Chapter 164: Torture to a New Height (Part 2)

"Here it comes!" Olynyk said lightly, holding his face as he watched Jiang Hai prepare for his shot.

"Here it comes? What's coming? Oh my God, what is this?!" Mirotic, still a bit confused after hearing Olynyk's words, looked on with confusion. But when he saw Jiang Hai's shot, like a guided missile, go straight into the basket, he was so shocked he nearly bit his tongue.

He wasn't the only one stunned. Initially, when the others saw Jiang Hai's defense, they were puzzled because his speed, strength, agility, and most terrifyingly, his balance, were all incredibly strong. He had compressed Justin Bieber's space to the extreme, almost as if he were playing a different game.

Now, seeing Jiang Hai's shot, they were left even more amazed. Mirotic opened his mouth in shock, wanting to say something but unable to find the words. After a moment, he whispered, "This guy... he must have predicted it..."

"Predicted it? His shooting accuracy with shots like that, with no one defending him, is over 90%. There's no way he could have predicted it. Plus, his most terrifying side hasn't even been revealed yet." Olynyk touched his face, still haunted by the blow he received earlier, speaking with lingering fear.

"Uh, it hasn't been revealed yet?" Mirotic didn't know how to respond.

"You've got a chance, try again!" Justin Bieber, recovering from the shock, swallowed hard and picked up the basketball that had rolled back to him, throwing it to Jiang Hai.

Jiang Hai took the ball, and once again, from the same spot, the same arc, the same sound of the ball swishing through the net—it was another perfect shot. The audience, already confused, became even more bewildered.

About ten seconds later, the crowd exploded with noise, as if the entire stadium had been set on fire. Everyone was talking excitedly, wondering when the "CK ball" became a standard weapon. Fans who weren't familiar with Jiang Hai began frantically discussing him, but...

Unfortunately, Jiang Hai wasn't a celebrity, he hadn't been on TV, and wasn't involved with any famous teams or organizations. So even after searching online, they couldn't find any news about him. But this didn't stop them from admiring him. A person who could make half-court three-pointers with the accuracy of a two-pointer—what a terrifying presence!

"I haven't even called 'start' yet, and I haven't washed the ball, why the rush?" Justin Bieber, annoyed by the buzzing noise in his ears, looked at Jiang Hai seriously.

"Then it doesn't count. It's up to you," Jiang Hai shrugged, not caring much—it was just a ball.

"Who's rushing? Let's get started!" Justin Bieber, now furious at Jiang Hai's indifferent attitude, grabbed the ball and shouted "start!" as he rushed towards Jiang Hai, trying to block the shot. But truth be told, Jiang Hai wasn't planning on shooting anymore.

Seeing Justin rush toward him, Jiang Hai dribbled the ball lightly before stepping on his right foot. In an instant, to Justin, Jiang Hai seemed like a blur—a gust of wind rushing past him. The sound of his movement even grazed Justin's face, causing him pain. By the time Justin processed it, Jiang Hai had already breezed past him, effortlessly breaking through.

"What a fast first step!" Kenny Smith, a former NBA player known for his speed, was shocked by Jiang Hai's lightning-fast first step. It was even quicker than Wade's in his prime. From above, Jiang Hai looked like a sharp knife, slicing through the air as he rushed past Justin and into the three-point line. As soon as he entered the line, Jiang Hai had the ball in his hands.

With one fake step and two firm ones, as his right foot hit the free-throw line, Jiang Hai catapulted into the air. The audience sitting in the first row could see that when he flew up, his head almost reached the height of the basket. He soared high and far, even switching hands mid-air before slamming the ball with his right hand. When he descended, it felt as though the audience had been struck in the chest by an invisible force. It took them a few seconds to react, and then they erupted into deafening cheers.

"Wow, what a body, jumping from one foot at the free-throw line and switching hands mid-air? Ahem, Zach LaVine, can we rely on you tomorrow?" On the sidelines, fans were astounded, shouting in amazement. The NBA players off the court were all dumbfounded. Laymen were simply entertained, while experts saw the real talent. It was clear that Jiang Hai's physique, which didn't look overly imposing, housed something monstrous. With this level of athleticism, even LeBron James at his peak wouldn't have been able to match it.

Audibola and Zach LaVine, who were preparing for tomorrow's dunk contest, exchanged glances. Audibola nervously swallowed and muttered to LaVine, who only shrugged in disbelief. Though LaVine could dunk from the free-throw line, and even perform tomahawk dunks better than Jiang Hai, the combination of these moves was a whole different level.

Jiang Hai smiled as he grabbed the ball again. He approached the stunned Justin Bieber, handed him the ball, and gestured with a smile, "Two shots, keep going!"

"Oh, okay... okay..." Justin Bieber licked his lips nervously and then washed the ball again, unsure of whether to rush Jiang Hai again. But, if he didn't, he knew Jiang Hai wouldn't let him off the hook.

Without further hesitation, Jiang Hai started again. This time, not only was his speed explosive, but he also maintained that speed with continuous bursts—faster than even the peak Devin Harris. He charged directly at Justin Bieber, who, seeing Jiang Hai's pupils widen, thought Jiang Hai was about to collide with him. Terrified, Justin almost dropped to the ground to avoid it, but Jiang Hai stopped instantly, less than five centimeters away from him. The sudden change in direction and gravity had no effect on Jiang Hai.

Seeing the beads of sweat on Justin's face, Jiang Hai grinned maliciously, reminding Justin that starting trouble with him had been a bad idea. In that moment, the smile was forever etched in Justin's mind.

And then, Jiang Hai was off again, faster than before. He zipped past Justin into the paint, where he took off. A double-turn in mid-air and a violent straight-line dunk stunned the crowd once more.

"Wow, what is this? Is this guy for real? I feel like my face is red and swollen!" Charles Barkley shouted, overwhelmed by Jiang Hai's incredible play.

"Knees like steel... that kind of stop-and-go, I feel numb just thinking about it," Kenny Smith said, still in shock. That sudden stop and go was terrifying. If it had been an actual defender, the force could have snapped their legs.

Compared to that explosive move, the 720-degree dunk that followed seemed almost secondary.

"This guy... how do you know him?" Mirotic asked, eyes glued to Jiang Hai, who was now retrieving the ball again. Despite only having played three shots, those three moves were too important to ignore.

"He's tried out for our team before. Mr. Ainge gave him a ten-day contract, but then he left," Olynyk said with a shrug. Though he respected Danny Ainge, he couldn't understand why such a dominant player was let go so easily.

"Ten-day contract? Ha... never mind. Let's not talk about it. I think the attention our game will get might be even less now," Mirotic said awkwardly, giving Danny Ainge a silent thumbs-up for signing Jiang Hai to such a contract. If Jiang Hai had entered the NBA, it could've meant disaster for their team.

"Attention? What does that have to do with us?" Olynyk asked, puzzled.

"Hey, I'm the starter!" Mirotic responded, but it was clear that no one was remembering that fact.

"Keep going!" Jiang Hai called out, approaching the still-dazed Justin Bieber. With a smile, he handed the basketball to him, and in Bieber's eyes, that smile seemed almost... devilish.

(To be continued.)