SSD 20. Qinghuo vs. Shuanglan: The Towering Twins

“I wasn’t distracted!” Xu Fanming’s face flushed red. “Worry about yourself!”

He had not expected those exact words to come back and slap him in the face.

With the referee’s whistle, the match officially began. The basketball flew from the referee’s hand, and in the split second it reached its highest point, two lightning-quick hands shot up after it from below. Everyone’s hearts seized at once. Who would come out on top and take first possession?

“Shuanglan’s number 12 jumped too early,” Pan Yuan swallowed hard. “He started coming down while the ball was still rising. This one’s going to be…”

Wearing the orange and black uniform, He Jiang leapt high into the air and forcefully swatted the ball forward toward his teammate. The ball bounced off the floor and was swiftly caught by Fang Ruihan.

He Jiang curved his lips into a smile. Across from him, Gao Nan’s eyes flashed with a flicker of surprise, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Nice jump!”

Shuanglan snapped into gear, retreating fast on defense. Fang Ruihan dribbled the ball straight into their half. He Jiang caught the twitch of intent in number 12 Gao Nan’s body and moved to block, using his back to keep Gao Nan from closing in, creating a clear path for the captain to advance.

Gao Nan was trapped behind He Jiang, his brows knitting in frustration. Fang Ruihan was moving fast, and by now it was too late for the midfielders to catch up.

Gao Nan was blocked behind He Jiang and furrowed his brows in frustration. Fang Ruihan’s pace was too fast, and at this point, the midfielders had no chance of catching up.

He Jiang wasn’t stupid. The captain had come to speak to him before the game not just to check in, but to remind him.

A reminder that in this match, he would be one of the key players.

Fang Ruihan charged forward, cutting through the defenders, reaching the opponent’s key area. Just as he was preparing for a layup, a flash of blue darted in from his blind spot on the right. Fang Ruihan hesitated instinctively, his grip on the ball tightening.

A towering figure suddenly loomed in front of him. It was number 13, Gao Dong!

Fang Ruihan lifted his head and met Gao Dong’s eyes. In that moment of stillness, he experienced the sheer pressure that height could bring. The instinctive fear that struck was overwhelming. But thanks to his extensive game experience, Fang Ruihan quickly steadied himself.

So it wasn’t going to be easy after all.

He passed the ball to Zhu Xuyao, who was closest to the basket. Zhu Xuyao caught it, took a step back to shake off the defender, then launched the shot.

Perfect timing.

Pan Yuan was practically holding her breath.

On the court, there’s the three-second rule. In offensive play, a player is not allowed to remain in the opponent’s restricted area for more than three consecutive seconds. That’s why the painted area is often called the “three-second zone.”

The ball sank cleanly through the net. They scored the opening two points.

It bounced off the floor and was quickly picked up by the opponent. Qinghuo’s players adjusted their positions and rushed back to defend. But Xu Fanming couldn’t calm down. He had clearly seen it. When the captain was confronted by the towering two-meter opponent, he had given up on forcing his way through and passed the ball without a second thought.

Did they really have no chance against these giants?

Xu Fanming refused to accept that. Still, he had to admit, if it had been him trapped by Gao Dong in that moment, his only option would have been to pass.

Even though they had claimed the first two points, he didn’t feel any joy.

“Fanming!”

The shout snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. Xu Fanming whipped his head around just in time to see Gao Nan, now holding the ball, brushing right past him.

The moment his shoulder was slammed aside, Xu Fanming’s lips turned pale. The gust of wind stirred up by Gao Nan as he passed made his mind go completely blank. A height difference of twenty centimeters was an overwhelming advantage. Only now did Xu Fanming truly feel the threat his opponent posed.

Shit. He had spaced out and missed the best timing to defend.

His heart began to pound, panic rising fast. Fang Ruihan and He Jiang exchanged a glance, then both rushed in from opposite sides of the paint to help defend.

“Gao Nan!”

Seeing that his younger brother was about to get trapped by two defenders, Gao Dong, standing at the sideline, couldn’t hold back and shouted his name. Gao Nan glanced sideways toward his brother. His expression shifted slightly. The twins exchanged a look, and a flash of understanding passed between them.

That sudden shout from Gao Dong also drew attention from other players. Fang Ruihan’s gaze instinctively followed Gao Nan’s movement and met Gao Dong’s complex expression, leaving him even more confused. He Jiang didn’t change his stance. He lowered his center of gravity and raised both arms to block Gao Nan, but his mind was running through calculations at lightning speed.

Even with Gao Nan’s height advantage, facing two defenders at once made it hard for anyone to break through. They weren’t close to the basket, so attempting a shot here would be risky. He Jiang held his breath and fixed his eyes on Gao Nan. Was he going to shoot, pass… or attempt a breakthrough?

Suddenly, Gao Nan lunged to the right. Both He Jiang and Fang Ruihan reacted almost instantly. That was the direction where Gao Dong stood.

Was it a pass?

He Jiang quickly adjusted his footing, ready to intercept the pass. Fang Ruihan also positioned himself, stretching his arm toward the direction of the ball—

Even though both of them were prepared, Gao Nan seemed to be toying with them. He deliberately lifted the ball high to his right and effortlessly sent it soaring toward his brother, Gao Dong.

The pass was too high.

At two meters tall, Gao Nan’s reach was nearly sky-breaking. The ball arced in the air, flying steadily toward Gao Dong, who was moving in to receive it. He Jiang extended his arm, trying to block it, but the ball veered toward Fang Ruihan’s side. If he reached for it now, he’d risk colliding with the captain and drawing a foul. Fang Ruihan reacted a beat slower. By the time he jumped, it was already too late.

The ball couldn’t be caught.

He Jiang raised his head slightly, eyes narrowing on Gao Nan. Clad in his blue jersey, Number 12 looked down at him from above, a hint of smugness in his gaze. This was a battle where every inch of height was being stretched into a crushing advantage.

The ball was just about to reach Gao Dong’s hands. Zhu Xuyao rushed forward to help defend. He Jiang and Fang Ruihan dropped their stances, tense eyes following the play. That was when He Jiang realized Gao Dong had shifted to the right wing, just beyond the three-point line.

Was he trying to hit a three-pointer to close the gap?

Gao Dong caught the ball, but his gaze never lingered on the basket. Before Zhu Xuyao could reach him, he raised the ball beside his head, preparing to launch—

No. Something was off.

He Jiang’s eyes sharpened in an instant.

But it was already too late. A gust of wind swept past his side, carrying a faint trace of sweat. He Jiang whipped his head around in alarm. Gao Nan, who had just been boxed in by them, had already slipped through the gap in their loosened defense and darted past Fang Ruihan’s shoulder from the right.

At the same moment, Gao Dong had already launched the ball. It arced through the air and dropped cleanly into Gao Nan’s hands.

So that had been the real play. Gao Dong’s catch had been nothing but a feint to draw their attention. The true shooter was still Gao Nan.

He Jiang had to admit the coordination and acting from the twin brothers was nearly flawless. The sequence of fake-outs had been so precise that even he had let his guard down for a moment.

Gao Nan had already broken through their defense. It was too late to turn back and chase. He Jiang and Fang Ruihan stood rooted in place, all but giving up. Even Zhu Xuyao sighed and came to a halt. Gao Nan dribbled into the key. Just as he adjusted his pace and raised the ball to go for a layup, a streak of motion flashed under the basket. A figure leapt up high, cutting directly in front of him.

That speed, that vertical leap. There was only one player it could be.

Pan Yuan jumped up from her folding chair. Zhu Xuyao and Fang Ruihan broke into wide grins.

“Xu Fanming!”

He Jiang’s eyes lit up. Was Xu Fanming going for a block?

Xu Fanming exploded upward, his feet springing off the ground like coiled steel. His body soared through the air, casting a sharp shadow over Gao Nan’s face. Even the two-meter-tall forward froze for half a second. Xu Fanming put everything he had into that jump, ready to give the towering twins a proper lesson.

So what if they were tall? His vertical was more than enough to hold his own.

Shuanglan had their monster twin forwards. Qinghuo had its own streetball king. Xu Fanming.

The ball was already raised above Gao Nan’s head, arcing toward the hoop. Xu Fanming extended his arm. Gao Nan had no time to adjust, and the ball slammed squarely into Xu Fanming’s palm!

Xu Fanming’s face lit up with joy. He had touched the ball.

This move demanded both sharp judgment and excellent vertical ability. If his jump had been a second too early or too late, he would have missed Gao Nan and the ball entirely. Either Gao Nan would have scored before Xu Fanming reached his highest point, or the ball would have slipped past him as he started to fall.

Just as Gao Nan was trying to force the ball into the hoop, Xu Fanming leapt up from under the basket, intercepting it mid-air.

It looked incredible.

Xu Fanming curled the corner of his lips, his expression relaxing slightly. He held the ball tightly as he began to descend, already thinking ahead to the next move. Should he dribble across the court, pass, or go for a shot? But just then, Gao Nan’s brow suddenly furrowed.

He Jiang drew in a sharp breath. “Xu Fanming, it’s not over yet!”

In that instant, Gao Nan abruptly pulled back with astonishing speed. His massive hand wrapped around the ball and, with overwhelming force, he surged toward the hoop again.

No one saw it coming. Gao Nan drove forward with pure power, forcing the ball upward.

Just as Xu Fanming let down his guard, Gao Nan surged forward like a sweeping wind, overturning everything in an instant, as if he had never taken Xu Fanming’s block seriously at all. Xu Fanming’s descent was too rapid. His fingertips brushed against the textured surface of the ball, but in the end, he couldn’t hold it. The moment Gao Nan powered forward, the sheer force knocked Xu Fanming off balance. His body gave out, and he crashed hard onto the floor.

His vision went dark. A surge of helplessness rose from deep inside, spreading through his chest. What had just happened? Where was the ball?

Pain shot up from his leg. Xu Fanming jerked his head toward Gao Nan’s direction. At that moment, the basketball dropped cleanly through the net. The scoreboard flipped: 2 to 2.

A crushing edge in both height and strength.

Within just a few seconds, the momentum on the court had shifted again and again. The crowd exploded. This was shaping up to be an unforgettable game.

Kneeling on the ground, Xu Fanming felt his mind go blank. His own breath pounded in his ears, and a creeping sense of despair began to chip away at his composure. Then, a warm hand reached down and pulled him out of the dark. A familiar, hoarse voice followed.

“Get up. The game isn’t over yet.”

Xu Fanming’s eyes snapped open, meeting He Jiang’s deep and steady gaze.