SSD 59. Qinghuo vs. Kongxin: When Experts Collide

“Have you all noticed it yet?” Fang Ruihan looked around at his teammates and spoke slowly. “The way this team operates.”

The noise behind them gradually faded. The players looked at each other, their faces filled with mixed expressions.

“Yes. That’s right.”

Fang Ruihan took a deep breath and explained calmly, “Kongxin’s team structure actually follows a clear pattern. For example, their center Xing Yunyang and their small forward Zhuo Changyi are mainly responsible for assists and scoring. Their point guard Yuan Dan handles ball distribution, while Tan Ren focuses on rebounds.”

Wen Qin blinked. “They’re each playing to their strengths.”

The taller ones fight for rebounds. Those with strong coordination dominate the offensive zone. And the player with the most balanced skills controls the flow of the ball. Kongxin’s strategy was a textbook case of maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.

“What a well-organized team…” Zhu Xuyao wiped the sweat from his face and murmured, “They’re like a trained military unit.”

Just then, Xu Fanming cut in.

“But isn’t there still one more guy on the court? That number 13. I think his name is—”

“Peng Ning.”

“Right, that’s him.” Xu Fanming nodded firmly, eyes on He Jiang. “I tried to go up for a layup once, and he stepped in to block me. I got past him, though.”

“Peng Ning… He’s Kongxin’s shooting guard,” Fang Ruihan said, after a brief pause. “To be honest, I don’t know much about him. He’s a new addition this year.”

Zhu Xuyao turned to glance toward Kongxin’s bench and spoke in a daze.

“He didn’t really do anything in the first quarter, did he? Honestly, I nearly forgot they had a fifth guy out there…”

Xu Fanming swallowed hard.

“Don’t tell me… they’re saving him for something big?”

Fang Ruihan let out a quiet sigh.

“Either way, I think there’s something we can learn from their approach.”

As soon as the captain said this, everyone perked up and listened closely. Fang Ruihan brought the huddle in tighter, then turned first to Zhu Xuyao.

“Zhu Xuyao, you’re in charge of going up against Tan Ren for rebounds. Focus on your strengths and find a way to beat him. Can you do that?”

Zhu Xuyao thought of Kongxin’s captain, that towering figure nearly two meters tall. He clenched his fists, nodded firmly, and answered, “No problem!”

“Good.” Fang Ruihan turned to look at Xu Fanming and He Jiang. “Fanming, He Jiang, the two of you will find a way to break through Xing Yunyang and Zhuo Changyi. Can you do that?”

He Jiang gave a short affirmative hum, but Xu Fanming suddenly fell silent.

“Fanming?”

Xu Fanming bit his lip, then lifted his head. He hesitated, opening and closing his mouth several times before muttering, “I don’t know. It feels like… never mind.”

He Jiang raised an eyebrow. Zhu Xuyao glanced at Xu Fanming, then at He Jiang, his expression shifting to something more complicated.

“What’s with you, Fan-ge? Did you eat a time-bomb this morning?”

Fang Ruihan frowned slightly. “Fanming, if you’ve got something to say, just say it.”

“I…” Xu Fanming finally spoke. “I’m fine with marking Zhuo Changyi. But I keep feeling like… their number five has been targeting me.”

“Yuan Dan?” He Jiang asked, puzzled. “Why would he be targeting you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then it’s probably just in your head.”

Xu Fanming couldn’t come up with a response. His chest felt tight, and after a long pause, he finally mumbled, “He’s just playing so comfortably… it’s kind of annoying.”

He Jiang laughed quietly. “Are you sure you’re not the one targeting him?”

Xu Fanming fell quiet again. He Jiang had no idea why he was suddenly so hung up on Yuan Dan. The two of them played completely different positions. One was a point guard, the other a small forward. There should have been no direct overlap at all.

Fang Ruihan cleared his throat. “Alright. Just adjust depending on how the game plays out.” Then he called toward the edge of the circle. “Wen Qin.”

Wen Qin jolted. “Yes, senior?”

“What were you thinking about?” Fang Ruihan sighed. “Forget it. What I want to say is, in the next part of the match, keep a close eye on Kongxin’s shooting guard, Peng Ning. Can you do that for me?”

Wen Qin clenched his fist and nodded. “I will.”

Fang Ruihan gave a small smile. “Good.”

“Okay, everyone, let’s give it everything we’ve got!” Pan Yuan clapped her hands, trying to rally the group. Her gaze moved around the circle, then stopped on Zhu Xuyao. She smiled and added, “Let’s play this one with no regrets.”

Six figures came together, and in that moment, the mood surged with energy.

“Three, two, one—Qinghuo, let’s go!”

In the final minute of warm-up before heading back onto the court, Xu Fanming suddenly called out to He Jiang.

“Hey.”

He Jiang turned. “Yeah?”

“Was he always this good back in high school?”

It took He Jiang a second to realize he was talking about Yuan Dan.

“So invested in him?”

Xu Fanming snapped, clearly annoyed. “I’m asking you.”

“I don’t know,” He Jiang admitted honestly. “It was a long time ago. I’ve forgotten.”

“Weren’t you two the ‘best supporting pair’?”

He Jiang raised an eyebrow and frowned slightly. Huh? Why did it suddenly feel like the air around them had turned a little sour?

Xu Fanming realized the moment the words left his mouth that it sounded strange. What did Yuan Dan’s skills have to do with whether he and He Jiang had once been the best supporting pair? He shook his head, starting to sense that something was off with himself today.

That steal from Yuan Dan earlier had left him rattled. It had dug into him harder than he wanted to admit, and he was having trouble shaking it off.

“Forget it.” Xu Fanming dropped the topic. He adjusted his stance and stood up. “Good luck in the game.”

The second quarter began soon after.

Qinghuo gained control of the ball at the start. With Xu Fanming’s screen, Wen Qin carried the ball across half-court. Yuan Dan quickly stepped in to block him. At one meter eighty-two, he towered over Wen Qin and looked at him as if he were nothing more than a baby chick.

Xu Fanming reacted immediately. He crossed his arms at his waist and pressed his chest into Yuan Dan, cutting off his movement to create a path for Wen Qin. Yuan Dan was locked in place. He frowned and pushed twice against the pressure, but it didn’t work. Xu Fanming let out a low grunt and muttered, “Picking on someone who’s one-seventy while you’re one-eighty? Real brave of you.”

Yuan Dan froze for a second. A few cold drops of sweat began to gather on his back.

There it was. The streetball tyrant really had it out for him.

Wen Qin gave an awkward smile, then took advantage of Xu Fanming’s screen to break past Yuan Dan’s defense. But just as he got free, a tougher opponent appeared in front of him.

Xing Yunyang was already moving in to switch and intercept. Wen Qin had only seconds left before he would be forced into a one-on-one with Kongxin’s strongest player. At that critical moment, Zhu Xuyao’s voice rang out from the far side of the paint.

“Wen Qin, here!”

Wen Qin caught the signal instantly and passed the ball to Zhu Xuyao, who had already secured a favorable position under the basket.

Nice. Fang Ruihan narrowed his eyes, locking in on the rim. At this rate, Qinghuo could very well land the first basket of the second quarter.

Not only would that help boost morale, it would also give them the push they needed to adjust their rhythm and begin closing the gap.

Come on.

All eyes locked onto the ball in Zhu Xuyao’s hands.

And Zhu Xuyao delivered. He dribbled once and pushed past Zhuo Changyi, who stepped in to stop him. Cutting straight into the paint, he used a clean, reliable three-step layup, jumped hard, and pushed the ball toward the hoop.

“Smack!”

Zhu Xuyao’s eyes flew wide open in shock. As he landed, the scene in front of him came into focus.

He had no idea when Tan Ren had shot up from beneath the hoop. With a height of two meters, he reached up effortlessly and slapped the moving ball clean away from the rim.

Zhu Xuyao landed hard on the floor, the impact sending a sharp jolt through his body. His mind went blank for a moment, and all he could see was a flash of white. First that rebound, and now Tan Ren had blocked his shot too.

It was humiliating.

When Wen Qin rushed over to pull him up, Zhu Xuyao turned his head, grimacing, and looked toward the scoreboard. Cheers had already started rising from the crowd… just as he had feared.

After swatting the shot, Tan Ren immediately dribbled down the court. He cut straight through Xu Fanming and Fang Ruihan’s defensive line, ignoring them entirely, and charged back into Qinghuo’s half for a clean dunk.

“37 to 22.” The gap had stretched to fifteen points.

The players from Qinghuo fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. No one said a word.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Their captain’s voice suddenly rang out from midcourt, yanking them back to the moment. “Get back on defense! Move!”

Everyone snapped awake. Their fighting spirit surged back.

That’s right. They still had time. Even the slimmest chance was worth seizing. There were minutes left on the clock, and they still had a world of possibilities ahead.

The game was not over.

Wen Qin caught the ball as it dropped from the hoop and gritted his teeth as he brought it up the court again. This time, He Jiang was closest and came over to screen for him.

They crossed half-court, and the tension immediately thickened. He Jiang’s eyes locked onto Xing Yunyang, who stood like a mountain in front of him. Behind him, Zhuo Changyi was waiting in the paint, clearly positioned for a switch.

He Jiang’s brow tightened as he quickly mapped out his next move.

Then, he turned his back and drove his shoulder into Xing Yunyang’s chest, cutting off the arm that had been reaching in for a steal.

Wen Qin was startled by the lightning-quick movements from both sides. Still shaken, he pulled back and dribbled a step away from the paint. He was lucky He Jiang reacted in time to save the ball, otherwise, with Xing Yunyang’s speed just now, stealing it ten times over would have been nothing.

“Wen Qin, give me the ball!”

The shout came sharp and urgent. Wen Qin turned toward the voice and saw Xu Fanming, his eyes blazing with intensity.

Out beyond the perimeter, Xu Fanming was gritting his teeth in frustration. His position was wide open, with no one guarding him, yet Wen Qin still hadn’t passed the ball. He could not take it anymore and finally yelled out loud.

Wen Qin bit down on his lip and threw the ball toward Xu Fanming, but before it could reach him, it was slapped away by Xing Yunyang’s palm.

Wen Qin’s face turned pale. He Jiang’s expression darkened as well.

Xing Yunyang retracted his hand instantly. While using his body to shield He Jiang off behind him, he pulled the ball hard toward his own side. But before he could take full control, He Jiang extended his arm mid-air and forcefully knocked the ball back out with his fingertips.

The play flipped again in an instant.

The spectators were stunned. This wasn’t just basketball. This felt like a brawl unfolding on the court. The level of precision and intensity made it almost impossible to keep up. Before anyone could clearly see what happened, the ball had already flown out.

Xu Fanming stumbled forward and charged in the direction of the ball. He grabbed it firmly in both hands, but before he could catch his breath, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

His voice trembled through clenched teeth. “Yuan… Dan.”

There was no way he was going to give up the ball now.

Dribbling hard, Xu Fanming tried desperately to break through Yuan Dan’s defense as quickly as possible. The ball weaved between his legs, cutting left and right in rapid succession, blurring into a trail of motion. Yuan Dan narrowed his eyes in silence and suddenly stepped past him.

Their shoulders collided. Xu Fanming froze.

What just happened?

Gasps erupted from the stands.

In that split-second when the ball bounced behind Xu Fanming’s back, Yuan Dan had slipped a hand in and cleanly stolen it.

He had picked him again.

How could Yuan Dan pull off a steal like that while the ball was still moving at full speed? The precision was terrifying. That was not luck. It couldn’t be.

Xu Fanming grit his teeth, ready to chase after him, but Yuan Dan had already stepped away. He turned and passed the ball out again.

“Peng Ning. It’s yours.”

The sudden shout sent a shock through all five Qinghuo players. Every pair of eyes turned at once toward the quiet figure who had remained near the edge of the court all this time, unnoticed by nearly everyone.