Chapter Seventy One Ball (Part 1)

  Rui Chen walked sullenly past one side of the viewing platform, his target being the rest room, his expression was emotionless. His rhythmic slow footsteps paused for a moment, because he stopped to take a look at someone. Then left. From his damp hair, looking out and staring at a person on the viewing platform, someone who didn't have much relation with him yet made him angry, was laughable.

  What's this expression?

  Gu Huanli naturally turned her head and watched as Luo Yichen walked step by step into the corridor, until all that was left was the light.

  The outer hall.

  Carrot.

  A can of vanilla Coke fell into the vending machine. The air was filled with a damp smell, and Gu Huanli glanced casually at the gate outside. It was unknown when the sun had hidden behind the clouds, and the sky was gray and indistinguishable from east to west. Snowflakes were swirling and fluttering in mid-air, quietly falling, and the world was wrapped in a layer of white.

  Gu Huanli bought a few more cans of drinks, then smiled and handed them to Qi Weiyi, who was walking around with an air of nonchalance, telling her to take them to the rest room. Han Ruoxi also followed along, but Gu Huanli just waved her hand and said she needed to go to the washroom, so she headed in a different direction.

  In the rest room, five people wiped their sweat while discussing tactics for the next game. The other teammates looked at them with a calm expression and also felt reassured.

  Just then, Qī Wēi Wēi walked in with a camera and drinks, followed by a timid Hán Ruò Xī. "Gu Tian Xi, this is your sister's treat for everyone, but she was too shy to deliver it herself, so I'll just play the role of waiter for free." As she spoke, she opened the plastic bag and let them choose.

  The other two took Sprite, Ruo Yichen frowned and picked up a can of Oolong tea, Ye Qinglan smiled with her eyes and picked up a can of refreshing watermelon, the remaining can of grass Coke was naturally Gu Tianxi's.

  "This little girl..." Ye Qinglan let out a soft sigh, her voice filled with both pity and indulgence. She had only drunk that refreshing watermelon in front of him twice, yet she still remembered it.

  "Mind your own business." Lu Yichen scolded in annoyance, opening a bottle of oolong tea and taking a big gulp.

  Han Ruoxi stared blankly at Luo Yichen's actions, muttering to herself, "Yichen... you don't usually like drinking tea?"

  Luo Yi Chen didn't say a word, but instead glared at her and Qi Weiwei. The two of them still had the nerve to appear in front of him, humming away, having ruined his reputation. If it weren't for the fact that they were women, he would have already taught them a lesson with his fists.

  "It can't be...!" Qī Wēi Wēi's eyes lit up, and she suddenly realized, "Luò Yì Chén likes to drink Oolong tea, Yè Qīng Lán likes to drink refreshing watermelon, and Gù Tiān Xī loves to drink herbal cola."

  A noisy woman

  Luo Yi Chen gave Qi Wei a cold glance.

  Gu Tianxi elegantly opened the cola, then gently touched the refreshing watermelon in Ye Qinglan's hand, and after nodding to the others, took a light sip from the rim.

  "Click, click, click", the flashbulb flashed a few times. Qī Wēi wēi excitedly hugged her camera and laughed loudly, "I knew you guys had it in you! I really hope to see you again at the school-level tournament next semester. You know, our school hasn't made it to the top four in the city for a long time."

  "Who knows about that," said Luo Yichen, putting down the Oolong tea in his hand heavily on the table. "Next, it's our turn to hunt."

  "Victory" Captain Ye Qinglan stretched out one hand in mid-air.

  Everyone in the rest room put their palms together and shouted loudly, "We must win!"

  Back on the court, there were still five smug faces, and even more outrageous insults filled his ears. Luo Yi Chen stretched lazily, his cold gaze sweeping over the opposing team's small forward, a bloodthirsty smile playing on his lips.

  Ye Qinglan, on the other hand, lowered her gaze and adjusted her wrist guard, her thin lips pursed tightly, remaining completely silent. He enjoyed teasing Xiao Yatou because talking to her was both entertaining and interesting. However, he had never been one to engage in verbal sparring matches; whether it be victory or defeat, let's see the truth on the battlefield instead.

  Gu Huanli looked at the arena, then glanced back at Qi Weiyi, who was sitting in her seat with a satisfied expression, fiddling with her camera, and Han Ruoxi, whose face was flushed red, with a hint of a smile on her lips.

  Although the score is temporarily behind, but the seniors in the third year of high school did not realize that the rhythm of the game was firmly grasped by their brother. Although she didn't know why those people triggered her brother's anger, she just knew clearly in her heart that as long as it wasn't her who was unlucky, then other people's misfortune had nothing to do with her.

  On the field, in the eyes of the whole team, Gu Tianxi has been with this class for a short time, but he is incredibly fast, extremely agile, and most importantly, he can make lightning-fast passes after breaking through the enemy's defense, creating opportunities for his teammates. In defense, he can use his speed and foresight to intercept opponents' passes. Because of his skilled ball control, few mistakes, and ability to control the overall situation, although Ye Qinglan is still the captain, every attack and defense in the game is organized by him. Moreover, his personal scoring ability is also quite threatening, with excellent long-range shooting and breakthroughs.

  The game is restarted.

  Gu Tianxi made a spin move and snatched the ball from the opponent's player. He tapped the ball with one hand, raised his left hand high, making a "one" gesture.

  The originally noisy stadium was quiet at this moment, everyone held their breath and stared motionlessly at Gu Tianxi on the court.

  Originally, the Class One Grade One team led by Ye Qinglan was a team that advocated for fast breaks. The addition of Gu Tianhui allowed Coach Gu's fast break tactics to reach new heights.

  When Gu Tianxi started to move, the others in the team also moved. In a flash, Gu Tianxi had passed the ball to the center and received it back from him. With a spin, he lightly turned his wrist and directly passed the ball to Ye Qinglan.

  Ye Qinglan took a step beyond the free throw line, and with a burst of energy, he jumped into the air. As he soared, he curled up his legs, and at the highest point, he tucked them in even further, making the jump look even more majestic. With one hand grasping the ball, which was initially stretched out straight, as he descended, his arm holding the ball slightly retracted backwards, preparing for the force of the dunk, before slamming the ball fiercely into the hoop, and then landing back on the ground.

  The audience's long-awaited cheers and screams echoed throughout the venue once again, and this was just the beginning.

  "Hey kid, don't get too cocky." As Gu Tianxi was about to return to defense, the opposing center forcefully bumped his shoulder, and a mocking remark slipped out of his mouth, "Take a good look at the scoreboard, 52-41, you're still far behind."

  Gu Tianxi narrowed his eyes, his expression like a lazy Persian cat, and said slowly, "Three balls."

  Three?

  Yes, that's right, three.

  Luo Yi Chen's three-pointer, Ye Qing Lan's dunk plus a free throw, Gu Tian Xi's three-pointer plus a free throw. The most frightening thing is that Gu Tian Xi's last free throw actually intentionally smashed the ball onto the backboard, and then Luo Yi Chen grabbed the rebound and directly sent the ball into the basket.

  In an instant, the score was surpassed with just three balls. Gu Tianxi smiled lightly as he glanced at the opposing team's center, what's the point of making a promise if it can't be fulfilled?

  The entire audience on the scene went crazy, while the group of people who were just complacent became angry bulls. In those years, they also rose from high school to the top, although they were divided into different classes in liberal arts and science, but the five of them had been together all the time, winning the championship in the high school division for two consecutive years. Now, they are only one step away from achieving unprecedented glory.

  The stumbling block in front of us must be removed, all obstacles must be eliminated. With this belief, the group of people rushed forward like beasts.

  On the intense competition arena, you come and go, the conversion of offense and defense is extremely fast. Defense, the teacher's reminder, when a group of hot-blooded boys are fighting on the court, who still remembers these. 7 seconds, yes, only need 7 seconds, both sides can complete an attack and defense conversion. Although the efficiency of offense and defense on the third-year side has decreased somewhat, it is unbearable to see Ye Qinglan's three-pointers and dunks one after another.

  Sitting in the stands, Gu Huanli felt the atmosphere in the stadium, as if the temperature had risen by several degrees since the start of the game. However, Gu Tianxi's movements were still elegant and standard. Beautiful pauses, footwork, power starting from the front sole, through the ankle, knee, hip, upper body, arm, wrist, transmitted to the fingertips, naturally pushing the ball out, beautiful arc, pleasant sound, three points were taken down in a smooth and effortless manner.

  Of course, under the pressure of the third and fourth grades, the people in Class 4 naturally wouldn't let Ye Qinglan's every attack be so smooth. Like now, there are two people tightly defending Ye Qinglan, not to mention shooting, it's hard to even turn around. However, he used the corner of his eye to glance at Ruo Yichen beside him, and after a fake move, he passed the ball out in the instant when he fell to the ground.

  While Lang Yicheng single-handedly killed the basket, he jumped near the rim, in mid-air, Fang Tian grabbed the ball with one hand and rotated 360 degrees to his right side before slamming it into the hoop with unstoppable force.

  "Kobe Bryant!" The entire audience of girls screamed, even Gu Huanli couldn't help but stand up excitedly. Ah, this is the charm of basketball, this is its infectious power! Even sworn enemies can't help but cheer for him in moments like these.

  Seeing the little girl refueling for herself, Lu Yichen's face couldn't help but reveal a hint of a smile.

  The entire third quarter, the Class 3-4 team's defense was like a sieve, and their offense was stifled to the point where neither the inside nor outside lines could break through. The score of 31-2 was exactly how they were beaten by their opponents. With somewhat gloomy faces, the five players from Class 3-4 walked off the court when the buzzer sounded at the end of the third quarter. Having had it easy for over two years, they hadn't experienced this feeling in a long time - the feeling of everything not being under control, the feeling of powerless defeat.

  Failure...

  These two words weighed heavily on their hearts. The center of Class 4, Senior Three looked at Ye Qinglan and others who were either drinking water or wiping sweat with a fierce gaze, then glanced at Gu Wenxiang, whose mouth curled into a faint smile as he listened to the teacher's arrangement. He gritted his teeth and said, "To do or not to do? Give me a straightforward answer."