Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The semi-finals were finally here.

Marcus led the Chinese team, his head held high as the crowd watched them. The arena erupted into cheers right away. They were in their home court, after all.

However, it didn't feel like that for the longest time. They were doubted, overlooked, and called a 'mess.' However, they were now the hope of basketball in China, with people who weren't even interested in the sport tuning in because of their journey.

And, of course, because of Kai's good looks.

The stands were now packed with fans from all corners of the world. The Global Games was nearing its end, so more people had arrived in their country.

Grandma Bingbing hadn't shown up yet, which didn't surprise him. She'd promised to save her appearance for the finals, and if there was one thing he'd learned recently, it was that his grandmother always kept her word.

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Aiden wasn't around, too. He had texted Kai this morning that he would be hanging out with Grandma Bingbing. Kai smiled at the thought. They had a lot to catch up on.

The women's basketball team, who lost against Italy during the semi-finals, was also watching from the sidelines. They still had one chance to finish with a medal, and they wanted to see if the men's team would end up in the same fate as them.

"Do you think they can do it?"

Ziyi, their captain, narrowed her eyes. "If you asked me a few weeks back, then I would say no. However, there's a miracle happening in that team. We saw it briefly in their game with France. Now, I have to see it more clearly."

As they made their way to the bench, Zheng nudged Kai's arm. "You look like you're in a good mood today."

"Yeah," Max chimed in. "If we'd known, we would've called you to join us last night."

Kai frowned, glancing between them. "Join you for what?"

"Banana muffins," Max said casually while taping his knee.

Kai froze. "Banana muffins?"

Zheng nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! There were a lot of them. Some lady even came looking for you and said she had an extra batch. Too bad you weren't around."

Kai's glare could have melted steel. "You didn't think to save me any?"

Max shrugged, trying not to laugh. "We figured you weren't in the mood, so…"

"It was so good, by the way," Max continued, adding fuel to the fire. "They were freshly cooked, so the chocolate center was warm. We had like three pieces each."

"Three?" Kai exclaimed, not able to hold in his voice.

The older players glanced at them curiously.

"Don't fight before the game," Dong said, looking amused.

However, that wasn't enough to tone down his anger. He could have finished his mission yesterday!

"Unbelievable," he muttered, glaring at Zheng and Max, who were oblivious to his real feelings.

His teammates exchanged amused glances, but they quickly dropped the subject when they saw the fire in his eyes.

Kai didn't say another word, but inside, he felt a storm brewing.

Coach Xu Wei stood in front of them and called the starters.

"Kai, join them," he said.

The young player didn't say anything and quietly joined Marcus, Dong, Zheng, and Max on the court.

"Yo, let's win," Max said. However, Kai ignored him. Max couldn't help but chuckle. Was he really that upset because of the banana muffins?

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," David started off. "We are down to the semi-finals. Time really does move fast, and with this game, we will know who has surely secured a medal!"

"That's right, David," Gina chimed. "Each of the team's starters are already on the court. I see Kai Guo is already in his position. Well, that is very much expected after his performance in their game with France during the quarter-finals."

"Yes. It was such an exhilarating game, and for me, Kai was the MVP. I am really looking forward to what he's going to bring to the game today."

The whistle blew, and Dong managed to get the ball. He smiled and went to his position. However, he was taken aback when he saw Kai run across the court like a rocket.

"What the—" Max said when he saw Kai already barrelling to the ring!

The ball barely touched the hands of their point guard before Kai intercepted it, cutting through the German defense like a knife through butter.

"Kai Guo has the ball!" Gina exclaimed. "The game has barely started, and yet he's already moving so fast. He is going for the shot. He's jumping high an—"

Before she could finish, Kai launched himself into the air. The crowd erupted as he slammed the ball into the hoop with a force that made the entire backboard rattle.

"SLAM DUNK!" David shouted. "Kai Guo wastes no time getting on the board. That's 2-0 for the team from China!"

Kai landed with a thud, his eyes blazing as he jogged back to his position. The German players exchanged wary glances, caught off guard by the intensity of his play.

But Kai wasn't done.

As soon as the Germans inbounded the ball, he was there once again. He anticipated their pass, darting in to steal the ball before the opposing point guard even realized what was happening.

"He's got it again!" Gina yelled, barely able to keep up.

Kai pivoted, scanning the court. The defense scrambled to block him, but it was no use. With a quick step back, he released the ball from beyond the arc.

The net swished cleanly.

"Three points!" David shouted, his voice almost drowned out by the roar of the crowd. "Kai Guo is on FIRE!"

The scoreboard flashed: 5-0.

And it was not even a minute into the game.

"What on earth has made Kai Guo so angry today?" Gina asked, sounding curious and amused at the same time.

"I don't know," David replied, "but whatever it is, Germany better figure it out fast—or this could be a very long game for them."