Chapter 145: Just Right

“Including you, that makes nine,” Ma Yun shrugged and smiled wryly.

Geng Haoshi had hit the mark perfectly—before their arrival, the Kai Kai Club had only four players!

Geng Haoshi, Zhu Di, Meng Lang, Sun Peng, and Zhou Xiaoshan all stared intently at Zhen Fuqian.

Zhen Fuqian offered an awkward smile. “There are new members... on their way…”

“So, you haven’t gathered the full team yet?” Geng Haoshi cut straight to the point.

“Heh, they’ll be here soon,” Zhen Fuqian replied dismissively, then quickly sought an opportunity to slip away.

“Brother Shi, before we got here, you only had four people? Does that mean you couldn’t even compete?” Geng Haoshi asked curiously.

“Ah, there used to be over ten,” Shi Yijin sighed. “But now, there are only the four of us left.”

“Did they... all die young or something?” Geng Haoshi ventured cautiously.

Shi Yijin shot Geng Haoshi a look. “They’re not dead, they just switched teams.”

“Isn’t the Kai Kai Club just registered last year? Only a year, and they all jumped ship? Sounds worse than dying young,” Geng Haoshi sneered at the players who left so soon.

Shi Yijin rolled his eyes again. “Try sticking it out for a year, then talk.”

“Brother Shi, is it really that terrifying here? Did they all run away scared?” Geng Haoshi’s curiosity deepened.

“Probably you guys were lured here by the coach’s stunning looks,” Shi Yijin glanced over at them, shaking his head with a sigh. “Ah, young blood, impulsive and reckless, acting without thinking.”

“Brother Shi, you seem sentimental—must be a man of passion,” Geng Haoshi clasped his hands in respect, adopting the stance of a junior greeting a senior.

Shi Yijin patted Geng Haoshi on the shoulder. “From now on, we’re comrades in hardship.”

Geng Haoshi wondered: could this beautiful coach be as fearsome as Yu Manman?

“Although, the accommodations and food at the Kai Kai Club are quite good!” Ma Yun chimed in cheerfully.

“What do you mean by ‘although’?” Geng Haoshi pressed, seeing everyone dodge the question.

“Little Shi, it’s better not to know too much. The less you know, the less trouble you have,” Shi Yijin said like a seasoned veteran.

Neither Zhen Fuqian nor Shi Yijin finished their sentences, leaving Geng Haoshi’s group to speculate wildly.

“Could it be that Miss Cang has some unusual quirks that scared off the previous players?” Zhu Di proposed tentatively.

“Or maybe Coach Cang’s training methods are just too brutal?” Sun Peng suggested another possibility.

“Brutal? Worse than Yu Manman?” Geng Haoshi shuddered at the thought.

“No matter how brutal, it doesn’t matter,” Zhou Xiaoshan shook his head. “We’ve signed the contracts. We’re stuck here for the next year.”

“Ah, lust is truly a deadly sin,” Meng Lang lamented.

...

The next morning at 10:30, Cang Xiaokong gathered the players on the training ground.

Pacing back and forth, she said, “Now that we have nine players, it’s just enough to do paired practice matches.”

“Coach, only nine? How is that just enough?” Geng Haoshi was puzzled.

“Adding me up, doesn’t that make it perfect?” Cang Xiaokong placed her hands on her hips, smiling brightly...