Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Lina's eyes brightened in surprise as Kai's words sunk in. She looked at the tall player like he had just saved the universe, causing Zeren to pursue his lips in disappointment.

'Why didn't I think about that?' he thought.

He was right—they couldn't beat the Xing Stars at their own game. However, they could always go around and hit them in the back—where they least expected it.

"That's it!" Lina exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "We need to use their own strengths against them."

She recounted an incident she had read about, talking excitedly as she felt that the team finally found their missing piece.

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"Do you guys remember? There was a recent game where artificial intelligence reigned over an expert chess player but lost over an amateur one—because the AI had studied those skilled players. It was a perfect example of how unpredictability could be a powerful weapon."

"Who would have expected?" Lina mused, a determined glint in her eyes. "We need to be like that amateur player—unpredictable and impossible to anticipate."

Her words resonated with the team, each player nodding in agreement. They were ready to turn the tide of the game in their favor.

"Kai, you should play for the third set," Lina said, turning to the tall first-year student. "Kun, you sit this one out. You look exhausted."

Kun nodded in agreement, his body still recovering from the intense physical exertion of the first two sets. "Yeah, I could use a break," he admitted, wiping the sweat from his brow.

The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the halftime.

With that, the five players of the third set assembled on the court, walking like they weren't down by ten points.

Bao gasped in surprise when he saw that Kai was back in the game.

"Kai's going to play," Bao said.

"Woah," Alen said. "They actually placed him back in this crucial set? I believe this set will make or break the game."

"You underestimate Kai too much," Mingze said. "He was the one who carried us to victory when he was still a part of the second-string team!"

Alen scratched the back of his head. "You're right, but you also can't deny that they're facing much stronger opponents now."

"I need them to do something interesting," Cece, Eva's friend, said. "I didn't come here early in the morning with you just so we could watch our school get beaten to the ground."

"But it is interesting," Eva defended. "Just look at Kai!"

Cece turned to Kai and immediately frowned.

"What is there to look at?" Cece asked.

"His handsome face," Eva said, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

Cece's face twisted into a grimace as she patted her friend's back.

"You really have awful taste in men," she muttered.

"My point stands still, though," Cece added. "I think Shizi High needs to step up their game for this third quarter. Look at the other students. They're finding this game boring."

Eva looked around and saw many students merely scrolling through their phones.

Eva sighed and looked at Kai, who appeared to be deep in thought.

"You can do this," she muttered.

Meanwhile, at the court, Kai pondered the idea of playing illogically.

With Kun out of the game, he realized that this was his chance to step up and become the playmaker of the team.

Not only would it give him the opportunity to apply his skills when he was physically unable to play, but it could also be a chance to gain a new skill.

Just then, a smirk arose on his lips.

"Let's mess with them a little," he muttered.

So, as Jet passed the ball to him, he dribbled it earnestly, acting like a real Point Guard.

Zedong's eyebrows raised in surprise.

As far as he knew, the guy was a Power Forward. Did he have multiple roles in the team?

Kai's teammates were also skeptical of what he was planning. No one could predict him—which might actually be a good thing for this game.

Putting on a serious face, Kai glanced over at their teammates, and then he held out the number 4.

Zedong prepared himself to take action. Kun had already instigated the 4th play so he could predict how they were going to execute it.

However, while the ball bounced mid-air, Kai held out a not-so-subtle 8, causing Zedong's eyes to almost bulge out of his head.

8?

48?

The 48th play?

The others turned to their captain, who was also not expecting that many plays in their repertoire.

Meanwhile, Kai's teammates already knew what he was doing, so they subtly shook their heads in amusement. However, they remained serious so they could continue to fool the XIng Stars.

Zedong's mind raced, not knowing what to do. However, he decided to stick to his gut feeling—that they were going to do the 4th play.

"Stay," he said to his teammates.

Kai smirked, knowing they had fallen straight into his trap.

With a fake pass to Yuze, he managed to deceive his guard, leaving him open to drive to the basket.

As Kai sprinted towards the hoop, he felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He could see Yuze screening out the three players under the rim, creating an opening for him to shoot freely.

With a quick leap, Kai released the ball, aiming for the basket with all his might. But to his dismay, the ball missed its mark, bouncing off the rim with a hollow thud.

His eyes widened comically. He got too excited!

Those watching also exclaimed in disappointment.

"Oh, come on! That was a free shot!" the Shizi Snakes fan exclaimed, finding himself getting too engrossed in the game.

But Kai wasn't one to give up easily. With a determined grit, he sprang into action once again, not even taking the time to regain his strength from the last shot before leaping into the air once more.

His eyes narrowed in focus as he released the ball, pouring every ounce of energy into the shot. And this time, as the ball left his fingertips, time seemed to slow down. The court fell silent as everyone watched with bated breath.

And then, with a satisfying swish, the ball sailed through the hoop, sinking into the net.

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