The Dragon King Came Out to Spray Water

Chapter 23: The Dragon King Comes Out to Spit Water

But whether it was teammates or the coach, no one reacted negatively.

Teammates started running plays, and the head coach, aside from staring straight ahead, made no other move.

In Europe, the point guard is the brain of the team, and everyone on the court follows orders.

As for the head coach, since he had taken the initiative to promote Sun Hao to the starting lineup, there was no way he would pull him off now.

As a result, Sun Hao became the privileged player on the court at this point.

With a series of crossovers, Sun Hao shook off just enough space and launched a three-pointer.

The opposing short guard reacted quickly, lunging forward to apply pressure.

This was a difficult long-range outside shot.

If it had been before, Sun Hao would have been like Novak, turning an open three into a contested three-pointer, with his shooting percentage plummeting.

But with the Long-Range Sharpshooter badge, he had undergone a fundamental change.

At this moment, it was as if he was shooting against the Shooting Training Machine in the system, calmly releasing the ball.

The ball spun through the air, tracing an arc.

"Swish!"

Accompanied by a crisp sound, Sun Hao's three-pointer under defensive pressure—went in too!

After seeing this, the head coach couldn't control himself, pumping his fist in excitement, his face full of elation.

Even though Sun Hao's shot just now was a bit of a solo play, as long as it went in, it was a good shot!

Everyone has their own personality, and the fact that he could see Sun Hao's performance and promote him to the starting lineup showed he wasn't a stubborn man.

Now that Sun Hao could sink the shot, not running the play was forgivable.

The atmosphere in the arena was instantly ignited, and the Real Madrid fans next to the Athletic Team fans started shouting at them.

This back-and-forth scene made the game even more thrilling.

Sun Hao's three-pointer boosted morale, but more importantly, it subtly shifted the dynamics on the court.

The Athletic Team's defensive counterattacks were decent, but their half-court offensive penetration was very average.

Once Sun Hao made his shots, their scoring efficiency plummeted.

This was clearly reflected on the court; the Athletic Team couldn't execute their tactics and were forced into a 30-second violation by Real Madrid's defense.

When they came back, Sun Hao signaled again to clear out for isolation.

At this point, the fans in the stands got excited, with many rising from their seats to start cheering.

They had never seen anyone play like this in the Plata League before, but the feeling of this style of play... was thrilling!

Sun Hao shook off his defender with another series of crossovers, but this time the opposing guard stuck to him even tighter.

Seeing this, Sun Hao took a small step back and then quickly released a three-pointer.

The short guard still couldn't shake him off, reaching out to obstruct Sun Hao's shooting vision.

This shot was even more difficult than the last.

The ball barely cleared the opponent's fingertips, tracing a high arc through the air.

"Swish!"

Amid the anticipation of the fans in the stands, the basketball swished through the net once again!

Sun Hao had hit three consecutive three-pointers since the start!

And the last two were harder than the first!

"Wake up!"

In the stands, an excited male fan pulled on his girlfriend, who was nearly asleep beside him.

The female fan looked confused; she had only come to watch the game with her boyfriend, didn't understand it, and found it boring.

"Look at the rain!"

"What rain?"

"Three-Point Rain!"

Unfortunately, the excited male fan failed to spark his girlfriend's interest, and he snorted in frustration, his nose flaring upward.

This scene became a snapshot on the sidelines.

After Sun Hao scored three in a row, becoming the Dragon King and unleashing a Three-Point Rain, the emotions of the fans on the sidelines were fully stirred.

Now, even the Athletic Team fans looked helpless.

What had been a 4-3 score had, in the blink of an eye, turned into 4-9!

They really had never seen this kind of play before!

After sinking this three-pointer, Sun Hao excitedly raised his hand and made a three-point gesture. Then he turned his head toward the stands.

He saw Jocelyn, like everyone else, waving and cheering for him.

Even though she wasn't making heart signs or blowing kisses like last time, just seeing her reaction like this was enough!

The Athletic Team finally scored on their offensive possession. It was a bit scrappy, but this basket was crucial, temporarily stabilizing the situation on the court.

The 6-9 score gap wasn't that big.

And on the other end, Sun Hao's shot clanked off the rim under pressure.

The Athletic Team's bench erupted in cheers, and the Athletic fans in the stands let out a long sigh of relief.

The game was still very much alive.

Real Madrid retreated quickly this time, stopping the Athletic Team's fast break and successfully securing the defensive rebound.

After grabbing the rebound, Real Madrid pushed the fast break the other way. Sun Hao saw the Athletic Team's defenders collapsing early into the paint, so he pulled up for a trailing three-pointer.

With the Long-Range Sharpshooter badge assisting him, Sun Hao could feel his stability improving when shooting trailing threes.

As soon as the ball left his hands, he knew it was going in.

"Swish!"

Under the gaze of the live crowd, Sun Hao nailed his fourth three-pointer of the quarter!

The three-point rain had turned from a drizzle into a downpour!

In the stands, a guy glanced at his girlfriend beside him, whom he had pulled to her feet but who was still looking drowsy, and couldn't help but give her firm butt a hard slap.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound rang out. The girlfriend winced and glared at her boyfriend.

This guy, he wasn't even that energetic in bed. Was basketball really that captivating? More fun than that?

She couldn't help but turn her gaze to the court.

Just then, Sun Hao intercepted a pass from the opposing guard and went coast-to-coast for a fast break.

The Athletic player who got stripped tried to dive and recover the ball, but missed and landed flat on his face in a Flat Sand Goose Fall.

It was a bit funny, but it only made Sun Hao's figure look even more agile.

And when the opposing guard came over to help defend, Sun Hao used his ball-handling and physical strength to drive all the way to the frontcourt, then scored over him.

The opposing guard probably never expected Sun Hao to be that strong; he was sent flying out of bounds.

Seeing this, the girlfriend suddenly became a little interested.

This Asian guy was actually that strong!

The Athletic Team missed their next offensive possession. Back in the half-court set, Sun Hao rose up for a three-pointer right in the face of the opposing guard's defense.

"Swish!"

Another one!

He had hit his fifth three-pointer of the quarter!

In his first game after getting the badge, Sun Hao's performance was exactly like when he scored 81 points in the EBA League!

This three-pointer reignited the atmosphere in the arena. This time, even the girlfriend in the stands got up and started cheering along.

Even though she didn't fully understand the game, the way Sun Hao played felt incredibly satisfying!

After hitting the shot, Sun Hao turned his head to look at the stands again.

But this time, he didn't see Jocelyn, because a female fan in front was standing up, waving her arms excitedly.

Hey, miss, could you move aside a bit? You're blocking my view!

He lifted his gaze to try and look past her, but maybe noticing his stare, the female fan's boyfriend beside her also stood up and started waving.

Now he couldn't even catch a glimpse of Jocelyn.

He had to withdraw his gaze and refocus his attention on the game.

Sun Hao's explosive start was a microcosm of his entire performance. His touch was scorching hot, and his shots were steady even under pressure.

But in the end, he didn't manage to explode for 81 points like he did in the EBA League.

On one hand, Real Madrid had pulled away by the third quarter, making the fourth quarter purely garbage time.

On the other hand, the Athletic Team's strategy was different from the Student Team's.

After realizing Sun Hao was on fire by the end of the first quarter, they started double-teaming him full-court.

But that approach only caused their defense to collapse even earlier.

In the end, Real Madrid crushed the Athletic Team 82-51 at home, securing the City Derby victory.

Sun Hao made nine three-pointers in a single game, breaking the Plata League's record for most three-pointers in a game.

He finished with 32 points, setting a new personal scoring record in the Plata League, as well as the single-game scoring record for players under 18 in the Plata League.

After the game, fans filed out of the arena. The players from both sides exchanged handshakes and headed toward their respective tunnels.

But Sun Hao didn't follow his teammates back to the locker room. Instead, he jumped straight up into the stands.

His appearance immediately stirred a commotion in the stands.

Some grabbed cameras, others reached out their hands, all wanting close contact with the protagonist of tonight's arena.

But Sun Hao didn't stop. Instead, he quickly strode upward toward the upper stands.

His agile figure could even be described as parkour.

Fans turned their heads curiously, wondering what made Sun Hao so eager.

Sun Hao's heart was burning with anxiety. He had seen Jocelyn leaving with the others after the game ended.

He didn't know why Jocelyn had ignored him and walked away, but he had to catch up.

Finally, just before Jocelyn could exit through the second-floor door, Sun Hao grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Jo..."

He had already called out.

But when she turned her head, the words that followed got stuck in his throat.

This woman wasn't Jocelyn. Her build and clothing were very similar, but she definitely wasn't Jocelyn.

Sun Hao's mood, which had climbed to its peak, plummeted to the bottom.

He hadn't expected to suffer the kind of awkwardness from an American TV drama—mistaking someone for another person.

Still, it was understandable.

He was too desperate to see Jocelyn again, and from such a distance, he couldn't actually make out her face.

"It's you, the Napoleon of China!"

The female fan hadn't expected Sun Hao to single her out, and she was pleasantly surprised.

Quick on the uptake, she pulled out her camera and started asking for help taking a photo.

Soon, the surrounding fans gradually caught on, and before long, Sun Hao was surrounded.

Although he hadn't played many games in the Plata League, he was the absolute star of tonight, and the Madrid fans' enthusiasm was running high.

Sun Hao's spirits were low, but he still squeezed out a smile to meet the fans' demands.

For him, everything he did now was to build his reputation in Madrid.

With his hopes dashed, Sun Hao's mood over the next few days sank even lower than before.

He still checked his email occasionally, but there was still no reply from Jocelyn.

He slowly began to realize that Jocelyn might just be a fleeting passerby in his life.

Even though that thought saddened him.

But bad news always comes with good news.

Just a few days after Sun Hao's standout performance, a familiar scene played out again with the Plata Real Madrid team.

Because Raul Lopez of Oro Real Madrid had been called up to the first team, a roster spot opened up.

After Sun Hao had performed well enough, Oro Real Madrid decided to call him up to join the team.

Sun Hao had played five games in the EBA League, and counting the earlier training camp, he had spent about three months there.

But in the Plata League, he had only been there for about a week before being called up!

In other words, from the lowest-level EBA League to Spain's second-tier Oro League, it had only taken him three months!

Now, he was just one step away from completing Gasol's goal of three consecutive jumps in one year!