Chapter 112: The Curtain Rises

Golden autumn in October, in the municipality of Jinghai.

Tourists from all over the country and even overseas flocked to this city bordering the Bohai Bay. The National Games, held every four years, can be considered one of the largest sporting events in East Asia, if not the entire continent. Although it is primarily a platform for domestic athletes, this year’s iteration included overseas Chinese participants. As the Republic’s influence continues to grow, neighboring small and medium-sized nations have unanimously turned their attention to broadcasting and following the event. While they cannot participate, for countries within the Chinese cultural sphere, such a large-scale event is beyond their imagination. Even with the existence of the Olympic Games, the intensity and brilliance of the Republic’s National Games are in no way inferior to such international mega-events.

The National Games, which kicked off in grand fashion alongside the National Day holiday, also attracted sports fans from across the country. Fans from neighboring nations seized the opportunity to travel to Jinghai to get a close look at their idols. To host the games successfully, Jinghai made significant efforts, not only constructing numerous new sports venues but also carrying out extensive urban planning and renovation.

Compared to international mega-events, which are becoming increasingly unpopular to host, the National Games have been gaining momentum in recent years. While host cities must spend considerable funds on facilities, the central government provides subsidies. Furthermore, as television ratings soar, major Asian media outlets have invested heavily in broadcasting the matches. Consequently, the National Games are far from a loss-making venture for cities in the Republic; if managed well, they can even bring in additional revenue, as this is an excellent opportunity to promote the host city to all of Asia and the world.

Wang Lei was quite surprised by the grandeur of the National Games in this timeline. Unlike the world he originally came from, the Republic’s sports authorities here truly understood how to "expand the pie." Their vision was long-term, not limited to the glory of a single city or region, but focused on how to make the National Games brand more prestigious, thereby promoting their own reputation and gaining greater support and investment.

To ensure fairness, almost all matches employed foreign referees, and the majority of events incorporated electronic eye technology and assistant referee systems to minimize officiating errors.

Wang Lei and his team arrived in Jinghai a week before the opening ceremony. Over the next twenty-plus days, they would play at least three matches. If they could advance from the group stage, it would be a massive success for their squad. However, the group into which Wang Lei and his Xinjiang Youth Team were drawn was not particularly favorable. Their group included not only the Guangdong Youth Team, which finished first in the Southern division, but also the European Chinese Youth Team, the second-place finisher from the overseas division, as well as the Central Henan Youth Team, the third-place qualifier from the Central division. Although the Central Henan team only qualified third this time, their historical track record in player development and previous tournament performances suggested they possessed the strength to advance or even win the title, despite their lackluster performance in the qualifiers.

The youth basketball tournament was grouped according to tiers to avoid having teams from the same division meet in the group stage. Consequently, each group was assigned one team from each tier. Although Wang Lei’s Xinjiang Youth Team won the Northern division, they were placed in the fourth tier. This ranking was based on historical performance and the number of star players contributed to national teams, an area where the Xinjiang team lacked significant credentials.

Thus, Wang Lei’s group contained two division winners, one runner-up, and one third-place finisher—arguably the most fiercely competitive of the four groups.

Upon arriving in Jinghai, Wang Lei and his team immediately dived into final preparations. Their first opponent in the group stage was the Guangdong Youth Team. Over the previous two months, Wang Lei had put his team through a nearly closed-door training camp. The players, who had already matured significantly, maintained their fundamental and physical training. In addition, after watching game footage painstakingly acquired by the Provincial Sports Management Center, Wang Lei implemented targeted drills, such as having certain players mimic the styles of other teams so the squad could practice specific tactical counters.

The Xinjiang Provincial Sports Management Center had intended to arrange warm-up matches, but Wang Lei declined. In his view, the previous qualifiers had provided enough experience; warm-up games offered little extra value. It was better to remain low-key and preserve a sense of mystery, hoping that other provincial youth teams wouldn't pay them much mind, even as Northern division champions.

Although Wang Lei was the composer of the National Games theme song, he and his players would unfortunately miss the opening ceremony, as their first match coincided with it. Due to the density of the schedule, youth group matches were often relegated to less favorable time slots. Zhang Laopao, the original singer of "Believe in Yourself," would be attending the opening ceremony and had secured top-tier VIP tickets for Wang Lei, but they ended up being used by other members of the Xinjiang delegation.

Compared to the adult tournament featuring big-name stars, the youth group matches received much less attention. During the qualifiers, they had at least enjoyed the support of local fans, but with the official National Games underway, they were relegated to the background, especially since the team lacked famous players.

Even so, the youth games still had an audience. Professional scouts and coaching staffs followed the proceedings closely; compared to established players, it was relatively easier to secure talent in the youth ranks. In truth, many teams preferred signing young prospects—even if these players couldn't contribute immediately, everyone knew that if they developed well, the team would reap significant rewards.