Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Kai, Andy, Jet, and Shang looked at each other with amusement. Then, they shook their heads.

They had tasted a bit of fame back in their hometown. Some locals even came to support them at the airport! A lot of times, they even got recognized in the streets—especially Kai. However, it was a different story here. That recognition was nowhere to be found. They were just another team among the sea of competitors.

Kai scratched the back of his head as he moved onto his desert. "I guess," he said. "Shizi High is a pretty small school," he added with a wry smile.

Before the original guy could speak, another voice chimed in, drawing their attention.

"That's alright!" he said. "We're also from relatively small schools. We're from different ones, by the way," the boy, a lanky player wearing a lime green uniform, grinned at them. "The two of us are first-year players from North Ningxia Academy! We came in second this time, although it was a far score from the winner. It's our first time here.

My name's Jiali!"

"Ah, that's why they're full of energy," Jet muttered. "First-year players."

The introduction seemed to open the floodgates, and soon, the other group began to introduce themselves.

Three players, their uniforms bearing the sign of Heilongjiang's Harbin Prep School, joined in on the conversation.

"I've heard of you guys!" one of them said. His eyes were sparkling, and it was clear that he was very excited to have made it to the Nationals. "We came from Heilongjiang—Harbin Prep School. It's a private one, and it often gets mistaken for Harbin High. However, we're different. They were the ones who won while we got second place!"

"Heilongjiang?" Andy asked. "You guys are just right above us on the map."

"We are!" he exclaimed. "That's why we've heard of the tournament in your place. We heard it was pretty fun. My name's Anjing, by the way."

Jet managed a polite smile. "Oh, thanks," he said. "What exactly did you guys hear?" he asked, wanting to know if they had heard of Shizi High's unexpected domination.

Another player, the one behind Anjing, jumped in with a teasing grin. "That the Yin Yang Knights dominated once again! Was it fun getting beaten by the Yin Yang Knights? They're the most famous team in our part of the country!"

The Shizi Dogs chuckled weakly, not liking where the conversation was going.

It seemed like even if they had come close to obtaining victory, others would still only hear about the winner in the end.

Before Andy could respond, the remaining four players who hadn't introduced themselves chimed in. They were wearing violet uniforms, and they seemed to have the most confident aura on the table.

"We're from Fujian, Faith Academy!" one of them announced proudly. "We're also the first-year players of our school. We managed to get first place! In fact, our school has done this for two years."

"Wow!" the others, except the Shizi Dogs, leaned in, clearly impressed. The player from Faith Academy continued with a boastful grin. "Our seniors are really good. My name's Dingbang, and I sometimes play as a starter with Hong," he said, gesturing to the small guy sitting beside him.

"You can ask us questions!" Dingbang added, his tone princely as if he were doing them a favor.

Jiali, the player from North Ningxia, raised his hand. "How does it feel to be in the Nationals? You guys made it here before, as you said."

Dingbang shrugged, trying to downplay the excitement in his voice. "Well, we're all first-years," he began, "but it's nice because we're well-known in our city."

The others sighed in envy, exchanging glances. "We're jealous!" Jiali exclaimed, causing the Fujian players to smile even wider.

"It's just unlucky that we're in the last bracket," Hong added, sighing in disappointment.

The Shizi Dogs glanced at each other. Well, it seemed they were in the same bracket.

"Oof," the players around the table exclaimed in unison, wincing at the thought. Being in the last bracket meant facing the toughest teams right from the start.

Jiali perked up, feeling better about their situation. "Ningxia is in the first bracket, so we're happy since there are a lot of other teams we could beat."

Anjing nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. "We're in the second bracket. I hope we can make it into the top four!"

Then, all eyes turned to the Shizi Dogs, who were still eating.

"What about you? What bracket are you guys in?" Jiali asked, looking directly at Kai.

Kai swallowed the last bite of his food before answering, sounding nonchalant. "The last," he said.

Another collective "oof" was heard around the table, and the first-year players from Fujian exchanged knowing looks, their smiles widening.

"You came second, too, right? The Yin Yang Knights won," Hong said, addressing the Shizi Dogs.

Kai and his teammates nodded in unison.

"Ah, finally, we have a team we could beat in our bracket," Dingbang teased, his voice light but with a tone of arrogance. "Kidding!"

Kai forced a smile, his lips pressed into a thin line. He was getting annoyed by this dickbag. It even sounded like his name. However, he knew better than to show his frustration. Instead, he simply nodded and let the comment slide.

"By the way, you're very handsome, brother," Jiali added, showing Kai a thumbs up.
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Kai blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the compliment. "Thanks," he replied, his voice a bit awkward. He could feel the eyes of his teammates on him, their gazes filled with teasing amusement.

"Well," Dingbang continued, changing the subject, "we actually talked a while back. There's a court not far from here."

"Oh, yeah!" Anjing exclaimed. "We were talking about that before you guys came. The players from Faith wanted to orient us on the Nationals and have a friendly game," he excitedly explained.

"That's right," Dingbang said with a sly smile. "It's a rare opportunity to play against the winners of Fujian."

"So, do you guys want to come?" he asked, his eyes flicking between Kai and his teammates.