Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter Has Arrived

Chapter 470 470: That's All?

In the stands, a group of girls dressed in cheerleading outfits danced and sang, attracting a lot of attention. And they were not fans of either team. Their support, from beginning to end, was for only one person.

Starting from last summer, this group slowly formed and has now gradually taken shape. After nearly a year of development, there are now forty to fifty girls in the cheerleading squad. Although the total number was not very large, as fans dedicated to one person, their presence was still a very shining point in the stands.

Surrounded by voices cheering for Zhang Han, a reporter pushed through the crowd and came to the group of girls.

"Excuse me, can I ask you a few questions?"

Upon seeing the reporter, the girls immediately shrank back. They looked warily at the short, fat man wearing a baseball cap. His image was just too unappealing, like those creepy male leads in low-budget films. How could the girls not be scared? If it weren't in a public place, they would have called the police.

Fujio rubbed his cap brim helplessly.

When he interviewed baseball players or team coaches, he often got opportunities. But once the interview subject became female, from eighty-year-old grandmothers to three-year-old little girls, they all became very wary.

Did the word "bad guy" appear on his forehead?

Fujio used to not believe it, so he looked in the mirror at home several times and didn't find those two words. Why were women always so wary of him?

Fujio reluctantly took out his press card from his pocket.

"I am a reporter for Baseball Kingdom Magazine, not a bad guy."

One of the fair-skinned girls pouted and mumbled softly.

"Bad guys wouldn't write 'bad guy' on their faces, would they?"

In other words, they didn't believe him at all.

It was the leader, a girl with shoulder-length hair, who cheerfully took the press card and scrutinized it carefully. As if still not reassured, she took out her phone and searched. She actually found reporter Fujio's photo on the homepage of Baseball Kingdom Magazine's website.

"We are really sorry, Mr. Reporter!"

The most important thing when reading a person is to observe their words and actions. The leading girl was cautious in her actions, had a quick mind, and spoke and acted gracefully. This was very different from what Fujio had imagined. He hadn't expected her to be so mature.

"Hello! May I ask your name?"

"My name is Kikuchiyuki!"

"So it's Miss Kiku. May I ask why you like Zhang Han?"

When Zhang Han was mentioned, the attitude of the girls immediately took a complete turn.

"Of course! Just look at our name!"

Zhang Han Fan Club. The name was indeed straightforward enough.

"May I interview you and ask why you like Zhang Han?"

"Needless to say, he's so handsome..."

It was indeed an undeniable answer.

Fujio asked several questions and finally got the answers he wanted.

A reporter needs to have a sharp eye. After today's game, Zhang Han's reputation would probably rise to another level. A Fastball exceeding 155 kilometers per hour, and a Homerun right at the start of the game. His performance constantly highlighted his presence. No one could stop the rise of such a player.

It was easy to imagine that tomorrow's newspapers and various baseball-related media would all be filled with such reports. Perhaps there was no need to wait until tomorrow; online news would be out today. This game was even broadcast live on Tokyo Television, so many people were likely already amazed by Zhang Han.

As a magazine reporter, what kind of article should you write at a time like this? Go with the flow and praise Zhang Han's performance today? It wasn't impossible, but there were many such reports, and everyone used similar titles and photos. How could you make readers choose your publication first? If they learned about this news from other channels first, would anyone still buy your publication?

So you had to find a new approach, had to be different from others.

Commercial value, a beautiful cheerleading squad. These were all excellent starting points.

Through this experience, Fujio also learned a great lesson. Given his appearance, if he wanted to interview women, he would probably be at a great disadvantage. In that case, he might as well choose a female partner. The magazine had new people, so he might as well pick a female intern reporter from the newcomers to mentor.

In the stands, most reporters and fans did not have Fujio's sharp mind. At this moment, they were basically still immersed in Zhang Han's Homerun.

Although this Homerun, in terms of momentum, was very different from Zhang Han's previous ones, it must be remembered that Zhang Han had hit the ball in a very awkward posture and had not fully exerted his strength. On top of that, his opponent was a pitcher with excellent power. In this situation, Zhang Han not only made contact but scored a Homerun. How could they not feel amazed?

Their eyes towards Zhang Han were already filled with stars.

"Speaking of which, how many Homeruns has Zhang Han scored now?"

This was a very good topic. However, most people really hadn't paid attention.

Of course, among the fans, there were also data enthusiasts particularly interested in various records.

"Including all official games, Zhang Han has scored a total of 27 Homeruns!"

When they heard this number, everyone was shocked. Not shocked exactly, but rather feeling incredulous. According to their previous imagination, Zhang Han should have scored more Homeruns. Why only twenty-seven? It felt like so few.

The person who gave the answer smiled bitterly and shook his head. These guys really didn't understand anything.

After Zhang Han joined Seido High School Baseball Team, he had only participated in a total of 18 official games, including this one today. Among these, there were many games where he was substituted out midway. In other words, he didn't even play the full duration of all these games. In this situation, Zhang Han still scored twenty-seven Homeruns. An average of one and a half per game. What kind of efficiency was that?

It could be said that if Zhang Han maintained this pace until he graduated, the total number of Homeruns he scored would surely shock the entire nation. And that was even an understatement.

According to general patterns, the more players grow, the more Homeruns they score. After all, not everyone gets an opportunity in their first year.

Because there were no statistics in this regard, Zhang Han's current total had not yet caused a heated discussion. If someone specifically compiled the total number of Homeruns scored by first-year students, Zhang Han would absolutely be qualified to contend for the top spot. Even if he wasn't first, he could definitely rank among the top three.

In the past, due to social circumstances, even excellent first-year players had many opportunities to play. In today's powerhouse teams, they basically recruited elites from all over the country. In this situation, those who became main players in powerhouse teams were basically third-year students, then second-year students. The opportunities for freshmen were definitely fewer compared to before.

But even in such an environment, Zhang Han could still stand out. This young man might create an even greater sensation in the future.

Of course, that was for the future. For now, people felt it was quite normal, and some even felt it was a bit low. Why only twenty-seven? Sometimes they saw Zhang Han score two or three Homeruns in a single game. They always felt his statistics should be even more astonishing.

In the Seido High School Baseball Team's dugout, the atmosphere finally relaxed. With Zhang Han scoring this Homerun, Seido High School Baseball Team had regained its pride. Now they could settle scores with these guys from Yakushi High School Baseball Team.

The game continued, and Seido High School Baseball Team's offense was not over yet.

Coach Kataoka suddenly gave a signal to the players on the field.

According to Seido High School Baseball Team's original plan, they had not intended to immediately attack Yakushi High School Baseball Team's weaknesses from the start. Save the best for last. Since the weakness of Yakushi High School Baseball Team had been found, it was natural to save it for the most critical moment.

But now, Coach Kataoka found himself losing patience. These guys were like mad dogs; as long as they found even a tiny bit of an opportunity, they would fight desperately with bloodshot eyes. Playing against such opponents, the slightest concession would lead them to take an inch and then a mile, never letting up.

Since that was the case, they might as well go all out and fight for every inch. A chaotic situation was not what Seido High School Baseball Team wanted, but that did not mean they were afraid of it.

You want to collide? Then let's collide properly.

As Yuuki stepped into the batter's box, his eyes were fixed on Mino Yuuto on the pitcher's mound. This opponent had never shown his strength before, but in today's game, he had certainly taught Seido a good lesson. If Yuuki didn't return the favor, he would lose too much face as captain of Seido High School Baseball Team.

Here it comes.

Despite Zhang Han's Homerun, Yuuto's momentum did not wane. Yakushi High School Baseball Team was truly a very strange team; their fighting spirit was even on par with Seido High School Baseball Team's. They showed no awareness of being the underdog, constantly wanting to go head-to-head with Seido.

Yuuki Tetsuya was somewhat surprised by this, but he quickly adapted. It was just a head-on collision, and he had never been afraid of anyone.

"Ping!"

Before all the fans, reporters, spectators, and players from both teams could react, Mino Yuuto's ball was hit squarely.

After the baseball flew out, the players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team were mostly stunned. Coach Todoroki Raizo had very strict requirements for them in daily training. They believed that after more than half a year of practice, their defense had become quite good. Sometimes their bodies would react naturally even before their brains could process it. The players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team had always been very proud of this.

But now, they were slapped hard by reality. Facing the ball hit by Yuuki Tetsuya, not a single one of them had time to react. At most, they only had time to turn their heads, and then the baseball had already flown away.

It was like a world-class assassin suddenly drawing a blade, and before anyone could react, the assassin had already sheathed it and left with a flourish.

By the time they reacted, the ball had already landed, bounced, and flown into the outfield.

Yuuki Tetsuya, using this hit, easily ran to Second Base.

"Safe!"

This hit was even more impactful than Zhang Han's previous Homerun. The players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team immediately fell silent. They stared blankly at the flying baseball, taking a long time to recover.

Especially Mino Yuuto, the pitcher. Having just given up a Homerun, and then a hit like this. Even with Coach Todoroki Raizo in the dugout shouting himself hoarse, he couldn't completely calm down and regain his previous rhythm. He just stared blankly at Yuuki on Second Base, his mind filled with questions.

When did he run there? His speed was too fast.

The pitcher's reaction, before his teammates could even react, completely enraged one of the Seido High School Baseball Team players. This person was Isashiki Jun, who was next to step into the batter's box.

"Are you looking down on me?"

Given their reaction, it was no wonder Isashiki Jun misunderstood. He angrily raised his bat, looking like he was ready to hit the ball at any moment. This wasn't just bluster; at this moment, the fire in Isashiki Jun's heart was burning fiercely.

Precisely because he was on the same team, he could more clearly feel the gap between himself, Yuuki, and Zhang Han. Facing an opponent with no prior data, Kuramochi and Kominato had played very cautiously, yet still fell for it. But these two, each one incredibly arrogant, didn't seem to take the opponent seriously at all. Yet they still managed to hit the ball. One Homerun, one double. That was the difference.

Because of this, even if someone wanted to complain about them, they wouldn't know what to complain about. Their performance was so perfect, what could you possibly complain about? But the more this happened, the more Isashiki Jun felt unconvinced.

Ever since he joined the team, he had always taken Yuuki as his goal. Although he had never been able to surpass that amazing opponent, in the process of constantly striving to catch up, he had never slowed down.

"I don't think I'm worse than those two!"

Watching the baseball fly towards him, Isashiki Jun, driven by a surge of determination, forcefully swung the ball away. The direction he hit was Third Base.

Previously, although the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team players had ultimately lost the game, they had clearly demonstrated the weaknesses of Yakushi High School Baseball Team to their Seido counterparts.

Seido High School Baseball Team had no qualms about using someone else's findings. Since the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team players had already laid out Yakushi's weaknesses before them, why wouldn't they use it?

The baseball flew to Third Base.

"Leave it to me!!"

Raichi Todoroki dashed out like a swordfish. Isashiki Jun's eyes widened instantly. No way, his luck was too bad. He just happened to catch the opponent at peak form.

Raichi Todoroki's defense had the potential of a wild card. Sometimes it was incredibly impressive. He jumped very high, his face full of confidence. However, his fully extended arm was still more than ten centimeters short of the baseball. Raichi Todoroki could only wave his glove in vain, as if specially sending off that ball. He watched helplessly as the baseball landed behind him.

At this moment, all the teammates of Yakushi High School Baseball Team were dumbfounded. The shortstop, who had originally intended to cover, stopped his movement because of Raichi Todoroki's words. As a result, he could only watch along with the others as the baseball fell in front of them, bounced, and flew into the outfield.

Super extra-base hit.

Although the baseball did not fly very far, because the shortstop failed to cover in time, the ball went straight through with nothing in front of it. Yuuki, at the moment the baseball landed, quickly ran to Third Base. Then he saw the Third Base coach, who didn't even bother to signal, just gave a nod.

Go.

Yuuki stepped on the Third Base bag and then rushed towards Home Base without stopping.

"Safe!"

Seido High School Baseball Team continued their momentum, scoring their second run. The score became two to one, with Seido High School Baseball Team completing the comeback.

And it wasn't over yet.

Isashiki Jun, who hit the ball, ran to Second Base in one breath. He seemed unsatisfied even after reaching Second Base and intended to continue advancing. Fortunately, the Third Base coach stopped him in time, preventing him from making a mistake. Otherwise, the run already in the bag might have been lost inexplicably.

"Safe!"

Two outs, runner on Second Base. Score: 2:1.

"You big idiot, how did you make that judgment?"

"If you can't stop it, why talk big!"

"And you, shortstop, is your brain full of water? You actually believed Raichi Todoroki!!"

"Gahahahaha..."

Reprimands filled the air, making it seem like the relationship within Yakushi High School Baseball Team was very tense. But in fact, the atmosphere among their players was very good, showing no signs of falling apart. Those reprimanding words didn't sound like scolding; instead, they sounded like teammates teasing each other.

If you were to simply compare team atmospheres, the atmosphere of this team might even be better than that of Seido High School Baseball Team. They were truly enjoying baseball. Seido High School Baseball Team, burdened with greater responsibility, did not perform as freely as them.

Thus, the game came to the bottom of the first inning, with two outs and a runner on Second Base.

"Sixth batter, catcher, Miyuki Kazuya."

************************************

Upto 50 Chapters In Advance At: P@treon/Vividreader123