Chapter 396: Forming a Team

“Got it, boss. I’ll call the best guy from the campus team,” Liu Hua said with a grin.

Even though it was just a casual match, they were still following standard basketball rules. Only five players could be on the court at any time. Liu Hua’s plan had been simple. With himself, Lu Ming, and Wei Zhihang, that made three.

Originally, he had planned to call in two players from the campus team. But now that Wang Haoran agreed to join, he could only call one.

Anyone on the campus team played at a seriously high level. As long as they picked the best of the bunch, it should be enough to carry the entire team. And if things goes sideways during the game, they could always swap in a substitute from the bench.

“Don’t call anyone from the campus team,” Wang Haoran said calmly.

“No campus team? Then how are we supposed to crush Class 112?” Liu Hua asked, clearly puzzled.

“You think I’m not good enough?” Wang Haoran looked at him.

“Boss, are you actually good at basketball?” Liu Hua blinked, surprised by the confidence.

“There won’t be a problem winning with me on the team,” Wang Haoran replied.

“All right, then it’s us four. We just need one more guy from our class to make five. But who should we ask?” Liu Hua mused.

“Out of you, Lu Ming, and Wei Zhihang—who’s the best?” Wang Haoran did not answer directly. Instead, he asked a question of his own.

“Obviously me!” Liu Hua thumped his chest, full of confidence.

“You sure about that?” Wang Haoran’s gaze narrowed, almost like he was measuring something.

Liu Hua straightened his back. “Of course. Ask Lu Ming and Wei Zhihang if you don’t believe me.”

“Good. I believe you,” Wang Haoran said with a faint smile. “You don’t need to play. I’ll call two others.”

Liu Hua froze. It took a moment before his mind caught up to what was just said. Then he blurted out, confused and aggrieved, “Boss, if I’m the best, why am I not playing?”

“Do I need to explain how I do things?” Wang Haoran gave him a flat look.

“No, no, of course not.” Liu Hua quickly waved his hands and smiled sheepishly.

At the same time, over in Class 112’s classroom, a group of boys were gathered, all of them grumbling and restless.

“That Liu Hua from Class 113 is shameless. He even called players from the campus team. How are we supposed to play like this?”

“If they can call the campus team, so can we.”

“Yeah, right. Liu Hua’s a rich second gen. Those guys on the team give him face. Who do we have? Nobody’s going to help us.”

“Then forget it. Let’s just drop out of the match.”

“But the word’s already out. Tons of people know about the game. If we back out now, Class 112 is going to be a joke. Can’t you guys have a bit of sportsmanship? Even if we lose, we should still show up. And honestly, they’re playing dirty. If we lose, no one’s going to blame us.”

“Then you go. I’m not getting stomped.”

“Same. Count me out.”

“Forget it. Game’s over.”

The argument petered out. After a while, the group scattered, leaving only four students behind.

But a basketball game needed five players.

The four who remained looked at each other helplessly, none of them knowing what to do next.

Just then, a voice called out from the doorway.

“Hey, I heard you guys are playing against Class 113. You short a player?”

Lin Mo stepped into the room with a casual smile after hearing the earlier conversation. The students turned to look.

“Yeah, teacher,” one of the boys answered automatically. Lin Mo didn’t look like a student, so they assumed he was a faculty member.

“What do you think about me joining?” Lin Mo offered with a grin.

“Teacher, are you serious?” The four of them stared at him, doubtful.

Lin Mo didn’t exactly cut an imposing figure. He looked slim, of average build, and not particularly tall.

“You’re missing a player anyway. Why not give me a try?” Lin Mo didn’t boast. His tone was mild and humble.

The four boys exchanged glances. No one objected, and one of them finally nodded and said, “Thanks, teacher.”

At least they had some sportsmanship. Since they had already agreed to the match, they decided to follow through—even if they were probably going to lose.

Strictly speaking, Lin Mo wasn’t a student of their class. But if Class 113 could bring in the campus team, then having a teacher on their side didn’t break any rules either.

Of course, they didn’t have any expectations for Lin Mo. As far as they were concerned, he was just there to fill the gap and make up the numbers.

Lin Mo saw the looks on their faces and could guess what they were thinking. He didn’t bother explaining.

Everything would become clear on the court.

He left the classroom with a slight smile and made his way to Liu Yue’s office. On the way, he opened the system interface and exchanged all of his Approval Points for Advanced Basketball Skills.

In that moment, he transformed from a total beginner into a master of the game. On a court full of students, he could absolutely dominate.

Even so, he felt a little sting. Those Approval Points took a lot of effort to accumulate.

But when he imagined himself pulling off dazzling plays in front of a crowd and racking up even more Approval Points, the sting faded instantly.

Instead, anticipation burned hot in his chest.

“Professor Liu, here are the materials for your upcoming lecture. I’ve sorted everything out.”

Lin Mo knocked gently and stepped into Liu Yue’s office, placing a neatly organized stack of papers on her desk.

“Thanks.” Liu Yue was reading a book and didn’t even glance up, giving only a casual response.

Lin Mo didn’t want to disturb her, but when he noticed the title of the book she was reading, he couldn’t help but ask, “Professor Liu, are you reading up on basketball rules? Are you interested in the game too?”

“It’s all right. I haven’t followed it in a while. I’m going to be the referee for a game at noon. Figured I’d brush up a bit so I don’t mess up the rules and make a fool of myself,” Liu Yue replied evenly.

“Is it the match between Finance Class 112 and 113?” Lin Mo’s eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly.

“That’s right. You know about it?” Liu Yue finally looked up from her book.

“Know about it? I’m playing for Class 112,” Lin Mo said proudly.

“You’re a teaching assistant. You’re not supposed to join student games. Isn’t that against the rules?” Liu Yue frowned slightly.

“Professor, you don’t know the full story,” Lin Mo said with a look of righteous indignation. “Wang Haoran from Class 113 is being shameless. He brought in players from the campus team. Class 112 knew they couldn’t win, so nobody wanted to play. If I hadn’t stepped in, they wouldn’t even have enough players.”

That was a blatant lie.

He clearly heard that it was Liu Hua from Class 113 who had invited the campus team, but he didn’t hesitate to pin the blame on Wang Haoran instead.

“That Wang Haoran,” Liu Yue muttered, her expression turning cold.

In her eyes, Wang Haoran’s actions were completely disgraceful. It was supposed to be a simple class match, yet he went and brought in elite players to overpower the other side. It was unsporting, even despicable.

Lin Mo saw her reaction and knew his smear campaign worked. A small, satisfied smile flickered across his face.