The score flashed on the screen.
59-60.
The Shizi Dogs held a slim lead. However, it was enough to change the atmosphere inside the court.
In their humble home, Grandma Bingbing slowly rose from her seat, the crack of her joints drowned out by the sound of the television. Her usually calm, wise eyes were wide with an excitement rarely seen.
"Yes!" she shouted, her voice hoarse but filled with pride.
The teachers from the Shizi Dogs’ school erupted in celebration, clapping each other on the back as they’d already secured the win. It felt monumental—as if they’d made the final shot that sealed the game.
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In contrast, the Elites sat frozen, eyes locked onto Kai. They couldn’t believe it. Could this kid actually pull it off? Could he really lead his team to victory without Yuze on the court? Even when it was just his first year playing?
In that brief moment, the court felt like it belonged solely to Kai. Yuze, watching from the sidelines, shook his head in disbelief.
He felt a strange, overwhelming sense of awe.
Despite not scoring a single point, Kai managed to lead the game, slowly disrupting the Champions’ momentum.
Yuze let out a small, breathless laugh. "Amazing," he muttered.
But before the thought could settle, the ball sailed through the air. Jian stood just past the half-court line, his form impeccable as he released the shot. It was a high, arching throw that seemed almost impossible from that distance.
62-60.
The arena went silent.
Then, gasps and murmurs spread through the stands. Jian had struck back, shattering the moment with one incredible half-court shot.
He didn’t even give them more than ten seconds to celebrate.
"Unbelievable!" David’s voice broke through the silence. "Jian with a half-court three! The lead is gone just like that!"
"Two-point gap this time," Gina added. "It’s 62-60 now. The Champions are back in the lead. And there are only five minutes left on the clock for the third quarter!"
On the court, Kai’s expression remained steady, but his fists clenched slightly.
Two more minutes until he could shoot again. He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Crap," Kai muttered under his breath. Jian had figured it out. He’d caught on to the fact that Kai wasn’t going to take the shots himself. The initial confusion and chaos Kai had caused were fading.
For a split second, Kai’s gaze flickered towards the basket. He had the urge to shoot, a reflexive, muscle-memory response. He let his instincts take over and went for the three-pointer.
But Jian was already there.
The block was brutal, a loud smack echoing through the arena as Jian’s hand slammed the ball back down. The impact stung, sending a jolt through Kai’s arm. It felt like he’d been slapped back to reality.
"Ah," Kai breathed, staring at Jian with a lopsided grin. "Thanks for that." Explore more at Freewebnovel
He almost lost at his mission!
He needed to get it together.
Jian’s eyebrows knitted together, confusion evident on his face. "What is he doing?" he muttered, shaking his head. Why would he thank him for blocking his shot?
He couldn’t make sense of Kai’s actions. He was reading Kai like an open book, but it felt like the words were written in a language he didn’t understand.
"Two minutes," Kai whispered to himself, his eyes narrowing. Now that Jian understood he wasn’t the scoring threat, he’d shifted his strategy, focusing on locking down the other players. It was clear Jian knew how to stop the Shizi Dogs’ offense. If that was the case, then Kai needed to stop them from scoring, too.
Kai glanced toward Jimmy, watching his movements carefully.
In the grand scheme of the Champions’ offense, Jimmy was their weakest link at the moment, struggling to keep up with the pace of the game. Kai smirked, making a quick decision.
He lunged, stepping into the passing lane just as Jimmy made a move to hand the ball off to Jian. Kai’s hand shot out, deflecting the ball away.
He scrambled, but the ball slipped through his fingers. Instead of passing to Jian as he normally would, Jimmy panicked and took the shot himself.
Kai’s smirk deepened. "Nice," he muttered as the ball bounced off the rim.
Kimmy bit her lip, a worried look flashing across her face.
Near the seven-minute mark, Kai’s smirk had turned into something sharper.
Jinping was already struggling, the tight defense from the Champions choking off his options. He glanced side to side, looking desperately for a pass, and locked eyes with Kai.
In that instant, it was as if the entire arena held its breath.
He caught the ball, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. Andy had already positioned himself at the three-point line, hands ready to receive the pass, eyes locked onto the basket.
Kai’s fingers curled around the ball, feeling the worn leather beneath his touch. He took a step forward, then stopped.
It was done.
A strange, fleeting smile crossed his face as he looked at his teammates.
He could hear his own heart pounding in his ears and the adrenaline rushing through his veins.
Jian then went past him to go to Andy. The other Champions were also focused on the other players.
It was only normal, of course.
Kai had been passing to them for the last seven minutes.
No one would have expected him to do what he did next.
As soon as he was open, he didn’t hesitate. He glanced at the timer and made sure that the seven-minute mark had passed.
"Two," he muttered.
"One."
[Mission complete.]
"It seems like the Champions had caught on to Kai Guo’s strategy. They’re leaving him open and keeping Andy on lock," Gina said.
"And there’s no other option for Kai to pass. It had become a lockdown, courtesy of the Champions. Their fans want the lead back again, but will it be possible?" David asked.
Kai dribbled the ball once…twice.
Then the ball left his hand, not as a pass but as a shot.