Taking Charge

The whole crowd was worked up. After all, this was Yan University's home court. Even though the other side had brought plenty of students to cheer them on, how could they compare with Yan University's students, who had the home-court advantage?

The noise in the gym soared. Even when teachers came over to maintain order, they couldn't bring it under control right away.

Yan University's students had already been simmering with frustration.

The game had been going so well, only to take several sudden turns for the worse. And the points they'd lost weren't even the result of a fair contest—it was practically as if Yan University had handed them to the other side. How could that not be infuriating?

And now one of their own players had actually been injured by the opposition?!

They still couldn't be sure whether the other player had hurt him on purpose, but most of the furious Yan University students had clearly decided that he had.

And in their eyes, those earlier mishaps had surely been caused by that bunch of bastards from Polytechnic University too, even if they couldn't find any proof.

With old and new grudges piling up, if the security guards hadn't been holding them back, a few agitated students might well have charged onto the court.

On their own turf, one of their own had been bullied by outsiders. How could they stand for that?!

They hadn't guessed wrong. Xiao Xiao had clearly seen the student who stepped on Zhang Bo wear an anxious, apologetic expression. But the instant he lowered his head, a smug smile had flickered across his face. He seemed to have tried to pull down the corners of his mouth, but couldn't quite control them; they still curved up slightly, leaving him with a strange, ridiculous expression.

The chill in Xiao Xiao's eyes deepened. What a team, riddled with filth!

A team with no sportsmanship, always resorting to underhanded tricks! Xiao Xiao's grip tightened involuntarily. The railing in his hands finally couldn't take it anymore and let out a teeth-grating groan.

Xiao Xiao started, then let go and looked down. Two clear handprints had been left in the iron railing. He glanced around. Thankfully, everyone was focused on the court, and no one had noticed him.

Had he really gotten that strong?

But what was he supposed to do about this?

In the end, Xiao Xiao calmly acted as if he knew nothing about it. If anyone really asked, he could just say he didn't know.

Perhaps some senior had left those marks behind?

Even if he said he'd done it, would anyone believe him?

"Hey, look, Eldest Brother's going in!" Zhuge Yun shouted, pointing at Zhang Bo, who was in the rest area listening to the coach's instructions.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Zhao Luzheng was still shaken by the string of incidents earlier and worried that Eldest Brother might somehow fall victim to some inexplicable foul play too.

"What is it?" Zhang Bo saw Xiao Xiao wave to him and jogged over.

Before Xiao Xiao could say anything, Zhuge Yun was already yelling, "Eldest Brother, kick those bastards' asses!"

"Eldest Brother, be careful. Don't let them set you up." Zhao Luzheng wasn't as optimistic as Zhuge Yun. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something fishy about those people from Polytechnic University.

Once they'd finished, Xiao Xiao said to Zhang Bo, who was about to leave, "Eldest Brother, play without worrying. You'll be fine."

Even though a player had been injured, the game still had to go on.

Besides, it was hardly unusual for athletes to get hurt during sporting events.

Naturally, the match couldn't be stopped over something like that.

When the game resumed, Yan University's players were clearly more hesitant. They were furious that one of their teammates had been hurt, but the other side's strange behavior left them at a loss.

The more they tried to make sense of it, the more distracted they became. Their movements grew stiffer and more chaotic until they were completely flustered. They were nothing like the confident team they'd been at the start.

The game was simply too frustrating. Yan University's players were seething, but they had nowhere to vent their anger.

Their growing agitation seriously affected their performance.

The two teams had been evenly matched, but now Yan University was clearly being pushed around by Polytechnic University.

Zhang Bo was nervous too. It was his first time on the court, and his teammates' stiff performance made it even harder for him to loosen up. But he'd always been thick-skinned, and the other team's arrogance quickly turned his nerves into anger.

He also couldn't help thinking of what Xiao Xiao had said before he went on. It had been an ordinary remark, but Xiao Xiao's deep, tranquil eyes had made it impossible to take his words lightly.

Zhang Bo was a straightforward guy. If Third Brother said nothing would happen, then nothing would happen.

Besides, he was a big, burly, rough-and-tumble guy. Even if he fell, he'd only get a few scrapes. It wasn't a big deal.

It was better than putting up with this.

Thinking it over, Zhang Bo gradually loosened up.

He stole several balls from the other team in quick succession.

The whole gym erupted in applause, and the crowd cheered.

"Way to go, Eldest Brother!" Zhuge Yun shouted himself hoarse.

"Beautiful!" Zhao Luzheng's eyes shone.

A smile appeared in Xiao Xiao's eyes too, but most of his attention had never left that rookie player.

He knew the other guy wouldn't be able to hold back for long.

With Zhang Bo setting the pace, Yan University's players gradually relaxed and stopped playing so cautiously.

The score began to close.

Xiao Xiao abruptly stood up and stepped forward, stopping only when his stomach pressed against the railing.

Zhang Bo had the ball now, and the rookie player was right in front of him.

Xiao Xiao leaned forward slightly. The scene before his eyes drew closer and closer, growing larger.

He clearly saw thin streaks of red creep into the rookie's eyes. It seemed that with a single blink, his originally dark eyes would turn into a terrifying pair of Blood Pupils.

He also saw the rookie curl his lips at Zhang Bo in a sneer full of malice and contempt.

But what he saw even more clearly was Zhang Bo's face gradually turning pale and then ashen, his eyes slowly growing vacant and terrified.

This was going too far! Xiao Xiao felt a ball of fire burning inside him, growing ever fiercer until it blazed all the way into his eyes.

In an instant, Golden Light blazed from Xiao Xiao's eyes, shining brilliantly. His gaze fell calmly on the rookie, free of joy or sorrow, yet it felt as if Mount Tai itself had come crashing down, weighing thousands of pounds.

The whole space seemed to suddenly freeze.

Faint golden radiance appeared and vanished in the air, weaving through it like a dragon in the clouds as an overwhelming pressure swept across the scene.

It forcibly drove the redness back out of the rookie's eyes.

Watching the rookie stare with bulging eyes, furious and helpless, Xiao Xiao didn't relax in the slightest. He kept the player firmly under control, not letting him commit any fouls.

If they were going to play, they ought to do it openly and fairly. Using underhanded tricks and tripping people up wasn't the way of a gentleman. Relying on outside help was even less acceptable. Xiao Xiao lowered his eyes slightly. You'd better behave yourself.

Just play fair. Is that so hard?

Zhang Bo seemed to wake suddenly from a nightmare. Everything that had just happened was hazy, with only a faint unease lingering in his heart. He shook his head and glanced at the opponent known as the strongest rookie, confused by his twisted expression.

Zhang Bo didn't dwell on it. He took the opportunity to dribble past him with a quick move, then jumped and shot. Thump! The ball dropped cleanly through the hoop!