Chapter Fifty-One: Five Tigers, One Missing

The next day, when Lin Nan finished his classes at noon and headed to the cafeteria, he suddenly noticed a new window had appeared at the far right side. He assumed it was for a new dish. Walking straight over, he drew closer, only to see a sign above it that read: “Basketball Team Exclusive Window.”

Lin Nan’s interest was instantly piqued. With great anticipation, he stepped forward, and upon seeing what lay before him, he couldn’t help but curse under his breath. The countertop inside the window was piled high with a heaping platter of fragrant beef, along with eggs, greens, and other nourishing foods.

At that moment, a myriad of expressions flickered across Lin Nan’s face; it was as if, in that single second, he understood why he had persisted in his basketball training over the past year. The woman ladling out the food seemed unfazed by his reaction and instead glanced toward the nearest table to the window. Seeing Zhu Bo, who was devouring beef in sizeable mouthfuls, give her a nod, she skillfully filled Lin Nan’s tray to the brim and kindly said, “You can come back for more if you finish—it's free.”

Only then did Lin Nan realize he hadn’t even swiped his meal card. Such delicious food, and it was free! My goodness! Did they really have to treat him so well? In that instant, his commitment to basketball grew even firmer in his heart.

Turning around, Lin Nan immediately spotted Zhu Bo and several other familiar third-year seniors sitting at the nearest table, laughing and chatting as they ate their beef. They always finished class a bit earlier, so they arrived ahead of the others. Lin Nan walked over, found an empty seat, and said with a smile, “Old Zheng really went all out this time!”

Watermelon, without pausing, stuffed three or four pieces of beef from the full plate in front of him into his mouth and, chewing, replied, “Absolutely! Such a huge plate, and we can eat as much as we want, all prime beef—it must have cost at least several hundred yuan!”

“I have to say, Old Zheng truly treats us well.” As everyone enjoyed their hearty meals, they silently vowed to bring home a championship for the school—not only for the sake of the beef they were eating, but also for Old Zheng’s thoughtfulness.

Before long, Jiu Wu arrived as well. The moment he stood before that “special window,” he froze, standing motionless for a long while. Lin Nan couldn't help but wonder if, because Jiu Wu was so tall, his reaction time was just that much longer.

When Jiu Wu finally approached with his tray, everyone noticed his eyes were faintly moist with tears. After talking with him, they learned Jiu Wu had been worried about money; if he needed extra meals to gain weight, it would be a significant expense. His family was not well-off, and he had younger siblings. He had even considered quitting the basketball team so as not to hold everyone back. But now, thanks to the principal’s care, everything was no longer a problem.

At that moment, Lin Nan realized that, ever since he was young, he had never worried about money. He wasn’t greedy, nor did he insist on wearing designer clothes or shoes, but whenever he wanted something, his father would buy it for him—like the remote-controlled cars and Ultraman DVDs of his childhood, or his current jerseys and sneakers. As long as he asked, his father paid; he had never known the anxiety of lacking money. Now, Lin Nan suddenly understood how, compared to many others, he was fortunate—fortunate to have been born into a relatively well-off family.

A silence settled over the table. But when they saw Wang Jinsong approaching, his frustration written all over his face, everyone couldn’t help but burst out laughing. This time, Lin Nan knew it was because Wang Jinsong’s short legs made him the last to arrive.

In reality, Wang Jinsong’s last class that noon had been English, the one most likely to run overtime. By the time his class left the building, the school was already empty. “What a pity! The sweet and sour ribs I love are probably all gone,” Wang Jinsong thought gloomily. However, when he reached the “Basketball Team Exclusive Window,” his gloom vanished instantly. Glancing at Zhu Bo and Lin Nan nearby, Wang Jinsong boldly asked the woman at the window to give him all the remaining beef. Then, with a tray holding only rice and beef, he sat down next to Lin Nan and announced to the astonished group, “Thanks for yielding.”

And so, the basketball team sat together, eating lunch amid laughter and cheer. Meanwhile, students at nearby tables glanced at their trays, then looked at their own, and gradually found their meals tasted bland.

Back in the classroom, word had spread throughout the school about the new “Basketball Team Exclusive Window.” For the first time, the top academic students felt they were not the school’s most valued group. But they couldn’t protest—the basketball team’s strenuous activity did justify the beef, and the players had brought honor to the school. That Lin Nan had even put Qingshui No. 1 High’s name in eighth place nationwide. They couldn't very well claim that brains needed beef, too, especially since no one had ever heard of a high school student studying to the point of mental exhaustion. In the end, all they could do was avoid that exclusive window at mealtimes—out of sight, out of mind.

Returning to his classroom, Lin Nan found a few more love letters in his desk, though he paid them little mind. But he noticed that Si Dong, sitting nearby, seemed a bit shy—not quietly reading as usual, but as if she wanted to say something to him. Lin Nan was just about to ask when he heard Si Dong softly say, “Zhang Mengfan also wrote you a love letter—the pink one. You should open it and take a look.”

Lin Nan noticed Si Dong didn't look him in the eye, her shyness obvious; perhaps she, like him, wasn't used to talking to the opposite sex. Just as Lin Nan was about to reply “Okay,” he suddenly asked, puzzled, “Who’s Zhang Mengfan?”

Perhaps because Lin Nan had been hanging around the other basketball players—burly guys who spoke in booming voices—his question came out rather loudly, and most of the class heard. The onlookers, who had been keeping an eye on Lin Nan, all wore astonished expressions, and some even gave him a thumbs-up.

“Dude, you’re savage,” someone whispered.

At the front of the class, Zhang Mengfan, who had been pretending to do homework while secretly listening in, froze for a moment when she heard Lin Nan’s words. But she comforted herself: Surely “God Nan” is just too focused on basketball to know my name. Once he sees me, things will be different.

Meanwhile, Lin Nan was still puzzled by his classmates’ reactions, when he again heard Si Dong softly say, “Zhang Mengfan is our class monitor.”

“Oh,” Lin Nan replied calmly, this time in a much quieter voice, as if speaking only to Si Dong. He instantly understood: it must have been the class monitor, Zhang Mengfan, who asked Si Dong to say this to him. Finally, in a voice only Si Dong could hear, Lin Nan quietly asked, “What does Zhang Mengfan look like?”

Si Dong: ...

After that incident, no other girls in the class wrote Lin Nan love letters. If even their own class monitor was unrecognized by Lin Nan, what hope was there for anyone else? They all understood that Lin Nan was different from other boys—perhaps, in his heart, there was room only for basketball.

Still, the more they looked at Lin Nan’s close-cropped hair, the more handsome they found him. Coupled with his unwavering, clear gaze, he radiated an aura of youthful toughness, making their eyes light up with stars. Even if “God Nan” didn't know who they were, there was nothing wrong with quietly admiring him. The boys in the class, meanwhile, all began to touch their own bangs, wondering if they ought to cut them off.

...

Since the two strongest basketball teams in the entire county were No. 1 High and No. 3 High, Zhu Bo and Coach Gorilla weren’t particularly worried about the upcoming games. After some discussion, they decided to make Lin Nan the team’s core.

First, Lin Nan had the skill and talent, with great potential for growth. Second, he had already scored 30 points in the first game, ranking eighth, and keeping Qingshui No. 1 High’s name on the overall leaderboard meant letting him keep racking up points was the best choice.

There were eight high schools in the county, from Qingshui No. 1 to Qingshui No. 8. The tournament was played in a best-of-one format, so after three matches, the county’s champion would be determined. In the remaining two games, the team funneled nearly all scoring opportunities to Lin Nan—setting screens for him, fighting for rebounds, creating space for his shots, or clearing out for him to go one-on-one.

Lin Nan did not disappoint. He played all four quarters in both games, and the benefits of a year’s physical training and herbal baths were plain to see. Coach Gorilla also found the lineup and style that best suited the team:

Point Guard: Zhu Bo.
Shooting Guard: Lin Nan.
Small Forward: Undecided.
Power Forward: Luo Si.
Center: Jiu Wu.

Zhu Bo had excellent court vision and ball-handling skills, and as team captain, was the perfect point guard, capable of scoring as well. Lin Nan was fast, had great stamina, could move without the ball, drive and shoot, and when he found his rhythm, his jump shot accuracy soared. He could catch and shoot instantly, had great body coordination, and was ambidextrous—truly a born scorer.

As for the small forward, Coach Gorilla already had someone in mind, which coincided with Zhu Bo’s suggestion to reserve a spot. The power forward, Luo Si, though a bit short, was the best option available, and Coach Gorilla had witnessed his hard work—he trusted Luo Si wouldn’t want to graduate with regrets.

Finally, there was Jiu Wu. Recently, Coach Gorilla thought he might have grown even taller. At 1.95 meters, he was more than tall enough to play center in high school basketball. Besides, Coach Gorilla knew Jiu Wu’s favorite player was Kobe, and he often practiced Kobe’s trademark fadeaway jumper. Though not quite there yet, Coach Gorilla had a feeling Jiu Wu would one day stun the crowd with that very move on the court.