"That was simple."
Watching the baseball fly out for a home run, Zhou Hui naturally placed the bat back down.
With that pitch speed and location, hitting a home run was no challenge for him.
If he couldn't hit that out, he would feel embarrassed to be called the number one batter in the nation.
"This should be the strongest batter of the year."
Seeing Zhou Hui's performance, Coach Kataoka nodded, clearly satisfied with Zhou Hui's display.
No wonder it took three invitations to recruit such a player; he was indeed exceptional.
"This is a bit premature, isn't it? The first-years haven't finished yet! Plus, Makihara's pitch speed isn't fast; there should be someone who can match him," Ohta interjected, confused.
"There's no chance left. Even if someone hits a home run, their skills won't compare to Zhou Hui's. The only pitcher at Seido High School who might be able to suppress him is Tanba," Coach Kataoka affirmed Zhou Hui's abilities.
"What?!"
Ohta was surprised; he hadn't expected Coach Kataoka to hold Zhou Hui in such high regard.
In the past, Coach Kataoka hadn't paid much attention to the achievements of students in junior high.
Those were in the past and didn't represent their current abilities.
Many junior high stars came to Seido High School but still failed to make the first team.
Some were due to injuries, which was undoubtedly the most regrettable situation.
Every athlete hopes to avoid injuries.
For them, injuries are like a sharp blade.
Another reason was arrogance! Many junior high stars became arrogant, thinking they were invincible, showing no respect for others.
They slacked off in training during the latter half of junior high, wasting time and being irresponsible about their futures.
Yet, relying on a bit of talent, they were still scouted by several prestigious schools, starting their high school careers.
But when they arrived in high school, nothing changed; they continued to act like they did in junior high.
Slowly, they were weeded out, ruining their prospects.
High school is filled with talents, and those talents work even harder than you do.
The meaning is that those who are better than you are working even harder! Those who ruin their own careers are the most detestable!
"Even Kanemaru and Toujou couldn't hit Makihara's pitches, which proves everything. Kanemaru and Toujou are merely a reflection of the upper limit of these first-years."
Indeed, as Coach Kataoka had thought, by the end of the tests, no one else had managed to hit a home run.
Moreover, out of the thirty batters who followed Zhou Hui, only four managed to get hits!
This clearly demonstrated the immense pressure Zhou Hui exerted.
Being behind Zhou Hui certainly made them feel some pressure, and it was normal for them to struggle.
"Alright, we've recorded everyone's newcomer test data. This afternoon, I'll present it to Coach Kataoka. Today is your first day at Seidou. Take some time to adjust; there will be no training this afternoon, and formal training will start tomorrow!"
Tanmoto announced the upcoming arrangements for the first-years.
Fortunately, they didn't have training this afternoon.
This allowed the first-years to breathe a sigh of relief.
It was a close call that they didn't have training.
On their first day at Seidou High School, they were already intimidated by the training intensity.
Just the morning run had left them exhausted, and they couldn't imagine what terrifying training awaited them in the second team.
"Thank goodness we don't have training this afternoon."
"Yeah, that morning run nearly killed me."
"Is training at Seidou really this tough?"
Once Tanmoto walked away, several first-years finally began to complain.
They hadn't dared to say a word while he was there.
"What do you think of this year's first-years?"
Tanmoto asked Makihara Masumi, who was responsible for testing the first-year pitchers. He undoubtedly had the best understanding of what the first-years were like.
Aside from him, no one else in their group had directly interacted with the first-years.
Makihara shrugged and said, "There are definitely more stars than last year. But I don't feel like there are any standouts. Last year, with Miyuki and Kuramochi, it didn't look so bad. Clearly, this year's Kanemaru and Toujou can't compare. If you ask me, the overall strength is not as good as last year."
He didn't mention the home run at all.
"So what about that home run? That kid seems pretty strong, doesn't he?"
Tanmoto said with a mischievous smile, eager to see how Makihara would respond.
Makihara felt a flush of embarrassment.
Although he hadn't gone all out, it seemed Zhou Hui hadn't either.
Perhaps Zhou Hui's skills really were above his own.
No, he was just a first-year rookie!
There was absolutely no way someone could be stronger than him.
"Coach Kataoka told me at the beginning that dealing with these first-years was mainly about testing; he didn't let me go all out."
Makihara was still looking for excuses, but everyone could see the situation clearly.
Zhou Hui's abilities would likely surpass Makihara's even if he went all out.
But due to their relationship, they didn't expose him.
With no training in the afternoon, most of the first-years chose to stay in their dorms.
Even if they were just passing the time, they didn't want to train.
In Room 5, Sawamura Eijun was eager to train, but because he was late this morning, he had already lost his chance to pitch.
He could only stay in the dorm and sulk.
Perhaps he and Zhou Hui were among the few first-years who wanted to train.
Zhou Hui wanted to train because he wanted to improve and quickly become a starter on the first team.
He had always been competitive, even in junior high.
As for Sawamura Eijun, he simply didn't want to be idle.
After tidying up in the dorm, Zhou Hui grabbed his wooden bat and headed to the training facility at Seidou High School.
Seidou High School had both an outdoor training field and an indoor training facility.
"This time should be empty."
Zhou Hui pushed open the door to the training facility, talking to himself.
Just as he stepped inside, a tall, familiar figure happened to look in his direction.
"Tanba-senpai?"
Zhou Hui felt puzzled; shouldn't the first team still be training at this time? Why was Tanba here?
"Zhou Hui? What a coincidence!"
"I just wanted to come practice my swings."
"Forget about that for now; since you're here, let's fulfill our agreement!"
At this point, Tanba Koichiro's eyes lit up.
"Let's have a match!"
The ace pitcher declared war on him!