Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai's mind raced. "Don't tell me they have over 17 plays that they've memorized?" he muttered, his eyes widening in realization.

Quickly, Kai signaled to his teammates, alerting them about the new play.

However, his teammates, aside from Yuze, were convinced that they were going to execute the same play as before. However, it was the total opposite. With the sides completely free, Zedong passed the ball to their shooting guard who was already standing at the three-point line.

Without any hesitation, he threw the ball into the net, bagging another three points for their team.

7-2.

As the ball swished through the net for a three-pointer, the Xing Stars' fans erupted into cheers, while the Shizi Dogs' supporters watched in dismay. Lina, the team's manager, called for a timeout, sensing the frustration among her players.

"So, this is why nobody comes to their games," the people on Shizi's side started saying.

"I should have slept in."

"They had a fun game with the Daxue Dolphins, though."

"The Daxue Dolphins aren't even good. Now that they're playing with the Xing Stars, their real skills are getting exposed."

The Shizi Dogs trudged to the bench, their shoulders slumped and their spirits dampened. Despite being only five points behind, they couldn't shake off the feeling of dejection.

Jinping sighed in frustration. He had wanted to impress Eva with a stellar performance, but instead, they were struggling on the court.

"Do a better job, will you?" he said. "You guys are acting like this is your first time playing in your entire life."

Zeren clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Oh, shut up. You can't even play in front of your so-called girlfriend. Don't project your anger on us."

Jinping pursed his lips before shaking his head.

"It's difficult," he muttered.

"Ah," Kun sighed in frustration, raking his fingers through his hair. "Now, I see what Yuze has been talking about. They're very strategic. It seems like I'm always getting caught in between their plans."

Jet nodded in agreement, proceeding to complain to their pretty manager.

Meanwhile, Kai and Yuze remained silent, their brows furrowed in thought.

"You two don't have anything to say?" Lina asked, noticing their unusual silence.

Yuze glanced at Kai, then back at the rest of the team. "Did you see it?" he asked Kai.

Kai nodded, his expression serious. "The number 7," he replied, confirming Yuze's suspicions.

The rest of the team looked at them, puzzled. "What are you talking about?" Zeren asked, confusion evident in his voice.

Kai stepped forward. "They have 17 plays, and that was the 17th one," he explained, his mind working quickly to analyze the Xing Stars' strategy.

"What the heck? 17?" Zeren exclaimed. "They have 17 plays memorized?"

"Probably even more than that," Yuze confirmed.

"So, they have a play for every number?" Kun asked incredulously.

"Seems like it," Kai confirmed.

Jet sighed in frustration.

"That makes it harder for us to anticipate their next move. Who knows if they have over 40 plays? How could you even predict that?"

Kai nodded in agreement with Jet's assessment. "They're very tactical and logical," he began, his voice filled with respect for their opponents. "They have every play within the book, and they have it memorized. No wonder they're called the Xing Stars."

Jet furrowed his brows. "So, what can we do?" he asked, his frustration evident in his voice.

Zeren nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it feels like we're just playing right into their hands," he added, echoing the sentiments of the team.

Lina, noticing their team's distress, stepped forward. She reached for her whiteboard and began placing the pieces that represented the two teams, mirroring each other's moves.

"What's this?" Kun asked, peering at the board.

Lina looked up, her expression serious. "We need to play fire with fire," she stated firmly. "If they're going through the systematic route, then so should we. They're not the only ones with strategies. We can beat them at their own game."

The team exchanged glances, the realization dawning on them. They didn't have to rely solely on their athleticism or individual skill. With careful planning and execution, they could match the Xing Stars play for play.

The players glanced at each other, then they slowly nodded.

Lina was right.

They had some strategies, too.

It might not be as much as the Xing Stars, but they didn't need to have as much in a 40-minute game.

"Kun," Yuze instructed. "Lead the plays for us."

"Then, for the remainder of the game, Kai's going to sit out," he added.

Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What?" he asked in surprise. "But I was the only one who scored for the team at the moment!"

"With a dodgeball technique," Zeren chimed, causing his teammates to chuckle.

"The plays are a foreign concept to you," Yuze explained to Kai. "You only recently joined us for the official trainings since you were stuck with dribbling training for a while."

Kai pursed his lips since he couldn't deny it.

"Jinping will play for the rest of the set," Yuze said with finality.

***

Meanwhile, at the Xing Stars' side, Coach Yixing patted his players' backs.

"Well done, team," he began, his tone authoritative yet encouraging. "You scared them right away with our playbook. Stick to the plan, to the textbook."

The players nodded, still appearing synchronized.

At this point, they could even be mistaken for AI players!

They knew that their strength lay in their systematic approach to the game, and they were proud of it.

"That's always worked for us," Yixing continued, his eyes scanning each player in turn. "We're the only team in the entire league that can pull it off consistently."

His words resonated with the team, reaffirming their confidence in their abilities.

"But remember," Yixing added, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "It's not the Shizi Dogs that we should be focused on as our rival. It's the Feng Foxes."

The players exchanged knowing glances.

Yixing explained, "The Feng Foxes are the real threat. They're the only team that can challenge us for the top spot in the South. If we want to have a chance against Yin Yang High, we need to be able to beat the Foxes."

"We need to be ready for anything they throw at us," Yixing continued. "But first, let's finish off the Shizi Dogs. We can't afford to let them get the better of us."

"Let's slaughter these puppies, don't we?"