Chapter 053: Get One

Talent and training.

These are the essential factors for anyone to achieve success, and nowhere is this truer than in athletics.

If one has talent but neglects training, or trains diligently without any innate gift, neither will yield significant achievements. Zhang Tan knew well that he belonged to the category lacking talent. His speed was not slow, but neither was it fast; his performance in high jump and long jump was merely average. If he entered the five-thousand-meter race, he could rely on his endurance, honed through persistent training, to achieve a respectable result.

But when it came to explosive events like the one-hundred-meter or two-hundred-meter dash, his lack of natural ability left him at a disadvantage.

No matter how fervently Ding Chunlong and the others urged him, he never agreed to run the one-hundred-, two-hundred-, or four-hundred-meter races. He only registered for the five-thousand meters, along with the compulsory one-thousand meters and the four-by-one-hundred relay. It was a pity that the high school athletic meet did not include the ten-thousand meters; otherwise, he truly would have signed up for it.

The registration process was lively.

Yet, the autumn sports meet was still some time away.

After school that afternoon, Zhang Tan led the football team straight to the Field Restaurant. He had invited Yu Na to join the celebration for their championship victory, but she declined. So, the eleven main players and three substitutes gathered around a single table.

Two hundred yuan, to be honest, was enough to arrange a decent meal at that time, provided no wine was ordered.

But what sort of celebration is it without drinks?

“Boss, four hundred yuan, please arrange it. Start with two pitchers of beer and some snacks,” Zhang Tan said, producing four hundred yuan as he ordered.

Two hundred was prize money; the other two hundred came from his own pocket.

“Captain, two hundred is enough,” said Cao Yuchuan, one of the substitutes, who hadn’t played a single match, but wasn’t about to miss out on the meal.

“That’s right, you shouldn’t have to pay for us yourself.”

“Two hundred yuan is more than enough.”

Zhang Tan waved them off. “Never mind, it’s fine.”

He signaled the proprietor to prepare the meal according to the four-hundred-yuan standard. Having eaten at the Field Restaurant for over a month, he was well acquainted with the boss; once the money was handed over, he could be sure the meal would be ample and generous.

Once the owner left, the team members began a chorus of persuasion, urging Zhang Tan not to overspend.

Zhang Tan replied, “Don’t worry about bankrupting me. Haven’t I mentioned that my serialized novel earns royalties? Just consider this my treat.”

With that, everyone cheerfully accepted.

As the food and drinks arrived, the atmosphere immediately turned festive and lively.

Glasses were raised and exchanged, laughter and conversation flowed.

They boasted and reminisced about the match.

It was clear that the camaraderie among the team members deepened, especially as the alcohol took effect; inhibitions faded, and everyone opened up, chatting freely.

Amid the joviality, the stocky Wang Long proposed, “We have drinks but no cigarettes—something’s missing. Anyone smoke? I’ll go buy a pack.”

“I do!” Wei Tao immediately volunteered.

Cao Yuchuan hesitated, “Smoking’s not really good, is it?”

Ye Zhiqiang chuckled, “A couple won’t hurt. I’ve never tried it myself.”

Zhu Ran agreed, “Wang Long, hurry up and buy some. The restaurant’s counter sells cigarettes. Get Hongta Mountain, not the cheap ones.”

“My goodness, I buy cigarettes for you, and you demand the best! You have high standards,” Wang Long scoffed.

Zhou Yuxi was more accommodating. “Hongta Mountain is seven yuan a pack, right? I’d say Ashima is fine, six yuan. At the very least, don’t go below four yuan for Red Plum.”

Hongta Mountain, Ashima, and Red Plum were all brands produced by Yunnan Hongta. At that time, Yunnan cigarettes dominated the domestic market, and these brands sold best in Hefei. Only after the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau was established, with local protectionist monopolies, did local brands like Wan Yan become more prevalent.

Zhang Tan had smoked in his youth, but unlike others, he never developed an addiction; both smoking and drinking were easy for him to quit.

He didn’t smoke now, but didn’t object to others doing so.

After a brief discussion, Wang Long decisively bought a six-yuan pack of Ashima, opened it, and offered the first cigarette to Zhang Tan. “Captain, have a smoke.”

“No thanks, I don’t smoke. You go ahead.”

“Come on, have one!”

“No, no.”

Zhang Tan ultimately didn’t join in, but inevitably inhaled plenty of secondhand smoke. The meal lasted over half an hour, after which the group marched across the street to a row of low buildings, home to a billiards hall, small restaurants, and a slot machine—a contraption that had ensnared countless students.

Zhang Tan himself had little experience with slot machines; back then, he was only interested in going online.

Now, he was here just to play billiards.

Smoking, playing billiards, boasting—this was the mark of a proper troublemaker.

...

With football matters concluded, the team was now little more than a name; Zhang Tan, as captain, seldom played with his classmates anymore.

Firstly, he had to train for the five-thousand meters, one-thousand meters, and the relay; secondly, he trained with the school football team. His spare time was quite busy.

The school team’s competition was about to start, and they would soon travel to Shui Jia Lake for the matches—a real expedition.

Besides these hobbies, Zhang Tan diligently followed Zhu Yunfei’s guidance in learning guitar and composition, occasionally dabbling in accordion for variety.

The school lacked a piano, so Zhu Yunfei taught accordion to music students.

Sometimes, playing the accordion could be rather stylish.

And then, there was writing. Zhang Tan’s output, for the era, was considered fast—sixty or seventy thousand words a month was no strain. But compared to the future era of web fiction, where authors could easily update ten thousand words daily, he was far behind; after all, before his rebirth, he hadn’t worked in writing or related fields.

He could read novels at lightning speed, but writing required careful consideration.

Zhang Tan also called home and learned that everything was going smoothly: the internet café’s renovation, installation, wiring, licensing, and opening had all gone well. He had worried about the location, since it wasn’t downtown, fearing poor business, but this proved unfounded. From opening day, there were almost no idle computers.

Daytime saw slightly fewer customers, especially in the morning, but even then, the twenty machines rarely sat idle—just fewer people queueing.

Once evening arrived, the entire café was packed, so crowded it was hard to move. Typically, one person would be at the computer, and three or four others would stand behind, watching.

“Too popular!” This was Tan Mingxia’s exclamation.

The rate was three yuan an hour; at that time, three yuan could buy a meal with meat, vegetables, and soup, or order stir-fried eggs with green peppers. It was almost daylight robbery, yet it couldn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm for going online.

With Zhang Tan’s insistence on promoting “Legend of Blood and Passion,” half the patrons at his “E-Age Internet Café” were engrossed in this game, fighting monsters, leveling up, and hunting for equipment for hours on end. The café’s snack bar and fried rice stand were in constant demand.

Not only that, but outside vendors selling fried skewers and baked goods had appeared.

It seemed a new “business district” was emerging around the café.

“Let’s expand. Increase the computers to fifty. You’ve all seen how quickly the café pays off. With twenty machines running eighteen hours a day each, the daily gross income is 980 yuan. The fried rice and snack bar can easily bring in two or three hundred more. After costs, the net profit is seven or eight hundred a day!”

At this rate, the business could stay lucrative for three or four years, perhaps even a decade, as long as service and equipment remained good—there was no reason to miss out on such a golden opportunity.

“Let’s do it!”

Zhang Quanshun and Tan Mingxia called together Zhang Tan’s fourth uncle’s family and second brother’s family; after discussion, they unanimously decided to follow Zhang Tan’s advice and expand.

As far as the café was concerned, Zhang Tan felt he had done everything within his power. What happened next would depend on his parents, uncles, and siblings.

“It’d be best to open a chain. Gangji Town is large enough to support several internet cafés. Grab every spot—each family opens one café, and there’ll be no conflict over dividends in the future.”

And so, the golden chapter of October quietly passed.

What Zhang Tan looked forward to most was the November launch of “Modern and Ancient Legends: Story Edition.” At the same time, he received a trial issue of “Modern and Ancient Legends: Martial Arts Edition” sent with the magazine.

——————

After writing such a lengthy section about football, it’s clear it’s not very popular.

Here, Lao Bai would like to say a few words about this book.

Many may know that after finishing “Legend of the Extra,” Lao Bai planned to write a cultivation and farming novel, “The Workshop of Cultivation Families,” but the editor felt it still needed work. Old readers may remember that Lao Bai tried changing genres but failed, so to be cautious, he postponed the cultivation novel to refine the concept further.

For now, he is sticking with urban fiction.

Strictly speaking, “Restarting Grade One” is neither an entertainment novel nor a plagiarism story—it’s a rebirth story. The protagonist, Zhang Tan, is an artist by profession; now he copies books, later he sings, and eventually he’ll start a company, make films, and invest in the internet.

This is the story of an ordinary person, reborn, embracing a new life, striving to elevate his status.

Oh, and I’ve seen many people speculate that the book will end once the first year of high school is finished, just as “Legend of the Extra” ended with the completion of the extra story.

That definitely won’t happen. “Legend of the Extra” fell apart in the later stages; according to the outline, the protagonist Xu Hao was never meant to become the main character—he would always be a supporting role, living and striving in the shadows. But I wavered, gave him a protagonist’s arc.

Unfortunately, due to an error in the timeline, the story eventually passed 2016, and I had no idea how to portray the future. If Xu Hao remained a supporting character, unable to influence the course of history, I could still write about his leisurely life. But as a superstar, how could I continue? The story had to be wrapped up quickly.

“Restarting Grade One” is different; it’s half rebirth, half alternate history, and can go on for a long, long time.

And this book is Lao Bai’s return to integrity!

Rest assured and add it to your collections!