Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

Lin Bei boarded the bus, his voice still languid and calm.

The driver trembled as he pressed the accelerator.

The bus slowly drove away amidst the extremely awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd.

Inside the carriage, an unprecedented sense of security enveloped the entire Xiangbei team.

It seems that no crisis is insurmountable in front of this man.

At the same time, a strong sense of anticipation for the upcoming trip was also boiling in everyone's blood.

An hour later, the bus successfully drove onto the private airport tarmac.

When the members of Shohoku, carrying their bags, stepped onto the red carpet and boarded the extremely luxurious Boeing 747 passenger plane.

They were once again speechless with awe at Lin Bei's financial power.

It boasts genuine leather sofas, a private bar, and upscale treatment rooms.

Lin Bei leaned back in the first-class seat at the front, holding a glass of ice water in his hand.

Rukawa Kaede, holding a basketball, walked to the seat next to Lin Bei and sat down, staring intently at him.

"That old friend..."

It was rare for Rukawa to speak first, and his voice was filled with suppressed excitement.

"Who is it?"

Lin Bei turned his head and looked at the running track lights gradually illuminating outside the window.

The plane's engines roared, and the immense thrust slammed them hard against the backs of their seats.

"We'll be there soon."

Lin Bei chuckled lightly, his eyes flashing with a fearsome sharpness.

"Get a good night's sleep, everyone."

"When you open your eyes tomorrow, I'll take you to see what the real monsters on this planet really look like."

The plane roared into the sky, heading straight for Chicago on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

……

Chicago, known as the "Windy City," is a basketball mecca.

The cabin door slowly opened, and the moisture from Lake Michigan, along with a cold wind, rushed into the cabin.

Rukawa Kaede was the first to step out.

He carried no luggage, clutching the basketball, which was darkened by sweat, tightly in his arms.

Her black hair was ruffled by the cold wind.

In those distinctive fox-like eyes, the fighting spirit was almost boiling over.

Stepping onto this land, home to the world's greatest basketball monsters, for the first time, he felt his blood boiling.

"Hey, fox, what are you doing, standing there holding a ball?"

Sakuragi Hanamichi, carrying two huge tactical bags, strode after him.

"Mind your own business."

Rukawa Kaede uttered a few words and strode down the gangway.

An hour later, a convoy of black, extended Lincoln limousines pulled up in front of the massive red brick building.

The Bulls' dedicated training facility, the Berto Center.

"Is this the training facility for a professional American sports team?"

Takenori Akagi looked up at the huge red bull's head logo on the outer wall, breathing heavily.

As soon as the group reached the door, a burly figure blocked their way.

A burly white security guard, nearly two meters tall with an astonishing waistline.

He frowned as he scanned the group of unfamiliar faces, his gaze settling on Sakuragi Hanamichi at the front.

Sakuragi was looking around when his shoulder bumped directly into the security guard's chest.

"Hey! Can't you see?"

The security guard shoved Sakuragi hard, like pushing a chick.

Sakuragi staggered half a step, his red eyebrows standing on end.

Who are you pushing?!

Sakuragi clenched his fists, and the veins in his neck throbbed.

Although he couldn't understand it, the security guard was extremely annoyed by the murderous look on his face.

He pulled out his rubber baton, pointed it at Sakuragi's nose, and started cursing.

"Get the hell out of here! This is the Bulls' territory!"

Even those from Shohoku who were bad at English understood the malice.

Conflict is imminent.

One hand rested steadily on Sakuragi's wrist.

"Leave it to me."

Lin Bei slowly walked out from behind the crowd.

He didn't even give the security guard a proper look, but simply pulled out a gold-embossed business card from inside his trench coat and casually tucked it between his fingers.

"I'll give you three seconds to take back your swear words and apologize to my brother."

His fluent American English, with its pure Chicago old-money accent, completely stunned the security guard.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Bei unleashed the oppressive aura of a tycoon who had long held a position of power.

The atmosphere was so cold it felt like falling into an ice cave.

The security guard felt the air around him drop to freezing point, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

In the half-second that his legs went weak, the tightly closed glass doors of the training hall were suddenly pushed open from the inside.

A middle-aged white man, overweight and wearing wire-rimmed glasses, ran out, sweating profusely.

Jerry Krause, General Manager of the Chicago Bulls.

"Oh, damn it! What are you doing?!"

Klaus shoved the security guard aside, bent down at a ninety-degree angle, and took the business card from Lin Bei's fingertips with both hands.

"Young Master Lin, it's truly an honor for the entire United Center to have you here!"

Klaus pulled out a handkerchief and frantically wiped his sweat, his face full of obsequiousness, which completely terrified the security guard next to him.

Lin Bei glanced at Klaus indifferently.

"The way the Bulls greet their guests is truly eye-opening, Mr. Krause."

"My negligence! Fire me immediately! Get out of here!"

After yelling at the security guard, Klaus seamlessly switched to a fawning smile and personally opened the door.

"Please come in, Young Master Lin. Michael has been waiting for you inside for a long time."

Amidst the terrified and desperate gazes of the security guards, Lin Bei led the Xiangbei team, who seemed to be in a dream, into this holy temple of basketball.

After walking through the long corridor, the heavy soundproof door was pushed open.

"Bang—bang—bang—"

The rhythmic sound of basketballs hitting the ground pounded into everyone's ears.

The entire Xiangbei team instinctively held their breath.

In the center of the stadium.

A black man with a slicked-back hairstyle, wearing a red Bulls training uniform, is practicing a back-to-the-basket move outside the three-point line.

The shoulders swayed twice with remarkable realism.

He then jumped backward with an exaggerated amplitude that defies human biomechanics.

Hanging in the air. Rising higher. Leaning back.

The movement was as elegant as the ultimate answer in a textbook, a light flick of the wrist.

"Whoosh!"

The basketball swished through the net like a thunderclap on a calm lake.

Michael Jordan.

The basketball god who only existed on videotapes and magazine covers is now standing right in front of me.

Jordan landed and turned around, seeing Lin Bei on the sidelines.

His fiercely aggressive face instantly broke into a hearty smile.

"Hey! Lin!"

Jordan walked over laughing, opened his big hands that could grab a pumpkin with one hand, and gave Lin Bei a solid bear hug.

"You finally decided to come see me, you little rascal!"

Jordan patted Lin Bei on the back, his voice loud and clear.

"Give my regards to your father; he's the most generous investor I've ever met!"

These words immediately caused an uproar within the Shohoku camp.

"Investing...industrialists?!"

Ryota Miyagi's jaw nearly dropped to the floor; the whole situation had suddenly become clear.

"Lin Bei's dad actually invested in Jordan?!"

Mitsui Hisashi's legs went weak; this background was even more outrageous than science fiction.

Ayako covered her mouth tightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement, almost fainting.

"It really is Michael! My God! I've seen him alive!"

Lin Bei smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with Jordan, then pointed to the Xiangbei team behind him.

"Michael, these are my high school teammates."

"There's still one week until the finals."

"Use your field and your substitutes, and give them some intensity."

Jordan raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping sharply over Akagi, Rukawa, and Sakuragi.

"High school students? Lin, are you sure they can handle the physicality of the NBA?"

A mocking smile appeared on Lin Bei's lips.

How will you know if you don't try?