A slam dunk—the first slam dunk by Xia Tian. All his previous shots had been from long range, but this time, he actually dunked, leaping from beyond the three-point line. He truly did it from such a distance.
Michael Jordan—that was the first name that came to everyone's mind.
Xia Tian's dunk was a windmill slam from the three-point line. Everyone watching was stunned. The entire basketball stand began to tremble, and the rim was nearly pulled down by Xia Tian's power.
What incredible strength.
If Xia Tian's earlier shots had shocked the crowd, this moment had engraved his image as an invincible figure in their hearts.
The game was paused.
The basket needed to be replaced.
"Amazing! That's even more insane than Michael Jordan!"
"So he was hiding his true ability all this time!"
"He's the undisputed God of Basketball!"
Thunderous cheers erupted from the stands as the crowd chanted together, "God of Basketball! God of Basketball!"
"Is he even human?" Tang Yan stared at Xia Tian in disbelief. She couldn't comprehend how he managed to pull that off.
"That's incredible!" Bing Xin, Ye Qingxue, and Zeng Rou hugged each other in excitement—but Ye Qingxue quickly noticed something off and released Zeng Rou.
Even so, they were all thrilled for Xia Tian. Ye Qingxue hadn't expected her cousin to become so powerful without her realizing it. The title "God of Basketball" was well deserved.
"That's awesome! That's so cool!" Ling'er shouted, jumping up and down.
Yun Miao nodded. When she had watched Xia Tian dribble earlier, she had been certain of it—he was using the Manyun Fairy Step. Only Xia Tian could perform such light, flowing footwork.
Even Huo Wen, the Fire Kiss Girl, kept nodding in approval. Xia Tian truly was extraordinary.
"Sister Hui, am I seeing things?"
"No, I saw it too! He's incredible. He'll definitely become a top CBA superstar!" Yang Buhui exclaimed excitedly.
The rim was soon replaced, and the game resumed. The basketball team rallied their spirits.
The score was now 101–120. The basketball department still led by 18 points. If they maintained their current strategy, victory would be theirs. They could not afford to lose.
Xue Chuan dribbled the ball and sent a high pass—
Bang!
Swish!
104–120. Xia Tian had completely dismantled their tactics, and the momentum shifted.
107–120.
110–120.
Even Tang Yan, usually so composed and clever, couldn't think of a countermeasure.
140–120.
Game over. The Arts Department had won again. The Basketball Department lost, and Xia Tian's explosive final quarter sealed their fate. After the game, Xue Chuan and the others were silent. Even the proud Fang Li said nothing.
"Big sister… we lost," Fang Li said weakly as they returned to the bench.
"You all did your best. Take a good rest," Tang Yan said softly. She knew the loss wasn't due to Fang Li or Xue Chuan's mistakes—the opponent had simply been too strong. The five of them had fought with everything they had.
They were completely exhausted.
Though they had lost, none of them lowered their heads. Tang Yan couldn't bring herself to scold them.
As the game ended, the talented girls from the Arts Department surrounded Xia Tian, cheering and hugging him.
In the stands, Huo Wen smiled helplessly. "You win. Let's settle it tomorrow night," she said.
Yun Miao nodded slightly and led Ling'er outside.
"Sister Hui, what are you doing?"
Ah! Ah! Ah!
Suddenly, Xia Tian heard a scream behind him. He turned instinctively and caught a falling figure from the stands.
The woman was stunning, though her sportswear concealed her figure.
"A girl named Lin fell from the sky—Sister Lin," Xia Tian sang jokingly.
"It's not Sister Lin, it's Sister Yang," the woman said as she jumped out of his arms. "Hello, my name is Yang Buhui."
"Oh, a girl named Yang fell from the sky—Sister Yang," Xia Tian continued to sing.
"Who are you?" Ye Qingxue asked warily. She couldn't understand why so many beautiful women kept appearing around Xia Tian—each as attractive as she was.
First Zeng Rou, and now this Yang Buhui.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm the general manager of Yang's Basketball Company. My name is Yang Buhui." She handed him a business card, the word "Scout" printed boldly on it.
"Oh." Xia Tian didn't take the card but looked her up and down. Even though Yang Buhui wore sportswear, it couldn't hide her from his X-Ray eyes.
"You're a basketball prodigy," Yang Buhui said. "I can sign and promote you to the CBA stage. I guarantee you'll become famous after just one game."
She didn't mind Xia Tian's direct gaze. In her line of work, she was used to people looking—though few were ever so brazen about it.
"Not interested. Move," Ye Qingxue said coldly, tossing the card aside.
"You're Ye Qingxue, right? I've heard of you. Don't worry—I mean no harm. I just want to help him," Yang Buhui said, thinking Ye Qingxue was jealous.
"It's getting lively here," came a voice from behind. Huo Wen, the Fire Kiss Girl, approached.
"Sister Wen!" The girls from the Arts Department greeted her respectfully.
"From the Huo family?" Zeng Rou asked after glancing at her.
"I didn't expect even the strong-willed Zeng Rou to come watch his game," Huo Wen said with a knowing nod. There weren't many prominent figures in Jianghai City she didn't recognize.
"I came here with Xia Tian," Zeng Rou replied, her tone carrying a subtle implication. Ye Qingxue's expression darkened instantly. She snorted and turned her head away. Huo Wen noticed her reaction—she could tell that Xia Tian must be Ye Qingxue's boyfriend. He had drawn plenty of attention at Ye Qingxue's birthday party that night.
"Xia Tian, I'm warning you—don't bully my sister Qingxue, or I won't forgive you," Huo Wen said sternly.
"Don't talk to me," Xia Tian replied, turning his head away.