Special Halftime

Three days before the end of the joint training camp came the rotating round-robin matches between the three schools, meant to test the results of the training.

The previous day, Yicheng Affiliated High had defeated Imperial Capital No. 12 High by eight points. After the noon break today, the afternoon match was scheduled as Hongtie High vs. Yicheng Affiliated High.

As the primary talent pipeline not only for the National Youth Team but also for the CBA itself, Yicheng Affiliated High was unquestionably one of the giants of Chinese high school basketball.

This year’s Yicheng roster was even more terrifying.

The entire lineup was in peak condition. Three reserve players already earmarked for first- and second-tier CBA teams, plus a starting National Youth Team player.

On paper, they could practically grind ordinary second-division teams into dust.

Rumor had it their coaching staff was already preparing to contact teams from the American NSAA league, hoping to test themselves against truly elite international competition.

Before the autumn national tournament even began, nearly every region had already tacitly accepted one thing:

This year’s championship trophy would almost certainly remain in Yicheng’s hands.

The underdog miracle stories seen in hot-blooded sports manga were mostly fantasy and dramatic effect.

In real competition, Hongtie High’s chances of beating Yicheng Affiliated High were probably less than ten percent.

Even with two S-rank Alphas on the roster, basketball courts prohibited pheromone suppression and coercion. They might run faster and jump higher than normal players, but their experience in high-level competition was still far behind Yicheng’s.

Sun Mi looked up at the audience stands.

The Basketball Association executives had already taken their seats. Nearby sat National Youth Team personnel, alongside managers and scouts from various CBA organizations.

Then he looked at the players standing before him.

Zhao Shu, the young master of the Zhao family, remained as usual—treating nobody like a person and nothing like a problem. He looked around lazily, yawning nonstop.

Pei Qingyu held Teacher Xiao Wu’s data notebook and studied it with complete concentration.

Wang Jiajia looked like he might throw up from nervousness.

Center Lu Jianing and point guard Gao Fan both wore gloomy expressions.

They were seniors.

Neither their academics nor their family backgrounds were particularly outstanding. If they failed to secure admission through athletic recruitment, their only option would likely be studying abroad.

And that created a cruel reality.

Every teenager standing here loved basketball.

If they left the country, they would essentially be saying goodbye to any realistic professional career.

“When the final buzzer sounds,” Sun Mi said, “I hope we keep the point difference within ten.”

“Within ten points would already be tremendous progress.”

As the words left his mouth, he noticed from the corner of his eye a black-haired young man squatting nearby, chin resting on his hand while staring off into space.

Wu Qie suddenly turned and looked at him.

His eyes were bright and alert.

Sun Mi: “…”

Sun Mi: “Your Teacher Xiao Wu has something to say.”

Wu Qie: “?”

After a pause, he opened his mouth.

“Win.”

Sun Mi sighed.

“I asked you to speak, not make a wish.”

Wu Qie replied calmly,

“Even if Rome is impossibly far away, setting your destination there means every step you take will naturally be bigger than usual.”

The unexpected bowl of motivational soup left everyone silent for several seconds.

In the noisy basketball arena, it felt strangely out of place.

Even Zhao Shu stopped looking around and turned back.

“Honestly,” he said, “that line wouldn’t be bad as an epitaph.”

He wasn’t the only one who agreed.

Up in the stands, Jiang Xilu was currently grabbing Zhou Kai’s shoulders and shaking him violently.

“Did you hear that? Did you hear what Teacher Xiao Wu just said?!”

“My head’s about to fall off.”

Zhou Kai answered lazily.

“Yeah, I heard.”

“Aren’t you usually the first person to roll your eyes at that kind of speech?”

Jiang Xilu blinked.

“But when Teacher Xiao Wu says it, it’s convincing.”

“I don’t know why.”

“I just know that if someone like him came to our school, I’d happily do ten extra rounds of frog jumps every day without complaining once.”

“Try telling Coach that.”

Zhou Kai sighed.

“Maybe he’ll spend a fortune poaching him.”

“When I was little, I told my mom the same thing.”

“I promised that if she bought me Katie, I’d clean up after her every day, walk her daily, and even buy dog food with my allowance.”

Katie was the Bernese Mountain Dog living at Zhou Kai’s house.

She was seven years old now.

The number of times Zhou Kai had voluntarily walked her by himself could be counted on one hand.

As for spending his allowance on dog food?

Absolutely impossible.

Katie had long since become what everyone called:

“Mom’s dog.”

Jiang Xilu ignored the sarcasm entirely.

He was practically hanging over the railing.

Or rather, folded in half like a carpet draped over it.

Below them, at the Hongtie bench, Wu Qie was waving the five starters over to discuss strategy.

“Pei Qingyu’s susceptibility period just ended.”

“And we’ve already used the three-core offense.”

“This time we’re running Zhao Shu as the sole core during the first half.”

“Maybe we’ll get some unexpected results.”

The moment those words came out, Zhao Shu lowered his head and stared at Wu Qie.

The question mark on his face was obvious.

Wu Qie tapped his own knee.

Looking up, he asked:

“What?”

“Haven’t you improved?”

“Can’t carry the team by yourself?”

The certainty in his tone was unwavering.

After hearing that, Zhao Shu thought:

Forget carrying a flag.

At this point I’d carry a gun if you asked.

Wu Qie withdrew his gaze.

“The first step is not questioning the person designing the strategy.”

Just one sentence.

And all lingering doubts vanished.

Sun Mi had obviously discussed this plan with Wu Qie beforehand.

Seeing him convince everyone so easily, he finally relaxed and sat back down.

“Yicheng’s power forward Wei Yitian is 2.11 meters tall.”

“He’s taller than Zhao Shu.”

“But Zhao Shu is an S-rank Alpha.”

“His strength and mobility are superior.”

“Use that advantage.”

“You’ll be the defensive anchor.”

“Lock down the paint.”

He continued.

“High post, low post, elbow area possessions.”

“This time Zhao Shu becomes the engine of the team.”

“Protect the rebounds.”

“Protect the rebounds.”

“Protect the rebounds.”

“You’re the brain and heart of today’s defense.”

“I want you controlling the restricted area.”

“Create opportunities.”

“Move the ball.”

“Get it into the shooting guard’s hands.”

Then he paused.

“Yicheng looks like an impossible mountain to climb.”

“But every mountain has a visible summit.”

“I need you to understand that.”

“They aren’t flawless.”

“They’re still far from unbeatable.”

“Elite teams are accustomed to leading by huge margins.”

“And because of that, their transition defense is actually weaker than people think.”

“I want aggressive offense.”

“Not turtling up and slowly dying.”

Clap. Clap.

Wu Qie suddenly raised his voice.

“Everyone move!”

Led by Zhao Shu, all five starters answered in unison.

“Yes!”

The shout echoed through the arena.

Wang Jiajia.

Gao Fan.

Lu Jianing.

All traces of anxiety disappeared.

In the stands, Zhou Kai kindly informed Jiang Xilu that his drool was about to drip onto Teacher Xiao Wu’s head.

“Captain!”

Jiang Xilu suddenly spun around with sparkling eyes.

“Captain!!!”

Zhou Kai’s eyebrows drooped immediately.

“Whenever you call me like that, it’s never good news.”

Jiang Xilu grinned.

“Can you get Teacher Xiao Wu’s number for me?!”

Zhou Kai answered immediately.

“No.”

“He has a fiancé.”

“And while that fiancé might not beat me in basketball…”

“…I’m pretty sure he’d beat the hell out of me in a fight.”

Jiang Xilu immediately scooted closer, insisting that this wasn’t about stealing anyone away.

He just wanted to ask Teacher Xiao Wu questions after the training camp ended.

After all, they were both point guards.

And yet in just a short training camp, Wu Qie had managed to design four or five entirely different systems using the same five players against different opponents.

If he was already this terrifying outside his natural position, then how much more knowledge was hidden in the position he actually specialized in?

Zhou Kai’s response was concise.

“Sounds great.”

“Very tempting.”

“Still not doing it.”

“I was never planning to go pro anyway.”

“If I’m missing a few techniques, I’ll just make up for them some other way.”

“Getting beaten up over poaching somebody isn’t worth it.”

Jiang Xilu let out a dramatic scream.

“Who said anything about poaching?!”

Zhou Kai merely looked at him.

The younger boy immediately wilted.

“…I just want to ask him questions sometimes.”

Below them, most of the players had already dispersed.

Only Pei Qingyu remained beside Teacher Xiao Wu, listening attentively as he explained defensive rotations and positioning.

Behind Wu Qie stood Zhao Shu with his hands on his hips like a giant guardian deity.

The noise of the arena seemed to fade away.

Both S-rank Alphas abruptly sensed the gaze coming from above.

At the exact same moment, they looked up.

Directly at them.

Zhou Kai: “…”

A minute later, he sat back down.

Expression completely calm.

“The floor down there is crowded enough already.”

“If you want to squeeze into that sardine can, go by yourself.”

“Don’t drag me into it.”

Jiang Xilu stared blankly.

“What crowd?”

“This gym is huge.”

“You’ve spent years here and only now you’re complaining?”

Zhou Kai chose silence.

The game was about to begin.

The opening whistle sounded.

Hongtie lost the jump ball.

The ball immediately landed in the hands of Yicheng’s small forward, Luo Yan.

Pei Qingyu and Wang Jiajia rushed forward simultaneously.

Luo Yan retreated, shook off his defender, accelerated explosively, and broke through the first line of defense.

Five seconds.

Only five seconds.

He was already charging toward the basket.

Then—

A figure suddenly appeared directly in his path.

Zhao Shu.

He had shaken off his own assignment and cut into the driving lane.

Luo Yan couldn’t stop in time.

Their eyes met.

One pair focused and unwavering.

The collision came an instant later.

Whistle!

Offensive foul.

The Hongtie bench erupted into applause.

Sun Mi practically threw himself onto Wu Qie’s shoulders.

“Did you see that?!”

“He baited an offensive foul!”

“I can’t believe my eyes!”

Ball possession changed.

Hongtie attacked immediately.

The ball moved from Wang Jiajia to Zhao Shu.

Fast break.

Yicheng’s power forward stuck to him relentlessly.

The help defender closed in from the side.

Double-team.

Zhao Shu stopped.

The defender hesitated.

Then the ball switched hands in a blur.

Right hand.

Left hand.

Pivot.

Fake shot.

The defender jumped.

The next second—

The ball slipped beneath his arm.

A perfect pass.

Gao Fan received it outside the three-point line.

Release.

Swish.

The first layer of Yicheng’s defense was torn apart.

“Great pass!”

Gao Fan shouted, his voice cracking from excitement.

Pei Qingyu adjusted his wristband and glanced at Zhao Shu.

Then he looked toward Wu Qie.

Meaningfully.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed.