Players at the Bottom of the Food Chain

"Your discharge papers are all taken care of. The doctor said you're completely fine now. Let's go. We've got another game the day after tomorrow."

That afternoon, after Link had accepted the fact that he'd gone from an ordinary nobody of a college graduate to a professional player, a tall, muscular Black man walked into his hospital room.

From the way he spoke, the man seemed to know Link very well. After thinking it over, Link remembered who he was.

Zeke Upshaw, a professional player just as obscure as Link, and an ordinary, aging player in the NBA's G League. He'd gone undrafted, too. He'd spent three years playing in the G League, but still hadn't attracted the interest of a single NBA team.

But like most people, Upshaw hadn't given up on his dream. He still yearned to make it to the NBA, so he remained in the G League, that great melting pot.

On the Oklahoma City Blue, Upshaw and Link were good friends. As a yellow-skinned newcomer to the team, Link had been somewhat ostracized at first. Upshaw, however, had been exceptionally friendly and welcoming.

When he heard Link hadn't found a place to rent in Oklahoma City, Upshaw had generously invited him to stay at his home for a few nights. Even now, Upshaw often invited Link over for dinner.

If Link had to describe him, Upshaw was a genuinely good person. Perhaps that had something to do with his years as a player at the bottom of the professional basketball food chain.

As a player at the bottom of that food chain, Upshaw knew how hard life was for every G League player. So he and Link understood each other.

"What's wrong, man? Did you hit your head too hard? This is why I keep saying it's not good to push yourself so hard during contact drills. Don't worry, the team covered your medical bills. You don't have to worry about what the ambulance cost yesterday." Upshaw grinned and patted Link on the shoulder.

In the United States, emergency medical care was extremely expensive. A single ambulance ride could cost over a thousand dollars, and that was before the emergency room fees, which were more than three times those of a regular department. A trip to the ER could easily cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Link also remembered a joke he'd heard in his previous life. An American college student had suddenly collapsed in the street, and the last thing he'd said before losing consciousness was, "Whatever you do, don't call an ambulance!"

But the ambulance was the last thing on Link's mind. He was busy trying to get used to his sudden new friendship.

"Thanks for coming to get me, Zeke." Link didn't know what else to say, so he thanked his teammate for sticking with his dream.

"Come on, you don't have to thank me. Let's go. You're having dinner at my place this afternoon. My mom bought some nice chicken thighs, so you're in for a treat tonight."

As he spoke, Upshaw draped an arm around Link's shoulders and led him out of the room. Link still wasn't used to Upshaw's warmth, but having another friend couldn't be a bad thing.

Walking down the streets of Oklahoma City, Link was curious about everything around him.

Oklahoma City wasn't a major metropolis. Back when he'd been a basketball fan in his previous life, Link, like everyone else, had jokingly called it "Okie Village."

But for someone who was visiting the United States for the first time, everything in Oklahoma City was already enough to make his head spin.

"Hey, why are you acting so weird today?" Upshaw noticed Link's odd behavior and frowned as he asked. "You passed out during practice yesterday, but all the tests came back fine. Could they have gotten something wrong?"

As he spoke, Upshaw reached over and felt the back of Link's head.

"I'm fine, Zeke. I just feel like I've been asleep for a long time." Link, who'd been quiet the whole way, quickly moved Upshaw's hand away. If he didn't say something, he was going to give himself away.

If anyone found out that his soul didn't belong in this body, the Pentagon would probably send people to drag him off and cut him open.

The two of them chatted on and off as they walked, until they finally reached a rundown neighborhood. This was Upshaw's home, where he'd grown up: a dark, unremarkable corner of Oklahoma City called Calvin District.

Back in China, Link had thought of American cities as prosperous metropolises. But the truth was, Calvin District couldn't hold a candle to China.

The roads in Calvin District were old and riddled with potholes. In the alleyways, countless homeless people huddled together, watching passersby with desperate eyes. A few guys in baggy clothes were making some furtive deal on the street. Every wall was covered in graffiti.

Though this was his first time in the United States, Link had grown up in the information age. He might never have eaten pork, but he'd certainly seen pigs run.

There was no doubt about it: he was in a poor Black neighborhood. If Upshaw hadn't been beside him, Link wasn't sure he'd have made it through the streets safely.

At the edge of Calvin District stood a tiny, two-story house. It was Zeke Upshaw's home. Beside it was a half-sized basketball court enclosed by a chain-link fence. Upshaw had told him it was where he'd first started playing basketball.

"Mom, I'm home! And Link's here, too. Thank goodness, he's got his head in one piece!" Before he even stepped inside, Upshaw shouted from outside the house.

A short, plump Black woman soon opened the door. She wore an apron and had a kindly smile on her face.

"I told you God would look after Link. Come here, son, let me have a look at you. Goodness, when Zeke told me you'd passed out yesterday, I was scared half to death."

Upshaw's mother checked the back of Link's head with concern, then embraced him. Link felt awkward and didn't know what to do, but in a place where he knew no one, the gesture still warmed his heart.

That was right. In his previous life, Link had grown up without much parental affection. It had been a long time since he'd felt at home...

Once inside, Link looked around. The worn-out couch and messy living room made it clear that Upshaw's family wasn't well-off.

Upshaw's father had gone to prison over cocaine. His mother—the kind woman who'd just greeted them—had raised Upshaw and his younger sister on her own.

Upshaw was now a professional player, but there was no question that a G League player couldn't do much to improve his family's finances.

Unlike NBA stars, whose minimum salaries were still hundreds of thousands of dollars, the total salary cap for a G League team was only $200,000. Compared with the NBA, it was a mere drop in the bucket.

Upshaw was a "veteran" with three years of G League experience, and his salary this year was $19,500. That's right, not $1.95 million, and not $195,000, but $19,500! For the whole year!

By comparison, the average annual salary in the United States was $40,000. So although they were professional players in name, Upshaw and Link were only middle- to lower-income earners in the United States.

"Link, you think you'll be okay for practice tomorrow?" While Mrs. Upshaw was busy in the kitchen, Zeke and Link chatted on the couch.

"Uh... to be honest, I might have a problem." Link gave an awkward smile. Even though a year of playing in the G League paid less than $20,000, he was worried he might not even be able to earn that much now.

Link had been a basketball fan in his previous life, but his actual skills had been a train wreck. Back in college, he hadn't even made the department team. So could an unskilled version of himself, now in the body of a professional player, really play professional basketball? Link had serious doubts.

"What's wrong?"

"I... I just got out of the hospital, so I don't know if I'll be able to play like I used to. How about you come with me to the court next door after dinner and help me warm up?"

What Link really wanted was to find out whether he could still play basketball before practice the next day. If he couldn't, he'd be better off going to work as a gardener with this world's dad... After all, Link was already 22, an older rookie who'd spent four years in college. He couldn't waste all the best years of his life in the G League.

He'd been given a rare chance to start over, and of course he didn't want to be poor again. Dreams were all well and good, but people still had to eat. He couldn't spend all his time chasing a basketball dream.

"Sure. I'll work out with you after dinner. But if you ask me, you're probably fine." Upshaw readily agreed to Link's suggestion.

"Heh, heh, heh..." Link could only cover his nerves with a forced laugh that came out sounding awkward.

Playing basketball with a professional player? He was probably going to crash and burn.

Since it's the new-book period, I'll set aside a section to talk to everyone. Please vote for recommendations, please vote for recommendations, please vote for recommendations. This comes first. I don't need to repeat how important these things are during the new-book period. You don't have to vote for me in the future, but I'm begging all you big shots to save your votes for me while the book's new.

Once these stats pick up, I'll have a chance to get a major recommendation. If the recommendation goes well, the book's performance will naturally improve. And if the numbers improve, I'll be happier writing, too. I won't say some bullshit about writing purely for my dream. Writing is certainly my passion and dream, but just like Link, I still have to eat.

Now, about updates. During the new-book period, I can only guarantee two chapters a day, because sports books have a very low word-count requirement before they can go on sale. If I post too many words each day, the book will go on sale just a few days after launch. And once it does, I'll miss out on the chance to get a lot of recommendations.

Some readers will say, "But such-and-such big-name author posted tons of chapters when they launched their new book." But they already have a readership, so they can get lots of followers even without a recommendation. I'm different. I have to build things up bit by bit during the new-book period. So I need to extend it as long as possible and can only post two chapters a day. I hope you understand. The chapters will go up at 12:30 and 17:30 each day, and barring unforeseen circumstances, that schedule won't change.

But I won't let everyone's recommendation votes go to waste. On the day the book goes on sale, I'm planning to post at least five chapters (tentatively; it might be more). For every 5,000 recommendation votes, I'll add another chapter, with no upper limit. If you want to see me post a ton of chapters on launch day, then bury me under votes! I'll stay up all night if I have to, and write them all for you. The old friends who've followed my updates know I don't dare claim I post a lot, but I've never posted too little. After the book goes on sale, I'll make sure there's plenty.

That's all I can think of for now. If anything else comes to mind, I'll let you know. Thanks for patiently reading to the end, and thanks for your support.

Lastly, please vote for recommendations, please vote for recommendations!