Chapter 41: The End of Backup Plans

Haru Lin raised his fists, heading towards his ring:

"Great!"

Lu Shen high-fived Hong Ren, and the players from Shoguro started their attack with sharp passes. Ming You suddenly stood against Han Zhou, who had the ball in his hand. They were standing between the center line and the three-point line.

"Hope to stop me?"

"I don't hope, I've already stopped you," Ming You pretended to knock the ball out of Han Zhou's hands, but he made a sharp dribble behind his back.

But at the moment when he redirected the ball to his left hand from behind, Hong Ren ran up from behind with his arm outstretched.

"Behind!" shouted his teammate, trying to catch up with Hong Ren.

"Gah!?"

"Heh-heh," Ming You smirked after Han Zhou's surprise when Hong Ren successfully knocked the ball away.

Ming You quickly grabbed the ball from the floor with one hand and bypassed Han Zhou, but he didn't hesitate and quickly ran up to him.

"You won't get far!" he shouted after him.

"I'm not running anywhere, idiot," Ming You stood in a shooting stance between the free-throw line and the three-point line.

Pak Jun Su immediately ran up to him, preparing to block the shot. Han Zhou also managed to run up and suddenly jumped after Ming You.

But it was a fake. Ming You, in mid-air, made a sharp pass to the open Jung Ho.

Interception!

The ball was with Lee Hyun Jung, who quickly bypassed Haru Lin and rushed to the three-second zone.

"Block!" shouted Haru Lin towards Lu Shen, who immediately prepared to block the shot.

However, his physical parameters were much smaller than those of the attacker.

Lee Hyun Jung dunked, and Lu Shen, unable to block the shot, fell to the floor, then cursed loudly:

"Fuck!"

"Get up, you can speak after the win," said Haru Lin, extending his hand and helping him up from the floor.

Hong Ren, in turn, took the ball in his hands and made a sharp pass to Ming You, who looked at his teammates and indicated with his eyes who to guard.

Han Zhou slowly ran up to him. He was already preparing to defend against him, but Ming You slowed down, which puzzled Han Zhou:

"Is he already exhausted or pretending? In any case, I, like everyone here, must play at full strength and follow the plan."

Han Zhou was already preparing to stop him, but Ming You made a sharp feint.

"Thought you could run past me?" Han Zhou took a sharp step to the side, not giving him a chance to pass.

"Han Zhou, don't fall for it!!!" shouted his coach from the bench.

"Huh?" Before he could react, Ming You, after twisting a smirk, suddenly took the ball in both hands and jumped, preparing to shoot.

But Han Zhou didn't back down. His reaction was quite fast, and he managed to jump and block the shot.

Although Ming You lost the ball, his emotions didn't waver, but he was quite surprised and quickly reacted, not giving Han Zhou a chance to pass.

The ball had already landed on the floor, and Lee Hyun Jung picked it up, with Haru Lin chasing after him.

"Stop him!" shouted Lu Shen, moving away from the defender.

Haru Lin tried to catch up with the attacker, but immediately clenched his teeth as a screen was set:

"Not so fast."

"Damn! Fuck!" Haru Lin cursed mentally.

Lee Hyun Jung was about to jump and dunk with one hand, but Jung Ho was waiting under the hoop, already preparing to block the shot.

Lee Hyun Jung underestimated Jung Ho, so he jumped. Jung Ho jumped after him, trying to block the ball, but Lee Hyun Jung was stronger, and the ball went into the basket, while Jung Ho fell to the floor.

"Now is not the time to hang your head, Jung Ho," Ming You gave him a hand and lifted him from the floor.

"Sorry, I overestimated myself."

"It's okay, I'd even say everything is going according to plan. Be kind, set a screen when I bypass the defense along the three-point line." Ming You slowly walked to the three-point line of his hoop with Jung Ho, who confidently agreed with his plan:

"No problem."

Hong Ren took the ball and passed it to Jung Ho. Lee Hyun Jung was about to block Jung Ho's path, but he made a sharp pass behind his back to Ming You.

He grabbed the ball with one hand and started dribbling it on the floor. Han Zhou stood against him, not giving him a way through.

"Still hoping for your lousy tactics, huh?" Han Zhou smirked, planning to press him.

But Ming You also smirked when he made a sharp dash to the left. Han Zhou also dashed, but he was stopped by a screen from Jung Ho.

"What the hell, why didn't anyone cover him?" Han Zhou said irritably when Ming You stood behind the corner line of the free-throw area and prepared to shoot.

Pak Jun Su was already preparing to jump, but Ming You was faster.

"Stop him!" Han Zhou shouted at him.

But Ming You had already thrown the ball, and it arced into the basket.

"Best!" Lu Shen rejoiced, followed by the rest of the team.

"Don't celebrate too early," Ming You, while running with his team to the hoop, patted Lu Shen on the back and said to everyone: "Now we'll use speed, but don't overdo it. However, if they can outrun us, they'll be the ones celebrating, not us."

The team nodded in unison, and everyone took their positions. The ball was with Pak Jun Su, who initially dribbled it slowly, then made a sharp pass to Han Zhou.

He caught the ball and ran to the sideline, following his team's plans. But when he passed the center and was ready to act at full strength, Ming You blocked his path and unpredictably reached for the ball, trying to intercept it.

"Still hoping to outplay me, huh? Last time you just got lucky, so don't get cocky!" Han Zhou's dribble sped up, and it was hard to predict whether he would pass or bypass the defense.

But Ming You seemed to mimic his movements, modeling the dribble with the ball and keeping up with his pace.

"What the hell?!" Han Zhou thought in surprise, causing his dribble to slow down.

Smack!

Ming You knocked the ball away, but it went out of bounds.

Whistle: ball to Han Zhou.

He smiled, but Ming You just ran back, and when he ran past Jung Ho, he sharply said to him with a smirk:

"Move further away."

Jung Ho listened and also ran back. Only three players from the Shoguro team were covered: Lu Shen, Haru Lin, and Hong Ren. They simultaneously looked at the ball and tried to cover their opponents, but two players from the opposing team were free, causing Han Zhou to start pondering:

"What is he planning this time? Did he deliberately knock the ball out of bounds? Whatever, screw it, I'll use the free teammates."

Han Zhou passed the ball to Lee Hyun Jung, who was ready to receive it.

"Run!" Ming You shouted towards Jung Ho, and they both covered Lee Hyun Jung, who was mentally puzzled:

"Double coverage?"

But Lee Hyun Jung still caught the ball and tried to find open space, but when he got distracted by Jung Ho and wanted to bypass him, Ming You knocked the ball away from behind.

Jung Ho quickly reacted and took the ball in his hands, redirecting it to Haru Lin.

Haru Lin passed through the center of the court, and when a defender stood against him, he saw the open Ming You and passed the ball to him.

Ming You caught it with one hand and passed the three-point line, attracting the attention of two defenders who didn't let him shoot.

"This time you won't slip past me!" shouted Pak Jun Su, as if seeking revenge.

Ming You, with an indifferent face, started dribbling behind his back, redirecting the ball from one hand to the other. He accelerated faster and faster until he made a sharp pass to Haru Lin.

He caught the ball, ran closer, and scored from under the hoop.

Whistle: the start of the final quarter of the game.

After the break, both teams were quite focused. The ball was with Han Zhou, who was confidently dribbling while his teammates ran to the center of the court. He passed to Pak Jun Su, who was guarded by Jung Ho.

"Don't think you can get through?" he calmly asked, not looking away.

"Try to stop me," Pak Jun Su smirked, trying to bypass him from the right side.

But Jung Ho was faster. He blocked the path, forcing Pak Jun Su to stop and make a return pass to Han Zhou. The ball returned to him, but a second later, Ming You, like a shadow, appeared in front of him.

"You're too predictable," said Ming You, his voice steady but with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Han Zhou didn't respond. Instead, he quickly passed the ball to Lee Hyun Jung, who was already moving to the three-point line. But Lu Shen was already there.

"Oh, look who decided to play the hero," Lu Shen smirked, grinning widely. "Are you sure you can score? Or are your hands more used to masturbation?"

"Shut up, brat," Lee Hyun Jung muttered, trying to shoot.

But Lu Shen was fast. He knocked the ball away, and it ended up in Haru Lin's hands.

"Well, Lu, your stories about masturbation in the girls' bathroom again?" teased Haru Lin, starting to dribble towards the opponent's basket.

"And you, as always, are ready to pick up," Lu Shen retorted, running alongside.

Haru smiled and passed to Hong Ren, who was already positioned under the hoop. Hong Ren caught the ball and easily scored.

"They've really slowed down," he thought to himself, returning to his half of the court.

The Shoguro team was losing control of the game. Their "corner play" tactic, which had previously brought them success, was now completely failing. Yoshido used their "cobweb," and every time Shoguro tried to pass, the ball ended up in the opponent's hands.

"What the hell?" muttered Han Zhou, looking at Ming You, who was already preparing for the next attack. "They're reading our movements like a book; it's our job to outplay them!"

"They've somehow become much faster," said Pak Jun Su, wiping sweat from his forehead. "We need to change something."

"Change?" Han Zhou smirked. "We don't have time for changes. We have to play the way we know how."

But even he understood that it wouldn't work. Ming You was too fast, and his team was too cohesive. Every time Shoguro tried to do something, Yoshido was a step ahead.

The ball was back with Yoshido. Ming You was leading it to the center of the court, his eyes focused on the basket. Han Zhou tried to stop him, but Ming You made a sharp dash to the left, then to the right, and Han Zhou lost his balance and accidentally stepped back.

"Too slow," said Ming You, passing to Jung Ho.

Jung Ho caught the ball and immediately passed it to Lu Shen, who was already under the hoop. Lu Shen shot, but the ball bounced off the rim. Haru Lin picked it up and threw it back into the basket.

"Learn, Lu," said Haru, smiling.

"Go fuck yourself! Next time I'll definitely score!" Lu Shen retorted, running back to his hoop.

Shoguro was losing hope. Han Zhou tried to take control of the game, but every time he faced an impenetrable wall.

"We can't keep going like this," said Lee Hyun Jung, looking at his teammates. "Our tactics are falling apart."

"Don't give up," Han Zhou sharply replied. "We can still win."

But even he barely believed his words. Their opponents were too strong. Their "cobweb" had entangled Shoguro, and breaking free was impossible.

The ball was back with Yoshido. Ming You was leading it, his empty eyes seemingly gleaming with confidence.

"Jung, get ready," said Ming You, passing to him.

Jung Ho caught the ball, and when Pak Jun Su ran up to him, he immediately passed the ball to the open Hong Ren. Hong Ren, without hesitation, shot. The ball flew through the hoop with perfect trajectory.

Han Zhou picked up the ball and started dribbling it on the floor, trying to come up with a new plan.

"Timeout!" shouted the Shoguro basketball club manager, raising his hand.

Whistle: Shoguro team timeout.

The players sat on the benches and first reached for water bottles. Their coach was the first to speak:

"Adapt. That's what you need to do now. You shouldn't play to the tune of number forty-four; you need to outplay him!"

Han Zhou wiped his mouth, raising his head towards the coach:

"Our plan went down the drain. They're not letting us get to the corners. They, or rather number forty-four, figured out our tactic."

"But that's no reason to give up, pull yourselves together!" intervened their basketball club manager, after which Han Zhou stood up from the bench:

"I know! I'm not saying we should give up; on the contrary, we need to play with all our might!"

The coach smiled and tapped him on the back:

"That's the attitude I like! I see one of you is already fired up, so why don't I hear the rest?"

The Shoguro team raised their heads, and Pak Jun Su was the first to shout:

"Let's crush them!"

"Yeah!" the team supported, raising their fists.

On the Yoshido team's bench, the atmosphere was more relaxed, and every player was confident. But San Liu decided to speak up:

"If they called a timeout, it doesn't mean you can relax."

"None of us are relaxed! The game isn't over yet!" exclaimed Lu Shen, grabbing a second water bottle.

"Ming You, what about the plans?" Jung Ho asked him, to which Ming You replied with a feigned smirk:

"The structure remains unchanged, but since their team called a timeout, let's take advantage of it and speed up our pace."

Haru Lin put down the water and looked at him:

"Won't they be more relaxed after the timeout? No?"

"No. But we need to speed up our pace to draw them into our cobweb," Ming You coolly replied, anticipating victory.

Jung Ho stood up from the bench and raised his fist, confidently saying:

"Great, then let's crush them!"

"Agreed!" Haru Lin bumped fists, and the team became even more confident.

Whistle: Shoguro team's ball.

Lee Hyun Jung tightly gripped the ball with one hand, then made a sharp pass to Han Zhou. The ball flew through the air, but as soon as it touched Han Zhou's fingers, Ming You, like a shadow, slipped out from behind his back and knocked the ball away.

"Huh?" Han Zhou thought in surprise, but the ball had already bounced to Jung Ho, who immediately passed it to Lu Shen.

"Hey, their hands are like vaginas — always wet!" Lu Shen shouted, grinning as he dribbled to the center of the court.

"Lu Shen, you're like a penis — always sticking out in the wrong place!" Haru Lin smirked, running alongside him.

"Both of you, shut up," Ming You calmly said, not taking his eyes off the ball. "Focus."

Han Zhou clenched his fists. His team was down by six points, and he felt the pressure mounting. He glanced at Pak Jun Su and Lee Hyun Jung, who had already started moving faster, trying to catch up.

"Speed up!" Han Zhou shouted, and his voice sounded more like an order to himself.

Ming You seemed to read his thoughts. He made a barely noticeable hand gesture, and the Yoshido team instantly regrouped. Their defense, like a cobweb, covered the court. Every player knew their place, every step was calculated.

"They're too fast," muttered Lee Hyun Jung, trying to break through the defense. "We can't keep playing like this for long."

"Don't give up," Pak Jun Su sharply replied, but his breathing was already faltering.

When Hong Ren received the ball, he looked around the court and decided to pass to Ming You, but…

Interception!

Han Zhou caught the ball and tried to break through to the hoop, but Jung Ho was already standing in front of him. Han Zhou faked, but Jung Ho didn't fall for it. Instead, he knocked the ball away, and it ended up back in Ming You's hands.

"You're losing your grip," Ming You quietly smirked, looking at Han Zhou.

"Shut up," he hissed, but Ming You was already ahead, leaving him behind.

Ming You quickly passed the ball to Haru Lin, who immediately passed it to Lu Shen. He, without wasting time, threw the ball towards the hoop. The ball missed, but Jung Ho, as if knowing it would happen, picked it up and finished the play with a dunk.

Han Zhou felt his strength leaving him. He looked at the scoreboard: only two minutes remained. His team was speeding up, but it was only draining them faster.

"Come on, one more push!" he shouted, but his voice no longer sounded as confident.

Ming You seemed to sense it. He made another gesture, and the Yoshido team regrouped again. Their "cobweb" tightened, leaving Shoguro no chance.

"They're like spiders," Lee Hyun Jung thought to himself, trying to steal the ball from Haru Lin.

"Don't give up," Pak Jun Su said again, but his voice lacked its former confidence.

Ming You caught the ball and, without wasting time, threw it into the hoop. The ball went through the net, and the score increased further in Yoshido's favor.

"It's over," Hong Ren quietly said, standing aside. He hadn't participated in the last minutes of the game, but his confidence in the team remained unshaken.

"We've won," Jung Ho said for everyone.