SSD 22. Qinghuo vs Shuanglan: Initiative and Passivity

Fang Ruihan called out to Xu Fanming again, fixing his gaze on him as he said, “Fanming, you, He Jiang, and Zhu Xuyao need to hold the paint.”

Xu Fanming glanced at Fang Ruihan with a defeated look, then gave a silent nod.

Right now, everyone had to be fully focused.

“Now,” Fang Ruihan said as he looked at the team, “listen to me carefully.”

In the second half of the second quarter, as team captain, Fang Ruihan made a firm decision. He and Wen Qin would take the backcourt. He Jiang and Zhu Xuyao, being the tallest, would be assigned to one-on-one defense against the Gao brothers. Xu Fanming would focus on flexible passing and shooting. With He Jiang and Zhu Xuyao’s solid screening skills, even if they could not directly overpower Shuanglan’s formidable frontcourt, a layered inside-outside strategy and one-on-one coverage might still buy time for their offense.

“If we still cannot counter their attacks and rebounds for now,” Fang Ruihan concluded, “then at the very least, we must not stay on the defensive.”

“Turning defense into offense,” Zhu Xuyao said with a smile. “Captain, that’s sharp.”

Fang Ruihan nodded and thought for a moment before continuing, “We’ve been suppressed for long enough. We’ve seen the strength of the Gao brothers. The shock and the confusion is over. From now on, it’s our turn to take the initiative.”

The players looked at one another, and one by one, determined expressions began to show on their faces.

Their hands stacked together. “Three, two, one. Qinghuo, let’s go!”

Before the game resumed, Pan Yuan noticed that Xu Fanming’s jersey was soaked in sweat, and his expression looked somewhat stiff. She walked over and patted him on the shoulder, speaking softly. “Fanming, are you alright?”

Xu Fanming wiped his face with a hand and gave a quiet “mm.”

Pan Yuan grew more concerned at how off he seemed. After he got crushed in a one-on-one with He Jiang, Xu Fanming had holed up in the dorm for days, nearly shutting down. During the last scrimmage, when Qinghuo was completely overwhelmed, Xu Fanming even lost control of his emotions on the court. He must have been deeply dissatisfied with how he had performed.

Pan Yuan let out a quiet sigh as she watched Xu Fanming’s back, gradually slipping into deep thought.

Xu Fanming was the type of player who shone in favorable situations, but struggled to rise when faced with adversity.

The referee blew the whistle, and the game resumed in full. Qinghuo’s five players gave everything they had to fight back, and Fang Ruihan’s strategy began to show results.

Even with Gao Dong’s advantage in both strength and height, He Jiang, with his seasoned experience, managed to keep him firmly blocked behind. A flicker of frustration showed on Gao Dong’s face. The ball was passed from Wen Qin to Xu Fanming, who forcefully sent it flying into the net.

Five minutes into the second quarter, the score began to narrow, the gap closing step by step.

While dribbling, Fang Ruihan glanced at the figures of Gao Dong and Gao Nan, drew in a deep breath, and gradually steadied his nerves.

He passed the ball to Wen Qin. Wen Qin caught it just outside the three-point line, rose into the air, and released the shot. The ball arced cleanly through the air and dropped straight into the net.

Fang Ruihan watched Gao Dong and Gao Nan turn to defend, a beat too slow. Sweat slid down his forehead as he finally allowed himself to breathe. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

This was the approach. Steady the score, then dismantle them piece by piece.

Shuanglan might be strong, but Qinghuo was not going to fall behind.

After switching to man-to-man defense, the Gao brothers clearly began to show their frustration against Qinghuo’s relentless pressure. When Zhu Xuyao repeatedly blocked him from moving, the hot-tempered Gao Nan nearly committed a foul. After Fang Ruihan scored another basket, Gao Dong came over and slapped his younger brother’s shoulder hard, signaling him to calm down.

Xu Fanming turned and glanced at the scoreboard. 40 to 38. Just one basket apart!

Gao Nan had the ball now. It was Shuanglan’s turn to attack. Seeing Zhu Xuyao crouched alone in front of Gao Nan on defense, Xu Fanming gritted his teeth and rushed up to help. Gao Nan’s eyes were bloodshot, his visible anger rising fast.

He had been shut down several times just now and was in a foul mood. A team might rely on two or three core players to run its offense, but its defense reflected the overall level of the squad. Fang Ruihan clearly understood this. He had noticed that Shuanglan’s average skill level wasn’t high. Aside from the two star forwards, Gao Nan and Gao Dong, the rest of the players were just riding coattails, half-baked and unremarkable. Maybe those two could run circles around Qinghuo’s five during offense, but when it came to defense, the two of them alone couldn’t cover everything.

They could only watch as Qinghuo racked up points.

Having his team’s weakness laid bare didn’t sit well with Gao Nan. His frustration grew more obvious. He glared at Zhu Xuyao, who refused to leave him alone, and at Xu Fanming, slightly shorter but radiating sharp hostility. His lips curled into a faint smile. He raised the ball slowly above his head—

Xu Fanming and Zhu Xuyao tensed. Was he really going to shoot?

Gao Nan bent his knees, stood just outside the three-point line, and launched the ball toward the hoop.

The ball dropped cleanly through the net and bounced to the floor. Wen Qin scooped it up.

Who would have thought that beyond his aggressive offense, Gao Nan’s shooting form was also so steady. Fang Ruihan could not help but feel a sense of admiration. These two brothers truly had solid fundamentals. With rigorous training, they could very well become outstanding professional basketball players in the future.

Of course, for now, Gao Nan and Gao Dong remained formidable opponents.

“Hold steady!” Fang Ruihan called out loudly on the court, trying to refocus his teammates. “Screen for Wen Qin!”

Wen Qin dribbled the ball and charged back toward Shuanglan’s half. As usual, He Jiang and Zhu Xuyao tangled with Gao Nan and Gao Dong, whose faces were contorted in frustration. Just then, another figure in a blue number 5 jersey suddenly appeared on the court.

Fang Ruihan narrowed his eyes. Number 5? It took him a moment to remember that this player was Shuanglan’s point guard. But he had been so quiet throughout the game that they had barely paid him any attention.

As soon as Fang Ruihan recalled him, number 5 in the blue jersey stepped in and firmly blocked Wen Qin’s path. At 180 centimeters tall, his presence weighed down on Wen Qin noticeably. Wen Qin bit his lip, instinctively veering to the side to shake him off, but number 5 had clearly been anticipating that move. Like a piece of sticky gum, he stayed glued to Wen Qin’s side.

Without the interference of the Gao brothers, their earlier plays had flowed far too smoothly. Now that a tough and unfamiliar defender had appeared out of nowhere, Wen Qin was briefly caught off guard, and his movements stiffened for a moment.

Fang Ruihan’s pupils contracted sharply. Damn it! Wen Qin was still a basketball newbie, and he wasn’t yet familiar with the basic moves for breaking past defenders.

The figure in blue suddenly sprang into action. Seizing the split-second delay, he reached out to steal the ball. Wen Qin reacted quickly, awkwardly switching the ball from one hand to the other in an attempt to dodge the attack. But having only picked up basketball recently, Wen Qin’s fancy dribbling still lacked polish. One careless move, and the ball was slapped off course and went flying.

Damn it. Such a rookie mistake. Everyone held their breath. Wen Qin’s heart seized in panic.

The player in the blue number 5 jersey broke into a mocking smile, as if he had picked up a gift for free. He bent down to grab the bouncing ball and immediately took off in long strides toward Qinghuo’s half of the court.

The sudden reversal caught He Jiang and Zhu Xuyao off guard. In that instant, Gao Nan and Gao Dong switched seamlessly from defense to offense, slipping past He Jiang and Zhu Xuyao and sprinting downcourt. Watching the two brothers’ retreating backs, Fang Ruihan felt a heaviness settle in his chest.

After all, Shuanglan wasn’t some inexperienced team. There was no way they would let the game remain in a disadvantageous state for long. He should have realized this sooner. From the start, his focus had been entirely on the two brothers, overlooking the fact that there were seasoned veterans among the rest of their team. Qinghuo might have balanced overall strength, but they also had rookies, and every player had their weaknesses. Underestimating the opponent had cost them.

This game was destined to be a contest of brains and skill.

Gao Nan and Gao Dong exchanged a smile. Now that they had taken the upper hand, there was no one who could stop them on offense. The pride and arrogance on their faces stabbed sharply at Xu Fanming’s heart. He had seen the whole play clearly from the sideline. He hadn’t even made it in time to screen. Wen Qin had already lost the ball. His eyes burned with frustration as he instinctively chased after Shuanglan’s No. 5, desperate to win the ball back.

He blocked No. 5’s path, ready to pressure him hard. But the opposing player clearly recognized the gap in ability and passed the ball to the towering Gao Nan waiting nearby.

Xu Fanming’s eyes widened in fury. It felt like choking on the first bite of noodles, stuck halfway in his throat and making him unbearably frustrated.

Gao Nan broke through easily and scored with a light, effortless layup.

Beep! The second quarter ended. The score: 45–38.

The gap had widened again.

By the end of the second quarter, the strategy Fang Ruihan had devised seemed to have been seen through by the opposing team. While Qinghuo was analyzing Shuanglan’s strengths and weaknesses, Shuanglan had also been watching them, identifying both their advantages and their flaws.

As a result, the situation had reverted to how it was at the start of the game, with no clear progress on either side.

During halftime, everyone sat in silence, each deep in thought, frustrated by the lack of direction, trying to figure out their next move. Fang Ruihan took a sip of water, looked up, and suddenly noticed a woman walking toward them.

He paused, taking half a second to realize that it was He Jiang’s mother.

He Jiang stood up at once.

For a moment, the air was thick with tension. No one said a word. It was rare for a parent to show up at their games, and now that one had, no one knew quite how to react.

Xu Fanming found the whole thing very odd. Looking at He Jiang’s expression, he could sense that He Jiang seemed wary of his mother, though he could not figure out why.

Pan Yuan stood up, intending to say something to ease the awkwardness, but Zhu Xuyao gently pressed her hand back down. She froze for a second.

The woman looked around at the team sitting on the folding chairs, and at last, her eyes landed on He Jiang. His expression was hard to read. He set his water bottle down and muttered, “Mom, let’s talk over there.”