Chapter 138: Zhang Hui

Minghan’s challenge only served to ignite his competitive spirit.

Minghan picked up the ball and bounced it toward him. "You take the first possession."

He dribbled between his legs with practiced ease, saying, "My name is Zhang Hui. My sister, Zhang Hong, is a student in your class."

So, it was him!

"Let's begin!"

Zhang Hui began a rapid crossover, with Minghan sticking to him like glue. Zhang Hui leaned into Minghan with his shoulder, powering his way inside.

Minghan was quite tall—certainly no shorter than Zhang Hui—but the fact that Zhang Hui could maintain control of the ball while driving showed his fundamental ball-handling skills were exceptional.

Reaching the basket, Zhang Hui used a head fake to get Minghan in the air, then pivoted and dropped in a layup.

Minghan clapped. "You’re a pro, brother!"

One shouldn't judge Zhang Hui by just this one basket; his solid fundamentals were already evident.

Zhang Hui smiled but didn't reply.

He took the ball again outside the three-point line, faced Minghan, executed a jab step, and then drove in two steps for a sudden pull-up jumper.

Minghan’s long arms successfully contested the shot, and Zhang Hui’s attempt clanged off the rim.

It was Minghan’s turn. With a behind-the-back dribble and a change of direction, he threw Zhang Hui off balance, pulled back, drove to the free-throw line, and sank the shot.

Seeing the fluidity of Minghan’s sequence, Zhang Hui nodded in approval.

...

They played to ten points, and in the end, Minghan only narrowly won by two.

Su Lei, watching from the sidelines, looked surprised. Although she didn't play basketball herself, she had heard of Minghan's prowess. The fact that a youth in these mountains could go toe-to-toe with Minghan was a testament to his skill.

"Zhang Hui, have you played basketball before?" Su Lei asked curiously.

Zhang Hui nodded, his eyes filled with nostalgia. "I attended the City First High School, where I was a starter on the freshman basketball team."

Minghan knew how hard it was to get into City First High. Unless one was a recruited athlete or had special connections, it required a score in the top 1,500 in the entire city on the middle school entrance exam.

One had to realize that the educational resources in the mountain regions were far inferior to those in the city; the faculty and study materials were leagues apart.

"Later, because of some things, I was expelled from school," Zhang Hui said with a self-deprecating, helpless smile. "Now I’ve returned home to farm, helping out with the vegetables and the rice paddies."

Zhang Hui pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket—a very cheap brand, costing only 1.5 yuan a pack. He gestured toward Minghan. "Brother, want a smoke?"

Minghan shook his head.

Zhang Hui lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "It’s all fate. Little people like us have no way to change it."

Minghan desperately wanted to refute this, but he knew that for someone like Zhang Hui, who had experienced so much, any rebuttal or consolation would be hollow and weak.

He had started high school at seventeen, full of spirit and hope for the future, believing that through hard work, he could pave a bright path ahead.

But the deceit and treachery of the outside world had far exceeded his imagination, forcing him to pack his ragged bags and return home in disgrace to accept a life devoid of hope.

"Things will get better, right?" Minghan offered. He didn't know why he added the "right"—was it uncertainty, or a rhetorical question?

Zhang Hui shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore. Now I just hope Xiao Hong stays well and doesn't end up like me, like some naive fool."

Minghan said, "Xiao Hong is very smart and does well in her studies. Her grades will surely surpass yours in the future. Plus, she’s very cute; many of the boys in our class have a crush on her. Like that little boy named Xiao Hei."

Zhang Hui laughed outright. "That brat! No wonder he’s at my house every day. So that’s his ulterior motive—I’ll have to keep an eye on him."

Checking the time, Zhang Hui said, "I won't keep chatting with you two. Xiao Hong must be hungry. I need to go back and cook for her."

Zhang Hui took his leave.

Minghan and Su Lei stood there in a daze, silent for a long time.

Before long, a group of children arrived at the school to play basketball and found Minghan and Su Lei standing side by side.

The group included Xiao Hei and Zhang Yun, both of whom were eager to see Minghan find love.

Xiao Hei whispered to Zhang Yun, "Boss Yun, they’re secretly dating, right? Should we disturb them?"

Zhang Yun shook his head. "Teacher Ming has finally managed to get a girlfriend; let’s give them some privacy!"

The group of friends unanimously agreed. Teacher Ming had it so tough.

Just as they were about to sneak away, Su Lei spotted them. "You little brats, what are you doing?"

Xiao Hei turned around with a cheeky grin. "Pretend we don't exist. Carry on!"

Minghan grumbled to himself: *Carry on with what?! What on earth is in these kids' heads these days?*

Su Lei didn't seem to mind being teased by the children. She asked, "What are you all doing here?"

Su Lei’s temper was so good that it seemed she could never get angry.

Xiao Hei said, "We were going to play basketball, but we’re so sorry for disturbing the two teachers."

Looking at Xiao Hei’s apologetic expression, Minghan suddenly felt the urge to swat him!

"How about I have Teacher Ming teach you all how to play basketball properly?"

Xiao Hei waved his hands frantically. "No, no, our business is small. Your business is the important one!"

Seeing Xiao Hei’s serious tone, Su Lei burst into laughter.

Minghan thought he couldn't let this kid continue being so absurd. He said to Xiao Hei, "I just played ball with Xiao Hong’s brother. He seemed to mention his opinion of you."

Xiao Hei’s eyes lit up immediately. This was his future brother-in-law! He would likely be the biggest obstacle on the path to happiness with Xiao Hong, so he immediately became very attentive.

"Brother Han, what instructions did he have?"

Watching Xiao Hei’s fawning behavior, Minghan muttered, "My shoulders are feeling a bit sore."

Xiao Hei understood instantly. "I get it, Brother Han."

Since he was too short—only reaching Minghan’s waist—he began to massage Minghan’s thighs diligently. "Brother Han, does that feel a bit more comfortable?"

Minghan shook his head. "Your skill is lacking; you need to work harder!"

Xiao Hei nodded like a chick pecking at rice. "Yes, definitely!"

Seeing Minghan acting like a big kid, Su Lei smiled brilliantly.

This junior of hers was a well-known idol, with many schoolgirls secretly crushing on him. She never expected him to have such a childlike side.

Thinking again about how these kids were trying to play matchmaker for them, Su Lei blushed.

Over there, Minghan started to squat down, and Xiao Hei began to massage his shoulders very seriously. "Brother Han, playing basketball every day and managing Teacher Su must have worn you out."

Minghan hadn't realized this little brat had so many tricks up his sleeve. He closed his eyes and mumbled, "It's alright, it's alright."