SSD 27. Victory Banquet

He Jiang kept his promise.

With two minutes remaining before the end of the game, Qinghuo’s had the ball. Fang Ruihan dribbled the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt, then passed it to He Jiang before Gao Dong could move in to defend.

He Jiang glanced at Xu Fanming. Xu Fanming instinctively swallowed, then reached out and caught the ball flying toward him from He Jiang’s hand.

This was the final play.

Xu Fanming glanced at the scoreboard. The numbers read seventy-five to eighty-four. Shuanglan had no way of catching up. Whether or not this basket was made would not affect the outcome of the match.

But for Xu Fanming, this was his last opportunity. Even just two points would be enough. He did not want to look back on his first professional game and remember only frustration and humiliation.

He fixed his gaze on the basket and was about to move toward the paint when two tall figures suddenly appeared in front of him.

Xu Fanming’s heart skipped a beat. Gao Nan and Gao Dong had come over together to trap him. It was clear they had made up their minds that he would take the shot and intended to stop him from the source.

Xu Fanming quickly scanned the court. Wen Qin and He Jiang were near the sideline, while Fang Ruihan and Zhu Xuyao were inside the three-point line, close to the basket. All of them were in scoring positions. In that moment, a thought flashed through Xu Fanming’s mind. He could pass the ball. Whether in terms of timing or tactics, it was the most logical move.

The two strongest defenders from Shuanglan were both focused entirely on him. If he passed the ball now, it would almost certainly end in a clean, perfect final score.

But he refused to back down. The instinct not to lose surged through Xu Fanming’s mind in a flash. He recalled how at the start, Captain Fang Ruihan had faced off against Shuanglan’s towering defenders and passed the ball. He remembered how his own attempt at a block had backfired, how Wen Qin had the ball stolen, how his own shot had been swatted away.

Xu Fanming couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t accept being crushed by Shuanglan so thoroughly.

Were those two towering players really that unstoppable?

Maybe… the Gao brothers were feeling the same way. Maybe they too couldn’t bear the idea of being outshone by Qinghuo’s upstarts. Maybe they, like him, were determined to stake everything on this final play, to defend their pride, even if they could no longer turn the score around.

A wild thought flashed through his mind. Just once. Just once, let him throw everything into this final moment.

So what if Gao Nan and Gao Dong had seen through his intent to shoot? Their reaction time and vertical leap were no match for his. If he could slip past the pressure, if he could find the right angle to release the ball, he still had a chance to turn it all around.

But that was easier said than done.

As Xu Fanming dribbled, he felt the full weight of pressure from the two two-meter giants bearing down on him. Facing one defender was already nerve-wracking, let alone two working in perfect sync.

The Gao brothers closed in from both sides. Xu Fanming gritted his teeth and switched to a faster, more dazzling dribbling style, letting the ball weave behind his back and through his legs, making it far harder to steal.

How could he break through? Where was the window?

Xu Fanming’s brow furrowed. His hands trembled. Sweat trickled from his forehead. If he didn’t act soon, the ref would blow the whistle for a violation. But the defense was airtight. There was no opening. What should he do?

Then, suddenly, he felt the ball vanish from his fingertips.

His eyes flew wide open.

He snapped his head to the side, watching the ball fly through the air.

He stood frozen. Color drained from his face.

And then, a thunderous roar exploded in his ears.

Boom!

And everything went silent.

He had made such a rookie mistake.

Because of his nerves, Xu Fanming’s movements stiffened, and a slip in his dribbling sent the ball flying wildly to the side.

In that instant, countless hands lunged toward the loose ball. But Xu Fanming squeezed his eyes shut.

BEEP—

The referee blew the final whistle.

The ball dropped from the net, and He Jiang lowered his shooting hand. The scoreboard froze at 75:87.

They had won.

The two captains met at center court for a handshake. Gao Dong smiled as he looked at Fang Ruihan.

“You guys are strong,” Gao Dong said earnestly. “You didn’t lose your rhythm whether you were ahead or behind. You held your ground and fought harder the longer the game went on. That’s something we can learn from.”

Fight harder the longer the game went on… Perhaps the scrimmage with Yangsheng had prepared Qinghuo mentally. Under pressure, they had finally started to stay calm, strategize, and push for a comeback.

Fang Ruihan smiled. “It was a pleasure playing against Shuanglan. You and your brother played beautifully. I’m sure there’s more to come for both of you.”

Gao Dong smiled back and spoke with genuine respect. “I hope we get to face off again in the playoffs, and make it a proper battle.”

In that moment, all the tension, passion, and regrets from the game were transformed into something to cherish. Fang Ruihan gave Gao Dong one last firm shake, quietly etching the moment into memory. “Let’s keep working hard.”

The scores were logged. The records were saved. The teams gathered for photos beneath the court lights.

Qinghuo’s first battle against Shuanglan had officially come to a close.

Even after the crowd had cleared out and the doors of the gym were locked for the night, the players of Qinghuo were still staring at one another in a daze.

Did they really win?

They had actually won the game. Despite how grueling it was, despite the crushing pressure the other team had exerted at the start, now that they thought back to the final score on the scoreboard, every one of them broke into a foolish grin. All the sweat and strain hadn’t been in vain. Everything had finally turned around.

So this was what victory felt like. The joy left them weightless, giddy. It was addictive.

Their first battle had ended in triumph. Time to take off and soar.

“None of you bastards better think about running off tonight!” Zhu Xuyao was drenched in sweat, stripped down to his undershirt, yelling with unbridled joy. “You know what I mean, right? Celebration time, people! We’re not stopping until we’re drunk off our asses!”

In the neon-lit chaos of a KTV party room, the boys, finally free of pressure, were letting loose after their celebratory hot pot feast. Beer bottles and fruit trays covered the table. Playing cards and bits of confetti filled the air under flashing spotlights. Some were huddled in the corners rolling dice, while others stood on the mini-stage, clutching microphones, eyes shut in mock sincerity as they shouted tuneless lyrics.

After such a hard-fought and dramatic game, their tightly wound nerves had at last relaxed. The thrill of victory had gone to everyone’s heads, their faces lit with exhilaration.

Each of them could feel the progress they had made. Compared to their scrimmage against Yangsheng, they had clearly grown in resilience under pressure and in their ability to adapt when facing strong opponents.

Just a bit further. Keep climbing.

“Seventy-five to eighty-seven. A solid twelve-point lead.” Zhu Xuyao beamed from ear to ear. “That’s going in my personal hall of fame.”

Pan Yuan, nibbling on a slice of watermelon as she fiddled with her camera, rolled her eyes. “You’re really proud of that, huh.”

Zhu Xuyao leaned over with a grin. “Hey, Yuanyuan, show me the photos you took today?”

The DSLR camera held a full record of the match. Each setback, every counterattack, the moments of danger and reversal… and finally, a shot of the whole team celebrating their win.

Zhu Xuyao was nearly moved to tears. He still managed to flatter her, “You really are the best, Yuanyuan. These are amazing.”

The others burst into laughter.

Fang Ruihan was feeling emotional too. For the first time in ages, he had two shots of baijiu, and his cheeks were flushed. After being dragged up to sing a few songs, he collapsed onto the sofa, out of breath.

Fang Ruihan turned slightly and glanced at Wen Qin sitting beside him. He let out a long breath, the corners of his lips softening into a smile.

“You played really well today,” he said, his gaze steady. The words struck right at the softest part of Wen Qin’s heart. “You’re exactly the shooting guard I believed in.”

A faint smile curled across his lips. Wen Qin’s face turned red, and he suddenly felt a sting at the tip of his nose.

With just that one sentence, it felt like everything had been worth it.

They all knew the match had pushed them to the limit, but the joy they felt now was beyond comparison.

Zhu Xuyao put down the camera and turned toward the corner, where He Jiang sat quietly sipping his drink. Holding up a beer bottle, he walked over with excitement on his face. “He-shen, this one’s for you!”

He Jiang had been biting the lip of his can, lost in thought. When he looked up and saw Zhu Xuyao’s face, he blinked in surprise. “Huh?”

“And let’s not forget our classmate Wen Qin,” Zhu Xuyao turned and raised his beer bottle in Wen Qin’s direction. “The forwards on Shuanglan’s side were flashy as hell, but luckily, we had the strongest center and the strongest shooting guard. That’s how we turned the tide in the final stretch. A real comeback. Absolutely epic!”

The group erupted in agreement. With such blunt and over-the-top praise, Wen Qin’s face immediately turned bright red, like a ripe peach. He raised his beer bottle with trembling hands, wanting to say “thank you,” but he was too shy. In the end, no words came out.

“Still a bit shy, huh, little Wen?” Zhu Xuyao grinned, flashing his pearly whites. “Don’t worry, we’re all family now. No need to be so stiff. Just be like your brother Xuyao. Chill, flashy, and fabulous.”

“Exactly,” Pan Yuan added with mock seriousness. “Hang around Zhu Xuyao long enough, and your bottom line will get lower and lower.”

Everyone burst out laughing again. After a few more rounds of clinking bottles and downing beer, the room was full of carefree joy. Even Fang Ruihan, usually so composed, was about seven-tenths drunk, lying on the couch humming folk songs into the mic. Zhu Xuyao was laughing so hard he nearly doubled over. “Our captain’s about to lose consciousness. If there’s anything you guys wanna do, now’s your chance. This window won’t stay open forever!”

Pan Yuan shot back with a grin, “Wait until tomorrow’s team meeting. He’ll come for you first, I swear.”

A few others joined in with teasing comments. Zhu Xuyao pulled a mock-scared face, making even the usually quiet He Jiang laugh out loud. Watching He Jiang’s eyes crinkle and shoulders shake, the others felt something invisible finally melt away.

Ever since He Jiang had joined the team, he had come off as a cold and aloof star. He usually kept to himself, standing silently in corners, and though his skills were undeniable, he barely interacted with the rest of the team. There was always this “stay away” air about him. Only when Xu Fanming was around did He Jiang’s expression seem to soften a little. Apart from Xu Fanming and the captain, most of the team hadn’t dared strike up a conversation with him, let alone have any real interaction.

It wasn’t often that the team saw He Jiang let his guard down and laugh so openly. Naturally, they were a little curious.

During the previous practice match against Yangsheng, He Jiang’s behavior had been hard to read. Just when he’d finally started gaining momentum, he suddenly asked to be subbed out, throwing the whole team into an awkward and uneasy mood. But today, he had shown them what true skill looked like.

Whether it was assists, scoring, shooting, defense, rebounding, reading the court, or speed, He Jiang’s performance had been flawless across the board.

When the game reached its breaking point, he stepped up, took control of the tempo, and led Qinghuo through the pressure to clinch the win.

He had also thoroughly stunned those arrogant twins on the opposing team and left everyone else in awe.

But perhaps most importantly, He Jiang had finally shown something he never had before. Team spirit.

It wasn’t just flashy solo plays or half-hearted participation for the fun of it. For the first time, his teammates were thrilled to see that He Jiang had started to play with cooperation in mind. He was no longer just showing off. He was genuinely playing to win, for the sake of the team.

In other words, he was finally trying to become part of them and took the game seriously.

And that was why, for the first time, the others felt he was no longer so distant.

It was a good beginning.

“I say God He and his super strategy are today’s MVP. Anyone disagree?” Zhu Xuyao grabbed an empty beer bottle, flipped it upside down like a microphone, and held it toward He Jiang with a teasing grin. “Got anything to say about your glorious win?”

He Jiang paused, staring at the bottom of the beer bottle. After a moment, he opened his mouth and asked:

“Did anyone see where Xu Fanming went?”