Chapter 5: Star of Hope

The confrontation between Chen Xing and Gan Guoyang was a completely one-sided slaughter.

Even with skilled techniques, Chen Xing, at a height of 174, could not bridge the vast difference in height and build.

Moreover, this cousin was nothing like what Gan Guohui had described as "playing basketball for the first time."

Though his skills seemed crude and his dribbling was unstable without any shooting prowess displayed, just his dribble and push past were too much for Chen Xing to withstand.

He was tall but not ungainly, and his strength was incredibly immense.

Bumping into him felt like being hit by a car; after falling twice, Chen Xing dared not clash head-on with Gan Guoyang anymore.

And when the roles switched to offense and defense, Gan Guoyang stuck closely to every attack of Chen Xing's, then fed him a few servings of Chongqing hot pot.

"I can't do this, I'm done! This is killing me; I might as well be battered to pieces! Are you two messing with me? Is this really his first time playing basketball? I'm not playing anymore, give me the ball, I want to go home!"

"Whether you play or not is irrelevant, just now it was 5:0, and the cost of the game tape is still 35 US dollars, not a cent less."

Chen Xing and Gan Guohui then haggled over the price of the game tape, while taking the opportunity to insult and attack each other personally.

All of a sudden, Gan Guoyang spoke up, "Hey, it really is my first time playing. I'm not lying."

After hearing what Gan Guoyang said, Chen Xing felt even more insulted.

However, the teenage kids quickly came to accept the reality that "hard work and practice can't beat natural talent."

They continued to play noisily on the rooftop.

After an initial overpowering shot, Gan Guoyang's shooting accuracy began to improve with each attempt.

Late in the game, his shooting became so precise that Chen Xing and Gan Guohui just watched from the side, counting his consecutive made shots.

"17, 18, 19…20, 2—no, missed! He hit 20 consecutive mid-range shots!"

Not only was his shooting accurate, but Gan Guoyang's stamina seemed endless.

Chen Xing and Gan Guohui were tired, sitting against the fence and drinking water, while Gan Guoyang continued to practice dribbling, layups, and shooting on his own, looking very serious and focused, as if assessing his own skill level.

His basketball skills were visibly growing and maturing at a rapid pace.

"Hey Fatty Hui, I never used to believe in geniuses, but now I do."

"Seriously, did you hire a private coach or something? How else could you have improved so much?"

"Yeah, yeah, I joined Frank Alock's 'Excel in basketball summer camp.' Two weeks, and the results are pretty obvious, right?"

"Damn, you actually went to a basketball camp? You sneaky little weasel. How much did it cost?"

Chen Xing made a gesture, and Gan Guohui shook his head, "One hundred and fifty dollars? Oh, no wonder you can't afford the game tapes, you spent all your money on the camp. Why are you going crazy, man? A training camp, really? Do you think you can get a basketball scholarship or something?"

"You know nothing, next term the school is planning to start a basketball team, did you know that?"

"What? Our crummy school is starting a basketball team? Just to be stepping stones and shoe cleaners for others. Where did you get such information?"

"My sources are always accurate..."

As they were talking, suddenly a loud noise startled them. They looked up to see:

The basketball hoop that had been hanging on the wire fence was now in Gan Guoyang's hands.

"Uh... I dunked too hard just now and pulled down the hoop."

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Because Gan Guoyang had broken the basketball hoop on the rooftop court, he had to volunteer at Cameron House for the next two days, doing tasks like cleaning, handing out food, and repairing tables and benches, otherwise, they would be banned from playing basketball there in the future.

Gan Guoyang was quite happy with the arrangement. After finishing the work, he could take the ball to the rooftop and dribble and shoot to his heart's content, just not daring to dunk anymore.

The hoop, twisted onto the steel pipe with iron wire, really couldn't withstand his tremendous strength.

Through the practice of these two days, Gan Guoyang was certain that his body truly inherited the initial talents of Gump in 2k11.

Accurate jump shots, extremely strong physical strength, as well as excellent blocking and defensive abilities—there was no way for second-rate players like Gan Guohui and Chen Xing to score against him.

Now that he had this gifted foundation, figuring out how to quickly start his basketball career was the most important thing on Gan Guoyang's mind.

This year, he was 16 years old, in the second year of high school in China. After one more year in San Francisco studying in grade twelve, he could apply for college.

Gan Youwei's plan was for Gan Guoyang to attend community college for two years, learning basic skills in restaurants and kitchens, preparing to inherit the family business and carry on the tradition of Gan's cuisine.

Of course, Gan Guoyang didn't want to deal with cooking ingredients all his life, but at 16, that age was already considered quite old for basketball in America.

Many talented players started receiving formal basketball training as early as seven or eight years old, and the latest by around ten years old. By the age of 13, some prodigies were already making a name for themselves.

At 16, some players were already famous across All-America, being fought over by various renowned basketball schools, laying a solid foundation for entering the professional basketball scene.

Gan Guoyang knew he possessed great talent and a strong foundation. In a short time, he needed to improve his basketball skills as much as possible and find a way to that stage.

"Hey, Chen Xing, about that basketball training camp, how should I sign up?"

During a break, Gan Guoyang asked Chen Xing for information about the "Excel in basketball" camp.

"This camp was just started this year, in Oakland. From June to August, it's every two weeks, lasting eight days each session. From nine-thirty in the morning to two-thirty in the afternoon. If you want to sign up, call this number."

As he spoke, Chen Xing handed Gan Guoyang a business card that said "Bobby Berman," the assistant coach of the camp.

"However, you need to save up 150 US dollars for the tuition first. The price isn't cheap. Maybe you could get Guohui to give you some support."

"Here, I've been selling game cartridges and saved up a total of 72 US dollars, all for you. You're our hope."

Gan Guohui didn't hesitate to pull out all the pocket money he had tucked away, offering it to Gan Guoyang for the camp's tuition.

Although basketball isn't the number one sport in America, in its cities, basketball is absolutely omnipresent, with street courts everywhere.

However, the majority are dominated by Black players, and Asians with yellow skin are supposed to stay in schools studying, not playing on the courts.

It is truly rare to find a Chinese person with talent like Gan Guoyang. Both Chen Xing and Gan Guohui believed that Gan Guoyang would be the hope and star of Chinatown.

Based on reliable information from Chen Xing, Beiqiao High School in Chinatown would form a basketball team next semester to join in the new season's expansion of the CIF California High School Basketball League.

If Gan Guoyang joined the team, it would be a huge boost for the school and the community.

Nevertheless, Gan Guoyang refused Gan Guohui's financial aid.

"Forget it, it's not easy for you to save some pocket money. I still have time, I can save up some money myself. For example... can playing basketball make money?"

"Of course, playing can make money, but those are paid matches, where you need to have a stake. A game can range from 10 to 50 US dollars, and you can win or lose. Besides, you need to form a team."

"Forming a team is easy. The three of us make one team. Winning 150 US dollars shouldn't be that hard, right?"