Chapter 134: Mid-Air Stasis

Not only Zhu Di, but Meng Lang, Sun Peng, and Zhou Xiaoshan also heard what Geng Haoshi said.

"That's right. Since we agreed to give it our all, we can't be outdone by Xiao Er!" Sun Peng declared, and both Meng Lang and Zhou Xiaoshan nodded in agreement.

Following Geng Haoshi’s frenetic run and successful basket, Zhu Di, Meng Lang, Sun Peng, and Zhou Xiaoshan all made a silent vow: to run like their lives depended on it and seize control of the game’s tempo themselves.

As Geng Haoshi, Zhu Di, Meng Lang, Sun Peng, and Zhou Xiaoshan increased the frequency of their movement across the court, the offensive rhythm of Jingtian University began to falter. The Jingtian players grew weary under the pressure of rapid passing and receiving, as every time they held the ball, they were hounded by at least three Tiancheng Polytechnic players.

To the star players of Jingtian University, the Tiancheng Polytechnic team had begun to resemble relentless reapers, clinging to them with unshakable tenacity.

"Is this the legendary 'Mad Dog' strategy?" In the stands, the mustachioed middle-aged man, who had been following Tiancheng Polytechnic’s progress throughout the tournament, watched every movement on the court with unblinking eyes.

The legendary "Mad Dog" strategy involves having all five players on the court defend and attack with the ferocity of rabid dogs. In defense, they latch onto their opponents like mad dogs until they suffer a mental collapse and surrender. In attack, they strike like mad dogs, sprinting away after the bite until the opponent is left exhausted and unable to keep up.

At this moment, the core players of Tiancheng Polytechnic were indeed like a pack of "mad dogs," frantically "tearing" into the Jingtian University players, leaving them not a single moment to catch their breath.

To cope with the frantic speed of Tiancheng Polytechnic, the Jingtian University players were forced to accelerate their own pace as well.

"Jingtian University's offensive rhythm is being dictated by Tiancheng Polytechnic... At this point, it’s truly anyone’s game. Heh, interesting." In the spectator stands, a middle-aged man with the distinct features of a white American was also watching the match with undivided attention.

The situation on the court was now one of mutual, frenzied movement, with the score seesawing back and forth.

Seconds ticked away, and amidst this mad dash, the physical stamina of both teams was plummeting rapidly.

It was still a tie, but only three minutes remained. Geng Haoshi looked at the scoreboard and the game clock, sweat streaming down his face in heavy droplets.

At that moment, the voice of Geng Haoshi 5.0 echoed in his mind.

Geng Haoshi 5.0: "Both sides' stamina is depleting rapidly, and their morale has suffered as a result. Right now, whoever has the stronger spirit will have a better chance of winning. You need to boost your team's morale."

Geng Haoshi: "Boost morale? How do I do that?"

Geng Haoshi 5.0: "Use the most emotionally charged play possible: a dunk. When both teams are physically exhausted, a spectacular dunk will undoubtedly ignite your team's spirit."

Geng Haoshi: "Hmm, that makes sense... 9527, activate 'Power Surge'! There are only three minutes left; we have to go all out until the very last second!"

9527: "Master, given your current physical state, if you use 'Power Surge,' the consequences might be more severe than ever before..."

Geng Haoshi: "I don't care about that now! Do it!"

9527: "Very well... don't blame me if you drop dead."

"Power Surge" functions by accelerating the metabolic activity of all bodily organs to rapidly accumulate and release energy. Essentially, it is a form of overdraft, spending future stamina in advance. Every previous use of "Power Surge" had resulted in side effects of varying severity, such as temporary incontinence or total physical paralysis.

If 9527 were correct, using "Power Surge" in Geng Haoshi's current state could trigger repercussions even worse than incontinence.

It was terrifying to think about, yet Geng Haoshi made the resolute choice to activate it. To him, this was more than just a decisive match in the National Collegiate Basketball League; it was a pivotal game that would determine whether he could be scouted and secure his path to the United States.

A moment later, as "Power Surge" took effect, Geng Haoshi felt a surge of energy welling up from within.

On the court, Zhou Xiaoshan was organizing the offense. Before long, the ball reached Zhu Di.

"Zhu Di!"

Seeing Zhu Di with the ball, Geng Haoshi bolted toward the Jingtian University paint. He clearly intended to pull off an alley-oop. He had waited for Zhu Di to hold the ball because they had practiced this move extensively; with Zhu Di’s high-arcing pass, Geng Haoshi’s success rate for an alley-oop was significantly higher.

Hearing Geng Haoshi’s call, Zhu Di quickly faked past two Jingtian defenders and lofted the ball high toward him. Geng Haoshi sprinted, closing in on the Jingtian basket, then leaped violently, his outstretched right hand catching the ball in mid-air.

However, two Jingtian University players were already there, hands raised to block him.

Geng Haoshi 5.0: "Use the 'Unstoppable' dunk bonus now!"

The "Unstoppable" dunk bonus was a system reward Geng Haoshi had earned after successfully completing ten dunks in official matches. Once activated, as long as the user was within three meters of the opposing basket, a successful dunk was guaranteed.

The system’s rewards were just that domineering.

Heeding the prompt, Geng Haoshi did not hesitate and immediately activated the "Unstoppable" dunk bonus. Under its influence, he felt as if he hung in the air for an extra two seconds. In those brief two seconds, the two Jingtian defenders who had blocked his path fell back to the ground.

Yet, Geng Haoshi was still in the air!

"Boom!"

With the obstacle cleared, Geng Haoshi slammed the ball into the Jingtian University hoop.

The entire arena fell silent, with only the sound of the basketball bouncing on the floor.

"Did he just hover in mid-air?!" The American man stood up in shock, his face filled with disbelief and excitement. "He must not have reached the peak of his jump yet, creating the effect of a stall. Interesting—this is getting more and more interesting!"