I was a top student in America.

In the "Iron Box" gym, there weren't many customers in the afternoon, and the occasional dull thud of equipment colliding could be heard.

Li Ao put the last few dumbbells back on the rack, sat down in the chair to catch his breath, and focused his gaze on the panel in front of him.

I glanced at my current attributes.

-

Name: Li Ao

Identity: 11th-grade high school student

Power: 99.1

Agility: 100.3

Stamina: 92.7

Intelligence: 101.2

Terms: [Applying knowledge to new situations] [Muscle memory]

"Let's train our strength first," Li Ao thought for a moment and immediately made up his mind.

Of the remaining two attributes, Strength is closest to the threshold for the next affix.

Besides, the school team selection is next week. Improving strength will benefit both physical strength and shooting ability, making it the most cost-effective option right now.

In addition, after experiencing the state of shooting motions becoming instinctive memory, he was also curious about how much the term "muscle memory" could help with simple strength training.

With that thought in mind, he turned around and walked to the squat rack, putting two 45-pound weight plates on the empty bar on the ground.

Follow the instructions in the online fitness videos.

Bend your knees, engage your core, and lift.

……

After completing several sets of deadlifts followed by several sets of presses, Li Ao shook his arms, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and felt increasingly exhilarated.

"It definitely feels more comfortable to exert force now."

Compared to the awkwardness during strength training a few days ago, my breathing and rhythm were noticeably improved when I lifted heavy objects today.

Once you find the right posture for exerting force, the movement will automatically stay on that smoothest trajectory, which shows that muscle memory is indeed working.

As long as you continue training, the stability of your movements and the effectiveness of your training will further improve.

At the very least, you don't have to worry about injuring yourself because of incorrect movements.

Realizing this, he became even more motivated, and even the last few sets of movements were performed much more lightly.

[Continuing strength training... Strength +0.1]

……

The next day after school, taking advantage of the time before going to work at "Iron Box", Li Ao carried his bag and arrived early at the community sports field near the school.

I had only been practicing for a short while when a familiar figure strolled over from the sidelines.

Jamal was still wearing that thin gray hoodie, sporting a baby face, with a faded basketball tucked under his arm.

He was stunned when he saw Li Ao, after all, he had never seen "Brother Leo" touch a basketball before.

But he was immediately drawn to Li Ao's standard and fluid jump shot.

While Li Ao finished shooting a set of spot-up mid-range shots, he rubbed his slightly frozen hands, walked onto the court, and politely struck up a conversation.

"Leo, you're awesome!"

Jamal demonstrated Li Ao's starting and landing motions, saying, "Your shooting form is so professional, why don't you join the school basketball team?"

"I'm planning to try out next week."

"Really?"

Jamal was surprised, but also somewhat disappointed.

After all, Wyndham basketball teams only recruit a few players each year, and the more formidable the competitor, the less hope they have.

However, for a kid who grew up in the South District, disappointment was commonplace. He quickly put on his usual smiling face, blinked, and familiarly leaned in to chat:

"Leo, you've been acting strange lately. You're working at 'Iron Box' again, participating in the basketball team's tryouts, and studying every night. You weren't this diligent before."

"And your shooting, I know almost everyone who plays basketball in our neighborhood. We always compete to see who can jump higher and do more fancy tricks on the basketball court."

"Your movements are so precise, it's like you've had formal training. How long have you been practicing?"

Li Ao casually tossed the ball to Jamal and said indifferently:

"I started practicing on a whim, it's only been a few days."

Jamal caught the ball, his eyes widening: "A few days? That's awesome!"

"I thought you went to tryouts just to join in the fun, but now it seems like you're aiming for a regular spot."

"But aren't you tired of working like this every day?"

"I'm tired, but there's nothing I can do about it," Li Ao said calmly, wiping his sweat. "If I want to go to university and leave the South District, I have to show some real talent."

"Leaving the South District?" Jamal stared at him, as if he'd heard something out of the blue. "Leo, are you really going to college?"

Li Ao didn't respond to that, but simply clapped his hands and changed the subject:

"Let's not talk about that now, it's still far from certain. Have you inquired about Coach Durant's preferences when selecting players for the basketball team?"

Jamal then straightened his expression, leaned closer, and whispered:

"I heard he values ​​physical condition quite a bit. Look at TySean and Daryl, they're both as strong as oxen. He doesn't really like the skinny, skinny type like us."

At this point, Jamal gave a wry smile, "But Leo, don't worry. Physical condition is only one aspect. With your accurate shooting, you'll have opportunities anywhere."

"As for me... I think it's probably hopeless."

"Then get to practicing."

Li Ao remained calm and waved to him, "Stop talking nonsense, pass the ball a few times, let's practice a few sets together."

The two practiced for about half an hour more.

In late October, the wind in Chicago's South Side was already quite chilly.

Jamal was dressed lightly, and after the intense running he had just done, he was covered in sweat. The cold wind made him feel a bit overwhelmed.

He pulled Li Ao to the rusty barbed wire fence at the edge of the field, found a sheltered corner, and squatted down to rest.

Li Ao was happy to take this opportunity to catch his breath, so he simply squatted down with him.

But he clearly didn't intend to leave this time empty.

As soon as he squatted down, he pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from his hoodie pocket and began to read it aloud.

Jamal took a closer look and found that it was covered with English words. He stuck out his tongue.

A few minutes later.

Jamal felt a bit cold, sniffed, and his runny nose made him realize he was about to cross the river.

He rummaged in his pocket for a while, then turned to ask, "Brother Leo, did you bring any tissues?"

"This is all we have, you'll have to make do with it."

Li Ao didn't even look up, directly handing over the slip of paper in his hand, and then took out another one from his pocket, saying, "I've already memorized this one."

Jamal held the note covered in letters, staring blankly for a long time with a strange expression, then gave Li Ao a thumbs up.

"Brother Leo, I'm really impressed. Even when you're taking a break, you don't forget to memorize vocabulary."

"With that kind of ruthlessness in you, you might actually be able to get into a good university with this thing and leave this lousy neighborhood for good."

"Thank you for your kind words."

Li Ao smiled, stood up, and dusted off his hands.

He casually picked up the basketball from the ground. "Alright, keep practicing."

The two played basketball for a while longer, but Jamal couldn't stand the cold wind and went home first.

Li Ao picked up his backpack from the ground, dusted it off, and headed straight for the "iron box" gym two blocks away.

Just as he finished changing his clothes and was about to pick up the barbell plates scattered on the ground...

A commotion came from the doorway, and the heavy iron gate was pushed open.

Li Ao straightened up.

They noticed that Ty Shore had walked in.

His towering figure, over 1.9 meters tall, blocked the doorway like a wall, his gaze passing over the reception desk and landing directly on Li Ao in the equipment area.

……