Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Jian continued walking, bowing at those who smiled at him or pointed at him discreetly.

Even outside of their school, he was treated like a king. The whispers followed him, growing louder with each stride. Eyes trailed after him with a look of awe. Squeals of excitement filled the space when he was there.

He wasn't a stranger to the attention, but that didn't mean he particularly enjoyed it. He had grown accustomed to it. Sometimes, it became too overbearing.

"Is that really him?" someone whispered.

"No way, it's really Jian Niu."

"He really came!"

"I didn't came here without a reason. I finally get to meet Jian Niu."

"I can't believe he's here!"

"I've always wanted to play with him!"

"Holy crap! He's taller than I imagined."

"Go and approach him."@@novelbin@@

A small group of people, mostly younger players, gathered the courage to approach him. One of them, holding up a phone, nervously asked, "Could we get a photo with you? We're big fans! We've even watched your game during last year's Nationals!"

Jian listened to them intently, his signature smile on his face. "Of course," he said, obliging them. He crouched down slightly, allowing the eager group to cluster around him. The phone clicked, capturing the moment. They thanked him profusely, their faces glowing with excitement, before scurrying away to boast to their friends.

As soon as they were gone, the smile on Jian's face faded. He let out a tired sigh, suddenly having the urge to go home.

Truth be told, he hadn't planned on coming to this particular training camp. His coach didn't even oblige him to.

The last time he attended an event like this, he felt nothing but boredom, the kind that sank into his bones. It was all the same—small talk, fake smiles, and endless rounds of praise that he heard all the time. He didn't even acquire any skills by the end of it all.

What was the point of working hard when he was already the best among his peers? He'd been at the top for so long that the thrill of the game had dulled, replaced by a sense of going through the motions. He knew how good he was—everyone did.

Heck, even the players from the Elite Five knew he was the best.

But despite this, he couldn't deny that Chaoxing's intrigue had gotten to him. His teammate had been bugging him since the first day, saying that there was an interesting player in the camp. He wasn't one to care about the hype surrounding other athletes, but if Chaoxing was interested, then maybe, just maybe, there was something worth seeing.

He finally arrived at the football field, where the barbecue was in full swing. The moment his presence registered with the crowd, a collective gasp went up.

"Jian's here! Jian's here! Oh gosh," someone exclaimed, the excitement spreading like wildfire.

The Shizi Dogs, who were on their third plate of grilled meat craned their necks to see what the fuss was all about.

Renren's eyes widened when he saw a familiar figure that he only saw on the television or through his phone screen.

"Fuck, Jian's actually here!"

The others turned to look at him with wide eyes. For most of them, like Renren, this was the first time they were seeing him in person. They'd heard the stories, seen the highlights, but to have him standing right there was something else entirely.

The murmurs grew louder, some of the players nudging each other, debating whether or not to approach him for a photo or an autograph. Others just stood there, gawking, as if they couldn't believe their eyes.

"Yuze," Renren said, holding onto his bicep, wanting to drag the taller the player. "Let's go and take photos with him."

Yuze clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Forget the photos," he muttered. "I just want to play with him."

Chaoxing and Jimmy also turned to the site of commotion, their faces lighting up when they saw it was none other than Jian. They turned to each other before nodding, silently agreeing to go to where their teammate was.

"Look who finally decided to join us," Chaoxing called out, a grin spreading across his face. "There's only two days of training left, and you decided to show up now, huh?"

Jian smirked. "Two days is all I need."

"You don't even need two days!" Jimmy chimed in.

The others, who wanted to become a part of their group, exclaimed in agreement.

"That's right. You're the best, Jian!"

"Really. You don't even need to practice."

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Chaoxing shook his head as he looked at Jian. He knew that the guy secretly loved it...maybe, even craved for it. However, he had grown desensitized to it over the years.

Chaoxing was about to tell him to loosen up when, suddenly, a group of what looked like basketball newbies cautiously approached Jian. They looked a bit starstruck, unsure of how to properly address someone of his caliber. After a brief moment of hesitation, one of them spoke up.

"Uh, Jian… would you mind playing with us? Just a quick game?"

Jian looked at them, taking in their eager, hopeful faces.

This was another reason why he didn't want to go.

They were clearly excited, but also completely unaware of the gap between their skill level and his. He could already tell it would be a waste of time—a game that would only serve to highlight their shortcomings rather than challenge him.

He smiled at them, but there was no warmth in it. "I'm sorry," he said smoothly, his tone polite but distant. "I'm tired. Maybe another time."

The excuse rolled off his tongue effortlessly, a well-practiced line he'd used more times than he could count.

However, that wasn't really the case.

Jian had just woken up after a long sleep after spending all night playing video games. He was also brought to the training facility by their family driver. In short, he was at the peek of his physicality.

Yet, he still didn't want to play with them.

Why?

Because he didn't play with useless players.