Chapter 152: Familiar Coordination

Another instructor walked over and patted Ming Han on the shoulder. "He is the main force of our company's basketball team, and his skills are no less inferior to ordinary professional players."

Many people were surprised. They had already anticipated that Instructor Bai was a hidden expert, but they did not expect him to be this strong.

Wang Zhimin patted his chest and said to Wu Xinhai, "Don't you think Brother Wang is quite wise? I understand how to retreat in order to advance and preserve the overall situation. Look, Instructor Bai is so strong, Ming Han is going to make a fool of himself now."

Wu Xinhai glanced at Wang Zhimin sideways. "Big brother, you are the only one I have ever seen who can make fleeing in complete disarray sound so noble. Brother Ming is willing to accept the challenge, which means he is not someone timid or afraid of trouble, unlike certain people."

Wang Zhimin's face turned red, and he argued sophistically, "I am just a sensible person who adapts to circumstances. You don't understand me at all!"

Heh!

Upon hearing that instructor's introduction of Instructor Bai, Ming Han nodded. "I can see that."

Combining Instructor Bai's basic ball-handling skills, speed, and physical fitness, he indeed possessed the capability to play professionally.

"Then don't just surrender directly like that little fatty over there later!"

"Little fatty?" Realizing he was being used as a negative example, Wang Zhimin protested unconvinced, "I was never good at basketball anyway. My true love is table tennis. I was a junior high school table tennis champion."

"A champion?" Wu Xinhai questioned, feeling that this guy's words were unreliable.

"Yeah! Table tennis is our country's national sport. Playing table tennis well is just as important as knowing how to sing the national anthem. As the future flowers of our motherland, we must play table tennis well..." Wang Zhimin rambled on with a seemingly logical explanation, believing this could perfectly account for his lacking basketball skills.

However, Li Jiantao weakly chimed in, "Didn't you just lose a game of table tennis to our math teacher's ten-year-old son a few days ago?"

It's over. Li Jiantao was there at the time!

Wang Zhimin's expression shifted drastically. His chubby body lunged at Li Jiantao, throwing punches. "I'll teach you to run your mouth, I'll teach you to run your mouth..."

Ming Han could not help but laugh. This fatty had lifted a stone only to drop it squarely on his own feet.

Returning to the court.

Ming Han held the ball and matched up against Instructor Bai.

Instructor Bai assumed a defensive stance. "Ming Han, my defense is way more badass than my offense."

Ming Han smiled and, utilizing Yu Hang's screen, drove straight through.

Instructor Bai was extremely fast, bypassing the screener directly to recover and defend Ming Han.

Ming Han did not hesitate for a second. Before Instructor Bai could fully catch up, he pulled up for a jump shot.

The distance was just one step inside the three-point line. Even though shooting space had been created, it was hardly an ideal shooting location.

Ming Han's decisiveness secretly earned Instructor Bai's admiration. Someone who shoots with such confidence is either a complete fraud or an absolute master.

Ming Han clearly belonged to the latter. His textbook form and highly fluid sequence of motions sent the ball gracefully through the net.

Instructor Bai shook his head helplessly. "Turns out you're a lethal pull-up shooter."

Someone with an elite shot is the most terrifying presence on a basketball court.

This referred not only to catch-and-shoot situations, but also to various scoring moves off the dribble.

Because someone who can shoot means they can attack at will from any spot on the court.

Take Jordan and Kobe, for instance—history-level midrange masters. The turnaround jumper out of the mid-post isolation, the pull-up jumper coming off screens, and the one-on-one pull-up were all signature weapons of these two shooting guards.

On the next possession, Instructor Bai went one-on-one against Ming Han. His first step was too explosive, taking him right past Ming Han's body and into the paint.

Yu Hang showed great chemistry by stepping directly into Instructor Bai's driving lane.

This prevented Instructor Bai from taking long strides straight to the rim. Instead, he smoothly executed a Euro-step, shaking off Yu Hang.

However, this bought enough time for Ming Han to recover and contest, leaping up to disrupt the shot.

Instructor Bai's layup missed, and Yu Hang grabbed the rebound.

Yu Hang immediately initiated a coast-to-coast fast break, with Instructor Bai closely trailing behind him.

Instructor Bai was too fast; there was no way Yu Hang could shake him off.

After crossing the three-point line, Yu Hang faked a layup before executing a behind-the-back bounce pass to the trailing Ming Han.

It was a magnificent pass. Logically speaking, Ming Han could have gone straight up for a layup or a floater.

Yet Instructor Bai possessed a wealth of playing experience and immediately pivoted to contest.

Moreover, the other instructor had also caught up, completely boxing Ming Han in.

Wang Zhimin, who had been watching from the sidelines all along, shook his head and feigned profundity. "What a pity. If they pull this play off, these two guys could trend on the school's online forum."

"Such a wonderful combination of plays! Just ruined like that." Many sighed.

Ming Han had fallen into a double-team, and this offensive sequence surely could not be completed now.

Ming Han feigned a pass with his right hand toward the perimeter, drawing the attention of all the instructors.

Suddenly, Ming Han transitioned into a forceful, blind bounce pass with his right hand, threading the ball right between two defenders and straight to Yu Hang under the basket.

Yu Hang converted the reverse layup!

This play was even more creative than the uncompleted one from before.

No one anticipated Ming Han making that pass because the risk of a turnover was extremely high, considering there were two defenders standing between him and Yu Hang.

And Yu Hang was even more brilliant: having already run past the three-point line, he suddenly cut back toward the basket, shed his defender, and caught Ming Han's pass to score.

The two of them had exchanged zero verbal communication, yet they seemed to instinctively anticipate each other's passing lanes.

Conjoined twins?

Wu Xinhai clutched his chest with a heartbroken expression. "I finally understand why Brother Ming kept pulling his hand away from mine earlier—turns out there was someone else outside."

Several girls cast bizarre glances at the chubby boy. Had the world truly grown this insane? Had petty jealousy and rivalry between boys evolved to such theatrical heights?

A voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, "It's the Morning Star duo!"

They were the most hotly debated rising basketball star duo on the internet over the past year.

Many people did not know what the two members looked like, but they had all heard of this combination.

"I've heard of them."

"Me too!"

...

Wang Zhimin curled his lip and asked Wu Xinhai, "Morning Star duo? Are they that popular?"

Wu Xinhai now wore the exact same expression as the group of girls beside him. "I just knew Brother Ming wasn't an ordinary person. Even in a talent-filled school like City No. 1 High, he stands out so brilliantly, so vividly..."

Wang Zhimin massaged his forehead. "This big fatty is acting weird; I need to watch my back from now on. Looks like I'll have to break the habit of bathing with bar soap and switch to bottled shower gel instead."

Instructor Bai's admiration for Ming Han deepened. "Listening to everyone's discussion, are you professionals?"

"Professionally showing off."

Yu Hang protested with dissatisfaction, "You make our profession sound so superficial. We just showcase basketball to everyone in the coolest way possible."

"Heh, carry on then, you two little starlets!"

They played to their hearts' content. It had been a long time since Ming Han had engaged in such an intense game of basketball.

"Brother Ming is so handsome!" Wu Xinhai fetched a red cloth and waved it wildly while cheering.

A teacher's child standing behind him said with a wronged expression, "Big brother, please give me back my Young Pioneer scarf."