Chapter 2 - Teaming Up #2

Vinny and Hao arrived at Ahmed Kebab, located in the neighborhood where Vinny lives. Vinny went to order two kebabs while Hao sat on the terrace. When Vinny sat down at the table, he started the conversation.

Vinny: "Alright, currently there are two of us on the team, possibly four if little Ace and Kobbie agree, which means we need at least two more players, ideally three. First of all, most of us aren't in shape to play an entire game without substitutions, so we need at least two substitutes. We also need someone to play center and someone who is a good shooter. As things stand, there's no way we can achieve anything. So, think about who else we could invite to play for us."

Hao: "I really don't know who else we can ask. I mean, we have six more days to find people. Let's ask Kobbie or Ace if they know anyone."

Vinny: "Okay, let's enjoy the kebab now."

Hao and Vinny ate their kebabs and then got on the bus heading towards where Ace lives. They traveled for 45 minutes and, upon arriving, made their way to Ace's house at the top of a hill.

Vinny: "Why are we even going for this guy? He's never played basketball, he lives on top of a hill, and he's not exactly sharp."

Hao: "Don't say that; he's a good guy."

Vinny: "Yeah, sure."

They arrived at Ace's house and knocked on the door, which was opened by his mother.

Hao: "Hello, we came to ask Ace something. Is he home?"

Ace's Mom: "Yes, he's home. He's upstairs in his room, just sitting at that computer and not studying. His grades are too low, so don't keep him too long; he needs to study later."

Hao: "Alright, we won't take long. Could you please ask him to come out for a bit?"

Ace's mom went to call Ace outside. Meanwhile, Vinny was scrolling through his contacts, thinking of who else they could ask to join the team. He remembered he could ask Daniel if he wanted to play for them since they both played for the school team. Daniel was a good shooter, not an all-around player, but he could make three-pointers.

Vinny: "Hao, I know who else we can ask. You handle things with Ace because I can't deal with him right now. I'll go ask Daniel if he wants to play for us since he told me he was near by. When you're done with Ace, meet me at the bus station."

Hao: "Okay, I don't know who that is, but it's better to have as many players as possible. Once you're done, we'll meet at the bus station because I don't think I'll be here for long."

Vinny left, and Ace came out of the house to greet Hao.

Ace: "Hey Hao, what's up? I need to get back quickly because my parents are bugging me."

Hao: "Don't say that; your parents just want the best for you. But I came to ask if you'd like to join Vinny and me in the Summer Basketball League. The reward is that the best player in the competition will be eligible for the NBA draft. The registration ends this week, and we need 5 players for the team. You were the only person I thought of besides Vinny. I think this will be great because it's summer, and we don't have much else to do. But I understand if you don't want to because of your grades, as your mom said. If you can't join, we'll find someone else."

Ace: "I need to improve my grades first, but I'll definitely find a way to do it, so I'll play with you guys. But why would you call me, someone who knows nothing about basketball?"

Hao: "Great, so now we have three of us. We called you because, at worst, you'll be on the bench if we find three more people. I don't think we'll manage to find that many more people, so you'll likely be in the starting lineup. And why did we call you specifically? Like I said, you were one of the first people who came to mind. It's not like we're aiming to win; we're just looking to have fun."

Ace: "Alright, see you then."

At that moment, Hao remembered an important detail he hadn't mentioned to either Vinny or Ace: the entry fee for the tournament was 500 euros.

Hao: "Wait, I have something else to tell you."

Ace: "What is it?"

Hao: "We need to come up with 500 euros to register for the tournament."

Ace: "Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?"

Hao: "Well, each of us will have to chip in. Hang on, I'll call Vinny and ask how much he can contribute."

Hao took out his phone and called Vinny. Vinny answered immediately.

Vinny: "Hey, why are you calling?"

Hao: "I forgot to tell you something important: we need to gather 500 euros to register."

Vinny: "I can give 70 euros. I don't have more than that right now. How much can you put in, and did Ace agree to play for us?"

Hao: "I can put in 50 euros, and Ace will probably play for us."

Vinny: "Alright, if he's in, ask him how much he can contribute. I have to go now; I'm meeting with Daniel. See you later."

Hao: "See you."

Hao: "Ace, Vinny and I together have 120 euros. How much can you contribute?"

Ace: "I can give 10 euros."

Hao: "Oh, that makes 130 euros. That's nowhere near enough. What are we going to do? Do you have any ideas? If we find two more players, they would have to come up with 370 euros, which is pretty unrealistic. They probably won't agree to that."

Ace: "Listen, let's meet tonight at 9 p.m. in the park near Vinny's place. You and Vinny gather your money and bring it. I have a plan for how we can make enough for the entry fee."

Hao: "What's the plan? Don't tell me it's something stupid."

Ace: "It's not. We're just going to put it all on black."