Chi Tong's Suggestion

After a long while, he finally spoke slowly. "Something is strange."

On the surface, the two sides were evenly matched, but he paused, his gaze suddenly locking onto Chi Tong, who had just been substituted out.

At that moment, Chi Tong's face was not even slightly flushed. His expression remained calm and composed, while his mismatched eyes were as still as an ancient well.

Seeing how unruffled Chi Tong was, Mu Shenyi's premonition grew stronger and stronger.

Things did not seem as simple as they appeared.

On the other side, Hanagata Toru looked at the score on the board and lightly adjusted his glasses, surprise in his voice. "Huh, it's tied!"

He had privately analyzed Ryonan and Shohoku's strengths before the game. He had thought Ryonan would maintain the lead by the end of the first half, but this tied score had truly exceeded his expectations.

Hanagata Toru could not help looking toward the Shohoku players walking off the court, muttering softly, "Is Shohoku really that strong?"

Like Mu Shenyi, Fujima Kenji had kept his eyes on Chi Tong.

Hearing Hanagata Toru's murmur, he slowly withdrew his gaze and said, "Shohoku has indeed improved quickly. Perhaps they truly have the strength to contend with Ryonan."

He paused, his gaze drifting back to Chi Tong. "Perhaps. But Ryonan has more than just this."

On Shohoku's bench, Akagi and the others who had just come off the court were all breathing heavily. Sweat had soaked their hair at the forehead. Though they did not look overly exhausted, they had sweated far more than usual.

The high-intensity clash of the first half had drained a great deal of stamina from every one of them.

"You all did great. Keep it up in the second half!"

Holding a towel, Ayako handed everyone water while