Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

With Qiang's aggressive play on full display, he was acknowledged as a strong player, someone who instilled fear in his opponents.

The Shizi Dogs glanced at Kai from time to time, wondering if he was all right after the consecutive hits.

Yuze clicked his tongue. "Should we pull him out?" he asked. "He just got in a car accident."

Coach Muchen and Lina nodded in agreement. With that, they called for a time-out.

The players were confused by the sudden time-out, but they still went to their respective benches.

With the small break, the people started talking about Qiang's strength.

"He's really strong, no?"

"How do you think his mother fed him when he was young? I want to do the same to my future child."

"Kai even dropped to the ground because of him."

"It's crazy how Kai looks small next to him."

"Do you think there's a person in the league who can compare to him?"

"In terms of skill, then yes. But in terms of strength? No."

"They had a practice game with the Feng Foxes, and he gave Yiming a tough time, too."

Qiang smirked as he heard some of their comments, feeling his confidence getting boosted.

As Kai and his teammates regrouped during a brief pause, Lina considered pulling Kai out of the game.

"You've just recently recovered from an injury," she said, concerned about his well-being.

Coach Muchen nodded in agreement. "Lina's right," he said. "There's only three minutes left on the clock, and the gap is already wide, so I think you can sit this one out."

Kai, however, shook his head firmly. "I'm fine, Coach. Let me stay in."

He wanted to do something before the game ended.

Lina's brow furrowed with worry. "Kai, I don't want you to get hurt. Are you sure?"

"I know my limits," Kai assured her. "It's not like before."

The other players watched their conversation like a tennis match, their gazes going back and forth between the two of them.

"This feels like a romance drama," Jet whispered.

The referee blew the whistle, which signified the end of their time-out.

With that, the same players went back to the court.

Qiang smirked when he saw that Kai was still part of the line-up.

"I'll make you taste my final blow," he muttered.

Renren jogged next to Kai as they walked back to the court. "You alright, man?"

Kai nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

"You need any help out there?" Renren pressed.

Once again, Kai shook his head. "I've got this. But I need you to take the lead for now. Just get me the ball in the last thirty seconds."

Renren looked puzzled. "The last thirty seconds?"

"Yes," Kai confirmed, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Curate a play that will get the ball to me in the last thirty seconds."

Renren nodded, although he still didn't know why Kai was asking for such a play.

"Alright, I'll make it happen."

As the game resumed, Renren took control. He took control of their offense and ensured the ball was shared efficiently among the team.

Qiang, meanwhile, managed to score a basket, showing his skill despite his earlier tactics. Renren quickly responded, sinking a shot of his own to maintain their lead.

The game continued with tension, each team fighting for every point.

81-54.

With a little over thirty seconds left on the clock, Renren initiated the final play.

Qiang managed to land another shot.

81-56.

Renren quickly retrieved the ball and passed it to Kai, who was already waiting at the half-line.

Then, he dribbled over to their side. The play was perfect for a fast break, but much to their surprise, Kai stopped just right before the three-point line.
Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire

Still, while dribbling, he turned around. He observed Qiang, who ran up to him to the best of his ability.

However, due to his build, he was slower than usual, so Kai waited for him.

Qiang's eyes narrowed, and he wondered if Kai was mocking him.

Kai smirked, and at that moment, Qiang confirmed that Kai was, indeed, waiting for him.

Qiang shook his head in amusement.

"Oh, you're just asking for it," he muttered before bolting to where Kai was, standing in front of him and outstretching his arms.

"What are they doing?" someone from the stands wondered aloud.

"A showdown?" another spectator speculated.

The other players instinctively left Kai and Qiang alone, sensing the impending confrontation.

It was a one-on-one battle now.

Jinping was about to move in, but Renren shook his head with a smirk.

Qiang set up his signature defensive stance, the 'Great Wall,' planting his feet firmly. He readied himself, believing he could predict Kai's next move after what happened during the first quarter.

Kai feinted left, and Qiang shifted slightly to anticipate the direction.

"It's a fake," Qiang muttered.

So, he went to the right, and Kai, indeed, moved to the right at the last minute, making Qiang smirk.

"You can't get past me," Qiang said, outstretching his hand even further.

Qiang predicted that Kai would slow down and possibly even give up.

However, Kai surprised everyone by darting forward instead.

Qiang's eyes widened as Kai showed no signs of stopping; however, Qiang kept his feet planted, confident in his ability to stop Kai.

The audience held their breaths as they waited for the outcome of the showdown.

"Kai!" Lina exclaimed.

Suzy, too, forgot her cheerleader status for a moment and stood from her seat, walking over to the railings.

"You'll get hurt!" she exclaimed.

Qiang squatted slightly, making his foundation even stronger.

Fifteen seconds.

There was no way Kai could surpass the Great Wall head-on.

Ten seconds.

But Kai did just that. With explosive power, he drove straight into Qiang, who was unprepared for the sheer force. Qiang was pushed back, his feet slipping, and he was sent sprawling to the ground. The crowd gasped as Kai broke through the defense.

Kai's focus remained unbroken. He took the shot, the ball sailing cleanly through the hoop.

It seemed like everybody was stunned, their focus solely on the great wall, which was sprawled on the ground, seemingly a meter away from where he originally was.

"Unbelievable!"