Chapter 137: No reminiscing on old days

Heading south from Yanzhou to Jianan, Xu Tingsheng reminisced on the memories of his past life.

“Xu Tingsheng, your view,” The coach suddenly called Xu Tingsheng’s name.

“Huh?” Lost within his memories, Xu Tingsheng asked blankly.

The coach’s lengthy analysis having been met by a single ‘huh?’, he smilingly scolded Xu Tingsheng for a bit before asking again, “I analysed the situation of Jianan University’s school team just now. You were listening, right? What do you think?”

Xu Tingsheng thought: Do I still need you to analyse it for me? I even know who amongst their team is still a freaking virgin, when and who they broke up with and where they went to cry.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, “They’ve got two African-Chinese first year players. Their explosive power, speed and technique are all very shocking.”

The coach waved his hands, “Relax, foreigners aren’t allowed in the competition.”

“They’re not foreigners. They’ve been naturalised,” Xu Tingsheng told him.

The coach leapt up, his head colliding with the top of the bus, “The hell? I sneaked over there to look at them twice. How come I didn’t see them? How skilled are they, exactly? And how did you know?”

Thus, Xu Tingsheng thought back on that adorable coach of Jianan University in his previous life who believed that ‘shamelessness begets invincibility’. That assistant professor of Physics who had ceaselessly harassed the principal to the point of lying down on the floor and just not getting up just so that he would be able to get to be the coach of the football team...

He smiled, “The other side’s coach is really shameless. He’s definitely got them hidden somewhere. I also only know this from one of my friends who participated in the selection together with them. He said that one of those two is skilled enough to play in the Jia-B division.”

‘Jia-B’. That was the standard of a professional footballer! Xu Tingsheng’s coach and teammates collectively inhaled a breath of cold air.

The coach thought for a long time, “There’s nothing to think about then. Full defence all the way. We’ll hold back the ball. Follow this old man. This old man’s trained in penalties for an entire year. I don’t believe we can’t kill them dead.”

Everyone understood that this was actually the only strategy the coach knew.

“Don’t think that I only know this one strategy,” As if having guessed everyone’s thoughts, the coach revealed an expression of being Zhuge Liang reborn, “Who knows, maybe I’ll send Xu Tingsheng on to steal a goal sometime along the way.”

Xu Tingsheng thought: I don’t have that ability. If either one of those blacks comes over, I won’t even be able to touch the ball. Moreover, the team won’t even be able to last till that point. Just not ending up losing so terribly, we should already be praying to the heavens in thanks.

......

After a journey of more than two hours, a great green hill on which numerous massive rocks could be seen scattered about began gradually growing clearer and clearer before their eyes.

During the graduation party in the year 2007 of Xu Tingsheng’s previous life, the old professor of the Faculty of Arts, with tears in his eyes, had gifted the leaving graduates with a poem. Xu Tingsheng had not been listening all that attentively back then, only being able to remember the final line of that poem: You are leaving, and you are taking away my great green hill with you.

The great green hill was a perfectly ordinary mountain peak located behind Jianan University. It was not that tall and also contained no strange or wondrous sights, but there was no stopping it from being a symbol of the students’ memories. It was like a lighthouse of the graduates amidst their memories of their alma mater many years after they had graduated.

Xu Tingsheng had once felt that line to be rather cheesy. Only now did he know that actually, just a glance at that lighthouse would bring one back to back then.

The lighthouse gradually drew closer. Finally, the bus stopped at the entrance to Jianan University. The coach brought the players along in disembarking from the bus, whereupon they were greeted enthusiastically by a welcoming team sent by Jianan University.

The welcoming team sent by Jianan University consisted of teachers as well as students of the sports division. Amongst them were Xu Tingsheng’s past captain and vice-captain. As the teachers exchanged pleasantries with the coach, Xu Tingsheng silently turned and dabbed at his eyes for fear of making a spectacle of himself.

“Students of Yanzhou University, come this way. We’ll show you to your room.”

A very familiar-sounding female voice resounded from behind Xu Tingsheng. He turned and saw her-that same smile, that same high ponytail.

Xu Tingsheng had once been in two university relationships in his previous life. Before having come here, he had considered the possibility that he might actually meet them here. It was just that he had not thought that it would come so soon.

In front of him was his girlfriend from his second year of university. Just like most university relationships, it had been sweet, it had been bitter, and it had zoomed past quickly, merely being an unexpected meeting of one’s life.

Not having met in the past, not within bittersweet memories of the future.

“Hey!”

Seeing Xu Tingsheng in a daze, she called out once more.

“Oh, sorry. I was out of it for a moment. Thanks,” Xu Tingsheng said.

“It’s okay. Come on, we’ll bring you over,” The girl said.

Hearing the ‘we’, only now did Xu Tingsheng realise that another person had appeared beside her at some time or other. Xu Tingsheng was similarly familiar with this person. He was the vice-captain of the school team, being two years older than the both of them.

Hand-in-hand, they led Xu Tingsheng through the campus.

“You’re staying in the C District. This building,” The girl said.

“Thanks,” Xu Tingsheng bid farewell to them at the entrance of the building before suddenly adding, “I wish you happiness.”

“Huh? Thank you,” Shyness was apparent in the girl’s features.

“Thanks, bro,” The vice-captain said.

“You’re welcome. Just don’t use your elbow to press down on my hip bone during the match. I’m telling you first-if you do that, I’ll collapse and roll on the ground crying out foul and elbow strike.”

The vice-captain was left stunned there as Xu Tingsheng turned and entered the reception building. In his previous life, it was in Jianan University’s C District that he had resided in. Just having walked over here, just having stood at the entrance for a while, many familiar figures had walked right by him, some having been drunk together with him before, some having seen him off on a departing train before.

It was just that at this moment in time, there was only he who knew about it. There could be no reminiscing on old days.

Holding the girl’s hand as they left the area, the vice-captain mumbled, “This is bad. Yanzhou University’s reconnaissance is really too terrifying. They even know the kind of movements I like to make on the pitch. This opponent’s very dangerous.”

“You’ve got to be careful about it then. He even wished us happiness just now.”

Of course they would be happy. Even they themselves didn’t know it, but Xu Tingsheng did.

In Xu Tingsheng’s previous life, perhaps because of his presence, the girl who hailed from the same hometown as him and the vice-captain had not interacted much at all during their university times.

Afterwards, Xu Tingsheng and the girl had broken up after just a couple of months. The vice-captain had graduated two years earlier, entering a junior high school to teach. After graduating, the girl had gone to the same junior high as well. They had embarked on a relationship there which had eventually blossomed into fruition.

Xu Tingsheng had even been invited to attend their wedding.

“So the tale would be such a blissful one without me.”

Xu Tingsheng entered the three-person room which the captain had allocated, next putting down his backpack and stuffing a packet of cigarettes into his pocket before saying to the captain with whom he was sharing the same room, “I’m going out for a while.”

The captain smiled, “Don’t get lost.”

“I won’t,” Xu Tingsheng said, “How would I.”

......

Xishan Academy City.

On the night of Xu Tingsheng’s departure, Zhang Xingke hosted a large scale celebratory banquet. To him, Xu Tingsheng was merely a weak competitor who had fallen easily with a single blow. He had taken down many such opponents in the past three years.

The only thing that was different was that Xu Tingsheng had contributed greatly to him, providing him with a very ideal path of development.

Having fallen into a semi-drunken state, the triumphant Zhang Xingke decided to go over to Hucheng for a bit. On one hand, it would be like a victorious general riding on his horse to view the new territory that he had just obtained. On the other, he would soon begin planning for the establishment of his own education platform. If he could lure over a few of Hucheng’s technicians who were proficient in the maintenance of such a platform, that would really save him a great amount of trouble.

Zhang Xingke peeked his head into the third floor of the riverside residence, “Woah, not bad. You’re still holding on.”

Lu Zhixin, Old Wai and the employees were all present. Seeing that it was Zhang Xingke, they all ignored him.

“I came to see you guys,” Zhang Xingke placed a name card in front of each computer, “If you’re looking for a job in a couple of days, you’re very welcome over on my side.”

“Especially the two of you,” Zhang Xingke said to the two technicians, “I’ll be establishing a platform very soon. If you come over, I’ll definitely not ill-treat you.”

“You, I don’t want,” Zhang Xingke pointed at Old Wai.

“You, I want, hahahaha...” Zhang Xingke pointed at Lu Zhixin.

Lu Zhixin smiled, “I actually only have one job requirement. My boss cannot be ugly. Therefore, I’m very sorry.”

“You bi...” Zhang Xingke was enraged.

Old Wai and the two technicians stepped protectively in front of Lu Zhixin.

“Watch what you say.”

At the doorway, Fang Yuqing, Huang Yaming, Fu Cheng and Tan Yao entered the room. Ever since Xu Tingsheng’s departure, they had come to guard over the riverside residence for him. Having been on the second floor earlier, they had only just heard the commotion.

“Woah, surnamed Fang. How scary,” Recognising Fang Yuqing, Zhang Xingke said with an exaggerated look on his face, “This old man hates people like you who depend on their families the most. I can’t act against you now, but let’s see about it again in a few years.”

“But I can act against you now.”

Fang Yuqing had previously been feeling despondent over not having an opponent to try his hand against despite having trained with Zhong Wusheng for a time. Now, he made as if to rush over.

Just when it seemed like a fight was about to break out, Liu Daiyun who had been working in Hucheng ever since the start of the winter holidays said, “Zhixin, you guys come over and take a look at this.”