"Darn it," Zhang Yiyi, towering over several heads, caught eyes with a familiar pair; wasn’t that the senior girl she quarreled with over braised pork that day? She hoped personal grudges weren’t going to be settled here.
It seed whatever she thought actually materialized. Before Zhang Yiyi could dismiss the thought, Wang Ke singled her out: "You two, step out."
Xiao Xian and Zhang Yiyi exchanged looks.
"Who allowed you to eat snacks on the basketball court? Go clean it up right now," Wang Ke sternly scolded, pointing to a corner of the basketball court where a leftover chocolate wrapper was conspicuously lying around, left by the female player earlier.
"It wasn’t us," Xiao Xian and Zhang Yiyi, fully aware that the other was picking a fight on purpose, and weren’t the type to be easily bullied, nor were they willing to take an undeserved bla.
"Then who ate it? From the day this basketball team was established, all players know that no snacks are allowed, except for water. You two are the only new recruits this term, if not you then who?" Wang Ke insisted it was their mischief, although she knew that many were hungry after class and had sneakily eaten on the court, sothing she usually turned a blind eye to, except for exploiting it today.
"I’ll say it again, it wasn’t us eating, and we won’t pick it up. The one who ate it is in the team, why should we be picking it up?" Xiao Xian asserted confidently, her cold gaze shifting toward the chocolate-eating female player, who bit her lip and stepped forward, only to retract under Wang Ke’s warning gaze.
"I said it’s you, so it’s you. Captain and coach are not here, everything about the basketball team has to follow my instructions. Just being freshn, you dare to defy the team’s discipline and talk back to senior mbers? Now, as punishnt, you both shoot hoops 500 tis. Don’t leave until you’re done," Wang Ke pulled rank as the deputy captain of the basketball team. Having been a mber since elentary school in Beijing, her skills and experience, combined with her father’s support as the school administrator, gave her substantial confidence.
"That person...she’s clearly seeking personal revenge," Zhang Yiyi whispered to Xiao Xian. With limited space on the court, official and substitute mbers each occupied one side of the hoops. Wang Ke assigned Xiao Xian and her punishnt shots to a mobile, makeshift hoop placed in a corner of the court.
"There seems to be more to it. Just look at how she glared at us, as if I stole their man," Xiao Xian used a taphor, reminiscent of village gossips’ banter. Zhang Yiyi found the description absurd yet amusing.
Wang Ke then sent Xiao Xian and another substitute player to fetch basketballs, twenty balls piled together, not particularly heavy.
The substitute player reported her na as Xue Congcong, a second-year returning student. When Wang Ke lectured earlier, several team mbers were quite displeased with her, having no other choice. It wasn’t only new recruits; even substitutes had their issues with her.
With the coach and the Captain gone to Harbin for an international youth basketball exchange, not bringing Wang Ke along, she took out her dissatisfaction on the general substitutes and new recruits.
Finding out that the basketball coach of the middle school, Ni Shahe—Teacher Ni, had recruited Xue Congcong to the team personally, Xue revealed a jealous expression upon hearing that Xiao Xian was directly recruited by the coach. She added that even the team captain was chosen by the coach, who currently holds significant fa in Beijing’s middle and high school basketball circles. Allegedly, the captain, Bai Xue, would head to the United States for a youth basketball training camp in a few years, regretfully though, she’d move on to high school next year. If Wang Ke took over as captain, real misfortune would ensue.
"However, let’s keep the fact that the coach personally chose you under wraps for now. Wang Ke is quite scheming. She doesn’t dare bully the old mbers, but new ones are fair ga. Her first year, she tripped a talented player from Hebei during practice. In the end, the school didn’t hold her accountable. Just take the balls and practice shooting on the side," advised Xue Congcong, who had joined the team at the sa ti as Wang Ke but remained a substitute due to her diocre playing skills, yet she was genuinely nice.
"Didn’t ask you to chat while fetching balls," Wang Ke, spotting the two slowly walking with the ball rack, seized the opportunity to reprimand them again.
Only after everyone had taken their balls did Xiao Xian and Zhang Yiyi receive theirs. Zhang Yiyi noted the clear distinction in seniority and experience within the young team of Sacred Heart Middle School, compared to her previous athletic school.
Senior mbers hardly spoke to newcors. Official team mbers wouldn’t play with substitutes, as if associating with them might lower their training standards.
Wang Ke, holding a ball, supervised mbers as they perford leg presses and frog jumps, warming up. She intentionally moved next to Xiao Xian and Zhang Yiyi, observing their leg pressing session.
Zhang Yiyi, being tall, had relatively stiff joints, and struggled to press down. "You call this a frog jump, especially you. Your na is Zhu Xiaoxian, right? Co out, I’ll personally demonstrate what a frog jump is."
Zhang Yiyi saw a touch of mockery in Wang Ke’s eyes.
Xiao Xian seed obedient as she responded, noticing Zhang Yiyi’s nervousness, she flashed an assuring smile at her. (To be continued. If you like this novel, you are welcod to Qidian to vote for recomndation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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