Chapter 217 – Screening Teammates
Finally, under Chen YingRan’s suggestion, Xiao Qin used low-alcohol ethanol and milk to rinse her mouth to remove the coloring on her tongue. Then she happily laid on the bed to peacefully enjoy the remaining carton of strawberry milk.
I sat across from her and stared at her with an inquisitive gaze. Once she looked at me, she immediately put on a sickly look as if to say “You’re still treating me like that even though I almost died?”
Once I turned a bit softhearted and shifted my gaze, she started to mindlessly take large gulps of milk through a straw.
Since the next lesson was Physics, which Xiao Qin disliked, she simply stayed at the infirmary without any plans to leave. During the lunch break, the class leader called Xiao Qin and asked what she wanted to eat. Then, Loud Mouth and her with some other people delivered her favorite seafood fried rice.
I don’t like a place with a lot of people, so I did not join in and ate a serving of seafood fried rice by myself in the classroom.
Do you ask why I also bought seafood fried rice? I can’t change it up once in a while?! I also bought the other two meat-stuffed buns and pancake for myself! I’m currently in a key growth phase, so I need a lot of nutrients!
When Xiao Qin was still lying in the infirmary and putting on the pretense of having a frail body, it was time for me to face the boys in gym class.
Ever since I became the PE committee member, I have not really done anything other than running laps or helping Xiong YaoYue keep order.
Those people who supported me because of Eunuch Cao’s enticement, now realized I did not help them fight for the sports fields. (I am against using violence on people who abide by the law) Now each and every one of them feels like they have been duped.
The class leader, on the other hand, still has high hopes towards me.
“Time waits for no one. It’s a good time to select the members for the basketball tournament.”
I saw there was no one around, so I put on a bitter expression towards the class leader and closed my palms together like a monk:
“Oh female benefactor, what joy is there in life, and what is there to fear about death. What’s the point of fighting for victory on a basketball court?”
The class leader squinted her eyes at me as if when I had said such words, I had become so insignificant and negligible she had to reduce her range of vision.
“Ye Lin, are you planning on becoming a monk?”
Eh? Even if I am planning on becoming a monk, what does it have to do with you? You are the class leader, not the abbot, and definitely not a family member… China has freedom of religion, or at least that’s what it says on the constitution! Even the constitution cannot prevent you from interfering with my private life?
“Don’t you have to become a vegetarian if you become a monk?”
“Yeah… that’s true.”
The class leader flashed a smile, “Originally we made a deal that if we took first in our year, I would treat you to meals at my house. Since I knew you were a meat-eater, I specially researched some meat dishes. I didn’t expect you to suddenly see through the world of mortals and wish to become a monk… Then even if we get lucky and win, that means I can treat you to cucumber salads and persimmons?”
I don’t want cucumbers and persimmons! You should give those to Loud Mouth as diet foods! Tears come to my eyes every time dinner is mentioned! I hate going to the market to buy vegetables! I hate going to the market to buy meat! Although I like to eat meat, I really do not want to touch raw meat! I really loathe cutting raw meat on a chopping board! Even after I make a dish, it still tastes extremely bad. The only dish I have in my repertoire is scrambled eggs with green onions!
After eating the class leader’s food, all the food I could still stomach before suddenly became completely inedible! Did the class leader add opium as her secret ingredient! I don’t understand how Shu Zhe can eat the dry and oily pizza from Pizza Hut when he gets to eat his sister’s cooking everyday!
“I’m not getting married!” I denied it too quickly and accidentally said one word as married instead of becoming a monk.
The class leader looked at me with ridicule, “You really have no shame. Who would marry someone who looks like you?”
“No, I said I’m not becoming a monk!” I quickly changed my previous statement, “I have a lot of fighting spirit right now! I have to eat some meat! Oh right, since I haven’t had your cooking for a while, I already forgot the taste, how about I come by some time for a meal?”
“No.” The class leader outright rejected me, “Keep that fighting spirit in order to have the meal after you fulfill your side of the deal. In the ‘Dog Education Manual’, it says you cannot give them treats as a prize before they are able to complete the task.”
Dog…. Education Manual??! Are you treating me like you were training a dog? Is it because you read too many of those, but no dogs actually like you, so you want to use me as a test subject?
How irresponsible! If I actually reincarnate into an animal, it won’t be a dog, it would be a wolf! A metal-blooded lone wolf who will tear all challengers to shreds!
“I have to go practice volleyball. You should properly assemble the boys basketball team.”
The class leader then turned and left, but she turned around and said seriously after a couple of steps:
“Don’t even think about getting a reward without putting in the work. If you want to eat delicious food, then you better take number one in our year!”
Bastard! Are you not tired of blabbering! Take a look at the difference in ability between our opponent!
I had an idea of letting Xiao Qin cross dress to join the competetion but I soon discarded that idea.
Although Xiao Qin would not refuse if I asked her as my boyfriend, I have impure motives for bringing class 2-3 to victory. My desire to win and my appetite each accounted for approximately 50% of my motive to win, so would it be too despicable if I used Xiao Qin to get free food from the class leader.
Thus I decided to rely on myself…. and those other pieces of trash from my class who don’t even have 5 battle power.
I told the twenty-one male students to stand in a line in front of me, and I stared at them with a serious expression like the class leader. I declared to them that the school-wide male basketball tournament was about to start and hoped those who wants to bring honor to our class would volunteer.
Not a single one volunteered.
I was very upset and could not help but question loudly: “Do you guys not even have a sense of honor?”
Someone in the crowd commented in a quiet voice: “Is he not talking about himself?” It seems like the one who spoke was one of the class leader’s secondary loyal dog.
I was at a loss at words for a while and could not think of a rebuttal. Since first year, our class probably lost at least 50 points because of me, so I really do not have the right to talk about honor for our class.
But I cannot admit defeat. A man will fail in succession when he fails once, but I am predestined to keep on fighting!
“You Chen, Sun Yu, Xu LiJun.” I called out the names of a few of my classmates who frequently play basketball, “Have you guys not thought about showing off your skills in an actual tournament since you guys practice so much?”
The three of them were not very tall, and according to my usual observations, they declared themselves as rear guards. Although their ability to earn points was subpar, they had pretty good ball handling skills.
They looked at each other for a while. Then the one who recently had a bad experience at the barber, Xu LiJun, spoke:
“We were only playing around, our skills aren’t good enough. We also lost pretty bad in our first year…”
“That’s right, that’s right.” You Chen and Sun Yu echoed, “Our class’s center is too weak, we can’t make a team with only rear guards. We need someone tall to play basketball, it’s a shame Niu ShiLi can’t play at all…”
After the reminder, I took notice of the serious Niu ShiLi who was standing in a military-style on the leftmost side of the line. He was clearly trying to compete with me in terms of his gaze.
I temporarily ignored him and coughed, “Have you guys seen me practice with the school team?”
No one said a word. Although some people thought I could only get points from playing dirty, there are still a few people who knew the ropes.
Xu LiJun opened his mouth after a long time:
“PE committee member, it won’t work even if we include you. How can we play with only four people? Even if we don’t have substitutes we still need five players to play!”
Compared to the contents of what Xu LiJun said, I thought there would be something more important after he publicly referred to me as PE committee member.
Then I pointed at Niu ShiLi with my nose.
“Hey, I guess I have to put someone with your physique on the team? Listen closely, from today on, you will be practicing as a center position with me!”
Niu ShiLi along with the other boys were all shocked. Everyone loudly voiced their opinions at the same time:
“Why! If Niu ShiLi could play basketball, we would have already let him play last year!”
“It’s too hard training an amateur within a month!”
“Did the PE committee member go crazy from how much he wants to win? But it makes sense that new officials want to implement new policies and make a mark for themselves…”
“If my master says it’s alright, then it’s alright! You plebeians…” Eunuch Cao spoke halfway before quieting down once he realized the discussion was not what he was thinking.
“Quiet! Quiet down!” I hollered and quelched their voices, then I turned my line of sight to Niu ShiLi.
“Loyal dog… ah, no, Niu ShiLi classmate, what others say doesn’t matter. I’ll only ask you once: Are you willing to join the team and help 2-3 class obtain victory?”