"Who are you? Why would He Ximeng agree to a one-on-one with you?" Cui Tianci, as He Ximeng's best friend, was the first to speak up.
"My name is Zhang Zhenpeng. I just returned from the United States. I originally planned to join Huipu High School, but now, I've developed some interest in Zhuzhong... Three points. If you win, I'll stay and join Zhuzhong. If you lose, I'll proceed with my original plan to join Huipu..."
"Ximeng, right? My name is Zhang Tian'ai, and I'm Zhang Zhenpeng's sister. I also just returned from the United States. No matter where my brother goes, I've decided to stay at Zhuzhong... Oh, by the way, are you still looking for a team manager? I really love basketball..."
The originally tense atmosphere completely dissipated due to Zhang Tian'ai's interruption.
"Can you stop causing trouble for a moment? I'm in the middle of a one-on-one here?" Zhang Zhenpeng was speechless. His carefully cultivated "cool" image was utterly ruined by his own sister...
But Zhang Tian'ai, the instigator, showed no signs of backing down and retorted sharply, "How am I causing trouble? I'm discussing serious matters! I solemnly apply to join the Zhuzhong basketball team and am willing to contribute my utmost to Zhuzhong basketball..."
While bickering with her brother, Zhang Tian'ai flashed a sweet smile at He Ximeng...
To be honest, Zhang Tian'ai was exceptionally beautiful. Her features were regular, and her figure was tall and slender. Apart from being a bit too thin in the right places and a bit thin in the wrong places, she had virtually no flaws.
And for a high school student, being a bit thin in the wrong places wasn't really a disadvantage. This was because most Chinese high school students hadn't fully developed.
Therefore, if Zhang Tian'ai joined Zhuzhong, calling her the class beauty would be an understatement; she was definitely on the level of a school beauty.
However, He Ximeng, being "precocious," simply didn't like this type. No matter how beautiful Zhang Tian'ai was, He Ximeng couldn't muster much interest.
Conversely, He Ximeng was more interested in Zhang Zhenpeng! After failing to recruit Chen Qiudao and Yu Chu, He Ximeng was worried about how to strengthen the team's prowess.
Zhang Zhenpeng's appearance was akin to "someone sending a pillow just when you're about to fall asleep" for He Ximeng. Since someone had already delivered the pillow to his hand, why would He Ximeng let him slip away?
"We agreed, three points! A gentleman's word?"
"As good as gold!"
"Then you're definitely staying here!"
After speaking, He Ximeng turned to call his teammates, "Come on, brothers, clear some space for our new teammate. I need to spar with him..."
"Don't get ahead of yourself! Be careful not to embarrass yourself later if you lose..."
"How could Ximeng possibly lose? Brother, you're going to lose for sure!"
Although Zhang Tian'ai was ignored by He Ximeng, she still firmly stood on He Ximeng's side, which left Zhang Zhenpeng feeling quite embarrassed.
"Tian'ai, is it? What a coincidence! My name is Tianci, Cui Tianci. We're both from the 'Tian' generation..."
The moment Cui Tianci saw Zhang Tian'ai, he felt as if he had fallen into a vortex of love... To use his own words to He Ximeng later, "I felt my little heart being shot by Cupid's little arrow all at once..."
Unfortunately, Zhang Tian'ai's entire attention was on He Ximeng, and she completely ignored Cui Tianci's self-proclaimed humorous opening.
Seeing Zhang Tian'ai's state, Cui Tianci knew who she was interested in. He gritted his teeth and directly revealed his relationship with He Ximeng: "Ximeng and I have been classmates since elementary school, and we were in the same class in middle and high school. Isn't that a coincidence?"
"Hmm?" Cui Tianci finally caught Zhang Tian'ai's attention and successfully initiated a conversation. "So, you're He Ximeng's best friend?"
"Absolutely!"
"Then you know if he has a girlfriend right now, don't you?"
"Of course!"
"So, does he or doesn't he?"
"No!"
"That's great! Thank you, Tianci, you're such a good person..."
While chatting with Cui Tianci at the sidelines, Zhang Tian'ai didn't forget to keep an eye on the developments on the court.
The teammates had retreated to the bench, leaving the court to He Ximeng and Zhang Zhenpeng.
He Ximeng passed the basketball back to Zhang Zhenpeng: "New members go first!"
"Hold on! I'm not your new member yet." Zhang Zhenpeng passed the ball back to He Ximeng. "I'm taller and stronger than you, with a physical advantage. You attack first!"
He Ximeng chuckled: "Then I won't be polite! After all, I truly hope you can become a member of our team..."
With that, He Ximeng held the ball and lowered his stance, getting serious.
Across from him, Zhang Zhenpeng clapped his hands together and adopted a defensive posture.
Zhang Zhenpeng was 1.95 meters tall, more than ten centimeters taller than He Ximeng. In a one-on-one match, he indeed possessed a significant physical advantage.
Therefore, He Ximeng decisively abandoned posting up and opted for a frontal fake and drive.
In fact, if a drive could be combined with a jump shot, that would constitute a complete individual offensive skill. However, because He Ximeng's current shooting touch was unstable, he temporarily disregarded jump shots and focused on his drives.
He Ximeng accessed some memories stored in his mind. The top-tier skills for frontal drives in the league included Iverson's crossover, Wade's misleading step, Ginobili's serpentine drive, and Harden's Eurostep... Which technique should he imitate?