The basketball continued bouncing on the floor.
Da, da, da...
It finally rolled weakly toward the corner.
The monotonous sound felt especially grating in the dead-silent gym.
Shiozaki remained frozen in his block pose, stiff as a plaster statue.
He turned his head, eyes nearly popping out, staring at the net that was still swaying slightly.
What just happened?
That position...
That impossible, physics-defying lean-back shot actually went in?
"Just kidding..." Yasuda swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
**Akagi Takenori**'s face was terrifyingly dark, veins throbbing on his forehead.
He glared at **Lin Bei**, who was already heading back to the bench, his chest heaving.
As team captain, he'd seen countless ways to score.
**Rukawa Kaede**'s drives, **Mitsui Hisashi**'s perfect three-point arcs, even a layup from the short-statured **Sakuragi Hanamichi**.
But never anything like this...
So full of "half-assed" and "casual" effort, yet brutally accurate.
As effortless as tossing a crumpled paper into the trash.
"Stop!"
**Akagi**'s voice rumbled low, like thunder before a storm.
**Lin Bei**'s footsteps halted.
He sighed, shoulders slumping, not even turning around.
"Captain, that counts as three points, right?"
"With the last one, I've got enough exercise."
"According to labor laws... er, school rules, overtraining harms teenage growth and development."
**Lin Bei** raised his right hand and waved it weakly.
"Who said you could leave?"
**Akagi** took a few huge strides and planted himself in front of **Lin Bei** like a mountain.
His massive shadow swallowed the smaller boy instantly.
"Throw that shot again. Same posture, same release point."
"Hah?"
"Captain, it was just a lucky balloon."
"I couldn't make it again in a hundred tries."
"I'm all sour now—I need sugar ASAP, or I'll faint right here on the court."
"Then you'll have to call an ambulance. So embarrassing..."
**Lin Bei** lifted his eyelids, eyes brimming with resistance.
"Cut the crap!"
**Akagi** snatched the ball and shoved it into **Lin Bei**'s arms. "That form, that release—definitely not luck!"
"How much more are you hiding, you slacker?"
**Lin Bei** gripped the ball, feeling the rough leather, while inwardly cursing the system.
[Warning: Akagi Takenori's anger value rising]
[A. Obey (Reward: Akagi's favorability +5)]
[B. Refuse overtime (Reward: Fishing value +10, but risk violent suppression)]
No choice at all.
**Lin Bei** was about to toss the ball back when a cold gaze suddenly pierced him.
Like being locked onto by a predator.
**Rukawa Kaede** had approached at some point.
His usually sleepy eyes were now razor-sharp, fixed on **Lin Bei**.
"Hey."
**Rukawa** spoke concisely. "Play me."
"No." **Lin Bei** refused instantly.
Play against this basketball addict?
That was easily one of the most exhausting things in the world.
When this guy played, "rest" didn't exist in his vocabulary.
"Scared of losing?"
**Rukawa** raised an eyebrow, provocation clear in his tone.
"Reverse psychology doesn't work on me."
**Lin Bei** yawned and shoved the ball into **Rukawa**'s arms.
"You're the ace, I'm the scrub."
"It's natural for a scrub to lose to an ace."
"I concede. The point's yours. Congrats on the win."
With that, he sidestepped **Rukawa Kaede** and tried to leave.
"Wait!"
This time, **Sakuragi Hanamichi** leaped out.
The red-haired monkey blocked the path, nostrils flaring upward in displeasure.
"What's so great about that stinking fox Rukawa?!"
"Hey... you! Pretty boy!"
"If you're gonna fight, fight this genius!"
"I'm the guy who's gonna be the next basketball captain!"
The scene instantly devolved into chaos.
**Ayako** held her paper fan, watching helplessly.
But her eyes kept drifting back to **Lin Bei**.
That shot earlier... was it really just a fluke?
"Shut up!"
**Akagi**'s roar silenced everyone.
He stared at **Lin Bei** and suddenly smirked. "**Lin Bei**, you really want to slack off?"
"It's called rest, Captain."
"Efficient rest leads to better performance." **Lin Bei** nodded earnestly.
"Fine."
"You and Rukawa play best-of-three. First to score one wins the set."
"If you score even one point, no more early-morning practice for you. Afternoon sessions—you can leave thirty minutes early." **Akagi** pointed at **Rukawa Kaede**.
**Lin Bei**'s ears perked up instantly.
His dead-fish eyes widened.
The golden words "leave early" practically sparkled in his pupils.
No early mornings?
And leave early too?
This was peak paid vacation!
"Captain, your word is bond? Any proof?"
**Lin Bei**'s back straightened, legs no longer aching—he felt invigorated.
"I keep my promises."
"But if you lose... training doubles, and you're on gym-cleaning duty for a month." **Akagi**'s mouth twitched.
"Deal."
**Lin Bei** turned to **Rukawa Kaede**, his gaze completely transformed.
No longer viewing him as trouble—but as the key to "early departure."
"Rukawa-san."
"For the sake of my sleep quality, I'll have to wrong you."
**Rukawa** said nothing, just silently tossed the ball back to **Lin Bei**.
Then he dropped into a low defensive stance.
The air froze.
The first-years held their breath; the seniors crowded around.
Everyone wanted to know if this corner-sleeper was a one-hit wonder.
"That **Lin Bei**'s gonna get destroyed by Rukawa."
"Yeah, **Rukawa Kaede** was the ace at Tomioka Middle School..."
Amid the murmurs, the 188 cm **Lin Bei** held the ball one-handed outside the three-point line.
He eyed **Rukawa Kaede** waiting in front of him.
The guy's defense was solid—low center of gravity, laser focus, almost no openings.
Scoring on him conventionally would require sweating buckets—at least two kilos worth.
Too bad.
"Quick and clean."
**Lin Bei** thought silently.
[Active Skill: Super High-Speed Dribble (Aomine Daiki) activated]
"Bang!"
The ball slammed down hard.
In that instant, **Lin Bei** moved.
No fakes, no probing steps.
Just pure, extreme—**speed**!
**Rukawa Kaede**'s pupils shrank.
In his vision, **Lin Bei**'s figure blurred for a split second.
So fast!
His body instinctively shifted right to cut off the path.
But before his brain could fully command it, a gust of wind rushed past his ear.
"Sh..."
**Rukawa Kaede** spun around—only to see a lazy back retreating.
**Lin Bei** was already in the paint.
Facing an empty hoop, he didn't even bother jumping for a dunk—just a casual layup.
The ball dropped obediently through the net.
1:0.
The entire sequence took less than two seconds.
The gym fell into that eerie silence again.
**Akagi Takenori**'s jaw dropped slightly; the clipboard in his hand nearly slipped to the floor.
This speed...
This explosiveness...
Was this really the same **Lin Bei** who gasped after two steps?