For a moment, a group of boys who had been standing quietly at the edge of the crowd, hesitant and unsure whether to join the game, suddenly found themselves caught in a dilemma. After all, not only were they not basketball players, but their opponent was Gao Yanfei, a regular on the basketball court and a skilled player, which left them torn between sacrificing for the class and choosing self-preservation.

However, when Zhang Danlin announced she would form a class cheerleading squad to support the boys playing against Gao Yanfei and his fifth class, the boys began to get excited. And when Liang Xiaohan, the school beauty, suddenly declared she was joining too, they could no longer suppress their inner desires.

Though joining wouldn’t win the heart of the goddess, it would be a chance to show off in front of her and gain her attention. At worst, it would still be better than those who didn’t join at all. At least, they’d make an impression, and the goddess would surely remember them.

All of a sudden, excitement filled the air, and many clamored to join in and bring honor to the class. Even though everyone was convinced they were doomed to lose this match, if they could make an appearance in front of Liang Xiaohan and have her cheer for them, how cool would that be? It would give them bragging rights in front of their buddies!

Downing a few bottles of beer, kicking back with one leg crossed, they could say to their pals, "Guys, when I played basketball for the class, a goddess-level beauty was cheering me on!"

It wasn’t entirely untrue, just a bit exaggerated. So, heads bobbed in excitement.

Quickly, a few minutes passed, and class time arrived. At that moment, Hu Lai and Fatty, who hadn’t been in the classroom earlier, entered from outside. Seeing the lively classroom, they immediately asked what had happened. Upon hearing the details and the outcome, anger showed on their faces. Those damn fifth class guys dared to cause trouble while they were away! This time, they had to retaliate and show what the third class was made of. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Immediately, before the teacher came in, Hao Jian swiftly arranged a team list. He chose himself, Zheng Jun, and two other boys who had some basketball skills, plus one boy who volunteered even though he didn’t know how to play.

As for the others, Hu Lai and Fatty were added to the team, as they knew a bit about basketball. Three other boys who didn’t know much about basketball were also picked, but they were sturdy. These three, along with Hu Lai and Fatty, formed a backup five-man squad that could jump in when anyone needed a break.

Soon after organizing everything, Zhang Danlin also prepared the class cheerleading squad. Zhang Danlin, He Qiqi, and Liang Xiaohan, three goddess-level beauties, took charge, along with other strikingly beautiful girls from the class, quickly forming the cheerleading squad.

They had formed a cheer squad before, so there was no need to relearn any routines. They had the outfits and just needed to change into them when the time came. With extras available from Liang Xiaohan and Zhang Danlin, they were all set. So, there was no worry about the cheer squad, and Zhang Danlin arranged everything swiftly, with only a practice or two needed beforehand.

Seeing all this, excitement spread across Hao Jian’s face. Then, just before the teacher entered, he pulled the teacher aside to the hallway and explained the situation, saying they were going to have a basketball match against the fifth class. As the homeroom teacher Li Weiwei had already agreed, he needed to take the team to the court for practice.

The teacher was a bit stunned upon hearing this, thinking it was foolish to skip class just for basketball practice. However, seeing it was Hao Jian, a student known for either skipping class or sleeping through it, he didn’t say much more, especially since Li Weiwei had consented.

So, the teacher waved his hand, signaling Hao Jian to take the people away. Grinning, Hao Jian returned to the classroom, waved his hand, and led Zheng Jun and the others out, grabbing the basketball and heading to the court. Meanwhile, Zhang Danlin and the rest, sitting in the classroom, had their hearts already outside, appearing absent-minded.

The teacher was prepared to start his class, but seeing the third class was like this, he was rather agitated.

"Nonsense! This is ridiculous!" While Hao Jian and a few others were the type who didn’t pay attention and slept through class, when even good students like He Qiqi were daydreaming, he was quite furious and voiced his displeasure in class.

He thought Li Weiwei was being ridiculous. While it was understandable for students to be overly playful and immature, not so for Li Weiwei. As a homeroom teacher, she should not have supported this; it seemed like she had forgotten her responsibilities.

Without further comment, he carried on with his lesson absentmindedly, randomly explaining a few problems before letting the students work on their own. Then, fuming, he left to speak with Li Weiwei. Meanwhile, inside the classroom, He Qiqi and Zhang Danlin were preoccupied, their minds far from the class, eager for it to end so they could head to the basketball court to cheer for Hao Jian and the others.

Though the game hadn’t even started, their hearts were already fluttering.

Meanwhile, Hao Jian led the group grandly to the basketball court. Upon inquiry, they learned that the ones who could play basketball hadn’t touched a ball in a long time. The last time they played was back in first or second year of junior high, and now they were already in high school, years down the line.

When given a ball to try shooting, their skills seemed rusty, though, fortunately, they didn’t completely miss the basket. This provided some comfort to Hao Jian. The other boys obviously had no clue, not even knowing the rules of basketball. After a crash course on Baidu, they got the basics of the game.

Meanwhile, Hao Jian sorted out the team members. Zheng Jun was undoubtedly the most skilled among them, knowing the rules and scoring with ease. He also grasped the theory of picks and defense but lacked real match experience.

The other boys? They could only dribble a little, with one unable to dribble at all. Seeing this, Hao Jian shook his head quietly. Fortunately, he had a plan in mind and was not stumped by these challenges.

"One afternoon is enough!" Hao Jian thought to himself.

Even with just one afternoon, with a rational arrangement from him, this newly formed team, despite lacking experience, was ready to face the enemy. As for losing to Gao Yanfei and his team, Hao Jian was determined to prevent that from happening.

As for the five backup boys, their role was just to substitute when the others were tired, so Hao Jian didn’t focus too much on them. Instead, he gave them a few balls and had Hu Lai and Fatty, who knew basic basketball, teach them the rules and moves.

That would be sufficient, as their role was only as substitutes, not the main players.

Hao Jian watched Zheng Jun as he laid out the tactics, saying, "Zheng Jun, you’re the best among us, so you’ll play the main role. Shoot whenever you get the ball, and if you can’t, just pass it. Don’t worry; I’ll handle Gao Yanfei, our toughest opponent. Focus on scoring when you get the chance."

Zheng Jun nodded. "Got it!" he replied.

Then, Hao Jian turned his attention to the two boys who could play a bit, saying, "Wu Jun, Ma Yantao, you guys are to block for Zheng Jun and stick with the two slightly skilled players from fifth class. Give Zheng Jun the opportunity to shoot. If you get a chance, you should take a shot too. Otherwise, pass the ball smartly. That’s your main task; for the rest, see how things unfold."

Wu Jun and Ma Yantao both nodded, following Hao Jian’s instructions. In reality, that’s all they could do anyway.

Finally, Hao Jian looked at the boy who couldn’t play basketball at all and said, "Alright, Qu Liucheng, now it just leaves you. Your task is simple: after a few hours this afternoon, memorize all the basketball rules in your mind so you won’t foul during the game. As for shooting, accuracy isn’t critical, but you must learn to dribble so the ball stays with you and isn’t easily stolen."

"Also, when you have the ball, those fifth-class guys will immediately see that you’re inexperienced. So you need to dribble to avoid them, attract attention, and seize opportunities to pass to Zheng Jun and the others for scoring," Hao Jian instructed.

"Can you do that?" Hao Jian asked Qu Liucheng.

Qu Liucheng hesitated for a moment, then responded with eyes shining, "I can do it, Brother Hao, don’t worry."

Hao Jian instantly became a central figure in the group, and Qu Liucheng subconsciously started calling him Brother Hao.

Hao Jian smiled silently, having arranged everything, and then let them start practicing with a purpose.