Chapter 124: Arbitrary Switching

"I understand," Geng Haoshi replied indifferently.

"Beep—"

The referee blew the whistle for the start of the fourth quarter. Both teams remained with their original lineups on the court.

Geng Haoshi glanced at the scoreboard, then looked up at the ceiling: If I lose, can I still go to America?

Everything for Geng Haoshi now seemed to be linked to "going to America."

Geng Haoshi: "9527, activate 'Power Surge' for me!"

9527: "Master, since your stamina is down to only 39, if you activate 'Power Surge' now, you might not last five minutes."

Geng Haoshi: "...Are there any other skills similar to 'Power Surge'? I don't care what it is, activate it! I cannot lose!"

9527: "Master, you are currently in the advanced stage of the system mission, and more skills will be unlocked successively... but for now, the only skill you can activate is 'Power Surge'..."

Geng Haoshi: "Is there really nothing else?"

9527: "Yes, Master."

Geng Haoshi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: I cannot lose! I must win!

At that moment, Wu Yan dribbled the ball straight toward the restricted area of Tiancheng Polytechnic University.

Geng Haoshi quickly blocked him, spreading his arms and waving them rapidly.

Wu Yan continued to perform his "Fluttering Butterfly Dribble" with speed and fluidity. Not knowing which side Wu Yan would choose to break through from, Geng Haoshi had no choice but to follow his every move, shifting side to side.

After several fakes, Wu Yan did not break past Geng Haoshi. Instead, he took a step back and launched a fadeaway jump shot.

The ball soared high toward the Tiancheng Polytechnic hoop. Wu Yan had already scored many points using this move throughout the first three quarters.

Sure enough, the ball went in. The score became 50 to 60, with Tiancheng Polytechnic trailing by 10 points.

"Pass the ball, quick!" Geng Haoshi urged Zhou Xiaoshan to inbound the ball.

Upon receiving it, Geng Haoshi charged into the half-court of Wuyan University of Science and Technology. Entering their restricted area, he wove quickly between their towering players.

Eyeing the basket just a short distance away, Geng Haoshi cradled the ball in his right hand and leaped.

"Bang!"

A thunderous sound... the ball was in!

Amidst the stunned gaze of the audience, Geng Haoshi shouted, "Get back on defense!"

He felt no joy from this slam dunk; it had only cut the deficit by two points, leaving them still trailing by eight.

Geng Haoshi quickly retreated, arms spread, eyes resolute. Although the fourth quarter had just begun, he had to race against time. Right now, he only wanted to win. To him, winning meant being one step closer to America.

Wuyan University of Science and Technology continued their offense through Wu Yan. As they entered Tiancheng Polytechnic’s half, Geng Haoshi once again took the defensive assignment, as he was the only one capable of matching Wu Yan's speed.

Wu Yan again utilized his "Fluttering Butterfly Dribble" to outmaneuver Geng Haoshi, once more deceiving him with his unpredictable footwork.

Having shaken off Geng Haoshi, Wu Yan drove rapidly toward the basket. One, two... a layup. Simple, fluid, efficient.

Just as the fans in the stands were preparing to cheer for the basket, a figure leaped high from behind Wu Yan.

"Slap!"

To the astonishment of the entire arena, Geng Haoshi swatted the ball away!

Wu Yan was shocked: When did this guy catch up?!

The ball bounced on the court; Geng Haoshi scrambled for it and secured possession.

"Xiaoshan!"

Geng Haoshi quickly tossed the ball to Zhou Xiaoshan, who was near the three-point line in Wuyan's half. With no one guarding him, Zhou Xiaoshan executed a textbook jump shot, sinking the ball perfectly into the hoop.

"Great shot! Only a five-point difference now!" Zhu Di punched the air, cheering for Zhou Xiaoshan’s three-pointer.

"Get back on defense!"

Geng Haoshi sprinted back to his own half, quickly setting his defensive stance. His four teammates followed suit. His only focus now was to stop every Wuyan possession and score on every one of theirs.

After Wuyan inbounded the ball, Wu Yan organized the offense again. Entering Tiancheng’s half, he opted not to drive this time, instead rising for a shot from behind the three-point line. After Zhou Xiaoshan’s recent three-pointer narrowed the gap to five, Wu Yan was looking to extend it back to eight.

On the sidelines, Wu Yan's fans saw him release the ball and began to clench their fists in anticipation of a celebration.

"Slap!"

But Geng Haoshi did not grant them that opportunity.

Just as the ball left Wu Yan’s hands, Geng Haoshi had already sprinted and leaped high, swatting the ball away while it was still on its upward trajectory.

He didn't pause for a second, immediately chasing after the ball. He snatched it, charged toward the basket, leaped, and... "Bang!"

Another thunderous slam!

The gap was narrowed to three points!

The stands fell into a deathly silence, while the Tiancheng Polytechnic bench erupted in cheers.

Geng Haoshi 20: "That dunk was me."

9527: "You've surfaced again, I see."

Geng Haoshi 20: "Otherwise, with that kid's current vertical, would he be able to take off and dunk?"

9527: "The point is, 'Power Surge' wasn't activated. How did you come out?"

(Note: Geng Haoshi 20 is one of Geng Haoshi's multiple personalities, triggered when 9527 activates 'Power Surge.')

Geng Haoshi 20: "This happened once before. Only that time I came out once, but this time it's been twice."

9527: "And Geng Haoshi 30 has also surfaced twice."

(Note: Geng Haoshi 30 is another of his personalities, triggered during his fight with the boxing coach, Tony.)

Geng Haoshi 20: "Hey, grunt if you're there."

Geng Haoshi 30: "..."

Geng Haoshi 20: "Still not talking."

9527: "Well, perhaps he is more introverted."

Geng Haoshi 20: "Then how exactly am I being summoned, and why do I only get two or three seconds each time?"

9527: "I am not entirely sure. It just feels as if the Master can now... switch at will."