It turns out that after Su Feng's chaotic sprint, the ability for Jordan to vote was merely an accident.
Because afterward, the entire basketball hall fell silent.
Boom! Wow! Bang! Clang!
Su Feng and Kobe went head-to-head, battling fiercely after a whole day of teamwork.
Iron, iron, and more iron!
The basket took center stage! The basket made a difference!
The great Nefalia defenders, the great Raul Merion forwards—they carried on the glorious tradition of their predecessors!
Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Elvin Hayes—at this moment, their souls seemed to descend upon the court!
Su Feng and Kobe—they were more than just two players facing off. They embodied the long-standing corporate culture of the NBA!
In this moment, it was not just about individual competition. It was about history, legacy, and the game itself.
Oh no! The shot goes in, the shot goes in—our youth is slipping away!
Logically speaking, with Su Feng and Kobe sacrificing everything on defense, their shooting accuracy shouldn't be high. If it were… that would be impossible.
If one had to sum up Su Feng's emotions in a song, it would probably be: "Speed at 70, mood at RNM high..."
Pain and joy—who could truly understand this feeling?
By the end of the first half, both sides had wrapped up the game. On the Nefalia side, Su Feng had scored 22 points, while for Raul Merion, Kobe had put up 24.
Looking at the stats, Su Feng wasn't far behind Kobe.
But Su Feng knew the truth. If Kobe hadn't struggled with his shooting today, he would have been thoroughly beaten.
Well… at least it seems like the basket has a grudge against Kobe for the foreseeable future…
Cough, cough.
Back to the main story.
Scouts and reporters who had the privilege to watch the game live were all fixated on Su Feng, who had seemingly burst onto the scene from nowhere.
Don't be surprised—this was the 1990s. International players were rare in the NBA, and Asian players? Even rarer.
If Su Feng were a Black or White American, scouts might have merely sighed and said: "Ah, another talent…"
But as Su Feng had predicted in his personal planning, his status as a Chinese player—a minority—was both his disadvantage and his advantage.
Interestingly, during halftime, Su Feng's position within the team was noticeably elevated.
Even Captain Downs handed him a glass of water with a smile.
Meanwhile, Tony Jones and Anthony were troubled…
Because in the second quarter, they noticed something—the way Raul Merion's coaches, Greg Donner and his son, were looking at Su Feng. Yes, their expressions said it all!
In fact, it wasn't just admiration…
Greg and Drew Donner had only three words in their minds: "We regret it!"
Especially when they noticed Kobe's dismissive gaze toward them during halftime…
Desperate to break the awkward silence, Greg looked at Drew meaningfully and came up with a plan.
After taking three deep breaths, Drew, unwillingly thrown into the fray by his father, mustered the courage to approach Kobe and said, "Kobe, come here. I have something to discuss with you."
And Kobe?
With his headphones on, listening to R&B singer Brandy Norwood's song, Brandy, his expression made it clear: Huh? What are you talking about? Speak up, I can't hear you!
Though Greg and Drew were technically Raul Merion's coaches, as Kobe grew stronger in high school, their influence in the team had dwindled to that of mere placeholders.
In Su Feng's past life, when Kobe was a senior, Greg Downer's most famous strategy was simply stepping aside and letting Kobe take control.
So at this moment, Drew wasn't really in a position to coach Kobe.
Not to mention, he was only an assistant coach.
With no other choice, Greg took matters into his own hands. He grabbed a bottle of Gatorade, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Kobe.
Being the head coach, Greg's gesture at least earned him a reaction. Seeing this, Kobe took the bottle, glanced at Greg, and asked, "What's up, Coach Greg?"
"Well… uh…" Greg had no clear plan, and now that Kobe was staring at him, he struggled to find the right words.
"Then I'll keep listening to my music. Call me when tactics are being discussed," Kobe said, plugging his headphones back in.
Greg panicked.
English might not be as complex as Chinese, but that didn't mean native English speakers lacked emotional intelligence.
"Kobe, you told me before that the Nefalia shooting guard, Su, is your friend, right? I remember you recommended him to me," Greg said.
Kobe nodded.
"Kobe, great! Did you know that Su's performance tonight has completely won me over? Drew and I both agree that if he transfers to Raul Merion, we'll definitely…" Before Greg could finish, Kobe suddenly interrupted him.
"I know what you want to say, Coach. But Mr. Greg, Su's heart has already been broken by you," Kobe said, sipping his Gatorade.
"What? Kobe, are you saying that I treated your friend unfairly?" Greg panicked.
"Yeah," Kobe smiled slyly and nodded.
"My God, Kobe, I swear, I had no idea. I never meant any harm to your friend," Greg said sincerely.
"But Su—"
"I will apply for a full scholarship for him."
"But Coach, Su—"
"I can guarantee, Kobe, he will be a starting player at Raul Merion, our second ace!"
"But Su—"
"I will personally apologize to him!" Greg said earnestly.
Seeing Greg practically begging, Kobe's unpleasant feelings toward him faded.
"Alright, I'll try to convince Su, but you need to help me. Su is crucial for us if we want to win the state championship," Kobe said.
"No problem, Kobe. As I've said before, you're the best high school player in Pennsylvania. Now, you've found the missing piece for our championship puzzle. We might actually win the state title this year," Greg said, quickly agreeing.
After getting Greg's approval, Kobe felt a surge of excitement.
Just as Kobe was debating whether to tease Su Feng for a while…
Greg left the locker room, calmed himself down, and was suddenly confronted by his son, Drew: "Dad! Why did you do that?"
Greg shot Drew a look. "Call me Mr. Greg."
Despite his frustration, Drew held back. "Mr. Greg, Su's performance exceeded our expectations, but… you're still the head coach of Raul Merion High School!"
Greg patted Drew's shoulder. "Drew, you think I embarrassed myself in front of everyone, right?"
Drew nodded reproachfully.
"Yes, even if Su performed brilliantly tonight, I shouldn't have groveled before Kobe. After all, we can win the championship without him," Greg reasoned.
"That's right." Drew continued nodding.
"But Drew, think about it. This is the first time I've seen Kobe genuinely care about someone.
You know about the conflicts I had with Kobe when he was a sophomore. I regret that. I shouldn't have spoken to a kid like that. My words created an eternal rift between us.
So afterward, I reflected for a long time.
Look, it might seem like I lost face tonight. But if Su joins us, don't you realize my relationship with Kobe could finally heal?
This is an opportunity. Do you think I don't understand Kobe's thoughts?
Besides, Su is truly worth a full scholarship. He also deserves a starting spot. As for an apology?
Drew, remember—pride is the cheapest thing in the world." Greg looked at Drew meaningfully.
And Drew was stunned.
Because his father had just taught him a lesson.
A lesson in emotional intelligence.
And just like that, Drew's frustration disappeared.
...
The intermission ends, and the game resumes.
Before the start of the third quarter, Kobe casually approached Su Feng and said, "Su, do you know that I spent halftime telling our coach just how good you were?"
Su Feng chuckled because he knew Kobe too well. The look on his face made it obvious—he was teasing him.
So, Su Feng played along. "Really? What did your coach say?"
Kobe shook his head dramatically, sighed, and paced back and forth before answering. "My coach said…"
"Hm?"
"Su, you are an idiot!" Suddenly, Kobe leaned into Su Feng's ear and yelled.
Su Feng: "..."
What the—?!
Watching Kobe mess with him, Su Feng originally wanted to chase after him.
But after thinking it through, he decided against it.
Because… the mental image was just unbearable.
Picture this: Kobe running ahead, yelling, "Come after me! Chase me! Catch me!"
Ugh—no way!
Kobe was only 16 years old. He had no idea how much he'd cringe at the foolish things he was doing in the future.
Still, when Su Feng caught the glances from Greg Donner and his son, he pretty much pieced together what had happened during halftime.
"A transfer?"
Su Feng glanced at Tony Jones and Anthony.
While Nefalia's coaches had treated him well, Su Feng wasn't naive.
Because he knew that this transfer was a huge opportunity.
After all, this meant he could take advantage of Kobe Bryant—wait, no—get closer to him and strengthen their bond.
And more importantly, if Su Feng wanted to make a name for himself in high school, what better way than to play alongside Kobe?
Keep in mind, Kobe always had scouts and reporters hovering around him.
By playing with Kobe, Su Feng would maximize his exposure.
"I keep trying to take the hard road, but destiny insists on handing me shortcuts…" Su Feng thought, reflecting on the past three months. He was really flawless—360 degrees, no blind spots.
Cough.
Back to the game.
The third quarter unfolded similarly to the second half of the second quarter. However, due to the strength gap between Nefalia and Raul Merion, Raul Merion gradually pulled away on the scoreboard.
Then, in the fourth quarter, the scouts and reporters were stunned by Su Feng again.
Because his stamina was insane!
All throughout the fourth quarter, Su Feng was still keeping up with Kobe.
A heart of steel. A body of iron. Yes, yes! Su Feng shoved Kobe away and boldly declared: Bring it on!
In reality, Su Feng's remarkable physical condition was linked to the nutrient solution his system provided daily.
And coupled with his unbreakable willpower—even Kobe had sighed, thinking it was a shame Su Feng hadn't gone into marathon running.
Finally, the game wrapped up. Here were the stats:
On Nefalia's side, Su Feng made 5 out of 3 three-pointers, scoring 27 points, 2 rebounds, and 0 assists.
For Raul Merion, Kobe Bryant shot 1 of 4 on three-pointers, 6 of 8 from the free-throw line, finishing with 37 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Looking at the numbers, Kobe's stats were impressive—but for the scouts and reporters who had watched the game closely, they knew…
Even though Su Feng was up against Kobe, he was actually holding his own!
In Pennsylvania, there had emerged…
A Chinese player who could go toe-to-toe with Kobe!
And shortly after the final buzzer, after shaking hands with Tony Jones and Anthony, Greg Donner and his son approached Su Feng.
"Hello, Su. Do you have a moment?" Greg asked.
Su Feng nodded.
"Market Street, Beasley Café—I'll be waiting for you there in two hours," Greg said, patting Su Feng on the shoulder.
No doubt about it—Greg was a cunning old fox.
The way he spoke to Su Feng seemed like an experienced coach guiding a young talent. If someone hadn't overheard their conversation, they might have assumed he was simply congratulating Su Feng on his outstanding game.
As soon as Greg and his son walked away, Kobe headed toward Su Feng.
And at that moment, Duke University scout Wesley also made his way over to the two players…
...
Let's go knicks, Let's go knicks, Let's go knicks, Let's go knicks...[1]
[1] If the Knicks win there's another combo today