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

Shohoku High School Basketball Gymnasium.

The first morning after winning the national championship.

Sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Akagi Takenori stood alone in the center of the court, looking up at the "Dominate the Nation" banner on the second floor.

He let out a long breath, his tense nerves finally relaxing.

"Finally, what a relief," Akagi murmured to himself.

Last night, Coach Tang Ze from Shenze Sports University personally called to formally extend a special recruitment invitation.

Having been relieved of the heavy responsibility of being the captain, Akagi felt completely relaxed.

He clenched his huge fist and silently vowed:

"I accept the invitation!"

"In the future, I want to strive for a place in a true professional league!"

"Bang!"

Before Akagi could finish his reflection, the basketball court door was kicked open.

Mitsui Hisashi and Miyagi Ryota wrestled and rolled all the way to the floor.

"Let go! You bastard!"

"I'm the Flame Man who led my team to a championship! You dare ride on my head?"

Mitsui grabbed Miyagi by the collar and cursed him vehemently.

"The next captain is none other than me, Ryota Miyagi, the lightning-fast one! You'd better just be the vice-captain, Little San!"

Miyagi used a joint lock to choke Mitsui and shouted triumphantly.

"Coach Anzai appointed him personally!"

"Are you kidding me!"

"What do you know about prestige, you shorty with an earring?!" Mitsui struggled desperately.

Akagi walked over with a dark expression, raising his fists high.

"Bang! Bang!"

After two dull thuds, Miyagi and Mitsui each had a large, smoking bump on their heads.

The two obediently squatted down next to the baseline to reflect on their actions.

This familiar, everyday playful banter immediately brought the basketball court back to life in the early morning.

And at the outdoor court.

Rukawa Kaede was like a tireless machine, repeating the same monotonous shooting motion.

"Swish—swish—" The sound of the hollow object entering the net was crisp and pleasant.

"Rukawa-kun."

A soft, slightly trembling voice rang out from outside the iron fence.

Haruko Akagi held a bottle of sports drink in both hands, her cheeks flushed.

She didn't even dare to look directly at the sweating figure.

Rukawa stopped what he was doing and casually wiped the sweat off his face with his jersey.

He walked up to the iron fence and took the drink.

"Thanks."

"Rukawa-kun, have you decided where you're going from now on?" Haruko asked, mustering her courage.

"Japan's national youth team." Rukawa Kaede unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip.

His eyes remained pure: "The coach recommended it."

"After next year's competition, I will go to the United States for special training."

"Go to America?"

"Yeah. Lin Bei will be going over there."

A burning competitive spirit ignited in Rukawa's eyes: "Then I'll completely crush him on the court."

Haruko took a deep breath, her hands clasped tightly together, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

"Rukawa-kun! If you're going to America, please do your best!"

"I've always enjoyed watching you play!"

"No, I...I like you!"

Rukawa Kaede was unusually stunned for a moment.

He looked at the girl in front of him who had been silently cheering him on from the sidelines ever since he joined the team.

He didn't walk away indifferently as he usually does when facing crazed fans.

Rukawa Kaede crushed the empty water bottle, smiled for the first time ever, and nodded slightly.

"I see."

"I will become number one," Rukawa Kaede said softly.

He turned and walked back to the court. "You... good luck too."

Those slightly reddened ears completely betrayed the turmoil within this iceberg.

At the same time, in the corridor of the teaching building of Xiangbei.

"Hahahaha! Holy crap, that's killing me!"

Lin Bei held a copy of the latest "Basketball Weekly" and laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Sakuragi Hanamichi, sporting a red buzz cut, came over.

"Master, what's wrong with you so early in the morning?"

"Look at this."

Lin Bei pointed to a huge snapshot on the front page of the newspaper.

The photo is a sideline shot from a special exhibition match a few days ago.

The nearly 200-centimeter-tall behemoth, Morishige Hiroshi, from Mingpeng Industrial, was staring intently at Lin Bei.

He grinned, revealing an extremely dark and chilling smile.

The headline reads: "A Monster Rookie's Provocation! Morishige Hiroshi Wants to Challenge Lin Bei to a Real-Life Showdown!"

"That fat pig! How dare he provoke Master!" Sakuragi immediately lost his temper.

He rolled up his sleeves and rushed out, shouting, "This genius is going to Aichi Prefecture to crush him!"

"You idiot, turn to page two of the newspaper and look at the clarification report." Lin Bei slapped Sakuragi on the back of the head.

He suppressed a laugh and said, "This kid is ridiculously naive."

"His sinister smile was actually because he was too nervous when he first met me."

"He put his hands in his pockets and was about to take out a marker to ask me for an autograph, but the reporter misinterpreted it as him pulling out a weapon to start a fight, causing such a big misunderstanding."

"I need your autograph...?"

Sakuragi Hanamichi's chin almost hit the floor.

"yes."

"That giant bear is actually a socially awkward, secretly devoted fanboy."

Lin Bei shook his head and couldn't help but smile knowingly.

……

Beside the school's flower bed.

Fujii lowered her head, her hands gripping the edge of her pleated skirt tightly.

Standing before her was the tall and imposing Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Having experienced the baptism of the national tournament, Sakuragi has now shed his former impetuousness.

His brows exuded the composure and steadiness of a true strongman.

"Sakuragi-kun."

Fujii's voice was barely audible, "I heard you're leaving."

"ah."

Sakuragi had his hands in his pockets, gazing at the distant sky.

"My master said he would take me to China for special training."

"The intensity of competition in the paint there is very high; I need to go there to further hone my skills."

"You can definitely do it!" Fujii suddenly raised his head.

Her eyes sparkled with unreserved admiration and innocent affection as she shouted it out.

"In my heart, Sakuragi-kun has long been a true genius!"

"I admire you very much, I even... like you!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi remained standing.

The painful experience of being rejected fifty times in the past had made him cry bitterly on countless nights.

But today, faced with this sincere emotion...

He didn't jump around like a single-celled organism.

He looked directly into Fujii's eyes, his gaze becoming incredibly resolute.

"Thank you, Fujii." Sakuragi's voice was steady and strong.

"However, this genius's journey is to the stars and the sea."

"I'll come back to see you all after I win the world's greatest championship trophy!"

Fujii nodded vigorously.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but her smile was brighter than the sunshine.

That's just how youth is sometimes.

Only by expressing yourself bravely can you avoid regrets.

……

Dusk, on the coast of northern Hunan.

The salty sea breeze swirls up the fine golden sand.

The setting sun, like a burning fireball, dyed the entire sea surface orange-red.

Akagi, Mitsui, Miyagi, Rukawa, Sakuragi, plus Hayashi Kita.

Six people sat side by side on the high breakwater.

Waves crashed against the rocks, making a loud, clattering sound.

Neither of them spoke first.

The air was filled with a unique blend of sadness and relief before parting.

Everyone knows that after today, they will embark on a brand new journey.

"It's really quiet."

Mitsui Hisashi broke the silence first, forcefully throwing a pebble into the sea.

"After all, that noisy red monkey actually shut up today for the first time ever."

Rukawa Kaede crossed his arms and coldly replied.

"You stinky fox! Who are you calling a monkey?!" Sakuragi instinctively raised his fist.

But looking at the magnificent sunset in the distance, he slowly lowered his hand.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I won't argue with you."

"Alright, alright."

Ryota Miyagi smiled. "Everyone's going their separate ways."

"The eldest went to Fukasawa Sports University, and the youngest needs to prepare for the winter selection competition."

"Rukawa is going to the national youth team, and Sakuragi is going to China with Lin Bei..."

"These days have felt like a dream."

Akagi Takenori pushed up his glasses, looked at the boundless sea, and said in a slightly hoarse voice.

Lin Bei sat on the very edge, toying with a badly worn basketball in his hand.

Looking at the vibrant faces around him, his heart was filled with an indescribable warmth.

That passionate youth that once only existed in comics.

This period has now become the most authentic part of his life.

This time travel was an absolute steal!

"Hey, Lin Bei." Akagi turned his head.

"Are you really not going back to inherit the family business?"

"Your dad even sent a squadron of helicopters to arrest you."

Lin Bei chuckled, stood up, and patted the sand off the hem of his trench coat.

"I'd go crazy looking at those boring financial statements every day."

Lin Bei faced the sea breeze, his eyes still wild and unrestrained.

"I have completely rejected the old man's demand that I inherit the family fortune immediately."

"So what are you planning to do?" Mitsui asked curiously.

"I made a bet with him." Lin Bei burst out laughing.

"I'm planning to buy an NBA team, be my own owner, and run it myself!"

"Buy an NBA team?!" Ryota Miyagi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

This money-making ability is simply beyond the comprehension of a high school student.

"Not only that."

Lin Bei turned to face the sea, his tone conveying an absolute sense of control.

"During my trip to China, I signed a contract with a twelve-year-old square-faced prodigy."

"He's almost two meters tall, and his name is Yao Ming."

"Twelve years old? Two meters tall?!" Takenori Akagi gasped.

"I want to take him to the NBA and build a team around him."

Lin Bei turned around, his deep gaze sweeping over the five members of Xiangbei, the setting sun casting its glow on his back.

"Everyone."

Lin Bei's voice suddenly rose, piercing through the howling sea breeze.

"Do you think the national championship is the end?"

Lin Bei raised the basketball in his hand, facing the setting sun.

"This is just a warm-up!" Lin Bei's eyes were sharp as knives.

"Akagi, Mitsui, Miyagi, Rukawa, Sakuragi!"

The five people whose names were called stood up straight in unison, their blood boiling with excitement.

"In the future, on that world's highest stage called the NBA, I want to see every single one of you!"

"I will have my name engraved on the highest map of world basketball!"

"Do you dare to follow me?!"

A deathly silence fell, broken only by the deafening roar of the waves.

next second.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"How could this genius fall behind! The world's rebounding king is mine too!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi was the first to roar and charge out, his red hair like an inextinguishable flame in the setting sun.

"Idiot, get out of the way." Rukawa Kaede followed closely behind.

He was like a black panther on a hunt, his eyes fixed on the horizon ahead.

"In the blink of an eye, Miyagi Ryota will not be absent!" Miyagi rushed into the beach like a bolt of lightning.

"I am Mitsui Hisashi, the Flame Man who never gives up! Don't even think about abandoning me!"

Akagi Takenori's eyes welled up with tears again as he looked at his teammates who had completely gone mad.

He let out a beastly roar and strode forward.

He led the entire Shohoku team, running wildly towards the setting sun.

Everyone is running towards a bright future.

A silhouette of a happy reunion is reflected on the sea.

……

Outside Kanagawa International Airport.

A top-of-the-line supercar, jet black, roared to a deafening roar as it came to a precise stop in front of the VIP lane.

The car doors opened upwards like the wings of a seagull.

Lin Bei, dressed in a fitted black trench coat and wearing sunglasses, stepped out of the car with a flourish.

He looked up at the international flights roaring into the sky as they took off.

All the grievances were completely soothed at this moment.

Everyone has found their perfect home.

That intense thrill was enough to get everyone who witnessed this story excited.

But Lin Bei's NBA legend has only just begun.

(End of the book)