Chapter 117: Winning Matters Most, Everything Else is Bullshit!

Everyone froze. Nobody expected Tang Chen to be this fierce. Even though Tong Hengtai was rude, there was no need to hit him, right?

“Trash like you is like cancer for the basketball club. How could an idiot like you be a team captain? Go home and eat shit!” Tang Chen showed little emotion after hitting him. Hitting people was routine; nothing special.

“Hengtai! How dare you hit my A’tai! I’ll fight you!” Wang Yan screeched, lunging at Tang Chen with her claws out.

SMACK!

“Screw that!” Tang Chen’s slap left five bloody fingerprints on Wang Yan’s face. “You slut! If you’re desperate for a man, at least find a decent one! Picking this trash and then yelling about fighting me? Try it and I’ll strip you naked and throw you to the dogs, see if they like you!”

The basketball players just stared, stunned. Awesome! They had all despised this little bitch; seeing her get hit was thrilling.

“Tang Chen!” Yang Mi stomped her foot angrily. She was getting used to Tang Chen hitting people, but his foul mouth was another story she just couldn’t accept.

“I’ll claw your eyes out!” Wang Yan, clutching her face, snot and tears flying, charged again. Disgusted by the mucus, Tang Chen planted a vicious kick right on her face. Wang Yan flew five meters in a perfect arc, then lay still, unmoving.

“Tang Chen, that was too brutal.” Yang Mi came over, linking arms with him. Though Tong Hengtai’s words had made her furious, her man seemed to enjoy hitting women a bit too much. This time really was excessive.

Tang Chen patted her hand calmly. “Wasn’t brutal enough. This world is full of braindead bitches asking for a beating. Go too light, they never learn.”

“Yang Mi! So this is how you play?! You found your savage man to hit me, huh? Fine! You’re tough! Just you wait!” Tong Hengtai yelled defiantly, turning to flee.

“Savage man?” Tang Chen’s eyes turned cold. “Idiot, you ARE begging to die!” Tang Chen shot forward in a blur, grabbing Tong Hengtai’s hair and slamming him hard into his own waist.

CRACK! Tong Hengtai’s spine snapped under the impact. Tang Chen roared in fury, “Listen up, punk! Insult me all you want. But insult my woman, and you die!” With a powerful leap, Tang Chen lifted Tong Hengtai high into the air above his head and slammed him down like a basketball onto the hoop.

BOOM!

Everyone’s seen slam dunks on TV, right? But had anyone ever seen a person used as the ball for a slam dunk?

Under the stunned gazes of Yang Mi and the basketball team, Tang Chen executed a textbook dunk, ramming Tong Hengtai’s entire body through the hoop. An inhuman shriek tore from Tong Hengtai’s throat before the hoop shattered under the force, plummeting from the backboard and crashing to the floor with another BOOM! Tong Hengtai lay completely unconscious. Tang Chen landed steadily on his feet beside him.

Silence fell. Absolute silence. Everyone shared the same thought: Insane. Just utterly insane. Not human! Who the hell uses a living person as a basketball?!

Looking at Tong Hengtai, who was definitely crippled for life, the basketball players sighed inwardly. Served you right for showing off, for mouthing off. Bet you’re the first basketball player in history to get dunked like a ball.

“Tang Chen! Is he… is he dead?!” Yang Mi dashed over urgently.

Tang Chen shook his head. “Relax, this Young Master is merciful. I only crippled him. He’s not dead.”

Yang Mi’s smile was briefly frozen, a flicker of what could only be described as utter disbelief flashing across her face. Mercy equals crippling? My husband’s logic is truly special.

Tang Chen frowned. “Yang Mi, why did you ever make this guy captain?”

Yang Mi gave a helpless smile. “He was the best player in sophomore year. We knew he was trouble, but we just… endured it.”

“The ‘best’ who loses to seniors every year? Pure garbage.” Tang Chen scoffed, seemingly oblivious to the deep embarrassment flushing the faces of the remaining team members standing behind him. The insult stung like a slap.

To soothe their bruised pride, Yang Mi quickly said, “Alright, stop that. Our team truly does work hard. The opponents are just too strong. But Tang Chen! You were impulsive! Knocking out Tong Hengtai leaves us with even less chance of winning tomorrow.”

Tang Chen thumped his chest. “No problem! I’ll play tomorrow. With my skills? We’ll crush them!”

The four remaining players suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. Yang Mi’s boyfriend is scary tough! Maybe he’s amazing at basketball too? Maybe we can win? But their hopeful fantasies splintered instantly under Yang Mi’s next gentle, sweetly delivered words.

“But… you’ve never played basketball before.” The sweet, lethal observation hung in the air.

THUD!

A sturdy player, standing 182 cm tall, toppled over onto the court. His teammates gaped. Never played? And you want to be captain? Seriously?

Tang Chen coughed awkwardly, shooting Yang Mi a glare before turning seriously to the four players. “Brothers! True, I haven’t played. But trust me! With this Young Master’s super-powered learning skill? I will lead us to victory! Tell me! Do you have faith?”

The four exchanged uncertain looks. Faith? Faith in what? Facing utter humiliation?

Faced with their silent disbelief, a peculiar smile flickered across Tang Chen’s lips. His gaze drifted nonchalantly towards the untouched hoop at the other end of the court. “…That other hoop looks fine. Maybe we should take it down too? It’s uneven having only one left.” His voice was casual. Deadly.

“We have FAITH! Total faith!”

“Damn right we have faith! Destroy the seniors!”

“Been wanting to annihilate those senior brats forever! We’ll crush ’em!”

With Tang Chen’s thinly veiled threat hanging in the air, their enthusiasm ignited instantly. Joke’s on us? Yeah right! Not one of them wanted to become the next Tang Chen slam dunk ball.

Yang Mi just covered her face with one hand, shaking her head slowly. Bringing Tang Chen here… Definitely a mistake. If he plays tomorrow, the competition might end with people in traction.

“Hmph!” Tang Chen nodded, satisfied. Time to get serious. “You know why you lose every year? It’s not because you suck. It’s not because the opponents are unbeatable. It’s because… you play by the rules!”

“Play by the rules?” One player tentatively raised his hand. “But… Captain? Playing basketball means following the rules. How else do you play?”

Tang Chen spat. “Bullshit rules! All of it! Listen! Basketball is a fight. A clash of sweat and bodies! Our only goal? Winning this championship! Screw the rulebook! So tomorrow, on that court? Forget rules! Any guy blocking us? Hit him! Can’t hit him? Yank his pants down! Can’t get his pants? Trip him! Remember one thing: WINNING matters most! Everything else? BULLSHIT!”

The four players were utterly paralyzed, their minds completely blown. Holy crap! What insane boss can talk like THIS? Telling us to cheat openly?

“Tang Chen! Stop spouting nonsense! This isn’t funny!” Yang Mi snapped, punching his shoulder in irritation. He’s not helping them improve! He’s teaching them how to cheat! Unbelievable!

Tang Chen gave an awkward laugh and let them get back to practice. He flopped into a chair, brooding. That big talk… What if we lose? Total humiliation. Only one person could help.

“System,” Tang Chen said silently into his mind. “Young Master needs a plan.”

“Respected Host,” the System’s tone was as coldly detached as ever, yet laced with something almost… resentful. “You always dump your problems here after they pile up. Like getting stuck… then demanding backup. Terribly inconsiderate…”