One out, no one on base.
It was under such circumstances that Zhang Han stepped into the batter's box.
His opponent: Manaka Kaname—former rotation pitcher for the City University team and current ace contender.
Just as the confrontation was about to begin, Manaka suddenly signaled for a timeout.
The decision stunned the players from the city's third-year team. The situation was clearly in their favor, and neither side had engaged fully yet. Why stop now?
Even Coach Tahara looked confused.
He squinted at Zhang Han in the batter's box, racking his brain for any information about the boy.
Finally, unable to recall much, he turned to his assistant coach.
"Who's the kid up to bat now?"
"Zhang Han. One of the main pitchers from Matsukata Little League."
Supervisor Tian Yuan quickly reviewed Zhang Han's profile. At first glance, his pitching stats didn't stand out—but considering he came from Matsukata, a team known for its rigor and testing, his numbers weren't bad either.
In fact, if viewed solely through the lens of pitching ability, Zhang Han was more than good enough to warrant an invitation from the city's third high school.
"Didn't we already invite him?"
"We did consider it. But... Zhang Han is from the mainland, and our special recruitment quota is typically reserved for locals."
Tian Yuan frowned.
"That's ridiculous! Does a major league team only accept North American players? If someone can bring victory and is willing to wear our jersey, why wouldn't we take them?"
Tahara's rare burst of anger said it all.
Whatever he saw in Zhang Han's data had clearly impressed him.
On the field, Manaka gathered his teammates to explain.
"That kid's dangerous. He was the last one to bat—he's had plenty of time to study our pitching patterns. If we throw according to our usual routine, he'll read us like a book."
"You're overhyping him. He's just a middle schooler. How dangerous could he be?"
But Ohmae, a respected upperclassman, nodded in agreement.
"You haven't faced him yet. That guy's tricky."
Skepticism faded quickly after Ohmae's endorsement.
"Is he really that strong? I've never even heard of him."
"Just because you haven't heard of him doesn't mean he's not good."
"That kid played a huge role in Matsukata's run to the national runner-up. He's not some random nobody."
Many of the first-year players at the city's third high school had Little League backgrounds. There were only a few elite Little League teams in Tokyo, so they were all familiar with each other. Even if they hadn't played against someone directly, they had at least heard of them.
Though Zhang Han wasn't as well-known as Narumiya Mei, he still had a solid reputation in the inner circle.
"We're being specifically targeted now."
Zhang Han instantly realized the shift in attention.
Although the situation was troublesome, he also felt relieved. It meant the coaches and scouts at the city's third high school had finally noticed him.
Getting recognized was step one. If he could just plant his name in their minds, everything else would fall into place.
But recognition alone wouldn't be enough.
He needed to perform—to impress Supervisor Tian Yuan and the admissions staff to the point that they couldn't ignore him.
After a two- or three-minute discussion, Shinaka and his teammates returned to their positions, full of confidence in their revised tactics.
Zhang Han could see through their strategy easily.
Manaka wasn't the type to play dirty. He was direct and honest, the kind of player Zhang Han actually enjoyed facing.
After all, beating someone like Manaka made the victory sweeter.
With a smirk, Zhang Han raised his bat.
Once both sides were set, Shinaka fired the first pitch.
Whoosh!
Fast. Blazingly fast.
In the blink of an eye, the white ball was screaming toward him.
But Zhang Han was ready. He swung with all his might.
Ping!
The bat met the ball squarely. The impact sent a jolt up Zhang Han's arms, almost tearing the bat from his hands.
Heavy.
His expression shifted slightly as he processed the raw force of Manaka's throw.
But he adjusted quickly.
Shinaka had clearly leveled up in the past year—but so had Zhang Han.
Clenching his jaw, Zhang Han focused all his strength into his grip and refused to let go.
Bang!
The ball sailed in a high arc, dropping just behind the second baseman.
Zhang Han seized the opportunity, tossed aside the bat, and sprinted for second base.
"Safe!"
"Nice!!"
"That was beautiful!!"
The middle school team erupted in cheers.
From Tianjiu's pitching to Zhang Han's powerful hit, they had finally shown their potential—even if they hadn't yet scored.
More importantly, they had proved they weren't pushovers.
In the corner of the court, the assistant coach of the city's third high school stood stunned.
Zhang Han's data had looked good on paper—but now that they had seen it in action?
He was more than just good.
Even if it meant making an exception, the school had to recruit him. If he joined another team, the third high school would suffer a serious loss.
Tian Yuan studied the report in his hands again, then looked up at Zhang Han and chuckled.
"I've completely seen through Manaka's pitching, huh?"
That hit just now proved Zhang Han had more than just raw strength.
He had timing, precision, and an understanding of the strike zone.
He didn't just swing and pray.
He aimed—and delivered.