Qin Zayne stayed in Portland for a full three days. Three days later, Old Willie drove his pickup truck to take him to the airport.
"To be honest, Qin, you've already won Damon and me over with your abilities. If we ultimately choose UNC, it will be because of you. But right now, we still have one concern… North Carolina is just too far away."
"Is distance really an issue? Let me give you an example, Willie. If Damon enters the NBA draft in the future and gets selected by the New York Knicks, would he refuse to join them because of the distance?"
"That's different."
"No, it's exactly the same. Doesn't UNC's status in the NCAA compare to that of the New York Knicks in the NBA?"
"This…"
Old Willie still looked hesitant. Seeing his expression, Qin Zayne knew that the Little Flying Squirrel's final decision was still uncertain.
He sighed inwardly; at least he had done his best.
At the very least, he had made Damon Stoudamire—who originally had no intention of considering UNC—start to seriously think about it as an option.
"I'm leaving now, Willie. I hope our next meeting will be in Chapel Hill."
Old Willie's hesitant response made Qin Zayne, who had already lost some confidence, sigh even more.
"Sigh, this trip to Portland was a waste."
After boarding the plane, Qin Zayne took out his phone to turn it off and suddenly thought, "Well, it wasn't a complete waste. At least I got to know Erik Spoelstra."
When they left the Midnight League that night, Spoelstra had caught up with Qin Zayne and asked for his number.
Over the next few days, he had called Qin Zayne several times to discuss tactical gameplay issues.
At this time, Spoelstra was still young and inexperienced, but Qin Zayne could already sense his coaching talent.
"This guy will be a senior after the holidays. After graduating, he'll probably go into coaching. I should stay in touch with him. When I become a head coach, I'll bring him in as my assistant."
The plane took off. Its destination was neither Newport News nor the North Carolina Triangle, but Scranton, Pennsylvania.
On this trip, he planned to stop and meet Bob Sura.
Although the opportunity with Damon Stoudamire wasn't completely lost, Qin Zayne believed in having a backup plan. If the Little Flying Squirrel didn't come, he would go all out to recruit Bob Sura.
He had already discussed this with Dean Smith.
Dean Smith responded, "I know Bob Sura. His talent is somewhat average, but we are truly short on point guards. Whether Damon comes or not, we can offer him a full scholarship."
That meant Qin Zayne could offer Bob Sura a full scholarship on this trip.
However, when Qin Zayne mentioned Eric Snow, Dean Smith was unfamiliar with him and did not approve it.
Left with no choice, Qin Zayne temporarily put Eric Snow out of his mind and focused entirely on Bob Sura.
South of Scranton lay the small city of Wilkes-Barre, where Bob Sura lived.
The level of chaos in small American cities often depended on the local environment. Some were quiet and peaceful.
Others were harsh—so harsh that people of color were practically unwelcome.
Wilkes-Barre leaned heavily toward the latter. There were very few Black residents, and people of other races were almost nonexistent.
Qin Zayne hadn't known this before arriving. Once he realized it, he immediately felt uneasy.
Following the address, he gathered his courage and found Bob Sura's house.
He rang the doorbell, and Bob Sura himself opened the door.
Sura looked him up and down with a frown, his face showing a hint of disgust.
With just that glance, Qin Zayne was almost certain—this man was at least sympathetic to white supremacist views. No wonder he hadn't passed the ball to Yao Ming in his previous life.
At that moment, Qin Zayne realized this trip to Wilkes-Barre would likely be another waste.
Even so, he didn't turn back.
As the saying goes, since he was already here, he might as well see it through.
"Hello, let me introduce myself. Swann Qin, from UNC—"
Before he could finish, Bob Sura interrupted him.
"A recruiter?"
Qin Zayne paused briefly, then nodded. "Yes."
"Pfft… what kind of second-rate school would send an Asian guy as a recruiter?"
Qin Zayne's expression immediately turned cold. His assumption had been correct—Bob Sura was indeed a bigot.
"Second-rate school? Are you seriously calling the University of North Carolina a second-rate school?"
Without hesitation, Qin Zayne threw his UNC staff ID at Sura.
"Open your eyes and take a good look!"
Bob Sura was stunned. He had assumed Qin Zayne meant the state of North Carolina, which had many universities—including lesser-known ones like Davidson College.
He hadn't expected this young Asian man to actually represent the prestigious University of North Carolina.
Still, Sura refused to show any regret.
Just two days earlier, he had received a full scholarship offer from Florida State University.
Although FSU wasn't as famous as UNC, it would soon join the ACC—the same conference as UNC.
In terms of competitiveness, FSU wasn't far behind; the main difference was reputation and history.
Originally, Bob Sura had been waiting for an offer from a top-tier school like UNC before making a decision.
Who would have thought things would turn out like this?
Now, he could only stubbornly respond:
"So what if it's UNC? I've already received a full scholarship from FSU—"
Qin Zayne cut him off with a sneer.
"Since when could a school like FSU be mentioned in the same breath as UNC?"
Although UNC hadn't been dominant in recent years, it was still far beyond FSU's level.
Last season, UNC had won the ACC Tournament and reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
And FSU?
In the much weaker Metro Conference, they had only finished fifth in the regular season.
Bob Sura's face turned red as he argued stubbornly, "That was the old FSU. Once I join, FSU will rise—and even UNC won't be able to compete!"
Qin Zayne had no interest in wasting more time.
With a cold laugh, he said, "Stop talking nonsense."
Then he turned and left, muttering to himself, "What a waste of time. Why did I even consider recruiting him?"
Behind him, Bob Sura's face shifted between anger and embarrassment. After a few seconds, he finally shouted curses in Qin Zayne's direction.
But by then, Qin Zayne was already gone.
…
Qin Zayne didn't stay long in Wilkes-Barre. He returned to Scranton the same day and called Dean Smith again.
"So, as you said, he's a bigot? Then we definitely cannot recruit him… Come back first, Swann. Let's wait for Damon Stoudamire's decision."
Qin Zayne was honest, knowing that Dean Smith was not someone who supported racial discrimination.
On the contrary, Dean Smith had always worked to improve equality and opportunities for African American players. He had even recruited one of the first African American players in the NCAA, Charlie Scott.
He valued diversity and fairness in his team, so someone like Bob Sura could never be accepted.
Recruiting him would only damage UNC's future.
Although Dean Smith advised him to return and wait, Qin Zayne was not someone who would sit idly by.
He shook his head and said, "Coach, I still want to try recruiting Eric Snow. I know you're not familiar with him, but I am. I can guarantee he's an excellent point guard."
"Give me one full scholarship spot. I'll recruit him and train him myself. I promise he can handle the point guard position at UNC."
Qin Zayne was making a firm commitment—leaving himself no room for retreat.
Hearing his determination, Dean Smith, who had been hesitant, finally relented.
"Alright… I'll give you one full scholarship slot."
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