February in California is like a child’s face, changing in an instant.
During the day, the sky is clear and blue, but as evening approaches, it suddenly darkens, with thick, heavy clouds gathering and gathering in the sky, oppressing those who rush through.
Bruce lay on the sofa in a small apartment southwest of Palo Alto, his handsome, bright face filled with exhaustion and fear.
He had just woken up from a long nightmare.
He had dreamed his entire life: he found himself ridiculed by many after transferring back to Harvard from Stanford.
Under immense pressure, he dropped out of college and began building a social networking site like his friend Dustin’s.
But the result was that the company consumed millions of dollars of his savings.
Desperate after his entrepreneurial failure, he returned to the Bay Area and joined an internet company.
However, internal strife within the company and the failure of his parents’ business venture in China forced him to return to China from the United States.
Spending his days at an unremarkable internet company was clearly not the life he wanted, as he didn’t even have a girlfriend.
How awful!
Bruce ran a hand through his already messy hair.
He knew it was due to the immense stress he’d been under lately.
Was transferring from Harvard to Stanford a year ago really a mistake?
Was his dream of playing basketball, as his mother had said, just a joke?
Bruce sighed helplessly.
As the only four-star Chinese point guard in the history of American high school basketball, he was full of confidence before moving to the Pacific Division.
While at Harvard, he had been the Ivy League leader in assists and steals; but then, he realized that the Ivy League was nothing compared to other NCAA leagues.
He turned on the TV, and a Chinese channel was showing a basketball program.
“…Basketball legend Michael Jordan married his wife Juanita in 1989 and they had a son and a daughter.
However, in 2002, Juanita filed for divorce, citing ‘inability to tolerate Michael’s repeated infidelity and irreconcilable differences.’ She even wrote a six-page divorce petition.” “However, due to the property and compensation involved, Michael Jordan’s divorce case took four years.
Yesterday, the two parties finally reached an out-of-court settlement.
Reportedly, Michael will pay his ex-wife 6.8 billion yuan in alimony!
It must be said that this is one of the most expensive divorce settlements in sports history…” ” Bastard!” Bruce muttered absently.
Hmm?
The phrase suddenly popped into his head, strange and familiar…
Like it came from a nightmare.
He shook his head.
The news on TV was still broadcasting.
“…This morning, we interviewed Coach McHani, head coach of the Stanford Crimson.
Due to injuries to two key players this season, the Crimson’s chances of advancing out of the Pacific Division in the remaining three games are virtually nil.
Therefore, he regretfully announces that the team’s focus this season will shift from preparation to recruiting.
In addition, we interviewed him about the topic of Chinese guard Bruce.” The scene changed, and the kind and generous Coach McHani appeared on camera.
Coach McHani had long served as an assistant coach for the Lakers in the NBA and had made significant contributions to the Lakers’ dynasty.
He took over the Crimson three years ago and helped them reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen that season.
The team’s ace at the time, Childress, entered the NBA as a lottery pick thanks to his outstanding playoff performance: one of the few Stanford players selected in the lottery.
Bruce’s biggest reason for transferring from Harvard to Stanford was Coach McHaney’s coaching ability, followed by Stanford’s natural advantages: Stanford’s position in the top-tier Pacific Conference allows them to compete in a round-robin tournament against the strongest teams in the NCAA.
Furthermore, because Stanford itself is not particularly strong, he was able to get a fair amount of playing time.
However, “Bruce is a smart, driven, cautious, and extremely hard-working player.
His ball-handling skills are some of the best and most extraordinary I’ve ever seen.
He has incredible creativity and talent, often providing brilliant assists that elicit cheers from the entire crowd.” “But we have to admit, his body can’t keep up with his mind.
Compared to other NCAA players, he’s too skinny.
Despite being 6 feet 6 inches tall, he only weighs 150 pounds, which is why I can’t let him play long periods of time.” I’ll give him a few chances in the final three games.
But next season… well.
You know, he’s got a very intelligent brain.
He should focus on his studies.
He can definitely achieve something amazing…” * Snap!* Bruce turned off the TV.
This was a huge blow to him.
He had been completely focused on basketball.
He had defied his parents’ wishes to transfer from Harvard to Stanford, which angered his domineering mother, Professor Wang Junzhu, a biology professor at NYU.
She angrily declared that if Bruce didn’t return to Harvard and choose life sciences, she would refuse to pay any tuition or living expenses.
Back then, Bruce, undefeated among Ivy League schools, was full of ambition.
He believed he could make a name for himself without his parents’ help.
But now… *sigh*!
Because the Crimson team no longer signed him as a player for the next season, he no longer enjoyed the school’s generous living allowance.
Over the years, although he had saved some New Year’s money and earned nearly $150,000 through scholarships, competition prizes, and website development, it had all been invested in the website Dustin helped build.
He had less than $1,500 in his bank account.
His bank, and he still had to pay next month’s rent.
So… Was he really supposed to bow his head, admit his mistake, and obediently go home to be a rich kid?
*Ding-dong!* * Just then, the laptop next to the couch beeped; it was an email from Zuckerberg.
He opened the email and read: “Dear Bruce, are you sure you want to transfer the $150,000 angel investment we received, equivalent to 12% of our preferred stock?
Now, Mr.
Peter Thiel of PayPal and several other investors are willing to invest in us personally, with their investments totaling tens of millions of dollars.
If you’re willing, we can transfer your shares now, which are worth about $1.9 million based on current valuations.
But I don’t recommend you do this; Remember, you own preferred stock.” Zuckerberg’s tone was very gentle, and Bruce had a very good rapport with him.
Bruce liked this introverted and quiet man; he also had a Chinese girlfriend who wasn’t particularly attractive.
This created more common topics for their interactions.
But now he was indeed short of money and needed to cash in those shares.
Just as he was about to type “yes” in an email reply, he suddenly remembered a dream he had just had, in which he converted all his shares into cash, paid all the taxes, and returned to Harvard to start a business.
Unfortunately, the business failed, and his money quickly ran out.
Boom!!
Lightning and thunder suddenly struck outside and knocked over a pair of Air Jordan sneakers he had left to dry on the balcony.
The scene was all too familiar.
This was the beginning of a long nightmare.
In the nightmare, he ignored the basketball shoes swaying in the wind and rain, believing his basketball dreams had been shattered.
So, he replied to the email on his laptop: YES!
All For sale.
But now, for no apparent reason, he looked up at the sky.
In the dim light, layers of dark clouds were piled up, each cloud looking edged with gold, breathtakingly beautiful.
So, even behind the clouds, the sun was shining, wasn’t it?
Bruce pondered for a moment, then, as if possessed, stepped forward.
It was his first pair of Air Jordans, the AJ10s, the shoes Michael Jordan wore when he announced “I’m back.” As he retrieved the shoes from the balcony, a sudden flash of light illuminated his vision, and a blinding white flash enveloped him.
Boom!
He felt himself being hit hard, and pain instantly filled every cell of his body.
He collapsed to the ground.
In the few moments before he regained consciousness, he heard an echo in his head: “Hehe, finally escaped that demon body!” “I didn’t disappear?
Did a rift appear in time?” “I can talk now.
I speak English?” “I have twenty percent of my energy left, not enough to fully modify my body.
Strength, speed, jumping ability, agility, physique—only one can be improved…”