While Cao Nan was still mulling over this, Lin Feng suddenly picked up the basketball from the ground and swished it into the basket, drawing a beautiful arc in the air. Swish—nothing but net?! Seeking votes 028 – Even a thug needs face.
The net swung for a moment before stopping. He scored too?! And incredibly, it was a perfect swish! Damn, that’s too weird, right? I’m not seeing things, am I… Cao Nan was frustrated. The basketball court fell silent again, but this time it was different. Cao Nan’s henchmen wanted to jeer and use boos to disrupt the opponent, but were deterred by their boss’s murderous glare. Other spectators were in a state of shock, still reeling from the swish, while many were afraid they had seen it wrong or cheered mistakenly. Could that guy, looking so pathetic just now, actually score? His luck must be too good! Did I see it right? Was it Cao Nan’s shot?
Everyone held the same thought, not daring to believe what they had just seen. After all, Cao Nan’s reputation on the basketball court was deeply ingrained; no one believed Lin Feng, looking half-dead, was qualified to challenge Cao Nan. Moreover, his opponent was Cao Nan, known as the basketball prince and leader of the Thirteen Eagles, the school bullies. Even if someone did see the shot clearly, they wouldn’t dare shout out. Unless they were itching for trouble!
So, despite Lin Feng also scoring a basket, the court fell into an unusual silence… Just then, a straightforward voice suddenly shouted: “Lin Feng scores one, a swish!” It was Sun Dasheng! Lin Feng’s deskmate, Sun Dasheng, unexpectedly shouted out. His shout immediately broke the silence on the court. Including Cao Nan, all members of the Thirteen Eagles turned their gazes towards Sun Dasheng, while the surrounding people, intimidated by the Thirteen Eagles, quickly pointed at him to clear their own involvement, fearing misunderstanding. Cao Nan’s henchmen were eager to drag Sun Dasheng out, but he shook his head to stop them. Cao Nan glanced around the crowd, and despite feeling annoyed, he quickly put on a nonchalant, relaxed expression. Then he picked up the ball, retied the ribbon, and prepared for his next shot.
With someone leading the cheer, the court immediately became noisy again, with the audience enthusiastically discussing Lin Feng’s unexpected score. That shot was too bizarre; even a layperson, seeing Lin Feng’s exaggerated and comical shooting motion, would never believe he could score. Yet, life is full of surprises, and fate loves to play kind-hearted pranks! Luck!
Even with such clumsy amateur moves, he managed to score. This goal must have been kissed by luck! But how much luck was involved, and how long could his incredible luck last? This has become a hot topic of discussion among everyone. However, both sides have scored a goal, and the suspense of who would win has been reignited, adding more drama to this farce! Sun Dacheng, the supervisor of the match, loudly announced the score, breaking the deadlock on the court. Hearing the noisy commotion on the field, Cao Nan, standing to the side, felt quite displeased. He felt his authority was being challenged! After Sun Dacheng rashly called out, he also regretted it, especially when Cao Nan shot him a sideways glance, making him feel somewhat uneasy. But now, Sun Dacheng had gone all out, thinking to himself, “I’ve already offended Cao Nan by urging Lin Feng to concede earlier, he’ll definitely come after me later. Being blackmailed once hurts, but more times won’t make it itch. I’ll just find a way to pay him off.”
The atmosphere on the court suddenly tensed. Cao Nan geared up again, this time playing a little trick by aiming at the basket before putting on his blindfold, then staying in the same spot. By estimating the position before shooting, it was essentially cheating. Whoosh— Cao Nan followed through and made a clean, swish shot. “Yay! One thousand, one thousand! Boss is mighty! Boss is invincible! Boss is the best!” Cao Nan’s lackeys started cheering.
Whoosh— As soon as Cao Nan’s shot ended, Lin Feng followed up with another perfect swish, without any hesitation or delay. At the moment of his shot, his movements, the arc of the basketball, and even the angle at which it entered the hoop were eerily similar to the previous shot, a perfect replication. Damn! Cao Nan, this kid has been planning this for a long time! Cao Nan thought his little trick was unnoticed by others, but people weren’t fools, they were just too scared to speak out. Publicly they dared not protest, but it didn’t mean they weren’t showing their disapproval in subtle ways. Now with Lin Feng, a brave soul standing up to the school bully, everyone who had a grudge could now express their grievances, finding a backbone in Lin Feng. Unintentionally, Lin Feng had become the savior in the eyes of all the boys at Yushan High School. Life in dire straits had been too long; now, with a glimmer of hope, the day of liberation seemed within reach! And the many girls who loved to fantasize saw an epic ‘hero vs. villain’ drama unfolding before them, their screams were generous. The support of the onlookers shifted entirely to Lin Feng, with cheers and shouts sweeping like a tidal wave…
“Shoot! Shoot! Blindfolded shooting!” “Shoot! Shoot! Hurry up and shoot!”
Despite Cao Nan’s usual dominance, he knew it was hard to handle public anger. Facing an opponent on the court for the first time, his proud heart couldn’t bear the public ridicule. He steeled himself, thinking, ‘So what if it’s blindfolded, it’s not a big deal. If this turtle grandson can do it, so can I.’ With the blindfold back on, he shot again, relying on his earlier feeling, and the ball, after some struggle, went in!
Lin Feng’s performance remained steady, following up with another swish. The score was now 4:4, with each having six shots. Damn! At worst, I’ll lose money to you… Hearing the cheers erupt again, Cao Nan restrained his impulse not to remove the blindfold again; after all, even a thug has some pride!
Cao Nan carefully maintained his position without moving. He believed that with his familiarity with the court, his past dominance, and his recent practice of blindfolded shooting, he couldn’t possibly lose too many balls. As long as he kept his next four shots’ misses to one, he believed Lin Feng couldn’t keep performing so consistently. He felt the fear of defeat for the first time on the court. I can’t lose! Cao Nan thought silently…
The new week has begun, seeking votes, seeking collections! 029 Cao Can’t Score and Cao Not Touching
Thud! Thud! Thud! The basketball was heavily slapped in Cao Nan’s hands, each bounce sounding more oppressive than the last. The momentum on the court is undoubtedly the most crucial asset for any player; once suppressed, even the most skilled techniques can falter in actual play. Cao Nan took deep breaths to steady his mind. I won’t lose! He slapped the ball hard, gradually regaining his former confidence. With a swish, he pulled the ball back. Holding it in one hand, his right fingers spread, touching the ball with his fingertips and the base of his palm, the familiar feel was still there, which calmed him somewhat.
Inhale, bend knees, look up, ‘locking’ onto the familiar target; left hand guarding the ball, right hand lifting it overhead; exhale, straighten up, leap, and with a habitual flick of the wrist, the ball was released…
Whoosh— The basketball traced an arc towards the hoop. Perhaps it was due to a lack of composure or being disturbed by the overwhelming cheers and shouts, despite Cao Nan feeling he had adjusted his mindset, his seventh shot still failed! The basketball hit the rim, spun around a few times, and bizarrely bounced out, thudding onto the ground!
