Chi Tong vs. Sendoh

Chi Tong's lips curled slightly, her voice quiet yet carrying a chilling confidence.

"Come on, Sendoh. Let the game officially begin!"

Hearing Chi Tong declare that the game was officially beginning, the upperclassmen by the court all stiffened, their expressions instantly turning grave.

"What does that mean?"

"Officially begin?"

"Could that suffocating pace from before have only been a warm-up?"

The game was not over yet, but their hearts were already in their throats.

At the sidelines, Tiangang Maoyi slowly rose to his feet, preparing to call off the game.

Chi Tong had already shown enough.

Although the kid had not displayed the sort of talent that left people stunned at first glance, her composure and control had far exceeded his expectations.

But just as he was about to stop the game, he heard the exchange between Chi Tong and Sendoh.

Tiangang's brows knitted tightly as a question surfaced in his mind. Does this kid still have something hidden?

He hesitated for a moment before slowly sitting back down.

On the court, the game had resumed.

Sendoh took possession and launched the attack. Before long, he met Chi Tong head-on as he advanced. They stood face-to-face, their gazes locked, neither making the first move.

The air seemed to freeze at that instant, heavy and tense.

Unlike before, Sendoh did not immediately attempt a drive the moment he got the ball. He knew Chi Tong's strength all too well. If he acted rashly, he would only invite one of Chi Tong's terrifying steals.

The defensive ability Chi Tong had displayed earlier was merely the tip of the iceberg. Sendoh had personally witnessed her nearly one-hundred-percent predictive steals.

"What's going on?"

"Why hasn't Sendoh made his move yet, Yueye?"

Hongming muttered in confusion.

Uekusa Tomoyuki.

He guessed thoughtfully, "Could it be that Sendoh is wary of Chi Tong?"

"How is that possible?!"

Ikegami Ryoji immediately rejected the thought. "That's Sendoh!"

Xiangtian Yanyi's eyes gleamed as she stared fixedly at the two on the court.

"I wonder how the contest between Senior Sendoh and Chi Tong will unfold."

While everyone speculated and their doubts remained unresolved, Sendoh finally moved. He dribbled sideways into a crossover, his feet swaying left and right as he cautiously searched for an opening.

Chi Tong's gaze tracked Sendoh's movements in perfect sync, her eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

Her body made subtle adjustments at the same time, like a coiled spring ready to launch.

Seeing this, Sendoh's eyes narrowed. The rhythm of his lateral crossovers changed once more, his movements becoming even more unpredictable.

He crossed over again, shifting sideways in the opposite direction with the motion.

At first, both moved slowly, as if probing each other and searching for weaknesses. But as time passed, the tempo gradually accelerated, and their movements became increasingly swift.

By the end, faint afterimages appeared in everyone's eyes, as though the two had transformed into gusts of wind.

They traded moves across the court. Sendoh's offense was razor-sharp, Chi Tong's defense as immovable as a mountain. The battle between offense and defense was ferocious, and neither was willing to give an inch.

Everyone at the sidelines stared wide-eyed, mouths hanging open in disbelief.

"Ah, so fast! Too fast! It's almost impossible to see their movements clearly!"

The two were like savage beasts fighting over prey, clamped tightly onto one another. The bouncing basketball was the only prey in their eyes, and neither was willing to let go.

"Ah... God, oh my God!"

Xiangtian Yanyi froze at the sight, her mouth unconsciously forming a huge O.

The upperclassmen also stared blankly at the court, as though they still could not accept what was happening before them.

"This has to be a joke, right?"

Yueye Hongming's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

Ikegami Ryoji watched Chi Tong fiercely contend with Sendoh on the court, his voice dazed. "That guy doesn't seem any worse than Sendoh at all!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen Sendoh play so restrained!"

Yu Zhuchun was also stunned by the scene before him.

Over the past year, he had witnessed Sendoh's strength countless times with his own eyes.

Thinking of Sendoh's expression when he had introduced Chi Tong, Yu Zhuchun could not help muttering inwardly, Is she really going to be this strong?

Off the court, Tiangang Maoyi had already risen from the bench. His eyes were wide open, his expression first shocked before rapidly being replaced by wild joy and excitement.

"This kid..." For a moment, he did not know what words could describe how he felt. It was like buying a lottery ticket and discovering at redemption that you were one number short, winning second prize. It was regrettable, but still acceptable.

Then someone suddenly told you that because of a system error, the original numbers had all matched after all, and you had directly won the grand prize.

That tremendous swing from disappointment to ecstasy made even the middle-aged Tiangang Maoyi's heart race, leaving his entire body feeling exhilarated.

Thinking of how every target player he had approached before had rejected his invitation, he now wanted to throw back his head and shout, "Awesome!"

After several intense exchanges on the court, Sendoh suddenly stepped back to create distance. His chest heaved as he let out a long breath, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"You really are something, Chi Tong!"

Chi Tong stared straight at Sendoh with blade-sharp eyes. Her tone was calm, yet filled with unquestionable confidence.

"Sendoh, you've indeed improved a lot this past year. But I'll be the one who wins!"

The moment her words fell, she lunged forward like a striking cheetah!

At the same time, she swept out an arm, her hand shooting toward the basketball in Sendoh's grasp like lightning.

"Danger!"

Sendoh's heart jolted. His mind raced, filtering through several possible responses before settling on the safest choice. Just as Chi Tong's fingertips were about to touch the ball, Sendoh decisively passed it away.

"Mm, that was close. You almost got me!"

Sendoh let out a breath, a trace of relief in his voice.

"Was it?"

Chi Tong's lips curled faintly. Her expression remained as calm as still water, as though she had anticipated everything.

The next second, the basketball traced a strange arc through the air, struck Uekusa Tomoyuki's thigh, and bounced away!

The entire court fell silent. Everyone was stunned.

"A turnover!"

But just before the ball could fly out of bounds, Xiangtian Yanyi leaped up, stretching out her long arm to snatch it cleanly.

"Fast break!"

She shouted, then flicked her wrist, launching a long pass like a missile toward the rookie shooting guard beyond the three-point line.

The rookie shooting guard caught the ball and immediately rose for the shot without hesitation. The basketball drew a perfect arc and dropped cleanly through the net.

Rookie Team 39, Upperclassmen Team 36. Damn it!

Uekusa Tomoyuki was filled with frustration. He knew it had all happened because of his mistake.

He had been watching too intently, completely absorbed in the duel between Chi Tong and Sendoh. By the time the basketball flew toward him, he had failed to react at all.

It was too late to say anything now!

Time ticked away second by second. Sendoh advanced with the ball, his gaze calm but concealing a sharp edge.

Facing Chi Tong's defense, he slowly lowered his center of gravity. He controlled the ball with his right hand, shifting his feet lightly. He first used a feint to test her, then suddenly accelerated and cut in from the left.