"An Asian man came to apply for a scouting position, and this is the scouting report he submitted."
In Winston-Salem, inside the basketball office of Wake Forest University, Dave Odom, head coach of the Demon Deacons, stared intently at a video player.
The footage showed a big man with a flashy playing style.
An assistant coach knocked and entered. Without taking his eyes off the screen, Dave Odom simply extended his hand to receive the scouting report.
Only after a moment did he reluctantly look away from the video and glance at the report.
"A player from the Virgin Islands? He's been playing basketball for less than a year? Does he think everyone is Hakeem Olajuwon?"
Dave Odom shook his head.
"And there's no video footage attached? Tell him to leave—I don't have time to meet him."
"Okay."
The assistant coach nodded and turned to go.
Then Dave Odom suddenly remembered something.
"Wait, Mays. Come back after you send him away. Let's talk about this."
He pointed at the screen. Mays followed his finger and took a look.
"Chris Webber? He's a top prospect in this class. It'll be very difficult for us to recruit him."
Dave Odom shook his head again.
"How will we know if we don't try?"
"So you want me to help plan the recruitment strategy?"
"Exactly."
"Alright, sir. I'll be right back."
Across a long corridor, Qin Zheng once again met Mays, the assistant coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The middle-aged white man, wearing round glasses like an old scholar, returned the scouting report and said flatly:
"You can leave now."
Qin Zheng frowned.
"Has Mr. Dave Odom seen this report?"
Opportunities were rare, and he was unwilling to give up so easily. This question was his last attempt to earn a meeting.
But Mays grew impatient.
"There's nothing worth seeing. Your report has no video footage, and it's about an unknown player from the Virgin Islands. This is just a waste of our time."
Qin Zheng was stunned.
A scouting report on Tim Duncan… a waste of time?
For a moment, he even doubted whether this world was real.
Shaking his head inwardly, Qin Zheng realized that Wake Forest likely hadn't discovered Tim Duncan yet—a young player in the Virgin Islands who had only recently started playing basketball.
Yes, the report Qin Zheng submitted was about the future legend known as the "Big Fundamental," Tim Duncan.
It was remarkable that Duncan only started playing basketball at fifteen, yet later earned such a title. His talent was truly astonishing.
In truth, Qin Zheng had never gone to the Virgin Islands. He had reconstructed the scouting report entirely from memories of his previous life.
Naturally, he had no video footage to provide.
Still, he valued this report greatly. He believed that discovering a hidden talent early could open the door for him into an NCAA Division I program.
Especially a young player like this.
For a school like Wake Forest—solid but not elite—finding Tim Duncan early could provide a crucial advantage.
Unfortunately, the brief report failed to convince Dave Odom.
Qin Zheng wasn't discouraged. If Odom wouldn't give him a chance, then Odom was the one losing out.
"Next stop!"
While driving, the phone he had taken from Old Walter started ringing.
There was no caller ID.
Without hesitation, Qin Zheng hung up.
"Old Walter's phone—any call is probably bad news."
He was right.
The call was from Ashley.
At that moment, Ashley had already found out where he was and was waiting angrily for him to answer.
But instead, the line cut off.
"F**k you, Swann!"
As Qin Zheng drove toward Raleigh, North Carolina's capital, he suddenly sneezed three times in a row.
The drive from Winston-Salem to Raleigh took three hours.
This time, Qin Zheng went straight into the basketball gym at North Carolina State University.
The NC State Wolfpack had posted a newspaper ad recruiting an assistant coach.
So this time, he applied directly for the assistant coach position.
He soon met the head coach, Les Robinson.
Les Robinson was no longer young. His short hair was already graying. The moment he saw Qin Zheng, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Qin Zheng noticed immediately—there was a hint of disdain.
It made him uncomfortable.
But before he could react—
A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[System fusing...]
[Fusion successful. Host has obtained the first special ability: Super Training Master.]
[Super Training Master: You have three slots. Bind a player to personally train them and significantly accelerate their growth.]
Qin Zheng froze.
A system? Like a cheat code?
He didn't care how cliché it sounded.
Right now, he only knew one thing—he had chosen the right path.
Basketball.
Even without the system, his past-life knowledge could have made him a coach, executive, or agent.
But now—
He had a god-tier start.
Les Robinson began the interview, asking about tactics and philosophy.
Qin Zheng quickly understood the system—he could accelerate player growth.
That meant he was now an elite trainer.
But since the questions weren't about training, he focused on demonstrating his tactical knowledge.
He explained modern basketball concepts and introduced a defensive system inspired by Tom Thibodeau's Strong-side Stack Chain Defense.
In the early '90s, emphasizing defense was always a safe strategy.
However, Les Robinson remained unconvinced.
"Do you have any coaching experience?"
Qin Zheng paused, then shook his head.
"So you're just a backseat coach?"
The cold tone made Qin Zheng realize—this wouldn't work.
So he played his trump card.
"I'm also a top-tier trainer."
"Oh? Prove it."
"Give me a 2–3 month internship and one or two players. I guarantee visible improvement."
As expected—
He was rejected.
"You have no experience, your tactics seem unrealistic, and you're Asian. Do Asians even understand basketball?"
Qin Zheng's face went cold.
"That's racial discrimination."
Les Robinson shrugged.
"Call it whatever you want. You're not getting the job."
Qin Zheng clenched his fists and made a fake punch.
Les Robinson flinched and dodged.
But Qin Zheng never intended to hit him—it was just intimidation.
As he walked away, he cursed:
"What a f**king waste of time, you white pig!"
After leaving NC State, it was still afternoon.
He drove another hour to Durham.
There, he tried contacting staff from Duke University—but failed to secure even one interview.
The next day, the final answer came:
"We are not recruiting staff."
Qin Zheng wasn't surprised.
He had no experience—and he was Asian.
Of his four target schools, only the University of North Carolina remained.
By noon, he arrived at UNC.
After a quick meal, he searched for contact information.
Then he spotted something surprising—
UNC was also recruiting an assistant coach.
He bought the newspaper, made the call, and half an hour later, entered the campus.
He first met Bill Guthridge.
"You're a bit young..."
Qin Zheng nodded.
"But we actually need someone young."
Qin Zheng felt like he was on a roller coaster.
Soon, the interview began.
He explained his tactical ideas and again introduced the Strong-side Stack Chain Defense.
Bill Guthridge raised his eyebrows.
"Very interesting. Dean will want to see this."
Soon, Qin Zheng stood before Dean Smith.
"Show me your system."
Using a tactical board, Qin Zheng explained everything in detail—strong-side pressure, weak-side rotations, and the "no middle" principle.
Dean Smith's eyes lit up.
When Qin Zheng finished, he applauded.
"Excellent system. Very complete."
Qin Zheng held back his excitement.
Then came the words—
"Welcome to the University of North Carolina Tar Heels."
Qin Zheng froze.
He could only nod repeatedly.
Bill Guthridge laughed.
"He says, 'Of course!'"