Chapter 53

The fourth quarter began, with the Rockets playing mostly their starters, while the Pistons were mostly on their bench.
Rockets: Yao Ming, Kevin Martin, Brooks, Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger;
Pistons: Will Bynum, James Posey, McGrady, Greg Monroe, and Samuel Dalembert.
Kyle Lowry passed the ball to Yao Ming under the basket. Yao Ming stepped back and then shot a backdoor jumper. The ball bounced twice before going into the hoop.
Will Bynum drove to the paint, trying to lay up against Jordan Hill, but was ruthlessly blocked by Jordan Hill. Kevin Martin grabbed the defensive rebound.
Kevin Martin drove fast with the ball and scored a layup. Will Bynum drove past half-court and passed to McGrady. McGrady tried to backdoor Jordan Hill, but despite his strength, he wasn’t a match for Jordan Hill. McGrady pushed hard against Jordan Hill, but it had no effect. He tried to push Jordan Hill further, and just as Jordan Hill stabilized himself to push back, McGrady suddenly stepped back and shot a jump shot, which scored.
Samuel Dalembert tried to guard Jordan Hill, but Jordan Hill quickly passed the ball to Yao Ming, who was in a better position. Yao Ming caught the ball and scored a jump shot.
McGrady drove into the paint, with Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill covering him. McGrady, in mid-air, passed the ball to Greg Monroe, who was open. Greg Monroe’s mid-range shot missed, and Yao Ming grabbed the defensive rebound.
The teams traded blows, with the score difference staying around 17 points.
Yao Ming scored two more points with a hook shot under the basket, bringing the score to 99:86—the Pistons now only leading by 13 points.
At this point, only 4 minutes had passed in the fourth quarter. Thanks to Yao Ming’s brilliance, the Pistons’ 19-point advantage was gradually shrinking.
In the next two minutes, neither team scored, and the game entered a stalemate.
Rick Adelman was frantic, scratching his head. After finally seeing the Pistons’ shooting accuracy drop, Yao Ming’s performance helped the Rockets narrow the gap to 13 points, but now his own players seemed lost. Seeing this rare opportunity slip away, he paced anxiously on the sidelines, almost eager to step onto the court and play himself.
Suddenly, Yao Ming passed the ball inside, and Kevin Martin hit a three-pointer from beyond the arc.
The Toyota Center erupted in cheers as fans throughout the arena celebrated. After such a long stalemate, it was finally their player who scored first.

“Yao’s breakout finally sparked the Rockets’ counterattack,” explained Clyde Drexler.
“Yes, if the Rockets win this game, Yao is the main reason. But that kid from the Pistons definitely won’t let the Rockets turn things around easily,” said Kenny Smith.
“Oh? You mean Zhou? Hehe, maybe!” Clyde Drexler laughed.
Greg Monroe’s jump shot from just inside the free-throw line rotated twice around the rim but still didn’t go in.
“Damn it!” Greg Monroe cursed in frustration. No wonder he was so upset—such shots not going in.
Yao Ming snatched the rebound first and passed the ball to Kyle Lowry.
It was the Pistons’ half, and their players had mostly retreated to defend, except for Greg Monroe. So, Kyle Lowry didn’t go for an fast break but instead slowed down to steady the pace, waiting for Yao Ming to get into position under the Pistons’ basket before breaking through to attack.
Kevin Martin moved to the top of the key to receive the ball from Kyle Lowry. After catching it, Martin drifted along the baseline, suddenly stopped abruptly, and shot a jump shot—but it missed due to McGrady’s interference.
“Clang,” the sound of a missed shot echoed through the Toyota Center.
But then another “clang” followed.
Yao Ming dunked the rebounded ball with one hand, shocking everyone in the arena!!!
Yao Ming’s dunk completely ignited the atmosphere at Toyota Center. The Rockets’ players seemed to wake up as well, their movements becoming much smoother. With one side rising and the other falling, the Rockets’ morale soared, putting even more pressure on the Pistons.
John Kuester naturally noticed this situation and promptly called a timeout. After the timeout, he immediately made adjustments to the lineup. However, he didn’t criticize the players for their poor performance in the previous game. This timeout was meant to disrupt the Rockets’ high morale; he believed his players had enough ability to handle the situation.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed!
The Pistons’ Will Bynum was replaced by Zhou Yi, while McGrady was replaced by Tashawn Prince. The Rockets also made adjustments, with Luis Scola replacing Jordan Hill and Sean Battier replacing Chase Budinger to strengthen the team’s defense.
“The Pistons aren’t in a hurry right now. Although their lead has shrunk to 8 points, they still hold the initiative, especially with Zhou Yi on the court—the Pistons’ engine will drive their offense,” explained Teacher Sun as he watched the game.

“Well, though, the Rockets have already built momentum, which is a problem for the Pistons. Actually, the main issue is how the Pistons can deal with Yao Ming. The previous approach of surrounding him defensively no longer works, and Yao Ming only gets stronger as time goes by,” Coach Zhang said honestly.
After covering two quarters, the two commentators stopped speaking to avoid distracting the audience.
Once the ball was passed to Greg Monroe, Zhou Yi quickly moved around. Greg Monroe wasn’t the type to play selfishly; if he couldn’t shoot inside, he would pass the ball right away, and Zhou Yi would definitely be his first choice.
Greg Monroe turned and hit a jump shot, causing Louis Scola to commit a foul—this was already Scola’s fourth foul.
Greg Monroe attempted a free throw but missed, and Yao Ming grabbed the defensive rebound.
Kyle Lowry had more potential than Brooks. His most admirable trait was his willingness to pass the ball. Moreover, Kyle Lowry played strategically, never losing his composure at critical moments.
Relying on his strong physique, Kyle Lowry charged into the Pistons’ paint like a small cannon. But he didn’t rush to shoot, as Zhou Yi was in front of him and Greg Monroe was watching him closely.
Taking advantage of Greg Monroe’s attention, Kyle Lowry quickly passed the ball to Scola nearby. After catching it, Scola immediately hit a mid-range shot.
To counter Kevin Martin of the Rockets, the Pistons used one main defender and another helper to disrupt his dribbling, shooting, and passing rhythm. Sometimes they also used Teyshawn Prince to guard him off position, which greatly affected Kevin Martin’s performance during that period.
As for Yao Ming in the paint, the Pistons also went all out. Interior players like Samuel Dalembert, Greg Monroe, Chris Welkos, and Big Ben rotated to guard Yao Ming like a pack of wolves. When Yao Ming wasn’t with the ball, they would use two players to keep an eye on him, preventing him from catching it.
Seeing Samuel Dalembert grab the rebound, Zhou Yi quickly ran toward the Rockets’ half-court.
Samuel Dalembert naturally noticed Zhou Yi and promptly threw the ball in his direction.
The ball landed in front of Zhou Yi, who sped up, grabbed it, and rushed into the Rockets’ basket.
With the Rockets’ momentum rising, Zhou Yi naturally aimed to dampen it and boost his own team’s momentum.

So, Zhou Yi grabbed the ball with both hands, leaped high, and then executed a behind-the-back dunk with both hands in a big windmill motion.
“Wow, that was amazing,” exclaimed Kenny Smith.
“Heh, that move had the same flair as Vince Carter’s back in the day,” said Clyde Drexler with a smile.
In the studio in the other side of the world, there was also widespread admiration.
The Houston Toyota Center seemed to have become Zhou Yi’s home court, and his performance earned cheers from almost all the fans in the arena.
107:96—the Pistons once again widened the lead to double digits.
Scola ran back to pass the ball at the baseline; Kyle Lowry caught it and headed toward the Pistons’ half-court.
Kevin Martin received the ball at the top of the key, with James Posey closing in to defend him. As mentioned earlier, James Posey is an experienced veteran—excellent both offensively and defensively, making him an ideal piece for a championship team.
Kevin Martin pushed hard to get free from James Posey’s defense, but by breaking through one set of defenders, he ended up facing another. Seeing Tychon Prince approaching, Kevin Martin was in trouble.
With no other choice, Kevin Martin passed the ball up to Yao Ming in the paint.
Before Yao Ming could catch the ball, it was intercepted by Greg Monroe, who had successfully cut off his path.
After stealing the ball, Greg Monroe immediately passed it to Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi drove fast down the court, with Tychon Prince on his right and James Posey on his left.
After crossing half-court, Zhou Yi passed the ball to the ground; Tychon Prince, cutting in from the right, caught it and immediately dunked with both hands.
109:96—another 13-point lead, with less than 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Time out—Rick Adelman called a timeout.
However, the timeout didn’t turn things around for the Rockets.
Zhou Yi stole Kevin Martin’s pass, drove fast down the court, and assisted James Posey in scoring a three-pointer.
The Pistons’ tactics were highly targeted and very effective. They didn’t give the Rockets any chance in the rest of the game, even though Yao Ming scored 6 points in a row.
Alone, one can’t succeed—in the end, the Pistons won the game 116:107.
Although they lost, the home fans weren’t disappointed because they had witnessed an exciting match.
The highest scorer of the game was McGrady. This didn’t surprise the fans, as he had already scored 22 points in the third quarter and performed well in the other quarters as well.

McDy played for a total of 36 minutes and 42 seconds in the game, the longest playing time of his since the start of the season. He shot 13 out of 21 attempts, including 6 out of 9 three-point attempts, scoring 35 points, along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. A near-triple-double — the all-around, talented T-MAC has truly returned!!!

Zhou Yi, another player who performed brilliantly for the Pistons, played for over 39 minutes, also the longest playing time of his season. He shot 8 out of 17 attempts, scoring 26 points and delivering a massive double-double with 16 assists, which was truly impressive. In addition, he had 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals — a truly comprehensive performance! Now, Zhou Yi is no longer that inexperienced rookie. His basketball talent has been fully displayed over this period. The excessive fouls and mistakes he often made in preseason and the first few regular-season games have now been greatly overcome by him. Although they still occur occasionally, it’s already quite remarkable for a rookie among rookies.

In this game, Zhou Yi also had some flaws — 3 fouls and 2 mistakes — but this is much better compared to before.

Yao Ming played for the same longest time of 35 minutes this season, shooting 9 out of 16 attempts and scoring 21 points with 15 rebounds, again achieving a massive double-double. However, Yao Ming’s foul problem persists; he committed five fouls in this game, which is a cause for concern.

Another key player for the Rockets, Kevin Martin, only performed well in two and a half quarters, completely struggling in the crucial subsequent half. He shot 7 out of 21 attempts, including 4 out of 8 three-point attempts, scoring 25 points and 3 rebounds.

At the post-game press conference, John Kuester answered reporters’ questions. Talking about today’s tactics, he was quite proud and said, “During the pre-game strategy session, I told my players that our defensive strategy would be simple — to double-team or help defend Yao Ming and Kevin Martin throughout the game! As long as we contained them, we would gain the upper hand. They executed our planned tactics well; although there were some issues at times, it didn’t affect the overall outcome, as everyone can see.”

Rick Adelman crossed his arms and shrugged at the reporters, saying, “To be honest, I really admire that kid from Detroit. If they can contain him, the Pistons definitely won’t win easily.”

At the press conference, the media also asked Rick Adelman questions about McGrady. Rick Adelman had anticipated this question, so he handled it quite smoothly.
“Tracy, heh, he really performed exceptionally well today. To be honest, I didn’t expect him to make such a comeback. He’s a player I really like, and I’m glad he was able to recover from his injury. I wish him to continue performing at this level, or even better, in upcoming games,” Rick Adelman said, somewhat insincerely.
After the press conference, everyone on the Pistons team left the Toyota Center and headed to the hotel they had reserved earlier.
Zhou Yi and McGrady said goodbye to Yao Ming before returning to the hotel with their teammates.
Chapter 208: To Join or Not to Join? That’s the Question
After taking a shower, Zhou Yi and McGrady asked the coach for leave and left the hotel together through the main entrance. Of course, after leaving the hotel, they headed to Yao Ming’s restaurant, which they had arranged to visit before the game.
After putting on makeup and leaving the hotel, they saw two people standing at the door. Zhou Yi and McGrady immediately recognized them as Yao Ming and Shawn Battier. After greeting each other, they got into Yao Ming’s extended BMW 745Li. This BMW 745Li was customized for Yao Ming by BMW, with the customization cost alone reaching $20,000. Although expensive, Yao Ming wasn’t bothered to spend so much on a car he liked and suited him well.
Zhou Yi’s car was also a BMW 745Li, but not the extended version.
The group chatted and laughed during the drive, creating a pleasant atmosphere. It wasn’t surprising, as aside from Zhou Yi, the other three had often interacted, let alone being good friends.
“By the way, Zhou Yi, how have you thought about that matter I mentioned before?” Yao Ming suddenly asked.
“Oh, you know, I actually need some more time to think about it,” Zhou Yi replied after a pause.
Before the game started, in addition to inviting Zhou Yi and McGrady to his restaurant, Yao Ming also shared some news with Zhou Yi.
The TV station had already contacted him, wanting to produce a special report on him and Zhou Yi after the game, focusing mainly on this match.

Zhou Yi has performed remarkably well in the NBA, and public opinion in China is now overwhelmingly in his favor. Although Zhou Yi wasn’t trained by the national team, this puts the Basketball Association in a difficult position. But public sentiment matters, and the glory of the national team in international competitions is crucial! So, despite the difficulties, the authorities still sent a crew to him to produce an interview—once that’s done, Zhou Yi’s path to joining the national team will be much smoother.

The authorities are doing this as preparation for the 2012 London Olympics, after all, Zhou Yi is a rare talent.

The Basketball Association approached Yao Ming with the goal of having him convey this message to Zhou Yi and show him goodwill.

“To be honest, Zhou Yi, this has many benefits for you. Joining the national team means you can contribute to the country and get a chance to compete in the Olympics. Haven’t you thought about that? Besides, once you’re in the national team, the country will surely take care of you in various ways. Your family and everything about you will be supported by the state. I know this from personal experience. Honestly, I’m just passing on the message from the Basketball Association. Don’t be angry—I really just want to invite you to meet up. I really don’t want to do this, but I had no choice; they asked me, so I have to tell you,” Yao Ming said, sounding somewhat apologetic and conflicted.

After hearing Yao Ming’s words, Zhou Yi shook his head and said, “Brother Yao, how could I be angry? I know you also want me to get better in the future.”

“To join or not to join? That’s a question, and a question worth careful consideration,” Zhou Yi thought to himself.

After some thought, Zhou Yi said to Yao Ming, “Brother Yao, how about I agree to the interview first? As for joining the national team, let me think about it more.”

“Agree? You really agreed? Think carefully—after this interview, it’s almost certain you’ll join the national team. And joining isn’t without its downsides. To be honest, it’s very exhausting, especially for someone like us who are still playing in the NBA,” Yao Ming said frankly.

“Hmm, I know. But the idea of fighting alongside you in the future is also great,” Zhou Yi said with a smile.

“Hehe, yes! I’m looking forward to playing with you too. By the way, why not come to Houston? With you here, I believe we’ll definitely win the championship,” Yao Ming tried to poach him.

“Uh, maybe not! I really like my current team,” Zhou Yi replied seriously.

“Haha, I was just joking with you!” Yao Ming laughed heartily.
Zhou Yi rolled his eyes and said with a wry smile, “I didn’t expect Brother Yao to be this humorous!”
“Hey, you two seem to be having a great time. What are you talking about?” Maddie asked, feeling a bit frustrated after listening for a while.
The conversation between Yao Ming and Zhou Yi was entirely in Mandarin, so it was no wonder Maddie couldn’t understand it.
“Hehe, we’re talking about my entry into the national team!” Zhou Yi replied with a smile.
“Zhou, don’t join that national team! I’m really giving you advice!” Sean Battier interjected after hearing Zhou Yi’s reply.
“Huh? Why?” Zhou Yi asked curiously.
“Just look at Yao’s condition, and you’ll understand why I suggest you not join their national team,” Sean Battier replied with a shrug.
After hearing Sean Battier’s words, Zhou Yi glanced at Yao Ming before suddenly realizing what he meant.
After joining the NBA, Yao Ming had to play both NBA games and national team matches, which was extremely demanding. It was precisely due to the lack of sufficient rest that Yao Ming’s health often suffered.
“Oh, I see,” Zhou Yi said.
“Zhou Yi, actually, I also want to advise you not to join the national team. But after all, it’s our country, and we must contribute to its glory. Yet, we should also consider ourselves. So, what I’m trying to say is that you can join the national team, but you need to learn to politely decline some invitations to play and only attend the more important matches. This way, you can extend your career. That’s my advice to you,” Yao Ming said seriously.
“Hehe, thank you, Brother Yao. I’ll remember your advice and follow it,” Zhou Yi replied after pondering for a moment.
“That staff has been waiting in my restaurant for a long time. This exclusive interview will be your first time appearing in front of national fans—make sure you perform well!” Yao Ming reminded him concerningly. Zhou Yi’s status in the country was currently delicate, so Yao Ming’s advice made sense.

Located on Westham Street, the bustling commercial district of Houston, Texas, the “Yao Restaurant” covers an area of over 1,000 square meters and can accommodate more than 400 people at once. With an investment of over $1 million, it highlights “Yao Ming, basketball, and American Chinese cuisine” as its main features. The restaurant is managed by Yao Ming’s parents and several Chinese friends with years of experience in restaurant management in Houston, allowing fans to enjoy their meals while watching basketball games.

Today, not only do Rockets players often gather here, but players from other NBA teams and celebrities also frequently visit, making it a well-known “dining attraction” in Houston. Although it’s midnight, the Yao Restaurant is still very lively; many fans who just finished watching games have not left. However, today’s situation is quite different from before—among those fans, there are many overseas Chinese, though they seem quite anxious. Since this morning, when a CCTV crew arrived, those well-informed knew that CCTV would conduct an exclusive interview with two Chinese players right here. In the past, whenever Yi Jianlian came to Houston for games, it would cause a stir among the overseas Chinese community. Although the outcomes were often unsatisfactory, they still enjoyed it.

Today’s two main characters are very different from before. Yao Ming has been in the NBA for several years, already famous and having won many honors. As for Zhou Yi, although he is just a rookie, he has performed exceptionally well—far outshining Yao Ming’s debut season. In the latest rookie rankings, Zhou Yi holds the top spot unchallenged. In second place is Washington Wizards’ first-round draft pick, John Wall, also a point guard. In nearly 20 games played, he has provided 8.3 assists per game and scored 17.9 points, making him the best rookie for the Washington Wizards. Unfortunately, the Washington Wizards have a poor record of 8 wins and 10 losses, ranking fifth from bottom in the East.

This is Zhou Yi’s first time at the “Yao Restaurant,” and he also has to face an important task here, which makes him a bit nervous. Although he was well-known in Detroit, he doesn’t have many fans in Houston. But after this game, many Houston fans have firmly remembered Zhou Yi.

The arrival of four people, no matter where, is enough to cause a sensation—two top players from the league (McDyess was at least one such player), a player with the skills of a Defensive Player of the Year, and the best rookie of the year, overshadowing even the number one draft pick. “Yao’s Restaurant” immediately became lively, though in an orderly manner. There was an unwritten rule at “Yao’s Restaurant”: Yao Ming would never refuse anyone, and other star players, out of respect for him, also remained patient there.

It took quite some time to satisfy the fans’ requests. As a rookie, Zhou Yi was welcomed just as warmly as McDyess and Sean Battier. Perhaps it was because there were many overseas Chinese there; naturally, they were also very curious about this new favorite among the Chinese people.

Under the arrangement of the restaurant staff, the group entered a private room on the second floor. The CCTV crew had already been waiting inside. The facilities there were very complete, and the crew had just watched the Rockets vs. Pistons game there.

In fact, this CCTV interview focused more on the two players’ performance in the game. As for direct interviews with them, it was only this time, with some questions interspersed throughout the program. As the best teammates around them, McDyess and Sean Battier were naturally also key candidates for interviews.

The entire interview lasted over an hour, and thanks to the cooperation of everyone involved, it was recorded very successfully.

After leaving “Yao’s Restaurant,” Zhou Yi and McDyess returned to the hotel together.

Along the way, Zhou Yi kept pondering one question: “To join or not to join? This is really a headache!”

Chapter 209: One Good News, One Bad News

Back at the hotel, Zhou Yi lay in bed, thinking about what Yao Ming had said to him earlier. After thinking for a long time, he sighed helplessly and casually turned on the computer in the room.

In a luxury hotel like this, computers are usually provided in the rooms.

Bored and unable to sleep, Zhou Yi turned on the computer to relieve his worries.

After the game against the Rockets, the Pistons would head to New Orleans early the next morning for a back-to-back away game.

Seeing that QQ was practically empty, Zhou Yi’s already gloomy mood worsened even further. It had been like this for several days. During this time, Zhou Yi had focused all his energy on training and competitions, getting so tired that he would fall asleep as soon as he lay down. He had little time to contact his family and friends, neglecting many things. There was even a period when he was completely isolated until the Pistons started achieving excellent results, which reduced their training load.

Mo Keer had a lot of classes recently, especially as she prepared for the final exams of the semester. Their free time was often interrupted, with them not being in touch for up to ten days at a time. It wasn’t until yesterday that Mo Keer called him on her own. Although their conversation was as usual, Zhou Yi was still worried.

Zhou Yi hadn’t noticed before, but from chatting with Lin Chixiao and his other close friends, he learned that several boys had been pursuing Mo Keer lately, which made him feel uneasy.

Zhou Yi wasn’t worried that Mo Keer would develop feelings for someone else; he believed she wasn’t that kind of girl. However, what worried him most was the possibility of distance and time creating a gap between them, and that Mo Keer might lose interest in him due to not being able to see him for long periods. With those suitors around now, Zhou Yi couldn’t help but worry that his relationship might be affected.

That’s why he was now concerned and wanted to talk to Mo Keer.

Zhou Yi glanced at the time and decided to wait a bit longer to see if she would log on. Mo Keer had told him before that she usually logged on at this time.

After waiting for over an hour, Zhou Yi’s eyelids grew heavy. Just as he decided to log off, the only profile picture in their LOVE group finally started flashing. His spirits lifted immediately, and he quickly typed a few messages.

But to his concern, almost ten minutes passed without any reply.

What was going on? Zhou Yi became panicked, as this situation rarely happened. He kept asking himself what was wrong.

They had spoken on the phone yesterday, but the call ended after just a few words. In the days before that, he hadn’t been able to reach her, she wasn’t online on QQ, and her phone wasn’t answered. He didn’t know what was wrong between them. What hurt him the most was that he didn’t even have a chance to ask her questions.

“It was fine when we talked on the phone yesterday. Why isn’t she replying now? Is something wrong?” Zhou Yi murmured to himself.

After about ten minutes, Zhou Yi finally received a reply, but before he could even read it, his mood sank as Mo Keer had gone offline again. She didn’t even bother to talk to him for a few more words. What could have gone wrong? Staring at her constantly flashing profile picture, Zhou Yi hesitated whether to click on it. His mouse moved back and forth over the picture, but he just couldn’t bring himself to click. Out of confusion, his fingers moved, and the chat interface popped up. Suppressing his unease, he began to read carefully. “I’m in class. If there’s anything, we can talk after class!” That was all Mo Keer’s message. She had suddenly wanted to check QQ and wasn’t expecting a message from Zhou Yi. Since she was in class and had a test coming up soon, she quickly replied and then went offline. After reading Mo Keer’s reply, Zhou Yi’s tense mood gradually relaxed. So she was in class—no wonder she reacted that way. Still, even so, he tossed and turned in bed all night, falling asleep only just before dawn. The beeping of the alarm clock by his bed woke Zhou Yi up. After a short sleep, he felt much better. It wasn’t that he had completely let go of his worries, but he was still somewhat concerned about the situation. Upon waking, he checked the time—it was 6:30 in the morning. It must be around 5 or 6 p.m. on Mo Keer’s end. Zhou Yi resolved to resolve this emotional matter properly. Continuing to worry like this wasn’t a wise choice under any circumstances. Mo Keer’s phone had been off these past few days, so the only way left was to contact her through her classmates or friends. Though it wasn’t the best method, it was the only option for now. Coincidentally, Qin Tian’s sister, Qin Qian, was in the same school as Mo Keer, in the same department, major, and class. After much hesitation, Zhou Yi decided to call Qin Qian first. He couldn’t ask Qin Tian and the others about this, as they weren’t from the same school, and they only learned about someone pursuing Mo Keer through Qin Qian. So, to figure things out, he had to turn to Qin Qian. If this wasn’t resolved, he probably wouldn’t be able to focus on competitions. After all, this was Zhou Yi’s first love, and he had to take it seriously—he wouldn’t give it up easily.

Qin Qian’s phone was on 24/7, and Zhou Yi also knew her number—after all, he and Qin Qian’s brother, Qin Tian, were very close friends.
“Hello, may I ask who’s this?” Qin Qian’s slightly coquettish voice came through. Zhou Yi finally felt relieved; if he couldn’t reach her even through her phone, he would really have been at a loss.
“It’s me, Zhou Yi,” he replied.
Actually, Zhou Yi and Qin Qian didn’t keep in touch much and their relationship was rather casual. Yet, she didn’t seem surprised by his call at all, and it seemed like she had been waiting for him to call.
“Oh, it’s you, the famous star. You’re calling now?” Qin Qian teased him playfully.
They chatted a bit, mostly exchanging polite but trivial words. Unable to hold back, Zhou Yi brought up Mo Keer.
“Qin Qian, I’ll get straight to the point. I want to ask you about Keer!” he said directly.
“Keer? She’s preparing to study abroad at your place. Don’t you know?” Qin Qian countered.
“What? She’s going to study here?” Zhou Yi was shocked.
“Yes, because she misses you! Plus, there are many exams these days, and she’s so busy she doesn’t even have time to eat. It’s normal that you can’t keep in touch. I guess she’ll go to your place next semester after this one ends,” Qin Qian explained.
“Really? That’s great! By the way, do you know if any boys have been pursuing Keer lately?” Zhou Yi asked cautiously.
Qin Qian barely held back a laugh as she replied, “Of course I know. There are quite a few who are pursuing her! I didn’t expect her to even charm our department’s student council president. What great charm she has! I’m really jealous.”
“Uh, Qin Qian, stop that. I want to know Keer’s attitude,” Zhou Yi asked impatiently.
Hearing this, Qin Qian almost hung up in anger. She rolled her eyes and snapped, “You’re so stupid! She’s even coming to the U.S. for you—what attitude do you think she has?”
“Uh…” Hearing her reply, Zhou Yi was stunned. Yes, she’s coming to America for me—why would I still worry?

Thinking of this, Zhou Yi smiled sheepishly and said, “Hehe, I couldn’t wrap my head around it for a while. Sorry for the embarrassment. Really sorry to trouble you. By the way, please give my regards to your brother and Lin Qixiao. If you have time, come to the U.S. with them for a visit—I’ll treat you.”
“Hehe, that sounds great,” Qin Qian said with a smile.
“However, Zhou Yi, there’s one thing I need to remind you about. Keer is quite fragile due to illness lately, so you need to be careful!” Qin Qian said seriously suddenly.
“Keer is sick?” Zhou Yi was shocked, his tone turning tense immediately.
“What? You didn’t know?” Qin Qian then realized she might have been too forward. Perhaps Zhou Yi already didn’t know about it. Maybe Mo Keer didn’t tell him because she was afraid it would affect his performance. With this thought, Qin Qian felt even more self-reproachful.
“Actually, it’s not that serious. Keer probably didn’t tell you because she was afraid it would affect your playing. But now her health is basically fine. As long as she takes good care of herself, there should be no problems,” Qin Qian explained.
After hearing Qin Qian’s words, Zhou Yi remained silent for a moment, keeping this in mind.
“Hmm, I understand. That’s settled then,” Zhou Yi said.
“Yeah, make sure not to let Keer know it was me who told you. She doesn’t want you to worry about her and it affecting your game,” Qin Qian reminded him again.
“I know. Thank you for telling me.”
“Hehe, it’s okay. Well, goodbye!” Qin Qian said.
“Hmm, goodbye!”
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yi felt both happy and surprised. He was happy that Mo Keer was about to be by his side, but surprised that she had been ill during this time and still hadn’t recovered. No wonder she had called him so rarely—she was afraid Zhou Yi would find out she was sick.
Thinking of this, Zhou Yi suddenly remembered once when Lin Qixiao and the others called him, saying that if he didn’t play well, it would be unfair to Mo Keer, and then they said some strange things. Now, Zhou Yi understood everything—it was like this all along.
It turned out that Lin Qixiao and the others had known all along but kept it hidden from him for so long. If he hadn’t called Qin Qian, he would never have known. After thinking for a while, Zhou Yi also understood why Mo Keer had looked upset when she came to Detroit last time.

Zhou Yi lay in bed for a while before he could thoroughly analyze the matters in his mind. Now, he was no longer worried about his own emotional issues; instead, he was concerned about Mo Keer’s health. However, after hearing from Qin Qian that Mo Keer’s condition had basically improved, Zhou Yi finally felt relieved. He didn’t intend to question Mo Keer or Lin Qixiao and the others—what they did wasn’t wrong, and it was done for his own good, so he could only keep his concerns to himself. Thinking that Mo Keer was about to be by his side, Zhou Yi’s mood improved significantly. He jumped up from the bed and went to wash up while humming a song. …… After breakfast, Zhou Yi and the others boarded a private jet heading to New Orleans. The Pistons rushed to New Orleans for this match against the Hornets. If they won consecutively, the Pistons would take a 1.5-game lead over the Western Conference leaders, the Los Angeles Lakers, and it would take the Lakers some effort to catch up. Since the Rockets lost to the Pistons yesterday, the Hornets only needed to defeat them today to overtake the Rockets and move up to fourth in the West. The Hornets’ star, Chris Paul, had his knee hit by San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair in the previous game, but the All-Star point guard said he felt fine and there was no problem with his knee: “I’m okay. It was a shock. I hit my left knee, but it’s not that bad,” said Chris Paul. The Hornets really couldn’t afford any more injuries. David West injured his ankle in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats on December 1 and has missed two games in a row; he will also be absent in today’s match against the Pistons. If Chris Paul can’t play either, it will be difficult for them to stop the Pistons’ onslaught. Fortunately, Chris Paul is unharmed, allowing the fans in New Orleans to breathe a sigh of relief. Former Rockets player “The Bird” Karl Landry will continue to start in place of David West tonight. In his first two starting games, Karl Landry averaged 20.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, showing solid performance. Besides Karl Landry, another strong interior player for the Hornets, Emeka Okafor, will also pose a challenge to the Pistons’ frontcourt. Their combination is something to be taken seriously. Besides Karl Landry, another Hornets player worth watching is another former Rockets player, Tawon Austin.

How will the player who replaces McGrady with number 1 perform facing McGrady back in number 1 jersey? This is one of the focuses of fans.
The biggest highlight of this game is undoubtedly the showdown between Zhou Yi and “The Queen Bee” Chris Paul, which will once again capture fans’ attention.
Zhou Yi vs. Chris Paul – a head-to-head clash!
Chapter 210: Challenging the Hornets
On December 8, 2010, U.S. time, the NBA regular season continued with the Hornets playing at home against the Detroit Pistons. The Hornets’ starting lineup for this game was: center Emeka Okafor, power forward Karl Landry, small forward Trevor Ariza, shooting guard Marco Belinelli, and point guard Chris Paul.
The Pistons’ starting lineup differed from previous games; Ben Wallace was absent due to illness, and it was uncertain whether he would play in this match. Replacing him in the starting lineup was Samuel Dalembert, with power forward Greg Monroe, small forward Tashawn Prince, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, and point guard Zhou Yi.
In the commentary booth, two commentators from New Orleans began arguing fiercely—a characteristic of American live broadcasts, where one commentator always tends to disagree with the other.
“Derek, it’s said Ben Wallace will be absent from this game. What do you think?”
“Well, how would I know? But if Ben Wallace really misses this game, it will be a significant blow to the Pistons’ front line,” replied the commentator named Derek.
“Haha, on the contrary, Derek. I don’t think Ben Wallace’s absence will affect the Pistons’ front line at all. Samuel Dalembert, who is replacing him in the starting lineup, will perform well because this is his first start of the season.”
“Hmph, I think the Hornets will win this game because they have Chris,” said Derek.
“Not necessarily. That Chinese kid from the Pistons is no pushover.”
As the two continued arguing, the Hornets and Pistons started the tip-off. Samuel Dalembert pushed off Emeka Okafor to pass the ball to Tashawn Prince. Tashawn Prince dribbled twice, dodged Trevor Ariza’s attempt to steal the ball, and passed it to Zhou Yi.

Today was Zhou Yi’s first encounter with Chris Paul, so it’s no exaggeration to describe him as being extremely cautious. Zhou Yi first tried a tentative breakthrough, but Chris Paul remained unfazed. Suddenly, Zhou Yi accelerated sharply, made a quick change of direction, feigned a shot before actually passing the ball to McGrady, who had moved to a high position.

After catching the ball, McGrady first fooled Marco Belinelli a few times before attempting a jump shot, but missed; Carl Landry grabbed the defensive rebound.

This season, Chris Paul often slows down the pace of the game before gradually guiding his opponents into his own set rhythm—this is a testament to his status as the league’s top point guard. He usually starts by slowing things down to engage in methodical offensive plays.

However, at the beginning of this game, Chris Paul’s actions surprised many. He dribbled across half-court like the wind, then used his teammates’ screens to dash to the Pistons’ basket and score an easy layup, giving the Hornets two points first.

The “Queen Bee” gave Zhou Yi a slightly provocative look.

Zhou Yi smiled faintly, took the inbound pass from Greg Monroe at the baseline, and slowly moved forward. He knew this game would be extremely tough because of Chris Paul.

But would Zhou Yi give up?

The answer was no!

Zhou Yi dribbled across half-court and organized an attack from the top of the key, gesturing forward with his right hand to direct his teammates into position. Greg Monroe reached for the ball, which landed in his hands as he faced the interior force Emeka Okafor.

The Hornets’ defense this season was truly formidable, seemingly impenetrable. Greg Monroe and Emeka Okafor engaged in a physical struggle. Okafor, at a disadvantage in height, was pushed back by Monroe, who then scored with a layup.

Chris Paul dribbled across half-court, passed the ball to Carl Landry at the top of the key, and began moving. Landry caught the ball at the left end of the free-throw line and immediately shot a jump shot, which went through the net.

Another shift in offense and defense. Today, it seemed Zhou Yi was also a bit excited due to facing Chris Paul. Holding the ball at the top of the key, he secretly made an upward gesture toward Greg Monroe before throwing the ball high into the air, setting up a alley-oop for Greg Monroe. Greg Monroe scored four points in a row and shouted in excitement.

The home crowd was furious, and the New Orleans arena was filled with boos.

Under Chris Paul’s aggressive leadership, the Hornets launched a 10-4 offensive run. The Pistons immediately lost their rhythm—unable to break through inside, miss from outside, or penetrate effectively. That’s exactly what the Hornets have been this season: fierce on defense and just as fierce on offense.

John Kueste was forced to call a timeout, hoping to use it to cool down the Hornets’ momentum. After the timeout, the Hornets’ offense indeed wasn’t as hot as before. Still, the Pistons’ offense wasn’t much better either.

Zhou Yi received a pass from McGrady from the top of the key, drove past defenders, and hit a quick stop-and-shoot to score.

“Not bad! I thought you couldn’t score at all!” Chris Paul taunted.

“Heh, you’re wrong then,” Zhou Yi retorted.

Chris Paul caught a pass from Trevor Ariza at the baseline, jumped quickly, and smirked as Zhou Yi tried to block him. Seeing this, Zhou Yi immediately sensed trouble.

Sure enough, Chris Paul quickly passed the ball to Karl Landry behind Zhou Yi. Landry caught it and shot a jump shot, scoring 2 points.

The teams continued to trade blows offensively, with the Pistons failing to close the gap, staying about 6 points behind. By the end of the first quarter, the Pistons were still 5 points behind the Hornets, 22-17. Scoring only 17 points in the first quarter showed just how strong the Hornets’ defense was.

Chris Paul scored 8 points, provided 5 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals in that quarter. It was under his leadership that the Hornets led 22-17.

Zhou Yi, paired up against Chris Paul, also performed fairly well, scoring 4 points, giving 4 assists, 1 rebound, and 1 steal, but he committed 2 turnovers and 1 foul. Those 2 turnovers and 1 foul were caused by Chris Paul.

The crowd chanted Chris Paul’s name loudly, along with calls for him to be named MVP.

“Well, I told you Chris would lead his Hornets to a devastating blow against the Pistons,” Derek said with a smile.

“Hmph, it’s only one quarter. There are still three quarters left!” another commentator who supported the Pistons said angrily.