Chapter One: The Man Left Behind

The scoreboard at Haiyue Center had gone dark, but Lu Zheng was still seated before the innermost locker. The magnetic plate marked 45 had already been removed. A black duffel sat at his feet, holding two worn pairs of shoes, three practice jerseys, and half a roll of athletic tape. It was everything he had accumulated in three years with the Haiyue Sharks. Half an hour earlier, general manager Liang Sen had pushed a release agreement across his desk. “We need the roster space. You are slow, you cannot shoot, and this is your ceiling. Sign it. At least leave with dignity.” The press release had appeared before their meeting ended: powerhouse Haiyue optimizes roster, waives reserve center Lu Zheng after years of occupying a spot.