Chapter Fifty-Five: Rout and Ruin (Part Two)

Wang Lei indeed possesses extraordinary experience and ability, but at the same time, he is a real, tangible individual. He is neither a “divine” being whose words determine reality in a world of fantasy, nor a “sorcerer” capable of manipulating human minds. His words merely allowed the provincial youth team players, who had been utterly at a loss on the court, to relax a little. Even so, that was already a considerable improvement. After all, for both sides, this match was their respective “first time.”

When the timeout ended, the University of Finance varsity team continued to maintain a high shooting percentage. Opportunities to dominate weaker opponents were rare, and their players were eager to put on a good performance under the attention of so many spectators. Their movement became even more proactive, and their offense repeatedly featured spectacular baskets.

In contrast, the provincial youth team’s defense was almost negligible for the University of Finance. Yet after the timeout, the youth team players began to move with increasing enthusiasm—even if their movement seemed disorderly.

On offense, the provincial youth team also slowed their pace a little after the timeout, a deliberate adjustment by Turgun, their ball handler. It is worth mentioning Turgun, a sixteen-year-old who grew up in unusual circumstances. His first appearance on the court drew considerable attention, given his distinctive hair and skin color.

Turson, the University of Finance’s coach, kept a close eye on Turgun. Though Turgun’s performance in those first minutes was poor—reckless three-point attempts and dreadful shot selection—Turson noticed that the boy handled the ball remarkably well. Even under relentless full-court pressure from their point guard, Jiang Jianxiong, Turgun never showed any sign of panic, always managing to bring the ball past half-court swiftly and smoothly.

By slowing the pace, Turgun gave himself time to think, as well as time for his teammates to coordinate with him. Although Wang Lei required that every offensive play be completed within fifteen seconds, Turgun was now learning how to play with thoughtfulness.

After the timeout, the provincial youth team managed several good offensive possessions. The pick-and-roll between Turgun and Cai Aihong, though simple, proved effective. Cai Aihong was slight in build but possessed abundant stamina and a reasonably stable shot, enabling him to capitalize on his height for mid-range shots if the defense switched, while Turgun could use the screen for three-point opportunities if the defense didn’t.

With small-scale coordination on offense, the provincial youth team was still trailing by a double-digit margin, but they were no longer as frantic as at the start.

Back and forth, the rhythm of the game began to accelerate. Errors increased, but the fast-paced, running game was lively and entertaining. The University of Finance players found their form; all young men in their early twenties, they reveled in the exhilaration of speed, playing happily and maintaining a comfortable lead.

Wang Lei’s team gradually rediscovered the feeling of their training sessions, sharing ball possession through mutual understanding. As the pace quickened, Wang Lei began his “performance,” substituting players at a frequency that puzzled even the referees. Provincial youth team players rotated on and off the court like a carousel.

The first quarter ended swiftly, with the University of Finance achieving a score they had never reached before: thirty-seven points, a rare feat in the history of their team. The provincial youth team also scored twenty points, though they remained behind by a double-digit gap.

At the start of the second quarter, Turson, the University of Finance’s head coach, replaced his entire starting lineup with pure substitutes. His starters had played joyfully in the first quarter but expended far more energy than usual.

The provincial youth team, thanks to Wang Lei’s frequent substitutions, maintained good stamina among their main players, as physical endurance had always been a priority in their training.

With a mixed lineup, the provincial youth team kept up a rapid pace in the second quarter. Though Turgun sat for a rest, the substitute point guard was Sun Dexun, just 172 centimeters tall—a backup from the Borderlands University varsity team. He was exceptionally fast, but his height had kept him from getting much attention in his own team.

While the provincial youth players may have been slightly inferior in individual ability compared to the University of Finance players, speed proved to be a crucial factor at this level of competition.

Since the game’s tempo had been set by the provincial youth team, both sides played with a fast offensive and defensive rhythm. If their opponent had been a top-tier team, their coach and players would have consciously kept the pace within manageable bounds. But clearly, the University of Finance was not such a team; from the outset, they had approached the match as an opportunity to dominate or showcase their superiority. In terms of attitude, the provincial youth team was far more focused.

When the game devolved into a reckless contest of speed, it truly entered the provincial youth team’s comfort zone. Their practice games were played this way, and Wang Lei never forced them to follow a set pattern in training. He simply told them to accelerate and find their own way to attack.

A flurry of wild punches can defeat a master, and the provincial youth team was indeed the one throwing wild punches.

In the lively atmosphere of the second quarter, the provincial youth team narrowed the deficit. At halftime, they had reduced the gap to just five points.

As the match entered the third quarter, the spectators gradually realized that the provincial youth team had actually overtaken the lead.

With the game in its second half, the provincial youth team’s relentless stamina training finally paid off. Wang Lei continued to consciously manage playing time, keeping the team agile at all times. Amid the chaos, the provincial youth team steadily closed the gap and even pulled ahead.

On the basketball court, people always remember spectacular dunks or game-winning shots, but often overlook the most fundamental element: movement, constant movement. This was what the provincial youth team demonstrated in this match. Their tactics might have been chaotic, even their player rotations muddled, but it was this basic principle that brought them victory. Even wild punches, if landed accurately, can defeat the opponent.

Wang Lei was not truly seeking victory; he simply wanted his players to gain initial confidence and a new conception of basketball through this match. Now, it seemed his team would exceed expectations.

If the first five minutes of the game were the provincial youth team’s collapse, then the final phase marked the University of Finance’s downfall, for they lost to the most fundamental aspect mastered by the provincial youth team.