Chapter 34: No screaming

The players of Kaicheng Middle School were on the verge of a breakdown.

Their head coach hadn't sat down since the game started, standing on the sidelines and roaring repeatedly.

To no avail.

Facing the powerful Teiko, they could only be beaten like elementary school students.

People couldn't help but recall the reports Kubo Jun had written earlier.

There was no need to wait for the future; the current Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi could already be called a star-level player.

Look at him now; the entire audience’s attention was on him.

Every move he made could stir the hearts of the fans.

Of course, he was also the one the men of Kaicheng hated the most.

The Kaicheng Middle School fans, dressed in uniform black, were gritting their teeth as they looked at Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi.

Tenai Riko had also come to the scene today to cheer for Tian.

Seeing a group of little girls not far away who were almost swooning over Tian, her eyes turned into little beans.

"He’s exactly the same as that guy Gojo."

Just as arrogant, just as flashy, just as confident, and just as punchable!

It was strange; the more she saw those women screaming, the unhappier she became.

"He’s really amazing, Tian-kun!" Kuroko said sincerely from the side, only to be met with Tenai Riko’s merciless mockery.

She said, "With five Kuroko Tetsuyas on the other side, of course he’d be amazing!"

Kuroko, "......."

"Tenai-san, I don't think I’ve offended you..."

"Hmph!"

Tenai Riko let out a heavy huff toward the direction of those women, acting as if she hadn't heard Kuroko, and continued watching the game.

And the barrage had long since been laughing their heads off.

‘Hahahaha, five Kuroko Tetsuyas!’

‘Kuroko: It’s over, I’ve become a unit of measurement!’

‘Heeheehee, she’s jealous, how cute.’

‘Kuroko is so miserable, getting crit by Riko every episode!’

‘But Tian is too cool; is this show really called The Basketball Which Kuroko Plays, or The Basketball Which Tian Plays?’

‘Not just cool, but strong too; didn't you see that high school head coach already eyeing Tian?’

‘Terrifying!’

At this moment, on the court.

Kaicheng Middle School already understood that this year’s result would be no different from last year’s.

They would still lose to Teiko this year, being eliminated by Teiko for two consecutive years, missing out on the national tournament.

And the method was so similar.

Last year they were defeated by the first-year Nijimura Shuzo, and this year it was replaced by the first-year Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi.

Even his head coach began to doubt himself at this moment; he had never seen an opponent like Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi, whom even fouls couldn't restrict.

If you don't foul, he scores as easily as taking something from his pocket.

If you foul, he simply adds a 2+1.

This wasn't a multiple-choice question; it was a death trap.

Even Coach Coach Baijin Coach Coach Baijin Coach Baijin Baijin Baijin Baijin Gengzao hadn't expected Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi to perform so brilliantly.

On the surface, Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi’s position was the 3-spot, playing small forward.

But his performance on the court made his position very blurry.

He could organize the offense like Akashi, storm the gates like Aomine, and shoot three-pointers like Midorima; beyond that, his defense was unfathomably good.

A true hexagonal warrior, even more versatile than Nijimura Shuzo!

A soft touch, excellent body balance, and formidable defensive ability ensured that Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi’s scoring would never be low in any game.

And that precise three-pointer made his scoring explosiveness stronger than Aomine’s.

Even a coach like Coach Coach Baijin Coach Coach Baijin Coach Baijin Baijin Baijin Baijin Gengzao didn't know how to teach Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi anymore; he was too comprehensive for a first-year.

In the subsequent game, Kaicheng Middle School showed decent resilience, but to the fans, it looked more like a cornered beast’s struggle.

They began to miss open shots frequently and started making surprising turnovers.

Everyone was like an ant on a hot pan, full of passion but unable to organize an effective counterattack.

With 5 minutes left in the game, Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi drove hard against Ikezawa Hayato and suddenly stopped near the hoop.

This sudden stop sent the chasing Ikezawa Hayato flying, causing him to fall clumsily onto the floor.

Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi easily hit the jump shot.

Coach Coach Baijin Coach Coach Baijin Coach Baijin Baijin Baijin Baijin Gengzao clapped his hands and then substituted Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi out of the game.

Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi received applause from the entire audience as he left the court.

He had played a total of 29 minutes in this game, scoring a game-high 38 points, along with 8 steals and 4 assists.

It seemed his scoring wasn't as high as Rukawa Kaede’s 50+.

But Teiko’s situation was different from Tomigaoka Middle School’s.

Teiko had too many people who could play and score; if Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi were to let loose regardless of anything, scoring 60+ in this game would be no problem at all.

In the end, Coach Coach Baijin Coach Coach Baijin Coach Baijin Baijin Baijin Baijin Gengzao called it a day early.

Well, substituting out a first-year like Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi and bringing in an experienced third-year player was already "calling it a day" for the current Teiko.

But even with Teiko intentionally easing up, the final score was a staggering 120:62; Kaicheng Middle School lost to Teiko by 58 points.

A very special number!

What?

The Nets just lost by 59 points?

Naive, my Chris Paul’s 58-point loss was in the playoffs! How can you compare your regular season to mine?

‘58 points? Hiss......’

‘Damn, why are there little haters everywhere!’

‘Paul will jump up and hit your kidneys!’

‘Warning, warning, Paul-punch warning.’

‘Damn, my heart is tired; being a Paul fan, I get whipped even when watching a show!’

‘Stop acting, upstairs; I just saw you praising Rondo as the number one point guard in a Rondo highlight video the day before yesterday.’

‘That’s enough, can the trolls just die already.’

Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi swore to the heavens that he really didn't do it on purpose.

It was an accident.

He wouldn't dare offend the great Paul; he’d rather lose the game than not get the FMVP, he was the number one person in the world!

After the game, when shaking hands with the opponent, Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi could feel the other person’s palm trembling.

The cruelty of the national tournament began to manifest right here.

A year of hard work, with the end of the 40-minute game, all went down the drain.

For those who loved this sport, this was absolutely a heavy blow.

Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi pulled his hand away, but Ikezawa Hayato wouldn't let go.

Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi looked at him strangely, only to see the other person’s eyes turning red.

Just when he thought the other person was so desperate from losing that they wanted to settle things for real, he heard Ikezawa Hayato say loudly, "You must win the national tournament, Tian!"

"........" Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Tian Lizi felt this kind of plot was a bit cliché, but his heart couldn't help but feel a bit more passionate. He replied, "Got it, when you go back, you can tell people loudly that you only lost to the champion!"

"Sayonara!"

The audience followed suit, and a wave of "Sayonara" sent Kaicheng Middle School away.