"You shouldn't have told Zhang-san," Miyakawa said anxiously. "Don't you remember how much advantage we gained from his Thirty-Six Stratagems?"
Zhang Han's intelligence was clearly above average. That much could be seen from his academic performance.
But it wasn't monstrous.
He wasn't like Miyuki or Chris, players who had mastered baseball tactics to an almost absurd degree. Zhang Han hadn't reached that level yet.
Still, there was one thing others didn't realize. Although he himself wasn't a born strategist, he stood on the shoulders of giants.
A Romance of the Three Kingdoms.The Thirty-Six Stratagems.
After reading those two books, no matter what kind of confrontation he faced, Zhang Han could always find familiar patterns.
Ancient battlefields. Modern business. Competitive sports.
At their core, they were all the same. As long as you studied them deeply enough, the principles overlapped.
During Matsukata Senior League's past competitions, Zhang Han had been one of the team's key tacticians. The respect he received wasn't only because he had entered the First-string early or secured a regular position faster than others his age.
If he had lacked strength, contributed nothing, or been easily replaceable, that respect would never have been so sincere.
"Zhang-san is a good person!" Hoshida insisted stubbornly.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Miyakawa snapped. "We're opponents now."
"We didn't leak any information," Hoshida argued. "Besides, even if Seido isn't weak, the gap between them and us is obvious. Didn't Director Tahara say that at least in this tournament, they pose no threat to us?"
Miyakawa fell silent.
This guy was just too honest.
Director Tahara's words were partly confidence, but also meant to boost morale. Hoshida had taken them completely at face value. Still, there was a silver lining. Because Hoshida firmly believed in victory, he would likely perform better in the game and not crumble under pressure.
If Miyakawa explained things too clearly, it might even have the opposite effect. In the end, he could only let the matter go. The two Ichidai Third High School players chose to keep this information buried.
Zhang Han did not.
After returning, he carefully examined Ichidai Third High School's main lineup twice, then extended his search to the bench players.
What Hoshida had mentioned clearly wasn't an ordinary substitute.
Someone whose batting ability could be mentioned in the same breath as Azuma Kiyokuni would never be truly insignificant.
But the more Zhang Han searched, the stranger things became.
No standout statistics. No eye-catching match records. No notable performances in official tournaments.
It was as if the player Hoshida described didn't exist at all.
Those geniuses who appeared out of nowhere with no background usually only existed in fiction. In reality, players who suddenly became terrifying threats almost always left traces behind.
Especially at prestigious schools. Yet this time, Zhang Han found nothing.
Either the information had been deliberately concealed, or the player had never been given the chance to reveal himself.
Both possibilities were troubling. Unable to draw any concrete conclusions, Zhang Han chose the safest option. Before final tactical arrangements were set, he went directly to Coach Kataoka's office.
"There's something I need to report," Zhang Han said seriously. "Ichidai Third High School may have a substitute player who's far stronger than he appears on paper."
"A substitute?" Kataoka frowned.
"Yes," Zhang Han replied. "I couldn't find any clear records. No reliable data, no official-game performances. But the way their players talked about him… it didn't sound exaggerated."
Takashima Rei frowned slightly as well. "So there's no confirmation?"
"No," Zhang Han admitted honestly. "Only uncertainty."
The room fell silent. That was the most troublesome kind of intelligence.
Known dangers could be prepared for. Unknown ones forced you to guess.
"If we can't verify it, how should we treat it?" someone asked during the evening meeting.
Everyone turned toward Kataoka. At the critical moment, the Director lived up to his reputation and made a decisive call.
"I don't believe Ichidai Third High School would include a player without ability on their roster," Kataoka said firmly. "Even if we lack information, caution costs us nothing."
"If that player appears," he continued, "we treat him as a dangerous opponent from the first pitch. No underestimation. No testing. No mercy."
Better safe than sorry.
"Yes!"
The entire team stood and responded in unison.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, the West Tokyo quarterfinals officially began.
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