Chapter Thirty-One: Tremendous Difficulty

The first member of the coaching staff Wang Lei met was the nutritionist, Aili Maimaiti—a young man from the Uyghur ethnic group who had just graduated from university a year ago.

Aili Maimaiti was actually quite curious about Wang Lei. After all, Wang Lei was a former national basketball player who had disappeared from the scene for two years, only to reappear as his superior. Before arriving, Aili had looked into Wang Lei’s background and knew that he had a disability, so he wondered how someone only a few years older than himself could be appointed as the head coach of the provincial youth team.

“Coach Wang, hello. I’m the team’s nutritionist, my name is Aili Maimaiti, but you can just call me Aili.”

What surprised Wang Lei was that Aili, whose appearance resembled the people of West Asia, spoke fluent Mandarin, and his pronunciation was as precise as that of a television news anchor.

Many people from inland provinces have misunderstandings about the people of Xinjiang, especially those in the border regions. Perhaps in the past, many ethnic minorities in Xinjiang struggled with Mandarin, or didn’t speak it at all, but with the economic development of the Republic and the deepening of local education, many young men from minority groups can now speak fairly standard Mandarin.

Young people like Aili, who have received bilingual education in both Mandarin and Uyghur from an early age and completed their university studies, are generally able to communicate effortlessly with people from all over the country.

The reason Aili’s Mandarin was so impeccable was because he originally wanted to attend the Broadcasting Institute. Thanks to lessons from his cousin, who now hosts television programs in the capital, Aili’s Mandarin was indeed excellent. Unfortunately, his appearance wasn’t quite suitable for broadcasting; standing under 170 centimeters, Aili often doubted if he was really his “Ada’s” biological child, given that his father, Nigati Maimaiti, was a striking 185 centimeters tall.

“Your Mandarin is excellent, Aili. I’m glad you’re part of my group. We’ll have to support each other from now on.”

With a nutritionist who spoke such good Mandarin, Wang Lei felt at least he wouldn’t be completely lost. From Aili’s cautious demeanor, Wang Lei could tell he was someone without much opinion against him, which was reassuring—Wang Lei knew that his sudden appointment might offend certain people.

“You’re too kind. You’re a professional, and I’ve only graduated a year ago. If I don’t do well, I hope you’ll guide me.”

Honestly, Wang Lei found that Aili, short in stature, was actually more sensible and mature than most young men from the interior. He kept himself humble, which might seem soft, but was a clear statement of his attitude: I’m already this way, if anyone wants to bully me, there’s really nothing more to say. This retreat-in-order-to-advance approach is common in bureaucratic circles.

Aili’s arrival was good news for Wang Lei, but the next member, the physical trainer Xue Yongjiang, greeted him with a challenge.

“Coach Wang, hello. I’m Xue Yongjiang. I’m here to inform you that I’m resigning. You’ll need to find another suitable physical trainer.”

His manner was direct and forceful. Xue Yongjiang, tall and robust, looked at least forty years old, and made it clear he had no intention of working under Wang Lei.

Xue’s resignation wasn’t because of Wang Lei’s appointment, but because he genuinely wanted to quit. Though his job was stable, he was earning only a few thousand a month, with no bonuses or holidays. Now, his elderly parent was in the hospital, his wife was struggling to keep the family’s bun shop afloat alone, and their child was left unsupervised, spending every day playing games. The trivialities of life had worn away all of Xue Yongjiang’s former dreams and passions. All he wanted now was for his family to be safe, for his wife to have a few days to rest, and for his child to study hard.

Taking advantage of Wang Lei’s arrival, Xue decided to resign, hoping to move into the food industry now that tourism in Xinjiang was booming—a promising path. Second, Xue wanted to vent his long-held frustrations; for over a decade he had worked with the youth team, always in a thankless position, bearing the brunt whenever something went wrong. He was truly fed up.

“Coach Xue, resignations aren’t really my responsibility.”

Seeing Xue’s forceful attitude, Wang Lei felt there was no need to play humble and simply suggested he speak to the appropriate authorities.

“I’m just here to let you know, so you won’t be caught off guard. The youth team isn’t easy work. Now that I’ve notified you, I’ll go straight to the leadership.”

Xue’s impression of Wang Lei was actually positive. Though he was young, he seemed more mature than most, but that didn’t matter now. He simply hoped Wang Lei could carry on smoothly.

Xue turned to leave, but Wang Lei spoke again.

“Coach Xue, don’t rush off yet. Could we talk for a moment?”

“Go ahead, I’m not in a hurry.”

“Can I ask if I’ve offended you somehow?”

Wang Lei voiced his suspicion directly, thinking Xue’s forcefulness stemmed from feeling his position had been taken.

“Hey, young man, you’ve got it wrong. I have no interest in the head coach position—not an easy job. There are too many supervisors above, no money, no staff. You think anyone wants to take this thankless role? All the applicants for this external recruitment were from outside Xinjiang; locals hardly want to do this job. You’re overthinking it.”

“Oh? Mind if I ask why you’re resigning?”

“No other reason—I’m just tired, the pay is too low, and there are no perks. Honestly, I had big dreams when I was young, but now I see clearly: this youth team is a mud pit, anyone who steps in gets dirty. Well, I won’t waste your time. One last word: if you can transfer out, do it quickly. This is not an easy job.”

What surprised Wang Lei was that Xue Yongjiang, who had just been so forceful, was now offering genuine advice. Wang Lei didn’t think Xue was mocking him; his words were sincere. It seemed that this job was indeed difficult.

“Coach Xue, how about this—I’m completely in the dark right now, with no clues. You’re older than me, so I’ll call you Brother Xue. Could you stay for just one month, until I’ve sorted some things out? After that, I won’t keep you. Just one month.”

Sensing that Xue, though tough, meant no harm, Wang Lei softened his own stance. He really was at a loss, and could only make such a request.

Wang Lei’s humility made Xue pause. Though he didn’t know much about Wang Lei, leaving so abruptly would leave this young man helpless. Maybe helping him for a bit wouldn’t be a bad thing.