In another parallel world, early morning on April 30th, 2006, Los Angeles, California.
Zhang Zhaohua's eyes snapped open. A wave of dizziness crashed over him, bringing fragmented memories with it.
His vision cleared, revealing a room with Chamberlain posters on the walls and a team photo from when the Bruins won their division championship. In the picture, he looked painfully young and out of place—the only Asian face among a sea of black and white players.
This wasn't his familiar home back in China. This was his UCLA apartment bedroom from when he was nineteen.
He bolted upright and rushed to the full-length mirror in the corner. Staring back was a young face, identical to the one in that photo—his nineteen-year-old self.
He raised his hand, touching the reflection of his younger face, then slapped himself hard.
Pain. Real pain telling him an absurd yet undeniable truth.
"I'm back..." he whispered, his heart racing with wild joy.
This was the year he'd led UCLA's Bruins to the division championship. As the team's starting center, he'd claimed both the divisional MVP and rebounding title, earning a spot on the All-Division team.
This was also the year he entered the draft and got picked 26th overall by the Lakers—the second Chinese player ever selected in the first round after Yao Ming. Back home, the media had dubbed him "Little Yao Ming" and "Yao's successor."
After being drafted, the Chinese Basketball Association immediately called him up to the national team. It should have been the highest honor, but during team practices, he'd been mysteriously targeted with vicious, career-ending moves. He'd dodged most of them on pure instinct, but still got injured.
The injury kept him from joining the national team's trip to Japan—a regret that haunted him. But then came the car accident that shattered both legs, ending his career before it even began.
The massive insurance payout couldn't heal his broken dreams. He'd watched helplessly as his draft classmates—Roy, Gay, Rondo, Lowry—lit up NBA courts while he couldn't even put on a Lakers jersey before getting cut. The team had quickly replaced him with another Chinese player the following year.
He'd spent ten years sensing an invisible hand behind that accident, but the truth had remained buried in fog until his rebirth.
Now he was nineteen again. His legs were whole, no injuries, no tragedy yet written.
"This is my chance." His eyes flashed with determination. He exhaled slowly. This time, he wouldn't let tragedy repeat itself. He wouldn't fail his family's sacrifices and expectations. He would prove himself on the NBA stage.
Just then, a voice emerged—not from outside, but directly in his consciousness, like a system notification.
[Basketball Emperor System detecting abnormal host soul fluctuations...]
[Parallel world coordinates locked...]
[Scanning host information...]
[Filtering compatible templates...]
Zhang Zhaohua's body stiffened slightly. A system?
He wasn't unfamiliar with the concept—bedridden after his injury, he'd devoured countless web novels. But experiencing it firsthand still caught him off guard. However, as a mature mind in a reborn body, he quickly converted that surprise into rational assessment. This could be a powerful tool, a chance to change his fate.
His pupils didn't dilate in shock; he just gazed thoughtfully into the distance.
Accompanied by the system notifications, white light flared in his consciousness, and a semi-transparent panel slowly materialized.
[Template matching successful: Wilt Chamberlain template activated!]
[Host compatibility: 0.01%]
[Name: Zhang Zhaohua]
[Age: 19]
[Height: 213cm]
[Weight: 110kg]
[Attributes: Loading...]
[Template: Wilt Chamberlain (Basketball Emperor)]
[Core Modules:]
[Physical Reconstruction](Eliminate injury risks, enhance physical limits)
[Template Ability Unlock](Strength, speed, jumping, endurance, footwork, rebounding, shot-blocking—all core Chamberlain attributes unlockable through training and increased compatibility)
[Exclusive Training Space](Access locked, requires completing beginner mission)
[Mission System]
[Compatibility Enhancement Methods:](Using template abilities, completing system missions, unlocking template achievements)
[Basketball Emperor System Functions:]
[Physical reconstruction loading...]
A gentle warmth flooded his entire body. The system was silently rebuilding his physical foundation. All the fatigue and hidden injuries accumulated during March Madness melted away completely. A solid sense of strength grew from within.
The "Loading..." text on the attribute panel disappeared, replaced by a string of numbers. Zhang Zhaohua stared at these figures, his heart surging.
[Attributes:]
[Strength: 79 (97)]
[Speed: 68 (86)]
[Jumping: 69 (80)]
[Endurance: 74 (100)]
[Footwork: 67 (92)]
[Rebounding: 35 (99)]
[Shot-blocking: 72 (95)]
[Note: Numbers in parentheses represent theoretical limits achievable through training and template compatibility]
79 strength, 72 shot-blocking... These numbers far exceeded his previous life's peak. Even more shocking were the ceiling numbers in parentheses—Wilt Chamberlain's legendary territory!
97 strength, 99 rebounding, 100 endurance... What incredible potential!
This system didn't just hand him power—it branded Chamberlain's potential onto his body, waiting for him to unlock and develop it.
Wilt Chamberlain! The monster who scored 100 points in a single game, grabbed 55 rebounds in another! His template meant Zhang Zhaohua had massive upside at the center position!
[Beginner Mission Released:]
[Mission Name: Lottery's Call]
[Mission Objective: Enter the lottery zone (top 14 picks) in the NBA Draft on June 28th, 2006]
[Mission Reward: Beginner Package (Exclusive Training Space access, Basic Footwork unlock)]
[Mission Failure: System permanently hibernates]
Zhang Zhaohua's eyes locked onto the mission objective. The lottery zone!
In his previous life, he'd been picked 26th at the end of the first round. Without the Lakers desperately needing big men, he might have slipped to the second round. And the Lakers had chosen him partly for the Chinese market—his jersey sales in China had sold out, doubling the team's Chinese media coverage.
Now the system demanded he crack the top 14! Fortunately, the system had enhanced his physical attributes, and the combine hadn't started yet. To improve his draft position, he'd need to dominate at the combine.
He also needed to contact his agent Gabriel about private workouts with teams holding high picks.
Time was running short—less than two months until draft night. He had to intensify his training, or he wouldn't catch the scouts' attention at the combine.
The system provided the tools and targets. Whether he could achieve them depended entirely on himself.