Chapter 179: Something Dirty's Here, I'm Out

Liu Yang trudged in from outside, head hanging, dragging the class banner behind him as he passed the aisle where the three of them sat in a row.

The three of them gave him a salute of staring eyes, watching Liu Yang the whole way.

"Yang-ge is badass."

"Buck up, don't embarrass us."

"Brought you an iced black tea, you earned it." Jiang Nian shoved the iced black tea into Liu Yang's arms. "Real talk though, you didn't sell out your brothers for glory, right?"

Liu Yang looked a little speechless, gripping the iced black tea.

"The points got docked from Class 4. You think I'd dare say anything?"

"Good man." Jiang Nian clapped him on the shoulder. "A fine cadre of Class 3, worth cultivating."

Hearing the commotion over there, Zhou Yuting pulled her gaze back.

If someone hadn't told her during the morning run, she never would have believed it.

The guy who ran like a monkey was actually first in the class for math, physics, and the combined sciences.

Does heaven really close one door only to open a window?

Yang Qiming had been frowning ever since he got back from the morning run. He had spotted his ex-girlfriend—a junior girl from the Gao Er grade—walking into the cafeteria with a boy.

Watching them chat and laugh so easily, he stood frozen in the crowd.

Is this a fucking cafeteria?

It's clearly a wedding hall!

It was clearly a sun-drenched noon, but inside his heart it was as if a downpour had suddenly started. In an instant it drowned a mood that was already damp, sinking him into a black deep sea.

What hurt Yang Qiming wasn't the breakup itself, but the cliff-drop way it happened.

At least give me a reason!

Even if you said your mom died, you were grief-stricken, and wanted to focus on your studies—that would have worked!

From before the last exam all the way until now, there'd never been an answer.

He really didn't get it. At the milk tea shop he hadn't said anything out of line either. Why had she gotten angry out of nowhere and then dropped him like that?

"Yang-ge, class is starting." Huang Cailang reminded him from across Zhou Yuting. "What's wrong with you? You looked like you'd lost your soul coming up the stairs just now. Could it be—"

Yang Qiming let out a long sigh, looking utterly haggard.

"It's her."

Zhou Yuting was sick to death of it. Just hearing Mr. Sorrowful's voice made her want to throw up. Could he stop being so cringey, popping up every now and then to stab a person in the heart?

Can't take it, really going to—

Third period ended to the sound of Yang Qiming's sighs. Zhou Yuting pressed her temple. Class was exhausting—the idiot next to her kept sighing the whole time.

Teacher lectures, x = sigh.

Not joking, sometimes she really wants to call the police.

"Quick, quick, hurry up, claim the court, claim the court!"

"Yeah, yeah, you want me to jump off the building to claim it, right?" Liu Yang hugged the ball and headed out, then glanced sideways and asked, "Luo Yong, you coming?"

"Nah, I'm gonna game, look into some builds."

Jiang Nian normally didn't bother with this stuff—at most he'd join halfway through, play one ball, and leave. But with a mission on hand, he'd just mess around a bit and grind on the side.

He stood up from his seat, turned his head, and took another look at Zhang Ningzhi.

"I'm going down to play some ball."

Zhang Ningzhi stopped her pen, turned her head, and glanced at him.

"Oh."

Oh?

Weird. Such a flat reaction—don't like basketball, huh?

Little hater.

Jiang Nian ducked his head and went around the desk to look at Zhang Ningzhi's expression. Little hater, right? Wait till I find the evidence, I'll arrest you on the spot.

Zhang Ningzhi grew self-conscious under his gaze, burying her head and dodging his eyes.

He crouched down from his seat and slanted his gaze upward from under the desk.

The anti's slipped up—let me see... but all he saw was Zhang Ningzhi's faintly blushing face.

"Fuck, why's the homeroom teacher downstairs helping their class claim the court!"

"What a joke, what's the point of Old Liu even being alive!"

"Look at someone else's homeroom teacher!"

"Forget it, this court isn't bad either. Step back and the sea is wide."

The court was a mess, two or three balls flying through the air.

Further off, a few girls were strolling arm in arm. Or sitting in a row by the flower bed near the exercise equipment.

The autumn sky was a deep blue, the sunlight warm.

"Bang!"

The shuttlecock flew high. Wu Jun Gu squinted and tilted his head back for a look.

His school uniform was neat and clean, his build looked slim. His back was slightly hunched, and the wind lifted the black hair on top of his head, giving him an especially dispirited air.

The autumn sky was clear, not far away.

Yu Zhiyi took the whole scene in. She frowned, barely perceptibly. Seeing this sight, she felt no heartache—only an overwhelming weariness.

She had to make things clear, couldn't keep dragging it out.

Thinking this, she turned her head—and a figure brushed past her shoulder. The other glanced at her once; it was only on the second look that his gaze reached her face, yet he was utterly unabashed.

Tch, shameless!

But Jiang Nian was good-looking, so Yu Zhiyi couldn't be bothered to argue with him.

Besides, her mind was preoccupied, thinking about how to speak with Wu Jun Gu later; she walked absentmindedly in another direction and soon vanished.

PE class was still the same routine: formation, jogging, calisthenics, dismissal.

After going through the routine, only Ma Guojun broke a light sweat—no big deal.

Jiang Nian needed to complete a task, so he blended into the basketball group. Predators always traveled alone, but beasts didn't need to obey this law of the strong.

A few shady friends walked toward the basketball court together, arms slung over shoulders while scheming against each other.

"We playing half-court later? I'm not good at dribbling."

"Just shoot a few loose ones first—give the bros some face."

"I'm not good at this, so go easy on me later." Li Hua played basketball every day and said this without shame, "Holy shit, what the fuck are you doing here?"

Jiang Nian glanced at him, his lips slowly curling upward.

"I'm not great either—I just came to move around and sweat a bit."

"Shit, this game's boring." Li Hua, utterly defeated, threw the ball straight up, "There's something dirtier than me—I won't say who, but I can't play anymore."

Sun Zhicheng was on another court, diligently dribbling between his legs.

On most courts, the first few minutes were spent shooting loose balls, warming up, three or four balls flying through the air at once.

Li Hua's side had already started splitting into teams—they were Class Three's top tier.

No point wasting time on loose shooting; just take a few shots and get it over with. If you need to work up the nerve to go to the bathroom, do it there.

Sun Zhicheng kept dribbling, the ball slamming down and bouncing back, constantly rubbing against his palm and fingertips—the sensation of controlling physical laws intoxicated him.

Even if he faced off against Jordan one-on-one, he wouldn't fear.

He dribbled so absorbedly, switching between between-the-legs and Iverson crossovers, swaying back and forth, until he drifted unconsciously over to the neighboring court.

Huang Cailang had just shot a ball and turned to look at Sun Zhicheng. He scratched his head and asked Lin Dong.

"Dong Ge, what's Sun Zhicheng doing?"

Lin Dong was warming up and hadn't noticed Sun Zhicheng; when he turned, he too froze.

"He might be… dancing."

Sun Zhicheng had entered a mysterious, transcendent state; his dribbling moves grew increasingly elaborate. Anyone glancing at him would think he was incredibly skilled.

In truth, he did possess fundamental skill, so no one paid him any mind.

In a daze, Sun Zhicheng noticed Chen Yunyun walking toward him.

His muscles instantly stiffened; he grew even more exhilarated, his dribbling becoming even more masterful.

At that moment, he felt terrifyingly strong.

Perhaps he shouldn't be here—he should be on an NBA court!

The next second, Chen Yunyun passed him by.

Like a guitar string snapping, a kite's line breaking, the world inverted.

The ball slipped—first time it had left Sun Zhicheng's control. The intoxicating friction vanished, and he helplessly watched it rebound hard toward—

He missed. Talents weren't allowed to miss.

Especially not in such a humiliating posture—kneeling half on the court, unharmed but his dignity shattered.

At that moment, Sun Zhicheng's heart plunged into despair.

Yet after ten seconds, there was still no reaction around him.

He looked up and realized he had drifted to the center of the neighboring court. Lin Dong's group had already started playing—they hadn't noticed him at all.

Chen Yunyun seemed to be trying to join Jiang Nian's group, standing at the sideline talking.

He exhaled in relief—thankfully, no one saw.

【Task: Play a basketball game. Reward: Precision (Beginner) (Completed).】

As Jiang Nian expected, the reward was minimal, so completing the task was effortless.

He looked down at his arm, gently rotating it, as if trying to feel the sensation of Bu Jingyun's Qilin Arm.

He shouldn't be here—he should be at the draft.

Just kidding—he didn't have a hundred percent touch.

He briefly tested it: if he shot from any random spot within half-court, the probability of the ball going in was ninety-something percent.

In other words, he was already a divine shooter in ordinary people's eyes.

More importantly, he had the feeling that he could make anything go in—as long as it wasn't absurd, like tossing a straw into a milk tea cup.

Paper balls, pens, spoons—he could probably toss them from a distance into any target.

So what use was it?

Hmm… obviously, this skill had broad applications, but its greatest use was clearly showing off.

". Can I be on your team?"

Chen Yunyun's words pulled him out of his daze.

Team up with a girl? Would there be rebounds?

But these weren't things Jiang Nian needed to consider—he accepted her proposal without even thinking.

"Fine."

As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility—Li Hua understood this principle.

If you want to be happy, even if you have no balls, you must fake it.

When exposed, just blush and laugh sheepishly: "Oh my god, you're into me? You've been stalking me this whole time?" (take off shirt), then "You've been peeping again?" (take off pants).

Besides, he was terrifyingly strong now.

"I'm splitting off alone—fairness demands I team up with Chen Yunyun." Jiang Nian shouted the most showy line possible; the court fell silent.

Two seconds later, the rebellious son Li Hua pointed at him, then burst into wild laughter.

"Nian, if you're so good, why don't you go play against Jordan?"

"And it's two-on-one, hahahaha!!"

Li Hua laughed so hard he couldn't straighten up, half-collapsed onto Ma Guojun, and kept on mocking.

"You and Chen Yunyun hahahaha!!"

Everyone on the court was amused by Li Hua; Jiang Nian's brazen face was laughable.

Six minutes later.

Li Hua picked up the three-pointer Jiang Nian had just sunk from outside the court, fell silent for a full five seconds, then tossed the ball back.

"My study addiction just kicked in. You guys carry on."