Chapter 85: The Journey (Part Two)

Because this was their first time participating in an away game so far from home, and their opponents were the formidable Northern Ridge Youth Team, Wang Lei and the Border Province Youth Team arrived four days early for acclimatization training.

Although basketball doesn’t demand as much adjustment to the court as football does, a group of young men suddenly arriving in an unfamiliar place and setting foot on a court they had never seen before inevitably felt a sense of strangeness. Thus, Wang Lei could only bring his players to Vladivostok ahead of schedule, hoping they could get in some extra practice on their opponent’s home court.

Perhaps their opponents did not take the Border Province Youth Team seriously, for they did not refuse Wang Lei’s request. Maybe, in their eyes, since the visiting team posed no real challenge, there was no need to quibble over such minor details—better to be magnanimous, so that when they won, even their opponents would be convinced of their superiority.

Arriving at the grand Vladivostok People’s Gymnasium, Wang Lei’s players were visibly amazed; it was their first time entering an arena capable of holding more than ten thousand spectators.

“Damn, this place is massive—feels like you could fit several of our training courts inside,” exclaimed Wang Zhaohui, the captain of the provincial youth team. Though he was from the northeast himself, he had never been to the Northern Ridge. The people south of the Greater Khingan Range, who also called themselves northerners, were considered southerners by the true locals here—lacking their boldness and spirit.

Facing the gymnasium’s state-of-the-art facilities and the well-appointed visiting locker room, the players felt more anticipation than fear about the coming match. They believed that, while their own conditions might not be as good, they would prove themselves superior through their performance.

Vladivostok was now the premier port of Northeast Asia, and thanks to its exceptional geographical location, it also hosted the Republic’s Northern Fleet. The city’s flourishing economy provided the resources for such impressive infrastructure.

Though April had brought milder weather to Vladivostok, the average temperature remained around four degrees Celsius. Fortunately, Wang Lei’s players were already accustomed to life in the Border Province and had no concerns about the climate.

The two days of trial practice allowed the players to gradually adapt to the venue. There was no denying that this arena, built in 2006, was exceptionally well equipped. Wang Lei felt its facilities were at least on par with some of those in the capital.

On April 18th, the qualifying rounds for the National Games’ men’s youth basketball division commenced across all regions, with over sixty teams battling for the sixteen spots in the main stage of the tournament.

This year’s National Games would open in late September, a period when weather conditions are at their best across the country. Thus, every edition of the Games was held at this time of year.

Unlike in another timeline, where the Olympics and World Cups began in specific years, in this world, the first Summer Olympics was held in 1897, and the inaugural World Cup didn’t occur until after World War II. As a result, major tournaments took place in odd-numbered years, while domestic or continental events were usually scheduled for even-numbered years.

When Wang Lei and his team entered the Vladivostok People’s Gymnasium once more, the arena was already a sea of voices. Though this was merely a youth qualifying match and the visiting team was hardly considered a threat, the passionate local fans had filled every seat.

“I won’t repeat our tactics—play as we trained,” Wang Lei told his team during their final warmup. “From the very start, raise the tempo. Don’t be afraid of mistakes or worry about stamina; our next game isn’t for another week, so we have plenty of time. The most important thing is to keep your spirits high. But Turgun, don’t get overexcited. Take your shots from outside, but be mindful of your timing—don’t always try to shoot over defenders. Confidence is good, but don’t let it turn into arrogance.”

After the last pep talk, Wang Lei made his final arrangements. While this match was crucial for the provincial team, the players had matured since the early pre-season friendlies. Under Wang Lei’s coaching and with the benefit of his special abilities, they had developed rapidly.

As the old saying goes, “Good horses are common, but a good judge is rare.” There’s much truth in this—after all, not every youth coach has Wang Lei’s talents. In the early stages, athletes were selected through a broad search and then whittled down through multiple rounds of elimination, leaving only the best. Wang Lei lacked the conditions to cast his net so wide, but with his “golden finger,” he had managed to assemble a group of players each with distinctive strengths, perfectly suited to his tactical vision.

On the other side, the Northern Ridge Youth Team appeared utterly relaxed. Two-thirds of their roster were members of professional youth squads—standard professional athletes—while the rest were core players from Vladivostok’s top university teams. Their lineup was enviable, and their star center, Zhang Yongdong, was even a national youth team member who had played at last year’s World Youth Championship. Though not a starting center, his 2.16-meter height was something the Border Province Youth Team could only dream of defending against.

The Northern Ridge Youth Team’s head coach, Sheng Tianhuai, was a well-known figure in the country’s basketball circles. At forty-two, he had once played for the national team and, being of Chinese-Russian descent, had also served as a national team assistant coach before retiring. This was his first time in charge of a team. He was familiar enough with Wang Lei, as fellow insiders, but knew nothing of the Border Province Youth Team. Not that he was concerned; to Sheng Tianhuai, with their tallest players barely over two meters, the Border Province Youth Team posed little threat.

At the center circle, the Border University player stepping up for the tip-off astonished the Northern Ridge Youth Team—a player under two meters tall contesting the jump ball was a rarity in official basketball matches in the Republic.

Zhang Yongdong glanced down at the defiant young Uyghur across from him. Though clearly strong, Zhang Yongdong did not consider him a real challenge.

As the referee tossed the ball high into the air, the match officially began.

Zhang Yongdong, the center for Northern Ridge, didn’t even bother to jump. He simply rose onto his toes, intending to use his height and reach to tip the ball to his teammate.