Zheng stood tall, spinning the ball casually between his fingertips. He had played against the Huolan Guardians countless tis, and in every match, their weaknesses had beco more apparent.
Today, he was going to share that knowledge with Kai.
Sothing about the young man ignited sothing in him, and he didn't feel too bad sharing such information with him.
Kai, standing a few feet away, looked eager yet calm.
His eyes reflected that sa hunger for understanding that Zheng had once seen in himself. It was why he was doing this, after all.
Zheng dribbled the ball a few tis before finally speaking. "I think you already know that the Ying Eagles have always beaten the Huolan Guardians in our local league," he started off.
Kai nodded. Of course, he knew that. He had seen it with his own two eyes.
"They're good…very good, in fact," Zheng continued. "There were plenty of tis where they could have beaten us. However, every team has its flaws. And with the Guardians, those flaws are big enough to exploit."
Kai's gaze sharpened, focused entirely on Zheng.
"Their first weakness," Zheng began, raising a finger, "is consistency."
He passed the ball to Kai, who caught it with ease but didn't move. He was waiting for Zheng to elaborate.
Zheng continued. "They can't maintain their intensity throughout the ga. The Guardians are the type of team that will hit you with everything they've got for the first few minutes, but then they burn out. It's like they're sprinting in a marathon—they start fast but lose steam."
Kai began dribbling the ball lightly, his eyes narrowing as he thought about the Guardians' playstyle.
"You need to observe their rhythm—there's always a pattern. They get lazy on defense after an offensive burst. They'll leave gaps in their coverage."
He walked up to Kai and gestured for the ball. Kai handed it over, and Zheng demonstrated a quick crossover, mimicking the kind of fast break that could catch the Guardians off guard. "You find those monts, and you go for the kill. It's about timing."
Kai watched closely, his eyes flicking from Zheng's hands to his feet, absorbing every detail of the movent.
"But that's just the first part," Zheng said, dribbling the ball in a slower rhythm now.
"There's another weakness, and it's tied to their star player: Fang Liu."
Kai's eyebrows rose slightly at the ntion of Fang.
"Fang is incredible, no doubt," Zheng admitted, his voice laced with respect. "He's fast, smart, and almost impossible to guard one-on-one. But the problem is, the Guardians rely on him a lot—too much if you ask ."
Zheng stopped dribbling and looked directly at Kai. "Fang's their anchor. Most of their plays revolve around getting the ball to him. If you disrupt that—if you can cut off his flow—the entire team suffers. They're good, but not as good as him. They lean on Fang when things get tough."
Kai nodded slowly. He'd seen it before—teams built around one-star players. They thrived when that player was in control, but they fell apart if that player was neutralized.
"Fang can carry them," Zheng continued, "but only to a certain extent. He's one man. If you wear him down, make him work for every shot, he'll start to feel the pressure. And when Fang starts to feel it, the rest of the team falls apart."
Zheng spun the ball on his finger before passing it back to Kai, who caught it with a thoughtful expression.
"But there's sothing else," Zheng said, leaning in slightly. "Fang is no ordinary player. He's smart and crafty, and he knows how to adapt. You can't just take him out of the ga—he'll find ways to get back in. That's why you need to exploit the other weakness of the Guardians."
Zheng smirked, knowing that this next part was the most important.
And then, almost like a revelation, they said it at the sa ti: "Coordination."
Zheng's eyes widened, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
Kai grinned. "I've been watching them, too. They don't play like a unit. Sure, they're all great individual players, but it feels more like they're trying to win on their own rather than as a team."
"It's like they're playing with five different agendas. Fang is the big 'I' in the team, and the rest are just trying to follow his lead. But they never fully click together. That's why their coordination breaks down under pressure," he continued. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire
Kai already knew about what Zheng had revealed. It was what he had observed with the Guardians when he was still the water boy of their team. However, to hear it from Zheng validated him further.
So, he was right…and if the Guardians gave him a chance back then, they would have had the chance to beat the Eagles.
Zheng took a step back, studying Kai closely. The kid was sharp. He already understood most of what Zheng had planned to teach him.
Before Zheng could say anything more, Kai's movents suddenly exploded into action. In one swift motion, he stole the ball right out of Zheng's hands and dashed toward the hoop. The speed of his drive left Zheng rooted in place for a mont, barely registering what had happened.
Kai leaped, his body extending as he slamd the ball through the hoop with a resounding thud. The basket rattled, and Kai dropped back to the court with a soft bounce, his landing light and controlled.
Zheng blinked, staring at the hoop in disbelief before a slow grin spread across his face.
"Thanks for the lesson," Kai said, breathing slightly heavier from the dunk. "But tell sothing, Zheng. Why are you telling all this? Why share your knowledge with when we might end up on opposite sides one day?"
Zheng paused, the question hanging in the air. Then, he smiled, not bothering to answer the question out loud.
It was scary.
Kai had reminded him of way too many players. However, at that mont, he felt sothing click.
'Because you remind of yourself, too,' he thought.
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