Unconventional Center

Chapter 19: It’s All About the Finish

In the final minute, Ameyari launched a frantic attack, but the Valencians didn’t give them a single chance. The final whistle blew right on time amid the Ameyari players’ frustration and disappointment. “The match is over. Congratulations to Valencia on their victory. With seventeen wins, three losses, and two draws—totaling fifty-three points—they’ve overtaken Ameyari to take third place in the Spanish Segunda División. If they can overtake second-place Vallado by the end of the season, they’ll secure a direct promotion spot to La Liga.” Mo Ya led the team in waving to the fans, then was immediately cornered by reporters on the sidelines. The rest of the players gathered in small groups and headed toward the locker room, leaving Chu Yang standing there all alone, looking utterly forlorn. “Wait, I do have friends.” Chu Yang spotted Ibaka, who was walking dejectedly toward the visitors’ locker room, and said, “Hey, bro.” Ibaka looked at him in confusion and said, “What’s up, Ping-Pong Boy? Did you come here to laugh at me?” “No, I mean, let’s swap jerseys,” Chu Yangdao said. “We’re good friends, after all.” Ibaka reluctantly swapped jerseys with Chu Yang, and then he saw his “good friend” clutching his jersey between two fingers with an even more reluctant expression and a look of utter disgust on his face. Speechless, he quickly picked up his pace and ran off. “Seriously, he’s not the least bit enthusiastic.” Chu Yang muttered to himself as he walked out. “You guys can ask him yourselves,” Mo Ya, who was being interviewed, said to the pretty female host, then waved at Chu Yang. “Hey, big hero, come on over.” “What’s up, Cesc? Are you so happy you don’t know what to say?” Chu Yang said, pointing at the camera. “They’re interviewing me, but all the questions are about you. I’ll leave it to you,” Mo Ya said before hurrying off. “Chu, hello. I’m Elena from Valencia TV. Would you be willing to do an interview with me?” The beautiful host phrased it as a question, but she had already handed him the microphone. “Alright, hello, Elena. Are you from France?” “Why do you ask that, Chu?” “Because I think that’s a name from France.” “I’m from Spain, but I’m half from France—my father is from France.” “Oh, in that case…” “Hey, you sly forward—I’m the one interviewing you now, and I’m not falling for your tricks.” Elena wore an expression that said, “I’ve seen right through you,” and she was secretly delighted. Chu Yang wasn’t camera-shy and spoke without nervousness—he was definitely a great interview subject. “All right, but I can only answer three of your questions,” Chu Yangdao said. “Alright, it seems you’re in a hurry. Let’s start with the first question. I noticed you were talking to Ibaka the whole time after you came on the court. Everyone says you two were trading trash talk, trying to rattle your opponent with your words. Is that true? Did it work? Ibaka clearly struggled defending you.” “Ibaka?” Chu Yang held up the sweat-soaked jersey in his hand and brought it close to his eyes. “Him?” “Yes, him—number 4 from Ameyari.” “No, we weren’t trash-talking. Actually, we’re already good friends. We hit it off right away—as the saying goes in China, ‘You don’t know someone until you’ve fought them,’” Chu Yangdao said. “He told me he really likes table tennis, and his grandmother is a fan of mine.” Elena’s mind went blank for a moment. What on earth was going on? You’d become good friends with the guard defending you on your very first meeting? Are you that charismatic? Chu Yang looked straight into the camera and said, “All right, Ibaka, right? If you can see this shot, please say hello to your grandmother for me. Thanks.” “Yeah, we hope Ibaka can see this too,” Elena said with an awkward smile; she was starting to regret coming to interview this guy. “Second question: Was your first goal planned in advance? I heard someone nearby say you actually meant to pass the ball but missed—as we say in China, ‘a lucky accident.’ And how did you come up with that shot for your second goal? Was that a move from Chinese kung fu? It was just so cool.” “That’s two different things, you sly Elian,” Chu Yang chuckled. “The first goal was on purpose. I’d been picturing that scene in my head—looking in one direction but sending the ball flying in the other. That would definitely be an interesting sight, and you’ll see me do it often in the future. To use a Chinese expression, it’s called ‘feigning an attack in the east to strike in the west.’ Yeah, I think that’s the right translation.” “Elena, not Elaine,” Elena corrected him. “All right, Elena,” Chu Yangdao said. “As for the third goal, I call it ‘The Dragon’s Tail Swing.’ It’s a move from a very powerful martial art from China.” “Who cares if it’s a dragon or a scorpion—they’re both swishing their tails anyway.” “Can you tell me which martial art it is? Tai Chi?” “It seems you’re quite familiar with China, but you’ve already asked too many questions,” Chu Yangdao said. “It’s called the Eighteen Palms of Subduing the Dragon—a supreme technique that only the leader of an ancient Chinese martial arts sect can master. I’d been visualizing what that move would look like in my mind, and then I put it into practice on the field. It seems to have worked pretty well, doesn’t it?” “Yes, it worked absolutely brilliantly. May I ask which book it’s from? Actually, I can read Chinese.” “Then why don’t you interview me in Chinese? That would definitely be interesting.” “That’s a great idea. The day you lead the team to La Liga, you’ll have to give me an exclusive interview—I want to interview you in Chinese,” Elena said. “You still haven’t told me what book it is.” “*The Legend of the Condor Heroes*,” Chu Yang said in Chinese. “Okay, can I find it in bookstores in Spain? Or online?” “You can’t find it, because I haven’t written it yet.” “Uh, so you’re saying this is all just your imagination?” “No, in my dreams,” Chu Yang said with a faint smile. Real dreams. “Oh, all right, you strange boy from China,” Elena said, “one last question.” “I hope that really is the last one.” “Of course, you must have heard what the fans were shouting during the game, right? I’ve already figured it out—it’s because the girl you’re pursuing said her mother doesn’t approve of her dating a bench player, so the fans around you…” “Okay, I know what’s going on,” Chu Yang interrupted Elena with a wry smile. “Actually, it was a prank. She’s my sister. We’re very close and often play jokes that leave our parents both laughing and crying—we just took it a bit too far this time. I’d like to apologize to everyone on her behalf.” “Is that so? What an enviable bond. I’m sure everyone will understand,” Elena said, sounding a bit disappointed, having hoped to uncover a romantic story. “We know your performance in La Liga wasn’t great, which is why Deportivo La Coruña sold you to Valencia. Do you have any complaints about how Deportivo La Coruña handled things?” “It was Deportivo La Coruña that brought me to Spain. I spent a year there and learned a lot, so I’m nothing but grateful to them,” Chu Yangdao said. “All right, let’s wrap it up for now. I’ve answered enough questions. Bye, Elian.” “All right, goodbye, Chu. I hope to interview you in Chinese after the season,” Elena said as she turned off the microphone. “And by the way, it’s Elena.”