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Chapter 170: Chapter 158: Don’t Let Life Bend You Over_3
"At thirty, and you’re still crying?" Chen Cheng joked.
Xia Gaoqiang shook his head, "No, it’s just that I feel..."
"What do you feel?"
"Look at you, when you were working before, you weren’t doing poorly, and now you’re even better off."
"Shu Biao, his car dealership offers good benefits, and his days with Liu Ying are flourishing."
"Li Dinger, that guy was born into a decent family, now he’s got a secure job, and even snagged himself a great wife."
Xia Gaoqiang’s voice was hoarse, "Sometimes, I just think about my life..."
"Ah, if it weren’t for your meniscus injury back then, you would have been dominating the court as a top center!" Chen Cheng slapped Xia Gaoqiang’s shoulder.
"No, I mean, I’m also thirty. Job security, I haven’t made it into the system yet. The issue with the ward, if it hadn’t been for you..."
Chen Cheng cut Xia Gaoqiang off, looking at him seriously:
"Xia Bao, don’t think like that. Who has a smooth journey in life without a low point? Look at me now, it may seem all smooth sailing, but I’ve had my fair share of setbacks in the past."
"Besides, we brothers shouldn’t speak such discouraging words. Where’s the spirit you had on the court back in the day? This is just a small matter, we’ll get through any difficulty together."
Xia Gaoqiang sniffed and nodded his head.
"If you’re not happy with your job at the school, let’s quit." Chen Cheng said to him: "Come out, give it a try."
Xia Gaoqiang looked at Chen Cheng’s sincere eyes, "Dacheng, I know you mean well for me, but I’m already this old and have achieved nothing, I’m afraid that trying my luck out there would be fruitless."
Chen Cheng patted his shoulder forcefully:
"Don’t lose confidence. You have the capacity and the drive, just haven’t found the right direction yet. And with us brothers together, supporting each other, how could it be in vain?"
Xia Gaoqiang fell silent for a moment, as though wrestling with an intense internal struggle, "What can I do?"
"You still have contacts in the Basketball Association, right?" Chen Cheng asked.
Xia Gaoqiang nodded, "I’ve never lost touch. I still have my referee license, and I often help out with small matches to make some extra money."
"That’s exactly right." Chen Cheng thought quickly, "If you have connections, credentials, and abilities but don’t use them, isn’t that a waste?"
Xia Gaoqiang seemed to understand Chen Cheng’s point, "Are you saying to make a profession out of refereeing games?"
Chen Cheng shook his head with a smile, "You could blow your whistle to shreds a hundred times and still not make any money from it."
"Then what..."
Chen Cheng: "Start a basketball training camp, teach kids to play. Isn’t the money from that faster than being a teacher at school?"
Xia Gaoqiang’s eyes lit up, but they dimmed again right away: "Starting a training camp is not simple; venues, equipment, coaches, all of that costs money."
"We’ll find a solution to the money together."
"For the venue, I can help you look for something suitable and affordable; for equipment, we can start with only the essentials and slowly add more as we go; and for a coach, you can start by stepping in yourself. Once the camp starts making progress, we can recruit more staff. We’ll take it step by step, we can definitely make it happen."
Xia Gaoqiang hesitantly said: "Can it really work? What if it fails?"
Chen Cheng encouraged:
"As long as we teach with dedication and build a good reputation, there’s no fear of lacking kids to enroll. Plus, think about it, turning your passion for basketball into a career—that’s a great thing!"
Xia Gaoqiang bit the bullet: "Alright, Dacheng, I’ll listen to you, let’s do it!" 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
"That’s the spirit! When brothers unite, their sharpness can cut through metal. Let’s go back and plan properly."
At that moment, Xiao Meier came over: "Where have you two been?"
"Sis-in-law."
Xiao Meier smiled and nodded, taking an envelope out of her bag, "Xia Bao, take this for now, if it’s not enough, call me."
Xia Gaoqiang repeatedly waved his hands, "Sis-in-law, I can’t take this."
Xiao Meier stuffed the envelope into Xia Gaoqiang’s hand, "This is just a little something from us."
Xia Gaoqiang, touched to the point of moist eyes, "Sis-in-law, thank you, thank you both."
Chen Cheng wrapped his arm around Xia Gaoqiang’s shoulder with a smile, "Stop being so sentimental, we’ll go back and talk it over."
"Hey, has your head shrunk a bit? I remember you used to be half a head taller than me!" he teased.
Xia Gaoqiang straightened his back, "I wasn’t standing up straight."
Chen Cheng laughed, "That’s more like it! Don’t let life bend you over, we’re only thirty, still young!"
