Chapter One: After the Final Buzzer

In her first life, Xinglan obeyed. Three straight days of high-intensity runs fatigued her left gluteus medius, tilted her pelvis, and forced extra load into her right knee. In Game Three, the knee swelled after a hard stop. From then on, every jumper landed half a step to the left. Everyone blamed her fundamentals. Only a rehabilitation specialist, years later, told her the mistake had begun on this night. “I'm not doing it,” Xinglan said. Sun Bo blinked. “What?” “Tomorrow's shuttle runs. I need activation work on my left hip and reduced impact load. Extra lactate work twenty-four hours before a game makes no sense.” She stood before the mirror and performed a single-leg squat. Her knee caved inward exactly as she remembered.