The gym's humid air reeked of sweat. Lin Mo
clutched a mop, his frayed #66 jersey marking him as Global University's "water
boy"—a title the team mocked daily.
"Lin Mo! Move faster!" Li Tao, the 6'4"
star guard, hurled his water bottle. It shattered at Lin Mo's feet, ice water
soaking his sneakers. "Still dreaming of playing? Last week, I crossed you so
hard, you face-planted on the baseline."
Laughter erupted. Lin Mo bent to clean up,
his 6'2" frame trembling—not from shame, but rage. Three years on the team, and
he'd never touched the court in a real game.
Then Li Tao's shoe connected with Lin Mo's
knee.
He stumbled forward, forehead cracking
against the backboard's rim with a thud.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED: Host's survival instinct
detected…]
[Omnipotent Superstar System initializing…
100% complete.]
[Template: LeBron James (Compatibility:
1%).]
[NEWBIE QUEST: Stop 1 shot in 30 minutes.
Reward: Compatibility 1.5%, Strength +3.]
Stars burst behind Lin Mo's eyes. A faint
blue glow flickered in his vision—stats hovering like a HUD:
Strength: 58（vs. Li
Tao's 65）
Speed: 52（trailing
by 10）
[Hidden Buff: "Unbroken Will" — Defense +10
for 10 mins.]
"Staring at me like you want a fight?" Li
Tao's fist swung.
Coach Zhang's whistle sliced the air. "Li
Tao! Back to drills! Lin Mo, finish cleaning."
As Lin Mo knelt, Li Tao spat: "Trash
belongs in the dumpster."
But Lin Mo's gaze locked on the court—Li
Tao dribbling toward the hoop, a lazy crossover exactly like last week's
humiliation.
Now or never.
Lin Mo hurled the mop aside, sprinting in.
Li Tao sneered, shifting left—right into
Lin Mo's shoulder.
Boom!
The ball rocketed loose. Lin Mo snatched it
midair, heart hammering.
Silence.
Li Tao's face purpled. "You did that on
purpose!"
Coach Zhang's jaw dropped. "How… did you
time that?"
Lin Mo met his stare, the ball clutched
tight.
"I want to play, Coach."