69novels Chapter 4 Huge Changes
Chapter 4 Huge Changes
In mid-August, Shanghai was sweltering. Wang Kai's family, who had grown up in the Northwest, found the weather unsettling. Coupled with the sadness of parting, his parents were clearly more distressed than Wang Kai, who was somewhat excited.
"Keiva, when you get there, listen to your teachers, don't run around, and don't cause trouble. If you miss home, call them. If you run out of money, tell your dad. We'll sell everything we own to support you through this."
"Mom, don't worry, I can definitely take care of myself. Besides, I'm not alone, uh, I'm not going to fight alone. I'm going with Dad and your dreams."
Wang Kai, who almost let slip the secret, made a somewhat formal attempt to cover it up.
"Son, are you sure you don't need me to go with you? America is so big, don't get lost!"
Wang Haijun spoke lightly, but his eyes were full of reluctance.
"Don't worry, Dad, my English is fine. Besides, I'm almost 1.9 meters tall, no one will dare to bully me."
"Dad, drink less alcohol in the future. A friend of mine said that drinking too much alcohol can easily cause liver cancer."
"Get lost, take care of yourself, I'll handle things at home."
The banter between father and son lightened the atmosphere of parting considerably.
"So I'm just your friend?"
Old Ke was inexplicably a bit petty.
"What, you want to be my second dad? Let me tell you, old Ke, no way! You're just a high school graduate, while my dad graduated from a proper sports university. You're not qualified!"
The lung tube continued to be stabbed hard.
"Hey, you little rascal, you'll be in my territory in a little over ten hours. Show me some respect, or I'll let my younger self kick your ass."
Wang Kai's flight to Florida will have a layover in Los Angeles. Lao Ke's meaning is very clear: he wants to contact his current self as soon as possible.
"Hey, you high school student, you're on my turf right now, show me some respect, or I won't contact you anymore, haha."
Although Wang Kai said things that infuriated Lao Ke, he would never actually do it. After three years of getting along, Wang Kai had come to regard Lao Ke as his mentor and friend, and he also wanted to change Lao Ke's predetermined fate.
With a simple backpack on his back and waving goodbye to his tearful parents, Wang Kai embarked on a journey to change Lao Ke's destiny.
As the plane gradually crossed the Pacific Ocean, Old Ke's body inside Wang Kai's soul space began to tremble slightly.
"Perhaps this is what the Chinese call the 'fear of returning home'!"
"Old Ke, don't get too excited. Don't forget to have your current self reimburse me for the expenses later. Seriously, the tuition here is really expensive. One year's tuition is almost equivalent to what my family earns in five or six years."
"Don't worry, my little rascal, I'll get you the best trainer and nutritionist right now. From now on, follow me, and let's conquer the NBA together!"
A second option who can both handle the ball and create space, and possess top-tier outside shooting power – this is precisely the NBA development direction that Kobe Bryant has set for Wang Kai's future.
Five years later, Kobe is now in his prime, and Wang Kai has just entered the league. With Wang Kai's help, Kobe feels that he now wants more than just two championships.
Kobe knew very well that Wang Kai was indeed very talented, but his talent was not enough for him to build up thick muscles in his early twenties to fight against the beasts in the league. Therefore, for the long-term development of Wang Kai's career, after entering the league, Wang Kai could only be the second in command, rather than bravely fighting his way in and out of the beasts.
Moreover, Kobe Bryant understood the league's unspoken rules better than anyone else. In the first decade of the 21st century, there could be stars like Yao Ming, but there couldn't be a non-American star who could single-handedly lead a team to a championship, at least not in the next decade.
So the route that Kobe designed for Wang Kai was to showcase his talent in American high school, hone his skills in the NCAA for a year, then participate in the draft. He didn't need to be a high draft pick; he could go straight to Los Angeles, assist Kobe in building a dynasty. After 2010, Kobe would decline, Wang Kai would ascend the throne, Kobe would assist him, and another dynasty would be built. Hmm, it was perfect.
Just as Lao Ke was in Wang Kai's soul space, imagining himself, Wang Kai, and Xian Ke as a happy family, the plane began to slowly descend.
As the plane gradually landed at Los Angeles International Airport, Old Ke's body in Wang Kai's soul space trembled more and more severely.
"Xiao Wang, wait...wait a minute...you...can...call this number..."
As Lao Ke's body trembled, his voice, like a radio with a faulty connection, became intermittent and its volume became erratic.
"Old Ke, what's wrong with you? Hey, something's not right! Are you going to die again?"
Sensing something amiss with Lao Ke within his soul space, Wang Kai panicked. Without Lao Ke, he didn't think his broken English would be enough to handle every situation.
Old Ke also sensed that something was wrong with him. He felt that his body was starting to show "snow" like a television with a faulty signal.
"Mazefak, you bastard, hurry up and get out of Los Angeles!"
As Old Ke's body changed from "snowflakes" to "flickering," he seemed to understand what was happening. But then, Old Ke's body flickered suddenly, like a television that had been turned off, and then disappeared.
"Holy crap, it's really gone, what do we do?"
After Lao Ke "quit," Wang Kai gritted his teeth and used his broken pronunciation to get through customs. Fortunately, he had prepared all the necessary paperwork before departure, and he had hardly brought any luggage. His and Lao Ke's original plan was to eat and use Xianke products after arriving in the United States, but now it seems that this is not going to happen.
After clearing customs, Wang Kai waited patiently at the airport for his connecting flight. Fortunately, nothing went wrong, and he successfully boarded the plane to the eastern United States.
As the plane gradually moved away from Los Angeles, Wang Kai's attention remained focused on his inner world. Gradually, the "disappearing" Kobe Bryant reappeared in Wang Kai's inner world like a "flash."
"Old Ke, what exactly happened? What's going on?"
Upon seeing Lao Ke return, Wang Kai quickly asked.
"Shit, damn it, Mazefak!"
"Hey Ke, stop swearing and tell me what happened!"
Old Ke looked extremely frustrated and angry; what had just happened in Los Angeles had completely disrupted his plans.
"Damn it, we're in trouble. This is the worst-case scenario. We can't go find the current me. He and I can't be in the same space at close range at the same time. What's it called again? Oh right, it's called the grandfather paradox!"
"What do you mean, 'his grandfather' or 'your grandfather'? What are you talking about? Are you saying we can't get reimbursed for the expenses from you now?"
"Yes, we have to rely on ourselves. I don't think we can even call the current me. Maybe if we call the current me, I will disappear again."
"How can you be so stupid? Why don't you just tell me what you want to say on the phone, then I'll call you now, and you can show up after the call, that's all!"
"It's not that simple, boy, but you might be able to give it a try after you land in Florida. Come on, let me tell you some secrets that only I know right now."
The experienced Ke always considers the lowest possible standard when thinking about problems, while the young Wang Kai is different; he has strong hopes and expectations for everything.
The plane crossed the North American continent. During the flight, Wang Kai kept trying to dig out Kobe's "little secrets" from Kobe, but Kobe didn't want Wang Kai to know too much. After all, these "little secrets" were quite embarrassing, including those about Kobe and Kobe.
Upon landing in Florida, Wang Kai eagerly found a payphone, but the moment he picked it up, Old Ke in his soul space instantly "disappeared," and at the same time, Wang Kai's fingers slowed down as he dialed the number.
"Wait, what's the next number again? Wait, there are only a few numbers, how can I not remember them?"
After realizing he couldn't recall the complete number Lao Ke had given him, Wang Kai put the phone back in his hand.
"Is it that you can't get through to the phone, the number can't be found, or you simply can't dial the number?"
Old Ke, who had reappeared in the space, asked anxiously, still holding onto a sliver of hope.
"Uh, I just couldn't remember the complete number you gave me! Ah, I remember now, shall I try again?"
When Lao Ke reappeared, Wang Kai seemed to remember that phone number again.
"No need to try, it's useless. Hmm, let's get out of the airport first. Coach Kevin should have arranged for someone to pick you up. We'll figure something out later. There's still time, there's still time."
The huge change left Kobe somewhat frustrated, and Wang Kai stopped teasing him. He knew how Kobe felt. Of course, Wang Kai always believed that there would definitely be a way to get in touch with the current Kobe in the future.
As soon as Wang Kai stepped out of the airport, he saw a young white man holding a sign with his English name on it.
"Hey jerk, congratulations! The middle-aged man standing next to the sign is Coach Kevin. He came to pick you up personally, which means he values you. Be respectful to Coach Kevin later; he'll be the future 'K' of American high school basketball."
"I'm just a lowly King, not a high-ranking one."
As Wang Kai walked toward the sign, Kevin Boyle also noticed the young Chinese man approaching him.
Sixteen-year-old Wang Kai has not yet fully grown up, but he is tall and walks steadily, showing no shyness or impulsiveness typical of his age.
"Welcome to America, Kay. I think my pronunciation is correct, right?"
"Thank you for your welcome, Mr. Boyle. Your pronunciation is very standard. Thank you for your recognition."
"Wow, I didn't expect your English to be so fluent. That's great. It shows you're ready for the future. Come on, kid, let's go see where you'll be spending the next four years."