Section 2

Lin Yiyang took out one by one the balls she had just pocketed from the bag and arranged the nine balls into a diamond shape on the table. She thought he wanted to start a new game, but unexpectedly, he only wanted to tidy up the pool table

Lin Yiyang has already put on his cold-resistant clothing and zipped it up: "I will take you back."

She originally intended to wait for Lin Yiyang to finish drinking before approaching him, but he unexpectedly took the initiative, leaving her in a passive position

So it turns out, as Yin Guo crossed the street, he pondered that he really loves to treat people to meals

I will call a car, just a moment," Yin Guo took out his phone from the pocket of his down jacket

Send me

Lin Yiyang leaned against the billiard table, playing with a white ball

He changed to green powder and applied it to the tip of the rod

Hi. She lightly waved her right hand

Yin Guo is also troubled; in fact, the entrance to the subway is right at the door of her inn, so she shouldn't need to keep taking taxis. However, the mere thought of the subway brings her psychological distress.

Yin Guo knew that they were about to contest the kickoff rights

"I want to treat someone to a meal, but I have no money," he noticed the traffic light turned green, placed his hand on Ying Guo's back, pushed her onto the sidewalk, and walked to her right side, "consider it a condition of exchange"

Quiet

I am wondering, are we good friends?

The Berry who just spoke with you is the one who brought me here. I heard that there are many contestants here tonight, so I came to take a look," Yin Guo thought for a moment and then explained, "I registered to participate in the U.S. Open.

I, I will come forward." Berry volunteered actively

Lin Yiyang's first game conquered all the strangers present, including the regional champion. Perhaps previously, he was the reigning champion of this billiard hall and this region, but tonight, it is likely to be a terrifying battle.

He slowed down, and Yin Guosong let out a sigh of relief

Once the broadcast prompt sound is gone, one becomes a fool

He pointed at Su Wei with his gaze

Is this meant to hit a fast ball

The cue is in position, and the ball is pocketed. There are no mistakes, zero errors

It is indeed quite late. Her friend has also sternly warned her that in New York, apart from living in Manhattan, she should never go out alone at night as a girl. Knowing that Yin Guo has to practice in the gym until dark every day, she also reminded her to have Meng Xiaotian pick her up and take her back to the hotel every day

Of course, Yin Guo, under the intense gaze of everyone, appeared as if she had committed some wrongdoing, acknowledging her mistake with a proper demeanor and sincere tone, stating, "We have always been friends"

He looked at Ying Gu, who was so quiet, and lowered his head to look at her: "Why aren't you asking anymore?"

"It's not far from here," she also thought about the issue of going back, "but I'm staying in Flushing tonight, at my boyfriend's place, so I guess I'll have to go back by myself."

Having not completed all 15 rounds, the gambling match for tonight has already been secured. A perfect conclusion

He handed a banknote to the waiter and whispered a few words. Shortly after, the waiter came over with two glasses of drinks, which he picked up and handed to Yin Guo and Su Wei

Lin Yiyang nodded. In fact, he knew.

If one does not play fast balls, every stroke in a formal match is crucial, and each stroke must be executed with precision. This is to stabilize the mind and to prepare adequately for the next shot

Having just met not long ago, Lin Yiyang placed the cup on the billiard chair, looked at her earnestly, and said in English to the gossiping crowd present, "I actually hope she considers me a friend"

There are many questions in my mind, but I am not very familiar with it yet, and I have not gotten used to chatting casually like friends, so I can only keep it to myself

Unlike these professional players, he did not even bring his own cue to gamble on such a large-stakes billiards game, but instead used the public cue provided by the billiard hall

The regional champion gladly accepted, smiling and expressing that he would save money in anticipation of betting against Lin Yiyang again

"Is it all such a large amount? Or does this place prefer such large bets?" Yin Guo was startled when he heard the number just now, not expecting the amount to be so substantial here

In the face of a 1 cm chasm, Lin Yiyang emerged victorious

The subway here has a history of over a hundred years, and many of the carriages are quite worn. She is not afraid of dirt, but rather fears the absence of electronic display screens in the subway carriages, as the station announcements are not in her native language, requiring her to listen attentively to the station names throughout the journey

I made several mistakes in my seating last year, and afterwards, I became hesitant to sit anywhere casually. She was also feeling frustrated

The faster it is, the more accurate it must be

No, I don't want to keep bothering you

Yin Guo is still in a dilemma

He is accustomed to striding forward and has never slowed down for anyone. However, tonight, he is quite graceful and has reduced his pace.

At that time, he thought the cue was his brother's

... ...

Lin Yiyang stood up straight

He pressed Yin Guo's phone and pointed to her hat: "Put it on, we need to walk three intersections, it will take at least fifteen minutes to reach the subway entrance. Follow me, you won't get lost."

Yin Guo introduced Su Wei to Lin Yi Yang: "Su Wei, she came with me."

He and the regional champion walked to one side of the table and each placed their ball on the service line

However, tonight is different; it resembles more of a performance

However, he appeared to be in a good mood and quickly pulled out a half-stuck sticky note from his pants pocket, handing it to the regional champion, informing him that this was a classmate's account, and that the money lost could be transferred to this account.

Ball No. 1, Ball No. 2, Ball No. 3

The applause at the end of this round resounded

He came to serve as a referee, to ensure fairness, but in fact, he was more eager to ascertain whether Lin Yiyang's recent strike was merely a stroke of luck

The surroundings fell silent

There is a red light ahead, and one must wait for the green light

Only here is quiet

From the first day at the bar, seeing a cue case placed on top of three suitcases in the corner, Lin Yiyang knew that the siblings were there for the open tournament. On a snowy day, carrying a custom cue and hiding in a bar could only be for this reason, this identity

After Su Wei expressed her gratitude, she was pulled away by Bei Rui to play a game, and she kept turning back to thank him as she walked away

"Do you know each other?" Su Wei asked Yin Guo with surprise

This is the first time the two of them are alone together, without Meng Xiaotian present

Lin Yiyang smiled and shook his head, returning the cue to its original position and placing it on the cue rack

"I am a man, it doesn't matter how late I go back," Lin Yiyang glanced at the wall clock, "You are different."

Yin Guo also breathed a sigh of relief and replied in Chinese: "At first, I thought I had mistaken the person."

The owner of the billiard room smiled as he handed him a towel, complimentary, along with a cup of hot water. This was what Lin Yiyang had just requested from the owner before the final game. He was thirsty

Lin Yiyang smiled and said nothing further

Leaning down on one side of the billiard table, my gaze fell upon the cue ball, the tip of the cue aligned. With a single stroke, I struck.

In the tenth game, the 9 ball was struck and directly fell into the corner pocket under the watchful eyes of the crowd

"It is as it should be," he said, "I am a man, and there is no excuse for not escorting a girl home."

Traveling from Washington to Flushing, New York, is certainly for a very important friend

Everyone laughed and eagerly contributed money

Slowly, slowly, Lin Yiyang's orange ball surpassed the opponent's yellow ball. That ball rolled to Lin Yiyang's front, stopping right against the edge of the table, neither more nor less, touching the cushion, with no closer distance possible.

In a nine-ball match, the player who ultimately pockets the 9 ball is the winner

Due to the tension of watching the game and not speaking for a long time, my throat is a bit hoarse

Berry stated, and Su Wei relayed: "Moreover, this regional champion has already secured three victories in this very room. This is his lucky place. Berry also mentioned that three thousand dollars is too hasty."

A long, low-hanging light fixture casts a soft white glow on the blue table surface. The illumination is quite low, barely reaching above his waist. Barry quickly sets up the balls, arranging them into a neat diamond shape on the table.

Su Wei is bending down, aiming at the ball she intends to hit, which is located at a distance, near the table by the door

In the complete silence of the room, there were two faint sounds of impact

There should be no next time, Lin Yiyang said

... ...

The rules are quite simple. Two individuals must strike the ball together from the service line, and each ball must hit the opposite side before bouncing back. The player whose ball comes to a stop closest to themselves wins.

Yin Guo put on his hat and closely followed him, feeling very cold, not daring to take his hands out of his pockets

He won. A break and clear.

Unconsciously cleared my throat

"Do you like betting on football?" she initiated the casual conversation

The other party patted his arm heavily and said: "Young man, tell me, are you participating in this year's U.S. Open? You must have registered, right?"

Are you friends? The regional champion who lost the game also asked Lin Yiyang

He knows the location of the Yinguo Inn, and naturally, he is also very clear that her inn is far from this billiard room

Lin Yiyang stopped in his tracks; they had already reached the intersection in such a short time.

As the ball sank into the pocket, others had already moved to the right side of the billiard table, preparing for the next shot, and another ball fell into the pocket. Yin Guo had just seen the ball go in, and he quickly repositioned himself for the next shot.

Lin Yiyang did not give her much time to think, pointing to the clothes and bag of Yin Guo piled on the nearby billiard chair, indicating for her to put them on, while he directly picked up the cue stick bucket for Yin Guo, carrying it as he walked to the front desk to settle the bill with the owner

Nine-ball differs from eight-ball in that one can only strike the ball with the smallest number on the table.

Lin Yiyang shook his head: "A classmate of mine placed a heavy bet on a football match with others, and he was too afraid to come. He kept begging me for half a month."

Lin Yiyang held an orange ball in his hand, while he handed over a yellow ball to the other party

Her boots continuously left fresh footprints on a layer of new snow, following Lin Yiyang's steps. Lin Yiyang was originally inspecting the vehicle, but upon lowering his head, he saw those small boots moving at an extremely fast pace, which was exhausting to watch

The speeds of the two balls are decreasing more and more

Once everything was settled, he picked up his cold-weather gear from the chair and asked, "Is that friend of yours staying at the same hotel as you?"

She bit the straw, sitting beside Lin Yiyang at this billiard table, on the pool chair against the wall, with both feet resting on the crossbar under the chair, watching the game at the adjacent table

Two balls rolled out almost simultaneously, tracing a straight trajectory on the blue billiard table, and collided with the opposite cushion, rebounding back at a constant speed

But isn't it too far from the inn, and does it require him to take a detour to drop me off?

Three thousand US dollars is indeed not a small amount

Lin Yiyang nodded slightly

The most unfortunate thing is that usually these dilapidated carriages often have malfunctioning announcement speakers.

"Who will be the referee?" Lin Yiyang picked up the white ball and placed it on the serving line

She once took the subway car twice in a row that had neither electronic display screens nor station announcements, and coincidentally experienced a subway malfunction, traveling four stations without stopping, which gave her quite a feeling of being in an unlicensed taxi, at risk of being taken away and sold...

As per the usual practice, the winner of the game is responsible for paying the rental fee for the billiard table

Generally

In less than fifteen minutes, it unexpectedly started to snow outside

Having spoken, he shouldered Yin Guo's cue bucket and walked into the wind and snow

Yin Guo discovered that he was playing 9-ball, which is his own competition event

Amidst the swirling snowflakes, Lin Yiyang smiled

He truly resembles a professional, Su Wei remarked softly

Suddenly realizing that no one was beside Lin Yiyang, I glanced back and smiled at him.

Yin Guo observed him in silence and continued to bite the straw

She exhaled white mist, and together with him, they walked in silence for five minutes. It was inappropriate to remain so quiet; she needed to find something to say

Lin Yiyang was amused by her seriousness, and replied in Chinese: "Just kidding, no need to take it seriously"

Yin Guo did not understand the betting amounts here and remained silent

It is an honor. Lin Yiyang supported himself with the cue while shaking hands with the other party

Yin Guo remains here alone

Some individuals pursue speed and aesthetics, yet they have high demands for positioning and accuracy

In the end, when there were only the 7, 8, and 9 balls left on the table, he struck the 7 ball with the cue ball, causing the 7 ball to hit the 9 ball, and surprisingly, both balls fell into the pockets one after the other

It should not be the case. On the first night, the driver clearly stated that he was taking Yin Guo and the others to the hotel, and that going to Queens would be a detour

The yellow ball also paused amidst the applause, having fallen behind by merely 1 cm

Is it not rather precarious to receive too many favors from others?

Yin Guo and Su Wei also ceased their quiet conversation. Both of them were well aware that in nine-ball, the break is crucial; securing it significantly increases the chances of winning. Therefore, at the start of the match, both players aim to seize the break.

Finally, he struck faster and faster

Yin Guo nodded slightly, realizing that he was an amateur enthusiast

The crowd quickly dispersed, each returning to their respective tables, as Lin Yiyang's spectacular gambling match had stirred their desire to play. Before long, everyone was enthusiastically engaged in the fierce battle of the night.

Are you on your way?

He did not pause or aim at all; there was nothing of the sort, only the balls continuously sinking into the pockets as he moved to the next position. This was the first time Yin Guo had seen someone play fast-paced shots up close, and the visual appeal and thrill were truly indescribable

In major competitions, few players tend to play fast balls, as these matches are closely related to their professional careers and world rankings, necessitating a steady and cautious approach. Conversely, one may encounter skilled players who play fast balls in practice rooms.

Yin Guo did not have time to think much, returned the cup to the bar, greeted Su Wei, put on her down jacket, grabbed her bag, and followed Lin Yi Yang who had just pushed the door open and walked out.

Yin Guo stared at them, she already had a pretty good idea of the outcome

Lin Yiyang shook his head, not counting it

"Are you afraid that I will sell you?" Lin Yiyang joked with her

"This is an amateur," Su Wei whispered to Yin Guo while pointing at Lin Yiyang's back, "Bai Rui said he is challenging the champion of a regional competition here"

Having been here for such a long time, are you still taking a taxi? Why not take the subway?

The regional champion, who had been sitting in the billiard chair and had just finished watching the last game, stood up, extended his right hand to him, and smiled with great joy. This was the exhilarating feeling of encountering an opponent. Having lost with complete acceptance, there were naturally no complaints.

The other party did not take it seriously, pat him on the shoulder: "You are always welcome here"

He placed the white ball in his hand on the cue ball line and said, "How did you run all the way over here?"

She fixed her gaze on Lin Yiyang's back, watching him as she once again applied the fine powder to the tip of the rod

"There is still time, everyone," this time it was not Lin Yiyang making the invitation, but the excited Berry, who was smiling and speaking in English, "We can still raise the stakes, there are a total of 15 rounds. Don't miss out, everyone."

Lin Yiyang held the rim of the cup, took a small sip, and moistened his throat. Among the several Americans beside him, he had been continuously lowering his head to drink water, indicating that he had indeed expended considerable energy and was severely dehydrated. After drinking nearly half a cup, he raised his head, as if he had just noticed Yin Guo, and directed his gaze towards her, smiling to himself: "Hi"

He originally came with the intention of becoming the regional champion, and after witnessing Lin Yiyang's stunning strike, his emotions soared even higher