Yueye Hongming chimed in at this point. "Who cares who he is? This is Ryonan, not some place where any stray cat or dog can stay. Even if Sendoh recommended him, he can't just join whenever he wants. In the end, it still comes down to strength."
On the other side, a burly man over two meters tall listened quietly to their conversation, with no intention of interrupting.
He was Yu Zhuchun, captain of Lingnan High School.
He merely listened in silence from the side, but his eyes gleamed thoughtfully.
Yu Zhuchun, captain, Zhong Feng, No. 4, third-year; Yueye Hongming, shooting guard, No. 6, second-year; Uekusa Zhizhi, point guard, No. 8, second-year; Shandao Ryoji, power forward, No. 5, third-year. The heavy iron doors of the Lingnan High School Basketball Gym were pushed open, and a figure stepped inside.
He wore a green short-sleeved shirt. His expression was stern, his eyes sharp, and his steps steady, carrying an air of unquestionable authority and rigor.
The atmosphere in the entire Basketball Gym seemed to be suppressed by an invisible force the instant he entered. Every player unconsciously straightened their backs.
This man was Tiangang Maoyi, coach of the Ryonan High School basketball club.
He swept his gaze across the court, his eyes like blades passing over every young face.
Then he spoke in a deep voice. "Assemble!"
All the players immediately lined up neatly in the middle of the court, including the first-years who had only recently joined.
They stood ramrod straight, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
Tiangang Maoyi looked at the team before him, his brows drawing together slightly as a trace of confusion entered his voice.
"Sendoh isn't here?"
Ikegami Ryoji immediately answered, though there was a hint of hesitation in his tone.
"Uh, Coach, Sendoh just went out. I think he went to pick someone up."
"Pick someone up?"
Tiangang Maoyi froze for a moment, his frown deepening. Clearly, he had not understood at first.
Yueye Hongming quietly reminded him, "The one Sendoh mentioned before."
Taoka Moichi immediately came to a realization, a glint flashing through his eyes. He finally remembered. He had indeed asked Sendoh to try recruiting that old friend of his before. It looked like he had succeeded. "Coach, should we wait a little longer?"
"Sendoh?"
Uozumi asked tentatively.
Taoka Moichi coughed twice, then spoke with a slightly serious expression. "In that case, let's start with introductions."
As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze swept over the neatly lined-up players with the assessing look unique to a coach. He then said to the second- and third-years, "You guys start first. Let the newcomers get to know you."
Ryonan's starting center, Uozumi, was the first to step forward. His height of over two meters and overwhelming presence put immense pressure on the group of first-year newcomers.
"My name is Yu Zhuchun. I am currently the captain of the Lingnan High School basketball team, and I play center."
Next came the introductions from Yueye Hongming, Shishang Liang'er, Uekusa Zhizhi, and the other second- and third-years.
After the second- and third-years had finished introducing themselves, it was the first-year newcomers' turn. Most of them were characters never mentioned in the original work, until one said, "My name is Zuo Xiangtianyan."
"I'm 165 centimeters tall and weigh 52 kilograms. I hope to contribute to the team."
Once everyone had finished their introductions, the court fell into a brief silence.
Tiangang Maoyi lowered his head slightly as well, looking as though his mind had drifted elsewhere. It seemed like he had not listened to the newcomers' introductions at all.
Seeing this, the first-years were baffled, while the second- and third-years looked rather awkward.
Seeing the situation, Uozumi immediately stepped forward and called out, "Coach, do you have any further instructions?"
Taoka Moichi snapped back to his senses and was just about to say something when the Basketball Gym doors were suddenly shoved open.
A beam of sunlight slanted in from outside. Everyone instinctively turned to look, and the person who came into view was none other than Sendoh. The person they had been waiting for had finally returned.
"Hey, everyone. I'm back."
Sendoh waved at the group.
"You finally came back, you bastard."
Yueye Hongming could not help complaining, his tone carrying a trace of resentment.
Sendoh scratched his head and gave an apologetic smile. "Haha, sorry about that. I ran into an old friend, and we got so caught up talking that I lost track of time."
His tone was relaxed, but everyone looked at him with dead-fish eyes.
Immediately afterward, two figures slowly entered the gymnasium behind Sendoh. They were Chi Tong and Shendai Liufei. Their steps were neither hurried nor slow, yet they seemed to carry an invisible rhythm, every footfall landing as if upon everyone's heartbeat.
The instant they saw the two, everyone fell into a daze. It was as if someone had pressed pause on the entire space. The air froze, all sound vanished, and even the sound of breathing seemed to disappear.
Seeing that Chi Tong's entrance had left everyone too stunned to speak, Sendoh smiled faintly and said casually, "Let me introduce them."
As he spoke, he pointed at Chi Tong. "He was my teammate in middle school. His name is Chitong Lingyu, the person I told you about before."
Everyone's eyes locked onto Chi Tong at once. Their gazes held suspicion, curiosity, disdain, and scrutiny.
"So this is the guy Sendoh mentioned? Why does he have red hair? He looks so full of himself. Is he really that strong?"
"Huh?"
"This guy is totally just a pretty boy, isn't he?"
"Just like Sendoh!"
"Mm, his height is decent. I just wonder what his actual ability is like."
"Who is this guy?"
"Everyone seems to care about him a lot."
Chi Tong paid no attention to the looks around him. He merely stepped forward. The step was neither heavy nor light, yet it seemed to land upon everyone's hearts.
His calm gaze swept across the crowd. There was not a trace of unnecessary emotion in his eyes, only composure, determination, and a conviction that could not be questioned.
Then he spoke. His tone was steady, but it carried an undeniable strength.
"Hello, everyone. It's nice to meet you for the first time. I'm Chitong Lingyu, a graduate of Saint Radiance Middle School. Starting today, I officially join the Lingnan High School basketball club."
His voice was not loud, yet it reached every person's ears clearly. Then his next sentence exploded through the entire Basketball Gym like a thunderclap.
"The only reason I came here is for one goal: the championship!"
"I have always believed that victory is the sole meaning of competitive sports. I look forward to fighting alongside all of you."
As his words fell, the entire Basketball Gym sank into a deathly silence. No one spoke, no one applauded, and even the wind outside the gymnasium seemed to have stopped.
Everyone's expressions froze in that instant—shock, astonishment, doubt, utter bewilderment. None of them had expected this newcomer to make such an explosive declaration the moment he opened his mouth.
"This guy is way too arrogant. He starts talking about a championship the moment he arrives!"
"Who does he think he is?"
Even Tiangang Maoyi wore a completely dumbfounded expression. He had never expected Chi Tong to be so blunt.
Before you continue