Sophie had just put down the phone in disappointment when it rang again. She picked up: “Hello, who are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for Sophie, is she there?” It was Shawn Thompson’s voice.

“This is she. Shawn Thompson?”

“It’s me, haha! We have a game this afternoon, and I’d like to invite you to come watch.”

“Basketball? But I don’t really understand it…”

“That’s okay! I’m actually going to play today! Didn’t you say that as long as you train hard, you’ll see results? I did it, so I want you to come see!”

Sophie hesitated for a moment. “But the weather…”

“Rain? No problem, our game is in the indoor basketball gym in the South Campus. The weather won’t affect us at all!”

“But…”

“Come on, please!” Shawn Thompson was already begging. “I can play all thanks to you—how could you not come?”

Sophie thought about how Shawn Thompson had helped her a lot when she first arrived on campus, and she owed him a favor. Then she thought of Jason Bolton, who was probably off having fun somewhere right now!

Anyway, the afternoon would be boring, and Jason Bolton wasn’t around. Shawn Thompson was her friend, and she really couldn’t bring herself to refuse him…

“All right, what time, and where should I catch the bus?”

Because of the rain, the bulletin board looked deserted, and a poster had just been put up only to be soaked by the rain.

Freshman Cup Soccer Match:

Due to the weather, the two matches originally scheduled for this afternoon have been postponed. The specific time will be announced separately!

Student Union Sports Department, October 17, 2001

This game was the CUBA Anhui regional qualifier, with U University playing at home against H University. The modern basketball gym in U University’s South Campus was packed with people today, all there to support the teams. After several years of successful operation, CUBA had already built a loyal fan base and a huge brand effect among college students.

It was Sophie’s first time watching a basketball game in a place like this, and she looked around curiously. Shawn Thompson was warming up right in front of her, and he seemed quite popular with the fans. Sophie found it odd—why did a substitute player get even more applause than the starters just for warming up? Was it just because he was good-looking?

Inside the gym, the sound of drums and cheers filled the air, and the game was about to begin.

Sure enough, Shawn Thompson was a substitute. He put on his jacket and sat back down on the bench.

The gym quieted down. Players from both teams stood around the center circle, the two centers stood inside the circle, and the referee stood between them, tossing the ball high into the air. The game began.

In the first half of the first quarter, U University took advantage of playing at home, launching a series of fast breaks and scoring repeatedly, even going on a 10-0 run. But after H University called a timeout, things changed immediately. H University used their advantage in the paint to guard the basket and fought hard for offensive rebounds, gradually closing the gap. By the end of the first quarter, they were actually leading U University by 5 points!

The second quarter began, and U University still hadn’t regained control of the game. Instead, they made more mistakes, and the young players showed signs of impatience. H University seized the opportunity to widen the gap, 47-32, leading by 15 points! At this point, U University called a timeout, and then Shawn Thompson stood up and took off his jacket, drawing a wave of cheers from the crowd.

Shawn Thompson’s appearance on the court immediately changed the situation. As a guard, his passing and ball-handling were top-notch, often setting up great plays for his teammates. What troubled the opponents even more was that, at critical moments, he was fearless and could score himself.

Now, as soon as he got on the court, he drove to the basket and stole the ball, scoring ten points himself without letting the other team get a single point. Amid the cheers of the fans, U University’s momentum soared. They pressed the attack, not only regaining lost ground in one go, but by the end of the game, they were leading by 20 points!

Sophie sat in the stands, watching Shawn Thompson running hard on the court, sweat soaking his jersey, beads of sweat clinging to his hair and cheeks, flying everywhere with his every move.

Suddenly, she thought of Jason Bolton. Although Jason Bolton seemed unremarkable most of the time, once he stepped onto the soccer field, he completely changed—his eyes sharp, his movements agile, his focus intense… The way he looked when he was absorbed in something was always so captivating.

The noise in the gym kept pounding in Sophie’s ears. U University was leading by a huge margin, but Sophie’s attention was completely off the basketball game. The familiar environment brought her back to the past, to seven months ago in Chengdu, during their last winter break in high school. The last time the five members of Dawn played soccer together as teammates.

Even though they were the defending champions, they also received the warmest “welcome” and faced the toughest resistance. All their opponents still remembered how Dawn, in their first appearance at the national tournament, had crushed last year’s runner-up Guangming High School 4-0, making a name for themselves in one match. A year later, Guangming was replaced by Dawn, and other schools began to hope they could become the new Dawn. The best way to do that was to bring down the current Dawn.

Every match was a real, hard-fought battle, and every game drained every bit of their energy. In the later stages of the finals, Edward Reed could only play half a game, and in the semifinals, he had to sit on the bench the entire match to save his strength for the final. Kyle Lane had no choice but to take the risk of using a “rotation system” in such a knockout tournament!