Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Holy—"

"How high was that jump just now?"

"I thought Peng Yang would take it. He's been the reserve center for the second-string team since he was a first-year!"

"Lei must be disappointed."

"Why would he be disappointed? It's obvious that Guo was going to get the ball. His physique is better."

"That doesn't explain his crazy jump, though."

"Crazy? The only crazy thing about him is his personality. Have you ever watched the first-string league in the city? Those guys are the real crazy ones."

It couldn't be denied that Kai's jump was impressive. However, majority of the audience merely attributed it to his physique.

Kai, not wanting to let the momentum go down, quickly passed the ball to Dylan, who was waiting just right behind him.

However, Kai should have paid more attention since Dylan appeared to be unprepared. His hands were trembling as he held out his hands, causing him to fumble the ball.

Kai's heart sank momentarily as the ball landed under their opponent's feet.

"Thank you," the Falcon exclaimed before passing it to their teammate, who was already near their ring.

The team watched in dismay as the turnover allowed the Falcons to capitalize on a fast break, with Peng Yang already streaking down the court.

"First point goes to the Falcons!" the commentator exclaimed, excited by the turn of events.

The crowd's cheers for the opposing team grated on Kai's nerves, especially as Peng Yang waved at the audience, igniting an uproar from the stands.

Not only that but as he ran past Kai, he didn't miss giving out a comment.

"Got it," he said.

Kai gritted his teeth, feeling a surge of determination welling up inside him.

He couldn't let the cheers of the crowd distract him.

He needed to be the best scorer.

As Peng Yang lazily passed the ball to his teammate, Kai saw his opportunity.

With a burst of speed, he intercepted the pass, his focus narrowing down to the ring at the other end of the court.

He could feel the intensity of the moment pulsing through his veins as he raced forward.

However, before he could reach the ring, the green player went in front of him, threatening to take the ball away.

Feeling constricted, Kai clicked his tongue and passed the ball to Tony, whom he saw was free under the ring.

Tony's eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head as the ball reached his hands.

"Shoot it!" his teammates collectively exclaimed.

Feeling pressured, Tony quickly threw the ball into the ring, closing his eyes and silently praying that it went in.

However, with his careless throw, the ball didn't even touch the rim, earning a chuckle from the audience and the commentator.

"What a display!" the commentator kept chuckling. "Is it even possible to miss the ring by such a huge gap?"

Tony pursed his lips and ran after the ball. However, it was too late. Peng Yang once again captured the ball and passed it to his teammate on the other side of the court, earning them another point.

4-0.

The Falcons and their fans cheered in excitement while the Shih Tzus were left in silence.

Although Kai tried his best to turn the game around, the first quarter quickly ended with them still on the zero-score mark.

Yani chuckled loudly as he looked at their scoreboard.

8-0.

"Might as well stop this game," Yani said. "It's already over!"

"What do you mean? It's just the first quarter," Suzy said.

"Exactly," Yani exclaimed. "Yet they still haven't scored a point!"

Suzy pursed his lips. "You're not finding this weird at all?"

"Yeah, the Shih Tzus are weird. Their name is a already a testament to that."

"Not that—the Falcons," Suzy said.

"The Falcons? I think they're doing fine. They haven't committed any fouls, and they're in the lead!"

Suzy clicked her tongue, still finding it strange.

"They joined last year, right?" Suzy asked.

"Oh, what a cruel woman you are," Yani said. "Don't tell me that you forgot!"

Suzy scratched the back of her head since she, indeed, forgot about it.

"They came second last year," Yani recalled. "I think they lost to Yin Yang again. More players joined from Yin Yang last year. That was also the time that Peng Yang showed you a surprise! You rejected him after, though."

Suzy giggled in amusement. That must be the reason why she forgot about it. She didn't usually retain forgettable moments!

"If they were the second-placers last year, why is their score so low?" Suzy asked.

"Huh?" Yani asked, confused.

"That's what I find strange. The score is too low for one quarter. It didn't even reach two digits. Don't you think that's too low for a candidate for the champion title?"

Yani pursed her lips, now realizing that their score was indeed low.

"Maybe they're still getting used to the league," she defended the handsome team. "The second quarter will tell us who will really win."

The second quarter finally began, with the crowd still being biased toward the Falcons.

"Remember what I told you, guys," Kai said before they dispersed in the court.

His teammates nodded and went to their positions.

The audience watched in anticipation, hoping that the Falcons would continue plummeting the Shih Tzus to the ground.

...and they did.

However, even then, they still couldn't score well.

The Shih Tzus guarded them like their life depended on it, impeding their chances to shoot the ball and making them miss their shots.

Suzy looked at the scoreboard before shaking her head.

"They can't let them score more," she muttered.

Kai glanced at the timer and saw there were only two minutes left.

Then, he glanced at the scoreboard.

14-0.

"We can't let them score more than 15," he whispered to himself.

With that, he utilized his stamina to the highest and began guarding the players like his life was on the line.

Seeing Kai's enthusiasm, the other players also gained a burst of strength, wanting to hold out until the very end of the quarter.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the whistle resounded in the court, marking the end of the first half.

The Falcons high-fived each other as they looked at the Shih Tzus' pathetic score.

Peng Yang glanced at them with a taunting smirk.

However, his smirk quickly dropped when he saw the satisfied smiles on their faces.

"Good job, guys," Kai said, patting them on the back.

Peng Yang frowned in confusion.

How could he tell them they did a great job when they hadn't even scored a single point?