Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Jian walked outside of the court, turning around with a small smirk.

"Chaoxing would never be able exploit my skills again," he muttered, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets as he whistled a low, carefree tune.

The night breeze felt soothing against his skin, so he closed his eyes for a moment as it ran through his hair.

For a second, he could almost forget where he was—like he was back in his big room with plenty of gaming equipment.

Almost.

Jian continued to walk. He didn't have a destination in mind. He just wanted to escape from the noise and the crowd. Chaoxing could handle the rest of the night. Jian didn't need to be there, and he didn't want to be.

"Let's go to the beach," he muttered, knowing that it had been a long time since he had visited such a site.

He was about to head to the beach, but he quickly halted when he heard something from far away.

From the other side of the facility, he heard the unmistakable sound of a basketball being dribbled—no, not just dribbled, but pounded against the pavement.

Jain frowned. "Why's it so loud?" he muttered, his curiosity piqued. Then, before he knew it, he turned in the direction of the sound.

It didn't take long for him to find the source. As he approached, the court came into view, illuminated by the harsh glow of the floodlights. There, in the center of it, was a tall figure moving quickly. It caught Jian's attention, and he stood still.

He tilted his head to the side as he watched the player continue his individual game.

"Good," he muttered. He had a good foundation. However, having seen and beaten so many good players, Jian didn't find it too special. He could just tell that this kid wasn't useless like those who had been asking him to play a game back on the indoor court.

Jian's eyes widened slightly as he watched. For a moment, it was like he could see invisible opponents surrounding the guy, as if he were in the middle of a real game.

"A hallucination?" he asked himself. Or maybe this player was actually imagining that he had opponents, and it was conveyed to Jian.

"Hmmm," Jian muttered under his breath, intrigued despite his usual cool personality. He stepped closer, moving silently across the court until he was just a few feet away from the player.

"Pass me the ball," Jian said, his voice calm, almost bored.

The player froze mid-dribble and turned around, startled. It took him a second to register that someone else was there, and when he did, his eyes widened in shock. Jian could practically see the recognition flash in his eyes.

"You scared me, man—" Kai started, but his words died in his throat as soon as he got a good look at who was standing in front of him.

Kai felt like he was whiplashed. He was so sure he was so alone! So, how did someone sneak up behind him? However, seeing that it was none other than Jian—the player he was anticipating to meet—it all made sense to Kai.

However, it didn't take away the amazement he felt. He was so discreet!

Jian sighed, a hint of impatience creeping into his expression. "Are you also one of my fans?"

Kai, still staring with wide eyes, pursed his lips and gave a small nod, not bothering to deny it.

"How long have you been watching?" Kai couldn't help but ask.

"Long enough to be intrigued," Jian replied with a shrug. He wasn't really in the mood for pleasantries, but something about this guy had caught his attention.

"I'm bored," Jian continued as if that explained everything. "Try to stop me."

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Kai's eyes widened further. "W—what? Now?"

Jian raised one eyebrow. "Don't you want that?" he added, his tone almost taunting.

Kai quickly shook his head.

"Y—yeah, I'll do that," he replied.

He still didn't understand why Jian asked him to play with such little context, but he wasn't going to complain now, was he?

This was a rare opportunity.

Jian nodded, a small, imperceptible smile playing at the corners of his lips. He started to dribble, moving at a relaxed pace as if he wasn't even trying.

But Kai didn't want to be fooled. He knew he couldn't let his guard down.

This was Jian Niu, the number one high school player in the entire country, and he was challenging him to a one-on-one. He was not just the best in Jilin, their city, but in all of China.

A legend in the making.

Kai widened his stance, feeling a rush of adrenaline. His heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to focus.

"I'm good too," he thought, not wanting to be intimidated.

But before he could even settle into his stance, Jian moved.

It was fast. Too fast.

Jian moved with a kind of speed and power that seemed almost unreal. In the blink of an eye, he was past Kai, the ball still glued to his hand as he executed a move that Kai recognized all too well.

Kai's eyebrows raised in surprise.

It was the same move Kai had been practicing just minutes ago, a combination of footwork and ball control that he had spent the last couple of months perfecting.

But Jian did it better. Effortlessly.

Kai spun around, trying to keep up, but Jian was already at the hoop, the ball soaring through the air leaving no room for error. It swished through the net, a clean, perfect shot.

Kai could only stand there, stunned. He had known Jian was good, but seeing it up close was something else entirely. It was like watching a master at work—someone who had taken everything Kai had worked so hard to learn and elevated it to a level he hadn't even realized existed.

Jian landed lightly on his feet, the ball bouncing away as he turned back to Kai, his expression unreadable. Kai didn't know what to say, his mind racing as he tried to process what had just happened.

Jian sighed, glancing up at the sky as if the whole thing had been nothing more than a fleeting distraction.

"Ah," Jian muttered.

"That's no fun."@@novelbin@@