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

New hot posts quickly appeared on the forum, discussing this "exciting and intense" and "suspenseful" final match.

Public opinion has completely shifted; no one is mocking Zhang Yang's previous crushing defeat anymore, and the focus is now more on discussing the match and evaluating the players from both sides.

Chen Mo, Shen Xinghe, and even Wu Di and Wang Lan have all seen a significant increase in popularity.

Only Li Zhe was like an invisible man on the court, and he remained like an invisible man even after the game was over.

The main reason is that he has minimized his presence so well.

During the game, he can pass the ball quickly with minimal presence, providing assistance to the team and creating many opportunities for his teammates to make highlight plays.

This lack of presence actually suits his characteristics and playing style.

On his way back to his dorm, Wu Di was still excitedly reviewing the game and said he would continue to practice hard so he could win next time.

All four of them adopted an encouraging attitude.

When they returned to room 504 and only their own group remained, Wang Lan finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Haha, perfect! That was a really enjoyable performance! But Wu Di played really well too. If he had scored that last shot, it would have been a real problem."

Chen Mo smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. A draw is not a loss. It doesn't have to have a regretful ending to seem real."

Li Zhe nodded: "Actually, it doesn't matter whether we win or lose now; the public opinion effect has already reached its peak."

Shen Xinghe didn't say anything, he just wiped his sweat beautifully. To him, it was like completing a filming job.

Just then, Chen Mo's phone rang. It was a message from Zhang Yang:
"Bro, thanks! I'll remember that favor! Are you free tonight? We'd like to treat your dorm and Wu Di to dinner, you absolutely have to come!"

Chen Mo looked up at his roommates: "Zhang Yang is treating us to dinner, wanna go?"

“Go! Why not go! We’ll get a free meal!” Wang Lan was the first to respond.

Li Zhe and Shen Xinghe nodded indifferently.

"Okay, but Wu Di played very seriously in today's game, so let's not go into details about certain things at the dinner table. Just based on today's performance, everyone did very well," Chen Mo replied to Zhang Yang.

"I thought it was a bit strange that this young man was playing so hard. I understand now. In any case, his performance has been recognized by everyone. I won't say anything I shouldn't say. We ourselves are too embarrassed to talk about this matter."

Chen Mo nodded after reading Zhang Yang's reply.

The fact that the other party understood and took the initiative to avoid suspicion means that the matter is completely over, and the favor has been truly appreciated.

"All done. Remember not to talk nonsense during dinner tonight. If Wu Di finds out the true nature of this game, it might hurt him," Chen Mo said to his roommates.

“I understand, I understand. We didn’t treat him unfairly in today’s game. He’s the one who gained the most fame out of the five of us because of this game. Damn, I just saw a lot of girls talking about him on the forum. I’m so jealous.” Wang Lan said with an envious look on her face.

"Don't any girls talk to you?" Chen Mo asked with a smile.

"Yes, some people say I'm as strong as the gorilla in Slam Dunk." Wang Lan rolled her eyes.

Upon hearing this, the other three all laughed.

They really do look somewhat alike. Seeing her roommate making fun of her, Wang Lan quickly changed the subject, "By the way, Lao Mo, what's for dinner tonight? We should get the seniors to chip in, right?"

"They'll decide on the location, it shouldn't be bad," Chen Mo smiled.

"What about your sister-in-law and the others? Are you taking them with you?"

"It's just a bunch of roughnecks having a gathering, so it's not really appropriate to bring them. Let's not bring them. I've already told Yuqing, and they've started talking to other girls in our class. They're having their own party tonight."

"So much the better."

In the evening, Zhang Yang sent a message, suggesting a well-known barbecue restaurant near the school, with a lively atmosphere, suitable for young people to have a meal together.

The four students from room 504, along with Wu Di who was still excited, arrived at the agreed location as a group of five.

Zhang Yang's group also had four or five people, all of whom were his teammates from today's game.

The atmosphere was unusually warm when the two sides met, with no trace of the tension that existed during the competition. Instead, they seemed like old friends who had known each other for a long time.

"Hey bros! This way!" Zhang Yang called out loudly, stepping forward and naturally putting his arm around Chen Mo and Wu Di's shoulders. "I've saved you a seat, you have to eat and drink well today!"

"You've gone to so much trouble, senior," Chen Mo said with a smile.

"No need to spend money, it's rare to get along so well! Right, Wu Di? That last shot of yours really scared me to death!" Zhang Yang patted Wu Di's back hard, his tone full of praise, without the slightest hint of pretense.

Wu Di was a little embarrassed by the praise, but more proud. He chuckled and said, "You guys are really good, seniors. Your defense was spot on."

"Hey, you guys forced us to play like that! You guys played really well!" Zhang Yang's other teammate chimed in with a laugh. "Especially Chen Mo and Shen Xinghe, they lived up to their reputations! And Wang Lan, with that build and those rebounds, he'd definitely be our starting center if he joined the basketball club!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Lan's eyes lit up immediately: "Really? Senior, is it easy to get into the basketball club?"

"Good! Based on your performance today, you're welcome anytime!" Zhang Yang waved his hand.

During the meal, the table was filled with kebabs, beer, and drinks, and the atmosphere quickly became lively.

Everyone tacitly agreed to only talk about today's game, basketball skills, interesting things at school, and which cafeteria had the best food, without mentioning the previous forum controversy or any topic that might involve "throwing the game".

Zhang Yang and the others, as expected of sports students, mostly have cheerful and outgoing personalities and are very good at creating a lively atmosphere.

They frequently toasted Chen Mo and Shen Xinghe with drinks, thanking them for bringing a wonderful match. They also highly praised Wu Di, who almost created a miracle at the last moment, saying that he dared to fight and had a big heart.

Wu Di was beaming with pride after being praised, completely immersed in the joy of "honorable defeat" and the recognition from his senior. His fighting spirit soared even higher, and he began to look forward to officially defeating his senior next time.

Chen Mo and his group naturally cooperated, and the mutual flattery went very smoothly.

Although Shen Xinghe didn't talk much, he was well-mannered and would occasionally nod in response, preventing any awkward silences.

After spending some time with them, Chen Mo discovered that these people weren't actually as bad as he had initially thought.

Looking back, they initially offered to protect the girl, resolve her troubles, and provide her with a large sum of money. Even when things got heated, they only argued verbally and didn't actually try to physically assault her because of their size. They knew perfectly well that if they did, they would not only be disciplined by the school, but the girls around them would be even less likely to like them. (End of Chapter)