Chapter 219: Chapter 217

After breakfast, the team members waited nervously. Once they were sure that Commander Ling wouldn’t come back to torment them, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Ling Chengyan wasn’t present, but the training continued. After the group completed their warm-ups and basic physical drills, they played in groups for half an hour.

Once on the court, as soon as they touched the ball, many instinctively used the movements and rhythm guided by Ling Chengyan. This half-session of training games lacked the urgency of winning or losing, but it was still very exciting. When the game was over and everyone reviewed their performance on the court, they all realized the changes in individuals and the team.

Although it wasn’t a complete transformation, some of the movement rhythms and angles were much more effective. This was still a defensive and offensive battle among themselves, like their own spear against their own shield, but what if the opponents were different?

Thinking of the upcoming invitational tournament, they became less nervous and even looked forward to it.

In the afternoon, the basketball reserve players came to the court again, and without seeing Commander Ling Chengyan, two couldn’t help but cheer.

Xu Dong, hands behind his back, watched the suddenly lively group, with a mocking smile on his lips: What are these fools thinking? Is Commander Ling the type to start something and not finish it?!

The result was that in the evening, this group was thoroughly drilled on the basketball court by Ling Chengyan for two hours.

At night, someone even dreamed about Commander Ling chasing them into their dreams, spending all night dreaming, with the fear imposed by Commander Ling pervading both day and night.

The next morning, seeing Ling Chengyan again on the court, they finally understood that Commander Ling had other work during the day and more regular training to conduct. He only had the time to deal with them in the early mornings and late afternoons.

On the sixth day of the lunar month, the schedule for the basketball invitational tournament was confirmed, set to start on the eighth day of the lunar month. The five-day round-robin tournament would determine the top four, then rest for a day, with the semifinals on the fourteenth and the finals on the fifteenth, determining the champions, runners-up, and third place. It was also considered a cultural and sports entertainment activity for the Lantern Festival.

Ling Chengyan focused on training until the seventh day, utilizing every moment to intensify training for a full week.

On the evening of the seventh day, as they were about to dismiss after ending training, Ling Chengyan said, “There’s no training tomorrow morning.”

Several people let out a relieved breath.

Ling Chengyan scanned them with a light gaze, and those who had just breathed a sigh of relief immediately stiffened, straightened up, and stood at attention.

“Tomorrow, the round-robin tournament begins. I wish you all the best in advance, to win with flying colors and achieve first place. That’s all. Go back and rest well. Dismissed!”

After giving the order, Ling Chengyan turned and left first.

Everyone else remained still, including a few overseeing leaders and the basketball players who had been rather miserably tormented these past few days.

Watching Ling Chengyan’s tall figure receding into the distance, suddenly someone shouted, “Thank you, Commander!”

Everyone reacted and shouted in unison, “Thank you, Commander!”

Ling Chengyan, already several dozen meters away, waved without turning his head, “Dismissed!”

The atmosphere suddenly lightened, and everyone laughed, slinging arms over each other’s shoulders as they returned to the dormitory.

On the eighth day of the lunar month, Ling Chengyan sent the kids to the training ground. She followed the usual routine and walked to the basketball court. However, this time she didn’t guide the training or say a word; she just stood with Xu Dong and a few others at the sideline for a while, only about ten minutes, then left again.

Since it was the start of the round-robin tournament, several games were scheduled on the Special Service Company’s basketball court. Coincidentally, the first game on the morning of the eighth day was held on their home court.

This was undoubtedly an advantageous condition for them.

These days, the team members spent almost all their time outside eating and sleeping, training on the basketball court, so they were extremely familiar with the terrain and facilities, eliminating the need to adapt to a new venue, making it surely easier to play.

Ling Chengyan heard a new term: home court advantage.

Today, it was the home court for their Special Service Company.

Ling Chengyan ordered that for each game, a platoon member from their team would take turns to go watch and serve as cheerleaders.

They didn’t yet know that in professional sports events across the ocean in America, cheerleaders are highly enviable, wearing little skirts and dancing to entertain during halftime breaks.

However, the tradition in the military is well known: when brother units participate in meetings or events together, they often start with a singing contest to enliven the atmosphere.

But when the Special Service Company’s ’cheerleaders’ arrived early, they waited and waited, and all they got was the participating team members and the leading officials—there were no audience members or cheerleaders.

The singing contest plan was shelved.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep