Slam Dunk

The game resumed. Zhang Mingyu stood still beyond the Three-Point Line, using himself to hold Qin Ze in place. If Qin Ze entered the paint to steal the ball, they would pass it to Zhang Mingyu, who could shoot a three-pointer unguarded.

The tactic worked immediately. Zhang Mingyu scored a three-pointer, while Crew Cut Youth and another player each scored two points. The score on the court was now 31–22. The gap was still closing, but judging by the momentum, it would be extremely difficult to take the lead before the game ended.

"This is tricky now." Zhao Baliao grinned through a face full of sweat.

Qin Ze nodded. This was what they called being unable to support a tree alone. In a team competition, no matter how outstanding an individual was, they were merely a highlight, easily targeted and suppressed. Qin Ze had learned that lesson in games. Unless it was a top-ranked king stomping bronze-tier players—but these Basketball Team members clearly were not rookies.

"System, exchange for three-point shooting skills." Qin Ze silently communicated with the system. Several meters away, the basketball was being passed around in the opposing team's hands. As long as Qin Ze guarded Zhang Mingyu, they would not pass the ball this way.

Qin Ze moved, his leg muscles surging with force. His powerful explosiveness propelled him forward as he intercepted the ball like a gust of wind and charged downcourt with it.

The instant the ball landed in his hands, the previous clumsiness and stiffness vanished. Instead, it felt as natural as moving an arm or finger, as though he had been born a king of the court, innately attuned to basketball.

Zhang Mingyu sprinted after him with all his strength while shouting to his teammates, "Watch your men! Don't let them receive the ball and shoot!"

Qin Ze himself could not shoot. He had always been playing assists—that was Zhang Mingyu and the others' assessment. If they locked down those guys, they would lock down Qin Ze as well.

When Qin Ze reached the Three-Point Line, he made an unexpected move. He stopped sharply, leaped, and took a shot in one smooth, flowing motion without the slightest hesitation.

He was getting anxious!

Rather than being alarmed, Zhang Mingyu was delighted. Whether it was a showdown between experts or a clash between armies, once either side became impatient and agitated, defeat would not be far away. Under these circumstances, the more shots Qin Ze took despite not knowing how to shoot, the more mistakes he would make.

They only needed ten more baskets at most to win, and the two sides were nearly ten points apart.

The explosiveness and jumping ability he was so proud of had been restrained by them.

Of course he was anxious.

Joy surged up from Zhang Mingyu's heart. His gaze followed the spinning ball higher and higher before it descended from its peak... After drawing an almost perfect arc, the basketball swished into the net!

Zhang Mingyu's pupils instantly contracted, and the joy churning within him vanished in an instant.

How was that possible?!

Impossible!

"Fuck!"

He heard Crew Cut Youth curse from nearby.

A moment later, the whole court erupted in applause and cheers.

No matter where it happened, a three-pointer could always stir up cheers and excitement.

A confident smile rested on Qin Ze's lips. What I'm proud of isn't my jumping ability or my explosiveness—it's the Enlightenment Technique. So what if you're max-level accounts? Can you stop a slash from someone using cheats?

This time, Zhang Mingyu took the inbound. After being suppressed by Qin Ze several times, he gave up on the idea of being active on the Basketball Court. If he did not move much, Qin Ze, who was guarding him, would find it difficult to move much either. And everyone on their side was an expert, while Qin Ze's side was full of rookies. Thinking that way made Zhang Mingyu feel better. He treated Qin Ze's last shot as a fluke, like a blind cat stumbling onto a dead mouse.

The group pushed from their own basket toward Qin Ze's basket, easily scoring through well-coordinated screens and pick-and-rolls.

Crew Cut Youth clapped and shouted, "Good!"

Next, Virgin took the inbound and, following the nearest-option principle, passed the ball to Liu Ziqiang. Liu Ziqiang dribbled frantically, only to be blocked by two people beneath the basket. Qin Ze circled over from the Three-Point Line and shouted, "Here!"

Liu Ziqiang hesitated. He had worked so hard to break into the paint—wouldn't passing it back to the Three-Point Line make all that effort pointless? From the corner of his eye, he saw that Old Wang and Virgin were both tightly guarded. Zhao Baliao was beneath their own basket at the other end. Zhang Mingyu had temporarily been shaken off by Qin Ze and lagged several meters behind. Only Qin Ze was temporarily unguarded. Gritting his teeth, Liu Ziqiang hurled the ball over.

Qin Ze jumped and caught the basketball. Seeing Zhang Mingyu rushing toward him from the corner of his eye, he made a shooting feint.

Zhang Mingyu immediately jumped to block him.

Even if I know you can't shoot, I still won't let you take an easy shot.

But it turned out to be Qin Ze's fake. Zhang Mingyu jumped at nothing. The instant he landed, Qin Ze leaped and released the basketball.

Zhang Mingyu's eyes fixed fiercely on the ball. I don't believe you can make another one!

Whoosh!

The ball swished into the net!

Another three-pointer!

"Way to go, Qin Ze!" Zhao Baliao shouted beneath his own basket in the distance.

Old Wang, Virgin, and Liu Ziqiang let out excited shouts. That three-pointer had been beautiful. They could see hope for victory.

The spectators outside the court grew excited.

"He made it again! He's incredible."

"He's no worse than Zhang Mingyu."

"Qin Ze is this good at three-pointers? Why didn't he shoot before?"

"Pfft... Don't tell me he was deliberately playing the fool to slap Zhang Mingyu in the face."

Zhang Mingyu stood frozen, his teeth clenched. His gaze swept past the cheering Liu Ziqiang and the others before landing on Crew Cut Youth and several teammates. Their expressions were equally gloomy. A fluke was nothing, but if Qin Ze truly was a one-man powerhouse, then things would become troublesome. His steals were unpredictable, his blocks were powerful, and he also had accurate three-point shooting. How were they supposed to play against that?

Crew Cut Youth walked over with the basketball but did not inbound immediately. Instead, he spoke quietly with Zhang Mingyu and the others. "Play fast. Keep the same tactics and ignore everything else. In terms of stamina and scoring ability, we're stronger than them. Besides, we're ahead for now. If we play fast and don't give them a chance to catch their breath, we'll definitely be the first to reach fifty."

He was on the Basketball Team, so he had that kind of judgment and decision-making ability.

Zhang Mingyu nodded thoughtfully. "Let's do it. Sorry to trouble you guys today. I'll treat everyone to a night out later."

Several pairs of eyes immediately lit up. The kind of night out Zhang Mingyu meant was naturally adult "fun." If it were only drinking and singing, they would not have been interested.

The game continued. The Basketball Team members went all out, completely ignoring their stamina. It did not take long before Virgin, Old Wang, and the others had the will but lacked the strength. Their stamina was limited, and they had already played for quite a while earlier. Now they were gasping for breath.

Qin Ze was the only one holding things together, charging left and right, stealing the ball, blocking shots, hitting three-pointers...

The score rose alternately!

36–27

40–38

44–40

48–48

"It's tied!"

Li Liang shouted.

Both sides on the court were instantly reinvigorated. The atmosphere abruptly changed, overflowing with Killing intent and fighting spirit.

One final basket!

Who would win, who would lose, who would be the grandson and who would be the Grandpa—it all depended on who scored this final basket first!

The shouting outside the court stopped. Everyone held their breath, excited and expectant. This game was far too interesting. There had been no one-sided crushing, no unstoppable advance, no total collapse. It had been one climax after another, and near the finish line, the score had actually become tied.

It was even more exciting than the school Basketball Team.

More than ten delicate-hearted girls who supported Zhang Mingyu clenched their fists tightly.

Crew Cut Youth carried the ball beyond the boundary line and slowly exhaled, calming his excited and complicated emotions. Zhang Mingyu gave him a slight nod, signaling that he could inbound the ball. Qin Ze silently stood in front of Zhang Mingyu, making Crew Cut Youth abandon the idea of passing to Zhang Mingyu and instead pass to another teammate.

Campus Forum!

"OP, it's been over ten minutes. Is the game over yet?"

"Not yet, but it's reached the final moment," the OP replied shortly afterward, alerted by a notification on his phone. "It's too exciting, too exciting. You definitely won't guess what the score is now."

"50–20?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Didn't the OP say it isn't over yet?"

"49–9?"

"Pfft..."

The OP sent an astonished emoji. "48–48!"

"Seriously? Holy crap!"

"I haven't read much, so don't lie to me, OP."

"Not bad. Nobody stop me—I'm heading to the Basketball Court."

"OP, whose possession is it now?"

The OP replied, "Uh... Zhang Mingyu's side."

"Then it's over. Whoever has possession first has already won half the battle, especially when it's the Basketball Team!"

"Hurry up and stream the result! We want to see Qin Ze call someone Grandpa."

"Yeah, yeah, don't miss this part. We want to see the King of Face-Slapping get slapped in the face."

"Qin Ze is pretty good at basketball, but I still don't think he has any hope. Zhang Mingyu's side is all Basketball Team members."

"First of all, I'm not a girl. Zhang Mingyu is my buddy. I'm not at school today, or I'd definitely be at the court cheering him on. No idea who Qin Ze is."

"Him? He thinks he deserves to make a name for himself by stepping on Zhang Mingyu? He should take a look at what he is first."

"There's no fairness or unfairness here. He's good, but Zhang Mingyu isn't bad either. Basketball still depends on overall quality. Qin Ze can't do it!"

At that moment, the player with the ball dribbled forward. His basketball jersey bore the number 55. The instant No. 55 charged into the paint, Liu Ziqiang and Virgin teamed up to stop him. No. 55 quickly scanned his teammates' positions. There was one beneath the basket, but Zhao Baliao was guarding him tightly, so the pass could not get through. Zhang Mingyu was watched by Qin Ze and could not receive it. Only one person was unguarded—the guy originally guarding him, Liu Ziqiang, had come to defend No. 55, while Zhu Yunfei, Crew Cut Youth, was behind him...

As his eyes darted about, he saw Liu Ziqiang reaching over to steal the ball. He made a snap decision and pretended to throw the ball to the unguarded teammate.

Qin Ze had been watching him from beginning to end and immediately saw through his intention. His powerful explosiveness sent him rushing toward that overlooked player. He had been waiting for this moment.

However, at that moment, No. 55's throwing motion stiffened slightly. It was only a feint. He tossed the ball backward instead.

I was waiting for this moment too. Knowing how incredible your explosiveness and jumping ability are, how could we not guard against you?

Crew Cut Youth appeared from behind him like a ghost. No. 55's coordinated screen briefly held back Virgin and Liu Ziqiang. An opening appeared. Crew Cut Youth dribbled forward at full speed and took huge strides toward the basket.

One step.

Two steps.

He soared into the air and slammed the ball down with one hand!

Qin Ze's pupils shrank.

Liu Ziqiang, Virgin, and Old Wang turned their heads in horror. They watched as he leaped high into the air and charged toward the basket, their eyes filled with anxiety and despair... They had lost!

A one-handed slam dunk!

The spectators' hearts instantly leaped into their throats. They only waited for him to score, then erupt in earth-shaking cheers.

If the scene had frozen on Crew Cut Youth's face at that moment, his expression would have looked especially ferocious.

I have to make this shot.

Then a furious roar exploded beside his ear. "Do you think I don't exist?!"

At the same time, Zhang Mingyu and the others shouted in alarm, "Watch out behind you!"

Holy crap!

Those words again!

Like a curse, they summoned Crew Cut Youth's nightmare.

He immediately sensed something unusual behind him, but he was already in midair. It was too late, and impossible, to take any defensive action.

Slap!

A hand came down from above and knocked the basketball from his grasp.

"Oh my God!" someone cried out.

"When it comes to jumping, Qin Ze is the only one I acknowledge."

"My poor heart can barely take this anymore."

"This is too exciting, too exciting."

"MVP of the whole game: Qin Ze!"

"Qin Ze, go die! Zhang Mingyu, come on!"

"Zhang Mingyu, come on!"

"Zhang Mingyu, come on!"

After Qin Ze landed, cold sweat covered his back. That had been close—far too close. The three-hundred-point mission truly was not easy. It was the hardest mission he had ever encountered. Even with the system's cheats, victory was not guaranteed. If he lost, his points would become negative. He had originally had 320 points. Exchanging for shooting mastery had cost 40, leaving him with 280.

He could not afford to lose. He absolutely could not afford to lose!

Zhao Baliao, who had practically been a bystander throughout the game, saw the basketball fall from the sky and fiercely caught it in his arms. His sharp gaze swept around the court.

Near midcourt, Old Wang suddenly raised one finger, signaling Zhao Baliao to pass the ball.

Zhao Baliao hurled the basketball with all his strength and roared, "Old Wang! It's all up to you..."

That roar jolted Zhang Mingyu, Crew Cut Youth, and the others out of their daze. Their expressions changed drastically.

The game was not over yet!

Zhang Mingyu roared, "Stop him!"

Crew Cut Youth shouted, "Even if you have to foul him, stop him!"

Like a weasel that had stolen a chicken, Old Wang darted forward incredibly fast. Behind him was a pack of Basketball Team players, like hungry tigers pouncing on a sheep.

Too late!

They're faster than me. I can't run into the paint and shoot.

Old Wang abruptly stopped in the middle of his sprint. He had no time to adjust his body. He jumped and shot!

Someone behind him crashed fiercely into his back, completely ignoring the foul—or rather, deliberately fouling him.

Old Wang stumbled forward and fell. Even as he went down, he kept his head raised, watching the basketball's trajectory.

It has to go in!

At this moment, no one cared about the intentional foul. The entire court fell silent. Time seemed to freeze as every gaze followed that ball. Other than that, all anyone could hear was the pounding of their own hearts.

A basket and a buzzer-beater!

It would happen in the next second.

Several girls covered their eyes, yet still peeked through the gaps between their fingers.

The basketball hit the rim and bounced out.

"A rushed shot really won't go in."

"That was almost a buzzer-beater. Damn it, my heart can't take this."

"Does it have to be this thrilling?"

"Ahhhhh!" Some girls even screamed.

Old Wang lay sprawled on the ground and slammed his fist against the hard concrete. Frustration and despair rose in his heart.

Liu Ziqiang, Virgin, and Zhao Baliao stood with their mouths slightly open, as though their energy had been drained away in an instant. Their hearts felt hollow.

"Get the rebound!" Zhang Mingyu cried out excitedly, nearly wanting to howl at the sky.

"We haven't lost. We still have hope." Crew Cut Youth was excited too.

The other teammates cheered as well, all leaping up to grab the rebound.

"Ah... Behind you!" A girl outside the court suddenly screamed.

The moment he heard those words, Crew Cut Youth's hair stood on end as though he had fallen into a nightmare.

Zhang Mingyu's entire body stiffened.

Among the hundreds of spectators and hundreds of watching eyes, a figure shot out like a cannonball, carrying the howling sound of the wind.

He flashed past Zhang Mingyu, past Crew Cut Youth, then leaped from the free-throw line.

That figure was like an eagle spreading its wings in flight, ready to strike the heavens in fury.

He clutched the rebounding basketball in both hands, his body arching backward in midair like a drawn bow. Then, from an eagle soaring on outstretched wings, he transformed into an eagle diving upon its prey.

A thunderous dunk!

Bang!

The dull yet resounding impact echoed throughout the arena.

The basketball bounced ever more weakly across the floor, yet no one cheered, no one applauded. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the boy still hanging from the rim.

Even ten or twenty years later, many people would still remember that moment with perfect clarity.