Chapter 186: The Boy from the Countryside

"Tell me more!"

Huangqian Yangyi's enthusiastic appearance made Takashima Rei feel somewhat strange.

"That child will come to visit our Seido tomorrow. When that time comes, I hope you can let him see what a real Pitcher is like, and what real high school baseball is!" Takashima Rei pushed up her glasses with her index finger; one look and it was clear she was definitely plotting something.

"Sure, I'm just afraid that by then, the little guy you worked so hard to find will be scared off," Huangqian Yangyi laughed.

"Don't be too serious, just go through the motions," Takashima Rei said helplessly. If she really let Huangqian Yangyi go all out, she was truly afraid he would crush Sawamura Eijun's spirit.

Huangqian Yangyi smiled and said nothing more. As for that guy, he would absolutely not be scared off; or rather, it would only ignite his fighting spirit.

The next day, Huangqian Yangyi woke up early and first went to the field to run ten kilometers, then began his daily morning routine training.

"Kazuya, let's try a new pitch," Huangqian Yangyi, who was doing pitching practice with Miyuki in the Bullpen, suddenly said.

"Huh?"

Before Miyuki could react, Director Kataoka at the entrance heard this sentence and turned his head to look at Huangqian Yangyi.

Seeing Director Kataoka staring at him, Huangqian Yangyi hurriedly scratched his head with a smile, "Besides the Four-seam Fastball and Two-seam Fastball that I can use in games right now, I only have the Circle Changeup and Slider. I think if I can master a pitch with vertical movement, it should have a very good effect."

Hearing this, Director Kataoka frowned thoughtfully. In fact, in his plan, he was prepared to let Huangqian Yangyi practice new pitches after the Jingu Tournament. After all, for now, polishing the existing pitches was also very important, and Huangqian Yangyi was only a First Year, so there was no need to be in such a rush.

His thoughts were the same as Huangqian Yangyi's: a pitch with vertical movement is either a Fastball-type Forkball or a Breaking Ball-type High-speed Curveball; these two types were the ones that could best amplify Huangqian Yangyi's advantages.

Comparing the two, a Forkball might be more suitable. By then, possessing three types of Fastball-type pitches—the Two-seam Fastball with horizontal movement and the Forkball with vertical movement—would make it very difficult for a Batter to distinguish between them when the ball speeds were not much different, and it could also maximize the ceiling of the Changeup.

"Your primary task right now is to control the ball speed you've grown into," Director Kataoka said.

At Koshien, Huangqian Yangyi's maximum ball speed soared to 157 km/h, and his average ball speed reached 154 km/h. However, after the increase in ball speed, his control also showed a certain degree of fluctuation.

"Boss, I understand," Huangqian Yangyi promised loudly, then rubbed his hands and asked with a smile: "Then, the Forkball?"

"Hmm, that's fine, but don't be impatient. Take it one step at a time; you should understand this principle," Director Kataoka said.

"Yes!"

After Director Kataoka left, Huangqian Yangyi looked at Miyuki with a lecherous smile, "Quick, quick, quick, let's try it out."

Miyuki sighed helplessly; this guy sometimes really just acts on a whim.

"Wait, I'm putting on my protective gear," Miyuki said. He still cherished his life when trying out new pitches.

Tanba and Kawakami, who were also doing pitching practice on the side, both stopped. They also wanted to see Huangqian Yangyi's Forkball.

Adjusting his grip, Huangqian Yangyi threw the baseball with a sudden burst of force.

Hmm? Not bad, Miyuki thought as he extended his glove, tracking the ball's path.

As a result, just as the baseball was about to enter the Home Plate, it suddenly dropped significantly, drilling past the bottom of Miyuki's glove and smashing into the ground.

"This... digging for potatoes?"

Tanba Koichiro looked at this scene in disbelief. Although he himself didn't like Huangqian and Miyuki very much, he had to admit their strength.

As a result, Huangqian Yangyi had actually dug for potatoes. A dark history, truly a dark history! It was a pity he didn't have his phone on him, otherwise, he would definitely have recorded it.

"Hey, hey, your Forkball doesn't have the same big problems as your Slider, does it?" Miyuki stood up and looked at the baseball behind him as he asked.

"Hehehe, the drop is just a tiny bit big, haha," Huangqian Yangyi laughed embarrassedly. He didn't know why either; even though he threw the ball using the correct grip and posture, the magnitude of the drop was much larger than a normal Forkball.

"Sigh~" Miyuki picked up the ball and threw it back, then said: "Since the drop is large, just aim higher when you throw. That way, it will actually make the Batter have a misconception, making it easier to induce a swing and a miss."

"The vanishing magic ball, right? I get it!" Huangqian Yangyi took the bat, and after Miyuki squatted down and got ready, he threw the ball again. This time, the trajectory of the flying baseball was aimed at the upper part of the Strike zone.

Whoosh!

Miyuki, who was prepared, quickly extended his glove, *Pop! *

"Nice Ball!"

Miyuki raised an eyebrow, "Give me another one!"

Whoosh!

"That one was a ball!"

*Swish! *

"Too high!"

"Too low!"

"Don't use so much force!"

"It hit the ground!"

Miyuki had to ruthlessly roast and criticize every ball he caught. After practicing for a while, Huangqian Yangyi was the first to lose his cool.

"I'm done, I'm done. Let me find the feel for it," Huangqian Yangyi broke down after throwing several balls without hitting the desired location. The exaggerated drop made it very difficult for him to control.

"Then train honestly and focus on controlling your increased ball speed first," Miyuki said.

Time reached noon. After lunch, when Huangqian Yangyi, Miyuki, and Kuramochi were strolling around the school, they noticed Takashima Rei driving away from the school.

"Where is Rei-chan going?" Miyuki asked.

"Well, you'll know in a bit. It's quite interesting," Huangqian Yangyi smiled.

"Hmm? Huangqian, do you know something?" Kuramochi asked curiously. This guy had been going to the Director's office so many times recently; he must know some inside information.

Huangqian Yangyi twitched his eyebrows, "Don't be in such a rush, just wait."

In the afternoon, not long after self-training began, Huangqian Yangyi, who was practicing batting, had just blasted Kawakami's pitch away with one swing when he saw Takashima Rei walking toward them on the path outside the field with a young boy.

"Senior Dong, you take over, I don't want to hit anymore," Huangqian Yangyi shouted to Dong Qingguo on the sidelines.

This guy, who had already retired from high school baseball, would come to the field to help the underclassmen train whenever he had time; in reality, he just wanted to show off.

"Yahahaha, let me do it!" Dong Qingguo carried his bat over, looking smug.

"Kawakami, get ready to meet your doom!"

Kawakami shivered, while Huangqian Yangyi snickered on the side.

The current Kawakami was much stronger than in the original story, and it was unknown if the scene where he gets taught a lesson by Dong Qingguo and told to go back to his hometown would still happen.