Chapter 585 The Showdown


    Lysander reminded Daphne, saying, “<b>Wake </b>up. That’s a minor.”


    “I’m not going to do anything. I’m just looking-


    Finished


    Before Daphne had even finished speaking, the referee whistled, signaling the end of the first <b>half </b>of thepetition. As expected<b>, </b>Joseph’s team had the lead.


    When it was the second <b>half</b>, things suddenly came to a halt. A long time passed, but the whistle signaling


    Daphne was somewhat anxious. “What’s going on? What happened?”


    A girl beside her exined. “It seems a yer on team five has to leave, so they’re short a <b>yer</b><b>.”</b>


    “Is <b>that </b>Joseph’s team?”


    “No. It’s their rival <b>team</b><b>.</b><b>”</b>


    Daphne became even more anxious. “Does this mean the basketballpetition can’t <b>go </b>on?”


    *It depends on whether they can get someone else. But many of those in the senior year have been called back by the teachers, so we can only see if any freshmen or sophomores would <be </b><b>to </b>stand in.”


    Right after the girl had said <b>that</b>, a familiar figure appeared at the basketball court’s entrance.


    The girls present let out another round of cheer.


    Daphne’s brows furrowed. “Does he really have that much free time? Attending the school anniversary is one thing, but he even came to watch the basketballpetition?”


    Lysander remained silent.


    As Josiah walked, he casually unbuttoned his suit jacket.


    Then, he undid his tie in a few swift movements and casually tossed his jacket onto a chair at the side of the court. Looking at Joseph, he said mildly, “I heard you’re on the state’s basketball team.”“


    Joseph puffed out his chest and lifted his chin. “Indeed.”


    Josiah’s <b>voice </b>dropped low. “It seems like they’re short of a yer on the other team, and it looks like they won’t be able to get anyone else for a while. How about… I give it a try?”


    Joseph had no recollection of the <b>man</b>. <b>But </b>when he heard that, hispetitive spirit zed, “Sure. But do you have a jersey and sneakers<b>? </b>Competing in dress shoes definitely won’t be <b>as </b>convenient as sneakers, and even if I win, it wouldn’t be a fair victory.”


    Josiah smiled. “That’s if you win


    Upon seeing that, everyone else had no objections either. They merely waited for the break to end before themencement of the <b>second </b><b>half </b>of thepetition.


    All the students in the <b>audience </b>knew was that Josiah previously sat with the principal. At that point, they


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    Finished


    was likely an esteemed alumnus, while others thought he might be a partner brought in by the principal.


    Amidst the surrounding chatter, Daphine tugged at Lysander’s sleeve, whispering, “Does Josiah know how to y basketball?”


    Lysander truly didn’t know the answer to that.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    She had never seen him y or even heard of it.


    Therefore, she shook her head honestly.


    “No?”


    “I don’t know.”


    “Wow, you two as a couple really are…


    Meanwhile, Josiah sensed something and looked up at the audience. His gaze was dark and unfathomable, and he exuded an aura of calmness before the storm.


    With a nonchnt expression, Lysander nced at him briefly before shifting her gaze toward Joseph from him.


    Beep!


    The referee blew the whistle.


    Josiah retracted his gaze, casting a cold, sidelong nce at Joseph, who was unting away.


    Not even ten minutes into thepetition, the audience in the stands all held their breaths, not daring to make a sound.


    With Josiah’s participation, the atmosphere during the friendly match in the first half was all but gone. Most yers on the court became mere backdrops, leaving him and Joseph topete.


    Josiah was aggressive on the basketball court. From the beginning, he expertly dribbled the ball past the others <b>and </b>scored a three–pointer in one go.


    The defense on the other side was ineffective and as good as non–existent.


    Joseph, who was already giving it his all, became even more desperate upon seeing the situation. During the first half, he was focused on his technique, maintaining a stylish and brisk shooting posture. But facing off a formidable opponent like Josiah, he had no choice but to bulldoze his way through.


    The rest of his teammates were at their wits end with Josiah.


    With gritted teeth, Joseph charged forward, swiftlypleting a series of moves from interception to scoring a basket. Finally, he managed to score a point for his team that had been losing.


    Daphne cheered, “Holy sh*t, the jerk <b>has </b>some skills!”


    With her taking the lead, the female students previously stunned by Josiah’s performance, snapped out of their trance <b>and </b>began cheering him on enthusiastically.


    <b>Joseph </b>lifted his jersey and wined off his <b>sweat</b>, revealing his lean ver muscr waist and <b>abs</b>. Danhne


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    Chapter 585 The Showdown


    Finished


    couldn’t help but tug at Lysander again. “But I still root for Joseph. His youth is his greatest advantage. He can wear down Josiah just by ousting him<b>.</b><b>”</b>


    Lysander’s expression remained indifferent, and her <b>brows </b>creased.


    Oust? Must she make it sound <b>so </b>suggestive?


    Anyway, her greatest concern at that moment was the issue of safety.


    Joseph was young, and when he charged ahead, he recklessly sent the yers on the opposing team flying several meters away on multiple asions.


    Josiah had an advantage with his vast experience and calm demeanor. Seizing the opportunities, he could instantly render Joseph’s strengths useless. Then, without missing a beat, he could organize a counterattack. His leadership skills were unparalleled.


    However, the <b>conflict </b>between the two men was clearly escting. After Joseph was dodged by Josiah for the third time, he noticeably lost his bnce and stumbled. His knee hit the ground hard, <b>causing </b>him to grimace in pain. It took him a while before he managed to stand up and continue.


    “I’m afraid someone might get hurt,” Lysander said worriedly.


    Daphne patted her and coaxed, “Don’t worry. They’re all grown men. A little bump here and there is nothing to fuss about. It’s a sports game, so conflict is inevitable.”


    Thepetition on the court had reached fever pitch.


    Joseph tried to replicate his glory in the first half of thepetition, but Josiah was no easy prey. He only managed to score a beautiful three–pointer from afar before he was blocked multiple times in session. thoroughly hemmed in.


    Josiah was dressed in a fitted shirt that was not exactly suited for vigorous activity. However, once he rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, the muscles on his arms came into view. It gave him an ascetic charm belonging to a mature <b>man</b>.


    The girls at thepetition were <b>all </b>there for Joseph. Quite a few of them even crafted animated screensavers cheering for him on their phones, holding them up high in support.


    But at that moment, countless cheerleaders had switched sides, turning their cameras on to take photos. and videos of Josiah.


    <b>Josiah </b>had a reserved <b>and </b>icy demeanor. At that moment, he stepped onto the court with an air of brooding intensity, and his ying style could only be described as aggressive. After intercepting the ball once again, he unexpectedly made a reverse three–pointer. He moved with such grace that it was a sight to


    behold.


    The audience erupted in cheers.


    However, Lysander couldn’t muster any excitement. She merely fixed her eyes on the court with a heavy


    heart.


    For the first time, Joseph found himself being upstaged. He couldn’t help but feel <b>a </b>sense of urgency, Seeing Josiah about to make another three–point jump shot, he was determined to stop him. Throwing caution to the wind, he leaped from the side, intending to knock into the man and snatch the ball away.


    Chapter 585 The Showdown


    Josiah had been prepared for that and stood his ground firmly.


    Finished


    In the next moment, Joseph made a mistake and hit the ground. A dull thud echoed throughout the court.


    The referee immediately blew the whistle to halt the game.


    When Lysander <b>saw </b>that an ident had urred for real, her face turned pale. She hurriedly rushed down from the audience seat.


    All the yers from both teams crowded over to check on Joseph’s condition, except <b>Josiah</b>, who remained rooted to the spot.


    Joseph’s condition didn’t look good. He had taken a solid hit to his right knee and elbow and was bleeding profusely. His wounds looked ghastly.


    By the time Lysander arrived, blood from his calves and arms had already pooled on the ground and was flowing to the side.


    The students around him were also somewhat fearful. “Should we take Joseph to the infirmary? He’s injured.


    “No. He doesn’t seem capable of walking anymore.”


    “Could someone go to the infirmary and get the doctor over for a look?”


    “I’ll go! I’ll go!”


    Lysander went over to Joseph, reaching out and supporting his arm. Upon sensing that the bone wasn’t dislocated, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “How are you feeling? Can you still move?”


    Joseph drew in <b>a </b>sharp breath, his brows furrowing as he looked at her and replied, “My leg hurts, Ms. Thorne.”


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