Class Eleven students, led by He Hui, cheered wildly. The Class Two players quickly followed suit, with Zhang Fan trailing behind at his own pace.
"Haha, look at Zhang Fan. Didn't he say Liu Yufei wouldn't score a single point? Judging by this momentum, Liu Yufei will probably score the first basket today."
"Yeah, look at his speed, he can only eat dust behind Liu Yufei. How can he defend?"
"I heard they even made a bet. After the game, that guy will probably have to transfer schools, or Liu Yufei said he'd beat him up every time they met."
"That violent? Isn't he afraid of being expelled from school?"
"If Liu Yufei said it, it's quite possible. After all, Liu Yufei has gotten into fights so many times and hasn't been punished by the school. He must have connections."
"Why aren't his teammates going to defend? They're just letting Liu Yufei break through!"
"Heh heh, maybe his teammates can't stand his arrogance either, so they want to see him embarrassed."
The numerous spectators chuckled as they saw Zhang Fan trailing far behind Liu Yufei. With that kind of speed, how could he possibly defend?
"See, I told you this guy was bragging. He's about to be exposed on the very first basket," Zhuo Tairan said helplessly, as if this outcome was expected.
Zhao Qingqing and Ling Yanxue were also a bit confused. It seemed Zhang Fan was truly going to lose. They watched the court with some concern, but Zhang Fan's consistently calm demeanor put their minds at ease.
Si Youyou, on the other hand, pursed her lips and smiled, completely unfazed. She silently commiserated with the opponent who was about to attempt a spectacular layup, thinking that playing basketball against a congenital master was asking for trouble.
"Zhang Fan has really gone crazy recently!" Qiao Ruxin exclaimed, furious after hearing about Zhang Fan's bet with Liu Yufei.
Seeing Liu Yufei break through with no one stopping him, her heart grew anxious. She quickly shouted, "Lin Zihao, hurry up and defend!"
Lin Zihao, on the court, heard Qiao Ruxin's call. He glanced at her but made no move, letting Liu Yufei pass by him with the ball, a slight smile creeping onto his lips.
The other players from Class Two also tacitly refrained from double-teaming, each manning their own opponent. Liu Yufei, with the ball, moved as if no one was there. As soon as he stepped inside the three-point line, he prepared to drive for a layup.
What should have been a simple opening play, amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd, was hyped into the most crucial moment, drawing everyone's attention.
"He's not going for a layup, he's going for a dunk!"
"It's a two-handed slam dunk!"
"So cool, Liu Yufei, I want to have your babies!"
"Liu Yufei, my idol, go for it!"
"This guy is too flashy. Can't he just score quietly? Why all the big moves!"
The crowd erupted when they saw Liu Yufei preparing for a two-handed slam dunk on the very first play.
As Liu Yufei began his three-step approach for the dunk, Zhang Fan, who had been running at a steady pace, finally quickened his speed and charged directly towards Liu Yufei.
"What is Zhang Fan doing? He's finally running."
"His speed is incredible!"
"Too late, no matter how fast he is."
...
"Thump!" With a loud impact, everyone was stunned. After a moment of silence, a wave of gasps erupted.
"Holy crap!" someone couldn't help but curse.
"What did I just see? Was it an illusion?" someone couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.
"It doesn't seem like an illusion. I saw it too," someone nearby murmured.
"Holy crap!" Zhuo Tairan suddenly jumped up.
"This is insane!" Qiao Ruxin couldn't believe it.
What had they just seen?
Donghai No. 7 Middle School's most powerful forward, Liu Yufei, had been blocked during his dunk!
Lin Zihao and his teammates, who had been planning to watch the show, were instantly dumbfounded. They had just seen Zhang Fan, who was less than 1.8 meters tall, leap high and block Liu Yufei, a power forward whose shoulders could reach the rim when he jumped!
A hush fell over the court. Liu Yufei, the "King of Show-offs" who should have been hanging from the rim, accepting the crowd's adoration, now stood dazed beneath the basket, his handsome face filled with disbelief. He, Liu Yufei, had been blocked by a rookie less than 1.8 meters tall?
Moreover, as he was about to dunk, his hands had just firmly gripped the basketball when he suddenly felt a powerful force from behind, knocking the ball away. He couldn't hold onto it.
Looking at the incredulous gazes around him, Liu Yufei felt as if Zhang Fan's slap hadn't landed on the basketball, but on his own face, stinging intensely.
Although it wasn't the first time he had been blocked, this was the most humiliating block Liu Yufei had ever experienced.
"I told you, you'd score zero in this game," Zhang Fan said, fanning the basketball away. He lightly clapped his hands and looked at Liu Yufei, who had yet to snap back to reality, and said indifferently.
Liu Yufei merely stared for a moment before regaining his composure, forcing himself to calm down.
After all, who hadn't been blocked while playing basketball? Even Michael Jordan couldn't avoid being blocked on the court. And as someone who had played many basketball games, his mental fortitude was quite strong, so Liu Yufei quickly adjusted his mindset.
At the same time, he put away his dismissive attitude. Based on Zhang Fan's speed, reaction, and jumping ability just now, Liu Yufei realized that this young man named Zhang Fan, despite his thin frame, was indeed a formidable opponent worth taking seriously.
"You were lucky this time, but it's a one-off," Liu Yufei said.
"Lucky?" Zhang Fan smiled and replied, "It seems you won't see the situation clearly unless I block you ten or eight times."
"We'll see," Liu Yufei retorted, saying no more.
Since Zhang Fan had batted the ball out of bounds, possession remained with Class Eleven.
The referee blew his whistle, and Class Eleven took the ball out from the baseline.
Liu Yufei weaved past defenders and quickly positioned himself under the basket. He received the ball and prepared to jump for a layup. Unlike last time, he didn't perform any flashy, unnecessary moves. As he jumped, he glanced at Zhang Fan out of the corner of his eye. Zhang Fan was more than four meters away and was being screened by his teammate, making it impossible for him to intervene in time.
He breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as the ball left his hands, he felt the change in the surrounding gazes. He looked up and his heart sank – the ball was flying again.
"How is that possible!" Liu Yufei couldn't believe it. He knew Zhang Fan was fast, but how could he be this fast? One second he was four meters away, and the next he was behind him, swatting the ball away.
"Again!" Liu Yufei refused to give up.
The ball was swatted away again.
"Again!"
The ball flew out of bounds once more.
"Again!"
...