Looking at Chen Lei's face, which was as dark as a pot bottom, everyone in the Operation Management Department felt a bit tense, afraid that he might do something extreme here because he lost the game.

"Vice Minister Chu, do you want to step aside for a bit?"

Giving his colleagues a reassuring look, Chu Ge smiled at Chen Lei's gaze, "Minister Chen, anything you need?"

"Just want to have a one-on-one with you. I wonder if Vice Minister Chu would do me the honor?"

Although it was phrased as a question, Chen Lei's manner was far from asking, full of dissatisfaction and anger.

As he spoke, Chen Lei pushed the basketball in his hand forward, and with a "whoosh," it turned into a black shadow, fiercely flying toward Chu Ge's chest.

The two were no more than two meters apart, and Chen Lei used considerable force. To him, even if Chu Ge was cautious, it would be impossible for him to catch the ball safely.

Chen Lei was really annoyed, extremely annoyed! Super annoyed!

Even though he had to admit that Chu Ge's command and coordination in the recent basketball game were strong, he just felt that he was superior to Chu Ge, much stronger!

Chen Lei was confident that if it was a one-on-one, he could completely crush Chu Ge!

Moreover, he had to challenge Chu Ge to a one-on-one match; otherwise, this pent-up frustration in his heart would suffocate him and cause internal injury!

They had to have a game, of course, but before that one-on-one, he decided to first extract some "interest" from Chu Ge, to see him panicked or embarrassed when hit hard by the basketball.

When he pushed the basketball, Chu Ge indeed didn't catch it, but how events unfolded only showed that Chen Lei guessed the beginning but not the end.

It was as if he anticipated Chen Lei's move and even calculated the basketball's path. Chu Ge casually moved sideways, and then Chen Lei watched helplessly as the basketball flew past Chu Ge like a cannonball.

Moreover, the basketball flew a good twenty-odd meters away, its momentum unchanged, until it hit an unlucky passerby and fell to the ground.

"Damn! Whose brat is throwing balls randomly?"

As the passerby cursed in frustration after being hit, the ball on the ground started rolling with the wind, rolling and rolling further down the street.

"Sorry, Minister Chen, I still have some matters today, maybe another day?"

Chu Ge said with a smile, then called out to his colleagues and continued to stride away.

Seeing Chen Lei's face turn even darker and looking at the ball almost out of sight, everyone in the Operation Management Department barely held back their laughter; Chen Lei had really disgraced himself.

What does it mean that the chicken didn't steal the rice and even lost the bait? Clearly, that's what happened! Chen Lei wanted to trick Chu Ge, but now he's even lost the ball, hasn't he?

A grown man playing tricks like this; it serves him right to be scolded as a brat. Why are the people in the Marketing Department all like this?

Watching Chu Ge's back and the basketball rolling to the middle of the street, the veins on Chen Lei's forehead throbbed out, and his face twitched more violently.

"Minister Chen, better go grab the ball. If this basketball causes a traffic accident, that wouldn't be good. I'm off then."

As Chu Ge took a few steps and glanced back at Chen Lei, who stood still with a dark face, he smiled and reminded him.

Seeing Chu Ge's smiling face, Chen Lei had the impulse to punch that face flat, but he had to admit Chu Ge was making sense. He angrily exhaled and chased after the basketball with a darkened face.

However, more speechlessly and frustratingly, as he ran quite far and finally was about to catch up to that basketball, his several-hundred-dollar Spalding basketball fell right into an open manhole and into the sewer under construction.

Just as Chen Lei was about to check out the manhole, he heard a "thud," followed by cursing from below.

"Whose brat is so thoughtless? Looking for a beating, eh?"

Faced with such a scene, hearing someone curse him as a brat twice, Chen Lei was instantly furious, his liver hurting from anger, not just his liver; his stomach hurt, his head hurt, and even his teeth hurt. However, he truly didn't have the face to go over to the manhole and ask the person inside to throw his ball out.

Looking back at Chu Ge and the others still chatting and laughing, Chen Lei was simmering with injustice, and his inner fury was soaring like a rocket, intensifying his hatred for Chu Ge.

But he never considered that Chu Ge hadn't actually done anything. If he hadn't tried to ambush Chu Ge with the basketball, none of this would have happened. After all, this was entirely his own doing.

Coincidentally, there was a sports goods store right behind Chen Lei, and upon realizing this, he quickly entered the shop and bought a new basketball as fast as he could.

No matter what, today he had to challenge Chu Ge to a one-on-one. If he didn't thoroughly beat Chu Ge today, he wouldn't be able to eat or sleep tonight!

Holding the new basketball, Chen Lei dashed out of the sports goods store like the wind. When he realized he could still vaguely see Chu Ge and the others up ahead, he couldn't help but be overjoyed and hurriedly ran after them with big strides.

Despite his skill level, Chen Lei could sprint quickly even while dribbling. However, after what had just happened, he had a mental block and decided to cradle the basketball in his arms, afraid that the newly bought ball might fall onto the ground again.

Finally, Chen Lei ran back to Chu Ge, his forehead already sweaty from running too fast.

Without bothering to wipe the sweat, Chen Lei angrily challenged, "One-on-one! Chu Ge! Dare you?"

Chu Ge shrugged helplessly, "I don't dare. I admit defeat, is that okay?"

Chen Lei was stunned; he never imagined in his wildest dreams that Chu Ge would so readily admit he wasn't as good. But instead of feeling pleased, he felt even more unsatisfied.

"Not okay! You have to one-on-one with me! Now, immediately, one-on-one!"

Instinctively, Chen Lei wanted to shove the basketball at Chu Ge, but just a second before he did, he stopped, pressing his big hands firmly onto the ball, afraid that the earlier mishap would repeat itself.

Seeing Chen Lei's persistence, Chu Ge was genuinely at a loss. He scratched his head and looked at his colleagues, who were also suppressing laughter, speechless.

Although Chen Lei still had a stern face, looking aggressive, in Feifei's and the others' eyes, he now seemed less intimidating and more like a complete fool.

"Minister Ji, you guys head to the restaurant first. I'll be there soon."

Ji Songtao glanced at Chen Lei again, hesitated, and said, "Well... we'll keep in touch by phone?"

Chu Ge nodded, "Okay."

Putting some distance between them, Feifei looked back and noticed that the two were still standing in the same place. She worriedly asked Ji Songtao, "Minister Ji, do you think Vice Minister Chu and that bear Chen just left like that, will they be all right?"

"It should be fine. Although Chen Lei is a bit reckless today, he is still a department head and shouldn't do anything too irrational. Besides, there are so many of us who saw them leave together. Even if he wanted to do something, he'd have to think twice."

Feifei nodded, "Yeah, true. I just wonder who would win in their one-on-one basketball game?"

Mo Xiaoran said, "I guess Vice Minister Chu probably can't beat Minister Chen, right? Minister Chen is so stout and tall, with such long arms and legs. He definitely has a physical advantage over Vice Minister Chu."

Another girl chimed in, "I think so too. If I weren't afraid of seeing Vice Minister Chu lose right in front of us, I'd honestly want to go over and watch."

"I don't think so. Didn't you see our Chu Shao dunk? He was absolutely stunning at that moment!"

"Well, who knows? Anyway, our Chu Shao is quite eccentric. I wouldn't be surprised by anything that happens with him."

"Yeah, let's ask him when he gets to the restaurant."

Watching Ji Songtao and the others' figures gradually recede, Chu Ge turned around, looked at the sulking Chen Lei, and said helplessly, "Where are we one-on-one-ing? What's the method?"

Lifting his chin arrogantly, Chen Lei said, "Since I'm the one challenging you, I'll give you the choice. Choose whatever you're best at so I can beat you fair and square!"

Chu Ge laughed again, looked around, and said, "Alright, let's do this."

Chu Ge walked down a quiet alley and casually picked up a brick from the ground.

Chen Lei's brow furrowed instantly, "What are you doing? I challenged you to basketball, not a fight!"

Amused, Chu Ge glanced at Chen Lei, then bent down to draw a circle about one meter in diameter around himself with the brick. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning to fight you."

Chen Lei's mouth twitched. Why did those words sound so irritating?

It sounded almost as if Chu Ge's fighting skills were superior to his basketball skills, and he could easily beat him up.

Of course, Chen Lei didn't know that it was indeed the case.

Chu Ge finished drawing the circle and casually tossed the brick aside, "Give me the ball."

Chen Lei, though puzzled, threw the basketball over.

Chu Ge casually extended his left index finger, and as if his finger had a magnetic pull, the basketball steadied itself on his fingertip and began spinning at high speed.

Just seeing Chu Ge perform such a trick made Chen Lei's pupils shrink instantly, and his brow furrowed, his expression turning serious.

For basketball enthusiasts, spinning a ball on one's finger isn't particularly difficult, but to catch a thrown basketball with one finger as effortlessly as Chu Ge just did is no easy feat.

As Chen Lei stood there dumbfounded, Chu Ge, spinning the ball, smiled and started explaining the one-on-one rules.

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