Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Can we really go here?" Max asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Yes," Zheng said. "This is the perfect opportunity to get close to them! Coach Xu Wei said he wanted one team by tomorrow. How are we going to do that if we don't talk to them?"

Jimmy clicked his tongue, still chewing on a drumstick. "I don't care. We won that game."

Jian pursed his lips. "I want to play games now."

"Whatever," Zheng said. "I believe that Kai's food can bridge all gaps!"

Their eyes widened as Zheng knocked on the wood loudly.

"Coming!"

They panicked more, wanting to leave, but the door opened swiftly, revealing Jaw-Long. They sighed in relief when they saw it was him. This was Marcus' room, so they thought nobody would even answer!

Yet, the kindest and most approachable veteran greeted them instead.

"Oh, little kids," Jaw-Long chimed. "You're still awake?"

Kai stepped back when he smelled a little bit of alcohol on his breath. He raised one eyebrow.

"Are you drunk?" he asked.

Jaw-Long chuckled and shook his head. "I only had one beer," he truthfully said. "The other guys are here, too."

The boys froze once they heard they were gathered in the same room.

"What's this?" Jaw-Long suddenly exclaimed, looking at the food in Kai's hands. "Did you bring us food?"

"That's perfect!" he exclaimed. "We just ran out of food, and we're too lazy to get more. You came at the right time. Come in!"

The boys didn't follow him, causing Jaw-Long to turn around once again.

"Come on—we don't bite," he said, showing all his teeth.

The younger boys gulped, but with Zheng's push, they all went inside.

The room was dimly lit, with a small table in the center surrounded by the older players.

The ambience definitely felt more mature. There was beer and wine on the table, and the background music playing was jazzy, in contrast to the rap music that the boys were playing in Kai's room.

Dong was the first to raise his head. "What are they doing here?"

"They bought us food," Jaw-Long said, knowing Dong couldn't say no to food.

Caleb clicked his tongue. "We're drinking," he said. "Let them leave."

Jaw-Long shook his head. "No can do! We can't just kick them out when they brought such good food."

Marcus, on the other hand, kept his focus on the beer he was drinking, not even sparing them a glance.

Kai cautiously placed the plates on the table.

"What's this?" Muyang asked, eyeing the food suspiciously.

"Fried chicken and onion stir-fry," Kai said simply.

Jaw-Long sat down, picked up a piece of chicken, and took a bite.

His expression changed immediately, showing excitement. "Dang! I miss food like this."

That opened the floodgates. The other players grabbed pieces, eating with gusto.

"This is amazing," Dong said through a mouthful of chicken.

[+10 XP]

"Where did you get this?" Caleb asked.

[+10 XP]

"I made it," Kai replied, leaning against the wall.

The older players paused, looking at him in disbelief.

"You? Made this?" Jaw-Long asked.

Kai nodded. "Yeah. It's just something I picked up."

"You're full of surprises, kid," Jaw-Long said, reaching for more.

[+10 XP]

Dong didn't even say anything. He was just on his third drumstick.

[+10 XP]

Marcus, too, despite being full, ate the onion stir-fry. It was actually his guilty pleasure food—comes with having the taste buds of a middle-aged man.

[+10 XP]

Kai couldn't help but smirk as he watched his level increase. He shook his head in amusement. These guys didn't even know that they just made him better!

[Current level: Enigma (362/600)]

Combined with the harsh training, he had surpassed the halfway point!

As the older players continued to eat, the atmosphere in the room grew lighter.

They asked questions and joked around, and even the younger players seemed to relax. Well, except for Marcus. Even Caleb was softening a bit, but of course, there was still some hesitation.

"So, how long have you been playing basketball?" Jaw-Long asked Kai.

Kai hesitated before answering, "About a year."

The room went silent for a moment.

"Wait," Jaw-Long said, narrowing his eyes. "A year? That's it?"

Kai nodded, feeling a little awkward under their incredulous stares.

"That's insane," Dong muttered.

"You play like someone with years of experience," Jaw-Long said, genuinely impressed.

Kai shrugged. "I've just worked hard to catch up. That's all."

Jaw-Long shook his head, impressed, and then leaned back with a grin. "Alright, kid, you've earned some respect tonight. Now, do us another favor—grab us some beer."

Kai blinked. "I'm a minor."

The older players burst out laughing, and Jaw-Long waved him off. "Fair enough. More for us, then."

The night continued, the older players drinking beer and sharing stories while the younger ones tried to keep up. Jimmy, who rarely joined in on anything, seemed determined to prove himself and kept downing drink after drink until his head hit the table with a groan.

Max and Jian didn't fare much better; their faces flushed as they leaned heavily against each other. Zheng, who had been confidently sipping away, eventually slumped back in his chair, muttering something incoherent.

Kai, however, remained sober, sipping water and watching the chaos unfold.

"Lightweights," Jaw-Long muttered, shaking his head at the younger players.

"They're not used to this," Kai said, smirking.

After saying that, however, Jaw-Long also dropped to the table, causing Kai's eyes to widen.

Dong and Muyang were dancing some kind of waltz in the kitchen while Caleb was snuggling the pillows on the couch, murmuring something in his sleep.

Just then, Jaw-Long snapped up once more, causing Kai's eyebrows to raise. He nudged Marcus, seated beside him. "This kid's got a good head on his shoulders."

Marcus, who had been quiet for most of the night, finally spoke. "He's not special," he muttered.

"Liar, liar! Pants on fire," Jaw-Long exclaimed before he slumped on the table once more. His head made a loud sound as it banged on that table, causing Kai to flinch.

However, he reckoned that the older man had far worse experiences.

One by one, the players began to fall into slumber, with Dong and Muyang even hugging each other on the kitchen floor.

Soon, it was just Kai and Marcus sitting across from each other.

Kai scratched the back of his head, wondering if Marcus was also drunk.

His question was soon answered when Marcus snapped his gaze at him, slurring his words.

"You know…I really don't like you guys."