SSD 8. The Little Raptor Breathing Fire

The campus basketball team had just welcomed a new center who was so handsome he nearly blinded everyone on sight.

On his very first day, he showed up wearing a Nike headband, a limited-edition Adidas jersey, and a pair of grey Nike Air FOG 1s. Standing at 1.9 meters tall with striking features that looked like they came straight out of a poster, he instantly overwhelmed the eyes of every poor soul in the room. The entire team collapsed in unison: lemons growing on the tree, lemons falling at their feet, everyone sitting in a row, passing the sour fruit one by one.

Groans echoed across the court. So not only was he stupidly handsome, he was filthy rich too… Was there any justice left for the ordinary people of the world?

But truthfully, He Jiang had only gone out to buy gear after realizing he hadn’t brought his old basketball clothes to campus. Since he was getting back into the game, he figured he might as well buy something decent. He showed up on time to collect his team jersey, and Fang Ruihan tossed him the package with a satisfied nod.

He Jiang opened it. The main color was black, accented with energetic shades of orange and yellow. On the front was a bold number 10, his old number from high school.

He Jiang smiled.

A few minutes later, he stepped out of the locker room. The basic team jersey hung perfectly on his frame, filling out the cut with sharp lines and a strong athletic build. A set that barely cost 200 yuan looked like something straight off a high-end window display when he wore it.

Several teammates exchanged looks, then glanced down at their own wrinkled, slightly grimy jerseys. In that moment, just breathing the same air as He Jiang felt unfair.

After all, this was a guy whose sneakers alone cost more than someone else’s monthly salary. A man who could wear luxury brands without a hint of arrogance, who made basic gear look designer, and who had both the looks and the bank account of a walking male lead.

And he wasn’t just rich and good-looking. His skills were the real deal.

In the next three minutes, He Jiang demonstrated exactly that with nothing but action.

By the third trick dunk, the entire team was clapping on instinct, cheering him on with real excitement. He Jiang smiled and rolled his wrist a little. It had been a year since he last played, but thankfully, the feel for the game hadn’t left him.

With just a few warmups, everything was starting to return to his body.

He Jiang was an all-around player. His shooting and passing left nothing to criticize. His arrival immediately lit a fire under the team, raising their energy and excitement. It was as if He Jiang had become their core, their hope.

During a campus team meeting, Fang Ruihan made a point of emphasizing the situation. “The provincial tournament is getting closer. Starting now, we’ll be having more joint training sessions across campuses. Every one of you needs to give it your all. Especially now that He Jiang has joined us, everyone needs to stay sharp. This is our chance to make a real breakthrough.”

As the captain gave his passionate speech, He Jiang stood quietly in a corner, only half-listening. Instead, he let his eyes slowly scan the gym, taking in every face. When he didn’t spot the familiar mop of messy hair he was expecting, a faint sense of disappointment stirred in his chest.

After finishing his speech, Fang Ruihan waved He Jiang over to shake hands with each of the team members. When it came to one shorter boy, He Jiang paused for a moment.

This guy was probably the shortest person on the team. Nearly a full head shorter than him, around 1.73 meters, at best.

The boy gave a shy smile and reached out for a handshake. “Hi, I’m Wen Qin.”

He Jiang returned the handshake politely. “Nice to meet you.”

They took a short break at halftime before training resumed. He Jiang bounced the ball idly for a while, then stepped up behind Fang Ruihan and waited until he finished coaching. When there was a gap, He Jiang asked, “Where’s Xu Fanming?”

Fang Ruihan was caught a little off guard by the question. He didn’t expect He Jiang to be that interested. “He’s… not in the best shape lately. But he’ll be here today. Zhu Xuyao already went to get him.”

He Jiang gave a small smile. “He folds that easily?”

Fang Ruihan rubbed his forehead in silence. You didn’t exactly leave him with any dignity last time, did you?

Come to think of it, once Xu Fanming found out He Jiang had joined the team… things were probably going to get messy.

Without Xu Fanming around, the session lacked some spark. And since it was He Jiang’s first day, he wasn’t close with anyone yet. The rest of the team only dared to glance at him from afar. No one had the nerve to invite him to train together.

So He Jiang stood alone in the corner, casually tossing up three-pointers one after another. Each shot sank cleanly. The others stared, mouths slightly open.

Then, from the tree-lined path outside the gym, came the sound of scattered footsteps mixed with loud arguing. The team members exchanged glances. No one said a word, but everyone was thinking of the same person.

Their two main forwards had returned.

Xu Fanming was finally in a somewhat better mood today. He had dragged himself out of bed early, knocked out fifty squats and fifty push-ups right there in the dorm. Just as he was about to shower, an obnoxious knock came pounding on the door.

Zhu Xuyao had come to his door in person to urge him to get to training.

Xu Fanming did the math in his head. He really had skipped several training sessions already. He couldn’t keep avoiding it like this. He had always said he wanted to surpass that person one day.

Then he had to train harder. That was all.

What he didn’t expect was that the moment he stepped into the gym, the first thing he saw was the one he had tried so hard to forget, the one that made his teeth grind with anger the second it popped into his mind.

“He… He Jiang—”

Xu Fanming froze as soon as he walked through the door. He pointed at He Jiang, standing there in jersey number 10, then turned to stare at the captain.

“Why is he here!?”

Fang Ruihan tried to play it cool. He gave a low whistle and looked away. “He’s here… to train with us.”

“Train with us?” Xu Fanming’s expression turned dark. “Captain, don’t tell me—”

“First day on the team. Looking forward to working with you.” He Jiang put down the ball, took a step closer, and raised his hand with a smile. “Dear teammate. Fanfan.”

He Jiang put extra weight into the way he said “Fanfan,” dragging the tone upward at the end. The way he said it was smug, like a peacock flaring its feathers on purpose.

Zhu Xuyao silently counted in his head. Three, two, one—

He lunged forward and locked Xu Fanming in a waist-level hug.

“Fan-dad, Fan-dad, calm down! Fighting is bad. Friendship first!”

Xu Fanming was seconds away from exploding. That one greasy “Fanfan” from He Jiang was enough to send shivers down his spine. It wasn’t just uncomfortable. It made his skin crawl. When other people called him that, it sounded normal, even friendly. But coming from He Jiang, it felt like something was seriously wrong with the guy. Like he was going out of his way to piss him off.

To top it off, He Jiang had the nerve to step up with a blank, harmless look and raise his empty hand for a shake. He even blinked like he didn’t understand. As if to say, Why are you mad?

Actor. Full-blown actor.

Xu Fanming felt like he was developing psychological trauma.

Zhu Xuyao kept clinging to him and babbling in his ear. “Don’t be angry. Life is like a play, and we meet here because of fate. Why blow up over something small? If someone else is mad, stay calm. No one suffers but you. If you die of anger, who wins? It’s pointless and exhausting…”

Xu Fanming gave up. He turned his back and took a few steps away, not even bothering to respond to He Jiang. But Zhu Xuyao wouldn’t shut up, so Xu Fanming reached over and twisted his ear hard.

“Shut it! And get your damn pig hooves off me!”

“You’re not mad anymore,” Zhu Xuyao let go with a grin. “So can we start training now?”

But once they started, Xu Fanming could feel that hot, prickling stare boring into his back. He didn’t need to look to know who it was. His mood tanked instantly. Face sullen, hand gripping the basketball, he bounced it over and over, clearly irritated.

That was when Fang Ruihan came over to talk to him. He kept his voice even, trying to reason him through it.

“From the team’s perspective, He Jiang brings solid strength. And from your perspective… your goal is right in front of you. Know yourself, know your opponent. That’s how you win.”

Of course Xu Fanming understood all of that.

But the blow from that crushing match had hit too hard. He had always been proud, and now he was suddenly faced with the reality that there was still a huge gap between himself and someone else. And worst of all, the person who had left him in the dust didn’t just win the match. He had the nerve to come flaunting it, rubbing salt in the wound by throwing around talk of quitting the team just to mock and humiliate him.

Xu Fanming thought He Jiang was the absolute worst. Twisted logic, a dramatic streak, and always showing off.

Just thinking about it made his cheeks puff up again in anger, like an inflated pufferfish. Fang Ruihan patted him lightly on the shoulder and smiled. “It’s fine. If He Jiang bullies you again, just tell me. I’ll deal with him.”

“I’m not some three-year-old.”

“Alright, alright,” Fang Ruihan said, ruffling the little raptor’s head. “Go warm up.”

But as soon as training officially started, Xu Fanming realized just how much He Jiang’s presence threw him off.

The guy was insufferably smug.

Xu Fanming glared across the court, where He Jiang was surrounded by a crowd, casually draining swish after swish from the three-point line and soaking up everyone’s applause like it was his birthright. The more he watched, the worse he felt. That was supposed to be his spot.

This guy had only just arrived, and he was already stealing the spotlight. How could that be acceptable?

The longer he stewed, the harder it was to sit still. If He Jiang was going to steal the spotlight, then he’d fight to take it back.

Ball in hand, Xu Fanming raised his voice. “Hey! Get into formation already. What are you all making noise for?”

The little raptor bared his teeth. He was seconds from breathing fire. The others quickly scattered back to their spots on court to begin the drill.

Fang Ruihan blew the whistle, and training started.

Xu Fanming dribbled the ball down the court. As he passed, He Jiang stood near the basket, watching him closely, but Xu Fanming pointedly ignored him and passed the ball elsewhere. Wen Qin caught it, clearly startled, but quickly recovered and went in for a clean layup.

He Jiang let out a soft, helpless laugh and leaned in to ask quietly, “I was wide open just now. No one was guarding me. Why didn’t you pass?”

“The ball’s in my hands,” Xu Fanming said without even looking at him, “so I’ll pass it to whoever I want.”

He Jiang let out a quiet laugh. The little raptor sure knew how to hold a grudge.

The next time the ball was in Xu Fanming’s hands, He Jiang played it smarter. As Xu Fanming got pinned down by a defender, He Jiang stepped up, trying to quietly steal the ball. But Xu Fanming noticed. He took a jab step to get past the defender, spun around, and went in for a hook shot.

Unfortunately, the ball veered off just slightly and hit the backboard, bouncing off and falling.

Xu Fanming frowned hard. But in the next second, a tall figure leapt into the air.

He Jiang had already gone up for the rebound. He twisted midair and slammed the ball straight through the hoop.

Zhu Xuyao couldn’t help blurting out. “Damn, that was unreal.”
The rest of the team erupted around him. “He Jiang, you’re a monster!” “Take us with you!”

Xu Fanming, who had just set himself up for his own humiliation: …

As much as he hated to admit it, He Jiang really was good. But that only made Xu Fanming feel worse. He clenched his teeth, face twisted in frustration. He was the kind of person who wore all his emotions right on his face. Even if he didn’t say a word, everyone could tell that things between him and He Jiang were not going well.

But if those two gods wanted to start a fight, how were mere mortals supposed to stop them?

The rest of the team looked crushed.