The Cook's Strange Behavior

Wang Chao left the office.

He felt very calm. To him, the so-called closed special training held no mystery at all. He could even clearly list every event that would take place during the training and explain exactly what each one was meant to accomplish.

In his previous life, he had personally organized three provincial team training camps and seven national team training camps as the chief coach. Every event had been decided by him alone.

He did not need guidance from any national-level coach. He only needed a place to practice.

If the special training had any significance at all, it was probably that he would encounter more and stronger opponents and improve his actual match ability.

That was all.

Jiang Shan returned around eleven o'clock, his face brimming with unconcealed delight. But when he saw Wang Chao, he seemed somewhat ashamed. He hesitantly came over and said in a low voice, "Brother Chao..."

"Congratulations." Wang Chao smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Perform well when the time comes. Don't embarrass our team."

"What are you talking about?" Jiang Shan blinked. "I wasn't selected."

Wang Chao was stunned.

"Coach Jiang Long said that although I'm talented, I'm still young, and my results in this round-robin weren't good enough. So whether they send me or you, they need to observe us for a while longer."

Jiang Shan explained, "I felt a little embarrassed just now because I thought this spot should obviously have been yours, but now it's become a competition between the two of us."

After a brief moment of thought, Wang Chao understood Jiang Long's intentions.

Jiang Long presumably had performance targets to meet as well.

If the prospects he selected performed too poorly, he would also be criticized by the provincial team's head coach.

Jiang Shan's raw strength was indeed still lacking. Although Wang Chao had lost yesterday, the match ability he displayed had clearly made Jiang Long very interested.

So even though Wang Chao had been very uncooperative, Jiang Long still leaned toward recommending him.

But he could not lose face. Especially for a coach like Jiang Long, who valued his own authority, face was more important than anything.

That was why he had deliberately sent Wang Chao to notify Jiang Shan, then deliberately told Jiang Shan all that.

He was putting pressure on Wang Chao.

Young people were like that. When their blood ran hot, they picked fights with heaven, earth, and thin air, with no taboos at all. But once things passed and their emotions cooled, they would surely make the right choice.

For the sake of attending the special training, what was the big deal about swallowing a little pride?

He hoped that after hearing this news, Wang Chao would take the initiative to admit his mistake and obediently fall in line.

Then he could give Wang Chao a lecture, turn an enemy into a friend, and make peace with a handshake.

That way, he would have both face and substance.

But...

First, he had Wang Chao notify Jiang Shan, then he deliberately had Jiang Shan tell him this whole story. What exactly was he trying to do?

Was he deliberately creating a rift between Jiang Shan and him?

Maybe he had also told Wu Li about the current situation.

Three candidates and two spots. Was he trying to imitate the ancient tale of "Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors"?

Wang Chao could not help laughing.

This coach from the provincial team was rather interesting...

Unfortunately, his plan was bound to fail.

"Brother Chao, what are you laughing about?" Jiang Shan asked from beside him.

"Nothing." Wang Chao patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm not interested in the special training. That spot is one hundred percent yours."

That afternoon, Jiang Long indeed waited in his office for Wang Chao to come apologize. Yet he waited until the end of the workday without seeing him.

The next day, Jiang Long waited again, but Wang Chao still did not come.

So after lunch on the third day, Jiang Long took the initiative to call Jiang Shan and ask whether he had told Wang Chao about the competition.

After that, his expression completely darkened.

"Although Wang Chao has some talent, his fundamentals are not solid. His personality is overly stubborn. He insists on his mistaken ideas, refuses to listen to coaches, and cannot be managed. Better to give up on him."

"Though Jiang Shan is young, he is exceptionally talented. His forehand and backhand looping are both excellent, he has great feel for the ball, a flexible style, no obvious weaknesses, and especially beautiful banana flick technique. Given time, he will become a great talent. Recommended."

"Wu Li needs no further explanation. He is a national team prospect favored by multiple coaches. Recommended."

At three in the afternoon, Jiang Long personally wrote Wu Li's and Jiang Shan's names in black ink on white paper, stamped and signed it, notified Luo Zhihong first, then submitted it. The spots were thereby finalized, with no further changes possible.

Perhaps to provoke Wang Chao, he had Luo Zhihong announce the news immediately.

That evening in the cafeteria, the matter became a hot topic among the players as they ate.

Wang Chao still ate with Jiang Shan. After being selected, Jiang Shan was in an excellent mood and endlessly told Wang Chao about his future plans—basically daydreams about beating up Luo Jiu, kicking Bai Feng around, and sitting on Sun Tianlong until he died. As he talked, he suddenly said, "Brother Chao, why have you been eating with your left hand lately? Are you doing it on purpose? It looks kind of awkward."

"Awkward?" Wang Chao skillfully tossed peanuts into his mouth one by one with his left hand. "Normal people always think left-handers look awkward, but left-handers themselves don't feel that way."

"Who are you trying to fool? You're acting like you're a left-hander." Jiang Shan could not help laughing. "I heard there was once a player whose footwork was so bad that he couldn't return balls to his backhand side, so he came up with the idea of holding the paddle with both hands. Later, the referees shut him down. Brother Chao, don't tell me losing to Wu Li rattled you so badly that you're planning to pull something like that?"

Wang Chao merely smiled without speaking.

But Jiang Shan suddenly stopped smiling. Looking nervous, he pursed his lips and gestured for Wang Chao to look behind him.

The Cook was here...

The hidden big shot of the cafeteria set the tray in his hands down on their table. Four dishes filled it to the brim.

A plate of white-cut chicken, a plate of honey-glazed char siu, a plate of sweet-and-sour pineapple pork, and finally a bowl of steaming clear fish ball soup.

Looking at the three dishes and one soup, all of them beautifully presented, Wang Chao felt his scalp tingle. "Have you gotten tired of Sichuan cuisine and switched to studying Cantonese cuisine?"

The Cook did not say much. He sat at the neighboring table, and with a sudden clatter, everyone eating there scattered at once.

"Don't ask so many questions." The Cook actually smiled today, a rare sight. "Try it."

Then he looked at Jiang Shan. "You too."

The two of them trembled with apprehension. For safety's sake, they each scooped up a spoonful of fish soup first and cautiously sipped it. Their eyes then brightened slightly as they said in unison, "Not bad."

Quite pleased with himself, the Cook said, "I recently realized that Sichuan cuisine puts too much emphasis on seasoning and not enough on the ingredients. It lets the guests overshadow the host, and it doesn't suit me. Cantonese cuisine emphasizes bringing out the ingredients' original flavors, which better matches my temperament. So I changed my direction of study. As expected, my cooking has improved tremendously. Come eat whenever you want from now on. Don't worry."

Wang Chao remained cautious. He used his chopsticks to take only a tiny bit from each of the three dishes. After tasting them, he had to admit that the Cook had truly undergone a complete transformation this time.

But whether the food tasted good was clearly not the crux of the matter.

"Did you need something from me today?" Wang Chao asked directly.

The Cook refused to get to the point. Instead, he said, "I watched your match against Wu Li. Very good."

Wang Chao blinked. "So what exactly do you need from me?"

The Cook said, "That new technique is interesting too. Have you named it?"

Wang Chao could only answer first. "That technique is called the hook-around, also known as the reverse banana loop. What did you need from me today..."

"I also heard about the closed special training." The Cook ignored him completely and continued, "Jiang Long isn't a bad person. He's just somewhat extreme in the way he does things. But kid, you were being willful too."

Wang Chao gave up on his earlier question. He carefully observed the expression on the Cook's face and tested the waters. "So you came to comfort me?"

"Comfort you? Not necessary. You're not that fragile." The Cook shook his head. "But I do feel sorry for you. You've only just entered this field, so perhaps you still don't understand how great the benefits of closed special training are for an athlete. It can bring about a complete transformation."

He pointed at Jiang Shan. "This little brat got lucky."

Wang Chao felt that things were becoming interesting.

At this base, Luo Zhihong had originally held the most authority. But after Jiang Long arrived, he held the recommendation spots in his hand and waved a feather as though it were an imperial decree, vaguely showing signs of overshadowing the host.

And now, was this true dragon of a Cook unhappy about it and planning to show off his strength?

After all, the Cook had just said that Sichuan cuisine let the guests overshadow the host. That might not have been a mere indirect jab...

"So, would you like to compensate me a little?" Wang Chao probed. "After all, I suffered such a huge loss."

It was a joke.

When he had first bothered the Cook, he had not harbored any utilitarian motives. Naturally, he needed no compensation from him now.

Besides, as a former national team coach, the Cook's vast wealth of experience and insights might have been priceless treasures to others, but they truly held little appeal for Wang Chao.

But what Wang Chao did not expect was that the Cook actually answered this time.

"That can be arranged." The Cook turned serious. "Kid, how about I introduce you to a teacher?"

A huge bang sounded beside him.

Jiang Shan, who had been eating meat, was so startled by the Cook's words that he slipped off his seat and landed directly on the floor.