Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Jimmy swallowed his words relatively fast.

It wasn't easy.

Of course, nothing in life came easy (except for Kai's physique).

On second note, he didn't really gain it easily. He even had to die for it!

They were back on the pristine court. The five boys stood to the side, wearing determined expressions. After spending the previous evening talking about stepping up their game, they were more committed than ever.

However, all of that was shattered the moment a man came to the court.

He was short, narrow-shouldered, and wore a simple track jacket, his whistle hanging from his neck. His sharp, no-nonsense gaze swept over them, and Kai's heart skipped a beat.

Not the good kind, though.

"Wait a second..." Max muttered, his voice trailing off. His eyes widened as recognition set in. "That's Coach Xu Wei!"

Jimmy frowned. "Who?"

Kai turned to him, incredulous. "The

Coach Xu Wei

. He led the national team in the 2012 Global Games."

Jimmy shrugged. "Ah, that old man. It's been a while since I've seen him in the Global Games."

Kai shook his head. "He's a coach for Marcus' team now. They've won the championships in the pro league for two years now. Although, he did disappear for a while."

Coach Xu Wei stopped a few paces away, his hands clasped behind his back. He studied them with an unreadable expression before a small smile broke across his face.

"Good morning," Xu Wei said. "You must be the new recruits I've been hearing about."

The boys sighed in relief. At least he didn't seem as terrifying as they had imagined.

"Let's see what you've got," Xu Wei said, his smile fading as he gestured to the court. "Warm-up. Now."

What started as a relatively light warm-up quickly escalated into a grueling session that had them gasping for air. Drills, sprints, and new exercises pushed them to their limits. By the time they were halfway through, sweat poured down their faces, and their muscles screamed for mercy.

"This is insane," Max panted, clutching his knees. "I thought warm-ups were supposed to be...warm."

Kai wiped his face with the edge of his shirt. "I take back everything I said about Lina's training being hard. This is on another level."

Jian shot them a look, though his own exhaustion showed through. "Stop complaining. You wanted to prove yourselves, right?"

Zheng groaned as he collapsed onto the sideline. "At this rate, I'm going to prove myself into a hospital bed."

Xu Wei didn't so much as glance at them as he blew his whistle sharply. "On your feet. You don't have time to waste lying around."

The training only grew more intense as the hours dragged on. Xu Wei moved like a general, and it was no wonder he was the coach for the national team during the 2012 Global Games.

"Faster!" he yelled as they stumbled through footwork drills. "If this is your best, you don't belong on this court."

Jimmy dropped to the ground after an especially brutal set of sprints, clutching his sides and gasping for air. Xu Wei stood over him, his gaze cold.

"Are you done?" the coach asked. Jimmy looked up, too out of breath to respond. "Get up. You might have grown up in riches, but you don't have the luxury of giving up here."

The boys exchanged weary, nervous glances as they pushed through another round of drills. By the end of the session, their legs felt like jelly, and their arms hung limply at their sides. Just as they thought they might get a moment to breathe, Xu Wei called them to the center of the court.

"You're not ready," he said bluntly. The boys stiffened. "Not even close."

The older players, despite having sweat dripping down their faces, appeared much better than the younger ones. They glanced at them with a smirk, enjoying their suffering.

Caleb shook his head. "Losers," he muttered.

Kai swallowed hard, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Their words stung, but he couldn't deny they were true.

Xu Wei's gaze swept over them. "Let me ask you this. Why are you here?" he suddenly asked.

Zheng shifted uncomfortably. "Because we love basketball?" he offered hesitantly.

Xu Wei's sharp laugh took them all by surprise. "Love? Love? Shut up."

The boy froze, startled by the sudden change in his demeanor. Xu Wei's voice grew louder. "Do you think love is enough? Do you think passion alone will carry you through this? If that's what you believe, you might as well walk off this court right now."

He took a step closer, his piercing gaze locking onto each of them in turn. "I've seen it before. Players with all the passion in the world think that their love for the game will make up for their lack of preparation. Do you know where they end up? On the bench. Or worse, forgotten."

Kai clenched his fists, his jaw tight.

Xu Wei's expression darkened, and for a moment, his voice softened just slightly. "I was there in 2012. I saw what happens when love isn't enough. We didn't place. We weren't ready. And we paid the price."

He straightened, his tone turning cold again. "History cannot repeat itself. Not on my watch. If you want to stay here, you need to prove that you're worth my time. That you're worth standing on this court."

Xu Wei studied them for a moment longer before turning away.

"That's a taste of what we do here on this court. These players can endure them, so why can't you?," he asked, gesturing to Marcus' team, who were looking at them. They weren't necessarily looking down on them, but that was what it felt like.

"Training resumes tomorrow," he said, walking off the court. "Be ready. Or don't bother showing up."

With that, he turned around and walked away with the veteran team. The younger players couldn't do anything but watch their backs.

Kai, however, couldn't help but think that there was something more to Coach Xu Wei's rant.

It felt deeply personal.

What really happened in the 2012 Global Games?