Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

The Harbin Institute of Technology gymnasium was noisier than usual on Saturday.

The aerospace engineering college's professional basketball tournament has entered the final four stage, and the stands are packed with students. Banners, cheering sticks, and even homemade support signs have decorated the entire venue like a formal game.

Lin Feng and Qin Feng sat in the fifth row of the east stand, where their view covered the entire stadium.

"Old Zhang looks pretty good today," Qin Feng said, handing him a bag of potato chips.

On the court, Zhang Haohan was warming up before the game. Wearing the No. 23 jersey of the Aerospace Class 1, he dribbled, changed direction, and pulled up for a jump shot, the basketball drawing smooth arcs and swishing through the net one after another.

Lin Feng took the potato chips, but his gaze fell on the opposite half of the court.

The members of Aerospace Class Two were stretching, and one of them, a center who was nearly two meters tall, stood out. His muscles were clearly defined, and his movements carried an air of dominance.

The whistle blew, and both teams entered the field.

As the captain of Aerospace Engineering Class 1, Zhang Haohan and the opposing captain jumped for the ball at center court. The referee tossed the basketball high into the air, and Zhang Haohan, with his excellent jumping ability, tipped the ball to his own guard.

The competition has officially begun.

Zhang Haohan's performance in the first quarter was nothing short of amazing.

On offense, he made both of his three-point attempts and drew a foul on a layup, completing a 2+1 play. On defense, he made two consecutive steals and a chase-down block, drawing cheers from the crowd.

"Did Old Zhang take performance-enhancing drugs today?" Qin Feng excitedly waved his fist.

Lin Feng frowned slightly.

He noticed that the tall center—player number 5 from the Aerospace Class 2—was becoming increasingly aggressive. Several of his defensive plays involved obvious physical contact, and the referee called two fouls, but he simply shrugged, completely unconcerned.

The accident occurred halfway through the second quarter.

Xiao Wang, the guard from Aerospace Class 1, received the ball during a fast break and was about to make a layup when number 5 from Aerospace Class 2 suddenly rushed out from the wing. It wasn't a block—he moved sideways and his shoulder slammed into Xiao Wang.

"Be careful!"

Zhang Haohan's shouts were drowned out by the sound of the impact.

Xiao Wang flew out like a kite with a broken string, landing on his back and sliding two meters away. He hugged his left knee, curled up into a ball, and his face instantly lost all color.

The referee's whistle blew sharply.

The game was paused, and the school doctor rushed onto the field with a first-aid kit. After a preliminary examination, it was found that Xiao Wang's left knee was swollen and he was completely unable to stand.

When the stretcher was brought in, the entire stadium was completely silent.

"Violent foul! Ejected from the game!" The referee gestured to number 5 of the Aerospace Class 2.

The man just pursed his lips and slowly walked to the sidelines, even giving a high-five to his teammates on the bench.

Zhang Haohan rushed over and grabbed his collar: "You fucking did that on purpose!"

"Let go." Number 5 pried Zhang Haohan's hand off, a defiant smile on his face. "Basketball is a physical sport; injuries are normal. What, can't take a joke?"

The referee promptly separated the two.

But the problem was unavoidable: only four members of the Aerospace Class 1 were available to play. According to the rules, if five members could not be gathered within one minute, the game would be lost.

"Who else in our class can play basketball?" Zhang Haohan asked anxiously, sweating profusely.

The team members looked at each other, shaking their heads to indicate they didn't know.

Zhang Haohan's gaze anxiously searched the audience seats, finally settling on Lin Feng. He recalled that during a late-night chat in the dormitory a couple of days ago, Lin Feng had casually mentioned that he "played basketball in middle school."

Although I don't know his skill level, right now...

"Referee, give us one minute!" Zhang Haohan shouted, turning around and rushing towards the stands.

His steps were hurried, his sneakers screeching on the floor. The gazes of the spectators followed his movements, finally settling on Lin Feng.

"Old Lin!" Zhang Haohan stopped in front of Lin Feng, sweat dripping from his hair. "Just need a hand, enough to make up the numbers!"

All eyes in the stadium turned to him.

Qin Feng tugged at Lin Feng's sleeve: "Are you sure you can handle this? This is no joke, that guy just now..."

Lin Feng's gaze swept across the field: the four players from Aerospace Class 1 stood on the sidelines, their faces filled with resentment; on the bench of Aerospace Class 2, the number 5 player who had been sent off was sitting with his legs crossed, a smug smile on his face; in the stands, the students from Aerospace Class 1 looked dejected.

"I played with them in middle school, but haven't touched them in years." Lin Feng stood up. "That should be enough to make up the numbers."

Zhang Haohan's eyes lit up instantly.

He grabbed Lin Feng and rushed towards the locker room, yelling at the referee, "We have a fifth player now!"

The referee glanced at Lin Feng—he was well-proportioned, but clearly not an athlete's physique. He frowned and looked at his watch: "Two minutes. Change your clothes and get on the court. Overtime results in a loss."

In the locker room, Lin Feng changed into a hastily found jersey with the number 11. The fabric was a bit rough, and the number was temporarily taped on.

"Don't be nervous." Zhang Haohan quickly instructed him while adjusting his jersey, "Just pass the ball on the perimeter and stick to your man on defense. We'll handle the offense."

Lin Feng moved his wrists and ankles.

It's been many years since I've stepped onto the court.

But the muscle memory remains.

Pushing open the locker room door, the stadium lights were somewhat blinding. A murmur of discussion arose from the stands:

"Who is that?"

"It seems to be... Lin Feng? That top scorer in the college entrance exam?"

"He can play ball? You must be kidding me!"

"Those who are just there to make up the numbers are bound to lose."

Lin Feng walked towards the court, his gaze calm.

The captain of Aerospace Class Two saw him and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Aerospace Class One is out of people? They're just finding a bookworm to fill the ranks?"

Just as Zhang Haohan was about to lash out, Lin Feng raised his hand and pressed down on his shoulder.

The referee blew his whistle, and the game continued.

The Aerospace Class 1 takes the ball from the baseline. Zhang Haohan passes the ball to Lin Feng and then quickly runs towards the frontcourt.

Lin Feng received the ball, turned around, and faced the defender.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

The clamor from the stands, the shouts of teammates, and the panting of opponents gradually faded away.

All that remained was the feeling of the basketball spinning in my palm, and the basketball hoop 10 meters away and 3.05 meters high in front of me.

In the first round, Lin Feng chose to pass the ball.

His movements were a bit clumsy, but his pass was precise, finding his open teammate. Unfortunately, the teammate's shot missed, and the rebound was won by the opponent.

For the next few minutes, Lin Feng's performance was mediocre.

He mainly operates beyond the three-point line, occasionally passing the ball after receiving it, and rarely dribbles to penetrate. Defensively, he can barely keep up with his matchup, but clearly lacks experience.

The score gradually widened.

At the end of the third quarter, Aerospace Class 1 was down by 11 points.

"Old Lin..." Zhang Haohan gasped for breath, his jersey soaked with sweat. "We have to catch up in the fourth quarter, you..."

"Pass me the ball," Lin Feng interrupted him, his voice calm. "I can shoot."

Zhang Haohan was stunned.

The fourth quarter begins.

The second aerospace team kicked off. Their point guard dribbled the ball across half-court, about to launch an attack, when Lin Feng suddenly stepped forward. His movement wasn't fast, but the timing was perfect—at the instant the opponent changed direction, he gently flicked the ball with his right hand.

Steal!

The basketball rolled towards the center, and Lin Feng and Zhang Haohan started moving simultaneously.

Two against one fast break!

Zhang Haohan received a pass from Lin Feng and drove straight to the basket. The last defender closed in, but Zhang Haohan faked a move, and then—

"Old Lin!"

He tossed the ball backward.

That was an extremely difficult pass, with too much power and too high a direction, heading straight for the backboard.

A sigh of regret rose from the stands.

But the next second, everyone was stunned.

Lin Feng suddenly accelerated beyond the three-point line.

His speed wasn't particularly fast, but his stride was precise, and he was already inside the free-throw line in three steps. Just as the basketball was about to hit the backboard, he pushed off with both legs, and his whole body soared into the air.

The height of that jump exceeded everyone's expectations.

His slender body stretched out fully in the air, his right hand raised high, catching the basketball steadily just as it was about to hit the backboard.

Then--

boom!

One-handed dunk!

The basketball flew through the net, slammed heavily onto the floor, and bounced up to the ceiling.

The entire stadium fell into a deathly silence.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Holy crap!

Someone shouted first, and then cheers erupted like a volcanic eruption, sweeping across the entire venue.

"Dunk! He dunked!"

"What kind of bounce is that?!"

"A top scorer in the college entrance exam can dunk?!"

Lin Feng landed, glanced at his right hand, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He hadn't played basketball for many years, but the physical attributes of his body, enhanced by the system, clearly exceeded his expectations.

The scoreboard is flashing: Trailing by 9 points.

The members of Aerospace Class 2 were all stunned. The number 5 player who had been sent off stood up from the bench, his smugness completely gone.

"Defense." Lin Feng's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached every teammate's ears. "Eight minutes left, we can win."

Zhang Haohan looked at Lin Feng, at the calm yet determined light in his eyes, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Brothers," he wiped his brow, "take them down!"

The next match was completely different.

Lin Feng no longer held back his strength. His shooting accuracy was terrifying—all three of his three-point attempts swished through the net. His drives were concise and effective, always finding weaknesses in the defense. His passes were unpredictable, delivering numerous exquisite assists.

More importantly, his cooperation with Zhang Haohan is becoming increasingly seamless.

Zhang Haohan's breakthrough drew a double team, and he passed the ball to Lin Feng on the outside; Lin Feng's shot forced the opponent to widen their defense, creating space for Zhang Haohan to break through.

The defenses of the second aerospace team were completely torn apart.

With 30 seconds left in the game, Aerospace Class 1 took a 3-point lead.

The second aerospace team called a pause.

"On the last possession, they'll definitely shoot a three-pointer." Zhang Haohan said, panting. "Old Lin, you guard their shooter."

Lin Feng nodded.

The timeout ended, and Aerospace Class 2 inbounded the ball from the frontcourt sideline. Their shooters frantically ran around the three-point line, trying to shake off their defenders.

But Lin Feng remained by his side.

Five seconds.

Four seconds.

three seconds.

The ball has been passed to us!

The pitcher from Aerospace Class 2 catches the ball, turns, jumps, and shoots—

A hand reached out from the side and gently flicked the basketball just as it left the hand.

Snapped!

A block!

The basketball changed direction and flew towards the center court. Zhang Haohan dashed out like an arrow, grabbed the ball, and tossed it high into the air as the final whistle blew.

Won!

The members of Aerospace Class One rushed frantically to the center of the field, surrounding Zhang Haohan and Lin Feng.

In the stands, the students from Aerospace Engineering Class One jumped up and cheered. Qin Feng rushed down from the stands, excitedly patting Lin Feng on the back: "Old Lin, you kept it a secret!"

Lin Feng smiled, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and didn't say anything more.