Dad, Please Try a Little Harder - Chapter 29
Chapter 29 I Want to Play Basketball with the School Team Members!
Saturday.
As scheduled, the Windsor Town Middle School faculty basketball match took place.
Sixteen teachers participated in total, divided into “Exam Team” and “100 Percent Team”. Each team had eight players, meaning five starters and three substitutes.
All participating teachers styled their hair for a youthful appearance and donned stylish basketball uniforms. The game about to unfold would shine even brighter than anticipated!
The match was divided into four quarters, each lasting ten minutes.
In order to ensure fairness, the school specifically invited two certified professional referees to officiate the game.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, the game officially began.
This non-professional basketball match might not have been the most intense or exciting one imaginable. It wouldn’t feature dazzling slam dunks or flashy dribbling displays.
However, competitive sports, with points changing hands, victories and losses in play, triggered a rush of hormones. This effect was particularly pronounced for the players on the court and the spectators in the stands.
In the first quarter, the Exam Team, with Qian Wenlin among them, took a 2-point lead. Qian Wenlin scored 0 points but secured three rebounds and provided three assists.
Three minutes later, the second quarter commenced. The 100 Percent Team substituted in a reserve player who displayed great courage, helping the team overturn a 5-point deficit and take the lead in the second quarter. During this quarter, Qian Wenlin spent 5 minutes on the court, grabbing two rebounds, blocking a shot, and even sinking a three-pointer.
A 10-minute halftime break followed.
Both teams’ players and coaches gathered to discuss tactics. Everyone shared their opinions, and in the end, they settled on a strategy of “going all out as soon as you’re on the court, no hesitation.”
In the third quarter, Qian Wenlin continued to be in the starting lineup. He performed remarkably well in this quarter, scoring an impressive six points and securing two rebounds. He led the team to catch up with the 100 Percent Team. With a slight smile, he had gained the trust of the coach and his teammates.
By the fourth quarter, the atmosphere in the arena had become noticeably tense. The cheers from the audience grew louder and more intense. The on-court competition became fiercer and more aggressive, erasing any trace of warmth between colleagues.
With only 1 minute and 30 seconds left in the game, the starting forward of the 100 Percent Team hit a 3-pointer, changing the score.
59:58!
Leading by one point.
The next two rounds yielded no points for either team.
The on-court atmosphere became increasingly suppressed as the game’s end drew near.
Finally, in the third-to-last round, Qian Wenlin assisted a teammate for a layup under the basket, and that straightforward shot managed to reclaim the lead.
59:60!
With no time to celebrate, everyone kept a tight watch on their assigned opponents.
The clock ticked down, reaching the last 40 seconds.
The 100 Percent Team held the ball, and the Exam Team pressed the entire court, denying them a shooting opportunity.
Seconds slipped away, one by one.
Offensive time was also about to run out.
Just then, the starting forward who had just sunk a three-pointer suddenly broke free from Qian Wenlin’s defense. He found a brief opening beyond the three-point line and exclaimed loudly, “Hey!”
A well-timed pass reached him.
He took the ball swiftly.
Score!
62:60!
The crowd erupted in a fervent cheer.
The starting forward’s wife, who was an English teacher, was present at the scene. Seeing her husband’s courageous performance, she blushed with a beaming smile.
Many spectators in the audience also cast congratulatory glances toward her.
There were 17 seconds left in the game.
The Exam Team called for a timeout to set up their tactics.
After the timeout, both teams’ players returned to the court.
Number 11 of the Exam Team was serving the ball.
The other players were actively moving, especially the number 5 guard who had the highest score for the Exam Team today. He was running and shouting, “Over here,” attracting the attention of the defensive players.
Number 11’s gaze was fixed on number 5, seemingly searching for the right opportunity to pass the ball to him, just as number 5 managed to create a bit of space for a catch.
With composure, number 11 threw the ball to the corner.
Qian Wenlin was standing there.
Unmarked!
After receiving the ball, Qian Wenlin didn’t hesitate. He adjusted slightly and shot.
“Hey!”
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
In an anime, this shot would fly through the air for an entire episode, and then Qian Wenlin would start reminiscing about his connection with basketball since the age of 6.
But in reality, the basketball traced a perfect arc in the air and smoothly landed in the net.
62:63!
The most beautiful thing is not a rainy day but Qian Wenlin’s three-point shot!
There was still 1 second left.
The 100 Percent team hadn’t given up; they arranged their final strategy.
However, as soon as the ball was released, time ran out. The referee didn’t blow the whistle, giving them one last chance to shoot.
The starting forward hurriedly took the shot, but the basketball missed the hoop.
No miracle was created this time.
“Hush…”
The whistle sounded, and the game ended.
The Exam Team won by one point!
Qian Wenlin completed the game-winning shot.
In competitive sports, “game-winner” is truly the most beautiful term!
The live audience cheered for him at the highest volume.
Wherever gazes landed, they were filled with admiration and applause.
Slightly regretfully, his wife and son didn’t come to the venue today, so they couldn’t witness this moment firsthand.
He would have to tell them later.
Of course, he had no idea that at this very moment, thousands of miles away, his son Qian Quan received a message at the exact time their match ended.
[Ding! The system detected your father’s game-winning shot in the school basketball game and rewarded you with a professional-level basketball skill!]
At Fudan’s basketball court, Qian Quan sat beside Ding Linlang in a daze, various basketball scenes rapidly flashing through his mind – dribbling, breakthroughs, jump shots, steals, post moves…
The scenes of him playing on the court in the past flashed through his mind like animated silhouettes, freezing, upgrading, formalizing, and disappearing into his mind – more precisely, being absorbed and stored by his brain.
“Have you thought of it?”
Ding Linlang’s voice brought him back to reality.
“Yeah.”
Qian Quan nodded, his gaze still on the court. However, he suddenly noticed that the students playing on the court seemed clumsy in their movements, slower in speed, and rougher in technique…
It felt like looking at elementary students solving math problems after finishing high school.
He knew that it was still the same people playing, but his perspective had changed.
“I thought of a scene like this,” Qian Quan looked at Ding Linlang, “After the female lead breaks the bridge to the heavens, she stands proudly among the clouds and shouts towards the sky: ‘From now on, I decree that the heavenly immortals shall not descend to the mortal world!’”
Upon hearing this, Ding Linlang pondered for a moment and then nodded repeatedly, saying, “That works. This line is powerful and suits the personality of the female lead.”
“Absolutely!” Qian Quan couldn’t help but feel proud, thinking to himself that he was an unwavering administrator of the reader group, a loyal fan of her novels, needless to say.
“So, did the female lead ultimately choose the childhood sweetheart as her partner?” Qian Quan inquired.
Ding Linlang’s gaze drifted elsewhere as she responded, “I haven’t decided yet.”
At that moment, a tall young man walked up to Qian Quan and asked, “Hey, do you play basketball? We’re short a player.”
“Uh, sure.” Qian Quan’s hands were itching to play.
Ding Linlang cautioned, “Are you sure about this? They look like they’re from the school team.”
Qian Quan glanced at them – five guys, all around 6 feet tall, and there stood Qian Quan, in basketball shoes, among them, of only average height.
But…
School team?
I just want to play basketball with the school team members!
Even if a professional team came now, I’d still play without hesitation.
“I’ll join them to make up the numbers,” Qian Quan said with a smile.
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