Chapter 3

The last class in the morning was physical education, and today's lesson was shot put. They had practiced it last week, and this time it was a formal test, which would be counted towards the exam score. After a brief warm-up, everyone took turns to throw, with the teacher recording the results, and the others watching from the side.

Wang Bai, while warming up, felt that he had plenty of room to spare. It seemed that his strength and technique had improved significantly overnight. The shot put felt much lighter than it did last week, which was undoubtedly an additional effect of the beginner boxing technique he had exchanged for.

The test was conducted under the watchful eyes of everyone. Those who threw far naturally received cheers, while those with poor results were met with laughter. The current best score was achieved by Lu Guanghe, the tallest and most muscular boy in the class, who threw 14 meters. Many boys' scores were only about half of his, so everyone said he was practically throwing the shot put like a solid ball.

However, this guy was the central defender of the school football team, standing at 1.88 meters tall and weighing 83 kilograms, making him an anomaly. So, after a moment of admiration, everyone moved on, not finding it particularly surprising.

Liu Yan and Jin Xiaoli were chatting together. Liu Yan asked, "What were you talking about with Wang Bai during the morning study session? I saw you laughing so much, were you that happy?"

At her question, Jin Xiaoli recalled the morning conversation and chuckled, then said, "He asked me if there were any quick-learn pieces for the guzheng, something he could master in three days. If there were, he planned to learn from me and perform at the cultural festival."

"Is that all? Did you agree?"

"What's there to agree to?" Jin Xiaoli rolled her eyes, "Learning the guzheng isn't that easy. Even in thirty days, you might not be able to play a piece smoothly. You play the pipa, don't you know this?"

"That's true," Liu Yan nodded, "Then what else did you talk about?"

"He was at a loss and asked me if telling a joke on stage would be too insincere."

"Oh, and then?"

"Then he told me the joke." Jin Xiaoli laughed again, piquing Liu Yan's curiosity, who asked, "What joke?"

Jin Xiaoli was about to speak but suddenly stopped, saying, "Wait, it's your dream guy's turn. Let's see what happens."

"Who?" Liu Yan turned her head and saw Wang Bai holding a shot put, so she glared at Jin Xiaoli but didn't say anything, focusing on watching Wang Bai throw.

Then, they saw the shot put fly high in the air, traveling a great distance before landing. The area fell silent, even the PE teacher was stunned for a moment, then the crowd erupted in cheers—new record!

The exact score was unknown because the farthest line marked by the PE teacher with lime powder was only 16 meters, and Wang Bai's throw had already surpassed this line. A tape measure was needed to determine the exact distance.

Amidst the astonished exclamations, Wang Bai realized he had overdone it. He had wanted to try his full strength, but the throw was too far. No one would be surprised by Lu Guanghe, who was over 1.8 meters tall, throwing over ten meters, but for Wang Bai, who was of average build, to throw so far was truly bizarre, a freak of strength.

"Wow," Jin Xiaoli's mouth hung open, "I didn't expect him to be so strong. He looks like a tough guy."

Liu Yan's expression wasn't much better, her lips twitching, "Is there something wrong with the ball? Is it hollow?"

The shot put had already been checked by the PE teacher and was a standard 5KG school ball, with no issues. The final score, measured with a tape measure, was 17.6 meters, seemingly breaking last year's school record. The PE teacher pinched Wang Bai's bicep and asked, "Were you in a sports school before?"

"No," Wang Bai shook his head nervously, "I came from Baihe Middle School."

"Did you practice shot put before?"

"No, never." He answered honestly.

The PE teacher became even more puzzled but didn't press further, just muttering, "You've been hiding your skills pretty well."

The test continued. After Wang Bai's performance, he was surrounded by several people, mostly amazed by his sudden display of strength. They even gave him a nickname, "Wang Dali" (Wang the Strong).

This nickname quickly reached Liu Yan and Jin Xiaoli's ears, and Jin Xiaoli laughed uncontrollably.

After the PE class, Wang Bai was called by the teacher, who said his performance was too good and needed to be reported to the sports department. The school track and field team would likely contact him for a tryout, and he should be mentally prepared.

Wang Bai was a bit annoyed. He had inadvertently attracted the attention of the track and field team and would be forced to attend tryouts, with no choice in the matter. Thinking about the morning's lottery, he realized he was in a bind.

The PE teacher wasn't exaggerating. The school track and field team was particularly interested in Wang Bai because the record holder from last year's school sports meet had graduated, and the team had no standout shot putters this year. The sudden appearance of a civilian expert naturally drew significant attention.

In the afternoon, Wang Bai received a notification from his homeroom teacher to report to the sports department after school. After school, under the supervision of three teachers, he threw the shot put three times, with results around 17.5 meters. After a brief discussion, the teachers announced that he had been recruited to the school track and field team and would need to attend training sessions.

Wang Bai returned home and didn't mention this to his parents. After dinner, he went to his room to do homework, then went online to check the class group for gossip and search for ideas for a talent show performance, looking for something he could try.

While browsing, he came across a video of a summer cooling event in the district, which included a martial arts performance by elementary school students. He suddenly remembered that he had watched this performance live. The elementary school student performed a set of punches, which, though still somewhat immature, made him feel particularly spirited, and he had genuinely admired the kid.

Why not perform a similar routine at the cultural festival? With this idea, Wang Bai felt more confident. He had just learned a set of punches, which could serve as a ready-made talent.

At this moment, Jin Xiaoli's QQ avatar shook, and a message came through. Wang Bai opened it: "I heard you went to the track and field team after school. How was it?"

He replied, "Yeah, I was accepted. Now I have to attend the training sessions. It's going to be tough."

"That's a good thing, you know there are beautiful girls in the track and field team, right? You'll have a treat."

"Really? Who?"

"For example, Huang Wen from Class 6, also known as 'Huang Daxian.' What do you think? She's a famous beauty, right?"

"Is she a shot putter?" Wang Bai seemed a bit incredulous, but he was actually being playful.

"..." Jin Xiaoli was speechless for a moment before replying, "She's in the track and field team, but she's a sprinter. You didn't know that?"

Wang Bai sent a helpless expression, indicating that sprinters had nothing to do with him.

Of course, he knew who Huang Wen was and what she specialized in, as she was very famous.

If you are good at sports and reasonably good-looking, you can easily become famous at Guanglin Middle School. Some girls in the school track and field team were well-known for their strong abilities and decent looks, earning them the title of "beauty."

However, in Wang Bai's eyes, among these beauties, only Huang Wen truly lived up to the title, being the class flower of Class 6 and likely ranking in the top ten in the school.

So when Jin Xiaoli seriously mentioned that the track and field team had many beauties, Wang Bai wasn't particularly impressed. Seeing that he didn't seem to care, Jin Xiaoli changed the topic: "How's your preparation for the cultural festival? You're not really going to tell a joke, are you?"

"I have a plan."

"Oh? What is it? Tell me."

"It's a personal secret, let me keep you in suspense." It wasn't that he was intentionally hiding it; he was still hesitant and only had an idea about the martial arts performance.

"You're just showing off. You probably haven't decided yet. I have an idea, do you want to know?" Jin Xiaoli, teased him back.

Wang Bai was genuinely hooked, "What's your idea? Tell me."

"My mom is calling me to take a shower, I have to go."

"Wait, finish talking first." Wang Bai tried to keep her, but she didn't respond and went offline instantly, apparently really going to take a shower. He waited, and after fifteen minutes, he sent a message, but there was no response. Another fifteen minutes passed, and he sent another message, still no response.

He thought, "How long does it take to take a shower?" He was torn between not waiting and fearing that she might have a great idea that he would miss. He wondered if she had gone to sleep after the shower, leaving him hanging. What should he do?

Wang Bai thought for a moment and had an idea. He searched the class group and found that Liu Yan was still online, chatting enthusiastically with classmates. He opened a private chat with her, "Are you there? It's Wang Bai, I have a question."

After a while, Liu Yan replied, "What is it? Can't you say it in the group?"

"Do you have Jin Xiaoli's phone number? Can you give it to me?"

"What do you need her number for? It's so late, are you going to call her?" Liu Yan was very cautious and seemed unwilling to give it.

Wang Bai didn't want to explain the details, so he said, "Can you call her and ask her to come online? I need to talk to her. Thanks."

He closed the chat window and waited. On the other end, Liu Yan thought for a moment and finally called her friend. When the call connected, she asked, "Hey, what are you doing... sleeping?"

To her surprise, Wang Bai's guess was correct; Jin Xiaoli was already asleep.

"Get up, go online, Wang Bai said he needs to talk to you." The other end said something, and Liu Yan replied, "I don't know what it's about. He found me on QQ and asked for your phone number, but I didn't give it to him. He asked me to call you."

"You don't want to get up? What should I do? Should I give him your number? What if he really needs something?"

The other end said something, and Liu Yan exclaimed, "What? Ask him for his number and then call him? Why make it so complicated?"

"Fine, fine, I give up." Liu Yan was finally convinced, hung up the phone, and found Wang Bai's avatar in the group. After some thought, she added him as a friend. Wang Bai quickly accepted the friend request and asked what she wanted.

"Jin Xiaoli is already asleep. Give me your phone number, and I'll pass it on to her. She will call you."

"Okay." Wang Bai didn't think much and gave her his phone number. Liu Yan stared at the screen, memorized the number on her phone, her heart beating a bit faster, and then forwarded the number to Jin Xiaoli.

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