I'm a senior in high school, and the Emperor Development System has arrived!

Chapter 123 This is even more awesome than Sister Hong from Nanjing.

[Ding! Congratulations, Your Majesty, you have upgraded your basketball skill to level 3!]

A system notification sounded in Chen Zhou's mind, followed by a surge of intense heat that instantly swept through his entire body.

The feeling was like a rusty chain being soaked in scalding hot machine oil.

Muscle memory, like a lion awakened, allows for an unprecedentedly fluid understanding of basketball that washes over the senses.

Chen Zhou exhaled gently, his breathing instantly becoming steady.

Looking again at the dark-skinned figure surrounded by a crowd outside the three-point line, exuding a powerful sense of oppression, his state of mind was completely different.

It's no longer a sense of dread as if facing a formidable enemy, but rather a calm and analytical approach:
"Perhaps...we can win!"

The cheers and shouts of "flash sale!" from the audience continued unabated.

Wang Rui and Zhu Zhou clenched their fists in tension.

Lin Feng's lips curled into a slight smile, seemingly accustomed to the "performance" about to unfold:
"Let's start with a three-pointer to get a feel for the shot."

He stopped spinning the ball, his movement simple and fluid to the extreme.

Bend your knees, lower your shoulders, jump on your toes, and flip your wrists.

The basketball's arc as it left the hand was as perfect as a textbook drawing, with breathtaking accuracy, spinning at high speed straight toward the basket.

"Brother Feng is awesome!"

"A three-quarters hollow!"

"Instant kill!!"

However, the exclamation caught in his throat the next second.

The instant the basketball left his hand, Chen Zhou moved!
His movements are as swift as lightning, his judgment as precise as a surgical scalpel.

He didn't try to block the shot head-on.

Instead, his body shifted to the side and he slightly lifted off the ground, jumping just the right height, his right index and middle fingers barely brushing the tiny point of rotation on the bottom of the basketball.

Snapped!
A sound that wasn't loud, but was so crisp it made everyone's heart stop.

Time seems to stand still.

The basketball, which should have gone in perfectly and ignited cheers, instead drew a bizarre backward trajectory in the air.

With a loud clang, it slammed heavily against the front of the rim!

A pop-up window appeared!

"Holy crap?!"

"You ran into them?"

It's unclear who was the first to let out that incredible roar, but it instantly ignited the entire stadium.

Dead silence, followed by boundless astonishment and gasps of shock.

He Lili screamed wildly:

"Brother Zhou!! -- Awesome!!"

Lin Feng's relaxed and confident expression froze instantly, his pupils contracting sharply as if pricked by a needle.

He stared intently at Chen Zhou, who had landed back on the ground with a calm expression, as if he were truly recognizing his opponent for the first time.

"luck?"

His throat was dry, and he uttered two words in a low voice, as if he were asking Chen Zhou, or perhaps himself, or even forcibly suppressing the turbulent waves in his heart.

Chen Zhou stood firmly on the ground, feeling the surging confidence brought by the level 3 skill.

He merely glanced at Lin Feng, a slight, almost imperceptible curve appearing at the corner of his lips, but offered no reply, heading straight for the rebounding basketball.

He dribbled the ball, and possession of the offense returned to him.

This time, no one dared to underestimate them.

The contempt in Lin Feng's eyes completely disappeared, replaced by extreme solemnity.

He tensed all his muscles, lowered his center of gravity, and spread his arms wide, like a fully drawn bow, firmly blocking Chen Zhou's possible breakthrough route.

He was going to crush his opponent with his most prized defensive intensity.

Chen Zhou made a move.

He didn't try any more fancy feints.

A simple crossover and hand switch in front of the body, yet the movement is so fast that it leaves afterimages.

Lin Feng's center of gravity was instinctively shifted, moving half a point to the right.

It's this very moment!
Chen Zhou's right hand, dribbling the ball, was like a magician's phantom. The ball's bounce trajectory after hitting the ground was not forward, but rather passed through at an extremely tricky angle, close to the outside of Lin Feng's supporting foot!

A crotch puncture?!
"not good!"

Alarm bells rang in Lin Feng's mind, and he instantly pulled his legs back together with astonishing speed.

The ball didn't go over; it was blocked by his calf.

However, the instant the basketball bounced, Chen Zhou was already close enough to touch it like a fish.

He didn't forcefully push or shove, but rather used his shoulder to skillfully block Lin Feng at the crucial point where he was about to exert force.

There was no obvious foul, but that instantaneous contact just happened to disrupt Lin Feng's balance and rhythm.

A breakthrough at level 3!
His mastery of rhythm and timing is unparalleled.

Lin Feng swayed.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Zhou stepped in, and just as Lin Feng forcefully twisted his body to chase and defend, his arm about to block the shot, Chen Zhou's body once again demonstrated incredible coordination—

He stopped abruptly, took a step back, and stretched his body backward to a much greater extent than usual, leaping into the air!

A clean, crisp jump shot with a slight fadeaway!
Lin Feng's fingertips swept across the basketball with a whooshing sound, just a hair's breadth away!

He watched as the basketball was flicked from that steady, almost mechanical wrist, tracing a beautiful, smooth parabola.

brush!
The basketball goes hollow into the net.

1: 0.

Lin Feng stumbled a step after landing before regaining his balance, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

What was that just now?
It's rhythm! It's timing! It's body control!
Every single detail is terrifyingly accurate! This is definitely not a coincidence!

The entire stadium fell into a second, even deeper silence.

If there's an element of luck in blocking three-pointers, then this genuine breakthrough, fake, step-back, and fadeaway jumper that went in was executed flawlessly, completely shattering everyone's expectations!
Chen Zhou, he... he was faking it before?
Was he playing dumb all along to take advantage of others?

This dark horse in the opening exams, how come he plays basketball so ridiculously?!

This time, even He Lili forgot to shout, covering her mouth with an astonishingly bright gaze.

Wang Rui stomped his foot angrily:

"Damn it... Chen Zhou! Are you cheating?! You're even more awesome than Sister Hong from Nanjing?"

Zhu Zhou shook Wang Rui hard:

"Did you see that? Did you see that? That ball just now?"

The students from Class 7 were completely speechless, finding it hard to believe that they had just played several rounds with Chen Zhou.

Although the loss was devastating, it shouldn't be this exaggerated.

It feels like Chen Zhou released so much water that it created an entire Pacific Ocean.

Just then, Yu Xinyan and Wang Zhinian, who had come over to watch their classmates' excitement, witnessed Chen Zhou score a point.

A hint of surprise flashed in Wang Zhinian's eyes:
"Chen Zhou... he's this good at basketball too?"

Lin Feng was in the same class as the two of them, and they were well aware of his basketball skills.

But it is precisely because I understand this that I am so surprised.

Yu Xinyan did not answer immediately.

Her gaze was fixed on the figure in the center of the court—

At this moment, Chen Zhou was bathed in the scorching afternoon sun, sweat dripping down his angular jawline and evaporating instantly on the court floor.

The sunlight outlined the taut curve of his back as he took a fadeaway shot, a powerful and explosive beauty that was completely different from the figure she remembered!

"I...I don't know..."

Yu Xinyan uttered those words almost subconsciously and dryly, her voice as light as a feather.

Watching that figure surrounded by applause and cheers, Yu Xinyan felt a tightness in her chest for the first time. Regret and resentment were stronger than ever before.

It's one thing for their grades to improve, but how come their basketball skills have become so outstanding?
Yu Xinyan squinted, trying to see Chen Zhou clearly, but suddenly realized that he was getting further and further away from her.

Chen Zhou picked up the fallen ball and walked towards the three-point line. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the now quiet court.
"Shall we continue, Mr. Lin?"

There was no provocation, just a statement.

But to Lin Feng, it sounded even more grating than the sharpest sarcasm.

Two consecutive setbacks, especially the failed nutmeg followed by a fadeaway jumper, have severely shaken his confidence.

He rubbed his face hard, his eyes turning extremely dangerous, burning with resentment.

"continue!"

Lin Feng's deep voice carried suppressed anger, like a volcano about to erupt.

The onlookers could clearly feel that, with Lin Feng at the center, the air in the entire half of the arena seemed to freeze and sink a bit.

"Lin Feng is serious now!"

"We were careless just now, but now we're getting serious!"

"Chen Zhou is in danger!"

"..."

After winning the point, Chen Zhou still had possession of the ball.

This time, he no longer tried to use pure speed or explosive power to fight head-on.

His dribbling rhythm began to become unpredictable, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, like a variation of a deliberately disrupted beat.

Sometimes a quick crossover would cause Lin Feng to move his feet instinctively, and sometimes he would pause for a moment, making Lin Feng's nerves tense up.

Chen Zhou's rhythm was like a viper's flick of its tongue, eerie and deadly.

The sound of dribbling is no longer a drumbeat, but a pulsating, trap-like rhythm.

With a swift, probing step to the right, Lin Feng's center of gravity immediately shifted to the left like a taut bowstring!

Lin Feng's left ankle was under tremendous torsional load, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, trying his best to keep up with Chen Zhou's pace.

However, just as Lin Feng channeled his power into his left foot—

Chen Zhou's right foot stomped heavily on the ground as if rooted to the spot, and his entire body twisted to the left and back in an unbelievable way using the force!

The basketball seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, executing an astonishing behind-the-back change of direction.

Chen Zhou vanished from the right flank in an instant, and appeared like lightning in the vacuum zone on the left flank that Lin Feng had just left!
That was so sudden! The magnitude of the change was too great!
Lin Feng's brain is on high alert!

All his defensive momentum was focused on lunging to the left, and now it was a matter of life and death to force his body back to the right!
But his obsession with winning made him brake recklessly, twist his body, and desperately push his left foot back inward!
Trying to use the enormous torsional force on the ankle to fight against the out-of-control inertia!
click!
A dull, crisp sound, like a sturdy tree branch being forcibly snapped.

The sound was much softer than a basketball hitting the ground, yet it struck Lin Feng's heart like an invisible hammer.

The focus and competitive spirit on his face were instantly replaced by extreme pain!
With a muffled groan, Lin Feng seemed to have all his strength drained away, his tall body completely losing its balance, and he fell straight down in the opposite direction of Chen Zhou's breakthrough!
"Oh!"

His body crashed onto the plastic track, signaling the end of everything.

The basketball bounced smoothly through Chen Zhou's hands, and he had come to a steady stop in the open space after his breakthrough.

He didn't even need to take the last shot.

The match ended with a score of 1-0.

Dead silence.

Complete silence.

Even the sound of the wind seemed to freeze.

All eyes were fixed on the fallen figure.

Lin Feng curled up, one large hand tightly clutching his left ankle, his knuckles turning white from the intense pain.

His sharply defined face was contorted with pain, and sweat poured from his temples and forehead like streams, instantly soaking his furrowed brows and collar.

Lin Feng...

He was completely outmaneuvered by Chen Zhou's rhythm?!
The deathly silence lasted only a brief moment.

Immediately, like a spark thrown into boiling oil, He Lili's piercing scream exploded:

"Brother Zhou—Awesome!!!"

That scream ignited the frenzy in Class 8!

Wang Rui and Zhu Zhou frantically pounded each other's shoulders, screaming incoherently:

"Holy shit! We won! We fucking won!"

"Brother Zhou! You're my god!"

The students from Class 8 who were watching went wild, and the cheers almost lifted the sky above the stadium!
On the other side, the deathly silence had completely turned into a frozen, bewildered state.

The boys in Class 6 stared blankly at their captain, who was curled up in pain on the ground, their expressions like frozen stone sculptures. Their minds were completely blank.

The idol who was just moments ago invincible now lies in agony on the ground, and the opponent didn't even need to throw the final ball...

The impact of this disruptive result far surpasses words.

After a brief period of chaos, a tall boy from Class 6 was the first to react:
"Quick! Take Brother Feng to the infirmary!"

The other two team members seemed to snap out of their daze and rushed onto the field, trying to help Lin Feng up.

"hiss--!"

Lin Feng gasped in pain, his face turning ashen.

Every tiny movement brought intense stinging pain.

He tried to stand on one leg, but his left foot couldn't put any weight on it. His body weight was almost entirely on the two people next to him, making his tall figure look unusually heavy and disheveled.

Chen Zhou leaned closer, showing concern:

"Mr. Lin, are you alright?"

Knowing he was outmatched, Lin Feng's earlier resentment vanished completely, and he forced a smile.
"It's okay, it's okay, we'll play again next time..."

As he spoke, he gave a difficult thumbs-up:

"you're good!"

Having gained his opponent's approval, Chen Zhou was slightly taken aback, and helped Lin Feng up.

"Good luck, good luck, I'll lend a hand."

Seeing the two leave, the crowd spontaneously parted to make way for them.

The sun still beat down on the empty court, with the basketball lying forlornly in the center.

But everyone's attention was focused on the figure being helped along, slowly and laboriously making its way to the school clinic in the distance, and on the tall, upright figure beside her.

At that moment, the system's voice also appeared at the opportune moment:

[His Majesty personally attended the martial arts competition, clashing with martial arts masters. His imperial might was displayed, and his skills overwhelmed even the most ruthless warriors. Imperial Prestige +150]

[His Majesty's divine might is awe-inspiring; Consort Yu regrets losing His favor. Imperial prestige +100]

[Imperial Might: 550]

Chen Zhou twitched the corner of his mouth.

It cost 500 Imperial Might to get only 250, resulting in a net loss of 250.

However, Yu Xinyan...

Why did you regret it again?
In the relatively quiet corridor outside the school clinic, the afternoon sun slanted through the glass windows, casting long dappled patterns of light on the floor.

A faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air.

After taking Lin Feng to the infirmary, Chen Zhou prepared to head home and return to class.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared—

Yu Xinyan stood quietly not far away.

The soft light enveloped her, blurring her slender figure beneath her school uniform, yet clearly outlining the delicate contours of her face—

With delicate features, a straight nose, and slightly pursed thin lips, she truly deserves the title of beauty.

She gently pursed her lips and looked at Chen Zhou:
"Chen Zhou... I want to talk to you."

(End of this chapter)