Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The fourth quarter was underway, and the excitement in the gym increased as Kai returned to the game.

"Kai is back in the game!" Mark exclaimed. "It seems like a lot of people are quite happy—especially the ladies."

The latter statement made Kai embarrassed, while Lina clenched her fists on her lap.

"I don't like this Mark guy," he muttered, making Yuze laugh.

"I thought you liked him because he was funny?"

Lina narrowed her eyes. "Not anymore."

"Oh, Qiang is also back! He had been a bit behind this game. Will he be able to show us the Great Wall of Qiang this fourth quarter?" Mark asked.

Mark's comment made Qiang even more determined, causing Kris to frown from the bench.

"Coach, is it really okay for him to go back to the game?" Kris asked.

Their coach sighed. "I don't see a problem with it. He's the only one who wants to guard Kai. Besides, I think the game is already determined at this point. I just want to see how Qiang handles a guy like Kai."

Kris let out a deep breath, fearing for what Qiang was about to do.

The two of them had developed a close friendship despite their two-year age gap, and Kris thought of Qiang as his little brother. Qiang must be upset not only because his pride was on the line but because this would possibly be Kris' last game.

Kris knew how impulsive Qiang could be if he was desperate.

The referee blew the whistle, and the final quarter of the match finally started.

Despite the large lead, the fans were on the edge of their seats, eager to see how it would unfold.

Qiang stepped in front of Kai with a murderous look. He had stopped Kai before, and he was ready to do it again, even if it meant playing more aggressively.

The Shizi Dogs wasted no time asserting their dominance. Kai received the ball near the three-point line, and Qiang immediately closed in on him. Determined to make a statement, Qiang smacked Kai's arm as he attempted to dribble past him. The contact left a red mark, and Kai winced, but the referee's whistle remained silent.

Lina stood from her seat and called for the referee, but the game continued.

Jet missed the shot, leading to a point for the Alligators.

79-54.

"You alright?" Renren asked, looking at Kai's red arm.

Kai pursed his lips and stroked his arm to get rid of the redness.

Then, he nodded.

"Yes," he said with a smile. "He's strong, but my grandma's slaps are far more painful."

Renren shook his head in amusement. As Renren went away, however, Kai couldn't help but frown when he felt the throbbing sensation on his arm.

When people said that Qiang was strong, they weren't lying.

That was the most painful slap he had felt in his whole life!

However, as Renren possessed the ball, Kai shook off the pain.

He received the ball and dribbled up the court, eyes scanning for an opening. As he moved to drive towards the basket, Qiang bumped into him with force, causing Kai to stumble and fall awkwardly onto his leg. The gym fell silent for a moment, the audience holding their breath as Kai hit the floor.

"What the heck!" the audience screamed.

"What is he doing?"

"Is Kai alright?"

Lina was about to run to where Kai was, but Muchen held her back.

Kai laid on the floor for a couple minutes, feeling slightly embarrassed, before getting up.

He looked around the court and saw the concerned looks on their faces.

Then, he held out an 'okay' sign, earning chuckles from the audience.

"That's dirty play," Jet muttered. The referee called for a foul. However, since it wasn't a foul done while attempting to shoot, the game proceeded as usual without any free throws.

Fabin shook his head in disbelief as he watched Kai move swiftly on the court.

"I can't believe he's still up and running after that one," he remarked.

"Ah!" Ailun exclaimed. "I remember—when you got hit by Qiang, you couldn't play for the entire game. It's a good thing that Max was there, so we still won."

Fabin shook his head. "Don't bring that up again."

Ailun chuckled as he continued to tease his friend.

"However, it really is impressive," he chimed. "I heard he just got hit by a car, so he wasn't able to play during the practice game."

Max almost fell out of his seat. "He actually got hit by a car?"

"Yeah," Fabin said. "I couldn't believe it, too—especially now that he's playing again."

The game continued, and Kai tried his hardest to remain unfazed. He received a pass from Renren and made his way toward the basket. This time, as he leaped into the air for a layup, Qiang deliberately stepped into his path. Kai collided with Qiang in mid-air and crashed to the ground, failing to score. The fall was hard, and the impact left him momentarily breathless.

"Foul!" the referee shouted.

However, that didn't take away the fact that Kai was being Qiang's punching bag.

As he made his way to the free-throw line, Qiang threw him a smirk, making him sigh deeply.

He shot the two free throws, which were his only score for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.
Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

With only a few minutes left in the game, Kai took possession of the ball once more. He dribbled confidently, eyeing Qiang, who was poised to strike again. As Kai made his move, Qiang seemed to trip him, causing Kai to lose his balance. Falling forward, Kai instinctively released the ball just as he hit the ground.

"Oh, fuck this," Kai muttered, feeling anger consume him.

However, he snapped back out of his anger when he heard the crowd cheer.

He lifted his head and was helped by Jet. His members gave him congratulatory smiles, making him confused.

Then, he turned to the scoreboard and saw that they had two additional points.

"That made it in?" he asked.

His teammates also shook their heads in disbelief.

Against all odds, the ball actually swished through the net—a perfect shot.

Coach Muchen chuckled in amusement. "I guess shooting while sitting actually made a difference."

[Congratulations! You have earned a new skill]

[Annoying Shooter]

[The player can shoot from obscure angles!]