SSD 10. The Practice Match Begins

He Jiang brought Xu Fanming to a high-end dessert shop that specialized in handcrafted milk tea and sweets. The menu offered a wide variety of flavors. He Jiang tapped quickly on the tablet, ordering one milk tea and one dessert. Then he handed the tablet over to Xu Fanming.

Xu Fanming scrolled through it casually, only to be stunned. A single cup of caramel milk tea cost fifty-four yuan. This one outing was going to cost him five days’ worth of meal money.

Seeing the panic on Xu Fanming’s face, He Jiang chuckled and reassured him, “Relax, I have a membership card.”

“How much is the discount with that card?”

“Ten percent, maybe.”

Xu Fanming nearly blacked out. As if that made a difference between a million and ten million.

He shoved the tablet back at He Jiang and refused to go along. “No way. We agreed it’d just be an ice cream. Anything more doesn’t count.”

“Don’t be so tense.” Watching Xu Fanming puff up like a threatened animal, He Jiang laughed so hard he had to hold his stomach. After wiping his eyes, he handed the tablet back with a serious tone. “This time, I’m treating you. I don’t like owing people.”

So someone else was paying. Hearing that, Xu Fanming immediately relaxed.

“But on one condition.”

Xu Fanming tensed again in an instant.

“Give me your phone.”

“My phone?” Xu Fanming instinctively covered his pocket. “What for?”

“Just to save a number.” He Jiang raised his eyebrows and put on a look of innocence. “We’re on the same team now. It’s easier to keep in touch.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Xu Fanming handed over his phone. He Jiang was satisfied. He saved their numbers and even added each other on WeChat. Glancing at Xu Fanming’s profile name “Wind-chasing Hottie” He Jiang smiled. The avatar was of Sakuragi Hanamichi from Slam Dunk, with his bright red hair.

He Jiang’s smile deepened as the image of a snarling little dinosaur flashed through his mind. After saving the contact, he returned the phone and the ordering tablet to Xu Fanming.

After being coaxed back into his seat by He Jiang, Xu Fanming took the tablet and started tapping away. He didn’t care whether he could finish it or not, he just picked the most expensive items. He even considered texting Zhu Xuyao to ask what desserts and milk tea he and the captain liked. He might as well bring something back for them too. Though honestly, none of them looked like the type who enjoyed sweets.

He Jiang watched him with amusement. This guy really couldn’t stand losing out.

Five minutes later, the server arrived with their order. He Jiang had picked a glass of milk-strawberry jelly and a cup of handmade milk tea, all sugary things. Xu Fanming frowned as soon as he saw them. How was he not sick of that level of sweetness?

He Jiang took a bite of the dessert. His tongue picked up the faint taste of strawberry. Xu Fanming, who rarely drank milk tea, had ordered a bunch of things he didn’t even understand. Now he sat there absentmindedly poking at the drink with a spoon.

After watching him for a few seconds, He Jiang suddenly asked, “Why were you so eager for a one-on-one with me?”

Xu Fanming didn’t miss a beat. “Why did you join the team anyway?”

“Because,” He Jiang looked straight at him, “like I said, I don’t like owing people.”

Xu Fanming didn’t get it. His face was full of confusion.

He Jiang nudged him, “Well? What about you?”

“Because, uh…” Xu Fanming scratched his head, suddenly looking a little awkward. He wanted to brush it off, but couldn’t figure out how. After hesitating for a long while, he finally gave in and said honestly, “Back in my second year of high school, I went to watch a basketball game. My friend’s brother was on the team, and that was the finals where you were named MVP. That was my first time watching a live match. It left a deep impression. I’ve always loved basketball, and ever since that day, I’ve wanted to challenge you to a one-on-one.”

He Jiang considered that for a moment. Just from watching one game, this guy had developed the ambition to go up against an MVP. It said a lot about Xu Fanming’s confidence and seriousness. The corners of He Jiang’s lips softened slightly, then he lifted an eyebrow and asked with a teasing edge, “So? Were you satisfied with the result of that one-on-one?”

“I admit defeat, but that doesn’t mean I’m stopping here.” Xu Fanming clenched his teeth. “I’m going to surpass you. I’m going to win provincials, then nationals, and eventually make it into CUBA.”

He Jiang froze, looking at the unwavering determination in Xu Fanming’s eyes. His expression gradually shifted, turning complicated.

“If that’s how you feel, why didn’t you go into athletics?”

Xu Fanming shot right back, just as sharp, “Then why didn’t you?”

Both of them fell silent. The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

Clearly, this was a sensitive topic for them both.

Xu Fanming did not want to explain further, and He Jiang had no intention of speaking either. After a brief standoff, Xu Fanming completely lost the mood for small talk. He abruptly stood up, grabbed his jacket, and just as He Jiang looked up in surprise and was about to speak, Xu Fanming turned around and snapped, “Less pointless chatter. Spend that energy practicing.”

He strode out of the shop without looking back, leaving He Jiang alone at the table, staring blankly at the untouched desserts.

He had only wanted a good conversation. But he had unknowingly hit a nerve. The little raptor was too guarded, and things had ended on a sour note.

He Jiang let out a sigh. The strawberry’s sweetness had not even had a chance to settle before it cooled on his tongue.

After he returned to the dorm, he received a message from Pan Yuan summarizing the key points of the team meeting during dinner. Two main items were discussed. First, the team had officially been renamed the “Qinghuo.” Second, the plan for the upcoming provincial tournament was laid out.

Starting next month, the campus team would begin the preliminary ranking rounds. These would be conducted in both the eastern and western zones of the province. After several rounds of ranking matches, the top six teams from each zone would advance to the playoffs. The playoffs would include eleven games in total. First, each zone’s first seed would face the sixth, second against fifth, third against fourth. Then, the winners of game three and game two would face off, followed by the winner of that match playing the winner of game one. Finally, the champion of the eastern zone would face the champion of the western zone.

In other words, during the preliminary ranking matches, they had to make it into the top six teams of the eastern zone and win at least two consecutive games to have a shot at qualifying for the championship finals.

To build momentum ahead of the tournament, their captain, Fang Ruihan, had specifically arranged a warm-up match with a neighboring university, scheduled for next Sunday.

Qinghuo, perhaps like a dark horse, cloaked in black, unexpectedly gifted with exceptional strength, ready to rise at a critical moment and steal the spotlight.

And now, their first battle was about to begin.

Their opponent for the first practice match was a local university of science and technology. Its men’s basketball team was known as Yangsheng.

Yangsheng’s team had remained a solid mid-tier presence in the city for years. But last year, thanks to the arrival of a powerful shooting guard, the team’s overall level had taken a significant leap. Their coach began emphasizing all-around development, aiming to push the team even further. After a year of focused training, Yangsheng’s performance this season was expected to impress.

“Judging by last year’s results, Yangsheng and our team are roughly on the same level,” Fang Ruihan said seriously, looking at his teammates. “But if we want to stand out in the first round of the ranking tournament, we must beat them.”

During the pre-match meeting, Xu Fanming listened with unusual focus. Even Zhu Xuyao, usually all smiles and jokes, had gone quiet, his expression tense as he sank into thought. Standing off to the side, Pan Yuan watched Fang Ruihan’s serious expression and couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of worry about the match.

Although she had never seen Yangsheng’s team play in person, she had long heard of their No. 9 shooting guard.

Word was, this guard could break through layers of defense in the final five seconds of a game and drive in for a layup to turn the tide. His technique was solid, and his mental game was just as strong. He was known for his precision and aggressive style on the court, especially his sharp cuts and layups.

With just that one player, he could carry the entire team.

“Last year, I watched a few of Yangsheng’s games and saw that devil of a guard in action,” Fang Ruihan said after a moment of thought. “He’s tall, quick on the break, and deadly around the basket. Once he gets inside the paint, we’ll have to be especially wary of his drives.”

In terms of height, He Jiang was the tallest on their team at 190 centimeters. Next came Zhu Xuyao at 188, then Fang Ruihan at 185, followed by Xu Fanming at an even 180. Among the new players around 170, Wen Qin was on the shorter side at only 173 centimeters.

According to official stats, that so-called devil guard from Yangsheng was around 188 centimeters tall. That meant only He Jiang and Zhu Xuyao had the physical edge needed to guard him effectively.

“Got it,” Zhu Xuyao nodded, catching on quickly. “I’ll keep a close eye on him.”

Xu Fanming glanced over at He Jiang, only to find him idly scrolling on his phone, completely disinterested, clearly not paying attention to the captain’s briefing. The irritation surged up. He couldn’t understand how He Jiang could act so unconcerned.

“In short, we absolutely have to hold the line on the inside,” Fang Ruihan said, giving Xu Fanming a firm pat on the shoulder, then shifting his gaze to He Jiang and Zhu Xuyao. Finally, he looked around at the rest of the team and said solemnly, “And watch the rebounds. Let’s give it everything we’ve got.”

He Jiang was the team’s center, while Zhu Xuyao played power forward. They were the anchors of their interior defense. The outcome of the match would likely hinge on whether the opponent could break through them.

The practice match was set to take place at Yangsheng’s home court. When it came time to get into the taxis, Xu Fanming refused to sit with He Jiang and quickly joined Zhu Xuyao and Fang Ruihan instead. In the end, it was Xu Fanming, Zhu Xuyao, Fang Ruihan, and Wen Qin sharing one car, while He Jiang rode with the reserve players in another.

On the way there, Xu Fanming glanced at Wen Qin, who was sitting quietly. He turned to ask Fang Ruihan, who was in the front passenger seat, “Captain, is he playing today?”

By “he,” he meant Wen Qin. During the last friendly match between campuses, Wen Qin had only been subbed in during the second quarter, and before he could even warm up, he was pulled out again. From what Xu Fanming remembered, Wen Qin’s performance in that game had been underwhelming. His movements had been stiff, and his skills hadn’t stood out at all.

Fang Ruihan looked at the rearview mirror and answered calmly, “Wen Qin isn’t playing today. He’s here to observe and learn.”

Xu Fanming let out a quiet “oh,” cast another glance at Wen Qin, and said nothing more. It was clear the captain valued him. Even if he wasn’t on the roster today, he had still been brought along to watch and absorb the atmosphere.

Could he be some kind of relative of the captain’s? But they didn’t look alike at all.

Forget it. He should just focus on the game.

After a thirty-minute ride, the group arrived at Yangsheng’s gymnasium. The Yangsheng players were already on site, waiting for them.

Fang Ruihan led the team to the locker room to change. When they came back out, they were fully suited up and ready to go.

While the others began warming up, Xu Fanming caught another glimpse of He Jiang. As always, that guy was moving at his own pace, slowly stretching out his legs, looking perfectly relaxed and unbothered. The sight alone was enough to make Xu Fanming’s blood pressure spike.

Ever since this guy joined the team, Xu Fanming had a bad feeling. His right eyelid kept twitching nonstop. And after that unpleasant conversation with He Jiang, the feeling had only gotten worse. There was something off about He Jiang. His logic was weird, his vibe was even weirder, and his entire way of thinking was something normal people couldn’t hope to figure out. The things he said and did were all strange.

Today, Xu Fanming had secretly made up his mind. If that guy dared to screw around or pull any stunts during the game, he wouldn’t let him off easy.

What exactly “not letting him off easy” meant, he’d figure out after the match.

Off to the side, Zhu Xuyao was happily wagging his tail as he promised Pan Yuan, “Yuan Yuan, I’m definitely going to lock him down today and snag the MVP. That’ll make you the team leader of the MVP squad. You’ll be walking with your head high and wind blowing through your sleeves.”

Pan Yuan smiled. “Just focus on playing well. That number 9 on the other team isn’t easy to deal with, so don’t get cocky.”

Zhu Xuyao rolled up his sleeve and flexed his triceps. He grinned wide. “Check it out. Your guy’s a beast.”

Xu Fanming happened to be passing by and couldn’t help scoffing. “Those pumped-up muscles of yours will fold like dough when the real deal shows up. It’s not a street fight.”

Zhu Xuyao tossed a wristband at him. “Why do you have to pop up everywhere?”

But the wristband missed its mark and slapped against another white jersey. The three of them looked up. Standing there was a tall man with long hair tied back in a braid.

He had a commanding presence, and with just a single glance, the air between them turned tense. In the center of his white jersey was a bold number: 9.

That was Yangsheng’s number 9 shooting guard.

Xu Fanming stared at Zhu Xuyao’s back, and a single thought popped into his head: You looked a mess scrambling to pick up that wristband, but the way you threw it was actually kind of cool.

Zhu Xuyao picked the wristband up from the floor, straightened up, and held out a hand toward the man in front of him. Matching his gaze, he spoke calmly but with presence. “Sorry about that just now. I’m Zhu Xuyao from Qinghuo. Nice to meet you.”

The two men stood face to face, equal in height and unwilling to yield an inch. Sparks were practically flying in the air between them.

The man curved his lips into a faint smile, revealing a small canine tooth that added an unexpected touch of charm to his sharp, unreadable aura. Holding Zhu Xuyao’s gaze, he reached out and took the handshake, giving it a firm shake as he replied, one word at a time, “I’m Tian Ye from Yangsheng. I look forward—to—your—guidance—on—the—court.”