Meeting Them

Chen Xi drove his Cayenne to Oklahoma City Airport, just six kilometers from the city center. After parking, he headed to the terminal to wait.

Fortunately, the Thunder-Rockets game was scheduled early—tipping off at 4:30 PM (around 5:30 AM back home) and wrapping up just past eight, leaving plenty of time.

He didn't wait long in the terminal before spotting the old man from afar, slowly shuffling out of the arrival gate with a small suitcase in hand.

Chen Xi immediately jogged over and took the suitcase from the old man.

"Xiao Xi, you came early? Didn't you have a game today?" The old man didn't really understand basketball, nor was he a fan. He'd only learned a bit online because his grandson worked in the field—things like the NBA, where players became millionaires overnight. It all sounded unreal to him.

"It's over. The game was scheduled early today, so I came to pick you up."

"I told you, no need to pick me up. I'm old enough to have been everywhere. You think I'd get lost?" The old man grinned, looking at his noticeably sturdier grandson.

"When your grandmother and I first came to America, we couldn't even speak English fluently, and we still settled down here. How old was I back then? And now?"

"Yeah, yeah, you're the best." Chen Xi coaxed him like a child, leading the old man toward the parking lot.

Having absorbed his predecessor's memories, Chen Xi felt both respect and affection for the man who had raised him.

"Ta-da!! Look—Porsche Cayenne! How about that? Beats your beat-up Nissan, right?"

"Get out of here. That Nissan's been with me for over a decade—almost as old as you. Now you're looking down on it? Who was the one fighting me for the steering wheel when you were a kid?"

"Hahahaha, you're something else. Who in their right mind lets a little kid grab the steering wheel? And with the engine running? I get chills just thinking about it now."

"What's there to be scared of? My foot was on the brake."

"Get in, get in. I'll take you to the hotel."

"Forget the hotel. I'll just crash at your place."

"Oh, come on. I rented a cheap one-bedroom apartment back then. How are you supposed to stay there? Listen to me—rest at a hotel. Tomorrow I'll take you around the city and the arena. The day after, I have another game. Watch it, then leave the day after that. How's that sound?"

"You're such a handful. Didn't you say you're making hundreds of thousands a year now? Can't even afford a bigger place? America's not like back home—housing isn't that expensive here. Renting is still someone else's property..."

The Chinese instinct to buy property ran deep, no matter where you were.

"Hundreds of thousands before taxes. This isn't Texas, so I can't dodge much tax. Plus, I get paid weekly, so I don't have that much cash on hand right now."

"Then why are you showing off? You want me to close my shop and move here?"

"I already paid six months' rent on my apartment. Moving now would be such a waste. That's called being frugal! And I just signed an endorsement deal—the money hasn't come in yet, but the contract's done. If you want to move here, I can take out a loan and buy a big place."

"Forget it. A loan? Got money to burn? Focus on playing ball steady. Save up what you can. Don't learn from those Americans—throwing money around with no sense of finance. We Chinese believe in a steady, long-term flow."

"Got it."

"Hey, I saw a report last time—can you still play ball back home?"

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"Don't listen to those media rumors. I'm still far from that level. Besides, going back is a hassle—I'd have to deal with my citizenship first."

"Ah, that's my fault. When I came here back then, without a green card, I was tied down everywhere. I ran around begging people just to get one, and it still didn't help much. I realized it wasn't just about citizenship. Dallas—by their words, it's called racial discrimination. Those white folks, all show!"

The old man's eyes held regret. He'd run away from home with his wife, eloped abroad, and spent most of his life struggling—only to realize his mistake too late.

In his youth, he'd acted on impulse, brainwashed by those artsy types. A land of freedom? Bullshit! A land of capital, more like. If you had no money, everyone looked down on you.

"I don't have a chance anymore. But you remember—if the opportunity comes, seize it. Switch your citizenship back. When you're old, you can return to China. That's what it means for leaves to fall and return to their roots."

"There'll be a chance. Don't dwell on that. I invited you here to have fun. If you keep worrying about bad stuff, how will you live long? Don't you want to see your great-grandkids?"

Chen Xi joked to lighten the mood. There should still be a chance—if the national team was willing to help. In later years, Li Kaier had only one-eighth Chinese blood and it worked out. He was a pure-blooded Chinese man. Should be No Big Problem.

"Hahahahaha. Good."

After settling the old man in, Chen Xi returned to his place and lay on the bed, feeling a bit emotional.

Now that the kid was grown and the pressure had eased, the old man no longer had to focus entirely on making money. So he'd started reminiscing.

And with reminiscing came a flood of regrets. Between the lines, he kept saying he shouldn't have fallen out with his family back then. If they'd just sat down and talked it out, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. But he'd been stubborn, refused to bend an inch. And so he ended up abroad, in a strange land, suffering through everything. When his wife was gravely ill and they had no money for treatment, that's when he knew regret.

Then he'd start lecturing Chen Xi with all sorts of wisdom, hoping only that his grandson wouldn't make the same mistakes—acting on impulse, thinking before acting.

Chen Xi agreed to everything. The old man's earnest advice was filled with the regrets of his own life.

The past couldn't be changed. All Chen Xi could do was keep pushing, earn more money, take good care of the old man, and make his remaining years less regretful. Best of all, if the chance came, he'd take him back to China, back to their hometown.

December 11th. The Thunder crushed the Celtics at home.

The rebuilding Celtics couldn't withstand the Thunder's onslaught, folding by halftime.

Westbrook put up his signature 37+10+11 triple-double to lead the team to victory.

Jaylen Brown came off the bench for 17 minutes, putting up 10 Points, 2 Rebounds, and 1 Assist—decent efficiency.

After the game, Brown hugged Chen Xi and chatted for a while.

He was surprised by Chen Xi's recent performance but also a bit down. His own play had fallen far short of the expectations he'd had before entering the league.

Chen Xi joked around and offered a few words of comfort. He wasn't worried about this future $60-million-a-year star. He just told him to relax—the Celtics had Their own development plan for their Third Overall Pick.

As it turned out later, the Celtics' development was indeed solid.

After all, he was the 2024 Iguodala Award winner. Who could call him a failure? (Manual dog head.)