Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Oh, what do we have here?" Johnny asked as he arrived at the court once again. Kai frowned. It took him long enough. Then, he clapped loudly, amusement seen on his face. "You guys are already playing? I see that you're getting along well," he chimed. "Getting along well, my ass," Max muttered, causing Kai to softly chuckle. "Anyway," Johnny continued, clapping. "The committee just called to verify the quantity of accommodations for the athletes for the Global Games. Everything is going well. It's already official. Now, we're just looking forward to this team representing our country." "It's not always that we get to see China in the Basketball Global Games," he muttered, shaking his head. "Well, you should go to your hotels now," Johnny said. "Boys," he continued, looking at the high school players. "Follow Ashley. Men," he then said while turning to the older group. "Follow me." The two 'groups' separated, but the older group of men continued to look at the Elite Five with teasing gazes. Then, they spoke among themselves, but Kai heard them all. "They're really not that special," Muyang muttered. "Yeah," Dong sighed. "I expected more. What are we going to do now? I think we'll play in all of the quarters." Caleb clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I guess kids really have it easy these days." Marcus merely looked at them with disappointment, which somehow hurt even more than the others' sharp words. Fortunately, Jaw-Long gave them a consoling smile. He even patted Jian on the back, to which Jian responded with a bow. Kai sighed in relief. Well, it seemed like Jaw-Long didn't hate the idea of them joining their team all that much. Meanwhile, the boys went back to their van with Ashley. As soon as they sat on the leather seat, they all let out heavy sighs. Ashley smirked and turned around. "What happened while we were gone?" she asked. The boys glanced at each other before Max responded. "We were—" "Zheng, you answer," Ashley said before Max could even finish his sentence. The latter's eyes widened in shock, but Zheng and the others didn't heed his reaction. "We were defeated," Zheng said with a sigh. "Oh," Ashley said, sounding intrigued. "You had a game?" Jian nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "They're good. Really good." "Well, of course," Ashley chuckled. "It would be weird if they were bad. They're still considered the best players in the entire country." "They're already this good, but they've never placed in the top three of the Global Games. In fact, they haven't made it into the Global Games for more than ten years now," Kai innocently said. Ashley pursed his lips. "It just shows how monstrous other countries are," she explained. "Our best is not even good enough compared to those countries." The boys looked down at their laps. Somehow, that made them feel pathetic. "That's why the committee decided to add you guys into the mix in the first place," she continued, causing them to look up. Kai tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean by that?" Ashley let out a deep breath before explaining. "You guys are the future of Chinese basketball. The committee has seen potential in all of you, and since our national team has been stagnant for years, we decided to add you to the mix. We reckoned that nothing would change if we continue with the system we have." "It's broken," she continued. Jimmy smirked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "So, this country needs us, huh?" Ashley scoffed, causing Jimmy's smirk to fall. "Not necessarily," she said. "The country needs a good team—wait, no—an exceptional team. One that could compete with the best players around the world." "However, seeing as you guys can't even score a single point against those guys, then I think you aren't what the country needs just yet." Her words hit them like a ton of bricks. They were silent for a few moments before Jian decided to break it. "Well, to be fair, I would have played better if these guys knew what they were doing." Zheng clicked his tongue, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I was trying to lead you, guys, but you just wouldn't listen. Who do you think is at fault now?" Kai smirked. "Well, I was open at one point, but Jimmy decided not to pass to me." Jimmy sighed. "You wouldn't be able to make it in the first place. You can't outrun those guys." "Says who?" Kai asked with a frown. "Anyway," Jimmy continued, not paying attention to Kai anymore. "Max was trying to show off there. However, he just made himself into a fool. Did you see how he couldn't even score?" Max clicked his tongue. "Says the fifth elite," he teased. "It's not like any of us scored during that game. We were obliterated. Completely destroyed." Ashley listened to their conversation and shook her head. "You guys have a problem," she said. "We don't," Jian muttered. "We're the best among our peers. These guys just can't keep up." "See, you're starting again," Ashley remarked. The boys glanced away from each other, making the atmosphere in the car colder. "I'll give you a clue about your problem," Ashley continued. "Those guys have been training together for a long time now. Even if they're from different pro-teams, they've developed friendships because of representing the country—except Caleb. However, he has played with them during the Global Games qualifiers." "It's obvious why you guys weren't able to beat them," she continued. "I wouldn't put that against you." "However, if you can't improve after that game, then that is very telling on your skills and intellect." "So, I would suggest you talk with each other." "No way," Jimmy muttered, shaking his head. Ashley turned around with a smile. "Right," she chimed. "You guys have an onsen on your floor. Why don't you try it out?" "An onsen?" they exclaimed in unison.