Maki Shinichi surveyed the commotion on the court and slowly moved over to Chi Tong, his brows slightly furrowed and his eyes glinting thoughtfully.
He turned toward Chi Tong, who remained as composed as ever, and hesitated for two seconds before speaking tentatively, his voice low enough that only the two of them could hear.
"You already knew that shot wouldn't go in, didn't you?"
Chi Tong's expression did not change. He remained utterly unruffled, his mismatched eyes resting calmly on the court. He neither nodded nor shook his head, as though Maki Shinichi's question concerned something of no importance.
Maki Shinichi was already used to his manner. Undeterred, he leaned closer, his tone even more probing. "You deliberately passed the ball to Sakuragi. You must have had some purpose in mind, right?"
From what he knew of Chi Tong, the boy was meticulous, calculating every move with absolute precision. He never wasted his efforts, much less made a meaningless pass.
He refused to believe Chi Tong did not know how good Sakuragi Hanamichi was.
He had explosive power and strong rebounding skills, but he was impetuous and his technique was rough. In a high-intensity matchup like this, a reckless drive to the basket would most likely be stopped.
Since Chi Tong knew all that yet still passed to Sakuragi Hanamichi at a crucial moment, he must have had a reason.
But what exactly was that reason?
Mu Shenyi turned it over and over in his mind, yet could not figure it out.
Was he deliberately testing Akita's interior defense, or did he have something else planned?
Chi Tong seemed to see the confusion in his eyes. The corners of his mouth suddenly lifted into a faint but meaningful smile.
He slowly turned to Maki Shinichi, his voice carrying an