Qing Junce Enters the Game Early

Swish…

Another basketball swished through the net.

The ball once again fell into Shohoku's basket.

The numbers on the electronic scoreboard immediately changed.

Shohoku 0, Shoyo 21.

There were no surprises, and it also exceeded everyone's imagination.

Shoyo had finally widened the score to over 20 points.

This result stunned everyone.

Boom…

In an instant, the cheers of the Shoyo cheerleaders surged like a tidal wave, sweeping across the entire court once more.

"Shoyo… Shoyo… Shoyo…"

The deafening shouts seemed to threaten to blow off the stadium roof.

On the other hand, over at Shohoku, each player's head was as if pressed down by a heavy, lingering dark cloud, oppressive and somber.

"Coach Anzai, what are we going to do? We're already down by 20 points." Ayako was extremely anxious, her voice trembling slightly as she quickly sought help from Anzai Mitsuyoshi.

Anzai Mitsuyoshi slowly took a sip of his tea, his expression calm, and said slowly, "Don't rush. The game isn't over yet!"

"Huh?" Ayako was completely bewildered, unable to figure out what Coach Anzai was planning.

It wasn't just Ayako; Taoka Moichi and Takato Riki in the spectator stands were also completely confused.

Taoka Moichi frowned, his face full of doubt. "Why hasn't Coach Anzai called a timeout yet? I really don't understand!"

Takato Riki pursed his lips and muttered to himself, "Is Shohoku planning to give up? What are they thinking?"

The Ryonan and Kainan players also exchanged glances, looking lost.

The current situation, with Shohoku being brutally outplayed, far exceeded their expectations.

They even began to wonder if coming to watch the Shohoku vs. Shoyo game was a mistake.

But when their eyes swept towards the Shohoku bench and they saw Qing Junce sitting leisurely on the bench, they immediately dismissed that thought.

On the court, Shohoku was once again threatened by Shoyo.

Fujima Kenji dribbled the ball, rapidly driving into Shohoku's half.

His gaze was sharp, and he quickly scanned the positions of both friendly and opposing players on the court. Then, he inadvertently glanced at Qing Junce off the court, thinking to himself, Still not planning to play? I don't know what you guys are up to, but if that's the case, I'll extend the lead to a point where you can't possibly catch up.

With that thought, he abruptly changed direction with his dribble, faked a pass, and completely fooled Miyagi Ryota, successfully breaking through into Shohoku's paint.

Damn it.

Miyagi Ryota quickly turned to cover.

But at this moment, Fujima Kenji flicked his wrist and passed the ball.

The ball landed steadily in Hasegawa Kazushi's hands.

From the start of the game until now, Hasegawa Kazushi's impression had only been that of a skilled defender, so much so that Mitsui Hisashi hadn't put much energy into guarding his shots.

The result was tragic.

After receiving the ball, Hasegawa Kazushi didn't hesitate at all. He raised his hand and shot.

Mitsui Hisashi froze on the spot, looking at the opponent's shooting form, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.

"Is that…" Kogure Kiminobu's eyes widened, full of shock.

Ayako was also so stunned her mouth hung open, wondering if she was seeing things.

Akagi Takenori, Rukawa Kaede, and Miyagi Ryota on the court were also taken aback, as they all saw a shadow of Mitsui Hisashi in Hasegawa Kazushi's shooting motion.

It was so similar.

Of course, the only exception was the carefree Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was completely oblivious to this scene.

With a "whoosh," the ball shot out like an arrow from a bow, drawing a beautiful arc through the air.

Under the stunned, shocked, and disbelieving gazes of everyone at Shohoku, the ball landed precisely in the basket.

Swish…

The ball went in.

Shoyo made a three-pointer.

Shohoku 0, Shoyo 24.

"Shoyo… Shoyo… Shoyo…"

The cheers of the Shoyo cheerleaders once again echoed throughout the entire venue.

At this point, less than 5 minutes remained until the end of the first half.

The original plan was to have Qing Junce enter the game in the second half.

But at this moment.

Hoo…

Qing Junce let out a breath, a mysterious and slightly eerie smile curving his lips.

He stood up, twisted his neck left and right, and a series of cracking sounds followed.

Immediately after, he turned to look at Anzai Mitsuyoshi and said calmly, "Coach, it's time for me to play."

As soon as he said this, the others on the bench instantly turned their gazes towards him.

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Kogure Kiminobu's voice rose eight octaves in excitement. "Qing Junce."

Shiosaki Satoshi looked on with admiration, his expression as if he had already seen the dawn of victory. "This is great."

Yasuda Yasuharu grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "We're counting on you, Qing Junce."

The first-year players looked expectantly at Qing Junce, saying with surprise, "Qing Junce, we're counting on you for everything."

Anzai Mitsuyoshi sighed inwardly as he saw everyone's reaction.

The current team was too reliant on Qing Junce. This had its benefits, but also its drawbacks.

He looked at Qing Junce and sighed helplessly in his heart.

Logically, with the current lineup on the court, Shohoku shouldn't be in such a dire situation; they should have had some ability to fight back.

Had he been too complacent?

Oh well, things had come to this, and he could only take it one step at a time.

Anzai Mitsuyoshi finally nodded and said, "Alright! Then you go in!"

Ayako quickly cheered Qing Junce on, "Qing Junce, go for it! Show Shoyo what we're made of and let them know how strong Shohoku is."

Qing Junce replied without looking back, "Isn't that a given?"

Hearing this, Ayako shook her head helplessly, but a relieved smile touched her lips.

Beep…

The whistle blew.

Shohoku requested a substitution.

In an instant, the previously noisy gymnasium seemed to be put on pause, falling into an eerie silence.

Thump… thump… thump…

Qing Junce's steady, powerful footsteps echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

All eyes were now drawn as if by a magnet, fixed on the figure walking onto the court.

Fujima Kenji narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with scrutiny and caution. "He's finally entering the game?"

Hanagata Toru looked at Qing Junce and murmured, "We're already up by 20 points. What difference can he make now?"

Akagi Takenori and the others looked displeased when they saw Qing Junce enter the game.

After all, their previous performance had been rather lackluster.

In the stands, the Ryonan and Kainan players instantly perked up.

Sendoh's eyes were sharp as he stared at Qing Junce below. "It looks like Shohoku is going to make a comeback."

Koshino Hiroaki frowned, looking puzzled. "Isn't it a bit late for him to come in now?"

Uozumi, however, remained calm and said directly, "For that guy, this point difference is nothing."

Aida Kenichi's hands trembled with excitement as he quickly raised his video camera, its lens fixed tightly on Qing Junce, and began filming non-stop with a "click-click." "Finally, Qing Junce is in the game! I have to record all his amazing plays."

Taoka Moichi, standing nearby, looked exasperated and punched Aida Kenichi on the head, roaring irritably, "Cut it out! You were given the camera to film the entire game, not just him!"

Maki Shinichi's expression was grave as he stared intently at Qing Junce, slowly saying, "Let me see how far you can go against Shoyo!"

Takato Riki thought to himself, "Let me see what you're really capable of!"

On the other side, Aida Yayoi's face was full of anticipation, her eyes practically sparkling.

The Qing Junce she had been longing for was finally on the court.

These ten-plus minutes of waiting had been sheer torture for her.

She excitedly commanded Nakamura Taizo beside her, "The person we've been waiting for is finally playing! Make sure to record everything carefully later, don't miss any shots. Capture every single basket."

"Yes," Nakamura Taizo quickly replied, fumbling to adjust his equipment.

A defiant smile played on Qing Junce's lips, his eyes full of amusement. He scanned Akagi Takenori and the others one by one, casually picking his ear while speaking without hesitation, "You guys, stop standing there like statues. You're in the way. Be considerate and just one of you go down."

As soon as he said this, Akagi Takenori, Sakuragi Hanamichi, Rukawa Kaede, Mitsui Hisashi, and Miyagi Ryota were instantly stunned, as if a gust of strange wind had swept over them.

However, the five quickly recovered from their daze and then exploded in anger.

"You bastard, who are you calling a rock?" Sakuragi Hanamichi, like a firecracker that had just been lit, was the first to jump up, his eyes wide and his face contorted with rage.

Miyagi Ryota's face also turned bright red with anger, his rage meter climbing rapidly. "You guy who didn't even get on the court, what right do you have to boss me around?"

Mitsui Hisashi even raised his middle finger directly, not hiding his displeasure at all. "Is this how you talk to your seniors? You ignorant brat."

Akagi Takenori's veins bulged, and he growled, "These first-year brats nowadays are really not cute at all."

Rukawa Kaede let out a light snort. "A bunch of idiots."

Qing Junce ignored their accusations, calmly urging them, "Have you decided? Who's going down? I don't mind if all of you go down."

These words were like pouring water into a hot oil pan, completely igniting Akagi Takenori and the others. They were so furious they were trembling, their shark teeth grinding. Even the feeling of being suppressed by Shoyo had completely vanished, replaced by this surge of anger.

Off the court, Shimizu Kanon watched this scene and sighed helplessly. "A-Ce, honestly, can't you just speak nicely?"

Ayako also looked helpless, clutching her forehead and giving a wry smile. "I knew this would happen."

Anzai Mitsuyoshi couldn't help but laugh as he watched the situation on the court.

Ho ho ho ho...

He could see that the tense feeling on Akagi Takenori and the others had completely disappeared.

Although the method was different, the result was the same.

Anzai Mitsuyoshi felt very gratified by this.

At this moment on the court, all eyes of the Shohoku players were focused squarely on Miyagi Ryota.

Miyagi Ryota shivered under their stares and stammered, "Wh-why are you all looking at me like that?"

Mitsui Hisashi: "What are you still standing here for?"

Miyagi Ryota: "..."

Sakuragi Hanamichi: "You're the shortest here, you'll just get in the way if you stay on the court."

Miyagi Ryota: "Sakuragi... you..."

Akagi Takenori: "Don't waste time, get off the court quickly."

Miyagi Ryota: "You guys..."

Rukawa Kaede sighed helplessly, spreading his hands towards Miyagi Ryota, the meaning as clear as could be.

Miyagi Ryota: "It's not my fault I'm short."

Qing Junce didn't forget to add fuel to the fire, saying, "This is reality. Who told you not to drink your milk properly when you were little? Who can you blame for not growing taller?"

Boom...

Qing Junce's words completely set Miyagi Ryota off.

Miyagi Ryota jumped up and down, shouting, "You bastard, what does being short have to do with drinking milk? There are limits to looking down on people, damn it."

In the end, under the pitying and slightly schadenfreude gazes of everyone, Miyagi Ryota stomped off the court in a huff.