Chapter 65: The Basketball Tryouts

The class officer Du Aizhu, much like the class monitor Lin Xuehong, had no deep impression of Zhang Pu. He was often absent from class, always asking for leave, and although they vaguely suspected he had some connection with the teachers—especially since the homeroom teacher seemed to indulge him too much—both Du Aizhu and Lin Xuehong harbored a certain disdain and annoyance toward him.

Moreover, Zhang Pu was not particularly handsome; he was ordinary in both looks and dress, and his academic performance was mediocre. In their minds, he was nothing like the ideal "Prince Charming," so whenever the opportunity arose, both Lin Xuehong and Du Aizhu were more than willing to give him a hard time.

But Zheng Xiaoming now understood Zhang Pu's capabilities intimately. When he suddenly heard Du Aizhu addressing Zhang Pu with that commanding tone, he was momentarily taken aback. He realized that Du Aizhu likely didn't know how impressive Zhang Pu truly was, and his own expression changed.

Zheng Xiaoming wanted to warn Du Aizhu somehow, but he couldn't directly reveal how exceptional Zhang Pu was—especially since Zhang Pu had asked him to keep certain things confidential.

Zhang Pu, however, easily caught Zheng Xiaoming's intentions and gave him a subtle look, signaling not to say anything. He had his own plans.

Meanwhile, Du Aizhu’s booming voice continued, “Zhang Pu, Zheng Xiaoming, I’m talking to you two! Still sitting there as if nothing’s happening?”

Zhang Pu glanced at Zheng Xiaoming, indicating that there was nothing wrong with helping out for the class.

“Coming! Our class officer leads by example, lifting bottled water like a champion. How could we men do any less?” Zhang Pu joked as he walked over.

Was that meant as praise or mockery? Du Aizhu wondered to herself. Zhang Pu wasn’t wrong—she had indeed taken the lead—but the term “champion” applied to a girl...

Meanwhile, Zhang Pu and Zheng Xiaoming had already begun carrying the bottled water, laughing as they did so.

Du Aizhu watched their backs, still brooding: if they dared to insult her deliberately, she would certainly make them pay.

Now that she was farther away, she couldn’t hear Zheng Xiaoming whispering funny stories about her to Zhang Pu—

Zheng Xiaoming confided, “Du Aizhu is actually a bit eccentric. She’s not much to look at, but she cares a lot about her image. She often asks people around her, ‘Hey, does my hair look messy?’”

Before she became a class officer, she was even less refined. She frequently asked others if anyone was talking about her behind her back. When people, trying to avoid drama, said no, she would persist, accusing them of lacking loyalty as friends. Forced to tell the truth, people would confess, and she would confront those who spoke ill of her. If she lost the argument, she’d blame the informant. It was a headache for everyone.

Zhang Pu merely smiled at Zheng Xiaoming’s tales: “There are all kinds of people in this world.”

The two of them carried the water to the area where their classmates were gathered. The competition had not yet begun. Everyone was present, including the athletes about to take the stage, and a group of silly girls infatuated with them.

With a single glance, Zhang Pu could see that most of the class’s competitors were all style and no substance. When they took the stage in shorts and vests, they would flaunt themselves, making the fake fan girls go slack-jawed, almost drooling.

Among these fake fans, Zhang Pu instantly identified class monitor Lin Xuehong and class officer Du Aizhu as the prime representatives.

The group of infatuated girls, using class honor as an excuse, sought every opportunity—spiritually and even physically—to lavish affection on the guys who fancied themselves as handsome.

Zheng Xiaoming felt sick to his stomach. He thought to himself: if only Zhang Pu could transfer his fighting prowess to the basketball court, he could steal all their thunder, leaving the infatuated girls totally dumbfounded. That would be amusing.

As for Zhang Pu, seeing Lin Xuehong, Du Aizhu, and the others fawning over the class’s athletes—Wei Kai, Huang Xiangquan, Wang Xing—he merely grunted. Lin Xuehong, Du Aizhu, and their ilk were mere ordinary girls to him, never worth his attention.

Soon, the tryouts began. Zhang Pu, having helped out, decided to stay and watch for the fun of it. He figured he’d cheer for the class; otherwise, the female officers would have something to say.

Wei Kai, Huang Xiangquan, Wang Xing, and the other class stars took the court, ready to make a name for themselves.

The classmates, especially the girls, cheered under the leadership of Lin Xuehong and Du Aizhu. Every jump of the three “basketball gods”—Wei Kai, Huang Xiangquan, Wang Xing—caused some part of their male physiques to ripple, eliciting shrieks that seemed to mark a collective climax among the fan girls.

The noise was deafening to Zhang Pu.

He was left speechless seeing some girls focus with thick glasses perched on their noses.

Zhang Pu wanted to leave. While the over-the-top behavior of some classmates wasn’t exactly offensive, he found it all terribly boring.

He had more important things to attend to.

But for some reason, when he thought of leaving, he felt a strange reluctance. It was as if the class needed him, as if he was somehow important.

Yet, basketball had never interested him, neither in his previous life nor now. He was never skilled at it.

In his past life, he drifted aimlessly, until disaster struck. In this life, he had returned with a purpose.

His purpose this time was to change the fate of his loved ones and friends, to make up for the regrets of his former life.

Thus, his days were busy, devoted to cultivation, with little time for such trivial things as basketball.

Sometimes, Zhang Pu nearly closed his eyes on the spot to meditate, absorbing the sun’s essence on the playground to fuel his practice.

But at some point, the excited voices of Lin Xuehong, Du Aizhu, and the others nearby shifted to weary sighs.

He recalled how, at the start, the dazzling entrance of Wei Kai, Huang Xiangquan, Wang Xing had made Lin Xuehong, Du Aizhu, and the other infatuated girls vow to marry no one else. Now, however, there was only disappointment, as if they bitterly wished the boys would live up to their expectations.