Yao Ming found himself very unaccustomed to Zhuji High School's targeted defense during this game. Yan Hui and Feng Chen managed to achieve their two-for-one objective for him. Furthermore, due to tactical defensive errors, they fell into Zhuji High School's offensive and defensive rhythm, experiencing rapid energy depletion from constant back-and-forth running.
In his matchup against He Ximeng, Liu Wei was completely outmatched. It wasn't that Liu Wei's skills were inferior, but rather that all of Liu Wei's intentions were predicted by He Ximeng, causing Liu Wei to play extremely awkwardly and commit frequent mistakes. Liu Wei even suspected He Ximeng had somehow peeked at Nanmo High School's playbook.
Compared to Yao Ming being suppressed, Liu Wei being contained by Zhuji High School had a more significant negative impact on Nanmo High School. The consequence was the disappearance of Nanmo High School's signature short-range coordinated plays. Their offense was fragmented, and relying solely on Zhang Wenqi's individual skills for isolation plays was not enough to defeat Zhuji High School.
Ultimately, this top battle in Group A concluded with Zhuji High School narrowly winning by four points, 72:68. He Ximeng scored a game-high 21 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals. Zhang Zhenpeng followed closely with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. For Nanmo High School, Zhang Wenqi scored a team-high 18 points, Liu Wei had a team-high 6 assists, and Yao Ming grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds. In their previous few games, Yao Ming averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds, but his stats in this game saw a significant decline, with at least 3 fewer rebounds and his scoring dropping from 19 to 13 points.
The first encounter between the two teams ended with a narrow victory for Zhuji High School. After the game, Liu Wei approached He Ximeng to discuss the match, but He Ximeng seemed more interested in Yao Ming.
"How about it? Any thoughts on playing across the ocean in the future?" He Ximeng asked Yao Ming, looking up.
"Huh?" Yao Ming was a bit surprised, appearing shy facing this "self-introduction" opponent. "Have we met before?"
"Well... I've known you for a while. Whether you remember me, I'm not sure..."
"I'm sorry..." Yao Ming lowered his head, scratched his ear, and apologized to He Ximeng, "I really can't recall..."
"It's okay! Let's just say we're meeting for the first time now! My name is He Ximeng, from Zhuji. My dream is to play across the ocean and lead a team to a championship trophy... How about you?"
"Oh... your dream is really big! My name is Yao Ming. My current thought is to get into the Shanghai youth team, then the Shanghai professional team, earn a lot of money, and lighten the burden on my family... To be honest, I eat a lot... the pressure at home is immense..."
"I understand, I understand~" He Ximeng initially intended to pat Big Yao's shoulder, but realized he couldn't quite reach, so he settled for patting his waist instead. "Your current thoughts are very down-to-earth! But I want to tell you, you can set your sights even higher... For example, first become the best center in China, then fly across the ocean to play, earn a ton of US dollars, and pick up a bunch of championship rings... at least seven, okay!"
Yao Ming was clearly interested in He Ximeng's mention of earning a lot of US dollars, but he then thought of another question. "Um... why seven? Not eight or nine?"
"Uh... because if you collect seven championship rings, you can summon a dragon..."
"Ah? Really?" Yao Ming suspected He Ximeng was fooling him, but given that Yao Ming was currently reading the manga "Dragon Ball," he held onto a sliver of hope.
"Trust me! When you collect seven championship rings across the ocean, you'll definitely be able to wield influence in China's basketball world... it's similar to summoning a dragon..."
"Oh..." Yao Ming scratched his head, looking like he half-understood, half-didn't. "Actually, I know some of what you're saying isn't true, but I still want to thank you for your encouragement! I will work hard to become the best center in China and strive to play across the ocean..."
"Then it's settled! When you become China's strongest center, come find me across the ocean. I'll be waiting for you there..." With that, He Ximeng waved goodbye, leaving Yao Ming alone in a state of bewildered contemplation.
If, after a high school game, a third-year student suddenly approached you as a first-year and told you to work hard, that you would eventually play in the world's strongest basketball league, and even made an appointment to wait for you there... what would you think?
At least, Yao Ming's mind was in complete chaos. On one hand, he hoped He Ximeng's words were true, that he possessed great potential. On the other hand, he worried that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. What if this guy named He Ximeng had some mental issues?
Shanghai Nanmo's "unexpected" loss to Zhuji High School mirrored the fate of Weifang No. 1 High School. The two teams, originally considered the strongest in Group A, would have to battle it out in their final group stage match. The winner would advance to the top four, while the loser would be eliminated from the group. Such a result was truly brutal. But competitive sports are like that; it's either success or ruin.
In contrast, Zhuji High School, after a narrow victory over Nanmo High School, was the first to secure a ticket to the top four. In their final group stage match, Zhuji High School faced Wuhan No. 6 High School, led by Gu Beilang. Wuhan No. 6 High School played for honor, and Gu Beilang delivered his best performance of the group stage, sinking 5 out of 8 three-pointers and at one point making it difficult for Zhuji High School to retaliate. However, He Ximeng remained calm and unhurried, not rushing his own scoring. Instead, he continuously directed his teammates on how to turn the tide when they were behind. Ultimately, Wang Xian and Tang Chenfeng, with He Ximeng's persistent drives and passes, had a minor explosion of three-pointers, successfully offsetting Gu Beilang's damage. In the final quarter, Yan Hui played steadily in the paint, and Zhang Zhenpeng's mid-range jump shots were effective. Zhuji High School successfully completed the comeback, defeating Wuhan No. 6 High School, maintaining their undefeated record in the group stage, and entering the top four of the Eastern Conference Finals as group leaders.
Weifang No. 1 High School and Shanghai Nanmo engaged in a battle for survival. Gong Xiaobin, in the end, was unable to overcome the odds, especially Yao Ming's long legs, which proved difficult for Weifang No. 1 High School to handle. Despite Gong Xiaobin's heroic performance, Weifang No. 1 High School managed to hold on for three quarters before collapsing in the final quarter. Gong Xiaobin scored a game-high 42 points for the Eastern Conference Finals so far, but it was in vain, unable to reverse their fate of being eliminated from the group stage. Just as Liu Yudong had told Gong Xiaobin before the start of the Eastern Conference group stage: "I'll be waiting for you on the professional stage..."
After the group stage concluded, Zhang Zhenpeng tried to comfort Gong Xiaobin: "Old Gong, victory and defeat are common in warfare..." Gong Xiaobin directly gave Zhang Zhenpeng the middle finger: "Scram! If it weren't for your misleading advice, how could we have lost that first game so miserably..."