Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

As the game finally commenced, the cheers for Feng Arts High filled the gymnasium, drowning out any semblance of support for the visiting Shizi team.

Nonetheless, Lina didn't lose hope, and she brought out her notepad to take notes of the game.

At the center of the court, Yuze and Bocheng squared off, the height differential between them immediately apparent. Bocheng, standing tall at 6'8", loomed over Yuze, casting a shadow over Shizi High's captain.

It was ridiculous how Yuze, who stood at 6'6", looked short in Bocheng's midst.

Nonetheless, Yuze was not one to back down from a challenge. With resolve burning in his eyes, he planted his feet firmly on the ground, looking unfazed despite their height difference.

The referee finally blew his whistle before tossing the ball high into the air. The two of them jumped at the same time. However, Yuze, being lighter on his feet, was able to reach the peak faster. He outstretched his hand and reached for the ball with unwavering determination.

Then, yet again proving his skills and talent in basketball, he snatched the ball from the air before tossing it over to their side. The students of Feng Arts sighed in disappointment, yet they weren't too surprised since they were aware of Yuze's talent.

Yiming clicked his tongue once he saw this.

"Bocheng still can't beat Yuze," he muttered. "I thought our training programs would finally give him an advantage over him."

Chunlei crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Relax. I already told you a while back—Yuze's a monster. However, we don't have to worry about them too much."

"Nice," Kun exclaimed, his voice filled with admiration as he received the ball from Yuze. He dribbled the ball over to their side of the court, looking around and plotting their next move as the Point Guard of Shizi High.

However, before he could even execute any play, his plans were thwarted by the interception of none other than Shilei, the strong Small Forward of Feng Arts High.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Shilei seized the opportunity and stole the ball from Kun's hand before passing it to Kexin, the sharpshooting player who was waiting patiently on the perimeter.

Kai gasped softly as Kexin launched a three-pointer with precision and confidence. The ball sailed through the air before swishing through the net.

As the ball dropped through the hoop, Kexin turned to face the Shizi players with a smug smirk, his taunting words hanging in the air like a challenge.

"Nice," he mocked, looking straight into Kun's eyes.

Jinping and Zeren appeared to be the most affected by Kexin's comment, their jaws clenched in frustration. Jinping even looked like he wanted to cause a scene. Kun, however, remained calm and instructed the team to go to their posts.

"He's used to it already," Lina said to the players left on the bench. "Kexin has always had a foul mouth, so it would be unwise to lose your cool on the court over his words. For anyone who's going to play later, don't be offended if Kexin says something."

The other players nodded in determination.

As the game unfolded, it became abundantly clear why the three starting players of Feng Arts High held their position with such authority. Bocheng proved to be an impenetrable force under the ring, swatting away the shots that Kun, Shang, and Jinping attempted to shoot. His presence alone created a barrier that the Shizi players struggled to breach.

On the perimeter, Kexin showed deadly accuracy—sinking shots left and right with effortless grace.

18-6.

Shilei, too, became the second impermeable player of the team. Just as the Shizi players thought they had gone past Bocheng, Shilei would appear before their eyes and destroy their attempts to drive to the basket.

Kai bit his lip as he continued watching the game. He looked around the court and saw that most of the students were already bored out of their minds. They scrolled through their phones and merely looked up when a shot was made.

However, Kai couldn't keep still. He felt his heart racing inside his chest as he realized that these people were on another level. He thought that the game with the Feng Falcons was intense, but looking at the players right now, he realized that there was no comparison.

"Yuze's doing a good job as always," Dylan said, admiration heard in his voice. "I knew I could count on him."

"Zeren's not doing that bad of a job, too," Alen pointed out. "Chunlei is not on the court, and their designated point guard isn't as good as him."

Sunny nodded in agreement. "I'm glad that we have those two right now. It seems like the other three are still struggling to get a hold of the game."

Indeed, despite the formidable opposition, Yuze managed to find some success on the offensive end, using his size to carve out space inside the lines and get off some high-percentage shots.

Zeren, too, proved to be a valuable asset, using his experience on the court to set up his teammates for open and easy baskets.

"Come to think of it," Kai started off. "Isn't Zeren a Point Guard? I remember him saying it in passing."

"He is," Mingze responded. "However, Kun has always been the Point Guard of Shizi High, so in this game, they decided to make him the Shooting Guard."

"He's doing a much better job than Kun, though," Tony observed.

Lina heard what they said and threw them a subtle glare, causing the second-string team to zip their mouths shut and focus back on the game.

"Hey, Yuze might actually have a good teammate this year," Yiming said, pointing to Zeren, who continued to lead the team just as Lina had planned for them.

"The kid is good," Chunlei said. "But he's not great. He needs more practice if he wants to be a great Point Guard."

Yiming rolled his eyes at his teammate. "Such a cocky bastard. So, you're telling me that you practiced hard to achieve your current skill set? You don't even come to practice on time because you're busy flirting with anyone who has two legs."

"Of course not," Chunlei smiled.

"Hard work is for people who weren't born with talent," he chimed.

"However, there are people who are naturally blessed with it—like a gift."

"I'm just one of those people."