I Really Am Just a Substitute – CH31

Chapter 31

“The final round of Sports Forward! is about to begin. Today’s challenge: a figure skating performance to a designated piece of music.”

As the PD read the rules, the athletes lined up, leaving Tong Rong to perform last — the highlight of the show.

[So the only rule is the music? Everything else is freestyle? Not even the movements are set?]
[Makes sense. Ning Zhou and the others can barely skate, let alone do jumps and spins…]
[Ning Zhou has a 10-point base score. Is that a big advantage in figure skating?]
[In professional competitions, yes, that’s a huge lead.]
[But this show? Scores depend entirely on the director’s mood. /doge/]

As netizens predicted, the scoring was completely arbitrary.

Yu Tong skated decently, spinning a few times, but only got a pitiful 15 points.

Zeng Yunsheng fell on his butt twice, but the directors awarded him 17 points.

Reason for the score, “Strong artistic expression and the spirit of not fearing failure and starting over.”

Yu Tong frowned.
“So, if I crawl across the ice, will I get 18 points for showing determination and resilience?”

Laughter erupted around the rink. Ning Zhou shot her a pitiful look, and Yu Tong quickly clarified,
“I wasn’t talking about you, Ning Zhou!”

The laughter grew louder.

Ning Zhou’s sharp eyesight and volleyball skills were no help on the ice. He also got a “sympathy score” in the teens.

Finally, Tong Rong took the ice, striking her opening pose — light and graceful as a butterfly. She wasn’t wearing a costume like in competitions, but her expression carried the same gravity.

The music spilled across the rink, butterflies dancing to its rhythm. The chosen track was unusual. Instead of building to a climax near the end, its peak was in the first half — a lavish brilliance that faded into a lonely, somber tone.

Tong Rong couldn’t tell if she was skating the routine or skating her own life. With the music’s final heavy note, she knelt on the ice, her thin costume no barrier against the cold, her ending pose a solitary figure captured in the camera’s frame. At that moment, her emotions surged, crashing over the audience.

Many viewers unfamiliar with figure skating suddenly understood what “artistic expression” truly meant.

[This is the first time I’ve seen her skate since she retired, and she still has this level of performance.]
[Athletes endure so much pain we can’t even imagine. Not just Tong Rong — thousands of them do.]
[Back then, when the ‘genius girl’ appeared at the Winter Olympics, I screamed at my TV. I’m screaming again now. /crying/]

“OHHH——!”

Yu Tong and Zeng Yunsheng turned into the cheer squad, whistling and shouting:

“Tong Rong, you crushed us rookies!”
“One hundred points! One hundred points!”

The directors, “scoring by mood,” exchanged glances and, encouraged by the hype, gave her a perfect 100.

Tong Rong shot to first place with an overwhelming lead. Heart still racing, she rushed to the edge of the rink, hugging each teammate in turn.

When she hugged Ning Zhou, his voice, warm and teasing, brushed her ear, “Did you hear that? They’re calling you ‘Tong Rong,’ not ‘the genius.’”

“Mhm!” Tong Rong tightened her arms around him. “Feels oddly freeing to lose that title, hahaha!”

[They look so good together! That hug is pure harmony, 10/10!]
[Did you know the perfect hugging height ratio is 1.12 times your own height? /thinking/]
[Checked: Ning Zhou is 178cm, Tong Rong is 159cm… Wow, exactly 1.12 times!]
[Same! My height ratio with Ning Zhou is also 1.12 times.]
[Wait, you’re 159 too?]
[No, I’m taller than him.]
[… /sweats/]
[Please. At 178, 1.12 times means you’re 199cm. No way.]
[Yep.]
[LMAO. If you’re 1.99m, then I’m 3m tall!]
[Bro, are you like one meter tall but rounding up to two? At 199 cm you could play volleyball!]
[Judging by his tone, maybe he’s even Ning Zhou’s teammate~ /rolling on the floor laughing/]

All five guests completed their performances, and the ultimate winner of this episode was — Tong Rong! The other athletes in the group accepted their loss to Tong Rong in the ice event without complaint.

Out loud: Congratulations, congratulations!
In their hearts: Finally, we can clock out!

Ning Zhou was spacing out, his mind already drifting back to the dorm for a nap.

The PD read from the script: “Before we wrap up today’s episode, I have some exciting news to share with everyone!”

Ning Zhou looked over curiously, only to find the PD staring right at him…

Ning Zhou: ?

That familiar feeling of “uh-oh, something’s coming” washed over him.

With a look that said, Kid, you’re in luck, the PD announced happily, “The production team just received news — one of our athletic group members has officially joined the national team!”

The camera zoomed in on Ning Zhou’s expressionless face for a dramatic close-up.

[Bullet screen comments]
[Five people in the group, four are already retired. PD, what’s the point of acting mysterious?]
[Wait, did I hear that right? Ning Zhou made it to the national team!?]
[Congrats, Ning Zhou! @NingZhou is about to skyrocket in value!]
[A 178 cm setter making the national team? Has Chinese men’s volleyball really declined this much…]
[Watch your mouth. Looking for a fight?]
[Fine, you win. But hey, even our university team’s setter is 185 cm. /shrug/]

“Yo! That’s great news!” Yu Tong said cheerfully. “Working on your career while filming a variety show, multitasking like a pro.”

The others chimed in with their congratulations, “You’re only twenty, Ning Zhou. The future’s bright for you!”

“Haven’t seen you play volleyball yet. When’s your next match?”

Ning Zhou waved his hands quickly, “Not anytime—”

“There’s a match soon!”

The PD’s voice boomed over his protest, brimming with excitement, “The men’s national volleyball team will be competing in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) soon, and this very livestream room has secured broadcasting rights! Make sure to tune in to watch Ning Zhou in action!”

Ning Zhou: …

Not only had his rebirth given him unprecedented exposure, but now even men’s volleyball was getting extra attention.

[Bullet screen comments]
[Already followed the channel. Sports and variety, talk about value for money. /thumbs up/]
[Finally, we’ll see Ning Zhou in a real match! Time to see what you’re made of.]
[From what I know, foreign players are all huge. Ning Zhou feels more like the skill-based type…]
[He’s a setter. He doesn’t need to be jacked.]
[Heard there’s internal conflict in the team. Don’t embarrass yourselves abroad. If you’re gonna play like a mess, just disband already.]
[Too much spotlight is scary. If Ning Zhou underperforms, he’s gonna get roasted…]

Tong Rong arched her phoenix eyes, something flashing through her mind: “The matches will be streamed… here?”

*

When Ning Zhou returned to the training center, the dorm was full of suitcases and packages.

Nie Feiang was buried under piles of luggage, frantically packing. Hearing Ning Zhou’s voice, he poked his head out from “luggage mountain”, “Zhou Zhou! You’re a prophet. We got the notice — we’re moving dorms. The national team dorms really have single rooms!”

Ning Zhou joined the packing effort, his tone calm, “Wow, what a lucky guess.”

“?” Nie Feiang put his hands on his hips. “Are you just brushing me off?”

“Nooo…” Ning Zhou said vaguely. “How’s your packing going?”

Nie Feiang clutched his head in despair, “I have too much stuff! I can’t bear to throw away even a scrap of paper. One suitcase isn’t nearly enough!”

He grumbled for several minutes, then looked over to see Ning Zhou had neatly packed a small suitcase and two mesh bags with volleyballs — and was already dusting off his hands, done.

The new dorm would provide bedding and essentials. Clothes and volleyballs were the only things that took up space.

If it weren’t for Nie Feiang and Ning Yang bringing back a mountain of souvenirs from the Asian Championship, Ning Zhou could have moved with just a backpack.

“…Seriously?” Nie Feiang was stunned. “You have zero sense of home life…”

Ning Zhou chuckled, “We’ve only been here for just over a month. I’m more surprised you’ve accumulated this much.”

Nie Feiang stared suspiciously, hefting Ning Zhou’s suitcase: “Is this thing enchanted? Even your puffy down jacket from that skating episode fits in here?”

“You’ve been watching the show again…”

Ning Zhou sighed, “That jacket’s still with the production crew. Too many comments about it during the livestream. They’re planning to release merch.”

“Endorsements and now merch? You’re quietly taking over the world!”

“Stop changing the subject,” Ning Zhou said, nearly derailed by him. “Did Coach Kong say anything about preparing for the VNL?”

Nie Feiang scratched his head, “Not sure. Tomorrow’s our first official national team training. Maybe they’ll tell us then.”

Ning Zhou nodded thoughtfully.

The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) wasn’t as prestigious as the Olympics or World Championships — it leaned more toward commercial promotion. Many top players skipped the group stage and only joined during knockout rounds, focusing on the finals.

In his past life, Coach Luo had practically written off the VNL, starting serious training only right before the group stage. As a result, China barely scraped through the preliminaries and then lost 0–3 in the first knockout round, packing their bags after a single match.

The points they’d earned at the Asian Championships were wasted, leading to a series of setbacks: being placed in a “group of death” for the Olympic qualifiers, missing direct Olympic entry, and seeing fewer chances to compete internationally.

Now, the news about the VNL came much earlier than in his previous life. Had the coaching team changed their approach? Could the butterfly effect of his rebirth really cause such a big shift?
*

“Attention, everyone! From today onward, we’ll be training strictly according to the new plan. Prepare thoroughly for the VNL!”

The next day, with Ning Zhou and Song Hanrun added to the roster, the new national team officially began joint training.

Coach Luo’s hair had grown a bit longer, and with every loud word he said, his bangs trembled.
“Next, Assistant Coach Ning will announce the training plan!”

The national team’s training was even more intense than the joint training camp.

Getting only half a day off per week was already brutal, but Assistant Coach Ning Xu dropped an even bigger bomb, “Except for Ning Zhou, who will keep his special rest schedule, everyone else will have one rest day per month…”

“What? You’ve got to be kidding!”

“Are you training us like the Eighteen Arhats or something?”

“Not gonna lie, I’m the same as Ning Zhou — I have to record shows every week!”

“No talking!” Ning Xu’s voice boomed like thunder. “If you have complaints, step forward and report them individually!”

Once the players quieted down, he continued, “Captain, help with supervision. Let’s start.”

“Yes, sir!”

Du Jun stepped forward, fulfilling his captain’s duty. Serious and meticulous by nature, Du Jun had often been chosen as captain since his youth team days.

And he could honestly say: This was the most complicated group he had ever led.

“Slacking off in broad daylight? Knees up! Sprint! Do you not understand what sprint means? You’re slower than a turtle!”

During shuttle runs, Ning Zhou got yanked out of the lineup by the assistant coach for slacking.

Du Jun hurried over to smooth things over. “Coach, this rookie just joined the team. Give him some time to adjust to the national team’s training load.”

The assistant coach waved a hand, letting Ning Zhou off.

“Thanks, Captain!” Ning Zhou panted lightly, thanking him with a puppy-like look.

Du Jun liked obedient rookies the most. “No problem. Get back in line.”

Then, he watched with his own eyes as Ning Zhou hid in a corner, sneaking every second of rest he could.

Dragging him back to the start line, Du Jun said, “…So the coach wasn’t wrong. You were blatantly slacking off?”

With his lashes casting innocent shadows over his eyes, Ning Zhou said softly, “Captain, I just wanted to save some strength for playing volleyball…”

A lazy but impossible-to-scold rookie setter. ?

Du Jun steeled himself. “No cutting back on basic training!”

“Fine…” Ning Zhou trudged back into line. Because his strides were shorter, he needed a step and a half for everyone else’s one, his face flushing red as he ran.

Buzz—A faint scraping sound mixed into the players’ panting breaths, too soft for the coaches to notice.

But Du Jun saw it —At the turnaround point stood the obstacle markers, and Ning Yang had quietly dragged the cones closer.

The sprint distance instantly shortened by several meters…

As Ning Yang and Ning Zhou passed each other, they slapped hands in perfect sync.

Du Jun: …

Silent teamwork — the libero covertly helping the setter slack off. ?

Those few meters of saved distance gave everyone a breather.

“Wow, I feel lighter and lighter as I run!” Nie Feiang shouted, oblivious to the shorter distance.

Xu Zichang agreed instantly, narcissistically adding, “Me too! I must’ve unlocked my sports potential!”

“You two idiots…” Chen Wenyao muttered knowingly, “That’s called tapping into your athletic potential. Haven’t you studied kinesiology?”

“Brother Chen knows everything!” Nie Feiang and Xu Zichang gushed in awe.

Du Jun’s mouth twitched — the loud, clueless trio. ?

Among the trio, Nie Feiang and Xu Zichang were the real handful. While everyone else was doing serious strength training in the gym, they were swinging barbells at each other like swords…

For safety, Du Jun smacked each of them on the head. “Are barbells your toys? Want to play house? Go home!”

Chastened, the two troublemakers sat quietly, then pointed accusingly toward another player, “Why only hit us, Captain? Look, there’s another problem player!”

Following their gaze, Du Jun found Song Hanrun muttering to himself against the wall.

When he got close, he caught the rookie’s desperate rambling, “What do I do… my last bench press rep was off-form… the last rep is the most important… okay, let’s just blame the extra 20 kilos… yeah, that makes me feel better…”

Du Jun blinked, then looked at Song Hanrun’s barbell — Sure enough, it had 20 kilos more than anyone else’s.

A mysterious newcomer with unpredictable potential and even more unpredictable mentality. ?

Song Hanrun wasn’t even the one lifting the heaviest. Yu Bai, who had finished his reps early, had added thirty kilos.

Where there are top students, there are bottom students.

Ning Zhou struggled with weights, barely managing the basics. When he couldn’t lift anymore, Yu Bai casually stepped in to help, like a private trainer giving one-on-one guidance.

An all-powerful ace… babysitting the rookie setter. ?

Du Jun, witnessing this unique “helping teammate” dynamic for the first time, rubbed his temple. “Yu Bai, let him train on his own!”

Yu Bai let go of the barbell, watched Ning Zhou barely finish his reps, then quietly bought him an electrolyte drink from the vending machine before mixing his own protein shake.

Curious, Du Jun asked, “Why don’t you just make him a protein shake too?”

“He doesn’t like the taste,” Yu Bai replied matter-of-factly.

Du Jun: O_O

With a straight face, he said, “Why don’t you write a book? Call it The Ning Zhou Care Manual.”

“….”

“Don’t actually consider it! Can’t you tell I’m mocking you?”

From hopeful anticipation to utter confusion about the team’s future — it only took Du Jun one training session.

This team would surely get on the right track…

Right?

Two months later, on the livestream of Sports Forward! —

“Welcome, everyone, to today’s livestream! Today, we’re stepping away from our usual sports variety program to bring you live coverage of the VNL group stage, featuring the China Men’s Volleyball Team’s first match!”

[Wait a sec, isn’t that the variety show’s PD?]
[Is our livestream broke or something? Even the PD has to moonlight as a sports commentator now.]
[First Time Watching a Men’s Volleyball Match — Any Tips?]
[Lower your expectations.]
[Yeah, the guy’s right. This men’s volleyball team was reassembled after the federation’s big training camp. They’re still in the adjustment phase… you know what that means.]
[Adjustment phase = showing their worst side. /wipes sweat/]
[I remember the China men’s team isn’t very strong right now, with few fans. How is this livestream so popular!?]
[Because there’s a celebrity on the team, duh!]
[Ning Zhou is amazing. He single-handedly brought tens of thousands of fans to the national men’s volleyball team.]
[Honestly, I suspect the federation added Ning Zhou to the roster just for his popularity… /grins/]
[Okay! Expectations adjusted. I can accept a crushing defeat. But as a total newbie, I don’t understand the rules at all! /crying/]

The PD, sharp-eyed, spotted the word “newbie” in the scrolling comments and read it aloud:

“Don’t worry about that! To make sure everyone enjoys the livestream, even newcomers, we’ve invited two special commentators!”

The director switched the camera feed to the commentator’s desk, where a man and a woman were seated.

As the camera zoomed in, the PD introduced them:

“Professional volleyball coach and former national team setter from China’s ‘Golden Generation’ — Mr. Zhang Kang! And one of our regular guests, figure skating prodigy Tong Rong! Welcome to you both!”

Tong Rong looked bright and energetic, her tailored suit giving her a sharp and mature look.
Zhang Kang, on the other hand, radiated a slightly lazy, unbothered vibe, as if the crew had dragged him straight out of bed to work.

[The female commentator is so fresh and pretty! The male commentator… is also just sitting there.]
[We’ve got both expertise and looks here.]
[Seriously, you can just tell from his face that this man is full of knowledge.]
[You guys are ruthless! Zhang Kang’s eyes weren’t bright to begin with, and now you’re saying they’re even duller. /snickers/]
[Oh my god, how dare you talk like that — that’s Zhang Kang you’re talking about!]
[Wow, I feel old. When he dominated the volleyball court, I had just started college. Now my kid’s almost in college.]
[Ignore the ignorant comments, Coach Zhang! You’re the reason I became a setter!]

Zhang Kang squinted at the scrolling comments and spoke slowly, “It’s fine. I’m just an old man. Say what you want, it won’t affect my paycheck.”

The PD froze, at a loss for words, “Uh…”

Zhang Kang leaned on his hand, closing his eyes lazily, “You guys don’t consider the feelings of us old folks. These tiny comment fonts — are you trying to keep me from reading them?”

Cold sweat appeared on the PD’s forehead, “I’ll adjust them for you right away—”

“No need.” Zhang Kang turned the comments off entirely and said to Tong Rong,
“Young lady, you’ve got good eyesight. If you see anything important in the comments, please read it out loud so this old man can join in.”

“Of course, Coach Zhang.”

“Thanks. And remember to read out all the compliments too.”

[LOL! Even if the match is boring, Zhang Kang will keep this livestream lively.]
[Tong Rong! Read this for me: Zhang Kang is the most handsome! Old man, I love you!]
[C’mon, have some dignity, people.]
[Never thought Miss Tong Rong would become a commentator…]

The PD spoke into the earpiece, “Tong Rong, chat with the audience a bit longer — match starts soon.”

Tong Rong nodded slightly, looked into the camera, and smiled, “After retiring, I’ve kind of been a ‘freelancer,’ so I’m really grateful for the variety shows that gave me a chance.

The sports team members are all great. Being with them gave me courage, and I wanted to stay in the sports world to do what I can.”

She smiled playfully, “I’ve been cramming volleyball knowledge, so if you have questions, just drop them in the chat… and I’ll make Coach Zhang answer them for you!”

[So sweet. I was feeling lost recently too, and watching Sports Forward! really helped ease my anxiety.]
[Yeah, that show gives me so much positive energy. Watching Ning Zhou record episodes makes me forget my worries and relax. /soaking in a bath/]
[I think Tong Rong and Ning Zhou have a bit of a CP vibe! /sparkling eyes/]

“Me and Ning Zhou? A CP vibe?”

Tong Rong’s expression stayed open and calm. She shook her head, “We’re all just brothers and sisters in the sports team.”

At the mention of Ning Zhou, Zhang Kang perked up slightly, “Ning Zhou? He only has a CP with volleyball.”

“You know Ning Zhou too, Coach Zhang?” Tong Rong asked curiously.

“Yeah. I was the head coach for the U21 World Championship. I coached him for a while.”

“Oh, right! That was when the team achieved its best result in history!” Tong Rong’s eyes lit up.
“We viewers have never seen Ning Zhou play volleyball. Is he the same as usual when he’s on the court?”

The fine lines around Zhang Kang’s eyes deepened as he said meaningfully, “You all know he has a wide field of vision, right?”

“Yes, his awareness has helped the sports team pull off so many tough missions.”

“But the moment he’s on the court,” Zhang Kang said slowly, “it’s like he enters another state entirely — as if there’s only the ball in his world.”

Tong Rong tried to picture it and hesitated, “You mean… his vision narrows when he plays?”

Zhang Kang shook his head, teasing the audience, “Quite the opposite — extreme vision, extreme focus.

I’ve been playing and coaching volleyball for over forty years, and Ning Zhou is the most paradoxical player I’ve ever seen.”

Tong Rong blinked, confused, “Uh…”

“Attention! The match is about to begin — switching the feed now,” came the reminder through the headset.

Tong Rong quickly followed up, “Coach Zhang just made Ning Zhou sound so mysterious. Now I’m even more excited! Let’s head back to the court and cheer for our men’s team!”

The screen switched to the arena, where the players were making their entrance.

Over the English-language announcements, names were called one by one as players stepped forward, high-fived their teammates, and took their positions, “Du Jun~ Shao Qiu~ Chen Wenyao~ Yu…”

Hearing Chinese names read out in English sounded strange.

The audience focused, ears pricked, but the pronunciation they were waiting for never came…

[I think… they’re done reading the starting lineup.]
[I heard a surname that sounded like “Ning,” but the second character wasn’t “Zhou”…]
[The English pronunciation twisted all over the place—did I miss “Ning Zhou”? Did anyone catch it?]
[Nope. And all the starting players are entering the court with high-fives. Ning Zhou hasn’t appeared.]

At this moment, Yu Tong was holding the players’ profiles, introducing the starters one by one.

She glanced at the comment feed and realized everyone was looking for Ning Zhou, “According to the lineup list I have here, Ning Zhou isn’t in the starting lineup. The starting setter is Shao Qiu, from XX Province, who has played in international matches with the national team before…”

[The men’s team went abroad for training last week. Ning Zhou skipped a variety show episode for it. I miss him! /rubbing eyes/]
[Same here! I came to watch just for Ning Zhou. When is he coming out?]
[No way… the hyped-up Ning Zhou is just a substitute? /covering mouth in shock/]
[I’ll admit Ning Zhou is great at creating variety show effects, but if he spends all his energy on fan service, his skills can’t be that good.]
[Excuse me? He only spends half a day filming each week, and the rest of the time he’s practicing volleyball. Haters, use your brains! /angry/]

Some mocked him, others defended him, and some stirred the pot for fun…

The comment feed erupted into chaos, scrolling too fast to read clearly.

Tong Rong, never having seen such a scene, stammered to mediate, “E-Everyone, please, let’s not argue…”

“Argue?”

Zhang Kang looked baffled. “The match hasn’t even started. What’s there to argue about?”

Tong Rong picked out a few less-hostile comments and summarized, “…There’s some debate about Ning Zhou being a substitute.”

Zhang Kang snorted, speaking calmly, “If your thinking is shallow enough to believe ‘substitute equals weakest,’ then maybe you should just leave the stream. The coaches have their reasons for the lineup. Relax and watch the match.”

[Emm… if it’s not because he’s weak, then what else could it be…]
[I told you, the coaching staff only cares about his popularity. As long as he sits on the bench, the stream viewership stays high.]
[Can we even win this match?]
[This is the first group stage match. Our opponent is ranked lower than China, so technically, we should win.]
[Still, I’m not confident…]
[There were rumors of internal conflicts a few months back—something about a brawl, even…]
[What!? Sounds like a bunch of delinquent thugs!]
[Ladies, don’t you think… these thugs are kinda hot?]

Once the players had finished entering, the stadium lights brightened, and the camera panned across their faces.

The Chinese team might not all be at idol-level, but their features were sharp and handsome—certainly not unattractive.

Combined with their strong, athletic builds, calling them a “model team” wasn’t an exaggeration…

[Whoa! How did I not get into volleyball sooner? /slaps self/]
[Did you see that guy? Crew cut, killer jawline! Is he mixed-race?]
[Sharp brows, clean jawline, so manly…]
[I finally get the charm of volleyball! Even if Ning Zhou doesn’t play, I’m watching till the end!]
[Are you sure you’re appreciating the volleyball? /dark face/]

Tong Rong, still stuck on the earlier argument, tried to persuade viewers, “Volleyball really is an exciting and visually engaging team sport. Everyone should give it a chance—watch for a bit, and if you’re still not interested, then…”

The PD interrupted through her earpiece, “No need to convince them! For some reason, they’re all staying.”

Tong Rong glanced at the live comments, feeling like she’d just witnessed a face-changing opera, struggling to process, “Haha… looks like everyone’s enlightened…”

Zhang Kang, still clueless, “?”

The first serve hadn’t even started—what enlightenment?

“Beeeep—”

The referee blew the whistle, the sound trailing long. The first match of the VNL for the Chinese men’s team had begun!

The opposing team served first, with a tall, skinny player stepping up to the line. According to the Chinese coaching staff’s analysis, his serves were average—nothing special—so a standard serve-receive formation should be enough.

Tong Rong explained for the audience in real-time, “The server on the line now doesn’t rank in any serving stats. Hopefully, our receivers stay calm and handle this first VNL pass smoothly!”

As she finished, the opposing player jumped and served. It wasn’t very powerful. The ball crossed the net and was easily received by Ning Yang. That was the perspective of those familiar with men’s volleyball.

But many viewers in the comments were total newbies, here only for Ning Zhou:

[Huh? They call that an average serve? /mind blank/]
[That ball was so fast!]
[I watch women’s volleyball often, and even their top power serves are about the same speed…]
[Oh no… the opponent looks really strong. I can’t watch this. /covers eyes/]

China’s first pass was clean, and setter Shao Qiu aimed to set up a quick attack through the middle to pressure the opponent and open up the game.

But… in the first rally of the first set of the first match, his hands weren’t fully warmed up.

Middle blocker Chen Wenyao jumped early—swinging at empty air. Luckily, with quick reflexes, he saved the ball with his other hand, sending it over the net. Despite the perfect pass, China’s quick attack failed to connect.

Opportunity for the other side!

But their team wasn’t in top form yet either. Their outside hitter got too excited and spiked the ball out of bounds…

1:0

China took the first point—barely.

[That scared me! Both sides are showing their lowest levels… /clutching chest/]
[And we only scored because of their mistake… our libero’s first pass was perfect, though.]
[Sigh, I really shouldn’t expect much from the men’s volleyball team. Ever since the golden generation, they’ve never bounced back.]
[How do you even mess up a play like that? Did the setter and middle blocker just meet today? /thumbs down/]
[Once again proving there’s disharmony in the team. The quick attacks our national team used to be so proud of can’t even connect. Winning? Dream on!]

Viewers who understood volleyball rules were cursing nonstop, and even newbies — though not fully grasping the details — joined in with a few sighs when they saw the flood of criticism.

Among the hundreds of bullet comments, not a single positive word could be found…

“The match just started, everyone. Don’t be anxious. Mistakes are inevitable — we need to stay supportive and cheer for our players…”

No matter what Tong Rong said, her words sounded powerless.

The comment feed was still in chaos, with the atmosphere infecting more and more people. Someone even spammed:

[Even I could play better than these punks!]

Of course, the live chat couldn’t affect the game. The head referee blew the whistle to start the second point.

The last point had been scored by the China team, so they now had the serve.

The player standing at the service line looked listless, showing no interest in the game—

Yu Bai caught the ball tossed by a staff member, casually flipping it in his hands, his relaxed demeanor clashing with the tense atmosphere of the stadium.

From the China bench came a few shouts of encouragement:

“Yu Bai, don’t hold back! Serve it just like you do in practice and crush them!”

“Show them why you were named Best Outside Hitter at the Asian Championship!”

“Come on, Yu Bai, give us a good serve.”

Suddenly, the lazy air around Yu Bai shifted—His muscles tightened like a predator springing from the shadows.

He launched a jump serve like a thunderbolt, the ball tearing through the air and into the opponent’s passing zone. In the group stage, this kind of serve speed was practically off the charts.
The opposing receivers didn’t even have time to react before the ball slammed to the floor—

“BANG!!!”

The court went silent.
The stands went silent.

Tong Rong’s commentary stuck in her throat as her eyes flicked to the bullet screen:

Just like when a moderator clears the chat, the wave of insults vanished without a trace…