What Kind of Dribbling is This? (Revised)

Beep...

The whistle blew.

Tsukitake called for a timeout.

It had been just over three minutes since the game started.

The score was temporarily frozen at 8-10.

Although Tsukitake was currently leading Shohoku by 2 points.

Everyone knew that Tsukitake was the one at a disadvantage.

Tsukitake's bench.

Tsukitake's coach, Kawasaki Kazumi, looked intently at his players.

He had to come up with a solution to the current situation.

But the opponent's number 9 was proving to be quite difficult.

What should they do?

"I can't believe the opponent's number 9 had this move hidden," Izumi Takashi said, still in disbelief.

Mine Kenta chimed in, "Yeah! That kind of shot is just too unfair!"

Nangou Koichiro sat there, his expression like he was constipated, muttering incessantly. "Damn it! Why is that guy so strong?"

Godai Tomokazu clenched his fists, then his eyes hardened. He walked directly in front of everyone and said loudly, "The game has only just begun. Their number 9 is alone, we don't need to fear him at all. As long as we keep scoring, we will definitely win."

Kawasaki Kazumi spoke up, "That's right, the game has only just begun. That number 9 is indeed unexpected, but I observed his play and noticed something. Every time, he plays solo and never passes the ball. So, when he gets the ball, have as many players as possible double-team him, compress his space, especially near the basket."

Upon hearing this, the Tsukitake players' eyes lit up. Their confidence, which had been shaken moments ago, now stabilized.

They responded in unison, "Yes..."

Shohoku's bench.

Shimizu Kanon's eyes curved into crescents, a gentle smile on her face. She softly said to Qing Junce, "You're doing great today! That shot you just made, I haven't seen you use it in a long time."

Qing Junce opened his water bottle, took a few large gulps, then put the bottle down and let out a soft hum, his tone full of disdain. "Hmph... they're only slightly stronger than the opponents before."

Shimizu Kanon nodded gently and explained, "They were a top-eight team last year, after all. They still have strength."

Qing Junce set the water bottle aside, stood up, his eyes revealing confidence and dominance. "So what if they're top eight? To me, it's not even a warm-up."

Meanwhile, Sakuragi Hanamichi was like a shadow, sticking close to Coach Anzai.

He was anxious, shouting loudly, "Hey! Old Man, just let me play! Look, we're falling behind, they're no good! Let me on the court to break the deadlock!"

Hoh hoh hoh hoh...

Coach Anzai maintained a gentle smile, quietly listening without responding to Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Sakuragi Hanamichi blinked his big eyes. Seeing that the coach wasn't paying attention, he persisted, "Old Man, are you even listening? You can substitute Rukawa Kaede or Qing Junce!"

Hoh hoh hoh hoh...

Coach Anzai continued to smile, still offering no reply.

Sakuragi Hanamichi's brow furrowed slightly. Suppressing his anger, he raised his voice, "Stop 'hoh hoh hoh'-ing."

At this moment, Coach Anzai slowly turned his head, his gaze calm as he looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Seeing this, Sakuragi Hanamichi immediately dropped the anxious look from his face, his expression becoming more serious, his eyes full of anticipation as he stared intently at Coach Anzai.

They stared at each other for a long time, the atmosphere somewhat subtle.

Suddenly, Coach Anzai broke into a smile again.

Hoh hoh hoh hoh...

This time, Sakuragi Hanamichi completely lost it. His face turned red with anger, and he abruptly headbutted Coach Anzai, shouting loudly, "Damn it! I told you to stop 'hoh hoh hoh'-ing!"

Slap!

Ayako quickly ran over and immediately used her paper fan to hit Sakuragi Hanamichi hard on the head, saying crossly, "Behave yourself, and don't you dare headbutt the coach."

Beep...

With the referee's whistle, the timeout ended.

The game resumed.

As soon as Qing Junce stepped onto the court, his sharp senses instantly detected the change in the Tsukitake players' momentum. "Oh? They've adjusted their mindset this quickly?"

The corner of his lips curved upwards, a devilishly charming smile appearing on his face. "This makes it interesting. Otherwise, it would be too boring."

It was Tsukitake's possession.

Right after the tip-off, the Shohoku players clearly felt the difference in Tsukitake.

The Tsukitake players deliberately and inadvertently maintained an appropriate distance from Qing Junce, positioning themselves to quickly close in for defense while also being able to quickly pull away to evade, seemingly intending to limit Qing Junce's offense through this method.

However, their plan went awry.

This strategy might have worked against ordinary players, but against Qing Junce, it was like a mayfly trying to shake a tree – completely useless.

"A parlor trick," Qing Junce scoffed dismissively, his eyes filled with contempt.

Tsukitake's players passed the ball seamlessly, quickly advancing it into Shohoku's paint.

After receiving the pass, Nangou Koichiro exerted his strength, pinning Akagi Takenori firmly behind him.

A ferocious grin spread across his face as he roared and leaped high, preparing for a powerful slam dunk. "This ball is mine!"

But at that very moment.

Snap...

A sharp sound, and the sinister grin on Nangou Koichiro's face froze instantly.

He felt his hands go empty, followed by a basketball entering his field of vision from below.

How is this possible?

He was startled, catching a glimpse of a red figure out of the corner of his eye.

He quickly turned his gaze, and his pupils constricted sharply.

The red figure bore a prominent, large number 9.

It was him.

Yes, the one who had snatched the basketball from Nangou Koichiro's hands was none other than Qing Junce, who had appeared silently at some unknown time.

After the successful steal, Qing Junce didn't hesitate for a second. His speed instantly ramped up to the maximum, like a red lightning bolt, flashing through the crowded Shohoku paint.

"No, stop him!" Godai Tomokazu, noticing the turn of events, immediately shouted a warning to his teammates.

Tsukitake's players heard their captain's warning and tried to react, but it was already too late.

When they looked at Qing Junce, all they saw was a blur streaking past them.

Even if they wanted to chase, they could only watch Qing Junce's receding back, far out of reach.

"Damn it..." Godai Tomokazu cursed inwardly, but there was nothing he could do.

Now, with no one in front of him, Qing Junce moved as if through an empty court, driving straight to the basket. He leaped high and slammed the ball down with both hands for a successful dunk.

The score on the electronic scoreboard changed again.

Shohoku 10, Tsukitake 10.

The game continued.

Tsukitake launched a fierce offensive, driving towards Shohoku's defense with the ball.

Godai Tomokazu held out his hand, signaling for the ball from his teammate, his eyes resolute, clearly intending to lead the charge himself.

As the ball landed steadily in his hands, he suddenly shivered, his whole body tensing as if he were being stared down by a ferocious beast. What's going on? Am I just too nervous?

He suppressed the unease in his heart and tried to steady his nerves. Just as he was about to start dribbling, his teammates' urgent warnings reached him.

"Godai... be careful..."

Hearing this, Godai Tomokazu's foot, which was about to step forward, froze. In that brief moment of hesitation, a figure suddenly appeared before him – it was Qing Junce.

Cold sweat beaded on Godai Tomokazu's forehead, large drops rolling down his cheeks.

So close, just a fraction of a second, and the ball would have been stolen.

Looking at Qing Junce, who stood like a high wall blocking his path, Godai Tomokazu felt immense pressure. He thought to himself, Why does he put so much pressure on me? No, I can't break through.

They stared at each other for a moment. Godai Tomokazu ultimately abandoned the idea of forcing his way through and opted to pass.

He swung his arm, throwing the ball towards Natsume Hiroshi.

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he watched in horror as Qing Junce darted out like a red lightning bolt. He stretched out his long arm and cleanly intercepted the pass he had just thrown.

Snap...

The crisp sound reached Godai Tomokazu's ears, but it sounded like a devil's whisper, making him incredulous.

What kind of reaction speed is that? The ball had barely left my hands, my arm hadn't even fully retracted, and it was already stolen. A thousand thoughts raced through Godai Tomokazu's mind.

With no time to think, he gritted his teeth and desperately tried to move forward to salvage the situation.

However, before he could make a move, his pupils constricted sharply.

He saw Qing Junce, after intercepting the ball, move with fluid grace, without the slightest pause. The wrist of the hand holding the ball rotated nimbly, and with one hand supporting the ball, he executed a 360-degree spin behind his back, skillfully maneuvering to his other side.

Qing Junce successfully created space between himself and Godai Tomokazu, took a step, and broke through the defense.

"Damn it... damn it... damn it..." Godai Tomokazu gritted his teeth, filled with unwillingness, but he couldn't stop Qing Junce's breakthrough.

Seeing Godai Tomokazu beaten, the other Tsukitake players reacted quickly.

Nangou Koichiro, who was closest, rushed forward to block him, shouting, "Qing Junce... watch out for me..."

Qing Junce's eyes were sharp, a glint flashing within them. He directly cut off Nangou Koichiro's words and said coldly, "Who you like is your freedom, but... there's one thing that really pisses me off."

Bang...

Bang...

Bang...

The sound of the basketball hitting the floor echoed across the court, like a rapid drumbeat.

Qing Junce stood outside the three-point line, ball in hand, his eyes filled with confidence and defiance.

He bent slightly, lowering his center of gravity, the basketball bouncing nimbly at his fingertips, as if it were an extension of his body.

At this moment, Nangou Koichiro quickly moved forward, spreading his arms, attempting to block Qing Junce's path.

His gaze was firm, locked onto every move the opponent made.

He knew Qing Junce's speed was incredible and didn't dare to slack off for a moment.

However, the corners of Qing Junce's mouth curved upward slightly, revealing a hint of a taunting smile.

The next second, he was like an arrow released from a bow, his acceleration so fast it was almost impossible to see his figure.

The basketball spun at high speed in his hands, and with his running, the ball hit the floor with astonishing frequency, emitting a series of rapid bang bang sounds.

Nangou Koichiro's eyes widened. Relying on his relatively decent physique and reaction speed, he quickly turned to keep up with Qing Junce's pace.

But Qing Junce's dribble penetration was simply too sharp. His footwork was like a phantom, constantly changing rhythm and direction.

Under his control, the basketball switched from his left hand to his right, then passed between his legs, making it impossible to predict.

The distance between Qing Junce and Nangou Koichiro continued to shrink. The two figures moved rapidly across the court, stirring up a slight breeze.

Just as Nangou Koichiro thought he was about to catch up to Qing Junce, Qing Junce suddenly stopped abruptly, his body twisting rapidly. The ball went behind his back, completing a beautiful behind-the-back dribble.

This series of moves was executed in one fluid motion, its speed astonishing.

Due to inertia, Nangou Koichiro lunged forward, lost his balance, and fell sprawling onto the floor, sliding out.

Qing Junce seized the opportunity to accelerate, like a red lightning bolt, instantly breaking through Nangou Koichiro's defense and charging towards Tsukitake's basket.

His figure flashed across the court, leaving only Nangou Koichiro, who lay on the ground with a look of shock.

Qing Junce re-entered Tsukitake's paint, stomped the ground, and leaped up, delivering a tomahawk dunk with thunderous force.

CRASH...

The loud noise resounded throughout the entire court like a massive bell.

The basketball successfully went through the net.

Shohoku scored another 2 points.

BOOM...

The entire stadium instantly went wild.

The moment Qing Junce executed his super-high-speed dribble to break past Nangou Koichiro, the entire stadium seemed to ignite, erupting with deafening noise.

The spectators suddenly stood up from their seats, their eyes wide open, staring intently at the figure streaking across the court like a red lightning bolt. Their mouths hung open, as if they could swallow an egg, and gasps involuntarily escaped their throats.

Maki Shinichi's eyes widened, his usually calm and steady expression completely shattered.

He stared intently at Qing Junce below, his eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Such terrifying speed.

What kind of monster was this guy?

As the king of Kanagawa, he believed he had seen countless strong opponents, but at this moment, Qing Junce's dribbling completely overturned his understanding.

Sendoh's lazy expression had vanished, replaced by one of intense focus and shock.

He had always been casual and unrestrained, but what Qing Junce had just displayed left his heart in turmoil for a long time.

Fujima Kenji's usually calm and wise face was etched with disbelief.

His brows were furrowed, the shock in his eyes not yet subsided, and his mind was racing with unspoken thoughts.

It was clear that he was already flustered.

Beside him, Hanagata Toru also opened his mouth, his eyes filled with dread.

He had never seen such exaggerated dribbling before.

What kind of dribble was this?