Sun's barely dragged itself up and it's already spotlighting every crack and scuff on the school's janky basketball court. Kinda amazing how those weird, long shadows creep out like they've got front row seats to the Li Wei Show. And, honestly, wasn't he kinda hoping for an audience? Today was gonna be different. He'd made up his mind—time to figure out just how far that pendant was willing to take him.
Here comes Zhang Jie, jogging beside him, already out of breath and looking at Li Wei like he's off his rocker—again. "Wei, what's gotten into you? You know you're insane for dragging yourself out here before class, right?" Classic Zhang Jie, always one second away from a meltdown.
Li Wei just grinned, all cocky, spinning the ball on his finger like he had something to prove. "Practice is boring, bro. Experiments, though—now that's where the fun starts."
Zhang Jie rolled his eyes so hard they almost stuck. "For real? The last time you got 'experimental' we almost got run outta here. I don't need a repeat, dude."
But, you know, Li Wei had stopped listening. That pendant warm against his skin? It was starting to pulse already—honestly, almost like it had its own heartbeat. Every step on the concrete felt electric. He was picking up on everything—the faint breeze, the scuff of sneakers, even the sound of someone laughing down the hall. He felt awake, maybe too awake.
On the far side of the court, a knot of students clustered up, whispering. Figured. Word about Li Wei spreads fast, especially after yesterday. Chen Guang had his fingerprints all over that rumor mill. People stared, half jaw-dropped, half skeptical, not quite willing to buy into the magic just yet.
Zhang Jie, like he was finally giving in to the madness, tossed a second basketball over. "Fine, show us your alien skills. But don't drag me down with you."
Li Wei snatched the ball out of the air, barely looking, and something just changed. It was like time hit slow-mo. He locked in on the way the other players shifted, the angle of the ball, how Chen Guang was already itching to try something. Seriously, it felt like seeing into the future for half a heartbeat.
Instinct took command, and Li Wei darted forward, weaving through defenders like he'd mapped out their moves the night before. He barely felt his feet brush the ground. The whole thing was a blur—he was moving faster, sharper, cleaner than he'd ever managed. The world shrank down to the arc of the ball and his own pounding heart.
Zhang Jie nearly dropped his own basketball—mouth wide open. "Dude, you're nuts! That was… I don't even know what that was!"
Li Wei just winked, dodging another wild arm and spinning in midair for a basket straight out of a comic book. The net snapped, and suddenly the crowd lost their chill. Everyone was on their feet, yelling, laughing, a few teachers drifting over to see what madness was going down way before the bell.
Then, predictably, Chen Guang's face went bright red. Guy looked like a cartoon kettle about to blow. "That's impossible! Nobody moves like that!" He thundered across the court, but Li Wei stepped aside, almost bored. The pendant buzzed again, guiding his hands, feet, whatever—like it was steering him.
The more they played, the more Li Wei felt that power growing, and sure, it was fun, but there was something a little scary about how easy it all came. The other students went from skeptical to full-on believers, whispering to each other, eyes wide like maybe Li Wei really was some kind of superhero. Zhang Jie just cracked up, shaking his head. "Bro, you gotta be hacking or something. No one's this good!"
Off to the side, Li Wei noticed Lin Xinya on the bleachers, peeking up over her book. He caught her watching and just shrugged, a "what can ya do?" kind of smile. She didn't smile back—not exactly. Something about him today was weird, and everybody with eyes could tell. Not just talent. Something… bigger.
When the bell finally rang, practice over, Chen Guang was already storming off, lackeys in tow, stomping hard enough to rattle the windows. You could almost see the smoke coming out of his ears.
Li Wei, breathing easy now, slipped the pendant back under his shirt. Still warm, still humming. He'd gotten a taste—just a hint—of its real power, and honestly, it lit a fire in his chest. Zhang Jie clapped him on the shoulder, all grins. "If you keep this up, man, nobody's touching you all season. You're gonna be a legend for sure."
Li Wei just gazed out beyond the fences, the court, everything. This—whatever power the pendant was stirring up—felt big. Not scary in a run-away way, but like he was standing at the door to a whole new story. Something tied to his dad, his family—roots way deeper than just showing off for the crowd.
And so, while everyone else filed into first period, still gossiping, Li Wei just grinned to himself. It wasn't just about power, or showing off, or even basketball anymore. And deep down, he knew: the real adventure? Just getting started.