Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Half-time arrived, and the tension in both benches matched each other's. Coach Muchen's eyes immediately went to Yuze's ankle. He had noticed the way Yuze had been limping slightly towards the end of the quarter, but now, as the players gathered around, the coach couldn't ignore it any longer.

Muchen knelt down in front of Yuze, appearing concerned. "Yuze," he said quietly, "let me take a look."

Yuze, leaning back against the bench, grimaced but complied. He began to unwrap the bandage around his ankle. As soon as the last layer came off, everyone could see the problem.

His ankle was swollen, the skin an angry shade of red and purple. It looked far worse than any of them had expected.

Kun's eyes widened. "You're still not better?" he asked in disbelief.

The rest, aside from Kai, were also confused.

"Can you even play?" Kun asked, sounding like he was about to cry.

Yuze pressed his lips together, not answering. He instead grabbed the roll of bandage and started wrapping it again, tighter this time.

"Captain, come on," Renren said, shaking his head. "This is getting crazy. You can't play like this."

The rest of the team watched in stunned silence. Even Lina stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "You need to sit out for a bit," she urged softly. "Let it rest. There's still a whole half to go. If it gets better, you can play in the finals." Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

However, Yuze's face showed determination. "We won't even make it to the finals if that happens," he said.

Besides, Yuze had already set his mind for this to be his last game.

His eyes hardened as he tied the bandage off, tucking the end in with a sharp motion. "I'm fine," he muttered, picking up a can of ethyl chloride and spraying the numbing mist over his ankle. The coolness bit into his skin, dulling the pain, but not enough to fully mask it.

The rest of the team exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. They knew Yuze was stubborn, but this felt like more than just a desire to win.

Kai, who had been leaning against the bench with his arms crossed, watched the scene silently. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, before stepping forward.

"Let him be," Kai said, cutting through the murmurs. His voice was calm but firm. His gaze locked with Yuze's, and something unspoken passed between them. "You can still play, right?"

Yuze looked up at him, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Of course."

Kai nodded once, acting like it was all the confirmation he needed. The rest of the team exchanged uneasy glances, but Kai's confidence in Yuze seemed to settle the matter for now.

Muchen stood up, running a hand through his hair. His worry hadn't disappeared, but he knew when a player's mind was set. He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Alright," he said finally, turning to the rest of the team. "Andy, you're coming back in. We need some shots from the outside.

You good?"

Andy, who had been sitting quietly, nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Jinping, you too," Lina added, her tone more authoritative now. "Yuze needs some backup on defense. You're the one who can handle it."

Jinping looked hesitant at first, glancing at Yuze's ankle before nodding. "Got it."

Muchen clapped, trying to bring the focus back to the game plan. "We have a high chance of winning this…even if the odds are against us," he muttered the latter part of the statement.

The team nodded in agreement, though their nerves still lingered. They all knew Yuze was pushing himself too far, but no one wanted to challenge him—especially not with Kai backing him up.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the court, the Knights' bench had a very similar energy. Coach Guanyu stood with his arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning the Shizi Dogs' huddle.

"They're bringing the newbies back in," Guanyu observed, a small smirk playing at the edge of his lips. "That Muchen guy still has a lot to learn."

Max frowned. "What do you mean, coach?"

Guanyu chuckled softly, shaking his head. "He's putting his faith in rookies. Kai's great. There is no doubt about that, but what about the rest of them? Andy, Jinping, even Renren—they're good, but they're not seasoned enough. They've got nerves, and when it comes to high-stakes moments like this, nerves can break a player."

Max glanced across the court at the Shizi Dogs' bench, where the so-called 'newbies' were getting ready to head back in. He had to admit that his coach was right.

"So, what's the plan?" Max asked, turning back to his coach. "What are we gonna do?"

Guanyu's eyes flicked over to Yuze, who was standing up now, testing his injured leg—but his dad didn't know about that, of course.

"We push them to the breaking point," Guanyu said simply.

Fabin blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly. "The breaking point?"

Guanyu turned to the Knights, raising an eyebrow. "Yes. They're all inexperienced. All it takes is a little extra pressure, and they'll start to crack."

Max hesitated, his gaze drifting back to Yuze. "You mean… push Yuze to the breaking point?"

Guanyu's smirk faltered slightly as he turned to face Max fully, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

Max shifted uncomfortably. "Yuze… he's your son. That's what you want, right?"

There was a brief pause. Guanyu's face didn't change much, but the intensity in his eyes sharpened. "What does that have to do with anything?" His tone was cool, almost dismissive.

Max swallowed hard. "You want me to push your son to his breaking point?"

"Do your job," Guanyu said finally, his voice low and firm. "Yuze is a player like anyone else. If he can't handle the pressure, then that's on him."

Max nodded slowly while the rest of the team exchanged confused glances.

"Since when did you have a son, coach?" Ailun asked after a while. "I was sure no one would want to deal with your strict personality."

"Yeah, I can't believe anyone would let coach hit them up," Fabin added, earning him a very hard squeeze on the shoulder.