On the way back from Canton to Cleveland, Qin Zayne stopped in Akron for a while.
He searched another black neighborhood and once again inquired about the whereabouts of Gloria James.
However, there were still no results.
After returning to Cleveland, Qin Zayne returned the rental car and boarded a plane back to Newport News.
From Newport News, he drove his old AMC car back to Neust.
At the Jackson family home, Qin Zayne parked the car in the backyard and entered through the back door.
At first glance, he saw that the scoundrel Old Walter—who hadn't been home in a long time—was actually sitting on the sofa in the far living room, shamelessly teasing the babbling Dolly.
Ashley was busy preparing dinner in the dining room, and Carly sat helplessly nearby. When she saw Qin Zayne return, she quietly waved her right hand in greeting.
"Walter? Why is he back?"
Before Ashley could answer, Old Walter, who had heard Qin Zayne's voice from the living room, replied:
"This is my home. Why can't I come back?"
Qin Zayne simply shrugged. He had no intention of arguing with that scoundrel.
However, Old Walter's sudden return was clearly aimed at him.
Walter stood up, placed Dolly in her stroller, stretched lazily, and walked toward Qin Zayne.
"I heard my dear foster son has found a job at the University of North Carolina, so of course I had to come back and take a look…"
This time, Qin Zayne did not back down. He responded directly:
"I found a job—what does that have to do with you?"
"Don't say such things, Ben. I am your foster father—the head of the Jackson family, your teacher, your mentor, the captain of this family battleship…"
Old Walter raised his eyebrows and was about to continue boasting when Ashley cut him off.
"Shut up!"
The moment she spoke, Old Walter actually fell silent—something rare for someone as loud as him.
Qin Zayne was not surprised. To be honest, Ashley's authority was overwhelming.
Having supported the family on her own before even reaching adulthood, her dominance was unquestionable—not just to the Jackson children, but also to Old Walter, the neighbors, and even her colleagues.
A brief silence fell over the house.
Then Ben, who had just finished school, pushed open the door and walked in.
"Oh ho ho! Look who it is—my dearest and only son, Ben! My dear son, you're finally back!"
Old Walter adjusted his messy, greasy long hair and theatrically spread his arms.
Ben frowned and muttered softly, "Why is he back?"
Qin Zayne shrugged, pretending not to know.
But in truth, he knew exactly why Old Walter had returned.
He had secured a job as an assistant coach at UNC. The name alone carried weight, and people in Neust believed it was a high-paying opportunity.
So Old Walter had come back—to claim his share.
But was that possible? Absolutely not.
Qin Zayne only cared about Ashley and Ben. Even six-year-old Carly held no place in his heart—let alone Old Walter, whom he despised.
In the end, Ben still hugged Old Walter. Seeing this, Qin Zayne simply spread his hands helplessly.
Then, as if remembering something, he said:
"Oh right, I'm going to talk to Mrs. Ann next door."
Without waiting, Qin Zayne turned, pushed open the backyard door, and left.
Behind him came Old Walter's teasing voice:
"Oh ho! Mrs. Ann—a beautiful black widow. My dear foster son, you'd better control yourself…"
Ashley immediately corrected him:
"Shut up! Michael Freeman just went inside—he's not dead. Mrs. Ann is not a widow, and she has absolutely nothing to do with being beautiful."
In the backyard, Qin Zayne opened the car door and took out some deli food and milk he had bought from a large supermarket in Newport News.
Carrying the items, he entered the three-story apartment building next door.
The Iverson family was having dinner. When Qin Zayne walked in, Allen Iverson was the first to see him.
"Having dinner? Mind if I join? Look what I brought."
Mrs. Ann turned immediately.
"Yo, Swann, you're here?"
Noticing the food in his hands, she added:
"You're too polite. Just coming over is enough—no need to bring anything…"
Qin Zayne explained,
"It's just some deli meat and milk. Bubba Chuck is still growing—he needs proper nutrition."
He glanced at Iverson, who accepted the food and thanked him.
After exchanging a few words with Mrs. Ann, Qin Zayne turned back and saw Iverson already devouring the food.
"Can we talk after you finish eating, Bubba Chuck?"
Iverson paused for a moment, then nodded.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"You'll find out soon."
This time, Qin Zayne had returned to Neust specifically for Iverson. Otherwise, he would have gone straight back to Chapel Hill.
After finishing the meal together, the two sat on rattan chairs in the backyard.
Mrs. Ann kindly brought them hot milk. Before Qin Zayne could even finish thanking her, Iverson—looking thin and pale—had already gulped his down in two big swallows.
Qin Zayne shook his head inwardly and began:
"You're on vacation now, right?"
"Yes."
"When does school start?"
"September 6th."
Qin Zayne calculated that it was June 22nd—more than two months away.
"You're at Bethel High School now?"
"Yes."
"You play both basketball and football?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever thought about focusing only on basketball?"
Iverson shook his head.
"Not yet."
In his previous life, Qin Zayne had read that Iverson actually loved football more. He only chose basketball because the NBA was more professional and better paid, offering a faster way out of poverty.
But right now, Iverson was just a high school freshman—young and inexperienced, unable to think that far ahead.
At this stage, he simply loved football and played both sports because many high school athletes did the same.
"You know I'm a basketball coach now," Qin Zayne said.
Iverson nodded.
"I want to ask you a favor…"
"What is it?"
"I have a player who needs a sparring partner. Can you be his sparring partner this summer? In return, I'll provide food like tonight's every day."
At first, Iverson frowned. He wasn't interested in being a sparring partner.
But when Qin Zayne mentioned the payment, his eyes lit up.
Although Mrs. Ann earned $40 a day from Qin Zayne, it was still far from enough to support a family of four.
Despite Qin Zayne's repeated reminders that Bubba Chuck needed proper nutrition, their meals remained simple.
The best Mrs. Ann could do was add a cheap slice of bacon and a fried egg to Iverson's daily bread.
For someone with his level of physical activity, it was nowhere near enough.
Once again, Qin Zayne had appeared like timely help in a snowstorm.
After a brief hesitation, Iverson nodded in agreement.
"Then it's settled," Qin Zayne said.
"In a couple of days, after I return from UNC, you'll come with me to Canton, Ohio, to train as my player's sparring partner. After that, your job will be to use your offense to break down his defense…"
"If you want to read advance Chapter.
Please Visit: https://www.patreon.com/c/Dinos2_0"