Pierce and Henry Bolton are the only two remaining seniors this season. Since they are both among the top high school players in the state—both ranked in California’s top five—they each have the potential to go pro.

Of course, for now, it’s just potential.

“X…”

Henry Bolton heard someone call out, raised his hand to catch the ball flying his way, didn’t say a word, took off his jacket and put it aside with his backpack, then stepped up to play one-on-one with Pierce.

In high school basketball, any team with two players ranked in the national top 50 is basically unbeatable. This year, they clinched their first regional championship in 26 years with a 33-2 record, all thanks to these two.

Henry Bolton averaged 22 points, 14.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.8 steals, and 3.4 blocks per game. Pierce averaged 31 points, 11.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 4.4 steals, and 2 blocks per game. With the two of them together, no one in the state could stop them! The only two games they lost were because of a conflict during one match—simple reason: discrimination. Pierce stood up for the team, a brawl broke out, and several players were suspended. Although it was just two games, both Henry Bolton and Pierce couldn’t play, so they lost both.

In the past, when Henry Bolton and Pierce played one-on-one, he didn’t think too much—just played. But today, Henry Bolton had a lot on his mind.

Normally, he could at least rely on his athleticism to keep things competitive, but this time, it was completely one-sided—he was getting steamrolled.

After playing twenty games, Henry Bolton and Pierce sat by the hoop to rest for a bit. Pierce asked, “X, what’s up with you? You’re not yourself today!”

This time, as Henry Bolton played one-on-one with Pierce, seeing Pierce’s all-around skills—he could do almost everything—he kept thinking about himself, so he zoned out several times.

He didn’t voice these worries. Henry Bolton just replied, “I’m a bit tired today.”

“Don’t worry so much, there’s always a way. I’ll talk to the coach at Kansas and see if he can recruit you too!”

“You haven’t even graduated high school and you already want to be known as a basketball king? I’ll keep trying. If I can’t get into a Division I team, Division II is fine too—the tuition’s even cheaper.”

“God, there aren’t many good schools in Division II. You’re almost at 1400 on your SATs, and you play so well—what school wouldn’t take you… Are those damn idiots blind?”

“You forgot—I’m Chinese.”

“…”

When it came to being Chinese, discrimination or not was secondary. Pierce remembered a so-called genius forward from China who was recruited by the University of Utah three years ago. He couldn’t recall the name, but that forward took a spot on Utah’s team and caused quite a stir among college players. Some people who had nothing to do with it felt their opportunities were stolen. More importantly, that so-called Chinese genius turned out to be pretty average, and rumor had it that Utah regretted recruiting him.

Compared to high schoolers, college students are much more realistic. The jump from high school to college is like entering a whole new world.

Also, information technology was still pretty backward in those days. The spread of computers and cell phones only happened in a few short years. Back then, people still got their news from newspapers, TV, and radio. Outside the California basketball scene, Henry Bolton wasn’t well known.

Enough about that. Pierce wanted to change the subject and suddenly remembered something. He said, “X, I got an invitation from McDonald’s this morning. They want me to participate in the dunk contest.”

“…“ Henry Bolton looked at Pierce. If this guy mentioned something, he was definitely planning to do it, but he still couldn’t believe it. He replied, “I heard Vince Carter from Mainland High in Daytona Beach is going to be in the dunk contest…”

“I’m going there to beat him!”

Looking at Pierce, this 6’5”, nearly 240-pound chubby guy, who couldn’t even jump as high as him, Henry Bolton asked, “Paul, are you dreaming?”

“You think I’m definitely going to lose? Now I have to enter!”

Pierce was pissed!

When he told his mom, she told him not to enter; when he told his coach, the coach told him not to enter; when he told the kid next door who idolized him, even that kid told him not to enter… and now there was one more!

“Good luck! Need me to throw you some alley-oops?”

“You think I can catch your alley-oops? It’d make more sense for me to throw them to you… Wait, I remember they said they sent you an invitation too, but you turned it down.”

“I don’t have time for any dunk contest. Just dealing with all those college interviews is enough of a headache…”

Just as Henry Bolton waved his hand to refuse, subtitles suddenly popped up.

“Special Contract Player Growth Mission: Shine! Dunk Contest triggered.”

“Shine! Dunk Contest:

Goal 1: The host team’s special contract player Henry Bolton receives an invitation to the 1995 McDonald’s High School All-American Dunk Contest. Please assign him to participate.

Reward: 15 days of lifespan.

Goal 2: The player assigned by the host must complete at least one perfect-score dunk in the contest.

Reward: 30 days of lifespan.”

“…“ Henry Bolton looked at the newly triggered mission, then at Pierce. At this moment, Pierce started rambling again…