Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Chapter 534 534: Act Civil

"We're here. We're really here," Max muttered as they got out of the car. After asking Ashley a ridiculous question, he was banned from speaking out loud.

"How do you think they're going to react when they see us?" Zheng asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jian asked. "They're going to react the same way the public did. They won't want us there."

"I still don't see why," Jimmy muttered.

"I see that you're lacking in the intellect department," Zheng said, making Jimmy frown.

"Don't say that," Jian smirked. "He's just used to getting everything handed to him—that's why."

Jimmy clicked his tongue. "Coming from a guy like you?"

Jian shrugged. "I was made talented. You were built to be talented. That's different."

"And yet one does not make it any better than the other," Zheng said, trying to calm the situation.

Ashley sighed as she listened to their conversation.

"Umm, are we going to meet the players now?" Max warily asked.

Ashley stopped walking and turned around with a glare. "We've been talking about it since earlier, right? Do I need to repeat everything?"

Max and the others pursed their lips. On the other hand, Kai was lost in his own thoughts. It felt like the nerves were finally catching up to him.

With that, he repeated the question that Max had just asked.

"So, we're meeting the players now?" he asked, turning to Ashley.

The other boys turned to him with wide eyes, in disbelief at what he just said.

Ashley stopped once more, her shoulders shaking. It felt as if she was going to explode then and there. However, much to their surprise, she merely turned around with a neutral expression.

"Yes," she softly answered. "That's the plan."

The other boys were once again flabbergasted. Kai smiled and nodded. "Thanks for answering."

"You're welcome," Ashley muttered before continuing her way.

Max lifted his hand and pointed to Ashley and Kai, feeling confused.

"There's definitely some bias going on," he muttered.

As they continued walking through the large infrastructure, they were then greeted by Johnny Wang.

The young players stopped, and with that, Jimmy also began to fidget. Kai turned to him and pursed his lips. Johnny may not have disowned him, but Kai could tell there was a strain on their relationship.

He shook his head.

That wasn't any of his business, was it?

Johnny cleared his throat and smiled at them—well, the three of them—excluding Kai and Jimmy. He was particularly friendly toward Jian, even giving him a pat on the back.

Kai took this all in. He already knew that Jian would be the most well-received out of all of them. Despite being in high school, he was already getting offers from pro teams in the country. So, he reckoned that the treatment towards Jian wouldn't be too bad.

Kai just wished that the treatment would be carried towards the entire team, too.

"Welcome to Beijing," Johnny started off. "Well, you've been here before, but you get the gist of it. You are all going to be in the Global Games now, so the stakes are higher."

They nodded in agreement.

"Well, I won't hold you for too long," he said. "Your teammates are already waiting for you."

The group of young boys froze as soon as Johnny mentioned their 'teammates.'

They were already nervous inside the car, yet somehow, having Johnny say it made it feel official.

"Let's go," Ashley said, gesturing for the boys to enter the dreaded tunnel.

They glanced at each other, not saying anything. Jimmy kept his shoulders straight, not wanting to be intimidated. Zheng looked obviously anxious. However, there was also excitement on his face. Jian, on the other hand, wore his nonchalant exterior. And although Max looked composed, his hands were already shaking from nervousness.

Kai, of course, looked confident as always. However, deep inside, he felt like he wanted to shit himself.

The walk to the court felt like a walk to the battlefield. As they got closer and closer, they could hear the voices of their 'teammates.'

As expected, they sounded more mature. The oldest player among the Elite Five was Jian, who was 19 years old, while Jimmy and Kai were both still 16.

They could hear their chuckles—almost like a warning to not proceed inside.

However, Ashley and Johnny kept walking, so they had no choice but to accept their fates.

The lights bombarded them, making them squint. Along with that, the chatters dimmed.

Kai had been dreaming about this for the past week. However, it might as well turn into a nightmare. Although their physiques were big, it wasn't anything compared to the players on the bench.

They look relaxed—and seasoned. Well, they had plenty of experiences under their belt—one that the high school boys cannot compare to.

Kai felt like they were a bunch of prey among a group of predators.

The court was silent for a while before Johnny broke the silence. He glanced back and forth between the old and the young group.

"Well, here you guys are," he said. "Don't look so intimated now. You are going to bring honor to our country in just a matter of weeks!"

Zheng nodded and shakily smiled. As their unofficial leader, he walked closer to the team of veterans and held out his hand. "It's nice to finally meet all of you," he said in a respectful tone.

The oldest among them looked at Zheng's hand like it was a piece of trash. The other boys held their breaths since they felt like he wouldn't even want to touch Zheng.

"Shake hands now," Johnny said, and with that, the older player went to where Zheng was and shook his hand. The boys didn't miss the pained look in Zheng's eyes.

Kai pursed his lips. He had a feeling that if Johnny and Ashley weren't there, then they wouldn't act civil at all.

So, in conclusion, they shouldn't be left alone.

However, it seemed like luck wasn't on their side when Ashley got a phone call. She tapped Johnny's shoulder.

"Sir, they want to ask about the athlete accommodations," she said.

"Oh," Johnny sighed. "Well, it is getting nearer."

He then looked at the boys with a smile. "Well, you speak among yourselves. We'll be right back."

And with that, the two of them left, leaving a bunch of rabbits with a pack of lions.