Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

With determination, Kai decided to go back to the small restaurant he went to in the morning, dead set on meeting Zhou Renren.

It still hasn't been confirmed if the blonde guy was, indeed, once part of the Shizi Dogs, but Kai had a good feeling that he was.

He entered the restaurant, causing the bells to chime.

"Welcome!" the owner said, turning to the door.

When he saw that it was Kai, Grandma Bingbing's grandson, his eyes widened in delight.

"Kai," he said. "Good evening."

Kai bowed in respect. "Good evening, sir," he greeted.

"It's my first time seeing you in my place at this hour. We're almost closed," the owner smiled. "Did you come to eat?"

Kai scratched the back of his head. Well, he would have to spend tomorrow's allowance in advance, but he eventually nodded.

These were the things he was willing to do to get Zhou Renren back to the team!

"Come on, sit down," the owner smiled. "I'll give you the chef's special on the house. There's still some left, so we would give it out anyway."

A small smile appeared on Kai's face.

Well, it seemed like he actually didn't have to spend anything at all!

"Come on now. I'll have my boy in the kitchen eat with you," he said, gesturing to the bar seat.

Kai's smile widened.

It must be Zhou Renren. Discover hidden tales at empire

With that, he excitedly sat on the seat and waited for Zhou Renren to emerge.

However, much to his disappointment, it was an old man who was wearing a chef's hat.

Kai's shoulders slumped as the food was placed in front of him.

"Thank you," he said despite his disappointment.

Just then, a tall figure emerged from the kitchen, causing Kai's posture to straighten. Along with him was the owner of the restaurant, who beamed when he saw Kai.

"You don't mind Renren joining, do you?" he asked. "This boy rarely eats outside when there are customers."

Renren turned to Kai, his eyebrows instantly furrowing as he looked at his uniform.

At that point, Kai already knew that he was, indeed, the Zhou Renren that he was looking for.

"I'm just gonna go home," Renren said, but the owner shook his head.

"You barely had lunch. Have dinner before you go," he said. "And take the leftover food and bring it to your dad. He has been working hard on the construction site, so I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

Renren turned his gaze to the floor, almost as if he was ashamed.

Then, the old chef placed another bowl next to Kai before patting Renren's back.

"Come on, boy. I'll be offended if you don't eat my cooking," he remarked.

Renren pursed his lips before heading to the seat next to Kai, scooting further away.

"I have to go now," the chef said, removing his cap. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

The owner nodded before focusing his gaze on the phone.

"Shoot," he muttered. "My wife is acting bonkers again. I also have to go."

"Renren," he said, turning to the blonde worker. "Lock the doors. You can clean up the plates tomorrow. I hope you don't mind me leaving early, Kai."

Kai enthusiastically shook his head.

This was actually perfect!

"Goodbye," the owner said, waving his hands before darting out of the room.

The door closed, and the bells rang in the small restaurant.

After that, the store was filled with ferocious gulps and bites.

Kai turned to Renren with raised eyebrows, only to find him gobbling down his food with great speed.

Kai smirked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Are you also this fast in the court?" he asked.

Renren stopped as he choked on a piece of noodle, causing Kai's eyes to widen.

He stood behind him and patted his back while Renren quickly drank some water.

"Are you alright?" Kai asked in an amused tone.

Renren turned to him with a glare, causing Kai to raise his hands in surrender.

"I didn't even ask a ridiculous question," Kai said. "You are Zhou Renren, right?"

Renren's face hardened as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"How do you know me?" he spat. "Did those bastards at Shizi High tell you?"

"Bastards?" Kai asked. "For all I know, you are the bastard who left them."

Renren's face softened for a moment, but it quickly reverted back to a frown.

"You should leave," he said. "I don't have time to speak with someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Kai asked, wanting to provoke him. "Why not? I actually came here to talk to you."

"Did you know? I even went to your house this morning," Kai continued. "It was the one that Lina told me about."

Renren froze, almost as if it was a sensitive topic.

"Surprisingly, there wasn't a Zhou Renren who lived in that place, and instead, I found Zhou Renren right here," Kai said in a sharp tone, causing the latter to hold his breath.

Then, his glare intensified.

"What the heck do you want?" he spat with resentful eyes.

"To get you back," Kai said without any hesitation, confusing Renren.

"I don't even know you," Renren remarked.

"You'll get to know me soon," Kai smirked. "We are going to be teammates in the near future."

Renren paused for a moment before a chuckle escaped his lips.

"I knew it," he muttered. "So, you were really sent here by Yuze, huh? That's desperate."

"That's where you're wrong," Kai remarked. "Yuze definitely doesn't want you on the team."

A look of hurt passed through his eyes.

"So, I'm doing this out of my own accord."

"We need an aggressive Point Guard in our team," Kai said. "You're perfect for that role."

Renren smiled bitterly.

"How do you even know my playing style?"

"The Shizi Dogs actually has a chance to win this year," Kai continued. "If you join us, then you can continue playing with Yuze and Kun until the very end. You also have a dream of becoming a champion, right?"

Renren stared into the distance, almost as if he was reminiscing the past, before shaking his head.

Kai thought that he had already convinced him, but much to his dismay, Renren's jaw clenched as he looked into Kai's eyes.

"I suggest you just go," Renren said with a smirk.

"Because, no matter what you say, I will never, ever go back to the Shizi Dogs..."

"...or play basketball ever again."