Chapter 25: Mountain and River  

In February, during the second-to-last regular season game of the ACC conference, Wake Forest hosted the Maryland Terrapins. 

This should have been a rather ordinary college game. 

But before the game, Paul was unusually excited. 

The reason was... the man with numerous titles like "The Chosen One," "The King," and "The Akron Hammer" had taken precious time out of his busy NBA rookie season to be a special guest at this game. 

According to Paul himself, his friendship with LeBron James began at the 2003 McDonald's All-American Game. 

"Actually, we'd heard of each other long before that. In that game, I gave him several spectacular assists, and he ignited the arena with explosive dunks." 

In the locker room before the game, Paul excitedly shared with his teammates how he met James. 

"It's incredible; I can't believe he actually came to watch me play today." 

It was indeed incredible—as Zack walked into the arena and saw the incredibly "aged" face on the sidelines, he mentally commented on the then-just-turned-19-year-old James. 

As someone from the future, Zack knew very well what the name LeBron James would mean for the NBA 20 years later. Generally, future basketball fans would describe him as "the NBA's longest river." At this moment, however, spirited and ambitious was his truest depiction. 

Zack noticed that even dressed in casual clothes today, James exuded an aura of regality visible to the naked eye. "He truly deserves to be the man who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated at 17," Zack thought. 

Inside the arena, as Paul stepped forward to chat with James, he suddenly grabbed Zack and said, "You come with me." Then, after a pause, Paul looked up and added, "With you there, I'll feel more confident." 

Clearly, Paul at this moment wasn't the close friend of LeBron's that Zack remembered, who James would later describe with "our friendship transcends time, beginning with our mutual admiration in games." Paul felt both excited and a little nervous about James's visit today. 

Yes. Even though freshman Paul had learned how to remain calm under pressure, he was still just a young man who would turn 19 three months later. 

In stark contrast to Paul's demeanor at the moment, James then showed initiative and warmth. His words gave Zack the illusion that he and Paul were already long-time friends. But the next second, inadvertently, he would use his socially adept words to remind Zack that he had specially taken time out today to cheer for Paul. 

After these short few minutes of small talk, Zack knew that Paul had most likely been reeled in by James. Because James had not only given Paul ample respect but also, with his seemingly understated yet perfectly timed reminders, subtly made Paul owe him a huge favor. 

"LeBron, your presence here today is truly unbelievable. Thank you for taking the time to watch my game," Paul said after another heartfelt embrace with James. 

From instant admiration to confiding in each other, if Zack remembered correctly, the friendship between Paul and James would enter a period of rapid development in the coming year. At this moment, Zack felt a bit superfluous and wanted to leave the stage to James and Paul, but who would have thought that James would immediately shift the topic to him? "You're 'The Principal'? I've heard of your reputation. I hear that in front of the restricted area you guard, even 'The Landlord' has to pay rent." 

What incredibly heartwarming words – meeting James's gaze, Zack realized that His Majesty the King was clearly well-prepared today. 

"Don't be nervous, man. Chris and I are good brothers, and you're his closest comrade-in-arms. I think you can totally consider me one of your own," James said with a laugh, patting Zack's arm, which felt like it was forged from steel. 

It was just an opening line meant to build rapport, but combined with James's warm demeanor and his current status in the basketball world... for a moment, Zack felt that even he was almost swayed by James. 

In this opening, James first elevated his relationship with Paul to that of good brothers. Then, he asked Zack to consider him as one of his own. The King's sincerity in trying to win over the Wake Forest Twin Stars was evident. 

In fact, if you know James well enough, you'd realize he had been planning for his future from a very early age. Whether it was the business empire he would build, or his vast number of "LeBron's brothers" in the future, whenever Zack read the autobiographies of players from James's era, he would be surprised to find that LeBron James always appeared at just the right moment, like a fated benefactor. 

For example, Paul at this moment. Zack clearly remembered that James would not only offer Paul various suggestions as an experienced veteran in the coming year but also actively act as a psychological counselor to help Paul overcome setbacks when he faced difficulties on the college court. 

Zack wouldn't question the friendship between Paul and James, but he also didn't want to get involved. So, when he noticed Rachel Carlyle's figure appearing in the arena, Zack felt like he found a savior and immediately found an excuse to jog over to Rachel. 

James was greatly surprised by this. Because today, he did intend to recruit Zack. In the 2003-04 season, as Yao Ming gradually grew into an NBA star center, the prospects of the Chinese market across the ocean could only be described as excellent. And Zack's identity as a Chinese player naturally made James think highly of him. 

Why did James think highly of Zack as a Chinese player? Because you can question everything about LeBron James, but when it comes to his attitude towards the Chinese market, regardless of his motives, LeBron is the undisputed GOAT. Especially compared to that scumbag Michael Jordan. 

But... what James never expected was that Zack seemed completely uninterested in his recruitment. Didn't he know my status? Or did he think my status was too low? 

At a critical moment, in the arena, after coughing twice at James, Paul subtly hinted at the unusual relationship between Zack and Rachel with his eyes, while saying, "Those two... you understand, LeBron." 

Hearing this, James suddenly understood and also felt a little relieved. "He has good taste," James commented. 

Meanwhile, Rachel, completely unaware that she was just a tool, was caught in a sudden wave of happiness. "That's LeBron James! Don't you want to talk to him more?" Rachel asked curiously. 

Zack shook his head and said, "You know, it was a hard decision to make, but the moment I saw you on the sidelines, I couldn't wait to come to you." 

At this moment, recalling Zack's excellent performance yesterday, Rachel's cheeks flushed slightly as she said, "Since you're here, why don't I give you a quick interview?" 

Seeing this, Zack smiled and said, "My pleasure." 

Tonight, Paul was pumped up by James's arrival, so after the game started, his teammates, including Zack, intentionally tried to help Paul shine. In just 8 minutes, Paul had already scored 15 points. The Maryland guard guarding Paul was shorter than him and couldn't threaten his shots at all. 

On the court, during a Wake Forest offensive possession, while fighting for an offensive rebound, Zack, after getting the ball, chose not to attack himself but instead passed the ball to the perimeter. Then, from the right wing at a 45-degree angle, Paul received the ball and scored his 18th point of the game with a three-pointer. 

On the sidelines, James enthusiastically applauded his good friend, exclaiming, "Chris can do anything!" 

However, Rachel, sitting right behind James, was very unhappy with the Demon Deacons' possession. Because from her understanding of Zack, after grabbing that offensive rebound, Zack should have performed an inspiring dunk. 

Admittedly, a three-pointer is worth one more point than a dunk. But... with the Terrapins posing no threat to the Demon Deacons, this arena clearly needed energy from Zack tonight. 

"Hey, 'Principal,' I spent a whole month preparing for this game. Why have you been passing all the time? Do you look down on me?" At this moment, Gary Dickson, the Maryland power forward who had been guarding Zack all game, also expressed his dissatisfaction. As a passionate fan of Zack, even though they were at different schools, Gary Dickson had always looked up to Zack as his idol. 

"For this game, I adjusted my diet and actively prepared to get myself into the best possible condition... But you, do you really look down on me that much? You know, I'm also a Division I NCAA player," Dickson continued to complain to Zack. 

Since he had also suffered from obesity during his freshman and sophomore years, and after learning about Zack's past experiences, Dickson, who was graduating this year, had been greatly looking forward to this match against Zack. In Dickson's eyes, Zack was a role model for people like him who had lost weight, but tonight, Zack's performance had deeply disappointed him. 

Seeing this, Zack smiled at him and said, "Alright, since you want to see me go all out so badly, then next, you'd better be mentally prepared." 

Dickson was overjoyed and said, "Bring it on!" 

On the court, after defending Maryland's offense, Wake Forest had possession. This time, Zack actively called for the ball from Paul, and after dribbling and accelerating past Dickson's defense... he soared with thunderous force and mercilessly punished the Maryland hoop with a powerful one-handed dunk. 

This one-handed slam dunk was not only powerful, but Zack's entire sequence from takeoff to completing the dunk was also quite stylish, reminiscent of Vince Carter in his prime. 

"Hey, Maryland, you better watch out! The UFO from China has now taken flight!" the live commentator passionately exclaimed the moment Zack completed the dunk. 

On the sidelines, James was also amazed by Zack's dunk. Although James had heard rumors about Zack before coming to Wake Forest, it wasn't until he saw him in person that he realized Zack possessed athletic talent disproportionate to his height. 

After using a model fine-tuner, Zack's height in February had grown to 206.5 centimeters, and his height with shoes on was nearly 210 centimeters. Generally, players of this height, while enjoying the benefits of their stature, often suffer from issues with coordination and flexibility due to their height. But Zack, his movements were as agile as players around two meters tall. 

In the restricted area, after landing from the dunk, Zack looked at Dickson, who had just returned to defense, and asked, "What's your name?" 

Dickson replied, "Gary Dickson." 

Nodding, Zack said, "I remember your name now. Gary Dickson, starting power forward for the Maryland Terrapins in NCAA Division I." 

Hearing this, Dickson felt a warmth in his heart and said, "I'm graduating this year. Give me a game I'll never forget, Principal!" 

At this moment, if the University of Maryland coach knew the reason for Zack's sudden burst of energy on the court, he would surely have an urge to kill Dickson. 

On the court, Wake Forest's offensive possession. After getting into the low post, remembering Duncan's teaching, Zack used rhythm to shake off Dickson, turned, and banked it in, adding two more points for Wake Forest. 

He could drive forcefully from the high post, or post up in the low post. Since Duncan's coaching session, Zack had become the nightmare of all power forwards in the ACC conference. 

At Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Zack took over the rest of the first half. By halftime, Zack had tallied 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. In the team's scoring ranks for this game, he successfully surpassed Paul, becoming the team's leading scorer at halftime. 

This Terrapins team wasn't strong overall, but Zack, starting slowly and then surging in the game, created an illusion for all the scout experts who watched the game: compared to two months ago, he could now control his performance at will. 

In the second half, Zack only played for a few minutes before being substituted. As the lead grew larger, Coach Prosser didn't want to risk keeping Zack on the court. 

"He's grown step by step, becoming the team's interior core. His next stop is definitely the NBA, but before heading to the NBA, he's like Tim Duncan back in the day, systematically taking down opponents one by one. Sheldon Williams is a defeated foe, and Sean May can only rely on teammates to barely hold on. I'm now curious to see how far he can lead this Wake Forest team in the upcoming March Madness," Rachel thought to herself on the sidelines, while writing the news draft for tomorrow's school newspaper. 

Of course, while writing, Rachel didn't forget to gripe about Zack in another notebook: aside from his excessive stamina in a certain area, he currently has no weaknesses. After a pause, Rachel added in her notebook: Too much stamina isn't always a good thing. After all, that's 7 inches (18 cm) in a normal state. 

Half an hour later, the game ended, and Wake Forest earned a thunderous applause from the home crowd with a 60-point victory. 

"Hey, Zack, LeBron invited us. He wants us to go to a JAY-Z concert this summer," Paul said after the game, not complaining about Zack stealing his thunder during the match. 

"Sorry, Chris, I think I have to decline that invitation," Zack said, looking down at Paul. 

Hearing this, Paul looked puzzled. "That's a JAY-Z concert." In Paul's opinion, even if Zack had special training during the summer, it wasn't so urgent that he couldn't take some time for this. 

As for Rachel, who was currently walking towards Zack? 

"Hey, listen, man, I know you're hitting it off with that female news anchor, and I know your usual attitude towards training, but this is a great opportunity for us to exchange ideas with LeBron and ask him for NBA experience," Paul told Zack with a serious expression. 

But Zack remained unmoved, saying, "I know all that, Chris. But this summer, my parents are coming to visit me. You know, I haven't seen them in a long time." 

At this moment, Zack was telling Paul the truth. Because "he" (the previous self) dared not return to China during his self-destructive period, and now that Zack had shone this season, Zack Yong and his wife, missing their son more and more, eagerly wanted to come to the US to spend some time with their beloved son during the summer. Zack didn't refuse this. Because after inheriting everything from "him," he couldn't keep neglecting "his" parents. 

"Oh, I see. I misunderstood you, I'm sorry, Zack..." Unlike NBA players who never met their biological fathers, Paul, having both parents since childhood and receiving a good family education, had always placed great importance on family. Therefore, as a "family man," Paul would wholeheartedly approve of Zack spending the summer with his parents. 

Of course, Paul didn't know that while spending time with his parents was important, Zack hadn't fully disclosed everything to him. 

Well, the main reason Zack didn't want to accept the invitation was... he was worried he might get involved if JAY-Z and "Diddy" ever got into trouble together in the future (Note ①). Although there was no definitive conclusion about JAY-Z before he time-traveled, Zack didn't want to waste time verifying it. In this life, he only wanted to make a name for himself in the NBA. 

As Rachel said... at this moment, systematically defeating opponents in college basketball was his greatest joy in life! 

Note ①: I won't explain too much about "Diddy." As for JAY-Z, a famous American rapper and music producer, the main case he was involved in was the accusation of molesting a 13-year-old minor.