The ball swished through the net, and Luo Zi, who had caught it, couldn’t hide his surprise. “It’s in!” he exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and delight as he looked at Xu Ze.
The crowd around them fell silent, all eyes fixed on Xu Ze, waiting to see how he would perform with the next few shots. Only Zhang Ziyang and Tao Zhixiong looked visibly uncomfortable, especially Zhang Ziyang. Although Xu Ze’s movements still seemed a bit raw, they were surprisingly accurate, and he had scored again. Scoring twice in a row couldn’t just be chalked up to luck.
Tao Zhixiong, however, remained dismissive. After all, he was a member of the school basketball team. While he wasn’t a star player, he was still far above the average department team member.
Only Zhang Linyun, watching Xu Ze’s now more refined features and his calm, confident demeanor, felt a flicker of something unusual in her heart.
Xu Ze caught the ball Luo Zi tossed back to him and nodded at Luo Zi’s hopeful gaze. He dribbled the ball twice, then slowly raised it, preparing to shoot.
“The last shot felt a bit weak,” Xu Ze thought to himself, squinting slightly as he adjusted his stance. He waited for the faint red line in his vision to light up again before gently pushing the ball forward with his right hand.
But as soon as the ball left his fingertips, Xu Ze frowned. Although he had tried to put more power into this shot, the sudden adjustment caused his wrist to loosen at the last moment, resulting in an even weaker shot than before.
Swish. Unsurprisingly, the ball didn’t even touch the rim, grazing the net before falling to the ground, bouncing a few times before Luo Zi could catch it.
“See? This guy’s just relying on luck. Look at him—there’s no way he’s actually good,” Tao Zhixiong sneered, turning to Zhang Linyun with a smug expression. “A pretty boy like him? No way he can play basketball.”
Behind Xu Ze, Zhang Ziyang’s expression also relaxed. “Maybe he’s got some basics down, but he’s still no match for me,” he thought, feeling more confident.
Xu Ze, however, just smiled faintly. He had been too careless. He caught the ball Luo Zi tossed back to him and gave Luo Zi a reassuring smile before raising the ball again.
He took a deep breath, focusing on the faint red line in his vision. Adjusting his stance slightly, he waited for the line to brighten before pushing the ball forward with a smooth, controlled motion.
Feeling the perfect release from his wrist, Xu Ze’s lips curled into a small smile. Got it.
Thud. The ball sailed through the air and cleanly passed through the net, causing it to ripple slightly. A perfect swish.
“Nice shot!” The crowd erupted in cheers, though Zhang Ziyang and Tao Zhixiong’s expressions darkened.
Luo Zi tossed the ball back to Xu Ze with a grin. “Alright, keep going!”
Thud… Another perfect shot. The crowd cheered again, their excitement growing with each successful attempt.
Thud… “Great shot!”
Thunk… “Nice!”
Xu Ze, now fully in the zone, continued to shoot with increasing confidence. Five shots in a row went in, and the crowd, once noisy, fell into a stunned silence. Everyone stared at Xu Ze, watching his relaxed, almost effortless expression as he made shot after shot.
Only a few girls in the crowd began to take notice, their eyes lighting up as they silently memorized the name “Xu Ze.”
By now, Xu Ze had made seven shots, sinking six of them. With only three shots left, it seemed entirely possible that he could make them all.
