score maniac

Chapter 16: Weakness Detection System

“Swish!” The one-on-one matchup between Gu Yu and Cousins was nearing its end. “Yeeeeees! Take that!!” After sinking a pull-up jumper, Cousins was completely hyped up. Overjoyed by the basket, he started showing off in front of Gu Yu, pointing a finger right at him with a look of pure smugness in his eyes. “You—take—this, you fxxker!!” On the other hand, Gu Yu had gradually adapted to Cousins’ defensive rhythm. With a beautiful fake, he created space for himself; the moment one foot touched the rim, he immediately released the shot, and the ball swished through the net. I-I can’t believe it… It’s actually a dead heat! On the sidelines, Bai Bian and Jeter—who had been silently watching for quite some time—were left speechless. They exchanged glances, neither daring to believe what they were seeing. After all, the guy going one-on-one with a guard on the court was none other than De Marcus Cousins! Even someone as arrogant as “Big White” Whiteside had to admit that, from the perspective of a traditional interior destroyer, Cousins was more than a cut above him. But this little guy… “Whoosh—!” Another fake and shot—Gu Yu once again stepped on the rim. As the ball left his hand, he had to lower his body almost parallel to the ground to avoid Cousins’ block, yet the ball’s arc remained perfect, soaring high to its peak before crashing down. “…Swish!” In the net! “Good boy, Daddy loves you.” After scoring, Gu Yu did a somersault to his feet, walked past Cousins, reached up to pat Cousins on the cheek, and tossed out a bit of trash talk. “…Fuck me!!” Cousins was seething with rage and instinctively reached out to punch Gu Yu right in that smug face. “…What did you say? You dare to curse your grandmother???” But when Gu Yu turned around and glared at him fiercely, Cousins’ movement froze. This guy…! Standing before him, Gu Yu was more than a full size smaller than Cousins, but for some reason, the moment Cousins caught sight of the violent aura emanating from Gu Yu—so intense it was almost visible to the naked eye—he… “Chickened out???” Whiteside was genuinely shocked. De Marcus Cousins… actually chickened out right before a fight?? Just what kind of presence does this little guy have… “If we were to say…” Beside him, Jeter swallowed hard and said blankly, “If De Marcus is a hothead—a thug who can’t help but throw punches every now and then—then this Asian guy… is literally a fucking terrorist!” A terrorist? Whiteside froze at the words, and when he looked back at Gu Yu, he was taken aback. “You… you… you… say that again? What did you just call your grandma???” Facing the towering Cousins, Gu Yu showed no fear whatsoever. He took two steps forward and jabbed his finger hard against Cousins’ nose, saying, “Go ahead and say it again if you dare!” This guy…! In that instant, Whiteside finally understood completely why Cousins had backed down. “He’s not just putting on a show or playing tough—it’s more than that.” Cold sweat had already broken out on Jeter’s forehead, and his breathing grew heavier and heavier: “This Asian guy really isn’t afraid of anything. Even if the person in front of him were Chen Mu or Michael Jordan, as long as someone upsets him, he’d go right in and fight them…!” That’s right…! On the court, Cousins hurled a few insults but didn’t actually throw a punch, and the two continued their one-on-one matchup, which was nearing its end. On the sidelines, Whiteside was still shaken. This Asian guy with the slicked-back hair was definitely not like some players who, when things start to get out of hand, rush in to act tough—only to run for the hills when things actually spiral out of control. This Asian guy is the real deal—the kind who “acts instead of talking” and doesn’t have the word “coward” in his vocabulary! Black players have all been involved in street fights or similar incidents to some extent; they’ve seen all kinds of people. When a fight breaks out, they can tell at a glance who’s just putting on a tough act and who’s genuinely fierce. But aside from these two types, there’s another kind of person who’s the most terrifying of all: the ones who don’t care about their own lives! “…Whoosh!” “…Holy shit!!!” Cousins’ defense, as expected, didn’t hold up to scrutiny. Gu Yu’s shooting threat was simply too great, causing Cousins to fall for nearly every one of Gu Yu’s fakes. After being knocked off balance, Gu Yu used the rhythm he’d gradually grown accustomed to, finding extremely tricky angles to take his shots. Although every shot was taken from near the rim, no matter how strange or contorted his form was, the ball actually went in every single time! “Just one point left, my boy!” With another basket, Gu Yu knew full well that Cousins was holding back a bit when it came to physical contact. But when it came to winning, he didn’t hold back—that was Gu Yu’s philosophy on the court. Deference? Politeness? Letting others off the hook when you can? Ever since the day he first picked up a basketball, Gu Yu had never given a second thought to that kind of nonsense! “That’s brutal…!” The more Whiteside watched, the more alarmed he became. In terms of skill and physicality, this Asian player was nothing more than a bottom-of-the-bench player—someone who couldn’t even stand out in the summer league. But this “no-nonsense, just get it done” attitude perfectly matched the aura a scorer should possess. Jordan, Kobe, Wade, Le Bron James when he’s in scoring mode, Tracy Mc Grady in those clutch moments, and Chen Mu—the NBA’s current top player… When they were desperate to score—when they craved the sound of the ball swishing through the net—they all exuded that very aura. Unlike them, however, this Asian player doesn’t really have what you’d call a “scoring mode.” From start to finish, this guy thought of nothing else but taking shots! “That personality, that playing style… it’s just too fierce!” Jeter couldn’t stop shaking his head. In terms of raw talent, Cousins was far superior to Gu Yu, but thanks to this sheer tenacity, Gu Yu had actually held his own against Cousins—it was enough to make one doubt their own eyes! This innate scoring frenzy wasn’t just evident when Gu Yu took shots—it was reflected in his every word and action. Jeter was certain that even if he and Whiteside took the court right now and told Gu Yu they’d go three-on-one against him, Gu Yu wouldn’t flinch in the slightest—he’d probably get even more fired up! Who was the last player to give off this kind of vibe? Who was the last guy so true to his own inner passion?? “Clang…!” Damn it! As Gu Yu kept closing the gap with a series of mind-boggling shots, Cousins began to lose his composure. He missed a sure-thing hook shot, and Gu Yu even managed to snatch the rebound with a flurry of quick moves! Oh no! Cousins might be straightforward, but he’s no fool. After a dozen or so plays, he’d already pinpointed Gu Yu’s sweet spot. As he turned to defend, without a word, he used his massive frame to muscle his way in, completely blocking off the spot where the hoop was—a spot Gu Yu couldn’t even see. Bring it on! Cousins roared inwardly, watching Gu Yu dribble and change direction, unable to shake him off despite his flustered appearance, and a smirk curled at the corners of his mouth. If you’ve got what it takes, try stealing your sweet spot right from under my feet! “My son’s a quick learner. Well then, I’ll take a three-pointer.” But to everyone’s surprise, Gu Yu’s expression suddenly changed. He took a step back to the three-point line and launched the shot. “…Swish!” Good! “What…?!?” Cousins’ mouth dropped open, and he couldn’t even finish his sentence. D-does this guy… actually know how to shoot NBA three-pointers?!! Plus, in a one-on-one match, a three-pointer counts as two points—if this shot goes in, it means… “Greasy Hair won…!” Jeter frowned and nodded, his gaze toward Gu Yu now tinged with a burning intensity. “You thought I could only score from there…?” With the basket putting them ahead, Gu Yu, brimming with arrogance, shot a dismissive glance at Cousins: “Remember this: I’m an all-weather, all-around, all-position, 24-hour all-purpose scorer…!!” Lost… lost? Cousins, going one-on-one against a guard, and he lost…?! This is fucking unbelievable!! On the court, among the four rookies, Jeter and Whiteside were already in awe of Gu Yu. Cousins, meanwhile, stood frozen in place, utterly unable to believe the outcome. Even if he had indeed gone easy on him, wasn’t fully focused, and didn’t take Gu Yu seriously, still… “Is that… Charles Barkley?” Watching Gu Yu’s gleeful expression—like a kid who’d just stolen some candy—Whiteside stared wide-eyed and said, “Doesn’t this Asian guy’s personality remind you a little of Barkley??” “It’s even worse than that.” Jeter shook his head with a wry smile. “This guy is clearly the reincarnation of Dennis Rodman…!” “Hahahaha, unbeatable!! Hahaha… Hmm?” Over there, Gu Yu was still basking in his own excitement when suddenly, a strange voice rang out in his head. “Ding” What the heck?? Gu Yu froze. That sound… was exactly the same as when the route circle appeared at the Basketball Summit. Could it be… He widened his eyes and looked ahead—an electronic display appeared before him, visible only to him. “Cheat 2. 0 Special Feature: Weakness Detection System, now activated…!”