Chapter 70: A Crushing Defeat
The man pondered for a while. “Uncle He, do you think what’s on his leg could be…” He trailed off, chuckling to himself, not bothering to finish. How could such a devastating weapon—one that could shift its form at will and cover the entire human body—possibly be used in an informal little basketball game? Besides, that boy showed not even a trace of perception. The man laughed at his own suspicions. “I’m just overthinking it.”
Switching topics, he asked, “Have they all left?”
At that moment, another man, hidden entirely in the shadows, finally revealed himself. “They’ve already left, young master.”
“Alright, then let’s get moving.” With that, the man stood up.
The two of them slipped away silently, without causing the slightest stir.
Gu Ci bit down on her lollipop, her eyes thoughtful as she glanced back. The doorway was already deserted. She lazily turned her head around and glanced at Huo Shuyue, who had squeezed in to sit right beside her. “Are you still not done holding my hand?”
Now that she saw Xiao Yang was unharmed, Huo Shuyue felt relieved, but she’d forgotten she was still holding Gu Ci’s hand. It was only when Gu Ci pointed it out that she realized. Hastily, Huo Shuyue let go, huffed, and turned away, refusing to look at Gu Ci again.
The game resumed. On Cao Yue’s side, two substitutes were rushed onto the court. However, Cao Yue had always been the best player on their team; without him as their anchor, the team’s morale collapsed. They were utterly crushed by Xiao Yang’s team!
In the end, the second half ended with a score of 56:0.
Looking at the glaring zero on their side, no words could describe the look on Cao Yue’s and his teammates’ faces. In the first half, they’d managed a 76:34, so at least it hadn’t been an utter rout. He’d even hoped to redeem himself in the second half—but who could have guessed it would be even more disastrous?
Face grim, Cao Yue watched the jubilant scene on Xiao Yang’s side, then turned to lead his people out.
But before they could slip away, Xiao Yang and his friends noticed and called out, “Cao Yue, aren’t you forgetting something?”
Cao Yue’s face darkened further as he turned around. “Xiao Yang, this round is yours. We’ll see about next time!”
Xiao Yang let out a whistle, slinging his arm carelessly over a friend’s shoulder, looking fresh and at ease. “Still thinking about next time? Have you forgotten our wager?”
“What do you want?” Cao Yue never imagined that the trap he’d set for Xiao Yang would end up backfiring on himself.
Thinking of how he was not only banned from playing basketball but also had to follow Xiao Yang’s orders for a month, the scar on Cao Yue’s forehead twisted menacingly. He wanted nothing more than to turn heel and leave, but if he did so in front of Xiao Yang, it would be no different from running away with his tail between his legs. What authority would he have left in this circle?
One of Xiao Yang’s friends whispered something in his ear, making Xiao Yang’s eyes light up. Baring his small white teeth in a cocky grin, he said, “I don’t want anything from you, just that you clean the basketball court for us for the next month. Got it?”
Cleaning the court might have been nothing, but for Cao Yue, it was a deep humiliation.
He glared darkly at Xiao Yang’s leg for a long while, veins bulging on his forehead as he muttered, “Impossible… You want me to clean the court for you? Dream on!”
With that, he suddenly grabbed a nearby baseball bat and swung it fiercely at Xiao Yang’s leg. “Let’s see what’s really going on with your leg!”
Everyone’s faces changed dramatically.
Just as it seemed Xiao Yang wouldn’t escape this time, a flying object knocked the bat from Cao Yue’s hands—it was another lollipop.
Instinctively, Huo Shuyue’s gaze shot toward Gu Ci, who still lounged lazily in the stands, looking as if she hadn’t moved a muscle. If there’d been anyone else up there, Huo Shuyue wouldn’t have believed it was her. But as it was…
Her expression grew complicated at once.
“Who?! Who threw that at me?” Cao Yue snapped his head toward the stands and saw Gu Ci. “You want to die?”
By now, Xiao Yang and his friends had come to their senses, forming a barrier in front of Cao Yue. Xiao Yang shoved Cao Yue’s shoulder, his eyes cold. “Cao Yue, what were you just trying to do? Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”
Cao Yue staggered back a few steps, glaring at Xiao Yang and the people behind him, nodding viciously. “Fine! Everything that happened today—I’ll remember it!”
With that, he turned to lead his people away.
At that moment, sirens wailed outside.
A few uniformed agents appeared, approached Cao Yue and his group, showed their badges, and asked, “Are you Cao Yue, Wu Mu, Hu Shiming, Shen Xinjun, He Pu, Sheng Zhenxing?”
Still simmering with rage, Cao Yue snapped impatiently, “I’m in a bad mood right now! Don’t bother me!”
He was used to fighting and brawling, but he’d never left evidence for the authorities—what did he have to fear?
Hearing his confirmation, the agent’s expression didn’t change. “We’ve received a report that you were involved in intentional assault in Qingjiu Alley. Please come with us.”
Cao Yue shot Xiao Yang a scornful look. “Xiao Yang, you called the cops? Can’t handle losing?”
Xiao Yang snorted. “You think your little tricks count as fair play? You’re just a rat skulking in the gutter!”
Cao Yue sneered, arrogant as ever. “You can’t be that naive, Xiao Yang. Even if you called the cops, what of it? You don’t have a shred of evidence. What are they going to do—ask me a few questions at the station? You think I’m scared?”
His words made Xiao Yang want to call in family connections to restore the surveillance footage from that day.
But before he could say anything, the agents had already produced handcuffs.
One of them “helpfully” explained, “The person who reported you has already provided ample evidence. You’re being officially investigated, not just held for questioning.”
At those words, and seeing the handcuffs, Cao Yue and his group finally lost their composure.
Xiao Yang burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Looks like you won’t be able to fulfill our wager for a while, Cao Yue.”
Hearing that, Cao Yue consoled himself that at least he wouldn’t have to suffer Xiao Yang’s humiliation. Not a complete loss, perhaps.
But Xiao Yang’s next words shattered all his illusions. “No worries, I’m not heartless. I’ll give you time—once you’re out, you can fulfill our bet then.”
Cao Yue’s face turned so dark it was like the bottom of a pot.
So, who exactly provided the evidence to the agents?
He was sure he’d already erased the footage—it couldn’t possibly have been recovered and handed over.
Could it be…
Cao Yue’s expression shifted several times before he suddenly turned to look at Shi Xuetong.
The moment she met Cao Yue’s fierce gaze, Shi Xuetong’s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively shrank back.
In truth, she had no idea who’d given the evidence to the agents. She just didn’t want to be associated with Cao Yue in front of Xiao Yang, so she reacted on impulse.
Yet that one move made Cao Yue jump to entirely the wrong conclusion.
His face instantly turned ashen. “Was it you? Shi—”