Transmigrating to the late 1990s, Edward Thompson stands at the starting point of his basketball dream.

Twenty years later, that most chaotic era of basketball makes him very pessimistic about the future of this field.

But on second thought, what does the basketball world look like twenty years from now have anything to do with him?

Right now, it’s the era after the gods have retired, when the stars shine and a hundred flowers bloom!

The Big Shark, the Stone Buddha, the man closest to God, the Wolf King, the German Tank, the Truth, Air, T-Mac...

Edward Thompson’s basketball dream begins as a sparring partner...

Volume One: The Arrival of a Genius

Chapter 1: The Most Vicious Insult

August 18, 1999, noon, Dean’s office, USC School of Computer Science.

Looking at Edward Thompson, who was smiling like a sunny big boy, Dean Carter asked expressionlessly, “Tell me, what was the reason for this fight again?”

Edward Thompson hurriedly replied, “He insulted me!”

“What? He just insulted you?” Dean Carter was actually curious, “Tell me, what did he say to make you beat him into the hospital? I remember last time someone tried to slap you, you just knocked him down and kicked him in the face twice.”

The assistant, Vivian-Keller, burst out laughing.

Knocking someone down and kicking them in the face twice is already considered “just”?

The smile on Edward Thompson’s face disappeared. He gritted his teeth and said, “He called me Japanese!”

Vivian: [·_·?]

He hit someone for that? This time it’s a bit much! Vivian looked at the dean... ∑(O_O；)??

The dean showed the same expression as Edward Thompson, you could even hear his teeth grinding! His fists clenched!

Filthy!

Truly filthy!

This was the most vicious insult Dean Carter had ever heard!

Mr. Lu Xun was wrong—who says people can’t empathize with each other? He could feel Edward Thompson’s anger at that moment.

That basketball player deserved to be beaten into the hospital! His mouth should be smashed!

If he went back twenty years and was insulted like that, he’d definitely get into a fight too.

But at his current age and status, even if he wanted revenge, he wouldn’t use his fists—there were plenty of ways to get back at someone behind the scenes... Wait, Dean Carter suddenly snapped out of it.

He was a professor, an educator! The dignified dean, actually thinking such shocking thoughts! What if someone found out?

Every time he spent time with this kid, his thoughts would go astray.

This kid is really toxic!

At the time, he thought since the kid was recommended by an old professor, he’d keep him under his nose and look after him. After all, in America, even the air is dangerously sweet. He even asked a friend at UCLA to write a recommendation letter for the kid and brought him to USC. That had become his biggest regret in the past two years.

Wouldn’t it have been better to send this kid to UCLA to be someone else’s problem!

Although there was a reason this time, Dean Carter still felt he needed to teach him a lesson: “So you acted impulsively again? Did you consider the consequences?”

Edward Thompson quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, Dean, I know what I’m doing. Before I made a move, I used the Iron Mountain Lean I’ve practiced for two and a half years to make sure he wasn’t my match.”

Dean Carter’s blood pressure shot up: “What if you couldn’t beat him?”

“Then I’d find out if he had any connections. If not, I’d look for a chance to get back at him in secret.”

“What if he does have connections?”

“Then I’d tell you, Dean, and see if you could handle him.”

Dean Carter: “...”

Honestly, if Edward Thompson came straight to him with this, he really might not be able to resist doing something.

Anything can happen—if someone caught him out... To be fair, the kid choosing to fight actually saved him, the dean, from potential trouble.

Forget it, just let it go!

He turned to the assistant and said, “Vivian, go handle this. A fight on campus means a problem with our college’s management. We have an inescapable responsibility.”

Vivian had already laughed so hard she was lying on the desk. After catching her breath, she heard the dean’s words and burst out laughing again.

Sensing the dean’s angry glare, she quickly stifled her laughter, but couldn’t keep a straight face, and replied, “Understood, I’ll handle this properly and protect the college’s reputation.”

The dean just pretended not to hear the assistant’s teasing.

Vivian took a funding application form from the folder and started filling out the reason for the request, then handed it to the dean for his signature.

The whole process was smooth and efficient, with no unnecessary steps.

She was extremely experienced at handling this kind of thing.

Edward Thompson, English name Leo, passed the entrance interview last July at not yet 17 years old. Now 18, a sophomore, an international student double-majoring in Computer Theory and Computer Application Concepts at the School of Computer Science, with excellent freshman year grades... She could type out this information with her eyes closed.

In the first few months after Edward Thompson enrolled, he got into a fight every few days, and every time it was her cleaning up the mess.

After the dean signed, Vivian double-checked the information, made sure everything was correct, and said to Edward Thompson, “You kid, making more work for me again. I was supposed to go to the beauty salon this afternoon. So, how are you going to make it up to me?”

Edward Thompson gave a sweet, obedient smile: “Thank you so much, Aunt Vivian. I’ll cook dinner tonight!”