Chapter 111: The Provincial Team’s Fatal Weakness

Although he was only one man, it felt as if he had swept through the entire court, his strength and speed cutting across the floor. Secretary He and Zeng Fan both watched with their mouths slightly open. When he reached the other side of the court, he suddenly stopped short. That kind of abrupt stop at full dribbling speed showed excellent body coordination.

He dribbled leisurely past the assistant coach, his long limbs carrying both power and agility, and Xia Chiyi couldn’t take his eyes off him.

The provincial team’s assistant coach looked at him, somewhat flustered, and announced his time. It was 0.1 seconds faster than Ye Chaoying’s.

Zhou Zhexiao looked at that player and said loudly, “Your opponent isn’t going to slow down their dribble just because you’re tall.”

If height was really the issue, Zhou Zhexiao was already above the provincial team’s average height, yet his dribbling speed was still faster than everyone on the provincial team. That made the saying “shorter players are naturally more agile with the ball” look like a joke.

From the back, Xia Chiyi complained while stretching, “If I’d known, I should’ve gone earlier. That way, no matter how fast I was, the audience would’ve already expected it. I wouldn’t have been able to amaze the whole place.”

“Hurry up. There are still a lot of people waiting behind you,” He Bin said impatiently, nudging Xia Chiyi with his knee.

After the dribbling sprint test, Ye Chaoying, Zhou Zhexiao, and Xia Chiyi from Ningchang University were all far ahead of the provincial team in speed. Shuai Bei and Du He were also roughly on par with the provincial team.

If you compared the team averages, Ningchang University was 0.5 seconds faster than the provincial team. The slap in the face came so suddenly that there wasn’t even a good excuse to make.

Ma Hongming had originally wanted to dampen Ningchang University’s morale, but after the results were announced, it was the provincial team whose arrogance shrank.

Ling Huanzhen smiled at Ma Hongming. “I know, Coach Ma is about to say dribbling speed is only one part of the game, and that compared with height and strength, it’s not a decisive advantage.”

Ma Hongming looked at Ling Huanzhen and said flatly, “Ever since you became a coach, you’ve gotten even more arrogant than when you were on the court.”

“Come on, don’t say that. I’ve always been low-key. If you don’t believe me, ask Qing University’s coach Li Xiaoran. Even though we start fighting the moment we meet, I can still humble myself to learn from him.”

Secretary He coughed, and Secretary Qiao corrected him, “Not ‘humble yourself,’ it should be ‘ask sincerely for guidance.’”

If Li Xiaoran ever heard what Ling Huanzhen had said, he’d probably smash his thermos into Ling’s skull.

“Sorry, sorry. I wasn’t good at cultural studies. Thankfully, Coach Ma gave me enough motivation to burn my boats and go overseas to sharpen myself. But how many people can be like Jiao Yingfeng and me, meeting a friend like Sheng Xingming, who helped us contact schools and coaches and even apply for scholarships?”

For the first time, Ma Hongming had nothing to say.

In his whole coaching career, the one thing that could openly be held against him was that he had failed to recognize Ling Huanzhen and Jiao Yingfeng back then—yet those two had gone on to carve out their own success in the NCAA.

The two of them had shone for at least ten years, and over those ten years, countless people had openly and secretly “thanked” Ma Hongming for not choosing them.

Secretary He listened from the side. Logically, he ought to have reminded Ling Huanzhen to show some respect to his senior now that he was a coach himself. But on second thought, too many people had been showing face and giving concessions for too long, and that was exactly how Jin Province basketball had become what it was today.

From the perspective of developing basketball talent, Ling Huanzhen was probably the “future.” The frustration in Secretary He’s heart could probably only be vented on a day like this.

So Coach Ma, this senior figure, would just have to suffer a little today.

“Ningchang University has finished warming up, so let’s start the game,” Zeng Fan reminded them.

Ling Huanzhen said, “Then I’ll use the same lineup we used in the Southeast Division final. Coach Ma, are you using your first string or second string?”

Ma Hongming drew a quiet breath inward. Maybe not recruiting Ling Huanzhen back then had actually been a good thing. Otherwise, he might have been driven into heart disease twenty years early.

“Center, Zhong Ding!”

“Here!”

Zhong Ding stepped out. He was the tall guy who had bumped into Du He earlier and looked down at people through his nostrils.

This guy really did stand out above the crowd, like a crane among chickens. Even his walk carried wind.

Ye Chaoying folded his arms, raised his brows, and leaned toward Xia Chiyi’s ear. “Damn, with that height, all he has to do is stand under the basket, catch a high pass, and toss it into the hoop. Even if I put springs on myself, I still couldn’t reach him.”

Xia Chiyi shrugged. “That still depends on someone being able to get the ball to him.”

Hearing that, Ye Chaoying gave a wicked grin. “That’s true.”

Ma Hongming continued calling names like a general leading an army into battle. “Power forward, Liao Yang!”

Another big man stepped out. He was heavily built, clearly a power player. If it came down to fighting in the paint, there was probably no one on Ningchang University who could hold him off.

Xia Chiyi glanced at Zhou Zhexiao. The guy actually yawned, and there was even a little moisture in the corner of his eye, making people want to ruffle him.

Clearly, he hadn’t put Liao Yang in his eyes at all.

But Shuai Bei frowned slightly, and Du He stared upward in a daze and muttered, “So strong.”

Chen Chuan poked Xia Chiyi in the back. “You’d better shoot accurately later. If those two stand under the basket, whether Du He and Shuai Bei can grab any rebounds is going to be a big question.”

He Bin couldn’t help dragging Chen Chuan back. “Can’t you hope for something better from him?”

“Who are you saying can’t grab rebounds?” Shuai Bei asked coldly, shooting Chen Chuan an icy glance over his shoulder.

“Small forward—Man Hai!”

“Here!”

Man Hai was the same guy who had grabbed Zhou Zhexiao by the collar, obviously one of Coach Ma’s loyal followers.

He was even two centimeters taller than Zhou Zhexiao.

Ye Chaoying leaned toward Xia Chiyi and whispered, “Looks like Old Ma is serious. He’s using all his own people—his National Games setup.”

Xia Chiyi replied, “You mean the setup that finished dead last in the National Games group stage?”

Ye Chaoying laughed. “I like your sarcasm.”

Ma Hongming glanced at Xia Chiyi and raised his voice. “Shooting guard, Duan Changyun.”

A guy about 1.95 meters tall stepped forward. Following Ma Hongming’s gaze, he looked coldly at Xia Chiyi.

Duan Changyun had always heard the leaders say how regrettable it was that Xia Chiyi hadn’t made the provincial team. He’d heard it so much his ears were about to grow calluses.

Today, he was going to see just how great this Xia Chiyi really was.

Chen Chuan poked Xia Chiyi in the back again. “This guy looks way taller than you!”

Xia Chiyi said casually, “Basketball isn’t a street fight. Being tall and strong doesn’t necessarily mean much.”

“Point guard, Bao Junfeng!”

A dark-skinned player stepped out, tugging his short sleeves up over his shoulders. He had a buzz cut, a very round head, and a face that didn’t look easy to mess with. He was actually the fastest dribbler on the provincial team, but earlier Ye Chaoying had stolen the spotlight. It looked like the two of them were about to go head-to-head.

He glared at Ye Chaoying, and Ye Chaoying glared right back.

The two looked like they were about to start a staring contest.

Xia Chiyi couldn’t take it anymore and covered Ye Chaoying’s eyes with one hand. “Are you a child or what?”

“He started it.”

“He glares at you, so you glare back? If a dog bites you, are you going to bite the dog too? Just steal the ball from him a few times and he’ll know exactly what he’s worth.”

“Got it. I won’t glare at him anymore.”

“Exactly. Besides, your eyes are so much smaller than his. Even if you glare, you won’t have the same presence.”

“…”

The earlier player choices hadn’t been surprising, but Bao Junfeng as point guard hadn’t played much in actual games, so neither Xia Chiyi nor Ye Chaoying knew him well.

Had Ma Hongming finally wised up and developed a secret weapon at point guard?

Ma Hongming glanced at Ling Huanzhen, expecting that Ling would at least say something modest in the face of such obvious size advantages.

But Ling Huanzhen just grinned so hard the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears. “Boys, if you win today, you’ll get to play in the National Games!”

Everyone else thought he was just lightening the mood, but Ye Chaoying gave him no face at all and burst out laughing.

At the sidelines, Pang Shuai, holding a camera, sighed helplessly. Fu Chenxue leaned over and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“At the moment, we look exactly like the ignorant cannon-fodder villains in a novel, while Coach Ma looks like the taciturn hidden master. Going by novel logic, we’re about to get completely crushed.”

“That won’t happen. Coach Ling is amazing!”

Pang Shuai smiled and nodded. “Too bad this isn’t a novel, it’s reality. In reality, there are no cheat codes or golden fingers—only strength.”

Both teams walked onto the court. Du He and Zhong Ding stood facing each other. Zhong Ding lowered his eyes, looking directly at Du He.

He gave a cold smile, stepped forward twice as if teasing him, and suddenly bumped into Du He again. Du He instinctively stepped back. Zhong Ding grabbed his shoulder. “What are you dodging for? It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”

Du He stared at him blankly, his throat moving as he answered without much force, “I wasn’t dodging… You were the one who bumped me.”

“So what if I bumped you? If you play center, you can’t take a hit? Want to run home and cry to your mom?”

Ye Chaoying’s voice came from the side. “Hey, this is basketball, not football. What are you ramming people for?”

Du He suddenly came back to his senses, looked Zhong Ding in the eyes, and his expression grew firmer. “Let’s just do the jump ball.”

Xia Chiyi glanced at Ye Chaoying. He knew Ye wasn’t the type to stir things up, and he rarely trash-talked first. The reason he was being so outspoken today was because he knew their teammates didn’t have enough confidence.

After all, only Xia Chiyi and Ye Chaoying had gone through the provincial team tryouts. For everyone else, even a provincial team that had finished last in its group still carried an aura.

The whistle blew, and the basketball flew up toward the ceiling.

Zhong Ding wasn’t especially explosive in his jump, but his wingspan and intimidating presence were enough to make people hesitate.

Du He gave it everything he had. Since he was already here, of course he wanted to compete.

Unfortunately, he still didn’t get a hand on the ball.

But Ye Chaoying had already prepared for that. He burst forward at top speed toward their point guard, Bao Junfeng.

Unexpectedly, Bao Junfeng received the ball with his left hand, making Ye Chaoying’s steal attempt just half a beat slow.

This guy was left-handed. His left-hand dribble was fast and fierce.

Ye Chaoying was used to defending on the opponent’s right side, so facing a player who suddenly handled primarily with his left, he couldn’t catch up for the moment.

Just as Xia Chiyi moved to rotate over to the left for help defense, Bao Junfeng suddenly sent a high pass.

What was he trying to do? Wasn’t the ball going to sail out? Pang Shuai tilted his head up in confusion.

But Liao Yang, their power forward, caught it. Then came another high pass. Center Zhong Ding was already waiting under the basket to be fed, and he threw down a two-handed dunk. The force of it was like uprooting a willow tree barehanded. Du He was half a beat late even getting off the floor to contest.

After the dunk, Zhong Ding smiled at Du He. “That’s your defense? You’re too short. I can’t even see you.”

Du He felt as if someone had punched his heart. He stood frozen under the basket.

Ye Chaoying went over and slapped him on the back. “Hey, don’t fall for his PUA.”

“PUA?”

“Yeah! You’re this big, and he says he can’t see you? Is he blind?”

Xia Chiyi took a deep breath, walked behind Zhou Zhexiao, and jabbed a finger hard into his spine. “Hey, why didn’t you rotate over on defense?”

Given where everyone had been standing, Zhou Zhexiao was the player closest to the basket besides Du He.

Zhou Zhexiao showed a rare confused expression. “That big idiot was just standing under the basket. I thought Du He alone would be enough.”

That was true. Zhong Ding had been camped under the basket waiting to be fed the ball. Logically, Du He should have taken the initiative to body him up and fight for position, or at the very least disrupted him when he caught the pass.

Maybe because he was nervous, Du He had reacted too slowly.

On the sideline, Ma Hongming, who had been clutching his own arm, finally relaxed his fingers a little.

This opening was bad for Ningchang University. The provincial team’s momentum immediately rose, and even Gao Qing and Lu Hang stopped hanging back and came to the sidelines to clap and cheer.

Watching from the side, Secretary He stroked his chin and nodded. “In basketball, height really is important.”

Secretary Qiao nodded too. “That’s right. The provincial team’s players are all taller than the college students. As long as they make high passes, it’s hard to steal the ball. On the other hand, Ningchang University is moving more, but they can’t even touch the ball.”

Only then did Ma Hongming speak slowly. “Competitive sports can’t escape the chasm of physical talent. Height, wingspan, jumping ability, explosiveness—those are the real gifts. Players with poor physical tools who still become exceptional are extremely rare.”

As long as the game kept going like this, he could prove to everyone that the provincial team’s selection system and his tactical ideas over all these years had been correct.

Athletes like Xia Chiyi and the others, whom he had never rated highly, could only have some fun at the college level.

Competitive sports were cruel. They still hadn’t earned the right to enter.

Zeng Fan looked at Ling Huanzhen with some concern. Didn’t he need to encourage or guide his players a little?

Ling Huanzhen caught Zeng Fan’s look and assumed the other man wanted him to respond to Ma Hongming, so he cleared his throat and said, “Sigh, as everyone knows… beating Jin Province men’s basketball hasn’t reached the point where you need to rely on talent yet.”

Zeng Fan froze. Brother, that’s way too arrogant. The leadership is still here!

Secretary Qiao coughed, unable for a moment to think of anything to smooth things over.

Instead, Secretary He smiled. “Height, wingspan, and explosiveness are all advantages. But advantage and excellence are often two different things.”

Ye Chaoying took the ball, his brows lifting. That rebellious streak returned. Across from him, Bao Junfeng grinned and tugged at his shorts, the provoking expression on his face plainly saying: Come at me if you can.

Ye Chaoying exploded forward. He had expected to face Bao Junfeng, the shortest player on the provincial team, but to his surprise the provincial team suddenly switched into a mismatch defense, and the one standing in front of him was Zhong Ding, their biggest player.

The huge figure loomed over Ye Chaoying. From the sidelines, the Ningchang University players all sucked in a breath.

In front of Zhong Ding, Ye Chaoying looked like an elementary school kid. Zhong Ding spread his arms and sealed off his path.

Oh wow, I’m so scared.

One probing step fake and Ye Chaoying shook Zhong Ding clean. He got into the paint and now faced power forward Liao Yang.

Another giant.

Before the other player could fully close him off, Ye Chaoying put up the shot.

Ma Hongming forced himself not to smile. Too rushed. That’s not going in. And if it comes down to rebounding, you’re definitely losing.

Just as Ma Hongming expected, Du He was boxed out of the favorable spot, and Shuai Bei alone couldn’t do much. The ball was about to be taken by the provincial team—

when suddenly someone rose from two steps away, a shadow falling over everyone, and smashed the ball straight back through the rim with an airborne putback dunk.

It was Zhou Zhexiao.

The way he hung on the rim with one arm was full of raw power, his legs swinging apart like a pendulum, as if he were walking through the air.

He lowered his eyes, not to intimidate the provincial team players, but to look at Shuai Bei.

Shuai Bei’s mind went blank for a second, but then he understood what Zhou Zhexiao meant. In exactly this situation, Ling Huanzhen and Zhou Zhexiao had practiced with him countless times. Since one person couldn’t out-rebound two opponents easily, then the answer was simple: don’t let anyone get the rebound.

What Shuai Bei should have done was spread both arms and keep both Liao Yang and Zhong Ding behind him so neither of them could jump, then wait for the ball to drop naturally.

“Sorry,” Shuai Bei said softly.

“Mm.” Zhou Zhexiao turned away.

By then, the people on the sidelines were still immersed in the afterglow of Zhou Zhexiao’s play.

Secretary He looked at Ling Huanzhen suspiciously. “Did this kid really get into a car accident?”

Ling Huanzhen nodded. “The car accident was real, and it’s true he lay in the hospital unconscious. But Coach Ma was too impatient. If he’d waited two more days, the kid would’ve woken up.”

Secretary Qiao asked, “Did he get an MRI? Are you sure he’s recovered?”

“Absolutely. From his head to his toes, he’s perfectly fine.”

Ma Hongming stared at Zhou Zhexiao. He had never seen him in person before. Only after seeing that airborne dunk did he realize that in terms of physical gifts, this guy might truly be exceptional.

Ye Chaoying grinned and raised both hands. Zhou Zhexiao expressionlessly high-fived him.

Only then did Liao Yang realize—Ye Chaoying’s shot had been intended as a setup pass for Zhou Zhexiao all along.

Zhong Ding patted Liao Yang on the back and said carelessly, “Heh, don’t mind it. Just lucky.”

Ye Chaoying shrugged and called out, “Are you used to blaming every loss on your opponent having good luck?”

As expected, that drew furious looks from the entire provincial team, both on and off the court.

Bao Junfeng’s gaze swept coldly over Ye Chaoying. A freshman from the Southeast Division champion team was this cocky already?

Looks like he just hadn’t been beaten enough. He had no idea how high the sky was.

Bao Junfeng dribbled the ball and, just after crossing half court, passed it to shooting guard Duan Changyun.

Duan Changyun prepared to shoot as his teammates moved in to set screens. Zhong Ding and Liao Yang, the two big men, almost trapped Xia Chiyi while he was chasing over the top, but unexpectedly Xia Chiyi slipped sideways through the gap between them. He was so fast and agile he was like lightning darting through a canyon. Just as Duan Changyun was about to shoot, he found himself face-to-face with Xia Chiyi rising up in front of him.

Duan Changyun’s nerves jerked violently. How had this kid gotten there?

And how could he jump that high?

In that instant of pressure and hesitation, Duan Changyun realized that if he forced the shot, it definitely wouldn’t go in. Before he landed, he passed the ball to the tallest player, Zhong Ding.

Zhong Ding caught it and turned to shoot—

and the ball was gone.

Ye Chaoying had stolen it.

“So fast!” Zeng Fan shouted in shock.

Secretary He also nodded with satisfaction.

Ye Chaoying’s speed was no joke. In the blink of an eye, he had pushed into the opponent’s half. Just as he reached the three-point line, his eyes were clearly looking at Zhou Zhexiao, yet he passed the ball to Xia Chiyi on the other side.

Bao Junfeng was stunned. That no-look pass was as polished as something from a professional player.

Damn it. Ningchang University was about to shoot a three.

Bao Junfeng immediately turned toward Xia Chiyi, about to form a trap with Duan Changyun.

Ma Hongming gave a light snort. You think shooting from outside is that easy? For a shooter to stay consistent, too many factors have to line up—technique, stamina, movement, teammate coordination. If even one piece is missing, the ball misses the rim.

—The provincial team had no need for that kind of uncertainty.

Just as the trap was about to close, Xia Chiyi took a step back, dipped the ball, and released in one smooth motion, as if he didn’t even need to aim. The shot arced away.

Bao Junfeng and Duan Changyun looked up at the parabola.

Too rushed. No way that’s going in…

Ma Hongming also showed a cold smile. See? Against professional-level opponents, you can’t make that shot.

Yet what answered them was the sound of the basketball snapping through the net—a clean swish.

Secretary Qiao looked incredulous. He had seen countless CBA games in person, but a shot like the one Xia Chiyi had just taken was almost unheard of.

“A… a fluke?” Secretary Qiao looked at Ling Huanzhen and Ma Hongming.

Ma Hongming’s face turned ashen. He said nothing.

Xia Chiyi smiled, pointed at Secretary Qiao, and called out, “Not a fluke. I can shoot that fast every time.”

That bold, almost conceited grin made Secretary Qiao’s heart race. He even looked inspired. “This is our Jin Province sharpshooter… no, the Southeast Division sharpshooter is in our Jin Province!”

“Mm.” Secretary He smiled very, very approvingly.

Even the watching Zeng Fan’s jaw ached from how hard it dropped. “Was his release really that fast? It’s catch-and-shoot every time! I thought I was looking at Jiao Yingfeng!”

Hearing the name “Jiao Yingfeng” was like slapping Ma Hongming across the face again.

The king of the three-point shot in Asia had once also been one of the NCAA’s top three shooters. For an Asian player to receive that kind of recognition was no easy thing.

And yet, in the same year Jiao Yingfeng went to study in the U.S., one of Ma Hongming’s own players transferred to the same university, only to be cut and sent back in less than a month.

That stark contrast had once caused a huge crisis in Ma Hongming’s coaching career, and he had spent enormous money and connections to keep his head coach position.

Still, Ma Hongming believed Jiao Yingfeng had only been an “exception.” There couldn’t possibly be a second one in this world.

Just then, Ling Huanzhen said in a voice that Ma Hongming could definitely hear, “This kid can finish a 21-point shooting drill in under sixty seconds.”

Although they hadn’t tested it yet since returning from the Southeast Division, Ling Huanzhen and Jiao Yingfeng both believed the boy could already do it.

“What?”

This time, Ma Hongming was the one shocked.

Even among top-line NCAA athletes, players who could do that were exceedingly rare. Had Xia Chiyi already reached that level?

If he really had, then how could anyone defend him?

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Ma Hongming’s back.

Impossible. Ling Huanzhen was exaggerating on purpose, trying to play mind games.

When possession changed, Liao Yang came to guard Xia Chiyi. Liao Yang was big and strong; blocking Xia Chiyi should have been easy.

He looked into Xia Chiyi’s eyes. To him, they held a kind of naïve immaturity. He lifted his chin, as if to say: Go ahead, try another shot.

All he had to do was block Xia Chiyi once and this kid’s fragile confidence would shatter.

But Xia Chiyi’s expression remained calm. He feinted a drive, snapped the ball back, then stepped back.

Liao Yang thought he was going to shoot and leaned his weight forward, trying to harass the dribble and poke the ball away, only to find Xia Chiyi spinning past him with a turn dribble.

By the time Liao Yang turned around, Xia Chiyi was already at the three-point line releasing the shot.

A clean release, another make.

Liao Yang’s face went nearly blank. Everything had happened too fast, like teleportation.

Xia Chiyi turned around and said to him, “Do you think you were just a little bit away from stopping me?”

There was that famous trash-talk line often attributed to Jordan: “You almost had me.”

The corner of Xia Chiyi’s lips curved as he passed by Liao Yang. “Keep dreaming. You weren’t just ‘a little’ away.”

Liao Yang had wanted to use his height to crush Xia Chiyi’s shooting. Instead, he got stabbed by the kid.

Ling Huanzhen smiled with satisfaction and, facing Secretary He in a voice Ma Hongming could definitely hear, praised him: “Every strong team in the Southeast Division said the same thing—if you send only one person to guard Xia Chiyi, you’re just giving away points.”

Ling Huanzhen was telling Ma Hongming that it wasn’t enough just to put a tall defender on Xia Chiyi.

In fact, the taller the defender, the uglier he might get shaken.

Zeng Fan had watched the entire first-tier league from beginning to end, and he was always browsing Weibo and forums too, so he had a deep impression of Xia Chiyi’s ability. “I also saw the official first-tier league description once—two-man traps can’t lock him down.”

“Haha, I’ve heard another one too—three-man traps might only end up trapping air.”

Even Secretary He joined in the conversation, making no effort to hide his admiration.

—Xia Chiyi’s consecutive three-pointers were telling Ma Hongming that the old paint-dominant philosophy had passed, and it was time to accept more varied tactics.

Didn’t Ma Hongming think Xia Chiyi’s build was too slight?

So what?

He didn’t need to join brutal battles in the paint. He could take heads from beyond the arc.

Xia Chiyi once again broke through the trap from Duan Changyun and Liao Yang, like an arrow piercing thick clouds. His dribbling speed was astonishing.

Everyone except Xia Chiyi himself thought he was driving to the basket. No one expected him to pull up at the three-point line without warning.

Man Hai, the small forward, panicked. He couldn’t let this guy keep showing off.

Only after he jumped did he realize it had been a fake.

Xia Chiyi rose half a beat later.

Man Hai’s heart tightened. I can block this. I can block it! I’m taller than him, and I jump better!

But Xia Chiyi was shooting a fadeaway jumper?

Worse still, his hang time made it feel as though time itself had pressed pause for him.

The ball slipped just above Man Hai’s fingertips and dropped through the basket again.

Not just the people from Ningchang University—even the provincial team players watching from the side almost started applauding. Quite a few of the newer team members looked openly awed.

“Is he really a college student?”

“He’s amazing!”

“If we’d had him at the National Games, getting out of the group stage would’ve been easy, right?”

Luckily, those new players were standing far enough away. If Ma Hongming had heard them, he probably would have made sure they suffered for their lack of tact before he retired.

Gao Qing swallowed hard. He was still struggling in the provincial team’s second unit, while Xia Chiyi was scoring against the first-string lineup as easily as reaching into a bag and taking something out.

Lu Hang’s expression gradually turned dark. “If it were you and me out there… we’d probably start questioning life, right? He’s so much better than he was last September.”

And yet the two of them had made no progress at all, still stuck in place on the provincial team.

On the sidelines, Secretary He clapped hard. “This is clearly professional level! No wonder I’ve heard several CBA head coaches asking when Xia Chiyi plans to enter the draft.”

Even though Ma Hongming had already known from the livestream that Xia Chiyi’s growth had been beyond imagination, seeing it in person was even more shocking.

How had he done it? Was this kid some kind of monster?

Could someone really be reborn in just a few months?

Xia Chiyi ran up to Zhou Zhexiao grinning. “Your Majesty Zhou, you need to step it up. You’re not looking too good today!”

Zhou Zhexiao rubbed the top of Xia Chiyi’s head. Seeing him so spirited, he looked as though he wanted to pull him right into his arms. Even his expression softened to an extreme degree.

Ye Chaoying ran over and said coolly, “A man can’t be told he’s ‘not good enough’—especially not by his own partner.”

“Got it. I won’t be lacking,” Zhou Zhexiao answered seriously.

With that handsome, pure expression on his face, his earnestness made people want to pinch his cheeks.

Once Zhou Zhexiao had the urge to spread his feathers like a peacock, opponents below the level of Liu Suchen or Yang Huaiyu really couldn’t stop him.

With a quick probing step and a sideways feint, Zhou Zhexiao suddenly broke through the defense of Bao Junfeng and Duan Changyun and drove straight into the paint.

He moved so fast that Secretary He at the sidelines didn’t even see it clearly.

While the other provincial team players were still trying to understand what had happened, Zhou Zhexiao was already going up for a layup under the ring, surrounded by three towering defenders.

It was a huge double-pump, twisting layup motion. The ball arced around Zhong Ding’s arm as if mocking his height and kissed the backboard on its way in.

After landing, Zhou Zhexiao showed none of the joy of scoring. He simply looked at Xia Chiyi.

Xia Chiyi shook his head. He had been fighting for defensive position just now and hadn’t seen it.

Zhou Zhexiao looked disappointed, his lowered eyes almost aggrieved.

This guy really knew how to make the most of his looks and make people soften instantly.

Xia Chiyi patted him on the lower back. “Then do it again. I’ll definitely watch this time.”

Ye Chaoying came over with his hands on his hips. “Just a reminder—Xia Chiyi isn’t the audience, he’s your teammate. Fancy moves belong to the whole gym.”

Zhou Zhexiao was only feeling regret, but Zhong Ding was completely confused.

What had just happened?

Three of the tallest players on the team had been there to stop him, so how had the ball gone in anyway?

Liao Yang also tugged at his collar. A move like that—at that level—was rare even in the CBA. Damn it, was this guy really a college student?

The corner of Ling Huanzhen’s mouth lifted. When the big demon king was playing against seventh-, eighth-, or ninth-rate players like these, wasn’t it basically free points even with his eyes closed?

Coach Ma, Coach Ma—your players have always believed body size is some heaven-sent advantage.

And all their training and tactics have been built around maximizing that advantage.

But once someone breaks that advantage, what do they have left to rely on?

Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao began their legendary “twin stars” inside-outside combination, with Ye Chaoying threading the needle in between.

Zhou Zhexiao started going to work in the post with backdowns, spins, and fadeaway jumpers, all fluid and graceful. Every shoulder fake and turn was natural and smooth, making it impossible to guess which side he’d bring the ball up from to shoot.

Ma Hongming could barely breathe. Too polished.

That spinning fadeaway jumper… it had the style of an NBA star.

If only they had a player like Zhou Zhexiao, getting out of the National Games group stage would never have been a problem.

Unfortunately, back then he had cut Zhou Zhexiao so he could save the roster spot for one of his own cultivated players.

After Zhou Zhexiao scored twelve straight points, he switched into point guard mode.

He and Ye Chaoying began feeding Xia Chiyi the ball, while Du He and Shuai Bei set screens. Soon, a rain of threes was pouring down.

Every time the ball swished through the net, Ma Hongming felt his heart seize.

No matter how many tactical adjustments he made or how many defenders he changed, Ningchang University’s scoring system centered on Xia Chiyi was devastating to the provincial team and almost impossible to solve.

Not only that, Ling Huanzhen subbed Du He out and sent He Bin in, clearly giving up on the inside game to focus entirely on the perimeter.

He Bin showed excellent off-ball movement, trading baskets with Xia Chiyi along the three-point line. The provincial team’s big men grew more and more flustered, and their zone defense was sliced to pieces.

Ma Hongming finally couldn’t stay seated and roared from the sideline, “Where’s the defense? Tighten up the defense! Zhong Ding, why are you standing under the basket? Waiting for someone to feed you? Get out and defend!”

They had never encountered a team like Ningchang University, one with both elite long-range shooting and elite mobility. Their overreliance on the interior game had exposed their flaws completely—insufficient movement, not enough speed, no real perimeter scoring threat.

For the first time, Ma Hongming saw clearly that his players’ height was no longer an advantage. Instead, their lack of mobility and agility had become an obvious weakness, and their lack of outside scoring had become a fatal flaw.

He could no longer sit still. At last, he called a timeout.

Zhong Ding and the others walked over toward him, their faces dark and long.