"Thank you, Grandpa. I will find a way to pay you back later," Zhou Hui said, bowing to the old man in gratitude.
"Hahahaha, it's alright! If I didn't admire you as a young man, I wouldn't have helped you," the old man replied with a warm smile.
Zhou Hui scratched his head, unsure of how to respond.
"But I'm not helping you for nothing. I have conditions," the old man added.
Zhou Hui was not surprised by this; he had expected it. He understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch—no one would help without wanting something in return.
"So, what do you need me to do?" he asked.
"Don't worry, my house is nearby. How about we go over and talk?" the old man suggested.
"Sounds good," Zhou Hui agreed.
As they walked together toward the old man's house, Zhou Hui offered to push the old man's bicycle as a gesture of thanks. The old man praised him for this, growing more confident that he had made the right choice in helping Zhou Hui.
The fifteen-minute journey was neither long nor short, and soon they arrived at a typical single-family home in the island country.
"Woof!" As the old man opened the door, a cute white puppy seemed to have been waiting for him. The moment it saw the old man, it bounded toward him.
"Good boy, good boy! Xiaoxue is also very good today," the old man said, petting the puppy, who eagerly licked his hand. The bond between them was evident.
"Okay, we have guests today. Xiaoxue, be a good dog and go play by yourself," the old man instructed.
"Woof!" the puppy responded obediently.
"Alright, come on in," the old man said, turning to Zhou Hui.
"Oh, okay," Zhou Hui replied, following him inside.
Once in the living room, Zhou Hui realized that this little old man was no ordinary person; he had a significant background in baseball. A black-and-white photo hung on the wall, covered in dust, indicating its age. It depicted the Koshien Awards Ceremony from over 40 years ago, with the supervisor in the photo proudly holding a flag aloft.
"This is a championship team!" Zhou Hui thought, recognizing the significance of the image. Although the Koshien championship from so long ago might not hold much value today, the fact that it adorned the old man's wall suggested a personal connection. Perhaps this old man had once been a talented baseball player himself.
The faded words on the photo read, "The National Champion! The Pride of Hokkaido! Komadai Fujimaki High School!"
"It seems you're quite interested in my achievements from my youth," the old man said, approaching Zhou Hui.
"That's right," Zhou Hui admitted.
"I was not mistaken," the old man replied, nodding. He then sat on the sofa and gestured for Zhou Hui to join him. "When I was in high school, I was also an ace pitcher, but now I'm getting old and less useful."
"No way! You were so strong when you were young; you can't be much worse now," Zhou Hui reassured him.
"With your approval, I feel relieved," the old man chuckled. He then took out a business card and placed it in front of Zhou Hui.
Zhou Hui picked it up, glancing at it. "The coach of the Titan Komadai Fujimaki High School baseball team, Nitta Kouzou!" he read aloud.
Looking up, Zhou Hui realized that the old man was a supervisor at a local high school! The supervisor had actually helped him!
However, this high school didn't seem very well-known. Zhou Hui had never even heard of it in Hokkaido.
"The Hokkaido Titans?" Zhou Hui read the name with some skepticism.
"It's normal that you haven't heard of it. To be honest, this high school has never made it to Koshien," Nitta Kouzou said with a hint of self-mockery.
"I guess you've received many offers from other high schools. If you haven't committed to one yet, why not consider our Komadai Fujimaki?" he suggested.
"How do you know?" Zhou Hui asked, surprised.
After hearing Nitta Kouzou's words, Zhou Hui realized that several high schools had indeed started recruiting him. His impressive performance in youth baseball had garnered attention from many schools, including some with Koshien-level teams.
Schools like Seidou High School in West Tokyo, City University High School, Inashiro Industrial, Hakuryu High School in Gunma Prefecture, Kiryu High School in Osaka, and Teito High School in East Tokyo had all shown strong interest in him. These were all prestigious schools that frequently made it to Koshien, especially Inashiro Industrial, which was expected to win the championship this year with their star player, Narumiya Mei, known as the "Prince of West Tokyo."
"Hahahahaha! I saw today's game," Nitta Kouzou said, smiling. "If I'm not mistaken, that home run that shattered the glass was hit by you. That field is quite a distance from that house. With such power, it's impossible that no team would have noticed you. Tell me, which youth baseball team are you from?"
Nitta Kouzou narrowed his eyes, studying Zhou Hui. It was clear from his words that he didn't know Zhou Hui, despite his growing fame in Hokkaido. Perhaps Nitta was simply out of touch with youth baseball in recent years.
"I'm from the Eagles youth baseball team. My name is Zhou Hui," Zhou Hui introduced himself.
Nitta nodded, his interest in Zhou Hui piqued. The Eagles had been the dominant force in the Little League, indicating that Zhou Hui's skills were impressive.
"I knew it! Their strength is extraordinary. The team you're with is definitely not unknown," Nitta remarked.
Zhou Hui could only nod, unsure of how to respond.
"In that case, would you consider joining our Komadai Fujimaki? We can waive all your tuition fees, and you can enter without taking the entrance exam. What do you think?"
Such enticing conditions were hard for Zhou Hui, who was used to financial struggles, to resist. He felt a strong urge to follow Nitta and join the Komadai Fujimaki High School team.
However, this was not a decision he could make lightly. After gaining some recognition, many high schools had approached him with similar offers, some even traveling hours to recruit him. Zhou Hui's parents had dreams of him attending a prestigious school in a big city like West Tokyo to study and play baseball.
The sudden recruitment left Zhou Hui feeling conflicted and unable to make a decision.
"I don't think I can decide on this matter just yet. I'm really sorry, but I will find a way to make it up to you," he said, excusing himself as he hurriedly left.