Chapter 0086: Zhao Lingcong’s Abilities

As an assistant coach for the National Youth Team, Xu Run knew very well the kind of pressure a basketball team had to endure on the international stage.

Losing a game was a common occurrence; the most difficult situation to break out of was being completely crushed by the opponent, with no power to fight back.

The darkest hour, without a single ray of light.

Xu Run thought of Sheng Xingming. During the Olympics that year, they encountered a certain European team in the quarterfinals. By the end of the first half, they were trailing by twenty-two points. Not just the audience and the opponents, but even they themselves felt that the outcome was set. The sense of despair made them almost unable to breathe.

Xu Run was a substitute player at the time. He handed water to Sheng Xingming and voiced the question in everyone’s hearts: “Are we going to lose?”

At that moment, everyone tacitly fell silent.

Sheng Xingming looked up at the scoreboard. “Thinking of losing over twenty-two points? Thirty-five seconds was enough for T-Mac to score thirteen points. And we still have twenty minutes.”

“But we don’t have T-Mac…” Xu Run said.

Sheng Xingming calmly tied his shoelaces. “As long as you are unwilling to lose, everyone is T-Mac.”

In that match, Sheng Xingming used his fierce, storm-like drives to continuously chase points, bringing the entire team back to life. Jiao Yingfeng’s long-range shooting and Ling Huanzhen’s deterrence under the basket were all brought out to their fullest potential.

In the end, they turned the tide against the wind and entered the top four.

Xu Run watched Xia Chiyi drive to the basket. Facing a triple-team, he didn’t hesitate to throw a bank shot. Before the opponents could even react to grab the rebound, Du He followed up with a putback dunk.

—Simply brilliant.

By the end of the third quarter, Ningchang University was already leading Huaicheng Normal by twelve points.

During the break, Ye Zhaoying held out his fist toward Xia Chiyi. “You’re awesome, kid. You stole my thunder once again.”

Xia Chiyi smiled. “I learned it from you.”

As soon as he sat down, Zhou Zhexiao raised a hand, cupped the back of his head, pressed him against his chest, and whispered, “You can get even more hyped.”

Xia Chiyi’s ears instantly turned red. His cheeks and neck were covered in sweat, and sure enough, when he pulled away, he left a damp patch on the front of Zhou Zhexiao’s jersey.

In the final quarter, Xia Chiyi acted as the thread needle, beginning the final harvest. Often, right after crossing the three-point line, he would pass the ball to Du He, then form an offensive triangle under the basket with Shuai Bei.

With an agile dribble and a spin, Du He shook off a defender, smoothly bypassed the opposing small forward, and scored with a domineering dunk.

Even though he had been scared to death before receiving the ball, having Xia Chiyi and Shuai Bei right beside him seemed to make Du He forget his fear. Everything became a subconscious reaction of his body.

After Xia Chiyi and He Bin double-teamed the opposing point guard, they successfully stole the ball and passed it to Du He.

“Du He—again—”

The previous goal had given Du He immense confidence. For what felt like the umpteenth time driving to the basket, Du He powered through two defenders and scored forcefully!

“Awesome!” Xia Chiyi rushed over to high-five him.

Off the court, Cheng Qing rubbed his eyes while looking at his clipboard.

“What’s wrong?” Ling Huanzhen asked.

“Ever since Xia Chiyi subbed in, the scoring of the other team members has almost doubled!”

Just as they were marveling, Du He drove in and scored once again.

The audience started cheering loudly.

“What’s that number eight’s name? I only knew he was great at rebounds and interior defense, but he’s been continuously driving the ball today!”

“Yeah, he’s scored over a dozen points already, right?”

“That Euro step layup just now was a killer!”

“Found it, his name is Du He! This guy’s name is Du He!”

Du He pulled up his collar to wipe the sweat off his chin. He vaguely heard sounds coming from the stands, and it seemed to be his own name.

He laughed self-deprecatingly in his heart.

What are you thinking, Du He? Do you really think making a few shots means you’ve made a name for yourself?

When he received Xia Chiyi’s pass once again, he was suddenly faced with a double-team from the front and back. In the past, he would have passed the ball immediately.

But at this moment, he heard Xia Chiyi and Shuai Bei simultaneously shouting from his left and right: “Get past them—”

The cheering from the stands grew louder in waves.

“Du He—bang, bang, bang—Du He—bang, bang, bang—”

“Du He—slash through the thorns, fierce dragon crossing the river, don’t hesitate!”

Du He’s heart trembled. He suddenly realized—this time, he really was the protagonist!

Just like during their usual practice, he faked with his shoulders, using various driving feints to shake off the two double-teaming players, dribbled straight under the basket, and banked the shot in.

“Du He—you’re too cool! Du He, Du He!”

Even the commentator praised, “Ningchang University’s Du He! This player has always been very low-key. He doesn’t have Xia Chiyi’s pull-up jumper ability, he doesn’t have He Bin’s broad-vision off-ball movement, nor Ye Zhaoying’s agility and highly efficient steals. He doesn’t even have Shuai Bei’s mid-range shooting ability. He seemed to focus solely on rebounds and defense, but today he has completely overturned the Southeast Division’s perception of him—fluid dribbling, realistic fakes, weaving through Huaicheng Normal’s territory to score as if aided by the gods!”

Du He ran over, hoisted Xia Chiyi onto his shoulder, and put him back down.

In the stands, Ke Yan frowned tightly, his fists clenched because of that phrase “as if aided by the gods.”

It was glaringly obvious who the “god” that drew out Du He’s potential was.

Unwilling to accept it, Ke Yan muttered, “Xia Chiyi, this part-time point guard, plays even more badass than me, a full-time one.”

Ling Huanzhen pressed down on the back of Ke Yan’s head, the corners of his mouth harder to suppress than an AK-47’s recoil.

Even though he hadn’t scored a single point since subbing in, everyone could see that every point in the second half had Xia Chiyi’s contribution behind it.

Xia Chiyi slung an arm over Du He’s shoulder and smiled, “The game isn’t over yet. Do you dare to score a few more?”

“I dare! Of course I dare!” Du He clenched his fists, looking seriously at Xia Chiyi.

The curve of Ling Huanzhen’s lips deepened. Du He’s self-confidence was invaluable!

According to the tournament bracket, they were very likely to encounter Southeast Mining University in the top eight or the semifinals.

Mining University’s interior was an impenetrable fortress, and their power forward, Ma Tao, despite being a big guy, reportedly had point-guard-level dribbling skills.

If Du He continued to confine his movement strictly to under the basket, it would restrict Ningchang University’s offense, putting them at a severe disadvantage against Mining University.

In just one match, Xia Chiyi had given Du He the most important thing. He was truly an ace among point guards.

Ultimately, Ningchang University secured a sweeping victory over Huaicheng Normal University with a massive 26-point lead, advancing into the top 12.

The Ningchang University cheerleaders were about to cry.

“Don’t cry! Don’t cry yet! If we win the next game, we’ll enter the top eight of the Southeast Division!”

“Yes, yes, yes, it’s too early to weep tears of joy!”

“Not only will we enter the top eight, but we’ll also enter the top four, and we’ll fight our way to the finals!”

Pang Shuai held onto his DSLR camera; it was running extremely hot from taking continuous rapid-fire photos.

Ling Huanzhen patted Ye Zhaoying’s shoulder. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to the hospital for a check-up. The higher-ups are watching our match and asked about your injury.”

Ye Zhaoying moved the ice pack away from his cheekbone. The swelling had gone down quite a bit.

He poked his own face; it had been iced for so long that it was completely numb.

“No need to rush to the hospital. Next up is Southeast Mining U against Jin Province Finance University. I want to carefully observe their playstyle,” Ye Zhaoying said.

Xia Chiyi’s performance had, more or less, stimulated Ye Zhaoying.

It made Ye Zhaoying realize that in his blind pursuit of speed and steals, he had fallen behind in help-defense and assists. He needed to learn properly from Xia Chiyi.

Ling Huanzhen flicked Ye Zhaoying’s uninjured cheek.

“Little brat, what kind of hero are you trying to be? The upcoming matches will only get more severe, and you must guarantee you’re in optimal condition. Your cheek can’t stay swollen—it’ll seriously affect your field of vision!”

Saying that, Ling Huanzhen personally dragged Ye Zhaoying off to see a doctor.

---

Watching Ningchang University’s overwhelming victory, the leaders of the Jin Province Sports Bureau applauded in their conference room.

“This Xia Chiyi completely exceeded our expectations! I thought he went on to crush the opponents with three-pointers, but I never expected his offensive orchestration level to be this high!”

“Indeed. If we had him, those forwards in our Jin Province provincial team wouldn’t be fighting their own isolated battles. They might actually be able to coordinate like the Ningchang University team!”

“So, Coach Ma, you eliminated Ye Zhaoying, and you eliminated Xia Chiyi… I wonder what extraordinary standards you have for guards?”

Ma Hongming’s face remained calm, but his heart rate and blood pressure had already skyrocketed.

“When Ye Zhaoying and Xia Chiyi participated in the provincial team selection, they hadn’t yet displayed such high-level ball-handling skills. Furthermore, Xia Chiyi’s physical confrontation ability was relatively weak at the time. I couldn’t formulate an isolated strategy just for him, abandoning the interior and having all the players screen for him to score.”

“So, in Ling Huanzhen’s hands, it only took half a year—for him to reach such a high ball-handling level?”

“Lacking physical confrontation ability? You can’t be serious. I watched Ningchang University’s match against Fusheng Industrial University, and he clashed with Fusheng’s Ai Jun under the basket multiple times. Even our current power forwards in the Jin Province provincial team might not be able to score many points against Ai Jun, right?”

“Xia Chiyi has the independent ability to dribble and breakthrough. His pull-up jumper is basically completed in the blink of an eye. His reliance on tactical coordination isn’t that heavy.”

Every question sounded polite in tone, as if they were just discussing an excellent player.

But they were all telling Ma Hongming: Your coaching ability is inferior to the rookie Ling Huanzhen. You have absolutely no eye for identifying talent, and you are the reason for the drastic decline in the Jin Province basketball team’s standard.

The leader smiled and spoke in a breezy tone, “It’s like I said before, times are progressing. The era of relying solely on dominating the paint is over. When we stay entrenched in the past, thinking that having a strong interior means we can control both offense and defense, others can just use a run-and-gun tactic to shoot through our basket. We still need to adapt to new situations.”

Ma Hongming didn’t feel like the leader was giving him an out; instead, he felt accused of having outdated ideas.

He remembered back in the day, he clearly had strong dribbling skills too, but because he wasn’t tall or strong enough, he was shut out by all the major provincial teams. Back then, he learned that no matter how good your dribbling was, you were just a supporting character paving the way for others.

Even if he practiced three-pointers bitterly, in the eyes of coaches, the probability of missing a long-range shot was too high; it was better to drive into the paint and solidly dunk the ball into the hoop.

When he finally got a chance to play on the court, clamped down by big players, his shooting was completely rendered useless.

Physique and explosive power were the mandatory talents for this sport.

He couldn’t cross that gap, so he didn’t believe Xia Chiyi could cross that chasm either.

“I admit, Xia Chiyi has a certain amount of talent. But this child’s mentality is still immature, and his ability to handle pressure remains unknown. Everything is smooth sailing for him right now, so many of his weaknesses haven’t been exposed yet. This is currently just the knockout stage; Ningchang University has not yet faced the top-tier level of the Southeast Division. Leaders, it wouldn’t hurt to observe a bit longer.”

Ma Hongming’s expression was calm, causing the others present to temporarily halt their questioning of him.

“Alright, then we will observe a bit more.”

Ma Hongming knew that what he was facing right now was merely a probation.

The leaders were hinting at his “dismissal.”

He truly hadn’t expected that Ye Zhaoying, Xia Chiyi, and Zhou Zhexiao—three people he had eliminated—would happen to gather in the exact same university basketball team!

However, Ningchang University’s journey should probably end here.

Going further meant facing Southeast Mining University and Qincheng University.

---

At this time, in the stands of Junyang Stadium, Ma Tao patted Zhao Lingcong’s shoulder. “Let’s go, the next match is ours.”

“Mm.” Zhao Lingcong nodded.

As he stood up, Zhao Lingcong glanced back at Xia Chiyi.

Truly stunning growth.

Zhao Lingcong raised his arms and stretched.

But even if you’ve grown up, I’ve matured too.

Ke Yan watched the Southeast Mining University team leave the court and exhaled. “I feel like, besides us, the only team capable of checking Ningchang University is probably Southeast Mining U.”

“Ningchang University has fought their way up to this point without playing almost any games from a disadvantage. There has to be a team that makes them suffer a setback,” Li Shunchuan said.

“I’d rather that didn’t happen,” Yang Huaiyu said, leaning forward and looking at Xia Chiyi’s back.

“Why?”

“Once you mount a comeback from a disadvantage, it’s a growth in willpower. If they’ve never experienced desperate adversity on the court, they will lack the ability to handle pressure. But once they start viewing adversity as a common occurrence, then making a comeback just becomes something that gives them a greater sense of achievement,” Yang Huaiyu explained.

Ke Yan immediately understood Yang Huaiyu’s meaning. “So we’d rather they have smooth sailing all the way, and then face sudden, unpredicted setbacks and adversity.”

Yang Huaiyu smiled but didn’t answer.

Xia Chiyi and the team packed up their belongings, left through the exit tunnel, and then went non-stop straight to the spectator stands.

When the Ningchang University team took their seats, they were stunned. They hadn’t expected to be sitting right next to the Qincheng University team to watch the game.

Xia Chiyi was just about to sit down next to Yang Huaiyu when Zhou Zhexiao’s hand pressed against his lower back, pushing him to the seat next to it.

“What kind of fateful destiny is this—” Yang Huaiyu leaned forward, his gaze bypassing Zhou Zhexiao to look at Xia Chiyi.

“Huh? What does this have to do with destiny?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Because just a moment ago, the people from Southeast Mining U were sitting right here watching your game!” Yang Huaiyu answered.

“Oh, oh, right! Brother Cong was sitting next to you just now, right? Did he say anything?” Xia Chiyi looked like a child who had scored full marks on an exam, eager to know how his parents evaluated his grades.

“What else? Thinking about how to deal with you,” Yang Huaiyu gestured toward the court with his chin. “Zhao Lingcong was injured previously, so even we didn’t know what his level would be this year, or if his prior injury would affect him. Now is the time to witness his true strength.”

Hearing Yang Huaiyu say this, Xia Chiyi’s heart began to thump wildly.

From behind came Chen Chuan’s sigh: “Zhao Lingcong is from Ningchang, but in this game, he’s helping Mining University eliminate Jin Province Finance University. Born from the same root, why fry each other so eagerly… I don’t even know who to cheer for!”

Xia Chiyi glanced at Finance University. This match was a last stand for them: lose, and they would be eliminated.

On the Southeast Mining U bench, Zhao Lingcong had his arm around Ma Tao’s shoulder, discussing something unknown.

Xia Chiyi leaned forward against the railing, wanting to see Zhao Lingcong clearly.

The current Zhao Lingcong looked much more mature than he had in high school, and he seemed to have grown taller again.

He hoped his injury was truly healed.

Yang Huaiyu spoke up, “Zhou Zhexiao, I reckon after your one-on-one with Liu Suchen, you look down on a lot of opponents. But Ma Tao… and Zhao Lingcong are truly quite troublesome.”

Zhou Zhexiao’s face revealed absolutely nothing. He leaned back against the chair, one hand resting on his knee, the other holding the half-drunk cola that belonged to Xia Chiyi.

Jin Province Finance U opened the game with all guns blazing. The triangle formation created by Chen Hao, Jiang Yang, and Li Jia constantly threatened Mining U.

Chen Hao was even more like a one-man army, taking off for a tomahawk dunk.

The audience’s heartstrings were pulled tight. Ma Tao, who had just been shaken off by Chen Hao, miraculously maneuvered to Chen Hao’s front-side. The moment Chen Hao raised his hand, Ma Tao slammed it down, brutally swatting the ball away.

Waves of gasps echoed through the arena.

Du He let out an exclamation: “That’s way too ferocious—he’s simply the King Kong under the basket!”

Yang Huaiyu laughed. “Not that extreme, not that extreme. If King Kong made a move, our entire basketball stadium would be gone.”

Not only that, but Ma Tao’s counterattack speed was incredibly fast. The moment he landed, he charged past half-court without stopping, caught the pass from the point guard, and returned the favor to Jin Province Finance U with a massive dunk. The hoop rattled, and his hang-time height left the crowd in awe.

Zhou Zhexiao, who had been leaning back, finally sat up straight.

Despite this, Finance U wasn’t intimidated by Ma Tao. Instead, they launched even sharper counterattacks, biting down hard on the score. Finance U’s Jiang Yang opened fire from the perimeter, hitting two consecutive three-pointers to rapidly close the gap.

But on Mining U’s side, Ma Tao and center Li Renjie took turns slashing into the interior, scoring twelve consecutive points in one minute.

Jiang Yang tried to use a three-pointer to stop the bleeding for Finance U, but just as he brought the ball down, Zhao Lingcong snatched it away!

“That’s way too f*cking fast, isn’t it?” Li Shunchuan exclaimed.

“Yeah, Zhao Lingcong is even cleaner than last year.” Yang Huaiyu cast a pointed look at Xia Chiyi.

At this moment, Xia Chiyi’s heart felt heavy.

From freshman to sophomore year, Zhao Lingcong had been Xia Chiyi’s partner. They practiced together for a very, very long time. Xia Chiyi had provided Zhao Lingcong with nearly two years of experience in how to defend against perimeter players.

Li Shunchuan exhaled deeply. “When we faced Zhao Lingcong in a practice match last year, I was baffled. This guy was like a natural-born nemesis for three-pointers. Against him, I had to shoot much faster than usual. Now I finally understand where this guy’s defensive experience comes from… I have no words.”

Xia Chiyi exchanged a sheepish look with Li Shunchuan.

At the end of the first quarter, Mining U led Finance U by 6 points.

The coach was very satisfied with the Mining U players’ performance, only asking them to maintain the rhythm.

Ma Tao glanced at Zhao Lingcong and grumbled, “What’s wrong, afraid you’ll snap your tibia again if you jump? Or are you holding back because your ex is watching, so your hands and feet are tied? Your performance is just so-so.”

“Tsk, how long has it been since my last official game? Can’t you let me warm up a bit?” Zhao Lingcong said in amusement.

“Then next quarter, you’d better surprise that little liar.”

“Why are you still holding a grudge? If I had been with you that day, you definitely wouldn’t have been KO’d by Yang Huaiyu and Xiao Xia.”

Ma Tao shrugged his shoulders. “Hehe.”

While drinking water, Zhao Lingcong tilted his head up and looked in Xia Chiyi’s direction.

Xia Chiyi raised his right index finger and pointed to the ceiling. The meaning was obvious: Brother Cong, don’t be a coward, score a goal!

A laugh rumbled from Zhao Lingcong’s chest. Alright then, time to score.

Otherwise, people might really think his leg was still broken.

At the start of the second quarter, Zhao Lingcong cleanly intercepted Finance U’s pass, broke through their defense 1-on-3, like a swimming dragon entering the sea. Xia Chiyi stretched his neck out to watch.

Facing a block from Finance U’s center, he changed his dunk into a floater. His judgment and execution in mid-air left people speechless.

After landing, the other Mining U players all looked over, visibly tense, as if asking, “Are you okay?”

Zhao Lingcong was speechless. “I’m fine! I’m perfectly fine!”

Meanwhile, Xia Chiyi was already leaning over the railing, half his body hanging out, his eyes wide and bright. “Brother Cong is even stronger than before…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Zhexiao grabbed his back collar.

“Are you trying to fly down there?” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice sounded.

“My Brother Cong is awesome, isn’t he?” Xia Chiyi turned around to ask Zhou Zhexiao.

“He’s alright.”

“Your ‘alright’ means very awesome!”

The match continued. Ma Tao and Zhao Lingcong took turns doing layups, scoring frequently and creating a mini-run of 8-0.

On the contrary, on Finance U’s side, perhaps due to overwhelming pressure, Jiang Yang missed consecutive jump shots, throwing bricks. Chen Hao drove into the paint multiple times, but was sealed off by Ma Tao and Li Renjie, completely unable to find a breakthrough point.

By the end of the half, Mining University led Jin Province Finance U by 9 points, 48 to 39.

In the stands, those who needed the restroom went to the restroom, and those chatting continued to chat.

Du He rubbed his head vigorously. “I had just found a bit of confidence in the game against Huaicheng Normal, but watching Mining U’s match, my confidence collapsed again. That Ma Tao’s dribbling is so badass! I can already picture myself standing like a wooden stump on the court while he maneuvers right past me!”

Shuai Bei’s mood was also solemn, because Mining University’s interior was truly powerful.

Not only did Ma Tao and Li Renjie possess height and size advantages, but they also possessed an agility that many big players lacked. Combined with Zhao Lingcong, a small forward proficient in both offense and defense… if they truly faced them, Ningchang University would probably have a layer of skin peeled off.

In the second half, Zhao Lingcong completely refreshed Xia Chiyi’s impression of him.

His dribble crossovers were incredibly fast. Consecutive fakes nearly sent Finance U’s players tumbling like roly-poly toys. Even near the basket, he didn’t slow down. He leapt into the air, appearing to go for a floater, but unexpectedly, it was a mid-air fake. He spun nearly ninety degrees in the air, used his body to block the defender’s line of sight, tossed the ball backward, and banked it in.

This wasn’t the end. Zhao Lingcong activated point-farming mode. Finance U sent three people to defend him, but Zhao Lingcong still broke out of the encirclement. An explosive dunk coldly and ruthlessly shattered Finance U’s momentum.

Explosive applause erupted throughout the arena.

Qincheng University’s Meng Ting couldn’t believe it at all. “Damn it, was this guy’s leg really broken?”

His partner He Zhan also rubbed the back of his head. “What rehab and recuperation? I think he was hiding somewhere secretly cultivating! This guy is about to ascend to immortality!”

Yang Huaiyu smiled and lifted his eyes to look at Zhou Zhexiao beside him.

The guy’s gaze was very focused; it seemed Zhao Lingcong had truly captured his attention.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the originally full-of-admiration Xia Chiyi, a rare trace of fear slowly emerged.

This was a Zhao Lingcong he had never been familiar with.

Compared to him now, the Zhao Lingcong from their high school days played like they were just playing house.

The current him was no longer the protective senior and big brother, but a cold-blooded killer whose sole purpose was to destroy the opponent’s confidence, making decisive and lethal moves without the slightest hesitation.

Even as the point gap widened, the Finance U players didn’t give up. They fiercely counterattacked, only to be brutally suppressed by the interior triangle formed by Zhao Lingcong, Ma Tao, and Li Renjie.

A cornered beast’s desperate struggle was Xia Chiyi’s deepest impression of Finance U.

From the stands, Xia Chiyi watched Chen Hao, Jiang Yang, and Li Jia give their all until the very last second, even while trailing by over twenty points.

In the last five minutes of the game, Mining U’s coach, probably considerate of Zhao Lingcong’s leg injury, subbed him out.

But this still couldn’t change Finance U’s fate.

The whistle blew, and the dust settled on victory and defeat.

Jin Province Finance University failed to enter the top twelve of the Southeast Division. When the match ended, the players could only tilt their heads back, blankly accepting the result of being eliminated.

The once arrogant Chen Hao, who had spoken harsh words to Xia Chiyi, was currently gritting his teeth, trying his best not to cry.

For Southeast Mining U, this victory was a matter of course, well within expectations.

But for Jin Province Finance University… it was tragic and desolate.

“Our team is the only one left from Jin Province,” Fu Chenxue spoke.

A sense of crisis—when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold—surged into everyone’s hearts.

Ningchang University’s sudden silence also made the adjacent Qincheng University players a bit unsure of what to do.

“Hey, hey, it’s not that bad, right? To be honest, I think our Qincheng University is still stronger than Mining U. That’s not bragging; we have past records to prove it.” Ke Yan turned around to cheer up the Ningchang University team. “You practically tied us during the practice match. You have to have confidence when facing Mining U!”

Meng Ting also cheered them on, “Yeah, yeah, Mining University is definitely not as strong as our Qincheng University!”

It was Shuai Bei who bluntly pointed out their true thoughts. “You Qincheng University guys are just hoping that we and Mining U will mutually destroy each other, aren’t you?”

“Not at all! We Qincheng University treat you Ningchang University guys as brothers, and you actually doubt our intentions?” Meng Ting made an exaggerated expression, clutching his chest.

“Exactly! We showed you all our cards during the practice match!” Ke Yan also yelled out.

But Zhou Zhexiao didn’t buy it. He said calmly, “When the Mining U guys were sitting here, you were probably sparing no effort in helping them analyze our combat power, weren’t you?”

Yang Huaiyu propped his chin and smiled. “At the very least, we’re having a seafood hotpot at the hotel tonight. We didn’t invite them; we only invited you guys.”

As soon as he said that, Du He, Shuai Bei, and the others immediately shut their mouths.

—Seafood hotpot is the absolute best.

Xia Chiyi’s high school class monitor, Xiao Yu, was in the audience, her tears flowing like a spring as she watched her boyfriend fight to the very last moment only to suffer defeat.

This was the cruelty of competitive sports. Sometimes, it wasn’t true that as long as you tried hard and didn’t give up, you would get a good result.

Zhou Zhexiao lightly draped an arm over Xia Chiyi’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“A situation like this must be very common for you, right?” Xia Chiyi asked.

Zhou Zhexiao cast a sidelong glance at the court. Chen Hao sat on a chair, head tilted back, his face covered with a towel so no one could see his expression.

“If you want to win, you have to learn to afford losing.”

“Then did you lose often?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Mm. Actually, losing is a very fortunate thing. Once you’ve hit rock bottom, the only way left to go is up,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

“Winning is the scary part, because more people will want us to lose,” Xia Chiyi replied.

“Mm.”

They returned to the hotel. The list of the top twelve teams in the Southeast Division came out, including last year’s King of the Southeast Division, Qincheng University; this year’s highly favored Mining University; Fusheng Industrial University, who had lost to Ningchang in the group stage; as well as Ningchang University’s old friends Shenghai University, Shenghai Jiaotong University, Chujiang University, and so on.

Ling Huanzhen also called to inform everyone that Ye Zhaoying’s injury wasn’t serious.

According to the nurse, if they had come to the hospital any later, the swelling would have already disappeared on its own.

In the hotel elevator, Xia Chiyi ran into his high school class monitor, Xiao Yu. Her eyes were still quite red from crying, and she was carrying a plastic bag containing drinks and snacks she had bought for her boyfriend, seemingly including some chocolate.

Seeing Xia Chiyi, Xiao Yu forced a strained smile.

“Xia Chiyi, I haven’t congratulated you yet… you guys made it into the top twelve of the Southeast Division…”

Xia Chiyi patted Zhou Zhexiao’s back and whispered, “I’m going to talk to her for a bit, you head back to the room first.”

“Mm.” Zhou Zhexiao cast a glance at Xiao Yu and exited the elevator first.

Xia Chiyi and Xiao Yu went to the floor where Chen Hao was staying. However, Xia Chiyi didn’t knock on Chen Hao’s door; instead, he stood talking to Xiao Yu by the window at the end of the hallway.

“Actually, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to congratulate us,” Xia Chiyi took a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her. “I saw you cheering for him very hard in the stands.”

“Hahaha… I actually don’t care whether he can win or not. I just hope he won’t easily break down no matter what situation he faces.” Xiao Yu paused, then spoke slowly, “After all, Jin Province isn’t a strong province in basketball. For so many years… the best result any Jin Province university has achieved in the Division I League is only the national top sixteen… so being defeated… is probably inevitable from the moment we entered the division stage. It was just a matter of sooner or later…”

“But even thinking like that, you still feel unwilling to accept it, right? And if you said these words to Chen Hao, he’d probably feel even worse.”

“Then what should I say to him? You guys all play basketball and all want to advance to the national tournament. Maybe you know better than I do how to comfort him.”

“I don’t know how to comfort him. I can’t even imagine what I’d do if we were the ones disqualified. Because from the very beginning, all I’ve had in my mind is the national championship.”

Xiao Yu froze for a moment. When she lifted her eyes and met Xia Chiyi’s gaze, she realized Xia Chiyi wasn’t just spouting empty dreams.

There was a resolute light in his eyes—a determination that could pierce stone, a fearless bravery to reach the summit even if his body was smashed to pieces.

Could mere passion for basketball be enough to make him this resolute?

Xia Chiyi spoke unhurriedly, “The opinions and views of the people around us might truly influence success or failure. For example, everyone says Jin Province’s basketball level is poor, so Jin Province universities can’t recruit top-tier athletes, and won’t have top-tier coaches, meaning it will always remain a barren desert for basketball cultivation. But if just once, even just one team charges to the top of the Southeast Division pyramid, or fights into the national top eight or top four… it will change that perception.”

It hadn’t even been a year since the college entrance exams, yet the boy in front of her was growing up rapidly. What he wanted to change wasn’t the world of other eighteen-year-olds, but a much farther future.

For some reason, Xiao Yu felt a hint of admiration for him.

“If you lose, you lose. We’re no longer kids who run home the moment we encounter thunder and rain.” Xia Chiyi looked at his former class monitor and smiled.

The midday sunlight filtered through the window eaves, coating the contours of Xia Chiyi’s side profile in a layer of gold.

Xiao Yu suddenly felt that the pain in her heart wasn’t as severe anymore.

“Xia Chiyi, don’t you think you should say these words to my face? Speaking them to my girlfriend while looking so breezy and handsome, I might misunderstand and think you have ulterior motives.”

Xia Chiyi and Xiao Yu turned their heads simultaneously and saw Chen Hao standing there with his hands on his hips.

“Bro, you were super cool today.” Xia Chiyi held his fist out toward him.

Chen Hao let out a light chuckle, walked over, and bumped fists with Xia Chiyi. “Super cool? Super cool getting blocked by Ma Tao three times in a row? Or super cool getting shaken by Zhao Lingcong’s mid-air fake?”

“Yes. You wanting to go for a fourth dunk after being blocked by Ma Tao three times was super cool. And the way you still wanted to do a second jump to block Zhao Lingcong after being faked out by him in mid-air was also super cool.” Xia Chiyi looked at him with extremely sincere eyes.

Chen Hao originally thought the current Xia Chiyi wouldn’t even put him in his eyes, but unexpectedly, the other had paid attention to his performance in the match. He suddenly felt a sense of mutual appreciation.

“This isn’t fake politeness, is it? The winner becomes king, the loser becomes a bandit. It’s the truth of the world.” Chen Hao laughed self-deprecatingly.

“At least… you showed me what to do when facing a desperate situation.”

Perhaps in the eyes of others, Jin Province Finance U was just stubbornly resisting, fighting like cornered beasts who were bound to die.

But in Xia Chiyi’s eyes, they were a pack of proud wolves; even if they were wiped out, they were going to leave their mark on the opponent.

Zhou Zhexiao was right. If you want to win, you first have to be able to afford losing.

“Your Ningchang University is now the sole surviving seedling of Jin Province. Since you said you want to change other people’s perceptions of Jin Province basketball, then I look forward to seeing how far you can ultimately go.”

“Sounds like you guys are staying behind to watch the games?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Mm. To prepare for fighting again next year,” Chen Hao said.

Xia Chiyi looked at Xiao Yu and pointed at Chen Hao. “See, this guy doesn’t need any comforting. Without even waiting eighteen years, he’s already a real man again.”

Xiao Yu burst into a smile through her tears, unable to tell if it was from being moved or from feeling her blood boil.

“I’m heading down to eat lunch then. When we go up against Southeast Mining U, you guys have to cheer hard for us.”

“Sure thing. Wishing you sweat but no tears.” Chen Hao briskly lifted his chin.

Xia Chiyi turned around and waved his hand. When he entered the elevator to head down to the restaurant, the doors opened, and he unexpectedly ran into the people from Southeast Mining University.

There were about four or five people in the elevator car. The moment he met Ma Tao’s knife-like eyes, Xia Chiyi scratched the back of his head.

“Maybe… I’ll just take the next one.”

Who knew Ma Tao would turn sideways to make room. “Come in. What, afraid we’re going to eat you?”

“Don’t be afraid, Xiao Xia, I’ll protect you.”

Right behind Ma Tao was a smiling Zhao Lingcong.

“B-Brother Cong.”

Xia Chiyi nodded respectfully, walked in, and stood next to Zhao Lingcong.

Zhao Lingcong raised his hand and gestured. “Xiao Xia, have you grown taller?”

“Mm, I’m 1.88 meters now!” Xia Chiyi said with a smile.

But compared to Southeast Mining U’s legion of 1.9-meter-plus giants, his height was a bit lacking.

He distinctly heard chuckles coming from around him.

Zhao Lingcong’s gaze swept over them. He seemed to be joking, but a hint of warning seeped through.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing, really…”

Ma Tao in front spoke up, “Yeah, even at 1.88 meters, he can still run circles around you guys.”

The elevator doors opened, and the surrounding people walked out. The oppressive feeling of being surrounded by giants finally lessened, and Xia Chiyi let out a deep exhale.

Zhao Lingcong playfully patted him. “What, got scared?”

“A… a little bit.” Xia Chiyi held up his fingers to gesture a tiny amount.

“Then who exactly are you afraid of? Ma Tao? Li Renjie… or me?” Zhao Lingcong’s genial gaze instantly darkened.

Xia Chiyi felt as if he had instantly been transported to the court, with a centerline dividing them into different camps.

“I’m not afraid of any of you,” Xia Chiyi said as he walked backward toward the restaurant. “I don’t just have three-pointers, Brother Cong.”

Zhao Lingcong scratched the back of his head. “This kid was never this arrogant before.”

__

[Author’s Note]
Zhao Lingcong: I am still just as awesome!
Zhou Zhexiao: Which leg was injured? I’ll snap it for you.
Zhao Lingcong: That unfriendly? Does Xiao Xia know?
Zhou Zhexiao: Actually, forget it. I’ll snap both.

Science popularization about NBA star T-Mac (sourced from Baidu):
T-Mac Time refers to the moment Tracy McGrady scored 13 points in 35 seconds. On December 9, 2004 (December 10 Beijing time), at the Toyota Center in Houston, 16,170 Houston fans had the fortune to witness history. The Rockets miraculously reversed the game against the Spurs at home. In the final moments of the game, Tracy McGrady frantically scored 13 points in 35 seconds, and the Rockets miraculously defeated the Spurs 81-80.
After the match, people called these 35 seconds “T-Mac’s Time,” and called T-Mac a man who moved God. This game will forever go down in history. An unbelievable major reversal, plus the milestone of 13 points in 35 seconds! From then on, the NBA had a new term called “T-Mac Time.”