NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Winning and Losing Doesn’t Matter:
Because someone posted about it on the forum, a crowd quickly gathered around the basketball court to watch the drama unfold.
The spectators were brimming with excitement as they watched Qin Luo and the school basketball team member face off.
“Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve had such a good show to watch.”
“I heard the first to fifty points wins. I wonder who will come out on top.”
“Is that even a question? Of course, it’s going to be the guy with the crew cut. Even though I despise his actions, he’s on the school basketball team.”
“Exactly. Playing basketball casually and playing on the school team are completely different. There’s no comparison.”
“Qin Luo probably just wants to show off in front of the girls. Too bad, this time he’s going to embarrass himself.”
“Ugh, I’ve been fed up with him for a long time. Four beautiful girls hang around him every day. He deserves to be taken down a notch!”
Although many people disapproved of the actions of the guy with the buzz cut, they had to admit that his basketball skills were far superior.
Qin Luo wasn’t a member of the school basketball team. People rarely saw him play basketball, and when he did, it was just for fun.
Comparing a school team player to someone who might not even know all the rules? The outcome was obvious.
Some of the comments reached the ears of the guy with the crew cut, making him smile.
“Listen to them. They’re all betting against you. It’s not too late to get more players on your side. Otherwise, you might lose pretty badly.”
Qin Luo stared at him steadily and then suddenly smiled. “Do you really think I just want to play basketball with you?”
The guy with the buzz cut frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Winning or losing doesn’t matter to me… You’ll understand once we’re done.”
Qin Luo shook his head without explaining further and dribbled the ball a few times.
The guy with the crew cut snorted and held up three fingers. “I’ll give you three shots. Go ahead.”
Qin Luo didn’t hesitate. He picked up the ball and shot from the free-throw line.
The ball hit the backboard with a loud ‘bang’ but didn’t go in.
The crowd erupted in boos.
“First shot,” the guy with the buzz cut sneered, tossing the ball back to Qin Luo.
Qin Luo quickly shot again. This time, the ball circled the rim twice but still didn’t go in.
More boos erupted from the crowd, and Qin Luo’s three roommates clenched their fists nervously.
Hao Meng couldn’t help but ask, “Big guy, how’s Qin Luo’s basketball game? He doesn’t seem very reliable.”
Han Yiqun sighed. “We play more often than he does. He only plays occasionally and only when I call him. He doesn’t really practice, so he doesn’t have much skill.”
Shi Yulu was shocked. “Then why did he agree to a one-on-one? That guy is on the school basketball team!”
Li Xuan adjusted his glasses. “We’re wondering the same thing. Qin Luo is usually pretty calm. We don’t know why he’s so eager today.”
Why was he so eager today?
They all glanced at Ji Yan subconsciously. But she didn’t notice their gazes because all her attention was on Qin Luo.
She clenched her fair hands into fists, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed. Her usually calm face showed an unusual worry, making her look even more endearing.
Just then, Qin Luo threw his third shot.
With a loud ‘bang,’ the ball hit the backboard and fell through the net.
Qin Luo finally scored two points, but Han Yiqun and the others weren’t happy at all.
Qin Luo had scored very slowly. He made one out of three shots, and his accuracy couldn’t compare to his opponent’s. In the end, he might not even reach fifty points, let alone win.
The onlookers also lost hope in Qin Luo.
With that accuracy, how could he compare to a school team player? He could have been completely shut out if he hadn’t made that one shot.
The guy with the crew cut sneered, “Third shot. Too bad, you only made one. Do you want me to give you a few more shots? So you don’t look too bad when you lose.”
“Stop talking. Let’s start.” Qin Luo said coolly.
“Show-off,” the guy with the buzz cut muttered disdainfully.
When they both took their positions, the guy with the crew cut dribbled with his right hand, broke through Qin Luo’s right side, and jumped from the free-throw line for a shot.
The ball swished through the net, scoring two points.
This set the tone for a one-sided game.
After scoring, they exchanged the ball. Qin Luo took the ball and shot without looking, as if he didn’t care. If he made it, great; if not, the ball would go to the guy with the crew cut, who would then score easily.
The guy with the crew cut would then break through Qin Luo’s defense and score easily, while Qin Luo seemed too lazy to put up a fight.
In just under half an hour, the score reached 48:8. The guy with the crew cut had 48 points, and Qin Luo had 8 points, a huge gap.
Even with only one point left to win, Qin Luo still looked uninterested in competing. The crowd was disappointed.
“What is Qin Luo doing?”
“Yes, if he wasn’t going to take it seriously, why start? What does he think he’s doing?”
“He’s probably just trying to show off in front of the girls and now doesn’t know how to back down.”
“They’re not on the same level at all. It’s too embarrassing. I can’t watch this anymore.”
“Okay, let’s go. There’s nothing to see here.”
“Wait, isn’t there one more shot? What if Qin Luo turns it around?”
“Pfft, brother, are you dreaming? If Qin Luo turns this around, I’ll eat my hat!”
Amidst the crowd’s boos, the ball went to the guy with the buzz cut for the last shot.
He chuckled. “Last shot. I’ll give you one more chance.”
He threw the ball to Qin Luo with considerable force.
Qin Luo raised his hand to catch it and suddenly asked, “Was that ball you threw earlier deliberate?”
The guy with the buzz cut scoffed. “Does it matter when you’re about to lose?”
“Heh, just curious. Was it on purpose?”
“So what if it was? I’ll tell you straight. I did it on purpose. What are you going to do about it?”
“Okay, got it,” Qin Luo nodded, tossing the ball back. “Your turn.”
The toss was not only forceful but also unexpectedly fast, catching the guy with the crew cut off guard.
He instinctively reached out his hand to catch it and winced, feeling the sting in his palm.
“Is this guy really that strong?” The guy with the crew cut wondered, but didn’t think much of it. He sneered, “You asked for it. Don’t blame me for being rough.”
He dribbled the ball toward Qin Luo, easily breaking through Qin Luo’s right side and jumping for the shot.
As he released the ball, he imagined Qin Luo’s defeated face and the disappointed looks from the girls.
The guy with the crew cut couldn’t help but smile, watching the ball leave his hand.
But in the next second, his smile froze.
A figure suddenly flew up, blocking his view.
With a loud ‘bang,’ a big hand slapped the ball away, shattering the guy with the crew cut’s fantasies.