Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Chapter 635 - 635: Two Peas In A Pod

Jimmy and Max bolted upright in their beds, startled by Kai's shout.

Kai smiled sheepishly. He didn't expect his voice to come out that loud. However, he had no regrets.

Max sat up on his bed, leaning against the frame.

"Dude, it's 11 PM!" he groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Our game's at 10 tomorrow morning! Are you trying to sabotage us?"

"Wait, that can't be right," he muttered. "You're the most desperate to win out of all of us! So, let us sleep. We can't play in the finals without any sleep."

Jimmy, on the other hand, sat quietly on his bed. It seemed like he was still awake—which was understandable since the biggest game of their lives was tomorrow. Deep inside, he was thankful Kai woke them up to start a conversation. He really needed a distraction!

Kai ignored Max's complaints, his piercing gaze fixed on them. "Answer my question," he demanded.

Max shrugged, appearing sleepy and annoyed. "I don't know. I don't know much about that guy, and I don't want to. I inevitably only heard about Julian last year when he popped off."

Jimmy, on the other hand, nodded without any hesitation. "Yes," he admitted.

Max turned to him, eyebrows raised in surprise. "How?"

Jimmy sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "Because my dad tried to recruit him before he became good. He said he had potential."

"Ah," Max said, nodding like everything made sense now. "Of course. Jimmy knows all the players his dad shows interest in."

"Recruit? In the Chinese team?" Kai asked.

Jimmy shrugged. "As an import for Beijing's team, I believe. There was a time when my dad was obsessed with foreign players because he couldn't see the future of our country's basketball. However, Julian refused. A lot of them refused, actually."

"Hmm," Kai hummed, placing his fingers under his chin. "Can you tell me more?"

Jimmy pursed his lips before nodding. "Well, since I can't sleep, I might as well."

He let out a deep breath before telling his story. Well, Julian's story.

"This is what my dad said," he stated.

"Julian wasn't a standout player when he first started. He had a solid foundation—good basics, good instincts—but nothing that screamed 'star player.' That's why, when he graduated high school, he was drafted, but nobody really paid attention to him. He didn't play much at first. Not even two years ago."

Jimmy paused, glancing at Kai, who was listening to every word.

"That's when my dad tried to recruit him. Again, like I said, he refused. Said he was going to be the best in the entire world and that he couldn't do that in China."

Max snorted. "Bold claim."

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, I thought he was bluffing, too. But he wasn't. He was right. Everything changed last year. He became drastically better—new skills, new plays. It wasn't gradual, either. It was sudden. Weirdly sudden."

Max frowned. "What do you mean by sudden?"

Jimmy hesitated, his gaze dropping to his hands. "It happened around the time his brother died."

Max's jaw dropped. "He has a brother? How much do you know about this guy?"

"I told you," Jimmy sighed. "When my dad wants something, he doesn't stop at anything to get it. He re

Now, his answer was finally answered.

Julian definitely wasn't a deity. He was a normal human being like him. So, how could he have known?

There was only one plausible explanation.

Julian Barker knew because Julian Barker could relate.

Julian Barker had a system, too.

And based on what Jimmy had divulged, it wasn't just any system.

It was his brother's.