Chapter 123: The Female Coach

Unexpectedly, the first to arrive was Zhao Xue.

Looking at the beautiful woman smiling like a blooming flower at the doorway, Li Xin suddenly remembered what had happened the night before, and a trace of tension flashed through his eyes.

“What brings you here?”

“What, are you not happy to see me?” Zhao Xue asked with a smile.

“No, no, you misunderstood.” Li Xin hurriedly denied it. “Thank you for treating me last night.”

Although the two of them had grown much more familiar over dinner the previous evening, thinking back on it now still made things somewhat awkward. Each of them had their own thoughts.

“They’re holding a meeting upstairs. Chuxue specifically asked me to tell you not to leave just yet.”

“Then I’ll wait a little longer. I’m not in any hurry anyway.” Li Xin nodded.

“Come on. You’ve been here for three days, but you haven’t really looked around. I’ll show you the place.”

“All right.”

The man and woman began strolling through the estate, one slightly ahead of the other.

It was already early winter, yet there was still plenty of greenery in the gardens, making the grounds seem far from desolate. Li Xin was now a hero of the Pepsi team, and wherever he went, large crowds greeted him warmly, cheering and celebrating.

After visiting the various divisions, the two of them arrived at the gym.

There were quite a few people inside.

For professional players, spending long hours sitting on the bench practicing could cause serious damage to the body. People had not paid much attention to this in the past, and as a result, many professional players eventually developed severe health problems—Li Xin’s Parkinson’s disease, for instance, or the herniated disc suffered by his good friend Liu Ran. There were far too many examples to count.

Thankfully, things had changed. Professional teams had begun placing greater importance on their members’ health, equipping themselves with gyms, team doctors, conditioning specialists, and more. The young people now entering the industry had arrived at a fortunate time.

The moment Li Xin entered, the gym erupted in thunderous cheers. Whether or not they belonged to the CF division, every Pepsi employee welcomed him with genuine enthusiasm. This man, who called himself a temporary substitute, had not only led the team out of the mire and into the finals, but had also secured such enormous sponsorship and investment for Pepsi as soon as he arrived.

The entire club’s assets had risen, and so would everyone’s earnings.

Naturally, they were all favorably disposed toward Li Xin. Early that morning, Zhao Xue had also spread word of how he had spent the entire night studying the competition, earning him an even greater wave of respect and admiration.

After greeting the crowd, Li Xin followed Li Gang and the others toward the boxing area on the left. Since they were all members of the CF division, they naturally had more to talk about with one another.

“Li Xin, you’re a real man!” Li Gang said with a sincere smile.

When Li Xin had first arrived, they had all feared that he would threaten their positions, which was why they had opposed him at every turn. Later, when Li Xin demanded command authority, Li Gang had been the most unwilling of all. But the final outcome had truly shaken them. Looking back on his own behavior now, he felt like a ridiculous frog at the bottom of a well.

“Heh. It was only for the sake of victory.”

Li Xin gave a brief reply, then began looking around.

“Want to give it a try?” Li Gang asked.

“Sure. I may not look fat, but I’m overweight. I’ve been lazy for so long that my body isn’t in very good shape. Looks like I’ll need to start exercising from now on too.”

His innocent expression made everyone around them burst into laughter.

What had begun as nothing more than Li Xin’s first attempt at working out soon took on an entirely different character.

Li Gang had originally intended to be Li Xin’s instructor, but Zhao Xue unexpectedly volunteered and took over the task. There would be no boxing and no fitness equipment. Instead, she led him to the martial arts area opposite the boxing ring.

The number of spectators suddenly swelled, each wearing a strange expression and barely holding back their laughter.

“What are you doing...?” A cold sweat broke out across Li Xin’s back. This woman wasn’t secretly a martial arts expert, was she?

Zhao Xue swept her sharp gaze across the crowd, clearly warning them not to say anything foolish. Sure enough, everyone—men and women alike—obediently fell silent. When they looked at Li Xin again, their eyes were filled with sympathy.

Only then did Zhao Xue give a satisfied, mischievous smile.

“Heh. Since this is your first time exercising and you’re carrying quite a bit of weight, I think it might be difficult for you. With your build, you can barely move freely. I’ve studied martial arts for many years, and some of its movements are similar to yoga. It’s especially suitable for beginners.”

“Uh...” Li Xin flushed with embarrassment. So that was what this was about.

Zhao Xue had been a famous female player for many years. How had he never heard that she knew martial arts? Judging by the expressions of those around him, she truly seemed to be formidable in this area. Even Li Gang and He Mingming, who trained in boxing regularly, looked utterly speechless.

“I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. Let’s call it a day and practice another time.”

Li Xin hastily made up an excuse and turned to slip away.

“Wait!”

Zhao Xue lunged forward and pressed one hand against his shoulder.

“Stop lying. You’ve only just arrived—what could you possibly have to do? The sooner the better. In my opinion, now is the perfect time!”

Zhao Xue’s insistence immediately won the support of the crowd.

“Old Li, what are you afraid of? Just learn. Captain Zhao isn’t going to kill you!” Li Gang shouted, prompting a roar of laughter.

“Li Xin, martial arts really is great. We’ve all practiced it before. Captain Zhao’s skills are absolutely top-notch.”

“Big Brother Li Xin, do your best! A great physique is waiting for you!”

“Sister Zhao Xue, be gentle with our Big Brother Li Xin!”

The girls joined in the teasing as well. One by one, they clasped their hands before their chests and put on pitiful, utterly adorable expressions, sending the boys into loud whistles and cheers. What could they do? Li Xin was now a famous hero of Pepsi. It wasn’t just the girls who liked him—the more the men looked at him, the more they liked him too.

His slightly chubby appearance was simply too endearing.

And those eyes, cold as ice and sharp as swords, made everyone submit to him.

Li Xin finished thinking it over in an instant. With so many people watching, using another excuse to leave would be far too embarrassing. It wasn’t that he wanted to show off; he merely wanted to entertain everyone.

“Captain Zhao, since you’re being so enthusiastic, I’ll accept your offer.”

Zhao Xue froze, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes. She had assumed he would refuse.

“Good!”

“Please.”

The two of them stepped into the martial arts area. The Pepsi employees gathered around in a great circle, cheering and screaming as the atmosphere grew intensely lively.

Zhao Xue briefly assumed a fighting stance, then began to warm up. Li Xin had never tried anything like this before, so he simply imitated her as best he could, following her movements.

The crowd laughed even harder.

“Big Brother Li Xin, you’re hilarious! If you can’t bend at the waist, don’t force it!”

“Yeah, be careful not to strain your back.”

“Li Xin, don’t chicken out. Captain Zhao will take good care of you in a moment.”

“Come on, get to it! Martial arts is the best! Li Xin, get ready to climb to the summit!”

Pfft—

The crowd burst into laughter, and even the two people involved found it amusing. This was supposed to be nothing more than a training session. How had these people managed to make it sound so suggestive?

As she warmed up, Zhao Xue kept stealing glances at Li Xin. She was confident, and with good reason. Her martial arts skills were so strong that she often won even against professional fighters.

Li Xin was still shaking his head with a bitter smile, and everyone assumed he was nervous. Little did they know that he was genuinely helpless.

With the Game King inside him, he had long since become a top-tier expert, possessing physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary people. He did not know martial arts himself, but every attack and technique had been absorbed and evolved directly from the game, making its difficulty impossible for normal people to imagine.

Otherwise, he would never have been able to knock Zhang Yifei down with a single punch.