Chapter 24: The Unpredictable Dunk

I slowly dribbled the ball beyond the three-point line, my mind racing as I pondered who to pass to.

A considerable amount of time had passed, and the onlookers were beginning to show signs of boredom. Even Huang Li couldn’t help but repeatedly urge me on, but I simply ignored him.

After much deliberation, my gaze finally fell upon Dragon Brother.

Dragon Brother had, in fact, been bouncing around beside me for quite some time. However, I’d assumed she had no idea how to play, so I had been pointedly ignoring her.

She had been idly wandering, a sigh escaping her lips, when she noticed me looking at her with the ball. Her entire body stiffened, and then she sprang up like a monkey, her eyes shining with pure excitement as she raised her hands high.

After a moment’s thought, realizing there was truly no one else, I casually tossed the ball to Dragon Brother.

It wouldn’t matter if the play turned into utter chaos; Old Han would undoubtedly clean up the mess.

The boys showed little reaction, merely casting a dismissive glance at Dragon Brother before resuming their intense focus on me from a distance.

Once the pass was made, I began to drift toward the basket. My plan was to run a little later, find an open spot, and perhaps even fluke a shot in.

However, when I glanced back, I saw Dragon Brother excitedly rolling up the sleeves of her new tracksuit. “You all better watch me closely!” she declared, her face alight.

“Hold on a second!” I called out. “Don’t just randomly dribble!”

Dragon Brother completely disregarded me, clutching the ball with an eager, ready-to-spring posture.

The boys merely grinned at my words, not taking them seriously, and continued to guard me. Yet, some onlookers began to shout encouragement. “Go, little sister! Dribble!”

“Just rush in, throw the ball into the hoop, and you’ll score!”

“Go on, little sister! Hit his chest with that tiny ball!”

I shivered in terror. Was someone seriously suggesting murder?

If Dragon Brother were to truly hit someone’s chest with a ‘tiny ball,’ their sternum would surely be caved in.

Dragon Brother took two steps back, assuming a stance as if preparing for a running start. I, too, sighed and moved towards the paint, ready to snatch a rebound, hoping to secure a good position.

Dragon Brother let out a mischievous chuckle.

The instant she began her sprint, I turned my head to watch. I had anticipated a wild, shot-put-style throw, or perhaps a foul where she’d charge with the ball, or something equally clumsy.

Yet, as the petite figure darted past me, I found myself momentarily forgetting to breathe.

The moment Dragon Brother leaped into the air, the court became so quiet that a pin drop would have been audible.

As she took a small step and then sprang upwards, I watched Huang Li’s eyes slowly widen, his face gradually morphing into an expression of utter shock.

As that fleeting figure drew ever closer to the hoop—

CLANG!!

Tens of seconds passed, or perhaps even a full minute.

Slowly, I lifted my head.

“Thump, thump, thump…”

The distinct sound of the basketball bouncing repeatedly on the court filled the air. My gaze fixated on Dragon Brother, who was now hanging from the hoop with one hand.

The court was eerily silent. Dragon Brother, still clinging to the rim with one hand, let out an arrogant roar.! “How awesome is that, huh?”

Under the collective gaze of everyone present, a white-haired girl with a petite figure, barely reaching a person’s height, executed a one-handed dunk. The visual spectacle was incredibly striking, akin to a cheetah gracefully scaling a tree with astonishing speed.

Another beat of silence followed, then the throng of onlookers erupted into a cacophony of shouts. I felt as though some were on the verge of spitting blood from sheer excitement.

“Incredible! Incredible! Holy shit!” they roared.

“My god, am I seeing ghosts in broad daylight?!”

“A dunk?! Holy crap?!”

“Holy crap, is she a flying person?!”

Amidst the fervent roars of the crowd, I tilted my head back, a helpless sigh escaping me. “Get down,” I called out. “Give them the ball. You traveled.”

Still suspended from the hoop, Dragon Brother heard my words and looked down at me. “What does ‘traveling’ mean?” she inquired.

I pressed my temples. “After you hold the ball with both hands, you can’t take more than two steps,” I explained. “Anything more than two is a foul. You practically sprinted a hundred meters with the ball just now.”

Dragon Brother’s move was undeniably startling. Even Old Han had a bead of sweat on his forehead, watching the scene unfold with a speechless expression.

The four opposing boys seemed to be experiencing a complete mental breakdown. Huang Li, his eyes wide like brass bells, stared up at Dragon Brother, who was still dangling from the hoop, looking as though his entire system had crashed.

Even Xueli, the delicate-looking girl beside Ming Hai, flushed crimson, her lips slightly parted. Her large eyes shone brightly as she gazed up at Dragon Brother with an expression of pure admiration.

By now, the crowd of onlookers had grown even larger, and the four boys were clearly starting to lose face. They called a timeout, shared some water, and then huddled together to strategize.

As the second half commenced, I noticed their eyes had all sharpened with determination, clearly intending to play seriously now.

‘You all shouldn’t bother playing seriously either. Just go home, give it up, and climb into bed.’

The Tall, thin boy passed the ball to Huang Li. I reluctantly stepped forward to guard him, and Huang Li met my gaze with a serious expression before dribbling swiftly to the left.

I instinctively mirrored his movement, but he suddenly executed a sharp change in direction, pulling off a crossover dribble that completely faked me out and sent me stumbling aside.

I quickly spun around to pursue him, but upon seeing that ‘bastard’ was already nearing the basket, I simply gave up the chase.

‘He truly ran like a demon, undoubtedly worthy of his place on the school team.’

I watched helplessly as the boy prepared for a layup, when Old Han suddenly darted past him, hooking the ball away with an outstretched arm and dribbling it straight out of bounds.

The crowd erupted in another wave of murmurs. Huang Li froze, only then realizing the ball had been inexplicably stolen from him. He gritted his teeth and shot a quick glance to the side.

Xueli, too, was momentarily stunned, before she and the Tall, thin boy quickly moved to follow.

Old Han’s expression remained calm as he steadily dribbled the ball towards the sidelines. I hurriedly followed him, but it was futile; Old Han couldn’t possibly pass the ball to me.

Another short boy was now tightly guarding me, making it virtually impossible for me to break free.

Their strategy was remarkably clear—

As long as we passed the ball to Dragon Brother, we could forget about it. Despite her seemingly fierce play, she inevitably committed fouls.

Old Chu stood staring blankly at the basket, her hands occasionally making phantom grabbing motions. Ever since she sank a three-pointer, she had inexplicably begun practicing air-shots while steadily drifting further and further from the hoop.

Her current position was now so incredibly distant from the basket, almost beyond the three-point line and nearing half-court.

Though she had made that one shot earlier, it was highly probable it had been a fluke, and could therefore be disregarded.

Moreover, they were extremely cautious. If Ming Hai even approached the three-point line, one player would be assigned to guard her, always poised to block.

While Old Chu’s shooting style was undeniably peculiar, her wind-up was far too long, making her shots easily blockable. She had just been blocked by the Tall, thin boy, yet she still completed the motion of throwing the ‘air’ in her hands.

I suspected she might be playing basketball with us from an entirely different dimension.

The current score stood at four-all. Earlier, after they scored two points, I passed the ball to Dragon Brother.

Although she utterly lacked skill, she played with a remarkably distinctive style—fiercely individualistic, refusing to pass under any circumstances, and dribbling the ball like an untamed wild dog.

With Dragon Brother committing several more ‘fancy’ fouls, they had inexplicably gained two points solely from free throws.

All they needed to do was focus their defense on Old Han, assign one player to tightly mark me, and then, by seizing possession, they could score the decisive point and win the game.

I let out a sigh.

Truthfully, winning or losing held little significance, yet a defeat would undoubtedly be quite vexing.

I had merely intended to get a bit of exercise, never anticipating such a prolonged game.

Nevertheless, basketball truly is a game of teamwork.

Under the scrutiny of over forty onlookers, four players intently guarded Old Han beyond the three-point line, leaving only one short boy pressed tightly against me.

Old Han stood out of bounds, a helpless expression on his face, effectively tying up four opponents. He occasionally used a feint to evade Huang Li’s attempts to steal the ball.

Realizing a pass was inevitable, I started to move towards Old Han, only for another figure to suddenly block my path.

With a movement carefully designed not to impede my actions, he completely sealed off Old Han’s passing lane.

My mind, once again, began to conjure mischievous ideas. “Are you gay?” I blurted out, my voice laced with urgency. “Why are you always glued to me?”

“Look at him, he’s like a pervert! Isn’t this a foul? Could you please stop presenting your backside to me?”

I overheard the spectators whispering amongst themselves. “Is he talking about himself? He was just flirting with Xueli a moment ago…”

Tsk…

‘If this tactic failed on its first attempt, it would be exceedingly difficult to succeed thereafter.’

The boy positioned himself squarely between Old Han and me. No matter how I tried to run, it was futile; his sole objective was to block the path and deny Old Han any opportunity to pass.

He chuckled. “I’m not maliciously obstructing, so it’s hardly a foul,” he declared. “And ‘gay’ or not, you won’t be touching the ball today!”

I gritted my teeth. ‘Damn it,’ I thought. ‘How can this person be so utterly shameless?’

At that moment, Dragon Brother was completely ignored. She strolled across the court as if she were in an empty field, reaching out from behind the other players.

“Old Han, give me the ball!” she yelled. “I’ll dunk another one for you!”

Old Han sighed. If he didn’t pass the ball now, possession would be forcibly revoked. He suddenly tensed his body, making the opposing players’ eyes sharpen as they intently watched his every move.

But it was merely a feint. Seeing Ming Hai standing near the boundary beyond the three-point line, Old Han directly lofted the ball high towards her, then sprinted straight into the paint. The three boys froze for a moment before rushing to follow.

Ming Hai, standing far beyond the three-point line, was still staring intently at the basket. I, too, rushed into the paint, shouting, “Ming Hai, pass the ball! Stop looking at the basket, pass the ball to…”

Before I could finish, Ming Hai snapped back to reality. She turned her head, saw the basketball flying towards her, and instinctively leaped to embrace it, cradling it in her hands.

My mouth twitched at her rather girlish movement.

I had intended to continue shouting for Old Chu to pass the ball to me, but the moment she took possession, her entire aura seemed to sharpen, and the words I was about to utter inexplicably caught in my throat.

She raised the ball with both hands, her posture instantly becoming flawless.

Three-point line, half a meter past mid-court.

Old Chu’s eyes were clear and focused intently on the basket. She murmured something under her breath, then executed a slight jump.

With her impeccable release, the basketball spun rapidly backward as it left her index finger, arcing in a perfect parabola towards the hoop.

The spectators were quite familiar with this young girl’s exceptionally precise shooting form. The moment the ball left her hands, the air seemed to solidify, and over thirty people held their breath, watching intently as the basketball drew closer and closer to the hoop.

Old Han, too, was momentarily stunned when Ming Hai released the shot.

As she watched the ball’s trajectory towards the basket, she inexplicably didn’t continue rushing under the hoop. Instead, a wry smile appeared on her face, and she simply stood still.

I, too, stared dumbfounded as the ball neared the basket.

‘No way, that’s practically half-court, damn it.’

“Swish…”

Once again, the soft whisper of the net brushing against the basketball filled the air.

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