……

After obtaining the golden finger, Henry Bolton had no intention of telling anyone, and Pierce didn’t plan to either. In movies and stories, there are often these self-destructive plotlines where the protagonist gets something good and insists on letting the whole world know, only to bring endless trouble upon themselves.

Henry Bolton didn’t like trouble. He saw this as a condition he could take advantage of, with two goals: first, to increase his own lifespan, and second, to fulfill his dream of becoming a top basketball player.

Right now, he was taking things one step at a time, but he intended to use every advantage available to him.

The first thing he needed to do was find a Division I NCAA school that would offer him a full scholarship.

If he had returned to China to live off his parents and waste away for a year, and if there was no chance to live longer, even with his future memories guiding him, he would have chosen that path. But since there was now a chance to live longer, of course he would choose to make the most of himself!

Getting a full scholarship from a prestigious NCAA basketball school was the first step!

He didn’t need to attend classes anymore. For international students, as long as the tuition was paid, no one cared if you skipped class, and it was easy to get leave. Their main goal was to make money off you, not to pamper you like some celestial being.

But he still needed to go to the school gym to train. The state high school basketball season was over, but club activities were still ongoing as usual, because the main purpose of high school basketball clubs wasn’t to train players for the NCAA, but to let students enjoy the game… Of course, if a high school produced a lot of players who could make it to the NCAA or even skip college and go straight to the NBA, it would definitely attract more kids and make a lot of money.

Also, seniors were preparing to enter the NCAA or give up basketball, but freshmen, sophomores, and juniors still had to keep training and playing games.

He had arranged with Pierce to practice together, and Henry Bolton also needed to go to the school gym to train. He wanted to test out the effect of the “Growth Card.”

When he arrived at school, Henry Bolton received some enthusiastic little packages from female classmates. Without even looking, he knew they were underwear with contact info attached.

As the fourth-ranked high school basketball star in California this year, Henry Bolton was quite popular at school. Although he wasn’t as skilled in basketball, bowling, baseball, and football as Pierce, he was still a prominent figure on campus.

But with his memories of the future, he knew that once he left school, being popular here wouldn’t mean a thing, so he remained calm and collected.

This actually fit his past personality—always cold and withdrawn.

And the more Henry Bolton acted this way, the more female classmates wanted to get him into bed, to prove their own “charm.”

Of course, he accepted the gifts. The freshmen and sophomores on the team all scrambled for these things, and maintaining good relationships with teammates was important—something his dad had taught him. So even though he was a loner, he actually had decent rapport within the team.

Having a good dad brought more advantages than one could imagine! Many habits and mindsets were shaped by the subtle influence of parents.

Carrying a pile of little packages, Henry Bolton arrived at the school’s indoor basketball gym.

Although the senior season was over, Henry Bolton still needed to maintain good relationships with the younger guys on the team. Who knew if any of these underclassmen had the talent to become NBA players?

Henry Bolton knew that Pierce hadn’t even made the substitute list as a freshman because he was too overweight, but by sophomore year, he became the second-best high school player in California, second only to Keith Van Horn.

He definitely remembered the famous players from this era, but with over 50 rookies in each draft, he didn’t recall most of the fringe players. Still, even being a benchwarmer in the NBA meant you were among the highest earners and one of the best few hundred basketball players in the world. If he wanted to be a coach in the future, having a past connection with an NBA player would never be a bad thing.

Henry Bolton wasn’t sure about his own future yet. He loved basketball, and if he could become a coach, that would be a great option too…

When he got to the gym, he saw the brand-new facility, which had been renovated last summer. Last season, Pierce was crowned California’s best high school player and secured sponsorship from an alumnus, leading to the gym’s renovation. This season, it was as if the team was riding a wave of good luck—they won the championship in one go. It was said they got more sponsorships, but that had nothing to do with Henry Bolton anymore, as he was about to graduate.

It wasn’t big, with only a little over 3,000 seats, but it was here that Henry Bolton and his teammates had fought together for two years. Last season, he only got playing time as a substitute in a dozen or so games, but now he had become an All-American Third Team player.

Entering the gym, Henry Bolton tossed the pile of little cards and packages he was carrying, drawing cheers from the underclassmen.

Although the senior season was over, the semester was only halfway through, and as a member of the school team, the three weekly practices still had to go on.

In the US, high school basketball—even middle school basketball—isn’t just about fun and fitness. It’s where many kids’ dreams begin. Even if they can’t become professional players in the end, chasing a state championship or the NCAA is everyone’s dream.

It was already a team tradition for popular upperclassmen to bring “little gifts,” but by senior year, except for those still aiming for the NCAA, most seniors chose to quit the team and focus on studying for college entrance exams.