Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog-Chapter 561: Kai Wannabe

The crowd began to murmur as the tall boy stood in the center.

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Lina narrowed her eyes. Despite saying those words, he still didn't look apologetic. She didn't like the look of him—or the audacity.

Instead, he merely shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face. "So was Kai Guo when he first joined, wasn't he?"

Lina felt the heat rise to her face. She remembered that day vividly. Kai had arrived late to tryouts because Sir Dao had kept him behind for some trivial reason. It hadn't been a matter of carelessness—it was completely justified.

"That was different," she replied. "Kai had a valid reason. Do you?"

Caishen shoved his hands into his pockets, his stance relaxed. "There's none," he admitted nonchalantly, his grin widening. "But let's be real—stars arrive last."

Jet pursed his lips, feeling his eye twitch. "Kai wasn't this annoying when he joined."

"If we think about it now, Kai was actually pretty cute," Shang muttered, also feeling annoyed.

Lina pressed her lips into a thin line. The last thing she wanted was a Kai wannabe disrupting the tryouts. Even their names were similar. She gestured toward the door with her pen.

"Then you can leave. As I said, we do not accept latecomers—especially those without a valid reason."

"Your loss." Caishen winked but made no move to leave. Instead, he casually walked to the side of the gym and leaned against the wall, watching the other players. Lina sighed, deciding to ignore him for now.

"Alright, back to work," Coach Muchen's voice boomed, pulling everyone's focus back to the drills. "Keep the energy up!"

The players moved through their assessments, some excelling while others struggled to keep up. Lina tried to focus on evaluating them while the other team members shouted encouragements.

"Nice shot!" Andy called a particularly promising player.

Despite the occasional annoying applicants, Lina managed to maintain her composure. That is until she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

That Kai-wannabe.

Caishen.

He was no longer leaning against the wall. Instead, he had stepped onto the court.

Lina's head snapped up, her mouth already forming words to reprimand him—but then she froze.

Caishen bolted across the court. Before anyone could react, he leaped into the air and slammed the ball through the hoop with a resounding thunk.

The gym fell silent.

Lina didn't move. Her mind raced as she processed what she had just seen. That was Kai's move—his signature speedy run and dunk. The execution was near what Kai could have done.

Jet broke the silence first. "Well, that's one way to make an entrance."

Andy clicked his tongue. "It's not bad, but he's no Kai."

Lina's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Caishen. He stood there, smirking triumphantly, pleased with himself.

"Not bad, huh?" Caishen said, his voice dripping with self-assurance. He looked directly at Lina, daring her to acknowledge him.

Lina took a deep breath, trying to keep her calm. "Where did you learn that?"

"Learn what?" Caishen asked, feigning innocence. "I just do what comes naturally."

Her grip on the clipboard tightened. The move had looked like Kai's, but there was no way this kid was on the same level. His technique lacked the finesse and power that made Kai's play so exceptional.

But still…there was something there. Potential, maybe.

"Look," Lina said, finally finding her voice. "That was impressive, but this isn't a show. If you're serious about trying out, you'll have to go through the proper process like everyone else."

"Fair enough," Caishen said with a shrug, though his smirk didn't falter. "But I didn't come here for a mere spot on the team."

"What do you mean?" Jet asked.

"I came here for Kai Guo!" he exclaimed.

Jinping sighed. "Seriously, that guy is the main character, even if he isn't here," he muttered.

"He's not here, kid," Jinping deadpanned. "Seriously, don't try anything with him. I know first-hand what would happen if you do," he said, recalling the days he was defeated and humiliated by Kai because of his pride.

"I came to steal his spot," Caishen continued, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

That earned groans from the team, who did not like his character despite the potential he had shown.

However, Lina was still watching Caishen.

He definitely didn't look like Kai—Kai was way more handsome, for one thing. But his potential?

Lina had a hard time reading it.

***

"Earth to Lina!"

Kai's voice broke through her thoughts, and she blinked, looking up to see him snapping his fingers in front of the tone. He had a towel draped around his neck, and it seemed like he just came back from practice.

"Oh, sorry," Lina muttered, shaking her head. "I blanked out for a second."

Kai raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but didn't push the topic. Instead, he leaned closer to the phone with a bright smile.

Lina's heart warmed up by the mere sight of him.

"So, how were the tryouts? Was it as chaotic as I heard?" he asked.

Lina let out a dry laugh. "That's an understatement. We had way too many people, and most of them only showed up because they wanted to be like you."

Kai chuckled softly. "I should've warned you. Guess I've got some die-hard fans now, huh?"

"You think?" Lina rolled her eyes, though a faint smile tugged at her lips.

Kai pursed his lips, his expression growing more thoughtful. "But really…how's the team shaping up? Will they be ready for next year's Interhighs? You guys can wait for me, right?"

Lina nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Of course. We're counting on it."

But Kai noticed the hesitation in her voice. His brow furrowed slightly. "Lina, is something wrong?"

She froze for a moment, her shoulders tensing before she shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Just…tired, I guess."

Fortunately, Kai sighed in relief, looking convinced. Then, he gave her a small, reassuring nod. "Alright. But you'll let me know if something's up, yeah?"

"Yeah," Lina replied softly. "I'll see you soon."