After resting for a while, Xu Ze felt his mental energy had recovered quite a bit. The sixth cycle of his exercise was much easier than before. By the time he finished, it was just five minutes to three. Xu Ze quickly got up, rummaged through his closet for clothes, and prepared to go play basketball.
Unfortunately, since starting university, Xu Ze had never played basketball. He didn’t own any proper basketball shoes, jerseys, or even sportswear. After digging through his closet, he finally found a pair of counterfeit Adidas shorts he had bought for 15 yuan at some market years ago.
Xu Ze chuckled wryly. It wasn’t like this was a formal game—just some casual play. He put on the shorts, paired them with a loose T-shirt, and slipped on a pair of semi-worn sneakers before heading straight to the basketball court.
Xing University had plenty of outdoor basketball courts. During the pleasant weather of March and April, most people preferred playing outside, enjoying both the sunshine and the thrill of the game.
The department team usually practiced on courts five and six near the male dormitory. Xu Ze jogged over and arrived right at three o’clock.
Luozi was already there, scanning the area. When he saw Xu Ze approaching, he broke into a grin. “You made it! I thought you were going to bail on me again!”
With that, he clapped his hands and shouted to the players on the court, “Everyone, take a break! We’ve got a new teammate joining us!”
At Luozi’s call, players from both courts gradually gathered around. When they saw Xu Ze standing next to Luozi, some of the familiar faces laughed and said, “Luozi, you’ve finally managed to drag him in, huh?”
Luozi chuckled. “What can I do? Out of the four guys in our dorm, two are hardcore World of Warcraft players. There’s no hope of getting them to play basketball. This guy here”—he gestured to Xu Ze—”has never been into sports, but I finally managed to pull him in. It wasn’t easy!”
Then, turning to the others who weren’t as familiar with Xu Ze, Luozi introduced him, “This is Xu Ze, my roommate. I dragged him here to join us for some fun.”
One of the perks of being a guy is that most are pretty easygoing. After Luozi’s introduction, everyone greeted Xu Ze warmly. After all, they were all from the same department. Even if some didn’t know him well, they had at least seen him around.
As for Xu Ze joining the team, no one really expected him to be a star player. Everyone knew that Xu Ze had barely set foot on a basketball court since starting university. It was clear that Luozi had just brought him along for fun. With the team already well-staffed, Xu Ze would likely just be a substitute, playing casually when needed.
Most of the players greeted Xu Ze with a smile, but one person sneered, “Can he even play? I’ve never seen him touch a basketball. Luozi, you’re the captain, but this is just ridiculous.”
Xu Ze raised an eyebrow and turned to see Zhang Ziyang looking him up and down with disdain. The sunlight glinted off the acne on Zhang Ziyang’s face.
“Zhang Ziyang, Xu Ze’s just here to have fun. He’s not planning to play in any matches. What’s it to you?” Luozi’s thick brows furrowed as he shot back, clearly annoyed. He had gone through a lot of trouble to get Xu Ze to join, and now someone was making snide remarks. Luozi was not having it.
Seeing Luozi’s anger, Zhang Ziyang’s face darkened. Although he was also a key player on the team, he didn’t dare to push Luozi too far. He pursed his lips and stayed silent.
