On the plane to the other side of the ocean, He Ximeng had once suspected that a chance encounter might occur again. However, apart from Da Zhi's snoring, the flight was quiet.
After nearly twenty hours of flying and transferring, He Ximeng and Da Zhi safely arrived in Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, on January 20, 1996!
Although Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina, it is far less famous in China than some other cities. Many fans know that Jordan came from North Carolina State University, but they don't know that North Carolina State University is actually located in Raleigh.
In contrast, Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city, is more familiar to Chinese fans because it is the current home of the Hornets and will be the future home of the Bobcats.
There are two other cities in North Carolina that are relatively well-known: Durham, because of Duke University.
And Winston-Salem, because of Wake Forest University...
Yes, North Carolina, Duke, and Wake Forest, three top basketball universities, are all in the same state: North Carolina!
When He Ximeng arrived in Raleigh, he did not see John. The person responsible for picking them up was Quikley!
Quikley took the two directly to the international student dormitory at North Carolina State University!
This year's Nike Basketball Summit was held in the basketball arena of North Carolina State University!
North Carolina State University originally arranged for a Chinese-American student to be He Ximeng and Da Zhi's translator. However, this student's Chinese was not as good as Da Zhi's English, so He Ximeng sent him away.
With He Ximeng around, Da Zhi didn't need to worry about food, clothing, housing, or transportation.
After getting He Ximeng and Da Zhi settled, Quikley left them a magnetic card and proudly explained to them that with this card, they could spend money anywhere on campus at North Carolina University...
Da Zhi was stunned, while He Ximeng curled his lips, "Isn't it just a campus card..."
Before leaving, Quikley also left them his phone number for emergency contact and told them they had one day to adjust to the time difference, and they should gather at the basketball arena at 9 AM tomorrow!
The basketball arena was not far from the dormitory, visible from the window, and only a five-minute walk away.
After Quikley left, He Ximeng and Da Zhi used the dormitory phones to call home and let their families know they were safe, then took a shower, slept, and adjusted to the time difference.
They slept until evening. He Ximeng, having been a frequent flyer before, successfully overcame the time difference.
He Ximeng suggested they go to the stadium to see the venue, get familiar with the court, and then go to the restaurant for some American cuisine.
It was Da Zhi's first time flying overseas and his first time adjusting to a time difference. He felt unwell and lacked appetite, lying on the bed unwilling to get up.
He Ximeng did not force Da Zhi. After changing clothes, he took the campus card and prepared to go to the stadium for a warm-up, then go to the restaurant for a burger, and also pack a burger for Da Zhi.
There is no "cuisine" in America, only burgers, fried chicken, and cola...
Following the visual direction and the map, He Ximeng successfully found North Carolina's basketball arena!
At the entrance of the basketball arena, a South American security guard in uniform, wearing a Desert Eagle, stopped He Ximeng and asked in broken Spanish-accented English: "Do you have an invitation card? During the Nike Basketball Summit, the North Carolina basketball arena is only open to personnel with Nike company invitation cards..."
He Ximeng asked several times before he understood the security guard's meaning. He took out the campus card from his pocket and asked the guard if it was this one.
The security guard wiped the sweat from his forehead and waved He Ximeng through.
He Ximeng was also a bit speechless: "Such a small basketball summit requires such strict security? More importantly, can you find a security guard who speaks better English?"
After passing the security check, before entering the arena, He Ximeng heard the sound of urgent dribbling coming from inside the stadium...
"Whoa! Someone beat me to it?"
He Ximeng quickened his pace, pushed open the arena door, and saw two high school students playing one-on-one!
One had a spiky haircut, the other had long flowing hair.
Upon seeing their faces, He Ximeng couldn't help but laugh...
One was Kobe, wearing the No. 33 jersey of Lower Merion High School!
The other was Ginobili, wearing the No. 6 jersey of Bahía Blanca High School!
"Hey, guys, can I join your one-on-one?"
To the uninvited He Ximeng, Ginobili, with his long flowing hair, responded with a friendly expression and replied in English with a slight Spanish and Italian accent: "Let us finish this game..."
Ginobili was of Italian-Argentine descent, fluent in Spanish, Italian, and English... Not only was his basketball IQ top-notch, but Ginobili's intelligence was also top-notch.
Compared to Ginobili's friendliness, Kobe, with his spiky hair, was quite unfriendly. He just glanced at He Ximeng and said nothing!
"Whoa! Little Kobe has always been arrogant since he was young..."
Looking at the two familiar yet strange faces, He Ximeng was filled with mixed emotions.
He was happy to have finally met Kobe again.
He was sad that Kobe in this world was no longer the Kobe from his previous world.
"Perhaps the Kobe from the previous world, along with Gianna, has traveled to another parallel dimension?"
While He Ximeng was sighing, Kobe ended their one-on-one with a one-handed dunk after a drive!
"5:3, next!"
Kobe gestured with his chin towards He Ximeng, who was on the sidelines, with an air of arrogance.
However, He Ximeng was not angered by Kobe. Instead, he was excited and happy. He stretched his wrists, ankles, and knees, ready to play a game with Kobe.
Ginobili, who had just lost the game, kindly reminded He Ximeng: "This guy uses a lot of fakes, try not to let him drive to the basket..." 138 Reading Network
He Ximeng asked in surprise: "Does this guy's fakes have as many as yours?"
Ginobili was stunned, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his handsome face: "About the same!"
When he got on the court, Kobe passed the basketball to He Ximeng.
He Ximeng asked Kobe if he wanted to rest, as Kobe had just finished a game, and He Ximeng didn't want to take advantage of him.
Kobe replied impatiently: "No need! Let's finish quickly, I'm in a hurry..."
"Mmm... so arrogant... that's the vibe..."
He Ximeng dribbled the basketball near half-court, getting a feel for the ball, and then asked Kobe: "How many points for a three-pointer?"
"How many do you want it to be?"
"Two!"
"Then it'll be two!"
"Then you'd better be careful! My three-point shots are quite accurate..."
"Stop talking nonsense..."
Before Kobe could finish speaking, He Ximeng suddenly pulled up and shot from a step beyond the three-point line, giving Kobe no time to jump and block!
Kobe turned his head and watched as the basketball hit the target precisely.
"2:0!"