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墨書 Inktalez
"Yes!" I clenched my fist; we were one step closer to becoming National Champions. However, this time we didn't celebrate wildly because, despite the victory, we were exhausted. This was the most physically demanding game we had played so far. I finally understood why Thunder could win the Southwest Championship—it was all about defense. We also learned a lot from the Thunder Team; they didn't lose; we both gave it our all and ended up in a tie. They just missed a final free throw.
"Congratulations! It seems our strength is still lacking," the opposing Center said helplessly. "You didn't lose; we just got lucky. Let's battle again next time; we'll be waiting for you at the National Finals, so don't let us down," Jiang Lingfeng replied with a smile. The three members of the Thunder Team nodded knowingly. Thunder Team, we will meet again.
When we arrived at the hotel, we collapsed onto the bed. The game had been exhausting, and after dinner, we all stayed in our rooms. Normally playful, I didn't feel like going out anymore; I felt particularly drained. That night, I opened my phone and logged onto QQ. I hadn't been online for a while, and as soon as I logged in, Ya messaged me: "Jie, what have you been doing? Why haven't you been on QQ these days?" I didn't know how to respond to her. "Well, I've been busy with games and didn't have time. What about you?" I decided to chat casually with her. "I'm playing in the park where we met, hehe," she replied. What a pure girl! How should I talk to her? I told her, "Get some rest; goodnight," and logged off, feeling frustrated as I lay on my bed.
The next day, we had no games scheduled. Jiang Lingfeng and A Fei went to watch other quarterfinal matches, but I didn't want to go; I just wanted to stay in the hotel and not go anywhere. I buried my head under the covers and slept until past eleven o'clock when A Fei and the others woke me up. They told me that in another match of Group A, Eastern China Champion Shield Squad defeated Central China Champion Flying Fish Team 85-0. This meant we would face Shield Squad in the semifinals.
"Yeah, get some rest; there's a game tomorrow," I said as I lay back down on the bed. A Fei and Jiang Lingfeng exchanged glances and went back to their beds. I put on my headphones and listened to Hatsune Miku's "Slicing Onion Song," hoping to lift my downcast spirits. Before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep again.
The next morning, I went out for a morning workout. I ran tirelessly down the street until A Fei called me to say it was time for the game, prompting me to hurry back.
"Where have you been?" A Fei asked as soon as I entered the room.
"I went for a morning workout! You need a healthy body to face the competition," I replied while stretching my arms. A Fei looked at me with a peculiar expression as if he knew something. Oh well! Whatever it is can wait; focusing on our game is more important. Our goal is to dominate the nation, and that has never changed.
We set off for Pudong Yuanshen Gymnasium. When we arrived, we saw three players from Shield practicing on the court. They showed no expression when they noticed us entering and immediately turned back to continue their practice. Their demeanor made me uncomfortable; it seemed like they were all reserved types. Forget them; we continued with our pre-game preparations.
As spectators began filling the venue again, I learned from Uncle Li that Shield Squad was the champion of Shanghai City—their home ground! I couldn't help but smile wryly at this situation; here we were facing yet another host team in the second round after experiencing Beijing P's fan frenzy last time. If we lost this match, Pudong Yuanshen Gymnasium would go completely wild; but if we won, the fans might just tear the place apart.
The game began with us having possession of the ball. After tip-off, Jiang Lingfeng charged toward the basket and dunked fiercely despite being guarded by their Point Guard and Center! That opening dunk really boosted our morale! The opposing team remained expressionless as they moved beyond the three-point line for their turn to serve. After their serve, Shield Squad's Point Guard passed to a forward who received it and shot a three-pointer from the arc—swish!
After our serve, Jiang Lingfeng drove toward the right wing looking for an offensive opportunity but suddenly passed low to A Fei. A Fei attempted a layup but got blocked by their Center. I rushed over to grab the rebound and passed it back out to Jiang Lingfeng who attempted a three-pointer from the arc but missed. The Shield Squad Center grabbed the rebound and passed it back to their Point Guard who was intercepted by Jiang Lingfeng who successfully stole it and controlled the ball. The Shanghai fans were noticeably more composed than those in Beijing; there were no overly aggressive behaviors.
Suddenly, Jiang Lingfeng tossed me the ball high up in the air. Using "Lingbo Microstep," I tried to shake off their forward but found myself double-teamed by their Center who came over for help defense—my movement was restricted as my footwork was limited and passing options were cut off. Reluctantly, I turned around and stepped back for a jump shot—swish!
The opposing team calmly served again; their Point Guard dribbled near the free-throw line before turning around to back down Jiang Lingfeng. Suddenly he made an under-the-leg pass behind him to their Center waiting under the basket who caught it effortlessly and scored—what an incredibly fast-paced play that took only about two seconds from pass to score!
After quickly serving again, Jiang Lingfeng dribbled forward and passed it to A Fei while running actively around beyond the three-point line himself. As I dashed from the left wing toward the edge of the paint asking for a pass, A Fei released it just before I could touch it but was intercepted by a Shield Squad forward lurking beside me who then stepped back two paces beyond the three-point line—he was going for a three-pointer! I lunged forward in defense but was too late; his shot was already released—a beautiful arc traced through the air... swish!
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