SSD 48. When the Gods Clash

During the review meeting afterward, Fang Ruihan announced the updated individual player rankings.

Xu Fanming was surprised to see his rank shoot up after that one game, climbing from second to last to third place. He had overtaken Zhu Xuyao and was now only a fraction of a percentage point behind Fang Ruihan, who sat in second place.

Xu Fanming had improved significantly in assists, three-pointers, and scoring, while his turnovers had dropped. With those changes, his overall ranking had gone up.

Especially striking were his fast, precise, and ruthless block, along with two three-pointers that turned the tide. One broke the deadlock in the middle of the game. The other reversed the outcome in the final moments. Xu Fanming’s performance left a deep impression on both the spectators and his teammates.

That game marked a true comeback for him.

Zhu Xuyao nodded. “Well damn, God Fan. You pulling all-nighters behind my back now or what?”

All that sweat and effort had finally turned sweet. Xu Fanming smiled, his lips tugging upward. He gave his chin a thoughtful little rub and said, with mock modesty, “Your daddy is still your daddy. But let’s not go calling me a god just yet.”

Zhu Xuyao laughed out loud, and the two of them messed around, throwing their arms around each other for a bit. Off to the side, He Jiang frowned and gave a quiet cough. Fang Ruihan gave them both a helpless look, then stepped into the middle of the circle and started the meeting.

“That game against Yangsheng went really well. Everyone’s in great form now.” Fang Ruihan glanced around at them, smiling. “If we can keep this momentum going… we might just do better than anyone expects.”

After all these days fighting side by side, Fang Ruihan could clearly feel the trust and chemistry between the team growing stronger. What had started with caution and probing had become full commitment on the court. The pace and atmosphere of their play had finally clicked into place.

It was a very promising sign.

“There are only three games left before the playoffs end.” His tone shifted slightly. “You all know we’re up against Kongxin in the final match.”

Just hearing the name made Xu Fanming swallow hard.

“So far, we’ve been in great shape,” Pan Yuan chimed in from the side. “So, everyone should have confidence in yourselves.”

Xu Fanming looked down at the schedule in his hand. Aside from the final head-to-head clash with Kongxin, they still had two more matches to go.

“The next two teams we’ll be facing usually place on the lower end of the rankings,” Fang Ruihan added, covering his mouth with his hand as he coughed lightly. “So unless something unexpected happens… there shouldn’t be much pressure on us mentally.”

The players glanced at each other and then burst into a knowing round of drawn-out laughter.

“But that final ranking match against Kongxin still needs to be taken very seriously.”

Zhu Xuyao chimed in naturally, “We’d better start getting ready now.”

Xu Fanming exchanged a glance with Wen Qin. That soon?

“We have to take it seriously,” Zhu Xuyao said. “Those guys from Kongxin… it’s been a whole year. Who knows how much better they’ve gotten.”

Xu Fanming lowered his eyes, deep in thought.

After the meeting, everyone stayed back in the gym to get in a bit more practice. Since they had just finished a game, the training session was on the lighter side. He Jiang tried to find a chance to chat with Xu Fanming, but unfortunately didn’t manage to pull it off.

Xu Fanming was still holding a grudge about that night.

He Jiang couldn’t help reflecting on things a little more seriously. The little raptor didn’t respond well to force. The harder he pushed, the more fiercely Xu Fanming pushed back. If that was how it worked, then maybe going forward… he ought to try a softer approach. Sweet-talk and seduction, maybe.

But when he thought about it, he’d been pretty patient that night too. In the end, hadn’t he taken good care of the little firebrand?

While he was still mulling it over, Pan Yuan waved everyone over. She was holding a large shopping bag, her face lit up with a bright smile.

“Okay everyone, take a break for a sec! Come on over.”

Everyone gathered around as Pan Yuan began pulling out colorful vacuum-sealed packages one by one from the big bag.

“My mom sent me a care package a few days ago,” she said cheerfully, pointing to the pile she was setting down on the table. “I brought some to share, so feel free to take what you like.”

The team erupted into a chorus of laughter and gratitude.
“Thanks, manager!”
“Thanks, Pan-jie!”

Then the room filled with cheerful noise as everyone crowded around to grab snacks. There was dried meat, cured sausage, and dried tofu, all packed in bright, colorful wrappers and too many delicious options to take in at once.

Xu Fanming had a sweet tooth, so he grabbed the biggest bag of pastries he could find. They came in all kinds of shapes and looked pretty tasty. He Jiang didn’t think much about it and just reached for a bag of crisp sugar candy. Wen Qin and Fang Ruihan talked it over for a bit before choosing the snacks they had their eyes on.

Zhu Xuyao, on the other hand, stood in front of the table staring at the rows of bags, torn between wanting a bit of everything. After all, these were specialty snacks from Pan Yuan’s hometown. He was still hesitating when Pan Yuan suddenly patted him on the shoulder and pulled out a separate jar of beef sauce from another bag.

“This one’s homemade. My mom made it herself. There’s only one jar like it in the entire world,” she said with a smile as she handed it to him. “Try it and see.”

Zhu Xuyao’s eyes lit up instantly. He took the jar with trembling hands, eyes misting over like he was about to cry. “Yuan Yuan, you’re too good to me.”

Xu Fanming blinked when he saw the beef sauce and blurted out without thinking, “Wait, there’s that too? I wanna try some!”

He immediately got kicked in the leg from behind by He Jiang.

Xu Fanming whipped around to glare at him. “What the hell was that for? It looks really good, alright? What’s the big deal if I have a bite?”

Zhu Xuyao hugged the jar protectively to his chest and shot him a death glare. This guy really had no sense of occasion.

In the end, Xu Fanming didn’t get a taste of the beef sauce. But Pan Yuan cleverly distracted him by handing over some of the photos she’d taken during the match.

“This one came out pretty badass.”

Xu Fanming flipped through them with satisfaction, grinning as he commented, “This one’s not bad either.”

They had taken several gigs’ worth of photos that game. Close-ups, group shots, intense clashes, teammates side by side—just looking at the pictures made it feel like they were right back on that fiery, high-stakes court.

Everyone continued flipping through their own photos and team shots, falling into warm memories of the game. Xu Fanming suddenly came across a photo of him and He Jiang. It had been taken during the match. At the center of the shot was Xu Fanming, his head tilted up, eyes fixed on the ball. And standing behind him was He Jiang, face calm and focused, silently watching his back.

Xu Fanming blinked in confusion. This was taken during the match. What the hell was He Jiang doing? Why wasn’t he watching the ball like a normal person? Why was he staring at him?

Right then, that all-too-familiar voice sounded behind him.

“This one came out really well.”

Xu Fanming immediately turned his head. He Jiang was already standing right behind him, who knew since when, staring down at the photo in his hands. He admired it for a moment, then turned and met Xu Fanming’s eyes. Before Xu Fanming could say anything, He Jiang frowned slightly, then added in a neutral tone, “Looks better than the real thing.”

What the hell. Was that disappointment in his voice?

Xu Fanming bristled, shoved the photo into his chest, and snapped, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

He Jiang accepted the photo with a satisfied smirk and studied it again in his hands. Furious at being tricked, Xu Fanming reached over to snatch it back. On the other side of the room, Pan Yuan was showing Zhu Xuyao some close-ups she had taken of him. Zhu Xuyao found one he really liked and laughed.

“This one makes me look tall and handsome. Yuan Yuan, how about you use it as your profile pic?”

To his surprise, Pan Yuan agreed right away. “Alright.”

She held up the photo, glanced at it, and nodded with a smile. “You do look pretty good here.”

Still holding the photo, He Jiang turned to look at Xu Fanming. He opened his mouth and had only just started to speak when a basketball slammed into his face.

“In your dreams.”

Xu Fanming hurled the ball and took off running. The teammates nearby froze in shock before rushing over to check on He Jiang, who had taken the hit straight to the nose. The ball bounced off to the side as He Jiang rubbed at the sore bridge of his now-reddened nose. It had come so quickly he hadn’t even had time to react.

Fang Ruihan let out a sigh. “That kid really doesn’t know how to hold back.”

He Jiang shook his head a little. Aside from the soreness in his nose, he was fine. He reassured the others, “It’s nothing.”

Everyone around him finally relaxed. Xu Fanming’s hot temper was infamous, but luckily He Jiang had a generous streak and didn’t stoop to his level. Otherwise, things would’ve blown up into a real mess all over again.

But just as He Jiang finished speaking, he bent down with clear payback in mind and picked the basketball up off the ground. Then he hurled it straight at Xu Fanming. The ball hit him square on the ass.

“Ow—!”

Xu Fanming yelped, clutched his butt, and fell over.

The two of them were so childish… the whole team stared, faces full of disbelief.

Right before everyone left, Fang Ruihan turned to Wen Qin and asked if he had any plans for the weekend. Wen Qin gave a shy smile.

“I was thinking of going to the mall to buy new shoes. The ones I’ve been wearing don’t fit that well anymore, so I want to replace them.”

Fang Ruihan smacked his forehead. “Oh, right. I’ve been meaning to get a new pair too. I’ll come with you.”

Zhu Xuyao perked up and jumped in. “Then let’s all go together. We’ve won two games now, so buying a new pair of shoes is a good way to reward ourselves, and we’ll be better equipped for the next match too.”

With Zhu Xuyao throwing the idea out there, of course no one had any objections. Everyone looked toward He Jiang.

That flashy pair of Nike Air FOG 1s He Jiang had worn was still fresh in everyone’s minds. They were the kind of top-tier sneakers that sold for over ten thousand, the exact model worn by celebrities. Someone like He Jiang probably didn’t need to go shopping for shoes with the rest of them.

But then He Jiang looked straight at Xu Fanming and nodded casually. “Sure, sounds good.”

Xu Fanming’s face went dark. He said nothing.

He Jiang grinned from ear to ear. “So, when should we meet?”