On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

【563L】: I bet five cents that the seniors will definitely win in a 5v5! Professionals are professionals. Streetball and official games are two different things. The freshmen can't keep up with the running, tactical coordination, and energy management.

【564L】: Replying to 563L: I bet Chen Mo and Shen Xinghe will win! I was there that day, and even with that kind of performance, you could tell they weren't giving it their all! Shen Xinghe's three-point shooting is incredibly accurate; even in a regular team, he'd be an unstoppable super scorer. Chen Mo's defense is incredibly aggressive. Just with those two anchors, if you add three more players who know basketball, they might not necessarily lose!
【565L】: Requesting a live stream! Requesting a recording! Which expert is going to be there in person?!
【566L】: So what about the time and place? Senior, hurry up and decide! I've already prepared sunflower seeds and drinks!

【567L】: Am I the only one who thinks the senior's move was clever? He responded to the post, making himself seem magnanimous in challenging the junior, while also saving face by citing "illness," and putting pressure on the junior. If the junior didn't accept, he would seem timid; if he did accept, and lost, the forum's sentiment might change.

【568L】: Replying to 567L: Wake up! Senior is senior after all, his tactics are deep!

【569L】：@ChenMo@ShenXinghe Junior, come out quickly! Stop lurking! Promise him!
【Inside Dormitory 504】

Wang Lan scrolled through the rapidly increasing replies, marveling, "Old Mo, Xinghe, look! The forum's exploded! Zhang Yang, that guy, he's pretty good at saving face, 'low-grade fever,' 'weak limbs,' hahaha, why doesn't he say he was wearing skateboard shoes that day?"

"The strategy is correct. By blurring the focus and diverting attention, they transformed an unexpected and potentially damaging defeat into a suspenseful official showdown that has yet to happen. The public's attention will naturally shift from 'they lost' to 'who will win the next match.'" Li Zhe felt that Zhang Yang was quite capable.

Shen Xinghe peeled off the face mask, her delicate face expressionless. She picked up her phone, glanced at Zhang Yang's reply, and commented indifferently, "Not bad."

Chen Mo smiled. Ju Xin had received a message from Zhang Yang, hoping that he could reply on the forum.

He tapped his finger on the screen and left a comment under Zhang Yang's reply.

[Chen Mo] replied to [Zhang Yang (Basketball Club)]: Senior, your health is the most important thing, please get plenty of rest. Since we're going to have a match, let's make it more formal and convincing. How about a 5v5? You decide the time and place, just let us know when you've decided, and we're ready to play anytime. [Smile]
Chen Mo's calm and collected response was like a drop of water falling into a boiling oil pan, causing the post, which was already exploding in popularity due to his flamboyant reply, to explode even more instantly.

【710L】: Holy crap! I accepted! Junior Chen Mo is awesome! [Worshiping the master.jpg]
【711L】: This reply... is so calm! "Always ready," ahhh, so cool! Junior is so awesome!

【712L】: Replying to 711L: Indeed, I love that calm and composed demeanor!
【713L】: @Zhang Yang (Basketball Club) Senior! The juniors have all accepted the challenge! Hurry up and set a time and place! Don't dawdle!
【714L】: The betting is open! Betting with forum coins! Those betting on the seniors to win, line up on the left; those betting on the juniors to win, line up on the right! [Seeds and mineral water ready.jpg]
【715L】: I'm betting on the junior! Just for his looks and charisma! I'll accept it even if I lose!
【716L】: Rationally speaking, the seniors have a better chance of winning. A full 5v5 game tests teamwork and stamina; the basketball club members train together every day, their teamwork is far superior to that of the freshmen. Even if Chen Mo and Shen Xinghe are strong, it will be difficult for them to carry the other three makeshift teammates.

【Inside Dormitory 504】

Looking at the analysis on the forum, Wang Lan laughed and said, "Old Mo, Xinghe, the analysis in post #716 has given you a reasonable excuse for losing the game. This way, you won't be caught fixing the match."

Shen Xinghe gave a rare smile, but didn't say anything, continuing to look at something on his tablet.

Soon, Chen Mo and Shen Xinghe's phones vibrated; it was a message from Zhang Yang in the Juxin group chat.

"Thanks, brothers! I won't bother with the pleasantries. The tentative time is Saturday afternoon at 3 PM, in the main gymnasium. It's a good venue there, and convenient... uh, convenient for some students to watch. What do you guys think? And who are the other three of you?"

Chen Mo quickly replied, "Time and location are fine. There will be four of us from our dorm, plus one classmate from our class." He remembered the classmate who had mentioned bringing him along to play basketball next time. That person had added Chen Mo on WeChat and his name was Wu Di.

"No problem! It's a deal then! See you at the main stadium on Saturday at 3 PM!"

Once the news was confirmed, Zhang Yang quickly posted a new thread on the forum, officially announcing the time and location of the "Freshman VS Senior" basketball match.

The post's popularity surged again, becoming one of the most talked-about events during the freshman season at Xiangchuan Medical College.

In room 504, Wang Lan was already itching to perform. Although he knew he was just there to "make up the numbers" for the performance, he was still very excited.

After all, it's such a hot topic, a great opportunity to shine. Just one outstanding performance is enough to make him famous on campus.

At that time, girls might even take the initiative to ask him out. Just thinking about this made Wang Lan's mind wander, and he grinned like a lovesick fool.

The other three could tell at a glance that this kid wasn't up to anything.

Li Zhe would normally be unlikely to participate in such an open competition, since he was afraid of dragging the team down. However, since this was a pre-planned match-fixing, he no longer had that psychological burden and could instead relax and have some fun.

Chen Mo smiled as he looked at his enthusiastic roommates. "Now that things are settled and so many eyes are watching, let's start tomorrow by inviting Invincible to play ball with us whenever we have free time. To outsiders, it will look like we're training. We should go all out and make it more convincing."

"Should we tell Wu Di that this is a fixed match?"

“No need. It’s enough that the four of us know it’s a fixed match. Leaving one player who’s truly committed makes it even harder to spot. But since Wu Di is playing seriously, whenever he has a scoring opportunity, we shouldn’t worry about fixing the match. We should just pass the ball to him with all our might and give him a chance to put on a show. Even if we lose in the end, no one will think he’s bad, and we won’t hurt his pride,” Chen Mo said after considering it for a moment.

“Indeed, Chen Mo’s arrangement is quite ingenious; the mix of truth and falsehood is what makes it so difficult to discern,” Li Zhe nodded.

“Old Mo, you’re so thoughtful! Let’s do it that way!” Wang Lan immediately agreed.

Shen Xinghe naturally had no objections to these matters.

For him, this was simply a pre-arranged business deal; he just had to cooperate and perform—it was his area of ​​expertise! (End of Chapter)