Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 182 Cable Car Tutorial and the Newbie Period Without Halo

While waiting in line for the cable car, Lin Yan suppressed a few malicious taunts, but they did serve as a reminder to Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming—skiing may look cool, but if you try to learn it on your own, you'll likely suffer a lot, especially in this obviously hostile environment, where a bad fall is unacceptable.

Zheng Jiaming, being meticulous, whispered to Lin Yan before boarding the cable car, "Yan, apart from Liu Qian, this is the first time any of us have ever touched one of these things. Shouldn't we hire an instructor to teach us? In case we really break our legs like those guys said."

Lin Yan glanced at the five white youths who were still whispering not far away and nodded: "That makes sense. Safety first. There's no need to be reckless." He then gestured to Lin Gang.

Lin Gang immediately understood, left the group, and quickly walked towards the wooden hut near the cable car station with a "Ski School" sign. A short while later, he returned with five ski instructors—all dressed in matching red uniforms, with muscular builds and tanned faces.

Considering Yang Xi'en, there is also a female coach in the team.

"Young Master, we've arranged five instructors who will be responsible for guiding Young Master Wenbin, Young Master Jiaming, and Miss Yang on basic movements and safety matters," Lin Gang reported.

Upon seeing this, Li Wenbin breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest: "Great! With the instructor here, I feel much more at ease! I don't want to end up in the hospital on my first skiing experience."

At this moment, Tang Liuqian smiled and waved his hand, "I don't need one. Just arrange a coach for me and Xi'en, mainly to take care of Xi'en. When I was in middle school, I skied on the Alps a few times with my classmates, so I have some basic skills. I can try it myself." His tone was relaxed, but his eyes revealed confidence, which was clearly not an exaggeration. Yang Xi'en also nodded gently, indicating that she needed a coach's guidance.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan also said, "I don't need a coach either. I can learn by myself." He spoke casually, yet with an air of self-assurance. The coaches looked at him with some surprise, but seeing the young employer's extraordinary demeanor, they didn't say anything more.

So, the five coaches were quickly assigned: the two most experienced coaches were assigned to give one-on-one guidance to Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming, who had absolutely no experience; one coach was responsible for teaching Yang Xi'en; and the other two were assigned as backup coaches to look after Tang Liuqian, who already had a foundation, and Lin Yan, who claimed that he could "learn just by watching," to ensure the safety of the entire team.

This arrangement was clearly very thoughtful. The five white youths also noticed the "generous" move of hiring five coaches at once, and a hint of surprise flashed across their faces, but it was quickly replaced by a stronger sarcasm, as if they believed that this was an incompetent display of "East Asian nouveau riche" trying to build a sense of security with money.

The cable car slowly descended to the platform, and staff assisted them into the car. Heavy anchors secured it to the cable car railings, gradually lifting them off the ground, revealing a magnificent panoramic view of Lake Tahoe and the endless ski runs beneath their feet.

A cold wind blew, carrying the fresh scent of snowflakes. Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming, under the coach's guidance, gripped the handrails tightly, both nervous and excited. Tang Liuqian, on the other hand, relaxed, admiring the scenery, occasionally pointing to the distant ski slope and whispering to Yang Xi'en. Lin Yan sat quietly in a corner of the cable car, his gaze sweeping across the winding ski slope below, like a king surveying his territory. Beneath his calm exterior, no one knew that he was meticulously sensing every undulation of the slope and the texture of the snow with his divine sense.

The cable car ascended smoothly, pulled by the steel cables, and the snowscape below became increasingly magnificent. During this break, several instructors began teaching their respective students the basics of skiing.

The instructor in charge of Li Wenbin was a burly man named Hank. His voice booming, he pointed to the ground gradually receding from their feet and said, "Li, look, we're going through the 'Rabbit Hill,' perfect for beginners. Remember my first tip: relax, but keep your core engaged! Your knees should be slightly bent like springs, and your body weight should lean forward, as if you're gently resting on the tongue of your ski boots." He gestured to himself as he spoke, "Don't stand straight like a stick, or you'll fall over at the slightest touch! And don't sit back, that's why most beginners fall on their butts!"

On the other side, Tom, Zheng Jiaming's coach, focused more on theory: "Mr. Zheng, the essence of skiing is controlling your center of gravity and utilizing the edges of your skis. At the beginning, we'll learn the 'snowplow braking,' also called the pizza technique." He mimicked an inward-pointing stance with his feet on the chairlift floor, "Like this, the tips of the skis come together, the tails separate, and you use the inside edges of the skis to grip the snow surface to slow down and brake. Remember, speed control is always more important than pursuing speed."

Sarah, Yang's female instructor, was more patient and gentle: "Ms. Yang, don't be afraid. Skiing is very elegant. At first, we will only practice on small slopes to feel the skis sliding on the snow. Falling is normal. The important thing is to learn how to fall safely—fall sideways, and don't use your wrists to brace yourself."

As Tang Liuqian listened to the coaches' explanations, he smiled and whispered to Yang Xi'en, "Xi'en, remember your center of gravity. If you feel like you're about to fall, sit to the side or back. It'll be fine." He seemed quite adept at it, clearly demonstrating that his experience in Switzerland was not unfounded.

Although Lin Yan claimed he didn't need an instructor, Jack, the instructor responsible for supervising him, still dutifully reminded him of a few things about observing the slope, being aware of blind spots, and the proper way to disembark from the cable car. Lin Yan listened casually, but his gaze never left the slope below. His spiritual sense, like the most sophisticated radar, had already detected the slope's gradient, the softness of the snow, and even the smallest, barely noticeable patches of ice. For him, the saying "you can learn just by watching" was no exaggeration. His powerful body control and spiritual perception allowed him to instantly understand and master the physical essence of the sport.

The cable car arrived at the mountaintop platform, where staff assisted them off. The beginner area (Rabbit Hill) was a wide, gently sloping area that was fenced off, where many people were already practicing, and it was common to see people falling and tumbling over.

Hank and Tom immediately took Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming to practice putting on and taking off their skis, as well as basic walking and turning, on flat ground. Li Wenbin was clumsy at first, his skis were completely unresponsive, like a toddler learning to walk, which meant Hank had to help him up again and again. Zheng Jiaming, on the other hand, was learning more diligently, and although he still stumbled occasionally, he was already trying to find his balance.

Encouraged by Sarah, Yang Xi'en began to try light gliding on the very gentle slope, while Tang Liuqian easily made simple turns around her, demonstrating his solid basic skills, which drew admiring glances from Yang Xi'en.

After getting used to the weight of the skis and the feel of the snow, Lin Yan headed straight for the slightly steeper starting point of Rabbit Slope. Coach Jack was about to warn him to be careful when he saw Lin Yan slightly bend his body, adopt a basic snowplow position on his skis, and smoothly slide down the slope with a steady forward push of his center of gravity. His movements initially showed obvious signs of imitation, appearing somewhat rigid, but every tiny shift of his center of gravity was incredibly precise. His trajectory was remarkably stable for a beginner, his speed control was perfect, and he didn't fall even once. He even began to subtly adjust the angle of his skis during the ride, feeling the delicate differences in the friction between the edges and the snow.

Coach Jack was somewhat stunned; he had never seen anyone display such astonishing body control and learning speed on their very first time skiing. "Mr. Lin, are you...are you sure this is your first time skiing?"

Lin Yan came to a steady stop at the bottom of the slope, turning back to look at the summit. His gaze seemed to casually sweep over the five white youths who had just disembarked from another cable car and were now huddled together, pointing and laughing in their direction. A barely perceptible smile played at the corners of his lips, and his reply to Coach Jack drifted on the wind:

"Hmm, first time. It seems... not too difficult."

Under the coach's guidance, Li Wenbin, Zheng Jiaming, and Yang Xi'en finally managed to master the technique of "walking" on flat ground wearing skis—more like clumsy, high-knee shuffling. Next came the use of ski poles.

"Snow poles are your good friends," Coach Hank said to Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming, waving his aluminum snow poles. "On flat ground and gentle slopes, they provide momentum to help you move forward and turn. Remember to use your wrists, like rowing, to point the tips of the snow poles to your side and behind your body, instead of swinging them with your whole arm."

Li Wenbin tried as instructed, but he used too much force, and the tip of his ski pole went too deep into the snow. He lurched forward and almost fell face-first into the snow, but luckily Hank reacted quickly and caught him. "Hey! This thing isn't very obedient!" Li Wenbin complained, grimacing.

Zheng Jiaming learned more cautiously. He carefully controlled the force and rhythm of his ski poles hitting the ground. Although his movements were clumsy, he was able to glide a short distance on flat ground, which boosted his confidence.

However, the real test comes from that seemingly gentle "rabbit hill".

Encouraged by the coach, the three cautiously stood at the top of the slope. Yang Xi'en, accompanied by Sarah, took the lead. Following the instructions, she plowed her skis and carefully began to slide down the slope. The first few meters went smoothly, but as her speed increased slightly, she panicked and instinctively tried to use her ski poles to brace herself and brake. However, the poles got caught on the tail of her skis, and she instantly lost her balance. With a cry of "Ouch!", she gracefully fell sideways into the snow, kicking up a cloud of snow dust.

"Are you alright, Xi'en?" Tang Liuqian immediately skied to her side and reached out his hand with concern. Coach Sarah also quickly stepped forward to instruct her on how to stand up on her own—she needed to bring her skis to her side, place them horizontally on the slope, and then use her ski poles for support to stand up.

On the other side, Li Wenbin watched Yang Xi'en fall, and his heart sank even further. He took a deep breath and tried to follow her down the slope. At first, it was alright, but he couldn't help but look down at his skis, and his center of gravity unconsciously shifted backward, causing the skis to accelerate uncontrollably. "Whoa! How do I stop! How do I stop!" he yelled in panic, frantically trying to use his ski poles to brace himself, but to no avail. Finally, in the middle of the slope, he tumbled over in an extremely awkward position, skis and all, and one of his ski poles flew off.

"Lee! Shift your weight forward! Imagine you're sitting in a chair!" Coach Hank shouted as he quickly slid down to help him.

Zheng Jiaming witnessed Li Wenbin's "miserable state" and became even more nervous. He forced himself to concentrate, silently reciting the key points, and carefully controlling the angle of the snowplow, trying to use the edges of the skis to skim off the snow and slow down. For the first ten meters or so, he actually managed to control his speed, which made him happy. However, just as he relaxed his vigilance slightly and tried to turn slightly, he lost control of the angle of the skis, and they crossed. The skis bumped together, and with a "thud," he fell forward, landing hard on his face. His ski poles slipped from his hands, his face was covered in cold snow, and his glasses were askew.

"Zheng!" Tom, Zheng Jiaming's coach, quickly skated over to help him.

For a time, the three skiers were falling one after another in the beginner area, with all sorts of unexpected situations. Li Wenbin rolled like a gourd, Zheng Jiaming fell forward, and Yang Xi'en mostly fell sideways gracefully. In their hands, the ski poles sometimes became a burden and sometimes a "weapon," falling far short of their ideal effect of providing power and balance.

The five white youths happened to be skiing down a steeper slope next to them. When they saw the scene of people tumbling and falling, they burst into laughter without any restraint. Some of them even whistled, their laughter full of mockery.

"Look at those yellow-skinned monkeys, don't they look like clowns from a circus?"

"I bet they'll fall a hundred times today!"

The harsh words drifted on the wind.

Li Wenbin had just been helped up by Hank when he heard this and his face turned red with anger. He wanted to retort, but he almost fell down again because he was distracted. Fortunately, Hank held him back tightly.

Zheng Jiaming silently adjusted his glasses, brushed the snow off his body, his face was gloomy, but he gritted his teeth and didn't say a word, only gripping his ski poles even tighter.

Yang Xi'en leaned against Tang Liuqian, his brows furrowed, clearly also somewhat annoyed.

At this moment, Lin Yan had finished another smooth run and stopped at the bottom of the slope. He looked up at the arrogant figures on the summit, then at his companions struggling against the snow and gravity. His eyes were calm, yet seemed to hold a chilling depth. He lightly weighed his ski poles in his hand and calmly said to Coach Jack, who was looking somewhat worried, "..."

"It seems some people find watching others wrestle amusing."