I Really Am Just a Substitute – CH34

Chapter 34

The night before the match against Team T, at the hotel where the Chinese team was staying.
Since there were no washing machines in the rooms, each floor had a shared laundry room with washers, spinners, and dryers. Carrying his used training jersey, Ning Zhou walked through the hallway and ran into Chen Wenyao in the laundry room.

“Brother Chen?”

Chen Wenyao was sitting on a chair by the wall, his long arms and legs making the standard-sized chair look like a doll’s prop beneath him.

“Xiao Ning, here to do laundry?”

Chen Wenyao greeted him warmly, pointing at an empty washing machine. “You’re just in time — that one’s free.”

“Great, thanks!”

Ning Zhou started up the washer. Several machines roared to life with a rhythmic clunk-clunk-clunk, filling the laundry room with noise.

There was a match the next day, so Ning Zhou had decided to rest early and skip his extra self-training. With nothing better to do, he sat down on another chair to chat with Chen Wenyao for a bit.

Up close, Ning Zhou caught a faint but sharp smell of tobacco. “Brother Chen, do you smoke?”

“Yeah, once in a while,” Chen Wenyao admitted. “My kid’s still young, so I try not to bring the smell home. I smoke a lot less than before.”

“Model father!” Ning Zhou teased, wrinkling his nose. “But… this smell feels familiar…”

Chen Wenyao raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“You noticed? Yu Bai gave me these cigarettes. It’s a brand I’d never seen before. I can’t tell the difference between fancy brands and cheap ones, haha…”

Ning Zhou chuckled, leaning back casually. “Ning Yang complained once too, said Yu Bai’s pricey cigarettes aren’t nearly as satisfying as a fifty-cent popsicle.”

Chen Wenyao laughed for a while, then sighed with a smile.

“Talking to you younger guys is always a breath of fresh air. Du Jun and Shao Qiu — those two are like old men already. One day, I’m gonna hang out with your group instead.”

“Welcome anytime!” Ning Zhou said cheerfully.

“But seriously,” Chen Wenyao slowed his tone, “when I first saw you all during the national training camp, I never imagined you’d make it into the national team… especially you.”

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the rumble of the washing machines.

“I remember it clearly — on the first day of camp, Coach Kong had all the liberos stand in a separate line while everyone else grouped up.

“I wondered why there was a gap in the lineup. Then I looked closer and realized it was you, standing there with your head down, making the formation dip inward…”

By the time the first week of training camp had ended, Ning Zhou had already been reborn.

So that first day felt like a lifetime ago. “Haha, really? I don’t even remember anymore.”

Chen Wenyao massaged his shoulder, shaking his head in disbelief.

“The Chinese Volleyball Association has been adopting the European and American playing style these past years — height is the top selection criterion.

“In that environment, I honestly couldn’t imagine that this ‘mini player’ would one day be a respected member of the national first team.”

Chen Wenyao was one of the seniors Ning Zhou deeply admired. Being praised face-to-face by such a senior made Ning Zhou’s cheeks flush. “I just… got lucky…”

“Don’t be modest,” Chen Wenyao said seriously. “I’m genuinely glad you made it.”

“?” Ning Zhou blinked in confusion.

“My family are die-hard men’s volleyball fans,” Chen Wenyao explained. “They watch every single national team match.

“They told me that ever since you became well-known, more and more people started supporting men’s volleyball. They can chat with other fans during live streams now and don’t feel so alone anymore.”

“I see.” Ning Zhou blinked, then joked, “Guess having a celebrity on the team isn’t so bad, huh?”

Chen Wenyao spread his hands in mock helplessness. “Mixed blessings — my wife and kid are more interested in you than in me now…”

“Hahaha!”

During their banter, Ning Zhou noticed Chen Wenyao kept rotating his shoulder. Concerned, he asked, “Is your shoulder bothering you? Did you see the team doctor?”

“The doc got called away to help someone else. He just left me a few glass cups and went off…” Chen Wenyao rubbed his shoulder with a pained look. “It’s nothing. Every athlete has some injuries. I’ll get proper treatment after tomorrow’s group match.”

“The laundry still needs a bit,” Ning Zhou said seriously. “Want me to do cupping for you in the meantime?”

“Uh…” Chen Wenyao hesitated. “Maybe you didn’t hear me clearly — it’s fire cupping, the glass kind, not the suction ones.”

“Yeah, I know. I can do fire cupping.”

In his previous life, after breaking a finger, Ning Zhou often visited the rehab center for therapy. One of the massage therapists there favored fire cupping and had taught him plenty of tricks.

Chen Wenyao was momentarily stunned. “…Then I’ll trouble you. Not many your age can handle cupping.”

Ning Zhou just waved it off casually. “No trouble. Skills don’t hurt to have. Don’t worry — I won’t burn you.”

The next day.

“Whoa—” Nie Feiang gasped dramatically. “Brother Chen, your tattoo is so cool!”

Chen Wenyao’s shoulders were covered in cupping marks. His sleeveless jersey hid most of them, but the exposed ones looked just like tattoos at a glance. Chen Wenyao, who trained with Nie Feiang often since they were both middle blockers, grinned.

“Pretty sweet, right? Got it done by the famous Designer Ning yesterday.”

Nie Feiang’s eyes widened. “Oh my god! Brother Chen, you’ve got connections in this country?”

Ning Zhou drifted past silently. “…Guess my secret designer identity’s blown.”

“No way! You, Zhou Zhou?!” Nie Feiang was stunned, chasing after him. “We’ve been roommates for so long and you never said a word? Can you give me one too?”

Ning Yang, watching with amusement, patted Xu Zichang and pointed at Nie Feiang.

“Look at that idiot — chasing Zhou Zhou for a tattoo.”

Xu Zichang immediately sprinted over. “Zhou Zhou! Me too!”

Ning Yang: …

Right. Almost forgot. These two idiots are equally hopeless.

“What’s all the noise? Done with warm-ups yet?”

Shao Qiu, with his vice-captain aura, shut down the chaos.

Chen Wenyao tried to defuse the tension. “Xiao Nie just misunderstood my cupping marks, that’s all…”

Shao Qiu shot him a disapproving look and sighed. “Today’s match determines whether we stay in the VNL. Why do you guys still have the energy to fool around?”

Nie Feiang pursed his lips, leaned closer to Ning Zhou, and whispered, “Zhou Zhou… what did Brother Chen mean by ‘misunderstood’?”

“They’re cupping marks,” Ning Zhou said flatly. “Not tattoos.”

“Not a shred of crisis awareness!”

Shao Qiu’s sharp gaze locked onto Nie Feiang and Ning Zhou, his voice raised a pitch, “The last few matches didn’t go well. The criticism from domestic fans is getting louder and louder. You can’t come to the court with the attitude of just having fun!”

Ning Zhou, keeping his eyes lowered, didn’t just stand there for the lecture. Instead, he quietly unrolled a strip of medical tape and started wrapping Yu Bai’s fingers.

Soon, captain Du Jun stepped in to break the awkward tension.
“Alright, that’s enough. Everyone, keep warming up. Stay loose so no one cramps during the match…”

The team dispersed and got back to their own routines.

Looking confused, Ning Yang leaned over to Ning Zhou to complain.
“Why is Shao Qiu picking on you? You barely played in the last few games — just served once. What’s that got to do with you?”

“Exactly!” Nie Feiang chimed in, sulking. “Who said I don’t have a sense of urgency? Am I supposed to mope all the time for it to count…?”

Even Yu Bai flexed his taped fingers in quiet protest.

“Don’t move your fingers,” Ning Zhou said firmly. “Just treat it like a pep talk from the vice-captain. Don’t let it get to you. Just play your best.”

“Coach! Coach!” On the opponent’s bench, the assistant coach for Team T couldn’t contain his excitement.
“Look, the China team players — they look like they’re having a fight!”

“What? Let me see!”

The head coach turned his eyes toward the other side of the court—The China players were warming up in total silence, no talking, no smiles, the air around the team dropping to subzero.

Covering his mouth, the head coach chuckled silently.
“Perfect. Absolutely perfect. This is the best chance we’ve had to make history in the VNL!”

He turned back toward the bench, where a dark-skinned player was flipping through notes.

“Abu, got ‘Yu’s’ spiking patterns memorized?”

Abu grinned wide, his white teeth gleaming, “Memorized? That guy’s brain is as simple as it gets. I’m going to block him into tears!”

“Sports Forward!” live broadcast

[False advertising!]
[I’ve been waiting through multiple matches in this live room and Ning Zhou hasn’t been on the court once… /so annoyed/]
[If they’re going to hype him up, why doesn’t the coaching staff use his popularity? Even if it’s just for one point, let us see him!]
[Don’t bother waiting. Today’s the most important match in the group stage. No way the coach will send a rookie in.]
[Seriously, if they call him a vase, he really is one. Traveling abroad just to warm the bench — what a waste of a ticket…]
[What can you do? Everyone knows the Volleyball Association values his popularity. /facepalm/]

Tong Rong, already used to the storm of live comments, ignored them smoothly.
“Hello everyone, and welcome to the live broadcast of the China men’s volleyball team versus Team T! Teacher Zhang, why is today’s group stage match called the ‘highlight showdown’?”

Zhang Kang broke down the situation, “China and Team T are in the same group, tied for fourth place in the standings. Only the top four from each group advance to the round of 16. So in other words, this match is do-or-die for both teams.”

“Hiss… sounds like a fierce battle ahead!”

Tong Rong moved on to a more official question.
“The China men’s team has been inconsistent this VNL — some highlights, some close losses. Can they shake off the fatigue and play at a higher level today?”

Zhang Kang gave her a wry look, as if to say ‘how should I know?’.
“That’ll depend on their performance on the court — and the coaching staff’s adjustments, especially… substitutions.”

[Oh? Teacher Zhang really emphasized “substitutions”…]
[Well, Ning Zhou did play briefly in the first match, but there’s another guy on the bench who hasn’t even shown his face. /can’t watch/]
[I checked the roster — it’s someone with the surname Song. Add another wasted plane ticket.]
[Unbelievable! If they brought him here, why not use him? Is the coach hiding him like a secret treasure?]
[Shhh — maybe that “Song” guy is actually the coach’s secret weapon.]
[LOL, what are you writing, a web novel protagonist arc? /laughing-crying/]

Tong Rong, oblivious to the nuance in Zhang Kang’s tone, pushed forward with her questions.
“So, what kind of team is Team T?”

Team T, located in northern Africa near Europe, leaned toward a “high set, heavy hit” style typical of European teams — but with less finesse.

After a thoughtful pause, Zhang Kang explained, “Team T players are extremely athletic, especially when it comes to vertical jumps.

In recent years, their techniques have improved a lot, and their world ranking has been rising steadily. They may be a new team, but they’re not to be underestimated.”

“Exactly. And their standout middle blocker, Abu, is exceptional.”

Tong Rong added, “According to VNL’s official stats, Abu ranks third in the league for blocks! Meanwhile, China’s highest-ranked blocker, Chen Wenyao, is only nineteenth…”

[Ouch, that’s a big gap…]
[Chen Wenyao is 2.1 meters tall and still can’t out-block a 2-meter guy from Team T.]
[2.1 meters!? If I stood next to him, I’d look like I stopped growing. /sweating/]
[I’ll never tease Ning Zhou for looking short in the team again…]

As the commentators finished their analysis, the players began their entrance ceremony.

Abu was, unsurprisingly, in Team T’s starting lineup.

China’s starting lineup was exactly the same as in previous matches, crushing fans’ hopes of seeing Ning Zhou play, so they turned their attention back to the match itself.

The stadium was more crowded than before — some drawn by the “highlight showdown,” others scouts from teams that had already secured a round-of-16 spot.

Beep!

The referee’s whistle signaled the start of the game.

Captain Du Jun had bad luck with the pre-match coin toss, so China served first, starting from setter Shao Qiu’s rotation.

[Question: Is it better to serve first or receive first?]
[Receiving first gives you the first offensive opportunity. Most teams prefer to start by receiving.]
[In matches where the two sides are evenly matched like this, it’s very likely to go to a fifth set for the tiebreaker.
The team that serves first in the first set will also serve first in the fifth set, which puts them half a rotation behind.]
[Got it, since the tiebreaker is only to 15 points, getting the early advantage is crucial!]

“Shao Qiu, serve well!”

“Go, Vice Captain!”

Shao Qiu knew both the jump float and the jump serve. But his strength and vertical jump were limited, making both fairly average. At the start of the match, he played it safe and chose the more reliable jump float. His serving posture was textbook-perfect, the kind that could be used as a demonstration for kids learning volleyball.

When the ball flew over, its movement was more unpredictable than Ning Zhou’s jump float, wobbling above the net—

But the speed was too slow…

Before the ball could drift away, T-country’s middle blocker, Ab, stepped forward and cleanly received the serve, easily controlling the float serve.

Tong Rong was surprised. “Huh? The T-country middle blocker stepped up to take the first pass?”

“That’s not called stealing,” Zhang Kang corrected. “For a short float serve, having the front-row player take the ball early is the best way to neutralize the unpredictable movement.”

Tong Rong’s eyes lit up. “Wow, there’s so much technique to receiving!”

Zhang Kang’s expression grew more serious. “This middle blocker—ranked third in the blocking stats—is very solid fundamentally…”

Not just raw talent, but solid skills and athleticism, too.

Could the China team handle that…

With Abu’s perfect pass, the setter set up a back-row attack, and they scored the first point smoothly.

In the following rallies, both sides executed their side-outs cleanly, trading points back and forth until—

10:10

The first set entered the mid-phase, the score tied again.

And once again, Abu rotated to the front row…

“Cough!”

The T-country head coach gave a sharp cough on the sideline. When Abu looked over, the coach mouthed: How are you feeling?

Abu patted his chest confidently: I’m in the zone!

The coach smiled with satisfaction, pacing along the sideline, barely able to contain his excitement—

As if victory was just one step away, ready to fall into his hands…

“BEEP—”

The whistle cut through the air with an odd sharpness, like a storm about to break.

Coach Luo furrowed his brows, unease flickering in his eyes…

But the players on court didn’t sense anything unusual and kept playing as normal.

“Captain!”

T-country’s serve landed in Du Jun’s passing zone. Right as Ning Yang called out, Du Jun stabilized and delivered a solid pass inside the three-meter line.

“Great pass!”

Shao Qiu took a few small steps, praising while deciding where to set. He glanced at the net—Abu was stationed at position three, clearly watching for the middle quick. Shao Qiu’s gaze shifted—he had his answer. His set was steady, the ball almost spinless, drawing a slightly high arc.

At first glance, it looked headed for the middle blocker, but it sailed past and dropped perfectly at position four for the outside hitter. At the same time, China’s middle blocker had already jumped, selling the fake attack.

The decoy was in place!

Draw the blocker, clear the path for the true attack.

Shao Qiu and the middle blocker had run this play countless times.

He was confident—the opposing blocker was bound to take the bait!

The next second, his expression froze…

In Abu’s vision, China’s middle blocker didn’t even exist. Without hesitation, Abu tracked the ball straight toward Yu Bai.

Shao Qiu’s well-trained “bait” didn’t even lure a flicker of interest.

[He saw through it! /teeth chattering/]
[That set was well-hidden; I thought it was going to be quick, but the blocker didn’t budge?!]
[And of course, it has to be one of the top-three blockers in the league up front… /panic/]
[It’s fine, don’t panic! Our front-row outside hitter is Yu Bai!]
[Top-three scorer versus top-three blocker—nothing to fear!]

Yu Bai’s footwork was precise, his jump explosive. That subtle acceleration just before takeoff often let him dodge blocks.

Normally, it was nearly impossible to time the block against him. But this time was different.
For the first time, Yu Bai’s wide-open hitting lane was cut off by Ab’s arms—Perfect timing, like they’d practiced together countless times.

Smack!

The ball was stuffed straight back before the defenders could even react. The hunter thought he was the predator—only to realize he was the prey. The bait had failed; they lost the point.

10:11

The first block point of the match appeared.

“OHHH!”

The crowd erupted, forming the signature blocking gesture and cheering with the DJ.

Abu flashed a victory sign to the camera, then casually walked back to the net. His eyes flicked between Shao Qiu and Yu Bai before he shook his head, his expression turning bored—

Blocking you two… was even easier than I thought.

Yu Bai felt the provocation and turned toward Abu—

But before their eyes met, Du Jun yanked him away. “Don’t lose your cool. This is an international match. There are cameras everywhere…”

Yu Bai: “?”

Buzzz—

The buzzer interrupted play as Coach Luo called for a timeout.

[Calling a timeout after just one-point deficit?]
[A stuff block is a huge morale hit. Better to stop it early, before they snowball.]
[Ugh, that T-country middle blocker looks so confident, and our main attack point just got shut down so easily.]
[Sure, Yu Bai’s been blocked before, but this time it’s like the blocker read the play from the start… completely locked down…]

“T Country came prepared.”

During the timeout, Coach Luo spoke these heavy words.

The middle blocker, who had just been acting as bait, spoke first: “My spiking motion wasn’t convincing enough. I couldn’t draw their blockers.”

“Even if you acted perfectly, you probably still wouldn’t fool them.” Coach Luo pointed into the distance at Abu, “That player didn’t even look at you. The moment Shao Qiu set the ball, he had already moved to block Yu Bai.”

“So they’re sacrificing coverage elsewhere to focus on blocking Yu Bai…”

Shao Qiu analyzed quickly and suggested, “I’ll reduce the number of sets to Yu Bai and try to create openings for others.”

“Alright.”

“Got it!”

The starting players all responded—except for one voice missing…

“Where’s Yu Bai?” Shao Qiu looked around. “Yu Bai…”

“Seems like someone’s calling you!”

At the back of the bench, Ning Zhou was carrying a huge stack of towels, his chin resting on the little mountain of fabric, and turned blankly to Yu Bai, who was following him.

“Did you hear that?”

Yu Bai shook his head.

“Alright then.” Ning Zhou tilted his head away from the towels. “Here, take one if you need it—they’re all new.”

After a brief pause, Yu Bai took the top towel but didn’t wipe his sweat, just draped it casually over his shoulder.

“…?” Ning Zhou gave him a look. “Not even sweating? Don’t just stand there zoning out—get back and listen to the coach!”

With his arms full of towels, Ning Zhou jogged to the sideline like a cheerful mascot.

“Towels! Anyone need a towel?”

Shao Qiu raised his hand first, and Ning Zhou happily trotted over.

Then Shao Qiu leaned past him, “Yu Bai, we’re going to reduce the sets to you for now…”

Ning Zhou pouted and continued handing out towels to others.

[I just saw Ning Zhou! He flashed past the camera!]
[Carrying that many towels and not tripping? Impressive.]
[So cute! He’s totally optimized his court vision.]
[So Ning Zhou is in charge of logistics for the team… /sparkling eyes/]

Buzz—

After the timeout, Shao Qiu consciously avoided setting to position 4.

But for some reason, Abu no longer focused exclusively on blocking Yu Bai and returned to standard blocking formation.

The eerie sense of being read made Shao Qiu’s skin crawl…

The more Abu’s blocking dominated, the more desperately Shao Qiu tried to speed up his sets, muscles in his arms tightening with every motion.

As the pace accelerated, the attackers adjusted to match him. The entire court seemed to heat up, the air heavy, their breathing labored, and fatigue building rapidly…

Even with all their effort, the Chinese team realized in despair—

Abu seemed to have a sixth sense, predicting exactly where the ball would go and forming a perfect block every single time. After shutting down Yu Bai, Abu notched two more direct block points, one soft block, and three controlled touches. Despite multiple opportunities for attacks, China’s hitters couldn’t finish a single kill…

Scoring even one point became nearly impossible.

13:19

China fell behind mid-set, the score gap widening. By the time Abu rotated to the back row, the six-point difference felt insurmountable. The first set was as good as gone…

[I can’t watch this anymore. The announcers said it’d be a thrilling match—what happened?]
[Does the national team not feed these guys? Every spike is so soft, it’s frustrating!]
[Both timeouts already used. No way to adjust tactics.]
[Their setter’s strategy got completely figured out. Even if they try to switch tactics now, it’ll still be the same result…]

20:25

China couldn’t turn it around and dropped the first set to T Country. Many viewers felt a pang of disappointment and considered leaving the stream. But then the camera caught Coach Luo pointing to the bench, saying something to the assistant coach…

Viewers decided to stay and watch a few more rallies.