SSD 63. Qinghuo vs Kongxin: One Mishap After Another

The rest of the game was grueling for everyone.

Within less than five minutes of play, Qinghuo was forced to call for another timeout. Mishaps piled one after another.

Zhu Xuyao got whistled for a foul after overreaching while fighting Tan Ren for a rebound. Then, Wen Qin accidentally committed a defensive foul on Yuan Dan, racking up his second personal foul.

By this point in the quarter, Qinghuo had already accumulated three team fouls. One more, and they would be giving away free throws. The audience began to murmur. It was obvious to everyone that Qinghuo had lost its rhythm. The players were panicked and unfocused.

Without their captain on the court, they looked like a nest of ants tossed into boiling water, flailing without direction. If this kept up, things would spiral fast.

Just then, He Jiang stood up and signaled for a timeout.

Everyone sat in silence, sipping water. Xu Fanming clutched an empty bottle in his hand and muttered, “I wonder how the captain’s doing now.”

He was the one who had lost control of the ball. If Fang Ruihan had been hurt because of him, Xu Fanming had no idea how he would ever forgive himself.

But Wen Qin was no better. Fang Ruihan wasn’t just their respected captain. He was also his most cherished senior.

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have…” Wen Qin’s eyes were red. “I’m sorry.”

Zhu Xuyao frowned, wanting to say something to ease the tension, but couldn’t come up with anything. After a long pause, all he managed was an awkward, “You two… sigh, there’s nothing to apologize for. I mean, really, it’s not anyone’s fault.”

Their captain’s injury had hit them like a second blow, no less brutal than the 20-point lead their opponents now held. In all their previous games, whether in defeat or victory, they had always had their captain by their side, helping them stay steady, leading them through it all. Even when things got rough, even when morale dropped, they never lost their way. But now… with Fang Ruihan injured and gone from the court, worry over his condition only intensified the panic burning inside each of them.

Captain… Captain… how are you now? What are we even supposed to do?

To think this was supposed to be a game, and now it had turned into such a mess. It felt humiliating.

At that moment, He Jiang suddenly set down his bottle. His gaze fixed firmly ahead, he looked straight at Xing Yunyang, and spoke with icy calm.

“What we say now doesn’t matter. Listen up. We’ve still got fifteen minutes left on the clock.”

Everyone turned to He Jiang with tense expressions.

He Jiang swept his gaze over them and asked, “If the captain were here, what do you think he would say?”

They all fell silent, and Fang Ruihan’s calm, steady face appeared in their minds again.

Xu Fanming murmured, “He’d say to hang in there…”

“That’s right.” He Jiang gave a faint smile. “I think so too. He would tell us to hold out until the very last second of the game.”

Zhu Xuyao nodded in agreement. He Jiang then turned to Wen Qin. “Now that the captain isn’t here, it’s all the more reason for us to guard our ground. Am I right, Wen Qin?”

Wen Qin froze for a second. His eyes were still red, but his hands clenched into fists, clutching the warm bracelet in his palm.

“Yes!”

There was no other choice now.

He Jiang nodded. “Good.”

He set down the towel and stood up. As he rose, his eyes locked onto the crew cut on the far side of the court. His lips pressed into a hard line.

It was time… time to settle things with the opposing center once and for all.

“Let’s finish this match.”

At this point, they had no choice but to fight with their backs to the wall.

As the game resumed, the stands erupted into thunderous cheers.

“Kongxin, let’s go!”

“Kongxin unstoppable!”

“Yunyang, Yunyang, your name rings far and wide!”

Swallowed up in the roar of their rivals’ chants, Xu Fanming clenched his jaw and looked down, bitter resentment seeping into him, eating away at his resolve like ants gnawing through wood.

“Fanming, lift your head.”

Xu Fanming’s head jerked up. He looked toward He Jiang, but He Jiang was fully focused on the ball in the referee’s hands, not saying a word to him.

…Just his imagination.

He Jiang’s profile looked so serious, it filled Xu Fanming with emotion.

Unknowingly, whether in life or on the court, He Jiang had already become an unshakable influence on him.

If He Jiang knew what he was thinking right now, what would he say?

“There will be plenty more games like this. The more it hurts, the more you grow. You understand that, don’t you, Fanming?”

Yes. He did.

Xu Fanming stopped hesitating. He let go of everything else and threw himself into the game.

Under the blazing lights, in the rush of adrenaline, with the squeak of sneakers against the court and the thud of the ball bouncing hard against the floor, the whistle blew to mark the restart.

The ball passed from the referee to Wen Qin, who dribbled it across half court and then sent it to He Jiang.

He Jiang dribbled the ball, staring straight into Xing Yunyang’s eyes. The moment had come for a one-on-one.

Tension rippled through the court like an undercurrent. He Jiang narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him. Xing Yunyang, was it you who had seen through my weakness, or would I be the one to catch your vulnerability?

Let’s find out.

Between top players, a single move could decide everything. Just one breath could tip the balance. In the blink of an eye, Xing Yunyang’s lips curved into a smile as he lunged for a gap in He Jiang’s defense. But at that exact moment, He Jiang planted his left foot, rocketed backward off his right, and burst past Xing Yunyang’s right side with a sharp thrust.

He launched into a clean, explosive step-back, swift enough to shake off Xing Yunyang and shield the ball.

He Jiang squinted slightly. There were no footsteps behind him.

This round was his.

But he had to admit that Xing Yunyang was no ordinary player. They were evenly matched in strength, true rivals in every sense. It had been a long time since He Jiang had faced someone who could ignite his blood like this.

There were few players he genuinely regarded as equals. Even as he respected Xing Yunyang, a flicker of restless heat stirred in his chest.

He blazed through layers of defense, moving so fast he left the others in the dust. Then, just beyond the three-point line, he came to a sudden stop, raised the ball, and hurled it with a clean arc—

At the very least, this three-pointer would land. They had to hold the line until Fang Ruihan came back. No matter what, they had to endure.

But—

The ball clanged hard against the backboard and bounced wide.

Damn it.

He Jiang didn’t hesitate. He sprang forward for a follow-up shot. What he didn’t expect was that Xing Yunyang had already made it to the paint ahead of him.

Fuck!

This rebound was critical, and He Jiang gave himself no room to pull back. He drove forward with full force, locking into a fierce struggle beneath the basket.

The ball had bounced off the backboard. Both players launched upward at almost the same time. Just as the ball dipped a few centimeters, Xing Yunyang’s hand made contact. He Jiang refused to back down and grabbed hold of the opposite side.

In an instant, the entire court erupted with intensity. Zhu Xuyao and Wen Qin froze mid-step. Xu Fanming’s eyes flew wide.

“He Jiang, watch out!”

He Jiang faltered. His foot accidentally brushed against Xing Yunyang’s, a slight misstep that proved disastrous. Xing Yunyang’s momentum shifted forward, and in the next instant, his knee slamming hard into He Jiang’s.

Crack!

The sound cut through the air like a whip. Xu Fanming could almost hear the impact ricochet through bone.

A flicker of surprise crossed Xing Yunyang’s face. On the other side, He Jiang’s expression changed instantly, draining to a pale, bloodless white.

Pain, sharp and numbing, surged through his entire body. He Jiang let out a guttural cry, his grip slackening, and—

Thud!

He Jiang crashed to the floor and clutched his knee, his face draining of color. The referee didn’t blow the whistle, which meant the collision for the rebound was still within the bounds of fair play. Xing Yunyang quickly dribbled the ball downcourt. With the help of a screen from a teammate, he returned to his half, leapt, and slammed the ball into the hoop.

Score.

Zhu Xuyao and Wen Qin stood stunned. Everything had happened so quickly they barely had time to react. One glance at the scoreboard, then another at He Jiang lying on the court. Xu Fanming was already rushing over.

“He Jiang!”

Xu Fanming’s face had darkened. He grabbed He Jiang’s hand and tried to pull him up from the floor.

He Jiang looked terrible. Though he managed to stand with Xu Fanming’s support, his right leg, the one that had taken the hit, was still trembling. He tried to plant it firmly on the ground, and after nearly half a minute, his breathing finally began to steady.

Seeing the state He Jiang was in, Xu Fanming grew more agitated.

“What the hell were you thinking, He Jiang? You fell like that and now you expect us to believe you’re fine?”

The more anxious he became, the harsher his words sounded. But perhaps it was the trauma of watching Fang Ruihan leave the court with an injury still weighing on him. They had already lost their captain. They couldn’t afford to lose He Jiang too.

Zhu Xuyao and Wen Qin noticed something was wrong and quickly came over. Zhu asked with concern, “What happened? He Jiang, are you alright?”

He Jiang glanced at Xu Fanming gripping his arm. He pressed his lips together and managed a smile that looked more or less natural.

“I’m fine… just a fall.”

This was the first time He Jiang had gone down in front of Xu Fanming. Coupled with the lingering shock of Fang Ruihan’s earlier injury, it was no wonder the little raptor was scared out of his wits.

Zhu Xuyao furrowed his brow. He helped support He Jiang and asked doubtfully, “He Jiang, are you sure you’re okay?”

If He Jiang was injured too, then this match would truly be over for them.

“It stung when we collided, but it’s easing now,” He Jiang said softly to Xu Fanming. “Fanming, let go of me for a second.”

Xu Fanming froze for a moment, then released him. He Jiang took two steps forward. His gait was steady enough.

“Alright, I’m good. Let’s keep going.”

Watching his movements and expression return to normal, the others finally began to relax. The match had gone on this far, and when they looked at one another, they saw the same thing on every face. Deep exhaustion.

So this was how tired they had become.

Even He Jiang, usually so composed and in control, slipped up today in an uncharacteristic mistake.

Zhu Xuyao glanced at the timer. Only ten minutes remained until the end of the match.

The game was nearing its conclusion.

The final ten minutes.

Just a little longer. They had to hold out.