Basketball miracles

Chapter 163 [Succubus]

Mitsui Hisashi took on the task of accompanying Xiao Tu to eat, drink, and have fun, so the middle-aged Japanese translator no longer needed to follow along.

Once he was out of the restaurant and couldn't see his father, Mitsui Hisashi immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and his posture became less upright as he walked.

When two people of the same age chat, they don't have many reservations. Xiao Tu likes to interact with people normally and dislikes the pervasive sense of class in Japan.

Mitsui Hisashi, after all, was young at heart and very polite, but he wouldn't fawn over Robert Shaw like a middle-aged office worker, bowing and scraping.

Xiao Tu asked in Japanese, "You seem very afraid of your father? What did he say to you?"

“You speak Japanese very well, but you wouldn’t understand the parent-child relationship in Japan,” Mitsui Hisashi said with a wry smile. “You have no idea how difficult it is for me to gain my parents’ approval.”

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "You don't want to take this job?"

“I don’t want to.” Mitsui Hisashi coughed. “But there’s an old Chinese saying: ‘Those who understand the times are heroes.’”

"..." Xiao Tu was stunned. If you had been born a few decades earlier, you would have been at least a colonel.

"I have a suggestion. If you want to gain your parents' approval, you should change your hairstyle first. Your current hairstyle looks very unhealthy."

Mitsui Hisashi sighed, "Do you think I look like a bad person?"

“It’s similar, but not the same,” Xiao Tu said with a slight smile.

"why?"

"Because if you were a bad person, you wouldn't be assigned to play with me. I don't know what business dealings your dad's company has with my dad, but he definitely wants you to be my friend, not offend me."

Mitsui Hisashi took a deep breath. What he said made so much sense that I was speechless.

Xiao Tu noticed during dinner that Mitsui Keisuke was giving Mitsui Hisashi many instructions. If he handled the matter his father had entrusted to him well, his relationship with his family could improve. Conversely, if he angered Xiao Tu, the consequences would be severe.

Although Mitsui Hisashi was in pain, there was a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Xiao Tu, who had read the manga, knew that Mitsui Hisashi never disliked basketball and had a high opinion of himself. It was only because of two injuries and his poor ability to withstand pressure that he wasted two years.

He gave up basketball because of his pride, but in reality, he had a deeper passion for the sport.

Seeing that Xiao Tu's hands were empty, Mitsui Hisashi asked, "Are you going back to get the basketball first?"

"I don't have a basketball, I just arrived in Japan. Do you know where I can buy one? I'd like to buy one."

Mitsui Hisashi paused for a moment, then said slowly, "You don't actually know how to play basketball, and you just want to play for fun, do you?"

"Isn't playing basketball just for fun? I think it's easy to make friends while playing basketball. Some things don't have borders," Xiao Tu said casually.

I really just want to have some fun. If I play seriously with you, I'm afraid I'll beat you to a pulp.

Even though my physique is far inferior to that of a power forward, there are few people in Japan who can match my physical attributes.

Xiao Tu's casual remark made Mitsui Hisashi's heart race.

He used to be happy playing basketball, but after giving it up, his personality became irritable. Was he wrong? He shouldn't have given up basketball...

Seeing Mitsui Hisashi start to space out, Xiao Tu, fearing he might unconsciously reminisce about the previous episode, quickly interrupted his train of thought. "Do you have any friends who play basketball together? Why don't we invite a few people to form a team and play streetball?"

Mitsui's shoulders swayed; he'd taken another hit. His current friends were a bunch of delinquents; he hadn't had friends to play basketball with in ages.

He paused for a moment, then said awkwardly, "I haven't played basketball in a long time."

“It’s okay if you haven’t played for a long time. The most important thing in basketball is talent. I know someone who didn’t play basketball for two years because of a knee injury, but when he came back to the court, he was still better than others,” Xiao Tu said deliberately.

Xiao Tu came up with a plan during dinner, a plan that seemed reasonable. He felt that returning to Los Angeles in six months wouldn't be too late, so he could play a season of high school basketball and then register for the NBA draft.

What a coincidence! I just met you, so there's no way I would know anything about you.

So this is fate; God is telling you in this way that you should return to Shohoku to play basketball.

If you happen to recommend me to that irresponsible Coach Anzai, I'll be in a good mood and join the Shohoku team too, leading you passionate young people to win the national championship.

The level of basketball in the United States is higher, but here... I remember running in the sunset that day, that was my lost youth.

Xiao Tu patted Mitsui on the back: "Stop spacing out, be my tour guide. I'm going shopping, to buy basketballs, sneakers, and sportswear."

“Okay.” Xiao Tu had a credit card given to him by Robert. He didn’t ask about the exact credit limit, but Robert told him to use it as much as he wanted. Even if he maxed it out, someone else would pay for it, so he didn’t have to worry at all.

He was familiar with this kind of life; he had treated Rosamund Kwan the same way before.

When he first transmigrated to the first two worlds, he lived frugally and had to be shrewd. In this world, he has connections and doesn't need to wait for his basketball salary to arrive.

Xiao Tu bought a set of designer sportswear, a good basketball, and chose Magic Johnson's latest sneakers.

Mitsui Hisashi couldn't help but remind him: "Did you know that the magician has AIDS? He's already retired."

"I know, but I like magicians."

Michael Jordan is the most popular basketball star, and wearing Jordan shoes while playing basketball in Japan is considered fashionable. Xiao Tu, however, wouldn't buy Jordan's shoes; it would feel like paying homage to his rival.

He became a point guard to practice his driving and passing skills, and Magic Johnson's shoes were a better fit.

Xiao Tu had already planned it out. Joining the Xiangbei team would involve primarily driving and distributing the ball, with fewer shots of his own. He didn't possess godlike talent in this world, and missing too many shots wouldn't lead to a major breakthrough. Besides, he had plenty of time to practice his shooting, so there was no rush.

He can come on when his teammates really can't make the shots.

Mitsui Hisashi served as his follower without complaint. Xiao Tu's appearance and demeanor surprised him; he didn't need Xiao Tu's help to buy things or communicate with people in Japanese, and Xiao Tu was clearly an elite among elites.

Thinking about what he had done in the past two years—growing his hair long, becoming a thug, and getting into fights—he felt ashamed of himself.

"One is influenced by one's company," and Xiao Tu was already affected by Mitsui Hisashi less than a day after meeting him. Mitsui Hisashi felt he couldn't continue living like this and wanted to become someone who appeared outstanding.

The two went back to the hotel first to put their things down.

Mitsui Hisashi looked at Xiao Tu's luxurious suite and asked, "Do you usually live in such a nice place with your father?"

“No, I live here by myself; his suite is much more luxurious,” Xiao Tu explained.

"Huh?" Mitsui Hisashi thought staying in a luxury hotel must be very expensive. "Why don't you guys stay together?"

“He often brings women back to his room, how could he possibly live with me? If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn’t bring her to meet him so often.”

"..." Mitsui Hisashi had no female friends. The lives of wealthy Americans were too extravagant for him to understand.

After chatting for a while at the hotel, Xiao Tu invited Mitsui Hisashi out for dinner, where he treated them to Osaka-style okonomiyaki, a Japanese specialty.

Xiao Tu thought this was basically a Japanese pizza, a mixture of vegetables, meat, and batter, cooked with barbecue sauce. Authentic okonomiyaki tasted great; it was his first time trying it.

The two chatted over their meal, and Xiao Tu asked many questions about Japan. They weren't playing basketball today, but they'd like to know which court they could use for practice tomorrow.

A short while later, two Japanese women in their early twenties came up to chat with him, wanting to get to know Xiao Tu.

Xiao Tu immediately switched to English, pretending not to understand them. Mitsui Hisashi reacted quickly, acting as a translator. "My friend is here for tourism and will be returning to the United States soon."

As a result, the two of them didn't leave. Even though they knew that Xiao Tu was American and wouldn't be staying in Tokyo permanently, they still wanted to get to know him and make friends before they left.

Judging from the two women's eyes, Xiao Tu gained a new understanding of the "Titanic Body." The increase in charm was truly astounding; these two were probably interested in offering themselves. Were Japanese women this open-minded in the 90s?
But aren't you guys a bit too confident in your looks? How dare you hit on people in public when you're this ugly? If I didn't give you face, I'd sue you for sexual harassment.

Xiao Tu had to keep up the act of pretending he couldn't understand Japanese, so he could only give Mitsui Hisashi a look, signaling him to handle it.

Mitsui Hisashi, with a dark expression, said that he and Xiao Tu were both 17-year-old high school students, and only then did the two girls leave reluctantly.

After everyone had walked away, Mitsui Hisashi asked in a low voice in Japanese, "Are you this popular in America too?"

"Of course, I'm more popular here than I am here. Being too handsome is a problem."

"..." Mitsui Hisashi couldn't refute it. He believed that Xiao Tu wasn't exaggerating and that everything he said was true.

Xiao Tu claimed to be a celebrity in the US, and even Mitsui Hisashi believed him. He has such a star quality.

Xiao Tu knew that neither of the two forwards possessed this kind of charisma, and it wasn't just because of his height. His aura was extraordinary; his Titan-like physique was somewhat uncanny, making him more likely to become a star.

I thought she was a demigod like Perseus, but she seems more like a succubus.

If I were to make movies in Hollywood right now, they'd probably be huge box office hits, right? I could attract a ton of female fans to theaters just by acting in romance films and relying on my looks.

Or, how about I try making a movie after I go back to Los Angeles?
My stepfather is a high-ranking executive at Disney, so I have connections in the entertainment industry too.

(End of this chapter)