I Never Play the Ball Without Getting Paid

"Tell me clearly, what exactly happened between you and Qin Yao?"

"If you don't explain properly, you're not leaving today!"

"Damn it, I'm seeing green with envy!"

On the sports field of Dongda University.

An Yi, Bai Xiu, and their two friends were strolling around, each holding a popsicle.

Qin Shan and Liu Dachao were getting restless.

This guy had spent the entire morning sitting next to Qin Yao in the back row!

Now, An Yi had become the public enemy of the economics and trade department!

"Nothing much, I just ran into her yesterday, helped her with a small favor, and we got to know each other."

"Did you exchange contact info?"

"We just added each other today during class!"

"Damn!"

The four of them were messing around as they arrived at the basketball court.

Liu Dachao, despite wearing glasses, had the sharpest eyes among them. He spotted Qin Yao from a distance and started hollering like a baboon.

"Look, isn't that the campus belle Qin Yao over there!"

An Yi looked up.

Sure enough, Qin Yao was near the basketball court.

Lin Chen wasn't far from her, but he kept a distance of about ten meters.

Clearly, Qin Yao didn't want him following her around.

"Tsk tsk, this is going to be interesting. This is Wang Xuefeng's turf. That guy is a die-hard fan of Qin Yao. Seeing Lin Chen here is going to make him lose his mind."

Liu Dachao adjusted his glasses, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

An Yi pondered for a moment.

He wasn't too familiar with Wang Xuefeng, but he knew him. Wang was a member of the school basketball team.

Standing at 1.9 meters tall, with a handsome face, and being the ace of the school basketball team, Wang Xuefeng was rumored to come from a well-off family. He was the kind of guy who could make countless girls swoon.

There had even been a buzz on the campus forum when he openly pursued Qin Yao.

At the basketball court.

Qin Yao sat on a bench, her face dark, sipping angrily on her milk tea.

Lin Chen was such a nuisance, following her everywhere.

This was a school! A school!

What kind of danger could there possibly be here?

Lin Chen stood with a cold expression, leaning against the basketball court's wire fence, his eyes closed.

Having survived countless life-and-death battles, he found it somewhat ironic that his final mission after retiring was to be a bodyguard. But these were extraordinary times. Qin Yao, being targeted by a powerful conglomerate, was potentially in danger.

As her bodyguard, he had to stay vigilant.

Just then, a basketball came flying straight at Lin Chen.

In an instant.

Lin Chen opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a sword.

Boom!

A loud burst of air!

Lin Chen reached out and pierced the basketball as if it were paper!

The loud noise drew the attention of everyone on the court.

Eyes widened in shock.

An Yi, nibbling on his popsicle, secretly observed Lin Chen's actions, inwardly amazed.

He just pierced a basketball with his hand?

Is this a movie?

No wonder they say the chosen ones are hard to deal with!

"Oops, sorry about that. The ball just flew out while we were playing. My bad. The ball's a bit old and not very sturdy. Hope you're not hurt."

A tall guy in a basketball jersey walked over, smiling apologetically.

Lin Chen didn't respond, his cold gaze sweeping over the guy.

The basketball had been aimed directly at him from the start!

They were separated by an entire basketball court. There was no way it was an accident!

The tall guy felt a pang of unease under Lin Chen's stare.

He knew better than anyone that the basketball was brand new, worth a few thousand yuan, and of high quality.

To pierce it with bare hands? That kind of finger strength was downright terrifying!

But he couldn't back down now. The goddess was watching!

He had to teach this annoying fly buzzing around Qin Yao a lesson.

Lin Chen glanced at Qin Yao.

Qin Yao, who had been eagerly watching the scene, noticed Lin Chen looking at her.

She quickly picked up her milk tea, pretending to look at the scenery, avoiding his gaze.

"It's fine."

Lin Chen didn't bother with the tall guy anymore.

Even though they were around the same age, Lin Chen didn't see himself as being on the same level as these sheltered kids.

To him, they were just a bunch of inexperienced youngsters. Arguing with them would only make him look immature.

The tall guy smirked and said, "Do you play basketball? Want to join us for a game?"

Lin Chen refused outright, "No."

"Come on, it's just for fun."

The tall guy persisted, his eyes locked on Lin Chen.

This guy had been following Qin Yao around like a shadow, and it had been driving him crazy. He needed to teach him a lesson to ease his own frustration.

Not far away, An Yi and his three friends were perched on some gym equipment, swinging lazily, watching the scene unfold like it was a show.

"See? I told you Wang Xuefeng would pick a fight with Lin Chen."

Liu Dachao spoke with the air of a wise man, a smug smile on his face.

An Yi thought for a moment.

It seemed like he didn't even need to get involved.

In this school, there were plenty of people who disliked Lin Chen.

Just then, Qin Yao noticed An Yi and waved at him with her milk tea cup.

An Yi smiled slightly and raised his hand in response.

"Oh my god! Qin Yao just waved at me! She smiled at me! Did you see that?"

"Shut up, she was obviously waving at me."

Qin Shan and Liu Dachao started bickering.

An Yi sighed. These two really had no self-awareness!

"Let's get closer. This is going to be good. Bring Bai Xiu along. That guy fell asleep on the horizontal bar again."

...

"Hey, man, do you play? Want to join us? These school team guys are getting too cocky!"

Another group of students invited Lin Chen to join their game.

Wang Xuefeng, the tall guy, chuckled and said, "Maybe you should pass. After all, we're the school team. Regular folks might not be able to keep up."

What a lame attempt at provocation!

But... being a bodyguard was boring anyway!

Lin Chen gave him a cold look and nodded, "Alright."

"Haha, you've got guts!"

Wang Xuefeng was thrilled.

Basketball was his domain! How dare this guy accept his challenge!

This was going to be fun!

Lin Chen changed into a team jersey and stepped onto the court. Qin Yao's eyes lit up.

She quite enjoyed watching basketball.

If she could see Lin Chen, that annoying bodyguard, make a fool of himself, that would be even better.

Wang Xuefeng smirked.

What followed... was a nightmare for him!

Lin Chen, clad in blue, moved like a blue whirlwind on the court!

Dribbling past defenders, jump shots, three-pointers, slam dunks!

...

Smack!

Lin Chen delivered a brutal block!

The basketball was sent flying!

Wang Xuefeng stared at his trembling hands, his eyes wide with disbelief. What the hell? This wasn't possible!

When did he get here?

The entire court fell silent.

Even Qin Yao stopped sipping her milk tea, the straw frozen in her mouth.

"Holy crap!"

"We've got a pro here!"

"Not so cocky now, huh, Xuefeng?"

The blue team players started teasing, their earlier frustration with Wang Xuefeng's dominance fading away.

Lin Chen flexed his wrist and said coldly, "You're too slow."

"You..."

Wang Xuefeng gritted his teeth, glaring at Lin Chen with hatred.

Liu Dachao, who had been watching from the sidelines, nudged An Yi and whispered,

"Bro, that guy's skills are insane! How do you think you'd fare against him? You're the king of street basketball in Jiangbei. Want to give it a shot?"

An Yi shrugged, "Sorry, I don't play for free."