March 31st, Friday, was the final day of the high school spring basketball league. The game was held at Hodge High School. It's an international high school with exchange students from all over the world.
Every year, the basketball game was their forte. It was almost a consensus that this year would be no different.
But Luochuan scoffed at this. They weren't born with three heads and six arms, one person doing the work of three. Basketball, at its core, is still about skill.
In the Hodge High School gymnasium, on the spacious and bright basketball court, two distinct teams were warming up. One was Liberation Monument High School, which had fought its way to the finals from the preliminary rounds. They were all full of fighting spirit.
The other team was composed of foreigners of different skin colors, with tall physiques. If you just looked at their height, who would believe that this group of foreigners, all at least 1.9 meters tall, were actually high school students.
"Luochuan, we have to put those foreigners in their place today," Liu Wenqin said to Luochuan in a low voice, while moving his joints.
Luochuan chuckled. "What, do you have a grudge against those foreigners?"
Liu Wenqin spat. "I just can't stand the way they look down on people."
Arrogance, prejudice, it seemed to be ingrained in these people, even though they were currently in China.
Luochuan clenched his fist and faced Liu Wenqin. "Alright, let's show them what we're made of."
Liu Wenqin grinned, clenched his fist, and bumped it with Luochuan's.
"By the way, your girlfriend didn't come," Liu Wenqin said.
"I didn't let her come. What's the point of watching a one-sided game?" Luochuan said casually, his words brimming with confidence in himself.
A basketball about to upgrade to LV3 - what did that mean? Even among professional players, that was considered top-tier. Let alone against a few high school students, it was like using a Dragon-Slaying Saber to kill a chicken.
Tsk, Liu Wenqin's mouth twitched. He hadn't realized that Luochuan could even be so smooth with his boasting. He had to learn that, maybe it could come in handy for finding a girlfriend later.
Soon, the basketball game officially began.
"BEEP..."
The whistle blew, and just as before, Luochuan went for a slam dunk and directly snatched the ball, securing possession. Liu Wenqin, receiving the ball, immediately rushed across the center line towards the basket.
He could see that the foreigners' skills were inferior to his, only relying on their height and bulk to constantly hinder his offense.
Seeing this, Liu Wenqin didn't back down. He threw a long pass to Luochuan.
One of the foreigners was quick to try to steal the ball, but Luochuan's speed was even faster. He got to the basketball first.
Liu Wenqin might have struggled against those foreigners, but Luochuan was not afraid in the slightest.
He changed direction with his feet, flying about. The basketball felt like it was part of his hand, an extension of his body. He moved with ease, dodging two towering figures who tried to intercept him.
Luochuan went for a long shot. The basketball went cleanly through the hoop without a ripple.
Three points!
As the ball went in, cheers erupted from the sidelines. It was the Liberation Monument High School cheerleading squad.
The game continued. The black captain on the opposing team went for a solo attack, the heavy basketball bouncing loudly on the ground. It was like a black bull charging forward.
Unfortunately, Luochuan had already targeted him.
"Swoosh!!!"
The black captain felt a blur before his eyes. The basketball in his hands simply disappeared.
He had been intercepted!
Then came another beautiful three-pointer. It was only when the cheers of the cheerleading squad started that the black captain reacted.
There was no way. From intercepting to scoring, everything happened so fast, unbelievably fast.
"Good job," Liu Wenqin and Luochuan high-fived.
Just as the Liberation Monument High School team was celebrating, the opposing coach was pacing anxiously, yelling at his players to focus on defending Luochuan.
Sure enough, in the following game, almost everyone on the other side was guarding Luochuan.
But it didn't matter. Luochuan wasn't playing alone. He had teammates.
Using his physical abilities and skills, Luochuan continuously weaved through the crowd, stealing the basketball. Whenever there was an opportunity, he went for a long three-pointer. If there wasn't, he passed the ball to his teammates, creating space and working together so his teammates could get scoring opportunities.
In short, he was looking for every way to score.
When Liberation Monument High School reached ten points, Hodge High School finally got their first score. The entire gymnasium erupted in cheers when they got their points.
But the players on the court all looked like they had swallowed a fly, especially the opposing player number 7.
Whenever he got the ball, he'd look for a chance to shoot and attack. And he had an incredibly high shooting percentage, rarely missing.
Most importantly, his physical condition was terrifying. The entire first half was over, and everyone else was drenched in sweat. This guy only needed to catch his breath twice.
Was this freaking guy on steroids? How could he be so intense!
While Hodge High School was racking their brains over Luochuan, Liu Wenqin's coach was beaming with excitement. If they could truly pull Hodge High School down from the top spot this time, then being named an Outstanding Teacher today was a sure thing. Maybe next year, the school would even increase its investment in the school team.
Just thinking about it made him excited!
When the second half began, Luochuan had basically figured out the opponent's tactics. He unleashed his full power without reservation, even Liu Wenqin couldn't help but be amazed by Luochuan's playing style. He really didn't leave Hodge High School any face at all!
However, I like it!
Knowing that his skills were completely inferior to Luochuan's, Liu Wenqin proactively played a supporting role. The other players naturally didn't need to be told.
Luochuan's prestige in the team had been built up over countless matches and victories. If he hadn't chosen not to join the school team, maybe the captain's position would have been his.
As Luochuan stepped up his game, even with Hodge High School giving it their all, they could only watch helplessly as the score gap between the two sides widened, ultimately reaching a difference of almost fifty points.
Even the entire audience section was completely silent, not a single sound could be heard.
The tide had turned. Hodge High School was doomed!
The fourth quarter of the game became a mere formality. As players from both sides kept getting replaced, Luochuan didn't feel a ripple of emotion.
"BEEP!!!"
The moment the whistle blew, the Liberation Monument High School students erupted in cheers, celebrating their victory. Even though they were outnumbered,
"We won!"
Liu Wenqin cheered, running over to hug Luochuan. He jumped excitedly, bouncing up and down. Even though they knew they would win, when the moment actually arrived, he couldn't contain the excitement and joy welling up in his heart.
Didn't you see the coach's face crinkling with a smile?
As for the Hodge High School team, the match that had tortured both their minds and bodies was finally over. Perhaps in the future, they wouldn't dare to call themselves the number one in basketball, if they had any face at all.
After the game, Luochuan and his team didn't linger. They got ready to leave. The trophy for the match would be awarded after the competition organizing committee issued a notice, but by then, it wouldn't be Luochuan's problem. Whoever wanted to go could go.
On the bus, Liu Wenqin sat beside Luochuan and asked, "What was that foreigner mumbling to you just now?"
"Nothing much. He just asked if I wanted to transfer. If I did, he said that after I graduated, he could introduce me to professional basketball training institutions abroad," Luochuan said casually.
"But I refused."
Luochuan's impact on the court was clear to anyone who wasn't blind, so naturally, the coach of Hodge High School had his heart set on him.
"Good for you, rejecting them. These foreigners are just a bunch of troublemakers," Liu Wenqin said disdainfully.
Just then, the coach sat down on the same side as Luochuan and Liu Wenqin.
"Luochuan, we're going to have a celebratory dinner later. Come with us."
"This...," Luochuan hesitated. He didn't know what time the gathering would end. Would he be able to make his evening tutoring session?
"Come on, big hero. We can't have a good time without you," the coach said happily.
Seeing that the coach had said so, Luochuan no longer refused.
"Okay."
The coach then instructed the bus driver to head towards the restaurant they had booked beforehand.
On the way, Luochuan also took out his phone and sent a message to Li Anran on QQ, telling him about the game results and the gathering.
Not long after, Li Anran replied with a smiley face, congratulating him, and finally reminded Luochuan not to forget tomorrow's matter.
Of course, Luochuan wouldn't forget.
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