Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"You're really going in?" Kexin asked. "I thought you wanted to play first in the game with the Yin Yang Knights. That way, we'll finally have the opportunity to win against them."

Yiming clicked his tongue.

"I didn't call for a time out to give you guys an explanation. I'm going in—no questions asked."

Bocheng and Shilei looked down at the ground, feeling like they had failed as their teammates.

Somehow, they felt like today was going to be an easy game because they had already played against the Shizi Dogs and won with only minimal effort.

However, as much as they hated to say it, the Shizi Dogs had improved at such a tremendous pace, and they were having a hard time trying to suppress them.

"Concentrate," Yiming said. "This is a game that should only serve as our stepping stone into the finals."

With that, Yiming finally stepped onto the court, the atmosphere in the arena going wild.

The excited chatters grew louder, and the crowd leaned forward in their seats.

All eyes were on him, the captain of the Feng Foxes, known for his strength and unyielding spirit.

Kai and Yuze turned to each other with satisfied smirks as they were able to lure Yiming into the game.

Then, they watched as he walked to his opponent. Many expected him to square off against Yuze, his so-called rival from the Shizi Dogs, but Yiming had other plans.

He headed straight for Kai, the first-year player whose talent had surprised everyone this season. Yiming's expression was one of fierce determination.

He wanted to prove a point.

A newcomer, no matter how promising, would not outshine the Feng Foxes.

"Yiming Yang, the relentless captain of the Feng Foxes, finally joins us in the game! I've been really curious about his progress. It is his last year and his last Winter Cup, so I'm sure he's more desperate than ever."

Mark Li's statement was proven right as the referee blew the whistle.

Yiming's presence on the court was a force of nature.

He moved with a strength that seemed to shake the ground with each dribble.

His pace was methodical, lacking the speed of some of his teammates, but his power made up for it. Every time the ball hit the hardwood, it was like the court trembled beneath him.

Yuze shook his head. This was the Yiming that he knew.

Somehow, Yuze was also aware that Yiming wasn't giving it his all during their practice game.

"Watch out," Jet whispered to Kai as he passed by him. "He's strong. Really strong."

Kai nodded, his eyes narrowed with focus. He had seen Yiming play before, but it was for such a short while, so he wasn't able to decipher his real playing style.

Moreover, every time he thought of Yiming, his mind went straight to the dunk he performed on his head, which was something he had already buried in the back of his mind.

Yiming advanced, his eyes locked onto Kai with intensity. The ball was in his hands, and Yiming wasted no time in asserting his dominance.

From the moment he took control of the ball, it was clear that Kai was struggling to keep up. Yiming's strength was overwhelming. He powered through Kai's defenses, driving towards the basket with an unstoppable force. Yet, to Kai's credit, he didn't back down. He matched Yiming's pace as best he could, his quick reflexes allowing him to challenge the captain, even if he couldn't entirely contain him.

The crowd roared as Yiming executed a perfect slam dunk, the net snapping sharply as the ball passed through. He followed it up with a lay-up, then another two-pointer.

Each shot was a statement, each point a demonstration of why he wore the captain's armband.

38-32

Kexin, feeling encouraged by their captain, provided support from the outside. With his precise three-pointers, he helped widen the gap on the scoreboard.

40-32

The fans erupted in cheers, feeling like they were finally back in the game.

Justin watched with wide eyes. "So, he's actually really good."

"I told you so," Junior said. "The Shizi Dogs are going against a very strong team—one they had never beaten before. However, it's still impressive."

Justin frowned in confusion.

"How is it impressive when they're losing by eight points now?" he asked in confusion.

Junior nodded toward Kai's direction, who appeared to still be guarding Yiming without any inhibitions.

"Look at him," Junior said. "He looks like he's not tired at all."

Justin turned to observe Kai. He ran around the court at a fast speed, and his long arms and legs gave him great coverage both inside and outside the paint.

"Yiming has always been amazing, but isn't it also amazing that Kai is able to guard him to the point that they're only leading with one digit?"

Justin continued observing Kai, noting that he was the least sweaty among all of the players despite already playing in two quarters.

Then, he turned to Junior with wide eyes. "Let's recruit him to our team," he said, knowing that their season was already over after losing to two schools in the past month.

Junior clicked his tongue. "Is that the reason why you came here today?"

Meanwhile, Yiming glanced at the scoreboard with every point he made.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

44-38

46-40

They were constantly leading all throughout the latter five minutes of the second quarter. However, despite the lead, Yiming was not satisfied.

Chunlei, too, felt that something was wrong.

Yiming was already on the court...but how come the gap was still so....small?

"What is really happening?" Chunlei muttered.

"It's not enough."

With this, Yiming now began to lead his teammates more aggressively.

The fifth player, who wasn't part of the official starting line-up, felt pressured with Yiming's words.

He couldn't keep up with their speeds, so he felt like he needed to do something so he could finally contribute to their team.

What was a better way to help them than with a foul?

So, seeing as Kai was going to attempt another mid-range shot, he quickly ran to where he was and pushed him from behind, causing Kai to fall over from the front.

Kai's eyes widened in surprise, and those in the audience also exclaimed in shock.

"Kai!" Lina exclaimed from the bench.

However, before Kai's body could touch the ground, he used his arms to stop his fall, almost in a position of a push-up.

Then, he glanced down and saw the basketball dangerously close to his crotch area.

If he would have fallen down, then he would have been in real trouble!

Kai would be upset if this was any other scenario, but he realized that he was fouled once again—which only meant one thing.

Another opportunity!