Across town, living rooms were filled with tense excitent as the ga played out on screens. Families and friends crowded around, eyes glued to every move. The na 'Kai Guo' was on everyone's lips, spoken with admiration and disbelief.
"Can you believe this kid?" one new fan exclaid, shaking his head. "He's only a first-year student, and he's taking on Max Zhou like it's nothing."
"He plays like he's been doing this forever," another added. "He's incredible!"
In another ho, an older man leaned forward in his chair, a proud smile spreading across his face. "That boy's got guts," he murmured. "I think Jilin has a new player to watch out for."
Indeed, Kai's score ant a lot for their team.
Before they knew it, the players from the other schools also jumped up in excitent.
Coach Ben and Coach Yixing jumped high in the air, holding each other's hands and squealing like a bunch of high school girls.
"Wait, why are we celebrating this?" Ben asked after a while, reality hitting him.
Excitent.
That was what most of them felt.
No one loved an underdog more than the audience.
The boys on the court suppressed their excitent, knowing that they still had seven minutes left into the ga.
The bench of Shizi High, on the other hand, couldn't contain their excitent. Lina jumped like she didn't have a tal leg, while the others who barely played in the ga rejoiced like they contributed sothing more.
Even the seasoned Coach Guanyu was perplexed on the sidelines. He had known Kai was talented, but this? This was sothing else entirely.
As he watched the two players race up and down the court, their rivalry was undeniable. It even seed like an invisible aura trailed behind them with every step.
It was as if the rest of the world had faded, leaving only the court and the ga that defined them.
Chunlei stood from his seat, eyes wide with amazent. He could see it clearly.
Maybe, just maybe, he had been kicked out of the roster as Max Zhou's rival.
Kai felt his heart pounding, the rhythm echoing the dribble of the ball. He didn't want to stop.
In fact, he couldn't stop.
Despite the ache in his heart and lungs, he pushed forward.
It was exhilarating, and he wanted to see just how far he could go.
Max felt the sa. The pressure was imnse, but it was the kind of pressure that made him feel alive.
He knew that the mont either of them relented, the other would seize the opportunity. There was no room for hesitation.
No ti for second-guessing.
The ga continued with breathtaking plays. Yuze moved around defenders with smooth dribbling. He spotted Andy wide open in the corner.
With a quick flick of the wrist, Yuze sent the ball flying to his teammate. Andy caught it, set his feet, and launched the three-pointer.
"Andy for three!" Mark Li's voice bood over the speakers.
"It's 87-89 with five minutes left on the clock!"
The tension in the gym was thick, with every play t with gasps and cheers. Both teams were exhausted, their faces drenched in sweat, muscles screaming from the pace. However, the adrenaline kept them going—to win, pushing them beyond their limits.
"This won't do," Coach Guanyu said, sensing the urgency.
With that, he called for the final tiout.
"Oh, this fucking old man!" Sir Dao exclaid. "He's calling a tiout again?"
Nina placed her hand over her chest, also feeling breathless despite only being part of the audience.
"You know—I'm actually thankful for this tiout," she said. "That was a much-needed break! I feel like I'm going to have an asthma attack."
Rolan frowned and looked at her with concern. "Did you bring your inhaler?"
Nina smiled and nodded. "No worries," she said. "I felt like I would need it sohow."
"Good," Rolan said, directing his gaze to the court once more. "Because it's going to be more intense than ever."
"That's the final tiout—which ans that after it, both teams are on their own."
The team gathered around, breathing heavily, chests heaving. He looked at them, seeing the fatigue but also the determination in their eyes. They had pushed themselves hard, but he knew they had a little more left to give.
Coach Guanyu opened his mouth but closed it once again, feeling hesitant.
He didn't think it would result in this, but he was afraid they had no other choice.
He glanced at the bench of the Shizi Dogs and saw his son, who also appeared tired but determined.
With that, he nodded in defeat.
"We're breaking out the illusion," Coach Guanyu announced, his voice calm but firm.
The players exchanged glances, understanding the gravity of the situation.
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The 'illusion' was a strategy they'd been perfecting in practice, a deceptive play ant to confuse the opposition.
And it was centered on Max—a play that was only possible because of him.
They'd hoped to keep it in reserve for the Nationals. In fact, Coach Guanyu was the one who pushed for it to be used in the Nationals, so the boys were all confused.
"But Coach," Fabin started, "we haven't—"
"I know," Coach Guanyu interrupted. "But we can't hold back now. Show them the illusion."
Sensing their coach's urgency, the boys finally nodded in agreent. It was a sha to use it now, but it also made them acknowledge the Shizi Dogs' willpower.
"Max," Coach Guanyu said, turning to the breathless player. "Can you do it?"
Max pursed his lips to even out his breathing.
"Yes," he said, not an ounce of hesitation heard in his voice.
Five minutes left.
The team glanced at each other, steeling themselves for the final push. They were tired, yes, but they weren't done yet. They couldn't afford to be. The tiout ended, and the players took their positions on the court.
The gym chattered excitedly, the crowd sensing that sothing big was coming.
Max and Kai locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them. They were both exhausted, running on fus, but neither was willing to give an inch.
The next few minutes would decide everything.
The ball was inbounded, and the ga resud.
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