Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 113 Shudon Arena: The Adorable Pets' Scene-Stealing Contest

The bedroom door slid open silently, and Lin Yan walked out slowly.

Lin Gang, who had been waiting outside, immediately stepped forward and said respectfully, "Young Master, you have emerged from seclusion."

"Hmm." Lin Yan nodded slightly. "Has anything happened outside during this time?"

"The group's affairs are all running smoothly, and Lin Yi and Lin Er have handled things well," Lin Gang reported. "As for personal matters, Young Master Wenbin from the Li family, Young Master Jiaming from the Zheng family, as well as Miss Zhou and Miss He have all called to inquire about your recent situation and invited you to go on trips. They all expressed their concern upon hearing that you were not feeling well."

Hearing his friends' names, Lin Yan's usually stern lips unconsciously curved into a slight smile. Memories of his youth, filled with the warmth of everyday life, surfaced in his mind, filling him with a sense of comfort. Cultivation knows no time, but human kindness is the best balm for the soul.

"Understood," he replied, already having made up his mind. He focused his attention on the space, and soon, a white light flashed, and the puppy appeared in his arms.

"Waaah... Brother!" Xiao Qi nuzzled Lin Yan's chin affectionately with her little head, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance, "You haven't come in to play with me for so long! It's so boring inside!"

Lin Yan apologetically rubbed its little head, finding it incredibly soft to the touch. "I'm sorry, Little Seven, I've reached a crucial point in my cultivation. Now that's alright, I'll play with you for the rest of the time, okay?" He took out a delicate little leather bag that he had prepared beforehand, filled with jerky made from spirit beast meat, and hung it on his waist inside his clothes for easy access.

"How about I take you to meet your brother's friend today and teach you how to play basketball?"

"Basketball?" Xiao Qi tilted her head, her dark eyes darting around, clearly full of curiosity.

Lin Yan smiled, picked it up, walked to the phone, and dialed Li Wenbin's number first.

The call was answered almost instantly, and Li Wenbin's signature loud voice came from the other end: "Hey? Who is it?"

"Wenbin, it's me, Ayan."

"Wow!!! Ah Yan!!" Li Wenbin's voice instantly rose eight octaves, filled with surprise, "You're finally back! Are you alright? I called you earlier, and Mr. Lin said you weren't feeling well, then he said you went back to America? What happened?"

Immediately afterwards, Lin Yan called Zheng Jiaming and received almost the same enthusiastic response and concerned inquiries.

Lin Yan explained in a pre-prepared, slightly apologetic tone, "Thank you for your concern, I'm fine. My grandfather isn't feeling well, and he misses his grandchildren, so my family asked me to urgently return to the United States to be with him for a while. There were many things to do there, and the environment was unfamiliar, so I didn't contact everyone much. I'm sorry."

"By the way," Lin Yan got to the point, "I just got back and want to stretch my muscles. I'm itching to play basketball. Are you guys free? Maybe we can invite a few more friends?"

"Yes! I definitely have time!" Li Wenbin was the first to respond. "Play ball? Great! I'll call people right away!"

Cheng Ka-ming laughed and said, "Great! I happen to know a place! The outdoor court at the Wan Chai Southorn Playground was recently renovated, and the hoops and the surface are fantastic! I'll call a few more of my basketball buddies!"

After agreeing on a time and place, Lin Yan changed into a set of casual sportswear, put Xiao Qi in his arms, and went out the door, while Lin Gang drove.

When the car arrived at Southorn Stadium, several figures were already warming up and shooting hoops. Besides Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming, there were three other young, unfamiliar faces.

"Ah Yan! Here!" Li Wenbin, with his sharp eyes, waved and shouted from afar.

After the group reunited, Li Wenbin and Zheng Jiaming carefully examined Lin Yan to make sure he looked healthy and was indeed alright before they were relieved.

"Wow, Yan, you seem to have grown a little taller? Are you 188cm now? You're getting a good deal on the ball!" Li Wenbin patted Lin Yan's arm enviously.

Zheng Jiaming then smiled and began to introduce his new friend: "Ah Yan, come on, let's get acquainted. This is Guo Zhian, whose father is the owner of 'Guo Xingji Shipping'. He's our teammate, a center forward, and he always calls himself 'Little Chamberlain of Wan Chai'!" A boy who was about 185 cm tall, with a strong build and a good-natured smile nodded to Lin Yan.

"This is Law Wai-chung, his family owns 'Law's Department Store.' He's fast and has a sharp breakthrough ability. He's our shooting guard." A lean, sharp-eyed boy wearing stylish sneakers greeted him with a smile.

"The last one is Law Wai-leung, the younger brother of Law Chi-chung. He's a top student at Queen's College, but he's also pretty good at playing ball." A boy wearing glasses, who looked more refined, but was also dressed in sportswear, smiled shyly.

Lin Yan shook hands with each of them and greeted them in a gentle and polite manner.

At this moment, Xiao Qi, who had been obediently nestled in Lin Yan's arms, seemed to be infected by the lively atmosphere and curiously poked her little head out, letting out a soft "woo?"

"Wow!!!!"

Instantly, all the boys' eyes were drawn to it.

"Paparazzi?! How adorable!" Li Wenbin was the first to exclaim.

"It's white! It looks like a plush toy!" Luo Weiliang's eyes widened.

"Ah Yan, when did you raise him? Take him out and let me see!" Zheng Jiaming couldn't help but lean closer.

Lin Yan smiled and carefully carried Xiao Qi out. Xiao Qi seemed a little shy, tugging at Lin Yan's clothes with its little paws, its big, dark eyes warily watching the people who gathered around. It only wanted to stick to Lin Yan, and turned its head slightly away from other people's outstretched hands, showing the innate arrogance of a mythical beast.

"Its name is Xiao Qi, and it's a little shy around strangers," Lin Yan explained, taking out some dried meat and feeding it a small piece.

The aroma of the jerky and Lin Yan's soothing words relaxed Xiao Qi a bit. Li Wenbin, Zheng Jiaming, and the others patiently "lured" Xiao Qi with jerky, then gently rolled a basketball in front of it. Xiao Qi's curiosity was completely piqued, and it began chasing the ball, pawing at it with its paws, having a great time. Finally, it allowed them to stroke its soft fur, and even happily circled around the feet of the people who fed it jerky and played ball with it, melting the hearts of the group of teenagers.

After a period of playful banter, the game officially began. Six people played, making it a perfect three-on-three half-court match.

Squad:

Team A: Lin Yan (188cm, SF/PF), Li Wenbin (178cm, SG), Luo Weiliang (175cm, PG/SG)

Team B: Guo Zhian (185cm, C), Zheng Jiaming (180cm, PG/SF), Luo Weicong (177cm, SG)

Game start!

The jump ball was between Lin Yan and Guo Zhian. Although Lin Yan was taller, Guo Zhian looked stronger. However, Lin Yan's speed and explosiveness were superhuman, and he easily passed the ball to Li Wenbin.

Li Wenbin excitedly shouted as soon as he got the ball: "Ayan, get to the low post!" He quickly dribbled the ball across half-court, and facing Luo Weicong's defense, he used a crossover dribble to feign a breakthrough, but cleverly lobbed the ball to Lin Yan, who was already in position.

Lin Yan received the ball with his back to the basket, feeling the solid defense from Guo Zhian behind him. Instead of forcing a shot, he shrewdly spotted Luo Weiliang getting open after Li Wenbin's off-ball screen, and immediately delivered a bounce pass, accurately finding Luo Weiliang. Luo Weiliang swiftly took a mid-range shot—"Swish!" The ball swished through the net! 1-0!

"Great shot!" "Beautiful pass!" Team A cheered.

In the transition offense, Zheng Jiaming of Team B controlled the ball and calmly orchestrated the offense. He passed the ball to Guo Zhian in the paint. Guo Zhian used his weight to overpower Lin Yan, attempting a couple of spin hook shots—Lin Yan seized the opportunity, not trying to force a connection, but instead using his amazing jumping ability and anticipation to cleanly block the shot!

Li Wenbin retrieved the ball and immediately launched a fast break, rushing towards the frontcourt like a whirlwind and scoring a layup! 2-0!

"Wow! Ah Yan! Your block is amazing!" Li Wenbin ran back and excitedly high-fived Lin Yan.

Team B was not to be outdone. In the next possession, Zheng Jiaming and Luo Weicong executed a brilliant play. After a pick-and-roll, Zheng Jiaming drew a double team and bounced a pass to Luo Weicong, who easily made a floater. 2-1.

Guo Zhian also began to utilize his inside advantage, using his weight to overpower several shots, and even grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a putback. The score went back and forth.

Lin Yan's performance is becoming increasingly impressive. His height and long wingspan give him a wide defensive coverage area, frequently providing help defense, blocking shots, or disrupting shots. On offense, he doesn't try to take all the credit but instead consistently feeds the ball to his teammates. His mid-range shooting is incredibly consistent, almost always finding the net when open. Occasionally, he'll make a powerful drive, easily blowing past his defender in one step for a layup, drawing gasps from the crowd.

Li Wenbin is fast and accurate with his shots, making him one of Team A's main scorers. Luo Weiliang, on the other hand, frequently fired from beyond the arc, hitting several mid-range and long-range shots.

For Team B, Zheng Jiaming has excellent court vision and unpredictable passing, making him the team's playmaker. Guo Zhian is a dominant force in the paint, dominating both scoring and rebounding. Luo Weicong's sharp drives and speed cause significant trouble for Team A's defense.

The game was incredibly intense, full of physical contact, but the atmosphere was fantastic, with cheers from both sides for every good play. Xiao Qi excitedly ran around on the sidelines, chasing the basketball that occasionally went out of bounds, becoming the cutest "sideline assistant."

In the end, Team A narrowly defeated Team B thanks to Lin Yan's game-winning mid-range shot after drawing a double team and passing to an open Li Wenbin.

Everyone was drenched in sweat and panting, but their faces were beaming with joy and excitement.

"Wow, Ah Yan is amazing! It's my first time playing ball with you, I never expected you to be so good!" Guo Zhian said sincerely, wiping his sweat.

"Yeah, you're tall, accurate, and have a tough defense! I want to be on your team next time!" Luo Weicong laughed.

Zheng Jiaming handed Lin Yan a bottle of soda: "That was great! Yan, now that your grandpa's better, you should play more games!"

Li Wenbin put his arm around Lin Yan's shoulder and said, "That's right! From now on, you'll be our regular playing buddy!"

Lin Yan took the soda, took a sip, and felt the refreshing sweetness. Looking at his friends around him, soaking wet, arms around each other, and beaming with smiles, he felt a rare sense of ease and joy at the unbridled friendship that followed their intense rivalry.

"Okay, definitely." He nodded with a smile, his gaze gentle. Xiao Qi ran over and affectionately rubbed against his ankle, as if she was also happy about the exciting game and the new friends she had made.

The golden rays of the setting sun shone on the Southorn Playground, casting long shadows of the boys. Sweat, laughter, the sound of basketballs hitting the ground, and the cheerful little white dog together created a vibrant picture of Hong Kong youth.