Divorce Revenge System: Knowing the Future in Advance
Chapter 264 - 229 (Extra monthly ticket 1) I Will Never Smile Again

Chapter 264: Chapter 229 (Extra monthly ticket 1) I Will Never Smile Again

Jiang Nian was stunned upon hearing this.

Damn, you actually remember I’m here.

I thought I was as invisible as a ghost to you, just wandering around you like some kind of Great Sword Tomb.

"The Visible Four-Eyes"

But, Jiang Nian couldn’t just curse outright. Getting offended only affects oneself, not the opponent.

So, he opted for another approach.

"You’re awesome."

Actually, even though Four-Eyes Zhang Xiaofan usually pressured his teammates, it wasn’t usually this intense.

Today, it seemed like his buff was fully charged. The opponent was the Big Black Bull, and his teammate Jiang Nian made an incredible long-range three-pointer.

Eh.....so the question arises, who’s the wimp?

Whoever asks is the wimp.

Zhang Xiaofan was a bit off his game, lies don’t hurt, but the truth cuts deep.

He was skilled enough to play on the school team’s first squad, so he wasn’t exactly a wimp.

His ability to pressure teammates stemmed from his skills and the financial leverage this brought.

With his on-court charisma and off-court easy-going nature, he got his teammates to follow orders like well-trained dogs.

Even if his teammates were annoyed, they’d remember that he would cover the costs after the game. Plus, he’d take special care of them, so they’d quickly get over it.

Introspection became their routine.

Can you insult me more? Can you give me a little more? Will you insult me again next time?

As everyone knows, boundaries are gradually pushed, and training a dog is a gradual process too.

Except for a few who have never accepted Zhang Xiaofan’s favors, others either grovel or just tolerate him.

He’s so rich and cares so much about face, why bother competing with him?

Take a step back, and the world opens up....no, vast horizons.

As long as people accepted that, on the court, Zhang Xiaofan was reckless, even if not everyone went along with him, nobody would directly oppose him.

People often say in arguments to let things slide, "Sure, when XX drinks, he can be aggressive, but he’s still a good guy at heart; we’re all bros, let it go for my sake."

Jiang Nian refused to comply, even back when he had no money.

What’s more, Jiang Nian was no longer on the school team and had money now. He might not flaunt his bank balance, but he had fewer worries.

His simple "You’re awesome" left Zhang Xiaofan completely frozen.

He paused for a second, then trembled with anger.

"You’re the one who’s awesome!"

Jiang Nian remained calm, responding lightly.

"Yeah, I’m awesome."

Before Four-Eyes Zhang Xiaofan could react, Jiang Nian added another line.

"Am I not awesome?"

"Damn, are you crazy?" Zhang Xiaofan turned red, instantly bursting with anger, shouting, "Can you play properly, or just get off the court if you can’t!"

Most people, once provoked, might just retreat.

Zhang Xiaofan’s message was clear; everyone on the court listened to him. If you can’t take the criticism, just leave. After the game, you’ll be mocked by many.

A high EQ response, "Xiaofan, are you serious or joking?" would give him two outs; a normal person would step back.

A rational response, "Xiaofan, keep personal emotions off the court; the priority is to play this game well."

An absurd one, lean closer to his ear.

"Are you telling the truth?"

A pitiful one, just kneel and cry.

"Fine, I’ll leave! Why do you have to insult me nonstop today? Give me an explanation or I’ll hang myself at your gate."

Jiang Nian opted for none. Was playing this game really necessary today?

The answer was clearly no.

All around, the atmosphere tightened, everyone was stunned by this disruption. They couldn’t help but be gripped by the tension on the court, hearts in their throats.

"Is this...internal conflict?" Nie Qiqi said nervously, "Xiaoqing, do you think they might actually fight Jiang Nian?"

In junior high and high school, collective consciousness is strongest. Even though Nie Qiqi wanted to see Jiang Nian embarrassed, this wasn’t the type of embarrassment she wanted.

They’re in the same class after all, and no one wants their classmates being bullied by a group.

"Probably not." Cai Xiaoqing folded her arms, observing calmly. "Fighting is forbidden in senior year, and the school team cares about the leadership’s opinions."

"What do you mean?" Nie Qiqi was confused.

"The school actually doesn’t need a basketball team. Didn’t you notice the school almost never organizes large inter-class basketball games?"

Cai Xiaoqing, observing coldly, stated flatly.

"Most school courts are concrete; falls can lead to anything from scrapes to fractures. If you were the leadership, would you want to see students getting hurt?"

"Uh..." Nie Qiqi was speechless, stuck in thought.

Cai Xiaoqing glared slightly at Fox Qiqi.

"If the school team openly fights, whether one-on-one or group fight, it’s certain that before the second evening study session, the senior basketball team would be disbanded to warn the freshman and sophomore teams."

"Oh, I get it, ’kill the chicken to scare the monkey’." Nie Qiqi giggled.

Cai Xiaoqing didn’t directly respond, just continued,

"Leadership doesn’t care about the school team. Those starting players should know this better than us. Only a fool would fight publicly."

Jiang Nian was formerly from the team; even a fish on land has a lingering scent.

He knew these timid people wouldn’t dare fight publicly. A private fight wouldn’t be a big deal, but a public one during a game? Leadership would be thrilled.

What! Not even afraid of school rules? This isn’t just a troublesome student! (serious face) We must strike hard!

Without hesitation, dismantle the entire team and form a new one.

So then...would Jiang Nian actually make a move?

Heh heh.

After Zhang Xiaofan shouted those words, he felt a strange satisfaction.

Everything was back to normal, the wonderful feeling of controlling the entire situation returned.

This was his court, his team.

From freshman year to now, senior year, he finally endured past those stupid senior classmates. Now, the top of Zhenan Middle School’s court was none other than me, Fan King.

Faced with Zhang Xiaofan’s roar, Jiang Nian stayed unperturbed.

Without losing his cool and hurling curses, or engaging in a heated debate, he simply pointed at Zhang Xiaofan in front of everyone.

He seemed to be telling the others to look at him.

After a pause, Jiang Nian asked loudly.

"Why are you so anxious?"

Zhang Xiaofan, not being a fool, knew that meaningless shouting would only embarrass himself.

"Oh, you realized you’re pushing others too hard?"

Jiang Nian smiled and replied.

"Too focused on playing ball, forgot to deal with you, you idiot."

"Ha, first time seeing someone break down themselves. If your mindset isn’t up to it, stop playing and go turn some screws. Why bark like a dog here?"

Zhang Xiaofan was swiftly losing his cool; now he really was getting anxious.

"Who are you calling terrible?"

"You’ve yet to score, and you hate passing the ball." Jiang Nian wasn’t backing down, "I thought you were holding the ball to teach a masterclass. Do you really think you’re that awesome?"

Zhang Xiaofan wanted to retort with, "Can you do better?"

But he couldn’t, since Jiang Nian sunk an exceptionally long three-pointer just a few minutes ago. It put not just the opponent under pressure but him immensely too.

Though logically, it should have been a lucky shot.

In a flash, he decided to gamble.

"You’re just showing off after scoring a lucky three-pointer. Why don’t you go join the NBA; you were doing fine, stop rambling here."

Damn.

Jiang Nian almost laughed in anger, but he knew exactly what kind of person Zhang Xiaofan was.

In sophomore year, Zhang Xiaofan was already arrogant, buying the most expensive sneakers, showing off incessantly.

After winning against the senior basketball team once, he boasted for an entire semester.

He loved dominating in areas he excelled at, then acting modestly in front of others, crafting a highly skilled yet humble image.

Jiang Nian looked at Zhang Xiaofan with a sudden smile.

He said nothing, turned, and beckoned to Big Black Bull holding the ball. In the past, they were pretty good friends, just on ordinary terms.

Big Black Bull laughed heartily, tossing the ball to Jiang Nian.

Under the watchful gaze of Zhang Xiaofan and everyone present, Jiang Nian held the basketball with one hand. His body began to turn as he prepared to gather power.

But...with one hand.

Big Black Bull Wang Zejun’s eyelid twitched; he might look bulky, but he wasn’t actually dumb. He could see exactly what Jiang Nian was planning.

This was...crazy, right?

Personally, he appreciated Jiang Nian’s take-it-as-along-the-way basketball approach. Arguing is pointless; let skills do the talking.

Zhang Xiaofan was getting nervous too, thinking it couldn’t be.

This was a damn one-handed half-court shot. If it went in, he wouldn’t deserve to live.

But after a moment’s thought, he relaxed slightly, recalling that Jiang Nian wasn’t this badass during sophomore year.

"What’s he doing?" Nie Qiqi, clueless about basketball, watched from afar, confused.

Cai Xiaoqing said calmly, "Shooting."

"Single-handed?"

"Yeah."

With the single-handed shot, Jiang Nian took longer to gauge his touch than he would with both hands.

About five seconds later.

Jiang Nian finally moved, using his waist and knees in unison. The basketball in his hand swooshed through the air, carving a beautiful arc against the dusk sky.

Everyone held their breath, watching the ball’s trajectory as it fell.

Big Black Bull Wang Zejun, more experienced than most there, had a sharp eye. Seeing its arc and descent, he knew it was going in.

Before the ball even landed, he couldn’t help but shout,

"It’s in!"

Wang Zejun’s shout woke up many more.

"Whoa! It really is!"

"Nothing but net!"

Hu Nianzhong, in the crowd at the edge of the court, watched in awe as the ball fell perfectly through the hoop with a beautiful arc. Seeing someone sink a half-court single-handed shot in person was hard to believe.

This wasn’t just about skill; few would dare to attempt such a shot in front of so many people. He had only seen it in basketball highlight reels, but those are artificially captured, not clear if it’s a single try.

If it’s repeated attempts, then a cross-court shot isn’t that extraordinary. What’s hard is hitting it in one go, under the pressure of a verbal argument, and keeping composure and accuracy in front of everyone’s eyes.

The ball slammed through the hoop with a satisfying swish, the impact resounding, followed by even louder cheers.

"Oh!!!"

"Holy cow, that’s intense! Who is this guy!"

"Single-handed!! Single-handed! What did this guy eat growing up to be this badass!"

"When did the school team get someone this fierce! If I were him, I’d join the college basketball league and dominate."

"Which class is he in? Which class?"

Nie Qiqi was blown away by Jiang Nian’s move; she might lack cultural knowledge but she had eyes. Anyone could tell a single-handed mid-court shot was impressive.

In two words, freaking awesome!

Though Nie Qiqi didn’t understand basketball rules, she figured shooting meant skillful. A half-court shot meant very skillful, single-handed meant super skillful.

"He’s in our class!" Nie Qiqi exclaimed excitedly.

"Which class are you guys?"

Before Nie Qiqi could speak, Cai Xiaoqing pulled her away.

"Let’s go."

"Hey, hey, hey, I haven’t said it yet." Nie Qiqi resisted, glancing back at the court. Jiang Nian seemed to be leaving too, saying something.

Wait, was that a spitting gesture?

On the court.

Jiang Nian spat on the ground, staring at Zhang Xiaofan.

"Idiot, can you even understand this game?"

"Lame."

With that, Jiang Nian took off his basketball jersey, heading towards the hoop. Hanging his clothes beside it, he put on a jacket and left the court.

Zhang Xiaofan stood there in the center, still dazed.

The one thing he had long prided himself on was shattered by Jiang Nian today. In his best domain, he was utterly outclassed.

It felt like the sky was falling.

Even if he’s richer and can attract better girlfriends; living in his luxurious riverside apartment, partying with them, drinking wine.

But from this moment, he would never truly smile again.