On the outdoor basketball court, following the voice...
Looking at the young black man in a white T-shirt with big eyes and a wide nose, Qin Yue almost instinctively said, "Shorty?"
Upon hearing this, the young black man seemed to recall many past events all at once.
Qin Yue, after a moment of surprise, said with a wry smile, "Sorry, Chris, I forgot you don't like that nickname."
Actually, at the moment their eyes met, Qin Yue already recognized him.
However, as the former owner of this body also knew him, Qin Yue instinctively called out his old nickname.
Fortunately, the young black man didn't take the "Shorty" nickname to heart.
After a pause, he looked up at Qin Yue: "Are you really Qin? You... uh..."
Looking at the young black man, Qin Yue patted his belly and said, "You want to ask why I've become ?"
The young man named Chris nodded.
With a long sigh, Qin Yue said, "It's a long story."
Then, Qin Yue roughly described his situation over the past two years to Chris.
When talking about how he let himself go and became what he is now, Qin Yue noticed the clear look of regret on Chris's face.
"So, you now want to lose weight to regain the school coach's trust?" Chris asked after hearing Qin Yue's story.
Qin Yue nodded: "I've recently realized a lot of things. I've come to see that I've let down many people who believed in me.
I shouldn't choose to run away whenever I face setbacks, and it wasn't until a few days ago that I realized how much I love basketball.
I long to play, and I want to compete, so I have to get my weight back to a normal range first."
No choice, since he inherited this body and its memories, some burdens must be carried even if Qin Yue is reluctant.
After all, who else but him is the owner of this body?
"It's so great that you think that way, Qin.
To be honest, during your senior year, we were all very concerned about your mental state," Chris said with a smile, looking at the changed Qin Yue.
Then, after a pause, Chris moved forward, assessing Qin Yue, as he said, "I can't help with losing weight.
But if you want to practice, I can join you anytime.
Oh, and... I suppose now I should call you 'Senior.'
Because starting next semester, I'm joining the Wake Forest Demon Deacons."
At that moment, Qin Yue felt a mix of emotions in his heart.
Because standing before him was Chris, the young man who was indeed the legendary God of Point Guards in his memory:
Simultaneously, he was also the teammate from "Qin Yue's" high school memory, a guard known for low basketball IQ and selfish play.
Yes, "Qin Yue's" high school alma mater, West Selphos High School, was also Chris Paul's alma mater.
And just as Paul mentioned, "Qin Yue" had been his senior since high school.
As for why Paul was remembered that way in "Qin Yue's" memory...
Actually, a recollection flashed through Qin Yue's mind, revealing the truth.
In the scene, a West Selphos High School intra-team practice game showed Paul dribbling past half-court, constantly requesting a pick and roll from his senior "Qin Yue."
Unfortunately, at that time due to his short stature and training in the second team during his freshman year, Paul couldn't convince "Qin Yue," who had already moved up to the first team.
Left with no option and seeing no outlet on the court, Paul had to choose to shoot himself.
And as for "Qin Yue" himself?
On the court, after Paul made his shot, "Qin Yue" spread his hands out, displaying a look of frustration towards Paul.
Recalling up to this point, Qin Yue fell silent for quite a while.
Meanwhile, seeing this entirely different version of his senior, Paul said, "Qin, in my freshman year, I really envied you guys, envied you all who could fly around on the court.
But there's no choice, basketball is a tall man's game, after all."
Looking down at Paul, Qin Yue knew that his words were genuinely heartfelt.
Because if he remembered correctly, unlike those NBA stars who became their own stories' Jordans from high school...
Chris Paul didn't make it from West Selphos High School's junior varsity to the varsity team until his junior year.
During the first two years of his high school career, despite being teased as "Shorty" for his height and possessing considerable skill and game awareness, Paul could only train and compete with the junior team.
During his sophomore year, seeing Paul's hard work in training, the then-West Selphos High School coach, Luton, wanted to promote him to the varsity and give him some sporadic playing time, hopefully allowing him to play alongside his brother, Charles C.J. Paul, before the end of his high school career.
However, facing this single chance to play brotherly basketball with his brother, Paul refused without even considering it.
This perplexed Coach Luton greatly.
Because in his view, aside from being the only opportunity for the Paul brothers to collaborate in high school, it might also be one of the few opportunities for Chris Paul to participate in official games in his high school career.
After all, even if Paul experienced a growth spurt in his senior year...
Who could have foreseen that someone with a real height of just about "180cm" would achieve all that he did?
But that's Chris Paul for you.
Once he's set on something, he'll never change it lightly.
In Paul's eyes, instead of using his brother C.J.'s connections for some scattered playing time, it was better to refine his skills, preparing to secure his place on the varsity team.
The fierce winds may rise, but life knows no retreat.
Perhaps the Paul in Qin Yue's memory had this or that flaw in the eyes of the world...
But you can't deny that Paul indeed carved out a niche for himself among the towering giants of the NBA using his inherent indomitable spirit.
On the outdoor basketball court, after chatting for a while with his junior and exchanging phone numbers...
For the first time, Qin Yue felt that losing weight wasn't that hard after interacting closely with those NBA stars he remembered.
Because didn't most NBA stars earn their tickets there only after countless trials?
Of course, except for Brownie, who was lifted into the NBA to play father-son basketball by his dad.
"Next, I must focus on mastering my new shooting form in training."
That day, after the fateful reunion with his junior, Paul, Qin Yue returned to his dorm to find...
The demons that usually hovered around him when he was hungry had been replaced by a group of angels with bowls of chicken soup.
That night, before falling asleep with hunger, these angels continually brainwashed Xiaoxin, saying:
"Losing weight, it's no big deal, you're destined to make a name in the NBA one day!"
"If you're hungry, just think about basketball; isn't playing basketball more delightful than eating junk food?"
"Hurry and sleep, because tomorrow you'll be training with the God of Point Guards, Chris Paul!"
That night was the best sleep Qin Yue had since coming into this world.
Moreover, the next morning, as he looked in the mirror, he noticed his condition was visibly improving.
"Now, let's go all out!"
Clenching his fist, Qin Yue encouraged himself along with the nearby angels, Xiaoxin.
PS: Begging for favorites, votes, and recommendations for the new book!