93. The Price, There Is Always a Price

It wasn’t that he found the girl fat—there was a certain charm to a fuller figure. This girl simply didn’t wear heavy makeup; her features were quite delicate, but the single word “plump” seemed to overshadow everything. Yet, looking at her was like pressing on something so soft and supple it seemed to release moisture. After indulging in spicy, refreshing dishes, a serving of roasted pork brought a gratifying richness. Bai Haonan had experienced this, of course, but he knew better than to get involved with girls who had little romantic experience—they were clingy and troublesome.

A few days ago, two girls who stormed off in anger had been just like this. Chen Sufen’s case was a special mistake; Isa was simply too good at hiding her true intentions. Even a seasoned player like Bai Haonan couldn’t discern the cunning schemes of that pale-faced vixen. He preferred not to entangle himself with such innocent-looking girls who, once circled in, were hard to shake off—often draining both body and soul. So, folding his arms, he turned and walked away.

From the standpoint of behavioral psychology, crossing one’s arms was a sign of resistance to communication. Yet, the girl boldly stepped forward, holding a dog, and quickly caught up. She was quick to find a reason for herself: “Is it called Ada? What happened to its leg?”

Bai Haonan didn’t even turn fully to face her; he just glanced back casually at the girl who acted as if nothing was wrong and said, “Do you happen to like a handsome guy like me?”

The faint blush that had just begun to fade instantly bloomed vividly across her face, as if she had walked into a dye shop that only used red dye. The color deepened from her cheeks to the roots of her ears, to the tip of her nose, and even to her eyelids, varying in intensity. Bai Haonan almost wanted to remove his sunglasses to admire the scene, but the girl, flustered and embarrassed, stammered, “Pervert! Crazy!” Then she hugged the teddy dog and ran off. Her sudden movement caused her to stumble slightly, and Bai Haonan feared she might fall—then things would get messy.

Satisfied, he turned back to admire her ample figure from behind, feeling a warmth rise in his chest. It had been so long since he last flirted with a girl. Lost in daydreams under the broad daylight, his phone suddenly rang—it was the player from earlier who had just been kicking the ball, eager to book a lady… no, a player. They still had a match that afternoon.

Bai Haonan whistled in self-praise. What a delightful way to operate!

So, encouraged, he passed on the phone number to several people around the makeshift soccer field. Two or three actually went to watch, and later called friends to come see as well!

They had previously thought everyone playing here was of similar skill and thus had no interest in watching, but now it was clear the Yellow Team’s level was a cut above the rest.

Two more people called Bai Haonan discreetly, one even requesting three players because their team’s skill was lacking.

As the saying goes, a bad memory is no match for a good pen. Bai Haonan never used paper or pen to record anything—too risky, leaving evidence. Wandering back to the field’s edge, he passed the task to Qian Niu: “Players take a hundred each, the team keeps two hundred. That way, both Lao Zhong and the players are happy!”

Qian Niu was shocked at Bai Haonan’s generosity: “You… aren’t keeping anything?”

Bai Haonan’s vision was far-reaching: “No rush for that small amount. The real money will come later. The key is, when you tell Lao Zhong, don’t say it was my idea—just say someone came to me with the plan.”

Qian Niu sighed with regret: “It’ll definitely work! But you should at least keep something for yourself. Look, today alone there are six people—that’s almost two thousand.”

Bai Haonan patted his friend’s shoulder: “Just tell Lao Zhong it’s for some fuel expenses. You tell me where there are more pickup game fields, and I’ll go recruit business. Maybe soon we’ll be driving players all over to matches.”

Qian Niu still didn’t realize how much this model resembled a certain primitive service, yet without any legal risk. It purely maximized the only asset the team currently had—the players. For these young players, being paid to train and play every day was a job. Rather than grinding away at the training base in boredom, they could get out and stretch their legs.

This might just be a revolutionary change.

Several players sitting on the sidelines heard Qian Niu call out a couple of their names and were filled with envy.

Usually, a small game lasted only an hour and a half and was just as light and casual as when Bai Haonan played pickup soccer at the Medical University. At most, it made them sweat a bit and avoid injuries. If possible, they would gladly play several matches a day. That would earn more than their monthly salary!

So, Brother Jianguo, who controlled customer sources, earned unanimous praise. Players kept asking Jianguo to bring the swagger and fly with them.

Bai Haonan leaned back on a chair by the field with a helpless smile. This was the reality of playing soccer domestically. The bad apples had long since ruined the circle. Families in the city with options wouldn’t let their children play, knowing the scene was a mess with no future. Only the poor treated it as a craft to make a living—especially in some impoverished areas that once had a tradition of martial arts. Now soccer had become a similar path. Most of the young players on this team had grown up in poverty, and their hunger for money and willingness to endure hardship were things Chen Sufen and the biochemists couldn’t understand.

Maybe Isa understood.

Bai Haonan thought of the two girls unconsciously, letting himself recline on the fiberglass chair with closed eyes, lost in wild thoughts. Probably, he’d been without a girl for just a bit too long.

This made him decide he wouldn’t be so picky at dinner—he’d better pick up a girl. Lately, the food at the base had grown tiresome. Maybe he could find a girl nearby to support him?

Without an ounce of shame, he savored the idea as the match neared its end.

No surprises: a 5-2 victory over their opponents. The important thing was the company was hosting lunch, and the afternoon match would be the final one for the day. Bai Haonan could also take a few players out to earn some quick money. Those picked were thrilled, as previously these pickup games were unpaid, essentially just helping the club earn money. Now there was a real difference!

Guided by the fake team leader, the whole team cheerfully entered the restaurant next to the stadium. Though not upscale, it was definitely better than the terrible cooking by the base’s so-called team doctor-cum-chef.

To prove he had a right to join the meal, Bai Haonan put on the yellow jersey and decided to have a couple of drinks. He craned his neck at the counter by the door, looking for beer. Unnoticed, outside, a line of cars that had been waiting started to pull away, then turned and stopped by the roadside. A group of people got out.

The only outsider, the fake team leader who was also the one paying, spotted them through the glass door and hurried to greet them. As they walked in, he kept calling out, “Director Yu’s here! Director Yu’s here! Finally came to attend the event today. Hey, you there, behave yourself! Everyone, behave! Help me out!”

Bai Haonan, holding a bottle of premium beer, turned to ask him, “Will they reimburse this kind of beer?”

The fake leader, just a low-level employee of the sponsoring company, didn’t care: “Whatever, whatever. Everyone, line up…”

Satisfied, Bai Haonan turned back to demand even more from the counter: “Then give me a case!” But as he turned, his eyes caught a flash of pale pink among the group of successful business bosses he had been ignoring. Squinting closer, it was none other than the plump girl who had hugged the teddy dog earlier.

Now, the teddy was being carried by a young man, while she linked arms with a middle-aged man walking in the center—clearly the big boss. Her gaze was proud and mocking as she looked at Bai Haonan.

Whenever such a wealthy boss brought a mistress, she came to make a show—anything below two or three thousand a night wasn’t worth it. So this girl, if not his daughter, had to be his granddaughter!

He had offended the rich family’s young lady!

No wonder the clothes on that teddy dog looked so expensive.

Bai Haonan instinctively lowered his head to avoid notice. He noticed Ada had already found a rib bone under the table and was happily gnawing on it at his feet—just like Bai Haonan with his fine beer.

Damn it—this one misstep was a serious offense!

Bai Haonan wanted to curse aloud.