"77 meters!"
"Next!"
"72 meters!"
"80 meters!"
The throwing distance test gave each player three attempts. If someone felt their first throw was good enough, they could skip the rest.
It had to be said that Seido's specially recruited players were incredibly strong. At least among these freshmen, this was obvious.
Players who signed up on their own, without special recruitment, usually threw between forty and sixty meters. Very few went beyond that. Meanwhile, the special recruits generally threw over seventy or eighty meters.
As a pitcher from a strong team like Matsukata Little League, Zhang Han had been confident about this test. With a bit of luck, he might even stand out.
But after watching the others throw, his scalp tingled. He was stronger than most, but not by a dramatic margin. Relying on this alone to make a name for himself would not be enough.
"Whoosh!"
A small guy, only about one meter sixty, threw a ball that shot out like an arrow.
He was also a pitcher.
Zhang Han felt it instantly, as if they were connected. He stared at the youth, searching his memory for information. With that kind of speed and technique, he should have remembered him, but he couldn't. This kid wasn't from Tokyo. He must have traveled from another region to study here.
Anyone willing to leave home just to play baseball must have skills.
"91 meters!"
As expected, the small pitcher threw the farthest distance so far. Manager Ota looked especially excited.
Zhang Han understood. The youth named Kawakami was still thin, small, and not fully developed. Once he grew and trained properly at Seido, his strength would skyrocket. He might even become Seido's future Ace.
Another hidden gem from a prestigious program.
But Kawakami wasn't even the most shocking. The next pitcher, a youth named Kawashima, threw 99 meters.
He surpassed everyone.
Two results like that among freshmen caused an uproar. Everyone was buzzing about whether Kawakami or Kawashima would become the strongest pitcher of their generation.
At some point, Miyuki Kazuya's annoying face appeared behind Zhang Han.
"Young man, aren't you going to pitch?"
"Why don't you go?" Zhang Han snapped.
Miyuki was infuriatingly cunning. Matsukata had fallen to him twice. They had also beaten him two or three times, but considering the gap in strength between the teams, Matsukata's wins were not glorious. It was like two armies, one with one hundred thousand men and one with ten thousand, ending up with a fifty-fifty record. That was Matsukata versus Miyuki's team.
As a former opponent on the losing side, Zhang Han had no intention of being friendly with him.
"Don't be so cold. I'm looking forward to your performance. Want to team up and take down the upperclassmen?"
This guy could tempt anyone.
Zhang Han prided himself on being calm, yet his heart still jumped at the idea. For a moment, he almost nodded.
But then he snapped back.
"What nonsense are you talking about? The freshman match is still far away."
"Heh, so you're thinking about it too. We'll see."
Miyuki waved and walked toward the throwing line.
Zhang Han clicked his tongue. He fell for it again.
He never thought of himself as stupid. His IQ test scores were always above 130. His grades were strong. His looks didn't determine his intelligence, but his intelligence was easily sixty percent as good as his looks.
Yet whenever he talked to Miyuki, he fell straight into his traps. It felt just like when they played against him. Calculated at every turn.
Miyuki stepped up to the throwing position. As he shifted his weight forward, he hurled the ball with force.
"Whoosh!"
Everyone was stunned the moment the ball left his hand.
The fastest previous throws, from Kawakami and Kawashima, had all been from pitchers. But Miyuki was clearly a catcher. Yet the pitch he threw was noticeably faster than both of theirs. Even without a speed gun, anyone could see it. His power wasn't even on the same level.
The ball flew all the way to near the boundary line before dropping.
The upperclassman in charge of calling distances froze for a moment before announcing,
"115 meters!"
Zhang Han's mind went blank.
He had known Miyuki was famous in their generation. Even though he hadn't secured the title of best catcher, he was one of the top candidates. Zhang Han had experienced firsthand how Miyuki's pick-offs left no chance for base stealing. His throwing had to be strong.
But he never expected Miyuki to have a pitching speed around 140 kilometers per hour with that kind of force.
A stunning debut.
Even in a powerhouse school full of talent, true geniuses stand out immediately. There is no mystery. They are simply strong.
Manager Ota rubbed his hands excitedly and started whispering with the assistant coach. Zhang Han didn't need to listen to guess the topic.
They had found a treasure.
Seido High School spent a lot of scholarship money each year to recruit players, but with poor results in recent years, they struggled to attract top prospects, especially in Tokyo. Last year, they didn't secure a single top player. The team's repeated failure to reach Koshien had pushed them into a vicious cycle.
As the club manager, Ota had every reason to worry.
But now, those worries were lifting.
They had finally recruited a true top-level player again.
It would not guarantee Seido's immediate return to Koshien, but it was a strong start.
************************************
From this week I have decided to start a little initiative. For every 50 power stones donated to the book I will release an extra chapter that very moment on top of that day 2 chapters.
Remember For Every 50 Power Stones An Extra Chapter.
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