Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

With a collective nod of determination, the Shih Tzus broke their huddle and took the court with renewed strength.

As the fourth quarter began, they knew that victory was within their grasp, and they weren't about to let it slip away.

For Kai, this was a high-stakes gamble. The more he scored, the higher his upgrade will be.

However, it was a double-ended sword since the total amount of points their team garnered would be deducted from his current XP if they lost.

So, there was only one answer to this.

The Shih Tzus had to win.

"The fourth quarter finally begins! Who do you think will reign supreme in this nail-biter of the game?" the commentator exclaimed.

A resounding chorus of "Falcons!" rose from the audience, their voices filled with confidence and anticipation.

Lei crossed his arms in front of his chest and watched the players intently.

"Who do you think will win, Guanyu?" he asked.

As usual, Guanyu didn't respond.

Lei clicked his tongue in annoyance. Guanyu was like this when they were rivals back in the day, and he remained the same all throughout the years.

With Guanyu's lack of response, Lei continued speaking.

"I believe the Falcons will rise on top in the end. I have never heard of the Shih Tzus before, but they seem like a team that runs on nothing but willpower as their fuel. Teams like that do not end with good results."

"Moreover, their teamwork is the only other thing they got going. Aside from that, their foundational skills are all weak. The Falcons might lack the teamwork that they have, but they're better in every other aspect…they have better looks, too," he chuckled like a rich man.

However, Guanyu continued to ignore him.

Guanyu's eyes strayed to one player in particular—Kai Guo. It was the kid who accompanied his grandma in delivering onions in their neighborhood ever since he was young. Then, when he grew up to become a troublemaker, he stopped accompanying his grandma.

In the end, he became a good-for-nothing student who caused his grandma a lot of trouble.

However, looking at him now, he seemed like a different person.

Meanwhile, Yani fiddled with her fingers in nervousness as she kept her gaze on the court.

Suzy chuckled when she saw her actions.

"You pretended to not care, but now, you're pretty immersed, huh?" Suzy teased.

"I can't help it!" Yani exclaimed. "It's the fourth quarter, and they're tied. It's as if we're back to zero! I can't handle seeing the Falcons on the verge of defeat."

"But you were confident they were going to win, though," Suzy pointed out

Yani pursed his lips before crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm still confident! With looks like theirs, they can never be losers in my heart," Yani excitedly chimed.

Suzy shook her head at her friend's shallowness.

Despite the loud cheers for the Falcons, Kai remained unfazed. He shook his head and took the ball from the referee before passing it inbound.

Sunny passed it back to him, and with that, he dribbled down the court, his eyes fixed on the hoop. He could feel the weight of the game resting on his shoulders, but he pushed aside any doubts and focused on the task at hand.

As he neared the three-point line, Kai briefly considered taking the shot. However, he knew it was risky. Instead, he drove toward the basket, weaving through the defenders without a care in the world.

With a quick move, he executed an easy lay-up, the ball gliding through the net with a satisfying swish.

The scoreboard lit up, displaying a score of 16-14 in favor of the Shih Tzus. The crowd fell silent, stunned by the sudden turn of events. How had the Shih Tzus managed to surpass the Falcons after trailing behind for so long?

However, the audience's moment of disbelief only seemed to fuel the Falcons' determination.

They fought back, scoring two quick points to even the score again.

As the clock ticked down and the minutes flew by, both teams became more proactive, trading basket for basket with relentless intensity.

But despite their efforts, the gap between them remained static, the score deadlocked at 26-26.

With four minutes left on the clock, neither team showed any signs of slowing down. The tension merely increased as the audience held their breaths with every basket, waiting for the decisive moment that would determine the outcome of the game.

Kai saw another opportunity for a lay-up when he noticed that all the Falcons were being tightly guarded by his teammates.

The Shih Tzus' defensive strategy was definitely erratic. They were clumsy to the point that they became unpredictable, which proved to be effective in disrupting the Falcon's rhythm.

Seizing the opportunity, Kai glided past his defender and executed another lay-up, adding to his impressive tally of points.

"Another point for Kai Guo!" the commentator exclaimed. "In this game, he had scored a total of 16 times—similar to his jersey number!"

Peng Yang, the Falcon's star player, watched with growing frustration as they scored once again.

28-26.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he decided that enough was enough.

His determination soared through the rook as he positioned himself behind the three-point line, refusing to be interrupted by the Shih Tzus' pesky defense.

Those darn dogs had been disrupting their plays since the first quarter!

With a swift motion, Peng Yang released the ball, his form nearly perfect as he launched a three-pointer. He knew of his limitation as the Center of their team. He wasn't proficient in long-range shots.

However, driven by his hatred for Kai, he was able to create a decent shot.

The ball sailed through the air, finding nothing but the net as it dropped through the hoop.

The crowd erupted into cheers, impressed by the very first three-point shot of the night.

29-28.

With just one minute left on the clock, the Falcons now held a slim lead, and it seemed unlikely that the Shih Tzus would catch up, especially considering their lack of success with three-pointers thus far.

"50 seconds left on the clock," Suzy whispered.

For her, the only way they could secure a definitive win was if someone shot a three-pointer.

"They need a three-pointer," Suzy said, louder this time.

Yani turned to her. "Do you think they can do that? They hadn't attempted any three-pointers in the entirety of the game."

Suzy sighed. "From their practice, too, it seemed like none of them could shoot a three-point shot. If they do land one right now, I believe that the other team would be able to make another play. It's obvious that the Falcons' stamina is better than the Shih Tzus. Unless they make a three-pointer, I believe this would go to overtime."

Yani paused before turning to her friend with raised eyebrows. "You've been watching them practice?"

Suzy ignored her question.

Meanwhile, Kai glanced at the scoreboard, wondering what to do.

He capitalized on Peng Yang's weakness of not being able to do long-range shots. However, in the end, he was also the same. Long-range shots were his weakness too.

However, Kai wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

So, positioning himself on the three-point line, Kai ignored the murmurs of doubt from the crowd...

...and with pure determination, he raised his arms and prepared to take a shot.