"The mountains of Tao are vast, the waters of Huan flow endlessly, I am looked up to by the mountains and waters. Ten years of gathering, ten years of training, let us cast golden statues. By the school and the temple, esteemed in Jiyang, do not fail the scenery of peaches and plums. May my later scholars, quickly take the lead, and strive to strengthen themselves..."
As the white light dissipated, a familiar song sounded in He Ximeng's ears.
"Alright, students, today's music class is over, you are dismissed..."
He Ximeng collected his thoughts and was surprised to find that he wasn't in Kobe's helicopter, but had traveled back to his high school days!
On the familiar podium stood the beautiful music teacher he had dreamed of during his adolescence...
"Teacher Guo? Am I dreaming?" He Ximeng muttered to himself.
"Why wouldn't you be dreaming? I think you've been asleep for the entire class, and you still haven't woken up..." The voice of Cui Tianci, his high school best friend, came from beside He Ximeng's ear.
"Fatty Cui? Is that really you?" He Ximeng, with lightning speed, pinched the flesh on Cui Tianci's cheek!
"Ouch, ouch, ouch~ Let go quickly, Ximeng!" Cui Tianci cried out in pain, "Why did your strength suddenly become so great? It's killing me!"
Looking at Cui Tianci's red and swollen face and teary eyes, He Ximeng pondered, "It hurts when I pinch it, and the sensation is incredibly realistic... This isn't an illusion? Could it be that I've really traveled back to high school?"
"Fatty Cui, what year and month is it?"
"September 1995! Ximeng, why are you acting so strangely? Did you really sleep too much?" Cui Tianci reached out to touch He Ximeng's forehead, but He Ximeng pushed his hand away.
"Indeed! It's 1995, one year before I go to America..."
"You're being so cryptic... Ximeng, I don't care if you're confused from sleeping or not, but if you don't hurry up, you'll miss the basketball friendly match later..."
"A basketball friendly match in September 1995?" A familiar memory surfaced in He Ximeng's mind.
It was the first semester of his third year of high school, not long after the school year began. There was still nearly a month before October 8th, when the National Tournament would officially commence.
The top 12 high schools in the Zhejiang regional basketball championship, in order to improve their competitive state and prepare for the upcoming preliminary rounds of the national tournament, held several rounds of friendly matches against each other.
It was during a friendly match against Caota Middle School that He Ximeng injured his knee, forcing him to withdraw from the national tournament that year. Zhuji Middle School, where He Ximeng was, also lost consecutively in the preliminary rounds to Huipu Middle School, the absolute kings of the Zhejiang region, Hangzhou Fourth High School, the champion of the Hangzhou region, Ningbo Fourth High School, the champion of the Ningbo region, and Jinyun Middle School, the champion of the Lishui region, thus failing to reach the second stage Eastern Division finals.
Now that he had traveled back... Heh heh, He Ximeng could finally make up for that small regret from the past!
In his previous life, as head coach, He Ximeng had reached the pinnacle of his career, but as a player, he had been cut down before he could even begin, never even winning a Zhejiang regional championship...
To be honest, given He Ximeng's basketball skills in his previous life, he could only manage within the Zhejiang region. Winning the national championship was not a great possibility.
The Chinese high school league, while not as strong as some, was not weak either.
At least, every year, a few players were selected from the high school league by provincial youth teams and eventually became professional players.
Among these, the most famous basketball high school was, of course, the super powerhouse, Tsinghua High School, which had already won ten consecutive championships in the high school league!
Junior high school students across China took pride in entering the Tsinghua High School basketball team, and high school students across China aimed to defeat the Tsinghua High School basketball team as the highest goal of their high school basketball careers...
Of course, in ten years, no team had been able to achieve this goal!
Famous schools from all over the country, such as Huipu Middle School, the champion team of the Zhejiang region, had challenged Tsinghua High School in the finals of the national tournament and failed.
Nanjing No. 9 High School, the champion team of the Jiangsu region, had challenged Tsinghua High School in the finals of the national tournament and also failed.
Panyu High School, the champion team of the Guangdong region, had challenged Tsinghua High School in the finals of the national tournament and still failed.
...
Leagues of runners-up, an unshakeable champion!
Tsinghua High School was an undefeated myth in the Chinese high school league!
Everyone eagerly awaited the day Tsinghua High School would fall from its pedestal, but year after year, Tsinghua High School remained firmly on its throne, receiving the adoration of fans...
The source of Tsinghua High School's incredible strength was their possession of Zhang Heli, China's top coach!
A first-generation national player of Chinese basketball, known as the strongest small forward in Chinese history, the number one forward in Asia, and the "Magician of the Basket"...
"Coach..." He Ximeng suddenly realized that the source of Tsinghua High School's ten-year championship streak was a top head coach... And in terms of coaching, he, in his previous life, had never been inferior to anyone...
As he thought, He Ximeng arrived at Zhuji Middle School's gymnasium with Cui Tianci.
As the top-ranked high school in Zhuji and fourth in Zhejiang, Zhuji's indoor gymnasium, both in terms of hardware and software, ranked first in the entire city.
This year's Zhuji Boys' basketball team had two strongest players.
The first was Yan Hui, the center, standing at 2.06 meters tall and weighing 99 kilograms, wearing jersey number 33, with his idol being Knicks star Ewing.
Because he idolized Ewing, Yan Hui's playing style also mimicked Ewing's in every way. A straightforward, standard tough-guy center style. When he wasn't practicing, Yan Hui's favorite activity was lifting weights! Hence his physique, filled with muscles... muscles that made the entire basketball team drool...
However, Yan Hui was still single. High school girls didn't particularly like this type. In contrast, someone like He Ximeng was more popular among high school girls.
He Ximeng was Zhuji's other ace, standing at 1.80 meters tall and weighing 75 kilograms, playing point guard.
Although the young He Ximeng wasn't as cool and handsome as Rukawa Kaede, he wasn't unattractive and had a tall, slender build... Well, at 1.80 meters, he was practically crippled for the NBA, and unless his physical fitness was exceptional or his skills were god-like, it would be difficult to make a breakthrough.
However, in China, especially in high school leagues, this height was more than sufficient for a point guard.
Coupled with He Ximeng's considerable skills among high school students – steady ball-handling, precise passing, fast drives, and stable three-point shooting percentage...
However, despite being popular with girls in high school, He Ximeng did not date early.
One reason was his mother's teaching, who repeatedly emphasized the importance of focusing on academics in high school...
Another reason was that He Ximeng had a more "mature" taste. He preferred the new music teacher, Guo Shuyao, and was not very interested in underdeveloped high school girls...