When handling the club admission procedures just now, the club manager mentioned that he was one of the 4 selected out of this year’s 151 trial students.

This shameless guy, Henry Bibby’s mood soured again, and he replied coldly, “No, it’s because our team has a troublemaker who got beaten up and hospitalized, so we need a new troublemaker... Besides, I’m the head coach, I pick whoever I want, what’s it to you?”

“That’s true, coach. Is there anything else you need me to do?”

Edward Thompson’s reaction this time surprised Henry Bibby again. This response didn’t quite match what he knew.

But he still didn’t show a friendly face, waving his hand to shoo him away: “You’re done here. Gather at the scheduled time.”

Knowing he was unwelcome, Edward Thompson said “bye-bye,” then decisively left with Vivian Carter and Liam Pike. Liam Pike wanted to treat the two to dinner to celebrate Edward Thompson, and of course Edward Thompson gladly accepted. This time, even Vivian Carter didn’t refuse, which was rare.

After the three left, Henry Bibby’s previously tense expression turned utterly miserable.

The club manager Steve Brown, who was sorting Edward Thompson’s admission documents nearby, said, “Leo Carter isn’t quite what I expected. I thought he’d be another Shelby, but he’s got a face fit for a movie star, isn’t as arrogant as Shelby, and is actually very polite. He’s not as impulsive as the files suggest, and even with your attitude, he didn’t show any dissatisfaction.”

Henry Bibby replied, “I was surprised when I saw him that day too. His physique is outstanding, and he’s only 18, so I invited him to the tryouts. But...”

“But?”

“He might be even more of a handful than Shelby.”

“Haha, no way, coach. I think you’re just biased because he beat up Shelby.”

“Whatever, think what you want. By the way, do you know where Shelby is?”

“I got word from his girlfriend’s brother—he and his girlfriend went to Hawaii.”

“That little punk!” Henry Bibby instantly exploded, “What the hell was Sean Carter thinking, giving him such a huge compensation payout!”

“Yeah, Shelby won’t come back until he’s spent all that money. I almost want Leo Carter to beat me up too, but Shelby is pretty impressive—I couldn’t pull that off.”

Brown thought of how Shelby Jordan pretended to faint when he couldn’t win a fight, and when the computer science department’s rep came to discuss compensation, he lay in bed groaning in pain... then, after getting the money, he jumped straight out of bed and ran off in his hospital gown without even changing. It really made him want to give a thumbs up.

As for Shelby Jordan getting beaten up, that was totally normal—anyone who could beat him up wanted to.

...

After their “celebration dinner,” Edward Thompson hitched a ride with Vivian Carter back to the apartment. As soon as he closed the door, he couldn’t wait to open the system.

The content on the screen had changed. The homepage was basic info, and he looked at it with anticipation...

“Name: Edward Thompson, English name: Leo Carter.

Age: 18 (August 1, 1981).

Height: 197 cm, wingspan: 211 cm.

Weight: 89 kg.

High school basketball record: None.

College basketball record: No games meeting statistical requirements in freshman season.

Overall evaluation: —.

Physical attributes: Speed 86, Strength 87, Vertical 76, Flexibility 92, Stamina 88...

Fundamentals: Three-point — (below basic level), Mid-range — (below basic level), Layup 76..., Ball handling 68, Passing 61...

Skills: No skills at or above basic level...

Note: 1. Evaluation is based on NCAA Division I overall standards. 2. Physical attributes, skills, and fundamentals below 60 are considered below basic level. 3. Evaluation grades: 60–69 Pass, 70–79 Good, 80–84 Excellent, 85–89 First-class, 90–94 Top-tier, 95–99 Beyond top-tier.”

Edward Thompson realized he wasn’t really qualified to question the Trojans basketball team.

Calling himself a blank slate would be an insult to blank slates.

His overall ability didn’t even reach the passing line!

However, his speed, strength, and stamina were all higher than he expected, at a first-class level even in the NCAA.

He remembered that during the tryouts, when testing speed, he kept comparing himself to those 1.8-meter-tall guards, and for strength, to those over-2-meter-tall big guys. Maybe, in these areas, he wasn’t worse than others of his height—it’s just that, as a Chinese person, he was used to comparing himself to the very best.

But basketball isn’t just about running fast, jumping high, or being strong. That day, he saw a 1.7-meter-tall, super-muscular point guard who could jump to rim level, but he still didn’t make the team.

He gathered his scattered thoughts and looked below the basic info, where there were several sub-menu options—some lit up with names, some dimmed and unnamed.

The first was Achievement Points.

He issued a command in his mind and entered the Achievement Points interface, where several prompts popped up.

“Congratulations, host, for being selected for the Trojans. Reward: 1000 Achievement Points.”

“The host can earn Achievement Points by participating in games, completing game tasks, and achieving training goals.”

“Achievement Points can be used for the lottery, with top prizes including base attribute points, move packs, skills, item cards, etc. Lottery tier unlocked: Beginner. Each draw costs 1000 Achievement Points.”