Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Of course, Kai still couldn't believe it. Again, he wondered how much he had sacrificed to be where he was at the moment. As he made his way to the stage, the people around him clapped without any resentment—just acceptance. Even those bastard giants seemed to be happy with the results. Of course, Jian's die-hard fans was upset with the fact that their idol only graduated in second place. However, even then, they knew how well Kai played during the Interhigh Nationals. He went up the stage, and Kimmy placed the emblem on him. Jian watched them intently. Meanwhile, Lina also observed them with narrowed eyes. However, the interaction was merely professional. Kai went to stand with the rest of the Elite Five, still feeling that the situation was surreal. He felt like he was floating on a cloud somewhere in space. Grandma Bingbing stood from the couch and threw the knife to the ground. She rejoiced by herself, prancing around their living room. "My grandson has made it," she chuckled. "My troublesome little grandson is the best player among all high school players in the country!" Young kids who were watching the television also couldn't help but watch Kai with awe. "Mommy," a young boy said, capturing his mom's attention. "When I grow up, I want to be as great and handsome as he is!" His mom smiled and patted his head. "Of course, you can be great. I just don't know about the handsome part since you got your genes from your father." Thankfully, the young child did not understand. However, his dad definitely took a hit with that statement. Their photos were taken, and it was then that the shock of the crowd died down. They started to question what this was for. "Why are they calling the current Elite members, though?" "Yeah, isn't it that they announce the new ones right away?" "Is this some kind of special event?" Indeed, it was strange. Jian frowned and looked around, trying to read the situation. Last year, the graduating students only received a plaque of recognition for being a part of the Elite Five. They didn't have an emblem or such. In fact, Calvin and Fang were already jealous of the cute emblem on the right side of their chests. "Why didn't we get anything like that last year?" Calvin asked. Fang shrugged. "It must be because we finally have a handsome player in the Elite Five." Calvin turned to glare at him. "You did not just say that." Meanwhile, Johnny Wang was preparing for his special announcement. For a brief second, he made eye contact with Kimmy, and it showed that he was disappointed. Then, as he grabbed his script from the podium, he whispered, "We'll talk about this later." Kimmy sighed as her dad went back to the mic stand. She knew she was in big trouble. Of course, she was scared. But at the same time, Kimmy knew that she had done the right thing. Johnny cleared his throat as he went to the microphone. "I have a special announcement," he started off. The crowd quieted down, and everyone turned their attention to him. "As you all know, this year marks the Beijing Global Games," he continued. With the mention of the Global Games, the crowd erupted into murmurs once more. It couldn't be hidden that they were excited for the Global Games, or the GG, as most people call it. The Global Games was, as the name suggested, where the best sportsmen in the world gather and show off their prowess. Each country had its own delegates, and it was a game of pride, honor, and, of course, patriotism. It was where people who usually do not care for the country come together and cheer their nationality to the highest. It also became highly competitive—with countries wanting to bring home the most medals. This year, it was going to be hosted in none other than Beijing. "Settle down please," Johnny said, causing the crowd to quiet down. "As hosts of this year's Global Games, we are granted the opportunity to send in delegates for all the sports categories. And although our basketball team didn't make it into the world rankings, we are still able to send our best players to face off with the greatest players in the entire world!" "Where is this going?" Jian muttered. The other four were also confused. Why was Johnny Wang mentioning the Global Games in a high school basketball championship? The people knew he was part of the committee in charge of such matters, but did he really have to advertise it here? "I know, you may all be asking—why is he saying this?" he asked, reading the minds of the people. "Of course, I'm not saying this just for the heck of it. This is a formal announcement." "The list that the basketball committee has curated is one of the best in the entire world. It shows real-time updates of players, their skills, and their stats." "Our national team is preparing. However, as we have not placed in the world rankings for quite some time due to fast athlete turnover, as well as those migrating to other countries to represent another flag, the committee has decided to bring in the youth to our plan." "As we all know, the youth is our future. They will continue to carry the legacy that we have built." "And with that," he said with conviction, glancing at the players. The five still didn't know where this was going. However, they had a hunch that it was going to be something big. "We have decided to involve the youth in our present." He turned around and looked at the boys one by one while stating their names. "Jimmy Wang." "Max Zhou." "Zheng Zhang." "Jian Niu." "And Kai Guo." With that, he turned around to face the crowd and the cameras once more. "These young men have all been granted the opportunity to represent our country for this year's Global Games!"