Chapter 57: Brother Ball

Daxu had always been a carefree, straightforward person. Many things that others valued never troubled him in the slightest. Yet there were a few things he cherished more than anyone.

For Daxu, basketball had always been just a hobby. Compared to the court, he preferred to focus his energy on games. The dazzling, fantastical virtual worlds were what truly captivated him.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t want to win. Boys are always competitive—the outside world is vast and distant, so in the world as they imagine it, they always believe themselves invincible.

Xiaoyu glanced at Yuhang, seeking his decision.

Yuhang nodded, signaling Daxu to continue playing.

“From now on, you’ll defend Bauer. We’ll switch defensive assignments,” Yuhang told Daxu.

Daxu wasn’t a scoring or playmaking expert, but he always poured his heart into defense. He, too, wanted to win the grade championship with his two brothers. That was Yuhang’s greatest goal in junior high!

Guarding Bauer would be no easy task. Bauer’s dribbling was unpredictable, and if Daxu let his guard down for even a moment, he could be embarrassed and relegated to a mere background figure.

Daxu nodded. “I won’t let anyone think I’m an easy target.”

I can be defeated, but sorry—I will never admit defeat!

Back on the court, Daxu’s eyes blazed—not with anger as before, but with the fire of battle.

Bauer sneered. “Class Thirteen is just a runner-up team, and you’ve got the mentality of a five-year-old brat?”

You could dislike Bauer, his sharp tongue especially, but that too was part of the game. Your opponent would try to destroy your confidence with trash talk, to ignite your fury. Basketball has never been a sport solely about scoring.

But soon, Bauer found it hard to keep sneering. Daxu began to display his “superglue” defense, sticking to Bauer all over the court. Bauer struggled even to dribble past half-court, let alone receive a pass—it often took several screens to free him.

Scoring isn’t the only thing that excites people; when you lock down the opposing team’s best player, it boosts everyone’s morale just as much.

By halftime, Bauer had already committed three turnovers. During one play, Daxu stole the ball straight from his arms and launched a long pass to Yuhang, who lobbed it for Zheng Yuan to finish with a beautiful alley-oop.

Bauer was on the verge of collapse, constantly signaling to the referee, “Ref, he fouled me!” “Ref, he’s playing dirty!” “Ref, are you going to do something or not?”

The more agitated Bauer became, the more exasperated the referee grew, finally handing him a technical foul.

Bauer was simply desperate. Everyone knew the ref wasn’t strict with his calls—he was a teacher who liked to see students decide the game with their own abilities, happy to let them play physically.

By the third quarter, Bauer was nearly in tears. On one drive, Daxu sent his layup flying with a brutal block; in the very next possession, as Bauer pulled up for a shot, Minghan came soaring out of nowhere to swat it away, shattering Bauer’s composure completely.

“You’re all… bullying me,” Bauer said, his voice trembling with the threat of tears.

It was true that Class Thirteen was stronger, but now they were targeting him, personally. Yang Wanli had already scored nearly twenty points, yet no special tactics were set to deal with him—everyone was focused on Bauer.

Bauer thought, Why is my fate so miserable? I’m clearly adorable, but you just won’t give me any dignity.

Seeing Bauer’s pitiful state, Minghan even felt a pang of guilt. “Yuhang, aren’t we being a bit too harsh? He just transferred here and we’re giving him such a terrible experience.”

But Minghan replied, “If his mouth is that sharp, he should be able to handle the consequences. Insulting our class is bad enough, but insulting my brothers? Today, I’ll make sure he pays for it.”

Yuhang clapped his teammates on the shoulder, rallying them: “Brothers, in the last quarter, let’s give that point guard from Class Twelve the kind of defense Kobe Bryant used to face. If anyone fails to block his shot, get ready to buy the drinks tonight!”

Hearing this, Bauer felt as if the world had gone dark. All of you want to block me? Couldn’t you show me a little love, let me see some beauty in this world?

Yang Wanli could only sigh. Class Thirteen was tough enough as it was, and since the second quarter, Bauer had been completely locked down. Even though he’d scored quite a bit himself, compared to Class Thirteen’s balanced attack, he was simply outmatched.

After this lesson on the court, Bauer would probably curb his arrogance in the future.

He was always one to speak without thinking; before the grade basketball tournament had even started, he’d boasted: in one-on-one, he could destroy Qiang, and as a playmaker, Yuhang was nothing compared to him.

Back then, he hadn’t played a single game, but his confidence was sky-high. The rest of the grade’s basketball scene had already nicknamed him “Ball Brother.”

Now, perhaps, he would finally realize that even within a single grade, there were plenty stronger than him.

The match ended with Class Thirteen winning by over ten points—a regular performance for them.

But it was a disaster for Bauer, who scored only eight points, six of which came in the first quarter. He was blocked four times—every starter except Yuhang got him once.

At this moment, Bauer felt his heart ache.

Daxu was very satisfied with the outcome, realizing just how right Yuhang had been to scold him earlier.

On the basketball court, matters are settled by basketball—simple and direct.

Yuhang patted his teammates on the shoulder, feigning sorrow, “I’m too lousy, didn’t manage to block him—I guess I have to pay for the drinks tonight.”

Everyone burst out laughing. “The captain is always stingy—today let’s all order the expensive stuff, the ones we never splurge on!”

Zheng Yuan added dryly, “It seems only Maotai will meet our standards tonight.”

Yuhang pulled a handful of coins from his pocket and asked pitifully, “Will this be enough for Maotai?”

All in all, the first two rounds had gone smoothly; the gap in ability was just too great to bridge.

But the last two rounds would be a real test—a battle with no holds barred.

With the final four teams left, there was no doubt they were all aiming for the championship.

Just then, Qiang and Wu Jianhao, fresh from their own match, came over, chatting excitedly—they’d made the semifinals, too.

“How’d it go? Did you win?” Qiang asked.

Yuhang nodded.

Qiang laughed heartily. “Last semester, you guys knocked us out, and I’ve held a grudge ever since! You were so accurate that day! If we meet again this time, we’ll definitely get our revenge.”

Minghan grinned, “Qiang, you’re ruthless! You were calling me Little Mingming all summer!”

Wu Jianhao shot them a strange look—these two, could they be…?

The four of them were all on the school team, had played together, drank together, hung out at bars together—their friendship ran deep.

“No matter what, this time let’s play to our hearts’ content!”