Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 142 Strike up a conversation
The blazing sun shone brightly on the basketball court, illuminating the energetic faces of the boys.

Shi An stood among his teammates, his expression firm and confident. As the captain of the basketball team's first squad, he bore the heavy responsibility of leading his squad to victory.

With only a week left until the match between the three teams, Shi An knows that this week of training is crucial.

"Listen up, everyone. We're going to be training intensely for the next week. The competition will not only be a test of our skills, but also a challenge to our teamwork and willpower."

Shi An's voice was loud and powerful, full of inspiring strength.

The team members nodded in agreement, their eyes revealing unwavering determination. Training began, and Shi An first developed a personalized training plan tailored to each team member's individual characteristics.

For Li Ming, who excels at breaking through defenses, Shi An focused on training his change-of-direction speed and passing timing; while Zhang Yu, who has accurate shooting, was required to practice shooting under various high-difficulty conditions to improve his scoring ability in games.

Shi An himself sets an example by always being the most active and engaged in training.

He constantly demonstrated the moves to the team members, corrected their mistakes, and patiently explained the key tactical points. In addition to improving individual skills, teamwork was also a focus of training.

Shi An designed a series of complex tactical drills, which the players practiced repeatedly. They ran, passed, and set screens on the court, and every move was refined through countless rehearsals.

At first, the team members did not cooperate well and often made mistakes, but Shi An did not get discouraged. He encouraged everyone again and again: "Don't be discouraged, let's try again. As long as we keep practicing, we will definitely succeed."

During training, the team members also encountered various difficulties.

Some team members were physically exhausted due to the intense training; others encountered bottlenecks in their technical improvement and were feeling down. Faced with these problems, Shi An was always the first to step forward and show concern for the team members' physical and mental well-being.

During training breaks, he would prepare energy-boosting food and drinks for everyone; he would also talk to the team members when they were feeling down, sharing his experience and offering encouragement.

"As we all know, each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses. In training, we must help each other and make progress together. Only by working together can we achieve victory in the competition."

Shi An's words greatly encouraged the team members, and their relationship became even closer. A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the competition finally arrived.

The basketball court was packed, with students eagerly awaiting the start of the game. Shi An led his team onto the court, their eyes brimming with confidence and fighting spirit. From the very beginning, Shi An demonstrated outstanding leadership skills.

He quickly orchestrated the team's offense, repeatedly breaking through the opponent's defense with precise passes and clever tactical coordination. Li Ming's lightning-fast breakthroughs and Zhang Yu's consistent shooting gave the small team the upper hand in the game.

However, the game was not without its challenges. Teams two and three were not to be outdone; they constantly adjusted their tactics and strengthened their defense, putting immense pressure on Team one.

In the third quarter, the second team launched a fierce counterattack, quickly catching up in points, making the score very close. Faced with this situation, Shi An remained calm.

He called a timeout, calmly analyzed the situation on the court, and then said to his players, "Don't panic, everyone. We'll play according to our established tactics. Believe in yourselves and your teammates. As long as we stay united, we will definitely be able to defeat our opponents."

After the timeout, the team regained their form. Shi An constantly moved his teammates around the court, and he himself actively participated in both defense and offense.

At a crucial moment in the game, Shi An received a pass from Zhang Yu. Without hesitation, he jumped and shot, the basketball arcing beautifully through the air before swishing through the net.

That crucial three-pointer gave the first team the lead again. As time ticked away, the atmosphere on the court became increasingly tense.

The third team launched a final sprint, their offense becoming even more ferocious. Shi An and his teammates gritted their teeth, giving their all in defense. Every rebound, every pass, was crucial to the outcome of the game.

Finally, the final whistle blew, and Team One won by a narrow margin. The players cheered and jumped for joy, hugging each other tightly, tears of excitement streaming down their faces. Shi An stood among his teammates, a proud smile on his face. At this moment, their hard work and dedication had paid off. Because of this victory, Shi An's team became starters on the school basketball team.

They will represent the school in higher-level competitions.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the basketball court in a golden hue.

Shi Ning, carrying her schoolbag, arrived at the basketball court as usual, ready to wait for her older brother Shi An to go home together.

She found a corner to sit down and quietly watched Shi An's agile figure on the court, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips.

However, this tranquility was soon broken. Several ninth-grade boys noticed Shi Ning sitting to the side, exchanged glances, and then walked towards her.

The boy in the lead had striking blond hair and a malicious smile on his face.

"Hey, pretty girl, what are you doing here all by yourself?"

The blond-haired boy spoke first, his tone flippant.

Shi Ning frowned, feeling a surge of disgust. She ignored it and turned her head to the side.

"Don't be so aloof, chat with us."

Another boy joined in the commotion, and they moved closer and closer, surrounding Shi Ning in the middle.

Shi Ning's heart began to race. She was a little scared, but she tried to remain calm and said, "Go away, I don't want to talk to you."

"Wow, that's quite unique."

The blond boy didn't leave; instead, he reached out to grab Shi Ning's schoolbag. Shi Ning struggled free, her heart filled with anger and resentment.

Just then, Shi An turned around on the court and happened to see what was happening here.

His eyes instantly turned cold, and a fierce rage burned within him.

Without thinking twice, he grabbed a basketball from the side and hurled it at the boys with all his might.

With a "thud," the basketball hit the blond boy squarely on the back.

He cried out in pain and staggered forward a few steps.

The other boys were also startled by the sudden attack and turned to look at Shi An.

Shi An strode over, his eyes revealing undisguised anger and warning: "What do you want? You're not qualified to bully my sister!"

He stood in front of Shi Ning, like a solid wall, protecting her behind him.

Why...why did you hit me?