Chapter Two: The Red Line Painted Green

“Elbow!” Xinglan shouted. Qiao flashed high. Xinglan cut violently from the corner, and Zhou passed before the trap closed. The center collapsed. Xinglan rose but, rather than force a layup, whipped the ball to the opposite corner. Tang stood alone. She hesitated. “Shoot!” Xinglan roared. The three dropped cleanly, and the building erupted. Next time, Zhou delivered the bounce pass earlier. Xinglan drew two defenders and fed Qiao for a thunderous finish. Six minutes later, Harbor had reduced a seven-point deficit to one, forcing a timeout. As Xinglan reached the bench, Luo blocked her path. “The plan says create for Zhou, not control every decision yourself.” “She assisted on both baskets.”