Nan University's sports grounds.
On the basketball court, four or five people suddenly stopped and looked off the court.
"Brother Hao, isn't that the guy who was walking with Su Cheng earlier? You've been chasing Su Cheng for over half a year without getting anywhere, but this guy actually came to school with her today, and they even seemed to go to class together. Something's really off. Didn't Su Cheng pretty much always go everywhere alone before?"
The tall guy wearing the number eight jersey lowered his voice as he mentioned it.
"Fuck! This guy's dressed head to toe in Republican-era clothes. Does he think he looks cool? Putting on airs like some moron. I can't stand the sight of him. I really want to beat him up!"
The tall guy wearing the number five jersey cursed coldly.
"Brother Hao, how about..."
The big guy in the number three jersey gave the person called Brother Hao a look.
"Let's go feel him out."
The person called Brother Hao nodded, and the five strong, burly sports students headed off the court.
"Hey, buddy, looks like Yan Hao and his guys have their eyes on you. Get out of here!"
Over where Chen Zheng stood off the court, a passing guy in glasses suddenly said this to him. Seeing the tall guys already approaching, he lowered his head and hurried away.
There had also been a few people within several meters of Chen Zheng, but when they saw the commotion over there, they all scattered at once.
"Kid, you know Su Cheng and even go to class with her? Which family's young master are you?"
The group approached and soon surrounded Chen Zheng completely. The tall guy in the number five jersey questioned him with an appraising look.
"Need something?"
Chen Zheng spoke mildly.
"Brother Hao! This guy really knows how to put on airs. I'm going to beat him up!"
The tall number five raised his right hand to strike as soon as he heard that.
"A Dong, don't scare our fellow student. We're all Nan University students. Besides, if he can walk together with Su Cheng, his family background must be something special." Yan Hao smiled and stopped the tall number five, then smiled at Chen Zheng. "I'm Yan Hao, Su Cheng's classmate through elementary, middle, and high school. We're not in the same class at university, but we're still in the same department. Oh, and my family and the Su Family live in the same neighborhood. Our elders all know each other well. What should I call you?"
"Kid! Brother Hao's giving you face. Hurry up and answer!"
Before Chen Zheng could speak, the tall number five glared fiercely at him.
"Chen Zheng. My position is personal bodyguard."
Chen Zheng smiled faintly and glanced at Yan Hao.
"Bodyguard..."
Yan Hao froze for a moment, but amusement had already appeared in his eyes. He had guessed that Chen Zheng was some family's young master, but it turned out he was merely a bodyguard. If this fellow was just a bodyguard, then he posed no threat. The Su Family would never let their only daughter get involved with a bodyguard.
"Haha! A bodyguard! So you're just a security guard. I thought you were some family's young master! Little bro, how much do you make a month as a bodyguard? I'll pay you twenty thousand yuan a month. I don't even need you to protect me. How about you wash my socks and underwear every day? Haha! Hahaha!"
A Dong in the number five jersey burst out laughing, his tone and expression full of mockery.
The other three wore much the same expressions, making no effort to hide the ridicule in their eyes. They had all thought Brother Hao had met a formidable rival, only to discover that he was just a bodyguard, utterly unqualified to compete with Brother Hao.
A bodyguard wasn't even qualified to pursue Su Cheng!
"Can you play basketball? Want to give it a try? Find two people, and we'll play three-on-three?"
A thought stirred in Yan Hao's mind. He felt he needed to humiliate Chen Zheng, and he could let Su Cheng understand a few things while he was at it. Any woman he, Yan Hao, set his sights on, he absolutely had to get!
"Basketball? I'll take all five of you by myself."
Chen Zheng glanced at the basketball in Yan Hao's arms and said with a light chuckle.
"Huh?"
"One against five!"
"Haha! What a joke! The biggest joke ever! Kid! Do you even understand basketball? One against five? Even James couldn't do that. Who do you think you are!"
"Moron!"
A Dong in the number five jersey and the others froze when they heard that, then began cursing. The students watching nearby couldn't help laughing either. What this guy said was too funny. One against five in basketball was simply impossible.
"Full court. I get three possessions, and you get three. Whoever has the most points at the end wins. What do you think?"
Chen Zheng merely looked at Yan Hao with a faint smile.
"You're Su Cheng's bodyguard, so you might be good in a fight, but it looks like you don't understand basketball at all. Basketball isn't fighting. It's a team sport. Since you want to make a fool of yourself, I'll oblige!"
Yan Hao answered Chen Zheng.
In his view, as Su Cheng's bodyguard, Chen Zheng might be a good fighter, but full-court basketball was a sport requiring five people to cooperate. One person beating five was absolutely impossible! Since this guy was asking to be humiliated, he would humiliate him thoroughly!
Yan Hao sneered inwardly.
A short while later, a court was cleared. Chen Zheng stood alone on one side, with Yan Hao and his four strong, burly companions on the other. By then, a large crowd had gathered around the basketball court. They could usually watch basketball games, but those were mostly half-court three-on-three games. There had never been a full-court one-on-five game like this.
Nearly all the watching students were waiting to see a joke. They thought Chen Zheng didn't understand basketball at all. One person could never beat five. Forget scoring-he might not even be able to drive through for a layup!
"You can go on offense first."
Chen Zheng said with a slight smile.
"Fine! Let's see how you defend!"
Yan Hao smiled mockingly, immediately passing the ball and moving into position. Barely a few seconds later, A Dong in the number five jersey scored an easy layup!
"Haha!"
"Idiot! You don't even know how to defend!"
"I thought he was an expert, but he's just a moron who can't even defend!"
"Come on, how's one person supposed to defend against five? It's impossible!"
The watching students couldn't help shaking their heads at the sight, because Chen Zheng hadn't moved into position at any point, nor had he defended at all. He had simply stood there and let Yan Hao and his group attack.
"You're nothing but trash!"
A Dong in the number five jersey walked past Chen Zheng and cursed under his breath, his face full of mockery, then slammed the basketball against the ground in front of him.
"My turn on offense, right?"
Chen Zheng caught the basketball, his face holding only a faint smile, and glanced at Yan Hao.
"Go ahead! Let's see how you take on five of us!"
Yan Hao nodded with a smile, signaling the others to mark him tightly. They absolutely had to thoroughly humiliate this kid today!
Whoosh!
The instant Yan Hao finished speaking, Chen Zheng, still standing motionless beyond half court, gently tossed the basketball with both hands. The ball flew over Yan Hao and the others' heads, tracing an exquisite arc, then swished perfectly through the hoop!
"..."
At that moment, everyone in that area of the basketball courts, whether Yan Hao's group or the watching students, fell silent!
It went in?
A three-pointer?
A long-range three-pointer?
Holy shit!
That actually worked?!
After the silence came all kinds of startled disbelief. The watching students' eyes widened. They simply couldn't believe Chen Zheng had casually tossed the ball and made a long-range three-pointer!
"Dumb luck!" A Dong in the number five jersey came to his senses, picked up the basketball, and cursed at Chen Zheng, then shouted, "Offense! Our turn on offense! I don't believe this trash can score again!"
With that, he began the attack. Yet Chen Zheng wore a faint smile and remained motionless, letting Yan Hao's group attack.
Swish!
The ball went in!
A nice two-pointer!
But... but it was Chen Zheng's turn on offense again!
It was still one against five, still beyond half court!
"My turn."
Holding the ball, Chen Zheng gave Yan Hao a friendly smile. The instant he spoke, Yan Hao and the other four closed in around him. A Dong even jumped up, blocking Chen Zheng's forward view!
Swish!
But this time, Chen Zheng couldn't even be bothered to look at the hoop. He casually tossed the ball, and with a pleasant swish of the net, it went in!
Three points!
Another three-pointer, another long-range three-pointer!
"Holy shit!"
"God!"
"Does this guy specialize in practicing three-pointers? He's so fucking accurate!"
"Holy crap! Five people can't stop him! He just tosses it, and the three-pointer goes in!"
"This has to be fake! How can he be that accurate? Five people were right in front of him, interfering!"
The watching students were collectively dumbfounded, one cry of shock following another. If the previous three-pointer had been a coincidence, then this one had gone in too, and under interference from five people at that. Could that still be a coincidence?
Surely there couldn't be that many coincidences!
"I don't believe it!"
A Dong in the number five jersey roared at Chen Zheng.
As for Yan Hao and the other three big guys, their brows had already furrowed. They had never seen three-point shooting at this level. Casually tossing a three-pointer and making it was far too terrifying!
"I have six points. The five of you have four."
Chen Zheng spoke mildly.
"Argh!"
A Dong in the number five jersey roared, charging recklessly down the court with the ball, then leaped high and slammed it through the hoop. After landing, he turned and roared at Chen Zheng again, "Come on! I don't believe you can make three long-range three-pointers in a row!"
"Long-range? You call this little distance long?"
Chen Zheng shook his head lightly. He walked to the boundary line on his half of the court and picked up the basketball. The instant all five of Yan Hao's group were in position, he casually tossed the basketball from the boundary at the very back of his own half!
Whoosh!
An enormous arc appeared, then came a swish as the basketball went through the net!
"Looks like I put the game away. You really aren't any good."
Chen Zheng's airy voice rang out. His teasing gaze swept over Yan Hao and the others, then he shook his head lightly, turned, and left.
Thud!
A Dong in the number five jersey slowly turned his head. His legs went weak, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, opened his mouth, and spat out a mouthful of blood. Then his head lolled to one side, and he fainted!
"Chen Zheng..."
Yan Hao came to his senses. His brows knitted tightly as he watched that retreating figure. All that appeared before his eyes was the scene from just now, the scene of that man standing at the boundary at the very back of his half, casually tossing the ball and scoring.
"An expert!"
"A super expert!"
"Holy shit! He's too good! An unprecedented super three-pointer! Even the NBA doesn't have three-pointers like that!"
"He's cheating! He has to be cheating! It's impossible to hit three long-range three-pointers in a row. That last shot could only be made with cheats! That guy must have gotten some super basketball cheat system! I have a feeling that now he's shown his stuff today, he'll be joining the NBA before long!"
"God! I saw a cheater with my own eyes today!"
"Hey, wait! Could you give me an autograph?"
The watching students now came to their senses. All sorts of explosive cries and screams rang out, and some even chased after Chen Zheng's retreating figure to ask for his autograph!
"Good thing I was quick-witted and recorded that scene. This video will definitely go viral once I upload it!"
Among the watching students, a guy in glasses watched Chen Zheng's retreating figure and silently tightened his grip on his phone. He was very excited now, because he had recorded that scene on his phone, and he was certain that as soon as he uploaded the video online, it would definitely go viral!