Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

It was a game that would undoubtedly go down in history.

A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd, shaking the walls of the stadium. Fans leaped from their seats, waving banners and flags. The Chinese team's supporters screamed themselves hoarse, some crying with joy as they hugged each other.

Gina and David, despite vowing to be professional and act as fair to all teams as possible, couldn't help but become biased for their country's team.

"Our team has defeated France!" Gina exclaimed. "Never in a million years did I expect this!"

David, his professionalism thrown out the window, banged the commentary table with excitement. "Forget being impartial! This is a moment for the history books! I can't believe what we just witnessed!"

On the court, the Chinese team celebrated like they had won the championship itself. Dong threw his head back and screamed, lifting Muyang off the ground like he weighed nothing.

Jian clapped Jimmy so hard on the back that he stumbled forward, earning a laugh from Marcus. Zheng and Max held each other's hands and pranced around with tears welling up in their eyes.

Coach Xu Wei watched their antics with a small smile. He stayed on the sidelines, but he couldn't hide his happiness. Being seen as a coach who 'fell off,' it was emotional to see their national team make it to the semi-finals.

The French bench was a stark contrast. The players sat frozen in disbelief, their heads hanging low and their hands gripping towels or jerseys. They had entered this game confident, perhaps overconfident, expecting a straightforward win. Now, they stared at the scoreboard, the reality of their defeat sinking in.

"They weren't supposed to be this strong," one of the French players muttered, staring blankly ahead.

"They're more than strong," his teammate replied. "They're unstoppable. The US team needs to watch their backs."

Back on the Chinese team's bench, Caleb leaned back, watching everything unfold in front of him with wide eyes. Then, his gaze settled on Kai.

"So, this is why my brother had such a hard time," Caleb muttered under his breath.

For the first time in a long time, Caleb felt a spark of respect for his younger brother, Calvin. If Calvin had gone up against someone like Kai, then his struggles made sense.

For a moment, Caleb felt bad for pushing his brother so much. He realized that he was in no position to shame him for not making it into the Elite Five. Even Caleb, with his years of experience, wondered how he would fare against such a relentless opponent.

Reporters swarmed the court like bees, cameras flashing as they shouted questions at Kai.

"Kai Guo! How does it feel to lead your team to such an incredible victory?"

"Kai, what was going through your mind during that final half-court shot?"

"Do you think this win puts you in contention for the podium finish?"

Kai, drenched in sweat and still catching his breath, shook his head slightly. He glanced at Coach Xu Wei, who raised a hand to signal the reporters to back off.

"Not now," Xu Wei said firmly. "We've got more games to play. My players need to rest."

Reluctantly, the reporters stepped aside, their cameras still trained on Kai as he made his way toward the locker room with his teammates.

As soon as they were inside the tunnel, their voices only became louder, still talking about the highlights of the game.

For a moment, they forgot about their past rivalries. They complimented each other even when they swore they were the best players on the team.

Kai stayed back, watching them with a fond smile.

"These idiots," he muttered, shaking his head.

As they neared the locker room, Kai had to stop walking when Jimmy suddenly halted in front of him. His eyebrows raised as Jimmy turned around with an unreadable expression.

The other guys had entered the locker room at this point, yet Jimmy still hadn't spoken up.

"Do you want to tell me something?" Kai asked, breaking the silence.

Jimmy pursed his lips and let out a deep breath. Then, he looked into Kai's eyes.

"You were incredible out there."

Silence reigned between them once more.

"Did you…just compliment me?" Kai asked in disbelief.

Jimmy clicked his tongue and looked away. "Don't get used to it. I just give credit where it's due."

Jimmy tried to play it off, but Kai was still shocked. Was this the same guy who refused to pass to him up until this day?

Before Kai could comment, someone suddenly cleared his throat, causing the two of them to turn in the direction of the noise.

Lo and behold, it was none other than Johnny Wang.

"Kai," Johnny said, sounding foreignly polite. "Can I have a word?"

Kai glanced at Jimmy, whose expression turned cold. Without a word, Jimmy stood and walked past his father, sparing him only a brief glance. Kai, despite being confused, nodded at Johnny.

"Go ahead, sir," Kai said.

Johnny hesitated, his eyes flickering to where his son was. "I just wanted to say that you played exceptionally well out there. You're truly a remarkable player."

Kai's expression didn't change. "Thank you, sir. Is there anything else?"

Johnny opened his mouth to say something more but then closed it. Why was this kid acting so cold? Every other player would be excited to speak with Johnny Wang!

"I have an offer—"

Kai cleared his throat. "I think it's best if we talk about this after the Global Games, sir. I need to focus on bringing home the medal to the country with my teammates."

"Thank you," he said, not letting Johnny get another word in, bowing his head before running after Jimmy.

Without warning, Kai threw an arm around Jimmy's shoulder.

Jimmy looked up at him, freezing for a moment, before shrugging his arm off.

"What are you doing?" Jimmy snapped.

Kai chuckled. "My arm was tired," he smirked.

Jimmy clicked his tongue. "Shouldn't you still be speaking with my dad?"

A small smile made its way to Kai's lips. "Well, I couldn't really let the opportunity pass to tell you this."

Jimmy frowned in confusion.

"I just wanted to say you did a great job today. Thanks for holding the second quarter so well."

Jimmy stared at him, taken aback. For a moment, he didn't respond, then clicked his tongue and looked away.

Kai smirked. He was still the same person. However, he had a feeling Jimmy wouldn't be as much of a problem now.