Sendoh's pass accurately reached Gu Jin's hands, but as soon as the ball was in his arms, Daiei's No. 4 Tsuchiya Jun and No. 7 Yokota stuck to him like two shadows, instantly forming a double-team.
Onodera Ritsu, in the paint, had already taken his position, his gaze locked onto him like a poised cheetah, ready to cut off his driving lane at any moment.
"Your footwork is indeed fast."
Tsuchiya Jun slightly bent his knees, his defensive stance as stable as a rock, his gaze firmly fixed on Gu Jin's dribbling hand, and his tone carried a hint of certainty, "But do you really think the same move can work on us twice?"
Twice?
Gu Jin's fingertips lightly flicked the basketball, and the ball spun a clean arc in his palm.
He looked up, scanning the opponent's defensive formation, and a faint smile touched the corner of his mouth—it seemed Tsuchiya Jun still underestimated Kash Step.
The basketball on Gu Jin's fingertips suddenly paused, as if to break through to the right side, following the previous rhythm—this was the route he used to shake off his defender in the last possession.
Tsuchiya Jun's eyes narrowed, his feet instinctively shifted to the right, and Yokota immediately tightened the right-side defense. Both of their centers of gravity dropped with this fake move.
Just as their defensive center of gravity completely shifted, Gu Jin's wrist suddenly flicked, and the basketball shot out from his fingertips with a sharp change of direction, but his body seemed to be pulled back by an invisible string, and his left foot stomped hard on the floor!
This Kash Step was faster and more deceptive than the last time—it wasn't just a simple change of direction, but rather, using the inertia of his body pulling back, he forcibly squeezed out half a meter of space between the two defenders.
Tsuchiya Jun only felt a blur before his eyes; the figure that had been on his right suddenly darted out from the left side of his vision. He tried to reach out to block, but his fingertips only grazed the corner of Gu Jin's jersey.
Yokota was even more staggered by this reverse explosive power. By the time he steadied himself, Gu Jin had already shot into the paint like an arrow from a bow.
Onodera Ritsu, in the paint, had been eager to block a shot. Seeing Gu Jin charge in, he leaped up, his long arms covering Gu Jin's head like an iron gate.
But Gu Jin didn't slow down at all. He soared into the air, meeting Onodera Ritsu's block, his body arching slightly backward in mid-air, but at the apex, he suddenly twisted his waist, his right hand gripping the basketball and drawing a fierce arc from his waist—not to avoid, but to directly slam the ball into the hoop over him!
"Bang!"
The dull thud of the basketball being slammed into the hoop made the backboard hum.
Onodera Ritsu was thrown off balance by this powerful dunk and fell heavily to the floor.
Gu Jin landed steadily under the basket, his right hand still in the dunking posture. His jersey was pulled tight against his back by the explosive force, and sweat dripped down his jawline, hitting the floor with a sound even clearer than the exclamations from the sidelines.
Tsuchiya Jun stood rooted to the spot, looking at the still-shaking hoop. His earlier words, "the same move won't work twice," felt like a stone lodged in his throat—it turned out the terror of this footwork was never about a single step, but about the variations hidden within its rhythm.
39:27.
The numbers on the scoreboard changed again, and the point difference was firmly fixed at 12 points. This poster dunk not only tore through the opponent's defense but also struck a heavy blow to their morale.
"Beautiful! This is the rhythm I want!" Taoka Moichi stood on the sidelines, suddenly punching the air. The veins on his forehead slightly bulged from excitement, his previously tense face completely relaxed, and his voice was full of irrepressible excitement.
In the exclusive stands for the organizers, Chairman Shenmu's previously clasped hands slowly parted, his fingertips lightly tapping his knee. He looked at the figure on the court who quickly returned to position after landing, his gaze still sharp, and his admiration was almost overflowing—this child's basketball IQ and explosiveness were simply a natural, unpolished gem.
"Assistant Oda."
He didn't turn his head, his voice steady but with an undeniable decisiveness.
"Chairman."
Oda immediately stepped forward from behind him, pulling out his notepad.
Chairman Shenmu's gaze never left Gu Jin: "I think Gu Jin's stipend can be raised again."
Oda's hand holding the pen paused, and he looked up and asked, "How much do you think is appropriate to raise it?"
"Don't calculate a specific number."
Chairman Shenmu lightly tapped the railing with his fingertip, "Raise it enough so he can practice basketball with peace of mind, without being distracted by living expenses, training equipment, and other miscellaneous matters. You oversee the specific standards and procedures for implementation."
Oda immediately nodded in agreement.
He knew that the Chairman's words meant providing Gu Jin with the most solid logistical support—Chairman Shenmu was never stingy with investment for such promising talents.
The shock brought by Gu Jin had not yet subsided when Sendoh already stirred up a storm on the other side.
As Daiei Academy's players crossed half-court, Tsuchiya Jun was about to take over organizing the offense when Sendoh's figure suddenly cut in from diagonally behind—he didn't go for the steal, but instead used a precise box-out to block Tsuchiya Jun's receiving lane, while his fingertips darted out like a nimble snake, lightly deflecting the ball just as the passer's wrist was about to exert force.
The basketball flew out of the passer's hands and landed perfectly in Sendoh's arms.
"Get back on defense!" Tsuchiya Jun's shout had just begun when Sendoh was already dribbling past half-court.
He caught a glimpse of Gu Jin sprinting along the sideline out of the corner of his eye. It was an opportunity for him to lay up himself, but his wrist flicked lightly, and the basketball traced a low, flat arc along the floor, precisely delivered to a spot one step ahead of Gu Jin.
This pass was like a command. Gu Jin pushed off the floor with his right foot, his body suddenly accelerating, perfectly catching the basketball.
Onodera Ritsu reacted extremely quickly this time, almost simultaneously charging to the free-throw line area with him, spreading his arms wide to completely block the path.
But Gu Jin didn't even look at him. The moment he dribbled, he suddenly came to a sharp stop, his left shoulder dropping slightly—another Kash Step starting motion.
Onodera Ritsu tensed up, subconsciously retreating half a step to guard against his change of direction.
But Gu Jin didn't feint this time. The moment he dropped his shoulder, he directly forced open Onodera's defensive center of gravity, driving in forcefully with a left-hand dribble!
This move was incredibly powerful. Onodera was knocked staggering backward, but the referee didn't blow the whistle, so he could only watch helplessly as Gu Jin charged into the paint.
Ben Wallace finally moved.
The center, whom Taoka called "second only to Masashi Kawata," shifted from under the basket, his massive body like a moving wall, his outstretched long arms almost covering half the hoop.
Gu Jin, however, seemed oblivious to this iron wall. The moment he drove into the paint with the ball, he suddenly stopped his steps, his body slightly folded in mid-air, intending to execute a pull-up jump shot right in front of Ben Wallace.
Ben Wallace immediately jumped to block, but just as his long arms were about to cover the basketball, Gu Jin's shot suddenly turned into a pass—he flicked his wrist, and the basketball passed under Ben's armpit, flying to the other side of the hoop.