Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The sun was high in the sky, casting brightness across the basketball court.

Kai found himself standing at one end. On the other side, Jinping and his lackeys stood with confident smirks.

The first-year students who had nothing better to do were drawn like moths to the flame of drama, circling around the court. Whispers of excitement and speculations filled the air as they focused their gazes on the impending battle.

Eva, standing at the sidelines with a smirk, seemed to be enjoying every moment.

"They're fighting over me," she whispered to the group of girls by her side.

Kai saw his status written before him.

Level: Noob (30/100)

He had increased his XP by playing with those little kids and practicing during nighttime.

However, despite his hard work, he was still a newbie. With his current state, he definitely couldn't take on the three of them.

As the trio prepared for the game, Kai couldn't resist a dry remark.

"Don't tell me we're doing a 3v1?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jinping chuckled condescendingly. "Of course not. We're playing fair. Don't worry. We've picked your teammates for you."

Kai frowned in disbelief.

Jinping smirked as he saw Bao, their nerdy classmate, watching on the sidelines.

"Hey, meat bun," he exclaimed, pointing at him.

The onlookers parted like the Red Sea, placing Bao in the spotlight. Bao pointed at himself in disbelief.

"M—me?" he stammered.

Jinping clicked his tongue. "Yes, you. Come here, Bao. Accompany Kai over here," he said.

Bao gulped in fear but followed Jinping's orders nonetheless. Kai pursed his lips as he watched his seatmate slowly walk to where he was.

"And you," Jinping said, pointing to an unsuspecting guy eating a bag of potato chips on the bench.

"Potato guy," he loudly said. "Play basketball with us."

The unknown guy with unruly curly hair and prominent freckles stared at them for a few seconds.

Yuan clicked his tongue in impatience. "Come here or else."

That seemed to do the trick. The potato guy stood and silently walked to where Bao and Kai were standing.

"Meet your dream team!" Jinping chuckled, gesturing to the three of them.

Bao, adjusting his glasses nervously, stammered. "Uh, hey, Kai. I don't know how to play basketball."

Potato guy, still munching on some chips, added. "Yeah, me neither. I was having an early lunch break."

"This'll be short," Kai apologetically said. "Thanks for joining me."

Bao raised his eyebrows, surprised that Kai was actually thanking him. The rumors he heard from Kai's former schoolmates made him seem like a total monster.

"Consider this as a crash course in basketball," Jinping remarked, dribbling the ball.

"We're playing half-court," he started off. "Usual basketball rules apply. Three points if you sink it from beyond the line, two points inside. First to ten wins. Got it?"

Kai nodded, actually feeling pretty excited for the game. Nonetheless, he tried hard not to show it.

Jinping slowly walked over to their team, a sly grin on his face. "One more thing. If I win, I get the girl.

Eva, standing nearby, couldn't help but scoff.

Kai sighed, leaning against the hoop, and crossed his arms. "And if I win, you guys leave me alone, alright?"

Jinping chuckled. "Deal."

Jinping called over another student to act as the referee. It seemed like the student was waiting for this moment. He had a worn-out whistle necklace, and he enthusiastically stood at the center of the half-court, ready to officiate the game.

While they prepared themselves, Yuan and Hui stepped closer to Jinping.

"Will we be able to beat them?" Yuan whispered.

Jinping chuckled. "Of course," he said. "You already know that Kai sucks at this game. He was recruited by the basketball team because of his height, but that's all he has. Besides, look at his teammates."

The three of them glanced at the other trio—all of them looking like complete newbies in basketball.

"Yeah, don't doubt Jinping," Hui said. "He was on the basketball team when we were in junior secondary school!"

Jinping smirked. "Let's destroy them."

Whistling through his necklace, the referee signaled the start of the game. The two teams stood face to face while the referee held the ball between them.

Kai and Jinping focused their gaze on the ball, determined to get a head start.

The referee threw the ball high up in the air, and Jinping and Kai jumped at the same time. The ball touched Kai's fingertips, but ultimately, it landed in Jinping's hand.

Kai frowned as Jinping dribbled across the court with a small smirk on his lips. Although he didn't say anything, it felt like he was looking down at Kai. Jinping passed the ball to Yuan, who attempted to shoot but failed. Hui took the rebound, dribbling across the court to find the perfect timing.

The onlookers began to cheer, some of them already placing bets on who will take the victory.

Kai carefully observed his opponents, inferring that Jinping was actually more experienced in playing basketball than he had expected. He definitely wasn't on the level of the varsity players in Huoloan High, but he definitely had some talent in the sport.

And Kai, who had relied on theory and hadn't played since the accident, was having a more difficult time suppressing him.

Kai glanced to the side to observe his teammates and saw Bao beelining across the court like a misguided homing pigeon, following whoever happened to have the ball. Potato guy, on the other hand, chose a more leisurely approach. He stationed himself under the hoop, gazing up at the net with curiosity and half-heartedly guarding those who came near it.

The ball found its way into Jinping's hands, and he and Kai locked eyes for a moment, an unspoken challenge passing before them.

Kai, trying to predict Jinping's next move, focused intently on his opponent's body language.

'He's going to shoot,' Kai thought, so he moved to the right side and raised his arm.

However, Jinping faked a move to the left at the last second and threw the ball high in the air.