Chapter 87: A Chaotic Formation

“I’m starting to believe you really don’t know a thing about volleyball…” Tan Xiaoxiao sighed, her face clouded with worry, as the last thread of hope in her heart finally snapped.

“Siyu, do you think we made the wrong decision? How could someone who knows nothing about volleyball possibly help us turn the tide and win?”

“We’ve come this far—do we even have any other options?” Lin Siyu answered, her trust in Li Sicheng somehow deeper than Tan Xiaoxiao’s.

Tan Xiaoxiao noticed this keenly and leaned in close to Lin Siyu’s ear, whispering, “Weren’t you always saying this guy is a huge liar? Why are you suddenly so convinced today?”

Her words carried a hint of teasing, a bit of bitter humor in a dire moment. But Lin Siyu didn’t blush and hurriedly deny it as she usually might. Instead, she nodded and replied, “Because I want to win.”

Tan Xiaoxiao was stunned.

Lin Siyu ignored her and quickly began introducing Li Sicheng to the basics of volleyball.

“In volleyball, each side fields six players. Their roles are divided into main attacker, secondary attacker, setter, and opposite hitter. The court itself is split into six zones. The back right is position one, which in our tactics is the spot for the main attacker. The front right is position two—the setter’s spot. Position three is central front—the secondary attacker. Position four is front left—the minor attacker. The back left is position five—the opposite hitter, and the back center is position six, for another secondary attacker…”

Having covered the basics, Lin Siyu went on to describe the six starting players from Class Three, Grade One: “I’m the main attacker, responsible for scoring. Xiaoxiao is the setter, the team’s organizing core. Zhang Xiaoling is the opposite hitter, Deng Qian is the minor attacker, Zhang Yan and Yang Fang are secondary attackers…”

As Lin Siyu spoke, Li Sicheng sketched a positioning diagram on paper, then applied several numbers he’d calculated earlier, drafting another incomprehensible formula and began to calculate rapidly.

Zeng Yi watched, bewildered, unable to hold back his question: “Bro Sicheng, weren’t you supposed to set up a strategy? Why are you doing math problems again?”

His question echoed the confusion of the others.

But Li Sicheng didn’t answer, only saying, “Quiet. Let me finish this!”

Hearing this, a wave of dissatisfaction swept through the crowd.

“What is Li Sicheng up to? The break is almost over, and not only does he refuse to set up a strategy, he’s working on math problems? Even if he wants to show he loves studying, this isn’t the time…”

“Damn it, this guy doesn’t care about our class honor at all!”

“Of all times to show off, he chooses now—doesn’t he realize he’s making a fool of himself? This is it, Class Three, Grade One won’t just lose the match, we’ll be the laughingstock of the entire school!”

In the stands, the classmates of Class Three, Grade One were murmuring, their resentment towards Li Sicheng growing deeper by the minute.

With a sharp whistle, the referee signaled the end of the break and that the third set would soon begin.

“Done!” Almost at the exact moment the whistle blew, Li Sicheng finished solving his complex equation. But neither the formula nor the answer made any sense to anyone—for what he’d solved wasn’t a number, but a jumble of symbols.

Tan Xiaoxiao scoffed, “The match is about to start. What use are your scribbles now?”

She gathered her teammates for one last pep talk before the set: “This might be the final set of the match. I won’t say anything about winning, just hope everyone gives it their all…”

“Wait.”

She was interrupted by Li Sicheng.

“Who said this is the last set? I promised you all we’d win this match!”

Tan Xiaoxiao was stunned again.

Li Sicheng gave her no chance to speak further, immediately issuing instructions: “Lin Siyu, for the next set, don’t stand at position one. Switch with Zhang Xiaoling and go to position five. Xiaoxiao, move to position two, and let Zhang Yan be the setter at position two. Also, Deng Qian and Yang Fang, switch your positions and roles…”

“What?”

After hearing Li Sicheng’s strategy, the entire girls’ volleyball team, starters and substitutes alike, were dumbfounded.

Tan Xiaoxiao frowned, demanding, “Are you sure you’re from our class and not a spy from Class Six, Grade Three? Your setup is pure chaos! You’ve scrambled everyone's positions and switched everyone’s roles. It’s like sending a farmer to perform surgery, or a doctor to act on stage—absolute madness! Are you trying to make our defeat even worse?”

Li Sicheng answered her doubts with just one sentence: “If you want to win, follow my instructions.”

“But…” Tan Xiaoxiao wanted to ask more, but before she could, the referee approached, warning, “Break time is over. Return to the court immediately for the next set!”

Reluctantly, she stepped onto the court, her mind full of questions.

Not only her, but Lin Siyu, Zhang Xiaoling, and the other starters all wore puzzled expressions.

“What now? Should we listen to him?” Tan Xiaoxiao asked.

The usually decisive queen found herself at a loss.

Zhang Xiaoling was the first to speak. Ever since Li Sicheng had saved her once, she’d held deep trust in him. Now, she said, “Let’s try Li Sicheng’s arrangement. He seems so confident—maybe this tactic will actually work…”

“Confident? That’s not confidence, it’s ignorance!” Tan Xiaoxiao retorted.

But before she could finish, Lin Siyu spoke up, “I agree with Zhang Xiaoling. We’ve already lost two sets in a row. Whatever this tactic brings, we can accept it.”

With Lin Siyu’s endorsement, Deng Qian, Zhang Yan, and Yang Fang all agreed to give it a try.

“Well, not only is Li Sicheng crazy, you’re all completely insane…” Tan Xiaoxiao sighed deeply. “Fine, if we’re going mad, let’s do it together. Let’s hope our madness brings us a victory.”

The six quickly reached consensus, adjusted their positions, and stood as Li Sicheng had instructed.

Seeing the new formation on Class Three, Grade One’s side, He Juan and her teammates were stunned.

Their faces looked as if they'd seen a ghost.

“What’s going on? Have they just given up?”

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