Chapter 21: The Clown Gazing at the Sky from the Bottom of a Well (Premium Launch Announcement)

Zhou Zhexiao turned around to face Xia Chiyi, intertwining his index fingers to signify that he had scored ten points. The remaining five minutes now depended entirely on Xia Chiyi.

Xia Chiyi pursed his lips slightly—a habitual little gesture that revealed he was deep in thought. Unknown to him, Zhou Zhexiao noticed this every single time.

Ten points in just five minutes? The pressure was immense.

Only halfway through the second quarter, Chen Chuan and He Bin already realized their defeat was inevitable.

At the rehabilitation center, Ma Wenhua was like an ant on a hot pan. If Zhou Zhexiao was this formidable, why had his cousin dismissed him? Wouldn't it have been better to recruit him into the provincial team?

Ma Wenhua had no choice but to send the video to his cousin Ma Hongming, asking for advice. The reply was curt: “Victory and defeat are common in warfare.”

“Common in warfare?” Ma Wenhua’s eyes nearly popped out.

Suddenly, he regretted not returning to take up coaching seriously. With talents like Ye Chaoying and Zhou Zhexiao on the team, his coaching skills could surely shine in the regional tournament, boosting his own reputation.

But… would he be willing to let these freshmen run wild?

These first-year players were inherently rebellious; could he tolerate having his authority undermined?

At this point, even if the boat drifted to the bridgehead naturally sinking, he would make sure it did so with a splash.

Ma Wenhua messaged Chen Chuan and He Bin, urging them to hold their ground no matter what—to narrow the score gap even if they lost; otherwise, neither of them would be named starters in the future.

This weighed heavily on Chen Chuan and He Bin. Even if they wanted to give up, they had no choice but to fight desperately.

Perhaps Zhou Zhexiao’s team play had turned into a solo act, as Ye Chaoying and Shuai Bei seemed to wonder, “Do we even need to play now? Can we coast?” Only Du He earnestly guarded He Bin’s three-point attempts.

Pressure breeds motivation. Xia Chiyi exhaled, feeling warmth surge from his wrists to his fingertips.

Every second of the remaining five minutes was precious.

He Bin caught the ball again, stepped to the three-point line, and prepared to shoot, but Ye Chaoying’s defense forced him to abandon the attempt.

As he stepped back to create space, Xia Chiyi appeared at his side. A premonition of a steal surged in He Bin’s heart. Just as he turned to shield the ball, Xia Chiyi darted past and snatched it away!

He Bin nearly spat blood in disbelief. How could Xia Chiyi, standing at 1.86 meters, keep such a low center of gravity and still run so fast?

Xia Chiyi dribbled alone as five opponents chased after him. When he halted at the three-point line, Chen Chuan maneuvered to get in front of him.

Everyone except Zhou Zhexiao wondered who he would pass to—Ye Chaoying on the left or Shuai Bei on the right?

But without hesitation, Xia Chiyi leapt, body leaning slightly back, and launched the ball into the air.

Ling Huanzhen’s eyes lit up: Here it comes—the fadeaway jumper that even Jiao Yingfeng praised!

“Let’s see if this shooting skill from the video is just a flash of brilliance or his usual routine!”

Shuai Bei dutifully rushed to grab the rebound but hadn’t even jumped yet—it was clear the shot was good.

Xia Chiyi turned to Zhou Zhexiao and mimicked his finger-crossing gesture by placing his index fingers together near his lips, signaling, “First basket.”

Zhou Zhexiao tapped his wrist, indicating, “Not much time left—don’t get cocky.”

With the first basket made, the second was inevitable.

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Xia Chiyi dribbled to the three-point line, faked a shot to deceive the defender, faced Chen Chuan squarely, and jumped again.

The crowd held their breath. Could this guy really keep scoring?

Shuai Bei and Du He both scrambled under the basket to box out for the rebound, but the ball swished through the net.

Xia Chiyi made an “OK” gesture with both hands in front of his eyes, glancing at Zhou Zhexiao.

“Hmm,” Zhou Zhexiao responded, holding up four fingers: “Four minutes left.”

In the following moments, Xia Chiyi seemed to pay homage to Zhou Zhexiao’s earlier performance, replicating his hook shots, left-handed layups, and floaters.

The crowd, which had been fervently cheering for Zhou Zhexiao, instantly switched allegiance, practically willing Xia Chiyi to crash through the rim.

“He’s so handsome! Really handsome! I thought he was just a shooter, but turns out he can do everything Zhou Zhexiao can!”

Xu Mi was dizzy from her friend’s excitement but secretly cheered, “So you’re this good after all!”

A faint smile appeared on Zhou Zhexiao’s face. His gaze lingered deliberately on Xia Chiyi’s abdomen, silently challenging, “Show me you can pull off a finger roll layup, too.”

Xia Chiyi felt his blood surge wildly, almost bursting out of his head.

If finger rolls were concerned, he could do them, but his attempts lacked Zhou Zhexiao’s explosive flair. So he stuck to three-pointers.

Meanwhile, He Bin persistently tried to claw back points with his three-point shots, but under immense pressure, his form faltered.

This made Xia Chiyi hesitate—did he really want to win so decisively?

As Xia Chiyi passed behind him, Zhou Zhexiao whispered, “Do you know the full version of what Ling Huanzhen said?”

“Ah?”

“Because I want to win, you have to lose. You might even have to cry.”

Yes, this was competitive sports.

For He Bin, this was a make-or-break moment.

Xia Chiyi’s scoring prowess unsettled their opponents. Those guarding Zhou Zhexiao shifted focus to him.

If Zhou Zhexiao’s dribble moves were sharp and economical, Xia Chiyi’s were smooth and deceptive, breaking down defenses like mercury spilling on the floor.

When he reached the three-point line again, many spectators stood and shouted, “Shoot it—”

Ling Huanzhen glanced at the clock. With only one second left, this kid was still going for a buzzer-beater!

He Bin watched the graceful arc of the ball as if a heavy mountain pressed down on him. For the first time, a dark thought crossed his mind: Don’t make it. Don’t let him prove his long-range shooting again. Don’t make me feel like a worthless fool!

But as the buzzer sounded, the ball sank through the net.

Cheers erupted all around—clapping, shouting, banging on railings.

“This guy’s unbelievable!”

“Our school team is definitely top eight in the regional tournament this year!”

Xia Chiyi approached Shuai Bei, mimed cocking a gun, tilted his head back looking at him, and said, “Who says I can’t cock it?”

Shuai Bei was stunned. He hadn’t expected Xia Chiyi to remember that casual comment.

A strange but wonderful feeling welled up within him. In the past year, Ma Wenhua’s offense centered on He Bin, with everyone serving him. As the power forward, Shuai Bei’s main job was rebounding and setting screens for He Bin.

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On the court, he was just a blue-collar supporting player.

But Xia Chiyi was different. He could steal the ball himself, shoot even under double coverage, and though he needed teammates’ support, he was independently strong enough to draw the enemy’s attention.

If the opponents were forced to guard him near the three-point line, that meant the paint was left open—more scoring chances for big men like Shuai Bei and Du He.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Shuai Bei suddenly thought, whether it was Zhou Zhexiao or Xia Chiyi, they loved their solo shows—but they weren’t half bad.

Xia Chiyi came up to Zhou Zhexiao and crossed his index fingers, “I also got ten points. I made more three-pointers than you, so I scored higher!”

The next moment, Xia Chiyi’s nose was pinched hard by Zhou Zhexiao.

This abrupt end to his boasting made him furious.

After finally prying Zhou Zhexiao’s fingers away, Xia Chiyi looked up to see a faint smirk on his face.

So this guy was actually smiling?

Ling Huanzhen, having watched for five minutes straight, had to admit Xia Chiyi was quite something.

Previously, watching videos, he thought Xia Chiyi was suited to be a 3-and-D player—the kind every team needs, combining three-point shooting and defense.

But that alone didn’t qualify him as the “heart of the ace.”

Now, Ling Huanzhen understood. Xia Chiyi didn’t just have stable shooting. His defense was slightly weaker than Ye Chaoying’s, but… he had a sharp mind. When the team’s main scorer was blocked, he could carve out new openings.

At that moment, Zhou Zhexiao sipped water and gave Ling Huanzhen a look that seemed to say, “Pretty amazing, right?”

Ling Huanzhen rolled his eyes, thinking: Two quarters down, no tactics, no teamwork.

Everyone was talented, but all seemed to be playing solo.

As the point guard, Ye Chaoying noticed the problem.

He waved for everyone to gather. “Don’t you think we have no teamwork? Wouldn’t that make us look foolish to Ling Huanzhen?”

Shuai Bei was silent; Du He nervously picked at his fingers. They figured Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi wanted to play one-on-one. What could they do?

“Fine, let’s play together. But how?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Traditional teamwork?” Ye Chaoying suggested. “Like cutting during offense, and solid zone defense during defense?”

“As if the other team’s so strong it’s worth using tactics,” Shuai Bei quipped.

Xia Chiyi scratched the back of his head. “Let’s have a moment of silence for our opponents.”

Ye Chaoying sighed. The opponents were too weak; even he couldn’t really play as a true organizer.

The rest of the game turned into a tactical exercise, trying all sorts of plays. Though less thrilling than the first two quarters, Ling Huanzhen finally saw them playing like teammates—albeit very half-heartedly.

During zone defense, Ling Huanzhen was certain he saw Zhou Zhexiao yawn.

In the end, Xia Chiyi’s side won decisively.

The gym erupted in cheers. The players, used to obeying Ma Wenhua, looked up and noticed more than one sign demanding “Ma Wenhua Step Down.”

A few passionate boys even wore white T-shirts with “Out with the Old, Ma Wenhua Steps Down!” written boldly across their chests.

Panting, Shuai Bei and Du He, though barred from playing in the regional tournament for offending Ma Wenhua, felt a twinge of regret slowly ebb away as they witnessed the electrified gym.