[Urban] Campus Maple Leaves Red (Complete) - 40 Chapters

[Volume 2: Passionate Maple Leaves] Chapter 3: I Saw It All (10)

Hei Yatou and her deceased older sister were four years apart in age. When Hei Yatou started elementary school, her widowed mother, who had been living in the countryside, was introduced to Hei Yatou's current stepfather and brought her two daughters with her. The stepfather was a middle-level cadre in a state-owned enterprise in Jiangzhong City. He was twelve years older than Hei Yatou's mother and also had three sons.

After Hei Yatou's mother married into the family with her two daughters, whether the family treated Hei Yatou and her mother well or badly, neither the family's neighbors nor other people could tell from the surface. Moreover, Hei Yatou and her sister never told outsiders. It was only when Hei Yatou started junior high school that her older sister found a job and moved out of that house with Hei Yatou.

The older sister rented a house and the younger sister lived in the school. This situation continued until Hei Yatou entered the second year of junior high school, which was when Hei Yatou's older sister had an accident. There was no major change.

Not only was Hei Yatou an excellent student, but she also possessed considerable athletic talent. Therefore, while focusing primarily on her studies during school, she also balanced her studies with athletic training. During school holidays, as a registered student at the city's sports school, she would participate in various sports competitions arranged by the school. In other words, after her sister's death, Hei Yatou's life remained largely unchanged, except for occasionally visiting her sister who lived in a rented apartment.

No one knew how much savings her sister left her, but everyone close to Hei Yatou knew that from that day on, she, already extremely frugal, became even more so, becoming increasingly quiet and reserved, almost living in silence every day.

Why the two sisters moved out of their home to live separately remained a mystery. The reason why her sister, on the day she was taken to the hospital, chose not to receive treatment but instead made her younger sister make that vow remained unknown. And how the fatal wounds that took her sister's life were inflicted was also a mystery.

The more Lao Li, Xie Xin, and the other girls on the team learned about all this, the heavier their hearts became. Whether it was sympathy or a desire to help, it was truly difficult to know where to begin with the girl who kept her life shrouded in silence, a cold and hard shell.

However, it wasn't entirely hopeless. At least, with everyone's collective and silent support, the girl's life, still dominated by silence, was slowly changing. At least she was no longer alone; at least she could now eat with everyone in the restaurant, and Yuan Yuan could sit by her bedside and exchange a few words with her before bedtime.

The girl was gradually integrating into the team. It was during this time that Yuan Yuan noticed something that left everyone puzzled. The most striking example was that the girl, who was always the last to enter the bathroom each day, didn't notice Yuan Yuan still inside.

Just as Yuanyuan was about to greet the dark-skinned girl, the girl, who had taken off her clothes and neatly folded them, pinched her own shoulder and back while muttering to herself, "I told you not to let him lean on me! I told you not to let him touch me again..." Yuanyuan had secretly noticed the girl behaving like this when no one was around. At first, Yuanyuan was not only shocked but also couldn't understand it. Even if a girl had experienced hardship in her life, there was no need for her to be

so cruel to herself! She had quietly discussed this with Xie Xin and the others, but they couldn't offer a reasonable explanation for the girl's behavior. Therefore, their unanimous advice to Yuanyuan was to pay closer attention and not let the girl be too harsh on herself.

Through quiet observation, Yuanyuan discovered that the girl usually behaved this way after strenuous physical training within the team, but not after regular training.

Strenuous physical training? Could it be that the intensity of the physical training caused Hei Yatou to develop some kind of rebellious attitude? No way. Even Yu Lian, the team's former best stamina player, sincerely admired Hei Yatou's physical strength. If Yuan Yuan herself could endure such intense training, then Hei Yatou would certainly be able to as well. After ruling out this possibility, Yuan Yuan began to analyze every detail of each high-intensity physical training session…

To call it details, only a few key factors caught Yuan Yuan's attention: Old Li was always leading the training; every high-intensity session included intense physical contact; and after each session, Old Li personally massaged and relaxed the participants – these were all indispensable.

Combining these factors, and considering the reprimand Yuan Yuan had overheard Hei Yatou giving herself, Yuan Yuan finally understood. Hei Yatou's behavior stemmed from physical contact with Old Li during training. Knowing that Hei Yatou came from the countryside, even from a rural background, she shouldn't be so conservative about physical contact between men and women.

If she were overly conservative, she would have been very resistant to it during training. However, no matter how carefully Yuanyuan observed, her conclusion was that Hei Yatou didn't show any aversion to physical contact with Lao Li; in fact, she seemed to actively accept it.

But what happened after contact with Lao Li? After this initial contact, Hei Yatou became increasingly cruel to herself. In other words, deep down, Hei Yatou not only accepted this physical contact, but it also seemed to hold a strong attraction for her. However, after the contact, for some reason, she had to punish herself against her inner conscience whenever that reason was brought up.

Yuanyuan discussed her observations with Xie Xin. Knowing that Hei Yatou had made a vow to her sister in the hospital, Xie Xin was basically certain of Hei Yatou's motives. She then suggested to Lao Li that the team's physical reserves were already sufficient. Lao Li should either come to the team less often, or when he did, he should only offer technical and tactical guidance and avoid excessive contact with the female players, including Hei Yatou.

Originally, Lao Li and Xie Xin's intention was simply to allow the female players to focus more on training. However, the fact that the female players trained more diligently because Lao Li visited less often led to a surprising result: they seemed to be holding their breath, pushing their physical reserves to the point of exhaustion.

Excessive physical reserves need to be systematically depleted during training. It's not that having too much physical reserve is bad, but excessive energy can directly impact a player's mental state during a match. Over-excitement can disrupt the execution of tactics and physical training plans throughout the game.

If it weren't for Lao Li's recent injury and hospitalization, balancing the players' physical reserves would have proceeded smoothly. But with Lao Li hospitalized, his responsibilities fell to Xie Xin and Coach Mi. Previously, they worried about insufficient physical reserves and tried various methods to get the players to practice more. Now, however, Xie Xin and Coach Mi found it much more challenging to deplete the excess energy from the players' bodies.

Take Ya Rou, for example; the more they tried to balance her energy, the more it seemed to increase. Although she had managed her emotions relatively well these past few days, the two coaches knew that under the intense atmosphere of a match, Ya Rou was highly likely to lose her composure.

What's really giving the two coaches a headache is that the girl, who was originally the least of their worries in this regard, has, during the period when Lao Li has been spending less time with the team, quietly and unobtrusively pushed her already formidable physical abilities to an even more terrifying level. In other words, this quiet girl is on the verge of exploding both physically and emotionally, and she's bound to be the first to lose control of her emotions once she's on the court.

To be honest, Old Li didn't have a good solution to this new discovery either, because adjusting both physically and mentally in just one or two days was unrealistic. However, Hei Ya Tou and Ya Rou had become the team's absolute mainstays, and judging from the group stage draw, their group was essentially a group of death.

This meant that if the players weren't in top form before the competition, their opponents wouldn't give them any time to adjust. The competition officially started the day after tomorrow, and Old Li…

for some reason, his internal heat was rising, which would manifest not only in his physical characteristics (such as male virility) but also directly affect his mental state, causing insomnia, irritability, and a bad temper. When someone has excess energy, it also affects their physical and mental health. However, in terms of mental impact, besides irritability and a bad temper, the uncontrolled excitement and increased aggression caused by excess energy are even more troublesome.

The key is to guide and release excess energy without damaging essential reserves, much like regulating a rising internal fire – it should be done slowly, not hastily. Whether it's cooling down or releasing semen, rushing it might save time, but the unintended consequences could be devastating. With only

two days left, Old Li had ways to relieve the excess energy pent-up in these dozen or so girls, but such methods weren't suitable for all the girls in the team. This inappropriate approach stemmed from Old Li's morbidly scheming thoughts. For example, one solution that came to his mind was to have the girls play together, or at least two controlled matches, which would quickly resolve all the problems.

The solution is unsavory, but more importantly, what about players like Ya Rou, Hei Ya Tou, the power forward from Tiancheng Women's Basketball Team, and several other girls who joined the No. 33 Middle School girls' team later? If Old Li were to shamelessly say to these girls, "To improve everyone's competitive state and for our team to achieve excellent results in this competition, well... how about I... you and I do it twice?",

wouldn't these girls take off their super-elastic sports shoes and slap Old Li's... you know... mouth so hard they knock out all his teeth?

I know such thoughts are filthy and vulgar, and I know that if I were to express them, I would definitely be beaten to a pulp. But humans are like that; it's hard to say whether they're base or what. When they encounter something urgent, no matter what solution comes to mind (let's not even discuss whether the solution is filthy or vulgar), unless there's a truly better solution that moves or forces them to give up, this solution will cling to them like a ghost, stubbornly occupying their consciousness and making all their thoughts revolve around that thought.

Old Li, you could say he's not exactly a coward, but if you're going to call him a true hero, he seems to lack some kind of support. So, you know, people are like this: either you're a coward to the end, or you're a man of principle with your head held high. Being stuck in this limbo makes it easy for someone to have lewd and vulgar thoughts, while in reality, they hesitate and try to put on a facade of righteousness.

In other words, Old Li followed behind those two young girls, and along the way, looking at their tall figures, especially their two plump, swaying buttocks, Old Li's wildly growing heart was filled with desire, his mind racing with countless fantasies about those two fleshy buttocks. But once he entered Ya Rou's house, the heart-fluttering Old Li was still thinking of putting on another act of righteousness.

Perhaps it was that on that day, whether it was the shy, dark-skinned girl or the uninhibited Ya Rou, in that unique atmosphere, without taking the final step, they had an intimate encounter with Lao Li. It was this intimate encounter that Lao Li kept replaying in his mind, subconsciously anticipating its recurrence.

Perhaps it was the thought that popped into his head to solve a problem, like a virgin always remembering her first man, that dominated Lao Li's thinking, unconsciously leading him to always proceed in this way. For example, now, with only the two newcomers to the No. 33 Middle School girls' team, the dark-skinned girl and Ya Rou, together with several former members of the No. 33 Middle School girls' team, the scene almost identical to that day was before Lao Li's eyes again, and he couldn't help but hope that scene would repeat itself.

Perhaps, after gradually learning about the almost tragic experiences of the girl with the dark complexion, a voice inside Lao Li kept telling him that this time, he should help this helpless girl without regard for the cost.

However, just as Lao Li approached the girl and quietly reached out to help her, the information relayed by Yuan Yuan's discreet observation revealed that Lao Li knew his actions in helping the girl had touched upon something deep within her heart, making his help a burden for her. Therefore, Lao Li reluctantly chose to distance himself from the girl with the dark complexion and all the girls on the team.

The most obvious change was that Lao Li visited the team less often and spent far less time there. However, whether it was the dark-skinned girl or any of the other girls, Old Li only maintained a slight distance from them, yet he felt a deep sense of longing. This longing intensified after he had bravely helped the girls out shopping that day.

Perhaps when Old Li first slept in the same bed with most of these girls, he felt more self-reproach and remorse. But as he slept in that bed repeatedly, he didn't realize that he had not only accepted these girls into his heart, but a growing affection had filled every corner of his soul.

Perhaps, only when feelings reach their peak and then fade can Old Li better manage the flow and expression of this emotion. But now, Old Li had only just allowed this emotion to be fully ignited in his heart these past few days—a flame that, catalyzed by external factors, suddenly burned brightly, potentially igniting something in his hair.

Perhaps, given Old Li's experience and his way of handling things, the chance occurrence of one of the many factors would have given him a real chance to steer things in a more reasonable direction. But this is like when someone's thoughts suddenly veer off to one side while writing; it's hard to say when things might completely spiral out of control. So, it wouldn't be hard to understand if Old Li did something surprising, would it?

Her fine white teeth bit down hard on the muscles of Old Li's shoulder. In her sobbing, she finally let out all the sorrow and repression that had been buried in her heart for so long. Old Li's big hand gently stroked and combed the black girl's somewhat disheveled hair, letting the tears, like beads, flow and vent like raindrops into her heart...

[Volume 2: Passionate Maple Leaves] Chapter 4: Walking Over (1)

With one hand on the armrest of the sofa, he gently stroked the black girl's smooth hair, letting her vent her emotions. He carefully supported himself, afraid that if he was too heavy, he would hurt the little girl who was crying. So Old Li concentrated almost all the weight of his upper body on the hand that was supporting him on the armrest of the sofa.

Old Li, who doesn't take doing hundreds of push-ups seriously, could easily support his upper body weight with just one hand for a short while. However, this time, the fracture in his scapula was a painful reminder to him not to push himself too hard.

Pain, intertwined with overflowing love and tenderness, caused the little girl's fine white teeth, which had been tightly clenched around his shoulder muscles, to loosen.

The muscles, numb from the intense pain, now burned like fire, causing even the usually strong-willed Old Li to twitch his lips. Completely oblivious to Old Li's feelings, the little girl, her arms regaining feeling and elasticity, wrapped them around his neck, half her body draped over him, sobbing and letting her endless tears soak his shoulder and chest. The little girl, who

had always lived a strong life in loneliness, finally released the burden she couldn't bear, yet had to, and truly became a little girl again, crying freely. And so, life began anew.

His hand, which had been stroking the little girl's hair, slid down the back of her neck and gently encircled her shoulders. The little girl's head, which had been shifting between Old Li's shoulder and her sobs, was now gently anchored there.

It was like a gentle pat to lull someone to sleep, a way to give her cathartic release a more comfortable outlet. With this light pat, this comforting caress, the little girl's sobs, clinging to Old Li, gradually subsided into occasional sobs.

"Does it hurt?"

The time between their gazes seemed to stretch on forever. The little girl's deep red, crescent-shaped sores on Old Li's shoulder, and Old Li's tender gaze into her eyes, both uttered the same short question during their first exchange of questions that night.

They were all momentarily stunned by the same question, and then a blush quickly spread across the little girl's cheeks. She whimpered and nestled back into Old Li's shoulder, her hands, which were still wrapped around his neck, scratching and kneading nervously, as if both resentful and shy. An

extremely loving smile appeared on Old Li's lips, and his hands, which had been bracing themselves on the sofa armrest and conveying a slight pain, suddenly wrapped around the little girl and held her tightly in his arms. Old Li then laid the little girl down on the sofa.

The little girl's face, hidden beneath Old Li's shoulder, was gently but forcefully pulled out by him. As his warm breath and gentle caresses of her cheek and neck rubbed against her skin, the little girl shifted uncomfortably, adjusting slightly. Her fingers, with utmost care, traced the edge of the crescent-shaped mark on Old Li's shoulder. His breath brushed against her ear,

his lips and tongue occasionally brushing against her cheek and earlobe. A ticklish, tingling sensation, like a slight electric shock, swept over her, making her increasingly uneasy. She not only abandoned touching the crescent mark on Old Li's shoulder, but also, with barely audible moans, tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, writhing her body.

(The moderator's review is very strict, and they have a very ruthless approach to such narratives. Old Mu was just warned, so of course he won't challenge the moderator's policy. However, if this continues, what Old Mu wants to narrate will inevitably conflict with the moderator's policy. Therefore, Old Mu can't guarantee that "Maple Leaf" will end here hastily on some cloudy afternoon. But don't worry, after the maple leaf falls here, Old Mu will still send the rest of the narrative to everyone, but Old Mu will not be on QQ anymore 'for reasons I explained before'. Please leave your contact information, and Old Mu will send the rest of the content.

Summer nights are always too short! Especially such a beautiful night when the flower buds are just beginning to bloom, it gives people this impression even more. Just as the sky in the east was fully bright, Old Li opened his eyes and looked at the curtains that were dyed by the morning glow, and sighed like this. The naked black girl was still holding him tightly like this, and the one who usually looked at him...) Ya Rou, who usually seemed carefree and uninhibited, revealed a different side of herself last night—a shy, almost nauseous girl when faced with real intimacy.

Looking at Ya Rou, who insisted on covering herself with a thin sheet before going to sleep, and then at the other girls sprawled out, also completely naked and fast asleep, Old Li gently kissed the dark-skinned girl in his arms, then quietly withdrew his hand from under her body. He got up.

The butterfly flowers in the small courtyard of the apartment building swayed in the morning breeze, releasing their delicate fragrance. Old Li, who was doing his warm-up exercises, suddenly froze.

Xie Xin's ambiguous smile was one thing, but why was Fei'er, who also had an ambiguous smile, here? But Old Li couldn't really worry about his questions right now, because these two women were also from the same apartment building. What Old Li needed to do was probably explain what had happened last night.

"Old Li, Fei'er and I are leaving first. Don't forget to tell those little girls to go home when they wake up."

Explanations require careful wording, so while Old Li was organizing his thoughts, Xie Xin, with a half-smile, spoke first.

"Ah! Leaving already! You two..."

Old Li, caught off guard by Xie Xin's words, had only managed to say half of his question when Fei'er, still smiling, interjected, "Xin'er and I came here last night on a whim, but we arrived a bit late, so we didn't want to bother you. We slept in the room downstairs. Mom and Wei have to go out, so I need to get Xin'er to drive me home quickly. Don't worry about it."

"Alright, alright, Lao Li, stop explaining all that nonsense. I really need to get back right away! Oh, right, Xiao Zhu told me yesterday afternoon that she and two of her classmates are coming to watch the competition tomorrow. I think the environment here is nice, so let Xiao Zhu and the others stay here. That way, they won't have to travel so far."

Seeing that Lao Li was about to speak again, Fei'er decisively pushed him aside, talking to him while pulling Xie Xin along, eager to leave.

"Hehe... Lao Li, Fei'er and I haven't thought much about what happened last night. You shouldn't overthink it! I think you should hurry back and take care of those girls. Fei'er and I are leaving."

Just as Lao Li was about to say something more to the two women, Xin'er turned around, pushing Lao Li back and saying something to reassure him.

[Volume 2: Passionate Maple Leaves] Chapter 4: Coming Over (2)

The group stage was unprecedentedly fierce. The No. 33 Middle School girls' basketball team, with three wins and three losses, ranked first in the group after the final score calculation. The team that was generally regarded as the weakest in the group before the game suddenly became the biggest dark horse in the group. While the participating teams that qualified for the group stage were surprised, they also turned their wary eyes to this team.

The technical characteristics of the players and the tactical style of the whole team are now being studied by all the teams that may meet the No. 33 Middle School girls' basketball team in the knockout stage. This was originally a meeting room of No. 5 Middle School that could accommodate 40 people. Now, a huge back-projection wall-mounted screen is playing the live broadcast of the girls' basketball group stage game.

No. 33 Middle School All the coaches and players of the women's basketball team sat here, watching the game unfold and discussing it under Coach Mi's guidance. This was the last game of Group A's group stage. Wushi Experimental Middle School defeated their opponent in this game to advance, and after the ranking changes, they became the opponent of No. 33 Middle School's women's basketball team in the quarterfinals.

The image on the wall-mounted screen was frozen from time to time. As Coach Mi circled the screen, the key players of Wushi Experimental Middle School's women's basketball team were identified. Coach Mi explained the technical characteristics of these players and emphasized the points to note when facing these players in offense and defense. Xie Xin then followed Coach Mi's explanation, analyzing for the players from a holistic perspective the main tactical arrangements formulated by the opposing coach based on the characteristics of these players.

Of the entire team, Hei Ya Tou (Black Girl) excels in penetration and scoring at the guard position. However, Yu Lian and Lü Na are slightly better at defense and coordinating the team's offense. After all the players discussed Xie Xin's tactical arrangements, Lao Li, the team leader who hadn't spoken since entering, called the three core guards together.

Perhaps life had given Hei Ya Tou a somewhat aloof personality, which manifested on the court as a habitual solo approach when controlling the ball. Undoubtedly, with this solo approach, Hei Ya Tou's ball control and scoring ability were among the best in the team.

Now, Lao Li called the three together, not elaborating on how Hei Ya Tou should pay more attention to teamwork with other teammates, but rather speaking to Yu Lian and Lü Na, urging them to boldly create opportunities for Hei Ya Tou to play solo in crucial moments.

In crucial moments, someone has to step up. When someone dares to step forward at such a time, they need not only the courage to shoulder everything, but also the unwavering support and steadfast trust of their teammates. It's not that we don't need teamwork; we also need someone to lead the team to meet the challenges. It

's just that, most of the time, not everyone can be that responsible. Because stepping forward might mean facing a failed attack, so we can't let that failure shake our support and trust.

Miracles happen more often because the game isn't over yet, and we still hold onto that support and confidence. Someone like Lao Li isn't someone who idolizes heroes, and that's why he'll never become a hero.

However, Lao Li hasn't cared about being a hero; he just knows one thing: no matter when or what, everyone needs to take responsibility, no matter how insignificant that responsibility may seem. When it's your turn to take responsibility, you must do it.

By extension, Old Li, who didn't know what constituted a hero, understood even more the importance of taking responsibility in life. Therefore, he deeply respected those who stepped forward to shoulder that responsibility. Things in life that could truly destroy you are rare indeed. Thinking about it, if someone takes on even the most mundane tasks without a second thought, wouldn't they likely end up wetting their pants when faced with a truly devastating situation?

After speaking with the three team members, the two-hour allotted time for the meeting room, as stipulated by the organizing committee, was up. The team members left in small groups, chatting and laughing. Old Li, who had been the last to leave the meeting room for the past few days, glanced at Fei'er's mother sitting beside him out of the corner of his eye.

It was no wonder; from the group stage matches onwards, whenever Old Li was involved in anything related to the No. 33 Middle School girls' basketball team, Fei'er's mother was always present.

To be honest, with Fei'er's mother practically following him everywhere, Old Li couldn't feel at ease facing her, except for a sense of fear. However, it wouldn't be accurate to say he utterly loathed her constant presence. He felt a mix

of fear and longing when she was gone, though he couldn't quite pinpoint his own feelings. This fear was very clear in his heart, yet it also came and went subtly. Old Li realized that within this daily, subtle feeling, there was something else, almost imperceptible.

It was so faint, so faint you could almost ignore its existence. But it was precisely this unintentional faintness that made Old Li unable to say whether it was because of his daily experiences that he had unconsciously become accustomed to it, or whether accepting something so faint yet clear wasn't as agonizing as he had imagined. So, as it came, Old Li maintained a clear awareness tinged with fear, just as it was about to leave, he would send it off in his own way.

The fork in the road led to two places: east was the parking lot, and south-southwest was the small garden square in front of the teachers' dormitory area.

For the past few days, Fei'er's mother had always taken the east-facing fork in the road when she left. But today, like every day before, Fei'er's mother left without saying a word to Old Li, and as dusk fell, she took the south-southwest fork in the road.

A few scattered starlight points, and occasionally, figures stroll leisurely in the evening breeze. Fei'er, who had disobeyed her mother and taken it upon herself to pick her up from No. 5 Middle School, stood at the end of this south-southwest fork in the road, watching the two figures walking in the evening breeze.

Perhaps, ever since she saw those two figures strolling in the twilight in Old Li's garden, something had subtly remained in Fei'er's heart.

Old Li, who was old enough to be Fei'er's father, didn't look very old, so even though a young woman like Fei'er walked side by side with him like a couple, it didn't feel out of place. In fact, this made Fei'er feel very relaxed, and she enjoyed strolling with Old Li like this.

But ever since she saw her mother and Old Li strolling so peacefully in the twilight, Fei'er realized that whether it was herself, Tian Rong, or Tie Yi, who was closer in age to Old Li, when they walked with Old Li, there was nothing that touched them.

This wasn't because her mother and Lao Li were Fei'er's closest people, nor did Fei'er have any other thoughts. It was because Fei'er saw something...

yes, something called charm, that touched her heart. These two figures, strolling gently in the evening breeze, their arms slightly apart, no whispered laughter carried on the wind, no verbal communication, not even a single word exchanged during their walk that evening. But there was a charm, a charm that only comes with the accumulation of years, a charm of quietly savoring the evening breeze and the setting sun, that touched you subtly.

It was the accumulation of time, a serenity after the relentless passage of years. It belonged only to the marks of time, and only to these two figures strolling gently, savoring those marks.

Time, those marks—these are things no one can deliberately replicate, yet this subtle charm of time touched Fei'er time and time again. Free online novel reading

[Volume 2: Passionate Maple Leaves] Chapter 4: Coming Over (3)

"Mom, did you just go for a walk?"

In the gentle evening breeze, when the two figures became roughly clear outlines in front of her, Fei'er said as she went to greet them.

"Yes, the weather is very nice tonight, so we came out for a walk."

Seeing her daughter, who was a little heavy, come to pick her up despite her curfew, Fei'er's mother complained in her heart, but she didn't scold Fei'er because Old Li was there.

"That's right, Mom, I also thought the weather was really nice tonight, so I wanted to come and pick you up for a walk, but I rushed and I'm still late! You don't even give your daughter a chance to be filial."

Fei'er understood the reproach in her mother's eyes, so she took her mother's arm and said affectionately with a hint of coquetry.

"You! You're just trying to fool your old mother! Tell me, I've raised you since you were a baby, how many days have been nicer than tonight? And yet, I've never seen you, you brat, come and walk with me like that!"

The mother, though ruthlessly exposing her daughter's playful and slightly mischievous ways, clearly enjoyed her daughter's affection.

"Hehe... Mom—look at you, your good daughter, I've always been so busy! Think about it, when I was little, I was always learning this or that, studying hard all day long. And now that I've just graduated, I'm already looking for a job and..."

A few stars twinkled, a crescent moon hung in the sky, and Cifei'er walked arm in arm with her mother on the right, while Old Li, who didn't say much, walked on the left. Along this short path, soft whispers and cheerful voices drifted in the evening breeze…

Today was the day off after the group stage matches. Old Li, Tian Rong, Old Xu, Tie Yi, and Geng Ju, the school's director in charge of logistics and infrastructure projects, were meeting in the small conference room of No. 33 Middle School.

The meeting's content was simple: mainly, Director Geng Ju reported on the progress of several infrastructure projects at No. 33 Middle School and the upcoming branch acceptance work. The remaining meeting item was No. 33 Middle School's new school year enrollment plan, which had already received approval from the Beicheng District Education Bureau. In particular, the expansion plan for the junior and senior high school classes, from two classes each to six classes each, had also been approved by the Beicheng District Education Bureau.

Due to the expansion of enrollment, the Beicheng District Education Bureau transferred fourteen teachers to the previously understaffed No. 33 Middle School to bolster its teaching staff and alleviate the shortage of teachers.

These fourteen new teachers, transferred by the Beicheng District Education Bureau, came from two main sources: five from subordinate districts and counties, and one from other middle schools within the city. These six teachers can be considered as having a single source, as at least four of them hold intermediate-level teacher titles, and the remaining two hold intermediate-level titles.

The other eight teachers transferred along with them can be considered as having a single source: one named Gong Xinping, whose initial degree was in early childhood education, obtained an intermediate-level title; the remaining seven each held a middle school teacher's qualification certificate; and three of them were recent university graduates who responded to the provincial call to go directly to remote mountainous areas for a two-year teaching support program.

Their biggest commonality is that their original household registrations all came from various townships. The six teachers from those sources, regardless of their qualifications or experience, should be familiarizing themselves with the new teaching environment and quickly getting the hang of their assigned tasks. What about the remaining eight? This one's name is Xiang something…

Oh! Her resume is quite detailed. This…

she even has a certificate for the pentathlon at the provincial games, at the master level! With her running and jumping abilities, surely she won't lead the children astray in PE class?

This Gong… Gong… Xinping, I think, graduated from early childhood education school. Early childhood education? Ah—it seems she could manage teaching the kids some drawing and writing; at least if she taught art, the students could distinguish the seven colors… Ke… cough! cough!

That's a really rare surname! Having passed Grade 5 in piano, at least he won't sing 123 off-key. He can teach music theory to the kids...

Looking at the resumes piled up beside him, Old Li, who was being hit on the head with bitter gourds one after another in his office, would occasionally clutch his head in his hands, his head throbbing with pain.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and Tian Rong and Tie Yi quietly entered one after the other. Seeing Old Li's head swollen from being hit by a pile of bitter gourds, the two women exchanged a helpless chuckle. Tian Rong walked towards Old Li, and as Tie Yi closed the door, she gently locked it as well...

Slumped into the office chair, Tian Rong didn't want to move. She genuinely admired Tie Yi, a woman of similar stature, for her resilience. Tie Yi, half-squatting and half-kneeling on the other side of the sofa, used her even smaller mouth to meticulously and gently clean between Old Li's half-open legs...

He'd been hit on the head by a pile of bitter gourds, but these bitter gourds had all received official permits from the North District Education Bureau to come to No. 33 Middle School. Perhaps they'd actually met these people in person. Without a proper assessment, it wouldn't be fair to just throw them into the bitter gourd patch based on their resumes.

"Alright, let's put these worries aside for now." Old Li, Tie Yi, and Tian Rong lingered in the office for a while longer before getting up to head to the training grounds of their school's girls' basketball team at the Fifth Middle School in the city.

Fei'er's mother's car was parked in front of the Thirty-Third Middle School. Old Li, who had also driven out, hesitated for a moment, then drove back to the school, told the gatekeeper he would give the car keys to Principal Tie or Secretary Tian, and walked out of the school gate.

As if she hadn't seen Old Li drive out and back, Fei'er's mother waited for him to get in the car, then started the engine and drove off without a word.

In the history of the European Cup, Denmark replaced Yugoslavia as the last team to qualify for the finals, but at the last moment, they took home all the cakes of that grand feast.

The Wushi Experimental Middle School girls' basketball team, having secured an eight-point lead in the finals, displayed a relaxed mindset and a winning mentality, much like the Danish team during the European Cup, where only three players seemed capable of playing basketball. However, after several surprise attacks to gain an eight-point lead, they maintained this advantage until the final two minutes and forty seconds. With

a five-point deficit and two minutes and forty seconds remaining, Coach Xie of the No. 33 Middle School girls' team gestured to the referee to call a timeout as Yu Lian prepared to inbound the ball.

The No. 33 Middle School players were showing signs of impatience, eager to close the gap in the remaining time. Meanwhile, the Wushi Experimental Middle School players, along with their coach, who had already been performing exceptionally well, were now focused on maintaining their five-point lead through relentless defense.

One team was striving to catch up and even surpass their opponent, while the other aimed to extend their lead to the end of the game through tight defense. The timeout was a crucial test of who could make the most of the limited remaining time.

Yuanyuan, Zhang Nan, Ya Rou, Hei Ya Tou, and Yu Lian were the lineup Xie Xin had reorganized during the timeout. This was because the Experimental Middle School's center, in terms of both height and physical strength, had withstood the repeated attacks from Ya Rou and the power forward from Tiancheng Middle School. Of course, the success was primarily due to the combined efforts of the Experimental Middle School players.

While Yuanyuan's height and physical strength were relatively weaker, her footwork was almost comparable to that of a small forward. By having Ya Rou draw the opposing center out from under the basket, Yuanyuan could disrupt the game with her agile footwork, creating scoring opportunities for Hei Ya Tou's drives and Zhang Nan's long-range shots.

Xie Xin and Coach Mi quickly and concisely outlined the specific tactics. The five players about to take the court listened silently, some sitting and some squatting. As the timeout was about to end and the players stood up to return to the court, an arm holding a water bottle was extended in front of Yu Lian, who had just stood up. It was...it was Xiao Zhu!

The cheerleaders' youthful and vibrant outfits had been changed, and now she was wearing a jersey that looked like half a robe, even though it was the smallest size on the team and didn't have a number. After a moment of stunned silence, Yu Lian burst out laughing.

Yu Lian, who had just laughed, took the water Xiao Zhu offered, gave her a high five, and then tilted her head back to drink a large gulp of water from the bottle. All the team members who stood up after Yu Lian laughed when they took the water Xiao Zhu handed them. Just as everyone drank the water and entered the competition area, Xiao Zhu's conspicuously flawed disguise was spotted by the sharp eyes of the officiating supervisor a few steps away.

Seeing the officiating supervisor quickly approach Xiao Zhu and sternly question her, and seeing Xiao Zhu's extremely embarrassed and disheveled appearance under the supervisor's serious questioning, the members of the No. 33 Middle School girls' team, after another burst of laughter, felt a sense of relief and began the final three minutes of the match.

A relaxed mindset is conducive to better performance; however, the lineup of the No. 33 Middle School girls' team at this moment was their strongest offensive lineup, one they had never displayed before.

Their height advantage, coupled with their rapid movement and positioning, caught the Experimental Middle School girls' basketball team, who had been adept at defending the second and third tiers for the first thirty minutes, off guard. Despite the Experimental Middle School's almost entirely successful defense, a gap was torn open. In two minutes and

forty seconds, the No. 33 Middle School girls' team scored nine points, while Wushi Experimental Middle School added two points before the final whistle. With this two-point lead, the No. 33 Middle School girls' basketball team advanced to the quarterfinals.

Among the crowd celebrating the victory for the No. 33 Middle School girls' basketball team, Xiaozhu was absent. For a serious competition like this, no one unrelated to the game was allowed to be present, even on the athletes' bench. Xiao Zhu not only violated the rules by appearing where she shouldn't have, but she also violated the rules by handing over strictly controlled food and drink items to the athletes on the field. Therefore, it was inevitable that she would be questioned.

Frankly, even if Xiao Zhu's behavior were an occasional occurrence at a provincial-level middle school sports meet, the organizing committee wouldn't have treated her this way. However, even though it was later proven that she only wanted to boost the morale of the lagging No. 33 Middle School, out of consideration for the fairness of the competition and for the responsibility to both sides, Xiao Zhu was still called in by the organizing committee for a thorough questioning after the competition. It seemed that the organizing committee even examined every bottle of water she handed to the No. 33 Middle School athletes.

Old Li was surprised but also relieved to see his daughter suddenly appear on his school's competition field. He was also somewhat taken aback by the organizing committee's serious attitude afterward. For the winning No. 33 Middle School girls' team, Xiaozhu's actions were positive. However, for the losing Wushi Experimental Middle School girls' basketball team, perhaps Xiaozhu should have thought more deeply about her actions. For example, was the water Xiaozhu handed to the players approved by the organizing committee?

If not, could the water contain some substance that could enhance the athletes' performance? After all, this competition was held in Jiangzhong City, and the No. 33 Middle School girls' team represented Jiangzhong City. From both a moral and logical standpoint, Jiangzhong City, as the host, should avoid leaving such a lingering issue. Xiaozhu

's violation of regulations by going onto the court to cheer on her father's team led the organizing committee to, after careful consideration, restrict her qualification as the on-court cheerleading leader. Fortunately, the organizing committee only prohibited Xiaozhu from performing as a cheerleader, but did not prohibit her from having convenient access to watch the game.

So, Xiaozhu, who was picked up late by Fei'er's mother and brought to Ya Rou's apartment building in the Fifth Middle School compound, was a little disappointed because she couldn't participate in the cheerleading performance. However, here, with her father's large hand gently stroking her hair and the girls from the team lining the way to welcome her, Xiaozhu's low mood instantly improved.

The celebration, though guided, was restrained and didn't last very long. The girls' basketball team, whose quarter-final match wasn't until the day after tomorrow, had all gone to rest early. In the largest room on the third floor of the apartment building, Fei'er's mother, Tian Rong, Lao Li, and several members of Xiaozhu's cheerleading team who had come to comfort Xiaozhu and celebrate the victory of the Thirty-Three Middle School girls' team, remained.

Even though her daughter's disappointment at not being able to continue performing in the cheerleading team had lessened considerably, a girl her age really couldn't completely let go of these things. So, Lao Li naturally asked his daughter about her experiences during the cheerleading rehearsals.

The cheerleading performance her daughter was currently performing was only part of their planned routine. Apparently, the more spectacular routine would be revealed as the competition progressed.

"Then, after your sister Zhang Nan and the others finish their competition the day after tomorrow, you and your friends can come here and perform for them,"

said Old Li. Even though his daughter tried to hide it, a fleeting hint of disappointment in her eyes didn't escape Old Li's notice. So, Old Li naturally extended an invitation to his daughter and her friends.

"Okay, Xiaozhu! After Zhang Nan and the others finish their competition the day after tomorrow, let's come back here and perform our routine for them!"

Before Xiaozhu could answer, her classmate, who had been staying at Old Li's house during the holidays and was now performing with her in the cheerleading team, excitedly agreed.

[Volume 2: Passionate Maple Leaves] Chapter 4: Walking Over (4)

With a safety helmet on his head, Lao Li, who was acting as a member of the infrastructure inspection team for the first time in his life, walked into the three-story faculty office building of No. 33 Middle School under renovation, led by the person in charge of Xinrui Infrastructure Team.

Lao Li was mostly an outsider when it came to the specific construction quality issues such as renovation and reconstruction. As for the materials and craftsmanship of the construction party in the renovation and reconstruction, Lao Li knew that generally, the more expensive materials would be of better quality than the cheaper ones. As for the craftsmanship, the smooth and neat decoration effect on the surface was probably not bad.

Based on his limited knowledge of renovation and reconstruction, Lao Li handed over the inspection work to Geng Ju and Da Mei, who were in charge of infrastructure at the school, to introduce two professionals. Lao Li himself just followed everyone around and looked around.

The main part of the renovation was the first floor of the three-story office building, because the six classes that No. 33 Middle School will expand this year will be placed here. Because this renovation involved some of the building's load-bearing walls, Lao Li had to take it very seriously. This was both a responsibility to the students who would be attending classes there in the future and a responsibility that the school itself had to bear.

The two construction professionals recommended by Da Mei were highly skilled. Since they had been monitoring the project's progress since the beginning, they raised various questions during the inspection. Lao Li only half-understood them, but Xinrui Company answered these questions patiently and meticulously.

The tall figure, whether by sight or by standing side-by-side with Lao Li for a moment without intending to compare, made Lao Li unconsciously remind himself that this slender and tall man was indeed taller than him.

Why was he so concerned about someone's height? Suddenly realizing he had been inappropriately fixated on this, Lao Li was about to ask himself this question when the slender and tall figure once again stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, half a step away.

Watching this figure talk to the people from Xinrui Company, both sides took turns signing off on the acceptance items. It was this slender, tall figure who, while signing, slightly lowered his shoulders, as if trying to escape something, and that something would inevitably try to get close. During this short signing period, Old Li found himself once again being swayed by appearances, using his own shoulder height to measure the other person's shoulder height.

Stimulated, perhaps? Old Li, already unable to find an explanation for this subconscious thought, touched his nose with his index finger. Just then, both parties who had finished signing turned to look at him.

Ah…yes, the signatures on-site were verification of the specific items in the acceptance process. The next step was for the supervision company, represented by the slender, tall figure, to issue its final supervision opinion, which would then be jointly signed by the contractor, the acceptance team (comprising the No. 33 Middle School), and the supervision company.

The No. 33 Middle School was the inspection team, but only Geng Ju, who was in charge of the infrastructure project, had some understanding of construction. However, it was impossible for her to oversee every aspect of the project alone. Frankly, the No. 33 Middle School didn't even have enough teachers to teach on the front lines. Including the logistics and infrastructure work, there were only three official staff members. Therefore, for this renovation and expansion project, besides the project supervision (recommended by Da Mei), the specific construction work was also handled by people Da Mei found.

Old Li trusted Da Mei and had no doubts about the people she recommended, but as a precaution, the No. 33 Middle School also hired another company to oversee each project.

Now, the main renovation work is complete, and the interior decoration is nearing completion. Therefore, all the units related to the renovation and expansion of the No. 33 Middle School are once again gathered together.

The No. 33 Middle School was represented by the contracting party, with the supervision company and the third-party project planning and design company seated on either side. Once the representatives from the contractor, Xinrui Construction Company, were also seated, the acceptance process for the main renovation project officially began.

Xinrui performed admirably, and the supervision and third-party companies also approved, resulting in a smooth acceptance process. The same parties then signed contracts for the commercial development of the new teaching building for No. 33 Middle School and part of the land previously used as a vocational school training factory.

While the foundation work for the new teaching building had already begun, the formal contract was only signed today, primarily due to the unresolved issue of who would ultimately acquire the development rights to the land previously used by the vocational school. The signing of this new teaching building construction contract signified that the dust had settled.

Qingyu and Damei, having pooled their resources, should have secured what they needed in this turbulent situation. But the question remains: what about the others who also participated in this upheaval? Did they all receive what they were entitled to?

Regardless of what happens in the future, the expansion project of the new teaching building at No. 33 Middle School will no longer be on the minds of those who received the appropriate benefits and those who didn't.

The vocational school, Jiangzhong City Vocational School, whose initial founding philosophy was to be based in the industrial area of the northern district and aimed to become a first-class vocational school for the entire province and even the country, left behind its school buildings, now adorned with swallows' nests, and a campus large enough to build a large racetrack, standing silently next to No. 33 Middle School, silently gazing at the industrial road where heavy trucks shuttle back and forth. The

silent vocational school campus, in its final darkness, is tinged with an unforgettable crimson. Even as resentment and pain still flow in some hearts, the immense benefits contained within its vast campus have already attracted countless expectant eyes.

The fervent gazes cast upon the black and crimson campus, still tinged with resentment and pain in some hearts, seemed to have forgotten everything that had happened there. However, these countless focused gazes were simply too intense and urgent. Old Li himself couldn't stop them, nor could the 33rd Middle School, and even those at a higher level than Old Li and the 33rd Middle School couldn't stop them.

But one thing Old Li was clear about: regardless of whose gazes were fixed here, in a place brimming with immense profit, maximizing that profit was what every one of those gazes desired.

In other words, whoever would dominate this place, whether it ultimately became a commercial district or a high-end residential area, everyone hoped to reap greater profits with minimal investment in basic infrastructure.

This included supporting medical facilities, convenient transportation, schools, kindergartens, and so on—all necessary infrastructure investments to maximize profits. Even if

the 33rd Middle School wasn't the best school, a proper investment to improve it would be far less costly than building a new school. Moreover, not only did No. 33 Middle School find the most suitable position for itself in this turbulent situation, it also chose to invest in the infrastructure that should rightfully belong to the soon-to-be-dominated area.

The vocational school's land was a large cake, and No. 33 Middle School swiftly sliced it into two pieces, one large and one small. The smaller piece, which served both No. 33 Middle School's own interests and allowed other beneficiaries to expand their gains, was one that No. 33 Middle School would keep if it wanted to. The larger piece, No. 33 Middle School simply placed it at the table where everyone was seated: this belongs to you, and you can decide how to divide it.

Old Li, from the day he was born, was destined not to be the one standing at the table to dominate and divide the cake. In other words, Old Li never imagined he could become such a person.

Unable to stand tall and upright, according to 21st-century values, Old Li was an unsuccessful person. Like many powerful figures who, after a few drinks, travel back to their past lives—an era where they could rise to power and dominate—they wielded their longest-handled swords, freely slicing and chopping at the vast pie of profit, drawing lines in their hearts for everyone else.

Old Li, however, would probably be drenched in Buddha's foot-washing water and still not have the chance to travel back. So, Old Li consoled himself: "You're a coward in this life, so wouldn't you be even more of a coward in your past life?" Cowards like us, in both past and present lives, are the majority among the masses. Since that's the case, it's better to be someone who isn't the most cowardly, but at least someone with some responsibility, in this life.

(The End)

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