Chapter 236: Who Let Him Onto the Court?

The unexpected nap had turned into a full night’s sleep.

When Lucas slowly opened his eyes, warm rays of sunlight were already slipping through the gaps in the curtains, filling the bedroom with a soft golden glow.

He stretched lazily before glancing at his phone, which was still lying on the bed beside him.

The basketball highlights he’d been watching the night before had stopped halfway through the video. Somewhere along the line, exhaustion had won.

Lucas chuckled to himself, locked the screen, and tossed the phone onto the nightstand.

"Guess I really was tired."

After taking a quick shower, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed, he headed downstairs.

The moment he reached the first floor...

He froze.

"...What the hell?"

The dining room looked less like a home and more like the finals of a professional cooking competition.

The massive table was completely covered with food.

Steaks.

Pancakes.

French toast.

Scrambled eggs.

Bacon.

Fresh fruit.

Sandwiches.

Soup.

Several different kinds of pastries.

There were so many dishes that Lucas honestly lost count after twenty.

Anyone walking in would think a royal banquet was about to begin.

He followed the aroma into the open kitchen, where three beautiful figures were moving around with surprising efficiency.

Daisy was carefully arranging fruit on a serving platter.

Debbie was flipping pancakes while humming happily.

Mia stood beside the stove stirring a pot, completely focused on making sure nothing burned.

The three girls were so concentrated on cooking that none of them even noticed Lucas standing behind them.

Lucas folded his arms and leaned against the doorway.

"...Good morning."

All three girls jumped simultaneously.

"Ah!"

They spun around.

The moment they saw Lucas, their expressions immediately brightened.

"Lucas!"

"You’re awake!"

"You should’ve slept a little longer!"

Debbie was the first to run over.

Without hesitation, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Good morning."

Before Lucas could respond, Mia walked over with a smile of her own and claimed the other cheek.

"Morning."

Not willing to lose, Daisy quickly joined in, wrapping her arms around one of Lucas’s and planting another quick kiss near the corner of his lips.

"There."

"Now everyone’s greeted you."

Lucas laughed helplessly.

"I haven’t even eaten yet."

Debbie grinned mischievously.

"Exactly."

"We made all of this so you’d have enough energy."

Lucas glanced at the dining table again.

"...Are we feeding an army?"

"No."

Mia answered seriously.

"We’re feeding you."

Lucas didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He finally sat down while the girls enthusiastically piled food onto his plate before he even had a chance to choose anything himself.

"You guys..."

"I’m not going anywhere."

"You say that now."

Debbie crossed her arms.

"But once you start working again, you’ll disappear for another week."

"So eat."

Lucas obediently picked up his fork.

One bite.

Then another.

He had to admit...

The food was genuinely good.

Even though a few dishes were clearly made by beginners, the effort behind every plate was impossible to miss.

As breakfast continued, Lucas casually mentioned,

"Oh."

"I officially joined Ashford University’s basketball team."

Three pairs of eyes instantly locked onto him.

"...Basketball?"

Mia blinked.

"You?"

Lucas nodded while taking another bite of steak.

"The school is participating in a tournament."

"I’ll be playing."

For a moment...

Nobody spoke.

Then Debbie burst out laughing.

"You?"

Daisy tilted her head suspiciously.

"Do you actually know how to play?"

Lucas smiled confidently.

"I’ll figure it out."

Mia looked even more confused.

"I thought you were running companies."

"When did basketball become part of your schedule?"

Lucas shrugged.

"Life gets boring if you only make money."

The girls exchanged glances before laughing together.

Debbie pointed her fork at him dramatically.

"Fine."

"Then we’ll come watch."

"If you’re going to play..."

"We’ll be your cheer squad."

Mia immediately nodded.

"Don’t embarrass yourself."

Daisy smiled sweetly.

"But if anyone bullies you..."

"We’ll bully them back."

Lucas couldn’t help laughing.

"I appreciate the confidence."

Debbie leaned across the table.

"One condition."

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You’d better win."

She narrowed her eyes playfully.

"If we spend all day cheering for you and you lose..."

"We’re making you cook dinner for an entire week."

Lucas smirked.

"Deal."

The girls laughed, completely unaware that Lucas wasn’t even remotely worried.

With his current physique...

And the system backing him...

Today’s training was only the beginning.

After finishing breakfast, Lucas stood up, grabbed his Bugatti keys from the table, and headed for the garage.

The girls walked him all the way to the front door, waving until the engine came to life.

The deep roar of the W16 echoed across the estate.

Lucas lowered the window and smiled.

"I’ll see you tonight."

"Don’t forget!"

Debbie shouted.

"We’re coming to watch practice!"

Lucas gave them a confident thumbs-up before pulling onto the road.

The morning traffic was calm, allowing him to drive at a relaxed pace toward Ashford University.

As the city passed by outside the windshield, Lucas’s eyes gradually sharpened.

He had no idea what today’s training would be like.

After a short drive, Lucas arrived at Ashford University’s athletic complex.

The Bugatti rolled quietly into the parking lot before coming to a smooth stop outside the basketball training facility.

Unlike the students gathered outside the dorms, nobody here even spared the car a second glance.

Every player inside had only one thing on their mind.

Basketball.

The rhythmic sound of sneakers squeaking across the hardwood echoed through the building.

Basketballs slammed against the polished floor.

Players shouted defensive calls.

Sweat dripped from exhausted faces as practice continued at full intensity.

Lucas stepped through the entrance and quietly watched for a moment.

The players were completely focused on their drills.

Most of the faces were unfamiliar.

Not wanting to interrupt, Lucas stood near the sideline and patiently waited until the coach finished correcting one of the players.

Only then did he walk over.

"Coach."

The man turned around.

He looked to be somewhere in his late thirties, tall and broad-shouldered, with a whistle hanging around his neck and an expression that permanently looked irritated.

Lucas spoke politely.

"Hi."

"I’m Lucas Gray."

"I was told I’d be joining the basketball team today."

"If possible, I’d like to start practicing."

The coach looked Lucas up and down from head to toe.

Instead of answering...

A strange smile slowly spread across his face.

"Oh..."

"So you’re the one."

Without another word, he suddenly blew his whistle.

FWEEEET!

The sharp sound echoed throughout the entire court.

Every player immediately stopped what they were doing.

Dribbling stopped.

Passing stopped.

Even the players stretching along the sideline turned around.

Within seconds, everyone’s attention landed on Lucas.

Lucas frowned slightly.

He hadn’t expected something this simple to attract so much attention.

The coach folded his arms and deliberately raised his voice so everyone could hear.

"Guys!"

"This is the special player Principal Malcolm personally asked me to add to the team."

The words "special player" were dripping with sarcasm.

Several players immediately exchanged puzzled looks.

"The principal?"

"What?"

"The principal is assigning players now?"

The coach chuckled coldly.

"Yesterday afternoon, Principal Malcolm called me personally."

"He didn’t ask me to evaluate him."

"He didn’t ask me to let him try out."

"He simply told me..."

"’Add him to the roster.’"

The coach shrugged dramatically.

"And according to the principal..."

"I’m also supposed to register him for the Slivermont University Tournament."

The moment those words left his mouth...

The entire court erupted into laughter.

"You’ve got to be kidding."

"Straight into the tournament?"

"Without even trying out?"

"What kind of joke is this?"

One player looked Lucas up and down before laughing.

"He doesn’t even look like an athlete."

Another smirked.

"Maybe he’s one of those rich donors."

"So we’re recruiting with money now?"

"I didn’t know basketball scholarships worked in reverse."

More laughter echoed through the gym.

Lucas remained completely calm.

He simply looked at the coach without saying a word.

The coach noticed Lucas’s composure and became even more annoyed.

Truthfully...

He had been unhappy ever since receiving Malcolm’s phone call yesterday.

He had spent years building this team.

Every player had earned his spot through endless conditioning, tryouts, and competition.

Now someone was being inserted directly into the tournament roster without touching a basketball.

How was he supposed to accept that?

The coach looked Lucas straight in the eye.

"So tell me..."

"What exactly makes you qualified to stand on my court?"

The laughter gradually died down.

Dozens of players folded their arms, waiting to see how this newcomer would answer.

Not one of them believed he belonged there.

Not one of them expected him to last a single practice.

And Lucas...

Simply smiled.