Chapter 223: Chapter 221: Piercing the Heart, the Team Lost

After Ling’s father came back, Wang Lianfa and Wang Lianqi, the two brothers, came to visit first. Upon learning from Wang Liansheng that the old man loved hometown delicacies, the brothers went to a country market to buy some rabbit dishes and roast chicken, and also asked someone to exchange for a basket of fruits, which included apples, pears, and about ten long slender green radishes.

Ling’s father was indifferent to the other items, but upon seeing those dozen or so green radishes, he was overjoyed and repeatedly said, “These are our Weicheng radishes, you can’t find them elsewhere, good stuff, good stuff indeed.”

Elder brother Wang Lianqi chuckled, “We heard that radishes are good for asthma and coughs, so we got some for you. If you like them, we can get more after the New Year. I heard many families over there are opening their cellars, it’s quite easy to find radishes.”

Ling’s father nodded and smiled, “You two brothers are so considerate. While we weren’t here, Xiaoyan and Liansheng have relied on your parents and you brothers to take care of them. Now, this old man of mine returns all sickly; I ought to visit your parents to thank them properly, but alas, this body of mine fails me…”

Ling’s elder brother served tea, and his second brother took it and placed it in front of Wang Lianqi and Wang Lianfa.

Ling’s elder brother said, “Dad, our uncle and aunt understand your kind intentions and won’t blame you even if you haven’t visited them.”

Ling’s second brother chimed in, “We’ve already talked to Liansheng. Tomorrow is Sunday, Xiaoyan will stay to take care of you, while I and elder brother will pay a visit to uncle and aunt to thank them on your behalf.”

Ling’s father gave his younger son a glance and sighed, “Visiting is appropriate, just don’t thank on my behalf… apologize for me instead!”

“Dad, have some water… since you’re on medication, you shouldn’t have tea.” Ling’s elder brother quickly explained when he saw his father eyeing the tea in front of the Wang brothers.

Ling’s father accepted the plain water and sighed to the Wang brothers, shaking his head, “Once old and sick, you’re no longer in control of your own body.”

Wang Lianqi quickly said, “Take good care of yourself, and when you get better after the hospital treatment, you’ll feel robust and can do whatever you want.”

The basketball tournament’s round-robin stage was more than half over, with only two days of matches remaining. Yang Hua, the main forward of the Special Service Company, inexplicably slipped on a piece of ice and injured his leg, rendering him unable to play. Although substitutes were on the court for the game, the performance was affected, and the Special Service Company tasted defeat for the first time, trailing the opponent by 14 points.

The main forward, Yang Hua, was so anxious that his head felt on fire. He ran to the medical room, demanding a cortisone shot to play while injured, but Xu Dong found out and rushed over to stop his reckless behavior.

“You can play this game with an injection while injured, but have you thought it through?” A clear voice came by; it was Ling Chengyan, still in casual clothes.

Yang Hua was taken aback and asked foolishly, “Captain, what do you mean?”

“If you insist on playing, you’ve already prepared for discharge, right?” Ling Chengyan asked indifferently, which made Yang Hua shiver and his face turn two shades paler.

He looked at Xu Dong in a panic, but Xu Dong turned his head away, giving him no information.

Yang Hua had to turn to Ling Chengyan, feeling a bit guilty, “Captain, just one game playing with an injury, I don’t, I don’t have to get discharged, right?”

Xu Dong coughed, wanting to remind Ling Chengyan to be gentle and not really scare the guy.

However, Ling Chengyan didn’t care and directly said, “You know what it means for Special Service soldiers to go to the battlefield, don’t you?”

Yang Hua stared at her blankly, knowing the answer deep down. He opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound due to a dry throat.

“The Special Service Company is based on the Reconnaissance Company but exceeds it. The tasks entrusted to the Special Service Company are none simple, and certainly not easy. Once we’re deployed, it’s sure to be nine lives out of ten in dangerous and difficult missions… Are you sure you’ll drag your injured leg up there without holding your comrades back? If you can’t keep up, will they carry you, or leave you behind?”

Ling Chengyan’s words were too direct, piercing straight into the listener’s heart, making Yang Hua freeze and break into a cold sweat, unable to speak.

While Yang Hua was stunned, Ling Chengyan left directly for the basketball court.

The main forward player’s injury and inability to play meant that most of the effort and sweat she and her team had poured in was wasted. She had to re-allocate the players and formations, retraining the team from scratch to adapt to their new positions.

Of course, before heading to the basketball court, she had already planned the personnel layout and tactical adjustments in her mind. However, having a plan was one thing; how well the players could adapt to significant changes and how well the new team would perform was still unknown.

Ling Chengyan made adjustments, moving Zheng Qianjin, previously playing power forward, to replace Yang Hua. Both of these players had martial arts backgrounds, with physical and agility advantages over ordinary soldiers and were the best basketball players in the company. Previously, considering Zheng Qianjin’s better control ability, he was positioned to control the field. With Yang Hua injured and unable to play, Ling Chengyan’s first choice was to move Zheng Qianjin to the main scorer’s position.

Zheng Qianjin’s change meant a replacement was needed for his previous position, controlling and positioning. Ling Chengyan boldly chose someone seemingly unremarkable—Geng Wei.

This person was formerly the deputy captain of a coastal defense unit and became a platoon leader in the Special Service Company. His command and control skills are unquestionable. While he may not match Yang Hua and Zheng Qianjin in physicality, his years in the coastal defense unit have endowed him with plenty of tenacity and perseverance.

Ling Chengyan smiled as she addressed Zheng Qianjin and Geng Wei, “Both of you play well; don’t feel pressured. If it really doesn’t work out, there’s always Xu and me as backups.”

Deputy commander Zhou Lixin let out a chuckle, “You two going on, aren’t you afraid people will say our Special Service Company bullies others?”

Xu Dong had been transferred as the instructor from outside; aside from his prowess, his political and logistics skills had won much of the company’s trust and acceptance from initial skepticism.

Ling Chengyan had joined the team exceptionally as a martial arts champion, and in the Automobile Company, she earned the nickname ’Mother Tiger,’ with numerous daring exploits to her name. Crucially, her basketball skills were widely acknowledged, having represented the division in a regional basketball tournament. If not for an emergency military task arising from the sudden outbreak at the Southern Border interrupting the basketball tournament, she might have another regional champion trophy to her illustrious history.

Back then, the Huicheng Division Team’s record was flawless, with no defeats.

With the relaxed demeanor of the two leaders, the team members who were initially frustrated and anxious after losing a game also relaxed considerably.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep