112. Is it a dream, right before my eyes?

Bai Haonan drove the car back to the training facility. Weekends were the peak time for "pickup" games, and while these small-scale appearances seemed insignificant to others, they were actually a gateway to a massive market. In a way, it was a clever way to leverage the semi-pro players to promote their future fitness center. Bai Haonan didn't know much about business strategy, but he had an instinct for exploiting the value of professional athletes.

Inside the car, Yu Jiali was constantly making calls; her three phones were probably running hot. It felt as though the spacious vehicle had become her mobile office.

Naturally, when the bright yellow Hummer pulled into the training facility, it caused a massive stir among the young players. They were barely focused on their training, crowding around the luxury SUV and touching it everywhere. Coach Zhong stood a bit further back, likely feeling the gap in status between him and Bai Haonan. His expression was a complex mix: he wanted to maintain the dignity of a head coach, but he also wanted to cozy up to this "Boss Yu," yet he didn't know how to approach her.

It wasn't until Bai Haonan stepped out and took the initiative to greet him that the coach walked over with a smile. "Jianguo, not bad! In just a few days, you..." His voice trailed off abruptly. The front passenger door had opened, revealing a delicate and stunning face. As she stepped out, her off-the-shoulder white shirt and high-waisted blue skirt created a visual of endless legs, leaving the all-male training camp in stunned silence. The young players probably didn't recognize her, and they stared in disbelief that Bai Haonan had managed to hook yet another beauty.

Fortunately, Yu Jiali wasn't intimidated by the sea of gazes. She waved at Bai Haonan from a distance, "Come help me down!"

"Oh, wow!" Most of the players finally recognized from her voice that this was the wealthy Boss Yu who had been eating simple athletic dinners with them for the past few days.

It was true that clothes made the person. Usually, Boss Yu looked a bit chubby and unremarkable, always wearing sports jackets—only taking them off at the end of a workout to reveal her tight-fitting athletic gear, which had already been enough to spark the young players' imaginations. No one expected her to look so stunning when she actually dressed up.

And she was usually so approachable and down-to-earth, yet now she acted so delicate...

It wasn't that Yu Jiali was being pretentious; the Hummer's tires and suspension were too high, and there were no running boards. If she wasn't careful with her skirt, she might suffer a wardrobe malfunction, and her high heels made jumping down impossible. She had no choice but to rely on Bai Haonan’s attentive assistance.

It seemed that once she put on fashionable clothes and wore beautiful makeup, she naturally adopted the delicate and charming demeanor of those beauties.

The main point was to let Ada out for a walk. Bai Haonan exchanged a few words with Coach Zhong and pointed to five young players to get in the car. Niu was still out at other fields with the rest of the squad; they were short-handed.

Coach Zhong sounded a bit disgruntled: "Your business is certainly booming. The club can make some meal money, but since Boss Yu’s family is rich, you should be looking for sponsors!"

Bai Haonan had spent a week in meetings and had picked up some business jargon. "Getting sponsors is fine, but what can the team offer them? Just a ring of advertisements around a training field that nobody even visits? I doubt anyone would pay for that, even if we paid them. I’m working with Boss Yu to set up a fitness center. When we sponsor amateur soccer tournaments in the city later, we’ll be the stars of the show. That’s the real way to make money, isn't it?"

Coach Zhong’s eyes lit up. "Tell me more! How are we going to do that?"

Bai Haonan said with high spirits, "That’s the general idea. I haven't worked out the specifics. If you have any ideas, feel free to share. The fitness center will definitely need heavy advertising, and the club can ride that wave of popularity. I’m leaving now. I think at this stage, chasing professional league promotions isn't as profitable as just raising a bunch of players. Ten guys make two thousand; a hundred guys make twenty thousand. If we have dozens or hundreds of players out at games every day, wouldn't we be raking it in?"

Coach Zhong was skeptical of his wild imagination: "Does our provincial capital really need dozens or hundreds of players every single day?"

Bai Haonan spouted off the buzzwords he’d been hearing lately: "We’ll open chains in every provincial capital and municipality, or start with two or three neighboring provinces. If you’re going to do business, you have to think big!"

Coach Zhong couldn't grasp how to turn a soccer team into a business and could only watch as the guy left, surrounded by the envious gazes of the other players. Feeling a bit sour, he blew his whistle and ordered the remaining players to increase their training intensity.

After two or three weeks, Bai Haonan had become familiar with all the major spots where soccer enthusiasts gathered in the city. When he arrived at the designated place, he was once again met with a sea of attention. He grandly tossed the keys of the luxury SUV to a thrilled Niu, telling him to drive the other players to different venues. By this weekend, they were already handling fifteen or sixteen player assignments. It was clear that this "lending players" model would spread rapidly in this circle. Everyone loved a way to significantly boost their team's strength in a short time. It was just that using a seven-seater Hummer for this purpose seemed a bit extravagant—the fees probably didn't even cover the gas. The team specializing in player rentals certainly had a high sense of style.

Watching the massive SUV drive away, Bai Haonan gave the players some final instructions and strolled leisurely around the fields to check on the situation. Yu Jiali and Ada walked with him, looking like a family.

It was a strange feeling.

In just over half a month, the relationship between Bai Haonan and Yu Jiali, especially in terms of her appearance and mindset, had changed drastically.

Sensing the lingering gazes from men everywhere, Yu Jiali was quite moved: "It’s still me, but just by getting fit and learning how to dress, it’s like my entire life has been transformed!"

Bai Haonan said earnestly, "Now you understand how difficult it is for people like us who are blessed with good looks, right? So many people like us; settling down for just one person would be unfair to all the others. Since this is a society that values appearance, we have a social responsibility to take on that burden and bring joy to the masses."

Yu Jiali was stunned by his shamelessness. After a long while, she finally laughed, though she now instinctively covered her mouth with the back of her hand, looking delicate and lovely.

Ada looked up at her from time to time, seemingly struggling to adapt to her changes.

After a while, the swaying girl stopped laughing: "You! You can make chasing thrills and living a reckless life sound so justified. I almost believed you!"

Bai Haonan walked with his hands behind his back, slow and steady like an old coach or official—perhaps he was unconsciously imitating Old Chen: "I just want to chase thrills and live my life exactly how I want!"

Yu Jiali looked at the rows of artificial turf fields of various sizes, separated by green wire cages: "But you already have your own career now, and I can tell you have plans. If you can control a large group of young players, you essentially control the means of production. The fitness center is just the beginning. You can definitely build a sports industry along this line. As long as I can see a return, I can provide as much funding as you need. With such good conditions, can't you just settle down and put in your best effort?"

Bai Haonan sat on a long bench by the busiest, most intense field, watching the soccer fans sprinting and battling on the pitch. He said thoughtfully, "So, your requirement for me is that I can only be your husband and can't flirt with anyone else?"

Yu Jiali was straightforward: "I haven't reached the point where I'm begging to marry you. I just admire you. If you can fall in love with me, that would be for the best. If you treat me with all your heart, I will surely return it with all of mine. I have ambition, but I cherish you more—the man who made me confident. My father and you aren't the type to succeed through academia; in the future, he can give you guidance without reservation. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Bai Haonan spread his legs and rested his elbows on his knees, turning to look at the beauty beside him. Even at the end of the year, the sun in Guixi was still quite intense. "Beauty" was indeed the right word for Yu Jiali now. Although the UV rays here were strong and she didn't look as fair as Isha, she now displayed a charming side. She looked like a top student who had just been praised, full of high spirits. He laughed: "Not bad. At least until yesterday, you wouldn't have been able to say those things with such confidence. Being beautiful really does make a difference. Hmm, it sounds impeccable, but asking me to give up so many beautiful girls to spend my whole life with just you—isn't that a bit cruel?"

Yu Jiali sat with her knees together, leaning to the side with elegant, formal etiquette: "You always manage to make crooked logic sound so righteous. Don't the rights and obligations of a couple require mutual respect?"

Bai Haonan chuckled irreverently: "You’re making this sound like a pre-marriage negotiation!"

Yu Jiali nodded: "If we get married, there will be negotiations. Prenuptial agreements, how property would be divided in case of divorce—all of this would need to be signed in a contract."

Bai Haonan was curious: "Can I ask how much money you and your father actually have?"

Yu Jiali was no "dumb blonde": "At this stage, I can only tell you that the investment company is just a reservoir for our liquid assets. The bulk is in real estate and shares in large enterprises. The latter is still controlled by my father, and it will definitely be handed over to me or my husband in the future."

Bai Haonan took a deep breath: "Hmm, that sounds very tempting. It feels like I'm one step away from the peak of life where I marry a rich, beautiful woman. Honestly, even a small fitness center would be enough to buy me off; I don't have much backbone... but I just can't bear to give up such a colorful life. You saw it yourself yesterday—a group of girls surrounding me, calling me 'boss.' Ah, just thinking about it makes my bones go soft!" He even made a shameless expression of drooling toward the sky.

Yu Jiali looked at him with indulgence, as if watching a mischievous child: "Everything in this world is like that; you were the one who told me that if you want to find someone with 'good skills,' don't mind their past. I see potential in your future, so I don't care about your past. If you want to turn over a new leaf, you naturally have to give up that reckless lifestyle. It’s all dialectical, isn't it?"

Bai Haonan suddenly turned his head and gave a flattering smile: "Why am I even debating you... Starting tomorrow, can I drive the Rolls-Royce? I want to try out all the cars parked downstairs at your place."

Yu Jiali rolled her eyes playfully, looking annoyed but amused: "You really are a rascal!"