Chapter 111: Untitled

Wang Lei ultimately decided against saying much more to Ma Dongmei. After careful consideration, he felt that given his position, anything he said likely wouldn't be taken to heart by Fu Sansheng. Furthermore, speaking to Ma Dongmei might only create friction between them. Since that was the case, it was better to remain silent. Even if the Yangtze River Women’s Volleyball team failed to defend their title this season, Ma Dongmei’s current status likely wouldn't be affected, and given her young age, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

During the ten-day vacation that followed, Wang Lei spent as much time as possible with his girlfriend. He also offered her several suggestions, such as incorporating yoga into her routine. While it might not have the miraculous effects some claimed, it certainly had its merits; if practiced correctly, yoga could indeed improve flexibility and ligament strength.

Beyond spending time with Ma Dongmei, Wang Lei also took care of a few personal matters during his break. Zhang Laopao’s new album had been released and immediately caused a sensation, hailed by the industry as a groundbreaking, classic work worthy of collection.

Although rock music was merely a niche genre in this timeline, Zhang Laopao’s album shook the hearts of many. Admittedly, there were still many critics who viewed the album as a corruption of musical art, but among the general public, Zhang Laopao’s songs had gained widespread recognition.

As the songwriter, Wang Lei had become a figure many big stars hoped to collaborate with. Some even went through connections to reach Zhang Laopao, hoping to get Wang Lei to write a couple of songs. Even Ma Pingdong was harassed by people, though it was unclear how they had discovered the connection between him and Wang Lei.

Wang Lei rejected all these requests. After all, he was merely an enthusiast with a limited memory of songs, and without any understanding of these artists, he had no way to write for them.

Over the past six months, Zhang Laopao had gradually transferred about 1.5 million in earnings from the album to Wang Lei. While this sum might not seem vast, it spoke volumes about the album's massive sales, especially considering Wang Lei was only the lyricist and held a five-percent royalty share.

Apart from these matters, Wang Lei did not forget to continue updating his novel on Xunbo. Although he only posted intermittently, his creative process remained steady. The story of World of Warcraft was long enough that Wang Lei felt no rush; his ambition didn't lie in writing, but rather in sharing his story with others.

Wang Lei was in no hurry, but the many readers who had fallen into the "World of Warcraft" rabbit hole were itching to smash his windows. This guy would sometimes drop thirty or fifty thousand words at once, and then go a whole week without an update, leaving many readers restless and unable to eat or sleep.

Wang Lei’s Xunbo comment section was filled with pleas for updates. Some were gentle entreaties, while others were filled with indignant threats. One wealthy fan even offered a significant daily reward if Wang Lei maintained a consistent update schedule.

Faced with these demands, Wang Lei simply left a message: "My work is quite important, apologies." This left many to berate him for a lack of professional integrity, claiming that a perfectly good writer shouldn't be wasting his time as a coach, insisting it was a complete neglect of his proper duties.

Over the last six months, the story of the Pandaren had largely reached its climax, and the numerous characters introduced along the way had given readers a glimpse into the vastness of the World of Warcraft setting. Wang Lei intended to use the conclusion of Mists of Pandaria as a gateway into other storylines.

At the end of July, Wang Lei took Ma Dongmei, who had just finished her intensive training, with him to Urumqi.

Although Ma Pingdong and Li Weihong were quite unhappy that their daughter wouldn't be returning home for the holidays, they knew that children eventually grow up and follow their own path. Fortunately, both of them were busy with their own affairs; had they been idle, it might have been a different story.

Wang Lei had just finished his two-week break, as had Ma Dongmei. She wouldn't return to Jinling until mid-August. Logically, she should have participated in the National Games, but in September, she was set to join the national team for the World Grand Champions Cup. Organized by the International Volleyball Federation, this was a large-scale intercontinental tournament featuring the top teams from each continent. As it was a top-tier event, the national team players would skip the National Games.

Upon returning to Urumqi, Wang Lei found his status much improved. He now had his own independent office and, with the coordination of the Xinjiang Sports Management Center, a residence outside the training base. Although it was only a modest two-bedroom apartment, it was fully equipped—a thoughtful arrangement by the center, taking Wang Lei’s family life into account.

When Wang Lei arrived in Urumqi, the team had already assembled. The coaching staff, led by Xu Hui, had begun their normal duties, and the players had returned one after another, with only Wang Zhaohui, whose home was in the Northeast, still on his way back.

The next two months would be the team's final training period. The National Games would officially begin in October, and as a student team participating for the first time, the Xinjiang Youth Team was taking it very seriously.

After Wang Lei’s return, the Sports Management Center asked if the team needed to recruit high-level professional players. After all, they were entering the National Games, and the center didn't want them to go home after just the group stage.

Wang Lei rejected the proposal. It wasn't out of arrogance; he felt the team had already formed a cohesive unit, and introducing professional players might disrupt the internal balance. It was better to enter the competition with his student soldiers.

After turning down the suggestion, Wang Lei requested that the center coordinate to collect footage of other teams that had qualified from different regions. While he knew it was impossible to collect everything—especially with overseas teams involved—he wanted to gather as much as possible. One couldn't go into a match blindly; the team's style was versatile, and the key was to adapt to the tactics of others. Speed alone wouldn't guarantee good results; one must know the enemy and know oneself to be invincible.

In addition to this request, Wang Lei asked the center to equip the team with a dedicated medical staff. He didn't expect them to be world-class, but they needed to be able to handle emergencies. No one could guarantee that accidents wouldn't happen, and regardless of anything else, the players could not afford to be injured during these two months.