Qin Zayne only realized later that although Dean Smith was quite old, he was actually a very modern coach.
On offense, he emphasized fast breaks, understood pass-and-cut systems, and even valued mismatch isolations.
On defense, he was highly versatile, often switching between multiple defensive strategies within a single game.
This meant that Dean Smith needed a wide variety of defensive tactics.
The "Chain Defense" proposed by Qin Zayne immediately caught Dean Smith's interest. He was eager to experiment with it, as it would expand his defensive playbook.
At the same time, he began to think even more highly of the creator of this Chain Defense—Qin Zayne.
In his eyes, this 23-year-old Asian man was nothing short of a tactical genius.
Qin Zayne himself hadn't expected this. He hadn't even revealed his trump card—the "Super Training Master"—and the scouting report on Tim Duncan was still tucked away in his pocket.
Moreover, he had only left Hampton two days ago, even though he had originally planned to spend a full week there.
"Found an assistant coaching job in just two days—and it's actually with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels!"
Qin Zayne's coaching career had begun perfectly.
Soon, Bill Guthridge brought over a contract. It stated:
A base salary of $3,000 per month, along with additional travel allowances whenever business trips were required.
Without hesitation, Qin Zayne signed his name—Swan Qin.
With that signature, he officially became an employee of the University of North Carolina.
To Qin Zayne, it all felt surreal. After all, he had only stepped onto the UNC campus a little over an hour ago.
And now, just one hour later, he had become a salaried employee earning far above the federal minimum wage.
Old Coach Dean Smith reached out and shook Qin Zayne's hand, then began chatting casually as if they were longtime acquaintances.
"Swann… where are you from?"
"Hampton."
"Hampton, Virginia?"
After seeing Qin Zayne nod, Dean Smith calculated briefly.
"A four- or five-hour drive makes daily commuting unrealistic. I'll have Bill arrange a single room for you in the staff dormitory."
"Thank you," Qin Zayne replied sincerely.
Dean Smith waved it off. "What's your phone number? Let me write it down."
Qin Zayne shook his head. "I don't have a mobile phone."
Bill Guthridge, standing nearby, looked surprised.
"Huh? You don't have a phone? Then what about the one you used to contact me earlier?"
Qin Zayne awkwardly pulled out a Motorola phone.
"You mean this? It's not mine—I borrowed it."
"Well, you'll have several business trips coming up. You can't go without a phone…"
Dean Smith thought for a moment.
"How about this—you take an advance on your first month's salary and buy one?"
"That works," Qin Zayne agreed.
"Alright, let's get to business."
The old coach smirked.
"From the moment you signed that contract, you became a worker to be 'exploited' by us capitalists. Here's your assignment."
"A business trip?"
The document showed that Qin Zayne would travel to Oregon to recruit a high school graduate named Damon Stoudamire.
"Now you understand why we wanted to hire someone young, right?" Dean Smith said.
Bill Guthridge, standing nearby, smiled as he explained,
"Dean and I are getting old—we can't run around anymore. Recruiting depends on young people like you."
UNC had a large coaching staff. Besides Bill Guthridge and Qin Zayne, there were six or seven others, but most were long-time assistants who had followed Dean Smith for years and were already quite old.
Aside from Qin Zayne, the only other relatively young coach was Jimmy Black, who had once been Michael Jordan's college teammate and stayed on as a coach after retiring.
According to Bill, Jimmy Black had been responsible for recruiting over the past two years.
However, UNC's recent performance had not been very impressive. They had consistently been overshadowed by their long-time rivals, Duke University, which left Dean Smith quite dissatisfied.
So this season, he decided to change strategy—bringing in younger coaches and placing greater emphasis on recruiting.
"We highly value Damon Stoudamire," Dean Smith explained. "We see him as the team's future playmaker. On this trip, you can promise him a full scholarship and a starting position next season."
After detailing everything, Dean Smith added,
"If necessary, call me—I'll speak with him personally."
"Understood," Qin Zayne nodded.
"But I need to return to Hampton first. The phone and the car I'm using are both borrowed."
"No problem," Dean Smith replied casually, pointing at Bill. "Coordinate your travel with him."
Qin Zayne followed Bill Guthridge out into the hallway of the UNC athletics building.
"There are three things you need to do before going back to Hampton," Bill said.
First, they went to the staff dormitory. Among several empty single rooms, Qin Zayne chose one in the far corner and received the key.
This would be his new home in Chapel Hill.
Next, they went to the finance department. Qin Zayne received an advance of $3,000 for his salary and $2,000 for travel expenses to Oregon.
"The travel expenses will be reimbursed based on actual spending," Bill explained. "Just keep all your receipts."
"Understood."
"Since Hampton is closer to Newport News Airport, I'll book your flight from there to Portland for the day after tomorrow. Sound good?"
"Sounds good."
"Oh, right—one last thing," Bill added. "You need to buy a phone. I'll take you."
At a campus phone shop, Qin Zayne spent $1,800 on a mid-range Motorola flip phone and another $200 on a SIM card with three months of service.
Just like that, $2,000 of his $5,000 was gone.
Even Qin Zayne felt a little sting.
After noting down his new number, Bill waved goodbye.
"Get going, kid. We'll stay in touch!"
As Dean Smith had predicted, the drive from Chapel Hill to Hampton took over four hours.
By the time Qin Zayne arrived in Neust, it was late at night.
The roar of the car engine triggered barking dogs, and people lingering on the streets responded with rude gestures, insults, and mocking shouts.
But the most unpleasant scene awaited him in the Jackson family's backyard.
Ashley heard the car and rushed out.
Shielding her eyes from the headlights, she pointed at Qin Zayne and began shouting angrily:
"You idiot! You actually came back? What the hell is wrong with you? The Jackson family raised you for nothing!"
Qin Zayne stepped out of the car, expressionless.
Ashley's harsh words irritated him, even though he knew this was simply her personality.
If she hadn't been so strong, dominant, and fierce, the Jackson family wouldn't have survived in Neust.
But still—
"Shut up!"
His roar cut her off instantly.
Then, he pulled out $1,000 and threw it toward her.
"I found a job. So stop nagging."
Ashley froze, staring at the money scattered on the ground.
"You found a job?"
"Yeah."
"What job?"
"Do you know the University of North Carolina?"
"Of course."
"I'm an assistant coach for their basketball team. Salary is $3,000 a month, with housing included."
Ashley's eyes filled with doubt.
Little Ben, who had rushed out behind her, was also skeptical.
"The UNC Tar Heels? That's a top NCAA school. How could you possibly work there?"
Qin Zayne didn't explain immediately. Instead, he walked inside and pulled out his employment contract stamped with the UNC seal.
Along with the Motorola phone in his hand, it was undeniable proof.
Little Ben quickly assessed the situation.
"If he didn't join UNC, there's no way he'd have at least $2,500 in assets."
Ashley's expression changed instantly—her earlier anger vanished.
"A $3,000 monthly salary? You really made it…"
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