r18novel Chapter 2: A Visit to the Past
Chapter 2: A Visit to the Past
the next morning……
"Welcome aboard, young man."
Lian Dao found himself shaking hands with a middle-aged white man. The man extended his right hand in a warm welcome—it was Tim Floyd, Lian Dao's college basketball coach.
Lian Dao was stunned. "How did I end up at USC? I was at home in New York yesterday. And Tim looks even younger!"
He was speechless for a moment, unable to comprehend the situation before him.
At this moment, Lian Dao was still unaware that he had been reborn as a college student. He thought he had simply sleepwalked back to his alma mater, the University of Southern California.
"Hey, Sickle, are you a little confused?" Tim noticed that Lian Dao looked a bit down and asked with a smile.
Tim had seen countless high school students react with surprise when they were accepted by prestigious universities, and he thought that Lian Dao's composure was just due to being too shocked to speak.
"Sickle" is the English name Lian Dao chose for himself, derived from the word "sickle." After coming abroad to study, he adopted this name because his original name was difficult for locals to pronounce accurately. He repeatedly tried to correct his pronunciation, but found it futile. The tone of his original name was too difficult for the locals to learn, so he chose "Sickle," a name that was both close to the pronunciation of his original name and retained its original meaning.
"I... what's wrong with me... yes, I'm a little excited!" he began, but the words caught in his throat. He sensed something was wrong, and a wave of unease washed over him. Nevertheless, he continued. He had intended to ask Tim how he ended up at USC, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he realized his voice sounded younger, his body felt lighter, and he seemed to have shrunk a little.
"And my skin has become whiter!"
"Huh? What happened? All the tan I got in Miami this summer is gone."
"Why am I at the University of Southern California? Why do I look so young? Did I reincarnate? But I shouldn't meet the conditions for reincarnation." Lian Dao was stunned, his mind racing as he desperately tried to recall his past.
Before his rebirth, Lian Dao was a well-known basketball coach and choreographer in the area, with a stable life and a high social status.
After graduation, through a friend's introduction, he began coaching several NBA stars, earning a considerable reputation in the industry. His training programs were also highly praised by many NBA players. Some NBA teams even offered him high salaries to be their personal coach, but Lian Dao refused, feeling that it would restrict his freedom.
This was also related to Lian Dao's substantial income at the time. When freedom and economic security were within his grasp, he chose not to sacrifice his freedom for greater wealth.
Ironically, Lian Dao is actually a bit lazy.
Furthermore, his screenplay for "The Dark Knight" was highly favored by Hollywood directors and was eventually made into a film, achieving box office success worldwide. The media hailed him as a "genius screenwriter."
To avoid excessive media attention, he had gone to Harlem to relax and even visited an old master craftsman in New York's Chinatown. But he never expected this to happen.
Before his rebirth, Lian Dao came from a wealthy family, owning a house, a car, savings, and a reputation. He was handsome, a model of tall, rich, and dashing good looks.
Moreover, his parents were both alive at the time. They immigrated to New York in 1998 and started a company there. Later, due to business opportunities, they moved to Silicon Valley. In 2007, Lian Dao's father, Lian Guochang, realizing the rapid development of the domestic economy, discussed with his mother, Zhao Ruoyun, and decided to move the company headquarters back to China for further development.
They left Lian Dao alone in the area, claiming it was to foster his independence.
Ironically, even Dao believed it back then!
Before his rebirth, his father always hoped that he would return to China to inherit the family business. However, because Lian Dao was stubborn by nature, his father never agreed. This led to many arguments between father and son, and until his rebirth, the two hardly communicated.
Caught between father and son, Zhao Ruoyun, the mother, was also in a difficult position. Lian Dao knew that his mother had always hoped for his return to China—after all, what mother doesn't miss her son? But before his rebirth, he had never considered this issue from his parents' perspective.
Looking back now, his persistence seems worthwhile. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a basketball coach, a famous screenwriter, or woken up to find himself in the USC basketball team's training facility.
"Sickle, what's wrong?" The coach noticed that Lian Dao's expression was a little strange and asked with concern.
"Ah, it's nothing, Coach. I'm just really excited about playing in the NCAA soon." Lian Dao quickly waved his hand, his face showing an extremely excited expression. His change was so rapid that even top students from the film and television arts academy would be amazed.
"Alright, kid, it's good to be excited. But remember, there's a team meeting the day after tomorrow. I don't like people who aren't punctual," Tim reminded him. He noticed that Lian Dao's behavior was slightly unusual, but he just took it as the enthusiasm of a newcomer for college basketball.
"Understood, Coach. I'll be there on time," Lian Dao assured Tim confidently.
After saying goodbye to Coach Tim, Lian Dao headed towards the school dormitory, relying on his memory. When he reached the door, it was closed, and he suddenly realized he didn't know where his keys were. He remembered that he used to keep keys and similar items in his coat pocket.
He quickly reached into his pocket and felt the cold, familiar outline of his dorm key. This habit saved him from being locked out.
He opened the door to the two-bedroom dorm room. His roommate was DeMar DeRozan, a talented defender Coach Tim had mentioned before. However, DeRozan hadn't arrived at school yet and would likely be there later.
DeRozan suffers from mild depression, is introverted, and doesn't like to communicate with others. However, his performance on the court contrasts sharply with his quiet demeanor off the court. DeRozan idolizes Kobe Bryant, and his playing style reflects this admiration—he has an excellent mid-range shot and is always eager to accept challenges.
Although he may seem introverted, once you get to know him, you'll find that beneath his aloof exterior lies a warm heart; he just needs a spark to melt that icy shell.
Later, Kyle Lowry of the Raptors became a turning point in his career. Fans affectionately called them the "Trash Brothers," and during that time, DeRozan always had the brightest smile on his face.
DeRozan values loyalty highly, having played for Toronto for ten years. However, he never imagined the team would use his loyalty as a bargaining chip.
After entering the room, Lian Dao quickly ran to the bathroom and washed his face with cold water.
Unfortunately, after washing his face, he did not return to his New York mansion.
He was still standing in his USC dorm room. He looked at himself in the mirror and found that, apart from having paler skin, he was still handsome, just less mature. His features were still sharp and defined, but with a touch more boyishness. Lian Dao leaned on the edge of the sink, gazing at his reflection.
"Click".
The sound of a key turning in the lock interrupted his thoughts.
He turned around, walked out, and saw DeRozan pushing open the door and dragging his suitcase into the dormitory.
"Hey, it's you, Sicker. What are you doing here? Did you also choose USC?" DeRozan seemed a little surprised to see Lian Dao, a hint of warmth showing in his usually reserved expression.
"Yes, DeMar, we meet again! From now on, we're teammates!" Lian said, shaking DeRozan's outstretched hand. The two bumped shoulders in a familiar gesture.
Lian Dao knew DeRozan back in high school, when DeRozan attended Compton High School. Although he didn't have the muscular physique of some NBA players, DeRozan was considered a very strong player among his peers.
In his senior year of high school, DeRozan averaged 29.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3 steals per game, winning the Moores League MVP award and the McDonald's Slam Dunk Contest. He was quite famous among high school students.
Because both Compton High School and Whitney High School, which Lian Dao attends, are located in California, the two teams frequently play against each other. However, Whitney High School, where Lian Dao plays, usually loses to Whitney.
Nevertheless, DeRozan was still deeply impressed by Lian Dao's impressive three-point shooting ability.