Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Caleb clicked his tongue.

The young team was proving themselves, and for a second, he thought, 'These kids are actually worthy.'

But that thought was quickly pushed aside, replaced with frustration. Caleb thought of the sacrifices his team had made—the players who had been cut, the extra hours of grueling training, all so they could stay at the top.

"No way," he muttered. The fire in his chest reignited as he locked eyes with his teammates. "Let's end this."

The other veterans caught their youngest players' enthusiasm and nodded in silent agreement. Caleb's seriousness was contagious, and it spread across the team like wildfire.

They sighed, rolled their shoulders, and dropped the pretense of holding back. It was time to show these kids what it meant to be on the National team.

The Elite Five felt the change instantly.

Their movements sharpened, and their passes became faster.

On the sidelines, Bam and Jie, keeping score for the game, exchanged wide-eyed looks. Even they were afraid when their teammates played like this.

The gap was stretched to five points, and for the younger team, that was a small victory in itself. To be this close to the National team was a feat they couldn't have imagined just a week ago.

But for Kai, almost wasn't good enough. It never was.

"We can do this," Kai muttered. His teammates exchanged glances, sensing his resolve.

The ball was inbounded, and Caleb sprinted down the court. He drove past Max, who cursed under his breath, before tossing a perfect alley-oop to Marcus. Bam and Jie—though minimal—gasped as Marcus dunked the ball with a serious expression.

"Seven points now," Max muttered, shaking his head. "Were they holding back, too?"

Zheng clapped his hands loudly, drawing their attention. "Eyes forward! We're not out of this yet!"

Jimmy passed the ball to Jian, who managed to move past Dong, his massive frame struggling to keep up with Jian's surprising speed. Jian handed it off to Kai, who immediately cut through the defense. He made a sharp turn at the free-throw line, jumped, and released the ball. It sailed through the air and hit the rim before rolling in.

"Nice one!" Max shouted, grinning as he ran back to their side of the court.

"Not enough," Jian said, his brows furrowed. "We need more than nice."

Before they could celebrate, though, the gap was back to five points, and time was ticking. Caleb wasted no time, passing the ball to Marcus, who caught it without any trouble. Marcus faked a pass to Muyang, then spun around Zheng with a move so clean that even Jie let out a low whistle from the bench.

Marcus drove toward the basket, but just as he was about to lay it up, Jian appeared out of nowhere, jumping high enough to block the shot. The ball went into Kai's waiting arms.

"Go, go, go!" Max shouted, sprinting alongside Kai as they raced toward the other end of the court.

Kai pushed forward with all his might, dodging defenders left and right. He passed the ball to Jimmy, who immediately passed it back to Max. Max hesitated for a moment before taking the shot, but Caleb closed in fast, blocking it.

The ball was loose again, bouncing wildly across the court before Zheng dove for it, sliding on the floor to grab it. He quickly passed it to Kai, who was already positioning himself at the three-point line. Without hesitation, Kai took the shot.

The gym fell silent as the ball soared through the air. It hit the backboard and sank into the hoop.

"Two points!" Max shouted, punching the air.

"Three," Jimmy corrected, holding up three fingers.

"Right," Max said, his grin widening. "Three!"

The gap was back to two points, and the clock was ticking down.

Only twenty seconds remained.

Coach Xu Wei couldn't help but feel impressed by the younger team's determination. They had come a long way in such a short amount of time. It was as though they had finally let go of their egos and started playing as a team.

Back on the court, Caleb wiped the sweat from his temples, his breathing heavy. "Alright," he said to Dong and Jaw-Long. "Just don't let them score at all costs."

The ball was inbounded again, and Muyang caught it near the paint. He turned to shoot, but Jian was there, his arms raised high. Muyang faked left, then spun right, but Zheng came in for the double-team, forcing Muyang to pass it out.

Marcus caught the ball and immediately went for the jumper, but Max leaped higher than he'd ever jumped before, his fingertips grazing the ball enough to send it off course.

"Rebound!" Jian shouted, grabbing the ball before Caleb could reach it.

Twenty seconds left.

Jian passed the ball to Kai, who sprinted down the court with everything he had. He glanced at the clock. Fifteen seconds. The defense closed in around him, forming a wall he couldn't break through.

"Jian!" Kai shouted, tossing the ball over the defenders' heads.

Jian caught it just beyond the three-point line, wide open. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and released the shot. The ball arced beautifully through the air before sinking into the net.

"Nice!" Kai muttered under his breath, his heart pounding.

The gap was now two points, with only five seconds remaining. Muyang inbounded the ball to Caleb, who held it tightly, determined to run out the clock.

But Max wasn't having it.

With a burst of energy, Max lunged forward, slapping the ball out of Caleb's hands. It rolled across the court before Kai scooped it up.

"Go, Kai!" Jimmy yelled, his voice hoarse. It was definitely a spur-of-the-moment type of thing. Jimmy would have never called for Kai out loud!

Three seconds.

Kai was still far from the three-point line, with Marcus and Jaw-Long closing in fast. He stopped abruptly, planted his feet, and launched the ball into the air.

At that moment, Kai couldn't hear anything.

Everyone held their breaths, watching as it sailed through the air.

The ball hit the rim once. Twice.

And then it rolled inside.

Silence.

Did he do it?

Did they actually do it?

But a voice disrupted Kai's thoughts.

"No score!" Coach Xu Wei exclaimed.