The next day, Dai Li texted Jihai Ding to make sure that he was not busy, then dialed his phone after receiving confirmation.
"Dai Li, what a surprise. What made you call? You can just say it." Jihai Ding seemed to be in a good mood.
"Coach Ding, there is something I need you to help with. I want to join the National Youth Training Program!" Dai Li replied.
"Sign up for it, then. I will be the first one from our national team to welcome you!" Jihai Ding suddenly changed his tone and said, "Did you miss the sign up period?"
"I did not miss the date. It was not that my name was not on the list. They chose someone else," Dai Li said.
"You haven't been picked up?" Jihai Ding sounded surprised. "Jinrong Hu told me that you have trained a guy who was born rich. He has been practicing inside our training base. He is so talented that even I want to get him in my group. You have made such great progress and you still were not chosen? Is there anyone better than you on your team? Who is it? Tell me."
"He is the nephew of our assistant head leader in our sport bureau." Dai Li did not want to say the name.
Jihai Ding had worked inside the organized personnel system for years, so he understood immediately what "nephew of the assistant head leader" meant without Dai Li explaining it further.
"Alright, I see." Jihai Ding did not say anything else, or show sympathy to Dai Li. He said, "Start packing and get ready to come to the national team. Just wait for the good news!"
"Thank you, Coach Ding," Dai Li said with gratitude. He knew this meant that Jihai Ding was willing to help him.
"Just saying thank you is not enough. Come and give me a massage when you come to Qing. It has rained a lot recently. My lumbar disc aches whenever the temperature drops down…"
Xuexi Zhuang walked into the dining hall humming songs.
"Chef Wang, give me another fried fish. Yes, that one on the left!" Xuexi Zhuang said, pointing at the big golden fish in the vacuum plate.
"You look happy today, Coach Zhuang. You got good news?" Chef Wang smiled at him and put the big fish on Xuexi Zhuang's plate.
"Of course I do! Soon I will miss the food you cook," Xuexi Zhuang said, delighted.
"You get promoted, Coach Zhuang?" Chef Wang asked.
"Not really, it is just an opportunity to get trained by the national team!" Xuexi Zhuang answered loudly on purpose. He was bragging, and wanted all his colleagues to hear it.
Xuexi Zhuang continued showing off, saying, "There is a youth training program for the track and field administration center. I already signed up. I will be there in a few days."
A coach in line behind Xuexi Zhuang interrupted, "Coach Zhuang, you have been selected to the National Youth Training Program? That is wonderful news. You have to buy us a drink!"
"Yeah, Coach, you have to buy us a drink to celebrate!"
"Coach Zhuang, being trained by the national team is the best thing ever. You really have to buy us drinks and have a party!"
The other coaches began to go at him immediately. They did not truly want to congratulate Xuexi Zhuang, but to embarrass him.
"Well…" Xuexi Zhuang had only wanted to show off. When it came to spending money, he became stingy. So he tried to clarify what he had said, saying, "The national team has not sent me a formal notice, but because the provincial bureau has chosen me, it is on the schedule."
Xuexi Zhuang stopped talking and quickly found a place to sit down. He was worried that they may bring up buying drinks again. When he walked past Dai Li, Xuexi Zhuang did not forget to glare at him.
Join the national team, huh? You think you are the only one who is able to join? I can go too! Dai Li, you are going to stay in Qing for the rest of your life, while I will be going to the national team in two days! Thinking of this, Xuexi Zhuang was so happy that he raised up his head and tried to make a proud face. Everyone else saw it as an example of every dog having its day.
After Xuexi Zhuang finished his meal and left the dining hall, someone began gossiping.
"He is depending on his deputy chief uncle! Without him, he is nothing!"
"I have heard that at first they planned to let Dai Li attend the program. You know that he is good in both performance and schooling. But Director Zhuang changed the name to Xuexi Zhuang."
"I feel so sorry for Dai Li. He is such a talented coach, and has great results, but he has missed his opportunity."
"What can we do about it? No matter how excellent you are, someone with better connections will beat you. On the bright side, Dai Li will soon be sent to the adult team, so he will not have to see Xuexi Zhuang on a daily basis!"
Dai Li looked calm despite the feeling of anger he had inside him.
Xuexi Zhuang, the higher you go, the more pain you will suffer. You are laughing now, but I will make sure you know that I am the one who laughs last when the national team posts the list!
In the sport bureau office, a young clerk opened up the business transfer system. He wanted to check if there was anything new.
This is a notice of government ability in the ping-pong association. It's not that important, but I will print that out first.
This is a notification about the championship for the shooting team. I will forward it to the shooting team!
The weight-lifting team selection test notification. I'll forward this to the weight-lifting team.
This is the finalists for the Youth Training Program for the track and field administration center. Let me see who is on the list. I don't know anyone on the list except the one in our province, and we picked Dai Li. I will forward this to the track and field team.
Right as the clerk clicked forward, he paused.
Wait a second, Dai Li? This can't be possible. How could it be Dai Li? I remember it was Director Zhuang's nephew who had been chosen, and Director Zhuang even came here in person to make sure. I wrote the name of his nephew on the list myself, and sent it to the track and field administration center. Why is it now Dai Li?"
The clerk began sweating a lot, worried he had made a mistake. If he had, Director Zhuang would surely be hard on him!
The clerk opened the sent box as fast as he could and found the email he had sent out before.
Xuexi Zhuang, the nephew of Director Zhuang—I did write his name! Xuexi Zhuang's CV, check. That's right, I'm not mistaken. The clerk took a deep breath and took a picture of the email with his phone.
The clerk began to worry the next minute, as he didn't know how to tell Director Zhuang.
Director Zhuang is on a business trip to the south. He will probably be back in two days. I have to think about how to tell him about this! Forget it, I will just report it to our director first. The clerk used his phone to call the office director.