He had expected Ryonan to possibly adjust their defensive strategy in the second half. After all, they had found quite a few gaps in Ryonan's defense during the first half, so switching defensive assignments was only natural.
Even if Ryonan really did switch defenders, he would not have been too surprised. At most, he would just be facing a different defender.
But he had never expected Ryonan to switch Sendoh away.
What surprised him even more was that the one standing before him and directly guarding him was Chi Tong, the opposing captain who was only a first-year student.
Could he really be confident he could stop me?
Zhu Xingda looked at the calm-faced Chi Tong before him and muttered to himself.
His gaze lingered on Chi Tong for several seconds. He tried to find even a trace of panic or nervousness in Chi Tong's expression, but all he saw was composure.
Zhu Xingda had remained wary of Chi Tong from beginning to end. He was not one of those hotheaded fools who underestimated an opponent based solely on age. To become the captain of a powerhouse like Ryonan as a first-year, and make a star player like Sendoh willingly follow his arrangements, Chi Tong was definitely no ordinary character.
No matter how surprised or wary he was, Zhu Xingda still decided to make the first move.
He took a deep breath and suddenly accelerated, first charging toward Ryonan's interior. But just as Chi Tong adjusted his footwork to follow, he sharply changed direction and sprinted toward the perimeter, attempting to shake off the defense with a change of pace.
Then he made two consecutive crossovers, swaying from side to side as his eyes roamed constantly across the court.
Yet Chi Tong was like a shadow stuck to him. No