Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Eyes of the People Are Sharp as Snow

“How is it? My mom didn’t bother you, did she? My dad didn’t either? I bet those two have been arguing again!”

“Of course they have, they always argue. But it’s always my dad who surrenders first, haha. In the future, you’ll have to be the first one to give in too.”

“There’s no way we’ll never argue! What if one day you see a gorgeous actress or a superstar singer and instantly forget all about me? Then I’ll definitely have a huge fight with you, and I’ll give that hussy a good slap or two.”

“Murder? What murder? Are you making fun of me again? Are my slaps really that heavy?”

“Do you have confidence playing Liu’s team? Has Liu contacted you?”

“Alright, I won’t ask about that anymore. Oh, Zhang San called and invited me to the premiere. Shall we go?”

“Then let’s not go. You have a match that day, and I’ll be heading to Lingbei with our club. You should call him back and let him know.”

The daily punctual phone calls were an important way for these long-distance lovers to keep their relationship alive. Within those conversations were both whispered words of affection unknown to others and the trivialities of daily life. Wang Lei always intentionally left certain matters for Ma Dongmei to handle, and the lovely girl regarded this as a mark of his trust and importance, so she tried her best to do everything well.

The eternal vows and endless drama belong to romance novels; the life-and-death conspiracies fill the plots of movies and TV shows. In real life, even the most passionate lovers must face the small matters of daily existence. Many couples who fail to reach the end of their journey together often split over these seemingly insignificant things.

Though both Wang Lei and Ma Dongmei were athletes and now worked in competitive sports, in most ways, they were no different from ordinary people. Perhaps the only difference was that they both saw their feelings for each other with absolute clarity—a foundation that allowed them to persist together.

The premiere Ma Dongmei mentioned over the phone was for “Goodbye, Mr. Loser,” a film produced by Qilin Pictures and featuring several main actors from the Dream Theater. The movie was already generating buzz before its release.

Since Dream Theater was acquired by Qilin Pictures, it received substantial investment. Riding the wave of their popular online stage play “Goodbye, Mr. Loser,” Qilin not only funded a nationwide tour for the troupe but also decided to adapt the play into a low-budget comedy film, keeping the original cast.

For Zhang San, Li Si, and the others, it was a dream come true—so much so that they could scarcely believe their luck. After the national tour, they had become well-known comedic actors within the industry. In recent years, blockbuster films had dominated the Republic’s movie scene, but comedy always has its market, especially when it’s done well.

With the film’s release approaching, neither Zhang San nor Qilin Pictures had forgotten Wang Lei, one of the original creators. Although Wang Lei hadn’t participated in the tour or the filming, no one could forget his contribution—especially since the movie’s theme song was inseparable from him.

Qilin Pictures had actually tried to sign Wang Lei, hoping to bring him on as a screenwriter or music producer, but after learning about his relationship with Li Weihong, they gave up on the idea.

They say the public’s eyes are sharp, and the film’s pre-release popularity proved it. Similarly, the tactics Wang Lei’s team prepared for their match against the Capital Youth Team were a testament to collective wisdom.

Two heads are better than one, and three ordinary men can outwit a genius. Wang Lei never saw himself as a superhero; while he did possess a talent beyond the ordinary, he also had the mindset of any normal person.

Without the coordination of the entire coaching staff, Wang Lei could never have kept the team running smoothly. His energy was limited, and he sometimes overlooked things—just as he’d been misled this time by the video footage Li Kaixuan had sent.

After watching the Capital Youth Team’s recordings, Wang Lei asked everyone for their opinions and how they thought the match should be played. As expected, most of the team fell silent—the Capital Youth Team’s strength was truly impressive in the videos.

“We just play our game the way we always do. We already have our own strategy, so let’s stick to it. As long as we make our shots and defend every possession we’re supposed to, we’ll win,” said one of Haowule Pulati’s players—a remark that surprised everyone, given his usual bravado.

Yet those words suddenly brought Wang Lei back to his senses.

“Yes, why am I only thinking about how strong the other team is and how I can’t find their weaknesses? Why do I need to find their weaknesses at all? If we play our best and execute our tactics to the fullest, it’ll be them who’ll have to scramble. Even if they know our strategy, so what? Can their center really defend all five positions?”

Haowule’s words completely awakened Wang Lei. Perhaps his long-standing rivalry with Liu Sicheng had left too deep a mark, and now, facing Liu again, Wang Lei found himself lost in thought—especially after watching the Capital Youth Team’s videos, he kept worrying about what would happen if his team lost.

“Yes, Haowule is right. I was overthinking it. It doesn’t matter what the other team does; all we need to do is play our own basketball: fast, simple, fundamental. Winning the game would be great, but if we don’t, it’s not the end of the world. Haowule, I never expected you to have such insight now,” Wang Lei said to everyone, now fully at ease with his thoughts.

While some players remained skeptical, no one voiced any objections. Wang Lei was right—they hadn’t been viewing their situation from the right perspective. The pressure should be on the other team. Who were they? Once nobodies from the frontier, the Youth Team had now achieved three consecutive wins. If they won this match, they could qualify for the finals several rounds early.

And their opponents? The famed Capital Youth Team, stacked with young talent. If they lost, it would be a major upset—and for them, failure to take first in the northern division would be a humiliation.