One out, no one on base.
Zhang Han stepped into the batter's box.
His opponent was Manaka Kaname, Ichidai Third's former rotational pitcher and now a contender for the Ace position.
Before their official confrontation, Manaka suddenly signaled for a timeout.
This left the Ichidai Third players utterly confused. Neither side had engaged yet, and the situation was favorable for Ichidai Third. Under such circumstances, Manaka actually requested a timeout. Not only did the players on the field not understand, but Coach Tahara was also completely bewildered.
He carefully scrutinized Zhang Han in the box, trying to recall any information about this player. Ultimately, Tahara gave up in frustration and turned to his Assistant Coach.
"Who is the boy hitting right now?"
"One of the main pitchers from Matsukata Senior League, Zhang Han."
The information was quickly handed to Coach Tahara. Looking at the data in his hand, Coach Tahara could hardly believe it. Zhang Han's pitching record seemed mediocre, not particularly eye-catching. But considering his team was Matsukata, and the various trials their team had endured, Zhang Han's performance was not indefensible.
Even in terms of pitching ability alone, Zhang Han showed great potential, enough for Ichidai Third to extend an invitation.
"Did our school not send him an invitation?"
Hoshida and Miyakawa from Matsukata had already received invitations and expressed their willingness to come to Ichidai Third.
"Originally, we wanted to invite him too, but student Zhang Han's identity is special."
"Zhang Han?"
"That's right, he's from the mainland. And our school's special recruitment slots are usually only for our own people."
"That's absolute nonsense! Do Major League teams only want North American players? As long as they can bring victory to the team, and they're willing to join, why wouldn't we want them?"
Tahara fumed. For this gentle Coach to be so angry, the data he saw must have been extraordinary.
On the field, Manaka was explaining to his teammates.
"That kid is really tricky. He's batting fourth, so our previous strategies have definitely been thoroughly analyzed. If we continue pitching with the same tactics, the consequences will be unimaginable."
"You're giving him too much credit and undermining our own confidence. He's just a middle schooler, how good can he possibly be?"
Someone in the team disagreed.
Omae, as the leader of their grade, chose to support Manaka.
"You guys haven't faced that guy; he's really weird."
Just Manaka's words alone wouldn't have concerned them too much. But even Omae said so, which meant they had to take it seriously.
"Is that kid really that good? I haven't heard of him before."
"Not having heard of him doesn't mean his strength isn't outstanding."
"Matsukata being able to win the national runner-up title... that kid definitely deserves a lot of credit."
Many of Ichidai Third High School's first-year regulars came from Little League. There were only so many Little League teams in Tokyo, and everyone had basically played against each other. Even those who hadn't played against each other had heard names. Although Zhang Han was not as famous as Narumiya Mei, he still had some recognition within the circle.
"I'm being specifically targeted!"
Zhang Han also noticed Ichidai Third's actions. Their intention to target him was obvious.
Watching them busy themselves, Zhang Han felt it was troublesome, but at the same time, he felt relieved.
Actually, this was good!
Now, Ichidai Third's Coach and the admissions staff should formally recognize him. As long as they remembered his name, the rest would be easier. Of course, to fully realize his vision, this alone would not be enough. He had to deliver an outstanding performance to leave a deeper impression.
Manaka and his teammates discussed on the mound for two or three minutes before returning to their positions.
It was clear they were confident in the strategy they had discussed. They changed their approach!
Manaka was a good kid, unlike some people who liked to play dirty tricks. He was straightforward with his thoughts. Playing against such a player gave Zhang Han a special thrill—a sense of intellectual superiority.
Zhang Han smiled and raised his bat.
After both sides were ready, Manaka decisively threw the baseball.
Whoosh!
Fast. The speed was truly fast.
In the blink of an eye, the white ball appeared before Zhang Han.
However, Zhang Han seemed prepared, swinging his bat fiercely at the incoming ball.
Ping!
The bat solidly struck the white ball, and a huge recoil force almost made the bat slip from Zhang Han's hand.
So heavy!
Zhang Han's expression changed slightly, but he quickly adjusted. In just one year, Manaka's pitching had indeed undergone a complete transformation.
But he hadn't been idle this past year either.
Zhang Han gritted his teeth, concentrating all his strength on his palms. He gripped the bat firmly, forcing the baseball away.
Thwack!
The ball drew a half-arc and landed behind the second baseman.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Han dropped the bat and ran directly to second base.
"Safe!"
"Good hitting!"
"That's beautiful!!"
The middle school team was completely exhilarated. From Amahisa's pitching to Zhang Han's hitting, although they hadn't achieved remarkable results individually before, the team's momentum had been established.
As teammates, they felt honored. Most importantly, they had severely taught the Ichidai Third players a lesson.
In the corner of the field, the Assistant Coach was dumbfounded. Although the data showed Zhang Han was impressive, such data felt abstract. But now, the situation was different. Zhang Han displayed his strength in front of everyone.
Even if it meant breaking the rules, such a player absolutely had to be brought under Ichidai Third's wing. Otherwise, if he went to another team, Ichidai Third would suffer a significant loss.
Coach Tahara looked at the data in his hand, then looked up and carefully observed Zhang Han before smiling.
"He completely saw through Manaka's pitch."
The hit just now showcased Zhang Han's excellent hitting ability, but most importantly, he had anticipated from the start that Manaka's first pitch would be inside.