"These numbers don't add up."
Arjun flipped through the documents, his heart pounding harder with each page. It was clear as day—signs of securities fraud and insider trading.
Just as he was deep in the paperwork, the door creaked open. In walked a man in a crisp suit, Michael, the company's CFO.
"Good evening, Mr. Singh. Still here at this hour?" Michael's voice was calm but carried a hint of suspicion.
Arjun tensed up, gently setting down the documents, trying to appear composed. "Yes, Michael, I've been reviewing these financial reports. Some of the figures look off. Can you explain these irregular transactions?"
For a moment, Michael's expression stiffened, then smoothed over. "Oh, those... Yes, we've had some significant capital movements recently, mainly to optimize our financial structure. It might look complex, but I assure you, everything is under control."
Arjun locked eyes with Michael, searching his face for any slip-up. "I understand the need for financial maneuvers, but these transactions seem to go beyond normal operations. I'm concerned they might be illegal."
The tension was palpable.
Then Arjun's phone rang.
"Mr. Singh, the VIP box for tonight's championship game is ready for you, and the game starts in 30 minutes. Your car is also ready," Ella's sweet voice broke the awkward silence.
"Alright."
Arjun looked at Michael again, his gaze sharp, "I expect a full explanation tomorrow morning."
As the door to Arjun's office closed behind him, Michael turned to look at the door, his eyes could kill.
...
It was a night full of passion and drama. The scoreboard read 105 to 98, with the Milwaukee Bucks seizing the coveted championship amid the wild cheers of the crowd.
Arjun Singh sat alone in the NBA Finals luxury box.
While everyone around him was immersed in the joy of victory, Arjun seemed out of place, lost in thought. He quietly slipped away from the crowded scene.
As night fell, Arjun walked alone in a dimly lit alley.
A shadowy figure leaned against the wall.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three gunshots rang out, and Arjun lay helplessly in a pool of blood, silently closing his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again.
He... was reborn!
"Ding! Congratulations, host, on your rebirth. However, this is not the original world. This world is 80% similar to your previous one, and some things might occur at different times!"
"Ding! Integration of the host's most beloved profession successful. NBA Superstar Fusion System activated!"
"Ding! Based on the positions you excelled at in your past and present life, please randomly select to merge the abilities of elite players from those positions to kickstart your NBA career."
"Option A, rookie Stephen Curry's exceptional shooting and talent!"
"Option B, rookie John Stockton's ball handling and passing skills!"
"Option C, rookie Kyrie Irving's dribbling and penetrating abilities!"
"Option D, rookie Derrick Rose's quick drives and explosiveness!"
"Option E, rookie Russell Westbrook's scoring ability and impact!"
"Option F, rookie Chris Paul's playmaking and defensive skills!"
"Option G, rookie Jason Kidd's leadership and rebounding abilities!"
"Option H, rookie Ben Simmons' all-around performance and physicality!"
...
"Please choose carefully, host. This choice will determine the direction of your future NBA career!"
...
...
As if in a dream, Arjun mumbled, "Stockton's offense isn't strong, Rose is too injury-prone, Westbrook is a possibility, Irving seems good too... Can I choose more than one?"
"You may select up to two."
"Let's go with a skillful player and a physical player."
"Stephen Curry and Ben Simmons!"
"Selecting Stephen Curry and Ben Simmons for fusion!"
"1%...2%...3%...4%...100%, fusion successful!"
"Host has acquired the rookie abilities and talents of Stephen Curry and Ben Simmons! Due to the host's own limited abilities, the fusion isn't perfect. Please continue to strive and merge more superstar abilities and talents."
"The Fusion System is dedicated to helping the host become one of the greatest basketball players in history."
"System, can I surpass Jordan?"
"That depends on your personal effort. Another host in a different dimension did it."
"Is that even possible?"
...
...
A series of electronic tones rang in Arjun's ears.
But at the moment, Arjun didn't take it seriously,he was still deep in sleep, thinking it was all just a dream.
...
Inside a standard indoor wooden basketball court.
"Shoot it, if you miss, it's on me."
"Take the shot if you're open."
A raspy voice was quite grating.
The source of the raspy voice was a middle-aged man standing not far from the basketball court, holding a tactical board, clearly the coach.
This was just one of the games in the Indian School Basketball League (ISBL).
The teams facing off were The Doon School and The Greenfield School.
The Doon School was the reigning champion of the national league last year.
Leveraging their school's reputation, they had recruited a bunch of talented basketball prospects, most of whom would go on to play in the EPBL, and a select few might even make it to the INBL.
Many seasoned basketball fans knew about this school's status in the country.
Today, The Doon School's opponent, The Greenfield School, was just an average team with no standout star players.
The game was held in The Greenfield School's indoor basketball court.
The entire stadium was packed, with about a thousand students cheering for The Greenfield School.
According to the national school basketball rankings, the two schools weren't even on the same level.
If it weren't for the fact that both schools were in the same city, they wouldn't even qualify to compete against each other.
The Doon School had already firmly secured the top spot in Dehradun, while The Greenfield School had been eliminated long ago, making this game inconsequential for both teams' futures.
This game wasn't important on the ISBL league level and didn't affect The Doon School's advancement, but it was crucial for The Greenfield School.
It was a battle for honor for The Greenfield School, and they too wanted to defeat the team known as the strongest basketball powerhouse in the country.
The Doon School had gathered a bunch of basketball prodigies, among them the most outstanding was Vivek, touted as the strongest high school player in the country.
Rumor had it that Vivek had already struck a deal with a team in the INBL, planning to skip college and go straight to the INBL after high school graduation, a rare talent indeed.
This game attracted the local sports channel from Dehradun, which came specifically to film.
The Doon School was this year's hot favorite to win the ISBL national championship, and the TV station planned to use footage from this game for a documentary on The Doon School's road to victory.
Many scouts from the INBL and EPBL specifically came to watch, and although The Doon School had many talented players, they were all there to see just one person: Vivek.
Vivek comes from a family of basketball legends,both his parents were pro players back in the day.
Even as a kid, Vivek showed he had inherited his parents' athletic prowess. By middle school, he was already dunking, and his flashy style on the court quickly won him a legion of fans. Whenever he played, crowds of them would show up just to watch him in action.
Scouts from the INBL had heard about him too. Vivek's parents weren't too keen on him going to a city in the INBL's Western division, so other INBL teams saw a chance to scoop up the country's top high school player.
Vivek plays point guard, stands at 6'3", and weighs 185 pounds.
Last year, as a junior, Vivek led The Doon School to a high school basketball championship, bagging the series MVP for himself.
In the Northern region's games, Vivek averaged 23 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. His shooting was on point too—53% for two-pointers and 43% for threes. That's why they call him the "nation's top high school player."
After his junior year, thanks to his stellar performance, the Indian Institutes of Technology offered him early admission. If he decides to go pro in the EPBL, he's likely to join the Delhi Dominators.
Vivek's a big deal, and under his leadership, The Doon School has been dominating teams like The Greenfield School on the court.
The Greenfield School is more academically focused than sports-oriented. Their basketball team isn't exactly top-tier.
Despite their average skills, the fans, especially the girls, are super enthusiastic.
Being good at basketball still gets you a lot of attention in high school.
With all the teenage hormones flying around, there's always some drama...
The presence of these girls seems to boost The Doon School players' adrenaline, especially when they're playing away games. They go all out to show off their skills, giving The Greenfield School a tough time.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was 29-9, with The Greenfield School trailing by 20 points.
...
"Priya, why is it so hard for our school to score?" a tall, doe-eyed cheerleader from The Greenfield School asked her friend in the front row.
"They're just stronger than us,we can't compete," replied Priya, a slightly shorter cheerleader who seemed to know a bit more about the game.
The match was a total blowout, and both were losing interest.
"What about Arjun? When is he going to play? He's really good," the tall girl asked.
In her eyes, Arjun was a star.
"Arjun's a benchwarmer. He's great in streetball, but he's not at their level for this kind of game," Priya responded.
Priya knew her stuff, able to tell which players were strong and which weren't.
"Looks aside, Arjun is way more handsome than any of them."
"You and your crushes! Good looks don't score points on the court."
"Priya, I actually wrote Arjun a letter the other day and slipped it under his desk. Too bad he hasn't replied. Maybe he didn't see it?"
"He probably gets tons of letters like yours every day."
"Hey, do you think Arjun has a girlfriend? Do I stand a chance?"
"I don't think so. I heard he might be studying abroad soon, probably won't be dating anyone from school."
"Oh, that's such a bummer!"
...
...
The two cheerleaders were clearly more interested in the off-court gossip than the game itself.
Meanwhile, on The Greenfield School's bench, a handsome, tall guy leaned back in his seat.
That's Arjun, the guy the girls were talking about.