Chapter 399: Basketball Club
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“A little more than 300 a day, I think. I can earn even more on weekends,” Li Dong said. Of course, this was one-hundred-percent a joke. Why would he go to work?
This was just to find a suitable reason and excuse for his source of income. Being penniless was a no-no. In all the anime that Li Dong had seen, he had discovered that, no matter how pathetic looking a protagonist was, they would still have a ball in whatever they happened to enjoy. It was impossible for him to strictly abide by the “poor” character set and actually order nothing but a large portion of rice for every single meal… That would truly make things meaningless.
Eastern Jupiter’s annual financial revenue exceeded 10 trillion dollars, and all of this money belonged to Li Dong. Taking out three to five hundred dollars every day to fulfill his needs for good food… this was, without a doubt, being thrifty and showing restraint to the =extreme.
“More than 300 dollars?”
“The job that my dad has worked for 20 years only earns him 7000 to 8000 per month.”
Denen Satos.h.i.+ and Nis.h.i.+hara Kaori were both shocked. Touki was so impressive. How could he earn as much as an adult doing just a high-school student’s part-time?
But an even more inquisitive question arose.
“Touki, I’m sorry, but can I ask you—what job exactly are you doing? I’ve worked at a restaurant before. The hourly pay is only 10 dollars, in general. The other part-time jobs don’t offer high wages, either. What is the scope of your job, Touki?” Nis.h.i.+hara Kaori asked with her head lowered. She knew that this question was a little abrupt and rude, but she couldn’t hold down the curiosity in her heart.
If she were able to do the part-time Touki was doing, she would like to give it a try as well.
“Uhm, how should I put this… the thing is, this part-time job that I’m doing is not suitable for girls. It is very physically demanding. Even I can just barely manage.” Li Dong scratched his head, not wanting to reveal any more information.
“Kaori, don’t push it, it’s really rude,” Denen Satos.h.i.+ reminded her.
“I’m sorry, Touki.”
Nis.h.i.+hara Kaori bowed and apologized. But based on the information that Li Dong disclosed, and hearing keywords like ‘physically demanding,’ she vaguely concluded that he must be working as a porter or a similar kind of job which was hard but paid well.
Upon having the thought that Touki had to shoulder everything that only an adult should at such a young age, she couldn’t help herself from sympathizing and feeling sad for him. Looking at the dishes on the table, she saw images of Touki pus.h.i.+ng himself hard at work in her mind, which made her even more reluctant to move her chopsticks.
“Dig in.” Li Dong welcomed both of them to it. “Satos.h.i.+, Kaori, the dishes are turning cold. I can’t finish all these myself. I said I’d treat you both to a meal, so don’t worry about anything else.”
To drive away their concerns, he added, “If you want to treat me the next time, just bring me a bigger bento.”
His words made the two girls blush and compelled them to pick up their chopsticks.
…
Grade 2, Cla.s.s F.
“What?”
“Touki ordered a table full of dishes at the school restaurant again, even more sumptuous than yesterday. I think he spent at least 500 dollars.”
Shangguan Feifei almost dropped her chopsticks. Her face went idle as she looked at the delicate bento in front of her. After all, even she herself did not drop by the school cafeteria every day. Occasionally, she would also bring a bento.
Touki, however, had already shown off by spending lavishly twice.
“Liar, liar!” Shangguan Feifei mumbled. “You said yourself that you’re poor. And now, you have gone to the school cafeteria—which you should be going to only once in six months or a year—twice in a row and spent three months’ worth of your living expenditures. Huhuhuh, Mr. Touki, my n.o.ble Protoss, are you here at this school in search of your Cinderella? And do you happen to fancy me, the gorgeous, lively, and kind Shangguan Feifei? Ah, well, I’ll give you a chance to woo me, then.”
Of course, her premise was that he was truly a Protoss.
“Feifei, Feifei.”
Is.h.i.+naka Mei’s voice echoed in her ears. “You’re almost drooling. Wipe it off quickly.”
As a close acquaintance, Is.h.i.+naka Mei knew what her friend was thinking. Her a.n.a.lysis was: “Two instances of lavish spending don’t necessarily mean that Touki has that much money to spare. It’s only telling us that he is not as poor as we imagined. There’s still no proof that he’s a Protoss. We still have to keep on observing him before we draw any conclusions.”
“Hmm. That makes sense.”
Shangguan Feifei took a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth. She had to admit that what Is.h.i.+naka Mei had told her made sense.
Their observation efforts would still have to go on.
…
“Ah… My tummy is all full.” Nis.h.i.+hara Kaori patted her belly.
“Touki, I’ll treat you to something in return next time, but we’ll do it outside the school. The prices outside are not expensive, and the food tastes good as well,” said Denen Satos.h.i.+.
“Sure.”
Li Dong nodded.
The three chatted all the way back to the cla.s.sroom, which attracted the attention of many students.
…
After the first period of cla.s.s in the afternoon, both Denen Satos.h.i.+ and Nis.h.i.+hara Kaori were yanked to the end of the corridor by Shangguan Feifei. She asked them a few questions about the meal to which Touki treated them at noon.
“570 dollars in total.”
“The money is earned by Touki himself. He said that he could earn more than 300 dollars every day, and even more on weekends… Touki is a person who is very good at making money.”
“But he is also very good at spending. How much can he save every month if he eats so lavishly for every meal?”
Denen Satos.h.i.+, whose family had always been thrifty habitually, fell into her calculative mode. She found that, if Touki spent around 10 dollars for each meal, he could save at least 7,000 dollars every month, which was a very significant number. And this was only Touki during his high-school period. He was already so good at earning money. After he graduated, his income would only get higher. There were even hopes for him to squeeze into the middle cla.s.s and live a better life.
Thinking about this, Denen Satos.h.i.+’s cheeks blushed involuntarily. Unwittingly, she placed herself into the role of a “housewife.”
In fact, her reaction was completely normal. 1.8 meters tall, handsome, a pro basketball player, gentle, considerate, very good at earning money…such a man was definitely a catch of the absolute highest quality, who could easily make the hearts of people feel at ease.
He was gradually coming to coincide with the ideal companion in Denen Satos.h.i.+’s mind. Immediately, she shyly lowered her head and played with her fingers.
“Part-time job? More than 300 dollars a day?”
What kind of job would pay so much?
Shangguan Feifei was doubtful about it. The purchasing power of 300 dollars was indeed very high. Even for a formal job, not many positions would pay someone an average of more than 300 dollars per day. As a high school student, how did Touki managed to do it?
A mystery.
It was another mystery that would need to be unveiled.
“Eh? Why is your face red, Satos.h.i.+?” Shangguan Feifei noticed the unusual occurrence at a glance.
“N-nothing.”
Denen Satos.h.i.+ shook her head and said, “But I think Touki is likely normal person. The world of the Protoss and n.o.bles is different. In all aspects, Touki looks nothing out of the ordinary. Feifei… we don’t have to pay too much attention to Touki.”
Denen Satos.h.i.+ didn’t know why she said these words, but she still raised the point, regardless.
“Oh…”
Shangguan Feifei glanced at her, the corner of her mouth rising slightly. “You’re moved by him already, Satos.h.i.+? You seem easily satisfied. But for now, don’t even think about him. Until I peel open all his secrets, n.o.body shall grab my toy.
“Got it?”
She made her tone harsh, and a chilling glare flashed through her eyes.
“You misunderstood, Feifei. I never had such intentions.” Denen Satos.h.i.+ anxiously waved her hands and helplessly lowered her head.
“Hmph…”
Shangguan Feifei crossed her arms and haughtily returned to the cla.s.sroom.
…
Basketball Club.
Li Dong came to this place and made an application to join the basketball club.
Morido Shenli was the president of the basketball club. A remarkably oppressive figure, he was 1.9 meters tall and wrapped in explosive muscles.
“Touki Ryu. What a weird surname. So, you wish to join my basketball club?” Morido Shenli said to him expressionlessly after going through his application form.
“Yeah. I love basketball a lot, and I think I’m made for the basketball club. Please allow me to join, club president,” Li Dong said, nodding.
“Not everyone can join the basketball club. We do not recruit amateur players. The court is limited. We are only recruiting good players.”
“Relax, my skills will never be worse than anyone else’s.” Li Dong’s face was bursting with confidence.
“Presumptuous!” Morido Shenli grunted loudly. “Basketball is a team-based sport. This att.i.tude of yours is not suitable for playing basketball. You may leave now.”
“Huh?” Li Dong was shocked. “President, are you rejecting me before I can even showcase my skills?”
“Yup. You don’t have to show me anything. I will not take you in, even if you are a basketball prodigy.” Morido Shenli turned over and walked towards the changing room.
Dafuq? Li Dong thought.
Now, there’s someone who is not easy to deal with.
Are my plans to join the basketball club dashed? Can you treat your juniors unscrupulously like this after you become the president of the club?
Li Dong’s heart was engulfed in flames.
At that moment, three familiar figures walked in: s.h.i.+ntora, Sakyu Akagi, and Mio Takao.
They immediately noticed Touki, who was standing at the entrance, and the application form he was holding in his hands.
“Touki Ryu?”
“Why is he here?”
“Why is he standing there?”
The three of them broke into a light sweat on their foreheads. They carefully walked past Li Dong and, at the same time, took a good look at the contents of the application form.
“He’s applying to join the club.”
“Even that guy wants to join the basketball club.”
“Eh, the president is in the changing room. He’s waiting for the president.”
The three looked at each other. Later on, they nodded to one another with a scheme in their minds.
After changing attire, basketball club president Morido Shenli came out wearing a blue basketball tee with a towel hanging on his neck.
s.h.i.+ntora and the others approached him.
“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you changing?” Morido Shenli said, giving them a look.
“President, you must not let that guy at the entrance into the basketball club.”
“President, that guy at the entrance is a jerk. He will ruin everything in the club.”
“Yea president, you must not agree to him joining, no matter what,” the three said, one after another.
“What are you guys talking about?”
Morido Shenli let loose a cold glare from his eyes. He really couldn’t understand what the three imbeciles were saying.
s.h.i.+ntora and the others were terrified by his fierce expression, and they immediately became incoherent:
“P-president, that guy is the same as you! He is a spine-chilling monster!”
“We went against him the last time around. It was us three versus him alone, but we got bested one to eight. Even we three combined were no match for him.”
“President, once he enters the basketball club, disregarding what happens to us—he will take away even your dignity, fame, and pride! President, you must not let that guy enter the club!”
The three were trying their best to describe how terrifying Li Dong was.
“What?”
Morido Shenli clenched his fists, and his breathing became heavier than ever. His eyes seemed to be fuming.
He shoved the three away and went directly towards the entrance.
At that moment, Li Dong also approached. He was coming straight towards Morido Shenli without any expression on his face.
The two advanced until their faces almost collided.
The surrounding air was suffused with the smell of gunpowder, and there seemed to be lighting and thunder revolving the two.
s.h.i.+ntora and the others were elated. Huhuh, he p.i.s.sed off the president, who is hailed the “human tyrannosaur.” That brat is dead meat.
“10 shots.”
He heard Li Dong say, “Let’s have 10 shots on the court. If I win, allow me to join the club. If I lose, I’ll let you beat me up. How’s that?”
Morido Shenli stretched out his hand and lifted it up high.
Wooh… that brat’s gonna take a beating. s.h.i.+ntora’s face was full of antic.i.p.ation. A good show was about to begin.
Bam.
Morido Shenli slammed his hands into the basketball cart beside him and took out a ball. With the ball pressed between his hands, he said, “Let’s head to the court.”
Pff…
s.h.i.+ntora and the other two almost stumbled.
…
The outdoor basketball court.
Two tall figures were competing for a basket and contending with each other in a fierce one-“v”-one match.
Bam. A violent collision like wrestling between two armored warriors.
Bshh! The explosion of a powerful slam dunk.
Boom. Ferocious flames swirled down from the sky.
Zlopp! One of the towering figures fell heavily onto the ground.
Donk! The last dunk sounded.
“Ah… Ahhh!!” The few girls watching the match from the court’s sidelines screamed.
At last, this one-versus-one basketball match wrapped up in a 3:7.
After his slam dunk, Li Dong walked to Morido Shenli, who was still lying on the ground. He reached out his hand to him and said, “President Shenli, am I eligible to join the club now?”
“Haha…”
“Hahaha…”
Morido Shenli, who was on the floor, abruptly burst into breezy laughter.
“There’s hope now! This year’s Shengjing High School Basketball League, hahaha—now, we have hopes of being the champs!”
Morido Shenli stood up himself, beat the dust off his back, stretched his hand towards Li Dong, and said, “Welcome to the basketball club, monster.”
“Thank you, president.”
Li Dong shook hands with him with a smile on his face.
Joining the basketball club: success!
…
“d.a.m.n it!”
“That b.a.s.t.a.r.d succeeded again!”
“I never expected that Shenli would let such a guy join the basketball club. Is he totally disregarding the risk of being overpowered by a fres.h.i.+e, just for a city basketball league champion t.i.tle?”
“Uhm, he will be graduating at the end of this term. A champions.h.i.+p is the only thing he wants, even if it means working with the devil,” Mio Takao said. Everybody knew president Morido’s dedication in pursuit of the t.i.tle of champion. It was completely plausible for him to make such a move.
“We must stop that b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
With an expression stuffed with unwillingness, s.h.i.+ntora said, “That guy just came a few days ago and has taken away all the girl’s attention—took away our opportunity to play in the match—took away just…everything from us!”
“I can’t let this go past me without teaching him a lesson.”
“How could we teach him a lesson?”
Sakyu Akagi, who had a head of blonde hair, said, “We’ve seen him fight. Our bones are not tougher than that piece of brick.”
“Relax, I have a way.” s.h.i.+ntora grinned. “That brat is eating cla.s.sy food every day. Each of his lunch costs no less than 300 dollars. How did he get the money? What kind of work is he doing? The girls may not know, but I do! Huhuh, I know your secret, Touki!”
“Eh? What’s Touki’s secret, s.h.i.+ntora?”
Both Sakyu Akagi and Mio Takao were intrigued.