Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The ball was passed back to Kai, and with that, he wondered if he should shoot.

It was obvious that the Huolan Guardians were now on edge because of Fang's instability. In a way, he was still their weakness. As much as they were talented, Fang was their pillar.

The moment Fang showed some sort of instability, they were bound to also feel unstable.

However, Kai knew that the nature of sport was crucial. It didn't wait for anyone.

An injured player.

An emotionally struggling teammate.

The game continued despite the presence of these variables.

And with that, Kai didn't hold back—for he knew that it was what Fang would hate the most—to be pitied.

Kai, taking advantage of their moment of weakness, grabbed the ball and went in for a dunk. The crowd screamed for him, but along with that was the sound of concern from the Guardians' fans.

Fang's chest heaved as he glared at the scoreboard.

61-53.

The gap he had fought so hard to create was gone in the blink of an eye.

Fang's grip tightened on the ball, his knuckles white. He needed to win.

His parents' words echoed in his mind, warm yet cold at the same time.

'Honey, you know that we're busy. Get yourself into the finals, then we'll come.'

They didn't even have to fly far.

It was a short trip since they were from the city.

But here he was, bending over backward, breaking himself just to get them to show up.

But Fang knew one thing—desperation fueled him. Desperation made him fight harder.

The referee blew the whistle for a timeout, snapping Fang out of his thoughts. The Guardians gathered at their bench, Rui already pacing nervously.@@novelbin@@

"We're close. We're still in this," Rui muttered, flipping through his notebook frantically, sweat dripping from his brow. "Okay, I've got it. Here's what we'll do—"

But Fang slammed the notebook down, the sound reverberating off the hardwood floor. Everyone froze, including Rui, who looked up at Fang in confusion.

"We're not doing any of your crap anymore," Fang snapped, his eyes blazing with frustration.

The rest of the Guardians exchanged glances, confused. Rui's strategies had been working—hadn't they? They had kept the game close. Why would Fang want to abandon what was working?

"Fang, what are you talking about?" Henry asked, frowning. "It's been going well—"

Fang's jaw tightened, cutting Henry off with a sharp look. "Stop yapping about it, and stop stealing your cousin's work," he spat, glaring at Rui. "He's dead. Put some respect on his name."

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The bench fell silent. Rui stood there, stunned, his mouth slightly open as if the wind had been knocked out of him.

"What?" Rui stammered, his hands trembling as he held the notebook close to his chest. "Fang, I—I'm just trying to help…"

"You're off the team from now on," Fang said coldly, his voice like ice. He didn't even look at Rui as he spoke, his focus already turning back to the court.

Rui's heart dropped. Off the team? He wasn't even a player; his role was more of a glorified water boy with scholarship perks tied to his association with the team. But he needed this. This was his future!

"Fang, wait—" Rui began to plead, but Fang wasn't listening. The timeout was over, and the Guardians headed back onto the court without another word to him.

Fang's blood was boiling now, and the fire in his eyes was impossible to miss. The Shizi Dogs could feel the change in his energy the moment he stepped back on the court.

As the whistle blew and the game resumed, Fang took control like a man possessed. The ball seemed to obey his every command.

"Kai's on him, but Fang's moving faster than before!" Hailey exclaimed. "He's looking dangerous out there!"

Fang charged toward the basket, and Kai stepped up to block him. But just as Fang was about to make the shot, he flicked the ball behind him to Henry, completely bypassing Kai's defense. Henry caught the pass and made a quick jumper.

"Fang with the assist! The gap's closing again, Kevin!" Hailey exclaimed. "This guy is not giving up!"

The score ticked down. 61-55.

Fang wasn't done. He ran the court again, his eyes locked on Kai, daring him to keep up. This time, when he got the ball, he didn't pass it. He faked a drive, forcing Kai to react, then pivoted sharply, leaving Kai behind as he dashed to the side. With a swift, practiced motion, he switched the ball to his non-dominant hand and took a soft, almost lazy shot.

61-57.

But Fang wasn't satisfied. He glanced at the scoreboard again.

"Still behind," he muttered.

He dribbled past the half-court line, surveying the defense. The Shizi Dogs were pressing hard, but Fang didn't waver. He signaled to Tingtai, the young player barely keeping up with him.

Fang drove toward the basket, but just before Kai could cut him off, he did something unexpected. He bounced the ball behind his back, sending it to Henry again, but this time, Henry didn't take the shot. He lobbed it back to Fang, who had slipped past the defenders into an open spot near the baseline.

Fang caught the ball with his non-dominant hand, took a single dribble, and released a smooth, high-arching shot.

The ball soared through the air in a perfect arc, falling cleanly into the hoop. The crowd erupted, the sound almost deafening.

61-59.

Kai's eyebrows raised in surprise.

That was none other than Fangs by Fang, but he elevated it even more!

Fang stood there, chest heaving, sweat pouring down his face as he stared up at the scoreboard.

Two points.

That's all that's left.

But the weight on his shoulders felt heavier than ever.

He didn't care about the score anymore. He didn't care about the glory or the cheers from the crowd. He needed to win because that was the only way his parents would come.

And with that, the third quarter came to an end.

61-59.

A two-point gap and one-quarter left.

Who's going to reign on top?