Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Coach's Song

“Meimei? You’re celebrating? I’ll call you back in a bit.”

On the other end of the line, it was extremely noisy, and the shrill, playful screams of several girls could be heard.

“Ah, Brother Lei, haha—Nana, stop it! I’m on the phone with Brother Lei. I’ll step outside for a moment.”

“Hello? Sounds lively over there! I watched your match today. You really didn’t give your opponents any mercy.”

“Huh? How could I win the championship if I went easy on them? Hehe, wasn’t I amazing today?”

“Yeah, you were impressive—especially that point in the third set. The girl on the other team was in tears. Next time, don’t spike it at someone’s face—especially my handsome face. It’s only meant to be gently caressed, you know.”

“Oh, you’re being silly. I didn’t do it on purpose; I even apologized afterward. But if you ever bully me, I’ll make sure to ‘caress’ your face with my hand, all right?”

Yangtze River Women’s Volleyball Team, where Ma Dongmei played, defeated Jinzhou Mining Group Women’s Volleyball Team three sets to none in the final round of the league, clinching the championship for the year and shattering Beihai Agricultural Bank’s dreams of defending their title.

In fact, before the match even began, Beihai Women’s Volleyball Team had already lost hope. Their rivals, the Yangtze River team, faced a much weaker opponent. With Jinzhou Mining Group teetering on the edge of bankruptcy in recent years, their investment in sports had dwindled, and the Jinzhou team had only managed to avoid relegation thanks to the ineptitude of their competitors.

A team in such a state could hardly pose a threat to the dominant Yangtze River Women’s Volleyball Team.

Ma Dongmei’s performance was stellar; at one point, her spike brought the opposing player to tears.

Wang Lei watched her game on TV and called his beloved as soon as it ended.

“Hey, by the way, when are you getting your break?”

“Hmm, not until the end of the year. Things are tight right now, so we have to make good use of this time to train hard before the holidays.”

“Oh, right. How did your last two matches go? Old Yan put you all under lockdown a few days ago, confiscated everyone’s phones. How did it go? Did you win?”

Ma Dongmei was very invested in Wang Lei’s team. To her, this was the beginning of his career, and she wanted to support him.

“We lost—both matches. The second one was the worst; we lost to Frontier University by more than twenty points. The last one was a bit better—we lost by seven.”

“Oh no, you lost them all? Were the players in poor form, or what happened?”

“Silly girl, I only just put this team together. It’s a ragtag bunch; losing a few matches is normal. Don’t worry, I’m not that fragile, and neither are my boys.”

“All right, go celebrate with your teammates. You’ve reclaimed the championship; make sure you celebrate properly. Let’s video call tomorrow.”

“Sure. And don’t worry too much. I’ll have my dad talk to my mom again—it’ll be fine.”

Three warm-up matches, two losses—Wang Lei wasn’t under much pressure, but he had to keep an eye on the young players’ morale. He wasn’t their nanny, but for now, they were all he had to work with. Each player was important; once someone lost confidence, it would be a blow to the whole team.

In the first match, the Provincial Youth Team’s wild energy was enough to defeat a more experienced opponent, but the second game against Frontier University revealed their true limitations.

Their movement on the court was enthusiastic, and their offense was better organized than before, but when faced with the stronger Frontier University of Finance and Economics, the Provincial Youth Team was utterly outmatched.

A lack of inside presence meant they couldn’t secure crucial rebounds, and without rebounds, it was impossible to launch fast breaks.

Once forced into a set offense, their pick-and-roll plays—so effective in the previous match—were easily anticipated by the opposition. Turgun, under tight double teams, struggled to pass, and the offense stalled.

What was even more telling was that the Frontier University coach managed his players’ minutes with care, ensuring the team had plenty of energy in the second half. The Provincial Youth Team was never able to mount a real threat as the game wound down.

After the second warm-up match, some players were clearly discouraged, but Wang Lei was quick to ease the pressure. He took the whole team out for dinner, and the local cuisine and beer helped the young men recover their spirits.

By the third game, against Frontier Normal University, the Provincial Youth Team finally began to look like a real team. Even though Wang Lei never explained tactics directly, his team displayed impressive offensive coordination. There were still plenty of issues on defense, but their outside shooting caught the opposing coach’s attention.

After these three warm-up games, the Provincial Youth Team was finally taking shape. Wang Lei used this opportunity to settle on his final twelve-man roster. The four who didn’t make the cut didn’t leave—they were kept as reserves, since no one could guarantee the squad would stay injury-free. These four had their own mental struggles, but at least they made up the numbers.

In their spare time, the players would talk about their coach. To them, Wang Lei was unlike any coach they’d ever known.

He never spoke down to them, but he was no pushover either. Anyone who tried to slack off in training would find their workload doubled—Wang Lei never scolded, but he was strict. The worst offender, Hawule, once had to run drills until midnight, with Wang Lei staying at the gym to accompany him.

A coach like this won the players’ respect easily—for he was wholly devoted to their development. The drills might have seemed basic, but after three matches, no one underestimated their importance.

What impressed the team even more were the songs Wang Lei had “written.” All of them were internet-savvy, and after meeting him, they immediately followed his account. His songs and the story of “Goodbye Mr. Loser” gave them a whole new perspective on their coach.

To these young men, only true talents commanded their admiration—and for Wang Lei, a man living with a disability, to earn such recognition was no small feat.