It’s normal to have skills in Wangwang, right?

Chapter 413 Youth Training, Rookie Chickens Fighting Each Other

If others had said this, Sanada and Yanagi Renji might not have believed it, but having personally experienced Yanagi Rin's special skills, they had to take it seriously upon hearing it.

As expected, upon hearing this, Sanada and Yanagi Renji's expressions immediately became even more serious. They exchanged a glance, both understanding the importance placed on each other's eyes.

"What premonition do you have about Akaya? Can you elaborate?" Renji Yanagi pressed, his tone still calm, but his fingers tightened slightly as he held the pen.

Liu Lingyin pondered her words: "I can't be sure of the exact day. But just remember one thing: if you hear that Akaya is having a conflict with Fudomine people in the cafeteria after training dinner time—you should pay special attention on that day."

"A conflict in the cafeteria?" Sanada's brows furrowed even deeper.

“Yes. The time between dinner and bedtime that day was the period when Chi could have had an ‘accident’.” Liu Lingyin emphasized the word “accident”. “The location was—the stairs.”

"stairs?"

Sanada and Yanagi Renji repeated the word almost simultaneously, both of them frowning deeply.

They were all top athletes, and they knew all too well what it meant to link "stairs" with "accidents." Given Kirihara's physical abilities and athleticism, ordinary bumps and stumbles wouldn't even qualify as "accidents." On stairs, the most likely accident would be a fall.

Falling down stairs can result in anything from sprains and contusions to fractures, concussions, and even career setbacks. For tennis players, any injury to the ankle, wrist, or coordination can have irreversible consequences.

They had seen the stairs at the training base before; they were concrete steps connecting the different floors of the dormitory building, without any extra anti-slip strips along the edges, and the corners weren't very wide. If someone really did roll down them…

Sanada's face had completely darkened, like the sky before a storm: "We'll keep an eye on Akaya's behavior in the cafeteria during dinner. If we spot anything amiss, I'll keep an eye on him myself."

Liu Lian'er then added, his voice unusually cold and stern: "If necessary, at least one of us will follow him from dinner until bedtime that day to make sure he is not alone."

This plan sounds very comprehensive. But Liu Lingyin gently shook her head and raised a practical question:

"You and Akaya aren't in the same training group, right? Your schedules and routines might not be completely synchronized. What if that night, you happen to be called to a meeting by the coaching staff? Or what if there's some other activity that requires everyone's participation?"

Sanada and Yanagi Renji fell silent upon hearing this.

This is indeed a tricky loophole. During the training camp, the coach may call the athletes to a meeting at any time, and, as Liu Lingyin said, the three of them belong to different training groups. Kirihara is in the Ryuzaki group, and the two of them are in the Sakaki group. Their daily training content, end time, and even dinner time are different.

What if that unexpected event happened to occur at a time when neither of them could get away...

This is really difficult!

The setting sun cast its rays at a slightly angled angle, casting the three people's shadows onto the nearby barbed wire, creating a blurred and tangled pattern.

In the distance, the last few athletes who left the training ground disappeared at the end of the path, and the surroundings became completely quiet, with only the chirping of cicadas at the end of summer, one after another, tireless.

The silence between the two was broken by Liu Lingyin's "pfft."

"Now that I'm here, I'm here to think of a solution."

Sanada and Renji Yanagi quietly watched Rin Otoko's radiant smile bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Something warm seemed to well up inside me.

Sanada's originally resolute facial features softened instantly, and he raised his hand to press down the brim of his hat: "Don't let your guard down!"

Liu Lian'er gently curved the corners of her lips and said softly, "Please speak!"

“Hey! Little Seaweed’s ‘accident’ is on the stairs. You two go and scare him… Um, I want to emphasize that he needs to be careful going up and down the stairs, especially not to linger at the top of the stairs. That’s uncivilized and dangerous. If he forgets and gets hurt, well, I’ve already prepared this medicine for him.”

After saying a few words, Liu Lingyin handed Sanada a glass jar containing several 'candies' that she had prepared in advance, just in case.

According to the original storyline, Akaya Kirihara's injury wasn't serious, but now that the Kanto Tournament champion wasn't following the original plot, she was worried that things here might not go according to the original plan either. Of course, it would be best if nothing happened if things didn't go according to the plot, but what if something did? She couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't still be a minor injury!

Just to be on the safe side, we can only try to prevent the little seaweed from standing at the bottom of the stairs.

After hearing what Liu Lingyin said, Sanada and Liu Renji looked at the strange yet beautiful purplish-black 'candy beans' in the glass bottle, and broke out in a cold sweat.

He couldn't help but pray for that kid Kirihara Akaya; he hoped nothing bad would happen to him, otherwise the consequences would probably be even more terrifying than if he had been injured.

I hope that Akaya won't use the killing move that Ryuu Rin-in prepared for him!

After parting ways with Sanada and Renji Yanagi, Rin walked alone toward the main building that Taro Sakaki had pointed out.

Neat rows of ginkgo trees line both sides of the main road of the training base. The leaves are still a deep green in late summer, and they gleam with an oily sheen in the soft light of the evening.

The tennis courts in the distance were deserted, with only the dark green ground lying quietly, as if digesting the sweat and shouts absorbed during the day.

The main building is a five-story white structure with a simple and modern style. Its huge glass curtain wall reflects the changing colors of the sky. It serves as offices, meeting rooms, and some indoor training facilities. At this moment, it is a short break after each group's training session, and both inside and outside the building are relatively quiet.

As soon as Liu Lingyin stepped onto the steps leading to the gate, the heavy glass door was pushed open from the inside.

The group filed out.

Leading the way was the boy who always seemed to be under a spotlight—Atobe Keigo.

He had just finished training with the Huacun coaching team. His red and black sports jacket was slightly open at the collar, and his purplish-gray hair was still conspicuous in the evening light.

As he walked, he demurely ran his fingers through the strands of hair on his forehead, his demeanor so composed and elegant as if he had just finished a leisurely stroll rather than a high-intensity training session.

Following closely behind was Yuushi Oshitari, the Kansai boy with his usual lazy smile, but his eyes behind his glasses keenly caught sight of Rin Yanagi below the steps. Behind him was the silent, tall Takahiro Kabaji, and several other contestants from the Hanamura team.

Liu Lingyin stopped, raised her hand, and gave them a natural smile:

"Hello, Atobe, Oshitari, and Kabaji."

Her voice broke the evening's tranquility. The other contestants from the Huacun group looked over curiously, their gazes shifting between Liu Lingyin and Atobe. They seemed somewhat surprised to see a strange girl here, greeting Atobe so proactively and familiarly.

But they were sensible enough not to stop, and continued walking towards the dormitory or the cafeteria with a mixture of curiosity and understanding in their eyes.

Atobe paused slightly, his sharp phoenix eyes sweeping over. Upon recognizing Liu Lingyin, a half-smile played on his lips as he approached with Shinobu and Kabaji.

"Suzune-san, it's been a long time." Oshitari spoke first, his Kansai accent carrying just the right amount of familiarity and politeness.

Kabaji, as always, was concise and to the point: "Hello."

Atobe stopped in front of Rin, slightly raising his chin, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, as if assessing something interesting. "Hmm!"

He let out his signature soft hum, his tone elegant and languid, "You had a great time in Europe, huh?"

Mentioning her European trip, Liu Lingyin's eyes immediately lit up, her brows and eyes sparkling with vitality: "Of course! Especially with you, such a splendid sponsor, I even made a little extra for the trip and had a wonderful time."

Her tone was light and cheerful, with an undisguised delight and a hint of slyness: "Next time there's something like this, please introduce me to more opportunities like this."

Atobe raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out his words: "Hmm, what good would it do for me?"

"Oh dear!" Liu Lingyin made an exaggerated helpless expression and spread her hands. "Atobe, you're a young master of a conglomerate! You can have anything you want, why would you need to ask me for any benefits?" She blinked, her tone half joking and half serious.

"You said it yourself, I am the eldest son of a chaebol."

Atobe watched her with a composed air, lightly tapping his temple with his fingertip—a gesture both elegant and slightly arrogant.

"Since you're a conglomerate, you can't possibly do a losing business. Why would I, your lord, have to condescend to act as a go-between for you if there's no benefit to be gained?"

The conversation between the two was fast-paced and their familiar tone carried a deliberate teasing, like a tacit performance.

Liu Lingyin deliberately frowned, pretending to be in pain, and reached into her black backpack to rummage around. Finally, she pulled out a small square gift box carefully wrapped in dark blue patterned paper and handed it to Atobe.

"Here you go, take this goody," she said in a "pleading" tone, but her eyes were sparkling with laughter. "You'll have to 'take good care' of me, okay?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Atobe's eyes, quickly turning into a deeper smile. He reached out and took the exquisitely packaged box, his slender fingers gently tracing the deep blue paper. A silver-gray ribbon was tied to the box in a simple yet elegant knot, revealing the packer's meticulous attention to detail.

"The packaging is quite luxurious," Atobe commented, his phoenix eyes smiling and the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, but his tone still maintained that arrogant look. "Since this box is in line with my aesthetics, I'll let you know when a suitable opportunity arises."

"Then thank you very much, Atobe-sama!" Liu Lingyin immediately clasped her hands together in a funny gesture of thanks, then waved her hand with a smile.

Their playful, childish, yet perfectly synchronized conversation, like two chickens pecking at each other, finally made Yuushi Oshitari, who was watching from the sidelines, unable to hold back any longer.

He turned his head abruptly, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, one hand loosely clenched into a fist and pressed against his lips, his eyes behind his glasses curving into crescents, clearly struggling to hold back his laughter, even his stomach was trembling slightly.

He knew Atobe too well and could roughly tell what kind of temperament Liu Lingyin had.

These two people clearly understood each other's intentions—Atobe wasn't really asking for payment, and Rin had already prepared a thank-you gift or souvenir, but they insisted on putting on this "bargaining" act.

One of them put on airs, while the other went along with the antics; it was so childish it was almost laughable.

Kabaji remained silent behind Atobe, his expression unchanged, simply watching quietly. But seeing the bright, clear look in Atobe's eyes, a smile involuntarily flickered in his own.

A gentle evening breeze brought a touch of coolness. The lights in front of the main building gradually came on, softly enveloping the figures of several people.

Atobe didn't casually hand the gift box to Kabaji behind him for safekeeping, but instead held it carefully in his own palm.

Their gaze shifted from the gift box back to Liu Lingyin, now with a hint of inquiry. "You came all the way to this training camp, you couldn't have just come to see Coach Sakaki, could you?"

"Yes, I came to see Sakaki's father and brought some snacks for you and other friends I know," Liu Lingyin answered frankly, without mentioning the content of her conversation with Sanada and the others.

Atobe nodded, not delving into the matter. He raised his hand and habitually brushed the strands of hair from his forehead back, a fluid and elegant movement.

Liu Lingyin smiled and continued, "I brought cakes, they're all in the cafeteria's refrigerator, you can get them yourselves later."

"Hmm!" Atobe hummed with satisfaction. "Well then, I won't keep you any longer. I need to take a bath first, then I'll go to the cafeteria."

“Yes! I want to go in and find Papa Sakaki too.” Liu Lingyin stepped aside to make way.

Atobe, accompanied by Oshitari and Kabaji, walked past her. As they passed, Oshitari finally suppressed a smile, nodded to Rin, and whispered:

"The gift was very thoughtful, and he was actually very happy." Her voice was so soft that only the two of them could hear it.

Liu Lingyin responded with a knowing smile.

Watching the Hyotei trio's departing figures, Liu Lingyin chuckled and turned to push open the glass door of the main building.

A cool breeze from the air conditioner wafted in, contrasting with the lingering summer heat outside. The lobby was brightly lit and quiet. According to Sakaki Taro's instructions, his office should be on the second floor.

The stairwell was clean and bright. Liu Lingyin stepped up the stairs one by one, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

Arriving at the office door that Sakaki Taro had mentioned, Liu Lingyin gently knocked: "Knock—knock knock—"

A steady, powerful voice came from inside: "Please come in."

As Liu Lingyin walked into the house, she said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Sakaki."

Taro Sakaki: "It's alright! It's normal to chat more with friends."

Liu Lingyin smiled and asked, "Would you like to have dinner here or at home?"

Sakaki Taro: "This training camp isn't just for the athletes to stay overnight; the coaches will also be staying here. One of my family's drivers is on leave, and the other needs to take Chiharu's mother around, so it's too much trouble to get a taxi back and forth. I won't be going home for dinner."

Liu Lingyin nodded in understanding: "Okay! In that case, I'll go back first."

Sakaki Taro: "I'll see you out."

Liu Lingyin shook her head and refused: "No need, it's not dark yet, I can just take the tram and get there quickly."

Sakaki Taro: "This place is big, but it's a bit of a distance from the station. I'm worried about you going alone. Let's go!"

Seeing the concern in Sakaki Taro's eyes, Liu Lingyin nodded gently: "Mm!"