“Sir, you are not a family member of the patient, so we cannot disclose the patient’s condition to you.” The doctor sat with hands folded, speaking with a serious tone.
Zhuoyue tried asking repeatedly to no avail, and finally had to give up. “Alright, thank you.”
He turned and left the hospital where Yan Shu had received treatment previously, walking outside alone. Thinking it over, Zhuoyue grew increasingly convinced that Yan Shu’s illness was far from simple.
Lighting a cigarette, Zhuoyue stood beneath a tree and took a single puff.
That cigarette was discarded into a trash can after that lone drag.
One and a half months remained until the preseason.
Coach Jane and the upper management discussed a secret training plan, targeted exclusively at all members of the first and second teams.
“Starting tomorrow, we will head to a secret base to undergo a two-week pre-season training camp. Members of the first and second teams will attend, and rooms will be single occupancy, much more comfortable than your dormitories,” Coach Jane introduced the special training details briefly on the conference room big screen.
Seated in the corner, Yan Shu listened attentively.
According to Coach Jane’s explanation, this pre-season special training would take place on a small island in Haicheng. The island was home to numerous resorts and was famous worldwide for its serene tranquility.
“We will train far away from the bustling city, which will help improve your focus. During the training period, mobile phones will be confiscated at designated times, extra training will be added by two hours daily, and morning runs will start uniformly at six o’clock, covering three laps around the resort.” Coach Jane laid out the detailed training schedule.
The second team members groaned with faces full of misery.
“Everyone on the second team, although you aren’t starters, you might need to step up as substitutes at any moment, so don’t lower your guard,” Coach Jane turned and added a few instructions for the second-team coach.
The second-team coach nodded in agreement. “During the training period, follow the commands of our head coach Jane, understood?”
The entire second team chorused, “Understood.”
These regulations posed no real issue for the first-team members. Under Zhuoyue’s strict leadership, their usual training schedules already bore a striking resemblance to this special training.
Just as the first-team members assumed they could breathe a sigh of relief, Zhuoyue stepped up beside the coach and announced to the first team, “All members of the first team will have an extra five hours of daily training and five laps for morning runs, with zero objections allowed.”
“Good grief…” Lin Qi felt as though darkness had descended before his eyes.
Before Lin Qi could finish complaining, Zhuoyue added another rule. “Throughout these two weeks of special training, all phones will be confiscated. Hand them over tomorrow the moment we board the bus, and I won’t return them until we come back. If you have special needs, you can come to me.”
“What?” Luo Yan and Xu Ya exclaimed in unison.
Zhuoyue glanced at Luo Yan, delivering a pointed remark. “If you want to play a good match, don’t go daydreaming about online dating or anything like that. Confiscating phones frees up more time for extra training. Any questions?”
Lin Qi shrank his neck. He maintained quite a few online girlfriends, and under Zhuoyue’s gaze, he felt a guilty prickle. “No questions.”
“No questions.” Luo Yan, who happened to be dating online, was practically targeted by name, leaving him no choice but to express total compliance.
Zhuoyue stood at the front and glanced downward. When Yan Shu raised his head, their gazes brushed past each other.
“Remember to bring your own necessary medication,” Zhuoyue said before stepping down the platform.
Yan Shu lowered his gaze.
Once the special training plan was made public, the club ended training early that evening, granting the members of both teams ample time to pack their luggage since they would depart for the training island early the next morning.
Yan Shu emerged from the training room last. Returning to his dormitory, he found Qi Le sitting there, staring at him with wide, expectant eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Yan Shu assumed the kid was dealing with another issue.
Qi Le faked wiping away a tear. “Moon God, I don’t want you to leave.”
Hearing that, Yan Shu found himself torn between laughter and tears. “I’m only going for a two-week special training camp, it’s not like I’m never coming back.”
“I know, I’m just jealous that you guys get to go to special training, while we in the youth squad don’t qualify.” Qi Le drooped his head.
Yan Shu stepped forward to comfort him. “You’re only seventeen, it won’t be long before I’m the one envying you.”
“Moon God, why would you say that?” Qi Le didn’t understand.
“Nothing. Train hard.” Yan Shu patted Qi Le’s shoulder.
Before long, Yan Shu would find himself envying the younger players. At twenty-four, how much longer could he possibly play professionally?
Shaking his head, Yan Shu forced his focus back to his immediate circumstances.
After packing his luggage and resting for the night, Yan Shu dragged his suitcase and boarded the bus at dawn the next morning, trailing at the very rear of the first team.
The bus carried only members of the first and second teams. Running into second-team members brought an indescribable awkwardness, especially when brushing past the captain of the second team.
Once the bus got moving, the passengers gradually closed their eyes to rest.
Driving from Suzhou to Haicheng took at least three hours.
Holding his phone, Yan Shu fumbled with it for a long time before closing his eyes as well. Prone to motion sickness, he couldn’t look at a screen for too long inside a moving vehicle.
Spending three full hours unable to train felt truly regrettable.
Yan Shu closed his eyes.
Before lunch, the bus finally arrived near Mingye Island in Haicheng.
Reaching Mingye Island required taking a ferry across the water.
Stepping onto the island offered a genuine sense of isolation from the outside world.
“This boat is pretty big,” Lin Qi stood on the dock, pointing toward the ferry docked at the shore.
Coach Jane walked at the front, exchanged a few words with the ferry ticket inspector, and then turned to instruct the SR team members, “Get on board.”
“Watch your step when boarding, get on in pairs,” the staff member reminded them.
While lining up, Yan Shu happened to end up right next to Luo Yan. Knowing Luo Yan was the most difficult member of the first team to get along with, Yan Shu deliberately shifted slightly to the side.
As they boarded, Yan Shu walked along his path until Luo Yan suddenly, without a shred of politeness, drove his elbow straight into Yan Shu’s ribs.
Yan Shu staggered, nearly tumbling into the water.
“Heh, can’t even walk straight,” Luo Yan sneered mockingly.
Yan Shu stayed silent, unwilling to spark another conflict with anyone.
Boarding the ferry, Yan Shu claimed a small corner seat, completely isolating himself from conversation.
The boat docked shortly after setting sail.
Pulling their luggage, the team members dispersed to their assigned rooms under the coach’s arrangements to drop off their belongings.
“Gather on the first floor after lunch, training starts immediately this afternoon,” Coach Jane announced.
“Huh?” Lin Qi had expected an afternoon off to rest, never imagining training would resume so quickly.
Zhuoyue brushed past Lin Qi. “Once you can reliably maintain an A-group level of performance, I’ll allow you a little less training time.”
“Captain, with my level, reaching A-group is a bit of a stretch,” Lin Qi retained a clear-headed self-assessment of his skills.
Zhuoyue retorted, “You know that, and you still complain about too much training?”
With no retort left, Lin Qi dragged his teammates off to lunch.
Yan Shu followed quietly behind them to the dining hall.
Following lunch, everyone gathered in the first-floor lobby.
Coach Jane pulled out a lucky draw box. “Come draw your training rooms.”
“Are they not assigned?” Xu Ya asked with curiosity.
Coach Jane shook his head, holding back the details by making them draw numbers first.
Each member stepped forward in turn to draw a training room number.
Yan Shu drew number 7, with a small handwritten note indicating the development lane.
Once everyone finished drawing, Coach Jane provided his explanation. “Today’s training content is as follows: each of you will head to your assigned training room to practice. The role written on the small note is the specific lane you must train in today, and the phones inside the training rooms have been pre-configured with the corresponding roles. The training rooms feature timed electronic locks, meaning you cannot exit until the required training duration is met. Understood?”
“Huh? My jungling is terrible,” Lin Qi complained with misery upon drawing the jungle role.
Ye Xuanqing shrugged. “I’m still on the top lane.”
“Damn, you’re so lucky,” Lin Qi envied him.
Ye Xuanqing spread his hands. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind trying out other roles.”
Attempting to act clever, Lin Qi asked, “Can we change slips of paper?”
“07, spare me the headache,” Jane massaged his temples.
Pinching his slip of paper, Yan Shu studied the written content and roughly grasped the purpose of this training exercise.
Training in roles outside their usual comfort zones would give everyone a deeper appreciation for their teammates’ struggles during later coordination.
“Alright, everyone head to your training rooms,” Coach Jane instructed.
Following the directional signs on the first floor, Yan Shu located training room number 7.
Room number 7 sat at the very end of the corridor.
Stepping inside, Yan Shu noticed the soundproofing panels lining the walls and the tightly bolted windows. Such an enclosed space would undoubtedly allow someone to train without distractions.
After inspecting the equipment, Yan Shu pulled the door shut behind him and prepared to begin his training.
The moment he seated himself in the gaming chair, every light in the training room flickered out.
Pitch black enveloped the room.