[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-player-reboot":3,"chapter-player-reboot-player-reboot-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Player Reboot",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2271969,4438,"Chapter 4: Basketball","player-reboot-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>You need a network tool that can completely hide your identity before daring to search for information online.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This isn’t excessive caution—it’s rigorous logical reasoning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, it’s certain that the Special Affairs Administration has existed for a long time, specializing in handling anomalies and suppressing information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From their perspective, online surveillance is undoubtedly a crucial component.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether someone survives an anomaly and posts about their bizarre experience online, or someone gets entangled in an anomaly and vanishes mysteriously, leaving family members to seek help online—both warrant the Special Affairs Administration’s attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This means every online platform has been equipped with detection systems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once keywords like “Special Affairs Administration,” “Shadow Realm,” or “Divine Offspring” appear—or even their pinyin abbreviations—the system automatically reports them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re first checked by AI programs or designated personnel to determine if they relate to anomalies, then reviewed manually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even input method software, document software, and cloud storage apps are under surveillance, with sensitive terms linked across platforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can observe this in mobile apps: if you search for something on a search engine, you’ll likely see related products pushed to you when you open an e-commerce platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng cannot rely on the Special Affairs Administration’s incompetence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He put the USB drive in his pocket, stepped out of the cafeteria, and hadn’t walked far when a teacher called out, “Two students, can you help me carry some books?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, sure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker was the computer teacher, whom Li Cheng recognized; he immediately walked over and picked up a bundle of textbooks from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Jiaying also came over, picked up another bundle, and tilted her head with a smile: “What a coincidence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, really a coincidence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng nodded numbly, about to ask Ye Jiaying to hand the books to him, but the words died on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please carry the books to the third-floor research room in the Science Building. Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, the computer teacher pulled out his buzzing phone, answered a call, and began chatting with school administrators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Jiaying stepped forward, her plaid skirt swaying gently, emitting a faint lavender scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng walked silently beside her, suddenly annoyed that the school administration hadn’t made this shaded path, dappled with tree shadows, longer and more winding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you participating in the New Year’s cultural performance this year?” Ye Jiaying asked with a smile. “I heard you play guitar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the class Chinese representative and cultural committee member, so organizing the New Year’s performance fell within her duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng cleared his throat, feigning nonchalance. Thanks to his aunt and uncle’s intense parenting, he’d taken many extracurricular classes as a child; playing guitar was one of the few hobbies he’d picked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, how about we form a band?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Jiaying asked: “I play cello and drums, Han Letian plays keyboard, Mu Yulu plays bass, and you’re the guitarist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You play drums too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng suppressed his inner excitement and asked, pretending not to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already knew the girl played instruments—he’d long ago pieced together clues from her QQ space and other social media: her birthday, favorite music, movies, food, and more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I do. I’m pretty good, actually.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Jiaying chuckled: “So, are you in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng nodded vigorously, his mind spiraling uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a noisy stage, he stepped out in a sleek black trench coat, playing guitar with cool, swaggering flair, drawing screams from the crowd, electrifying the entire venue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enthusiastic audience waved glowing sticks, forming a shimmering sea; behind him, Ye Jiaying drummed with admiration in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dull thump shattered Li Cheng’s daydream. He instinctively tilted his head—the lingering pain from the impact still tingled on his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Wilson basketball, colorful and worth at least eight thousand, bounced off his forehead, skipped once on the ground, then rolled into the nearby grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, bro, my bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the basketball court, a tall, handsome guy in a Gucci T-shirt waved at him with a grin: “You okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zhengxin, a sophomore in Class 10, came from a well-known cosmetics company, was good-looking, and played forward for the school basketball team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The basketball court was far from the shaded path, with a row of trees blocking the way—how could it possibly be an accident?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was almost certainly because months ago, he’d arranged a heart of roses outside the school gate, confidently declared his love to Ye Jiaying—and she politely refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, bro, you okay? Don’t zone out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t even handle a little hit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dude, can you toss the ball back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boys playing basketball with Luo Zhengxin chimed in, while the spectators on the sidelines—all boys and girls—grinned, clearly enjoying the spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a jerk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Jiaying frowned, muttered under her breath, set down her books, and gently rubbed Li Cheng’s forehead: “How’s it feel? Does it hurt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intimate gesture stiffened Luo Zhengxin’s smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nonchalantly tugged at his collar, revealing a platinum Saint Laurent pendant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng, who had slit his own throat the night before, was no pushover. A sudden surge of rage flared inside him, yet his face remained calm and smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He calmly set down his textbook, picked up the Wilson basketball, tossed it lightly in his hand, and said to Luo Zhengxin on the court: “I’m throwing it now—can you catch it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zhengxin grinned confidently: “Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood tall, a head taller than Li Cheng, whose slender frame clearly showed he rarely exercised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zhengxin already imagined how he’d catch the ball with effortless grace, turn, leap back, and sink a perfect three-pointer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his confidence, Li Cheng smiled faintly, gripped the ball with his right hand’s five fingers, and as he released it, gave it a slight spin with his fingertips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball floated slowly into Luo Zhengxin’s right palm—but as he tried to grip it with both hands, he felt the lingering spin still on the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand involuntarily twisted, his wrist snapped backward, and his knuckles slammed hard into his own face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A muffled sound followed—Luo Zhengxin’s nose gushed blood, his grip failed, and the ball dropped to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court fell silent. In everyone’s eyes, Luo Zhengxin had easily caught the slow-moving ball—then suddenly smashed his own nose with the back of his hand, drawing blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl on the sideline screamed, snapping everyone out of their shock: “Oh no! Zhengxin’s nose is bleeding!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His teammates and spectators rushed over, asking if he was okay, handing him water and tissues, wiping his blood, and someone ran to call the school nurse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, bro, you okay? Don’t zone out. You can’t even handle a little hit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng feigned surprise, echoing the same words back at them. Seeing the chaos on the court, he picked up his textbooks again and calmly led Ye Jiaying toward the Science Building as if nothing had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not leaving!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pair of elegantly dressed teenagers leapt over the grass and blocked Li Cheng’s path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Yingxun and Qiu Yourong—two stars from Class 11 (the so-called study-abroad class), whose family ran a publicly traded company even wealthier than Luo Zhengxin’s. But… their preferences were odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both brother and sister could develop romantic feelings for either gender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You made Zhengxin bleed—do you think you can just walk away?” Qiu Yingxun declared sternly, slapping his blood-stained palm onto Li Cheng’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if you break his face? Can you afford to pay for that?” Qiu Yourong shouted: “He’s going to play in the NBA!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The NBA cares about skill, not looks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at this pair of gorgeous but strangely clueless rich siblings, Li Cheng said seriously: “Of course, I don’t doubt Luo’s ability. He’ll eventually reach the achievements of my idol, Kobe Bryant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, Kobe won five NBA championships, one regular-season MVP, two Finals MVPs, four All-Star Game MVPs, two scoring titles; he was selected to the All-Star starting lineup 18 times, the All-NBA Team 15 times (11 first-team, 2 second-team, 2 third-team), and the All-Defensive Team 12 times (9 first-team, 3 second-team); he died once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Yingxun and Qiu Yourong stood frozen, listening to this rapid-fire recitation. Only after Li Cheng and Ye Jiaying disappeared from view did they snap back, stomping their feet in rage: “You’re not leaving!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t stop him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Zhengxin poked his head out from among the concerned classmates and called out in a muffled voice, halting the Qiu siblings from chasing Li Cheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a school team forward, failing to catch a slow ball and accidentally smashing his own nose was already humiliating enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this got any bigger and other students found out, his reputation would be ruined forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then people would say: “Hey, you know Luo Zhengxin from our school’s basketball team who says he’s going to the NBA?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, what about him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He got his nose bleeding from a ball hit—he lay in the school clinic all afternoon, and half the city’s doctors came to consult him. They spent hours stopping the bleeding. Now they’re trying to figure out how to cut his hair without anesthesia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Cheng climbed the Science Building steps, Ye Jiaying glanced back at the resentful Qiu siblings and couldn’t help laughing: “They’re so funny.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right? Their eyes have this pure, innocent stupidity—like hamsters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Cheng also laughed, walked into the research room, set down the books, and patted his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the window, green trees cast shade, the sunset blazed brilliantly, soothing music played over the loudspeaker, students ran on the track, pulled themselves up on the bars, boys wandered in groups excitedly discussing new video games, and girls chatted in clusters about MBTI tests on Xiaohongshu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faintly visible were couples strolling through the small grove, fingers entwined, whispering endless sweet nothings—until they spotted a teacher approaching, then quickly let go and pretended not to know each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scene of vibrant life, all things flourishing, lay right before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1666,"2026-06-19T22:31:22.154Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b4f2b3ba561d55c7ad92e3192433b5f6c1993981ed19eacf6c11ef7a2635b2a2","player-reboot-chapter-5","player-reboot-chapter-3",612,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fplayer-reboot-cover.jpg"]