A can of beer didn't stay long in the bloodstream, as one walked in the winter campus where tranquility set the main tone. A basketball lay abandoned under the hoop, and Zhou Ziang hooked it lightly with his toe, sending it bouncing up effortlessly.
Warming up, dribbling, leaping for a layup, scoring – a series of fluid motions warmed up all his muscles, his hair damp with sweat.
After arriving in the United States, Zhou Ziang's age had become a rather conspicuous label. To avoid attracting too much attention, he had not joined the school's basketball team.
The Cloud Ascension Technique allowed Zhou Ziang to jump to incredible heights at will. Even Dan Qiao, the current hotshot of the North American Basketball League, would be out of his depth facing him.
A couple walked toward the basketball court; they looked to be in the throes of romance. Zhou Ziang made one final shot into the hoop, his breath still steady, but the cold air he exhaled had turned clear.
