Chapter 129: One More Reason to Compete

With three wins in three games during the group stage, the Xinjiang Youth Team has firmly established its strength and caliber, even though the squad is comprised entirely of students and led by a head coach who is disabled and struggles with mobility.

Regardless of the intense criticism Wang Lei faces from the outside world, his competence and contributions to the team are undeniable. The Xinjiang Sports Management Center is well aware of this; thus, even as they wish for Wang Lei to pacify public opinion, they can only approach the matter through negotiation. After Wang Lei flatly rejected their suggestions, the center had no choice but to endure the situation.

Putting aside his inner agitation, Wang Lei chose to ignore the noise from the outside. He had more pressing matters to attend to: the upcoming quarter-final match for the Xinjiang Youth Team. Wang Lei did not want to falter at this juncture. In any case, it would be best to fulfill his promise to Li Weihong ahead of schedule, even though Li had already fully recognized Wang’s value.

The next opponent, the Fujian Youth Team, is another dark horse of this year’s youth tournament. During the preliminary rounds, they made history by advancing to the National Games youth basketball finals as the second seed of the Southern Division. In the group stage, they overcame several formidable opponents; though they finished second in their group after a five-point loss to the Capital Youth Team, reaching the final eight is the best result Fujian has achieved in basketball in years.

An old saying goes, "Eight parts mountain, one part water, one part farmland," which aptly describes Fujian Province. It has beautiful mountains and waters, but very little fertile land. Consequently, the people of Fujian have long held a tradition of "venturing out to sea." The word "venture" encapsulates the helplessness and bitterness of the Fujianese people. Who would willingly gamble with their lives at sea if they weren't forced to by extreme circumstances? This was not an era of advanced technology; even today, venturing out to sea carries risks, let alone in ancient times when there were no large ships to withstand waves, no GPS for precise navigation—only a desperate desire to survive, incense ash blessed by the Goddess Mazu, and the soil from their own backyards. To this day, many overseas Chinese trace their ancestral roots to Fujian, and people from the province can be found in every corner of the globe.

In recent years, with strong support from the Republic, Fujian's economy has surged. With a solid foundation, many overseas Fujianese have returned to their homeland, bringing a wealth of talent to the province's development. Many overseas Fujianese have integrated with local populations abroad, and as the Republic’s influence grows, more people are drawn to this great ancient Eastern nation—after all, it is stable and prosperous, and isn't that the most basic desire for any human? With this influx of talent, Fujian has made significant strides in various sectors, including sports.

The Fujian Youth Team that reached the final eight features many mixed-race players. Compared to the local Fujianese, these players possess far superior physical attributes. This is not to say the locals lack talent, but basketball inevitably requires a certain physical foundation. With such physically gifted players and a coach who excels at molding young athletes, the Fujian Youth Team’s current success is well-deserved.

Wang Lei is quite familiar with the Fujian coach, Yue Minghua, who was the captain of the national team back when Wang was a member. The veteran captain retired the year after Wang joined the team. Their relationship is quite good; in fact, it was through the captain’s connections that Wang found his assistant coaches. Otherwise, it would have been nearly impossible for an unknown like Wang Lei to recruit these fresh university graduates; they only agreed to follow him to Xinjiang because of the captain’s word.

Personal connection aside, Wang Lei is concerned about this match. He knows the captain’s style—a philosophy of pure physical dominance. Yue’s tactics are simple: space the floor, create opportunities for hard drives, and rely on sheer physical confrontation. That is why he recruited so many mixed-race players. Facing a team that emphasizes physical contact and iron-willed defense, Wang Lei is wary. Previously, even when the team faced difficulties, they had tactical solutions, but against a "pure" team like this, the challenge tests more than just technique; it tests the players' psychological resilience and fighting spirit.

Wang Lei convened a preparation meeting. He introduced the characteristics of the upcoming opponent but chose not to break down specific tactics, opting instead to explain his concerns to the players. Unlike other coaches, Wang is more open-minded; he does not believe players should passively accept arrangements but should participate in the team's development. He hides neither the team's dynamics nor the challenges they face. He wants a team that shares a single heartbeat, not one where everyone has their own agenda. Such unity-building meetings before matches have become a team tradition.

"That is the situation. We are facing a truly iron-willed team. They will constantly seek contact and use their physical advantages to dictate the game. That is their spirit. How do we respond? We must stand our ground. I don't want to lose—at least not now—and I assume you don't either. Winning the championship means something entirely different from just reaching the final eight. We must have the confidence and the reason to prevail."

Shedding his usual easygoing demeanor, Wang Lei expressed his desire to win, hoping his players would share his fire.

"Boss, don't worry," team captain Wang Zhaohui replied. "We don't want to go home just for the sake of a 'breakthrough.' Even though we aren't professionals, this tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We won't give up easily. Besides, with those people outside causing you trouble, if we win the title, we can slap them in the face, right guys?"

The captain’s words drew immediate support from the rest of the team. Indeed, they now had another reason to fight. Wang Lei treated them like friends and brothers, and now that their "big brother" was in trouble, the "younger brothers" were naturally ready to give their all. They were young, their blood still ran hot, and none were willing to quit easily.