Chapter Five: The Star of Hope

The confrontation between Chen Xing and Gan Guoyang was an utterly one-sided massacre.

Despite Chen Xing’s skill, his height of 174 cm couldn’t compensate for the vast difference in stature and build.

Moreover, this cousin was nothing like what Gan Guohui had described as "playing basketball for the first time."

Though his technique seemed rough, his dribbling unsteady, and he hadn’t demonstrated shooting skills, just that single dribble drive to break through was enough to overwhelm Chen Xing.

He was tall but not clumsy, and possessed immense strength.

Colliding with him felt like being hit by a car. After falling twice, Chen Xing no longer dared to clash head-on with Gan Guoyang.

When offense and defense switched, Gan Guoyang shadowed every move Chen Xing made, then proceeded to give him a thorough beating.

“No more, no more! Damn it, I’m about to be beaten to bits, might as well be knocked dead! You two are lying, right? This is your first time playing basketball? I’m done, give me the ball—I’m going home!”

“Whether you play or not doesn’t matter. Just now it was 5-0. The tape costs $35, not a cent less.”

Chen Xing and Gan Guohui resumed their bargaining over the tape’s price, exchanging barbs and insults along the way.

Suddenly, Gan Guoyang spoke up: “Hey, I really am playing basketball for the first time. I’m not lying.”

Hearing this, Chen Xing felt even more insulted.

But the teenagers quickly accepted the harsh truth that “hard work can’t surpass talent.”

They continued their noisy play atop the rooftop.

After initially shooting with too much force, Gan Guoyang’s accuracy steadily improved with each attempt.

Eventually, his shots became so precise that Chen Xing and Gan Guohui stood aside, counting how many consecutive baskets he made.

“17, 18, 19… 20—oh, missed! Twenty consecutive mid-range shots!”

Not only was his shooting accurate, but Gan Guoyang’s stamina seemed inexhaustible.

Chen Xing and Gan Guohui, exhausted, leaned against the chain-link fence drinking water, while Gan Guoyang kept dribbling, layups, and shooting alone with intense focus, as if testing his own skills.

His basketball prowess was visibly growing and maturing at an astonishing rate.

“Hey, Panghui, I never believed in prodigies before, but now I do.”

“Seriously, did you hire a private coach or something? How else could you improve so much?”

“Yeah, yeah, I joined Coach Frank Alock’s ‘Excel in Basketball Summer Camp’ for two weeks. The results speak for themselves.”

“No way, you actually went to a basketball camp? Scoundrel! How much did it cost?”

Chen Xing gestured, and Gan Guohui shook his head: “$150? No wonder you can’t afford to buy tapes—you spent it all on the camp. Why bother? Just go train properly. You think you’ll get a basketball scholarship?”

“You don’t know anything. Next semester, the school’s forming a basketball team. Didn’t you hear?”

“What? Our lousy school is forming a team? To be the lowest rung? Where’d you get that info?”

“My info is always accurate…”

As they talked, a loud crash startled them. Looking up, they saw the hoop, which was originally hanging on the chain-link fence, now clutched in Gan Guoyang’s hand.

“Uh… I dunked too hard just now and pulled the hoop down.”

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Because Gan Guoyang damaged the rooftop court’s hoop, he had to volunteer at Cameron House for the next two days, doing cleaning, distributing food, and repairing tables and chairs—otherwise, they’d be banned from playing there.

Gan Guoyang was happy enough; after work, he could still dribble and shoot on the rooftop, just no more dunks.

The hoop, wired to steel pipes, simply couldn’t withstand his tremendous strength.

After these few days of practice, Gan Guoyang was certain his body had inherited the initial gifts of Gump from 2k11.

Precise jump shots, immense physical power, and excellent blocking and defensive abilities—Chen Guohui and Chen Xing, both mediocre players, had no chance of scoring against him.

With such talent as a foundation, his top priority was to figure out how to launch his basketball career quickly.

He was sixteen, currently a sophomore in high school back home, and would attend senior year in San Francisco before applying to college.

Gan Youwei’s plan was for Gan Guoyang to attend community college for two years to learn basic restaurant and kitchen skills, eventually inheriting the family culinary legacy.

Gan Guoyang, however, did not want to spend his life dealing with cooking ingredients; but starting a basketball career at sixteen in America was already considered late.

Many talented players began formal training as early as seven or eight years old, some around ten; by thirteen, prodigies were already making a name for themselves.

At sixteen, some players were nationally renowned, courted by top basketball schools, laying the groundwork for professional careers.

Gan Guoyang knew he had great talent and a solid base. He needed to improve his skills as rapidly as possible and find a path to that stage.

“Hey, Chen Xing, how do you sign up for that basketball camp?”

During a break, Gan Guoyang asked Chen Xing about the “Excel in Basketball” camp.

“The camp just started this year, in Oakland. Runs from June to August, every two weeks, each session lasting eight days. From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If you want to register, call this number.”

Chen Xing handed Gan Guoyang a business card bearing the name “Bobby Berman,” the assistant coach of the camp.

“But you’ll need to save up $150 tuition. It’s not cheap. You can ask Panghui to chip in a bit.”

“I’ve been selling tapes lately and saved up $72—all for you. You’re our hope.”

Without hesitation, Gan Guohui pulled out all his pocket money to give to Gan Guoyang for camp fees.

Basketball wasn’t America’s top sport, but in cities, it was everywhere—street courts on every corner.

Yet most street courts were dominated by Black players. Asian Americans, with yellow skin, were expected to stay in school, not play on courts.

A gifted Chinese American like Gan Guoyang was rare; both Chen Xing and Gan Guohui believed he could be Chinatown’s rising star.

Reliable sources told Chen Xing that North Overseas Chinese High School in Chinatown would form a basketball team next semester to join the expanded CIF California High School Basketball League.

If Gan Guoyang joined, it would be a huge boost for the school and community.

However, Gan Guoyang declined Gan Guohui’s financial support.

“Forget it, it’s hard for you to save pocket money. I still have time—I can save up myself. Like… can playing basketball make money?”

“Of course, but those are paid matches requiring a stake. Each game pays between $10 and $50, with wins and losses. Plus, you need a team.”

“Forming a team is easy—we three can be a team. Winning $150 shouldn’t be that hard, right?”