"Damn, Hao Zhuang is really fierce!"
"A one-handed dunk! Lin Feng can only watch the ball helplessly. He's about to be posterized—how tragic..."
"At this rate, Lin Feng is going to be humiliated beyond belief..."
The students rooting for Lin Feng all shut their eyes, unable to bear watching. They were simply waiting to hear the ball swish through the net, followed by Hao Zhuang's wild, triumphant laughter.
Of course, there would also be the shrieks and cheers from the girls supporting Hao Zhuang.
Hao Zhuang leaped into the air, feeling as if he were flying. Looking at the basket, now so close, he was naturally filled with immense satisfaction. He was about to make Lin Feng so humiliated he'd want to cry at the mere sight of a basketball—and he always delivered on his promises!
"Huh...?"
Just then, he suddenly heard a sharp, collective gasp from the crowd and immediately sensed something was wrong.
All of a sudden, just as Hao Zhuang was about to viciously slam the ball into the hoop, a figure leaped up with astonishing speed! Lin Feng!
Lin Feng had actually jumped up explosively, positioning his body directly in front of Hao Zhuang!
Although he was about ten centimeters shorter than Hao Zhuang, this leap incredibly brought him to almost the same height in the air.
SMACK!
A crisp sound echoed. Just as Hao Zhuang was about to dunk the ball, Lin Feng's large hand suddenly appeared, right in front of the basketball! A textbook block!
The force was immense. Lin Feng, coming down from above, not only swatted the basketball but also pressed Hao Zhuang himself downwards, like deflating an air balloon.
CLANG!
The basketball hit the ground. Then, Hao Zhuang also crashed heavily to the floor, ending up in a very awkward heap under the basket. He stared in disbelief—Lin Feng had actually stuffed him!
The sheer humiliation! Moreover, this block left him in such a wretched state. When he landed, he was unsteady. Before everyone's eyes, he stumbled and fell flat on his face—a total wipeout. Not only did his backside clench in shock, but the entire situation was also incredibly mortifying and ego-crushing...
"Well? I didn't foul, did I?" Lin Feng said lightly, looking down from his standing position at Hao Zhuang, whose face was a mask of displeasure as he sat on the ground.
"Holy crap, did Lin Feng just block Hao Zhuang?! What's going on? I don't think I've ever seen Hao Zhuang get blocked before!"
"Tsk, tsk. Lin Feng's jumping ability is simply astounding. He must have a vertical leap close to two meters, right? Damn, he's an absolute freak! Jordan, McGrady, Hill, Kobe, James—they all look weak next to him..."
"Phew! I thought their match would be totally one-sided and boring, but clearly not! Lin Feng's block alone was enough to make everyone's jaws drop. I wonder what kind of defensive intensity Hao Zhuang will bring against Lin Feng's offense now?"
"I'm curious too. But one thing's for sure: Lin Feng won't find it easy to score on him."
While the crowd was buzzing with discussion, Tang Rou, standing at the back of the group, revealed a captivating smile. This Lin Feng... he seems different from before, she thought. But I can't quite put my finger on what's changed.
Hao Zhuang awkwardly scrambled up from the ground. The look he shot Lin Feng was so intense it seemed like he wanted to kill him with his eyes alone.
"Good. Very good..." Hao Zhuang hmphed. "Didn't realize your jumping ability was decent. That was just me being careless for a moment. Soon, I'll let you taste what it feels like to get blocked!"
He brushed the dust off his clothes and moved inside the three-point line. It looked like he was mustering all his strength, intending to teach Lin Feng a harsh lesson when Lin Feng next went on offense.
Someone had already retrieved the basketball and given it to Chen Yong. Chen Yong signaled Lin Feng to come outside the three-point line, then handed him the ball, announcing, "Lin Feng's offense. Begin!"
Lin Feng held the ball and paused for a moment, showing no intention of attacking.
"Boss, drive to the basket like Hao Zhuang did! Get under there and burst his chrysanthemum!"
Beside the court, Fatty Yang Tao gesticulated wildly, cheering Lin Feng on. His choice of words, however, was rather vulgar. Hao Zhuang, hearing them, turned green.
After a moment's hesitation, Lin Feng finally started to advance, dribbling the ball. Hao Zhuang immediately adopted a standard defensive stance and moved to meet him.
Lin Feng truly had never played basketball before. Although he knew the basics of how to dribble, his actual execution was quite awkward. He was bent over, looking like he was struggling to reach the ball with his hand—clearly the form of a basketball novice.
"What the— No way! That dribbling form? Damn, he'd have trouble dribbling to the basket by himself..." Nearby, Li Ming clapped a hand to his forehead, covering his face in disbelief when he saw Lin Feng's dribbling.
I actually thought Lin Feng was some kind of basketball master, Li Ming mused. But this form... he's a complete basketball idiot! Looks like that block on Hao Zhuang earlier was just a fluke. I bet apart from jumping high, he has no other strengths.
"HA HA HA..."
"HEE HEE..."
Some of the teachers and students watching Lin Feng dribble couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
Seeing this, Hao Zhuang was also amused and chuckled. "Lin Feng, is this all you've got? You don't even know how to dribble properly, and you dare challenge me one-on-one? You were just lucky to stop me earlier. Next possession, your luck will run out!"
"I'm afraid there won't be a next possession..." Lin Feng said, suddenly looking up.
"Damn it, Boss, you can't stop there!" Yang Tao exclaimed, on the verge of tears. "If you move your feet now, it's a travel violation!"
Seeing Lin Feng stop and pick up his dribble, Yang Tao was utterly dismayed. Lin Feng had taken less than a single step inside the three-point line. Stopping there left him with only one option: to shoot. It was practically a three-pointer!
For anyone else, this might be fine, Yang Tao thought frantically, but after seeing Lin Feng's dribbling earlier, I can't stay calm! From that position, it'd be a miracle if Lin Feng's shot isn't an airball. No, just getting a shot off without it being blocked would be lucky! Heck, I don't even know if Lin Feng knows how to shoot... He was going crazy with anxiety.
Tang Rou clenched her small fists tightly. Seeing the situation, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety for Lin Feng. This is nerve-wracking, she thought.
At this moment, Hao Zhuang had already lunged forward "opportunely." "You basketball idiot!" he taunted. "If this shot goes in, I'll take your surname!"
He waved his long arms, pressing his body against Lin Feng. Being taller and having a longer reach, his defense effectively sealed off all of Lin Feng's potential shooting angles.
What was worse, Lin Feng was still holding the ball with both hands, his back completely to the basket!
"Stopping with his back to the basket? Damn, what a 'genius'!" Li Ming exclaimed, practically fuming with exasperation. In a regular game, stopping with your back to the basket might be okay; at least you could pass to a teammate. But this is a one-on-one! Stopping with your back to the basket is a huge mistake. With no one to pass to, he can only shoot.
But the crucial point is, facing Hao Zhuang's suffocating defense, how the hell is he supposed to shoot from this position? He can't even see the basket! Not even if Sakuragi Hanamichi or Rukawa Kaede possessed him could he make this shot!
Li Ming kept shaking his head, utterly dismayed. He was reminded of a line from some palace drama: "Your Majesty, this humble servant simply cannot do it!" He wanted to cry but had no tears.
"Holy crap, Lin Feng shot the ball!"
Just then, a boy next to Li Ming tugged his sleeve and exclaimed.