Chapter Nineteen: Three-Plank Axe

  "Heh heh, did you hear that? These freshmen are quite bold." No. 4 said with a sinister tone.

  "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. If we don't give them some unforgettable lessons for life, they really think they are the best in the world!" No. 13 chimed in.

  "I think if you had watched their games before, you wouldn't be so arrogant and narrow-minded. The newcomers are only two years younger than us, but that doesn't mean they've played less basketball than us. When the game starts, when defending, don't follow the ball, no matter who has it, don't go to help defend, even if it means being broken through or scored on, don't help defend." Number 10 said calmly, as the team's brain, player number 10 said.

  "Defend? There's no need for that. If they're not afraid of death, then let them come and break through." Despite the reminder from No. 10, the No. 13 player still looked disdainful.

  No. 10 shook his head, it's no use saying anything now, this batch of new students will be splashed with cold water to wake them up.

  Han Dengyun stood at the center line, ready to jump for the ball, his opponent, No. 21, a short but stout center, rubbed his nose and turned to No. 4, saying "You try?"

  "No. 4 snorted and said: 'I'm coming just because I'm coming, what's there to be afraid of?'"

  The referee throws the basketball straight up into the air after indicating to both players.

  Han Deyun's scorching gaze stared at the rolling basketball, let out a loud roar, and in the clear sky, a thunderbolt suddenly appeared. With all his might, he jumped up. No. 4 was startled by Han Deyun, shook off the shock, and when he came back to himself, Han Deyun had already slapped the ball heavily into their own half of the court with a loud slap.

  No. 4 stormed over to Han Dengyun and said, "You little brat, don't pretend to be innocent, you'll have your time to cry soon."

  Han Dengyun was too lazy to care about him and ran towards the opponent's half court with his fat buttocks shaking.

  No. 4 chattered incessantly behind him, Han Dengyun was annoyed, turned his head and glared at him, the blood-red eyeballs scared No. 4, for a moment he opened his mouth and forgot to speak.

  Zhao Senming had already dribbled past half of the court, and No. 10 didn't rashly go up to try to intercept the ball. He was very clear about the strength of these new students on the opposing team. His teammates could be careless, but he had to be extremely careful in his response.

  His teammates behind him were already defending, but Zhao Senming was just quietly dribbling the ball. The calmness and composure in his eyes made No. 10's heart skip a beat for no reason. Zhao Senming smiled as he walked over with the ball, and No. 10 immediately took on a defensive stance. Since the opponent didn't pass the ball, it proved that their teammates' defense was reasonable, so now all they needed to do was prevent the opponent from breaking through, and they could dismantle the opponent's attack.

  Zhao Senming arrived in front of No. 10, making a move to break through to the right, attracting No. 10 to shift his center of gravity, and then calmly passed the ball out with his hands. No. 10 was shocked in his heart, how is this possible? Did his teammate miss someone in this instant? In fact, Zhao Senming was just cautious by nature, his passing had always been flawless, although there were very few brilliant passes, but it was valuable for its stability, and almost never made mistakes, a great sword without edge, a great skill without craftsmanship, such a controlling defender is the most desperate.

  Sun Feiying received the pass and didn't even look at the menacing No. 13 in front of her, passing the ball to the baseline as if it was hot potato. Fu Zijun had already broken away from No. 4 and sprinted towards the three-point line when Zhao Senming made the pass. Sun Feiying's quick pass landed perfectly in his hands, while No. 4 only reacted after a brief delay, chasing after Fu Zijun's footsteps to catch up. He received the ball, turned around, jumped up, and shot, but Fu Zijun's series of movements were smooth and uninterrupted, leaving No. 4 unable to even touch his shadow, as the ball soared through the air towards the hoop.

  "Swish!" The basketball went through the hoop without touching the rim.

  3:0, the game has just begun, Class 18 of Grade 1 gave the seniors a head start. Fu Zijun is the vanguard of Class 18 of Grade 1, and the first wave of attack has habitually started from his position.

  First intimidated by Han Dongyun's fierce gaze, then easily shaken off by Fu Zijun, the arrogance before the 4th game had completely disappeared into the Pacific Ocean, with a gloomy face picking up the ball and passing it to No. 10.

  No. 10 received the ball with a calm and gentle wind, saying in a low voice: "This is a pure shooter, as long as we stare at him tightly and don't let him have good shooting opportunities, he will be useless."

  "No. 4 nodded and said: 'I will try my best.'"

  No. 10 let out a barely audible sigh and perked up his spirits to charge forward onto the front court.

  No. 16's playing style is similar to Fu Zijun, but unfortunately he encountered Xiang Qingyun who was as sticky as a piece of cowhide glue. Although he had been running non-stop since No. 10 broke through the midfield, he didn't expect that this clean-cut and long-haired No. 15 wouldn't give him any chance to receive the ball.

  No. 10 dribbled the ball, his brow furrowed tighter and tighter, the opposing team's players were like madmen, defending with all their might, if this continued he was worried that before the opposing team's physical strength was exhausted, his teammates' morale would be worn down to almost nothing. At this time, he had to take a stand, an excellent point guard must complete the attack when his teammates have no chance.

  Steel teeth bit, No. 10 took a step forward, immediately wrist operation ball continuous twice change direction, body center of gravity again returned to the right side, in his mind, this double change direction is already very deceptive, want to cheat opponent is not what difficult thing. Zhao Senming was indeed deceived, although he had been very careful, but the body instinctively moved a little to his own right side, it was this thread of space that No. 10 grasped, relying on Zhao Senming's body to break through and go in, an emergency stop jump shot decisive shot.

  The basketball bounced on the front edge of the basket and fell into the basket with a prayer under No. 10.

  "Isn't that a bit too forced? Why didn't you pass it to me? That little body of No. 9 can't withstand my collision at all under the basket." No. 4 complained dissatisfied with No. 10's choice.

  "Why is No. 9 so indulgent to you, haven't you thought about the reason? As long as I pass the ball, the possibility of No. 8 and No. 9 intercepting it is at least over 90%." No. 10 decided to explain that the most important thing among teammates is unity, otherwise, even if one's ability is strong, it will be useless. The Heat losing to the Mavericks in the NBA Finals 11 years ago is a very obvious example.

  Zhao Senming, who was broken through, remained calm and composed, steadily advancing the ball. Having learned from the previous lesson, No. 4 closely followed Fu Zijun, using his waist and abdomen to tightly guard him and not giving Fu Zijun any opportunity to move freely.

  Zhao Senming couldn't help but laugh when he saw this, thinking that the only attacking point of Class 8 of High School was this? Han Dengyun turned his back to the basket and raised his hand for the ball. No. 21 was tightly blocked behind him. With the reminder from No. 10 before the game, others didn't dare to go up and block him recklessly. So Zhao Senming easily passed the ball to Han Dengyun. Han Dengyun didn't hesitate either. After catching the ball, he let out a low roar, his broad back blocking the position. His right foot quickly turned around, and with his side facing the basket, he gently stretched out his arm, his wrist softly flicking the basketball out.

  No. 21 was blocked by Han Dengyun from behind, with no chance of stealing or blocking the shot. Under deliberate practice, Han Dengyun's hook shots at close range became more and more accurate, without any suspense, the ball easily passed through the net.

  "Looking at you wearing No. 8, I thought you were quite impressive, but it turns out you're just relying on the inside line to squeeze into the top four. Playing against a waste like you is really a pity for me, a defensive specialist." The division of labor among the players in Class 5 of Grade 3 is also very similar to that of the Kings. No. 10 is a controlling guard and the core brain of the team, responsible for organizing the team's offense and providing help at critical moments. No. 16 is a small forward with a beautiful three-point shot, and his buzzer-beating shot in the last game left a deep impression on people. No. 4 is a power forward with a strong body, accurate shooting, and good footwork. No. 21 is a center who can't jump high like Divac, but doesn't have Divac's beautiful passing skills either. As for this No. 13 who provoked Sun Feiying, apart from occasionally making empty shots, he is the best defender in Class 5 of Grade 3.

  Sun Feiyang rubbed his nose and smiled: "Alright, you won't have to wait too long. The next ball will be mine to hit. Hope you can defend against me..."

  No. 10 shook his head, No. 13's approach was quite unwise, the opponent's inside line had already been completely opened up, and yet he went to provoke the opponent's outside line player, wanting to be beaten from both inside and out? However, the words had already been spoken, and it was too late to stop them, so all that could be done was to hope that No. 13 really could defend against No. 8!

  Zhao Senming stood outside the three-point line, waiting for No. 10, his eyes gleaming with spirit, and a hint of combativeness was well hidden by him. He could be passed by his opponent for the first time, but if he wanted to pass him again, then bring out the real skills.

  No. 10's sweat dripped down from his forehead, unsure if it was due to the heat or tension. Zhao Senming's temperament had changed at some point, and a faint flame of uprising appeared in his calm eyes. No. 10 tried twice but still couldn't break through the past, so he could only reluctantly pass the ball to No. 13. He still didn't choose to pass the ball to No. 4, only someone who had played basketball for a long time like him knew the hidden danger within.

  With his excellent physical fitness, the No. 13 player who was invisible on the court easily passed the ball to the seemingly unguarded No. 4.

  No. 10 shouted "terrible", didn't dare to think more and immediately turned around to run back to his own half of the field. The ball flew accurately in the direction of No. 4, but not very fast, No. 13 thought this pass didn't need to be thrown with full force like a discus.

  "Bang!" A crisp sound changed the trajectory of the basketball, and a yellow shadow intercepted the ball and ran forward without any stop.

  No. 13 was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and saw a big "No. 8" jersey dancing in the gentle breeze.

  "Damn it!" No. 13 gritted his teeth in hatred, he was from the school track and field team, although a bit depressed, but he had absolute confidence to intercept Sun Feiyang who was sprinting with the ball halfway.

  No. 10, slightly slower, was desperately sprinting in the front, and No. 13's speed was indeed fast enough to keep up with Sun Feiyang, who was pushing the ball forward, making it a close call. However, since Sun Feiyang had the ball in hand, he was being chased closer and closer by No. 13. The three figures of yellow and white flashed quickly across the half court, so fast that it made people's eyes dizzy. Sun Feiyang could already clearly hear the heavy breathing sound of No. 13 behind his head, a ruthless smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Meanwhile, No. 10 had returned to their own basket, opening up his arms in a defensive stance.

  Sun Feiyang rushed over fearlessly, and No. 10 saw Sun Feiyang rushing over, his heart filled with joy. It seemed that this extremely fast No. 8 was a rookie in basketball, which made things easier. He decided to give him a vivid lesson on attacking fouls.

  No. 10 withdrew his hands and placed them in front of him, eyes slightly closed with a majestic appearance. Sun Feiying's smile at the corner of her mouth grew wider as she pulled the ball to her chest, shielding it with both hands. With an extremely large stride, she shook off No. 13 and No. 10 together behind her back. Before they could react, she made a slam dunk, sending the ball into the basket.

  The opening three boards of Class 8, Grade One were swift and fierce. Fu Zijun's hollow three-point shot, Han Dengyun's hook shot under the basket, and Sun Feiyang's fast break dunk caught their opponents off guard, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

  Although they took a 7-3 lead from the start, the crowd of Class 8, Grade 1 became like a pack of wolves that had just experienced a snowstorm, ruthlessly biting their opponent's wounds and letting blood flow all over the floor.

  Yan Lingfeng, who had just gotten off the car, hurriedly rushed towards his grandfather's house. As someone who had experienced two lifetimes, Yan Lingfeng could now better appreciate the importance of family ties. In this world, everyone can betray you - brothers who once swore an oath together may become sworn enemies, and lovers who once shared a bed may end up in court against each other. However, only family members, flesh-and-blood relatives, can take pride in your smallest successes and feel deeply disappointed by your failures. Perhaps due to the bond between generations, Yan Lingfeng's grandfather, who was very strict with his own son, had never raised his hand to scold Yan Lingfeng despite his mischievous ways. This might also be why Yan Lingfeng couldn't stay by his grandfather's side during his final moments in both of his lifetimes.

  As he walked into his grandfather's house, the bleak white of the hemp fabric filled Yan Lingfeng's eyes. The sound of crying in the room pierced deeply into Yan Lingfeng's heart. The grapevine that Grandfather had planted with his own hands had not yet withered, but Grandfather had left the world first. At this moment, Yan Lingfeng wished that the grandfather underground was also a prank played by Hei Bai Wuchang!

  She walked into the room with heavy footsteps, and her grandmother sat silently in a chair, tears streaming down her face. Both of her grandparents were born in turbulent times. Her grandfather's father died on the Long March, and if Yan Lingfeng's great-grandfather had survived the snowy mountains and grasslands, perhaps he would have been a true red successor too? When her grandfather was just coming of age, the Japanese devils invaded, and his mother, unwilling to suffer humiliation, hanged herself from the rickety beam of their house. Her grandmother's father died in the enemy's bunker, and the two grandparents had relied on each other for survival since childhood, barely making it through the war.

  After going through so many years of wind and rain, Grandpa left first. The psychological gap that Grandma experienced in an instant can be imagined. Grandpa's illness was not incurable, but he stubbornly refused the idea of Yan Lingfeng's father and second uncle to spend all their wealth, and resolutely chose to return home to endure the pain and wait for death with peace of mind.

  This old man, even if he wasn't Yan Lingfeng's biological grandfather, was still worthy of respect. Who doesn't cherish life and fear death? When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out - everything comes to an end. He gave up his own life for the happiness of his two sons. The villagers might gossip about the unfilial behavior of Yan's two sons for a while, but after a long time, who would still talk about a lonely grave in the wilderness?