Basketball Terminal

Chapter 5 Previous Life
Chen Lihua has recently become increasingly suspicious of her son, Li Wei. When did she start to feel this way? It must have started the day he went into the water to save a dog. Yes, that dog, Ah Zhong.

The problem was that, firstly, Li Wei had been afraid of dogs since childhood; secondly, although he was tall, he was actually quite timid; and finally, and most importantly, Li Wei couldn't swim. When he came home soaking wet with a dog, Chen Lihua assumed the dog had saved him.

Then things got increasingly complicated. Li Wei wanted to adopt the dog, but Chen Lihua objected; keeping a dog in New York was expensive. Moreover, it had a bad adoption record and needed money to treat its groin hernia.

Her usually timid son was unusually determined and even started a basketball challenge online to raise money. Chen Lihua thought Li Wei had lost his mind and ignored him. Although he had been a member of the basketball team in high school and community college because of his tall stature, Li Wei was mostly a substitute and had no basketball talent.

Chen Lihua only went to watch her son play one game, and in that game, her son, like his mother, sat on the bench for the entire match. After that, Chen Lihua never went to watch her son play again.

Unexpectedly, the crowdfunding campaign was a success. Li Wei accepted the challenge every day, filmed the game, and posted the videos online, earning some income and becoming a minor internet celebrity in the area. The day before yesterday, when she went to collect her dirty laundry, a Korean customer saw her and said, "You must be Li Wei's mother. He's a great boy, and his tennis skills are excellent. I wish my son could be like him."

Chen Lihua froze, unsure how to respond. This was only the second time in her life she had been treated as "Li Wei's mother." The first time was when Li Wei was bullied in middle school, and the principal summoned her to his office to persuade her to let the matter drop. As a Chinese immigrant who had taken her son to the United States halfway through her life and had no one to rely on in New York, Chen Lihua could only swallow her anger and accept it helplessly. But this time, she felt a sense of pride.

Chen Lihua, a hardworking and determined woman, has always tried to teach her son to use his fists and strength to deal with life's injustices, hoping that he can gain a sliver of space to survive and breathe in America, which is not as beautiful, fair, and free as he imagined. However, the harsh reality and Li Wei's insurmountable weaknesses in his temperament have made her efforts to educate him less than satisfactory.

Just when she was about to give up and only wanted him to inherit the laundromat and become an ordinary laundromat owner, things changed. Li Wei, who became an internet celebrity, was like a different person. His speech, behavior and style were completely different from before. He was confident and mature, just the kind of person Chen Lihua had hoped for.

But he really had changed. Chen Lihua wondered to herself, could people change so quickly? Perhaps the harsh reality after graduating from university had awakened him, or perhaps this disaster had given him new insights into life. Hadn't she herself changed and grown rapidly after coming to America?

In short, Chen Lihua didn't dwell on this issue too much. The pressure of her busy work and immense life left her breathless and unable to think about the changes in her son. The rampant virus forced many laundromats to close, but Hong Le barely managed to weather the storm thanks to his long-standing reputation and the connections he had built through hard work.

Now that they've finally pulled through, Chen Lihua is back to her busy schedule, driving to various partner laundries and hotels to collect dirty clothes, sheets, and dry-cleaned and hand-washed items, which she then brings back for processing.

So when she saw Li Wei walking the dog slowly without offering any help, she became furious. By the time Li Wei helped carry all the clothes into the store, it was almost four in the afternoon. While busy, Chen Lihua asked Li Wei to contact her husband, Li Manshun, and her youngest son, Li Yue, to ask if they would be coming home for dinner. If they were, Chen Lihua would need to prepare a meal for them.

Li Wei grunted an "oh" but didn't move. Instead, he leaned against the counter and played chess with Uncle Hong. Chen Lihua came over after a while and asked Li Wei if his father and younger brother were coming home for dinner. Li Wei stared at the chessboard and said slowly, "Whether they're coming home or not, they should tell you. What's there to ask? They're adults, are they afraid of starving to death? Checkmate!"

Li Wei moved his piece, advancing his chariot from the fourth rank to the eighth rank, capturing Hong Bo's advisor and directly facing his general. Hong Bo attempted to capture the chariot with his general, but Li Wei positioned his general, guarding the fourth rank. Hong Bo then tried to retreat his advisor to capture the chariot, but Li Wei again positioned his central cannon; retreating the advisor would directly result in a checkmate and the capture of the general. Clearly, Hong Bo's general was trapped and unable to move, leading to his defeat.

“Um… I made a mistake just now. I won’t capture your bishop. Please put your rook back…” Uncle Hong wanted to take back his move, but Li Wei refused, saying, “Hey, hey, once a move is made, it can’t be taken back. Why are you taking back your move, sir? This isn’t a game. It’s $10.”

It turned out that Li Wei and Uncle Hong were betting $10 per game of chess. Uncle Hong looked to Chen Lihua for help, but Chen Lihua sided with her son and said, "Uncle Hong, how come you can't quit gambling at your age? You even take back your moves when playing chess with a child. If your son finds out, he'll take away your allowance again."

"Alright, alright! Ten dollars it is! Oh dear, I'm leaving. If I keep playing, I'll lose all my money to you. Sigh! Trying to cheat an old man like me with a horse and a cart, sigh! These young people nowadays..." Uncle Hong said indignantly, taking out ten dollars from his pocket and giving it to Li Wei before patting his behind and leaving the laundromat.

Uncle Hong was neither a receptionist nor a helper at Hong Le Laundry; he was the son of the laundromat's founder and the former owner. Uncle Hong's father had come to New York in the 40s and opened the laundromat, which was originally a hand-washing shop. Uncle Hong took over the business in the 80s and continued to run it for several decades until he retired many years ago. Because his children were unwilling to inherit the laundromat business, he sold the shop to Chen Lihua and Li Manshun, a couple who had worked there for many years.

After retiring, he had nothing to do at home, so he often went back to the laundry shop where he had worked and lived his whole life. He would sit there, help out with the business, and pass the time. He didn't take a penny, nor was he an employee. He could come and go as he pleased. The Li family got along well with him; after all, it was nice to have an elderly person like him occasionally helping out at the shop.

As soon as Uncle Hong left, Chen Lihua was about to scold Li Wei, but Li Wei preemptively said, "Mom, please don't scold me. When you took over this shop, you invested all your savings from working in America for most of your lives, and what happened? Not long after, the virus hit, and you almost went bankrupt and lost everything. If Uncle Hong hadn't sold the shop to us, it would definitely have gone bankrupt too. Look how good he is now, with a retirement fund, coming and going as he pleases, and he even avoided the virus. He's really living a carefree life. It's all thanks to you and Dad for your generosity. The few coins he lost to me on the chessboard were compensation for your losses, it was only right and proper, so please don't worry about it. You were just speaking up for me because you were angry with me."

Chen Lihua was speechless, but thinking about it, her son's words made a lot of sense. If they hadn't bought the shop, life would probably be much better. Watching her son humming a tune as he tidied the chessboard, Chen Lihua recalled his recent strange behavior. Li Wei had always been an introverted and tongue-tied child, but lately he had become increasingly eloquent, often leaving her speechless. Was this also because he had grown up?

Her phone rang; her husband and youngest son had both texted, saying they wouldn't be home for dinner. Her son was right. These past few days, instead of constantly monitoring her husband and son, they'd been proactively reporting their whereabouts—where they were, whether they were coming home for dinner—making her life a little easier. Thinking about it, Li Wei had indeed grown up and matured. Feeling a bit happier, Chen Lihua went to the kitchen to cook, asking Li Wei to look after the shop. Li Wei nodded. Actually, during this special period, the laundromat didn't get many customers; even if they did, they went to the self-service area, so there was no need for customer service. The customers who really needed service were those bringing in special garments for dry cleaning and care.

Taking advantage of the free time, Li Wei took out the note McCallian had given him and dialed the number on it. He called twice but no one answered. Cursing under his breath, Li Wei typed a text message, briefly introducing himself and explaining the background, and sent it over.

He was still uneasy because he didn't know who the phone belonged to. He could only hope that McCalil was a reliable person, otherwise he would have to start looking for opportunities all over again and continue the pointless challenge.

Li Wei wasn't content with being just a basketball influencer; he harbored greater ambitions and dreams: to enter the NBA, to reach the pinnacle of the basketball world. However, this dream didn't originally belong to Li Wei, but to another soul. Li Wei sat behind the counter, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the surface, waiting for a text message reply. The fluorescent light above him hummed with electricity. His mind drifted back to the miraculous soul-swapping incident from a few weeks ago, and his tumultuous past life.

His real name is Ye Runzhou, a native of Guangdong. He is a professional basketball player, 174cm tall, playing point guard. He has played for various leagues and teams, including CUBA, NBL, and the Philippine league. His journey to basketball was incredibly difficult, given his height of less than 1.8 meters. He persevered for his dream and struggled to make a living. Although he trained hard and possessed outstanding skills, his height was a significant disadvantage, keeping him on the fringes of professional leagues with no clear path to success.

He suffered a serious injury during a game, ending his professional career. After being cut by his team, he decided to become an online basketball blogger, making a living by live streaming and playing pickup games. Just when his account was starting to gain traction, his parents passed away one after another due to illness. Overwhelmed with grief, he stopped updating his account, lost his income, and spent a period of dark, decadent, and withdrawn life.

But his hope for life helped him get back on his feet and throw himself into physical and mental rehabilitation. After a painful ordeal, he reopened his account and, through his excellent basketball skills and persistent updates and management, gained a large following, becoming a well-known basketball influencer. During this process, he made new friends, built his own team, and even found love.

Just when he thought he could emerge from the past turmoil and live a peaceful and happy life, fate played another cruel joke on him. His girlfriend of over a year suddenly broke up with him and then posted a statement online crying about being a victim of domestic violence. Indiscriminate online violence came crashing down on him, catching Ye Runzhou completely off guard.

Even worse, his own team and those who used to call him brothers all came out to criticize Ye Runzhou and distance themselves from him. His agent terminated his contract and even took him to court demanding compensation, pushing Ye Runzhou into a desperate situation.

Despite being abandoned by everyone, Ye Runzhou did not give in. He continued training and playing to maintain his form, while also releasing videos to clarify the situation and seeking assistance from a public relations firm. Although this cost him all his savings, he believed he could start from scratch. Gradually, things improved, and public opinion shifted. One day, in high spirits, Ye Runzhou went for a night run and saw someone drowning and calling for help by a lake in a park.

Without hesitation, Ye Runzhou, an excellent swimmer, took off his shoes and socks and plunged into the lake, swimming towards the person calling for help. In the darkness, he couldn't see the person's face, but the voice sounded like a young boy. Just as he grabbed the man's shoulders from behind and pulled him up, a powerful swirling suction suddenly pulled them both underwater. Ye Runzhou panicked; even with his excellent swimming skills, he couldn't break free. At that moment, a thought flashed through his mind: there wasn't a lake in this park at all.

There was no time for regret, no time to uncover the truth. His life flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, inexplicably interspersed with scenes and memories he had never experienced. Although he was in the water, he didn't feel suffocated. He only felt himself floating in a liquid filled with white noise, a warm and comfortable feeling, like a baby being nurtured.

He didn't know how much time had passed, maybe ten or twenty minutes, when suddenly he felt a strong choking sensation in his nose and mouth, and he struggled desperately to rise. He was still in the water, but the surroundings were no longer dark but bright. His hands were still gripping something, but not a human shoulder, but some furry thing. When he surfaced, gasping for air, he heard a dog barking.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Ah Zhong's barking pulled Li Wei back from his reverie; it must have come to call him for dinner. Li Wei patted Ah Zhong's head and gave it some dog food and water.

That day, when he fell into the water, it wasn't him who went to save Ah Zhong, but Ah Zhong who jumped in to save him. More precisely, both Ah Zhong and Ye Runzhou saved Li Wei, only Ye Runzhou somehow became Li Wei. Ye Runzhou brought Ah Zhong ashore and saw the completely unfamiliar environment and the foreigners watching. He thought it was a nightmare, but he couldn't wake up. Finally, he discovered that his body had changed and he was no longer the same person he used to be.

"Om~Om~Om~"

The phone on the counter vibrated a few times; there was a text message. Li Wei quickly ran to check it, and the number McCauley had given him had replied.

"January 14, 10:00 AM, Nassau Arena – Brett-Brillimayer."

It's tomorrow, what a coincidence!

(End of this chapter)