Shi Lei subconsciously caught the ball that Zhou Xiaoshuai tossed over, all eyes now fixed on him. He knew very well what would happen if he refused the challenge now.

It wouldn't be just him potentially embarrassed; Xu Fan and the others would likely be ridiculed because of him.

"Fine, let's have a match then."

Although he hadn't played much basketball since entering his senior year, Shi Lei was confident that he could defeat this arrogant guy!

Now dribbling the ball, he walked beyond the three-point line to start the one-on-one game.

His gaze involuntarily shifted toward Xu Fan, suddenly filled with a fighting spirit!

No matter what, he couldn't let Big Bro Xu lose face!

"Hmm, quite the high fighting spirit. Let's start," Zhou Xiaoshuai sneered.

As Zhou Xiaoshuai was defending in front of him, Shi Lei took a deep breath, gripped the ball, and prepared to attack.

His greatest strength was speed! Now, he was eyeing Zhou Xiaoshuai's defensive stance for any openings. Spotting a gap on his opponent's left side, Shi Lei took a quick step, breaking past with the ball!

He swept by like a gust of wind! The onlookers gasped in amazement!

"Damn! Lei's breakaway speed is awesome!"

Chen Dongdong exclaimed beside Xu Fan, his eyes alight with excitement! He just hoped that in this one-on-one, Shi Lei would give Zhou Xiaoshuai the beating he deserved and teach him a lesson for his sharp tongue!

The crowd was audibly thrilled, but Xu Fan stood among them with a furrowed brow.

In his view, things weren't as optimistic as they might seem...

Sure enough, before the excitement had lasted two seconds, Zhou Xiaoshuai, who had been left behind by Shi Lei, caught up with incredible speed!

Just as Shi Lei was about to shoot, Zhou Xiaoshuai leaped into the air! One hand stretched out toward the ball.

Smack!

Zhou Xiaoshuai's slap sent the ball flying mercilessly out of Shi Lei's hands! Among the cheers of many female fans, the basketball rolled and bounced toward Xu Fan's feet.

"Heh, Xu Fan, your little brother here doesn't seem up to par. You let him through but he still couldn't score. Don't you teach him properly?" Zhou Xiaoshuai taunted lazily amidst the adoring gaze of his fangirls.

With Zhou Xiaoshuai's taunt prompting laughter and teasing glances from many, Xu Fan just smiled without responding, picking up the ball and walking over to Shi Lei, who was approaching from the opposite direction.

He gave the ball to Shi Lei, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Shi Lei, don't pressure yourself too much. Life goes on even if you can't beat him."

Xu Fan was acutely aware of the pressure Shi Lei was under; his comfort was meant to help Shi Lei not take this too much to heart.

But Shi Lei stubbornly shook his head, regarding Xu Fan earnestly and said, "No, Big Bro Xu, I may not boast about bringing you glory, but at the very least, I cannot let you down."

"..."

With those words, Shi Lei took the ball and went back into the court!

Xu Fan watched, bitter laughter hidden in his eyes.

It was painful to admit, but for Shi Lei to defeat Zhou Xiaoshuai, the odds were extremely slim.

Others might not know, but Xu Fan was well aware that this was no longer just a contest of basketball skills.

This Zhou Xiaoshuai was a martial artist!

That was why Xu Fan had earlier asked Chen Dongdong; he wondered from whom Zhou Xiaoshuai had learned. At such a young age, he was already on the cusp of entering the External Realm.

Though not on par with a formal External Realm master, Zhou Xiaoshuai's years of martial arts practice gave him an edge in speed and strength, making him stand out among his high school peers.

As for Shi Lei, while he hung out in the streets and had decent fighting skills, he certainly wasn't a trained martial artist...

Watching the game, Xu Fan could only hope that Zhou Xiaoshuai wouldn't be too ruthless.

...

After picking up the ball, Shi Lei threw it over to Zhou Xiaoshuai.

"Let's start."

This round, it was Zhou Xiaoshuai's turn to attack, while Shi Lei lowered his center of gravity, focusing intently on Zhou Xiaoshuai, ready to defend.

He might not block Zhou Xiaoshuai with a huge swat like the latter might do, but at the very least, he couldn't let him score!

"Hehe, Shi Lei, don't be nervous."

Zhou Xiaoshuai dribbled the ball leisurely while teasing Shi Lei.

The basketball seemed to stick to his hand, with no chance of being stolen. Shi Lei furrowed his brow, feeling increasingly nervous.

In the moment he furrowed his brows, a figure flashed before him! The next instant, Zhou Xiaoshuai had already breezed past him with the ball!

Not good!

Shi Lei cursed silently in his mind and instinctively turned to chase after him, but when he looked back, he saw Zhou Xiaoshuai standing to the side, dribbling and waiting for him.

"Hehe, just realized you've been passed? Not a bad reaction."

The crowd burst into roaring laughter! They started cursing Zhou Xiaoshuai for being cruel; at this moment, the guy was simply toying with Shi Lei!

But even as they cursed him, the group of female fans still gazed at Zhou Xiaoshuai with undiminished admiration!

Shi Lei huffed in displeasure but didn't lose his temper. He stepped right in front of Zhou Xiaoshuai, ready to continue defending.

"Hehe, you're too weak, you know?"

Zhou Xiaoshuai calmly waited for Shi Lei to readjust his defense and then teased him, the corner of his mouth lifting as he said, "Next, I'm going to breakthrough from the right side, get ready."

"Humph! Less talk!"

Even the patient Shi Lei couldn't help feeling angry! This guy was blatantly revealing his next move, complete disrespect!

As he saw Zhou Xiaoshuai lower his center of gravity, readying to breakthrough, Shi Lei held his breath, all set to block the guy, and give him a powerful swat!

"Hehe, here we go!"

Just then! Zhou Xiaoshuai's voice sounded! Shi Lei instinctively went for the defense! But by the time he reacted, Zhou Xiaoshuai had already made a successful break!

Damn it!

Watching Zhou Xiaoshuai rush towards the basket with the ball, Shi Lei cursed continuously!

Thinking of Xu Fan and the others watching and the consequences of losing later, Shi Lei's fighting spirit got ignited! Knowing it would be hard to catch up, he still charged towards Zhou Xiaoshuai!

At this moment, his speed! Was faster by three parts than before, probably surpassing his past limits!

Zhou Xiaoshuai too, seeing Shi Lei's astonishing speed, couldn't help but frown.

This guy, is he for real?

By now, Zhou Xiaoshuai was ready to dunk. As the distance between Shi Lei and himself closed, an impatient look flashed across his face!

He didn't want this nobody ruining his chance to show off!

As Shi Lei approached him, Zhou Xiaoshuai charged forward and slammed right into him!

With a bang! Like an ant trying to shake a tree, the moment Zhou Xiaoshuai charged, Shi Lei lost control, rolling to the side! Then, Zhou Xiaoshuai soared, grabbed the ball, and slammed it hard into the hoop!

This move drew cheers and shouts from the surrounding girls! Hanging on the rim for a bit, Zhou Xiaoshuai then landed back on the ground.

Basking in the adoration of the crowd, Zhou Xiaoshuai looked to the side.

Seeing Xu Fan and the group anxiously helping Shi Lei up, Zhou Xiaoshuai's mouth twisted in a sneer as he scoffed, "Hehe, Shi Lei, that's some decent flop you've got there, huh?"

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