At this moment, Zhang Fan couldn't help but feel a gaze filled with smugness and superiority drift towards him. He glanced over and saw that smug jerk Lin Zihao, a triumphant smile plastered across his face. A moment's thought, and Zhang Fan understood.
Lin Zihao had been a sports student since the first year of high school, training every day. He was also a very good basketball player, a member of the school's basketball team, and had even represented the school in city-level competitions. His skills were exceptionally sharp.
After losing the arm-wrestling match last time, Lin Zihao was naturally displeased. Now, with the school basketball game happening at the start of the term, he probably wanted to crush Zhang Fan on the basketball court to regain his pride.
Zhang Fan mused, with his current reaction speed, agility, and control over strength, he could likely dominate the entire Donghai Seventh Middle School single-handedly on the basketball court. Playing basketball with them would be as simple as playing with primary schoolers.
And Lin Zihao actually wanted to settle the score in this way?
Zhang Fan hesitated, as this kind of thing was already a bit boring for him, and he didn't want to waste time on it.
Just as he was about to refuse, he heard Qiao Ruoxin say, "Anyway, I've already signed you up. You must come this afternoon. Even for the honor of the entire class, you can't be absent."
"Yeah, big brother, with your help, maybe our class can even make it into the top three in the grade this time," Lin Zihao walked over and said seriously.
"Yes, classmate Zhang Fan, for the honor of the class, you can't be irresponsible," a classmate chimed in.
"I agree, if we have a power forward like classmate Zhang Fan, getting into the top three in the grade will be easy."
Many classmates persuaded him.
Seeing Zhang Fan's hesitant look, Lin Zihao was already bursting with joy internally. He knew Zhang Fan understood his intentions, but with his incitement and the pressure from so many classmates, Zhang Fan definitely wouldn't refuse.
Zhang Fan's skills were average; his only advantage was his immense strength. On the court, his sole role would be to box out and grab rebounds, then pass the ball to him, the main player.
At that time, he, Lin Zihao, would lead the charge, smashing the basket, receiving cheers from many beautiful girls, while Zhang Fan would have to silently toil and lick his wounds alone. Thinking of this contrast, Lin Zihao's anticipation for the afternoon basketball game grew.
"Alright, since everyone is so eager for me to participate, I shouldn't let everyone down. This afternoon, I will definitely be there," Zhang Fan said.
"Why did you agree to him?" Zhuo Tairan asked, somewhat surprised. He then glanced at Lin Zihao not far away and whispered in Zhang Fan's ear, "Don't you know what that Lin Zihao is like? The guys in class who play basketball basically hang out with him. On the court, it's likely that no one will pass you the ball, except when you're grabbing rebounds yourself."
"It's fine, for the honor of the class, they'll pass to me," Zhang Fan said, patting his chest with overflowing confidence.
"Class honor? Don't tell me you think you'll be a starter," Zhuo Tairan rolled his eyes, helpless. "Basketball isn't just about brute force. If you can barely touch the ball on the court and don't score a single point in the whole game, it'll be embarrassing."
"Don't worry, I will lead our Class Two into the top three in the grade," Zhang Fan said, patting Zhuo Tairan's shoulder reassuringly.
Zhuo Tairan was rendered speechless by Zhang Fan's blind confidence and could only sigh inwardly, "I thought he had recovered from the pain of breaking up with Qin Luofen, but I didn't expect the impact to be so profound."
...
The last period of the afternoon was reserved for the third-year students' basketball competition. As soon as the bell for the end of the third class rang, before the teacher could even dismiss them, everyone rushed towards the sports field like wild horses released from their stables.
There were twelve classes in the third year. They played one game each day. To determine the top three, it would take two days.
Lin Zihao, as the class team's main player, stood on the court exuding confidence. Many girls surrounded him like he was the center of the universe.
As a professional sports student, Lin Zihao was actually quite good-looking and well-built. Furthermore, he was a genuine rich second generation, and his attire and demeanor were quite refined. Therefore, many girls in the class liked him, and even girls from other classes flocked to him.
However, the only pity was that the girls who fancied Lin Zihao were all rather ordinary. His standards were high; he wouldn't even look at girls who weren't the class beauty level, which made him very frustrated.
It perfectly exemplified that unconventional sentiment: "I don't love those who love me; those I love don't love me!"
Zhang Fan, wearing a borrowed jersey, sat quietly to the side, accompanied only by the dejected Zhuo Tairan. Qiao Ruoxin, as the sports representative, had many things to arrange and was not present.
"Young Master Lin, this game today depends on you. Just stay calm," one classmate said.
"That's right, Young Master Lin, as the main scorer, we will do our best to support you. It'll be Young Master Lin's show," another chimed in.
"The opponent's strength shouldn't be underestimated either, especially with Liu Yufei from the school team. But I still believe Young Master Lin can definitely crush them!"
"Haha, basketball is a team sport. Unity and hard work are the most important," Lin Zihao seized the opportunity without hesitation to show off.
Lin Zihao stood at the front of the court, surrounded by everyone. Someone handed him water, someone massaged his shoulders, and everywhere he heard words of flattery and encouragement. Looking at Zhang Fan sitting alone and coolly under the basket, he raised an eyebrow, his smugness undisguised.
"Looking at that guy's smug look, I know you're going to have a tough time later. My condolences, brother," Zhuo Tairan patted Zhang Fan's shoulder as if offering comfort, already imagining Zhang Fan's fate.
Zhang Fan looked up and saw a brilliant smile on Zhuo Tairan's face.
"Holy crap, why do I feel like you'll be happier than that Lin Zihao if I embarrass myself later!" Zhang Fan couldn't help but blurt out.
"Heh heh, who told you to be so confident? You brought it on yourself, are you blaming me?" Zhuo Tairan grinned slyly.
As if witnessing Zhang Fan awkwardly running back and forth on the court, trying desperately to prove his existence, but his teammates treated him as if he were invisible, completely ignoring him, the scene was beyond mere awkwardness.
Zhang Fan no longer wanted to deal with this guy and sat quietly, patiently awaiting the start of the game.
...
"Brother Zhang Fan, I heard you're playing in the game later. Good luck!" Zhao Qingqing and Ling Yanxue walked over. Zhao Qingqing happily clasped her fair hands together, encouraging him.
"Zhang Fan, good luck," Ling Yanxue also encouraged him. As she spoke, she handed Zhang Fan a bottle of mineral water. Her beautiful eyes gazed at Zhang Fan, and she smiled gently, making one's imagination run wild.
Zhuo Tairan's eyes lit up when he saw Ling Yanxue arrive and was about to get up, only to find that Ling Yanxue's entire attention was on Zhang Fan. He instantly felt dispirited. "This kid's luck with the ladies has been a bit too strong lately, hasn't it?"