Chapter 164: New News

Nanjing, late at night, in bed.

The "Cold War" was still ongoing. Though they lay on the same bed, back to back, the two of them were lost in their own thoughts.

Ma Dongmei had been trapped in a state of remorse and agitation for the past two days. She regretted her own impulsiveness, yet felt that Wang Lei was being overly petty, having refused to speak to her for nearly two days.

Growing up with very little contact with the opposite sex due to her height, Ma Dongmei had crossed paths with remarkably few males in her twenty-odd years of life. Apart from her father, Wang Lei was practically the only man she had ever been intimately close to. Now, even though Wang Lei was right beside her, Ma Dongmei felt a profound barrier between them. This made her extremely uncomfortable, as if a massive boulder were lodged in her chest, leaving her tossing and turning, utterly unable to fall asleep.

Just as Ma Dongmei felt, Wang Lei was experiencing much the same.

Though spanning two lifetimes, Wang Lei had lived for over half a century. A middle-aged man who had reached the age of knowing destiny might normally brush such a minor issue aside as nothing, but unfortunately, in neither of his two lives had Wang Lei possessed much experience in dealing with women.

In his Earth-bound existence, plagued by depression, Wang Lei had lived entirely within his own world, a homebody of the purest sort. In his current reality, while Wang Lei may have lived quite passionately before turning twenty-four, he had likewise spent the vast majority of his time in male-dominated environments. Although there had always been a tail like Ma Dongmei trailing after him, Wang Lei had always regarded her merely as a younger sister, even though this sister had already grown taller than him.

Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Wang Lei was similarly torn. He debated whether he should be the first to speak and apologize to Ma Dongmei, what he should say if he did, and whether doing so would cause him to lose face. Furthermore, he worried if apologizing would mean Meimei would no longer listen to him in the future or take good care of her health. In short, both the man and the woman lying on the bed were pondering how to ease the other's mood, yet neither knew how to break the silence first.

"We're leaving for an away game tomorrow. Sigh, perhaps I'll just wait until I get back to apologize to Brother Lei. Yes, that's it; I'll give Brother Lei a proper apology when I return."

With midnight approaching, Ma Dongmei decided she could not remain locked in this internal struggle any longer, though she ultimately resolved to wait until she returned from the upcoming away match to address the matter.

Meanwhile, Wang Lei was thinking to himself: "I should wait a bit longer. This silly girl is probably still angry. The moment she comes back from her away game, I'll apologize and find a way to make her undergo a thorough physical check-up. Still, I need to figure out a way to talk to the Yangtze River Club about this; if all else fails, I'll just have to get Meimei's mother to step in."

With both of them settling their thoughts, they finally stopped tossing and turning once peace returned to their minds, their backs gradually straightening out.

Just as he hovered on the verge of slumber, a hazy Wang Lei felt another hand reach across to his side. Operating perhaps on pure instinct, Wang Lei gently grasped that hand, which was far from soft. Years upon years of training and spiking had left Ma Dongmei's palms edged with calluses, particularly along the pads of her fingers.

As he slowly stroked the hand, a subtle tenderness began to spread between the two estranged souls.

Wang Lei knew not why, but quite naturally, he slowly draped his arm over Ma Dongmei's head. As if out of sheer habit, the young woman inched closer to Wang Lei, then burrowed directly into his warm embrace.

The December nights in Nanjing already carried a biting chill. Without the benefit of central heating, indoor temperatures in the southern winter were virtually indistinguishable from the outdoors. While air conditioning offered some relief, it could never truly compare to actual heating.

The collision of her warm, smooth body with the biting chill of the room sent a unique thrill through Wang Lei's exposed skin. Any lingering sleepiness had long since vanished alongside the goosebumps rising on his arm.

Pressing close, breathing in the fragrance emanating from the girl's hair, Wang Lei felt an incomparable sense of fulfillment.

In Wang Lei's arms, Ma Dongmei likewise found absolute peace. This man's embrace intoxicated her, his scent captivated her, and she yearned to melt entirely into this warmth.

Wang Lei lowered his gaze, meeting a pair of loving eyes looking back up at him. A smile passed between them; everything was understood without a word.

Nanjing, late at night, brimming with springtime warmth.

"Mua—play well, don't overthink things, but make sure you take care of your health. The moment you feel any discomfort, tell the coach and team doctor immediately, understand?"

"Mm, I know. Don't worry, I'll be completely fine."

In the early morning, the reconciled lovers bid each other farewell. Ma Dongmei was about to head to Guangdong for an away game. Though deeply worried, Wang Lei had matters of his own to handle and could not accompany her.

At that moment, by tacit agreement, neither of them brought up their previous argument. Yet Wang Lei still exhorted the young girl to cherish her health, leaving it entirely to fate whether his words would have any effect.

Having seen Ma Dongmei off, Wang Lei turned his attention to arranging Turgun's transfer. Additionally, he needed to gather information regarding North American universities. Sending Turgun to North America in the future was a certainty, but having him enter the NBA draft right now was clearly inappropriate. Turgun's slight frame alone would be enough to make every team steer clear. Therefore, the best option was to let Turgun build his reputation in the North American collegiate leagues first, while conditioning his body and adapting to their level of physical play, before entering the NBA draft a year or two later.

Arranging for Turgun to study in Nanjing was a relatively simple affair, but managing his transition to North America was far more complex.

Turgun had already risen to prominence throughout the Republic and even the broader Asian region. An MVP of such tender years was something unseen in many decades. On a global scale, however, Turgun commanded far less attention. Particularly in North America, the birthplace of basketball, people were skeptical of how exceptional an MVP from an Asian national basketball league could truly be.

Winning the recognition of North American collegiate institutions could not be resolved simply by compiling game footage. Truth be told, some players looked like Jordan himself in highlight reels, yet their actual impact during real games was negligible.

However, just as Wang Lei was contemplating whether he should take Turgun on a dedicated trip to North America next year, he received word from the private school Turgun was about to join.

Because the institution was established in partnership with a North American university, the school organized annual exchange opportunities with its overseas counterpart. This December, a delegation from the prestigious North American institution Stanford University was scheduled to visit Nanjing. Accompanying them was their collegiate basketball team, which would engage in friendly exchanges with several university teams in Nanjing, including a friendly match against the private school's own squad. Consequently, the school was now eager for Turgun to arrive as soon as possible.