Chapter 121: Fighting to the Bitter End

"Just in time!"

Wu Yan looked at Geng Haoshi, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.

Watching Wu Yan smiling at him, Geng Haoshi felt puzzled: What is this kid trying to do? Looking down on me? Provoking me?

No matter what you're thinking, I'm not in the mood to play games with you right now. Geng Haoshi shot a glance at Wu Yan and retorted irritably, "In your dreams!"

Wu Yan was taken aback, not understanding why Geng Haoshi had suddenly flared up.

An opening! Geng Haoshi noticed Wu Yan's lapse in concentration and quickly reached out, attempting to swipe the ball away once more.

However, it didn't go as smoothly this time.

Seeing Geng Haoshi’s hand closing in rapidly, Wu Yan instinctively pulled the ball back. Although Geng Haoshi’s fingertips brushed the ball, he failed to knock it loose.

Holding the ball, Wu Yan felt a lingering sense of alarm: It seems I cannot afford to be even slightly complacent when facing this guy!

Without another word to Geng Haoshi, Wu Yan began to prepare for a drive.

Having failed to steal the ball, Geng Haoshi settled back into his defensive stance, his eyes locked intently on Wu Yan and the basketball in his hands.

"Here we go!"

Wu Yan announced his next move to Geng Haoshi, as if making a formal declaration.

"Is this guy crazy?" Geng Haoshi muttered to himself.

Wu Yan dribbled the ball, initiating a drive toward Geng Haoshi’s left.

Geng Haoshi shifted to his left in response.

Wu Yan didn't follow through with the drive to the left. Instead, he pulled back slightly, executed a crossover dribble, and shifted the ball to his left hand. Then, with his left hand, he launched a drive toward Geng Haoshi’s right.

Geng Haoshi quickly shifted to his right.

Yet, Wu Yan again did not complete the move to the right. Just as Geng Haoshi’s body moved, Wu Yan suddenly passed the ball from his left hand back to his right.

Finally, before Geng Haoshi could regain his balance, Wu Yan drove past him on the left side with the ball in his right hand.

"So fast!" the middle-aged man with the mustache couldn't help but exclaim. "As expected of the ace player from Wuyan University of Technology. He’s really mastered that crossover."

On the sidelines, the "professional" observers also nodded repeatedly.

"This Wu Yan truly lives up to the rumors; he’s a player with incredible talent!"

"With the right training, it won't be long before he’s ready for the professional leagues."

"So, should we make contact first?"

"Yes, go and arrange it."

*(Note: The crossover, or "butterfly step," is essentially a cross-dribble to change direction and bypass an opponent. Two feints combined with a crossover dribble leave the defender unsure whether you are going left or right. This was Allen Iverson’s most famous signature move, the one that made his name, causing many opponents—including Jordan and Kobe—to stumble or lose their footing.)*

"See that? That is the true strength of an ace player!"

"That short guy is nowhere near Wu Yan’s level!"

Seeing the brilliant drive, Wu Yan’s fans in the stands began to get cocky again.

After completing the move, Wu Yan sprinted with the ball toward the paint in the half-court of Tiancheng University of Technology.

Once Geng Haoshi found his footing, he immediately turned and chased after him.

Damn! I can't let him score. If he does, the beautiful coach will definitely bench me! Geng Haoshi sprinted with all his might; he didn't want to be substituted so soon, as he still hoped to perform well enough to catch the eye of scouts.

Sun Peng was the first to try and block him, but he was easily shaken off by Wu Yan.

Zhu Di stepped up next, but he too was bypassed in an instant.

It had to be admitted—Wu Yan’s speed was truly impressive, even faster than he had shown before!

Now, only Wu Yan stood before the Tiancheng University of Technology basket.

Wu Yan continued his drive, preparing to score with a simple layup. He reached the basket, cupped the ball in his right hand, and leapt gently, sending the ball toward the rim.

"Bang!"

Mid-flight, a hand swung out and swatted the ball away.

"It’s him again!"

"He actually caught up!"

"So close..."

"Damn it!"

In the stands, Wu Yan’s fans looked at the person who had blocked the shot with mournful eyes.

The one who had stopped the shot was none other than Geng Haoshi.

Geng Haoshi didn't linger after the block; he raced toward the direction of the loose ball.

Before it could bounce out of bounds, Geng Haoshi managed to save it.

He then dribbled the ball and sprinted toward the half-court of Wuyan University of Technology.

"So fast!" the middle-aged man with the mustache exclaimed again. A moment ago it was for Wu Yan, this time it was for Geng Haoshi.

Geng Haoshi dribbled left and right, quickly weaving past the tall players from Wuyan University of Technology.

He reached the basket and prepared for a layup, as it was the safest way to score during a fast break.

Geng Haoshi cradled the ball in his right hand, leapt softly, and sent it toward the rim.

"Bang!"

Mid-flight, a hand swung out and swatted the ball out of bounds.

The one who had blocked this shot was none other than Wu Yan!

"Wu Yan, Wu Yan, invincible!" the fans chanted, their cheers echoing through the arena.

Zhu Di scoffed with disdain, "The ball went out of bounds, can't you see? What are these brainless fans screaming for?"

Sun Peng walked over to Zhu Di and patted his shoulder. "Comrade Little Zhu, once you have your own fans, you'll understand their madness."

"Get lost!" Zhu Di dismissed him. "Acting as if you have your own fan club."

"I don't, but Little Er does. You’ve seen them—his 'fan girl squad' is truly something else. They’re absolutely wild," Sun Peng recalled.

Ever since Lin Ling posted the photo of Geng Haoshi carrying Li Shishi on his back to the campus network, painting him as the "perfect gentleman," Geng Haoshi’s "fan girl squad" had been born.

The members of this squad mostly aimed to find a boyfriend as good as Geng Haoshi. So, whenever they saw him on campus, they would shriek and rush toward him—the scene was just like seeing a superstar.

Because of this, Li Shishi had been quite jealous.

The game continued, but it seemed as though the five-on-five match had transformed into a one-on-one duel between two players.

Wu Yan was the ace of Wuyan University of Technology, so he naturally had the ball often. And Geng Haoshi, the fastest player on the Tiancheng University of Technology team, had plenty of opportunities of his own.

Whenever one of them held the ball, the other would shadow them relentlessly, fighting tooth and nail until the very end.