Chapter Fourteen: Sleepless Nights, Unending Passions

All through the night, 9527 taught Geng Haoshi the basics and rules of basketball, as patiently as if instructing a fool—slowly, calmly, word by word. By the time it was nearly 3 a.m., 9527 asked, “Master, how much have you remembered?”

Having not slept a wink, Geng Haoshi's head throbbed painfully; aside from “the basketball is round,” he couldn’t recall a single thing. 9527 reminded him, “Master, it’s almost three in the morning,” and in a daze, Geng Haoshi staggered to the artificial lake on campus…

Under the night sky, Yang Mimi was still there, dressed in sports shorts and a crop top. At the sight of her, Geng Haoshi was suddenly filled with renewed energy, as if revived at death’s door!

With the goddess by his side, Geng Haoshi pressed on and completed a 5,000-meter jog, 500 sit-ups, and 500 squat jumps. The final 500 pull-ups would have to wait until the stadium opened.

Around five in the morning, after watching Yang Mimi leave, Geng Haoshi sat alone by the lakeside, lost in thought.

After a long silence, 9527 couldn’t help but ask, “Master, what are you thinking about?”

“Sigh, I’m just thinking—if the beautiful coach kicks me off the team today, not only will the goddess Mimi be disappointed, but so will the coach’s 34E assets.”

“…Master, what does that have to do with 34E?” 9527 sweatdropped.

“For a divine cup size like 34E, to lose an admirer is like the musician Yu Boya losing his confidant Zhong Ziqi—no more echoes in the mountains, a true tragedy for the world!”

“Sigh, you just don’t understand my pain, 9527,” Geng Haoshi said, shaking his head.

“…Master, perhaps you could do the other set of 5,000-meter jogs, 500 sit-ups, and 500 squat jumps first?”

“You little so-and-so…” Geng Haoshi cursed under his breath, but thought to himself: I can’t put it off any longer; now’s as good a time as any.

He stood up, brushed the dust from his pants, gave himself a few slaps to wake up, took a deep breath, and started running around the artificial lake again.

By nearly seven in the morning, he finished another round of the 5,000-meter run, 500 sit-ups, and 500 squat jumps.

Drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted, Geng Haoshi dragged himself to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Egg-and-sausage wraps were always Geng Haoshi’s breakfast of choice, and today was no exception. Owing to his immense energy drain, he ordered three at once.

No sooner had he sat down, than his chubby roommate Lai Dabao, who was also having breakfast there, spotted him and brought his own tray over to Geng Haoshi’s table.

“Haoshi, what a coincidence!” Lai Dabao greeted him warmly.

But Geng Haoshi was too tired and merely grunted in reply.

“Haoshi, you didn’t come back to the dorm last night. Where were you?”

“On campus.”

“On campus? With whom? Was it that 36D goddess from last time?”

“Mm.” Geng Haoshi continued eating, head down.

“What did you do with the goddess, Haoshi?” Lai Dabao’s tone brimmed with eager anticipation.

“What else? The kinds of things lovers do.”

“Did… did… did… did—” Lai Dabao flushed scarlet, overcome with excitement.

“Eat your breakfast, or you’ll choke.” This was exactly the reaction Geng Haoshi wanted, and he continued eating his egg-and-sausage wraps with satisfaction.

Noticing the sweat pouring from Geng Haoshi’s brow, Lai Dabao couldn’t help but marvel, “Haoshi, you’re amazing. You’re the one I admire most. No one else even comes close!”

“Haoshi, with all your exertion, you should eat more dog kidneys, pig kidneys, or bull penis. These egg wraps won’t cut it,” Lai Dabao advised in all earnestness.

Geng Haoshi thought: Dog kidneys, pig kidneys, bull penis—do you think I can even afford that?!

As Geng Haoshi ignored him, Lai Dabao found another topic: “Haoshi, I saw a joke the other day. A farmer went to town to buy condoms, but forgot the word for them. After wandering around the pharmacy for ages, he finally whispered to the salesgirl, ‘Miss, do you sell plastic bags for, uh, you know…’ I nearly died laughing…”

“Pfft!” Geng Haoshi sprayed bits of egg and sausage all over Lai Dabao’s face.

As it happened, Geng Haoshi’s egg-and-sausage wraps were served in white, transparent plastic bags. With Lai Dabao’s joke and his own vivid imagination, he couldn’t help himself.

Looking at the last egg-and-sausage wrap in his hand, the image replayed in his mind—he couldn’t bring himself to eat another bite. Sighing, he tossed the wrap onto the table and left without a word, leaving Lai Dabao utterly bewildered.

Leaving the cafeteria, Geng Haoshi headed straight for the school’s athletic field.

To give himself more time to prepare, he decided to pretend he had classes all day and not report to the Chen Zhi Gymnasium.

At the athletic field, he made a beeline for the pull-up bars, determined to finish the two sets of 500 pull-ups. Spurred on by visions of 36D and 34E, he managed a thousand pull-ups in an hour.

After a short ten-minute rest, he declared, “9527, today’s tasks are done. Hurry and teach me how to actually play basketball.”

By “actually play basketball,” Geng Haoshi meant something different from the rules and regulations 9527 had drilled into him last night. Those didn’t help him play, and after a whole night, he remembered nothing but “the basketball is round.”

“…Alright, Master.” Remembering last night’s lesson, 9527 was beyond words.

“Master, in basketball, it’s all about the feel. Once you’ve got the right touch, you’ll shoot like a god—never missing a shot.”

“For beginners, getting the feel is a matter of handling the ball often. The more you touch it, the better your sense will become.”

“Touch the ball?” Geng Haoshi traced circles on the basketball with his index finger, pouting. “If only I could touch something else.”

“…You pervert,” 9527 thought.

Since 9527 said so, Geng Haoshi tried caressing the basketball. “Hmm, it’s a bit hard, but after a while, it does feel pretty good. Heh heh…”

Seeing the lecherous look on Geng Haoshi’s face, 9527 asked, “Master, are you thinking indecent thoughts again?” 9527 was sweating bullets.

Thus, Geng Haoshi spent about half an hour fondling the basketball… 9527 couldn’t take it anymore. “Ahem… Master, can we move on to the next stage?”

“Oh,” Geng Haoshi replied, still caressing the basketball.

“…Master, now we begin dribbling practice.”

“Dribbling means using one hand to repeatedly tap or push the ball so that it bounces off the ground, either while stationary or moving. Sometimes, players alternate hands as the ball rebounds.”

“Dribbling is a vital offensive skill in basketball. It’s not just a means of personal attack, but also the bridge for coordinating team tactics. Purposeful dribbling can break through defenses, launch attacks, adjust position, and create opportunities for passing or shooting…”

Realizing that Geng Haoshi was zoning out again, 9527 cleared his throat. “Ahem, so, Master, mastering dribbling is very important.”

“Next, I’ll explain the techniques and key points of dribbling.”

“The act of dribbling consists of four parts: body posture, arm movement, where the ball lands, and coordination between hands and feet.”

“While dribbling, stand naturally with your feet apart, knees slightly bent, torso leaning forward, head up, eyes level. The non-dribbling arm should be bent and raised to protect the ball. The range of your footwork and the angle of your joints will vary depending on the speed and height of your dribble.”

“Spread your fingers, use your fingertips and the upper part of your palm to touch the ball—the center of your palm should not touch it.”

“For low dribbles, use your wrist as the pivot, applying strength with your wrist and fingers.”

“For high dribbles and crossovers, use your elbow as the pivot, employing your forearm, wrist, and fingers.”

“For side or behind-the-back dribbles, use the shoulder as the pivot, with the upper arm, forearm, wrist, and fingers all working together.”

“As you tap the ball, move your hand with its motion, maintaining control for as long as possible. This helps you protect the ball and adapt your movements to the game.”

“Control where the ball lands—always keep it within your reach so you can use your body, arms, and legs to shield it, and make technical moves as needed.”

“Your movement and dribbling speed must match, and you must maintain a reasonable rhythm. The key to coordinating your hand and foot movements is where and how you strike the ball, where it lands, and how much force you use. The faster you move, the further back and lower you should strike the ball, and the more power you need. Your hand and footwork should always maintain a certain ratio and rhythm.”

“…Master, are you still with me?”

“Hmm… what time is it? Where am I?” Geng Haoshi’s face was groggy, almost hallucinating with exhaustion.

“…Master, maybe you should just try bouncing the ball for a while… just use your palm to smack the basketball…” 9527 thought, Hopefully this is simple enough.

9527 realized that too much theory was pointless—given Geng Haoshi’s intellect, he’d never get it. So, 9527 decided to change his teaching style, letting Geng Haoshi learn with his body—by doing, adapting, and mastering through experience.

Geng Haoshi began dribbling, up and down, up and down, up and down… The ball bounced lower and lower… until at last he sat down on the ground, dribbling the basketball, which no longer bounced, sitting motionless on the floor… and then he fell asleep…

“Master?”

Seeing no response, 9527 decided to use the most reliable method to wake him—“Ah—ah—ah—”