Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The Chinese team continued to celebrate their victory. Kai stood in the middle of it all, his teammates swarming him while shouting and cheering.

Jaw-Long had thrown his towel up in the air, while Max was already pulling him into a group hug. Zheng, with a huge grin on his face, reached over and rubbed Kai's hair playfully.

"This guy! You were on fire out there," Zheng said, laughing.

Jian joined in, tousling Kai's already messy hair. "Kai Guo, the unstoppable force! Forget basketball—you're going to be the face of China's sports future."

Kai swatted their hands away with a grin, but his eyes stung. He blinked quickly, trying to keep his emotions in check.

Marcus couldn't help himself. He walked to the younger player and engulfed him in a hug.

"You did great, kid," he said.

Kai was already too emotional, and Marcus' hug just pushed him to the edge. With that, he let himself cry as the others continued to congratulate him.

Meanwhile, in Jilin City, Lina screamed as the final buzzer sounded, jumping up and down with her father in their medium-sized living room.

"They did it!" she shouted, grabbing her dad's arm and pulling him into a little dance. Her dad, who was just as caught up in the excitement, laughed heartily and spun her around.

"That's my son-in-law!" he exclaimed, pointing at Kai.

Lina's cheeks reddened. However, she didn't deny her father's words.

Heck yeah—that was her boyfriend!

Jet and Shang held each other as they cried. "Our Kai did all of that."

"Our Kai, my ass," Jinping scoffed. However, he had a wide smile on his face, happy that his former enemy had done the near impossible.

He glanced at Caishen, who was frozen in his seat.

"I suggest you stop being stubborn," Jinping said. "Been there. Done that. Kai is not worth fighting. It's a losing game."

Meanwhile, in a dorm room at Shanghai University, Yuze and Kun sat glued to a laptop screen. When the buzzer went off, and the commentators declared the win, they both leaped up from their chairs, screaming.

"Let's go!" Yuze shouted, pumping his fists in the air.

Kun grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him. "I knew it!"

The dorm supervisor's door slammed open. "What is all this racket? Quiet down, you two!"

Yuze and Kun froze for a moment but then exchanged a glance. Kun whispered, "Do we care?"

"Nope!" Yuze grinned.

They erupted into cheers again, loud enough for half the dorm to hear, their celebration joined by muffled shouts from other rooms.It seemed everyone on campus was watching the game.

Across the country, people huddled around TVs, phones, and radios, celebrating the historic victory as though they were right there on the court.

Outside the arena, Grandma Bingbing and Aiden continued to tell stories to each other.

"I really thought the nuns would be strict. However, they're surprisingly non-judgmental! They took me in even though I fought one of the younger kids."

"And why did you do that?" the old woman asked.

"He stole my cookie," Aiden said. "Anyway, it's great living there, so you don't have to worry about me. After this year, I'll be going to a university with a dorm. All expenses paid because of that essay I wrote!"

She chuckled and patted his head. "I'm so happy for you, grandson."

Just then, another loud cheer erupted from the arena. Along with that was the sound of the buzzer.

"The game had ended," Aiden said, glancing at his watch.

The two glanced at each other with a knowing smile.

With that kind of cheer, only one scenario was possible.

They had won.

Back in the arena, the team had formed a tight circle.

Kai sat on the bench momentarily, sipping water as the rest of the team took turns rubbing his hair.

"Okay, okay, enough!" he laughed, swatting at their hands.

He still felt emotional. His chest was tight, and he blinked rapidly to hold back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

Everything was catching up to him all at once. How he couldn't even play basketball before. How his aunt and his cousin treated him worse than a dog.

Max nudged him. "Don't start crying now. We still have one more game."

"Let him cry," Dong said with a grin. "It's not every day you secure a medal!"

A medal.

Kai had spent years dreaming of playing basketball—no, even just walking again. Now, he stood on the brink of holding a medal for his country.

However, before he could fully process his emotions, reporters flooded the court. The cameras flashed, and Kai found himself under the spotlight.

Coach Xu Wei tried to shoo them away. However, they stubbornly stayed in front of Kai.

Kai gave his coach a signal that it was okay, so the old man nodded and permitted the reporters to ask questions.

"Kai! I heard you have only been playing for a year. Is that true?" a woman asked.

Kai nodded, and the reporters quickly took notes. "I have known a lot about basketball since I was young. However, it was hard to play it."

"How is that?" one asked.

"Let's just say that there were a lot of barriers," Kai answered eloquently. It was then they found he was smart, too. "Fortunately, the Shizi Dogs allowed me to play with them even though I wasn't that great. They helped me become the player I am now."

"Another question, Kai," a reporter called, shoving a microphone toward him. "What is the reason for your win today? What inspired you?"

Kai hesitated. He wiped his face, smiling softly as he gathered his thoughts. What inspired him today? That was easy.

"It was for the people," he said. "For everyone who believed in us, who cheered for us. I couldn't have done it alone."

It was a generic answer—one that everyone would love to hear.

The crowd cheered louder, but deep inside, Kai knew the truth.

A small smirk tugged at his lips as he glanced at the German team.

He could lie and say it was for the people. And to some extent, it was true.

However, for this particular game, there was only one answer.

It was the muffins.