Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"We're already down to the third quarter," Yani muttered. "It seems like Kai told something to the boys because the game is going so well."

"Yeah," Suzy agreed. "Too well."

The third quarter was filled with a kind of energy that was different from the first half.

From the sidelines, Fenhua stood with the rest of the Dragons, watching intently.

They had arrived late, missing most of the game, but what they saw now was enough to draw them in.

"They're...doing well," Calvin muttered with a small smile.

Guri pursed his lips. "I don't want to root for these two teams."

Fenhua stayed silent; his gaze focused on the game before them.

During the Dragons' game with the Giants, Fenhua opted to sit out, not wanting to deal with their size and strength. However, watching the Shizi Dogs dominate the court despite the odds stirred something inside him.

"Andy!" Yuze called, whipping the ball out to the three-point line.

Andy was ready. His feet set, his eyes locked on the basket. The giant defender in front of him was slow to react. Andy realized it after Kai said it. They did lack skills. Their heights just made up for it.

With that, he caught the ball and rose in one fluid motion, a perfect arc that sailed high above the outstretched arms of the seven-foot Giant.

Swish.

The ball fell clean through the hoop. Three points. The crowd erupted, the Dogs' bench leaping to their feet.

Andy didn't even smile. He just backpedaled, eyes locked on the Giants as they tried to regain control. However, it was obvious that they were struggling against the Dogs. They might be taller, but they were less accurate and much slower than them.

The ball was back in play quickly, but Yuze was waiting. As the Giants tried to muscle their way into the paint, Yuze squared up against Ming Yao again. The Giant of the Giants. But Yuze wasn't intimidated. His muscles tensed, and every fiber of his was being pushed back against the massive force in front of him.

Ming Yao tried to back him down, but Yuze planted his feet, his determination an immovable force. And then, in one sharp motion, Yuze powered through. He stole the ball, ripping it clean from Ming Yao's grasp, and sprinted down the court.

The Giants scrambled to catch up, but Yuze was already at the rim. With two hands, he slammed the ball down, shaking the entire hoop. The crowd lost it. Even Ming Yao was momentarily stunned.

For the next play, Renren had the ball. The Giants, towering and confident, expected him to try to go over them. That's what everyone did—try to shoot higher, jump higher. But Renren was smart. He didn't need to go up. He could take the game lower.

With a quick fake to the outside, Renren darted low, keeping the ball close to the ground, too low for the Giants' big, lumbering arms to reach. They couldn't bend down fast enough to stop him. He weaved through them, slicing into the paint, and just as the defense collapsed, he dished it out to Andy on the wing.

Another three-pointer. Another clean swish.

The Giants were losing their grip. Height wasn't enough anymore. They had the advantage, sure, but the Shizi Dogs were playing smarter, faster, and more creatively. The score ticked up again, the Dogs closing the gap.

And then there was Kai.

He had the ball at the top of the key, his defender—a solid seven feet—standing right in front of him. But Kai didn't care. It didn't matter how tall the guy was. He could have been the same height as Kai for all he cared.

Kai dribbled, his movements calm and deliberate. He sized up the defender, then made his move. A quick jab step to the right had the defender shifting his weight, but in an instant, Kai crossed over to his left. The Giant stumbled, caught off balance for just a moment, and that was all Kai needed.

He drove to the basket, exploding off the ground with more force than the defender could handle. He was up in the air, body twisting mid-flight as he released the ball high above his head. It floated up, seeming to hang in the air forever, before dropping cleanly through the net.

Kai landed softly, already turning to run back on defense before the ball even hit the ground.

The third-quarter buzzer sounded.

58-78.

Twenty points down.

"Wooh!" Jinping exclaimed from the bench. "Nice one!"

Meanwhile, Coach Li massaged his temples as the Giants huddled for a short break.

"What are you guys doing?" he exclaimed, his face reddening in anger.

Ming Yao focused his gaze on the ground. The others were also ashamed. This has been the biggest gap they ever had since the start of the Nationals.

"You're getting destroyed by those puny guys?" he scolded. "You can't even score past 60 at this point of the game? Just drop out of the game if you want!"

The players pursed their lips, feeling ashamed. Ming Yao glanced at the Dogs and clenched his fists.

"This can't keep happening," he muttered.

The Dragons were still watching from the sidelines. Fenhua, with his arms crossed, faltered just a bit as he watched the Shizi Dogs defy the odds.

"They do deserve to win," Fenhua muttered, capturing the attention of those around him. He let out a slow breath, his gaze still fixed on Kai and his team. "I don't feel too bad losing to them."

Calvin smiled and silently nodded. Meanwhile, Guri scoffed, but internally, he agreed. The Dogs were really doing well.

Fenhua was particularly moved. He had avoided the Giants for this very reason, but now, seeing the Dogs fight with everything they had, he realized something.

Even though he was graduating, there was still a lot he could learn from a team like the Shizi Dogs.

And somehow, he didn't mind losing to them if it came to that.