Chapter Thirteen: The Black Tower

After returning to the restaurant from the second floor, Gan Guoyang washed his hands thoroughly. His mood finally calmed, and he fell asleep quickly once he lay in bed.

The next morning, Raymond brought his "sisters" to the Gan Family Restaurant for a meal again. This time, in addition to a steamer of dumplings, they also ordered an extra portion of Yangzhou fried rice. Although their spending power wasn't high, having them come by to eat every day kept the restaurant from feeling too desolate. A cold, empty restaurant is the most lethal thing; sometimes passersby would see that the place was completely deserted and lose their desire to dine, causing business to only get worse.

By noon, the delivery calls began to pick up. Gan Guoyang started getting busy, making several deliveries in a row, never forgetting to bring his basketball with him every time he stepped out.

"Basketball kid, what exactly is the charm of that brown thing that makes you so inseparable from it? There are many better things in this world, aren't there?" Raymond asked curiously while smoking, watching Gan Guoyang keep the ball in his hand.

"Nothing, I just like it," Gan Guoyang replied flatly.

"Do you want to play in the NBA?" Raymond asked again.

"Of course," Gan Guoyang answered without hesitation.

Raymond laughed so hard that the powder on his face began to flake off.

"The NBA is not a good place. It’s just a bunch of drug-addicted darkies chasing a ball and getting into fights on the side. If you go there, you’ll be bullied, kid. There hasn't even been an Asian in the NBA yet." Raymond was full of disdain for the NBA, yet he looked at Gan Guoyang with eyes full of concern.

Coming to the 1980s, the thing that surprised Gan Guoyang most was that the NBA actually had a terrible reputation in the United States. Based on later propaganda, the 80s were always touted as the golden age of the NBA, and he had assumed it would be very popular in San Francisco, after all, the Warriors were right next door in Oakland. He hadn't expected that most of the news he heard about the NBA was negative.

Chen Xing and Gan Guohui had no great interest in the NBA; they said there weren't many games broadcast on television. Chen Xing was more interested in college basketball, and Gan Guohui claimed to be a loyal UCLA fan. Even someone like Raymond, a marginalized person without a fixed home, looked down on the NBA, which showed just how poor the league's reputation was.

Raymond seemed to sense Gan Guoyang's thoughts and rolled his eyes, saying, "Even though I’m not doing so well myself, I’m law-abiding, and I’ve never touched drugs. I’m very clean."

Hearing Raymond say "clean," Gan Guoyang couldn't help but laugh, pointing upstairs.

"I’m talking about myself, not where I live! If we’re talking about the environment, is there any place in this country that’s clean..."

"So, if there is a problem with the NBA, it’s a problem with the people, not the basketball."

Raymond was left speechless. Just then, Gan Guohui called out to Gan Guoyang, "Cousin! A big order just came in, you’ll have to make a trip for it in a bit."

Gan Guoyang knew it was a delivery order. He glanced at the slip and sure enough, it was a big one—the customer had ordered over ten dishes. Was this a delivery for a banquet? It was rare to have such a large order at noon, so the kitchen staff immediately sprang into action. Great-Uncle joined in, and the dozen or so dishes were quickly prepared and packed into a large, three-tiered food container.

"Guoyang, is this okay? Do you need to call a taxi?"

"No need, I’m strong and have good legs. Besides, the cab fare is too expensive."

Gan Guoyang hoisted the three-tiered container on his back, took the basketball and the customer's address in his hands, and set off.

"Hey, don't bring the basketball; it’ll be a disaster if the food container tips over..."

Gan Youwei was worried that bringing a ball would cause the containers to spill on the road, but Gan Guoyang had already taken off in a flash.

The customer's address was in the Fillmore District, marked "The Beginning Restaurant." Gan Guoyang wondered, a restaurant calling another restaurant for delivery? Was their own kitchen unable to make the food?

Filled with doubt, Gan Guoyang boarded a bus, got off at Jefferson Park, and walked briskly toward the destination. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at a storefront with "THE BEGINNING" hanging above the entrance, but the doors were shut tight. Gan Guoyang checked the address repeatedly; this was definitely the place. He stepped forward and peered through the tinted glass door; there seemed to be people inside.

Suddenly, the door opened. Gan Guoyang was startled and looked up to see a broad chest in front of him, adorned with a silver Indian wolf-tooth necklace. Although Gan Guoyang was standing on the step below, he was over two meters tall, so even if an average person stood on a higher step, they would at most be eye-level with him. But with this man, Gan Guoyang could only see his collar when looking straight ahead. A glance an inch higher revealed a semi-bald black head that was already brushing against the door frame.

His face was covered in a thick beard, and his forehead and front scalp were largely bald and gleaming. His cheekbones were high, his nose was large and flat, and his eyebrows were very thick. His face gave off an impression of solemnity, yet it carried a hint of kindness. The arms revealed beneath the sleeves of his short-sleeved shirt were like ancient vines, wrapped in sinewy muscle and gleaming with a cold, steel-like luster. He was a black tower.

"I’m the delivery man from Gan Family Restaurant. Did you place an order?"

"Yes, come in."

The black giant stepped aside to let Gan Guoyang in. When he saw the basketball in Gan Guoyang's hand, a look of surprise flashed across his face.

Once Gan Guoyang entered "The Beginning," he began to wonder if he had walked into a Mafia family meeting. Seven or eight brawny, hulking men sat in the hall, their eyes fixed intently on Gan Guoyang, making him feel completely uneasy. Aside from them, there was no one else in this so-called restaurant—no waiters, no chefs; they weren't even open for business.

"This wouldn't be a criminal hideout, would it?" Gan Guoyang was anxious; San Francisco didn't have the best safety record, and one always had to be careful when out and about.

He set down the container from his back and took out the dishes one by one. After confirming nothing was missing and no soup had spilled, Gan Guoyang said to the black giant, "The total is $47, including the delivery fee. Thank you."

The giant pulled money from his pocket and gave it to Gan Guoyang. Looking at the basketball in Gan Guoyang's hand, he said, "Kid, do you like playing basketball?"

Gan Guoyang nodded and said, "Yes, I’m going to play in the NBA in the future."

At Gan Guoyang's words, the restaurant erupted in laughter, as if he had told a very funny joke. Gan Guoyang rarely mentioned wanting to play in the NBA to anyone, but here, he felt that this group might be related to basketball. He quickly noticed that the walls of the restaurant were covered with photos and posters of players, including this very giant. He was wearing a red No. 42 jersey, hands on his hips, with a build as sturdy as an ox, and "CAVALIERS" printed on the jersey. However, Gan Guoyang didn't recognize him; he must have been an NBA player from the early days.

The giant grinned broadly and said, "Play in the NBA? That’s great, Kung Fu kid. You’re the tallest Chinese person I’ve ever seen. How old are you this year?"

"16."

"16. Which high school team are you on?"

"I... I’m not on a high school team."

The room went silent for a second at Gan Guoyang's answer, then quickly filled with joyful air again as everyone laughed.

The giant shook his head and said, "If you can't even make a high school basketball team, how are you going to join a professional one?"

Gan Guoyang retorted, "But I will be on one soon. You were an NBA player, right?"

The giant nodded and turned to his friends, saying, "This kid doesn't recognize me. It looks like my professional career was a bit of a failure."

"I want to play one-on-one with you," Gan Guoyang said, grabbing the basketball with one hand and challenging the giant.

"Whohohoho! We’ve got a kid here who doesn't know his place!"

"Nate! Tell me, this isn't an actor you hired to play a scene with you, is it?"

"Kid, while you’ve still got time, go buy yourself some insurance. This is a great opportunity for you to get rich."

The restaurant was in an uproar, with everyone egging them on to have the giant and Gan Guoyang play a game of one-on-one. The giant looked at Gan Guoyang, shaking his head with a helpless smile, and said, "Kid, even if you beat me in a one-on-one, you still won't make it to the NBA. Besides, don't you have deliveries to make? There’s work waiting for you at the shop; that’s a very promising career."

Facing the mockery of the room, Gan Guoyang’s eyes remained firm. He continued, "I will definitely make it to the NBA, but right now, I want to know how big the gap is between me and the NBA. Come on, sir, are you going to back down? You don't look like a coward."

Gan Guoyang's words brought the atmosphere in the room to a climax, and everyone began shouting for "Nate" to play a few rounds with him. Nate hesitated for a moment, then sighed helplessly, "Alright, there’s a hoop in the yard. Let’s play a couple of rounds; I could use a bit of a workout anyway."