Chapter 2: Returning to the Bench Once More

A few strands of hair danced on the head coach’s forehead as he pointed across the court, choosing players with an air of command. With casual precision, he formed two teams: the Shao Qiu team and the Yu Bai team.

Ning Zhou, the first unlucky soul to be called, found himself drafted into Yu Bai’s squad.

His roommate, Nie Fei’ang, wandered over, his hair in a chaotic nest, grinning foolishly. “What a coincidence! I’m on this side too…”

“…What a coincidence,” Ning Zhou replied, scanning the assembled players. He realized both sides had just enough for two complete teams of seven.

Though the coach seemed to select at random, he had clearly memorized everyone’s positions.

“Wait, coach, we’ve got overlapping positions!” one short player on Yu Bai’s team pointed at Ning Zhou. “I’m a libero, but there’s another libero in the lineup!”

The libero specializes in defense, and shorter players often excel at it, so height requirements are less strict for the position.

Since childhood, Ning Zhou had dreamed of playing libero after first encountering volleyball, but for various reasons, he’d later been forced to switch to setter. With his stature, he’d often been mistaken for a libero in his previous life.

He was used to such misunderstandings and calmly clarified, “I’m the setter.”

The libero’s face froze in embarrassment as he scratched his head. “Sorry!”

“No problem,” Ning Zhou replied, his gentle smile and voice flowing like a quiet stream, soothing to the ear. “I haven’t practiced with you before. Shall we try some drills first?”

Before his teammates could answer, Shao Qiu, the setter of the opposing team, interjected, “Let’s not waste time. Finish quickly; everyone’s waiting for afternoon training.”

The coach nodded, hair drifting lightly. “Go jog a few laps. Warm up and then begin!”

“Yes!”

Both teams lined up and began jogging around the gym. Leading the pack were Yu Bai and Shao Qiu.

A subtle rivalry simmered between them; neither was willing to yield, and soon their jog turned into a race.

Before long, Ning Zhou found himself at the tail of the group.

In his previous life, he would have gritted his teeth to keep up, refusing to fall behind.

Now…

Saltfish Zhou pursed his lips and settled into a comfortable pace, letting the others pull further ahead.

At twenty, his stamina was far from ideal!

Jogging at a leisurely pace, he was soon lapped by the rest of the team, who sped around the track.

As Yu Bai passed, he glanced sideways at Ning Zhou but didn’t say a word.

Nie Fei’ang, huffing and puffing at the rear, his hair messier than ever, grabbed Ning Zhou, trying to help him speed up. “How did you get lapped already? The king of hustle not only sleeps in but slacks off during warm-ups?”

“I’m not slacking off!” Ning Zhou shook free, “At this pace, I’m warming up just fine.”

Nie Fei’ang noticed the beads of sweat on Ning Zhou’s nose and decisively abandoned the main group to jog behind him, panting hard. “I’m not running with those maniacs anymore; I never ran this hard, even in the physical exams!”

Ning Zhou smiled and focused on his running.

By the end of the warm-up, Ning Zhou had gathered a string of followers behind him, even outnumbering Yu Bai’s group.

Like a mother duck leading her ducklings, Ning Zhou rejoined Yu Bai’s team.

Yu Bai, after warming up, shed his jacket. The muscles of his shoulders and arms were well developed, and even his jersey bulged more than the others.

He was only slightly out of breath, as if the sprint had been just an appetizer for him.

Shao Qiu, on the other hand, was not so relaxed.

Nie Fei’ang stole a glance at Shao Qiu, who was drenched in sweat, and suddenly understood. “It’s all part of Yu Bai’s plan—wear down the opposing setter’s stamina, and we’ll have the upper hand during the match!”

Yu Bai’s dark eyes flickered, silently confirming.

Ning Zhou: …

Yu Bai’s look clearly said, “So that’s how it is!”

Doubt crept into Ning Zhou’s mind about the future of this team.

Nie Fei’ang stretched as he muttered, full of confidence, “We’re conserving our energy, so there’s nothing to fear. Victory is in the bag!”

“Don’t underestimate the opponents,” Ning Zhou lowered his voice. “Most of Shao Qiu’s team are former national squad members. Their teamwork will be much more cohesive than ours.”

Nie Fei’ang considered this, and his smile faded.

---

“How did the coach form these teams? They’re all experienced players, and we’re just young newcomers without big match experience! It’s unfair!”

“He must have his reasons…” Ning Zhou crouched to stretch, shrugging indifferently. “As long as we play volleyball, it’s fine. Just a practice match—win or lose, it doesn’t matter.”

“You’re so easygoing!” Nie Fei’ang marveled, then noticed Ning Zhou’s stretching range and widened his eyes. “No way… You’re that flexible?!”

---

Both teams gathered on opposite sides of the net to discuss starting positions.

This practice match wasn’t part of the training schedule, so the other players had some free time. Drawn to the action, they circled the court, pointing and whispering.

“Shao Qiu’s lineup is strong, almost the same as the old national squad. Looks like this will be a one-sided massacre!”

“The other side’s in trouble. Look at their setter; I heard he’s barely over 170 centimeters!”

“How did he make the training roster?”

“Haven’t you heard? His name is Ning Zhou, adopted son of Assistant Coach Ning Xu!”

“Wow, talk about nepotism!”

“Cough—”

The gossiping players suddenly fell silent.

At the entrance, the other coaches arrived late, led by Assistant Coach Ning Xu.

In his forties, with graying temples and a permanent furrow between his brows, he was the strictest of the coaching group.

Ning Xu surveyed the court, approaching the head coach. “Coach Luo, there was no scrimmage scheduled for the first week of training. What’s this about?”

Coach Luo smiled, “With new players joining, the best way for young athletes to get acquainted is through a match.”

Ning Xu’s frown deepened as his gaze swept the court. “Shao Qiu’s side is full of veterans, and the other… That kid with the buzz cut, is he your recruit?”

“Exactly. Yu Bai was MVP of the latest collegiate volleyball league. If we nurture him, he’ll be able to compete with Europe’s strongest attackers!”

It was the first time Ning Xu had heard such high praise from Coach Luo. His brow eased a little. “He sounds promising! Why is he only joining now?”

Coach Luo paused, his expression complicated. “He… was playing in the collegiate basketball league the past few days…”

“Basketball?” Ning Xu’s white hair trembled. “Well, more skills never hurt…”

Coach Luo, still grinning, pointed toward Ning Zhou at the serving position. “For this match, I’m most interested in watching that child…”

Ning Xu stared intently at Ning Zhou, sighing. “Given our relationship, I can’t praise him in front of you. All I’ll say is—Ning Zhou is a genius.”

---

The whistle signaled the start, and Ning Zhou was first to serve.

He slapped the ball against the ground several times, feeling its texture.

Although he’d retired for a while before being reborn, he’d never stopped touching a volleyball every day, keeping his feel for the game.

He set up for the serve, cheeks flushed with excitement—

Once more, he was standing on a volleyball court!

Step, toss, jump, strike.

The jump float serve zipped across the court, barely grazing the net.

Coach Luo smiled, “Nice serve—low trajectory, hard to receive!”

The ball flew toward the back-row attacker on Shao Qiu’s team.

Seeing that Ning Zhou’s serve wasn’t a powerful jump serve, the attacker relaxed.

But unexpectedly, the float serve was even faster than usual, and in the blink of an eye it was barreling toward him.

Out of bounds? No, the trajectory would hug the line.

He hesitated for a moment; the ball was already at his hands.

He instinctively bumped the ball, but the first pass was poorly executed.

Rather than reaching the setter’s position, the ball simply rose vertically.

“Sorry, Shao Qiu!”

---

A full attack in volleyball typically consists of three steps: the receiver passes, the setter sets for the attacker, and finally, the attacker spikes.

If the first pass is perfect, the setter can orchestrate a variety of attacks, making it harder for blockers to predict.

But if the first pass is off, quick attacks are impossible, and the setter must rely on strong wing hitters to break through.

Shao Qiu’s face was tense, his prominent cheekbones accentuated by the overhead lights.

He moved beneath the ball and called the front-row attacker’s name as he set: “Du Jun!”

The attacker, Du Jun, stepped forward, wrists wrapped in tape.

He jumped, swung his arm, poised to spike. The tape didn’t hinder his wrist’s flexibility.

Meanwhile, the opposing team formed a triple block, a wall determined to stop the attack.

Du Jun, the ball, and the blockers lined up in a direct path.

On the extension of that path, someone’s gaze waited—

Ning Zhou, positioned in the back row for defense, his mind whirring:

First, the triple block sealed almost all attack angles.

Second, Shao Qiu’s set was average, far from the net, forcing the attacker to lean back and making it hard to generate power.

Third, Du Jun was the former national team captain, experienced and resourceful.

This ball—Du Jun wouldn’t spike!

Just as Du Jun shifted his grip, Ning Zhou moved, running up to defend.

He received the tip behind the blockers with precision.

“Excellent judgment and quick footwork!” Coach Luo praised. “Though only twenty, Ning Zhou doesn’t panic on court!”

Ning Xu’s expression was stern, but pride shone in his eyes. “His defense is strong. I trained him as a libero originally!”

“Oh? Why the switch?”

Ning Xu replied mysteriously, “He has a talent best suited for a setter.”

“?”

Ning Xu offered no further explanation, leaving Coach Luo itching with curiosity, now even more engrossed in the match.

After Ning Zhou’s dig, the libero helped bump the second contact, and the attacker’s shot was received by the opposing team.

But their defense faltered, and the ball returned over the net to Yu Bai’s side.

Ning Zhou shouted, “Free ball!” and rushed to the setter’s spot, ready to organize the attack.

“Nice pass!”

“I’ve got it!”

The libero handled the harmless ball and set it perfectly above Ning Zhou.

Opportunity!

Ning Zhou raised his hands above his brow, preparing to set, his mind calm and concentration intense.

Some say volleyball is a sport of ascent.

Players, referees, coaches, spectators—

Everyone inside and outside the arena lifts their gaze, following the ball’s flight, their hearts pounding with the ebb and flow of attack and defense.

But Ning Zhou was different—

He excelled at “looking down.”

At this moment, the ball above Ning Zhou seemed to enter slow motion.

His view of the court unfurled like a living canvas in his pupils, stretching all the way to the opponents’ side.

Across the net, Shao Qiu’s six teammates were rapidly adjusting positions.

The three front-row players had just finished blocking and shuffled back to center, ready to respond to Ning Zhou’s set.

To Ning Zhou, every opponent was like an actor under a spotlight—every move captured.

The blockers’ shifting, gaps in the defense—

There it was, a window of opportunity!

A faint smile curled Ning Zhou’s lips; he seized the moment and jumped to set.

“Ning Zhou…” Ning Xu on the sidelines finally revealed, “He’s a genius of vision!”