Chapter 6

Here, there's no such thing as drinking three rounds of wine and tasting five flavors of dishes; there's only a simple steak, but the meal was very enjoyable. After all, with delicious food in front of them, the store was also filled with young and beautiful girls, making it very pleasant to look at. The few of them chatted about current events. In the United States, almost everyone talks about "big things," which is very different from South Korea, where people are afraid to talk about politics. However, these "big things" are just for talking; they enjoy mocking those big figures. For example, at Harvard, there's a joke that often comes up at the dinner table:

A man said mysteriously, "Hey, buddy! My mom called me yesterday. Guess what? She told me to shave my beard off quickly."

"Why?" The others usually play along to create a lively atmosphere.

"Because George W. Bush called my mom and said if I don't shave my beard, the FBI will investigate whether our bearded group is connected to those troublemakers."

"That's impossible, man, you must be lying."

"No, no, no, it's true. Later, I found out that Bush is a Yankees fan, hahaha, his whole family are Yankees fans."

During this, a few words starting with the letter F are often mixed in, and the light-hearted tone and mocking expressions are the highlights, making everyone at the table burst into laughter. However, this usually only happens after the Red Sox win a game.

In the entire Major League Baseball (MLB), there's a tradition. In the past, it was believed that beards had a fierce aura (really fierce, scaring Americans), and players would grow beards to intimidate opponents. Later, they found that beards really helped them win, so beards became a kind of mascot. Over a hundred years, other teams have become less concerned about this, but the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox are extremely strict about it, making it a symbol. Therefore, it's common to see young players in their teens or twenties with exaggerated beards on the Red Sox team. Some famous players' beards are worth millions of dollars. Hardcore Red Sox fans are proud of their beards, believing that their beards bring good luck to the team. In Harvard, you can often see guys wearing B-letter baseball caps with big beards walking around.

Los Angeles is not Boston. Here, people talk more about Hollywood and fashion, as if all the beautiful women in America and even the world are crowding into this place. Li Jingming has become numb to it.

Now, Li Jingming is looking at a table diagonally across from him. A middle-aged woman with an Asian face is eating steak with two cute girls. These two girls clearly look like sisters, both with cold and beautiful faces. The older one is around seventeen or eighteen, and the younger one is around thirteen or fourteen. They are so beautiful that they must be from China. Li Jingming suddenly thought that he is only in his early twenties. His idea is that a man should marry a woman about ten years younger, so the older sister sitting on the left is not a suitable candidate for his wife. His wife should be about the same age as the younger sister on the right. Watching the younger girl carefully cutting the beef, Li Jingming wanted to slap himself. He lived to forty-four in his previous life, and now, although he has a young face, he has a middle-aged man's mentality. Such a young girl, he shivered, but he only thought about it in his mind, hoping it wouldn't bring bad luck.

The older sister suddenly noticed Li Jingming's gaze. Seeing him staring at her and then at her younger sister, she glared coldly. How could such a handsome guy be a pervert?

Li Jingming awkwardly avoided her icy stare. Fortunately, everyone finished eating and quickly paid and left.

The parking lot was far away, so they took a walk to digest their food. They enjoyed the night view of the City of Angels as they walked and talked, which was quite pleasant. Near the parking lot, they saw a basketball court surrounded by a metal fence. When they arrived earlier, it was around eight, and the street was crowded, so they didn't pay much attention. Now, with fewer people around, the sound of the basketball hitting the ground was very clear. This attracted their attention, especially Jin Zairong, a passionate basketball enthusiast and semi-professional player, who got excited. It was June, and Jin Zairong had just arrived and hadn't yet experienced the charm of the basketball kingdom. After the Lakers lost to the Spurs, there were no more games until the Finals started in two days, which Jin Zairong would definitely watch. During the meal, he heard many people discussing this year's Finals, with "The Chosen One" LeBron James facing the "Big Three," which was sure to be exciting.

Li Jingming already knew this would be a 4-0 massacre, but Jin Zairong didn't. Full of passion, he was ready to kiss the NBA's face. The United States not only has the NBA but also a rich street basketball culture. The cage courts on West 4th Street in Manhattan and the Rucker Park in Harlem make New York a street basketball mecca, but LA is not far behind. This is the Lakers' home, and the basketball atmosphere is strong.

New York's street basketball is famous, partly due to the thriving Hip-Hop culture, which is pure street basketball with a strong performance element. In Los Angeles, the situation is different. Street games are more practical, not just about style or flair. These games are called 3-on-3 basketball, and the young men on the streets are not just releasing their excess energy; they need money, and victory brings them money.

Many poor children, especially from black families, can't even go to college, let alone join college teams. But many of them have a passionate basketball dream, hoping to make it to the NBA. They can only play on the streets, hoping to be discovered by scouts. Their idols might be Michael Jordan, but more likely, they are players like Steve Francis, Allen Iverson, or Baron Davis, who came from the streets and the ghettos. Other children are not basketball lovers but are forced onto the courts by the pressures of life, even though they can win money. Strong children are selected and trained by criminal forces to become tools for others to make money. Living in Los Angeles, they will never have the chance to step into the Staples Center. Many will die from drug overdoses, street violence, or revenge killings, often not living past thirty. Dying of cancer is a luxury for them.

This is a place of suffering for countless people. They only know Los Angeles, not the City of Angels.

Jin Zairong was looking at the figures running on the court with shining eyes. Li Jingming knew his cousin's nature; he couldn't resist basketball. This is rare in a country like South Korea, where football and baseball are the most popular, but Li Jingming also likes basketball, so he decided to go over and check it out. Since his busy Harvard life had ended, the five of them followed him.

Street courts like this don't have organized gambling or gangsters watching over them. Those kinds of courts are hidden in secret warehouses or between remote residential buildings, and you can't find them without an introduction. This is a recreational court, though it's not uncommon for people to bet on games. Americans' love for gambling is hard for people from other countries to understand. Sometimes they bet on drinks, court time, or even a pair of shoes. Occasionally, the bets involve personal grudges, adding a touch of romanticism.

"Want to play?" Li Jingming asked Jin Zairong, seeing his cousin's eager look and feeling a bit itchy himself.

"Of course!" Jin Zairong couldn't refuse.

Only one court was in a game, and the others were practicing. Li Jingming naturally walked over to the game. There were three players on each side, and a few spectators were watching. Li Jingming saw that both sides were strong, much better than the club level. He wasn't faking; he was genuinely interested in playing with skilled players. The game was intense but friendly, probably a gathering of familiar friends from the neighborhood, and it was a weekend.

"Hey, friends," Li Jingming called out. The players, though a bit annoyed, stopped. The spectators also looked at Li Jingming, unsure if he was there to challenge them.

Seeing everyone's attention, Li Jingming said loudly, "Let's play ten points. Win or lose, I'll buy everyone a hot dog and a Coke."

They say a smiling face never gets slapped. Li Jingming not only offered to buy food but also only wanted to play ten points, which wouldn't take long. He just wanted to have some fun, not play for a long time.

"Someone offering to buy food is great, but how good are your skills?" The person who stepped forward was a young black man, probably the captain. In street basketball, there are no referees or coaches; the captain is the highest authority.

Li Jingming smiled and didn't answer, gesturing for the ball. The man, seeing Li Jingming's arrogant attitude, felt competitive and threw the ball to see what he could do.

Li Jingming caught the ball and instantly accelerated, rushing to the basket like the wind. He jumped from four meters away and slammed the ball with a powerful dunk. Li Jingming's leg strength was trained from a young age, and his jumping ability was superhuman. Standing at 1.86 meters, he was shorter than most of the black players but stunned them with his long-distance dunk. In street basketball, not only are fancy moves and dribbling attractive, but explosive dunks are also a powerful weapon to ignite the crowd.

"If you win, I'll buy a hot dog and a Coke for everyone here."

"Alright!" The young black man's fighting spirit was ignited.

The spectators were their friends and girlfriends, so they couldn't back down.

The other side sent out their three strongest players. After being intimidated by Li Jingming, they wanted to win and teach these Asians a lesson. On Li Jingming's side, he and Jin Zairong were both strong. Jin Zairong, standing at 1.92 meters, was always the main player in his school team and had won the national high school runner-up. Bai Xian, also a skilled player, was 1.8 meters tall and had martial arts training. Song Shikjae, who grew up in the United States, was also good at basketball. Only An Hanjian looked like a weak scholar. Li Jingming arranged for himself, Jin Zairong, and Bai Xian to play first, with Song Shikjae as a substitute. There was no real chance for a substitute in a ten-point game. Li Jingming sent An Hanjian to buy hot dogs and Cokes, as he couldn't play basketball and it was his duty to run errands in South Korea. There were fewer than twenty people, including the spectators, so buying twenty portions was enough. Li Jingming wouldn't really only buy for the six players if he won; it was just a way of speaking.

"Jin Zairong, you play SF. White (Bai Xian's English name), you play SG. I'll play PG." No center? In street basketball, the center position lacks entertainment value.

After assigning the positions, Li Jingming walked onto the court. The home team let the guests start, so they would take the first possession.

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