Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Hmm, let's see," he muttered as Dingbang began to dribble the ball.

Kai took a moment to size them up; although, it was clear that they're height was appropriate for their age. Kai was the one towering over them. It truly was because of the onions that Grandma Bingbing had fed him since he was young.

Still, he wasn't about to rush in blindly, especially against players from a winning school. He had heard of Faith Academy before, in the sense that they were some sort of 'nouveau riche,' meaning they were only able to acquire their title of champions recently due to their current line-up.

However, at the same time, he couldn't shake off the feeling that these first-year players might be more bark than bite. After all, empty cans do make the loudest noise.

As the game began, Kai decided to start cautiously. The Faith Academy trio set up a play, moving the ball quickly between them. It seemed like their seniors had trained them well since their teamwork and ball-handling were quite proficient.

Kai raised his eyebrows, watching their movements with keen interest. They were fast, no doubt about it, but there was something predictable about the way they played. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as impressive as he had expected.

'Even Shang's better than this,' he thought.

On the sidelines, Jet, Shang, and Andy exchanged knowing looks, barely containing their smirks.

Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

"This would be fun," Shang said, placing his elbows against his knees.

"Hmm," Jet agreed, finishing off his ice cream. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces once they realize who they're playing with."

The older locals on the bench also decided to stay and watch the action.

"These kids are pretty good," one of them said.

"I would hope so," another chimed. "I think they're here for the Nationals. I expect nothing less from the best young players in our country."

Meanwhile, Jiali and Anjing looked genuinely awed by the display from Faith Academy. Their wide eyes didn't go unnoticed by Hong and Dingbang, who exchanged self-satisfied smirks, clearly pleased with themselves.

Hong passed to Dingbang, and he shot from the three-point line. Kai's eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise.

Well, it seemed like the little shrimp could actually shoot from the distance. Nonetheless, he was not Andy nor Kexin. Not even near them.

With that, Kai grabbed the ball and bounced it on the ground.

"Don't be intimidated," Kai said quietly to Jiali and Anjing as he continued dribbling the ball. They both nodded, though their expressions still held a hint of uncertainty.

With that, he passed the ball to Jiali. Aside from seeing how their opponents played, he also wanted to see how his teammates would handle the game.

Jiali caught the ball and hesitated for a split second, then began to move. To Kai's surprise, Jiali had a pretty solid foundation. His footwork was decent, and his dribbling was steady. But it was obvious that he lacked confidence, and that was enough for Hong to close in on him.

Jiali panicked, and his pass was sloppy. Anjing tried to recover it, but Dingbang was faster. He snatched the ball and made a beeline for the basket. With a smooth jump, Dingbang shot the ball cleanly through the hoop. The Faith Academy players high-fived each other, grinning from ear to ear.

"That's it!" Hong exclaimed. "Five points for us now."

The locals, as well as the other players on the benches, clapped with the supposedly 'impressive' play.

"Sorry," Anjing muttered, looking down at the ground. "I'm pretty nervous."

"No," Jiali sheepishly said. "It was my fault. My pass was not it."

"It's alright," Kai calmly replied, taking them by surprise. "That's enough," he vaguely added, now making them confused.

Jiali and Anjing turned to each other with questioning looks, but they both didn't know the answer to their implicit questions. Somehow, it just felt like they could trust their teammate.

Kai's eyes narrowed as he watched Dingbang and the others celebrate their point. These guys were way too confident for their own good.

At first, he wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. Somehow, they seemed to think younger than they actually were, so Kai was pretty conscious.

However, it was clear that these guys' egos needed a little bit of teaching.

"Alright," he muttered. "Five points is enough for you guys."

"What was that?" Hong asked, turning to Kai with one eyebrow raised.

Kai smirked and shook his head.

Then, he decided to go all out—these guys deserved to get crushed.

This time, he was going to show them exactly who they were dealing with. He started by faking a pass to Jiali, then spun around Hong, who had moved to block him. The spin was smooth and fast, leaving Hong wondering if Kai had even passed him. He felt a strong breeze waft through his skin, and before he knew it, Kai was gone.

The ball was still in Kai's control as he crossed over to his right, dashing toward Dingbang, who was waiting to defend.

Dingbang braced himself, expecting Kai to try to power through him. But instead, Kai pulled off a double crossover, switching the ball from hand to hand with lightning speed. Dingbang's eyes widened in surprise, but he wasn't out of the game yet. He tried to adjust his stance, but Kai wasn't done.

With a sharp movement, Kai pulled off a third crossover, this time so quick that Dingbang lost his balance.

Kai saw the opening and took it. He feinted a jump shot, drawing in the third player from Faith Academy, who had been hanging back. The moment the defender jumped to block, Kai twisted in midair, letting the defender fly past him. Now, with Dingbang still reeling from the crossover and the other defender in the air, Kai had a clear path to the basket.

He took a step forward, gathering his strength for the final move. Dingbang, who was barely 5'3", was still trying to recover from the shame of his fall. However, he stood quickly to try and stop Kai.

At first, his eyes narrowed in anger; however, it quickly became wide when he realized what was about to happen.

Kai's feet left the ground, and he soared upwards, the ball securely in his grip. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Dingbang could only watch in shock as Kai's feet were nearly in front of his face. It wasn't just their height difference—it was the fact that Kai could jump so high that it appeared like he was going to be kicked!

Then, with a powerful motion, Kai slammed the ball through the hoop, the sound of the dunk echoing through the court. The backboard rattled from the force, and the other players could only stare in disbelief.@@novelbin@@

The locals found themselves standing on the bench while the other non-playing players watched the scene with wide eyes.

Meanwhile, Jiali and Anjing turned to each other, now understanding why Kai felt so trustworthy.

Jiali shook his head in amazement.

"He's definitely not like us."