Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

As the time-out commenced, the court became a stage for the cheerleaders.

Each team's squad was eager to outshine the other, but Suzy wasn't going to let that happen.

Pom-poms flashed in the air, and the sound of synchronized claps filled the arena as she guided those who weren't even part of the team.

Bao looked at her with amusement. "Well, Suzy's more passionate than ever," she said.

"Hmm," Mingze hummed in agreement. "I've never seen her act like that before."

"True," Alen chimed. "I wonder what's gotten her so passionate."

Dylan smirked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "The real question is—who has gotten her so passionate?"

The atmosphere in the court was lively, yet on the Shizi Dogs' bench, it was tense.
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"It's only five minutes in," Lina said, pacing back and forth. "And there's already a 13-point gap."

"They got stronger," Yuze said, stretching his legs. He could still feel the ache from his hard landing earlier.

"Chunlei didn't," Kai replied, capturing their attention.

"Are you insane?" Jinping asked. "He's practically flying on the court!"

Lina sighed and shook her head. "I've never seen him play like that before, too. Not even against Max Zhou."

"But it's true," Kai insisted. "He didn't improve. He just showed his real skills."

Kun sat hunched over, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He felt useless. "Why is he so good then?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

However, as he lifted his head, he showed a smile, not wanting to let his teammates see his real emotions.

Lina, however, caught the defeated tone in his voice.

Then, she turned to Kai and Coach Muchen.

"Maybe we should put all of these players together for the rest of the first quarter," she said, considering their options.

Muchen frowned. "But didn't Kai say that it's much better to put out this line-up by the second half of the third quarter?"

"But we're already down by 13 points!" Lina exclaimed. "We need to catch up to the points. I fear that we'd only get buried at this point," she said, desperately turning to Yuze.

Yuze pursed his lips and turned to Kai instead. "What do you think?" he asked, also at a loss.

Kai shook his head. "I think we should stick with this line-up," he said, his voice firm.

Lina sighed in frustration. "Nothing's going to happen if we don't change something."

"We can change something," Kai started off.

"Kun, you take Yiming," Kai said, taking Kun by surprise.

"And I will take on Chunlei."

Kun looked up at him. "Are you sure? Chunlei is—"

"I'm sure," Kai interrupted. "I've watched him. I know how he moves."

The others were still skeptical, but seeing Kai's determined face, they had no choice but to agree.

"Alright," Lina finally said. "I'll trust your word on it."

On the other side of the court, the Feng Foxes were having their own discussion.

"You're not holding back," Yiming said, a hint of admiration and amusement in his voice as he looked at Chunlei.

"There's no need for me to hold back. They've gotten better," Chunlei replied, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Still not better than us?" Kexin smirked.

"No," Chunlei said, his tone serious. "The score says that."

Then, he leaned back, crossing his arms. "How's Kai?" he asked, looking Yiming in the eyes.

Yiming pursed his lips and shook his head, trying to analyze what he felt when he faced Kai a few moments ago. "He's better, too. Not to your extent, though."

"Good," Chunlei said, stretching his limbs. "Then, this game is already set in stone."

Kexin grinned. "Let's show them a 30-point gap."

The whistle blew again, signaling the end of the time-out. The players returned to the court, and it felt like the tension had increased.

Kun looked a bit down, his shoulders slumped as he took his position. Kai, however, was more determined than ever. He moved slowly, purposefully, as if gathering his strength for the showdown to come.

Kai arrived in front of Chunlei with the ball, and the crowd murmured in anticipation.

"Kai against Chunlei? Are we seeing this?"

"Is a first-year rookie actually going against an Elite Five candidate?"

"That's ridiculous!"

"I like Kai, but he is not ready to face against Chunlei."

Chunlei smirked, a confident gleam in his eyes. "So, you're here?" he asked, his voice carrying an air of nonchalance.

Kai merely smirked back, his eyes locked on Chunlei's. He had let Kun defend against Chunlei before, knowing Kun had improved. But watching Chunlei, Kai realized there was something more.

'He's a master, too,' he thought.

From the way Chunlei moved, Kai guessed that they were on the same level.

And with that, he felt like he could most definitely defend against him.

Chunlei stood tall, his confidence unwavering. He had faced many challenges, and Kai was just another one to him. But Kai's expression shifted from one of apprehension to seriousness.

The game was about to change.

The ball was passed to Kai, and he dribbled it with profound strength.

Chunlei moved in to block him, but Kai was ready. He faked left, then spun right, his agility surprising Chunlei. The crowd gasped as Kai found an opening and drove toward the basket.

Chunlei was quick, and his defensive skills were sharp, but Kai was quicker this time around. He dodged Chunlei's outstretched arms with a swift sidestep, his eyes never leaving the basket. With a burst of speed, he leaped into the air, his body twisting as he soared toward the hoop.

Time seemed to slow as Kai rose above the defenders, the ball firmly in his grasp.

He could hear the crowd's roar growing louder and feel the rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins.

With all his strength, he slammed the ball into the net, completing a perfect dunk.

The crowd erupted into cheers, the sound deafening. Kai landed lightly on his feet, his eyes meeting Chunlei's. There was a new fire in his gaze.

Chunlei, for the first time that night, looked slightly taken aback.

Kai stood there, his chest heaving, but his expression calm and resolute.

"A slam dunk from Kai Guo!" Mark Li exclaimed.

"Not only that, but it was against the one and only Chunlei Dong!"