Under the gaze of everyone in the arena, the basketball flew straight towards the hoop.
After shooting the basketball, Meng Ran turned and walked towards Gwen, as if he didn't care about the outcome of the shot.
Meng Ran walked up to Gwen, took the water from her hand, twisted open the cap, and started drinking.
"How about it? Do you believe me now?" Meng Ran said, his back to the court, smiling as he looked at the stunned Gwen.
Behind him, the basketball had already swished into the hoop.
The entire arena was silent, as if someone had pressed a mute button.
Meng Ran then returned the water to Gwen and walked back onto the court. He looked at the spectators who had just been mocking him and said loudly, "Why are you all so quiet! I remember the basketball went into the hoop, not down your throats!"
Because of the complete silence, his voice echoed throughout the entire venue.
The trolls looked at each other, and one of them, his face flushed, shouted, "That was just luck!"
Meng Ran remembered that this was one of the hangers-on who had been following Flash earlier.
He smiled slightly, shook his head, and said nothing more, then walked back to Flash to continue the game.
"Hey, smile. Your face is darker than the bottom of my pot," Meng Ran said, looking at Flash's grim face.
"You won't be so lucky forever, kid," Flash said with a sour expression, then threw the ball to Meng Ran.
Gwen and the others had recovered from their surprise and loudly cheered Meng Ran on.
Hearing their voices, Meng Ran gave them an OK sign and a brilliant smile in return.
"Same spot. I'm going to shoot another logo three. Get ready," Meng Ran said to Flash while dribbling the ball.
Before Flash could utter any trash talk, Meng Ran had already retreated to the logo and, with a raised hand, shot another logo three-pointer.
Meng Ran shot the ball and then turned to celebrate, and behind him, undoubtedly, was the familiar swish of the basketball hitting the net.
This time, it wasn't silent. Except for Flash's cronies and a small number of people, everyone else, led by Gwen and her friends, let out a synchronized cheer.
"Meng! Meng! Meng!!!"
Flash's face on the court was as ugly as if he had eaten shit.
Over the next few minutes, Meng Ran showed Flash what fancy shooting was all about: various angles, various postures, every shot going in.
Flash was already numb. He roared at Meng Ran, "Can you only shoot? Is your body so soft that you don't even dare to confront me?"
Flash's sycophants on the sidelines were no longer silent, starting to clamor as if they had found Meng Ran's weakness again: "Softie! Softie!"
It was as if they could win as long as Meng Ran stopped shooting; they thought Meng Ran was afraid of confrontation.
Flash thought the same, believing Meng Ran was just hiding his weakness to prevent him from having a chance to win.
Seeing this, Meng Ran also pouted. Since they were so insistent, he wouldn't shoot anymore.
Originally, he kept shooting because he was afraid that with his physical prowess, he might accidentally injure Flash, which wouldn't be good.
It wasn't that he was a benevolent saint; he just didn't want his parents to be called to school because of these potential conflicts.
But now that his goodwill was being taken as retreat and cowardice, he would satisfy their demands.
Meng Ran said helplessly, "I'm just afraid I can't control myself and might hurt you. I don't like trouble."
"But since you insist so strongly, I won't hold back."
Flash merely took it as an excuse for his cowardice and shouted, "Come on! Softie! Let me show you how hard I am!"
Meng Ran held the ball and started dribbling. This time, he didn't look for an opportunity to shoot, but instead went straight forward and started to confront Flash.
Flash was shocked when he made contact with Meng Ran. What kind of strength was this?
He felt like he was facing a mountain. Before, because Meng Ran was only shooting, he hadn't directly experienced Meng Ran's strength.
Meng Ran pushed Flash towards the paint. He was like a bulldozer; Flash's strength was completely useless.
Once in the paint, Meng Ran unleashed a super-strong jump, rose up, and delivered a powerful dunk, sending Flash directly to the ground.
"Is this what you call hard? I thought an old lady was defending me," Meng Ran said, chuckling softly at Flash.
The entire arena fell silent again, then erupted in a massive cheer! Gwen and the others also jumped up in excitement on the sidelines.
Mary Jane, in her excitement, hugged Peter directly. Peter, on the other hand, enjoyed Meng Ran's super assist, and a thought couldn't help but rise in his heart: "I'm definitely making Meng Ran my friend."
Gwen in front was also flushed with excitement, cheering loudly for Meng Ran.
Gwen's eyes were bright, as if stars were twinkling in them. Meng Ran felt a stir in his heart.
"So beautiful, so cute," Meng Ran couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the charming Gwen.
Since his rebirth, Gwen was indeed the only female he had found striking.
Meng Ran then shifted his gaze to Peter, and seeing Peter and Mary Jane embracing, he couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, "Holy crap, this kid with the thick eyebrows and big eyes, how is he progressing so fast!"
Feeling Meng Ran's gaze, Peter also said with a grateful look, "Brother, thank you for the assist!"
"You're welcome, keep it up!" Meng Ran also said to Peter with an encouraging look.
After their eye contact, Meng Ran refocused his attention on the court.
At this moment, Flash had just gotten up from the ground. Seeing Meng Ran's gaze, a hint of nervousness actually crept into his heart. He was a little intimidated.
The next few shots turned from a shooting lesson into a dunking lesson. Various violent dunks, as hard as could be.
Flash was already beaten into numbness, losing confidence, and had completely become a background character.
From the moment his offense failed at the beginning, he truly never attacked again. For nine consecutive shots, besides returning the ball to Meng Ran, he never touched the ball again.
For the last shot, Meng Ran's lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"Have you seen 'Dunk or Die'?" Meng Ran asked Flash.
Flash was stunned: "What is 'Dunk or Die'?"
Meng Ran said profoundly, "This is the basketball bible. As long as you master the moves in it, you will be invincible and unstoppable."
Flash was instantly startled, thinking, "Is this really a secret manual I don't know about? 'Dunk or Die', I'll remember that name."
Meng Ran saw the thoughtful look on his face and knew he had been bluffed, so he immediately added, "This move is called the 'Arrogant Dragon Regrets Nothing Whirlwind Dunk'."
"This is the ultimate skill of a man named Dongfang Xiang. You better watch closely!"
With that, Meng Ran quickly dribbled past Flash, then jumped directly from the free-throw line and threw the basketball against the backboard.
His body moved forward in the air, and the basketball hit the backboard and bounced back.
Then, Meng Ran, still in the air, caught the rebounding basketball, and while continuing forward, performed a between-the-legs dribble in mid-air. After dribbling, he grabbed the basketball with his hand and raised it high.
"Bang!"
Accompanied by a loud bang, Meng Ran powerfully slammed the basketball into the hoop with a two-handed dunk.
Then, a cracking sound echoed, and as the basketball landed, the glass on the backboard shattered and fell to the ground.
The Arrogant Dragon Regrets Nothing Whirlwind Dunk! It was that awesome!
The live audience, seeing such an exaggerated scene actually happen in reality, couldn't help but all stand up, with cheers rising in waves!
Today, Meng Ran had stolen the show. Basically, all the students in the school knew his name, and by tomorrow, after word-of-mouth, he would become a prominent figure at Midtown High School.
Mary Jane on the sidelines once again excitedly hugged Peter, and Peter once again enjoyed having a beauty in his arms, feeling even more grateful to Meng Ran in his heart.
Gwen was also jumping up and down excitedly, her delicate face slightly flushed from shouting loudly. In such a fervent atmosphere, no one could remain unaffected.
Meng Ran stood up and walked towards the petrified Flash, saying to him, "Actually, I wasn't trying to humiliate you today, brother. I just wanted to tell you to respect others."
Then he patted Flash's shoulder and continued, "I know what you're thinking, but there are many ways to get attention, and bullying others is the least cool way."
"Actually, you're really good at basketball. Keep working hard, and you have a great chance of becoming a basketball star. Keep it up!"
After speaking, Meng Ran left the thoughtful Flash and turned to walk towards Gwen and the others on the sidelines.
Gwen was no longer as excited, but a faint blush still lingered on her face.
Seeing Meng Ran approach, she smiled sweetly and said, "I didn't expect it to really be ten-zero. A bet's a bet, so I owe you dinner."
Meng Ran looked at Gwen and smiled, "Who said you owe me dinner?"
Looking at the puzzled Gwen, Meng Ran continued, "Beautiful Ms. Gwen, may I have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"
With that, he bowed slightly and extended his hand to Gwen.
Gwen, seeing Meng Ran's playful demeanor, also curtsied in response, like a noble maiden, and placed her hand in Meng Ran's.
Then the two exchanged a smile, both amused by the other's actions.