Luo Zi walked ahead, dribbling the basketball, his face full of encouragement as he glanced back at Xu Ze. “A-Ze, what do you think? I bet Li Yan is totally into you. She’s no less than Zhang Linyun, you know? Half the guys in our class are drooling over her. If you don’t make a move, someone else will…”
Xu Ze let out a bitter laugh and shook his head without saying a word.
This only made Luo Zi more anxious. He turned around, glaring at Xu Ze. “Seriously, what’s going on with you? Li Yan is amazing—her personality, her looks, everything. She’s top-tier in our school, even better than Zhang Linyun. Why are you acting so indifferent?”
At the mention of that shadowy name, Xu Ze bit his lip. Seeing Luo Zi’s frustrated expression, he sighed softly. Ever since that incident, he had been afraid to let himself fall for someone again. The pain had been too much to bear. Shaking his head, he said quietly, “Luo Zi, let’s not talk about this. I’m really not in the mood for a relationship right now.”
Seeing the sudden gloom on Xu Ze’s face, Luo Zi realized he had touched a sore spot. He sighed helplessly, patted Xu Ze’s shoulder, and tried to comfort him. “Alright, alright, let’s drop it. Come on, let’s go play some ball…”
The basketball court was indeed a great place to vent. Xu Ze dribbled the ball like a whirlwind, charging forward with such force that Luo Zi, caught off guard, was pushed back several feet. Xu Ze then spun around gracefully, leaped into the air, and effortlessly dunked the ball.
As Xu Ze retrieved the ball and sprinted back to the center line for another attack, Luo Zi was utterly stunned. “This guy’s explosive power is insane. I couldn’t even stop him… And he’s only been training for a few days. What’s he going to be like in the future?”
Xu Ze, unaware of the shock he had caused the usually unflappable Luo Zi, charged forward again like a young stag, barreling toward Luo Zi, who stood in his path.
With an F-level physique—equivalent to that of a special forces soldier—Xu Ze, who had undergone primary genetic optimization, didn’t fully realize the extent of his physical transformation. He simply felt that his body was much stronger than before.
Of course, since he rarely engaged in intense, competitive sports—mostly just jogging—he had no idea just how much his body had changed.
But after a couple of days of intense basketball matches with Luo Zi, Xu Ze’s latent potential began to surface. Now, even when facing Luo Zi’s robust frame, Xu Ze held his ground without faltering.
Feeling the immense force emanating from Xu Ze’s seemingly slender body, Luo Zi was increasingly amazed. He was giving it his all, yet Xu Ze kept pushing him back, as if there was no way to stop him. How could Xu Ze be this strong?
Meanwhile, Zhang Ziyang, who had been watching from the other side of the court, was equally dumbfounded. As a longtime teammate of Luo Zi and a veteran of the university basketball league, Zhang Ziyang knew exactly how formidable Luo Zi was.
Known as the “Iron Wall” of the league, Luo Zi was considered the university’s most impenetrable defender. Few could break through his defense easily. Yet, just now, Xu Ze had pushed him back with a few moves and effortlessly scored a layup.
What shocked Zhang Ziyang the most was that Xu Ze had dunked the ball—albeit with one hand. But for someone under six feet tall to dunk so easily… Just how incredible was his jumping ability?
“Xu Ze, you’re so cool! Do it again!” A group of five or six girls had gathered at the sidelines, cheering excitedly as they watched Xu Ze’s smooth moves and impressive dunk.
Seeing Li Yan, Tao Xiaoyun, and the other girls screaming with excitement, Xu Ze, who was playfully hanging from the rim, felt a strange sense of pride and exhilaration. “So this is what it feels like to be cheered on by girls on the basketball court…”
On the other side of the court, his teammates had stopped playing and were staring at Xu Ze, who had just jumped down from the rim with ease. Like Zhang Ziyang, they were utterly shocked. Dunking might sound easy, but in reality…
Luo Zi, his face beaming with excitement, suddenly turned to the players on the other side of the court and shouted, “Jiang Bo, Li Tianbao, come over and play with Xu Ze!”
“Coming!” The two responded eagerly, running over and giving Xu Ze a friendly punch on the shoulder. “Xu Ze, you’ve been hiding your skills, huh…”
Playing against four opponents was still a bit challenging for Xu Ze. He often had to pass the ball under pressure from Jiang Bo and Li Tianbao. But soon, his movements became more fluid.
After receiving a pass from Luo Zi, Xu Ze dribbled, spun, and broke through the defense of Jiang Bo and Li Tianbao. He leaped into the air and slammed the ball through the hoop with a flourish, eliciting another round of excited screams from the girls watching.
Of course, this only made Zhang Ziyang, who was watching from a distance, even more sullen. Once, he had been the one receiving cheers from the girls on the court, even from Li Yan. But now, Xu Ze had taken all the glory. All the girls were cheering for him, and Li Yan’s attention would likely never return to Zhang Ziyang.
That night, after falling asleep, Xu Ze entered the virtual space once again.
“So, how does it feel to dominate the basketball court?” Xiao Dao asked with a smile, looking at the calm Xu Ze.
“Not bad,” Xu Ze nodded slightly. Through today’s real-life basketball match, he had finally confirmed that the training he had undergone with Bond hadn’t been in vain. The basketball experience stored in his memory, inherited from Tao Jun, was indeed extraordinary. It seemed Tao Jun had been a skilled player in his past life, which explained why Xu Ze had picked up the sport so quickly.
“Not bad? That’s all you have to say?” Xiao Dao’s smile froze. He had expected Xu Ze to be thrilled after experiencing the thrill of basketball, but instead, Xu Ze seemed indifferent.
Xiao Dao’s simulated mind seemed to short-circuit for a moment. After regaining control of his chaotic programs, he sighed inwardly. “Humans are so strange. This Xu kid is even more peculiar than Tao Jun.”
Noticing Xiao Dao’s stiff expression, Xu Ze frowned in confusion. What was wrong with Xiao Dao today? Why was he acting so weird? Could he be… glitching? No way… Even the Core Duo processors from our era rarely glitch. A super system like him shouldn’t have that problem, right?
Xu Ze stared at Xiao Dao curiously, but soon Xiao Dao’s expression softened, and he seemed to return to normal. Relieved, Xu Ze urged, “Let’s get started with the lesson. We shouldn’t waste time.”
“…” Xiao Dao was speechless. He couldn’t understand why Xu Ze was so eager. It didn’t seem like his usual personality.
After a few days of studying, they had finished physiology, and Xiao Dao was now teaching biochemistry. The pace was still fast, and Xu Ze was as diligent as ever. His dedication to these dry subjects puzzled Xiao Dao, who didn’t know that Xu Ze’s goal was simple: to finish his studies quickly, become a skilled doctor, and earn enough money to relieve his parents’ hardships.
In fact, Xu Ze’s heart ached every time he thought about his mother setting up a street stall every day. Her health wasn’t great, but she had no choice but to work to support the family. Ever since he was a child, Xu Ze had dreamed of making enough money so that his parents wouldn’t have to struggle so much.
This was also one of the reasons why Xu Ze, despite being shy, had mustered the courage to find a part-time job at the Huimin Clinic after starting university—to learn and earn at the same time.
