Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog-Chapter 593: Look Good

The dining hall felt quieter after Coach Xu Wei said those words.

The players, both veterans and rookies, watched him intently, wondering what he would say after their unexpected yet bittersweet win.

"What is this, coach?" Muyang groaned. "What kind of competition do you want to subject us to now?"

Caleb shook his head and focused his gaze on his plate. "We're going to beat them this time," he said to himself.

Coach Xu Wei crossed his arms, his sharp gaze moving from one face to another. "After watching the game, I've come to a realization," he started. "This team has something special. I don't know if it's because of you coming from different leagues, but it might actually be a good thing. You thrive under pressure. When the stakes are doubled, you rise to the occasion."

Max grinned. "Yeah, we're adrenaline junkies," he joked, earning a few scoffs.

Coach Xu Wei's lips quirked up slightly before his expression grew serious again. "South Korea isn't the strongest team in the tournament, but don't underestimate them. They've got experience and a history of success, having competed in the 2016 Global Games. Their roster is still formidable even if they can't place higher in their bracket."

Max leaned forward, his interest piqued. "So, we're going to have another competition again? A part two?"

Jimmy perked up. Maybe, just maybe, his dad would watch the game this time. "What's the plan? Are we going with the Elite Five versus the oldies again?" he asked.

Several of the veterans clicked their tongues, and Caleb shot Jimmy a glare. "Don't push your luck, kid," he muttered.

Coach Xu Wei shook his head. "We can't do that anymore," he said, his voice firm.

"I've seen enough to know that while the Elite Five are exceptional as a unit—unexpected, fresh, and surprisingly relaxed..."

The young men brightened up, unconsciously showing off. However, Coach Xu Wei's next words brought them back to reality.

"...the veterans still possess superior individual skills. That is not surprising since they've been playing longer. They are overall better."

It was time for the veterans to gloat at the younger players.

Coach Xu Wei continued, "If you guys can rack up this many points in a team competition, I'm curious how you'll perform in individual matchups."

The table fell silent, everyone processing his words.

"Wait," Jian said, frowning. "An individual fight? You're splitting us up?"

Now, he was no stranger to having one-man games. That was his identity for most of his high school life. However, hearing it at a global competition was surprising.

Coach Xu Wei nodded. "Yes. I want to see who the true MVP of this team is. Each of you will get equal playing time. This isn't about favoritism—it's about strategy. Your individual strategy."

Follow current novℯls on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

Jaw-Long's brow furrowed, his voice filled with skepticism. "Why are you doing this, coach? Basketball is a team sport. Splitting us up feels counterproductive."

Coach Xu Wei met his gaze steadily. "I know basketball is a team sport, so I hesitated a lot before coming up with this."

"However, it is also a game that values points. Like I said earlier, you unconsciously thrive in competition. This is a do-or-die game. One loss, and we're out. But one win and we're one step closer to proving we belong on the podium."

Kai, seated quietly in the corner, glanced at his teammates. He could see the apprehension in their faces and the uncertainty of stepping into such uncharted territory.

Coach Xu Wei's voice softened. "Trust me on this. I've seen what you're capable of, both as a team and as individuals. This is the best way forward."

No one argued further.

The atmosphere at the table grew subdued, and the meal continued in near silence. They knew that Coach Xu Wei's words were final.

As the team began to disperse, Max noticed Kai lingering behind. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Kai shrugged nonchalantly. "Just grabbing something from the vending machine."

Max raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. The others exchanged knowing looks as they walked away.

Zheng shook his head, smirking. "We all know where he's really going."

"To practice," Jian said with a sigh. "It's ridiculous. We're dead tired."

"But that's Kai for you," Zheng added.

There was a determined look on Kai's face as he passed by the vending machine. Just then, he received a notification.

He smirked, almost like he was expecting it.

[Win the individual game.]

[+100 XP for the win]

[The same amount of XP will be deducted for the loss.]

***

The day of the game arrived, and the Chinese team felt even more divided than usual.

As the two teams entered the arena, they were met with a deafening roar from the crowd. The stands were packed to the brim, with an overwhelming number of teenage girls waving banners and screaming enthusiastically.

Kai's eyes widened as he took in the scale of the crowd. "This is insane," he muttered to Max, who was walking beside him.

Max looked around and shook his head. "It has come to this, huh?" he muttered.

Kai frowned.

Zheng smirked, nudging Kai as he joined their conversation. "You can thank the internet for that."

Kai frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Zheng pointed toward the big screen, where a highlight reel of the previous game was playing. The camera lingered on Kai's shy smile and wave from the end of the match, which had apparently gone viral.

Then, after that, an equally good-looking guy was shown using his jersey to wipe off his sweat. Kai's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"We've got two of the most good-looking new players in this tournament," Zheng explained. "On their side, they've got Park Jin-woo—an idol-like forward who's been trending on social media for weeks."

"And on our side, we've got you, Mr. Actor-handsome Kai Guo."

Kai's gaze swept to the South Korean team, and at that moment, he found none other than Park Jin-woo already looking at him. As their eyes met, a small smirk made its way to Park Jinwoo's face.

Max clicked his tongue. "Looks like we have another type of competition going on."