Book a Basketball Training Court for Everyone

"So, this is the 'ecosystem' you spent tens of thousands of yuan on?"

Chen Yusheng crossed her arms, looking at the list of fish Su Bai had selected on his iPad. Her cold eyes were filled with a disdain that screamed, "You have too much money to burn." However, the imperceptible smile at the corner of her mouth revealed that she was actually quite interested in these flashy little things.

"What do you mean flashy? This is ecological aesthetics," Su Bai corrected her seriously. "Look, that Zacco platypus Xingya caught is a cold-water stream fish. Although it can be kept in a tank, if you want its colors to show perfectly, the environment has to simulate a natural stream. It's too lonely for a fish to be all by itself; it needs a few neighbors."

Saying this, he pointed to the colorful fish on the screen.

"These panda loaches are responsible for bottom-dwelling hygiene. The black-and-white color scheme is both high-end and cute. The key is that they are also native domestic fish, so they won't look out of place with the peach blossom fish."

"And these rummy-nose tetras. Although they are tropical fish, they can adapt to this environment after acclimatization. Their schooling effect is the best. When a dozen of them gather together with their little red noses, it looks festive, symbolizing that our lab will be prosperous."

"As for this..." Su Bai pointed to the last and most expensive option, "The Emperor Tetra. This is the aristocrat of South American tetras. Its deep purplish-blue body color, paired with golden eyes, makes it a veritable gem in the water. Although it's a bit of a mix-and-match, as long as the water temperature is controlled well, this noble 'east-meets-west' vibe will definitely steal the show."

"Add a few painted fire red shrimp as an embellishment... mm, perfect."

Su Bai nodded in satisfaction and placed the order directly on the app.

Buying this whole set of fish cost him another tens of thousands of yuan.

Although this was nothing in the eyes of big shots who played with Asian arowanas and koi, it was definitely a top-tier setup for a casual fish tank in a laboratory.

Recently, Su Bai received news that the private club project had been settled.

Liu Chenhu had helped him find a plot of land right by the lake. It used to be a guesthouse for an old state-owned enterprise, offering absolute privacy with its own independent courtyard.

The qualifications and paperwork had also been sorted out, and the blueprints were drawn up overnight by a design institute.

The entire club covered over three thousand square meters, adopting a modern Chinese garden style with winding corridors and changing scenery at every step.

What satisfied Su Bai the most was the layout of the core area:

The first floor above ground featured a highly stylish tearoom, a cigar bar, and several private banquet rooms of different styles, meeting the needs of business receptions and friend gatherings.

The two underground floors, however, were where the real "essence" lay.

The first basement level was an entertainment zone, fully equipped with a private theater, karaoke, and a billiards room. There was even a small esports room built to professional standards.

As for the second basement level...

Su Bai looked at the area labeled "Spa Center" on the blueprint, his eyes turning somewhat meaningful.

Not only was a half-Olympic-sized heated pool designed here, but an entire wall was specially reserved to build a giant saltwater tank. Imagine soaking in the warm pool water while watching colorful corals and fish swimming around you—that feeling would be absolutely dreamy.

What was even more amazing was that on the other side of the pool, there was an "underwater suite" enclosed by one-way transparent glass.

From there, one could not only enjoy the beautiful view of the pool from an underwater perspective but also...

It wasn't just an aquarium for fish, but also one for the ladies...

It seemed Liu Chenhu really knew what was up!

This was the bond between the new and old generations of mega-rich tycoons. Do any of you have a bond like this, I ask you?

Looking at the aquarium in front of him, Su Bai envisioned the future scenes in the club, a smile of anticipation involuntarily curving his lips.

Although Chen Yusheng didn't know what Su Bai was smiling about, she could tell that his playful side had emerged. Men were like that, always loving to tinker with all sorts of weird, giant toys. Anyway, Su Bai had too much money to burn and could afford to mess around.

And she liked messing around with him, too.

"Alright, alright, whatever you say is right."

Chen Yusheng shook her head helplessly. "But let's get one thing straight: don't count on me for things like changing the water and feeding them."

"Don't worry, we have our hardworking Xingya here."

Su Bai smirked, glancing at Li Xingya, who was holding a small notebook nearby, earnestly recording notes on how to care for fish.

"Mhm! Don't worry, Master! I will definitely take care of them and make them nice and plump!"

Li Xingya nodded like a woodpecker. Her earnest, silly look left Chen Yusheng speechless once again.

This foolish apprentice would probably help count the money if she were ever sold out by someone.

To be honest, Chen Yusheng was essentially a lazy bum. Or rather, very smart top students were actually quite lazy at their core. Having a hardworking assistant like Li Xingya really wasn't bad.

Not to mention an assistant she could discuss academic research with.

Rise up, our black silk faction!

...

After handling the lab's ecological project, Su Bai checked the time. It was already past three in the afternoon.

"You guys keep busy then. I'm going to head to the basketball court for a bit."

Su Bai grabbed the keys to his Land Rover Defender and waved goodbye to the two of them.

"Going to play basketball again?" Chen Yusheng raised an eyebrow. "Aren't exams coming up soon? Don't you need to review?"

"Review? What's that?"

Su Bai waved his hand breezily. "Totally unnecessary."

With that, he strode out of the lab, leaving behind a handsome silhouette.

Chen Yusheng watched his retreating back and gave a soft snort, though the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

This guy was cocky, but he definitely had the capital to be cocky.

Even though Chen Yusheng had no idea how Su Bai managed his time, the truth was that he had genuinely mastered all the coursework. It wasn't just studying to pass exams; it was true, comprehensive mastery.

It was like he had a cheat code.

...

Vroom—

The furious V8 engine roar of the Land Rover Defender OCTA echoed through the streets near Jiangcheng University.

After Su Bai's modifications, this globally limited-edition off-road beast looked even more domineering. The blacked-out paint job paired with massive all-terrain tires made it look like an armored vehicle.

Su Bai had been particularly fond of driving this car lately.

Not only was its performance formidable, but the commanding view and rugged driving feel truly suited a man's aesthetic better than a sports car.

Especially when going to a place full of testosterone like a basketball court, driving this car was a perfect match.

Ten minutes later, the vehicle parked in front of a high-end indoor basketball arena.

Su Bai had rented out this place entirely, specifically for his class's basketball team to train.

He couldn't help it; even though it was just a casual, amateur recreational league at the university, Su Bai was the kind of person who pursued his fun seriously.

If he was going to play, he had to win, and win beautifully.

What was more, in the recent matches, relying on Su Bai's almost overpowered physical prowess and skills, their class had actually fought their way through the ranks and made it to the final bracket.

This was a huge event that had the entire Computer Science department buzzing with excitement.

It was actually quite rare for a freshman team to make it to the final few rounds of the class basketball tournament.

After all, the freshmen had been together for less than a semester and had only recently left their high school environments. Whether it was physical fitness or teamwork, they couldn't compare to the upperclassmen. They had made it this far purely by relying on Su Bai's overwhelming stats to crush the opposition.

Pushing open the doors to the gymnasium, the thudding of basketballs hitting the floor and the squeaking of sneakers immediately rushed at him.

"Brother Bai is here!"

"The Carry is here! Let's push harder, everyone!"

Seeing Su Bai, the teammates who were practicing stopped one after another to greet him.

Everyone felt like they were one of those domestic league teams that basically relied on foreign imports to carry the game. For them, it was Su Bai. There was a commonality between the two, commonly known as "The Carry basketball."

Su Bai changed into his jersey and sneakers, did a simple warm-up, and joined the practice.

Although that poor guy Xue Tao was still recovering from his "ball injury" and could only be a cyber spectator in the group chat this time, the enthusiasm of the others remained high.

After all, being able to play ball with a star player like Su Bai was an enjoyment in itself.

However, halfway through the practice, Su Bai noticed a problem.

Chu Mingzhe was in a very weird state.

Normally, although this guy's skills weren't on par with Su Bai's, he was at least an agile point guard with a fairly accurate three-point shot.

But today, he was like a sleepwalker.

Passing errors, missed defensive assignments, and even the simplest wide-open layups missed by a mile.

Moreover, that usually well-maintained face of his now sported two massive dark circles. His eyes were unfocused, and his whole body exuded a hollowed-out sense of weakness.

"Old Chu, what's going on?"

Taking advantage of a break, Su Bai tossed him a bottle of Gatorade and sat down next to him. "Were you out being a thief last night? Why are you so drained?"

"Don't even mention it..."

Chu Mingzhe unscrewed the cap, took a huge gulp, and let out a long sigh. "It's all because of Leilei making a fuss."

"What, your landmine girl is acting up again?" Su Bai raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah..."

Chu Mingzhe looked completely dead inside. "I don't know what got into her last night. She insisted that I didn't love her anymore, said I was replying to her messages too slowly, and complained that I hadn't bought her any anime merch lately... She threw a tantrum in the middle of the night, demanded a video call, and even made me sing some super embarrassing anime song to coax her to sleep."

Su Bai was amused. "No, bro, why do you have to buy her merch? I don't think you even watch the series she likes."

"Who knows, I was so damn tired I felt like a dog... Do you think I have it easy?"

"I tossed and turned until past three in the morning before I could sleep, and I had to get up early to review. I feel like I could drop dead at any moment right now."

Listening to Chu Mingzhe's tearful complaint, Su Bai couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Maybe this is the ultimate fate of dating a landmine girl."

Su Bai patted him on the shoulder. "This kind of girl is inherently emotionally unstable. You went after her for the fresh thrill in the beginning, so now you just have to endure it."

"But speaking of which, it's finals week recently. Everyone is busy reviewing. If you don't get enough rest and fail your exams, what are you going to do?"

"Exactly!"

Chu Mingzhe slapped his thigh, his face full of gloom. "I'm worried about that too. If I fail, my dad will definitely cut off my card. And... this is just too much of a pain in the balls. Xue Tao had a physical pain in the balls, but mine is mental. Damn it, I really can't fail. Even Brother Tao has manned up. If I get shown up by a local..."

He paused, suddenly turned his head, and looked at Su Bai seriously.

"Brother Su Bai, tell me... should I learn from Brother Tao?"

"Learn what? Learn how to crush your balls?"

"Of course not. I mean learn from his attitude of seeing through the vanity of the world."

Seeing through what exactly, I ask? Su Bai complained inwardly.

"Look at Brother Tao. Ever since he broke up with Liu Yuanyuan and temporarily put that Huang Ran on hold, he's been completely reborn. He goes to bed early, wakes up early, and sits in the library all day. That study efficiency is invincible, right?"

"Do you think... I should also change girlfriends? Or just break up and be done with it?"

Hearing this, Su Bai didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stroked his chin, looking at Chu Mingzhe thoughtfully.

Change girlfriends?

For a rich kid like Chu Mingzhe, this was usually a common occurrence.

But...

"Old Chu, the prerequisite for changing girlfriends is that you have to be able to change."

Su Bai said earnestly, "Xue Tao had his heart completely broken, plus he suffered severe physical trauma, which led to his great awakening. What's your situation? You just lost a night of sleep because your girlfriend threw a tantrum, and now you want to break up?"

"Besides, do you think if you brought up breaking up with Leilei, she would agree?"

"The reason the landmine type is called the landmine type is that once they explode, it can actually be lethal."

"Think about it. Normally, just a little mood swing from her tortures you for half the night. If you dared to mention breaking up... tsk tsk, I'm afraid she'd literally take a pair of scissors and block you downstairs at your dorm, or write a tens-of-thousands-of-words essay online accusing you of being a scumbag, exposing all your old, dirty laundry."

"When that happens, let alone final exams, whether you can even continue surviving at Jiang University will be a question."

Su Bai's words were like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing the little spark of "breaking up" that had just popped into Chu Mingzhe's mind.

Chu Mingzhe shivered as Leilei's usual yandere-like gaze and those suggestive, somewhat dark captions she posted on her social media moments flashed through his mind.

"Holy crap, don't scare me." Chu Mingzhe swallowed hard. "She wouldn't be that crazy, would she?"

"Would she or wouldn't she, don't you know in your own heart?"

Su Bai spread his hands. "Also, I think you shouldn't envy Xue Tao. He had no choice, he was forced into a corner. You haven't reached that point yet."

"Then what do you say I should do? I can't just keep being tortured like this, can I?"

"That depends on your skills."

Su Bai stood up and patted the dust off his pants. "Either you show some manly grit and train her properly to make her act a bit more normal; or you just have to endure it and wait for the day she gets bored and dumps you."

"But I think that's a long shot."

After saying that, Su Bai picked up the basketball and shot a beautiful three-pointer.

"Swish!"

Nothing but net.

"Alright, stop thinking about that useless stuff. Let's practice first. This isn't something you can solve in a short time anyway."

At the time, Su Bai had actually warned Chu Mingzhe, saying that he needed to be careful with this type of girl and shouldn't just date her casually.

When dating, of course, a girl's personality is the most important thing.

In the end, Chu Mingzhe let lust cloud his judgment and completely ignored the advice. Now it would be hard to extricate himself; he was trapped, so to speak.

However, jokes aside, Su Bai's words really did wake him up.

For a landmine girl, breaking up was indeed a high-risk operation.

It seemed he could only endure it for now.

He'd wait until the exams were over and the holidays started. Once they were far apart, he would slowly give her the cold shoulder...

"Damn it, I'm not thinking about it anymore. Let's play ball!"