The ball possession returned to Rukawa Kaede.
He stood at the three-point line, his fingertips bouncing the basketball, his gaze like an ice-tempered blade, fixed on Gu Jin.
That steal followed by a layup just now was like a key, unlocking a dormant switch within his body—his blood was still boiling, but his mind was clearer than ever.
Gu Jin's defensive stance remained unchanged, his center of gravity low, arms slightly spread, like an unmoving wall.
But Rukawa Kaede saw clearly that his opponent's focus was more intense than before, even the rhythm of his breathing had become steady.
“Thump, thump, thump.”
The sound of the basketball hitting the floor was exceptionally clear in the quiet gymnasium.
Rukawa Kaede moved suddenly.
It wasn't a straight drive, but rather a half-step sideways to the left, causing Gu Jin's center of gravity to shift slightly.
In that instant, he sharply spun backward, his back to Gu Jin, pulling the ball behind him with his right hand, and using the momentum of the turn, he rushed towards the hoop.
This was the move Gu Jin had just used!
Gu Jin's eyes narrowed, and he immediately stuck close, trying to slow him down.
But Rukawa Kaede seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; he suddenly pivoted on his left foot, twisting his body again, and circled around Gu Jin's right side!
Two consecutive spins, turning as fast as a top, the basketball always firmly glued to his palm.
A collective gasp instantly rose from the sidelines!
“What a quick spin!”
“Is Rukawa learning Gu Jin's moves?”
Gu Jin was faked out by the continuous changes in direction by half a step, but he reacted extremely quickly, immediately stepping back diagonally and reaching out to block Rukawa Kaede's layup path.
His wingspan was so long that he practically created a defenseless zone in front of Rukawa Kaede.
Rukawa Kaede had already rushed under the basket, and looking up, all he saw was Gu Jin's sky-covering hand.
But at this moment, Rukawa Kaede's eyes only saw the hoop.
He didn't stop abruptly; instead, he used his momentum to leap upwards!
His body stretched to its limit in the air, his right hand holding the ball high, seemingly about to collide with Gu Jin's hand—
Just then, Rukawa Kaede's wrist suddenly twisted in an incredible way!
The basketball switched from his right hand to his left, palm facing outwards, fingertips gripping the ball tightly.
The entire movement was fluid and smooth, his body arcing gracefully through the air, perfectly avoiding Gu Jin's block, brushing past Gu Jin's side, and flying steadily towards the hoop!
“Slam!”
When the basketball swished into the hoop, it still carried the force of its spin, hitting the floor with a dull thud.
Mid-air hand-switch dunk!
When Rukawa Kaede landed, he took two steps backward due to inertia before steadying himself.
He was breathing slightly, his fringe wet with sweat and sticking to his skin, but in his eyes, a fierce fire burned.
He looked at Gu Jin, not speaking, but the meaning in his eyes was clear—
This is my response.
The gymnasium completely erupted!
Akagi Haruko covered her mouth, her eyes wide, forgetting to pick up the cheering stick that had fallen to the ground.
Akagi Takenori forcefully pounded an advertising board nearby, letting out a low roar: “Good shot!”
Gu Jin stood still, looking at the still-swaying net in the hoop, then at Rukawa Kaede, a clear emotion showing on his face for the first time.
He slowly walked in front of Rukawa Kaede, picked up the basketball that had rolled to his feet, and squeezed the surface of the ball with his fingers.
“That move you just made was beautiful,” Gu Jin's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable chill, “However, the game is over.”
Rukawa Kaede raised an eyebrow: “What do you mean?”
Gu Jin bounced the ball in his hand, “My rule—anyone who dunks in front of me, I consider it a provocation, so the game should end.”
These words were like a piece of ice dropped into hot oil; the sidelines instantly quieted for half a second, then erupted into even louder discussions.
“Is Gu Jin angry?”
“I think Gu Jin just can't stand to lose, can he? Rukawa Kaede's shot just now was super beautiful! I bet Gu Jin has completely lost face.”
Akagi Takenori also frowned: “This Gu Jin is really arrogant... but Rukawa has already found his rhythm.”
Rukawa Kaede's eyes turned cold, suddenly with a hint of sharpness from being provoked: “Your rules are not the rules of basketball.”
“My rules are the rules.” Gu Jin's voice suddenly rose.
Rukawa Kaede once again got offensive possession.
Rukawa Kaede, Gu Jin's shadow was already pressing in—he didn't even see how his opponent moved, only felt a blur before his eyes, and his palm suddenly empty.
Gu Jin's steal was as fast as lightning; the wind generated by his fingertips brushing the ball's surface made Rukawa Kaede's hand numb.
The next second, Gu Jin was already dribbling the ball outside the three-point line.
Rukawa Kaede sharply turned to chase, but his movements were half a beat too slow.
In that half-beat, Gu Jin had already jumped, his wrist flicking lightly, the basketball cutting through the air and accurately dropping into the hoop.
“Swish!”
6:2.
When Gu Jin landed, he didn't even spare a glance at the hoop, only staring intently at Rukawa Kaede, as if declaring: This is just the beginning.
The ball possession returned to Gu Jin's hands again.
His dribbling rhythm was terrifyingly steady, each bounce like a tap on Rukawa Kaede's nerves.
Suddenly, an accelerated drive, Rukawa Kaede slid horizontally with all his might to block, but Gu Jin's behind-the-back dribble, without slowing down, faked him out of position. By the time he turned around, Gu Jin had already settled under the basket and easily made a layup.
7:2.
The next few minutes became Gu Jin's personal show.
He didn't even bother with complex moves; often, a simple crossover change of direction was enough to tear open Rukawa Kaede's defense;
An ordinary pull-up jump shot always managed to avoid blocks and swish through the net.
8:2, 9:2... Rukawa Kaede tried his best to replicate his previous steal, but Gu Jin's dribbling gave no opportunities whatsoever, his fingertips sticking to the ball's surface as if welded to his palm.
Fatigue significantly reduced his explosiveness; each jump carried an imperceptible sluggishness.
For the last shot, he knew he couldn't hold on any longer, but he still wanted to make one last attempt.
Just as he bent his knees, preparing to drive, Gu Jin moved.
Gu Jin turned, jumped, and shot from beyond the three-point line.
The basketball arced in a straight line through the air, making a crisp “swish” sound as it passed through the net.
10:2.
When the whistle blew, Rukawa Kaede leaned on his knees, panting heavily, sweat dripping onto the floor, spreading into small dark stains.
He looked up at Gu Jin, who was tossing the ball to the referee, his face expressionless, as if the crushing victory he had just achieved was merely him casually brushing dust off his shoulder.
A sudden, hurried cough came from the commentary booth on the sidelines—
“Ladies and gentlemen! This 1v1 duel was simply a textbook-level feast of offense and defense!”
His voice carried an unresolved tremor as his gaze swept across the court, “Rukawa Kaede's mid-air hand-switch dunk was a collision of talent and courage;
And Gu Jin's crushing finish from 6:2 to 10:2 demonstrated the dominance of absolute strength!
Especially that final three-pointer, clean and precise like a surgeon's knife—”
At this point, he suddenly paused, and a whisper came through his earpiece.
A few seconds later, the host's expression became somewhat subtle, he cleared his throat and raised his voice:
“We have an urgent announcement to make to everyone. After an emergency discussion by the organizing committee, considering the overwhelming advantage some players have shown on the offensive end, and to make the duels more suspenseful and test the comprehensive abilities of both sides, we have decided to adjust the 1v1 rules—”
The murmuring throughout the stadium instantly quieted, and everyone's eyes focused on the commentary booth.
“Starting from the next game, the original rule of ‘scoring team continues to serve’ will be changed to ‘losing team continues to serve’.”
As soon as the words fell, the gymnasium was like a bomb had been dropped.
“What? Changing the serving rule?”
“Isn't this clearly because of Gu Jin? He scored consecutively just now by relying on the rhythm suppression of having possession after scoring!”
“Losing team serves... does that mean after every score, you immediately have to face the opponent's defense? For the dominant side, this means losing the buffer period for active offense!”
Akagi Takenori's brows furrowed even tighter, and he whispered to the person next to him: “This rule change is too sudden... and the timing is too coincidental.” Akagi Haruko also stood stunned, her cheering stick unconsciously swaying: “Gu Jin, he...”
Gu Jin on the court also seemed to hear the commotion; he turned his head and looked in the direction of the commentary booth, his face expressionless. “Did I play too aggressively?”
The host ignored the commotion below and continued: “Perhaps some people feel this rule adjustment is too targeted, but don't forget—a person who can make the rules change for him has already reached a different level.
Gu Jin has proven his dominance with his strength, and the new rule is the ultimate test of that dominance.”
He paused, a hint of excitement in his voice: “The upcoming duels will be even more exciting.
Because we are about to see, when the advantage of ‘score equals possession’ is broken, what kind of performance can this man who can rewrite the rules still deliver?”
Rukawa Kaede's hand gripping his knee slowly tightened.
He looked up at Gu Jin, who was not far away.
Sunlight streamed through the gymnasium's skylight, falling between the two of them, and Rukawa Kaede seemed to see an invisible line drawn between himself and Gu Jin—
Gu Jin, one day. I will surpass you!!!