Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The boy's voice was so loud that it captured the attention of those from nearby teams.

"The one who went viral for dunking on someone's head?" the other boy exclaimed, his voice louder than the first boy.

Kai pursed his lips as he looked at the three of them. He definitely didn't know them. However, from their team jacket, it seemed like they were also a part of the Huolan Guardians.

"Jade, Tingtai, Yeruo," a familiar voice said from afar.

Kai paused as soon as he heard the familiar voice.

"Henry," he muttered, making sure he was the only one who could hear himself.

One of his past tormenters was here.

The names he called out, however, were definitely unfamiliar. So, they must only know Kai based on the viral video he had when he first started playing for the Shizi Dogs.

The three of them ignored Henry and continued questioning Kai.

"What the? Is it really you? Why do you look so handsome now?" the third and last guy exclaimed.

"I'm not mistaken. His eyes are the same!"

"Waah, your video was hilarious, man. Did your team actually get into the Nationals? We thought you had dropped out by now," the first guy innocently said.

Within moments, the others started to flock around Kai, their eyes wide with recognition and curiosity.

"Wait, you're the funny guy?" someone exclaimed.

"My brother laughed at your videos a lot."

"Even my girlfriend, who doesn't care about basketball, was cracking up. I didn't expect you to be so handsome, though."

Kai pursed his lips as more and more people approached him for the funny video that plagued his nightmares.

He glanced at Lina, silently pleading for help. Sensing his unease, Lina quickly grabbed his arm and started pulling him away from the growing crowd. The rest of the team followed suit, with Jet entertaining the crowd.

However, as soon as Kai was gone, the crowd also dispersed, causing him to click his tongue and follow after the rest of his teammates.

They hadn't gone far when they bumped into Coach Muchen.

"There you are," he exclaimed. "Just in time. I got your keycards."

Kai and Lina sighed in relief as the coach led them toward the hallway that led to their rooms. The team quietly followed him, excited to settle down in their temporary home.

Their living quarters were definitely next level.

The rooms were spacious, each with two bunk beds, giving them plenty of space to move around. They decided to stick with their roommates during the summer training camp.

As they entered the spacious room, Jet was the first to break the silence, laughing as he pointed at Kai. "Famous now, aren't you? And for being the comic relief of all things!"

Shang smirked, leaning back against his bunk. "Yeah, you're getting famous for everything except basketball."

Kai clicked his tongue in annoyance. "They'll see," he muttered under his breath.

But his stomach had other ideas. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

With a loud growl, it reminded him that they hadn't eaten for a few hours, "I'm starving," Kai admitted, rubbing his belly. "We didn't even get to eat lunch."

The others nodded in agreement. "Let's go. I saw a buffet at the left wing," Shang said, already heading for the door. "I'm not waiting for the others. We need food."

They made their way down to the hotel's dining area, and as they entered, they were met with the sight of a packed room. Every table was filled, with players from various teams crowding the long tables in the center of the room. In the middle of it all sat the strongest teams, as expected.

Jet squinted as he scanned the room. "Should we go and ask the Knights if we can sit next to them? They're right next to the buffet table."

Kai shook his head, already searching for an empty spot.

"That's embarrassing," Andy voiced out. "Let's just find a spot that's less crowded."

Jet clicked his tongue and followed after them.

After a few minutes of searching, they finally found four empty seats near the dispensing area.

"It's the only empty space," Andy said, scratching the back of his neck.@@novelbin@@

"Pretty," Shang said as some workers dumped the leftovers inside the huge bucket.

"Whatever," Jet exclaimed. "I'm not letting this opportunity pass."

It wasn't ideal, but at this point, they didn't care. They were too hungry to be picky.

They dropped their belongings on the seats and made their way to the buffet. Plates in hand, they piled on the food, ignoring the stares of the other players as they passed by the long table.

"They have an Asian section, an Italian section, and a Mexican station! I am in heaven," Jet exclaimed.

Kai nodded, not minding that the food on his plate was mixing. He didn't have a great appetite in his past body, but with this one, he felt like he could eat an entire horse and still be hungry.

"Are you all done?" Shang asked, already excited to eat.

The other three nodded.

They made their way back to the table with full plates, appearing like they were eating for the entire team.

"Let's go back and taste everything," Shang advised as they started eating. "It's a buffet, and it's free, so we have to make the most of it."

Andy chuckled as he took a bite. "You sound like my mom."

They continued to eat without a word.

However, they collectively stopped eating when they suddenly noticed the stares of the players around them.

The long table could seat about twenty people, but only ten players were sitting there, most of them wearing different jerseys, indicating they were from different teams.

"Sorry," one of the players said, breaking the silence. "We noticed the emblem on your bag."

"Shizi High?" another asked, his eyes narrowing in recognition.

Kai nodded slowly, unsure of where this was going.

Were they finally being recognized outside of Jilin? He was about to smile when the player spoke once again.

The player sighed in relief, glancing around the table at the rest of the other players. "They're another unknown school like us!"