Chapter 59: An All-Out Duel

Class Thirteen versus Class Seven!

This showdown drew plenty of attention. The school was like a miniature society, and students often relished gossip even more than outsiders.

“This match is a must-see; it’s reminiscent of a rivalry clash—bound to be explosive.”

“The top point guard versus the top center—this is a battle for the title of best in the grade!”

Jinhua High School boasted six basketball courts, each with two hundred seats for spectators. As a renowned school in the county, its courts were frequently used for county-level competitions. The grade semifinals were always in high demand; apart from the participating classes, which could attend en masse, other classes received tickets distributed evenly.

Many students who didn’t get tickets sighed in regret, cursing themselves for not studying harder to get into the key classes.

Since joining the school basketball team, Ming Han’s life had become highly disciplined. He even developed the habit of morning runs. Basketball demanded fierce physical confrontation, and excellent fitness gave players a distinct advantage.

Just like NBA star LeBron James, whose formidable physique made his drives to the basket look effortless.

Although Ming Han wasn’t aiming to become excessively muscular, he wanted to be tough enough not to fear physical battles. He hoped to play basketball for a long time—through high school, through college…

The week passed swiftly. Grade Nine was markedly different from previous years; now, teachers did everything possible to persuade students to stay at school and study over weekends. Some academic stars raised their hands in agreement, but many insisted on supporting their class’s basketball team.

The homeroom teacher sighed, “Back in Grade Seven, I wished you would play better and win honor for the class, but you only won one round. Now, when I hope you’ll stay in the classroom and focus on your studies, your team suddenly has the strength to compete for the championship. Sometimes I wonder if you kids are playing tricks on your teacher.”

Many students snickered quietly; it was true! They worried the homeroom teacher might issue a strict order forbidding them from cheering for their class.

The homeroom teacher was a workaholic, fiercely proud of the class. But anything that interfered with academics was ruthlessly nipped in the bud. So it was entirely possible he’d force them to stay in the classroom for self-study on Saturday.

“Yuhang, since you’ve come this far, I hope you’ll win the championship and show everyone in the grade our well-rounded talents. I’ll be cheering for you!” Frankly, his words surprised everyone, but they applauded, touched by his support.

...

The match was scheduled for Saturday morning at nine. Besides students from the grade, many others from different grades gathered around to watch.

Everyone was eager to witness an intense game.

Class Thirteen and Class Seven’s players took the court, exchanging greetings. Many played pickup games together regularly, so they were quite familiar with each other.

Ming Han and Qiang bumped chests lightly. Qiang grinned, “Ming Han, no one in the grade knows you better than I do. Your signature moves won’t work on us.”

He had a point. Over the past three months, they had trained together almost every day.

Ming Han wasn’t bothered by Qiang’s words. He replied, “You know Yuhang so well, but your class has never managed to contain him!”

Some players could dominate with just one move; even if you knew their style, you couldn’t stop them.

The referee was a P.E. teacher from the high school division. Ming Han had met him during summer training—an easygoing man.

“Don’t chat too much, you two. This is an important match—keep it serious. Your joking is throwing me off; I can’t get into the tense mood.”

The teacher was known for his humor and was popular among students.

Tip-off!

Qiang seized the first possession.

Right away, Qiang and Wu Jianhao executed a pick-and-roll. Unlike last year, when Qiang would conserve energy and settle for jump shots early in the game, today he drove in with a “slow three steps” and scored with a layup.

Class Seven quickly got into rhythm. After Qiang’s layup, Wu Jianhao delivered a pass from beyond the arc for a three-pointer, widening the gap.

Truthfully, Class Thirteen started slow. They missed three consecutive shots, and Ming Han felt off. He ran a screen around the forward, caught the ball at mid-range, and missed the shot.

He was usually confident in those!

Seeing Class Thirteen’s offense stall, Qiang clapped, “Let’s seize the moment and turn this into garbage time.”

In games at this level, falling behind by more than fifteen points usually meant the end.

Midway through the quarter, Class Thirteen trailed by seven. Ming Han grew anxious. “Yuhang, should we call a timeout?”

Yuhang remained calm, shaking his head. “No need. Our tactics are solid—it’s just cold hands. We’ll find our rhythm; just keep shooting bravely.”

Yuhang had watched countless games and started playing competitive basketball in elementary school. He knew exactly when to call a timeout, and when to simply push through and let momentum shift naturally.

Sure enough, after a rough start, in the last two minutes of the quarter, Yuhang broke through and delivered a bounce pass to Ming Han, who took two dribbles and fed Zheng Yuan under the basket for a score! Then Ming Han attacked Class Seven’s power forward, sank a shot, and closed the gap.

Seeing Class Thirteen play with such composure, Qiang couldn’t help but admire them. The team owed half their success to Yuhang. Last year, Class Thirteen won on hot shooting; this year, their ability and defense kept them in the game.

For the final possession of the quarter, Qiang rarely went solo. He turned to Ming Han, “Shall we go one-on-one?”

Ming Han didn’t object and switched defensive positions with Zheng Yuan.

Zheng Yuan cleared space for them and asked Yuhang, puzzled, “Did those two get close over the summer? Why does their matchup look so harmonious—almost like lovers meeting?”

Yuhang laughed inwardly but reminded Zheng Yuan to focus on defense.

Qiang leaned into Ming Han with his shoulder, driving toward the basket.

Ming Han refused to back down, pushing right back.

When Qiang found he couldn’t penetrate, he spun and fired a “Garnett-style” fadeaway jumper.

Swish!

The crowd erupted in cheers—this shot showcased pure individual skill. There was a reason Qiang was called the toughest player to guard in ninth grade.

Ming Han spread his hands to his opponent, showing he had done all he could.

Class Thirteen trailed by four at the end of the first quarter, but the game remained balanced.

Wang Chaoyang, who seldom spoke, remarked seriously, “Though the atmosphere looks friendly, Qiang is more focused than ever. He showed almost all his skills in the first quarter—that’s rare for him.”

A person who holds nothing back is only doing so because he’s facing a true rival.