Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 587 - 143: One Generation Will Eventually Grow Old, but There Will Always Be Someone Younger (Extended - )

The sky was leaden gray, and the drizzling rain was like an unbreakable thread of sorrow, silently soaking the land of Kyushu. The air in the shrine was chilly, carrying the scent of wet soil and grass, which felt worlds apart from the intense and enthusiastic atmosphere of Yahoo Dome on game days: no streamers, no champagne, only black clothes, white flowers, and a silent crowd.

Inside and outside the shrine's hall, there were clusters of pure white chrysanthemums; at the center of this sea of flowers hung a photograph of Mrs. Akiyama Chie, wife of Manager Akiyama Koji, softly smiling—after her husband relinquished his managerial duties intending to dedicate himself fully to her, Mrs. Chie ultimately couldn't defeat the illness, passing away unexpectedly; and today is the farewell ceremony.

People dressed in black suits or simple kimono silently queued up, gently placing incense sticks into the censor and then deeply bowing to the memorial photograph. Among the crowd were family and friends of both spouses, as well as notable figures from the baseball world, all uniformly wearing expressions of sorrow, extending their deepest condolences and support to Akiyama Koji, standing at the family's reception position.

Accompanied by his eldest daughter, Akiyama Sharen, Akiyama Koji continuously bowed and returned politeness to every arriving mourner, his movements slow and heavy, each bow seeming to require his entire strength—the very Kyushu man who once strategized on the field with fervor, who wouldn't back down even when struck blind by a baseball, was now deeply entrapped in sorrow.

Standing among the dense mourning crowd, Lin Guanglai silently watched his worn-out mentor: the once robust and hearty figure now appeared somewhat hunched and frail; his trademark hearty smile had vanished, replaced by deep-seated fatigue and sadness; his eyes sunk, wrinkles clear as if sculpted, even his regularly groomed and dyed hair seemed overnight to have turned frosty white.

Lin Guanglai stood at the back of the line, and for some reason, he suddenly recalled many things.

He recalled before the designation meeting began, Manager Akiyama and President Wang Zhenzhi brought that heavy training plan to his home in Tokyo, promising him a wonderful blueprint for the future—that was the first time professionals believed he could accomplish the "Dual Swordsmanship" adjustment in the professional baseball world and devised a complete plan for him.

He recalled the time shortly after joining the team, each training session, regardless of performance, would inevitably end with a scolding from the manager; thinking carefully, it seemed Manager Akiyama never treated Lin Guanglai as a rookie from the very beginning, he always held him to the standards of a team core, a future leader.

He recalled during his rookie season, he once fell into a slump, with abnormal performances in consecutive games both pitching and hitting, facing pressure from all sides; when he began to doubt himself, it was Manager Akiyama who guided his training repeatedly, constantly telling him "trust your feelings, your talent and ability are far stronger than you think."

These past scenes, like film reels, continually flashed in Lin Guanglai's mind. He knew that even though he possessed the once-in-two-thousand-years talent touted by the media, without Manager Akiyama's trust and tolerance, without his constant high standards and strict requirements, without his timely guidance, he wouldn't have achieved his great domination—Manager Akiyama was Lin Guanglai's first supervisor in his professional baseball career, a stern teacher, a kind father, and a guide for his entire career.

As the crowd ahead gradually dispersed, Lin Guanglai finally stepped forward, slowly approaching. Without saying the customary words of condolences, he simply walked up to Manager Akiyama Koji and bowed.

"Guanglai, you came..." Manager Akiyama's voice was dry and hoarse, but upon seeing Lin Guanglai, he managed a faint smile, asking, "How was Hawaii, enjoyable? This was your first time going, right?"

Akiyama Koji was referring to the celebration activity after the SoftBank Team won the championship: ever since the SoftBank Group took over, every time the team achieved league victory or Japan's Number One at the season's end, the club would organize all players to vacation in Hawaii, all expenses covered by the higher-ups, as a reward for fighting throughout the season.

Due to his wife's critical illness, Manager Akiyama didn't join the vacation this year but chose to remain in Japan to accompany his wife through her final days.

Seeing the manager's forced smile in such a manner, for reasons unknown, Lin Guanglai felt a pang of sadness; just as he was about to speak, Akiyama Koji began to talk to himself again.

"Chie used to always say I was like a child who wouldn't grow up, constantly immersed in the baseball field, not knowing to take more care of family—even when our first child passed away prematurely, I was still playing games abroad, not able to be by her side... Yet despite this, for twenty years she's supported me from behind, from player to manager."

"I often told her before that when I retire someday, I'd take her to her favorite Hokkaido to see the lavender, soak in the hot springs... It's a pity she couldn't wait for that day..."