Chapter 28: Announcement of Inter-School Tournaments

The morning after the celebration of their victory over opponents seemed to begin with the world around them slowly spreading out like a drunken puddle on asphalt. Ming You, unlike the others, had drunk heavily but still entered the locker room with a stone face, as if he hadn't been part of yesterday's fun. He looked at his teammates, who appeared to still be recovering from their hangovers.

"Hey, how are you guys?" Jung Ho asked, rubbing his hands together. "I feel like I've been run over by a truck."

"A truck?" Lu Shen smirked, throwing him a sly glance. "You probably were the truck when you were hitting on those girls."

"Come on, Lu, don't start," Haru Lin said, rolling his eyes. "We have more important things to do than to reminisce about how you missed your little buddy more than once."

"My buddy is not little! My monster is fourteen centimeters! And what the hell were you staring at my dick for!?" Lu Shen protested, raising his hands in a defensive gesture.

"Don't worry, no one saw anything," added Hong Ren, not lifting his eyes from his phone.

Ming You, standing by the wall, observed this chaos with an indifferent expression. He knew they had a lot of work ahead, and the hangover of his teammates did not concern him. Suddenly, a man with short black hair and a white shirt entered the locker room; it was the basketball club manager, San Liu, and his face was tense.

"Where's the coach?" he asked, looking around.

"Don't know," the guys replied in unison, fatigue evident in each voice.

"Alright," San Liu sighed, "we have more important news. The inter-school tournaments start in two weeks."

"Tournaments?" Jung Ho repeated, raising his eyebrows. "San Liu, are you serious?"

"Yes," San Liu nodded, sitting on a bench. "This will be a great opportunity to showcase yourselves. But you need to prepare."

"And which teams will be against us?" Ming You asked, his voice cold and calm as always.

San Liu looked at him as if assessing whether to share information with this seemingly emotionless psychopath. But seeing his focused gaze, he continued:

"In the first branch of the tournament, the teams are Shoguro, Shindzu, Yuromusho, Siomo, and of course, Gokudan. These are the strongest teams, and Gokudan is considered the favorite."

"Gokudan?" Lu Shen asked, winking. "Aren't they the ones who always win? Back in middle school when we played, they were like seniors; it was like they were fed steroids instead of food. In that case, we should surprise them with our game."

"Or just tease them, like you usually do," Haru Lin smirked.

"Not teasing, but strategies!" Lu Shen retorted, raising his finger as if making an important statement. "We need to be confident in our abilities."

"And are you confident in your abilities?" Hong Ren asked, not tearing his gaze from the screen of his phone.

"Yeah, I'm confident," he replied, but his voice sounded a bit less certain.

"Okay," San Liu continued, "the second branch of the tournament will be known after the first games. But you need to focus on the first."

"And what are we going to do?" Jung Ho asked, his tone becoming more serious. "We need to understand their playing style."

"I've already gathered information on each of the teams," San Liu said, pulling out a notebook. "Shoguro is known for its tactical approach, Shindzu for quick passes, Yuromusho for excellent defense, and Siomo for its sharpshooter and accurate shots. Gokudan, on the other hand, possesses all these qualities at once."

Ming You pondered, his mind already working on strategy. He knew the team needed to be ready for anything, and if they wanted to win, they would need to analyze each opponent thoroughly.

"And one more thing," San Liu added, raising a finger. "You will need to work on team chemistry. It's important that you understand each other on the court."

"Team chemistry?" Lu Shen scoffed. "You mean we need to have more fun together?"

"Not quite," San Liu replied with a slight smile. "But if you work together and trust each other, it will help you in the game. Now, I'll leave you alone."

San Liu stood up from the bench and left the locker room, then exited the hall.

"Alright," Jung Ho said, "let's do this. We can start by spending the evening together. Maybe repeat last night?"

"Great idea!" Haru Lin exclaimed. "It will help us bond before the tournament."

"Sounds a bit gay..." Lu Shen added.

The team shot him a sideways glance, and Haru Lin said to him:

"Fucking with prostitutes with the whole team don't make us gay, moron!"

"Come on, guys," Ming You interjected. "Let's celebrate after victories; right now, focus on the games."

Ming You looked at his teammates, and his eyes sparkled with determination. He knew that the upcoming tournament required full concentration and preparation. The team had to be ready for any surprises, and he was prepared to do everything possible for that. The team headed to the school gym and started their practice.

"Okay," Ming You began, picking up the ball, "let's warm up. I want each of you to focus on your movements and understand what's happening on the court."

"Oh, this will be fun!" Lu Shen exclaimed, winking at Haru Lin. "Maybe you can teach us how to do fakes so we don't look like complete idiots?"

"I'll teach you how to do fakes," Ming You replied, his voice remaining calm. "But first—ball control. We start with simple passes."

He began passing the ball to Haru Lin, who deftly caught it and then sent it to Lu Shen. Ming You watched their movements, noting each mistake.

"You need to feel the ball," he said when Haru Lin lost control again. "Don't just catch it; understand how it moves and be ready to make an accurate shot."

"I feel it," Haru said, winking. "But it doesn't feel me!"

Lu Shen burst out laughing.

"You could try kissing it; maybe that will help! By the way, where the hole is, I mean the nipple, the opening fits the size of your dick, try fucking the ball this time!"

"Oh yeah who would say" Haru Lin replied.

Ming You rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a smile.

"Alright, enough joking; it's clear my dick is bigger than all of you," he said, raising the ball. "Now let's move on to more complex passes."

"That's because when you fucked that whore, your condom was too thick!" Lu Shen exclaimed.

The whole team shot him a sideways glance.

"So you really looked at our dicks?" Jung Ho asked, puzzled.

"No! I..." Lu Shen wanted to continue, but Ming You interrupted him.

"Okay, enough. Let me show off my fakes."

He began demonstrating various fakes, passing the ball behind his back, then between his legs, using agility to bypass an imaginary defender. The team watched, holding their breath.

"Like this," he said, executing a fake and sending the ball to Hong Ren, who skillfully caught it. "Now it's your turn."

Ming You began giving instructions, observing each movement of his teammates. He saw Lu Shen trying to repeat the fake but instead got tangled in his legs and fell to the floor, causing the team to laugh.

"You look like you want to fuck the ball," Haru Lin teased.

"Shut up," Lu Shen muttered, getting up from the floor. "I was just checking how the scene works!"

"I see you're not in your element," Jung Ho said, suppressing a smile.

Ignoring the jokes, Ming You continued:

"Now that you've mastered the fakes, let's work on strategic passes."

He explained how important it was to control the game's tempo.

"Imagine you're in a situation where defenders surround you," he said, pointing at Haru Lin. "Your task is to create space for an open player."

Ming You demonstrated how he could pass the ball to Hong Ren, who, in turn, had to be ready to receive.

"Let's try this in practice," Ming You suggested. "Haru, you'll be the ball, and we'll be the defenders. Try to create space for a pass."

Haru Lin, smirking slightly, stood in the center while the other players took their positions around him, ready for the game. Ming You watched as Haru started moving, trying to bypass the defenders.

"Come on, Haru," Jung Ho encouraged him. "Don't be afraid; just imagine it's the tournament final."

Haru began to fake, trying to trick Lu Shen, who stood opposite him. But Lu Shen was ready and wasn't going to let him go. Realizing he wouldn't be able to get around him, Haru quickly passed the ball to Ming You, who was in a better position.

"Great," Ming You said, catching the ball. "Now, Hong Ren, you need to be ready for the next move."

Hong Ren, watching Ming You's actions, began to move to the side, opening space for the pass. Ming You, noticing this, quickly sent him the ball, and Hong Ren skillfully caught it, then ran past the defenders, taking a few steps forward.

"That's it!" Lu Shen shouted, raising his hands in the air. "Great job, Hong Ren!"

"But that's not all," Ming You said, raising a hand. "Now we need to work on defense. Hong Ren, try to keep the ball under pressure, and the rest of you—try to take it away."

The team took their positions again, and the game continued. Hong Ren tried to hold onto the ball, but the defenders, including Lu Shen and Jung Ho, didn't let him relax. They tried to intercept the ball, but Hong Ren showed agility and confidence, skillfully controlling the ball.

"Good job, Hong Ren!" Ming You cheered him on. "Keep your head up and see where your teammates are! But also, don't lose sight of your ball!"

After a few minutes of intense play, the team took a break. Everyone was tired but confident.

"This practice was great," Lu Shen said, rubbing his shoulders. "I feel like we're getting stronger together."

"Yeah, but we need to work even more on synchronization," Jung Ho added. "We can't afford to lose the ball at critical moments."

Ming You nodded, understanding that there was still much work ahead of them.

"Let's gather and discuss how we can improve our game," he suggested. "We need to know what to do in every situation."

The team sat in a circle, and Ming You began sharing his thoughts on how they could enhance their strategy and interaction on the court. Each player contributed their ideas, and the discussion became increasingly engaging.

"I think we should try a few new combinations," Haru Lin proposed. "For example, if I move to the left and Lu Shen to the right, it might confuse the defenders."

"Great idea!" Jung Ho supported him. "We can use this as a distraction maneuver."

"And what if we add a few deceptive moves to that?" Lu Shen asked, his eyes lighting up. "That could work!"

"Alright," Ming You said as the discussion became less tense. "Let's plan another practice for tomorrow. I want each of you to think about your strengths and weaknesses, and we can work on them."

The team agreed, and although they were tired, there was a fire of determination in their eyes. They knew a serious challenge awaited them, but together they were ready for any trials.

"Tomorrow we'll show what we're capable of!" Hong Ren shouted, raising his fist in the air.

"Yeah!" the others supported him, and laughter and joy filled the air.

After practice, the team began to gather their things and head home.

Ming You, meanwhile, walked slowly down the narrow street. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in soft pink and orange hues. He thought about the upcoming inter-school basketball tournaments that were to take place in two weeks. His team was full of enthusiasm, but Ming You knew they needed more preparation.

Suddenly, he noticed a familiar figure standing by the wall of an old building. It was Taek Jung. Taek Jung was a sturdy guy with a short haircut and sharp eyes. He was always alert when it came to finances and organizing games.

"Hey, Ming You!" Taek Jung shouted, making a respectful bow before approaching closer. "We have news."

"What's new?" Ming You stopped and waited for Taek Jung to come closer. "Did you bring the money?"

Taek Jung nodded and pulled out a small bundle of bills from his pocket, handing it to Ming You.

"Here, this is our income from last week. People are actively interested in the games, especially after you won the last tournament."

Ming You took the money, counting it in front of Taek Jung and his lackeys, who stood a bit away. Ming You's gaze remained indifferent.

"Good. We need more players, more spectators. I'm preparing for the inter-school tournaments, so try to handle this yourself."

"We'll do our best," Taek Jung replied, his voice becoming more confident. "I've already made arrangements with several teams. They're ready to participate."

"Excellent," Ming You nodded, "but remember, we need not only quantity but also quality."

Taek Jung and his lackeys exchanged glances, and each of them nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Ming You said authoritatively, "you can disperse now."