Chapter Sixty-Nine: Another Battle with the Three Machine Friends

"Number Two, you’ll have half an hour for lunch and another half hour to rest… then we continue training!"

As soon as the words left her lips, a sharp beep sounded and the door to Room X-6 slid open.

Geng Haoshi, utterly exhausted, dragged his weary body into the kitchen cafeteria inside the gymnasium, head hanging low.

Li Shishi spotted him shuffling in, barely able to keep upright, and quickly hurried over to support him.

"Second Brother, are you all right? Was that ‘haunted house’ really that terrifying?"

Li Shishi had arrived at the gym only after Geng Haoshi had entered Room X-6. She had seen Zhu Di sprawled out on the floor, looking half-dead, and when she’d asked what happened, Zhu Di explained that Yu Manman had tricked them into the haunted house for another round of torment.

"Oh," Geng Haoshi replied absentmindedly.

"I’m starving," he murmured, slumping weakly over the table.

"Just in time—lunch has only just been served. I’ll get you something," Li Shishi said, turning to fetch a tray of food.

Zhu Di, sitting nearby, leaned in close to Geng Haoshi’s ear. "Number Two, how many shots did you make?"

Geng Haoshi shot him a tired glance and muttered, "Eight."

"Eight? Hahaha, you’re something else!" Zhu Di slapped Geng Haoshi on the shoulder, roaring with laughter.

"What the hell are you laughing about?" Geng Haoshi glared at him. "How many did you make?"

"Heh, fifty." Zhu Di answered smugly.

Damn it! This guy actually managed that many! Though Geng Haoshi grumbled inwardly, he couldn’t help retorting, "That’s still only a ten percent shooting rate—not even close to thirty-three percent. What’s there to brag about?"

"Number Two, how bad is your math? Fifty out of four hundred attempts is a twelve point five percent shooting rate."

"Four hundred? Aren’t we supposed to finish five hundred rounds before we can rest? Why did you only do four hundred?" Geng Haoshi asked, puzzled.

In truth, Geng Haoshi was the only one made to face three robots at once, and he had a hundred more rounds than any of the other team members. All of these were ‘special extras’ served up by their beautiful coach, Yu Manman.

"You did five hundred rounds? Looks like the coach really does have a ‘special fondness’ for you," Zhu Di teased.

"Yeah, and she’s always looking for an excuse to castrate me," Geng Haoshi replied, half-mocking himself.

Li Shishi returned, balancing a tray of food, her wide, innocent eyes fixed on Geng Haoshi. "Senior, you really shouldn’t make the pretty coach angry anymore. If you get castrated, I won’t be able to have children with you."

Hearing this, Geng Haoshi nearly choked on his own saliva.

…

After lunch, Geng Haoshi collapsed onto the table and slept for about half an hour…

"Number Two! Haven’t you slept enough? Get back to practice!"

Geng Haoshi groggily opened his eyes to find Yu Manman glaring at him like a tigress.

"Where did this little beauty come from…" Geng Haoshi mumbled, half-asleep and not making any sense.

Crack! Yu Manman snapped her whip against the floor, making Geng Haoshi jolt upright in fright—now he was fully awake.

"Get moving!" Yu Manman shouted again, and Geng Haoshi hurried over to the entrance of Room X-6.

With a swipe of her magnetic card, Yu Manman unlocked the door, then gave Geng Haoshi a solid kick, sending him stumbling inside. Still half-asleep, the force sent him sprawling to the floor.

Too tired to even complain, Geng Haoshi climbed to his feet and stepped into the circle glowing with crimson light. Instantly, the entire room lit up.

"Hey, we meet again," Geng Haoshi greeted the three AI athletic robots.

"Don’t just stand there! Begin!" Yu Manman’s voice crackled through the mic from the boss room’s surveillance screen.

Geng Haoshi took a deep breath, picked up a ball, leapt into the yellow zone, and eyed robots One, Two, and Three. "Let’s keep going, my three mechanical friends!"

No sooner had he spoken than Geng Haoshi dashed forward with the ball.

He’d hoped to seize the moment while the robots were just powering up, driving hard for a quick layup beneath the basket—a strong start to the session. But he hadn’t expected that, barely activated, the robots instantly fell into defensive stances, moving faster than they had that morning.

Damn! Not giving me a single chance! Geng Haoshi dribbled at the three-point line, searching for an opening.

Forget it. I’ll just shoot from here. I need to improve my accuracy anyway. With this in mind, Geng Haoshi set his stance, leapt lightly at the three-point arc, and took a jump shot… The ball clanged off the rim with a resounding bang—no good.

9527: "Master, you’ve been practicing jump shots for a while now, but your form still isn’t right… The proper technique is: the shooting hand behind the ball, knees slightly bent, both hands raising the ball from chest to above your eyes, then jump upward. As you rise, bend your elbow and flex your wrist back. At the peak, extend your forearm and snap your wrist forward and down to release the ball, following through with your motion. Your eyes must stay locked on the rim the entire time."

Geng Haoshi rolled his eyes. As if you’re the only one who knows.

Second round—Geng Haoshi drove inside the three-point line. Facing the robotic wall, he followed 9527’s instructions for a textbook jump shot, eyes fixed on the basket. The ball soared up, struck the rim, bounced twice, and still didn’t go in.

He slapped his palm in frustration. Damn! If only it had bounced forward, it would’ve gone in.

"Number Two, when you jump, channel the power from your knees and spine through your torso into your arms. The force for the shot comes from your waist and wrist. Engage your abs to pull your waist in, and control the snap of your wrist. Only then can you shoot with the right strength and arc," Yu Manman instructed.

Taking her advice, Geng Haoshi started round three.

He barely crossed the three-point line before the three robots, lined up like a wall, blocked him at the free-throw line. With no way inside, he had no choice but to jump shoot again. The ball smacked the backboard—no good.

"When you jump, go straight up or even slightly back, but avoid lunging forward," Yu Manman added.

And so, Geng Haoshi continued, round after round, jumping and shooting, with Yu Manman interjecting pointers now and then… Unconsciously, he had reached round 362.

Swish—the ball sailed cleanly through the net.

It was the sixteenth basket Geng Haoshi had made that afternoon.

Though his shooting percentage was still low, it was already much better than the morning—when he had made only eight shots in five hundred rounds.

Yu Manman said, "Let your body remember. Remember which posture and how much force makes your shot accurate."

Every player’s height, fitness, and strength are different; only by persistent practice and constant self-correction can one find the shot that suits them best.

"Let your body remember," Geng Haoshi repeated under his breath, grabbed the ball, and launched into a new round…