. “Zhou Zhou, they’re talking about you!”

Ning Zhou froze. “Me? Leading a brawl?”

…Absolutely absurd.

Ning Zhou and Yu Bai huddled over the phone and watched the video.

The footage was shaky and unstable, the camera swinging everywhere, barely showing a messy group of people gathered on the volleyball court.

It was indeed the scene from the friendly match — the argument about replaying the game, the moment Yu Bai shoved the blocking player.

In the comments, a tech-savvy user posted a screenshot with a clear enhanced version:

“Confirmed — definitely a fight. [Image]”

In the picture, Yu Bai had one arm locked tightly around the blocker’s arm, specifically targeting the fleshy parts while throwing punches. The blocker’s face was twisted in pain as he tried to wriggle away, while the surrounding players struggled to pull them apart…

Casual viewers were shocked:
[Clickbait title — this isn’t a brawl. This is a buzz cut guy single-handedly dominating!]

[Holy crap, look at those muscles. One punch from him could knock out five of me…]

[The guy isn’t dead, right?]

[I rewatched carefully — the buzz cut guy only caused bruises, no serious hits.]

[So, which one is the so-called ‘variety show star’? The buzz cut guy or the one getting beat up?]

[Grabbing a seat for the drama — whether hitting or being hit, this is blackmail material either way!]

[Even from the side angle, the guy throwing punches is really handsome! His features are so sharp — he must be the star?]

As speculation grew, a fan with Ning Zhou’s tag timidly commented:
[Sorry to interrupt, but the one hugging someone from behind, trying to break up the fight… looks like Ning Zhou…]

[Huh?]

Everyone zoomed in on the picture as far as possible, finally spotting Ning Zhou in the gap, desperately trying to pull people apart.

[I filtered for someone looking ‘ferocious’ and ‘menacing’ — and the answer is… that skinny little guy?]

[Ning Zhou is actually 178 cm, with decent muscles. It’s just… in a lineup of ‘giants,’ he looks small. /facepalm/]

[Found him! Used a magnifying glass and saw him — pale and honestly kinda cute.]

[Was Ning Zhou really in the brawl? Did he hit anyone?]

[Didn’t see him throwing punches. Midway, he ran in to grab the fighter, hugging him tight, and in the end, the fighter just lifted him away with one hand…]

[What!? The so-called ringleader got carried out single-handedly? /scratches head/]

As the comment section grew increasingly chaotic, Ning Zhou tried to refresh for updates, but suddenly — the video disappeared.

It must have been taken down by the volleyball association.

Fortunately, the video hadn’t attracted much attention and didn’t cause a major stir.

T Country — Men’s National Volleyball Team, Coach’s Office

The assistant coach handed over the compiled data. “Head coach, here’s the Chinese men’s national team roster for the Nations League. Compared to before, there are a few new members.”

The head coach flipped through a few pages, stopping at Yu Bai’s profile, “I watched the Asian Championship footage. There’s only one Chinese player we need to watch — this young outside hitter with world-class athletic ability.”

“But,” he added, “his performance is inconsistent, so the Chinese team as a whole isn’t that scary.”

The assistant pointed to the pages for Ning Zhou and Song Hanrun, which were almost blank, containing virtually no information.

“Coach, should we research them? There’s barely any data…”

The head coach glanced briefly at their photos. “They haven’t played in international matches?”

“The 20-year-old played at this year’s U21 World Championship and won Best Setter.”

“No need to study him.”

The coach waved impatiently.

“Just the junior championship — means nothing. And look at that face, soft and delicate. A typical weak-looking Asian player. Studying him is a waste of time.”

Flipping back to Yu Bai’s profile, the coach emphasized, “Focus everything on this guy! Analyze the Asian Championship footage until it’s worn out!”

“Understood.”

“Once we’ve compiled a full analysis on this outside hitter, the Chinese team won’t be a threat.”