"Li, he's actually managed to score from shooting that far away!"
Shen Qingyan, who was watching the game with Su Li from the courtside, was pleasantly surprised to see the ball passing cleanly through the hoop. She had obviously not expected that Xiao Luo could have scored the basket with a jump-shot half a meter outside the three-point arc.
"It's pure luck," Su Li said.
Luo Pingxiang and Su Xiaobei, who was standing next to them, were cheering excitedly.
Back in the court, Yang Hongzhi had just retrieved the ball, and smiling, he swaggered toward Xiao Luo and said, "Not bad, you've got a good start..."
Xiao Luo looked at him impassively and didn't say a word.
"Okay, then, Let's continue."
Yang Hongzhi passed the ball to Xiao Luo, then resumed a defensive stance, he did not believe that Xiao Luo would actually score another one from outside the three-point line. He was convinced that the previous shot was purely luck and not made with skill.
The moment Xiao Luo had received the pass, he bent his knees and jumped on the spot again. He held the ball with his left palm supporting the side of the ball and right hand behind the ball, just above his shoulder, and his elbow bent a ninety-degrees. He kept his eyes fixed at the hoop as he transferred the momentum from the leap to drive the ball through, then straightening his elbow and his wrist straight over the top in the follow-through to the shot.
It was a perfectly executed shot...
Despite anticipating the shot, Yang Hongzhi could still not get to the ball in time and watched helplessly as the ball left Xiao Luo's hand. The ball traveled in a precise arc once again and scored with that familiar thud.
Another three-pointer right into the basket!
This time, both Shen Qingyan and Su Li were visibly shocked, but they wondered if this shot was another lucky one.
Yang Hongzhi wasn't impressed. In fact, he was vexed, and the expression on his face showed—he looked like he was forcibly fed with prison gruel.
One of his bodyguards picked up the ball and passed it to him. He held the ball with both hands and forcing a smile, said, "well, well, a consecutive three-point shot, Mr. Xiao, seems like you've been practicing a bit."
Xiao Luo could not be bothered to respond; as Yang Hongzhi had tried to humiliate him, Xiao Luo was now mentally prepared to return the gesture—he would utterly destroy him. Xiao Luo did not have to redeem the system's basketball skill as he was already above average player. However, both King of Mercenaries Constitution and Yi Jinjing did enhance his abilities and pushed his skill level to a whole new height. In his current form, he'd be able to even take on NBA players, let alone Yang Hongzhi.
"If you can score another, you'll have my respect!"
Yang Hongzhi threw down the gauntlet, he wasn't going to allow himself to make the same mistake. He was a little more aggressive now and forcefully passed the ball to Xiao Luo.
He put the second basket down to his own lapse rather than Xiao Luo's ability, and this time he did not lower his stance as much, staying slightly upright to make the jump quicker for the block.
And just as he read it, Xiao Luo was again going through the same motions as expected, jumping immediately after receiving the ball to shoot. Yang Hongzhi smirked, stomped his feet, jumped high in the air, and slammed his right hand down at the ball. His intention was to block the shot as hard as possible—partly to quell his anger and because he knew it'd undoubtedly look impressive.
He may have been too ambitious and fixated with looking impressive, as his blocking hand was just shy of a few centimeters as the ball sailed over him. And before he could even turn, he heard the familiar thud; just like the previous shots, it went through the hoop cleanly once again.
Three tries, and three baskets, and all taken from outside the three-point line!
As Yang Hongzhi cushioned his landing with bent knees, he still couldn't believe what had happened. He timed his block to perfection this time, and yet, Xiao Luo still got the shot through, how was that even possible?
The two bodyguards were equally stunned as this was the first time that they had seen anyone score three consecutively shots, let alone three-pointers when playing against their young master.
"Li, where did you find this man, he's quite interesting!"
Shen Qingyan started to take notice of Xiao Luo more seriously for the first time. Initially, she expected Xiao Luo to be absolutely destroyed by Yang Hongzhi, but the opposite seemed to have held true.
"I met him at Jiangcheng during my last concert."
As Su Li spoke, her eyes were on trained on Xiao Luo, and she was surprised by what she saw. She knew better than anyone that Yang Hongzhi was a genuine sports fanatic, and he had even hired renowned coaches from CBA to train and mentor him in basketball. Besides, he was very active in kickboxing and went to the gym regularly, making him extremely fit, physically. One could say that, when it came to basketball across the Xiahai area, Yang Hongzhi was virtually invincible.
"Yay! Daddy's the greatest... fighting, daddy!"
Su Xiaobei was jumping up and down excitedly, clapping her tiny hands and cheering for her daddy, Xiao Luo. Standing next to her, Luo Pingxiang was equally animated.
But to Yang Hongzhi, hearing that cheer was a mortal stab to the heart. His mouth twitched in spasms, and he could no longer retain his smile. Furiously, he snapped at Xiao Luo, "Do you only know how to shoot?!"
"Shooting is my strength, that's how you win a game!" Xiao Luo retorted, clearly intending to get under his skin.
Yang Hongzhi's face darkened with rage, and he no longer smiled. "Fine, continue then! Let's see if you can land every single shot!"
His bodyguard threw him the ball...
Yang Hongzhi had now pushed Xiao Luo further toward the mid-court, and Xiao Luo was now nearly one and a half meters from the three-point arc. At such a distance, the probability of scoring a basket was much lower, even for a professional player.
"Let's continue!"
Yang Hongzhi took a deep breath and passed the ball to Xiao Luo.
Xiao Luo smirked at him, then without any hesitation, he jumped immediately to shoot after receiving the ball, just like how he had done it in the last three.
Despite the longer distance, Xia Luo's shot was an exact repeat of the previous three, and it almost seemed like the basketball had grown a pair of eyes and was guiding itself toward the basket.
Then, the fifth shot scored...
The sixth shot scored...
The seventh shot scored...
And even the eighth shot landed! Both Shen Qingyan and Su li could not believe what they had just witnessed and were now truly awed, to the point they had to catch their breath. All eight shots were executed with the same technique—all scored by a jump shot taken outside the three-point line. Although there were no exciting passages of offensive and defensive play nor the clash between bodies, the perfect execution of Xiao Luo's technique was more than a treat to watch.
Yang Hongzhi's two bodyguards kept rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
Only Su Xiaobei was cheering out loud for Xiao Luo–she knew in her heart that her daddy was awesome and would score every ball consecutively.
Yang Hongzhi's state of mind was a rollercoaster ride that started off with disdain, then he was surprised, shocked, and finally driven to anger. At that moment, Yang Hongzhi looked like he could swallow Xiao Luo up alive. From the third shot on, he had been trying to block Xiao Luo's attempts, but each time it floated only centimeters from his fingertips, before going through the hoop.
The score was now, eight to zero, and Yang Hongzhi was seething, what a humiliation it was to him.
"Damn catfish!"
Yang Hongzhi muttered a curse and stared hard at Xiao Luo; if he did not hate Xiao Luo before, he did now.
Xiao Luo chuckled at Yang Hongzhi—here was a man who readily insulted others but was not mentally tough enough to be abused himself.
"There are two more shots!"
Yang Hongzhi hissed through clenched teeth, and he gripped the ball hard in his hands and stared viciously at Xiao Luo.
Xiao Luo had a faint smile on his face. He raised his index finger at Yang Hongzhi and then gestured by curling it back to signal for him to pass the ball.
...
The score was ominously in Xiao Luo's favor—it was eight to zero, to be exact—and it had already been agreed from the onset that Xiao Luo would always start off the game. Yang Hongzhi was under immense pressure with that scoreline, and he was absolutely frustrated. Increasingly, Yang Hongzhi was getting enraged—on his forehead, blue-colored veins bulged like they were about to burst, and every strand of hair on his brows was on ends. Thoroughly outclassed in the game, he was being humiliated right in front of the woman he was trying so hard to impress. It made him want to skin Xiao Luo alive!
Xiao Luo ignored his vicious expression, and again, the moment he received the ball, he jumped immediately to take the shot.
But this time, instead of going for the block, Yang Hongzhi roared and charged into Xiao Luo like a wounded beast. He did not even get a hand on the last eight balls, and unable to accept the shame, he decided to directly hurl himself at Xiao Luo.
CRASH!
The impact reverberated across the court as Yang Hongzhi barged his shoulder into Xiao Luo's chest while still making the shot in the air. Xiao Luo lost his balance, and he had to take two steps back to regain himself, and he felt a dull pain in his chest.
Before Yang Hongzhi could even turn to look, he heard the familiar thud as the ball landed through the hoop.
"Sh*t!!!"
Yang Hongzhi was overcome by anguish, and as his eyes glowered in frustration, he threw a tantrum, stamping his feet on the ground repeatedly. He ripped off his jacket and flung it on the court.
"Are you playing basketball or 'Street Fighter?!'"
Xiao Luo was piqued, and he grabbed Yang Hongzhi's shoulder as he walked off.
Yang Hongzhi was outraged and immediately slapped Xiao Luo's hand away, then grabbed Xiao Luo's by his collar. He roared, "I am going to whoop your *ss, so what! Are you unhappy about that?"
His body check was totally intentional, but yet he couldn't accept it when Xiao Luo laid a hand on his shoulder. He still had some semblance of self-control despite his fury, or he'd have ordered his bodyguards to deal with Xiao Luo.
Xiao Luo stared coldly into his eyes and, in no uncertain terms, said, "You better let go!"
The glint in Xiao Luo's eyes made Yang Hongzhi shiver, he quickly let go of Xiao Luo's collar—for some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt like a frog that was being hunted by a venomous snake and on the verge of being struck; and had Yang Hongzhi not let go, he would have been killed that instant.
Seeing the confrontation, Yang Hongzhi's bodyguards, Su Li and Shen Qingyan, rushed into the court.
"Young Master Yang, it's just a friendly match, don't take it too seriously." Shen Qingyan said, attempting to calm him down.
Suddenly noticing Su Li's presence, Yang Hongzhi quelled his anger, unwilling to tarnish his image in front of her, and forced a smile. "Huh, what are you saying, Qingyan? Since when was I angry? I noticed Mr. Xiao Luo's collar was unbuttoned, and I'm helping him with it."
"Oh, Really? Then I have misunderstood you."
Shen Qingyan smiled wryly, and she knew Yang Hongzhi well enough. She decided to de-escalate the situation and said, "Young Master Yang, you must have worked out enough by now; come, let's get freshened up as I've prepared some delicious dishes for you."
"Oh, we're not in a hurry, there's one last ball." Yang Hongzhi responded.
The two bodyguards looked at each other awkwardly, wondering to themselves why their young master would not accept the offer when Ms. Shen had just given him a way out. Why did he not go along with it? Did he actually think that he could turn this defeat into a victory? The score was now nine to zero!
But when they saw the viciousness in Yang Hongzhi's eyes, they knew he would teach Xiao Luo a hard lesson. They got themselves ready.
"Are you sure that you still want to continue?" Su Li asked.
"Haha... there should be an end to every beginning, it's only one more ball, and it'll be done in no time."
"Then let's finish it!" Xiao Luo spoke up suddenly.
There was a fierce glint in Yang Hongzhi's eyes for a fleeting moment, and then he laughed and said, "Li, you guys can leave first. It seems like Mr. Xiao wants to make me go home with a big zero, hahaha. I'd also like to know if it ends up that way."
Su Li did not respond to him but walked to Xiao Luo and whispered, "Be careful!"
Xiao Luo was taken aback as he did not expect Su Li to show any concern. Su Li was well aware of what Yang Hongzhi had planned, and he certainly was going to play by the book.
He nodded and walked towards the basketball that had already rolled to the far side of the court.
"Win, Daddy!"
Su Xiaobei stood by the courtside, clenching her tiny fist and excitedly cheering Xiao Luo on.
Xiao Luo winked at her and smiled, then gave her an "OK" sign.
"Mr. Xiao, if you're going to score the last ball with another jump shot, then it'll be an anti-climax, just like a sissy. Come, play ball like a man, show me your dribbling skill," Yang Hongzhi sneered, trying to provoke Xiao Luo.
"As you wish!"
Xiao Luo smirked and started dribbling toward Yang Hongzhi's end of the court.
"This stupid catfish is finally taking the bait, I'll change my surname if I don't destroy you today!"
Yang Hongzhi said to himself and laughed before he got into a defensive stance. There was a vicious glint in his eyes, and he wanted nothing less than causing him serious injury. The coaches Yang Hongzhi had hired taught him many basketball skills, including several dirty tactics and how to dish out different levels of damage to his opponents in a game. He could sprain their ankles for starters, break their bones or cause an internal injury if he wanted to.
"Li, things aren't looking good, it seems like young master Yang is going for his killer moves."
Shen Qingyan expressed her concern to Su Li as they watched the game unfold from the courtside. If Yang Hongzhi really decided to play dirty, she would certainly not forgive him for it, as he would've not only lost the match but also his dignity as a sportsman.
Su Li listened but remained impassive, but after a brief thought, she said, "Call an ambulance, just in case!"
The one reason that made her despise Yang Hongzhi was that he was simply a spoiled kid from a wealthy background. He refused to accept any rejection or failure in life, what he wanted, he got. He was the one who initiated the match, but he couldn't take the fact that he was totally outplayed. Had he not been the son of the company's biggest shareholder, she would not even respond to him.
Shen Qingyan concurred and decided to make the call, as she too was now aware that Yang Hongzhi was not a dignified person.
Back on the court, Xiao Luo advanced speedily toward Yang Hongzhi, dribbling with flair and control. He made a feint to his right, then swung to the left, suddenly broke the ball back to the right again, and charged forward to get underneath the basket. He moved like a gust of wind and reached the basket in the blink of an eye.
"Wow, what a move! Is Xiao Luo going to dunk?"
Shen Qingyan, still on the phone, but her eyes were fixed on the court action as she was a basketball fan and regularly watched basketball matches. From Xiao Luo's body position, it was evident that he was about to execute the Tomahawk dunk.
Su Li simply stared in a stupor, absolutely bewildered at how high Xiao Luo had jumped, and how easily he had dribbled pass Yang Hongzhi.
"Got you!"
"AARGH~"
Yang Hongzhi was beaten, but he would not give in—his intentions were clear, and in a desperate attempt to take his opponent down, he launched himself, crashing hard into Xiao Luo. A determination showed in his blood-shot eyes, and he expected to see Xiao Luo tumble out of the backline a complete wreck.
The horrifying sound of a brutal, bone-crunching thump filled the air, and everyone cringed in horror. Would Xiao Luo be alright? But, the expression on Yang Hongzhi's face drastically at the moment of impact. An explosion of irresistible power surged from Xiao Luo's body, and Yang Hongzhi felt he had just crashed into an immovable mountain.