Chapter 118
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Knicks launched a counterattack led by Amare Stoudemire. Stoudemire hit two of his first two shots, scoring 4 points, while Landry Fields added a three-pointer, helping the Knicks build a 7-0 run.
Soon after, the Pistons countered, and after several breakthrough attempts, they finally broke through the Knicks’ defense.
In the end, Andre Iguodala received an assist from Monday and, together with him, completed a dunk with both hands, helping the Pistons regain two points and significantly boosting their morale.
However, the Knicks were not discouraged by this. Raymond Felton immediately used breakthrough plays to coordinate with the two big men inside, giving assists to Stoudemire and Timofey Mozgov, allowing each of them to score a dunk, bringing the score to 92-97—the Knicks quickly caught up.
At this point, the Pistons had to call a timeout to stabilize the situation.
At such a moment, the hopes of the Knicks’ fans reignited, with cheers, shouts, and encouragement filling the air. Fans who had been sleeping woke up and joined the cheering crowd, while those who had left the TV set returned to watch this thrilling game.
After the timeout, the Pistons indeed stabilized the game. They played calmly, without panic, taking each shot seriously, executing every offensive play, and focusing on defense.
Especially driven by Zhou Yi, the Pistons played with great patience.
The Knicks were once again suppressed. First, Raymond Felton was called for a foul after colliding with Zhou Yi, and then the others made some basic mistakes, causing their shooting percentage to drop sharply.
Soon, the score widened again. With six minutes left in the game, Raymond Felton was stripped by Zhou Yi due to carelessness, allowing the Pistons to launch a fast break, increasing the lead to 10 points.
97-107—the Pistons led by 10 points once more.
Another 10-point difference, and the Pistons scored 107 points against the Knicks, with six minutes left in the game.
Both the Pistons and Knicks are teams with strong offensive and defensive capabilities, yet the Pistons can score so many points. What does this mean? It means the Knicks’ defense is completely unable to pose any threat to the Pistons. In the eyes of the Pistons, the Knicks’ defense is nothing but paper-thin.
Mike D’Antoni could take it no longer; he immediately called a timeout and then angrily rebuked all the players, criticizing them for not giving their best in defense. He used the extra time to adjust the tactics for a final push.
After the timeout, D’Antoni replaced Raymond Felton with Tony Douglas and Timofey Mozgov with Anthony Randolph, transforming the Knicks’ lineup into a young, energetic group of rookies.
Sure enough, in the subsequent play, the young backcourt of Tony Douglas and Landry Fields gave their all in both defense and offense, inspiring the rest of the Knicks players. If the rookies were working this hard, it would be shameful for the veterans not to do the same.
In the final stages of the game, the competition became intensely fierce. Players from both teams brought out their best skills, and the score gap narrowed steadily. With 22 seconds left, the Knicks finally caught up, trailing by only 2 points, 112-114.
At that moment, the Knicks requested a timeout, and they now held the ball.
“Fans…” Yu Jia said excitedly, “We’re in the final moments of the game, and the Knicks have tied the score at this critical stage. In the last quarter, the Knicks fully showcased their personality and teamwork, matching the Pistons’ strength as they fought to bring the score back. But now, the Knicks still hold the ball, with only 22 seconds left in the game. In other words, whether the Knicks’ next offensive attempt succeeds will likely determine whether they can defeat their opponent or go to overtime.”
It was obvious that Yu Jia was a Knicks fan. Fans watching at home criticized her commentary as unfair, claiming she always favored the Knicks.
“This is the last moment,” John Kuester shouted at all the Pistons players. “Listen up, you must defend this attack tightly. If we can stop them, we can win the game. At the very least, we can go into overtime. So, you absolutely cannot slack off in the slightest. Success or failure depends on this play—understood?”
“Yes,” all the Pistons players replied in unison, their expressions extremely serious. At this final moment, they would never let victory slip away.
“Ding~~~” As the whistle signaling the end of the timeout sounded, players from both teams stepped onto the court.
Danilo Gallinari took a corner shot, with the Pistons’ Andre Iguodala constantly rushing in front of him to disrupt his shot attempt.
The other Pistons players closely followed the Knicks players, preventing them from getting the ball.
However, after feinting, Gallinari finally passed the ball to Randy Foye.
At this critical moment, the Pistons played exceptionally hard defensively. They tightly surrounded the Knicks players, denying them any chance to shoot, while the Knicks players couldn’t find a way to break free from the Pistons’ defense and could only keep passing the ball, causing time to pass by second by second.
“16, 15, 14…”
Raymond Felton tried several times to break through but couldn’t get away from Zhou Yi, so he had to pass the ball to Ronnie Turiaf inside.
“14, 13…”
Faced with the intense defense of “Big Ben” Ben Wallace, who had contained him almost the entire game, Ronnie Turiaf still couldn’t get past Big Ben’s defense, so he had no choice but to pass the ball back to Gallinari beyond the three-point line.
“12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6…”
The Pistons players seemed to be on stimulants, playing defense almost perfectly, leaving the Knicks players with no chance to shoot, with the ball constantly passing back and forth among them.
“6, 5…”
The ball returned to Raymond Felton’s hands. This time, he didn’t care anymore. Ignoring Zhou Yi, he blindly shot the ball, preventing Zhou Yi from jumping up in time to block it.
The shot was taken in a hurry, with an improper shooting posture. Such a shot would miss 9 out of 10 times, but the Knicks seemed especially lucky today—this three-point shot that would have missed 9 out of 10 times actually went through the net.
113:112—the Knicks took the lead over the Pistons for the first time in the entire game, overtaking them by 1 point at this crucial moment.
There were 3.9 seconds left in the game.
“Ding~~~” The Pistons called a timeout immediately…
The Pistons’ players felt ice-cold all over, and all the fans who cared about them were also anxious. Yet they hadn’t given up hope yet; they silently prayed that the Pistons could make one last shot to win the game.
It was McGrady’s time…
If McGrady were here, the Pistons’ fans would surely think of that phrase, because McGrady’s miraculous performances at the last moment could make anyone believe in miracles. But now McGrady wasn’t there—who else could the Pistons rely on?
Zhou Yi!
Thinking of Zhou Yi, who had made the last shot more than once, people’s hearts became excited again, because Zhou Yi’s magic truly gave people confidence.
Maybe some Pistons fans thought Zhou Yi should take the shot, but would it really work to trust him with it?
This question troubling the Pistons’ fans also troubled John Kuester. He was considering whether to let Zhou Yi make the last shot or have Andre Iguodala do it.
John Kuester glanced at the timer, which read 3.9 seconds, and his brows furrowed. Then he recalled Zhou Yi’s performance in games and finally decided who would make the last shot.
The timeout ended quickly, and the players from both teams returned to the court.
However, the Pistons had already replaced Ben Gordon with James Posey. James Posey’s ability to score at critical moments always reassured John Kuester.
All the fans watching the game were sweating nervously, with their hearts pounding wildly. The Pistons’ players were also very tense, but they knew that anxiety would only lead to failure, so they suppressed their nervousness with willpower and bravely faced this final challenge.
Except for Andre Iguodala, all the Pistons players entered the court, while Iguodala himself stood at the sideline, waiting for the referee to pass him the ball so he could serve it. Did John Kuester not intend to have Iguodala take the final shot? Seeing this, everyone guessed that Kuester didn’t plan to have Iguodala make the last shot—so who would take it? Zhou Yi? What tactic had Kuester devised for the Pistons players? The answer would be revealed soon. The referee handed the ball to Iguodala, and immediately blew the whistle to start the game. As soon as the whistle sounded, all the Pistons players began moving at full speed, especially Zhou Yi and James Posey. They kept running back and forth outside the three-point line, trying to shake off Raymond Felton and Landry Fields, who were chasing behind them. Zhou Yi felt unusually nervous looking at Danilo Gallinari, who was much taller and had longer limbs than him, because he knew he would have to do it himself—no one could help him. Just as the shot clock was about to run out, Greg Monroe rushed out to help Zhou Yi catch the ball, and Zhou Yi passed it to him as Monroe crossed the three-point line. Monroe caught the ball, and Zhou Yi suddenly rushed inside the three-point line, snatching the ball from Monroe’s hands. Using Monroe’s body to block Danilo Gallinari, who was defending him, Zhou Yi then stopped abruptly at mid-distance and jumped. “It has to go in…” Zhou Yi prayed in his heart as he shot the final ball. Seeing this, everyone’s doubts were resolved. It turned out that Kuester still wanted Zhou Yi to take the final shot. The constant movement of Posey and Monroe was just a decoy to confuse the opponents. “2, 1, 0…” “Ding~~~” The ball left Zhou Yi’s hands, and at the same time, the whistle marking the end of the game sounded. Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the orange basketball flying through the air, their hearts pounding as it soared. Although the ball was in the air for less than two seconds, it seemed like centuries to everyone watching the game.
The ball approached the basket, getting closer and closer.
“Swish.”
Hearts sank—every Knicks fan’s heart dropped to rock bottom with that sound.
Zhou Yi’s final shot went in.
“Yay~~~” The Pistons players immediately cheered. They were excited, happy, and thrilled because they had secured the final victory.
In sharp contrast to the Pistons were the disappointed Pistons players and all Knicks fans, as today’s victory slipped away from them.
The home crowd closed their eyes, filled with regret and helplessness.
Amare Stoudemire covered his face with his right hand, unwilling to watch what happened next. He felt helpless and guilty—how he wished he could lead his teammates to victory!
The Knicks players were utterly devastated; their efforts at the last moment failed, leaving them in great pain and helplessness…
Zhou Yi was overjoyed—he had scored another game-winning shot. His teammates surrounded him, hugging him tightly (uh, readers, don’t get the wrong idea—everything was normal). Excitement surged within him.
On the Knicks side, there was only helplessness and disappointment…
Amare Stoudemire stood there, overwhelmed by emotions too difficult to express.
“Damn it, I refuse to give up…”
At the end of the game, the players shook hands in peace.
Seeing Amare Stoudemire’s dejected figure, Zhou Yi walked up to him and extended his right hand with a smile.
“Amare, I believe this loss won’t defeat you,” Zhou Yi said with a smile.
“Of course,” Amare replied, initially stunned before the displeasure vanished from his face. He shook Zhou Yi’s hand, then the two hugged each other.
“Clap, clap, clap~~~” Sparse applause rang out in the arena—few, but meaningful. Inspired by this, the entire home crowd started clapping and chanting Amare Stoudemire’s and Zhou Yi’s names in unison.
Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Zhou Yi, without any malice in their eyes—only admiration. They never expected this young Chinese man to not only play well but also have such excellent character.
The cheers of the fans echoed throughout the entire stadium. They were filled with excitement and emotion, as if it weren’t the Pistons who had won but the Knicks.
Zhou Yi stared blankly at the Knicks fans cheering for him, feeling a sense of warmth in his heart.
Chapter 303: All-Star Starting Lineup
In the match against the Knicks, Zhou Yi not only won the game but also won people’s hearts. His performance impressed not only the Pistons fans but also the Knicks fans.
In this game, Zhou Yi scored 34 points, with a shooting percentage of 64%. He also provided 11 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. He even scored the game-winning shot at the end to seal the victory over the Knicks. Andre Iguodala was the second key player in the Pistons’ victory, delivering outstanding performances on both offense and defense. He played 38 minutes, scoring 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Greg Monroe performed well in his matchups against Amare Stoudemire, but as a rookie, he lacked some experience. He scored 14 points and 11 rebounds, recording a double-double, though he also made 4 mistakes and committed 4 fouls. Ben Gordon, who started in place of McGrady, who was absent due to flu, also had a solid performance, scoring 18 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Charlie Villanueva scored 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Taylor Hansbrough scored 13 points and 6 rebounds. Will Bynum scored 11 points and provided 6 assists. Veteran James Posey also scored 11 points.
The Pistons had 14 players in total, and all 13, except for McGrady, played in the game. Eight of them scored double digits. The Pistons’ overall shooting percentage was as high as 58.2%, showing just how fierce their offensive power was and how impressive their offensive efficiency was.
For the home team, the Knicks, “Little Tyrant” Amare Stoudemire scored the highest amount of points in the game with 37 points, hitting 14 out of 26 shots and 9 out of 13 free throws. He also added 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Stoudemire could have scored even more to help his team win, but he exhausted too much energy in the first three quarters, resulting in many missed shots in the fourth quarter. Raymond Felton, who faced Zhou Yi, also had a solid performance with 21 points and 12 assists, though his shooting percentage was low as he managed only 7 out of 19 attempts under Zhou Yi’s defense. Landry Fields, another rookie alongside Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe, also performed well, hitting 4 out of 6 three-point shots for 16 points, along with an impressive 10 rebounds. It’s quite astonishing for a rookie guard to grab 10 rebounds.
By ending the Knicks’ four-game winning streak, the Pistons extended their own winning streak to six games. At the post-game press conference, Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni highly praised Zhou Yi as well as the Pistons’ overall positive attitude in the game. However, he vowed in front of the media that he would defeat the Detroit Pistons next time they met. After the game against the Knicks, the entire Pistons team packed up their things in the visiting team’s locker room and returned to the hotel they had reserved earlier. Zhou Yi did not go to the hotel with the Pistons because he needed to head to New York Airport to fly back to China. Before this game, Zhou Yi had already asked head coach John Kuester for three days off. Kuester, who was aware of Chinese traditional festivals, approved Zhou Yi’s request. However, he required Zhou Yi to attend the afternoon practice on February 2 local time in the U.S. and not be late. Zhou Yi agreed to this. After Kuester approved Zhou Yi’s leave, he packed his bags before coming to New York. Upon arriving in New York, he bought two plane tickets at the airport. Why two tickets? Because Zhou Yi wasn’t going back alone—he was accompanied by Xiang Yun. Xiang Yun had no family in the U.S., and it had been a long time since she had celebrated the Spring Festival with her relatives, so Zhou Yi invited her to go home with him to celebrate the festival. When Xiang Yun heard that Zhou Yi was inviting her to go home with him for the Spring Festival, she cried and was excited for the whole day. So she also asked for leave, packed her clothes, and came to New York with Zhou Yi.
At 10:30 p.m. that day (actually, the All-Star starting lineup was announced on January 27th), a major NBA news story quickly spread widely in the news media and online. The 2010-2011 season’s All-Star voting was over, and the starting lineup had been officially revealed! Kobe Bryant’s absence from several games due to injury in mid-January, along with Zhou Yi’s sudden rise, created uncertainty regarding who would top the voting charts. However, Zhou Yi’s consistent strong performance allowed him to maintain his lead over “Little Flying Man” Kobe Bryant, ultimately winning 3.11 million votes to become the new voting champion—shattering Yao Ming’s record of 2,558,278 votes set in 2005. Kobe Bryant came in second with 2.92 million votes. Despite missing many games due to injury, he still secured the second-highest number of votes among all players. Tracy McGrady, the other member of the Pistons’ “Golden Duo,” managed to overtake All-Star players Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose in the final moments, finishing second among Eastern Conference guards with 2.71 million votes and making it onto the All-Star starting lineup. It was his first time back on the starting lineup since the 2007-08 season. Andre Iguodala, an All-Star-level small forward who recently joined the Pistons, unfortunately missed the starting lineup due to low votes before joining the team. Although he had 480,000 votes before joining, he accumulated an additional 550,000 votes in just ten days after joining, ending up fourth among Eastern Conference forwards with 1.03 million votes—right behind “The King” LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, and Kevin Garnett. It’s clear that the Pistons are now the favorites among fans, and their players are reaping the benefits. Tyreke Evans, who was traded by the Pistons, even ranked sixth among Eastern Conference forwards, further demonstrating the Pistons’ high popularity in the league.
The players ultimately selected as the starters for the East in the 2010-2011 All-Star season were: Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic (2.79 million), LeBron James of the Miami Heat (2.90 million), Amare Stoudemire of the New York Knicks (1.91 million), Tracy McGrady of the Detroit Pistons (2.71 million), and Zhou Yi, also from the Detroit Pistons (3.11 million);
The starters for the West were: Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets (2.88 million; actually missed the season due to injury, but not in the story), Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder (2.55 million), Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets (2.41 million), Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers (2.92 million), and Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns.
With the final results announced, “The Little Emperor” LeBron James was undoubtedly the most disappointed. When “The Flying Man” Kobe was injured and unable to play, causing his All-Star voting to drop, he was determined to become the top voter for the new season.
However, as the voting neared its end, Zhou Yi and Kobe, who had been closely matched in votes, showed unprecedented strength, with their votes soaring and pushing him behind them. Not only did he fail to overtake Kobe, but Zhou Yi also surpassed him to become the top voter for the new season.
Detroit’s media was overjoyed by this result. Among the five starters for the East, the Pistons had two representatives, which was undoubtedly the greatest recognition for the team in the new season. If Andre Iguodala could have been traded to the Pistons earlier, Detroit’s media optimistically believed the Pistons could have had three players on the East All-Star starter list.
For Zhou Yi, his tasks for this All-Star game weren’t limited to the main game. He was also invited to the three-point contest, skill challenge, and even the dunk contest, though he naturally couldn’t participate in all of them.
As for the Rookie Challenge, Zhou Yi had already been selected for the first-year starter lineup a week earlier. Since Blake Griffin missed the entire season last year due to injury, he was included in this year’s first-year lineup. There, Zhou Yi would team up with Blake Griffin to challenge the second-year team led by Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon.
The Pistons’ two other rookies, Greg Monroe and Jody Meeks, will also participate in the Rookie Challenge. However, Greg Monroe is a starter on the first-team squad, while Jody Meeks is a reserve on the second-team squad.
The roster for the Rookie Challenge was announced a week ago:
First-team starters: DeMarcus Cousins of the Kings, Blake Griffin of the Clippers, Greg Monroe of the Pistons, John Wall of the Wizards, and Zhou Yi of the Pistons; reserves include Landry Fields of the Knicks, Eric Bledsoe of the Clippers, Derrick Favors of the Nets, and Gary Neal of the Spurs.
Second-team starters: DeJuan Blair of the Spurs, Ty Gibson of the Bulls, Tyreke Evans of the Kings, DeMar DeRozan of the Raptors, and Stephen Curry of the Warriors; reserves are Brandon Jennings of the Bucks, Jody Meeks of the Pistons, Serge Ibaka of the Thunder, and Wesley Matthews of the Trail Blazers.
Zhou Yi has already confirmed his participation in the All-Star events: the Rookie Challenge, the Skill Challenge, and the actual All-Star game. However, he is still unaware of the starting lineup for the All-Star game. But having heard a few days ago that he might top the All-Star voting, he is quite confident about making the starting lineup.
At this moment, he and Xiang Yun have arrived at the New York airport, where they will board a flight straight to Beijing.
Chapter 304: Bringing a Girl Home
A few hours later, Zhou Yi and Xiang Yun appeared at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Zhou Yi’s return to China was kept completely secret—even his parents only found out just before he boarded the plane. Wearing a black high-collared coat, a baseball cap, and large sunglasses, it was difficult for most people to recognize his true appearance. Plus, since they booked first-class seats, they weren’t recognized by anyone along the way.
The two walked side by side out of the airport. It was 2 p.m. Beijing time. As soon as Zhou Yi stepped out of the airport, he saw the person who came to pick him up—his father, Zhou Miao. So Zhou Yi led Xiang Yun forward at a quick pace.
“Huh, why hasn’t he arrived yet? He should be here by now!” A clear voice rang out near Zhou Yi. He turned around and saw a beautiful girl standing nearby, looking around. Her shiny black hair and white dress matched her perfectly, giving her a gentle appearance.
Such a familiar voice. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed her! In just half a year, she had changed so much.
Xiang Yun casually noticed that Zhou Yi’s gaze was fixed on a young girl. Undeniably, the girl in front was very beautiful. But seeing the faint smile on Zhou Yi’s lips made her feel uneasy.
The beautiful girl, having searched for so long without finding the person she was waiting for, ran angrily up to Zhou Miao.
Seeing this, Zhou Yi smiled and led Xiang Yun to follow the girl toward Zhou Miao.
“Uncle, didn’t you say my brother was coming back? Why isn’t he here yet? Is he not coming?” Her clear, bird-like voice was very pleasant to hear.
When Zhou Miao saw Zhou Yi and the others, he immediately recognized Zhou Yi and broke into a bright smile. He said to the girl, “You little girl, look who’s behind you.”
“Oh.” Hearing this, the girl quickly turned around. Upon seeing Zhou Yi, she was initially stunned, then cheered and rushed into his arms, scolding, “Brother, are you trying to tease your cute and pretty sister again?”
“No wonder Zhou Yi had that smile when he saw this girl. It turns out she’s his sister! Huh, I thought Zhou Yi didn’t have a sister?” Xiang Yun thought to herself.
It wasn’t surprising Xiang Yun didn’t know—Zhou Yi had a cousin sister, and they had been very close since they were young.
“Alright, stop making a fuss, little girl. You’re already so grown up yet still clinging to your brother’s arms.” Seeing Xiang Yun behind Zhou Yi, Zhou Miao’s expression turned strange. Weren’t this guy’s girlfriend Mo Keer? Why was there another girl by his side now?
“Who is this?” Zhou Miao asked tentatively.
“Oh, she is…”
“Hello, uncle. I’m Zhou Yi’s friend. Well, I guess I can also be considered his colleague, as I work as a team reporter for his team too. My name is Xiang Yun,” Xiang Yun interrupted Zhou Yi and introduced herself.
“Oh, I remember now. I often saw you at Zhou Yi’s games, and I also saw you interview him a few times,” Zhou Miao said after glancing at Xiang Yun.
“Brother, could she be your girlfriend in the U.S.? If Sister Keer finds out, she’ll get angry!” the girl teased Zhou Yi, looking at Xiang Yun.
“No, little sister. I’m just your brother’s friend,” Xiang Yun said with a smile.
“Xiang Yun, I’m sorry! My sister is just too mischievous. By the way, her name is Zhou Ling,” Zhou Yi introduced her to Xiang Yun.
“Hehe, it’s okay!” Xiang Yun waved her hand and said with a smile.
“Dad, Xiang Yun doesn’t have any relatives here, so I think she should come home with us,” Zhou Yi said to Zhou Miao.
Hearing Zhou Yi’s words, the strange expression on Zhou Miao’s face reappeared. But he just nodded without saying anything.
Zhou Yi sat in the passenger seat, while Xiang Yun and Zhou Ling sat in the back seats. Zhou Miao started the engine and headed toward the Zhou family’s villa.
On the way home, Zhou Yi used Zhou Ling’s phone to call Mo Keer.
As soon as the call connected, Mo Keer’s sweet voice came through: “Hello, who is this?”
“Hehe, guess!” Zhou Yi said with a smile.
“Zhou Yi, it’s you! Oh, this is a Beijing number. Have you returned to China?” Mo Keer asked in surprise.
“Mm, I called you as soon as I arrived in Beijing. I just got home today, so I might not have time to see you. Tomorrow is Spring Festival, so I probably won’t have time either. How about the day after tomorrow? I’ll go see you then,” Zhou Yi said.
“Mm, I’m quite busy these days too. Be sure to come see me the day after tomorrow, don’t forget,” Mo Keer reminded him.
“Hehe, I know. I’ll call Qi Xiao and the others. Let’s end the call then!” Zhou Yi kept it brief.
“Oh, okay, bye!”
“Bye!”
After Mo Keer hung up, Zhou Yi made three more calls to Lin Qixiao, Hong Ming, and Qin Tian, telling them he had returned and asking them to go out together the day after tomorrow.
When they got home, Zhou’s mother was also surprised to see Xiang Yun, but she was sensible enough not to say anything.
After taking care of Xiang Yun, Zhou Yi went to find his parents to talk to them.
“Is that girl really nothing to you?” Zhou Miao asked seriously.
“Really nothing. We’re just friends,” Zhou Yi replied firmly.
“Friends? Not boyfriend and girlfriend?” Zhou Miao pressed further.
“Dad, what do you think your son is? Xiang Yun and I are really just friends who get along well,” Zhou Yi explained with a frown.
Hearing this, Zhou’s mother asked worriedly, “Then why is she coming to our house with you?”
“I brought her to my home because she’s really pitiful. She has no relatives left; her parents died in a traffic accident when she was very young. Since then, she’s been by herself, with no one to spend New Year’s with her. So this time, I wanted to bring her to my home to spend New Year’s with us all,” Zhou Yi explained.
“Oh, I see! Well, it’s true that this girl has had a tough life. But it seems like she has feelings for you! Does she like you?” Zhou Miao asked directly.
“Mm,” Zhou Yi didn’t deny it.
“What do you plan to do then?” Zhou’s mother asked.
“Well, what else can I do? I already have a girlfriend, so I’ll just treat her as a good friend,” Zhou Yi said with a wry smile.
Hearing Zhou Yi’s reply, Zhou’s mother sighed and said, “I hope it’s as you say.”
“Well, it is as I said. Dad and Mom, why don’t you even trust your own son?” Zhou Yi said helplessly.
“It’s not that we don’t trust you; we’re just worried you might not handle relationships well and hurt the girl’s feelings. Besides, it seems you have another problem—what about Xia Tingting?” Zhou Miao asked.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi froze. Yes, there was still Xia Tingting. At that thought, a bitter expression appeared on his face.
Seeing Zhou Yi silent, Zhou Miao and his mother also sighed and stopped talking, hoping their son could handle relationships well.
Although the Zhou family’s villa wasn’t very large, it had plenty of rooms. After Zhou’s mother arranged a room for Xiang Yun, Xiang Yun and Zhou Yi’s cousin Zhou Ling decorated it together.
Zhou Yi went to his own room and lay on the bed in silence. Thinking about those troublesome matters, he couldn’t help but sigh, then turned on the computer on his desk.
When he was on the phone with Lin Qixiao and the others, they told him that the All-Star starting lineup had been announced, and he had indeed made it onto the list, even becoming the top voter. Moreover, his vote count broke all previous records for the most votes.
After turning on the computer, Zhou Yi first logged into his email, then typed “2010-2011 NBA All-Star Starting Lineup Announced” into Baidu. As soon as he pressed Enter, countless messages appeared.
“Chinese player Zhou Yi becomes MVP of All-Star voting, setting a new record”
“The miracle kid does it again, overtaking Kobe and James to win MVP”
“Zhou Yi’s rise reflects China’s ascent”
……
Seeing these headlines, Zhou Yi smiled bitterly and shook his head, then clicked on a news article with a relatively normal title.
“At 10 a.m. Beijing time on January 31, the NBA 2010-2011 season’s All-Star voting officially concluded, marking the determination of the starting lineup. Chinese player Zhou Yi surpassed Kobe and James to win this season’s MVP title. With 3.21 million votes, he also broke the record for the most votes in All-Star history. Another highly anticipated Chinese player, Yao Ming, also made it into the Western Conference’s starting lineup by a large margin. Below is the list of this season’s starting lineups:
Eastern Conference: Dwight Howard (Magic), Amare Stoudemire (Nicks), LeBron James (Heat), Tracy McGrady (Pistons), Zhou Yi (Pistons);
Western Conference: Yao Ming (Rockets), Kevin Durant (Thunder), Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets), Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Steve Nash (Sun).
The All-Star reserve teams will be selected by the head coaches of the 30 NBA teams and will be announced in a week. This year’s All-Star game will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles!”
After reading this news, Zhou Yi was overjoyed. One reason was his own selection for the All-Star game, and the other was McGrady’s successful entry into the starting lineup. To be honest, he was very happy for McGrady.
Chapter 305: Celebrating Spring Festival
On the night before Spring Festival, after taking a bath, Zhou Yi returned to his room. On his way back, he happened to meet Xiang Yun. She was wearing pajamas, and her prominent breasts made Zhou Yi unable to look away. Under Xiang Yun’s annoyed gaze, Zhou Yi averted his eyes, said good night to her, and returned to his room. Lying in bed, Zhou Yi couldn’t help but smirk. But to be honest, given Xiang Yun’s slender figure, it was surprising that her breasts were so large. Will Bynum had once told Zhou Yi that usually, slim women have small breasts, while women with large breasts tend to be heavier. So, if one wanted both a slim figure and large breasts, they’d need at least two girlfriends. It seems he hadn’t met someone like Xiang Yun, otherwise, he would have been tempted to death.
Out of boredom, Zhou Yi casually opened his photo album from childhood. Looking at those photos, he couldn’t help but laugh. In the blink of an eye, he was about to turn twenty. Recalling his childhood self was really funny, especially the photo at age six, where he was lifting a small dumbbell high, showing off his astonishing strength. “Heh, it seems I already had superhuman abilities back then,” Zhou Yi said to himself in a somewhat narcissistic tone. There was also the photo of him at age twelve in the sixth grade, leading the school team to victory over a nearby elementary school team and receiving an award. It was all vivid in his mind. Sometimes he was truly grateful to the person who took those photos; without them, he wouldn’t know what could be left behind in life. As he looked at them, Zhou Yi fell asleep.
Strangely enough, Zhou Yi found himself in the army. Lin Qixiao was wearing camouflage gear and holding an AK-47 rifle, while Zhou Yi was carrying a rocket launcher. In the distance, the rumbling sound of tanks could be heard—clearly only a few thousand meters away, well within range. “Hong Ming, quickly take out that tank! Zhou Yi, get away from here now! Hurry, don’t hesitate! Finish them!” Lin Qixiao shouted at the others.
Soon, Zhou Yi found himself in another place, surrounded by enemies everywhere, armed with all sorts of weapons. Yet Zhou Yi had nothing—just his bare hands. He quickly hid, climbing up a tall tree and covering himself with as many leaves as possible. The enemies passed by one by one, and Zhou Yi kept praying that none of them would discover him. Suddenly, there was a “crack”—the branch he was standing on broke. Ah…
“Zhou Yi, you’re under arrest. Please come with us!” Six fully armed men said to him. “Damn it, what’s going on? You’re arresting me? I’m not going!” Zhou Yi suddenly threw a punch, snatched their pistol, quickly disengaged the safety, loaded it, aimed, and fired. “Bang, bang, bang…” After five shots, only the man who had been knocked down by Zhou Yi’s punch remained. “Why force me? I don’t want to kill anyone… I don’t want to…” Zhou Yi’s face showed pain, knowing that killing someone would mean a lifetime of fleeing. But soon, chaos erupted outside—“Attention, criminals inside! You’re surrounded! Lay down your weapons and surrender now to avoid a harsher punishment…”
“What’s happening to me? I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” Zhou Yi suddenly resolved to fight to the end—death was inevitable anyway, so he would fight to the last. He shot the remaining people dead, collected their bullets, and then searched for an exit. Zhou Yi must survive; it was his minimum requirement, as his basketball dream hadn’t yet been fulfilled! There were ropes in the house, originally used for fire prevention. Right, he could use them to create an escape route, lure their main force here, and then use the ropes to descend downstairs. Without hesitation, time was of the essence. Zhou Yi secured the pulley of the rope and pulled hard—it was sturdy enough. Good, he didn’t want to die from a fall instead of being shot. Next, he tied the other end of the rope to a rebar stick and threw it onto a security window across the room, where it caught firmly. This gave him a makeshift rappelling rope. Checking his ammo pouch, he was glad to find 48 bullets left. He loaded his pistols and prepared two guns, then slowly made his way outward, even taking off his shoes to silence his footsteps. Suddenly, he heard several rapid footsteps—judging by the rhythm, they must be trained special forces. Zhou Yi quickly drew his second pistol, just in case. Holding his breath, he stared fixedly at the door. Suddenly, a shadow rushed in, rolled around, and aimed a submachine gun at the center of the corridor. But Zhou Yi was in the lower right corner. Before the shooter could fire, Zhou Yi had already shattered his forehead. Then, two more police officers rushed in and started shooting at Zhou Yi. He had no choice but to retreat, but he kept firing back, drawing most of the police toward him. At that moment, the rope he had prepared could save his life. Fortunately, as gunshots echoed, many more police arrived to reinforce him. Zhou Yi fought his way backward until he reached his exit. He quickly secured the rope and slid down, continuing to fire at the armed police still shooting at him from behind. Just as he reached safety, another gunshot rang out, and a huge burst of air pressure hit him from behind. He knew he couldn’t escape anymore—the bullets were flying toward him, and he was stuck to the rope. “Ah…”
Upon waking, he broke into a cold sweat—it had been just a dream. Zhou Yi could no longer fall asleep. Holding his head in his hands, he relived the pleasures of the dream. In fact, the most free one is when dreaming, able to do whatever one wants, with complete freedom.
The Spring Festival arrived in the blink of an eye, leaving Zhou Yi somewhat at a loss. But the continuous sound of firecrackers told him that the Spring Festival had truly come. Zhou Yi didn’t like the sound of firecrackers; it was annoying. However, the fireworks were quite nice—so graceful, like flowers blooming in summer and leaves falling quietly in autumn, as beautiful as meteors, dazzling.
……
New Year’s Eve is a festival celebrated across the country. On this day, almost everyone puts aside their work and devotes themselves wholeheartedly to celebrating the Spring Festival.
For over a year now, Zhou Miao had paid little attention to the development of his companies. The overall strategies and business directions had already been determined, and professional management teams had been established within the companies, making formal management less of a concern for Zhou Miao.
With the rare chance to have some free time during the Spring Festival, Zhou Miao naturally wanted to spend it with his son, who had come home so rarely.
Today was the last day of the twelfth lunar month, meaning it was the last day of 2010.
Following Zhou Miao’s instructions, Zhou Yi sent a greeting message to the coach who had trained him in basketball skills back at school.
Then, Zhou Yi retrieved Mo Keer’s phone number. Having come home so infrequently, he missed her terribly. So, he pressed the green dial button.
“Hello, is this Mo Keer?” Zhou Yi asked deliberately, even though he already knew it was her number.
“Oh, Zhou Yi, what are you doing?” Her voice was incredibly gentle. Zhou Yi really couldn’t describe her beauty with any words he knew.
“Hehe, it’s the Spring Festival. I wish you grow more and more beautiful in the new year!” Zhou Yi said with a smile.
“Oh? Do you mean I’m not beautiful now?” Mo Keer said half-jokingly, making Zhou Yi feel that she was so approachable, as if she were within reach.
“Hehe, of course you’re beautiful. I mean you’ll become even more beautiful, striving to be the most beautiful person in the world,” Zhou Yi said with a smile.
“Uh, when did you start talking nonsense too?” Mo Keer said playfully, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“Hehe, I’m just telling the truth,” Zhou Yi continued to flatter her.
“Okay, I have to go. My dad is calling me,” Mo Keer said, glancing back before whispering to Zhou Yi.
“Oh, got it. Give my regards to your uncles and aunts!” Zhou Yi said.
“Mm, okay. Bye!”
“Bye!” Zhou Yi replied.
With that, Mo Keer hung up the phone.
On New Year’s Eve, Zhou Yi’s family, Zhou Ling, and Xiang Yun sat together eating dumplings that Zhou Yi’s mother and Xiang Yun had made together.
Zhou Yi hadn’t eaten dumplings in a long time, so he ate a lot.
The Spring Festival Gala hosted by CCTV was really great. Zhou Yi’s family, Zhou Ling, and Xiang Yun sat together, watching it joyfully. Truly, it lived up to being China’s top media outlet!
Just as Zhou Yi was enjoying it, his phone suddenly rang. It was Mo Keer. He quickly answered.
“Zhou Yi, I’ll call you again in a bit to chat for a few minutes. Don’t turn off your phone! If you do, you’ll have to deal with the consequences when we meet tomorrow!” Then there was a busy signal.
Throughout the whole process, Zhou Yi didn’t say a word.
He really didn’t know what she was up to. Whatever, there’s always a way out. Zhou Yi returned to the living room to continue watching the Spring Festival Gala with his family.
Soon, his phone rang again. Zhou Yi got up and went outside. “Keer, what are you up to?”
“It’s 11:55 now. I want to spend the New Year’s Eve with you,” Mo Keer said sweetly.
“Oh, haha, I see!” Zhou Yi realized and said with a smile.
“What? Don’t you want to spend New Year’s Eve with me?” Mo Keer frowned in annoyance.
“Haha, of course not! I really want to spend it with you. I was worried you wouldn’t want to!” Zhou Yi said with a smile.
“Hmm, Zhou Yi, are you doing well in the U.S.? I mean, have you gotten hurt playing sports?” Mo Keer asked casually.
Zhou Yi thought for a moment and replied, “I don’t think so! But I remember having a minor injury during training, but that was a long time ago. Don’t worry.”
There was a silence on the other end for a while before Mo Keer’s voice came through again, “In about half a month, I’ll be able to go to Detroit in the U.S. to see you. By then, you have to take care of my food, shelter, and transportation! Don’t bully me!”
“Haha, how could I bully you? I love you too much! By the way, have you finished the transfer procedures?” Zhou Yi asked worriedly.
“Hmm, I’ve finished them. All that’s left is the visa. Once I get it, I can leave,” Mo Keer replied.
“Oh, then I’ll go pick you up. If I can’t make it, I’ll ask a friend to do it,” Zhou Yi instructed.
“Hmm, okay,” Mo Keer replied.
In the blink of an eye, there was only one minute left until the New Year arrived.
“Hehe, Keer, we’re now in the countdown phase. Are you ready to welcome the New Year with me?” Zhou Yi asked with a smile.
“I’m ready! I think I heard that if a couple makes wishes at the same time on New Year’s Eve and wishes the same thing, then that wish will come true,” Mo Keer said after thinking about it.
“Oh? Is it that magical?” Zhou Yi asked curiously.
“Well, I just heard about it too. Shall we give it a try?” Mo Keer asked.
“Okay, let’s try,” Zhou Yi replied.
“29, 28, 27…” The two began counting silently together.
…
“19, 18, 16…”
…
“10, 9, 8…” By this time, people across the country were counting down.
…
“4, 3, 2, 1” With a loud chime, the New Year’s bell rang.
At 1, Zhou Yi and Mo Keer made their wishes at the same time, though neither knew the other’s wish.
“Hehe, Keer, what was your wish?” Zhou Yi asked curiously.
“What was yours?” Mo Keer countered.
“Let’s say them together to see if we’re in sync,” Zhou Yi said.
“Hmm, agree!”
So, the two said their wishes simultaneously.
“Healthy family, happy friends, and perfect love and career!” They both uttered those fifteen words at the same time.
After saying it, they were initially stunned, then burst into laughter.
“Haha, it seems we’re really in sync!” Zhou Yi said with a smile.
“Yeah, I really didn’t expect us to be so on the same page,” Mo Keer said smiling too.
“Uh, Zhou Yi, my dad wants me to go to bed,” Mo Keer suddenly said to him.
Hearing this, Zhou Yi could only say helplessly, “Alright, go rest early! See you tomorrow!”
“Okay, see you tomorrow!” Mo Keer nodded.
“Good night!”
“Good night!”
After Mo Keer hung up, Zhou Yi returned to the living room. By then, Zhou Miao and Zhou’s mother had gone to bed, leaving only Xiang Yun and Zhou Ling sitting in the living room, watching TV and chatting.
“Hehe, finished talking to your girlfriend?” Xiang Yun asked Zhou Yi with a smirk.
Zhou Yi gave Xiang Yun a glare and said, “Go rest early. I’ll take you to meet my friends tomorrow.”
“Oh!” Although Xiang Yun only replied superficially, she was overjoyed inside.
The fact that he was willing to take her to meet his friends meant she still held some weight in his heart. Under Zhou Yi’s order, Zhou Ling also went back to her room to sleep. Zhou Yi gave a wry smile and returned to his own room as well.
Chapter 306: Everyone Gets Together
On the morning of the first day of the New Year, Zhou Yi got up very early. The family sat together and had another meal of dumplings, after which Zhou Yi took Xiang Yun out.
He was now going to find Mo Keer and Lin Qixiao. Before going to see them, Zhou Yi had already arranged a meeting place with them—Chao Niu Hot Pot. It wasn’t really that Zhou Yi and the others wanted to go to a hot pot restaurant; it was Hong Ming who wanted to go. He insisted on going to a hot pot restaurant in the cold weather to warm up, followed by a visit to a KTV to sing. Zhou Yi and the others couldn’t resist Hong Ming’s persistent persuasion, so they agreed to his bad idea.
Upon arriving at the destination, Zhou Yi and Xiang Yun found Mo Keer and the others already waiting at the entrance of the hot pot restaurant. So, they quickened their pace and headed over to them.
When Mo Keer saw Xiang Yun beside Zhou Yi, she was momentarily stunned, then looked at Zhou Yi with confusion.
Zhou Yi gave a wry smile and introduced Xiang Yun to everyone, “She’s my friend, Xiang Yun. She’s the team’s accompanying reporter.”
“Hello everyone. I’m Xiang Yun. It’s great to meet you all,” Xiang Yun said with a smile.
Everyone stood there awkwardly, looking at Xiang Yun sometimes, at Zhou Yi sometimes, and then at Mo Keer. It was Qin Tian who broke the silence. He sighed inwardly, cleared his throat, and said to Xiang Yun with a smile, “Hello. I’m Qin Tian, Zhou Yi’s best friend.”
Lin Qixiao glanced at Qin Tian and then also introduced himself friendly to Xiang Yun, “Hello, Miss Xiang. I’m Lin Qixiao. I’m also Zhou Yi’s best friend.”
After that, Hong Ming and Qin Qian also greeted Xiang Yun. Only Mo Keer continued to look at Zhou Yi and Xiang Yun with confusion.
“Sis Keer…” Qin Qian gently called out to Mo Keer.
Hearing this, Mo Keer realized she had been rude and said to Xiang Yun awkwardly, “Hello, Miss Xiang. I’m Mo Keer.”
Though she said that, the confused look on her face didn’t disappear, as she kept glancing at Zhou Yi and Xiang Yun from time to time.
The group entered the hot pot restaurant together and found a seat guided by the waiter.
Since Zhou Yi had dressed up nicely, few people recognized him. Aside from those who were usually with him, it was quite difficult to recognize the well-dressed Zhou Yi.
Qin Qian is now Hong Ming’s girlfriend, and everyone knows that. So when the two of them act affectionately, no one says anything. It’s just that Qin Tian was worried it might affect the city’s appearance, so he warned them.
“Zhou Yi, are you coming back to prepare for the upcoming events?” Lin Qixiao asked with a smile.
“Hehe, I’m going back tonight,” Zhou Yi replied with a wry smile.
“Tonight? Why so soon?” Hong Ming asked in confusion.
“Hehe, there’s no choice! I can’t miss tomorrow’s training, nor tomorrow’s match,” Zhou Yi said, shrugging and smiling bitterly.
“Oh, then what time is your flight?” Qin Tian asked.
“7:30. It takes three hours to get to Detroit. By then it should be around 10 a.m. there. I can rest for a few hours to adjust to the time difference,” Zhou Yi replied.
Everyone nodded upon hearing this.
“Hehe, so, do you want to see me off?” Zhou Yi asked the group with a smile.
“Of course we’ll see off such a big star! You’re the hottest celebrity in the country now!” Hong Ming said carelessly.
“Shh, speak quieter!” Zhou Yi glared at Hong Ming and spoke in a low voice.
“Oh.” Hong Ming realized his voice was too loud and nodded.
Zhou Yi is now the most prominent celebrity in the country. His arrival will surely cause a stir. By then, not only will they not be able to eat hot pot, but they won’t even have time to spend with Zhou Yi.
“Miss Xiang is so beautiful. I wonder if she has a boyfriend?” Hong Ming asked Xiang Yun with a lecherous look.
As soon as he asked this question, he regretted it, because the person sitting next to him was no ordinary person. When Qin Qian heard Hong Ming’s question and saw his lecherous expression, she reached out and twisted his softest and most vulnerable waist tightly.
Hong Ming let out a painful scream, causing everyone to laugh. But since Qin Qian whispered in his ear again, and the hot pot restaurant was very busy during the holiday with loud noise, Hong Ming’s scream didn’t draw much attention.
“Hehe, I’m single now! Hong Ming, how about you introduce me to a boyfriend?” Xiang Yun said with a smile.
“Here, Zhou Yi and I already have girlfriends. Only Qin Tian and Qixiao are single. Maybe you should consider them,” Hong Ming cleverly pointed out that Zhou Yi already had a girlfriend.
Xiang Yun smiled and said, “I prefer boys who play basketball. I don’t think Brother Qin Tian is the type who plays basketball, and Brother Qi Xiao isn’t my type either.” Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, except Mo Keer, who just smiled before looking at Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi felt uncomfortable under Mo Keer’s gaze, so he said to everyone with a smile, “You guys keep chatting. I’m going to the restroom.” After saying that, Zhou Yi stood up and headed toward the restroom. Seeing this, Qin Tian also showed an embarrassed expression and said to everyone with a smile, “Sorry, I need to go to the restroom too.” Mo Keer’s confusion grew even more as she saw Zhou Yi avoiding her gaze. “Zhou Yi, what’s going on with Xiang Yun?” Qin Tian followed Zhou Yi’s steps and asked in a low voice. “What do you mean, what’s going on?” Zhou Yi asked back. “I mean, what’s your relationship?” Qin Tian asked after glancing around. Hearing Qin Tian’s question, Zhou Yi smiled and replied, “What kind of relationship could we have? We’re just simple friends.” “Just friends?” Qin Tian pressed further, still worried. “Of course, just friends. What else could it be?” Zhou Yi replied impatiently. “I just feel like Xiang Yun seems to like you!” Qin Tian said. Zhou Yi frowned and asked, “You feel that too?” “Mm-hm, and I think her feelings for you aren’t any weaker than Xia Tingting’s.” Qin Tian said. After hearing this, Zhou Yi just lowered his head and pondered for a moment without saying anything. After coming out of the restroom, Zhou Yi said to Qin Tian, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” “Mm, I know,” Qin Tian nodded in response. The two walked back to their seats together, chatted for a while more, and then started eating heartily. Since Zhou Yi and Xiang Yun had already eaten before coming here, they didn’t eat much. But Zhou Yi was worried that Mo Keer might overthink things, so he ate a bit more. Overall, they were satisfied with the meal, and it was naturally Zhou Yi, the “rich guy” in their eyes, who paid the bill. After eating hot pot, everyone went to a nearby KTV together. In the KTV, everyone let go of their reservations and started singing. Mostly, it was the boys who sang; the girls only sang one song each—Xiang Yun and Mo Keer—while Qin Qian sang more often with Hong Ming.
Qin Qian and Hong Ming were quite good at singing love songs; the others wondered if Hong Ming and she often sang duet love songs together. Mo Keer didn’t seem very enthusiastic throughout the day and only cooperated reluctantly at everyone’s insistence. Zhou Yi naturally noticed this. It wasn’t until 4 p.m. that everyone went their separate ways. They agreed to meet at 7 p.m. to see Zhou Yi and Xiang Yun off together. On the way home, Zhou Yi remained silent, thinking about how to explain things to Mo Keer. “Zhou Yi, what are you thinking? Are you figuring out how to explain me to your girlfriend?” Xiang Yun stopped and asked him. “Could you guess that?” Zhou Yi also stopped, surprised. “Hehe, some things can be figured out if you think carefully,” Xiang Yun said lightly with a smile. Zhou Yi sighed and said helplessly, “Yeah, actually, Keer is great in every way—just a bit petty and jealous.” “It’s not that hard! As long as you sincerely explain your relationship to her, I believe she’ll trust you,” Xiang Yun said with a smile. “I hope so,” Zhou Yi nodded. Zhou Yi and Xiang Yun had packed their luggage, and their flight tickets had already been booked. At 7 p.m., they were already standing at the entrance of the terminal at the Capital International Airport. Standing beside them were Zhou Yi’s parents, Mo Keer, Qin Qian, and Lin Qixiao. After exchanging some farewell words, Zhou Yi pulled Mo Keer aside. “Keer, are you angry?” Zhou Yi asked, holding her cheeks. “Yes, I’m angry. I’m jealous,” Mo Keer said, pouting. Hearing this, Zhou Yi wasn’t worried at all but rather felt relieved. His biggest fear was that Mo Keer would deny everything and keep it to herself. “Stop being angry and jealous. There’s really nothing between me and Xiang Yun. We’re just friends, at most good friends.” Zhou Yi didn’t tell Mo Keer about Xiang Yun’s background, thinking it unnecessary—after all, one shouldn’t keep revealing others’ private matters! “Really?” Mo Keer asked. “Of course. I admit Xiang Yun likes me, but I like you! I don’t feel anything for her—now or ever,” Zhou Yi assured her. Hearing this, a smile returned to Mo Keer’s face.
“Keer, have you decided on the date for going to the US?” Zhou Yi suddenly asked.
“Soon. Didn’t I tell you last night? I’ll be there within half a month at most,” Mo Keer replied.
“Oh.”
“Hehe, you’ll have to take good care of me then!” Mo Keer playfully leaned her head on Zhou Yi’s chest and said with a smile.
“Mm, definitely,” Zhou Yi said with a smile.
Seeing that Mo Keer had finally come around, Zhou Yi led her back to the group. After saying goodbye to everyone, he and Xiang Yun went into the waiting area.
At 7:30 p.m., the plane took off on time!
Chapter 307: Another Battle at Home
When Zhou Yi returned to Detroit, it was exactly 10 a.m. on February 2nd, as he had said. He first called his parents and Mo Keer, then Zhou Yi and Xiang Yun took a taxi to their accommodation.
Back at the place, Zhou Yi quickly took a hot shower and then went back to his room to sleep soundly. To avoid oversleeping, he set an alarm. Still a bit worried, he told Xiang Yun to wake him up if he didn’t get up on time.
At 2 p.m., Zhou Yi woke up. After stretching a bit, he felt fine. As he got dressed and went downstairs, he happened to see Xiang Yun coming up, who told him that he had already prepared lunch for him.
So Zhou Yi went to the dining room and started eating voraciously. By the time he finished lunch, it was already 2:30 p.m. Training started at 4 p.m., so Zhou Yi rested for a while before heading out at 2:35 p.m. after saying goodbye to Xiang Yun.
He arrived at the gym at 3:25 p.m. After delaying for five minutes, he entered the training court. To his surprise, there were already quite a few people there.
Maddie, Jody Mikos, Spencer Hoes, Greg Monroe, Austin Daye, and Taylor Hansbrough. All of these guys, influenced by Zhou Yi, now also arrived at the gym at least half an hour early to train.
After greeting them one by one, Zhou Yi started training.
“Hey, Zhou, how was your Spring Festival?” Maddie came over, patted Zhou Yi’s shoulder, and asked with a smile.
“Hehe, not bad! Tracy, be my opponent. I want to test out my backstep jump shots and low-post plays from these past days,” Zhou Yi said with a smile.
“Hehe, sure!” Maddie agreed readily.
So Zhou Yi and Maddie started a one-on-one match. The others glanced over occasionally before continuing their own training.
Although Will Bynum didn’t arrive exactly on time, he still made it to the arena at 3:58. Zhou Yi shot him a disdainful look, but Bynum just shrugged indifferently and began practicing his shots.
Tonight, the Pistons’ opponent is the Charlotte Bobcats, who will be playing at home against the team led by “America’s Hanamichi Sakuragi,” Gerald Wallace, and “Captain Jack.”
The Bobcats have been in good form recently, with three consecutive wins, placing them eighth in the East—two games ahead of the ninth-ranked Bucks.
At 7 p.m., the visiting team’s players arrived at the arena. Meanwhile, after two and a half hours of training, the home team’s players were resting in the locker room.
“Guys, the Bobcats have arrived. In a moment, we’re going to pull out their hats one by one and turn them into ‘bulgy cats,’” John Kuester said as he walked in, clapped his hands, and spoke to the Pistons’ players.
“Okay!” the entire Pistons team replied in unison.
In this game, McGrady, who missed the last match due to the flu, will return and is likely to be on the starting lineup.
After more than ten minutes of warm-ups on the court, both teams returned to their respective benches. Soon after, the starting lineups for both teams appeared on the big screen.
Pistons: Center Ben Wallace, Power Forward Greg Monroe, Small Forward Andre Iguodala, Shooting Guard Tracy McGrady, Point Guard Zhou Yi;
Bobcats: 5th player Kwame Brown, 4th player Boris Diaw, 3rd player Gerald Wallace, 2nd player Stephen Jackson, 1st player DJ Augustin.
The game started, and Greg Monroe secured the ball for the Pistons. Zhou Yi received a pass from his teammate and began organizing the team’s offense.
In the first quarter, the Pistons seemed a bit slow to get going, possibly because of their long rest time. Their performance throughout the quarter was lukewarm, with many missed shots—Zhou Yi included. In the first quarter, he made 2 out of 5 shots, scoring only 5 points and providing 2 assists. This performance was far from his usual level. Throughout the quarter, he seemed distracted, as if preoccupied with something, possibly due to the time difference.
With just over six minutes left in the first quarter, John Kuester substituted both him and Greg Monroe out for a break.
After that, the Bobcats’ Gerald Wallace took over. He scored 6 points from both field goals and free throws, then grabbed two offensive rebounds and delivered 2 assists, helping the Bobcats build an 8-point lead. At that moment, some Bobcats fans in the crowd began cheering Gerald Wallace’s name. “Ding~~~” With the sound of the buzzer, the Pistons ended the first quarter trailing the Bobcats by 8 points, 24 to 32. Yet Zhou Yi showed no sign of disappointment; his confident smile remained on his face. It didn’t matter that the team was behind—Zhou Yi would surely lead the Pistons to catch up in the remaining games.