Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Yuze pushed the door open, and the pungent scent of sweat and testosterone immediately engulfed him. He had to close his eyes and take a step back.

When he opened them, he paused, surprised to see all of them there. Even Lina was inside, but she was the only one who was wearing a mask.

His teammates, still in their jerseys, lounged around his room, taking up every space. They all had worried looks on their faces, talking about the fate of Yuze and their team. They were so preoccupied with their conversation that they didn't even notice the man they were discussing.

Yuze shook his head and stepped inside. "What are you all doing here?"

In an instant, they lifted their heads. Yuze felt a little bit afraid of how they looked, so once again, he unconsciously stepped back.

"No, no. Don't do it!" he exclaimed. However, it was too late.

Arms wrapped around him in a jumble of relief and energy. Their captain had returned, and they were all happy to see that he was walking.

"Are you okay?" Kun asked, eyes wide with concern as he inspected every inch of his body. Kun was about to touch Yuze's crotch area, but the captain held onto his wrist and pushed him away, causing him to drop harshly to the floor.

"I think you are," Kun muttered. "You're still as strong as ever."

Yuze clicked his tongue and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The room erupted in cheers. His teammates, ever the emotional bunch, made it seem like they had just won the championship. Their energy was infectious, and for a moment, Yuze forgot the ache in his ankle, the nagging reminder of what had happened.

He shook his head. "I swear—you guys are really dramatic."

"Can you blame us?" Lina exclaimed. "We thought you were injured really badly!"

Kai nodded in agreement, placing his hand on Yuze's shoulder. "Are you really okay?" he assured.

Yuze nodded once more. "Yeah," he smiled. "Congratulations, guys. I heard from Lina that you didn't let the Knights shoot the moment I was gone."

"Yes!" Andy exclaimed, jumping up and down. "It was awesome! Now, we just have to wait for the results of the group phase, but I have a good feeling that the Knights aren't going to make it."

"We gained a lot of fans, too!" Jet chimed. "I saw a lot of people wanting to approach us, but they didn't in the end. It must be because we weren't in a good mood."

"However, now that our captain is okay, we can rejoice!" Renren said, causing the team to erupt into cheers once more.

Yuze shook his head in amusement as he watched his young teammates rejoice. The smiles on their faces solidified his conviction not to say anything to them.

He didn't want to ruin the moment.

Coach Muchen, however, was still on edge. He stepped forward, grabbing Yuze by the arm. "Come on, let's get some dinner. You haven't eaten yet, right?"

"Oh, right," Lina said. "We already ate from the hotel buffet. These guys needed to do some stress eating."

Coach Muchen nodded. "Yeah, it's alright. I'll just grab dinner with Yuze if that's alright with you guys."

Yuze sighed, realizing just how hungry he was. "Fine, but I'm not staying long. I believe the results will be out soon."

"Yeah," Lina said. "We're actually waiting for it."

"Then, you guys wait at the lobby," Yuze said, going back to captain mode. "You're stinking up this place."

The Shizi Dogs chuckled sheepishly before agreeing. "We'll go in a minute," Shang said.

"Alright," Yuze sighed. "We're going to grab dinner then."

The group nodded; however, before he could close the door, Kai once again called out, "You sure you're okay?"

Yuze grinned, jumping lightly on his feet. "I'm fine, guys. Relax."

With that, Muchen led him out, steering him toward the expensive steakhouse they ate a while back. For some reason, he wanted to treat Yuze to a good meal, feeling bad for the young player.

"We can just eat at the hotel buffet," Yuze said.

Coach Muchen smiled and shook his head. "I'm craving steak. Let's just go there."

"I thought you didn't want to go there anymore," Yuze muttered, causing Muchen to chuckle in amusement.

They walked in silence for a bit. When they arrived, the rich smell of grilled meat filled Yuze's senses. He let out a deep breath as they sat down.

"Don't pity me, coach," Yuze said, not looking up from the menu.

Muchen leaned back in his chair, sighing as he continued looking at Yuze.

"You heard what the doctor said. You need to stop playing for now if you want to keep your career."

"You still have a bright future ahead of you," Muchen continued. "Just stop now and think about it long-term, okay?"

Yuze clenched his jaw, putting down the menu.

How could he do that?

Basketball was all he knew. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

His dad had done it, reaching the pros before retiring early due to an injury—right when he was at his peak. His father had always been the best, always the star. Maybe there had been a dream for Yuze to follow in his footsteps.

But Yuze wasn't like his dad.

He wasn't the best from the start.

He had to grind and train harder than anyone to get to where he was. He didn't care if it hurt. He needed to be the best.

"Coach…" Yuze's voice was low, almost a whisper. "I finally made it. Nationals. After years of trying, I'm here, and now you're telling me to stop?"

Muchen pursed his lips, his expression unreadable. "I get it. I do. This is your life."

Yuze's fists clenched under the table. "Basketball is my life."

"You want to play college ball, right? You want to go pro?" Muchen leaned in. "They're not going to wait for you. You need to heal."

Yuze shook his head. The doctor's words echoed in his mind, warning him of what could happen if he didn't take time off. But he couldn't stop now, not when he had finally reached what he had worked hard for in the past year. "I'll sit out the next game," he said, voice steady.

"But I'm not stopping. I finally made it," he muttered, his voice breaking in the end.

'I finally have my dad's attention.'