Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog-Chapter 630: We Are The Best

It was funny how a couple of articles could change the way others feel about a certain person.

One minute, he was the next big thing. The next second, he was the target of baseless accusations.

As Kai walked through the hotel hallways, people whispered among themselves.

Meanwhile, in the lounge of the hotel, the American men's basketball team was having their last-minute discussion.

Julian had just arrived, capturing the attention of the older players like Steven Murr and Romeo King.

"Where have you been?" Steven asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. As the oldest player and the one who has played the most seasons in the FBA (Federal Basketball Association), he took on the leader role in their team.

Romeo stood alongside him, acting as the right-hand man.

Julian shrugged and sat next to his other teammates. "I was stopped on my way here," he said with a shrug.

Steven sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "What did I tell you about being late?"

"But I'm not late," Julian smiled. "You guys haven't started yet, right?"

Steven pursed his lips, breathing hard to stop himself from exploding.

Julian has been tough to tame since the beginning. He was cocky and unapologetic. And it wasn't like he had some weird complex like Jian, who had been used to excelling since he was a child.

No, he wasn't brilliant right from the beginning. However, as soon as he achieved the title of the youngest player to be able to win a championship in the FBA as part of the New York Nobles, he felt unstoppable—like he was on top of the world.

He even looked down on Steven and Romeo at times because his team managed to beat theirs in the FBA.

"I actually gathered you all of here because of you," Steven said, staring straight at Julian.

"Me?" Julian asked, pointing at himself.

"Who else?" Romeo asked. "The internet is talking about our team when the final game hasn't even commenced."

"Isn't that natural, though?" Julian asked. "We're on top of the games, so naturally, they're talking about us."

"Well, that would be fine," Steven said. "However, nearly every article that has our team name is because of the interview you had a while ago."

Julian looked unapologetic. "What did I say that was so wrong?" he asked. "I was just stating what I thought. I'm being honest. The industry needs someone like that."

"We need someone honest who doesn't deliberately look down on our opponents," Steven said. "I've played in three Global Games, and we have won silently."

"Eyy," Julian smiled. "That's not true, and you guys know it. We have been winning back to back to back, so it's only natural to feel confident while playing in this league. I saw your gestures during the last season. You were boastful, too."

"Just because I relay it into words does not make me a bad person," he added, rendering the entire team speechless.

Steven hesitated to speak once more. As much as he wanted to reprimand Julian, he knew that what he was saying was right. They were all confident. How can they not be when they've been destroying the other teams for the past twenty years?

The main difference was that Julian wasn't afraid to say it out loud—without any mercy, even.

"So, tell me, captain," Julian said, challenging Steven.

The atmosphere within their team became tense as the two had a stare-off.

"Who are you so afraid of? We can just beat Team China, and all of my words wouldn't come off as cocky but confident."

Steven pursed his lips and turned to the side. Just in time, the person he was afraid of walked through the hallways, making him shake his head.

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It was the first time he had seen a kid play so vigorously. Kai Guo was a player that came every hundred years—he believed in that.

However, to keep his team's spirit, he shook his head.

"No one," he confidently said. "However, let me tell you this," he continued, still standing by the agenda of the meeting.

"The more you look down on people, the higher you become. Falling from a higher place is much more painful."

***

"Don't they have anything better to do?" Kai muttered as he walked out of the hotel.

Nearly all of the athletes he passed by threw him dirty looks or tried to provoke him regarding his rumors. Why was it that people enjoyed teasing others' vulnerabilities?

Kai sighed and shook his head, making his way to the garden just right outside of their hotel. He decided to get some alone time because his roommates also found reading the articles he was involved in enjoyable.

He sat on the bench and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he relished in the setting sun and the fresh air. Well, as fresh as it could be in a city that had more than a million cars.

He enjoyed the sound of traffic and the distant laughter of the children. It filled his mind with enough distractions.

As much as he tried to deny it, he was actually very nervous about the game for tomorrow.

The U.S.A. team was something he only dreamed of meeting when he was younger. However, now, he was actually going to play with them for a title.

Nobody had expected him—not even him.

However, now that the opportunity was right in his face, there was no way that Kai was going to let it go.

His face hardened as he came up with strategies to beat them. They were the team he watched the most in the Global Games.

When he couldn't play just yet, he studied Steven Murr's and Romeo King's playing styles. It was pretty impossible to follow back then. However, now that he was in the 'Black hole' level, he felt that nothing was impossible.

Kai was deep into his thoughts when he suddenly felt a warm pair of hands over his eyes. He froze in surprise.

What was she doing here?