In the school hall, where silence usually reigned, today was bustling with activity. Ming You stood by the window, his tall silhouette casting a long shadow on the floor. Around him gathered his teammates, waiting for the next plan that would lead them to victory.
However, the atmosphere among the team was tense. Three people emerged from the office of the former coach: the manager of the basketball club San Liu and two detectives — Xin Shi and Lao Han.
"Hello, Ming You, we have a few questions for you," Lao Han addressed him.
All eyes were on him; his team was slightly puzzled. San Liu had a serious expression, Xin Shi had a penetrating gaze, and Lao Han seemed quite friendly. Among all those present, only Ming You remained completely calm:
"What do you want?"
"Just to talk. Nothing special," Lao Han was friendly, but Ming You rudely pushed him away:
"My parents taught me not to talk to strangers, so if you don't have a warrant or I'm not under arrest, I'll ask you to leave me alone. Today, my team and I have a very important game, and I don't want to waste my time on unnecessary conversations."
"Ming You, what are you..." Jung Ho wanted to intervene, but Lao Han stopped him:
"It's okay, we're not forcing anyone. We just want to help in the search for your coach and your friend, who was also on this team."
When Lao Han finished speaking, Ming You gave him a stern look and replied in a low tone:
"If I or any of my friends remember anything, we will definitely let you know. But for now, I politely ask you to leave the hall and let us prepare for the game. Interrupting us without arrests or warrants is an overreach of authority. I am already worried about my respected mentor, not to mention my loyal friend, so please, don't bother us. We're all feeling bad about their absence, and we need to prepare for the game."
Xin Shi got angry and didn't want to show it, but the veins on her forehead bulged as she thought to herself:
"What a cunning bastard! Based on the school journal, I thought he was just a nerd, but to be so brazen and devilishly smart! Ugh!"
Lao Han shrugged and said goodbye in a friendly manner:
"Sorry, we didn't mean to offend you or anyone else and make the situation worse. We'll leave you alone. Thanks for the talk, and if you remember anything, you know who to contact." He took Xin Shi by the elbow, and before he led her away, she blushed slightly but calmly headed towards the exit of the school hall.
Lao Han waved his hand one last time and cheerfully said, turning his head towards the entrance of the school hall:
"Good luck with your game!"
"Thanks," Ming You said rudely, mentally smirking.
San Liu sighed with relief and looked at Ming You with a hint of distrust, but his team decided to cheer him up, and Jung Ho was the first to speak:
"You were quite rude to them; they might suspect you of something you didn't do. But I agree with you, we're all worried about coach Chang Wo, and now detectives are getting involved before the game."
Lu Shen, stepping forward, also decided to show support:
"The situation really sucks, but we need to focus on the game, right, guys..."
"Yes, you're right," Ming You interrupted, looking around at the team. "Let's get to the game. Today we're using the 'cobweb' technique. This isn't just a strategy; it's our path to victory. We'll act as one, like a cobweb covering the entire court."
Jung Ho looked at him with interest:
"The cobweb? Hmm, we've practiced this before, so we're ready!"
Ming You smirked, his eyes gleaming.
"The technique is quite simple in practice, as long as none of us makes a mistake. We'll control the pace of the game, forcing the opponent to play by our rules. Jung Ho, you'll be the key player in the center. Your task is to distribute the ball and find weak spots in the opponent's defense."
Lu Shen couldn't help himself:
"I hope I don't get tangled in this cobweb. Although, if it's as sticky as my sperm, everything will be fine!"
Haru Lin smirked and, winking at Lu Shen, added:
"Don't worry, Lu. If anything, I'll pull you out of your own sperm. But maybe stop telling us about how you jerk off first?"
Lu Shen pretended to be offended, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes.
Ming You, ignoring the banter, continued:
"Haru, your task is to create opportunities for my shots. You need to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. We need to buy time and outsmart the opponent. Hong Ren, you're our hidden ace. You need to stay in the shadows and appear at the most unexpected moment."
Hong Ren, who always seemed indifferent, nodded.
Manager San Liu, observing the discussion, decided to intervene:
"If something goes wrong, I have a few ideas. But I hope they won't be needed. Ming You, your strategy sounds impressive."
Ming You nodded, accepting the compliment, but his thoughts were already on the court:
"I'm expecting a pretty easy victory, heh-heh."
As the team headed to the court, Ming You noticed that the Shoguro team looked unexpectedly confident. The absence of their captain, Suk Chhon, didn't affect their morale. This was strange, and Ming You felt a slight unease.
Meanwhile, in the Shoguro locker room, a conversation was taking place. The vice-captain gathered the team around him.
"We can manage without Suk Chhon," he said confidently, looking each of them in the eye. "We have a backup plan. We need to use his 'court corners' strategy. This will allow us to keep Yoshido at a distance while scoring points."
The players nodded, their determination unwavering. They knew they had to act as one.
After the warm-up on the court, both teams lined up.
The referee blew the whistle, and the game began.
Jung Ho won the tip-off, deftly passing the ball to Haru Lin.
Opposite Haru Lin stood a defender, who pretended to try to get past him and made a sharp pass to Hong Ren.
Hong Ren slipped past the defender, took the ball, but the defender stood in his way, forcing him to pass to Ming You.
Ming You took the ball and quickly ran along the three-point line but suddenly stopped as a defender stood next to him.
"You think you can get past me so easily?" the defender opposite Ming You smirked.
"Heh-heh," Ming You smirked, making a sharp move with the ball as if he was going to get past the defender, but he passed the ball to Jung Ho.
Jung Ho caught the ball and quickly shot from the corner of the free-throw line. The defender ran up to him and tried to block the shot, but to no avail. Jung Ho scored.
Whistle: Ball to Shoguro.
"Han Zhou, I'm counting on you," a tall player called out, passing the ball from under the hoop.
"Don't doubt it," he replied.
On the other side of the court, the Yoshido team was fully motivated.
"Nice one!" Lu Shen shouted towards Jung Ho.
Han Zhou started dribbling the ball, with Haru Lin guarding him. He reached out for the ball, but Han Zhou passed it.
However, Ming You deftly intercepted the ball and ran to the three-point line.
"What the hell!" Han Zhou exclaimed, chasing after Haru Lin.
Opponents ran up to the three-point line. Hong Ren ran to the free-throw line, but the defender easily kept up with him.
Meanwhile, Ming You dribbled the ball on the floor. He gave a sly smirk and dribbled the ball through the defender's legs, deftly getting past him.
"You fell for it," the defender smirked, reaching out to knock the ball away.
"You fell for it too," Ming You replied slyly, throwing the ball into the hoop with one hand.
Jung Ho was already ready and ran towards the hoop. He caught the ball that Ming You threw and made an alley-oop.
"Pak Jun Su, guard number 44, Lee Hyun Jung, you're on the rebound, but if anything, we'll use the combination," Han Zhou explained, pointing at the court line.
Pak Jun Su, on the other hand, was full of determination. He knew their backup plan could work if they acted clearly and without mistakes.
"Lee Hyun Jung, let's do the corner combination!" he shouted, passing the ball.
Lee Hyun Jung caught the ball and made a sharp shot, but the ball bounced off the hoop. Han Zhou picked it up and scored from close range.
"Keep it up!" Pak Jun Su shouted, smiling.
The ball was with Shoguro. Han Zhou started dribbling along the right line, his eyes looking for a passing opportunity. Haru Lin was on him like a shadow, his movements quick and precise.
"Hey, don't forget you're playing against me," Haru teased, flashing a smile. "I'm not just standing here for no reason."
Han Zhou didn't respond. He made a sharp move to the left, trying to get past Haru, but he was ready. He reached out, almost touching the ball, but Han Zhou managed to pass to Lee Hyun Jung.
Lee Hyun Jung caught the ball and immediately threw it towards the corner of the court, where Pak Jun Su was waiting. But Ming You was already there. He intercepted the ball with one quick movement, his eyes gleaming.
"You can't get past me," he smirked before quickly turning and throwing the ball to Jung Ho.
Jung Ho caught the ball and immediately passed to Haru Lin, who was already running towards the hoop. Haru jumped, his arm extended, and the ball smoothly flew through the hoop.
Whistle: Timeout for the white team.
"Heh-heh, already out of breath," Lu Shen smirked, wiping sweat from his mouth.
"Yeah, you're sweating like a horny ugly whore during spring fever," Haru Lin teased, heading to the bench.
Ming You, standing on the edge of the court, slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead. His cold gaze swept over the Shoguro players, who were slightly puzzled. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't angry. He was just observing. His brain was already working at full capacity, anticipating the opponent's tactics and using the timeout to the fullest.
"Hey, Ming," Jung Ho called out, running closer. "They're definitely up to something, unless they're just out of breath."
Ming You slowly nodded, not taking his eyes off the Shoguro players.
"They're going to play passes through the corners. That's their backup plan. But it's strange that they needed a timeout two minutes before the end of the first quarter."
"Maybe they're not as strong as they seem," Lu Shen smirked, approaching them. "Just look at how they're all sweating, even horny ugly whores during spring fever don't sweat that much."
"You asshole! That's my joke!" Haru Lin snorted, but Ming You didn't even smile. His eyes were cold as ice.
"Shut up, Lu. Focus on the game. If you don't give it your all now, I'll personally make sure your dick turns into a pussy and you start sweating more than a waterfall."
The whole team chuckled, but Lu Shen froze, feeling the icy tone in Ming You's voice. He knew the captain wasn't joking. Ever.
"Okay, okay," he muttered, stepping back. "I'm focused. I promise."
Ming You turned to the team, his voice quiet but heard by all.
"Let's discuss their next moves now. They probably think we're weaker. They think we can't handle their tactics. But they're wrong. We're the cobweb. We're the trap. They've been in it for a while now. Now we just need to tighten the noose."
Jung Ho nodded, his eyes burning with determination.
"What do we do?"
"We play our way," Ming You said, his voice calm but with a steely confidence. "They want to make us run? Let them run. But we'll control every step they take. If they really use the backup plan, here's what we'll do: Haru, you take the left corner. Lu, the right. Jung Ho, you're in the center. Hong Ren, you stay in the shadows. I'll take care of their captain. They won't be able to make a single pass without us intercepting it."
The team nodded, their eyes burning with determination. They knew Ming You was always right. Even if his methods were ruthless.
Meanwhile, on the Shoguro bench. The coach was the first to speak:
"I have a strange feeling. Haven't you noticed that you're running slower but getting more tired?"
"We're running at a moderate pace, coach. We're waiting for the right moment for the backup plan, so thank you for your support," Han Zhou replied confidently, looking up from the bench.
"He's right, we're aware of the backup plan and timing, so why did you call a timeout two minutes before the end of the first quarter?"
"You still don't get it, Pak Jun Su. In these two minutes, we need to break them, right, Han Zhou?" Lee Hyun Jung smirked, glancing between the captain and the coach.
"That's right, we should thank Suk Chhon, even though he didn't show up today," he replied with a smirk.
"I think it's forgivable for him to skip the game, considering he even overestimated these weaklings by giving us such a complex plan," Pak Jun Su agreed, taking a sip of water.
Both teams were ready, and the referee blew the whistle, resuming the game.