In this chapter, the young narrator tries to convince his father to attend the lecture, but he is unable to persuade him to do so because of his status as a member of the People's Republic of China. He also tries to persuade his younger brother, who is also a student at the university, to attend as well, but his efforts are unsuccessful. The young narrator then realizes that he is about to participate in an important ceremony, and he wonders why he has to attend such an important event. He hears that a new player has joined the team, but the young man has not yet taken part in the team's training camp.