Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Substitution!" the referee called out.

The game stopped for a moment as the coach instructed one of the new players to come back to the bench.

Kai stopped and took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his brow to see who was going to replace the newbie.

Just then, Yiming stood, causing chaos to erupt in the court. Whispers and murmurs were heard, all in disbelief that their beloved captain was actually going to play for the last five minutes of the game.

"What the heck? Yiming's going to play?"

"Why is he playing now?"

"He only plays in official games, though. He doesn't even play during Yin Yang's games."

"Well, that's because Yin Yang's star players also don't play. But then again, why is he playing against Shizi?"

Before Yiming could make his way onto the court, Chunlei held onto his wrist, causing him to look back.

"Are you sure about this?" Chunlei casually asked.

Yiming paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the court where his teammates awaited his arrival. Though he had always preferred observing practice games from the sidelines, he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that his presence on the court was needed now more than ever.

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With a resolute nod, Yiming brushed aside his teammates' concerns and strode to the court. As he took his place among his teammates, a sense of quiet flattery settled over the Feng Foxes.

While the other Shizi players gulped as they stared at one of Feng Arts' star players, Yuze and Kai had smirks on their faces.

"He's actually playing," Yuze smirked, enjoying the moment.

"Finally," Kai muttered, already excited to see the captain's skill set that he still wasn't aware of.

The whistle blew, signaling the start of what seemed to be the most intense section of the game thus far.

Yuze and Yiming, the two towering figures of their respective teams, stood face to face on the court, their intense rivalry evident in the air between them. Despite their differing positions, it was clear that they were equals on the court, so Kai left to guard another player.

The game commenced, and a newbie player from Feng Arts missed a shot, causing the ball to rebound off of the rim. In a flash, Kai leaped into action, his eyes fixed on the ball. But as he reached out for it, he felt an overwhelming force by his side—it was Yiming.

Yiming soared into the air and effortlessly snatched the ball from Kai's grasp before driving it straight into the hoop with a thunderous dunk.

The crowd erupted into cheers, the sound of their applause echoing through the gymnasium as Yiming asserted his dominance on the court.

Lina sighed as she turned back to the Shizi players who were sitting on the bench.

"These are the skills of one of Feng Arts' star players," she said.

Alen felt his hands shaking as he continued to observe Yiming.

"Will our team be alright?" he anxiously asked.

Lina didn't respond to his question. Instead, she kept wondering why Yiming had joined them on the court for a practice game when he had never done it before.

Then, she smirked. He must have seen the potential of the current line-up in defeating their newbies.

As Yiming descended back to the ground, he looked down at Kai, who was looking at him with furrowed eyebrows.

A silent message passed between them—"You're no match for me," Yiming said through his eyes.

As the game progressed, Yiming continued to showcase why he was the captain of one of the strongest teams in the city. His skill and leadership shone through with each play; and before they knew it, the gap had widened once again, leaving the Shizi team facing an uphill battle in the final minutes of the game.

80-60.

With frustration mounting and time running out, Yuze took matters into his own hands, speeding through the court with lightning speed to score a crucial basket for his team.

80-62.

But even as he celebrated his achievement, Yiming responded in kind, sinking a shot of his own to extend Feng Arts' lead.

82-62.

At that moment, Kai glanced at the timer and saw that there was only less than a minute left into the game. However, he still hasn't shown a lasting impact on the audience, so he could gain more XP.

With determination coursing through his veins, he set his sights on the basket, his mind focused on one goal—a slam dunk that would leave his mark on the audience.

Technically, this was his third attempt at a slam dunk—to which he had been unsuccessful each and every time. He failed to do it during the silly game with Jinping and during the game with the Feng Falcons.

Now, he wanted to prove to himself and to all the people watching that he was someone to look out for.

Kai felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through him as he soared into the air, his eyes locked on the rim.

"No, you're not!" Yiming said when he realized what Kai was trying to do.

The other players could only watch from the side as they observed the scene unfold before them. Yuze also didn't interfere since he wanted to see Kai's capacities.

He couldn't deny that the first-year student had improved in such a short amount of time, and if he could pull this off, then Yuze believed he was mistaken by his first impression of Kai.

Yiming rose alongside him, his presence casting a shadow over Kai's efforts.

With a swift motion, Yiming attempted to block Kai's shot, his hand reaching out to slap the ball away. But to Yiming's surprise, Kai continued to rise while he was already descending, causing his eyebrows to furrow.

"What?" he muttered in confusion as he watched Kai sustain his jump while he was already descending to the ground.

As Kai released the ball towards the hoop, a hush fell over the crowd.

And then, with a resounding thud, the ball managed to find its mark.

To be fair, Kai wanted to leave a lasting impact on everyone watching...and he did—just not in the ways that he expected.

Kai should have known that he had jumped a little bit too early again, so when he released the ball, it didn't land on the ring but rather on Yiming's buzzed head.

As a cherry on top, the ball bounced off of Yiming's head before deflecting into the hoop with a perfect swish.