Returning to '97, creating a new life

Seeing everyone's seemingly scheming yet serious demeanor, Xu Kai couldn't help but smile. He was quite grateful to Dong Bin and the others, including his later friend Hu Yuxuan.

Having been reborn, Xu Kai's relationship with his siblings of the same generation on his mother's side of the family was neither close nor distant. Whenever they met, Xu Kai would always bring his way of getting along with his siblings from his previous life, which made them seem more polite to each other.

Like Wang Lei and Zhang Chunlei, these high school friends also went their separate ways after graduating from junior high school, gradually disappearing into the long river of time spent striving and growing up.

Friends I've made through work, business, and running a media company are mostly driven by self-interest, with less genuine affection. And because of time and distance, once we part ways, we gradually lose touch due to the pressures of life. When we occasionally get together for a drink, there's not much happy stuff left to reminisce about. Just having a drink is enough to make us happy and relaxed.

How many true friends can one have in a lifetime?

In the past, travel was slow, and people gathered in a close-knit circle. Over time, close friends could stay with each other for a lifetime.

With the development of the times, Xu Kai's generation has faced several economic changes. Rapid development has led to a continuous expansion of people's social circles in terms of space and time, and the pressure of life has made more people spend their time and energy on making a living.

With the development of technology, New Year's greetings have evolved from in-person visits to phone calls, text messages, and WeChat messages, becoming increasingly formulaic and less sincere.

The definition of friendship is constantly evolving.

Living life again, in this carefree and joyful state, feels wonderful.

It was clear that Xu Kai and his friends were very young, but their height was still exceptional among adults. They were making a ruckus in the bath. There weren't many customers in the morning at this commercial bathhouse. The water in the bath had just been changed that morning, and the group was splashing each other with water. Their laughter attracted the attention of the staff and the masseurs. They initially wanted to intervene, but the staff's attitude changed because of their tall and strong figures.

"Scrubbing your back."

Having someone scrub your back once was something Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin had never experienced before. Fang Jinyao was alright, having gone to a bathhouse with his father before. For ordinary people's children, their fathers or classmates would scrub each other's backs, or they would scrub each other's backs. Having someone else scrub their backs made them both very uncomfortable.

But the mud that had been rubbed off made the two of them exclaim how wonderful and comfortable it felt when they rinsed off afterwards.

After changing into the clothes provided by the bathhouse, I walked out of the men's bath and took the elevator to the fourth floor. A few people were still making a ruckus. The elevator doors opened, and in a room directly opposite the elevator doors, a clean-shaven figure took the cigarettes and water handed to him by the attendant outside the door.

Completely naked. Dong Bin, Fei Wenxin, Fang Jinyao, and even Hu Yuxuan were dumbfounded; this scene was far too shocking for them.

The woman inside glanced at Dong Bin and the others as if she hadn't seen them, took the cigarettes and water, and closed the door.

Xu Kai kicked each of them, saying, "You shameful bastards."

I can understand. For those who watch DVDs in a dirty way, being able to see it directly from a distance of three or four meters is like opening the door to a whole new world for them.

"Find a few male technicians..."

The afternoon hot pot meal was unappetizing for the group, with none of them having much of an appetite.

"Brother Kai!"

"Brother Kai!"

Those eyes were filled with curiosity about the unknown world, brimming with anticipation and longing. They only hoped that their guide could truly broaden their horizons, rather than just offering empty promises.

Looking at plums won't quench your thirst; it will only put them in a state of near-explosion.

"Get the hell out of here." Xu Kai kicked them, but he couldn't get rid of them; their eyes were full of longing.

"You son of a bitch." Xu Kai delivered an Ultraman flying kick, landing directly on Fang Jinyao's groin. The kick wasn't powerful, just a playful effort. Fang Jinyao, who was knocked down into a sandpit by the roadside, didn't seem to care and continued to look at him pitifully.

That son of a bitch, he even dared to snitch! If he hadn't snitched, would Yunshang have been able to go to Yanjing? Now, to make sure their inner turmoil and new world are exposed, he's going to snitch again, using that as leverage.

"Brothers, I was wrong, I was wrong. I shouldn't have let you see scenery you shouldn't have seen at such an inappropriate age."

Several people squatted down and hugged his legs in unison, saying, "Brother Kai, Brother Kai, it's our fault. Don't blame yourself. It's all our fault."

After a while of joking around, everyone stopped bringing it up. We're not stupid; some things are best left as a spice in life. It's good that we brothers have something to talk about and laugh about, something we can look back on in the future.

The rest are just things that will happen sooner or later. It's true that it's not suitable right now, but swallow your saliva and bear with it and it will pass.

........................

When Xu Kai and others returned to school, they became superstars, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them heroes.

The second period exercise break at school was canceled due to rain. Inside the classroom, a color television hanging high in the corner of the front wall was playing sports news clips from CCTV-5, as well as several sports programs broadcasting the National Youth Three-on-Three Challenge, including more extensive reports from the province and city where Songcheng is located.

Many students have seen it on TV at home, but not this comprehensively. This time, it covers the entire school's internal publicity.

Some scenes and photos taken on site were shown to the students on campus in a comprehensive manner.

When there is a clear explanation of how Xu Kai and others stood out among the national teams, the students have a clearer understanding and realize that this is not just a simple national championship, but a genuine first place achieved from all high schools across the country.

Many schools have external players—talented basketball players who aren't high school students but are of suitable age—and these players are recruited through special methods in many schools. Even so, the final championship still belonged to us, and cheers and applause from every class could be heard throughout the corridor.

In the afternoon, school leaders attended the event in the gymnasium, and students from several of the players' classes came to watch. They commended Xu Kai and his three teammates. A deputy leader from a municipal department also attended. The awards, ranging from certificates and bonuses to physical prizes, were not many, but they conveyed a strong sense of honor.

When the leaders left, the school generously awarded prizes, with each person receiving a cash reward of up to 1,000 yuan. But that was secondary; the entire basketball team received a promotion thanks to the school's support.

The school provided financial support for all aspects of the team, including uniforms, training clothes, shoes, basketballs, and even logistical support.

Dong Bin, Fei Wenxin, and Fang Jinyao left the school, and Park In-ji led the team to the Northeast Tigers men's basketball team for tryouts.

After a day of classes, the weekend arrived, and Xu Kai skipped class, leaving Yunshang with a morning of make-up lessons.

The day before, a local tour guide was found for Su Xingwan and Hu Yuxuan, and they spent the day sightseeing at local attractions. The next day, Xu Kai was not exactly skipping class. In the teacher's eyes, he just didn't go to the trial training and gave himself a little extra time off.

Su Xingwan came to Xu Kai's house early in the morning to find him and Hu Yuxuan. Sun Xiuyun came back last night and cooked a big table of dishes for Hu Yuxuan. She was also resting at home. When she left this morning, she said that she was busy at the chess and card room and would not be going home for the next two days.

The first day back is for entertaining guests. Staying at home makes guests feel at ease, as we don't consider them outsiders. The second day away is for guests to feel more at ease. We've done our part in terms of etiquette. The rest is about making guests feel more comfortable and at ease.

Xu Kai remarked that this style wasn't his mother's, and later he found out that it was a suggestion from his uncles.

Like Hu Yuxuan, Su Xingwan showed no unusual feelings towards Xu Kai's ordinary or even dilapidated home. She was very adaptable and sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed) as soon as she entered the house.

As November approached, the weather in Northeast China turned cooler, and the two of them found it somewhat difficult to adjust. The warmth of the heated kang bed was the authentic taste of Northeast China.

The kang (heated brick bed) was warm, and Xu Kai prepared some fruit for them. The three of them lay lazily on the kang, each in their own position, without moving.

The TV was playing Hong Kong and Taiwan movies that Xu Kai had brought back. The three of them chatted casually, but none of them seemed interested in going out for fun. It wasn't until Yunshang arrived after school at noon that the atmosphere became lively.

Yunshang arranged a series of sightseeing activities, but to Xu Kai's surprise, Yun Sheng did not show up this time.

They went on a picnic in the countryside, soaked in hot springs, had a bonfire party by the lake at night, went rollerblading, bowling, played computer games, and there was also swimming, but Su Xingwan refused. Xu Kai couldn't hold back his laughter, and Hu Yuxuan held back his laughter, and then Su Xingwan chased after him and beat him up.

There is no harm without comparison.

A figure that doesn't match one's own temperament certainly won't stand out. Facing Yunshang, Su Xingwan didn't want to be ridiculed by that bastard Xu Kai.

She herself did not realize that for the first time in her life, she was experiencing some anxiety about her body shape.

On Sunday night, he saw the two off at the train station, thinking that they would be in contact remotely for a while. However, a few days later, when Xu Kai saw Hu Yuxuan at the basketball team's training session in the afternoon and learned what had happened, he could only sigh that in this world, money really can buy anything.

Hu Yuxuan transferred schools, from the prestigious Affiliated High School of Yanjing to Songcheng No.1 High School. Although the gap between the two schools was not as big as imagined, if you gave 10,000 people 10,000 choices, it would be a foregone conclusion that everyone would choose the Affiliated High School.

"I'm not cut out for academics. I love playing basketball and want to make it my career. If I succeed, I can play; if not, I'll have to follow my dad's plan, go abroad to study at university, and then come back to inherit the family business—his mines and the 10,000 cattle and 20,000 sheep on the grasslands..."

Before Hu Yuxuan could finish speaking, Xu Kai tripped him with a kick, then turned around with a flourish: "Brothers, we have a new guy here, let's give him a welcome ceremony."

A minute later, Hu Yuxuan shouted, "Brothers, please let him go!"

"Brother Kai, help!"

"I'll make the arrangements for tonight!"