Chapter Forty-Eight: Divided into Teams for Combat

Wang Lei authorized Ma Pingdong to handle the signing with Qilin Film Company on his behalf. The company’s president, Ding Qi, proved himself to be a true man of his word, wiring the payment to Wang Lei within just a couple of days. With abundant funds at their disposal, Aili, acting as logistics manager, purchased a new batch of training equipment as instructed by Wang Lei.

Wang Lei also recruited a few freshly-graduated university students. Youth often means inexperience, but under proper guidance, their vigor and passion are assets seldom found in other age groups. In managing the team, Wang Lei strove to treat everyone equally; even when his most promising player, Turghun, made a mistake, Wang Lei enforced strict discipline just the same.

As for Hawul·Pulat, who had caused trouble previously, Wang Lei did not harshly reproach him. Instead, he simply required a sincere apology before everyone and extended his cleaning duty punishment to two months. Wang Lei was well aware that he was not yet in a position to act like an all-powerful head coach. To force authority now would only breed rebellion among these young men. Having been an athlete himself, Wang Lei understood the common flaw among domestic coaches: they often overemphasized their own authority, sometimes at the expense of players’ feelings and needs.

It’s easier to manage with an iron fist, but that doesn’t always mean effective results. If Wang Lei were already a top-tier coach, his mere glance might send shivers down the players’ spines. But right now, he was little more than a former national player with no real achievements as a coach. Rather than asserting authority, it was wiser to use his youth to draw closer to the players.

To spark enthusiasm in training, Wang Lei deliberately fostered competition within the team. He punished both Cai Aihong and Hawul, making them train together daily and, after practice, serve their punishment side by side by cleaning. Hawul didn’t mind; after all, cleaning gave him an opportunity to chat with Aziguli, Turghun’s sister. However, Hawul never quite got along with Cai Aihong, who always seemed too blunt—every word sounded like a retort.

Cai Aihong possessed remarkable stamina, while Hawul was incredibly strong. The two unwittingly became rivals, pushing each other and refusing to be outdone.

Initially, Cai Aihong felt guilty for having misunderstood Turghun, so although he still felt a bit awkward around him, he took the initiative to teach Turghun how to maintain a steady breathing rhythm during exercise. Having excelled in long-distance running, Cai Aihong had his own methods for conserving and building endurance. While these methods might not have suited Turghun perfectly, his willingness to help was a positive sign. Cai’s overtures toward Turghun aroused jealousy in Hawul, who genuinely hoped to win over Aziguli and thus sought ways to befriend Turghun as well.

With these two supporting him, Turghun soon became fully integrated into the team. Although he’d never received formal training, Turghun had excellent instincts and, being like a blank slate, learned rapidly under Wang Lei’s guidance. At first, Wang Lei’s specialized training left Turghun confused—his shooting rhythm and feel were disrupted—but gradually, his technique became more orthodox, and his innate ball sense helped him rediscover his touch. Soon, Turghun became the most accurate shooter on the team.

Turghun’s progress quickly motivated the university players. They were older and had played basketball since childhood, but compared to Turghun, their fundamentals were lacking. Many started to focus intently on their training. Wang Lei’s initial emphasis on fundamentals had gone unheeded—after all, the players believed they were already good enough—but Turghun shattered that illusion. Here was a boy five or six years their junior, with no formal training, yet surpassing them in both shooting and ball handling. It was intolerable.

Of course, some harbored ill intentions toward Turghun, but seeing that the team’s tallest and strongest—Cai Aihong and Hawul—were his close friends, any schemes quickly faded.

With competition established, Wang Lei felt more at ease, though he remained vigilant. Healthy competition was necessary, but he was careful to avoid any harmful divisions. In this atmosphere, he took notice of Wang Zhaohui, a player who had previously gone unnoticed.

Wang Zhaohui and Cai Aihong came from the same university and even shared a dormitory, yet Wang Zhaohui was born and raised in the borderlands. He’d received bilingual education from a young age, speaking both standard Mandarin and impressive Uyghur, giving him a significant advantage.

Though Wang Zhaohui could be talkative, he was genuinely warm-hearted, always willing to help any teammate in need, and his words always hit the mark. His basketball skills were ordinary, but his attitude toward training was exemplary. Limited by his talent, he might never become a professional athlete, but Wang Lei felt this kinsman of his was the ideal candidate for team captain.

With Wang Zhaohui mending rifts, Wang Lei no longer worried about major problems within the team, and the players had no objections to Wang as captain. After all, he handled relationships well and had indirectly helped Cai Aihong avoid offending others.

Once the team’s training was on track, Wang Lei did not rush into tactical drills. Instead, he continued emphasizing physical conditioning and fundamentals, starting from the basics. After these repetitive exercises, he had the team randomly split into two groups for scrimmages, with no strategies in place—just letting them play as they wished. Sometimes, he’d split them into three groups for small competitions, acting as referee to control the game’s tempo and prevent tempers from flaring. In these loose, everyday scrimmages, the players gradually developed basic chemistry.

Because the groups were random, the players began to understand each other better. Witnessing each other’s strengths, some began to adjust their attitudes and playing styles. Winners of these scrimmages received small rewards—a meal out, perhaps, or a rare half-day off—while the losers faced minor penalties, such as mopping the floor.

Unbeknownst to outsiders, Wang Lei’s team was beginning to grow rapidly.