Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

[+10 XP]

[Current level: Proficient (96)]

Kai smiled when he saw that he was once again nearing a new upgrade. It had only been a week since he became proficient, so there was already a big jump.

"It seems like the finals will still be our top two schools—the Feng Foxes and the Yin Yang Knights! History repeats itself once again!"

People started dispersing, and they were excited to watch the final game tomorrow.

Some of them already started placing their bets, while some were disappointed since they wanted to see something new.

There was one thing certain, though—most of them couldn't wait to watch the game.

The Yin Yang Knights started leaving the bleachers as the Feng Foxes continued to rejoice.

Kai focused his gaze on the court, seeing the victorious smirk on Chunlei's face.

Then, he glanced at the Xing Stars' bench, seeing their dejected expressions. However, it seemed like Coach Yixing somewhat expected the result since he didn't look as disappointed when they lost against the Shizi Dogs.

Yuze, on the other hand, found the situation confusing.

The Xing Stars lost against the Feng Foxes with a 19-point gap when Chunlei wasn't even playing, and with the Foxes mainly dominating the game from the very first quarter.

Meanwhile, the Shizi Dogs were able to get Chunlei to play in their game, yet they somehow kept a decent gap.

Yuze's frown deepened as he glanced at Kai, who appeared to be in a serious mood.

Then, he pursed his lips.

Did his absence mean that much to their team?

It seemed so.

"See you around, Kai," Max said, capturing Kai's attention.

Kai turned to Max and nodded in acknowledgment.

Then, he turned to the court once more, where he now saw Chunlei looking toward them.

They met eyes for a second, but ultimately, Chunlei's eyes locked with Max's.

Kai looked back and forth between the two powerful players.

Then, his gaze hardened along with the two of them.

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Both were very skilled...

Both seemingly hiding their full potential...

It was the game of the year—one that would be very difficult to predict.

However, Kai already had the answer in his mind.

So, with a smirk, he finally placed his bet.

***

"The final game of the Winter Cup has finally come! It seems like yesterday when we all gathered here for the opening, and now, we're going to witness the game that will determine the winner of the entire league!"

Multiple people from different schools came to the Winter Cup finals, wearing the color of the school they were supporting.

It was nearly half and half, with the Yin Yang Knights being the frontrunners by a small margin because of Max Zhou's fans.

The Shizi Dogs also had their fair share of supporters, with some even approaching them to take a photo.

Yuze scratched the back of his head as another teenage girl went to him and asked for a picture.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Can you wrap your arm around me?" she asked, but Yuze kept still, keeping the fan service to a minimum.

Zeren scratched the back of his head.

"Why are they only taking photos with Yuze?" he grumbled.

"Because he's good-looking," Lina deadpanned, causing Zeren to look at her with wide eyes.

"So, you don't find me attractive?" he exclaimed.

Lina ignored Zeren and focused her eyes on the court instead.

He was about to say something more when Jet wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

"Sometimes, silence doesn't mean yes."

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the buzzer was heard all around the court, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd.

"The first five players of each team are finally taking their places!"

On the Feng Foxes' side, there was Chunlei, Yiming, Kexin, Bocheng, and Shilei—the original starting players.

On the Yin Yang Knights' side, there was Fabin, Ailun, Shin, Yutong, and Max Zhou—also their original starting players.

Yuze watched as Guanyu Chen, the coach of the Yin Yang Knights, patted Max's back with a small smile, silently wishing him good luck.

There was a slight shift in Yuze's expression, barely noticeable since he masked his expression in mere seconds.

"Welcome, everyone! Let us get this show started," Mark Li exclaimed, making the crowd go wild once again.

"Feng Foxes! Feng Foxes!"

"Yin Yang Knights! Yin Yang Knights!"

The supporters from both sides battled it out as the game finally started.

Kai tuned out the sound and focused his gaze on the court.

"Max is in possession of the ball."

"He dribbles, but Chunlei is right in front of him."

Kai frowned as he watched the two of them play.

It seemed like they played differently compared to the past games that Kai had watched. They already looked impressive back then, but now, they were almost unbelievable.

The people couldn't help but gasp as they watched their exchange.

"Max, with his specialty lay-up, lands the first basket of the game!" Mark exclaimed.

"However, what's this? Chunlei, with his mid-range shots, also makes it in, tying the score!"

At that moment, their strengths had become clear.

The two of them were great at defense, but while Max was stronger, Chunlei was faster.

Moreover, Max's specialty was scoring every time he attempted a lay-up. On the other hand, Chunlei had a talent for opening spaces on the court so he could shoot from the mid-range.

They had the same position in their respective teams, which was why they inevitably became rivals. It was most probably the reason why only one of them was able to land a spot in the Elite Five, too.

It seemed like fire was igniting in their eyes as they continued to play, the other players serving as background characters between the two protagonists.

"Damn," Jet said right by Kai's side. "Now, I feel pretty thankful that we didn't get into the finals. We definitely can't compete with that."

Zeren scratched the back of his head.

"Were they always this good?" he asked.

The game continued, and the two teams didn't want to give up.

Fabin, the guy whom Kai had beaten in the shooting game, seemed like a completely different person as he fulfilled his role as the Small Forward.

Even down to the fourth quarter, it was a game that was very difficult to predict.

"60 to 60! It's a tie with only one minute left into the game," Mark exclaimed, his voice nearly running out.

"The fact that they hadn't scored that much means that they're really controlling each other well," Yuze remarked.

"Who do you guys want to win?" Jinping suddenly asked.

Kai smirked, leaning against the chair as the time quickly passed by.

"There's already a winner," he said, causing his teammates to turn to him with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Zeren asked. "But, it's still not over."

Kai's smirk remained.

"But it already is," he said, gesturing to the court, where a monstrous player shot from the three-point line.