Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The sun had barely risen when the Shizi Dogs arrived at the airport on their school bus. Fortunately, the school paid for it this time, so they didn't have to go to the airport by themselves.

The team was still waking up, some of the younger players rubbing their eyes and stifling yawns. A few of them even had traces of drool on their faces, causing Lina to grimace at the sight.

"Boys," she muttered.

However, her attention was quickly caught by the boy at the very back of the bus, shining brightly like the sun.

The early hour hadn't spared any of them, except maybe for Kai.

Despite the lack of sleep and the early start, Kai still looked sharp.

His hair was tousled in an effortless way, and his eyes, though slightly tired, sparkled with excitement. It was obvious he hadn't slept much, if at all, but somehow, it only seemed to add to his appeal.

Jet nudged Shang, pointing at Kai. "How is it that this guy doesn't sleep and still looks like he just stepped out of a photoshoot?" he whispered, sounding amazed yet annoyed at the same time.

"It's not fair," Andy grumbled in agreement, shaking his head. "I look like I got run over by a bus, and he's out here looking like a prince."

"What was that?" Kai asked, turning to them.

Jet shook his head. "Don't tell him. He doesn't need his ego inflated."

The team shared a few quiet laughs at their own disheveled appearances.

"There are a lot of people outside," Kai said, his gaze focused through the window.@@novelbin@@

"Hmm," Yuze muttered. "There are lots of people."

Lina stood and clapped. "Alright. Grab your luggage. It's time to go. Our boarding time is in half an hour."

The Shizi Dogs nodded and stood.

They made their way outside of the bus. However, they quickly froze when a chorus of cheers erupted from the gathered crowd.

The Shizi Dogs looked at the scene with wide eyes, momentarily stunned by the reception.

"Are they here for us?" Jinping asked, wide-eyed.

Coach Muchen, standing at the front, smiled proudly. "Looks like it," he said. "Keep moving, boys. We can't miss our flight."

As they walked towards the entrance, the crowd's energy surged. Banners with the team's colors waved in the air, and fans called out their names. Some of the players were too stunned to do anything but wave awkwardly, while others broke into wide grins, relishing the attention.

"Mini-celebrities, we are!" Jet exclaimed, puffing out his chest as they walked past the group of fans.

Andy snorted, shaking his head. "They're not here for you," he teased, pointing to a group of girls who had Kai's face printed on their shirts.

Jet clicked his tongue in mock irritation but couldn't hide his own excitement. The team finally made it inside the airport, and they headed straight to their boarding gate after the necessary processes.

As they waited for their boarding time, the players began to settle down, some stretching out on the uncomfortable airport chairs, others fiddling with their phones.

But any hope for a peaceful wait was dashed when they noticed another group of athletes seated nearby—the Yin Yang Knights.

"Crap. They were here all along?" Jet muttered.

The Shizi Dogs tensed up, their eyes narrowing as they recognized the uniforms of one of their fiercest rivals. Compared to their team, who were all wearing casual clothes, the Yin Yang Knights were sporting their expensive-looking matching jackets. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

"Let's move," Shang said, scratching the back of his neck.

However, the only seats available to contain their entire team were right next to the Knights. There was no choice but to sit near them.

Coach Guanyu arrived with a cup of coffee in hand, and a deep frown was setting on his face when he saw the Dogs next to the Knights.

His eyes flicked up briefly at Yuze, but he made no move to greet him. Yuze, of course, paid him back with the same treatment.

The two hadn't spoken since the finals, and their relationship seemed to become even more strained after it.

Kai already knew the two's relationship, so he knew that Yuze felt uncomfortable—even if it wasn't too obvious.

Without a word, he stood and offered to switch places with him, positioning himself at the edge of the row, creating a buffer between the two teams.

Yuze looked at him with confusion, but he felt thankful nonetheless.

Jet, never one to stay quiet for long, leaned over to Kai and whispered, "We're really unlucky, aren't we?"

Kai turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Why do you say that?"

"Because we have to face some of the strongest teams," Jet replied, his voice low, afraid the Knights might overhear.

"I've been thinking about it since the brackets have been revealed. How can we get stuck with a group of fourteen teams where nearly most of them had made it to the Nationals before?"

"I saw three other schools like us, but the other two are from big cities. Not only that, but they've been in the Nationals back in the early 2000s, so it's not entirely their first time."

Andy shook his head. "It's still amazing how the Knights, Dragons, and the Archers are in our bracket, though. Not to mention the others that have been in the top ten."

"Yeah," Jet said, finally agreeing with Andy. They usually had opposing opinions!

"I just hope we get paired with the weak teams early on."

Kai clicked his tongue and glared at Jet.

"What?" he asked.

"Don't call other teams weak," Kai said. "We didn't get here for being strong right away."

Jet sighed in amusement. "You're quite kind for a past troublemaker. Don't worry. It's not like they're going to hear us anytime soon. In basketball, there is the strong and the stronger, the weak and the weaker."

"It would be really unlucky for us to play against the stronger teams, right?" he chuckled.

"Like, it's definitely not going to happen," he added.

Andy clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"You've jinxed it now," he chimed. "Now it's definitely going to happen."