The bewildered Jousei players (Part one)

He could not help imagining how, once the game officially began, Ryonan would follow Chi Tong's tactics and strike the Great Wall right where it hurt, targeting their weaknesses with every move.

What would become of Banshen Dahan's smug expression then?

Just thinking about it felt satisfying.

Banshen Dahan seemed not to have noticed Yu Zhu's contempt. He still looked utterly confident of victory and kept muttering away.

Just then, the referee approached steadily with a brand-new orange basketball, stopping between Yu Zhu and Banshen Dahan.

He glanced at both of them, a silent warning in his eyes, then blew his whistle.

The next instant, the sharp, clear whistle cut through the noise in the arena, drawing every spectator's attention to the center circle.

Without pausing, the referee raised his arm and tossed the basketball high into the air between them.

Under the lights, the ball traced a vertical line upward until it reached its highest point.

Ryonan's game against the Great Wall had officially begun.

Two dull thuds sounded almost simultaneously as Yu Zhu and Banshen Dahan sprang into the air, reaching for the descending basketball.

Every gaze was fixed on the center circle.

Just as Chi Tong had explained before the game, Banshen Dahan's speed was his fatal weakness. Even though he jumped with all his might, he still left the floor a fraction later than Yu Zhu.

From the stands, everyone could clearly see Yu Zhu's hand reach the basketball first. With a light flick of his fingertips, he changed its downward trajectory.

"Tch!" Banshen Dahan's brow tightened as he clicked his tongue. Staring at Yu Zhu, he blamed his bad luck for letting his opponent gain the advantage, never realizing that Ryonan had predicted this outcome all along.

Chi Tong had already said that as long