Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai didn't hear the comment.

Lina, however, heard it loud and clear.

With that, she snapped her gaze to the bench, only to be met with a group of girls whose gazes were solely focused on Kai.

Lina narrowed her eyes at them, feeling undeniable jealousy course through her veins.

"Maybe the haircut was a bad idea," she muttered.

After a while, the girls noticed Lina glaring at them.

"What the heck? So weird," some of them muttered.

That seemed to snap Lina back to reality as she shifted her gaze back to the court with red cheeks.

"What am I doing?" she muttered.

She wasn't the only one experiencing immense jealousy.

Suzy was surrounded by people who kept gushing about Kai.

"Bro, I think my heart just beat faster for another man!"

"Bro, that's different now."

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

"I don't think so! We're classmates, so I'll ask him."

Suzy held in the urge to roll her eyes.

"It's no use," she muttered. "He'll have one soon."

In Kai's absence, the lineup for Shizi High included Renren, Jinping, Jet, Yuze, and a benchwarmer.

As Yuze made his way to his spot, Jet walked to him and patted his shoulder.

"I heard someone say that this is Kai's team now," Jet remarked with a grin.

Yuze clicked his tongue.

"I'll show them," he muttered.

The whistle blew, and the game was back on. Shizi High moved, determined to maintain their lead.

"Your cousin's playing now," Fabin remarked, nudging Max's shoulder.

Max nodded. "He's good."

"Hmm," Ailun hummed. "I felt his aura when we played against each other, and it was similar to yours."

Max turned to him with raised eyebrows, causing Ailun to chuckle awkwardly.

"You're still better, though," he said to his friend. "Far better."

Meanwhile, Coach Yixing had just gotten over the players from the first half of the game.

"They have another new player," he said. "Do you know who that is? He looks foreign."

Zedong narrowed his eyes to get a better look at the blonde player. Then, his eyebrows raised when he finally realized who it was.

"That's Renren Zhou," he said, causing Coach Yixing to freeze.

"That foreign Point Guard that Shizi High once had?" he confirmed.

Zedong nodded. "Yeah. He's back with them now, it seems."

Coach Yixing pursed his lips and retrieved his phone from his pocket.

He opened the game schedules and sighed in relief, capturing Zedong's attention.

"What are you looking at, coach?" he asked.

"I was seeing if we would be playing with them for the second round," he responded.

"We aren't," Zedong said. "Aren't we going to play with them if they win against the Feng Foxes?"

Coach Yixing nodded. "That's good," he muttered. Find adventures at empire

"Let's just hope that the Feng Foxes beat them," he said.

Zedong frowned. "Why?" he asked. "Aren't the Feng Foxes more formidable?"

Yixing pursed his lips together. "For some reason, I feel like we have more of a chance to win if we play with the Feng Foxes."

With his statement, Zedong's expression hardened. Then, they focused their gazes back on the court.

Renren, as the point guard, took control of the first play. He dribbled up the court, his eyes scanning the defense. Seeing an opening, he executed a crossover dribble, leaving his defender stumbling. With a burst of speed, he drove towards the basket, pulling up for a smooth mid-range jumper. The ball swished through the net, and the crowd roared in approval.

"What's with their lineup? They just keep coming out with great new players!"

"Is he a foreigner? Did they manage to get an import in?"

"I don't think Shizi High has enough money for that."

"Then, are you saying that a bunch of talented players just magically happened to be at Shizi High?"

On the next possession, Jinping secured a rebound and quickly passed to Renren, who pushed the ball up the court with impressive speed. Spotting Yuze making his way to the paint, Renren lobbed a perfectly timed alley-oop. Yuze leaped into the air, catching the ball with both hands and slamming it through the hoop. The gym exploded with cheers, and even Kai found himself applauding from the bench.

"He's scarily good," Kai said.

Kun turned to him with a wide smile. "Right?" he asked. "But should you be saying that right now when you've scored more than half of our points?"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Renren shouted, high-fiving Yuze as they ran back on defense.

The Alligators tried to respond, but Shizi High's defense was tight. Jet intercepted a pass, quickly dishing it to Renren, who set up another play. This time, Renren called for a pick-and-roll with Yuze. As Yuze set the screen, Renren used it to drive to the basket. The defense collapsed on him, leaving Yuze open. Renren dished a perfect pass to Yuze, who finished with a powerful dunk.

76-50.

Qiang, who was watching on the sidelines, clenched his fists in anger.

"I need to get back in there," he said.

Kris shook his head. "I think we should just accept it," he said. "The Shizi Dogs are scarily good. The Yin Yang Knights are going to have a hard time with them."

Qiang snapped his gaze to the older player.

"Why are you acting as if we have already lost?" he asked.

Kris looked down at his lap before turning to Qiang.

"There are moments when you should learn how to accept loss," Kris said, placing his hand over his shoulder. "Through that way, you'll become a better sportsman."

Qiang scoffed. "A great sportsman looks for ways," he deadpanned. "Even when one's losing, you should find a way to win—no matter what."

Back on the court, the playful banter among Shizi High's players continued. "Looks like this isn't just Kai's team, after all," Jet said with a grin.

"Not by a long shot," Yuze replied with a smirk.

As the third quarter progressed, the synergy between Renren and Yuze became even more apparent.

On the next possession, Renren brought the ball up, signaling for another play. He dribbled left, then right, probing the defense. Yuze positioned himself near the baseline, ready for the call. Renren drove into the paint, drawing the defenders towards him. At the last moment, he passed the ball behind his back to Yuze, who was cutting to the basket.

Yuze caught the pass in stride and went up strong, finishing with another dunk.

The crowd went wild once more.

Meanwhile, Qiang appeared like he was going to explode.

"Qiang," Kris tried to call his name to calm him down, but it seemed like he was long gone.

"We need to win," Qiang muttered before turning back to Kris.

Kris appeared concerned while Qiang continued frowning.

"This can't be your last game."