I was a top student in America.

Chapter 120 Home Game (Please Subscribe)

In the eyes of his teammates, Li Ao is an absolute training fanatic and a super academic achiever.

From the initial shock at the start of the school year, people have now become quite used to it.

That's why everyone actually hopes to see him as a normal high school student and wants him to take some time to relax.

Before we knew it, it was time for the homecoming dance.

Li Ao was dragged to the entrance of the stadium by Jamal, Jaylen, and others.

As soon as he arrived outside the venue, he noticed several familiar figures.

Besides Lin Jinni, there was also her friend Latoya and several girls from the high school student council.

Jamal was the first to approach and greet Latoya, "Hey, good evening."

Latoa's gaze, however, bypassed him and landed on Li Ao.

She looked him up and down, then half-jokingly said, "Welcome our Wyndham sharpshooter—no, he should be called the 'Eagles Captain' now—to the Homecoming Dance."

"Come on, you're more used to just calling me Leo," Li Ao replied casually.

No sooner had she finished speaking than a girl from the student council chimed in with a smile, "I think it might be more appropriate for us to call him Dr. Leo, right?"

"Of course! Leo went to work at the Department of Energy during the summer vacation and even guided people in the national laboratory in their research. Calling him a doctor is not an exaggeration at all." Before Li Ao could speak, Jamal preemptively boasted.

When the basketball team first learned where Li Ao was going for the summer, they were all incredulous. Some even jokingly asked him if he could bring back some superpowers.

After all, we're all in the same school. While I'm still worrying about whether I can pass the midterm exam, they've already gone off to study cutting-edge science. It feels like we're from completely different dimensions.

Upon hearing this, apart from Lin Jinni, who already knew the inside story, the other girls all looked surprised.

They thought Li Ao was already amazing for winning a gold medal in the International Mathematics Competition, but they never expected that he would also go to the government department to participate in scientific research.

The contrast between the identities of a high school student and a scientist is indeed beyond the imagination of ordinary students.

"Oh my god, is Leo going to become Iron Man in the future?" Latoya couldn't help but exclaim.

"I'm really not going to work for the Department of Energy, don't listen to Jamal's nonsense."

Li Ao explained somewhat speechlessly, "I just went to the University of Chicago and did some auxiliary research on a project."

However, the others were clearly more willing to believe Jamal's more imaginative version of the story and didn't listen to his explanation at all.

Latoya pulled Lin Jinni aside and changed the subject: "By the way, Jinni is also on the Homecoming Queen shortlist this year. You guys have to remember to vote for her during the voting."

"No problem, I'll vote." Li Ao nodded and glanced at Lin Jinni.

After the casual conversation came to an end, the group walked into the stadium together.

It's worth mentioning that Lin Jinni, perhaps because of the large number of people present, didn't actively interrupt throughout the entire event, but her gaze occasionally fell on Li Ao.

Whether it was pre-arranged or not, as they walked inside, they intentionally or unintentionally squeezed Li Ao and Lin Jinni together.

Although the two walked side by side, they didn't exchange more than a few words.

For Li Ao, the homecoming dance was just a small episode in his life, and it did not affect his original study and training plans at all.

With only two or three days left until the homecoming basketball game after the prom, a tense atmosphere of preparation gradually filled the gymnasium at Wyndham High School.

In order to prepare for the tough battles ahead, Li Ao proactively increased his solo practice sessions, focusing on improving his ball control and passing skills.

Although they are playing at home this time, their opponent, Simon College, is a well-known powerhouse in the South Division. Moreover, Wyndham lost to them last year, so they cannot afford to be complacent.

More importantly, this is the main focus of the homecoming festival, and losing the game in front of the entire school would be quite embarrassing.

On Monday evening, in the locker room after practice, the players gathered around the tactics board, discussing their tactical arrangements for the game against Simon Academy. The atmosphere in the room was somewhat somber.

"The match officially starts on Wednesday. I hope I can avenge last year's defeat."

Jaylen looked at the opponent's name written on the whiteboard and broke the silence first.

His words were quickly echoed by several veteran players: "Yeah, I wonder if their starting point guard from last year will be even more difficult to deal with this year."

"I heard that college scouts will be coming to watch the game."

Jaylen sighed and said with some worry, "I'm confident I won't get blown out on defense, but whether I can put up impressive numbers on offense in front of the scouts is another story."

Ever since seeing Li Ao become the captain, Jay Chou has also started to seriously plan for his future.

He was eager for a college basketball scholarship, and every game he played in high school, his playing time and scoring performance were the core material for making highlight reels and contacting coaches of various college teams.

Not only should they avoid being used as a backdrop by their opponents on the field, but the more impressive their statistics, the better.

In this game, Li Ao will switch to point guard, and Simon Academy will definitely put a lot of defensive pressure on him, and may even double-team him.

Whether others can seize open shooting opportunities will be the key to victory.

With this in mind, Jaylen set a goal for himself: to score at least double digits in this game, or to make more than three three-pointers.

"It's a pity that Tayshaun and Daryl have both graduated. Now we don't have anyone in the paint who can take on the opponent." Jamal leaned back on the bench and added quietly.

Li Ao wasn't worried about himself, but after hearing his teammates' concerns, an idea struck him, and he said without reservation, "How about I take a day off tomorrow morning and do some extra practice with you guys?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the locker room fell silent. Several pairs of eyes turned to him, their faces full of undisguised surprise.

"Really?"

The group had practiced with Li Ao quite often and knew how skilled he was at ball handling, shooting, and defensive footwork.

More importantly, Li Ao's logic was exceptionally clear when explaining basic techniques and tactical coordination, and he could always pinpoint the problems incisively.

It's no exaggeration to say that sometimes listening to him explain the key points of the movements makes it easier to find the feeling of generating power in your body than listening to a coach's instructions.

If I can practice with Li Ao a few times before the home game, my shooting touch might really improve significantly.

At the very least, a better understanding of tactics will make one feel more at ease when playing.

"That's great! With the captain saying that, I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."

"Thanks for the captain's help!" an eleventh-grade guard shouted excitedly.

Seeing this, Jamal straightened up, patted his chest, and shouted generously, "No problem! We'll cover all the snacks and sports drinks for tomorrow. Leo, pick whatever you want to drink!"

"That's right, we'll treat!" The other teammates nodded in agreement.

Li Ao was caught up in the enthusiastic atmosphere in the locker room and couldn't help but laugh.

He replied half-jokingly, "Okay, then I won't be so polite with you tomorrow."

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