Chapter One: The Number After Two Hundred Million

Along the edge of the white paint lay a dark-red strand, thin as a candlewick. Lu Chen blinked. It remained, running from the toe of his shoe to Xu Boyan's feet. The referee hurried him. He bounced the ball three times and released. Good. Tie game. The opponent launched a desperate pass. Lu Chen jumped at midcourt and slapped the ball toward the basket before the horn. It was not a proper shot, only a hopeless shove. The ball struck the top of the backboard, rose, then dropped vertically under twenty thousand watching eyes. The red lights came on. Nothing but net. The Whales had won. Lu Chen disappeared beneath his teammates. Hands battered his head and shoulders; Zhou Yan screamed like a madman.