Chapter 48: The Black Team

At the end of the first quarter, Ming Han and his teammates were all brimming with excitement. Although their team was a powerhouse assembled from an entire grade, the class they faced was the undisputed champion of the school. The coach, a tall Black man, clapped enthusiastically. “Not bad, not bad! What I want from you is teamwork and fierce defense. You need to realize that there are plenty of top players in the county. We might not win every game, but remember: every match, play to your true potential.”

Everyone took his words to heart in silence. They all wanted to win.

In the second quarter, Lin Wei and Lin Shan took the court, accompanied by Ming Han, Ze Kai, and Yang Wanli. It was obvious that this lineup was evenly matched in height, all around six feet tall. The coach had set up this roster for Ming Han to play point guard. In truth, besides Yu Hang, Ming Han’s passing was the best on the team.

The first-year team didn’t make any substitutions at this point. If the coach’s aim was to hone his own players’ skills, then for the first-years, basketball was just for fun—but that meant they absolutely could not lose, or the humiliation would be immense.

They kept their five strongest players on the floor.

Soon, they managed to double-team Yang Wanli and scored on a fast break off a long pass. Yet the coordination between the Lin brothers was simply demoralizing for their opponents. Everyone knew they were sports students, but their athleticism was astonishing. Whether it was launching a fast break after grabbing a rebound or making an outlet pass, the two of them charged down the court like a pair of unstoppable dragons.

Such tactics were generally frowned upon in official matches—wasting energy, not enough teamwork—but the first-year squad had no way to restrain the brothers, so the more they played, the more exhilarated they became.

Gradually, by the end of the quarter, the lead had ballooned to ten points. It was becoming clear that the champion class from the first year would have a hard time winning this match.

The veteran first-years wore awkward expressions. “Has the new crop of underclassmen started juicing or something? They’re so much stronger now.”

During halftime, the atmosphere was electric.

“That’s all they’ve got?”

“Our real opponents will be the county’s elite.”

...

The coach lit a cigarette, clearly very pleased with his current crop of protégés.

“In the second half, we won’t make substitutions. Stick to the lineup I call. Ming Han at point guard, Yu Hang at shooting guard, Lin Shan and Lin Wei on the wings, Ning Qiang in the post. This could be our ace formation going forward.”

It seemed he intended to cultivate chemistry among these five players.

Having Ming Han run the point had a major advantage—they could run endless pick-and-roll plays! Each player had solid ball-handling and shooting skills. They could space the floor or work together seamlessly. But there was a downside: while Lin Wei and Lin Shan were strong offensive threats, their playing style was undeniably selfish, tending toward isolation plays.

The coach watched the flow of the game, deep in thought. There was no question—their scoring and defense were both solid. The pressing issue now: how to get them to truly play as a unit.

With every minute, the coach found himself liking Ming Han’s style of play even more. His passes were crisp and precise. This boy clearly had a knack for the game. Rumor had it he was a top student too, but with the right training, could he have the makings of a professional player?

The match ended amid back-and-forth action. The senior students exchanged a few hasty farewells before leaving.

Ming Han and his teammates were buoyed with confidence—the victory proved their strength beyond doubt.

They high-fived, embracing each other, giddy with excitement.

The coach beamed. “Let me share some good news!”

Yu Hang responded eagerly, “Coach, are you going to treat us to a feast?”

The coach chuckled awkwardly. “No, everyone—you get two days to rest, then we start a ten-day training camp. This will be your last round of practice for the summer. Excited?”

Everyone grumbled silently to themselves. Excited, yeah right! Our whole summer wasted on this. The thought was a little depressing.

Still, no one objected. They all shared the same goal: the championship.

At least from the way things looked now, their team had every chance of claiming that title.

“Coach, I think our team needs a bold name—something to strike fear into our opponents!” Lin Wei suggested.

“What do you all want to call yourselves?” the coach asked.

Everyone started brainstorming, each offering up ideas.

“How about the Invincibles? That’s intense!”

“So tacky!”

“Let’s be the Eagles!”

“Too generic. We’ll end up sharing a name with another team.”

“What about the Black Team?” Yu Hang proposed.

Everyone burst into laughter, raising both hands in agreement.

The coach looked embarrassed, but didn’t object.

Qiang, thrilled, declared, “I’ll go make a team flag and plant it in the center of the court for the whole school to admire.”

...

After saying goodbye to everyone, Ming Han and Yu Hang headed home. They were all exhausted, not in the mood to go out, just wanting to shower and relax in bed with the TV on.

Yu Hang was on the phone beside him, clearly calling Huang Ying.

“What are you up to?”

“When are you coming to the county to hang out with me?”

...

Every sentence ended with a playful “oh,” and Ming Han thought, Yu Hang, you horny bastard, you’re really getting on my nerves.

Even though dating at this age was considered “puppy love,” they were teenagers—feelings were bound to stir.

All the way home, Ming Han listened to Yu Hang’s flirtatious chatter, feeling the world’s malice directed at him. At last, he made up his mind and pulled out his own phone to call Chen Li.

“Chen Li, what are you up to?” Ming Han mimicked Yu Hang’s tone.

“Have you lost your mind…” Chen Li’s reply snapped Ming Han out of his daze.

Clearly, this approach wasn’t for him—he was more the cool, aloof type.

“Chen Li, want to hang out tomorrow?”

It was the first time this summer that Ming Han had invited Chen Li out, and she was happy.

“Ming Han, I have plans tomorrow…”

Though Ming Han felt a pang of disappointment, he forced a cheerful response: “No worries, we’ll go another time.”

After hanging up, he couldn’t stop wondering what Chen Li was doing tomorrow, or why she hadn’t explained. This girl was getting less and less straightforward—ah, I’m overthinking again!

Meanwhile, Chen Li had just finished arguing with her father and was sulking in her room.

On her desk, aside from a computer, was only one stuffed toy—a gift from Ming Han on her birthday last year.

“Chen Li, look at this plushie—it’s all mismatched, just like you!” he’d said.

When Ming Han described her as “all mismatched,” she’d been so mad she ignored him for a whole day.

But that plushie had become Chen Li’s most treasured possession.

“Lili,” her mother called, knocking on the door, “do as your father says—studying abroad will be good for your future.”

“Ming Han, I’m not going…” Chen Li whispered to herself.