Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Yuze watched the scene intently, his brows furrowed in concentration.

The ball soared through the air before swishing cleanly through the net.

They were quiet for a couple of moments before the crowd erupted in cheers.

An effortless shot.

"Damn," Renren muttered, his mouth agape. "That was nothing for him."

"This is the person we need to beat in the Nationals?" Jinping asked, suddenly losing confidence.

"That is—if you guys even advance to the finals," Shang muttered. Usually, the others would scold him for saying such pessimistic words. However, they were way too consumed in their amazement that they couldn't refute Shang's statement.

Jian barely reacted, his expression unreadable, but there was a slight tilt to his lips as he handed the ball off to Chaoxing.

Jian then glanced to the side, his eyes scanning the faces of those gathered around.

"This is all it takes to impress them, huh?" he muttered.

Then, as Chaoxing passed him back the ball, he dribbled it a few times, feeling its familiar texture against his fingertips. Then, without warning, he made his move. He dashed forward, the ball gliding effortlessly between his hands as he surpassed an imaginary defense. The crowd watched in awe as he executed a flawless crossover.

As he approached the basket, Jian's eyes locked onto the ring. In one smooth motion, he leaped into the air. Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

Again, it appeared effortless—even more effortless than Max. The gym seemed to hold its breath as he soared, the ball gripped tightly in his hand. Then, with a powerful slam, he dunked the ball through the hoop, the sound of the rim rattling echoing through the court.

For a moment, the world stood still. Then, the crowd once again erupted into cheers, the noise bouncing off the walls as everyone acknowledged the brilliance of the play.

It was a perfect dunk from a perfect player.

Chaoxing stood off to the side, a smile of amusement tugging at the corners of his lips. He had seen Jian pull off plays like this countless times, but it never ceased to amaze him.

Jian was truly made for the court, fully immersed in the game, even if he claimed not to enjoy it much. There was something about the way Jian played that was captivating—like he came out of his mother's womb with a basketball in his hands.

Meanwhile, the Shizi Dogs watched from the sidelines, their hearts pounding in their chests.

"Crap, Kai really needs to see this," Jinping muttered under his breath, his eyes never leaving Jian. The others nodded in agreement, a collective sense of urgency creeping into their minds.

If this was who they were up against, they had a long road ahead.

"A one-man team," Renren added. "That's what he is."

As Jian finished his performance, the crowd's cheers slowly subsided, but their excitement remained in the air. He handed the ball off to one of the younger players, giving them a nod of encouragement before stepping to the side with Chaoxing.

"You're done?" Chaoxing and Jimmy asked.

"I'll do more later," Jian said, eliciting exclamations of excitement from those who heard him.

"Let them play for a bit."

Chaoxing sighed and shook his head.

"Alright, I'll hold onto your word for that."

***

Back at the beach, the sun had already set, and their surroundings were turning dark.

The waves became more intense as Kai and Lina continued to play in the shallow waters, the sound of their laughter filling the large space. They didn't speak much. Instead, they focused on their sandcastles, carefully shaping the wet sand into something beautiful.

Although, they didn't really need to do much work.

Sandcastles were already as beautiful as they were. So, despite the failures, their sandcastles still looked pretty.

As they worked, the sky gradually darkened further, the vibrant colors of the sunset fading into a deep blue. The stars began to twinkle above, signaling the end of another day. Lina glanced up at the sky, realizing for the first time how late it had become.

"It's getting dark," she said softly, brushing the sand off her hands. "We should probably head back."

Kai, who had been focusing on the final touches of his sandcastle, looked up and nodded. But instead of following Lina, he turned in the opposite direction, heading toward the path that led back to the dorms.@@novelbin@@

"Where are you heading?" Lina called after him, sounding confused.

Kai paused, his shoulders slumping slightly. He was tired, not just physically but emotionally.

"I think I'm heading back," he said, his voice quiet. "Aren't you?"

Lina pursed her lips, torn between wanting to stay with him and knowing she had responsibilities to the others. She sighed, her heart feeling heavy yet oddly relieved at the same time. Their earlier conversation had been difficult but necessary. Now, it was time to return to reality.

"I want to, but I have to watch over those guys. Can't leave them alone. You already know how those are. I'm afraid they'd get into trouble," Lina replied with a chuckle.

Kai nodded, also with a chuckle. "Alright," he said simply, turning to continue on his way. "See you later…or tomorrow."

Finally, they parted ways. Kai's footsteps grew fainter as he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Lina alone on the beach.

Lina walked back to the field. The sky was now fully dark, the stars shining brightly above as she approached the field. She expected to find the party to become much more intense, especially since the night was drawing near.

But as she arrived, she noticed something was off. The crowd had thinned significantly, and the once lively atmosphere had quieted down. The Shizi Dogs were nowhere to be found, causing her frown to deepen even further.

"Where are those bastards?" she wondered out loud, scanning the field for any sign of them.

"They went to the court," a familiar voice answered from behind her.

Lina turned around and saw Suzy standing there, a knowing look in her eyes.