Chapter 81: Six and a Half Matches

As March drew to a close, Wang Lei and his provincial youth team had played six and a half warm-up matches over nearly three weeks. The reason for the "half" game was that the contest against Frontier University was called off after less than two quarters.

The decision to terminate the match was Wang Lei’s own. This game against Frontier University, a familiar opponent, was the youth team’s final warm-up for March, and again they had been invited by the university for an exchange.

After the previous six matches, the provincial youth team had become the talk of the region. Apart from the first game, where they eased up in the fourth quarter and beat the University of Finance and Economics by only nine points, they had won all other matches by double-digit margins. In particular, their clash with the Railway Technical Institute was astonishing: all six starters scored in double figures, and the team racked up an incredible 116 points in forty minutes.

Some might attribute this to weak opponents, but the Railway Technical Institute was known for its fierce play in the region. Most teams felt a chill when facing them, as their style was notoriously aggressive—every possession played as if it were the last.

Yet, it was this very team that the youth squad utterly demolished. The Institute’s rough fouls only fired up Wang Lei’s players, himself included. He didn’t rotate his starters in the fourth quarter, letting them relentlessly punish their rivals.

It was the three-point shots that buried the Railway Technical Institute. The youth team sank sixteen in total, with Tuergong alone hitting seven.

By the end, the Institute’s players were on the verge of collapse, their score not even reaching seventy before the final whistle.

Such performances elevated the youth team’s reputation, prompting Frontier University—the reigning champions of the regional college league—to invite them for another match.

Wang Lei expected a game similar to the one against Shahezi University, thinking the opposing coaches were eager to study his tactics. His exchanges with Shahezi’s coach Xu Hui had been amicable; Xu had earnestly sought advice and both discussed their teams’ strategies in detail.

But Wang Lei did not anticipate that Frontier University merely wanted to flex their muscles before the national collegiate finals.

Instead of choosing a weaker opponent, their coach, Wang Lijun, believed Wang Lei’s tactical approach was reckless. He was convinced Wang Lei’s methods were harming the future of basketball, and as a senior figure, he intended to teach Wang Lei a lesson, to show him how basketball ought to be played.

Indeed, Wang Lijun was Wang Lei’s senior. In the mid-1980s, he had been a national player, albeit having attended only one national training camp and played just two official matches. Still, he considered himself a veteran, and saw their previous encounter as him mentoring a junior. This time, he was determined to educate him.

From the opening tip, Frontier University played aggressively. Wang Lijun had instructed his players to win at all costs and to leave their opponents dispirited. They threw themselves into the game with relentless energy.

Wang Lei was unfazed. Though the play was rough, it was nothing compared to professional matches, and he welcomed the challenge. He hoped his team would face more such opponents, for it would toughen them and improve their composure.

However, as the game progressed, the youth team gained the upper hand. Their style may have had flaws, but at the collegiate level, it was nearly unstoppable. Most university teams lacked enough players capable of defending the perimeter, while Wang Lei’s squad played with remarkable cohesion and clarity—each knew his role and executed practice drills seamlessly. These were qualities found only in some professional teams.

By the second quarter, Wang Lei sensed something was amiss. Frontier University’s approach remained unchanged, but their actions grew increasingly rough—no longer merely competitive, but deliberately targeting the youth team’s players.

They were all young men; when one side grew hostile, the other would not stand idle. The youth team began making unnecessary mistakes and forcing plays—exactly what Wang Lei wished to avoid.

Near the end of the second quarter, Tuergong sank another three-pointer from beyond the arc, stretching the lead to double digits. As the youth team retreated on defense, a Frontier player shouted something at Tuergong. Tuergong was briefly stunned, but Hawule charged forward. Suddenly, tempers exploded as if a bomb had been dropped; nearly every player rushed onto the court.

Wang Lei, dragging his injured leg, struggled to separate both sides. Clearly, it was more than he could handle alone. Amid the chaos, he fell to the ground and his prosthetic leg came off. One of the youth team’s players, caught up in their fury, noticed this, began pulling teammates back, and tried to shield Wang Lei.

Gradually, the turmoil subsided. The court was littered with debris hurled by Frontier’s fans, while security entered to quell the disorder.

Hawule, who had sparked the melee, was unscathed—his fighting prowess formidable. The Frontier player he had attacked now sported a battered face.

At last, Wang Lijun, Frontier’s coach, rushed over, shouting at Wang Lei and his players.

“Degenerates! Butchers! What kind of coach are you? Have you raised a bunch of thugs?”

Wang Lei ignored Wang Lijun’s taunts. He called Hawule over.

“Tell me what happened. Why did you start a fight?”

“That guy cursed, really foul stuff. He said... he said Tuergong was... well, it was nasty, and he mentioned Tuergong’s sister too.”

Now Hawule looked remorseful, not for starting the fight, but for failing to notice Wang Lei had fallen. After all this time, Hawule considered Wang Lei the perfect coach, especially since Wang Lei treated them all as friends. This made Hawule feel he had let him down.

“All right, I understand. Go fetch my leg, pack up our things. We’re leaving; this game is over.”

Wang Lei chose this method to express his disdain. Regarding Frontier University, he had nothing to say, offering neither a response nor a comment. He simply led his players out of the arena, amid jeers and Wang Lijun’s shouts threatening to blacklist the youth team.