Chapter 2

Section 4 of the game begins!!!
Daye serves from the baseline, and White takes control of the ball. He quickly pushes forward, but rather than holding onto it, he passes to Big Ben, who dodges Markhill’s defense and easily scores with a reverse layup. Then, White steals Villanueva’s pass and quickly passes to Daye, who shoots a three-pointer that swishes through the net. With Team B leading by a large margin, the players become somewhat relaxed. The assistant coach yells loudly from the sidelines, and the players snap out of it and quickly get into focus.

Bynum dashes toward the basket at lightning speed, but unfortunately fails to capitalize on the good opportunity, missing his layup. Fortunately, he manages to draw a foul on White. Bynum has a decent free-throw percentage, at 79.8% last season and 78.9% throughout his career. Surprisingly, however, he misses both free throws. Thankfully, Villanueva rushes in to grab an offensive rebound, but his subsequent shot also misses. Big Ben gets angry and pushes Villanueva while grabbing the rebound, and the referee immediately calls a foul on Big Ben.

Villanueva serves from the sideline. After catching the ball, Bynum passes it to Monroe in the paint. As expected, Monroe calmly scores 2 points despite facing Daye’s defense. Later, Summers from Team A also scores a point. Prince tries to take on Summers alone, but White steals the ball from him. White immediately passes it to Wilcox. Wilcox and Daye rush forward, with Markhill closely following. Wilcox passes the ball to Daye, who is about to enter the basket. Seeing Markhill charging toward him, Daye passes the ball back to Wilcox, who immediately jumps and delivers a thunderous dunk, boosting his team’s morale.

Prince wipes the sweat from his forehead and shouts at his teammates to strengthen their defense. But then, it seems like Team A’s turn. They perform excellently both offensively and defensively—scoring 8 points in a row while allowing Team B only 2 points, which came from Monroe’s free throws. The score is now 77:87, with Team B still leading by 10 points, and 9 minutes left in the game. The assistant coach doesn’t intend to make any substitutions, wanting Zhou Yi, McGrady, and Gordon to rest a bit, as the most critical part of the game is yet to come, when the competition is usually at its fiercest.

Fortunately, the players on Team B didn’t allow the score to get any closer. Prince took the lead in initiating the counterattack. First, he scored 2 points with a jump shot, then used his physical advantage to block Sammes’ layup, followed by grabbing a rebound and assisting Villanueva for a 3-point shot, allowing Team B to restore its lead to 15 points.

Kuster finally couldn’t wait any longer and called a long timeout with 6 minutes left in the game to discuss tactics with his players. On the other side, assistant coach Zhou Yi repeated the same advice: “Strengthen defense.”

The game resumed, with Zhou Yi substituting Bynum, McGrady replacing Prince, and Gordon taking over from Villanueva. For Team A, Starks replaced White, and Hamilton replaced Sammes. The final lineups were: Team A – Darbon, Wilcox, Daye, Hamilton, Starks; Team B – McHale, Monroe, Gordon, McGrady, Zhou Yi.

The final moments of the game were extremely intense. Zhou Yi almost committed a 24-second violation under Starks’ defense. But with 2 seconds left, he passed the ball to Monroe, who rushed to the basket. Although the shot didn’t go in, McHale scored a free throw, keeping the lead at around 15 points. As long as Team A narrowed the gap slightly, Team B would immediately shut down their offense.

With three minutes left in the game, Starks suddenly had a breakout performance. First, he hit a long shot against Zhou Yi, then assisted Hamilton and Darbon consecutively. With the score reduced to just 8 points, it was Monroe, the rookie selected seventh in this year’s draft, who stepped up. Perhaps fueled by pent-up anger, he received consecutive assists from Zhou Yi and McGrady and scored powerfully at the basket, even drawing a foul on Darbon and converting the free throw, pushing the lead back to 13 points. In the final moments, Team A’s consecutive attempts failed, while Team B seized the opportunity to widen their lead to 21 points. Zhou Yi scored 4 points, along with 1 steal and 1 assist.

Thus, the players stopped playing, and the game ended just a few dozen seconds later, with the final score at 109:88.

Kuster stretched his chin forward, staring intently at the scoreboard, while the expressions of the assistant coaches standing by were similar to his.

Team B’s coach walked up to Kuster, visibly excited, and asked, “Hey, John, did you expect such a result?”

Kuster shook his head and turned to look at Zhou Yi, who was chatting happily with McGrady.

Chapter 26: End of Training Camp

Kuster walked over to the staff member in charge of the statistics, picked up the report, and studied it carefully. To his shock, Zhou Yi’s numbers were absolutely astonishing. Eight shots, six made; three free throws, three made—totaling 15 points. In addition, he had 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block, with only 1 turnover and 1 foul. But upon closer inspection, everyone gasped, as Zhou Yi had only played 24 minutes. Kuster turned around and took another deep look at Zhou Yi, his joy evident. The assistant coach was equally shocked. The two exchanged smiles and asked in unison, “Is he really a player who just joined the NBA?” Then they burst into laughter.

Although it was just an internal team scrimmage, such results left the coaches emotionally stirred for a long time.

After seeing his own statistics, Zhou Yi was also surprised. He hadn’t expected to perform so well. McGrady and Bynum approached him and said sincerely, “Zhou, we won almost entirely because of you!”

Zhou Yi smiled slightly and replied, “It’s the result of everyone’s hard work. I just did what I was supposed to do.” Bynum ignored Zhou Yi’s words, leaned on him, and joked, “You performed so well that it seems I might even lose my spot as a reserve!” Everyone laughed again.

McGrady also performed excellently in this scrimmage, but everyone’s attention was focused on Zhou Yi. McGrady played for about 30 minutes, hitting 8 out of 13 shots, including two three-pointers, and 5 out of 6 free throws, scoring 23 points. He also had 6 rebounds and 6 assists—solid numbers. Although he seemed more impressive than Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi’s impact on everyone was far greater than McGrady’s.

The best performers for Team A were Staki and Dabben; the former scored 26 points and had 5 assists, while the latter racked up 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks, though he also committed 5 fouls. Team A’s overall shooting percentage was 44.5%, 38% from three-point range, and 90% from free throws. They grabbed 34 rebounds, provided 14 assists, made 8 steals, and had 7 blocks, while committing 17 turnovers. In contrast, Team B had an overall shooting percentage of 51.3%, 45% from three-point range, and a lower free-throw percentage of 79%. They secured 43 rebounds—9 more than Team A—provided 22 assists (8 more than Team A), made 9 steals, and only 5 blocks, with just 9 turnovers.

Clearly, Team B’s offense was far superior to Team A’s. The smoothness of Team B’s offense was entirely due to the excellent playmaking of Zhou Yi and Maddie.

After the game, Koester gathered all the players for a thorough review. He briefly summarized the performance of both teams and then offered comments on each one. Of course, Koester couldn’t help but mention Zhou Yi. He praised him highly and urged the players to work even harder during the upcoming training sessions, emphasizing the need to stay focused.

After the summary, the players didn’t leave immediately but stayed on the training court to continue practicing. It was around 4 p.m. at that time.

Koester called Zhou Yi to the side and whispered some instructions to him. Zhou Yi quickly returned to the court and continued training with the team.

While the players were training, Koester and several assistant coaches discussed the match, with Zhou Yi being the focus. At that moment, Dumars walked over to the coaches casually. Upon seeing Dumars, Koester immediately updated him on everything that had happened during the match. Hearing that Zhou Yi had led the team to a decisive victory with his outstanding performance, Dumars stared intently at Zhou Yi, who was practicing pick-and-rolls with Maddie, then nodded in approval.

Dumars carefully examined Zhou Yi’s statistics and grew even more optimistic about his potential.

“I wonder if this Chinese kid can maintain such strong performance in the regular season as well,” Dumars said, looking at Zhou Yi as he trained.

“If nurtured properly, Zhou Yi’s future is boundless. Although he’s a bit slender, his talent is top-notch, especially his playmaking ability—this is a conclusion we’ve reached together with the assistant coaches,” Koester said, smiling at Dumars.

“Well, I’ll observe him closely over the next few days and during the upcoming preseason. If he performs well, we’ll focus on developing him further. After all, he’s still Chinese, and the Chinese market is extremely large! Houston also developed so rapidly thanks to Yao Ming. In any case, I must observe him carefully these days,” Dumars said seriously.
The coaches nodded and turned their attention to Zhou Yi.
Training ended quickly, and the players left the gym one after another, leaving only Zhou Yi, McGrady, Bynum, along with a few assistant coaches and staff members. After resting for a while, Bynum smiled at Zhou Yi and McGrady and said, “Tracy, Zhou, I have some things to attend to. I’m leaving first.”
“Okay, bye,” replied Zhou Yi and McGrady.
Watching Bynum walk away, Zhou Yi said to McGrady, “Tracy, there are still some dunking moves I’m not very proficient at. Could you teach me?”
“Of course,” McGrady replied with a smile.
Thus, McGrady and Zhou Yi stayed on the training court for a while longer. Only when Zhou Yi became fairly comfortable with the moves did McGrady say, “It’s getting late. I’m sorry, Zhou, but I should go too.”
Zhou Yi nodded and smiled, saying, “Thanks, Tracy.”
“No problem. See you tomorrow!”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
As McGrady left, only Zhou Yi remained on the court. He practiced the moves McGrady had taught him several more times until he was fully familiar with them. Then he made a call to ask Karl to pick him up. While waiting for Karl, Zhou Yi didn’t rest—he didn’t want to waste time. With the preseason approaching, he wanted to make use of every minute to train and improve his weaknesses. After practicing for a while longer and feeling tired, he started shooting hoops.
At that moment, the assistant coach who had been leading Team B came over and asked Zhou Yi, “Zhou, training is over. Why haven’t you gone back yet?”
“Hehe, Coach, I’m waiting for someone to pick me up, so I’m using this time to practice a bit more. It’s okay. If you have anything to do, go ahead!” Zhou Yi said, holding the basketball and smiling at the assistant coach.
The assistant coach nodded, feeling even more impressed by Zhou Yi. Soon, even the staff members gradually left. One of them approached Zhou Yi and reminded him, “The training court is about to close. Please practice again tomorrow!”

After hearing what the staff said, Zhou Yi reluctantly left the training ground. Exhausted, he went to the locker room, picked up his clothes, and headed to the entrance of the Auburn Mountain Palace Gymnasium, waiting for Carl to arrive. Soon, Carl arrived in his car. After Zhou Yi got in, Carl started the car and asked, “How are you? Tired, right?” Zhou Yi slowly closed his eyes and replied, “It’s okay.” Carl drove quickly and skillfully, bringing them home in no time. It was already past 6 p.m. when they arrived home. Zhou Yi took a quick shower, changed into clean clothes, and went to the dining room to have dinner with everyone. After dinner, he rested in the living room for a while, chatted briefly with Blake, then returned to his room to rest. He was extremely tired today; he lay heavily on the bed, not wanting to move at all. After thinking about today’s match for a while, he fell asleep quickly. …… In the blink of an eye, the seven-day training camp came to an end. During these seven days, there was a match every day, and Zhou Yi performed well in almost all of them, except for the third match when he was hampered by fouls and didn’t perform as well. Overall, the coaches were very satisfied. On the last day, the head coach gave a two-hour summary of the training camp, and after that, he put forward some requirements for the upcoming preseason games. The training camp came to an end with just two days left before the preseason games started! Chapter 27: Letters from Everyone That Night, on the day the training camp ended, Zhou Yi and Blake’s family of three sat together happily having dinner. Although Zhou Yi didn’t like drinking, he still had a lot of alcohol. The seven days of intense training had left him extremely tired, but he wasn’t upset. Instead, he felt a surge of energy within him. He knew this was the power of dreams. Zhou Yi was somewhat drunk and returned to his bedroom with Carl’s help. After putting him in bed and covering him with a blanket, Carl left. Before leaving, he specifically went to Zhou Yi’s bedside, poured a glass of milk, helped Zhou Yi sit up, and slowly fed it to him. Only after that did Carl leave Zhou Yi’s room and close the door.

In a daze, Zhou Yi seemed to see his parents, their faces full of expectation, as well as his good friend Mo Keer, and of course, a familiar face. He tried to reach out to them, but couldn’t grasp them no matter how hard he tried. With a thud, Zhou Yi rolled off the bed along with the blanket. Yet he didn’t wake up; instead, he wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and continued sleeping on the floor.

Early the next morning, Zhou Yi frowned and rubbed his temples with both hands before slowly opening his dark eyes. To his surprise, he found himself sleeping on the floor. He smiled bitterly and muttered to himself, “Uh, I must have drunk a bit too much yesterday. It’s the first time I’ve had that much alcohol. I ended up falling to the floor… Sigh.”

Zhou Yi slowly got up from the floor, threw the blanket back on the bed, and got dressed. Suddenly, he felt extremely thirsty. He poured himself a cup of boiled water and checked the time—it was still early, only 6:30.

He turned on his computer and checked his email. There were unread messages, and to his astonishment, there were over a hundred of them. Upon checking, they were all from Lin Qixiao, Hong Ming, Qin Tian, and Mo Keer. Further down, there were another twenty or so from Xia Tingting.

He first read Mo Keer’s email. The content was almost identical every time.

“Have you been busy these days? Why haven’t you gotten in touch? Are you okay? Have you gotten used to it?”

Zhou Yi replied, “It’s good here. Don’t worry. Take care of yourself at home, study hard, and email me if anything happens.”

He then checked the emails from Lin Qixiao and the others. The content was roughly the same. He wrote, “You guy, you’re doing so well over there and have forgotten about your brothers? I won’t waste time chatting with you. Wish you success! If you have time, we’ll go to Detroit to see you.”

Zhou Yi sent a brief reply to Lin Qixiao and the others, then opened Xia Tingting’s emails. The twenty or so emails had identical content, but they were very simple.

“Are you okay?”

Though it was just one sentence, it made Zhou Yi shiver. Unconsciously, he clicked to reply. His reply included some of his experiences in the United States. Somehow, he ended up telling Xia Tingting a lot. After hesitating for a while, he also wrote down his new number before hitting send.

Just as Zhou Yi was about to close his inbox and shut down the computer, another email arrived. He took a closer look and a smile appeared on his face—the sender was Xia Tingting. She had only replied, “Got it. Thank you!”

Zhou Yi gave a bitter smile, feeling somewhat relieved. Although Xia Tingting liked him very much, she didn’t pursue him relentlessly like some other girls, which didn’t annoy him. Xia Tingting respected him and hardly interfered with his life. Even so, Zhou Yi still felt a bit guilty, as Blake had said it was possible Xia Tingting might like him for a long time. Feeling troubled, Zhou Yi decided not to think about it anymore. “The most important thing right now is the preseason game coming up in two days. As for other matters, I’ll deal with them once I’m established in the NBA!” he thought to himself. After quickly washing up, Zhou Yi went downstairs and saw Carl and Phoebe arguing. Sigh, he had gotten used to such things since he first arrived at Blake’s house. “Alright, Phoebe, I’m not wasting time with you. I give up, okay? I give up,” Carl said, spreading his hands and rolling his eyes as he sat on the sofa. Phoebe was about to persist when she saw Zhou Yi coming down the stairs. She quickly huffed at Carl, ran over to Zhou Yi, grabbed his arm, and said with a smile, “Zhou Yi, you’ve had a few days off. Do you have anything to do? Come out and play with me! Last time I asked you to go to the amusement park because of your contract signing, but we couldn’t go. Let’s go today to get some fresh air.” Zhou Yi’s face turned red and pale in turn. Fortunately, Blake came over at that moment. “Phoebe, the preseason game is in a few days. This is a great opportunity for Zhou Yi. Let him rest well these days; there will be plenty of time later,” Blake said, glancing at Phoebe. “Later, always later. There won’t be time later either. I’m going to school in a few days,” Phoebe said, her mood sinking as she lowered her head and started to sniffle. Zhou Yi was taken aback by her reaction and quickly said with a smile, “Hehe, I’ll go with you.” Phoebe’s mood didn’t change much. She lifted her head slightly and sobbed, “Really?” Zhou Yi smiled and replied seriously, “Of course. The training these days has been too boring. It’s perfect that you can take me out to relax. To be honest, I haven’t really had fun since I came to Detroit. Last time you just showed me around; this time, I really want to see more.” “Haha, I knew you’d agree. You’re the best, Zhou Yi!” Phoebe stopped sniffling immediately, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, her expression brightening, and started pulling his arm back and forth.

Zhou Yi was speechless. Did she really like to act pitiful? However, seeing Blake’s somewhat complicated expression, Zhou Yi gave him a look, and Blake nodded in response.
“Xiao Yi, you still don’t understand my sister, do you? Well, you’ll get used to it eventually,” Karl said helplessly, observing the affectionate behavior between the two.
Phoebe huffed, glared at Karl, and snapped, “How can you even be called an older brother? You never give in to me at all. Hmph, just look at Zhou Yi—how nice he is to me.”
Karl glanced at her but didn’t reply, instead focusing on admiring his collection of antiques.
Blake stepped over to them and said with a smile, “Alright, enough laughing. Let’s have breakfast. After that, you can go wherever you want.”
…
After breakfast, Phoebe borrowed Karl’s car. At first, he was very reluctant, but after Blake persuaded him, he agreed to lend it to her.
Before leaving, Karl called out to Phoebe, warning her, “Don’t drive too fast. Your skills need improvement. Don’t ruin my car.”
“I know, stop nagging. Hmph, you cheap guy!” Phoebe made a face at Karl before speeding off in the car.
Chapter 28: I Have a Girlfriend Now
Karl was right—Phoebe’s driving skills were indeed poor, at least according to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi was confident that his own driving skills were on par with hers, if not better. Nervous, he asked Phoebe cautiously, “Phoebe, how long have you been learning to drive?”
Phoebe’s answer made Zhou Yi roll his eyes and almost choke. She said proudly, “I started learning to drive this summer. It’s been about three months now. Well, less than three months, yes. How about that? My skills are pretty good, right?”
Zhou Yi’s forehead broke out in sweat. He forced a smile and said, “Very good. By the way, do you have a driver’s license?” At that mention, Phoebe’s expression changed, and she said awkwardly, “Not yet. But with my skills, I should get one soon. Don’t worry.”
Hearing Phoebe’s words, Zhou Yi felt like dying. He thought to himself, “Please don’t let anything go wrong. Otherwise, things will get messy.”

Seeming to notice Zhou Yi’s concern, Phoebe also grew uneasy and quickly said to him, “Then you drive. A man should drive for a beautiful lady, hehe. I won’t show everyone my skills then.” With that, Phoebe slowly braked and stopped the car.

Zhou Yi sat in the driver’s seat, his expression immediately turning serious. He had a habit of not chatting with others while driving, not for any other reason but to avoid any chance of accidents, either for others or himself.

Seeing Zhou Yi’s solemn expression, Phoebe stared at him with a half-smile. Zhou Yi glanced at her face in the rearview mirror. Though curious, he said nothing.

“Hey, Zhou Yi, turn left. That’s right, turn left.” Guided by Phoebe, Zhou Yi kept changing directions.

Before long, they arrived at the Detroit Zoo. After parking the car, Phoebe excitedly jumped out and ran toward the zoo entrance. Zhou Yi sighed and rushed after her to buy tickets. Once the tickets were bought, Phoebe took Zhou Yi’s hand and led him inside, drawing quite a few stares.

Zhou Yi looked around, his expression somewhat awkward. But too embarrassed to pull away from Phoebe’s hand, he followed her wishes. Phoebe showed him around, clearly very familiar with the place. After getting tired, they sat down on a bench. Zhou Yi wanted to let go of Phoebe’s hand, so after a brief pause, he smiled at her and said, “We’ve been walking for so long. You must be thirsty. I’ll go buy some drinks.”

Phoebe had no idea what Zhou Yi was thinking. She nodded happily, thinking to herself, “Hehe, he’s quite considerate. Not like those little brats before who didn’t know how to take care of others at all.” At that moment, her fondness for Zhou Yi increased even more.

It took a long time before Zhou Yi slowly came back from afar, holding two bottles of drinks. He opened one for Phoebe and handed it to her. Phoebe couldn’t help but look at him again. Feeling a bit uneasy under her gaze, Zhou Yi calmly asked, “What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

“Hehe, nothing.” After taking a few sips, Phoebe wanted to lean on Zhou Yi’s shoulder.

Instinctively, Zhou Yi pushed her away. Phoebe was startled, her face showing displeasure as she asked, “What, can’t I even lean on you for a moment?” Zhou Yi didn’t know what to say. After thinking for a while, he took a deep breath and said to Phoebe, “Phoebe, actually, there’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Actually… I already have a girlfriend.” Zhou Yi said each word carefully.

Hearing Zhou Yi’s words, Phoebe’s body trembled violently. Her eyes stared blankly at him as she couldn’t help but ask, “What? What did you just say?”
Zhou Yi looked resolute and said firmly, “I already have a girlfriend. I had her before I came to the United States.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I thought there was no need to talk about such things. I came here only to fulfill my dreams. I…”
“Stop talking. I get it.” Phoebe was surprisingly quiet. After staring at Zhou Yi for a while, she suddenly smiled. Seeing Phoebe’s smile, Zhou Yi felt extremely nervous. He had already hurt one girl and didn’t want to hurt another, but now…
Phoebe stood up, pulled Zhou Yi, who was sitting dazed on the bench, and said with a smile, “It’s okay. Let’s continue playing. I’ve had enough rest!” She then showed a sweet smile.
“Phoebe, you…”
“I said it’s okay. That was in the past. No one can predict what will happen in the future!” Phoebe became unusually quiet, her expression very serious.
Zhou Yi gave a bitter smile and stopped talking.
Along the way, Phoebe behaved like a child as before. She looked like a girl in her early twenties, but she was actually only sixteen. Passersby who saw her acting almost wildly thought she was crazy. Only Zhou Yi, who was by her side, knew the truth.
As dusk fell, Zhou Yi followed behind Phoebe and said worriedly, “Phoebe, it’s getting late. Let’s go back. Otherwise, your uncle will worry.”
“It’s okay. We’ve come out so rarely. Let’s have fun!”
Zhou Yi felt somewhat guilty toward Phoebe, so he didn’t argue and quietly followed behind her. After a while, Phoebe turned around and said to Zhou Yi, “Let’s go to another place to play!”
Zhou Yi nodded silently.
Along the way, Phoebe pointed here and there, and Zhou Yi drove in the directions she indicated. Soon, in front of a bar, Phoebe told Zhou Yi to stop the car. Seeing her about to enter the bar, Zhou Yi hurriedly said, “Phoebe, don’t go in. Let’s go home!”
“You go back first. I want some quiet time.” Ignoring Zhou Yi’s objections, Phoebe got out of the car.
Zhou Yi quickly jumped out of the car, grabbed Phoebe’s wrist, and said sternly, “Come back with me.” Phoebe looked at Zhou Yi, sneered, shook her wrist hard to get free, and said coldly, “What are you to me?”

Zhou Yi never expected Phoebe’s emotions to change so drastically and so quickly. Just moments ago, she was smiling and joking with him, but now… He froze for a moment, staring blankly as Phoebe walked into the bar. Suddenly coming to his senses, Zhou Yi grabbed her back with force. Phoebe struggled violently and shouted, “Let go! You’re hurting me!”
Zhou Yi didn’t release her. Instead, he pulled her to the car and said seriously, “Do you know what you’re doing? How sad Uncle Blake will be if he finds out? You’re still a minor; you should focus on your studies. Don’t act recklessly just because your uncle isn’t strict with you. This will hurt everyone’s feelings.”
Upon hearing Zhou Yi’s scolding, Phoebe froze instantly, clearly unprepared for such reprimand. Her father had never yelled at her like this before—how dare this guy do it to her?
Phoebe replied indifferently, “My affairs aren’t your concern. You fulfilled the promise you made to me earlier. We owe each other nothing anymore. Go back and rest. The pre-season tournament starts the day after tomorrow—go all out for your dream.”
With that, she shook off Zhou Yi’s hand and headed straight into the bar, unimpeded despite being a minor. Zhou Yi watched her leave, his feelings mixed. Although Blake had told him Phoebe was easily hurt, he hadn’t expected her reaction to be so intense.
After parking the car, Zhou Yi rushed into the bar.
Chapter 29: An Accident
When he entered the bar, Zhou Yi checked the time—it was almost eight o’clock. He called Blake to tell him he might be late returning, but he didn’t mention what had just happened. After Blake gave him some instructions, Zhou Yi hung up.
Inside the bar, Zhou Yi saw that it was extremely crowded, almost bursting at the seams. To put it vividly, it was like boiling dumplings.
The air was filled with the smell of alcohol and tobacco. The music was turned up so loud it almost deafened people. Men and women danced wildly in the dance floor, swaying their waists and hips. The stylishly dressed women laughed and mingled among the men, teasing them with flirtatious words. Women cooed in men’s arms, while men drank and flirted with them. The ambiguous atmosphere was thick with sensuality.

Although Zhou Yi had been to bars before, it was only to accompany a few friends in China, more as a formality. As a result, he was clearly very uncomfortable with the surroundings. After a while, the smoke made him sneeze nonstop.

After walking around, Zhou Yi finally spotted Phoebe in a narrow corner, surrounded by some rowdy teenagers. He rushed over quickly and grabbed her arm. Phoebe looked up at him briefly, then continued drinking from the bottle. Zhou Yi snatched the bottle away and shouted, “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Hey, who are you? Do you want to die? How dare you act up here,” said a teenager with red spiked hair, holding a cigarette, as he glared at Zhou Yi impatiently.

Zhou Yi ignored him and tried to pull Phoebe away from the bar. Phoebe snapped her hand free from his and said coldly, “Leave me alone.”

Zhou Yi tried to grab her again when the red-haired teen picked up an empty bottle, pointed it at Zhou Yi, and yelled, “Hey, she said to leave her alone! Get lost! Don’t ruin our mood. If you don’t leave now, watch out for your life!”

Zhou Yi remained calm and said indifferently to the red-haired teen, “Go away.”

“You’re seeking death!!!” The red-haired teen swung the bottle at Zhou Yi’s head. One of his companions pulled him back, worriedly whispering, “Bro, we just got to Detroit. We’ve barely settled things down. If we do this now, we might get arrested again.”

The red-haired teen turned to glare at his companion, pondered for a moment, and thought to himself, “I’ve been inside for so long and finally got out. I haven’t had any action in ages. With such a nice girl here, how can I let her go so easily?”

He turned his head, looking fierce, and snapped, “Get out now! I’ll let this go this time. But if you’re still stubborn, don’t blame me if I get violent.”

Zhou Yi still kept the same expression and didn’t respond to the red-haired teen. He pulled Phoebe and headed out of the bar. Phoebe also felt the situation was getting out of control, so she didn’t resist and followed Zhou Yi outside.

“This is your own fault. Don’t blame me.”

Ignoring his companions’ warnings, the red-haired teen swung the bottle and smashed it at Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi tilted his head and dodged the attack instantly, then kicked him.

Zhou Yi didn’t use his full strength, so the red-haired boy was only pushed back a step by his kick. Seeing their companion get attacked, the red-haired boy’s friends stopped being silent and picked up their glasses, ready to attack Zhou Yi. In an instant, the situation became tense.

Due to the narrow corner and the loud music, few people noticed what was happening there. Several boys threw bottles at Zhou Yi. He pushed Phoebe toward the safer crowd and dodged the flying bottles. It had to be said that Zhou Yi was extremely agile—dozens of bottles failed to hit him, and he even caught a few. Unable to find bottles, the boys rushed at him with their bare hands. Seeing Zhou Yi about to get hurt, Phoebe immediately ran to his side, spread her arms, and said to the crowd, “Don’t hurt him! He’s my boyfriend.”

The red-haired boy grew even angrier upon hearing this and said to the others, “Go ahead, ignore her.” Then, a few boys threw punches at Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi smiled at Phoebe and said, “It’s okay. Go aside—don’t want your pretty face to get damaged.” He pushed Phoebe aside firmly and faced the incoming punches calmly. He dodged half of the blows, then pushed the throwing boy toward another boy nearby. The two collided and fell to the ground. Zhou Yi thought he had been gentle enough.

Keeping his anger in check, Zhou Yi sensed trouble when he saw Phoebe surrounded by those rowdy boys. As expected, he decided to take action.

Having been in poor health since childhood, Zhou Yi had trained hard from a young age. Zhou Miao even helped him find a martial arts teacher, and he practiced diligently. However, he had always been kind to others and had never fought before. So few people knew he knew martial arts.

Zhou Yi dodged one boy, pushed another aside, grabbed the wrist of a third boy, and twisted it slightly. The boy cried out in pain and collapsed. Zhou Yi released the boy’s hand, pushed him onto a seat, and glared at them coldly, “Get lost, or I won’t be so gentle anymore.”

At this moment, Zhou Yi was no longer the polite person he usually was. The red-haired boy watched him warily and then said to the others, “Guys, don’t let him fool you. We’re in the majority—let’s take him down.”

With that, he took the lead and charged at Zhou Yi. This time, Zhou Yi didn’t back down anymore. He stepped back and delivered a powerful kick to his lower abdomen. Zhou Yi let out a painful cry, collapsed to the ground clutching his stomach, and shouted at his stunned companions, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and attack!”
Hearing their leader’s command, the teenagers finally mustered up the courage to charge again. Yet all their attacks were dodged by Zhou Yi. A teenager nearby rushed behind Zhou Yi and grabbed him. Zhou Yi used his arms to twist around, grabbed the teenager’s wrists, and threw him aside with a shoulder toss.
Just then, Zhou Yi suddenly sensed a hint of danger approaching.
“Zhou Yi, be careful!” Phoebe screamed.
As Zhou Yi turned to look, he saw the boy with red hair pick up two wine bottles from a nearby table and swing them at his head.
With a loud crash, the bottles shattered, and blood streamed down from Zhou Yi’s forehead. He kicked the boy away, but then collapsed uncontrollably.
Phoebe quickly ran to Zhou Yi’s side, crying bitterly, “It’s all my fault! It’s my fault! I caused this to you, Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi…”
Zhou Yi touched Phoebe’s face and said with a smile, “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” Then his head tilted, and he lost consciousness.
By now, the situation had escalated completely. Everyone stopped and stared at Zhou Yi lying on the ground. But no one found it strange; in their eyes, this was just an ordinary occurrence. If nothing like this happened in a bar, it wouldn’t even be called a bar. People watched the scene out of curiosity.
One black teenager, upon seeing Zhou Yi in Phoebe’s arms, exclaimed in surprise. He pushed through the crowd, went to Phoebe’s side, and crouched down to examine Zhou Yi closely.
“Isn’t that Zhou Yi?” the black teenager asked in shock. If Zhou Yi had been conscious, he would have recognized him—this black teenager was none other than his teammate, Will Bynum.
Phoebe glanced at Bynum, nodded, and recounted everything that had happened. Bynum became anxious and said to Phoebe, “Call an ambulance quickly! Otherwise, Zhou Yi could be in danger.”
Phoebe hurriedly dialed the hospital number. Then, along with Bynum, they helped Zhou Yi sit up in a chair and used tissues to cover his wound. But the bleeding wouldn’t stop, soaking layer after layer of tissues.
The bar’s staff had already subdued those troublemakers and called the police. Soon, the police arrived.

Just as the police entered the bar, an ambulance arrived. Bynum and the medical staff carried Zhou Yi into the ambulance, with Bynum and Phoebe also getting in and heading to the hospital.

Chapter 30: Am I a Hero Saving a Beauty?

In a hospital room, a young man with yellow skin, his head tightly wrapped, lay on the bed. Sitting beside him was a girl with a beautiful appearance, though traces of tears could still be seen on her pretty face. Standing nearby were a middle-aged man with dark brown hair and a young man.

That young man with yellow skin was Zhou Yi, who had suffered a severe head injury. Sitting beside him was Phoebe, while the standing men were Blake and Carl.

Upon arriving, Blake had already sternly reprimanded Phoebe, almost hitting her. Fortunately, Carl persuaded Blake not to do so. Suppressing his anger, Blake asked Phoebe to explain what had happened. After hearing her account, Blake was so angry he almost hit her again, but Carl quickly pulled him away.

Throughout this time, Phoebe never protested. After explaining the situation to Blake, she remained silent, sitting by Zhou Yi’s bed and quietly watching his face.

Later, the police arrived. They seemed familiar with Blake, and with Bynum’s testimony, they investigated those troublemakers earlier and found that they had many records of fighting. Thus, the police concluded that Zhou Yi was not involved in the incident.

After the police left, Bynum also took his leave, leaving only Zhou Yi and Blake’s family in the room.

Carl walked over to Phoebe and said softly, “Phoebe, go back and rest. I’ll take care of Zhou Yi. Don’t worry.”

Phoebe showed no reaction. Seeing this, Carl shook his head helplessly and looked at Blake. Blake was at a loss too; he felt somewhat impulsive for getting so angry at Phoebe earlier. So, he gave Carl a signal, who understood and followed Blake out of the room.

As soon as the two left the room, Zhou Yi’s attending doctor came towards them, holding several test results. Blake quickly grabbed the doctor and asked anxiously, “Doctor, how are the test results?”

The doctor smiled and replied, “It’s fine. You don’t need to worry. There’s just a cut on his head, some blood loss, and a mild concussion. He should be fine after a few days of rest. You can arrange for him to be discharged now.”

His tense heart immediately relaxed, and Black sighed in relief. He said to Carl, “It’s almost eleven now. Let’s head back. Leave this to Phoebe; we’ll come pick him up tomorrow morning.” Carl nodded and said “Mm,” and the two left the hospital.

In Zhou Yi’s ward, seeing that everyone had left, Phoebe sadly held Zhou Yi’s hand, tears streaming down once again as she sobbed, “Zhou Yi, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s my fault you’re like this. I’m sorry…” Phoebe kept repeating “I’m sorry” as she cried, countless times over.

Zhou Yi kept his eyes tightly closed, showing no signs of waking up.

There was no conversation throughout the night.

Early the next morning, Zhou Yi felt a severe headache. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced around, realizing he was lying in bed with Phoebe sleeping beside him. Perhaps because Zhou Yi moved his arm slightly as he woke up, Phoebe slowly raised her head, opened her sleepy eyes, and glanced at him. When she saw that Zhou Yi had woken up, her eyes immediately lit up, but then her nose tightened, and tears started falling again.

Zhou Yi gently touched Phoebe’s face, trying to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Phoebe grabbed Zhou Yi’s hand and cried, “Zhou Yi, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. Ahem, where is this? It doesn’t seem like my room,” Zhou Yi managed to force a smile, revealing his neat, white teeth.

Phoebe held Zhou Yi’s hand with one hand and wiped her tears with the other, saying, “This is a hospital. When you fainted yesterday, Wilbeynam and I took you here.”

Then, Phoebe told Zhou Yi everything that had happened the previous day. Zhou Yi smiled slightly and said, “It’s fine. I’m okay. Stop crying. Um, I’m a little thirsty. Could you get me a glass of water?”

Hearing Zhou Yi’s words, Phoebe quickly poured a glass of water, helped him sit up slightly, and handed it to him. Zhou Yi took a few sips slowly before suddenly asking Phoebe, “Uncle Black won’t find out about this, right?”

Phoebe lowered her head. Seeing this, Zhou Yi sighed and said, “Don’t blame yourself anymore. Just don’t do this again in the future.” Phoebe nodded firmly and held Zhou Yi’s hand even tighter.

Seeing Phoebe still sobbing with tears in her eyes, Zhou Yi smiled and said, “If you keep crying, I’ll start crying too. Tell me, did I act like a hero saving a beauty yesterday? Hey, I actually encountered such a thing too, hehe!”
Hearing Zhou Yi’s words, Phoebe gradually stopped sobbing and began to smile, with traces of tears still visible on her face. Zhou Yi sighed inwardly, thinking, “I don’t know how long she cried last night—her eyes are all red and swollen. Sigh…”
…
After a while, Blake and Carl entered the ward. Seeing Zhou Yi awake, their tense nerves immediately relaxed. Blake stopped scolding Phoebe and went out to find a doctor to arrange the discharge procedures. Before leaving, the doctor advised Blake, “You need to rest well these next few days. Avoid strenuous exercise and don’t overexert yourself. Come back for a follow-up in a few days.” Blake nodded silently.
After completing the discharge procedures, the three of them packed Zhou Yi’s belongings and helped him get into the car. Carl drove very slowly, careful not to make Zhou Yi uncomfortable.
Throughout the journey, none of the four spoke, creating a very awkward atmosphere. Carl broke the silence by saying to Zhou Yi sitting behind him, “The preseason game is tomorrow. How will you play if you’re injured now?”
Blake, with no expression, replied calmly, “You must avoid any strenuous exercise these days and rest thoroughly. As for the preseason game tomorrow, I’ll talk to Dumars and Kuster. Xiao Yi, you need to rest well these next few days.”
Zhou Yi felt bitter inside and forced a smile as he said to Blake, “Uncle, I have to play tomorrow. I can’t miss this opportunity. Since I can be discharged now, it means my injury isn’t serious. I’ll rest well today, and I must play tomorrow.”
Blake frowned and said firmly, “No, Xiao Yi. Listen to your uncle this time. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. The top priority now is to recover from your injury. Put everything else aside for now.”
Zhou Yi lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and said resolutely, “Uncle, don’t try to persuade me. I must play tomorrow. I came to Detroit with the goal of playing on an NBA court. If I can’t even handle such a minor injury now, how can I succeed in the NBA in the future? Anyway, I must play tomorrow.”

Seeing Zhou Yi’s firm determination, Blake shook his head, sighed, and said, “Since you’re so determined, I won’t try to persuade you. But I’ll suggest that Kuster give you as much playing time as possible in the first two pre-season games. We’ll talk again once your injury is completely healed!”
Zhou Yi remained silent, which was considered an acceptance. Being able to get playing time was already the best he could hope for. Zhou Yi wasn’t an impatient person either; such matters needed to be handled step by step. Otherwise, it would not only worry Blake but also be irresponsible to himself.
Chapter 31: Heading to Pre-Season Games
Sitting in Carl’s car, Zhou Yi remained silent for a while before suddenly saying to Blake, “Uncle Blake, um…?” “What is it? What’s wrong?” Blake asked, looking at Zhou Yi.
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Yi said to Blake with a hint of pleading in his voice, “Uncle, could you please not tell my parents about this?”
Blake stared at Zhou Yi for a while before nodding and agreeing, “Okay, I won’t tell your parents. But you have to promise me to rest well and never let something like this happen again.”
Hearing Blake’s words, a smile appeared on Zhou Yi’s face. He quickly nodded and said, “Don’t worry, it will never happen again.”
Blake sighed, his tone somewhat sad, and said, “When I brought you to the United States, I promised your parents that I’d take good care of you. But now… alas, nothing else like this must happen again. Otherwise, how can I face your parents?”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi felt a sense of guilt and said solemnly to Blake, “Uncle, please be assured. It will only happen once.”
“Heh, then I’ll be relieved.” Blake smiled, casting a gentle gaze at Zhou Yi.
Phoebe sat next to Zhou Yi, saying nothing, head bowed, holding his hand. Suddenly, Blake’s gentle voice reached Phoebe’s ears, “Phoebe, it was your father’s fault for getting angry at you yesterday. Your father apologizes to you. Please stop blaming him, okay?”
Phoebe looked at Blake in disbelief. Suddenly, tears streamed down her face again. Seeing this, Zhou Yi immediately reached out with his other hand to wipe her tears and said, “Stop crying. Uncle has already apologized. Please forgive him!”

It was fine as long as Zhou Yi didn’t speak, but once he did, her crying grew louder, tears streaming like a fountain, her eyes swollen to an alarming degree. Panicked, Karl found a place to park and quickly stopped the car. All three of them tried to comfort Phoebe. Finally, through their patient persuasion, Phoebe stopped crying. Sobbing, she said to Blake, “Dad, I’m sorry. I’m always so willful and make you unhappy. If I had listened to you, this wouldn’t have happened to Zhou Yi.” Then she turned to Karl and said, “Brother, I’m sorry. I always argue with you, and you always give in to me and dote on me. I know all that.” Karl was at a loss; Phoebe had hardly ever called him brother since they were kids. And now…

Phoebe stopped sobbing and turned to Zhou Yi, saying regretfully, “Zhou Yi, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. If I had listened to you and not gone to the bar, this wouldn’t have happened to you either. I…”

“Stop blaming yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. There’s an old Chinese saying: ‘Who can be without faults? It’s best to correct one’s mistakes.’ It means that as long as you sincerely try to change, it’s okay. So, there’s no need for you to blame yourself. This is also a learning experience in your life. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Hehe…” Zhou Yi smiled, gently holding Phoebe’s hand as he spoke.

“Really? You really don’t blame me?”

“Of course not. Why would I blame you? You surely don’t want me to get hurt either. Don’t cry, please.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you. I won’t cry anymore.”

Only after calming down the situation did everyone feel a little relieved. Karl continued driving, and soon they arrived home.

Karl and Phoebe carefully helped Zhou Yi into the living room. Zhou Yi smiled and said, “You’re overreacting. I can walk by myself. This injury isn’t serious at all. Besides, it’s on my head, so it doesn’t affect my walking. Let go; I can walk by myself.”

With that, Zhou Yi gently removed their hands and walked into the living room on his own.

“See? I’m fine. I can still run and jump!” Zhou Yi said with a smile, about to demonstrate.

Phoebe chuckled and said to Zhou Yi, “Just rest quietly. The way you walk looks like you’ve just gotten up after sitting in a wheelchair for years.”

Hearing this, Zhou Yi laughed heartily. “It seems Phoebe has moved on from that incident,” he thought to himself.

“It’s only a little past eight. Zhou Yi, are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?” Phoebe asked concernfully.
Zhou Yi shook his head and replied, “I’m not hungry yet. I want to go back to my room and rest for a while. To be honest, my head still hurts a bit.”
“Oh, okay! I’ll call you for lunch at noon.”
Zhou Yi nodded silently and headed upstairs. Watching him leave, tears welled up in Phoebe’s eyes and streamed down uncontrollably.
…
At 12:30 p.m., Zhou Yi seemed to hear knocking at the door while still asleep. He turned over, opened his eyes, got dressed, and opened the door to find Phoebe standing outside.
“Lunch is ready. Come down and eat!” Phoebe’s sweet voice reached his ears. Zhou Yi nodded and said, “You go ahead and eat first. I’ll wash up and join you soon.”
Phoebe glanced at Zhou Yi and went downstairs.
Shortly after, Zhou Yi finished getting ready and slowly walked down the stairs. He felt much better now than in the morning. Although his head still hurt a bit, he thought he’d be fine for tomorrow’s competition.
“Xiao Yi, come eat!” Blake said with a smile.
“Mm.”
At the dining table, the atmosphere wasn’t as awkward as it had been in the car earlier. Phoebe kept telling jokes, making everyone laugh. Zhou Yi also shared a few interesting stories, earning laughter from everyone as well.
Lunch ended amidst laughter. After eating, everyone sat in the living room and chatted for a while. Carl answered a phone call and left.
After sending Phoebe away, Blake took Zhou Yi to the study, closed the door, and looked at him meaningfully.
“Uncle, is there something?” Zhou Yi asked curiously, meeting Blake’s gaze.
“Nothing important. I just wanted to talk to you.” Blake asked Zhou Yi to sit down, then sat down himself in the chair behind the desk.
“Don’t you think Phoebe is different from before?” Blake asked with a smile.
“Is she?”
“Since she came back, Phoebe seems like a different person. She’s my daughter, and I can tell that.”
“How has she changed?”
Blake narrowed his eyes, took out a cigar, glanced at Zhou Yi, and said, “She seems much more sensible now. She’s not as naughty or willful anymore.”
“Haha, isn’t that good?” Zhou Yi retorted.

“Okay, of course. Maybe it’s because of your injury. Sigh, I feel sorry for you. I’m truly happy that Phoebe has grown up like this. It’s all thanks to you,” Blake said with some guilt. After all, Zhou Yi’s injury was entirely due to Phoebe, and as her father, he had an undeniable responsibility in her upbringing.

Zhou Yi smiled and replied, “It’s all in the past. Let’s not bring it up anymore. It was what I should have done. I already treat her like my own sister.”

After a brief silence, Blake asked, “Have you talked to her about that?”

Zhou Yi nodded. Seeing this, Blake gave a wry smile and said, “Phoebe has always been stubborn since she was young. There’s never been anything she couldn’t get. Well, this time, it’s also a lesson for her!”

Zhou Yi remained silent. After a while, Blake said seriously, “Go back and rest properly. Preseason games start tomorrow. I’ll try to arrange more time for you to rest. Don’t worry too much. Keep a calm attitude about it. Your uncle believes in you and believes you’ll succeed.”

“Mm, thank you, uncle.”

“Go rest now!”

With mixed feelings, he left Blake’s room and closed the door. A hint of bitterness filled his heart. He wanted someone to talk to, but with a wry smile, he slowly walked back to his room.

“This matter is finally resolved. I can now focus on basketball,” Zhou Yi said to himself as he lay on the soft bed. “Preseason games start tomorrow. I can’t wait!”

Chapter 32: Challenging the “New Three Giants”

Today is October 6, 2010—a day that holds great significance for Zhou Yi, as his first NBA game will take place today.

Early in the morning, Zhou Yi and Blake got up early. After packing everything, the two set off for the Auburn Hills Palace of Auburn Hills to join the team.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the gym. Upon reaching the gathering place, Zhou Yi saw that a few players had already arrived, including McGrady and Bynum. After greeting everyone, Zhou Yi sat down next to Bynum.

“Hey, man. Your injury isn’t fully healed yet, right? Why did you come here so soon?” Bynum asked, puzzled by the wound still on Zhou Yi’s forehead.

Zhou Yi chuckled and said, “It’s just a minor injury. It’s fine.”

“It’s okay, you just don’t know! The day I saw you, you were bleeding profusely, your face was covered in blood, and you were unconscious—how could there be nothing wrong?” Bynum said in surprise.
Madison, hearing their conversation, asked curiously, “What’s wrong, Zhou? Are you injured?”
Zhou Yi shook his head and smiled, “I’m really fine. This minor injury means nothing to me. Look, I’m still able to move around freely, right?”
Bynum gave him a glance and said concernfully, “I know you’ve become much stronger than before, but if you don’t rest properly, aren’t you afraid it might get worse?”
Zhou Yi patted Bynum’s shoulder and said cheerfully, “I know you guys care about me, but I’m really fine. Alright, stop worrying.”
After hearing Zhou Yi’s words, Madison and Bynum relaxed a bit, though they still worried about him, especially seeing the bloodstain on his forehead.
Zhou Yi tugged at the edge of Bynum’s shirt and thanked him quietly, “That night, thanks to you showing up. Thank you!”
Hearing this, Bynum glanced at him and pretended to be angry, “Dude, that’s way too formal of you. I’m the first person you met here, right? Since we’re so destined to be together, we’re brothers. Helping you is only natural.”
Zhou Yi nodded with a smile, then chatted with Bynum as they waited for Kuster to arrive.
Not long after, Kuster and Dumars walked in together.
“Guys, our first preseason game is today at noon. We’re heading to Miami to face their newly formed ‘New Three Giants.’ Everyone must give it their all in this game. Although it’s just a preseason match, we still can’t slack off. This is a great opportunity, especially for the younger players. Did everyone hear that?” Dumars said earnestly to everyone.
The team shouted back, “Yes!” Their voices were firm and full of fighting spirit.
After packing up, they set off.
…
A few hours later, the Pistons finally arrived in Miami. They first went to the hotel, rested for a while, and then followed Dumars and head coach Kuster to AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.

Generally, when teams play preseason games, the team president or general manager doesn’t accompany them on away games, with very few exceptions like Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who often attends his team’s away games. But this time, Dumars really wanted to see one particular player’s performance—Zhou Yi.

The group quickly arrived at American Airlines Arena. After entering the visiting team’s locker room, many reporters swarmed in. Their frenzied behavior made the players frown.

“Listen up, now isn’t the time for interviews. You’ll be given the chance after the game,” Dumars said, stopping the reporters.

Hearing this, the reporters left in frustration. They had come specifically to interview Zhou Yi. But instead of showing disappointment, they rushed to the home team’s locker room, as the “Big Three” were also the focus of the media’s attention.

Watching the crowded crowd, Zhou Yi found it amusing. Bynum patted Zhou Yi’s shoulder and said with a smile, “They’re all here for you. You’re going to become famous soon, at least in Detroit.”

Zhou Yi gave him a glare and quoted a classic line from Stephen Chow’s movies: “I’m here to play basketball.”

With his humorous tone, Bynum burst into laughter.

With about two hours left before the game, the Pistons players prepared in their locker room before heading onto the court with Kuster.

Although it was just a preseason game, American Airlines Arena was packed. Even before the preseason started, all tickets for the Miami Heat were sold out—thanks to the team’s “new Big Three.”

Though many criticized “The Chosen One” LeBron James for leaving the Cavaliers for the Heat, many still wanted to see him play, as proven by the sold-out tickets. Of course, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh also had significant appeal.

Among the league’s history of “Big Three” teams, the Heat’s new super trio was arguably unmatched. What’s more, the three had previously worked together closely. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, James, Bosh, and Wade led the U.S. men’s basketball team to victory by defeating Spain in the final to win gold.

Judging solely from personal statistics and past team records, James, Wade, and Bosh all had outstanding performances. Last season, James played 76 games for the Cavaliers, averaging 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists, helping the Cavaliers achieve the best regular-season record in the league at 61 wins and 21 losses. Wade played 77 games for the Heat last season, averaging 26.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, as the Heat finished with a 47-35 record and made the playoffs as the fifth seed in the East. Bosh played 70 games last season, averaging 24 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1 block, helping the Raptors nearly overtake the Bulls to qualify for the playoffs.

After years of experience, these three superstar players all possess rich playing experience and the ability to dominate games at critical moments. James has led the Cavaliers to multiple playoff appearances, including a Finals appearance. Wade’s “Superman descent” in the 2006 Finals has become a classic moment in NBA Finals history. Although Bosh lacks playoff experience, he has also led the Raptors to the playoffs on several occasions.

From this perspective, the Heat’s new trio is definitely capable of creating a strong impact in the NBA this season.

At that moment, Kuster walked over to the Pistons players and said to them, “Go ahead and do some warm-ups before the game.”

Excitement shone in everyone’s eyes. The Pistons finished last in the Central Division last season with a 27-55 record, their worst since 1994, which also meant they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Therefore, the Pistons players were eager to prove themselves this season, and they wanted to use the currently dominant Heat as a way to do so!

The Pistons players excitedly ran to one side of the court, while the Heat players were warming up on the other side. However, Zhou Yi didn’t see James, Wade, or Bosh. Walking behind the crowd, he felt countless pairs of eyes fixed on him. Though usually calm, he felt a bit nervous now, with a slight warmth on his face. Taking a deep breath, Zhou Yi picked up a basketball and started practicing shots from medium and long distances.

While Zhou Yi was practicing his shots, McGrady walked over to him, grabbed the ball with one hand, and said to Zhou Yi with a smile, “What’s wrong? You were quite accurate in your previous practice. Are you nervous?”

Zhou Yi didn’t hide anything and nodded. McGrady smiled and said, “When I first joined the Raptors, I was even more nervous on my debut than you are. Everyone knows that. I won’t hide it from you—on my first regular-season game, I scored zero points. Can you imagine? I actually scored zero points. From that, you can guess how nervous I was back then.”
Hearing McGrady’s words, Zhou Yi smiled, clearly feeling much more relaxed. McGrady continued, “Since you’re here, you need to get used to it. Gradually, you’ll get used to this feeling, and then you’ll even start to enjoy it. Believe me, buddy—I’m telling the truth.”
Zhou Yi replied with a smile, “Well, of course I believe you, Tracy. You’ll definitely get what you want.”
McGrady understood what he meant, but a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes as he said, “I’m already 31. I hope there’s still a chance! Whether I get it or not, I’ll enjoy playing basketball and every second I spend on the court.”
The two exchanged a few words before returning to their warm-ups.
Chapter 33: Pistons vs. Heat
Soon, the trio appeared before the crowd. Bosh came out first, followed by James, and lastly “The Flash” Wade.
The arena instantly erupted in deafening cheers, with some fans shouting “MVP, MVP!” Zhou Yi smiled at this but remained silent.
After the trio went to their warm-up area, they began pre-game warm-ups. Yet the crowd remained noisy. It wasn’t until the staff reminded them that the Heat fans calmed down a bit.
Zhou Yi suddenly shuddered and turned his head to see James staring at him. Zhou Yi gave him a polite smile, but James showed no reaction and turned away, probably talking to Bosh.
Zhou Yi smiled bitterly. He was just a rookie, not even drafted, and on top of that, he was Chinese. Meanwhile, James was the future king of the NBA—how could he pay attention to an unknown like him?
After thinking for a while, Zhou Yi remembered his earlier promise.
“One day, I’ll show those Americans that China can produce top-tier point guards and showcase China’s strength.”
An hour later, all the players left the court, and the referees entered. Following the referees’ instructions, the starting players of both teams went to near the center court.

Heat’s starting lineup: at center is Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Big Z), at power forward is Chris Bosh, at small forward is of course “The Little Emperor” LeBron James, at shooting guard is “The Flash” Dwyane Wade, and at point guard is Carlos Arroyo.
Pistons’ starting lineup: at center is Ben Wallace, at power forward is Chris Welkos, at small forward is “The Little Prince” Prince, at shooting guard is “The Masked Man” Hamilton, and at point guard is Rodney Stuckey.
The home team wore white jerseys with red on the sides, while the away team wore blue jerseys with red. McGrady wasn’t in the starting lineup, which made Zhou Yi feel a bit upset, but then he thought that McGrady had just joined the team and was still recovering from minor surgery, so it was only natural he wouldn’t start.
In fact, McGrady’s position was quite awkward, as the Pistons had plenty of players on the forward and guard positions—such as Prince, Hamilton, Gordon, and Daye—not to mention Stuckey, who could also play shooting guard. Thus, McGrady was in fierce competition. Zhou Yi couldn’t help but pray for McGrady, hoping he could regain his former glory and make a comeback as a king.
Soon, both teams’ starters were ready, and the referee, with a whistle in his mouth and a basketball in hand, slowly walked to the center of the court.
When the whistle blew, Big Ben and Big Z jumped for the ball, and the game officially began!
Big Z passed the ball to Arroyo, giving the Heat their first scoring opportunity. After bringing the ball to the front court, Arroyo immediately passed it to LeBron James. James drove to the basket like a bulldozer, pushing past Prince to score.
Sitting on the bench, Zhou Yi shook his head after seeing James score so easily, thinking to himself, “James’s muscular and perfect physique, his extraordinary physical abilities and explosive power, the perfect combination of strength and skill, his high basketball IQ, his unstoppable driving and foul-inducing abilities, his top-tier playmaking skills and overall game awareness, along with his improving shooting and defense—these are all reasons why he’s gradually becoming the king of the league, an absolute superstar. Sigh…” He sighed again when he saw James steal the ball from Prince and quickly drive to the front court for a dunk.
The score was now 6:2, with LeBron James scoring all 6 points for the Heat, while the Pistons’ 2 points came from Hamilton’s mid-range shot.

Starky drove to the front court, easily bypassed Arroyo, and took a layup from an open position—unfortunately it missed, and Darbon secured the offensive rebound. Seeing no chance, Darbon passed the ball to the outside. After catching it, Prince feinted, but James wasn’t fooled. Prince tried to drive hard, but James acted like a wall of flesh, preventing any breakthrough, so he passed the ball to Hamilton beyond the three-point line. Hamilton shot instantly, hitting a three-pointer and also drawing a foul on Wade. The free throw was made, completing a 3+1. Wade wasn’t upset, as it was just a preseason game. Wade served the ball at the baseline; Arroyo caught it and quickly passed to James, who drove and passed to Big Z inside. Big Z easily hit a hook shot despite Darbon’s presence. The two teams continued to trade blows, with surprisingly high shooting percentages. With 6 minutes left in the first quarter, Darbon launched a strong attack inside. Although it didn’t succeed, it caused Bosh to commit a foul. At that point, the score was 13:12, with the Heat leading by 1 point. Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra called a timeout, aiming to take the three stars off the court, as it was just preseason and their health was important. Their starting lineup was there only as a formality. With Spoelstra thinking this way, Kuster wasn’t a fool either—he wanted to take this opportunity to replace the starters as well. Preseason games are essentially warm-ups for NBA teams. After each season, teams undergo significant changes in their rosters. To help teams adjust to their new lineups, get familiar with their playing styles, determine their starting lineups for the new season, and also improve communication among players and coaches, the NBA holds several preseason games before each season starts, allowing teams to enter the lengthy regular season in good shape. In fact, NBA preseason games serve three main purposes. First, they help teams adjust their lineups, develop new playing strategies, and assess the form of new and veteran players. Each team plays about 8 preseason games. To prevent starters from getting tired too early, their playing time usually doesn’t exceed 30 minutes, giving backups a chance to show themselves.

Second, preheating the regular season. To attract more fans to watch the NBA regular season and playoffs, the NBA also makes full use of preseason games to build hype for the new season. For example, after “The Little Emperor” LeBron James and “The Dragon King” Dwyane Wade transferred from the Cavaliers and Raptors to the Heat this season, the preseason game between the Pistons and Heat was promoted by the NBA as “the first battle of the new trio.” Additionally, many important preseason games between strong teams are broadcast live locally or nationwide, attracting just as much attention as the regular season games. Initially, preseason games were free for fans, but in recent years, tickets have also been sold to the public.

Third, promoting the NBA and expanding its international influence. As the NBA’s business operations have become more mature and its internationalization process has accelerated, the NBA has sent multiple teams abroad for preseason games to cater to international fans and expand its overseas market. Countries such as China, the UK, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and France have hosted such games. Although the NBA canceled all overseas games in recent years due to the impact of 9/11, last season it held two preseason games between the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers in China.

Of course, preseason games are not official matches, so their results are not counted in the regular season records.

Time out. The Heat replaced Wade with Eddie House, Bosh with Haslem, D-Z with Joel Anthony, James with Mike Miller, and Arroyo with Mario Chalmers. The Pistons replaced Hamilton with Bynum, Prince with Gordon, Wilcox with McGrady, and Staki with Zhou Yi.

Upon hearing his name, Zhou Yi excitedly took off his jacket and rushed onto the court, feeling both thrilled and nervous. When he stepped onto the court, the fans fell silent for a moment before bursts of boos reached his ears. At a loss, Zhou Yi felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw McGrady. McGrady smiled and said, “You need to get used to it and gradually enjoy the process. Don’t pay attention to those annoying boos. Stay focused—only think about basketball and winning.”

After hearing McGrady’s words, Zhou Yi nodded, took a deep breath, and looked at the fans head-on without fear. At that moment, all he could think about was—fight!!!

Chapter 34: Shock

Dabben took a free throw; the first attempt missed, but he steadied himself slightly before making the second one. Haslem took a free throw at the baseline, with point guard Chalmers receiving the ball. After driving the ball past half-court, Zhou Yi quickly closed in. The fans in the arena grew quiet as they wanted to see what this Chinese kid could do to make it to the NBA without going through draft. Chalmers passed to Miller, who drove the ball at the baseline, with his friend McGrady closely following him. McGrady suddenly reached out and deflected the ball, but it hit his foot and went out of bounds, keeping possession with the Heat. Miller started from the sideline and passed the ball to Chalmers. Anthony demanded the ball inside, and Chalmers passed it to him. With only 24 seconds left, Anthony shot but missed; he tried a rebound shot too but failed. At that moment, Haslem used his years of experience to easily score. Zhou Yi controlled the ball, and the fans held their breath, watching him intently. Zhou Yi slowly moved to the front court, steadied his rhythm, then suddenly accelerated, dodging Chalmers to reach the basket. Anthony came to help defend, but Zhou Yi turned and passed the ball to Dabben, who easily dunked it. The score became 15:15. Next, Zhou Yi successfully stole the ball from Chalmers, rushed to the front court, passed to McGrady, who, with no defenders, smoothly completed a layup. In the blink of an eye, the Pistons took a 2-point lead. Chalmers passed to Haslem, who, facing Dabben, quickly scored another 2 points. Neither team’s defense was very good, but it didn’t matter much since it was just a preseason game. But in Zhou Yi’s eyes, this was more than just a preseason game—it was a real battle. Zhou Yi broke through Chalmers, stepped back suddenly, and took a jump shot. The ball arced high in the air, and with a “swish,” it hit the rim. The home crowd immediately started booing. But in a flash, a figure rushed to the basket like lightning, leaped high, and dunked the ball over Anthony with great dominance. Everyone looked closely and saw it was a young man with yellow skin—Zhou Yi. Instantly, the arena fell silent as if time had stopped. People showed expressions of disbelief. Even James, who was sitting on the bench drinking a drink and watching the game, stopped in his tracks, mouth agape, staring at Zhou Yi. The referee glanced at Zhou Yi, warned the Heat players, and the game resumed.

At this point, although there were still some boos in the arena, they weren’t as deafening as before. While defending, McGrady gave Zhou Yi a thumbs up. Zhou Yi remained calm, staring intently at Chalmers like a tiger eyeing its prey. Chalmers drove forward quickly with the ball, and Zhou Yi kept disrupting him. Perhaps it was the boos from the home crowd that fueled Zhou Yi’s relentless desire to win, or maybe it was the goal he had in mind for coming to the NBA: to showcase China’s strength. When Chalmers passed the ball high to the inside player, Zhou Yi leaped high to intercept it and sent it to Bynum’s hands. Bynum launched a quick counterattack, with Zhou Yi closely following. Bynum rushed to the basket and, seeing Miller ahead, effortlessly passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who didn’t hesitate—dodging Miller’s defense with a powerful dunk as the ball smoothly went through the net. At the moment the ball was shot, the referee’s whistle blew; Miller had committed a foul and would receive a free throw. Taking advantage of this free throw opportunity, Koestner quickly substituted D’Antoni for Big Ben. Zhou Yi paused to catch his breath before calmly making the free throw. By then, the score had risen to 22:17, with the Pistons leading by 5 points. Three minutes remained in the first quarter, meaning Zhou Yi, in just three minutes on the court, had scored 5 points with 2 successful shots and 1 successful free throw, along with 2 assists, 1 rebound, and 2 steals—an astonishingly high efficiency. In the next three minutes, Zhou Yi took only one shot but missed it, scoring only 2 points from free throws. However, he provided 3 assists and 2 rebounds. The only flaw was that his desire to win might have been too strong, resulting in 1 foul while stealing the ball. With the referee’s whistle, the first quarter came to an end. The Heat managed to narrow the score a bit in the last three minutes, ending the quarter with a score of 33:31. Throughout the first quarter, Zhou Yi played for six minutes, scoring 7 points with 2 successful shots and 3 successful free throws, along with 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 foul. By now, the boos directed at Zhou Yi in the arena had almost disappeared, and fans began talking about this Chinese teenager spontaneously. Even the Heat players started paying attention to Zhou Yi, including the trio of stars. When Zhou Yi walked back to the bench, Koestner approached him with a smile.

“Zhou, good job. Blake told me about your injury a couple of days ago. I just tried you out for a few minutes, not expecting you to perform so well. How are you feeling? Any discomfort?” Kuster asked kindly with a smile.

“I’m feeling great now, nothing uncomfortable. Please don’t worry, coach. Let me play for a longer time,” Zhou Yi said with a slight request in his tone.

“Since you want to play, then play for a while longer! Getting more experience in the NBA pre-season will be very helpful for you during the regular season. But if you feel anything uncomfortable, tell me right away—never hide it.”

Zhou Yi nodded seriously and said, “Yeah, I will.”

Blake waved at Zhou Yi, who walked over and sat down next to Blake and Dumars.

“Good performance. Keep it up. But don’t push yourself too hard—just do what needs to be done. Look, you almost fell when you tried to steal the ball earlier,” Blake said concerningly, his tone mixed with joy and a hint of reproach.

Zhou Yi smiled awkwardly and said nothing. Dumars patted Zhou Yi on the back and said, “Keep up this performance, kid. Show them that my judgment and your uncle’s are absolutely correct.”

Zhou Yi smiled and nodded, then took a sip of water before heading back onto the court.

There were hardly any changes in the lineups for either team. Only Pistons’ McGrady was replaced by Jason Markieff; all other players remained the same.

The Pistons had the ball. Markieff served from the baseline, and Zhou Yi caught the ball and slowly moved forward. After assessing the situation, Zhou Yi passed the ball to Gordon, who was positioned higher up. Gordon broke through from the baseline, drawing double coverage from Jones and Miller. Quickly, Gordon passed the ball to Bynum. Bynum rushed into the three-second area unimpeded and scored with a quick throw-in shot at Anthony.

Chalmers passed the ball to Miller, who then passed it to Haslem inside. Haslem pushed hard against Monroe and then attempted a turnaround jump shot. The shot lacked power and hit the front of the rim. But as expected, Monroe was still a rookie and less experienced than Haslem. Haslem grabbed the rebound in the front court and passed it to Miller on the outside. Bynum had a hard time defending Miller, as he was only 1.83m tall compared to McMillan’s 2.03m. So, after receiving the pass from Haslem, Miller shot immediately. The basketball flew like an arrow, hitting the target squarely.

With nine minutes left in the second quarter, the score was tied at 40. During this time, Zhou Yi only gave 2 assists and made 1 mistake, with no other stats.

Kuster called a long timeout and substituted Zhou Yi out with White. Meanwhile, Heat’s Anthony was taken off by Jwan Howard, affectionately known by fans as “Uncle Huo,” after accumulating 2 fouls.

Zhou Yi sat on the bench, looking disappointed. McGrady smiled and said, “Hey, Zhou, what’s wrong? You’ve been doing great—why do you seem upset?”

Zhou Yi gave a bitter smile and said to McGrady, “I want to play a bit longer.”

“Hehe, it’s okay. You’ll get plenty of chances! The coach sees how well you’re performing,” McGrady said with a smile.

“Mm,” Zhou Yi’s eyes lit up again as he focused on the game on the court.

Uncle Huo had been in the NBA for 16 seasons and was a true veteran. Using his years of experience, he led the Heat to score aggressively in the remaining nine minutes, quickly taking a 10-point lead over the Pistons. However, the Pistons didn’t give up. Under Gordon’s leadership, they launched a 15-2 run to regain the lead, with Gordon scoring 9 of those points, hitting all four of his shots, including one three-pointer.

Perhaps because they had been behind the whole time, the home crowd disagreed. They demanded that the trio come in and kept booing the visiting players, especially during their free throws.

With no choice, Spoelstra brought the trio back in, with four minutes left in the first half. When the trio returned to the court, the home crowd stood up together and cheered for them.

Kuster also brought the starting players back in, but Zhou Yi replaced Staki.

The lineups were the same as at the start of the game, except that Zhou Yi replaced Staki for the Pistons. However, Staki voluntarily asked not to play because he sprained his ankle in the first quarter, though it wasn’t serious and would recover with a short rest. Kuster agreed to Staki’s request, and at Zhou Yi’s request, he let Zhou Yi play.

At this moment, Zhou Yi was facing the trio.

Zhou Yi vs. the trio—exciting action was about to unfold!

Chapter 35: You’re Not Good Enough Yet

Zhou Yi fully understood the true meaning of excitement at this moment. When his eyes met those of the Heat’s trio, his previous admiration was completely replaced by a fighting spirit. Zhou Yi clenched his fists tightly, standing on the court with his gaze fixed on the basketball. He was determined to win a game in front of these three giants, to show it to the Americans and the whole world.

Zhou Yi didn’t know that fans back in China, including his relatives and friends, were watching the screen on their computers with tension. Despite Zhou Yi’s strong performance so far, he was now facing the trio.

Zhou Yi wasn’t afraid. Ever since he fell in love with basketball, standing on the court, he had never known what fear was. He was defending Arroyo, who was skillfully dribbling toward the front court.

Zhou Yi stuck closely to Arroyo like glue, looking for an opportunity to exploit a weakness. Arroyo was “reasonable” enough to pass the ball to James. James quickly moved forward and took a quick stop jump shot, sending the ball into the basket. James glanced at Zhou Yi before retreating to defend in the backcourt.

Fearless, Zhou Yi rushed to the front court with the ball. After a few dribbles, he passed it to Prince. To be honest, Prince had a hard time beating James one-on-one, but thanks to his long arms, he managed to throw the ball into the basket. James wasn’t annoyed either. After catching the ball at the baseline, he launched a fast break, rushing to the Pistons’ basket. He not only scored a layup but also forced Wilcox into a foul, making both free throws, securing a 2+1 advantage.

At this point, two minutes remained in the game, with the score at 60:57, the Pistons trailing by 3 points.

Zhou Yi brought the ball to the front court and passed it to Hamilton. Hamilton broke through and took a quick stop jump shot against Wade, but Wade managed to tip the ball away as he jumped. Fortunately, Zhou Yi grabbed the rebound. He passed the ball to Big Ben inside, who tried to power through Bosh but missed his layup, then his second attempt, and before he could try again, the whistle blew—Big Ben was fouled.

Big Ben lived up to expectations, making both free throws. One minute and fifteen seconds remained in the first half. James broke through to the basket and passed the ball to Wade, who cut in from the middle. Wade scored a one-handed dunk and also forced Wilcox into a foul, making both free throws. By now, Wilcox had already received his third foul, but since only one minute was left, Kuster didn’t substitute him out.

Zhou Yi drove with the ball and passed it to Prince. James swiftly intercepted the ball and charged toward the basket, executing his signature battle-tyrant dunk once again before the fans’ eyes. Immediately, the Heat fans started screaming wildly, shouting “MVP, MVP!”

Zhou Yi didn’t back down. After driving with the ball, he faced James’ tricky pass, which was sent to Wilcox behind James, who responded with a two-handed dunk for his home team. James was slightly annoyed to have been outmaneuvered by a Chinese kid. Arroyo drove across half-court before passing the ball to James. James drove with the ball and passed it to Wade at the baseline. Wade passed it back to James. James placed the ball at his waist and pretended to shoot, tricking Prince. James then rushed toward the basket. The closest player to him was Zhou Yi, who had excellent help-defense awareness and quickly rushed over. Unexpectedly, James showed no signs of retreating; he drove to the basket and scored, knocking Zhou Yi off his feet. The whistle blew, and the referee stepped forward, signaling that Zhou Yi had fouled James while he was shooting.

Zhou Yi shook himself off and stood up, looking helpless. Fortunately, he wasn’t injured. Having played many games before, he knew well how to protect himself. He didn’t argue because he indeed fouled when he rushed in for help defense. He had intended to draw a personal foul on James, but his slight movement was noticed by the referee, which wasn’t surprising.

James calmly made the free throw and then gave Zhou Yi a mocking look.

The Pistons still had one last shot, with only 16 seconds left. Zhou Yi kept a steady pace and wasn’t reckless at all. After driving across half-court, Monroe set up a pick-and-roll for Zhou Yi, then quickly rushed back to the basket. Zhou Yi gently threw the ball, and Monroe jumped high, dunking it into the basket with both hands. Big Z stood under the basket, not reacting for a moment, serving as a backdrop for the great shot.

With only three seconds left, James received the ball, drove across half-court, and threw it. As the ball was thrown, the whistle marking the end of the first half sounded. Fans and players held their breath, watching the basketball arc through the air. Miraculously, the ball went through the basket cleanly.

The entire arena instantly erupted in excitement, with chants of “MVP” echoing continuously, as if it were solely James’ home court. The referees discussed among themselves for a while, then reviewed the video and ruled the shot invalid because the ball was still in James’ hands when the time ran out. Upon hearing this decision, the fans became furious and started arguing. “What the hell kind of bad refs? The time hadn’t even run out—why invalidate it?” “I think that ref must have some grudge against ‘The Little Emperor.’ He’s upset seeing James perform so well. How shameless—using this as an excuse to retaliate.” “Sigh, forget it. Even if that shot isn’t counted, we’ll still win the game. Stop arguing, or we’ll give those guys a chance to laugh at us.” “Exactly. The Pistons are a weak team. The Big Three don’t even need to play to win. Alright, let’s take a break and watch the second half!” … When James learned that the shot hadn’t been counted, he didn’t show any dissatisfaction, unlike the fans. After the first half, players from both teams went off to rest. The Heat’s cheerleaders took the stage to perform. The first half ended with a score of 67:63. Both teams had high shooting percentages—54.1% for the Heat and slightly lower at 51.5% for the Pistons. Zhou Yi scored only 7 points in the first quarter and didn’t score again afterward because he didn’t take a single shot in the second quarter, focusing entirely on creating opportunities for his teammates. Look at his other stats, and you’ll be shocked—10 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals. Wait, 10 assists in just half a quarter is truly astonishing. Looking further back, those who checked the stats were stunned—Zhou Yi had only been on the court for ten minutes. When the fans learned of his stats, they all showed expressions of disbelief. This was something only “The Magic” Johnson could do; only an outstanding playmaker like Paul could deliver so many assists in such a short time. People became increasingly interested in this young Chinese player. The previous boos were now gone; Zhou Yi had won the fans’ respect with his outstanding performance. However, while the fans thought this, others didn’t share the same view. James walked over to Zhou Yi, said something to him indifferently, and after hearing it, Zhou Yi didn’t respond, remained calm, and slowly walked back to his resting area.

Although nothing seemed to change on the surface, a surge of anger ignited within Zhou Yi. Despite his gentle personality, extreme humility, and friendly demeanor, hearing James’s words made him clench his fists, his eyes turning red. Zhou Yi quietly headed toward the locker room, with Bynum following behind. “Hey, man, it seems James talked to you just now. What did he say?” Bynum asked curiously, putting an arm around Zhou Yi. “Heh, nothing much. He just said hello,” Zhou Yi replied indifferently, the redness in his eyes intensifying. Since he kept his head down, Bynum didn’t notice. “Oh, James is pretty friendly, heh!” Bynum said with a smile. Zhou Yi didn’t respond, and the two went their separate ways to sit down in their respective areas. After calming down a bit, the redness in Zhou Yi’s eyes gradually faded. Yet, he would never forget what James had said: “Hey, kid, you’re not good enough. Go back home and nurse!” Those were James’s exact words, which Zhou Yi engraved deeply in his mind. Throughout his NBA career, whenever he faced adversity, those words would ring in his ears. It was because of them that he strengthened his resolve and persisted to the end. James never imagined that his words would help Zhou Yi stay on the NBA court and gradually become famous. Of course, that was all in the future. Blake came over to Zhou Yi and asked concerningly, “How’s it going? Not bad, right? Don’t play in the second half; you’ve already performed well enough.” Zhou Yi met Blake’s gaze with determination. Blake was taken aback and sighed, “Alright, fine. If you want to play, go ahead! Of course, as long as Koostert agrees. Don’t look at me like that, kid. Don’t worry, I won’t ask Koostert to reduce your playing time.” Hearing this, Zhou Yi’s eyes showed gratitude. Chapter 36: Interview Zhou Yi didn’t know his stats. After hearing James’s words, he had no interest at all in checking the technical statistics. Hiding in his resting area, he kept thinking about the tactics Koostert had explained earlier. As a point guard, he was the team’s commander. Therefore, he needed to understand all the tactics assigned by the coach; otherwise, he couldn’t lead the team to victory.

Just as Zhou Yi was deep in thought, a female reporter pushed her way in, rushed to his side, and asked, “Mr. Zhou, why were you so shocked when facing those three giants? After all, you’re just a rookie who didn’t even make it to the NBA through the draft.” The reporter’s voice was unusually sweet, but it carried a standard official tone.

What caught Zhou Yi’s attention, however, was that the reporter spoke flawless Mandarin. He looked up at her and realized she was Chinese. Instantly, he felt a sense of familiarity. He stared at her intently, growing more surprised the more he looked—she resembled Mo Keer to at least 30%.

Zhou Yi kept staring at her, and she giggled before asking, “Mr. Zhou, what are you looking at?”

He quickly snapped out of his daze, his face showing slight embarrassment, and said, “I’m sorry.” But he replied in Mandarin as well.

“Hehe, it’s okay. I’m a sports reporter for Detroit Chinese Channel. I came to Miami with the team and started working here this year. Hehe, we’re from the same country—please cooperate with my work!” the reporter said with a smile.

Zhou Yi’s gloomy mood vanished, replaced by his usual kind expression. The more he looked at her, the more she reminded him of Mo Keer, though her personality was completely different. Due to Mo Keer, he already had a somewhat positive impression of her—though it wasn’t exactly fondness.

Smiling and nodding, Zhou Yi said, “Alright, but time is running out. The second half of the game is about to start. By the way, how did you get in? Isn’t interviewing not allowed?”

“Hehe, I said I’m your friend and came to say hi. Plus, I’m a team reporter. Smart, right?” Hearing this, Zhou Yi rolled his eyes and thought to himself, “Sigh, the staff here really isn’t very competent—letting someone in so easily.”

The woman was dressed in a professional suit, which suited her bold and spirited appearance well. She hadn’t put much effort into her outfit; it was simple, giving her a fresh look and a pleasant impression.

Zhou Yi’s teammates didn’t disturb the two of them, but Bynum gave them a strange look without stepping in.

Zhou Yi looked at the woman and asked, “Hurry up. The game is about to start, and if the staff comes in and sees you still here, it won’t be good. How about we wait until after the game for the interview?”
“Okay, then let’s chat casually now! You must let me interview you after the game—you can’t go back on your word.”
“Mm.”
“By the way, from your profile, are you really only 18?” The woman asked curiously, looking at Zhou Yi’s face.
Zhou Yi nodded. She then asked, “Why are you so good at playing? It seems like you’re not at all inferior to James. Did you know? You gave out 10 assists in just half a game—that’s absolutely incredible. The fans are shocked.”
Upon hearing his stats, Zhou Yi only showed some surprise but no pride at all. He said slowly, “Actually, I don’t know what I did. When I’m on the court, I always have a belief that drives me to keep running and sweating. I think I just did what I was supposed to do—it’s my responsibility.”
The woman nodded and laughed. “That’s wonderful. You’ve brought honor to our country. I believe you’ll become famous overseas and succeed.”
“Thank you! By the way, I still don’t know your name.” Zhou Yi raised his eyebrows and asked.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. That’s so rude of me. Officially, my name is Xiang Yun—Xiang from Xiang Yun, Yun from Xiang Yun. Hehe, just kidding. It’s Xiang from guide, Yun from cloud. I’m also 18 and just graduated from the University of Detroit.” Xiang Yun said with a smile, biting her lip.
“You’re only 18 and already graduated from college?” Zhou Yi was astonished, just as surprised as the fans when they heard about his 10 assists in half a game.
Seeing Zhou Yi’s surprised expression, Xiang Yun said seriously, “What’s wrong? Do I look old?” She touched her face.
Zhou Yi looked at Xiang Yun for a while, sighed, and said, “I’m also only 18, just graduated from high school. How can there be such a big difference?”
“Hehe, I was sent abroad by my dad when I was very young to study earlier. Plus, my grades were good, so I graduated a bit sooner,” Xiang Yun explained.
“Oh, I see. Well, the game is about to start. Look, they’ve all gone out.” Zhou Yi pointed at his teammates and smiled at Xiang Yun.

Xiang Yun pouted and said disappointedly, “Alright, let’s go out together! We must give our best in the second half!”
Zhou Yi responded with an “Mm,” then led Xiang Yun out of the locker room.
The game was about to start, but Kuster hadn’t scheduled Zhou Yi to play. The lineups for both teams remained unchanged from the beginning of the match.
Zhou Yi found a spot on his team’s bench and sat down, with Bynum and McGrady on either side. Xiang Yun waved at Zhou Yi before heading to her own seat.
With the referee’s whistle, the second half of the game officially began!
It was the Pistons’ turn to possess the ball. Wilcox served from the baseline, and Stakley controlled the ball. Stakley passed to Prince, who broke past James and passed to Hamilton. Hamilton moved without the ball, caught it, and shot—swish—the basketball went straight into the net.
Hamilton’s most skilled and well-known offensive tactic was to use movement without the ball to distract defensive players, then receive a pass from a teammate before taking a mid-range jump shot, with an astonishingly high success rate. His free-throw percentage was also quite high, around 86%. However, Hamilton had his shortcomings too. His three-point shooting was average, and he was relatively thin and weak, so his ability to score inside was modest. He usually preferred to drive to the paint to force fouls and earn free throws. His individual breakthrough ability was also average, as he relied mainly on teammates’ assists and pick-and-rolls in attacking. Hamilton had exceptional talent and energy when moving without the ball, allowing him to easily find shooting opportunities during games.
Arroyo took control of the ball, advanced to the front court, and passed it to Wade. Wade rushed to the basket like lightning and dunked with great force.
Stakley passed the ball to Hamilton, while Wilcox provided a screen without the ball for Stakley. After shaking off the defender, Stakley received the pass from Hamilton and scored from an open position.
It was Wade again—he quickly stole Hamilton’s pass, rushed to the basket, slammed the ball to the ground, and as it bounced back, Boosh jumped to catch it and dunked it with both hands. This stunning scene immediately sparked more cheers from the fans.

The score was rising, but the gap hadn’t widened much. At that moment, the trio stepped up and combined their efforts to deliver a 18-4 run. First, James assisted Wade twice, helping him shoot threes from beyond the arc, then assisted Bosh to score 6 points in a row. After that, James scored 8 points through both shooting and free throws, completely widening the gap—Pistons were now 18 points behind.

Although this wasn’t actual regular-season play, Koester still called a timeout, with five minutes left in the third quarter. Seeing that the starters weren’t performing well, Koester had no choice but to bring in the bench players to give it a try, especially to see how the younger players would fare. Of course, the most important thing was to see how Zhou Yi would perform and whether he could continue to deliver strong contributions.

When the timeout ended, the Pistons lined up Monroe, Markhill, Gordon, Bynum, and Zhou Yi, while the Heat replaced their starters with Anthony, Hasslem, Miller, Jones, and Chalmers.

The game resumed, and Zhou Yi entered the court once again!

Chapter 37: Counterattack

As soon as Zhou Yi stepped onto the court, he assisted Bynum in scoring a layup, which slightly eased Koester’s furrowed brows. However, although the Heat’s bench players weren’t very strong, there were a few experienced players among them.

For example, McMillan had played in the NBA for ten seasons—this was his eleventh season. Hasslem had won a championship ring with Wade; aside from Wade, he was the only other player from Miami’s 2006 championship team still on the team, and he had been with the Heat since joining the NBA—this would be his eighth season. James Jones was also a player who had been in the NBA for seven seasons. This season would be Joel Anthony’s fourth season; although he hadn’t been in the NBA for long, he was a former Canadian professional basketball player. Among the Heat’s current players, only Chalmers had the least experience—he was a 2008 rookie.

Looking at the Pistons’ current roster, Monroe and Zhou Yi are both rookies this year; Bynum has slightly more experience than the former two, but only by a small margin, as he has only played two seasons in the NBA, both with the Pistons. He played 15 games for the Warriors during the 2005-2006 season but then spent two seasons in the Israeli league, so his NBA playing time is still only two years. McHale has been with the Pistons for five years, staying in Detroit from his entry into the NBA to the present. As for Gordon, he is probably more familiar to many — selected third overall by the Bulls in the 2003-2004 season and seen as a future star to revitalize the Bulls, but after the Bulls acquired draft pick Derrick Rose, Gordon signed a five-year, $55 million contract with the Pistons on July 1, 2009. Gordon possesses highly versatile offensive skills; when in form, he is nearly impossible to defend against, and he has a big heart and is good at taking crucial shots. On defense, however, his limited height makes him vulnerable to taller guards, his footwork is poor, and he relies heavily on feints. Overall, until his defense improves, Gordon is better suited as a “sixth man.” Therefore, despite their lack of experience and weak defense, the Pistons have failed to narrow the score gap; instead, it has grown even wider. If this continues, the fourth quarter will completely turn into garbage time.