Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

The Enoden train travels slowly along the Shonan coastline.

The wheels made a rhythmic clanging sound as they struck the rails.

Outside the window is the shimmering sea.

Sunlight spills onto the sea, shattering into countless pieces of gold leaf, while the outline of Enoshima in the distance appears and disappears in the mist.

This should have been a breathtaking landscape, perfect for listening to City Pop with headphones and enjoying an ice-cold soda.

But at this moment, Lin Bei only wanted to jump out of the car.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Gorilla! Look at that!"

"Is that Ryonan High School?"

"Is that bald guy fishing?"

"This genius will bring Haruko-san fishing someday!"

"Rukawa Kaede! You damn fox, wake up! Get up and let's duel!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi pressed himself against the car window.

The red head bobbed back and forth like a high-wattage light bulb, chattering incessantly at a volume loud enough to drown out the train's announcements.

The passengers in the carriage all cast strange glances at them.

There was disdain, fear, and also curiosity about seeing rare animals.

Akagi Takenori sat in his seat with his arms crossed, the veins on his forehead throbbing into a "well" shape.

He closed his eyes, seemingly trying his best to suppress some kind of murderous impulse.

Sitting in the corner, Lin Bei silently pulled down the hood of his hoodie to cover his entire face.

They attempted to sever their connection with the outside world through this physical isolation.

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

Lin Bei silently recited the incantation in his mind.

This trip to Ryonan for practice matches was nothing short of mental torture for him.

To prevent Sakuragi Hanamichi from getting lost halfway or provoking stray dogs on the roadside.

Akagi deliberately arranged for Rinbei to sit next to Sakuragi to "keep an eye on him".

"Master! Master, look!"

"Is that the legendary bikini?"

Sakuragi suddenly turned around, his big face close to Lin Bei's, excitedly pointing out the window.

Lin Bei sighed helplessly, lifted a corner of his hat, revealing a lifeless, dead fish eye.

"Flower path, that's an old man doing his morning exercise in a vest."

"Also, as a 'secret weapon,' you must maintain an air of mystery."

"Have you ever seen a secret weapon that screams and yells before launch?"

This statement clearly hit Sakuragi's blind spot.

He paused for a moment, then his expression changed to one of sudden realization.

He covered his mouth with both hands and nodded vigorously.

Then, striking what he thought was a profound pose, he stiffly sat back down in his seat.

The world is finally quiet.

Lin Bei slumped back into his seat, glancing at Rukawa Kaede diagonally across from him out of the corner of his eye.

This guy is the real ruthless one.

No matter how much Sakuragi argued, Rukawa always wore headphones and kept his eyes closed.

There was even a snot bubble hanging from the tip of its nose, its size fluctuating, and it was sleeping so peacefully.

"Is this the mental fortitude of an ace?"

"Your sleep quality is even better than mine?!"

Lin Bei was so envious he wanted to grind his teeth.

……

As the train's announcement came on, the members of Shohoku High School disembarked from the platform.

A salty, damp sea breeze swept over me.

Lingnan High School is nestled between mountains and the sea, boasting stunning scenery.

But at this moment, a chilling atmosphere permeated the air.

At the school gate, a short boy with a notebook in his hand was peeking around.

When he saw the Shohoku group, his eyes widened instantly, as if he had seen aliens descend.

"Here they come! Shohoku is here!"

Aida Hikoichi gasped, nearly dropping his pen.

His gaze passed over Akagi, who stood like a black tower, and over Rukawa, who had an indifferent expression, and was fixed on the lazy figure yawning at the back of the group.

"That's Lin Bei..."

"The legendary man who instantly defeated Rukawa Kaede just to leave early!"

Yan Yi's hands were trembling as he quickly jotted down notes in his notebook:

[Observation Log: Target Lin Bei walks with an extremely relaxed posture, seemingly conserving energy]

[His eyes were unfocused, as if he was observing for any flaws in the scene (or perhaps he was still half asleep? (scratch that) No, it's definitely a pretense!)]

[Danger Level: S!]

"Hey, you shorty over there, what bad things are you writing?"

Sakuragi Hanamichi keenly noticed Hikoichi's gaze and immediately moved closer, glaring at him menacingly.

"Wow! A weirdo with red hair!"

"I...I'm Aida Hikoichi, a first-year student at Ryonan High School!"

"I'm here to scout... no, to welcome you all!" Yan Yi was so startled that he took two steps back.

"Hmph, intimidated by my genius aura, aren't you?" Sakuragi smugly rubbed his hair.

"Let's go, Sakuragi."

Akagi Takenori gave a low shout and led his team straight into the gate of Ryonan.

Lin Bei paused for a moment as he passed Yan Yi.

He turned his head to look at the notebook in Yan Yi's hand, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Your handwriting is quite good."

After saying that, he put his hands in his pockets and slowly followed the group.

Yan froze on the spot, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"That look...it was as if it saw right through me!"

"This is terrible! We must tell Coach Taoka immediately!"

……

Lingnan Basketball Hall.

Beneath the enormous dome, the floor reflected blinding light.

The two teams faced off in the center of the field.

On one side was the Ryonan team, dressed in dark blue jerseys and exuding an imposing aura.

Leading the group was Captain Jun Uozumi, who stood at 2.02 meters tall, like a moving mountain, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

On the other side was Shohoku, wearing red jerseys.

Akagi Takenori stared back defiantly at Uozumi, their gazes clashing in mid-air as if sparks were about to fly.

"Akagi, it's been a long time."

Ryonan's coach, Shigeichi Taoka, walked over, holding a folding fan in his hand, with a forced smile on his face.

"Coach Taoka." Akagi bowed slightly.

"I heard you finally managed to assemble your starting lineup this year?"

Taoka Shigeichi's gaze swept over the Shohoku team, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

"Rukawa Kaede... well, he's definitely a good newcomer."

"but……"

His gaze lingered on Sakuragi Hanamichi and Lin Bei, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"A red-haired delinquent, and another..."

Taoka pointed to Lin Bei, who was leaning against Coach Anzai and seemed ready to fall asleep at any moment.

"Is that guy just there to make up the numbers? He looks like he can't even hold the ball properly."

"Akagi, are you sure this is the lineup you want to challenge us with?"

"Don't let us lose too badly and then say that Ryonan bullied us."

These words were like a thorn, piercing deep into the hearts of everyone in Xiangbei.

"You damn old man! What did you say?!"

"I'm a genius, a secret weapon! You know what a secret weapon is?!" Sakuragi Hanamichi instantly bristled, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to charge forward.

"Stop, Sakuragi!" Akagi grabbed Sakuragi's head.

But his own face was terribly gloomy.

"Coach Taoka, the match hasn't even started yet, don't speak too soon."

Akagi's voice was deep and powerful, "Shohoku is different this year."

"Yeah?"

Taoka Shigeichi shrugged noncommittally.

"Then let me see."

"What exactly is the difference between you two?"