Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The Elite Five weren't newbies—not in the slightest.

Maybe, except for Kai, who, if you think about it, has only been playing for a little over a year.

However, when faced with the five veterans, they felt like babies.

The players stood in their positions, feeling the nerves of the game. They glanced at each other before nodding. Earlier that day, before going to the court, Kai had told them something. "We've got one shot at this," he had said.

"No showboating. No pride. We play as a team, or we lose as one."

For once, there were no objections—which was very impressive since the five of them were the most stubborn people Kai knew. Even Jian and Jimmy, who were usually defiant, nodded without any word.

They felt the implications now. Once they lose, they were really going to leave.

Jian walked to the tip-off line, his eyes focused on Dong as he crouched down. Dong nearly laughed at how determined Jian looked. Their height difference was glaring, but Jian wasn't fazed.

"Let's play," Coach Wu Xei said, blowing the whistle before throwing the ball high into the air.

Jian leaped with everything he had. Although he didn't want to admit it out loud, he had been practicing more than usual. It was pretty exhilarating—having people who can humble him down.

His hand soared upward, fingertips brushing the ball first. It was a clean tip, and the ball sailed toward Jimmy, who caught it effortlessly. Their teamwork in the Juren Champion showed. Out of five of them, the two had the most teamwork.

"Go!" Jimmy barked, immediately pivoting away from his defender, Muyang. He scanned the court, spotting Kai already running without getting noticed.

"Here!" Kai shouted, his hand raised.

For a second, Kai felt nervous.

This was Jimmy—the same guy who didn't pass a single ball to Kai during their welcome game with the national players! He hasn't even said a decent word to him ever since they met.

However, he sighed in relief when Jimmy fired the ball toward him. Kai caught it mid-stride. Once he had the ball, his speed was blinding.

Jaw-Long's eyes widened. He had also been doing his own research on the boys, and from what he saw from Kai, he was a beast. However, it seemed like he had improved once again.

"He's only 16 years old," he muttered, not believing his words.

Before anyone could react, Kai was at the hoop, launching himself into the air. He didn't want anyone to take the ball away, so he settled for a clean and powerful dunk.

The rim rattled, and the ball dropped through the net.

"First point!" Max shouted, grinning as the Elite Five jogged back into formation.

2-0.

Muyang shook his head, glancing at his teammates who had the same expression as him—confused. "They're faster than I thought," he muttered.

Dong frowned, clearly annoyed. "Did that kid take something?" he asked before fixing his gaze back on Jian.

Marcus clapped his hands, snapping the veterans into focus. "All right, enough playing around. Let's remind them why we're the national team," he calmly said.

Out of all of them, he seemed the least fazed. Well, of course, he was already in his mid-30s! He had definitely seen a lot of things in his life, and although he admitted that seeing Kai run so fast was pretty impressive, it wasn't shocking at all.

The veterans recovered quickly. Marcus took the inbound pass, scanning the court like a predator.

Then, he passed to Jaw-Long, their playmaker.

"Move!" he shouted, and the veterans sprang into action.

Jaw-Long positioned himself at the three-point line, with Max struggling to keep up with his rapid cuts. Dong bulldozed his way into the paint, his size and strength forcing Jian to backpedal.

Marcus faked a pass to Dong, drawing Kai's attention, before flicking the ball behind his back to Jaw-Long.

"Here we go," Jaw-Long muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. He rose for a three-pointer. The ball arced high and clean, swishing through the net with a satisfying snap.

"Three points," Muyang said casually as they jogged back on defense. "Keep up, kids."

2-3.

Kai gritted his teeth but didn't let the taunt get to him. He signaled for the ball as they pushed forward again.

Their teamwork shone as they moved the ball quickly, exploiting gaps in the veterans' defense. Zheng found an opening and passed to Jimmy, who drove toward the basket. Just as Jimmy was about to release the ball, Muyang stepped in, his frame blocking the path.

Jimmy landed hard and groaned.

Kai helped him up, his jaw clenched.

The game continued, with each team showcasing its strengths. The veterans played with something special that could only come from years of experience.

It was then that Kai saw their strengths clearly. He had only ever seen it in highlights and video analysis. Now, he was seeing it in real-time—and the analysts were correct.

This team had the greatest chance to propel Chinese Basketball to the podium.

Dong didn't let anyone inside the paint. It was his—the sole king.

Muyang, despite being a sharpshooter, also had brutal screens. It also seemed like he played better the angrier he got—which was the opposite for other players.

Jaw-Long was their brain, even if it felt like he was the most stupid at times. His court vision was impeccable, and he always seemed two steps ahead.

Caleb, on the other hand, was lightning quick. He was very agile, too—able to sink shots from impossible angles.

And then there was Marcus. As the forward, he was the glue that held the team together.

Kai's team was holding their own, but the veterans' cohesion was something else entirely.

"Ah, of course, it wouldn't be easy," Kai muttered under his breath as he watched Marcus sink a no-look pass to Dong for an easy dunk.

Max slapped him on the back. "You think? These guys are built differently!"

Kai smirked, his competitive fire burning brighter.

"Good. It'll make beating them even sweeter."