Chapter 0094: Xia Chiyi, The Scoring Core

“Zhou Zhexiao, wake up! Wake up! Warm-ups have already started! I don’t know how you can still be sleeping.” Xia Chiyi’s eyes were wide open, full of dissatisfaction.

It should be known that alley-oop dunks were also Zhou Zhexiao’s strong suit. Who would have expected Ma Tao to strike first and seize the initiative, making Ningchang University’s momentum inexplicably drop a notch.

“I should blame you.” Zhou Zhexiao lazily looked at the opposite basket, the subtext in his eyes saying, ‘What’s there to make a fuss about?’

“Blame me for what?”

“At the buffet at noon, you took so much food, couldn’t finish it yourself, and stuffed it all to me. I ate too much, so I’m very sleepy.”

Xia Chiyi choked on his words. What you’re saying makes so much sense, I genuinely cannot refute it.

Ningchang University’s cheerleading squad began to shout: “Get one back! Get one back! Get one back! Get one back!”

Pang Shuai, Liang Qin, and the others were screaming until their voices nearly cracked.

The team members turned to look at Ling Huanzhen. Ling Huanzhen nodded, “Return it, we definitely have to return it! Zhou Zhexiao, go!”

Zhou Zhexiao’s brows furrowed. Don’t think he couldn’t hear the schadenfreude in Ling Huanzhen’s voice, fully giving off an “open the gates and release the beast” vibe.

Xia Chiyi enthusiastically held the ball and came up to Zhou Zhexiao, looking like a customer ready to order from a menu. “I want to see a turnaround reverse dunk! A 360-degree spinning dunk works too! Or a mid-air drifting double clutch!”

Everyone’s eyes gathered on them. Zhou Zhexiao took the ball and walked to the center line.

Just as the entire audience thought he was going to start his sprint from the half-court line, he suddenly jumped and launched a super long-distance shot that swished directly through the net.

There was no explosive, fiery scene as imagined, but it made the spectator stands fall silent for several seconds.

“That was a shot from the half-court line! Zhou Zhexiao made it with a simple raise of his hand! His shooting range is that far, he doesn’t lose to Xia Chiyi at all!”
“So Ningchang University’s shooters aren’t just Xia Chiyi and He Bin; Zhou Zhexiao is also this top-tier!”
“Even if they lock down Xia Chiyi, Zhou Zhexiao can play as a swingman and score from the perimeter…”

In the spectator stands, Lu Yingnan turned his head to look at Zhuo Zheng. “When you guys were at Oak Hill Academy, did Zhou Zhexiao have such strong long-distance shooting ability?”

Zhuo Zheng was still replaying that shot in his mind. A second or two later, he shook his head. “He… almost never shot from a distance.”
This guy has once again refreshed my impression of him.

This long-distance shot successfully provoked Southeast Mining University’s sense of crisis.

“Did you receive it? A warning from Zhou Zhexiao.” Zhao Lingcong bumped Ma Tao with his shoulder.

“Mm, he’s telling us that even if we guard Xia Chiyi to death, he can still score from the outside.” Ma Tao ground his back molars.

The match hadn’t even started, yet the contest had already begun ahead of time.
The smell of gunpowder was thick, enough to even influence the coaches’ lineup deployments.

Because the seats for Qincheng University, Qingda, and Southwest Aviation weren’t booked together, they could only communicate in their three-person small group chat.

Yang Huaiyu: [As long as you’ve seen Xia Chiyi shoot live once, every time he catches the ball, you will be full of anticipation @LuYingnan]
Lu Yingnan: [Every time you catch the ball, I am also full of anticipation—anticipating that you’ll trip over your shoelaces.]
Yang Huaiyu: […]
Liu Suchen: [Many teams in the Southeast Division are studying his shooting posture. High arc, long range, doesn’t overly rely on screens, long hang time, and hard to defend. I understand Yang Huaiyu’s partiality; even I find it hard not to love him.]
Lu Yingnan: [You also once loved Li Shunchuan, saying his instant release and route running were like divine assistance, with textbook-standard posture. There are so many stars in the galaxy, who exactly is your true love?]
Liu Suchen: [It’s you, it’s you, it will always be you.]
Yang Huaiyu: [In a movie of three people, I choose to exit the theater early.]
Lu Yingnan: [Glad you know your place.]

For the first quarter of the match, Ningchang University had established a rapid scoring plan, and Xia Chiyi was their scoring core.

The opening was a jump ball between Li Renjie and Du He.
Du He, who had been holding in his pent-up frustration all night, fully erupted at this moment.

He amazed everyone with a single brilliant feat, fiercely swatting the ball in Ye Zhaoying’s direction. Ningchang University’s momentum soared, but unexpectedly, a figure flashed by and intercepted the ball one step ahead, making Ye Zhaoying’s scalp tingle in shock as he scrambled to chase after him.

Zhao Lingcong! It was actually Zhao Lingcong!

Looking at Zhao Lingcong’s back, Ye Zhaoying still hadn’t fully digested it—How is this guy’s speed so fast? Someone actually stole the ball right out of my hands at the opening!

Zhao Lingcong single-handedly dragged the entire Ningchang University defense with him. He pierced straight under the basket. Shuai Bei rushed back to defend in an emergency. Zhao Lingcong braked abruptly and shot the ball, but the trajectory was severely off, not even touching the rim.

Just as everyone was astonished at how Zhao Lingcong could throw an airball, Xia Chiyi was the first to react: “He’s not shooting—”

Zhao Lingcong smiled. As expected, it isn’t that easy to fool Xia Chiyi.

Ma Tao’s figure flashed under the basket, soaring into the air, about to replicate the savage alley-oop dunk from the warm-ups!

Such a thrilling scene right at the opening caused the audience to gasp in exclamation.

Du He’s route running was a step too slow, and Shuai Bei had been blocked by Zhao Lingcong. Once this ball was dunked, it would be a severe blow to the head for Ningchang University.
Watching the match, Principal Feng gripped his collar tightly as all eyes focused under the basket.

A collective gasp rang out. Someone had actually rushed to Ma Tao’s side. The jumping speed was incredibly fast, and an intense, oppressive aura invaded, sending a profound sense of crisis straight into Ma Tao’s heart.

“Bang—” A loud sound echoed. That wasn’t the sound of the ball going into the basket, but a ferocious block!

In mid-air, Ma Tao met Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes. Those irises were as chillingly sharp as cold stars.

The commentator shouted, “Blocked! Ma Tao’s alley-oop dunk was actually blocked by Zhou Zhexiao!”

Hormones exploded across the entire stadium!
The bullet comments in the Cool Wave live stream rolled by frantically, filled with remarks like [Zhou Zhexiao descending like a divine soldier].
Especially when the camera zoomed in for a close-up of Zhou Zhexiao, the sharp intensity in his eyes pierced straight through the screen.

Ma Tao landed, tremors running all the way from his palm up to his arm. I got blocked?

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Zhao Lingcong’s back. Zhou Zhexiao’s instantaneous speed and explosive power were formidable enough to inspire fear. Not to mention, the timing and angle of this block were far too seasoned.
One slight miscalculation and it could have constituted a foul, yet Zhou Zhexiao swatted it with immaculate precision!

In the stands, Yang Huaiyu audibly gulped. His teammate Meng Ting spoke up, “My heart nearly cracked from that slap!”

The corners of Liu Suchen’s mouth curled up. “Formidable. As expected of Zhou Zhexiao. Too lazy to trash talk, directly gifting a massive block package.”

As a coach, Li Xiaoran’s fingertips trembled slightly. Very similar… He is really very similar to that person.
—Instantly snuffing out the opponent’s momentum, leaving no leeway, straightforward and decisive.

In Southwest Aviation’s seating area, Lu Yingnan’s brows furrowed. He cast a sidelong glance at Zhuo Zheng. “Are you absolutely sure you can block this former teammate of yours?”

Zhuo Zheng’s pupils were still quivering slightly. He knew Zhou Zhexiao’s physical conditions were top-tier and his talent was excellent, but the ability displayed in that block truly felt like a completely different person from the Zhou Zhexiao of the past.
“I will stop him.”

Lu Yingnan’s palm clamped down onto the top of Zhuo Zheng’s head. “Very good. If you can’t stop him, bring me your head.”

It wasn’t just the audience who was shocked; Xia Chiyi was too.

Zhou Zhexiao seemed to shatter time, allowing Xia Chiyi to reunite with the Sheng Xingming from the other side of time through the cracks.
He still remembered being in the second grade. On his way home from school, he passed by a TV store, and the largest screen in the display window was broadcasting an NBA game.
The big man’s mid-air alley-oop possessed maximum destructive power under the low-angle camera, but what truly stole all of Xia Chiyi’s ability to think was the other figure soaring into the air, blocking out the light, and swatting that ball away invincibly.
…That was the starting point of Xia Chiyi’s worship of Sheng Xingming.

Looking at Zhou Zhexiao’s cold, sharp profile, Xia Chiyi’s eyes grew hot.
Sure enough, no matter how many years pass, my blood will still boil for the same person.

“Fast break—”

Ye Zhaoying took the ball, pushing forward at extreme speed. At this moment, Xia Chiyi was already sprinting toward the three-point line.

Trailing behind Xia Chiyi was Cheng Kuang. This guy was a freshman, barely over 1.8 meters tall, looking completely unremarkable within Southeast Mining University where the average height was 1.9 meters. He even had a harmless-looking face, as if he’d fall apart from a single bump.
But to be selected into Southeast Mining Uni, he definitely had to possess extraordinary traits.

After receiving the ball, Xia Chiyi sensed Cheng Kuang closing in. Thanks to Zhou Zhexiao’s vision training, he remembered everyone’s positions before catching the ball. Zhao Lingcong wouldn’t make it back in time!

He executed a shoulder fake and jab step. Cheng Kuang had clearly been faked out, yet he still managed to catch up. What incredible reaction speed!

In just the blink of an eye, Zhao Lingcong was about to form a pincer movement with Cheng Kuang. Xia Chiyi decisively dribbled to break through. Seeing him about to charge under the basket, Cheng Kuang thought Xia Chiyi was going for a layup. But unexpectedly, after running only two or three steps, he hit the emergency brakes and abruptly shot the ball!

By the time Cheng Kuang mirrored his halt, it was too late to intercept.
There was only one word in his mind, and that was “Fast”.

But releasing the ball so quickly, will it really go in?

Answering him was the crisp sound of the ball swishing through the net.
The first basket of this match was claimed by Xia Chiyi.

“Hah!” Xia Chiyi pumped his fist, turned around, and ran toward Zhou Zhexiao to high-five.

When Xia Chiyi raised his eyes and met Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze, the astonishing image of Zhou Zhexiao blocking Ma Tao still lingered in his mind.

As if knowing what Xia Chiyi was thinking, Zhou Zhexiao gave a very soft smile.
—Your infatuation with me only lasts a moment, while my gaze continuously follows your shots.

In the spectator stands, Lu Yingnan’s gaze darkened.
This kid’s shooting posture has a fluid, extended feel to it. Watching it live really is a different sensation than watching the match recordings.
Very few shooters have such an obvious sense of hang time. This kind of hang time can be utilized in other areas too. Like under-the-basket defense and under-the-basket scoring.

Southeast Mining University’s counterattack was also extremely fierce. Point guard Huang Chun’s dribbling was like a violent storm, evading Ye Zhaoying’s steal attempt and passing to Zhao Lingcong.

Zhao Lingcong cut inside. Facing Zhou Zhexiao’s defense, he didn’t clash head-on but immediately turned around to post up and protect the ball. He made a very small shoulder fake, looking as though he was about to turn around and shoot, but unexpectedly tossed the ball to Ma Tao. Ma Tao bypassed Shuai Bei and passed it to Li Renjie, who had reached the baseline. Catching the ball, Li Renjie executed a floater, scoring a basket.

The entire sequence of coordination flowed like moving clouds and flowing water, slicing Ningchang University’s zone defense to pieces.
And the starting point of it all was Zhao Lingcong’s fake move that fooled Zhou Zhexiao.
He looked at Zhou Zhexiao and gave a very light smile.

The other teammates developed an inexplicable, synchronized thought in their heads: An ex PK-ing the current. What a grand drama.

Passing behind Zhou Zhexiao, Ye Zhaoying recklessly bumped him with an elbow. “Hey, you got fooled by his fake move.”

“It doesn’t matter. Someone will help me fool him right back,” Zhou Zhexiao said faintly.

In the stands, Liu Suchen also smiled and said, “Zhao Lingcong truly lives up to his reputation as a veteran swindler on the court. Even I believed that fake move just now.”

Very soon, Zhou Zhexiao’s words were fulfilled.

The moment Xia Chiyi caught the ball, he had Cheng Kuang defending in front and Zhao Lingcong rushing over to double-team from behind. The whole stadium worried for him, but this kid swung the ball backward, seemingly about to pass. Just as he shifted Zhao Lingcong and Cheng Kuang’s center of gravity, Xia Chiyi miraculously pulled the ball back, stepped forward, and shot.

“Beautiful—one fake move, fooling two people, and still managing a rapid release! Xia Chiyi’s Great Shift of Heaven and Earth is simply god-tier!” The commentator praised the play highly.

By the time Zhao Lingcong reacted, he nearly collided with Cheng Kuang.
Xia Chiyi’s right hand was raised high, and the Ningchang University camp erupted in thunderous banging.

Watching this, Du Luan directly clapped his hands. “This fake move was brilliant. I really want to make my players study it properly.”
Xu Run pushed up his glasses. “I thought you would say this fake move was too risky.”
“He should be taking risks. How can you fool two people without taking a risk?”

And Xia Chiyi’s fake moves weren’t over yet. Receiving a pass from Zhou Zhexiao, he once again faced Cheng Kuang’s defense.

After clashing for several rounds, Xia Chiyi had thoroughly figured out Cheng Kuang’s defensive style—it was very difficult to shake Cheng Kuang off while dribbling, but Cheng Kuang couldn’t handle stationary fake moves!

Xia Chiyi lowered his center of gravity and leaned forward, looking as though he was about to pass the ball right under Cheng Kuang’s arm. Ye Zhaoying was already coming over to receive it. Seeing this, Zhao Lingcong immediately rushed over to help defend. But unexpectedly, Xia Chiyi pulled the ball back, executing a dry pull-up jumper right on the spot, and scored directly!

Such rapid reaction and physical coordination made him look like a roly-poly toy. Even Southeast Mining Uni’s Coach Liu couldn’t help but click his tongue.

The bullet comments in the Cool Wave live stream were about to explode, exclaiming that this fake move wasn’t something a normal person could pull off—one misstep and you’d face-plant into the floor and shatter your chin!

Looking at Xia Chiyi’s bright smile, Cheng Kuang couldn’t understand: Why is someone who smiles so cleanly so good at deceiving people with fake moves?!

Zhao Lingcong smacked his own forehead hard. Did this brat go take an advanced acting course?!
He was no longer the innocent and naive Xia Chiyi that Zhao Lingcong knew!

When Xia Chiyi received the ball again, the entirety of Southeast Mining University grew tense. Cheng Kuang blocked Xia Chiyi’s path. Zhao Lingcong was about to provide help defense but was delayed by half a beat due to Zhou Zhexiao’s route running.

Xia Chiyi’s dribbling speed was incredibly fast. The tension in the muscles of his calves and back was fully visible, drawing continuous exclamations from the audience.

Cheng Kuang’s heartstrings were pulled tight as he followed him, holding his breath in his chest. Seeing that Xia Chiyi was about to break through from the left, Cheng Kuang immediately used slide steps to block him. With the breakthrough angle sealed shut, Xia Chiyi executed an extreme pullback.

Crap! Cheng Kuang whipped his head around, only to see Xia Chiyi calmly creating distance, shooting the ball, and scoring again!

In stark contrast to the crazy cheers of the audience, the spectating teams all fell into silence.

Li Shunchuan frowned and said, “This guy’s whole body is made of fake moves. How is anyone supposed to defend against that?”

Ke Yan clicked his tongue. “I feel they still need to reassign Zhao Lingcong to specifically guard Xia Chiyi. It’s not that Cheng Kuang is incompetent—he can keep up with Xia Chiyi’s sudden stops and rapid changes in direction, which is already very impressive in the league. But his experience is insufficient; he can’t identify Xia Chiyi’s fake moves.”

“Mn, conversely, Zhao Lingcong understands Xia Chiyi much better. It’s just that Mining Uni’s coach is reluctant to sacrifice Zhao Lingcong’s scoring ability, so he only assigned him to help defend. But clearly, not following closely enough makes him too late. You have to stick to him like Chujiang University’s Liu Ge did to have any chance of restraining Xia Chiyi.”
Yang Huaiyu looked over at Mining Uni’s Coach Liu, thinking: When exactly is Coach Liu going to call a timeout?

Five and a half minutes into the first quarter, Xia Chiyi alone had shot 8 for 10, dropping 22 points.
Aside from Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu, no one had ever been able to farm this many points off Southeast Mining University in a single quarter.

Cheng Kuang, who was responsible for defending Xia Chiyi, took a deep breath, feeling a rare sense of exhaustion.
This exhaustion wasn’t physical; it was mental.
Every one of Xia Chiyi’s moves was full of unknowns; he never knew what Xia Chiyi was going to do the next second. He suddenly understood why Liu Ge had collapsed in the last match—it was double torture of the mind and body!

More importantly, the entirety of Ningchang University was scoring with Xia Chiyi as the core.
Zhou Zhexiao locked down Zhao Lingcong; Ye Zhaoying continuously dragged Ma Tao, Mining Uni’s tallest player, to one side to open up space for Xia Chiyi; Shuai Bei and Du He guarded the basket, boxing out Mining Uni’s center Li Renjie, allowing Xia Chiyi to safely rack up points.

Just as Ningchang University’s lead was about to hit double digits, the opponents finally called a timeout.

Returning to the bench area, Cheng Kuang lowered his head, feeling deeply guilty. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t defend Xia Chiyi.”

“It’s no big deal.” Zhao Lingcong ruffled the top of Cheng Kuang’s head. “Even Chujiang University’s box-and-one defense couldn’t trap him to death. If you hadn’t been guarding him, he might have scored way more than 22 points.”

Zhao Lingcong turned his head, glancing toward Ningchang University.
To be honest, whenever Xia Chiyi smiled, Zhao Lingcong would think of the old Xia Chiyi—nimble, light, and like a small kitten.
But the current him—every goal, every fake move—was reminding Zhao Lingcong: He is a dangerous little lion.
Swift, fierce, and cunning.

Xia Chiyi had his hands resting on his knees, a towel draped around his neck.
Beside him, Zhou Zhexiao had his arms hanging by his sides, his silhouette looking completely devoid of aggression.
Yet Zhao Lingcong clearly remembered the insurmountable pressure that radiated from him when he stood in front of him.

“Ma Tao, when I mark Xia Chiyi, you have to watch out for Zhou Zhexiao,” Zhao Lingcong said.

“I know.” Ma Tao’s gaze darkened.

As if sensing something, Zhou Zhexiao turned his head and locked eyes with Zhao Lingcong.
Even though the match was so intense, Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze remained utterly calm and composed.
For Zhao Lingcong, hot-blooded, impulsive opponents were much easier to deal with. It was the ones like Zhou Zhexiao… whose hearts were as solid as a boulder, seemingly having weathered the ups and downs of life, that were the most terrifying.

Xia Chiyi put his hands on his hips, frowning at Zhou Zhexiao. Zhou Zhexiao showed no reaction, still staring at Zhao Lingcong across the court.

“Is the fifteen-meter distance hindering your two-way sprint to each other? Want a spicy kiss?” Xia Chiyi asked.

Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze slowly shifted over. He looked into Xia Chiyi’s round, bright eyes. “Okay.”

“Okay what?!” Xia Chiyi wiped his ears with the towel, wondering if water had gotten into them.

“A spicy kiss. Do you know how?”
Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze was incredibly serious, making Xia Chiyi’s finally settled heartbeat act like boiling water—bubbling violently, then letting out a sharp, shrill whistle.

“P-psychopath.”
Xia Chiyi immediately turned around.
Fuck, this is so unfair.
Why is it that Zhou Zhexiao can say something casually and I get nervous to the point of dying, while the instigator acts like nothing happened?!

“Hey, I’m serious.” Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head, looking at Xia Chiyi coolly.

“Serious about what?”

“The other side is definitely going to swap Zhao Lingcong to defend you. If you get locked down completely, you’ll have to publicly engage in a spicy kiss with the floor,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

This expressionless, handsome face truly deserved a smack.

Just as Xia Chiyi was about to stick up a certain finger at Zhou Zhexiao, Ling Huanzhen knocked him on the head.
“The camera is on you, watch your image!”

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhexiao unhurriedly made that exact hand gesture hidden beneath his towel, acting as a return gift to Xia Chiyi.
So angry. You go lick the floor to death!

The match resumed. When Zhao Lingcong and Xia Chiyi faced each other, both revealed a knowing smile. This matchup was inevitable.

Zhao Lingcong crooked a finger. Accompanying his smile, faint laugh lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, actually carrying a slight tone of doting affection.
“Try scoring past me.”

“If you lose, will you lick the floor?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Tsk. You used to be so cute and well-behaved. Who taught you to talk trash?” Zhao Lingcong shook his head regretfully.

Xia Chiyi’s mind settled down. The moment he caught the ball, he became the focal point of the entire stadium.

Constantly dribbling and probing, Xia Chiyi accelerated and then pulled back again. Zhao Lingcong followed him like a shadow, restricting his time and space. Despite the large court, Xia Chiyi’s area of movement was severely confined.

Xia Chiyi fiercely dribbled from the left side of the court all the way to the right, unable to find any flaws to break through the opponent.

If this were a one-on-one PK, Xia Chiyi would continue searching for an opening. But in a match, one couldn’t act on impulse, and ball possession time was limited. His eyes locked onto Zhao Lingcong’s, but without any warning, the ball was passed to the other side.

The commentator shouted, “A brilliant no-look pass—!”

Zhou Zhexiao caught the ball seamlessly and accelerated away. Even though Ma Tao and Li Renjie were pincering him from both sides, he powered through in one vigorous burst, thrilling the live audience. With lightning speed, he drove straight to the basket and scored with a layup.

Applause erupted from the stands. Principal Feng’s hands were red from clapping.

Liu Suchen smiled. “Ningchang University played a beautiful open scheme. On the surface, it looks like Zhao Lingcong restricted Xia Chiyi. But in reality, Ningchang University used Xia Chiyi to drag down Zhao Lingcong, making him unable to score and unable to interfere with Zhou Zhexiao. Next, we’ll have to see if Ma Tao and Li Renjie can lock down Zhou Zhexiao.”

Sitting next to Liu Suchen, Huo Cheng stroked his chin. “But even if they lock down Zhou Zhexiao, I doubt Du He and Shuai Bei are just useless freeloaders, right?”

Ke Yan frowned. “Have you guys noticed a pattern?”

“What pattern?”
Everyone looked over curiously.

“As long as it’s a pass from Xia Chiyi, Zhou Zhexiao will inevitably finish it on the offensive end and score.”

After a long pause, Yang Huaiyu spoke up, “Are you mocking me?”

“Mocking you for what?”

“That if I receive a pass from you, I might not necessarily finish it on the offensive end?”

“You’re not my CP, I don’t have that high of an expectation for you.” Ke Yan earnestly distanced himself.
The two of them quickly started grappling with each other.

In the back row, Li Shunchuan’s expression became even more exasperated. “Our team friendship truly is made of plastic.”

Zhou Zhexiao’s performance ignited Ma Tao’s will to fight. He rolled his wrists, thinking: If Your Grandfather here doesn’t show his might, do you think I’m Hello Kitty?!

There wasn’t much time left in the first quarter. Huang Chun glanced at the game clock and exchanged a look with Ma Tao. He dribbled past Ye Zhaoying’s defense and passed the ball to Li Renjie. As Shuai Bei and Du He closed in, Li Renjie immediately passed to Ma Tao.

Ma Tao posted up, blocking Zhou Zhexiao’s position. Catching the ball, he immediately turned around. He lowered his center of gravity, about to break through. Zhou Zhexiao’s reaction was incredibly fast, bracing to confront Ma Tao. But unexpectedly, Ma Tao abruptly launched a fadeaway jumper, and the ball went in!

“Beautifully done.”
Li Renjie and Ma Tao high-fived, chest-bumping each other.

Zhou Zhexiao cast a cold glance over. Ma Tao accepted it fully, flashing a provocative glare.

Even with only thirty-something seconds left in the match, Mining Uni’s defense remained tight. Ye Zhaoying was consistently unable to bring the ball past half-court, being pressured toward the sideline by Huang Chun and Li Renjie. The angle he finally managed to find was a pass to Xia Chiyi.

Xia Chiyi caught the ball, swaying and probing several times. Zhao Lingcong continuously harassed him, trying to swipe the ball. He couldn’t hold onto it for too long. Just as Xia Chiyi was about to pass to Ye Zhaoying who had freed himself, the ball was stolen by Zhao Lingcong!

He threw it backward, and the ball landed in Cheng Kuang’s hands.

The usually obscure Cheng Kuang dribbled forward, nimbly bypassing Du He and Shuai Bei, and took a shot right before Ye Zhaoying could steal it.

Zhou Zhexiao and Ma Tao rushed under the basket, preparing for a rebound battle, but the ball smoothly entered the hoop!

Cheng Kuang revealed a smile. How could I stay on the court if I didn’t have a special skill?

Mining Uni’s cheerleaders roared powerfully. This wave of tightly linked teamwork truly lived up to the demeanor of a powerhouse school.

In the Cool Wave live stream, Mining Uni’s fans popped up.
[This is the demeanor of a powerhouse school! Cut and pass coordination, invincible!]
[Ningchang University is too green, Mining Uni is teaching them a lesson!]
…

At the end of the first quarter, Ningchang University was only leading Mining University by 2 points. Ling Huanzhen’s deployment of using Xia Chiyi to widen the point gap hadn’t been realized.

Sitting on the chair, a towel draped over his head, Xia Chiyi listened to the thump, thump of his heart. Closing his eyes, all he saw were Zhao Lingcong’s eyes staring at him.
It was as if he had been completely seen through. Whether it was changing directions, breaking through, or his various step-backs, everything seemed to fall within Zhao Lingcong’s expectations.
The most infuriating part was that whenever he looked up, he found Zhao Lingcong across the court sensing his gaze and smiling at him.

Xia Chiyi pulled the towel down further, covering his eyes.

Ling Huanzhen clapped his hands loudly, reminding Du He and Shuai Bei to increase their aggressiveness.

Zhou Zhexiao lifted one side of Xia Chiyi’s towel and leaned in. Feeling the other’s exhaled breath, Xia Chiyi’s cheeks felt like they were going to burn.

Xia Chiyi quickly yanked the towel down, pushing Zhou Zhexiao’s head away. “What are you doing!”

“Looking at you.”

“What’s there to look at!”

“Looking at how your mind is completely filled with Zhao Lingcong.” Zhou Zhexiao’s expression was indifferent. A layer of moisture coated his eyelashes, reflecting the stadium lights.

Xia Chiyi paused, then said crossly, “Nonsense, Zhao Lingcong’s defense is flawless.”

“Didn’t Jiao Yingfeng say it? If the opponent adapts to the rhythm of Little Apple, then switch to Lassoing the Horse.”

“I’m almost losing my imagination for fake moves. Lassoing the Horse is ineffective against Zhao Lingcong.”

“Then give up square dancing, and dance something more high-end, stylish, and classy,” Zhou Zhexiao said in a calm tone.

“You mean dance the tango? But what… is my tango?” Xia Chiyi’s brows furrowed.

“You have to figure that out yourself. Anyway, it’s not like the only thing you know how to do is shoot.”
Zhou Zhexiao looked as though this wasn’t a big deal, unhurriedly tightening his shoelaces.

“Hey, in your previous matches, did you ever encounter an opponent who understood you very well?” Xia Chiyi nudged the side of Zhou Zhexiao’s shoe.

“Yes. Wayne Ruster. We were teammates during the NCAA, and opponents when we played in the NBA.”

Xia Chiyi remembered this person. “I recall that when playing against Ruster’s team, you won more than you lost?”

“Mn.”

“How did you win?”

“My playstyle in college was vastly different from my playstyle later on.”

“Then how did you change?”

“If I didn’t change, I would lose. The world of competitive sports also follows the law of natural selection.” Zhou Zhexiao looked at Xia Chiyi.
He said it very simply, but Xia Chiyi knew that the price of metamorphosis was often shedding a layer of skin.

As the second quarter began, Li Renjie initiated a high-post pass. Zhao Lingcong caught the ball and faked out Xia Chiyi. The audience let out sounds of lament.
Everyone thought Zhao Lingcong was about to have an unobstructed path, but unexpectedly, Xia Chiyi flew forward and caught up!

What an incredible sprint speed! Zhao Lingcong’s nerves instantly tightened, a sense of crisis surging into his heart. The moment Xia Chiyi swiped for the ball, he shot it.
His posture in the air was imbalanced; this shot definitely wouldn’t go in.

Another rebound battle ensued, but unexpectedly, Ma Tao suddenly killed his way out and executed a one-handed violent putback dunk, igniting the entire stadium.

Mining Uni’s momentum was unleashed. Li Renjie faced off against Shuai Bei, executed a fake-pass-real-shot, and scored again.

The major teams in the stands began to applaud.
Southwest Aviation’s Lu Yingnan said softly, “This is Southeast Mining University’s frontcourt strength. All their forwards have mid-to-long range shooting abilities and don’t rely heavily on perimeter shooters. Ma Tao, Li Renjie, and Zhao Lingcong—all three of these frontcourt players possess guard-level dribbling skills.”

Zhuo Zheng nodded. “Mn, it is very strong. And watching them play, they don’t drag their feet at all; it’s very crisp and clean.”

After scoring, Li Renjie walked past Shuai Bei without giving him an extra glance, as if Shuai Bei was just a foam cylinder used for practice.

“Tsk.” Shuai Bei ground his back molars. “What’s he so smug about?”

The offensive and defensive situation reversed. Now it was Xia Chiyi defending Zhao Lingcong one-on-one.
Ma Tao was guarded so tightly by Zhou Zhexiao that he had nowhere to go, leaving him no choice but to pass to Zhao Lingcong. The moment Zhao Lingcong caught the ball, he abruptly faked past Xia Chiyi and scored directly with a jump shot.

Off the court, Ling Huanzhen’s brows furrowed. The opponent’s frontcourt strength was currently crushing them. If they didn’t stop the bleeding soon, it would cause the players to lose confidence, and more importantly, make them forget what they were good at.
It was like being choked; clearly possessing the skills to compete, but unable to bring them out.

Zhou Zhexiao blocked Ma Tao’s shot and passed to Ye Zhaoying. Before Ye Zhaoying could accelerate, Southeast Mining Uni repeated their old trick, pressuring him toward the sideline.
Ye Zhaoying gritted his teeth, thinking: Who are you looking down on?!

He suddenly lowered his center of gravity, about to burst out, but the ball was stolen by Zhao Lingcong!

“Fuck—” Ye Zhaoying nearly shattered his own teeth.
In that instant, Ye Zhaoying was absolutely certain he saw Zhao Lingcong’s smiling face.

Xia Chiyi stuck closely to Zhao Lingcong’s side.
Such fast dribbling. Xia Chiyi couldn’t find a single opportunity to reach out and steal the ball.
During their high school matches, Zhao Lingcong had always been protecting him. It wasn’t until today that Xia Chiyi realized just how formidable Zhao Lingcong truly was.
His speed, his dribble breakthroughs, his fake moves… they were all sufficient to rival Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu.

In the stands, Liu Suchen leaned forward, tapping his toes on the ground, silently chanting in his heart: Stop him, stop him… Xia Chiyi, stop him!

Zhao Lingcong and Xia Chiyi jumped at the same time. Ahead of them was Du He, fiercely rushing over to defend.
Despite opponents being right in front and beside him, creating a critical situation, Zhao Lingcong suddenly switched hands, raising his left hand. This little jump hook sent a thrill of fear through Xia Chiyi… Is it going to go in again?!

“Watch out—!” Ma Tao’s roar echoed.

The ball was fiercely swatted away. The force of it pushed Zhao Lingcong’s palm backward, nearly causing him to lose his balance. He met Zhou Zhexiao’s cold eyes.

A round of applause swept the entire stadium.
The commentator raised his voice: “Following the block on Ma Tao’s alley-oop dunk, Zhou Zhexiao strikes again, blocking Zhao Lingcong’s switch-hand layup! This is truly thrilling! Zhou Zhexiao truly lives up to being a kaleidoscope on both offense and defense!”

Zhao Lingcong put his hands on his hips, tilted his head back, smiled, and quickly retreated.
This guy’s mentality was simply too good.

Xia Chiyi stared blankly at Zhou Zhexiao, his suspended heart finally beginning to beat again.

“Still spacing out? Do you want to passionately kiss the floor that much?” Zhou Zhexiao turned his face, shooting Xia Chiyi a cool glare.
That gaze inexplicably pricked Xia Chiyi, making him feel as though he had become one of those past opponents defeated by Zhou Zhexiao, unworthy of even having their names remembered.

“I think your tongue needs a biting,” Xia Chiyi gritted his back molars.

Zhou Zhexiao hummed indifferently, crooking his fingers at Xia Chiyi. “If you can really deal with Zhao Lingcong, I’ll let you bite it.”

Holding his binoculars, Pang Shuai started to worry. “I feel like something’s wrong between Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao…”

“What’s wrong?” Liang Qin tugged on his arm.

“It looks like they’re fighting. This is the first time I’ve ever seen Xia Chiyi show that kind of expression to Zhou Zhexiao. In the past, when Zhou Zhexiao hogged Xia Chiyi’s phone, maxed out his data plan, or bought a bunch of useless trash online, Xia Chiyi never got angry with him…”

The pace of the match grew faster and faster, with possession alternating between the two teams. Xia Chiyi caught the ball and executed a feint against Zhao Lingcong. Zhao Lingcong remained unmoved. Meanwhile, the routing on the court was changing, and Xia Chiyi took all of this in, keeping it in mind.

“Cong-ge.” Xia Chiyi tilted his chin up, a hint of provocation shining in his round, bright eyes.

“What?” Zhao Lingcong smiled. This version of Xia Chiyi was very fresh to him.

“My passing is also very formidable.”

As soon as his voice fell, Xia Chiyi moved rapidly. Just as Zhao Lingcong’s center of gravity shifted, Xia Chiyi suddenly executed a bounce pass, immediately blocking Zhao Lingcong’s path.

Is he crazy? Passing with such force, who could catch that…

Zhou Zhexiao flashed by, taking away the high-bouncing ball. He charged straight into the paint, forcing a layup despite Li Renjie and Ma Tao pressing against him.

“Oh oh oh oh—!”
“Is it coming—!”

Many of Zhou Zhexiao’s fans in the audience couldn’t help but stand up.
Even Liu Suchen craned his neck, holding his breath in concentration.

Zhou Zhexiao soared into the air. His raised hand clearly indicated a floater. Li Renjie tried to block him, but unexpectedly, Zhou Zhexiao changed the floater into a dunk, smashing the ball in between Li Renjie and Ma Tao!

“Brilliant! Zhou Zhexiao executes mid-air fake moves with such effortless ease!”

Zhou Zhexiao turned around and high-fived Xia Chiyi.

“I thought you wouldn’t be able to catch my pass!”
He chose a bounce pass to evade Zhao Lingcong’s harassing steals, and used such strength because Huang Chun and Cheng Kuang were right near Zhou Zhexiao. Xia Chiyi needed the angle of the ball’s bounce to be completely unexpected.

“Is that so? I like these kinds of challenging passes.” Zhou Zhexiao raised a hand, brushing aside the strands of hair sticking slightly to his forehead.
A simple action, yet it released an immense amount of hormones, providing yet another trending photo for the tournament committee.

Xia Chiyi swallowed his saliva, thinking… He’s really so handsome.
That quiet, all-submerging aura seemed exclusive to Zhou Zhexiao.
The ever-changing situations on the court would ultimately all fall under Zhou Zhexiao’s control.

Zhou Zhexiao’s goal reinvigorated Ningchang University’s momentum.
Ling Huanzhen, who had been on the verge of calling a timeout, sat back down in his seat.

Speechless, Liang Qin elbowed Pang Shuai. “Didn’t you say Xia Chiyi was angry with Zhou Zhexiao? Does this look like being angry?!”

Pang Shuai sighed. “Xia Chiyi is indeed still Xia Chiyi. In front of Zhou Zhexiao, he’ll never have a temper!”

The match entered a deadlocked state, both sides biting tight.

Ye Zhaoying dribbled the ball past half-court, once again encountering the pressing defense of Huang Chun and Cheng Kuang. Taking advantage of the fact that they hadn’t yet formed a double-team, Ye Zhaoying tensed his whole body and burst forward in one breath!

“So fast!” Cheng Kuang was nearly pulled down by Ye Zhaoying’s speed.
Even if Huang Chun ran until his shoelaces came undone, he wouldn’t be able to catch him!

The audience was stunned.
The live stream comments were flooded with “So fast”, “Too fast”, and “How is this man so fast?”

Seeing that Ye Zhaoying was about to charge into the paint, Li Renjie rushed over to defend, but Ye Zhaoying didn’t reduce his speed.

What does this kid want to do? A layup?
Just as he was about to crash into Li Renjie, Ye Zhaoying suddenly jumped as if to shoot.

“Don’t even think about it!” Li Renjie jumped, while Ma Tao’s shout came from behind him.

“Fake move—!”

Ye Zhaoying had already passed the ball to Shuai Bei beside him.

__

[Author’s Note]

Zhou Zhexiao: Your ex’s team is the strongest team we’ve encountered in the tournament so far.
Xia Chiyi: I think you want to be an ex too!
Zhou Zhexiao: Oh? Have I ever been your “current”?