Seizing Dreams

Ch107.1 – After the Competition

“You guys play too well.” Yu Hao and Huang Ting passed by each other, “If it wasn’t because I held them back, and if Xia Lei was here instead, you guys wouldn’t have been able to win against Zhou Sheng and Fu Liqun.”

The team leader Huang Ting answered, “We’re both the ones holding them back, it’s okay.”

Yu Hao dribbled the ball, “How are you holding anyone back??”

Huang Ting often participated in the basketball matches hosted by the public security system, and he was so damn dauntless. Chen Yekai was afraid that he would slam into Yu Hao, so he didn’t let him guard Yu Hao lest he couldn’t restrain his impulses and end up fighting with Zhou Sheng. However, it would be fine if he ran into Zhou Sheng a bunch of times.

Huang Ting said, “They say that this is the match with the highest attractiveness index in Ying City’s history, so aren’t I holding you guys back?”

Yu Hao’s face was covered in sweat. He wiped his face and smiled as he looked at the audience. This really was the match with the most spectators ever since the start of the competition; there were even people filling the aisles.

The scores of both teams were constantly neck and neck, but Chen Yekai’s team was always suppressing them very firmly. Yu Hao felt like the other team still had more in their tank, but they didn’t want to pull their scores apart too much to give his team some face. It was not until Fu Liqun requested a break that this match began approaching its end.

Yu Hao was so tired he couldn’t run anymore. Zhou Sheng’s and Fu Liqun’s jerseys were also completely soaked because of their sweat.

“This team is strong.” Zhou Sheng said.

Fu Liqun said, “Four points short, there’s still hope.”

Yu Hao thought that it should be over at this point, but he didn’t say it. Fu Liqun came up with a last-minute plan. Zhou Sheng said, “Don’t feel pressured, just play however you want.”

Fu Liqun said, “Yu Hao, if you really can’t take it, then take a break, jiayou! If we don’t make it there’s always next year!”

Yu Hao’s vision was already a little blurry. He had been forced to his limit and was now relying solely on willpower to hold on. He cheered with a ‘jiayou’ along with Fu Liqun and Zhou Sheng before they each turned around and ran back onto the court. The referee blew the whistle. Yu Hao and Chen Yekai went for a one-on-one again. No one said anything and focused all their attention on their teammates.

Chen Yekai, “Tired? Take a break. If you can’t hold on don’t push yourself.”

“Don’t go easy on me.” Yu Hao said.

“Do I need to?” Chen Yekai and Yu Hao jumped up at the same time. Yu Hao intercepted the ball in mid air, drawing an arc from top to bottom before suddenly passing the ball towards Zhou Sheng like a shooting meteor. Zhou Sheng used his shoulder to forcefully knock Huang Ting away, dribbled a lay-up, and scored.

Yu Hao totally didn’t expect that Zhou Sheng would explode with such tremendous force right at the last moment and shouted, “You’re so cool!”

Yu Hao nodded reluctantly and stood at the edge of the court, gasping for breath. His calf was starting to cramp up.

Chen Yekai’s stamina was being pushed to its limit too. He didn’t dare to exert too much energy because he had fractured his left arm, so he made a gesture at Huang Ting, and the three of them dispersed. Huang Ting started the round. Fu Liqun threw Yu Hao a kiss, and the audience burst out laughing, but Yu Hao knew Fu Liqun’s secret signal. He turned around to assist Zhou Sheng.

In the last 30 seconds, the court was like a powder keg that had been set off. Fu Liqun succeeded in suppressing Huang Ting and grabbed the ball. Within an instant, Chen Yekai, Ou Qihang, and Huang Ting abandoned Fu Liqun and went to block Zhou Sheng!

Yu Hao thought, that’s too cruel of you guys! To surround one with three……and in the next moment, the audience fell absolutely silent. Zhou Sheng crossed through and passed the ball to Ou Qihang. Ou Qihang wasn’t prepared for it at all and was stunned for a second, then Zhou Sheng got past Chen Yekai and snatched the ball from Ou Qihang again.

In a split second, their last chance arrived! Zhou Sheng passed the ball to Fu Liqun —— Fu Liqun dribbled the ball out of the three-point line, jumped, and shot out his last three-pointer shot——

For just two seconds, the audience was dead still. Yu Hao’s eyes widened as his heart began jumping around violently. Chen Yekai rushed up but still didn’t make it in time to intercept the ball; he ended up colliding with Fu Liqun and fell down.

The basketball flew towards the basket. Everyone’s heart stopped beating; the ball knocked onto the basket with a “bang”, bounced…and bounced off. A loud, rueful cry rang out from the audience, but in the next moment, Yu Hao dashed over from the edge of the court, caught the ball, dribbled, and shot——

At the same time the ball left his hands, the referee whistled, the ball went in, and the crowd burst into a crazy frenzy of cheers and applause.

Zhou Sheng let out a loud cry and darted towards Yu Hao. He jumped and sat on his waist. Yu Hao nearly lost his footing and started to laugh.

Yet just a few seconds later, disappointed boos rang out in all directions.

On the scoreboard, the last two points never showed up.

Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao separated. Everyone looked at the scoreboard together, and after a few seconds of silence, a song began playing on the sidelines. Yu Hao was a little helpless, but he was in a very good mood. Right now, he really wanted to wrap his arms around Zhou Sheng’s neck and kiss him.

“The last two points can’t be counted.” The referee explained, “But you guys played very well.”

Yu Hao was afraid that Zhou Sheng would start quarrelling with the referee, while Zhou Sheng looked a bit confused. Both sides nodded and Zhou Sheng understood what Yu Hao meant. He went forward to shake hands with the referee, then hugged Huang Ting’s team. Everyone was sweating, and sweat mixed with the faint scent of cologne wafted from Chen Yekai’s body. Both teams went to their respective dressing rooms to change.

Most of the spectators ran to the back door, and there were a lot fewer people in the stadium now. Yu Hao said, “What a pity.”

Zhou Sheng spun the ball in one hand while he held Yu Hao’s hand with his other, their fingers intertwined. He looked back at him, “That last ball was really cool.”

Yu Hao laughed. There were a lot fewer people now. He stood at the edge of the court, draped an arm around Zhou Sheng’s neck, and kissed him deeply.

But Fu Liqun sighed. He stood in the center of the court, looking a little lonely. Cen Shan didn’t come today. They had said before that she would only come over to watch them compete from the top 16 onwards, yet they lost to Chen Yekai’s team today, so they won’t be able to enter the top 16.

“Huang Ting’s too good.” Fu Liqun said, “He’s not very tall, but his style is really aggressive.”

Zhou Sheng said, “Huang Ting used to play as a forward. His team was the champion of the National Public Security Basketball Competition, it’s not unfair to have lost to him.”

The three of them still felt like they could have done more, and they were all thinking about their match. Chen Yekai was in charge of formulating tactics, Huang Ting was the main force, and Ou Qihang had a good physique. They seemed completely uncooperative but had still managed to catch them unprepared. Zhou Sheng laughed, “If I had known this sooner, I would have watched their matches.”

Fu Liqun said, “They would’ve definitely held back; they won’t let us see through them that easily. Okay, bros, it’s over. Although we lost, we have no regrets!”

Fu Liqun came over between Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao, and he gave them a forceful hug. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but Yu Hao was on the brink of tears and quickly waved his hand to tell him to stop talking. That kind of feeling that can only be comprehended and not spoken made Yu Hao feel like his feelings at this moment were that much more real. As the saying goes, “live in the present”, and this may be what it means to “live in the present” ba.

A knock could be heard outside. Huang Ting came in and smiled, “I’ll remember our match today for the rest of my life.”

Zhou Sheng said, “Ai! Don’t pretend to be the nice guy after winning the match!”

Huang Ting was still dressed in his sports attire. He sat down and said, “To tell you the truth, I’m leaving. Nicky asked me to play a friendly match with you guys before I leave.”

“Ah?” Yu Hao was stunned, “Leaving? Where are you going?”

“I’m transferring to Beijing.” Huang Ting said, “I’m leaving at the end of the month. Let’s have a meal together when you’re free?”

Zhou Sheng understood and smiled. “Got a promotion? Congratulations.”

Fu Liqun and Yu Hao moved forward and patted Huang Ting’s shoulder. Huang Ting smoothed his hair out of habit, “There will be a performance in your college this year, I’ll see you guys then.”

Yu Hao knew that Huang Ting had contributed a lot to the anti-corruption campaign this time, so it was natural for him to obtain a promotion. There’s no banquet in the world that doesn’t come to an end. It was a good thing for Huang Ting to hold a post in the investigation team. He still remembered Zhou Sheng saying that Huang Ting could have been a single-line undercover for his superior from the very beginning, so returning to his department now was reasonable.

Still, Huang Ting saying that he was going to leave just like that made him feel extremely reluctant to part with him. Although he doesn’t see Huang Ting all the time like he does with Chen Yekai and Fu Liqun, Yu Hao had already vaguely regarded Huang Ting as part of his small circle of friends.

“Then what about Jun Jie?” During dinner, Yu Hao asked Zhou Sheng.

Zhou Sheng said, “Jun Jie doesn’t like him, what’s there to do?”

Fu Liqun obviously didn’t look very good today. Yu Hao knew that it wasn’t because of the match they lost, but because Cen Shan didn’t come. While the three of them ate at the stir-fry shop, Fu Liqun had his head buried in his phone texting Cen Shan on WeChat. After awhile, he got up and left the shop to make a call.

Yu Hao was in a good mood at first, but when he saw this, he felt a little upset. When Fu Liqun and Cen Shan called each other, they usually wouldn’t avoid doing it in front of him and Zhou Sheng. The only reason he would leave his seat was because they were going to start fighting.

“Gege wanted to earn some pocket money through the match and go to Australia with us.” Zhou Sheng considered it before saying, “Why don’t we pay for him?”

Yu Hao said, “He wouldn’t want it.”

Zhou Sheng said helplessly, “True.”

Yu Hao knew that although Fu Liqun didn’t plan out his expenditures, he would never drag out owing his friends money, and had never borrowed money from anyone either. Zhou Sheng had wanted to earn some money from the three-man basketball match’s prize money so that Fu Liqun could take Cen Shan along with them for a vacation. At the same time, Zhou Sheng could also upgrade their airplane seats and hotel room, killing two birds with one stone.

But there were too many experts. Putting aside Chen Yekai’s team, even if they had won today, they still might not have passed through the next round.

Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao drank some wine. The two of them looked at each other for a moment and Zhou Sheng said, “Ai, my dear wife.”

Yu Hao, “Un?”

Yu Hao was a little drunk. A drizzle had started outside; it was a warm winter this year. Even though it was January now, the first snow had not fallen still.

Zhou Sheng said, “They all like you.”

Yu Hao looked at Zhou Sheng, baffled. Zhou Sheng continued, “Don’t run off with someone else.”

“What are you thinking?!” Yu Hao laughed.

At this time, Fu Liqun returned. The call didn’t last for very long, but his expression was extremely calm. Yu Hao vaguely sensed that something was off.

“Any white wine?” Fu Liqun said, “Boss, get two bottles of white wine for us. Young Madam can’t take white wine, Young Master, accompany me?”

Zhou Sheng, “……”

Yu Hao thought, crap, he must have fought with Cen Shan this time. And indeed, Cen Shan sent Yu Hao several messages in succession. Fu Liqun said, “Young Master, just this once.”

“Get lost!” Zhou Sheng said, “How many times have you said that?” As he spoke, he laughed, “If you want to drink, just drink. What’s so hard about accompanying you?”

Yu Hao got up to take the call. Fu Liqun said to Yu Hao, “Don’t answer the call.”

Yu Hao said, “What? Why? It’s Kaikai.”

“Oh then go ba.” Fu Liqun said.