Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog-Chapter 560: Shizi Dogs Applicants

Jet's exaggerated voice continues to ring through the gym. "Alright, rookies, listen up! This isn't a kiddie league. This is Shizi High Basketball, home of the Dogs! If you can't handle the heat, you know where the door is!"

"We have been champions once, and we will be champions again! With my grit and leadership, I will take you to the top once more. However, that could only happen if you let me top you!"

Some applicants stifled nervous laughter, while others visibly cringed. A few even straightened up, trying to look tougher. Lina rolled her eyes, arms crossed, as she muttered, "This is going to be a disaster."

"That doesn't sound right," Andy muttered, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Mingze, who decided to try out for this year too, shook his head. "Maybe I should have joined Bao and the others in the football team," he muttered.

Coach Muchen grabbed the microphone back, much to the Captain's reluctance.

"Thank you, Jet. That's enough."

He turned to address the crowd.

"We're going to do this in rounds. First, we'll assess basic skills—dribbling, shooting, defense. Those who don't meet the cut will move to the side, but you'll have a chance to prove yourselves again later. We want to see effort, not just talent. Understood?"

A loud "Yes, Coach!" erupted from the applicants, though a few murmured uncertainly.

Jinping leaned toward Andy. "I give half of them ten minutes before they fold."

"You're too generous," Andy replied with a smirk.

"Well, you guys have gotten confident after winning in the Nationals," Lina said with an amused smile as she heard their conversation.

The tryouts began with a rapid-fire assessment. Lina had a clipboard in hand, her pen flying as she scribbled notes.

She kept muttering 'potentials, potentials' under her breath, wanting to see the most trainable applicants.

Jet and Shang alternated between watching the drills and cracking jokes at the expense of particularly clumsy participants.

Andy and Jinping, meanwhile, focused on evaluating the more serious contenders.

It quickly became apparent that most of the applicants had come not because they loved basketball but because they idolized Kai...or wanted to be like him.

One boy attempted an overly flashy layup and missed the rim entirely. "Kai makes it look so easy on TV!" he exclaimed, scratching his head.

"Yeah, because he's Kai," Andy muttered, shaking his head.

Another tried to mimic one of Kai's signature crossover moves but ended up tripping over his own feet. Jet doubled over laughing while Lina pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Act professional, will you?" she whispered, causing Jet to purse his lips.

But amidst those who only wanted to show off, a few stood out.

There were three of them, in fact.

The first one was Lay Zhong. He was incredibly precise in shooting, even under pressure. He looked the most calm and collected, all while being surrounded by the chaos called the Shizi Dogs.

His personality was cold and aloof, and it seemed like he only spoke when necessary. However, Lina knew that they needed someone like that on their team. A young, serious player would help balance the dynamics of the Shizi Dogs.

The next one was Junlai Ming. He had fast reflexes and exceptional footwork, making him a tricky defender. Somehow, Lina was reminded a bit of Yuze. However, their personalities were completely different. While Yuze was serious, this guy was cute and funny.

That was one thing Lina had to consider—since he seemed to be on the same wavelength as Jet. However, his playfulness can also help them with games. He even managed to make Lay laugh a few times despite his stoic personality.

The third one was Hanjun Bo. He seemed like a strong rebounder with surprising agility for his size. Again, Lina was reminded of an older player—Renren, this time. Yet, he lacked the confidence of the past player.

He seemed anxious but determined. Lina caught him fidgeting constantly and overthinking some of his moves. However, his hustle on the court was undeniable. With some training, Lina believed he could be crucial to the team.

Aside from these three, though, there seemed to be another unexpected standout player from the group.

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"He has improved so much, huh?" Shang said by Lina's side.

Lina lifted her head with a smile. "Hmm," she hummed. "I think it's great he still stayed with us while the rest were recruited by the Shizi Snakes. I can see that he has practiced a lot. He really isn't too bad."

"Yeah," Shang chuckled. "He's almost like Kun. I can definitely see him as a point guard in the future."

Lina nodded, quickly noting something on Mingze's application

As the tryouts continued, the weaker players were moved to the side, forming a growing crowd of hopefuls waiting for a second chance. Lina glanced at the lineup and groaned. "We're going to be here all night."

"It's thinning out," Andy said optimistically, though his eyes betrayed his fatigue.

"Not fast enough," Jinping muttered.

Jet chuckled. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm actually enjoying this."

"Of course you are," Shang said, smirking. "You thrive on chaos. If you cut your body, slime would come out."

It had been a little over an hour, and yet they had just finished the halfway point.

All of them were feeling pretty sleepy when suddenly, the gym doors creaked open before slamming close.

Everyone turned toward the noise.

A tall figure stepped inside. He was just a little shorter than Kai.

The murmurs began immediately.

"Who's that?"

"Is he here for the tryouts?"

"Looks like trouble."

The guy walked in with a lazy confidence, hands in his pockets. His sharp features and cocky grin didn't help alleviate the tension. Lina's brow furrowed as she quickly flipped through her clipboard to look for his name.

Then, she came across the one at the very end.

"Caishen?" she muttered, lifting her head.

Somehow, Lina already felt that she wasn't going to like this guy.

"Please continue," Lina said, snapping the applicants back to reality.

Caishen wasn't pleased with that as he spoke. "Is this the Shizi Dogs tryouts?"

Lina crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked into his eyes.

"You're late."

"We don't accept late applicants."