Returning to '97, creating a new life

It wasn't too late when it ended, and everyone went their separate ways without saying much. However, Da Yao and the others, as well as Sun Jun, all had their own ulterior motives. They left Park In-ji's phone number and Xu Kai's information.

The next day, Songcheng No. 1 High School was bustling with activity. Sports and basketball-related departments from both the provincial and municipal levels were present. Some called the high school, while others sent personnel directly to the school to retrieve Xu Kai's information.

With almost no video footage available, the relatively backward information reserves and updates of this era have led many people to harbor uncertainties. They may not think that Yao Ming, Sun Jun, and others are exaggerating, but they also don't really believe that this so-called genius is that great.

Height is too short. It's okay for high school students these days, but at higher levels, height will be a limitation.

The excitement continued until nightfall. At 7:50, the phone rang in the principal's office. Five minutes later, during the break between evening self-study sessions, the school's loudspeaker broadcast a message, starting with a slow and gentle piece of music that gradually became more rousing.

Congratulations to our school's basketball team for winning the championship at the National Youth 3x3 Basketball Challenge held in Yanjing! Xu Kai was also named the tournament's best player!

Congratulations to our school's basketball team for winning the championship at the National Youth 3x3 Basketball Challenge held in Yanjing! Xu Kai was also named the tournament's best player!

"..."

The announcement was broadcast three times in a row, and the whole school was in an uproar. Not everyone was interested in this or felt proud of it, but in a relatively stressful learning environment, having an opportunity to fully express their emotions made them willing to cheer along with the majority.

National Champion!

In this fourth-tier city high school, winning any competition and being crowned "national" is the highest honor.

In the entire basketball field, or even in the non-professional field, among players under the age of 18, Xu Kai, even if not recognized as the number one, is certainly worthy of being called a superstar.

In Xu Kai's class, Class 4 of the first year of high school, Bai Rui was the first to throw a stack of test papers into the air and cheer loudly, "Brother Kai, you're awesome!"

The students wouldn't necessarily follow suit and throw away their papers, but that didn't stop them from feeling proud and happy as classmates.

The homeroom teacher, Huang Jian, on the podium did not stop everyone. The studies at No. 1 High School are very demanding, and the pressure is immense from the very beginning of the year. As a homeroom teacher with lofty aspirations, she was also thinking about how her class's performance would put pressure on the two top classes. One can imagine the overall atmosphere in Class 4.

Given this opportunity for everyone to relax, she wouldn't play the villain. Besides, she was happy inside. A national champion! No matter what kind of competition it was, the difference between the national level and Songcheng, a fourth-tier city, was enough to ensure that the competition was of the highest quality.

The best player of the tournament, that kid, amazing.

………………

On the sidelines, Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin were pale-faced, and they only recovered slightly when the closing ceremony arrived.

In the final match, the two of them gave it their all, fighting for every single point. They were unwilling to hold Xu Kai back, nor were they willing to be defeated by others. They wanted to carry the national championship title and strive for the highest honor for sports students—a professional career.

Xu Kai has faced off against Yao Ming and others, so he dares not underestimate any hero. He fought until the last two minutes to finish the game. It wasn't his status as a super shooter that played a decisive role, but rather his physical advantage. In the final moments of a high-intensity game, he was still able to run and maintain a stable shooting posture.

A dunk?

From the very beginning of the match, both teams knew that every bit of physical exertion was not worthwhile.

Fang Jinyao couldn't get on the court. If he did, he would become the focus of the opponent's attack and a defensive weakness for his own team. He could only cheer from the sidelines. The opponent's substitutes also had the strength of high school ace players. When their physical strength was too exhausted, the opponent could rotate. This is why Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin were so tired that they almost collapsed on the ground.

The final whistle blew.

59: 52.

Xu Kai stood at the top of the arc, hands on his hips, adjusting his breathing, and wiping the sweat from his forehead. He had finally won. Talking about the difficulties was a bit self-aggrandizing. No one would be indifferent to such an achievement and honor. As a reborn person, Xu Kai cherished this honor of "change" even more.

Amidst applause and cheers, Songcheng No. 1 High School, with its ordinary high school basketball team defeating a semi-professional team from a professional sports academy, deserves to be the home team at this event.

Yao Ming and the others did not leave. Firstly, they were invited by the organizers to be award presenters, and secondly, Xu Kai's performance today confirmed their guess from last night: this guy did not show his full strength last night.

"Congratulations!"

After the standard handshake came a familiar hug, congratulating Xu Kai and Songcheng No.1 High School. This year's competition had many shortcomings, but fortunately, the championship was of great value. Every match from the quarterfinals onwards was exciting.

In the semi-finals, Hu Yuxuan from Yanjing High School faced a semi-professional player. He fought with all his might, but was so exhausted that he collapsed at the edge of the court and couldn't stand up.

Don't be fooled by the fact that it's only half-court offense and defense. Once the intensity picks up, every single ball, whether it's an attack or a defense, is played with complete focus and all-out effort. They don't want to let the opponent score an easy goal; they don't want to waste any offensive opportunities.

The trophy itself is not of high value, but when Xu Kai and others held it up together, and when Sports Weekly and other sports reporters raised their cameras and flashed their lights, this honor highlighted the value and prestige of the trophy.

"We are the champions!"

Led by Park In-ji, the group of five shouted this slogan during the photo shoot, and their smiling photos, taking advantage of the special significance of the first event, were featured on the front page of Sports Weekly and on CCTV-5's Sports News.

………………

"No, don't misunderstand. Looking at your eyes, I feel very guilty."

The next morning, when Xu Kai saw Hu Yuxuan in the hotel breakfast restaurant, his eyes were full of wariness. The other party immediately understood and waved his hand repeatedly: "I'm not here to advise you to stay away from Wanwan. On the contrary, I'm here to ask you to spend more time with her..."

This art style is off.

Xu Kai looked Hu Yuxuan up and down, and Hu Yuxuan spat out, "Dude, I've read plenty of romance novels too. Don't worry, I understand what you're thinking."

"Then why the hell did you come? You don't have any rivals, but don't you have a bunch of hostile relatives? Who am I? A nobody in this small town. You privileged kids shouldn't bother us."

Hu Yuxuan finally sighed. There were some things he couldn't say. Could he tell an outsider what he had seen and felt? Obviously not. He could only try his best to express goodwill.

After he left, Xu Kai rolled his eyes. Pretending not to know what Su Xingwan liked was quite difficult. Asking me to seduce her? Don't be ridiculous. That would be too difficult. I'd rather consider when I've earned enough money so I can get a spot on a trip to the moon.

If I were ordered to take her to experience the beauty of Adam and Eve, I wouldn't mind if she frowned, or if she was like a block of wood; none of that mattered in the face of her fair skin and delicate features.

The school gave them two extra days off so they could enjoy their time in Yenching. They even bought sleeper train tickets for Songcheng to return tomorrow night. The school principal personally contacted an old classmate from Yenching and used his connections to buy five lower berths.

Xu Kai was initially reluctant to go, but Dong Bin and others persuaded him to join the tour of Yanjing. After seeing it, he realized that it was indeed quite different.

Despite the progress of the times, some scenic spots have not become more commercialized. At least some parts of the Forbidden City are still open to the public, allowing visitors to get a close look at the dragon throne. When Xu Kai last visited, the palace gates were closed, and tourists were not allowed to enter.

Climbing the Great Wall offers a unique experience. Last time Xu Kai visited, he took the cable car directly and only climbed to the end of the open area, a distance of only two or three hundred meters. This meant missing out on much of the fun of climbing and experiencing this magnificent structure.

Su Xingwan arrived as promised and led everyone on a tour. She didn't arrange too many important attractions, but instead gave everyone the opportunity to experience the culture of Yanjing's hutongs. Dashilan was just a simple visit, and they went to Nanluoguxiang, which has a less commercial atmosphere nowadays.

Even if you're just admiring her from afar, having a tour guide like Su Xingwan makes you feel incredibly important wherever you go. Her occasional soft-spoken introductions also draw the attention of other tourists, who can enjoy the sights and hear her erudite explanations.

When there were foreign tourists, and she was able to switch between several languages ​​to communicate with them, Xu Kai shrugged at Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin, who had smirks on their faces, and kicked one of them when they weren't looking: "See? That's the difference."

The gap isn't just between you, it's also between me.

With its artsy coffee shops and numerous creative boutiques, Nanluoguxiang doesn't yet have the strong commercial atmosphere it has in later years. It's quite charming to be there, especially the small shops and stalls in the alleyways, which give visitors the feeling of experiencing the culture of Beijing's hutongs.

Fashion trends and local flavors blend together here.

As they walked, Xu Kai and Su Xingwan came together. They walked side by side, while the others went to eat steak. Instead, they went to a chic cafe across the street, ordered a coffee, listened to music, and leaned against the railing on the second-floor terrace, watching the people coming and going on the main street of the alley.

"I'm really annoyed, but I can't refuse." Su Xingwan seemed to have a lot more genuine emotion on her face after Xu Kai saw through her facade. She said with undisguised disgust, "My family contacted me. I can't refuse. They want to invite you to the Shougang team for a tryout. The team has Shan Tao and Battier as their twin towers, a familiar combination for you. They have high hopes for you. Therefore, if you participate in the tryout and demonstrate enough ability to convince everyone, what they can offer you in Yanjing is definitely more than your hometown team. Okay, that's all I have to say. Think about it yourself. Don't ask me; I don't know either."

Xu Kai laughed and said, "You probably feel that being a professional basketball player in China isn't cost-effective, right?"

Su Xingwan turned to look at him, a smile appearing on her face: "I feel like we're the same kind of people. We earn that much money every year, even with some endorsements, our overall income is just so-so. If we put our hard work into other things, we could earn more and achieve a higher social status, don't you think?"