Chapter 38: He Tian's Popularity

Li Yingying and Li Kai had put together a complete set of genuine Nike basketball gear—jersey, shorts, shoes, even socks, ribbons, and knee and wrist guards. Everything one could possibly need! He Tian was left speechless at their thoroughness. Was it really necessary to be so formal about it?

“Don’t you think it’d be even cooler if I beat Wu Sen dressed just like this, all casual?” He Tian, not wanting to change into the outfit, offered a suggestion that would make him stand out even more.

“Exactly!” Wang Xinrou clapped her hands in agreement.

“Oh, you could’ve said so earlier!” Li Yingying admitted He Tian had a point, but all their effort had gone to waste.

“Better safe than sorry… Who knows what tricks Wu Sen might have up his sleeve!” Li Kai, however, didn’t feel their efforts were wasted, chuckling lightly.

“That’s true… It’s always good to be prepared! Is it time to head out?” Wang Xinrou was already growing impatient.

“Let’s go!” He Tian spread his hands, grinning.

Lin Ying was not with them.

The five of them didn’t bother with a car, choosing to walk instead.

“That’s He Tian—the one challenging Wu Sen in basketball!”

“I saw He Tian’s video on the campus website! He’s tough! He even beat Qin Long before! But being good at fighting doesn’t mean you’re good at basketball. This is going to be interesting!”

“He doesn’t look reckless to me. Maybe he’s a secret basketball master!”

“That’s not even the main point—the duel is all because of Wang Xinrou! Now, that’s news!”

“The guys from the Campus Belle Studio are so slow… They still haven’t posted the updated campus beauty rankings. Keeping us all in suspense!”

“Whatever, let’s go see for ourselves.”

“Hurry, or there won’t be any seats left in the gym!”

…

As He Tian and his group appeared on campus and made their way straight to the gym, a tide of students—boys and girls alike—surged in the same direction. In this respect, Wu Sen’s earlier publicity had worked wonders. He was determined to defeat He Tian in front of as many people as possible, to force him away from Wang Xinrou, achieving his own goal.

Failure never even crossed Wu Sen’s mind. He was supremely confident in his basketball abilities. Among the entire Tianhai University basketball team, he was the undisputed number one in terms of individual skill. It was fair to say Wu Sen had every right to be so self-assured.

He Tian was stunned by the sheer number of people inside the gym.

Tianhai University’s basketball gym was a professional-standard venue, serving as their home court for the intercollegiate basketball league. The gym could hold eight thousand spectators, and now—looking around—it was nearly full.

Tianhai University, unlike many other universities with several satellite campuses, had only this one main campus. From the very beginning, the campus had been planned on a grand scale. Altogether, students and staff numbered eighty thousand. Compared with some universities nationwide, Tianhai’s total population was still less than some, as some reach over a hundred thousand. But when it came to a single, concentrated campus, no university in the country could compare to Tianhai. One could only imagine the business opportunities created by having eighty thousand people packed into one area. And now, within such a short time, nearly eight thousand had gathered in the gym—proof enough of just how bored and gossipy these students were!

What He Tian didn’t realize was that, while Wu Sen’s publicity had played a role in attracting the crowd, the real draw was He Tian himself. Even Wang Xinrou’s involvement was a secondary factor. The reason was simple: He Tian had once defeated Qin Long, and a viral video showed him single-handedly fending off a dozen local thugs. Unbeknownst to him, He Tian already had a large fanbase throughout Tianhai University, especially among the girls—many of whom now saw him as their very own Prince Charming. He Tian’s good looks only added to his appeal.

Of the eight thousand present, a good three-quarters were there for He Tian. So, as soon as He Tian entered the gym, someone somewhere started chanting his name, and instantly the entire crowd joined in, the roar threatening to lift the roof off the building.

He Tian was dumbfounded. Wang Xinrou, Ouyang Bingbing, Lin Ying, Li Yingying, and Li Kai were even more astonished than he was. None of them could have anticipated such a turn of events. The entire gym was calling out for He Tian, making him the undisputed star of the day.

“What’s going on here? Since when did you assemble such a massive fan club?” Wang Xinrou had to shout her question at He Tian; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been heard over the din.

“I have no idea, either!” He Tian answered, just as bewildered.

He Tian had heard of university idols before and secretly wished he could be one. Just thinking about it was exhilarating—the glory, the sense of style, the thrill for one's vanity. But this was only his third day at university! And yet, he had already become a campus sensation. It all seemed so inexplicable.

“He Tian!” Li Yingying shouted, giving him a big thumbs-up.

“We should make He Tian the ambassador for Snack Street! There’s no way it wouldn’t become popular then!” Li Kai moved closer to Li Yingying, yelling at the top of his lungs.

“That’s a great idea! You deserve a reward!” Excitement and enthusiasm are contagious, and Li Yingying was no exception. Spurred by the moment and the brilliance of Li Kai’s suggestion, she rewarded him with a quick kiss.

Li Kai was left dumbstruck, grinning foolishly.

“This way, He Tian! Over here!” Lin Ying, at the front, waved vigorously.

He Tian led Wang Xinrou and the others over. The students were cooperative, parting to let them through.

“Hahaha, I never imagined He Tian would be so popular! If I hadn’t rallied everyone quickly, we’d never have gotten such good seats!” When He Tian and the others joined her, Lin Ying shouted above the noise.

“Thanks, everyone!” Looking around, He Tian saw that Lin Ying was surrounded by their classmates—both boys and girls. The nearby seats were filled with other students from the School of Economics and Management.

He Tian clasped his hands together in a traditional gesture, as if paying respect to fellow martial artists, causing a fresh wave of cheers to erupt.

“He Tian, use this!” Whether Lin Ying had prepared it in advance or the gym had it ready, a microphone appeared in He Tian’s hand.

“Quiet, everyone! Quiet down, please!” Taking the mic, He Tian strode onto the court. At the sight, the noisy crowd gradually settled.

“You all gave me quite a shock!” He Tian looked around at the packed bleachers, smiling.

His words drew laughter.

“I never knew I’d become the center of attention! Frankly, it’s a little nerve-wracking. This is only my third day here at Tianhai University! Honestly, I don’t even know all the names of my classmates yet. But none of that matters now… What matters is the enthusiasm shown by all of you, seniors and peers alike. I’m deeply moved! And for that alone, I promise I’ll win today! Wu Sen, come out here!” With those words, He Tian swept his arm and called out loudly.

It was like a signal. The crowd took up the chant—“Wu Sen, come out!”—the roar shaking the very rafters.

Wu Sen’s face had turned an ashen gray. He had never expected—never in a million years—that He Tian would command such popularity. The chorus of support for He Tian filled Wu Sen with envy and resentment. But now, with He Tian issuing the challenge and the crowd echoing it, envy had given way to a touch of fear.

“Don’t be scared, A-Sen! He’s just putting on a show. Can he even play basketball? This is your chance—defeat him in this setting, and all those cheers will be yours!” Li Qiang, the captain of the basketball team and a third-year student, spoke encouragingly.

According to unwritten rules, most players quit the team by their senior year, so Li Qiang was now the team leader, while Wu Sen was the core and top player.

Li Qiang and the whole basketball team had come to support Wu Sen. Yet, none of them, including Li Qiang, could have foreseen such overwhelming support for He Tian—so much so that the campus team was all but forgotten. In previous university league games, these same students had cheered for Li Qiang, Wu Sen, and the others. Now, everything had changed.

“The captain’s right, Sen! This is your moment! Winning against such odds—that’s the stuff of heroes!” said Liu Jian, a six-foot-four starting center.

“Sen, you’re the best! No one in Tianhai can match you! Who else in the university league can stand against you? You were invited by a pro team as a sophomore! You’ve seen bigger crowds than this—don’t overthink it!” The starting point guard, Xiang Yang, patted Wu Sen on the shoulder.

“Sen, if you’re worried, we can play five-on-five with him!” said the shooting guard, Qian Hu.

“Come on! That would be bullying. Where’s the glory in that?” Captain Li Qiang waved him off.

“Thanks, guys! Don’t worry—none of this will get to me! Just wait and see how I crush He Tian!” Wu Sen suddenly smiled, relaxing and regaining his confidence.

Indeed, to be the core player of the university team, and to have received professional invitations—Wu Sen’s mental resilience was truly remarkable.