"Bang!"
The basketball slammed hard against the rim and bounced out.
It hit the floor with a dull thud.
This was followed by the sharp squeak of sneakers scraping the court and the wild roars of teenagers who seemed endlessly full of energy.
"One more goal!"
"Get back on defense! Defense!"
Inside the basketball gym of **Shohoku High School**.
The air was thick with the salty, humid scent of evaporating sweat.
It was the flavor of "youth" and "passion."
But on a bench in the corner of the court, a "corpse" draped in a white towel strongly protested.
A hand emerged from under the towel, weakly grasping at empty air.
As if reaching for an invisible remote.
"It's so noisy..."
"Are these high schoolers hyperactive huskies?"
"Don't they ever need a nap?"
A muffled complaint came from under the towel, laced with heavy bedhead grumpiness.
"Pop!"
A folding fan struck the grasping hand with a sharp whoosh.
"Ow!"
The "corpse" on the bench jolted violently.
**Lin Bei** yanked the towel off his head, revealing a strikingly handsome face that could make every girl in school scream.
But right now, those dead-fish eyes were filled with world-weary despair.
Standing in front of him was an energetic girl wearing a cap and a curly ponytail.
"**Lin Bei**!"
"Today is the first day for the new first-years to join the club!"
"Everyone's giving it their all—except you, hiding here sleeping for a full forty-five minutes!"
**Ayako** stood with hands on her hips, eyebrows raised in fury, rhythmically slapping the paper fan against her palm.
"Senior Ayako, correction: forty-three minutes."
"Also, I wasn't sleeping. I was doing 'static recovery training.'" **Lin Bei** rubbed his hand and yawned.
"Hah?"
Ayako laughed in angry disbelief. "You make laziness sound so elegant. Does Captain **Akagi** know about this?"
At the word "**Akagi**," **Lin Bei** instinctively shrank his neck.
He sighed and slumped back onto the bench.
Assuming his favorite "Ge You slouch" position, he stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Senior, you have to understand me."
"It's better to sit than stand, better to lie down than sit. And since you're lying down, might as well sleep."
"That's the universal truth."
**Lin Bei** was a first-year at **Shohoku High School** and an international student from China.
But he had a secret only he knew.
He was a time-traveler.
In his previous life, **Lin Bei** had been a typical corporate slave.
996 was a blessing, 007 was normal.
Finally, after an all-nighter rushing a PPT, his heart seized up in the early morning, and he died suddenly at his desk.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in 1990s Kanagawa, Japan, reborn as this wealthy second-generation international student.
Family loaded, parents always busy.
Monthly allowance arrived on time in massive amounts.
This was the dream start **Lin Bei** could never have imagined in his old life!
So he set a grand life goal:
Never work overtime or grind hard again!
Become a happy fishing king and lie flat until old age.
However, fate played a cruel joke.
[Ding! Host detected in Shohoku Basketball Gym. Miracle Basketball System activating...]
[Current fishing time: 45 minutes]
[Fishing value earned: 45 points]
[System warning: If the host's team "Shohoku High School" fails to reach the nationals this year...]
[Due to the butterfly effect, the host's father's company will go bankrupt from investment failure. The host will lose financial support and be forced to work menial jobs...]
**Lin Bei** rolled his eyes inwardly.
That damn system.
It gave him a full set of skill templates from the "Generation of Miracles" in *Kuroko's Basketball*.
But it forced him to join Shohoku.
Winning games earned shock value.
Shock value could redeem skills from *Kuroko's Basketball* or magical props.
Lazing around earned fishing value.
Fishing value could redeem tons of off-court goodies.
But to lie flat in peace?
Sure.
The prerequisite: Shohoku had to win.
If Shohoku lost, he'd be dragged back to worker hell.
"For my 5 million yen monthly allowance..."
"I'm suffering so much," **Lin Bei** closed his eyes in pain.
"Hey! You over there!"
"Are you a new guy too?"
A deafening roar interrupted **Lin Bei**'s thoughts.
At the gym entrance.
A cocky teen with a blazing red pompadour strutted in.
**Sakuragi Hanamichi**.
The absolute protagonist of this world, the single-celled organism.
Right now, to show off in front of his crush **Akagi Haruko**, he was peacocking everywhere like he was in heat.
"I am the genius **Sakuragi Hanamichi**!"
"Future captain of the basketball team!"
"Where's that fox-eyed guy, **Rukawa Kaede**? I wanna duel him!" **Sakuragi** forked his waist and laughed.
On the other side of the court, the dark-haired boy dribbling paused.
**Rukawa Kaede** turned his head expressionlessly and coldly spat two words: "Idiot."
"What did you say?!" **Sakuragi** exploded instantly, veins bulging on his forehead.
"So scary..."
"Is this the world of shonen manga?"
"Even the air reeks of excess hormones." **Lin Bei** pulled the towel back over his face.
Ayako helplessly pressed her forehead.
This slacker wasn't done yet, and now another troublemaker appeared.
"Line up!"
An furious roar swept through the gym.
**Akagi Takenori**, Shohoku's pillar, approached like a moving black tower.
His oppressive aura instantly silenced the entire court.
"All first-year freshmen, line up immediately!"
"Prepare for the entrance test!"
**Akagi**'s gaze swept the court like searchlights.
It finally locked on the squirming white towel in the corner.
"**Lin Bei**!"
"Do I need to personally drag you up?"
The towel flew off.
**Lin Bei** sprang from the bench in one silky motion, standing ramrod straight instantly.
With a business-like fake smile: "Here! Hello, Captain! Thanks for your hard work!"
The surrounding freshmen were stunned.
Was this face-changing speed professional-level?
**Akagi**'s mouth twitched as he suppressed the urge to punch the kid.
"The entrance test is simple."
**Akagi** pointed to the upperclassmen on the court. "First-years form a team and play a practice match against the seniors."
"Let me see your strength and attitude!"
On the word "attitude," **Akagi** specifically glared at **Lin Bei**.
"Huh? We still have to play?"
"Captain, reporting in—I suddenly feel dizzy, chest tightness, leg cramps. Maybe hypoglycemia."
"Can I apply to be a sideline cheerleader? I'm very professional at shouting '666'!" **Lin Bei** raised his hand with utmost sincerity.
"Dismissed."
**Akagi** sneered. "If you dare slack off on the court, today's training load doubles."
"No! This is court bullying!" **Lin Bei** wailed inwardly.
But he didn't dare say it out loud.
**Akagi Takenori**'s iron fist was the one that could beat **Sakuragi Hanamichi**'s head into a bag of lumps.
Soon, the teams were grouped.
First-year team: **Rukawa Kaede**, **Sakuragi Hanamichi**, Kuwata, Ishii, and **Lin Bei** (forced into action).
Senior team: **Akagi Takenori**, Kogure Kiminobu, Yasuda, Shiozaki, Tsunoda.
"Bleep—!"
Ayako blew the whistle, and the game began.
**Akagi Takenori** won the jump ball; seniors attacked first.
**Lin Bei**, in his limited-edition AJ1s, jogged back slowly.
His position was small forward, but his current speed couldn't even match an old man jogging in the park.
"As long as I don't touch the ball, the ball won't come to me."
**Lin Bei** silently rehearsed his fishing strategy and smoothly activated a system skill.
[Passive Skill: Misdirection (Kuroko Tetsuya) activated]
[Effect: Dramatically reduces the host's presence, causing opponents (and teammates) to subconsciously ignore the host]
In an instant, **Lin Bei**'s aura seemed to blend into the surrounding air.
He stood clearly outside the three-point line.
Yet both attacking Yasuda and defending **Rukawa Kaede** appeared to have forgotten someone like him existed on the court.
This was **Lin Bei**'s favorite skill.
No need to run routes, no posting up, not even defending!
Pure water-carrying perfection!
The game was one-sided.
Though **Rukawa Kaede** was strong, he was too individualistic.
Facing the paint guarded by **Akagi**, he forced his way in repeatedly.
He scored several beautiful buckets but also got two massive blocks from **Akagi**.
As for **Sakuragi Hanamichi**...
"Pass me the ball! I'm a genius!"
**Sakuragi** darted around like a headless chicken, completely clueless about rules.
He even got called for traveling three times.
"Damn it! This floor is out to get me!" **Sakuragi** raged.
The score quickly became 20:8.
Seniors led comfortably.
**Lin Bei** stood in the corner with hands in his pockets.
Watching everyone pant, he shook his head.
"Young people are too impulsive."
"Isn't healthy, low-effort basketball like mine better?"
Just then, disaster struck.
**Rukawa Kaede** forced another drive into the paint and got double-teamed by **Akagi** and Kogure.
Dead ball!
**Rukawa Kaede** gritted his teeth and scanned the court.
Kuwata was locked down, Ishii was trembling, **Sakuragi** was sumo-wrestling Tsunoda.
The only open man... was in the corner...
Wait, when did that guy get there?
**Rukawa Kaede** froze for a split second, but his body reacted on instinct.
"Whoosh!"
The pass rocketed to the corner like a cannonball.
**Lin Bei** was mid-yawn when he felt a strong wind.
"Crap!"
He instinctively reached out—"Pop!"—the ball stuck firmly in his hands.
Every eye in the gym snapped to him.
Misdirection broken.
**Akagi Takenori** stood under the basket with a ferocious glare: "**Lin Bei**! Shoot!"
"Don't tell me you don't even know where the hoop is!"
Shiozaki, defending him, snapped out of it and rushed to block.
**Lin Bei** gripped the ball, feeling the rough texture.
If he didn't shoot, **Akagi** would kill him, and his fishing life would end.
If he missed, more practice for sure.
"So troublesome..."
**Lin Bei** sighed, but his posture shifted instantly.
The lazy slouch tightened like a coiled cheetah.
A flash of blue electricity sparked in those dead-fish eyes.
[Active Skill: Formless Shot (Aomine Daiki) activated]
Facing the charging Shiozaki, **Lin Bei** made no fakes.
He didn't even adjust his footing—just leaned back at an absurd 45-degree angle, almost defying physics.
"What's he doing? Suicide?" Ayako exclaimed from the sidelines.
Impossible to generate power from there!
Yet **Lin Bei**'s wrist flicked with silky softness.
The ball arced in a ridiculously high parabola, clearing Shiozaki's fingertips, sailing over **Akagi**'s head, straight for the hoop.
**Lin Bei** didn't even watch—he turned and walked back lazily.
"Swish!"
A clean net sound, like music to the ears.
Nothing but net.
The entire gym fell dead silent.
Only **Lin Bei**'s lazy voice drifted through:
"Captain, I scored."
"Does that count as meeting today's exercise quota?"
"I wanna go back and catch up on sleep."