RCQT Chapter 105

Rong Jinghe stood on the sidelines, watching as a few people confronted each other on the basketball court.

Realizing he was blocked, Hong acted decisively, immediately passing the ball out: “Brother Chu, it’s up to you!”

Taking the ball, Chu Qianze looked ahead and found Leng Jing standing in front of him.

Leng Jing had been waiting for this moment, with his arms spread wide, closely observing Chu Qianze’s movements. When it came to playing basketball, he had never been timid. He wanted to show everyone who the most formidable player was.

“How coincidental.” Chu Qianze curled his lips, leaning slightly forward and smoothly dribbling the ball, switching hands.

“With me here, you won’t—” get past.

Leng Jing’s words were cut short as he saw the opponent exert force, and the basketball slipped out of his hand, heading straight towards his chest.

He tried to dodge, but his body couldn’t react in time. A sense of crisis swept over him, and instantly, every hair stood on end. His whole body seemed on the verge of exploding.

A chuckle escaped Chu Qianze’s lips as he executed a wrist spin, regaining control of the ball and effortlessly evading Leng Jing’s defense.

What? Did I just let someone get past me so easily?

Leng Jing’s pupils contracted slightly as he turned to look back. At this moment, Chu Qianze had already covered some distance with the ball.

Someone ahead tried to steal the ball, but Chu Qianze made a quick turn, spinning away from the opponent through a small sprint. His hand moved skillfully with the ball, ensuring swift adaptation.

Two people were assigned to block Hong, and some teammates had moved too far forward earlier to assist. Surprisingly, a vacuum formed under the basketball hoop. After a few moments, Chu Qianze had broken through the defense and arrived beneath the blue team’s basket.

Although Leng Jing urgently wanted to defend, the opponent’s speed was just too fast. By the time he reached the three-point line, Chu Qianze had already started shooting.

With a leap, Chu Qianze exerted force on his wrist, smoothly sending the ball into the basket.

“Two points for the red team, red-blue score 6 to 4!” Rong Jinghe shouted.

“Brother Chu is awesome! So amazing, my goodness!” Hong raised his hands, applauding enthusiastically. He just loved seeing that frustrated expression on Leng Jing’s face.

Leng Jing picked up the ball, sneering, “We’re far from done. We’ll catch up soon enough.”

“Well, then we better step up our game,” Chu Qianze didn’t take the comment to heart, simply replying, “If you lose too miserably, don’t accuse us of bullying you.”

Returning the favor.

Humph, does he really think he’s that skilled? He just ran far.

Leng Jing didn’t say anything more, lips tightly pursed, observing the surroundings. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. As someone who used to be on a basketball team, he vaguely understood that the opponent’s skills were probably not low.

He didn’t bother dwelling on the exact level of their abilities, though. Leng Jing was unwilling, or perhaps just disinterested, in delving into that aspect of thought.

He charged towards the red team, initiating an attack.

However, not long after, Leng Jing realized something was amiss. Someone on the sidelines had been staring at him persistently, like a lingering ghost, annoying him to no end.

“Move away, stay away from me.”

Chu Qianze raised an eyebrow, noticing the opponent’s slight error and effortlessly intercepting the ball. “Don’t follow me~”

With that, he turned and headed towards the blue team’s basket.

Damn!

Leng Jing almost couldn’t hold back a curse. He had just told the person to stay away, and now he found himself trailing behind.

With four opponents in front, Chu Qianze dribbled the ball with his right hand, evaded an attacker, took a step back, and then smoothly stepped in a circular motion.

Three steps to the basket.

The basketball touched the backboard and entered the hoop.

“Two points for the red team, the score is now 8 to 4 for both teams!” Rong Jinghe announced the score, fulfilling his referee duties.

Taking a few steps to the side, Leng Jing continued to follow closely. Chu Qianze chuckled lightly, took a step forward, and when the opponent followed, he smoothly retreated, turning around to fake a shot.

Raising his arm for the shot, here it goes~

“Two points for the red team, 10 to 4,” Rong Jinghe declared.

Leng Jing took a deep breath, lifting his hand to run through his hair.

“This is incredible, so entertaining!”

“I was actually thinking of playing a game just now. Isn’t this getting wrecked by a pro?”

“Oh, oh, oh, keep going! Don’t stop!”

“Blue team, blue team, rise up! You can do it!”

Receiving the ball passed by Hong, Chu Qianze had just taken a step forward when he noticed several opponents rushing toward him. He quickly passed the ball back to Hong.

Hong caught the ball, shouting desperately, “Brother Chu, what are you doing? I’m being closely watched!”

“Instinct,”

Chu Qianze raised his hand and gestured, “Just give it back to me.”

After receiving the ball once again, he swiftly moved between two opponents, arriving beside the basket and preparing to jump.

Leng Jing, seeing this, leaped up to block Chu Qianze’s shot, only to realize that Chu Qianze wasn’t shooting at all.

Played like a joke?!

As Leng Jing descended, Chu Qianze took two steps forward, performing a wrist spin.

“Two points for the red team, 12 to 4,” Rong Jinghe announced.

Wiping his face fiercely, Leng Jing looked at Chu Qianze with a fierce glare.

“Continue?” Chu Qianze teased.

The ball possession changed, a scramble for the ball.

Changing hands behind his back, a quick move around the opponent, and the ball went in again.

“Two points for the red team, and the red and blue teams are at 14 to 4.”

Next, Chu Qianze became the focal point of attention. Wherever he went, three people surrounded him.

“Is this really necessary?” Chu Qianze chuckled helplessly, performed a fake pass, and smoothly broke through the defense.

After a few rounds, the opponents figured out that Chu Qianze couldn’t be stopped. They chose to directly guard their own basket.

Chu Qianze gestured to indicate the opponents’ positions, pondered for a moment, then stood still, his body leaning back, one eye slightly squinted as he took aim.

“What’s he planning to do? Is he going to shoot from here??”

“We’re beyond the three-point line now. I can’t handle this, I’m so nervous!”

“I’m almost suffocating. Why does this feel like watching a professional game?”

“I feel sorry for the blue team for a second, but I’m really enjoying this.”

Chu Qianze exerted force on his wrist, simultaneously lightly jumping off the ground.

A hollow shot.

“Three points for the red team, 24 to 8,” Rong Jinghe announced.

“Two points for the red team.”

…

“Two points for the red team, 33 to 8.”

Chu Qianze dribbled the ball, looking at the few people directly in front of him. “Where’s Leng Jing? Is he not coming?”

Because he didn’t intentionally lower his volume, Leng Jing, who was a few steps behind, heard the words and felt a surge of frustration.

Seeing that the opponent wouldn’t immediately catch up, Chu Qianze clicked his tongue and, feigning an offensive move, actually passed the ball to Hong. “I’ll take a break then.”

This is an obvious targeting move, but precisely because Chu Qianze doesn’t hide it at all, it doesn’t generate any resentful feelings. After all, everyone is familiar with Leng Jing’s usual style. He tends to stare at others with a red-eyed gaze, wearing a perpetual scowl as if someone has wronged him.

Moreover, considering that the other party started the trouble first, anyone with a bit of discernment could see it. While the initial collision might be dismissed as an accident, the subsequent intentional high throws were quite deliberate.

If it were oneself being hit, one might even wish to give the person a good beating.

Seeing Leng Jing rushing up to block him, Chu Qianze chuckled, “Rested well? Then let’s continue, shall we?”

The basketball hit the ground.

“Two points for the red team,” Rong Jinghe announced.

Leng Jing supported himself on his knees, his entire body soaked in sweat.

Throughout the entire game, Chu Qianze had kept a close eye on him. Despite appearing nonchalant on the surface, Chu Qianze had been shadowing him closely.

Chu Qianze moved like a solitary prowling leopard, while Leng Jing felt like the prey being toyed with.

In that moment, Leng Jing suddenly understood that the gap between them couldn’t be measured because they weren’t even on the same level.

How could Chu Qianze be so capable, and why did he have such strength?

Filled with unwillingness, Leng Jing’s legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

Chu Qianze felt there was no need to continue the competition. He lowered his slightly rolled-up sleeves, stretched his neck, and casually walked away.

“Anyone else want to play? I’ll take a break for now.”

“Well… considering how you played, we won’t embarrass ourselves,” someone said.

Chu Qianze picked up a nearby water bottle, opened it, and took a sip. “Don’t overestimate me. If you want to play, just join in. Let’s all have some fun.”

“I’ll be the referee. How about we regroup and continue?” someone suggested.

With unanimous agreement, the suggestion was quickly accepted.

Rong Jinghe, seeing someone taking over his position, stepped aside without hesitation. He came over to Chu Qianze, not knowing what to say, and raised his hand to pat him on the shoulder.

“Impressive.”

“Just so-so,” Chu Qianze modestly replied.

“The next time I hear you say that, we’ll have to raise the bar a few notches,” Rong Jinghe shook his head in mock exasperation.

Almost made Leng Jing question his life. This level is considered just so-so?

“That’s right, Brother Chu. Humility doesn’t suit you like this. I don’t even know what to say.” Hong couldn’t care less about his image at the moment, just sitting on the ground. He was exhausted, but truly satisfied. With seamless coordination, Chu Qianze was like a perfect teammate.

Inside the recording studio, the director was replaying the video of the recent match. Fortunately, there were cameras on the basketball court, providing excellent footage.

He stroked his chin, pondering the editing challenges.

According to the original plan, this episode was meant to support players with low popularity but high potential, giving them a chance to shine, including Leng Jing. Based on his performance, he would still have some screen time in this episode, but what happens afterward…

The director sighed and dragged the progress bar backward, pausing at the segment where Chu Qianze made the three-point shot.

“How… how can I bear to cut this?”

There was plenty of footage, and every moment was captivating, but there was too much to include everything. He found himself in the dilemma of abundance.

After the event concluded, back in the dorm, Chu Qianze casually placed a massager on Hong’s desk. “It’s for you.”

“Thanks, Brother Chu!”

Hong’s tone became cheerful, “I’m using it today!”

“No problem, it’s not like I have a use for it anyway.”

Chu Qianze adjusted his clothes, picked up some fresh clothes, and headed towards the bathroom. “I’ll take a shower first. Don’t fight over it, okay?”

“Go ahead, go ahead. I won’t fight, and I’ll keep the others away. Brother Chu, today you’re my big brother. Whatever you say, happens!” Hong sat in the chair, unpacking the box and eagerly testing the device’s performance.

“It still has the familiar feel, the familiar features. Oh, I love it!”

Ye Lunguo was curious, “Does it feel good?”

“Of course! Their instruments are universally recognized as top-notch. I’m really, I’m captivated by it.” Hong’s face was filled with delight.

Rong Jinghe noticed that Ye Lunguo seemed interested and handed over his massager, saying, “Want to give it a try?”

“Brother Jinghe, I, I can’t accept this,” Ye Lunguo exclaimed in surprise.

“I already have one, and I have too many. You can try it, and if you like it, keep it,” Rong Jinghe insisted, passing the device to Ye Lunguo.

“Thanks, Brother Jinghe.” Ye Lunguo accepted it and started unpacking it to give it a try.

Chu Qianze finished his shower and walked out, glancing ahead. He saw the floor covered with opened boxes and torn plastic bags.

“All this garbage, remember to recycle it,” he stepped over, reminding them.

“Sure thing, Master Chu~” Hong responded with a respectful tone.

“We got it, Brother Chu. I’ll clean up now,” Ye Lunguo obediently replied, bending down to pick up the items and placing them on the table.

For the third public performance, the elimination system was still in place as per the rules.

This time, due to the ranking, only a few were chosen.

Unlike the previous times, everyone was selected for different songs. Chu Qianze entered the training room and glanced at the members of his group.

Chu Qianze had just let out a smile when he was surrounded by a few people.

“Brother Chu! Oh my god, I’m in the same group as you!”

“Brother Chu, please guide us! We’ll work hard!”

“Brother Chu, Brother Chu, I’m called Wang Hua! I’m your little fanboy!”

Surrounded by a few enthusiastic fans, Chu Qianze felt a bit dazed. “Hello, everyone.”

Knowing himself, Chu Qianze didn’t find it strange, but the current situation made him feel like these people were looking at him with inexplicably eager eyes.

“Brother Chu, how should we arrange things?” one person asked.

Chu Qianze responded and smoothly shifted the conversation to the main topic.

Based on the results of the previous two public performances, anyone who had teamed up with Chu Qianze had remained until now. Those originally in the F-rank had rapidly climbed in the rankings. Moreover, during the training process, these individuals had visibly grown at an astonishing rate.

Ye Lunguo originally couldn’t dance, learning at 0.5x speed was challenging for him, but now he could keep up with everyone’s progress.

Dou Xi, who originally had mediocre skills, had surprisingly shown noticeable growth over the past few weeks and even ranked 20th in the last evaluation.

Several members from Class A, while teaching others, often added, “This is what Brother Chu said.”

Most of the people who had been with Chu Qianze spoke highly of him and willingly praised each other.

Unbeknownst to Chu Qianze, his image among the trainees had suddenly elevated significantly.

After finishing his nightly routine and climbing into bed, Chu Qianze heard the sound of the door opening. He lifted the curtain and glanced outside, saying, “You’re the earliest one back today.”

Rong Jinghe leaned against the wall for a moment and asked, “Are they still in the training room?”

“Yeah, it seems like it.”

Rong Jinghe said, “Everyone seems to be getting nervous.”

Feeling that Rong Jinghe’s voice sounded a bit strange, Chu Qianze asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, probably just didn’t rest well.” Rong Jinghe exhaled and sat down at his spot.

“I’m back!”

Hong opened the door and flopped onto the table without any hesitation. “I can’t take it anymore, I’m going crazy! Huh? Ye Lunguo hasn’t come back yet?”

At that moment, the door opened, and Ye Lunguo walked in, leaning against the door and plopping down on the floor with a lack of energy. “Good evening.”

With more than half of the competition behind them, everyone wanted to challenge themselves. The four members of the dormitory each took on the C-position in their respective groups, handling many responsibilities. Ye Lunguo and Hong, in particular, were handling such important roles for the first time, keeping busy every day, and often exhausted.

Due to different song choices and separate training rooms, they rarely met outside of their dormitory. Even when they did, they exchanged greetings and then busied themselves with training matters.

As the time for the performance approached, they finished their styling and waited for their turn. Although they said familiarity breeds contempt, for them, even at this point, they still felt nervous yet filled with anticipation. They hoped their performance would satisfy their fans.

 

 

---

Support me on ko-fi ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ