"What do you say, Lin Feng? Didn't you claim I'm incapable of teaching you physical education? Now, I'm giving you a chance. If you can beat me in basketball, you won't have to attend my PE classes from now on, and your grade will be the highest in class."
"If you're too scared to take me on one-on-one, hehe, then you'd better obediently do a duck walk around the playground for me twice!"
All eyes fell on Hao Zhuang, and a triumphant glint flashed across his face. He was just afraid Lin Feng wouldn't dare to challenge him one-on-one. If Lin Feng dared to accept, he would make sure Lin Feng cried at the mere sight of a basketball from then on!
Imagining Lin Feng being thoroughly humiliated by him, Hao Zhuang instantly felt much better. He always avenged himself against anyone who offended him. That was just the kind of person he was. If anyone dared to provoke him, he swore he'd defile their entire family, not sparing even their dog.
"Teacher Hao, what do you think you're doing? What kind of skill is bullying a student?!"
Just as all eyes were on Lin Feng, a slightly plump boy stepped out from the student crowd and loudly challenged Hao Zhuang.
This chubby guy, Yang Tao, was Lin Feng's classmate. Since there weren't many boys in the liberal arts class, Yang Tao was considered Lin Feng's best friend in their class.
Seeing Lin Feng being publicly bullied by Hao Zhuang, Yang Tao couldn't stand it anymore. He had a straightforward personality and a loud voice. His sudden shout startled the surrounding students.
"Student Yang Tao, all your physical education grades are failing. What right do you have to question me? Step aside! Besides, with so many people watching, I haven't forced Student Lin Feng to play basketball with me. Whether he dares to play against me or not is entirely his choice."
Hao Zhuang scanned the surrounding crowd of onlookers and sneered softly.
"You... you're unfit to be a teacher!"
Yang Tao, nicknamed "Fatty," wasn't very good at speaking. Choked up by Hao Zhuang's retort, he blushed beet-red and was rendered speechless, looking at Lin Feng with worry for his good friend.
"Fatty, don't worry. It's just basketball; I accept. We'll play however you want to."
Seeing his friend stand up for him, Lin Feng glanced gratefully at Yang Tao, stretched, and said nonchalantly.
WHOA!
The moment he said this, the people around him were stunned.
No way! Lin Feng has been acting so strangely lately. Did he really get his head slammed in a door? He actually dared to challenge Hao Zhuang to a one-on-one basketball game!
"Damn, Lin Feng actually accepted..."
"Impressive! Just for that courage alone, I absolutely admire him..."
"What's the use of admiration? When Hao Zhuang crushes him on the court later, I bet Lin Feng won't dare to show up for PE class anymore..."
Several boys nearby whispered among themselves. They sincerely admired Lin Feng's courage, but as for the outcome... well, some things were best left unsaid.
"Lin Feng... you really don't need to be so impulsive..."
A gentle voice came from behind him. Lin Feng turned and saw Tang Rou looking at him with concern. Clearly, this great beauty was also somewhat worried about his predicament.
"Don't worry, it won't be easy for him to beat me," Lin Feng said to Tang Rou with a confident smile.
"Boss, no way! You really want to compete against him? It's not worth it! I... I don't think I've ever seen you play basketball..."
Lin Feng's answer left Yang Tao dumbfounded. He used to hang out with Lin Feng a lot, which was why he called him "Boss." But in all his memory, he had never seen Lin Feng even touch a basketball!
He's never even played before, so how can he possibly compete?
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Hao Zhuang clapped his hands and laughed. "Good! Very good! You're the first person this year who dares to challenge me one-on-one in basketball. Alright then, since there are plenty of people here to witness it, let's compete right now. Same stakes as before: if I beat you, you'll do two duck walks around the playground."
"And what if Lin Feng wins?" Yang Tao interjected.
"Him beat me? Hehe..."
Hao Zhuang paused for a moment. Lin Feng beat him? He had never even considered that possibility.
Without another word, Hao Zhuang, dressed in his sportswear, took a basketball from a nearby student, walked under the hoop, and leaped!
CLANG!
With a crisp sound, Hao Zhuang soared up and actually executed a reverse dunk!
"Whoa..."
"A reverse dunk..."
"So strong! In our entire school, besides those few aces on the school basketball team, there aren't many who can dunk easily. Teacher Hao can even add flair! He's totally showing off!"
A few boys watched Hao Zhuang with envy. Then, their gazes swept to the side, and sure enough, they saw many girls among the onlookers watching Hao Zhuang with infatuated expressions. They immediately felt a pang of jealousy. But looking at their own heights, under 1.7 meters, they could only sigh deeply. Being able to dunk really means something, huh...
"If he can beat me, as I've said, he won't have to attend any of my classes in the future, and I'll give him a perfect score on the final exam."
Casually holding the basketball in one hand, Hao Zhuang sauntered over to Lin Feng, looking down at him with an indescribable arrogance in his eyes.
Hao Zhuang had every right to be arrogant. Since arriving at Jiangzhou No. 1 High School, he had never lost any of the dozen or so one-on-one matches he'd played, often crushing his opponents in a humiliating fashion. Consequently, no one had dared to challenge him to a basketball duel in the last year or two.
"How are we competing?"
Lin Feng looked up at Hao Zhuang, his expression perfectly calm, showing no trace of fear.
"We'll discuss the rules in a moment. I'm going to change into my basketball uniform first. You'd better warm up, so your legs don't give out on you shortly."
"They won't. My three legs have always been as hard as iron."
"Hmph, cut the trash talk. Soon, I'll make it so you can't even show your face at Jiangzhou No. 1 High School ever again."
Hao Zhuang handed the basketball back to the student and announced loudly, "I'm going to change first. Nobody leave! You'll all be our referees in a bit."
After Hao Zhuang quickly departed under everyone's watchful eyes, the crowd's attention shifted back to Lin Feng.
Many people had witnessed Hao Zhuang bullying Lin Feng in class earlier. So, deep down, they were all rooting for Lin Feng, not just because they were fellow students, but also because everyone loves an inspiring story of an underdog triumphing over a stronger opponent.
However, considering the skill gap between Lin Feng and Hao Zhuang, they figured such an upset would only happen when pigs flew.
"Lin Feng, are you really confident you can beat Teacher Hao?" Li Ming, the captain of their class basketball team, asked curiously from the side. He observed Lin Feng's expression, which was inexplicably calm; he really couldn't detect any sign of fear. This could only mean one of two things: either Lin Feng was a masochistic idiot, or he was a deeply hidden basketball master.
Lin Feng didn't seem like the former at all. So, Li Ming was extremely curious. Could it be that this guy, who had never played basketball, was actually a master of the game?
Hearing Li Ming's question, the surrounding crowd pressed closer, eager to listen. They too were curious: how on earth did Lin Feng dare to challenge Hao Zhuang to a one-on-one basketball match?