The special recruitment selection at City's Third Senior High School was supposed to be a low-key event.
But with the participation of powerhouses like Manaka, Ohmae, and Adachi, it had turned into a completely one-sided and somewhat bizarre trial.
Originally, the middle school contestants came with high hopes—to perform well, catch the eye of Supervisor Tianyuan, and secure a spot at City's Third High.
Now, however, all such hopes had been crushed.
While the situation had changed somewhat with Tianjiu's appearance on the mound, reducing the scoring pace of the high school team, the gap between the two sides remained massive.
Shinaka, who had once been a top pitcher in middle school, had improved tremendously after joining high school. Facing him now was a suffocating experience for the middle school players.
His fastballs were sharp, his angles were tricky, and his low-angle breaking balls were especially hard to counter.
Having already been part of the rotation during the summer tournament, Shinaka was now completely out of reach for these younger players. Even with a talented pitcher like Tianjiu holding the line, the middle school team lacked the firepower to fight back.
And worse, Tianjiu's pitching wasn't enough to completely suppress the high school seniors either. From earlier at-bats, it was clear they still had chances to make solid contact and score.
In this situation, the pressure on the middle school players was enormous.
Those still in the game were likely the ones with the highest hopes of making it into City's Third High. But based on their current performance, even they found it hard to justify why they should be chosen.
From a coach's perspective, how could any of them be worth the selection slot after a showing like this?
It wasn't that they didn't want to fight—but the crushing reality left their fighting spirit in tatters.
Zhang Han sensed this clearly.
Right now, the gap between the two teams was huge. There was no real possibility of turning the game around. Rallying the players with empty slogans like "we can still win" would do nothing. No one believed it, and even if someone did, Zhang Han would seriously question their intelligence.
"Everyone, gather up," Zhang Han called out, his tone firm. "Tianjiu just shut down the seniors' offense. Now it's our turn. Let's show them what we've got."
He didn't shout. There was no hot-blooded speech. But his calm authority made people subconsciously follow.
The middle schoolers had looked like headless flies, overwhelmed and directionless. But with Zhang Han stepping up, they found a sliver of purpose again.
"Tianjiu's pitching definitely shook them a bit," Zhang Han continued. "This is the moment they're hesitating. Let's score first. Show them we're not to be taken lightly."
It was a simple line—but no words could've been more effective.
The players of City's Third High were strong, but not invincible.
Zhang Han understood them. These so-called "elite" players were just oversized, temperamental donkeys—stubborn but sensitive. Handle them the right way, and even they could be led.
But offend their pride, and they'd buck and lash out.
You had to be clever when dealing with them.
On the middle school team, the first to step up was their third batter: Tianjiu.
He strolled into the batter's box looking particularly cool—like he was ready to take the stage and own it.
Zhang Han, batting cleanup, started wiping down his bat, preparing for his turn. The next few at-bats would be crucial. They couldn't afford any mistakes.
In the corner of the field, the assistant coach and Supervisor Tianyuan exchanged a glance.
They were both veterans in the baseball world. They had noticed something had shifted.
The middle school team, which had nearly collapsed under pressure, suddenly looked... revived?
Was this really just because of Tianjiu's pitching?
They weren't convinced. Changing a team's mentality mid-game was no easy feat. Something else was at play.
"Ping!""Bang!""Out!!"
Tianjiu had walked in full of flair, his swing looked sharp—but he was cleanly retired.
As he walked back from the batter's box, he crossed paths with Zhang Han, who couldn't resist a jab.
"That was clearly a fishing pitch. A genius like you didn't see through it?"
Tianjiu replied coolly, "I'm a pitcher, not a gorilla."
No shame, no guilt."If you want runs, that's your job."
Zhang Han was speechless.
So if you fail, you're incompetent. If you succeed, you're just a brute? This guy really gave no one a chance.
Still, Zhang Han didn't dwell on it. He focused on what was ahead.
This at-bat could decide everything.
Most of the middle school players were fighting to secure a spot in City's Third High. For them, this selection was everything.
But Zhang Han? This wasn't a challenge at all.
Whether he took the entrance exam or asked Ono Binzhi for a recommendation, getting into City's Third High wasn't a problem.
His goal was different.
Zhang Han wanted to leave a deep impression—not just on the scouts, but on the decision-makers like Supervisor Tianyuan.
Why?
To reduce his school admission fees.
To do that, he had to stand out—truly stand out.
Originally, Zhang Han had been confident he could pull this off. But now, the difficulty had increased.
There weren't many chances left.
If he wanted to prove his worth, it had to be now.