In many competitive sports, feints and deceptive maneuvers are the key to securing victory. This is especially true in boxing and the major ball sports. But what happens when every feint is seen through by the opponent? It’s tantamount to handing over the win, being controlled at every turn, unable to find rhythm or feel—as if one's very soul has been exposed.
And what if you could see through your opponent's intentions? That is precisely Wang Zhuo’s current state: steals, blocks, scoring extravaganzas—he moves across the court as if through an uninhabited land, turning the game into a one-man show!
Jiang Ketian was utterly enraged. His opponent was just a "shorty," barely over six feet tall. With his own height of 6'4" and a weight of 200 pounds, he should have completely dominated the smaller man. Furthermore, the pride of a professional player would not allow an amateur to walk all over him. Yet, this opponent repeatedly humiliated him—shaming him with highlight-reel plays, even dunking over him, treating him like a child!
But rage aside, when he focused with all his might, he still felt a profound sense of powerlessness. In every clash, the moment his feet lost purchase was the moment his opponent launched into a jump shot. Every time he was tricked by a fake and turned around, all he saw was a figure hanging high on the rim.
“Thirty to seventeen. Good grief!”
“Coach Wang must be running on pure adrenaline today! He already has a double-double.”
“A double-double? He has twenty-one points, so his scoring is over double figures. What’s the other double?…”
“Idiot, rebounds, of course. Though he also has five steals. Our team has had so many turnovers today…”
“Jiang Ketian only has two points. Is he even a professional player? He’s being completely dominated by Coach Wang…”
“Why talk so much nonsense? Coach Wang, dunk it again!”
A thunderous roar erupted. The students in the stands were electric. Wang Zhuo had already executed four dunks—more than the total dunks in many entire games! Watching this six-foot-one player dunking over opponents who were six-foot-six or even six-foot-seven gave an amazing, addictive thrill!
“Jiang Ketian, are you sleepwalking?!”
The two-meter center finally exploded into action. Jiang Ketian, designated as the scoring small forward in today’s strategy, was utterly crushed by his opponent. His ten-centimeter height advantage and professional skill seemed utterly useless. This game was agonizingly frustrating!
Jiang Ketian’s face was ashen. Anyone would lose their touch after being blocked three times in a row. One of those blocks was a monster rejection that nearly slammed the ball into his face—a humiliation beyond measure!
Just as he wished he could tear Wang Zhuo apart, thump, the basketball bounced back into Wang Zhuo’s hands. The opponent’s strategy was clear: let Wang Zhuo, the scoring small forward, run the one-on-one offense while the others set screens and passed the ball.
A genuine professional player being bullied by a bunch of college amateurs!
The ball shifted, and Wang Zhuo’s body dipped sharply. Jiang Ketian’s professionalism kicked in; he immediately dropped his center of gravity to guard against Wang Zhuo’s drive.
But just as he spread his arms wide, he saw a faint smile grace Wang Zhuo’s lips. He bent his knees slightly and sprang upward.
A shot! The drive was a fake!
A textbook jump shot followed; the ball traced a smooth parabola through the air. Jiang Ketian’s heart sank instantly—with a professional’s instinct, he knew this shot was going in.
Swish!
The ball dropped through the net cleanly, bounced off the floor with a thud, and the referee’s whistle blew: three points counted!
Then another whistle sounded immediately after. The Architecture College team called a timeout. If they let the opposing number five play this freely, the game was over!
Resting on the sideline, Wang Zhuo received enthusiastic applause, like welcoming a victorious warrior. Their main scorer had been completely dismantled by him; this game was exhilarating and spectacular!
Observant students noticed an unusual number of beautiful women in attendance today. It wasn't just the Nursing College girls showing support; many girls from their own campus were also present, with He Ye and Xu Chu, sitting together, drawing particular attention.
“Before, just having He Ye was a treat for the eyes. Now that Xu Chu is here too, tsk tsk…”
“Did you notice? Xu Chu’s cheeks are rosy today, look how soft her skin is, like it could drip water…”
“Why does He Ye look so much better lately too? Maybe she’s been nourished by Coach Wang’s essence?”
“Right, did Xu Chu just arrive? I saw Coach Wang head toward the court from the direction of her dorm. Do you think there’s some secret affair going on?”
“Very possible! Xu Chu looks absolutely smitten today!”
“Possible, my foot! Didn’t you see Coach Wang is practically vibrating? Can you still execute dunks like that right after leaving a woman?”
The boys’ topics never strayed far from women, and the girls’ focus was just as much on the men.
Over twenty girls from the Nursing College came today. Though they each had their own thoughts, most were ostensibly there to cheer for Wang Zhuo. Leading the charge, naturally, was the most popular, Xia Zhi. Her whistle-blowing skills were excellent, and her large chest, looking like two volleyballs stuffed into her top, attracted the gaze of countless basement-dwelling fans.
Bai Lu, sitting beside her, was much quieter, but her natural beauty could not be hidden by her reserved nature. Her tall frame ensured that even when seated, her incredibly long legs were objects of intense longing.
“Hey…” a more outgoing girl finally started, “Did you guys notice Coach Wang’s… it seems really big…”
“What’s big?”
“How big?”
“I noticed too. It looks kind of fake…”
The girls immediately started chattering, and soon the topic shifted to Bai Lu.
“Xiao Bai, just how big is Coach Wang’s? Don't tell me you don't know. Who would believe that!?”
Even Xia Zhi teased Bai Lu, urging her to confess. Everyone knew Bai Lu wasn't good at lying. Even though she vehemently denied having that level of intimacy with Wang Zhuo, who could truly be fooled?
Fearing the commotion would draw unwanted attention and damage her image, Bai Lu could only give a wry smile. “Do you even need to ask me? Haven’t you heard his nickname?”
They all asked what nickname it was. Bai Lu, blushing, replied, “Two Hundred and Five (Er Bai Wu).”
“Er Bai Wu? Isn't that an insult?”
“Never heard of it. Who dares give Coach Wang a nickname like that and expect to live?!”
“What’s wrong with that nickname? Does it have another meaning?”
As they argued amongst themselves, the game resumed. This time, the Architecture College switched to a 3-2 zone defense, finally acknowledging Wang Zhuo’s strength; they stopped isolating Jiang Ketian against him.
But the new setup didn't trouble Wang Zhuo either. With a mere glance, a teammate would run a give-and-go or set a screen for him. Amidst the cheers, Coach Wang continued to score at will and dunk whenever he pleased!
The girls were still curious about the earlier topic, all staring intently at the front of Wang Zhuo’s athletic shorts.
Suddenly, one bright girl seemed to have an epiphany, shouting out, “I know!” Then, ignoring the surprised looks of nearby spectators, she shrieked excitedly to Bai Lu, “Er Bai Wu is millimeters, right? Are you saying Coach Wang is two hundred and fifty millimeters long?!”
What on earth? Two hundred and fifty millimeters long? The uninitiated onlookers were stunned for a moment, then their imaginations ran wild, and their glances toward Bai Lu and Wang Zhuo became intensely suggestive.
Jiang Ketian made up his mind: he would resort to fouls if necessary to stop Coach Wang’s offense.
On defense, even though Wang Zhuo was shorter by ten centimeters, he could completely shut Jiang Ketian down and still have energy left to disrupt others' attacks or assists. Jiang Ketian was utterly helpless in this area. Therefore, he had to focus all his effort on defending Wang Zhuo.
Fifty to twenty-seven. This was the score the Architecture College had predicted before the game started, but the roles of leading and trailing had been reversed; it was the Architecture team being beaten down.
And the one responsible for turning the game around was the Medical University’s number five player: Wang Zhuo, all by himself.
He had thirty-two points, eight steals, seven blocks, fourteen rebounds, and six assists. Almost every Medical University score involved number five. Meanwhile, Jiang Ketian for Architecture only had a meager four points, zero steals, zero blocks, one rebound, and zero assists. Looking just at those stats, one wouldn't think he was a starting player.
Clang!
Another loud crash. Jiang Ketian staggered from a fake. Wang Zhuo sped past him like the wind. In the paint, Geng Bin had already elbowed his way past the opposing power forward, using his mountain-like body to shield the two-meter center, creating a perfect opening for Wang Zhuo. Slam dunk successful!
The stands erupted in applause, cheers booming continuously—the shouts of "Dunk it!" never ceased. Wang Zhuo, landing lightly from the rim, high-fived the rolling big man who had set the screen. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise from behind him.
Turning around, he saw the opposing center, driven mad by shame, shove Geng Bin to the floor.
The referee immediately blew the whistle. Geng Bin angrily got up, only to be shoved down again.
Luo Dayong charged forward. Guard Liu Bin charged forward too. The opposing players reluctantly joined the fray, and suddenly, a brawl erupted.
Damn it! Wang Zhuo felt a wry sense of disbelief. There were only a few seconds left in the half, the score difference was almost half, and he had intended to finish the half and then go rest and spend time with the girls. Why did this conflict suddenly erupt!
Thwack! A punch landed, and Geng Bin fell backward, blood streaming from his nose. A weight of 220 pounds couldn't overcome a height of six-foot-six, especially when the opponents also weighed over 180 pounds.
The Architecture players were purely a bunch of muscle-bound brutes. Besides their two-meter center, Jiang Ketian and the power forward were both over six-foot-three and heavily built. As they fought, they kept eyeing Wang Zhuo out of the corner of their eyes, hoping he would join in so they could teach him a lesson.
The Architecture College had brought about thirty people today; only a few were girls, but there were plenty of brawlers. The Medical University guys clearly lacked fighting spirit. Despite being the larger group, most of them were like Geng Bin—all show, unable to stand up to an opponent for more than a couple of moves.
The referees and faculty trying to break up the fight were like leaves drifting in a rushing torrent, completely unable to stop the flood. Substitutes had jumped into the fray, countless girls were screaming from the stands, and innumerable cell phones were recording the action.