Chapter 0112 The Provincial Team’s Rout

The entire provincial team was dead silent. There were still more than five minutes left in the game, yet they were trailing by over twenty points.

It was as if they were being crushed in the group stages of the National Games.

Only this time, the ones crushing them were a bunch of college students.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re going to give up right now?” Ma Hongming stared coldly at this group of athletes he had personally selected and trained. “I can retire at the end of the year, but after I retire, you will very likely be ruthlessly discarded by the incoming coach.”

Zhong Ding’s shoulders stiffened, and Liao Yang quietly gasped.

If this were some championship or National Games match, reaching this point would mean entering garbage time.

But today was different. If they continued to lose in these final five minutes and ended up losing to college students by thirty or forty points… the new coach would definitely use this as an excuse to clean house and kick them all out.

Man Hai looked up at Ma Hongming, an expression of desperate resolve on his face. “Coach, what should we do next?”

Ma Hongming said coldly, “We cannot let Xia Chiyi score anymore. You need to coordinate and disrupt all of Ningchang University’s pick-and-rolls.”

“Understood.” Zhong Ding nodded, then glanced at Zhou Zhexiao. “But even if Xia Chiyi’s scoring ability is restricted, what about Zhou Zhexiao?”

Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi were Ningchang University’s two main scoring engines. Stopping one but leaving the other open wouldn’t work.

Ma Hongming closed his eyes. This was the biggest contradiction.

Xia Chiyi would drag their defense out to the perimeter, allowing Zhou Zhexiao to easily cut in and score.

But if they pulled the defender guarding Xia Chiyi back into the paint, Zhou Zhexiao could just pass it back out to Xia Chiyi to let him score.

These two college students, whom Ma Hongming had previously eliminated from the tryouts, were born to expose all his flaws and ensure that when he was forced to step down, he would do so stripped of all his dignity.

“Man Hai, you are responsible for face-guarding Zhou Zhexiao the entire time. Focus on denying him the ball.”

The overwhelming image of Zhou Zhexiao gliding past three people in mid-air still lingered in Man Hai’s mind, along with that blindingly fast dribbling speed… he simply wasn’t human.

Man Hai’s throat tightened. Even though they had only clashed for a few possessions, he could already clearly feel the crushing gap in strength between him and Zhou Zhexiao.

Even if it was just denying the catch… that required him to constantly position himself in Zhou Zhexiao’s passing lanes. Could he even do that?

“Man Hai, if you don’t dare, I’ll sub someone else in,” Ma Hongming stated.

Man Hai keenly caught the difference in Ma Hongming’s wording.

In past games, he would say, “If you can’t do it, I’ll sub you out.” But this time, the coach used “don’t dare.”

In other words, deep down, Ma Hongming also clearly knew that there wasn’t a single person on the entire provincial team capable of guarding Zhou Zhexiao.

“I dare,” Man Hai nodded.

This was a last-ditch effort, the desperate struggle of a cornered beast.

Compared to the quiet and gloomy atmosphere on the provincial team’s side, Ningchang University was much more relaxed.

Ye Chaoying stood with his hands on his hips, excitedly discussing with Fu Chenxue how to dribble past the big guys. Against his extreme dribbling speed, towering players like Zhong Ding and Liao Yang simply weren’t enough.

Xia Chiyi was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rummaging through his sports bag, his head practically buried inside it.

Beside him, Zhou Zhexiao easily palmed the back of Xia Chiyi’s head. “What are you doing?”

“My phone? Where did my phone go?”

Zhou Zhexiao was just about to say the phone was in his bag, but then Xia Chiyi’s next sentence was: “I need to send a WeChat message to Yang Huaiyu!”

Beating the provincial team really wasn’t as satisfying as beating Qincheng University.

Zhou Zhexiao’s gentle expression visibly darkened. His hand slid from the back of Xia Chiyi’s head down to his nape, pinching him.

Although it was a pinch, he didn’t use any force at all, lightly lifting him like a kitten.

Ling Huanzhen walked past the two of them and dropped the words “team bully” as a gentle warning.

—Don’t bully the team’s shooting guard!

Zhou Zhexiao’s ears clearly picked up those two words. He gently let go, took a towel, draped it over Xia Chiyi’s head, and wiped his sweat with one hand.

Ling Huanzhen stopped behind Du He and Shuai Bei, his large hands pressing down on the backs of their heads. He used so much force it seemed like he wanted to use their heads as basketballs and dunk them into the hoop.

“Du He, are you planning to just coast through until the end of the game? Since you don’t have the life experience of being rejected by the provincial team, you can’t share Ye Chaoying’s shared hatred?”

Du He immediately explained, “I… I’m not! I didn’t!”

Ling Huanzhen met Du He’s eyes, his words blunt and piercing straight to the heart: “Zhong Ding said he couldn’t see you. Are you planning to just swallow that?”

“I… of course I don’t want to.”

Seeing that Du He was about to lower his head again, Ling Huanzhen forced his head back up.

“Zhou Zhexiao and I taught you boxing-out techniques on the spot, but you haven’t used them once this entire game. The Southeast Regional Finals only happened a few days ago, has your experience bar already reset to zero?” Ling Huanzhen continued asking.

“That’s not true!”

“Or do you not dare?” Ling Huanzhen raised an eyebrow. “In the Nationals, there are plenty of opponents with Zhong Ding’s build. For example, Qinghua University’s center He Denglou, or Southwest Aviation University’s center Mo Chuang. They are all taller than you, possess finer skills than you, and are more famous than you. Are you going to keep looking up at them, feeling they are out of reach, and repeat the experience of being ‘invisible’?”

Du He’s fists clenched. There was an inexplicable sense of power in Ling Huanzhen’s eyes.

Ling Huanzhen said in a very relaxed tone, “Ningchang University has already been crowned the King of the Southeast Region. You should at least believe that you are the number one center in the Southeast Region, right?”

Du He paused. From childhood to adulthood, he had never placed first in anything. Whether in studying or competitions, he was used to playing a supporting role.

Yet at this moment, Ling Huanzhen was calling him the number one center?

“Why are you staring at me with such big eyes? When I won the Asian Championship for the first time, the media didn’t notice me at all. Instead, they unanimously slapped all sorts of shiny labels onto Sheng Xingming and Jiao Yingfeng. Titles like ‘Asia’s No. 1 Swingman’ and ‘No. 1 Shooter.’ Even Li Xiaoran had more presence than me.”

Du He hadn’t expected Ling Huanzhen to have gone through such times as well.

“If others refuse to give me honors, then I’ll give them to myself. So, I told everyone I met that I was Asia’s No. 1 Power Forward! Say it long enough, and it becomes true!”

Ye Chaoying’s head suddenly popped out from behind Ling Huanzhen, wearing a look of shock: “What? So the title of ‘Asia’s No. 1 Power Forward’ was self-proclaimed!”

Ling Huanzhen shoved Ye Chaoying’s head away. “Yeah, do you have a problem with that?”

“No… no problem. You’ve already retired and become the Emperor Emeritus. Even if I had a problem with it, it’s too late.”

Ye Chaoying’s face was practically squished into a steamed bun by Ling Huanzhen.

“So, Du He, ask yourself right now—who are you?” Ling Huanzhen punched Du He lightly in the chest.

“I am… the number one center of the Southeast Region!” Du He declared loudly.

Xia Chiyi and Ye Chaoying exchanged a glance. Not bad, Ling Huanzhen’s bowl of motivational chicken soup is piping hot!

“Can’t your ambitions be a little grander? You’re already the number one center in the Southeast Region!” Ling Huanzhen raised his hands up, as if cosplaying the Goddess of Victory.

“I… I want to be the number one center in the country!” Du He revealed a proud, triumphant expression.

“That’s the spirit! Worthy of a player I trained!”

Xia Chiyi leaned in close to Zhou Zhexiao’s ear and asked, “So… was Ling Huanzhen’s title of ‘Asia’s No. 1 Power Forward’ really self-proclaimed?”

Zhou Zhexiao answered concisely: “No.”

That’s it? Would it kill you to say a few more words?

Xia Chiyi was dying of curiosity. He leaned over Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder and started shaking him.

“How did it really come about? Tell me!”

The warm breath constantly brushed past Zhou Zhexiao’s ear. The boy’s uniquely clear voice, coupled with the slightly elongated ending tone, made it hard to refuse. Even the depths of Zhou Zhexiao’s heart started to itch.

“Ling Huanzhen, Jiao Yingfeng, and I reached the finals in our very first Asian Championship. In the last three and a half minutes, we were trailing our opponents by 18 points. In many people’s minds, it was already a game impossible to come back from.”

Those were the glorious, unforgettable years carved into his memory, yet Zhou Zhexiao’s tone was very calm.

“But Coach Xie Huai didn’t want to give up. He said to Jiao Yingfeng and me, ‘What is eighteen points? Just six three-pointers. Three and a half minutes is more than enough.'”

“I never would have guessed! Coach Xie seems like such a gentle person, yet he had such a crazy side? Having to hit a shot every 35 seconds on average, and that’s assuming the opponents don’t score a single point!”

Xia Chiyi moved away from Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder and instead sat beside him, looking up at him.

His mind seemed to follow Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze back to the most glorious era of men’s basketball.

The boy’s bright eyes were brimming with yearning and admiration for him, pure and fervent. Being looked at like this, Zhou Zhexiao could only do his best to paint the scene from back then.

“Both Jiao Yingfeng and I had very strong perimeter shooting abilities, but even the greatest shooters miss. Once a rebound falls into the opponent’s hands, they can launch a fast break. Therefore, to chase points, rebounding is the most crucial safety valve. Jiao Yingfeng and I were both ready to burn our boats, but Ling Huanzhen wasn’t so confident—he had been baited by the opponent and already had three fouls.”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi could imagine the pressure Ling Huanzhen was under.

Battling for rebounds often involves physical contact; one slip-up and you get another foul. Five fouls, and you’re ejected.

Ling Huanzhen must have felt tied down. Forget grabbing rebounds, he probably didn’t even dare to jump too high.

Xia Chiyi tilted his head and asked, “Did Coach Xie feed Old Ling some chicken soup?”

Zhou Zhexiao slowly shook his head. “As everyone knows, Ling Huanzhen only drinks Jiao Yingfeng’s chicken soup. Regardless of how it tastes or whether it burns his mouth, he will gulp it all down.”

Xia Chiyi’s eyes lit up. “Really? I want to know the recipe for my master’s chicken soup too!”

“Your master said… ‘Ling Huanzhen, if you are not firm, then I will hesitate on every shot I take. I have always firmly believed—you are Asia’s No. 1 Power Forward, and you will grab every single rebound. We will either fall into the abyss together or shine brilliantly together.'”

Xia Chiyi hugged his knees. He couldn’t imagine the psychological pressure they were enduring while trailing by 18 points.

The air must have felt as heavy as setting concrete, requiring all their strength just to breathe.

And for Ling Huanzhen, what Jiao Yingfeng said was probably the ultimate romance of his career.

“After winning that game, Ling Huanzhen became the bona fide No. 1 Power Forward in Asia. In the last three minutes, Jiao Yingfeng and I made no mistakes, but Ling Huanzhen played out of his mind. He delivered a brutal block and grabbed three offensive rebounds. The reporters from Basketball Weekly all said he exploded in ‘SEED mode’ and that his future was limitless,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

Xia Chiyi turned his face and saw that Ling Huanzhen’s hand was already clamped onto Shuai Bei’s head. He was probably about to serve the second bowl of chicken soup.

“Shuai Bei…”

Before Ling Huanzhen could start, Shuai Bei preemptively cut him off: “Stop, stop, I don’t buy into that chicken soup stuff! I know what I need to do; I’ll guard the paint!”

“Huh?” Ling Huanzhen raised an eyebrow. “When you were a print model, you were always in the center spread of magazines. How come when you get on the court, you relegate yourself to a supporting role?”

Shuai Bei let out a breath and cupped his hands together to form a bowl. “Bring it on, bring it on. I’m ready to receive my chicken soup.”

“Then listen up. In these last five minutes, our main scorers won’t be Xia Chiyi or Zhou Zhexiao. You and Du He need to step up!” Ling Huanzhen glanced over at Ma Hongming. “Doesn’t Coach Ma treat height and strength as the magic weapons to dominate the paint? Then we’ll battle them with technique. Let’s teach Coach Ma a good lesson and show him that the era of winning just by being tall and waiting under the basket is over.”

Shuai Bei pointed to himself, chuckling as he asked, “Director, are you sure I can be the main character in these final five minutes?”

“I am sure.”

“Then there’s nothing more to say. Let’s kill ’em.”

Shuai Bei pumped his fist with grand words, but his eyes showed pure perfunctoriness. He just prayed Ling Huanzhen wouldn’t try to rally them again; it was way too cheesy.

Zhou Zhexiao looked into Ling Huanzhen’s eyes and asked, “Are you done pouring the chicken soup?”

“I’m done. I just don’t know how well Du He and Shuai Bei will digest it.”

The referee on the sideline blew the whistle, signaling for the players to take the court.

Sure enough, the provincial team employed a drop coverage strategy against pick-and-rolls to counter Xia Chiyi’s shooting.

Their two guards aggressively squeezed past the screens set by Shuai Bei and Zhou Zhexiao, going all out to chase Xia Chiyi. Even Zhong Ding, who was previously accustomed to waiting lazily under the basket, increased his movement radius, refusing to give Ningchang University any chance to attack the rim.

However… Xia Chiyi’s transition pull-up jumpers were too absurd. He could pull up at a moment’s notice, making shots effortlessly.

To Xia Chiyi, their pick-and-roll defense meant nothing.

Ma Hongming watched helplessly as Xia Chiyi released his shots with lightning speed. This young man, whom he had discarded, was repeatedly overturning all his beliefs and completely destroying his tactical arrangements.

Feeling at his wits’ end was the strongest sensation he had experienced in his entire coaching career.

The provincial team players watching from the sidelines couldn’t hold it in any longer. “We literally have no way to deal with that Xia Chiyi!”

Gao Qing suddenly blurted out, “If we had known he was this fast and accurate, bringing him onto the provincial team and just running simple pick-and-roll plays would have been enough to get us out of the group stages!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gao Qing wanted to cover it. How could he touch Coach Ma’s reverse scale, shake the team’s morale, and above all, validate Xia Chiyi! He really wished he could swap out his mouth for one that couldn’t speak.

“Exactly! He moves so fast, and the moment he shoots, it’s a three. If we went up against the Shenghai Men’s Basketball team with him, we’d absolutely blow them out of the water!”

“When we played the Fusheng Men’s Basketball team, we trailed by over twenty points. If we had a player like Xia Chiyi, seven three-pointers would have tied the game!”

Someone suddenly nudged Gao Qing. “So why didn’t the coach want him back then?”

“I… how should I know?” Gao Qing muttered softly. “Not tall enough, too weak in physical confrontation…”

“But he’s not playing center. Isn’t his height enough for a guard?”

“Didn’t you see him go head-to-head against Man Hai while dribbling just now? How is his confrontation ability weak?”

During the provincial team selections, Gao Qing had found Xia Chiyi immensely irritating. But right now, looking at Xia Chiyi’s flawless shooting form, he suddenly felt that Coach Ma brought this upon himself—he had personally handed the ultimate lethal weapon over to Ling Huanzhen on a silver platter.

The gap in strength was just too vast. Right now, even if Gao Qing wanted to envy and hate Xia Chiyi, it would require too much effort.

Just as Zhong Ding and the others focused all their attention on Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao, Du He received a pass from Xia Chiyi. With an agile “dragon swinging its tail” behind-the-back move, he faked out both Zhong Ding and Liao Yang.

Zhong Ding relied on his height advantage to chase after him, but he was a beat too late. Du He ruthlessly slammed the ball in, not even leaving Zhong Ding an angle to block it.

“Du He, give him a piece of your mind!” Ye Chaoying tilted his chin up, his eyes wide.

In a moment of inspiration, Du He looked right into Zhong Ding’s eyes and delivered the line: “Can you see me now?”

“You…” Zhong Ding gritted his teeth, wanting to say something, but under Du He’s open and honest gaze, his throat felt choked.

At the start of the game, dunking over Du He and trash-talking to mess with his mentality had all been premeditated.

But at this point, the one whose mentality had completely crumbled was likely himself.

The provincial team’s counterattacks never managed to take off. They had expended far too much energy guarding Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao, completely neglecting the others’ mid-range shooting abilities.

Shuai Bei received a pass from Ye Chaoying. Liao Yang thought he was going to drive to the basket, but unexpectedly, Shuai Bei turned and shot a jumper right on the spot.

“Great aim!” Ling Huanzhen clapped like a seal on the sidelines. “As expected of my player!”

Shuai Bei rolled his eyes at him: I didn’t learn how to shoot from you.

Like a flash of lightning, Ye Chaoying stole the ball from Zhong Ding’s hands once again, nearly dragging Zhong Ding to the floor in the process.

“How many times has Zhong Ding lost the ball to Ye Chaoying?” Secretary He asked.

Zeng Fan checked the stat sheet and replied, “Four times.”

Secretary He let out an “Mhm,” at a volume just loud enough for Ma Hongming to hear.

After receiving the ball, Du He used a spin dribble to nimbly bypass Liao Yang. Facing Man Hai’s defense, he actually executed a fake out. Perhaps because his face and expression always looked so honest and upright, Man Hai couldn’t react in time and was completely duped. Du He easily went up for a layup and scored again.

Ye Chaoying couldn’t hold back and slapped Du He on the back so hard it cracked. “Whoa, bro, it was like you were possessed by Zhou Zhexiao just now! Crossing them was as easy as crossing the street early in the morning!”

Du He’s face flushed red as he broke into a massive grin.

Secretary He turned to Zeng Fan and said, “So, just being tall and strong doesn’t work in modern basketball anymore. Otherwise, once you encounter a steal expert like Ye Chaoying, how can you score without the ball in your hands? You still need to be like that Du He—possessing agile dribbling skills to actively create scoring opportunities.”

Just as he finished speaking, Shuai Bei caught a pass from Zhou Zhexiao. With his back to Zhong Ding, the two engaged in a battle of strength.

Zhong Ding looked down at Shuai Bei, thinking to himself: I am staking my entire athletic career on this! There’s only a minute and a half left, and I will absolutely not let you score again!

Who would have thought that Shuai Bei, holding the ball with both hands, would first fake left to test the waters, and then with a shoulder shimmy, abruptly spin to the right? The fake was so natural that even Ling Huanzhen was fooled.

Everyone thought he was going to dribble to the rim, but Shuai Bei simply pulled up for a mid-range jumper and sank it.

Zhong Ding stood frozen there, his heart feeling as if it had been filled with crushed ice.

Why? Why did playing against Ningchang University feel the same as facing the other powerhouse teams in the National Games?

No, it was even harder than playing against the Shenghai or Fusheng Men’s Basketball teams!

Ningchang University seemed perfectly designed to counter them, exposing all their flaws and weaknesses so thoroughly that… even laymen could clearly see them.

Secretary He spoke up again: “Even if you’re tall, you still need a mid-range shot, just like that Shuai Bei.”

At this moment, Ma Hongming felt as if he had plunged into an icy cavern. He couldn’t even find any more excuses to justify the provincial team’s crushing defeat.

Or rather, he couldn’t find a reason to excuse himself.

So many years of management and building, only to fall at the hands of a university team.

Everything happening before him felt like a blow from destiny—this team that had thoroughly defeated him had Ling Huanzhen as their coach, Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao as their two top scorers, and Ye Chaoying with the most steals.

These individuals, who had been filtered out by him for various reasons, had united to hand him a complete and utter defeat.

Ma Hongming’s vision began to blur, and numerous memories from the past flooded his mind.

Back during the provincial team tryouts, why did he eliminate Ling Huanzhen?

It seemed it was because Ling was too stubborn, a troublemaker. And because he overly admired Jiao Yingfeng’s shooting ability. Despite being capable of dominating the paint, he insisted on setting screens for Jiao Yingfeng, completely wasting his own talents…

Then why did he eliminate Jiao Yingfeng? Because his specialty was long-range shooting. In an era where the paint was king, Ma Hongming didn’t want such an “anomaly” affecting the team’s atmosphere. He didn’t want players chasing after illusory three-pointers.

Yet Ling Huanzhen and Jiao Yingfeng had spent nearly fifteen years proving him wrong.

That mistake had wounded his pride, to the point that throughout the rest of his coaching career, he rejected any player who specialized in three-pointers.

Three-pointers were merely a game of probabilities. They floated in the air—how could they possibly be as solid and reliable as driving into the paint and putting the ball directly into the hoop?

Even as the sport of basketball continuously evolved, as the rules changed, as coaches at home and abroad began to develop players’ shooting abilities, and as the NBA across the ocean entered the “small ball” era, Ma Hongming could never let go of his punctured ego, refusing to accept the arrival of the revolution.

No, he had always known. What he truly didn’t want to give up was the power in his hands.

He couldn’t stand anyone challenging his authority, even if that person could bring the team victory.

The game had entered its final ten seconds. The provincial team players quietly awaited the inevitable result.

Xia Chiyi hit the brakes hard at the three-point line and pulled up quickly. Zhong Ding, Liao Yang, and Man Hai—the three tallest players on the court—sprinted toward him with everything they had.

If this were a National Games group match, they might have already given up.

But facing these college students, they gave it their absolute all.

It was as if losing by just one less point would lessen their regrets slightly and salvage a tiny bit of their dignity.

Regret surged in their hearts. In countless past games, why hadn’t they run more? Why hadn’t they practiced defense specifically against shooters? Why were their tactics so one-dimensional while their opponents had endless tricks up their sleeves?

Unfortunately, Xia Chiyi’s release was simply too fast. It was a speed they had never experienced in all the games they had played.

Ma Hongming’s scattered vision pulled back into focus. The only thing he saw was Xia Chiyi’s perfectly extended follow-through in the air, and the melodious, soaring parabola traced by the basketball.

How strange. He used to think three-pointers were far too erratic.

So why did Xia Chiyi’s parabola look as though it were carved into space and time, carrying a fated sense of inevitability that it would go in?

This shot also drew the final curtain on Ma Hongming’s coaching career.

The entire provincial team was utterly silent.

Breathing heavily, Zhong Ding looked at the scoreboard.

Ningchang University was leading them by thirty-eight points… In the past, when they were defeated by basketball teams from other provinces, they just felt that Jin Province’s basketball was too weak and that losing was inevitable.

But today, they had been completely slaughtered by a college basketball team.

Their robust physiques had become mere decorations. For the first time, they felt like they were questioning their entire lives.

The “inside is king” confidence that Ma Hongming had ingrained in them collapsed entirely. Against the backdrop of Ningchang University, their habit of relying on height and waiting under the basket for the ball made them look like absolute fools…

Liao Yang and the others stood dazedly on the court. Suddenly, they didn’t know where to look or where they belonged.

Ma Hongming gave a very slight nod, and only then did the five of them walk over.

The entire provincial team was enveloped in an atmosphere of low pressure.

Ma Hongming spoke: “Why are you standing so far away? It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”

His expression was calmer than they had expected, and only then did the players slowly and cautiously inch closer.

Whatever he was going to say next had nothing to do with the Ningchang University basketball team anymore; it was an internal matter for their provincial team.

Ling Huanzhen didn’t expect to hear an apology from Ma Hongming either. For him, the fact that the Ningchang University team he coached had beaten Ma Hongming’s provincial team was enough of a final verdict.

“Let’s go, you little brats! What do you want to eat? Coach is taking you out to party! I guarantee you’ll eat meat skewers until your mouths cramp!”

Ling Huanzhen wrapped one arm around Xia Chiyi and the other around Ye Chaoying.

Everyone was thrilled. They never imagined they could beat the provincial team by over thirty points.

Ye Chaoying pinched his own cheek. “Why does this feel a bit unreal? For so many days and nights, I dreamed of thrashing the provincial team, and just like that… it’s over?”

“What else did you expect? Throwing a sack over Coach Ma’s head? He’s old, he can’t handle getting tossed around,” Xia Chiyi laughed.

Ye Chaoying tilted his head back and exhaled deeply. “I guess I was just being overly obsessed, holding a grudge against the provincial team for so long. Is there really any need for me to prove anything to Ma Hongming?”

Xia Chiyi smiled, “Exactly. Coach Ma’s philosophy still hasn’t even made it out of Jin Province. But our Old Ling has the vision to break out of Asia and step onto the world stage. If we had made the provincial team back then, we would have lost the chance to experience the world!”

Ling Huanzhen was inexplicably flattered, but he still remembered the panic of being eliminated by the provincial team, the depression of not knowing where his future lay, and the sheer ecstasy brought by the invitation email from Sheng Xingming.

Destiny was truly a winding and bizarre path. After circling around, they had returned right back here.

Ling Huanzhen looked at Zhou Zhexiao, expecting to see a sense of shared mutual appreciation in his eyes. Who knew this guy would have a completely blank face, his mind evidently already checked out, unconsciously walking forward with one hand dragging Xia Chiyi by the strap of his bag.

---

Once on the bus, everyone thought the players would be hyped, but they actually seemed quite calm.

Even Ye Chaoying had lost his initial excitement. Leaning against the window, he was boredly scrolling through his phone. Gao Jinshu had already sent a congratulatory message.

[Disciple, I heard you really did your master proud today! Eight steals!]

Ye Chaoying brushed it off: [The opponent wasn’t Southwest Aviation University. Being the steal king today gives me no sense of achievement.]

After sending that, Ye Chaoying tossed his phone aside and looked out the window.

To him, the real challenge was the National Tournament.

In the back row sat Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao.

Xia Chiyi was getting a bit sleepy and yawned. Beside him, Zhou Zhexiao pulled up Xia Chiyi’s sports jacket and draped it over his own head to block out the sunlight, looking exactly like an internet-addicted teenager fully immersed in a game.

He’s definitely watching Pokémon again. With over seven hundred episodes, he could watch it until the end of time.

Xia Chiyi’s fingertips gently brushed against Zhou Zhexiao’s bangs peeking out from the jacket. Suddenly, he realized his Bluetooth earbuds were still in his own pocket. So, was Zhou Zhexiao really watching cartoons?

He suddenly remembered a famous quote from his next-door neighbor: When a child goes suddenly quiet, they are causing trouble.

“What are you looking at?” Xia Chiyi lifted his half of the sports jacket, only to discover that Zhou Zhexiao was happily surfing through an online shopping app.

His heart skipped a beat. He had a feeling that the package lockers outside their dorm were going to be stuffed full over the next couple of days!

“These sunglasses don’t have UV protection! Return it!”

“Glass lenses shatter easily, return it!”

“These don’t have a polarized effect, return it!”

“Oh my god, this is a children’s size, return it!”

In just those few minutes, the number of items under “Pending Shipment” plummeted from double digits down to single digits.

Xia Chiyi felt his jersey being gently tugged. Turning his head, he saw Zhou Zhexiao looking at him with those beautifully contoured yet somewhat innocent eyes.

“Alright… we’ll wait until the rest arrive. We can return whatever doesn’t fit.”

In the row ahead, Ye Chaoying silently breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Xia Chiyi caught him early, otherwise he’d end up being the main labor force for unboxing packages again.

Sitting diagonally in front of them, Shuai Bei turned his head and chuckled, “Xia Chiyi, your catchphrase has basically become ‘Return it!'”

Xia Chiyi put on an expression like he wanted to cry but had no tears. If it were possible, who wouldn’t want their catchphrase to be “Buy, buy, buy”?

---

As the dust settled on the Southeast Regional Tournament, the other regional divisions also kicked off. First up was the Southwest Regional Tournament, where the group stage battles were burning fiercely.

Whenever it was a group stage game involving Southwest Aviation University, Xia Chiyi absolutely couldn’t stand just watching the replays; he had to watch the live broadcast firsthand.

To this day, Xia Chiyi still remembered Lu Yingnan’s black hole-like eyes and profound, restrained aura.

Getting close to him felt like being enveloped by his aura—a heavy, suffocating sense of oppression that made it impossible to break free.

Lu Yingnan was the only guard among the Big Three of the First Division League.

The title of “Steal King” carried significant weight, whether in the CBA or the NBA.

So what kind of improvements had Lu Yingnan made this year?

Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao each wore one Bluetooth earbud, sitting in the very back row of their general English class, with the game playing on a phone screen.

Unfortunately, in the first round of the group stage, Southwest Aviation University’s opponent wasn’t very strong, so there was no need for Lu Yingnan to take the court.

Instead, it was Zhuo Zheng’s playstyle that opened Xia Chiyi’s eyes.

His Shammgod behind-the-back move had an incredible sense of rhythm, crossing people up until they could practically cough up blood.

His misdirection crossovers had an exceptionally wide range. Combined with Zhuo Zheng’s massive wingspan, he spun defenders around in circles.

Added to that were various between-the-legs pullbacks, making him look like a freely expanding and contracting spring.

Most importantly, Zhuo Zheng’s post-up isolation combined with his fadeaway jumper was at an incredibly high level—a true American-style classic.

Moreover, Zhuo Zheng’s mid-range shooting was superb.

Even though they were both small forwards, his style was entirely different from Yang Huaiyu’s brute-force drives into the paint. Zhuo Zheng was much more threatening from a distance.

Xia Chiyi was watching intently, while Zhou Zhexiao was half-sprawled on the desk. From Xia Chiyi’s angle, he could see the soft, slightly curled whorl of hair on his head, making him look like a large dog nestled by his side.

“Ahem…” Ye Chaoying coughed lightly.

Xia Chiyi was still staring at Zhou Zhexiao’s hair whorl, feeling a strong urge to lean over and kiss it.

Classmates in the front row also made some noises to warn them.

Xia Chiyi realized something was up. Turning his head, he saw the general English teacher standing right behind them, rubbing his chin and watching the game together with them.

He had probably been there for dozens of seconds.

The teacher didn’t get angry; he merely smiled. “Starting from the next class, you two are sitting in the front row.”

“Huh?” Xia Chiyi froze.

Zhou Zhexiao took out his earbud and looked at the English teacher with a blank expression.

“I am serious,” the English teacher replied.

“…You really don’t have to be that serious,” Xia Chiyi grumbled in his heart.

At that moment, Zhou Zhexiao looked at the English teacher. Even though his facial expression hadn’t changed at all, his eyes revealed a kind of… devout repentance, probably.

“We just couldn’t hold back, it won’t happen next time. If we sit in the front row, we’ll block the other students.”

The English teacher closed his eyes, sighed, and said earnestly, “I know your English is at a native-speaker level, but you still need to set a good example for the other students. Understood?”

“Mm, understood,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

He’s so huge and his expression is so cold, so where is this “obedient good boy” vibe coming from?

The English teacher sighed again, “Don’t let there be a next time.”

He turned and walked back to the podium, and the students all turned their attention back to the blackboard.

Xia Chiyi touched the top of his head and glanced at Zhou Zhexiao. This guy actually had a “nothing happened here” look on his face.

Ye Chaoying gave him a thumbs up, mouthing the words: Oscar-worthy acting!

Even Pang Shuai hadn’t expected that aside from basketball, Zhou Zhexiao possessed such practical skills.

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【Author’s Note】
Wishing everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival night.