Chapter 684 - 609: Recognition

Chapter 684: Chapter 609: Recognition

The next day, in the employee housing compound of the No. 2 Coking Plant, near Song Jun’s home.

In the middle of the dormitory buildings, there was a basketball court. ℯ

The basketball hoop was long since dilapidated. The wooden backboard was rickety, and the rim was nothing but a bare metal hoop.

The sun was out today, making the weather a bit warmer, but Chen Yu still wrapped his down jacket tightly around himself.

Even so, he still felt cold.

Americans are "unafraid of the cold"; they even go bare-legged in the dead of winter, popping painkillers when their legs start to ache from the chill.

Chen Yu was of Chinese descent. Ever since he was little, his maternal grandfather had often nagged him to stay warm in his youth, or he would be plagued by ailments in his old age.

Later, after becoming a doctor, he knew that taking painkillers was just a form of self-deception, so when it came to staying warm, Chen Yu never cut corners.

Chen Yu sat on a stone bench, watching Tim Glover play ball with a group of kids on the court.

Before long, Glover stopped and jogged back over, steam rising from his body. "Chen," he said, "these kids are terrible."

They were all around ten years old. In the United States, many kids that age would already be making a name for themselves in AAU leagues. The taller ones would be dunking with ease.

But these kids in front of him... you couldn’t even talk about their skill level. They didn’t even have the fundamentals.

Chen Yu smiled. "Maybe your standards are just too high."

’After all, he was Jordan’s personal trainer for over a decade.’

’As far as Chen Yu knew, the No. 2 Coking Plant probably had the highest level of basketball in all of He Gang.’

Glover shrugged, glanced toward the entrance, and said, "Chen, I don’t think that kid is coming."

They had arranged for Song Jun to come today.

Chen Yu shook his head. "Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll come."

’Given that I helped his mother with physical therapy yesterday, he’d be too embarrassed not to show up.’

Sure enough, about ten minutes later, Song Jun’s tall figure appeared.

He was riding a classic roadster, still wearing that army greatcoat. Full of youthful vigor, he wore the coat open, looking impossibly cool.

With a sideways skid, he stopped the bike in front of Chen Yu. Song Jun glanced at the kids on the court, then met Chen Yu’s knowing gaze. He paused for a moment before speaking. "Hey, uh... thanks for yesterday. My mom said her leg feels a lot better."

"Don’t mention it."

Chen Yu stood up, looked at the group of kids on the court, and said, "So, how about it? Want to play a game with them?"

"You called me here just to play ball?" Song Jun’s eyebrow twitched. "I told you yesterday, my mom can’t be left alone. Besides, I’ve already forgotten how to play."

Chen Yu shot back, "Have you really forgotten?"

Song Jun fell silent, gripping the handlebars. "Either way, I’m not going with you. I’m not interested in basketball anymore. I never even liked it as a kid. I only went to the sports academy so I could get enough to eat."

Rejected again, Chen Yu didn’t mind. He said, "It’s fine. Since you’re already here, let’s just play a game first."

Song Jun hesitated, then swung his leg over and got off the bike. "Fine. But I’m only doing this for you."

Chen Yu nodded.

Song Jun stretched his wrists, then curled his lip at the kids on the court. "Forget them. Back when I ruled these parts, they were still running around in diapers."

"You, on the other hand."

Song Jun’s gaze shifted to Glover. "This guy looks decent. Seems like he’s got some muscle."

Chen Yu chuckled to himself. "Alright then. You take a team, he’ll take a team. Let’s play three-on-three. I’ll be the ref."

As he spoke, Chen Yu patted Glover’s shoulder, giving him a look that said, "Go easy on him."

’Glover was just a trainer, but if he got serious, Song Jun probably wouldn’t even be able to dribble the ball.’

The two sides took the court. Without much fanfare, the game started immediately.

The moment the ball was in his hands, Chen Yu nodded slightly.

With the ball in his hands, Song Jun seemed like a completely different person.

His body proportions were long and lean, like a cheetah’s. Whether someone had taught him or not, he dribbled with great force, which gave his handle a beautiful rhythm.

Sometimes, looking good is, in fact, the correct standard.

"Here I come!"

Song Jun even gave a warning.

Glover, also curious to see Song Jun’s skill level, lowered his center of gravity slightly.

Then, Song Jun made his move.

In that instant, he was like a car shifting into gear. A slight hesitation in his rhythm, and then he slammed on the gas and exploded forward.

He was incredibly fast. His first step was precise, sealing off Glover’s leg.

Many people can’t get past defenders because their legwork is sloppy.

Just like boxing out under the basket, you have to use your legs to block the defender’s path, slow their movement, and complete the drive.

In a flash, Song Jun blew past Glover like a gust of wind and charged toward the basket.

He even threw in some flair—a reverse, jackknife dunk.

Chen Yu raised his eyebrows slightly.

’That vertical, that core strength... not bad at all.’

’At his height, he could easily complete a dunk. But just dunking is one thing; making it look good is another matter entirely.’

’After letting his skills rust for several years, to still be able to pull off a dunk like that... it just goes to show his talent is truly top-tier.’

Song Jun hung on the rim for a moment before landing, then arrogantly jutted his chin at Glover.

The surrounding kids, after a moment of stunned silence, erupted into a massive cheer.

"Holy shit, that was badass!"

"So cool!"

"Dude, how’d you do that? That was insane!"

His two teammates surrounded Song Jun, their eyes shining.

Even Song Jun couldn’t help a surge of vanity. He waved his hand dismissively. "That was nothing. I’ve got plenty more tricks up my sleeve."

The game continued.

With Glover intentionally going easy on him, the game became Song Jun’s personal highlight reel.

He claimed he’d forgotten how to play, but some things, once learned, are never truly forgotten.

"How did it feel?"

After the game, Chen Yu and Song Jun stood together, watching the kids walk away with their arms around each other’s shoulders.

They were still mimicking Song Jun’s move from earlier.

Without a doubt, the news of a top-tier basketball master in the neighborhood would become a hot topic of conversation for these kids.

Song Jun stared blankly for a moment, his gaze distant. After a long pause, he finally feigned a casual tone. "It was okay. Nothing special."

Then he quickly added, "But I’ll say it again: forget about asking me to play ball. It’s pointless."

"Really? Pointless?"

Chen Yu turned to him, silently employing a bit of psychology. "Over the past few years, when you’ve occasionally passed by a basketball court and watched others play, have you ever thought about why you started playing in the first place?"

"Let me guess the reason. I don’t think it was just to get enough to eat."

Chen Yu cut off Song Jun before he could explain and continued, "I’m guessing it was for recognition. A kid who was ostracized, who didn’t have any friends, who could only get attention by fighting and causing trouble... I bet you really enjoyed the feeling on the court—sinking a great shot, hearing your teammates cheer, feeling the roar of the crowd."

Psychologically speaking, most kids who constantly cause trouble at school are insecure and are just trying to get attention and validation that way.

Song Jun’s father died young. He lacked affection at home and was ostracized by his peers. He was desperate for that kind of validation.

And basketball gave him exactly that: massive attention, a huge sense of vanity, and admiration.

’That,’ Chen Yu thought, ’was the real motivation behind his intense training.’

Tan Yi had also said that during those years at the sports academy, Song Jun trained exceptionally hard.

Song Jun was stunned.

Chen Yu smiled again. "Besides, didn’t you notice? You were smiling when you played just now. You looked truly happy."

’He might look taller and stronger than a grown man, but at the end of the day, he’s still just a fifteen-year-old kid.’

During the game, when he made a good shot, basking in his teammates’ cheers, hearing all the shouts of "badass" and "cool," he really was smiling happily.

"No, I wasn’t." Song Jun quickly denied it, turning his head away.

Chen Yu patted Song Jun on the back. "Song Jun, think about why you started playing. I believe that deep down, you still love basketball. And besides that, you really need this opportunity."

"Yesterday, your mother kept telling me how grown-up and sensible you are. If that’s the case, then act like it. Be the pillar that holds your family up."

After a pause, Chen Yu’s voice grew heavy. "Your mother has stomach cancer. She needs money for treatment!"

"For the first fifteen years of your life, she sheltered you from every storm. Now, for the years to come, it’s your turn to protect her!"

Song Jun whipped his head around, his eyes wide as he stared intently at Chen Yu.

For a full thirty seconds, he stood there. Then, he suddenly spun around and sprinted toward his home as if he’d gone mad.