Chapter 331 You Can’t Win

Shen Xinghe didn’t get angry. Instead, he lifted his chin slightly, the languid look in his eyes completely replaced by a sharp glint. His tone carried a condescending nonchalance. "If you’re afraid of losing, just say it. Finding so many excuses... it seems this is the limit of your skill."

"Afraid? Bullshit!" Zhang Yang was goaded by his words, finding the situation both infuriating and laughable.

He glanced at Chen Mo, who had a cold, unyielding aura, and figured he might be tough to deal with. But Shen Xinghe? He didn’t give him a second thought.

This kind of goading was especially effective on someone brimming with confidence like him.

"You just said what you’d want if you won, but what if *we* win?" the sturdier guy from before asked, looking at Shen Xinghe.

Perhaps because he still hadn’t recovered from the shock of realizing Shen Xinghe was a guy, his tone automatically softened a few degrees, as if he were speaking to a girl.

"You can’t win," Shen Xinghe stated with certainty.

"Don’t speak too soon, beauty," the guy on the other team said, still calling Shen Xinghe that out of habit.

"Whether I’m speaking too soon or not, we’ll let our skills do the talking. As for what you want if you win... why don’t you worry about that *after* you’ve actually won?" The corner of Shen Xinghe’s mouth lifted in a disdainful smirk as he glanced at the opposing group, instantly igniting their fighting spirit.

"Fine, I admire your confidence! Let’s go. Who’s playing for your side?"

"The two of us, obviously." Shen Xinghe casually slung an arm over Chen Mo’s shoulder, and only at that moment did the crowd finally feel his masculine presence.

It was the kind of male camaraderie you see between brothers, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Fine! Then bring it on!" Zhang Yang sneered. He and the burliest guy from before immediately stepped onto the court and beckoned at Chen Mo and Shen Xinghe with a curl of their fingers.

"Chen Mo, how are your skills?" Shen Xinghe asked in a low voice.

"They’re alright. I can get by," Chen Mo replied with a faint smile.

"In that case, you focus on getting steals and passing to me. I’ll take care of the rest," Shen Xinghe said, his tone certain, as if victory was already in his grasp.

He looked at Chen Mo, and their eyes met in a moment of unspoken understanding.

Though Chen Mo was also surprised by Shen Xinghe’s proposal, he saw absolute confidence and a hint of... excitement? in the other’s eyes. Suppressing his doubts, he nodded, squared his lean, powerful frame, and walked onto the court shoulder-to-shoulder with Shen Xinghe.

"How are we deciding this?" Zhang Yang asked, looking at them.

"First team to ten points wins. Sound good?" Shen Xinghe proposed, looking at the other two.

"Five baskets, huh? Interesting. You’re on."

Upon hearing the other guy say "five baskets," the corner of Shen Xinghe’s mouth lifted in a subtle smirk.

Soon, both sides were staring each other down, their eyes sharp. "Let’s begin!"

And so, an impromptu two-on-two showdown kicked off on the half-court beside the stadium.

"You can have the first possession," Shen Xinghe said, carelessly tossing the ball to Zhang Yang. The gesture further stoked the other man’s fury.

"You really look down on us, don’t you." Zhang Yang was finally furious. ’I don’t care how pretty you are. Look down on me? Just you wait, I’m gonna make you eat those words.’

The game began with the other team on offense.

Seething with anger, Zhang Yang planned to put these two arrogant freshmen in their place right from the start.

Zhang Yang had the ball, facing off against Chen Mo.

He had a jeering smile on his face, clearly not taking Chen Mo seriously.

"Watch and learn, frosh. College ball isn’t the same as playing house in high school." As he spoke, he executed a quick crossover, attempting to overpower Chen Mo with sheer speed and physicality.

However, in the instant the ball bounced back up after his crossover, a hand shot in like a shadow, intercepting it with perfect precision!

SLAP!

A clean, crisp sound echoed on the court.

As if he had anticipated every move, Chen Mo snatched the ball away in a flash!

"Whoa!!" "What a steal!" Gasps erupted from the sidelines. Zhou Yue and Lin Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in an instant.

The steal was too fast, too sudden!

After the steal, Chen Mo didn’t hesitate, immediately passing the ball. The burly player guarding Shen Xinghe had been so focused on the ball’s movement that he’d neglected his man. Shen Xinghe had used the opportunity to slip away unnoticed, drifting far from the basket to the three-point line.

Only when the ball was already in the air did the burly player realize the man he was supposed to be guarding had somehow drifted to the outside.

While he was still reeling in surprise, Shen Xinghe caught the ball, squared up, and shot.

His movements were as fluid and graceful as if they’d been meticulously choreographed, imbued with a unique aesthetic and rhythm. With a soft flick of his wrist...

...the basketball sailed through the air in a high, perfect arc.

SWISH!

Nothing but net!

A three-pointer!

The sidelines went quiet for a second before erupting into cheers!

"Whoa! Xinghe, you’re amazing!" Zhou Yue and Lin Xiaoxiao screamed instantly.

It wasn’t just Zhou Yue’s group; even the other onlookers couldn’t help but applaud in amazement.

Zhang Yang’s teammates were all stunned, staring at Shen Xinghe in disbelief.

Zhang Yang and the burly player just stared at each other, the scornful smiles frozen on their faces, their expressions now filled with utter shock.

’Was... was that just luck?’

"Not bad luck!" the burly player in the Rockets jersey said, trying to sound tough, but the look in his eyes had changed completely.

Since a basket had been made, the other team got possession again. This time, they got serious, trying to score using teamwork and their advantage in the paint.

But Chen Mo’s defense was phantom-like. His steals were viciously precise, and he consistently managed to disrupt their passing lanes and offensive rhythm.

Meanwhile, Shen Xinghe prowled outside the three-point line. The moment he got a pass from Chen Mo, he would shoot without the slightest hesitation, needing only a sliver of space.

SWISH!

SWISH!

Two more consecutive three-pointers found the net!

9-0!

A blowout! An absolute blowout!

The previous confidence and swagger on the faces of Zhang Yang and his crew were gone, replaced only by shock and humiliation.

’So, it turned out ten points didn’t mean five baskets at all!’

’Their three-point shooting is insane! They could end this in just four baskets!’

’From this point on, they couldn’t even risk a foul. Giving up a single free-throw point would mean an instant loss.’

"Damn it, that pretty boy’s three-pointer is absurd. Guarding him is useless. Since we have possession, let’s just double-team the guy who can only get steals."

"Got it!" The burly player had also realized that Shen Xinghe, with his lethal scoring threat from the outside, wasn’t someone he could guard lightly. He immediately agreed to Zhang Yang’s suggestion.

The final possession began!

Zhang Yang’s new strategy actually worked to an extent. Giving it his all, he used a screen from his teammate to finally shake Chen Mo by half a step. He charged toward the paint and jumped for a layup, but he never imagined that Shen Xinghe would rotate over to help... leaping high into the air.

His surprising height and leaping ability were on full display. Although he didn’t get the block, the intense pressure from his contest was enough to make the ball hit the rim and bounce out.

After all, Shen Xinghe possessed the tall, slender build of a model, and with his long fingers, his physical attributes were actually more than sufficient to meet the standards of the basketball world.