"Hey, Kobe, your dunk tonight was really cool."
Wesley walked toward Su Feng and Kobe, giving Kobe a thumbs-up.
"I haven't seen you in a long time, Steve. I didn't notice you today," Kobe said to Wesley after bumping fists with him.
Su Feng could see that Wesley and Kobe were old acquaintances.
"Haha, you didn't notice me because all your attention was on the court. I've said it before—your focus on basketball is what I admire most about you," Wesley praised.
Although Su Feng didn't know Wesley yet, he could tell that this guy was quite a character.
"Yeah, Su, let me introduce you. This is Steve Wesley, a scout from Duke University. He started watching me play when I was a sophomore in high school."
Bryant patted Su Feng on the shoulder and introduced him.
Su Feng nodded and thought, So, he's a Duke University scout.
"Hello, my name is Su Feng. You can call me Su," Su Feng said, extending his hand to Wesley.
Wesley smiled, shook Su Feng's hand, and said, "SHU? Haha, I didn't know you before, but after seeing your performance today, I'll definitely remember you."
SHU? Uncle?
Su Feng almost choked on his gatorade but decided not to dwell on such details.
"Have you played in Nefalia before? Why haven't I heard of you?" Wesley asked. As a scout, he quickly got straight to business, inquiring about Su Feng's background.
Before Su Feng could introduce himself, Kobe interrupted excitedly.
"So, it turns out that you discovered your talent for basketball through a special summer training session with Kobe Bryant?" Wesley asked, looking at Su Feng.
Su Feng nodded.
"That's great! This means I'll have another prospect to keep an eye on in Pennsylvania. Here, this is my business card. When choosing a university, I hope you'll consider Duke as a top option." Wesley smiled and handed Su Feng his card.
Duke University…
Suddenly, Su Feng remembered something.
If I recall correctly, Kobe mentioned in his autobiography that if he hadn't skipped high school, he would have preferred Duke.
Looking at the enthusiastic Wesley, Su Feng wondered if Kobe's favor for Duke was due to this dedicated scout.
Cough… Anyway, after meeting Kobe, my path in basketball has become much smoother.
After all, to be noticed by a prestigious school like Duke, Su Feng would have had to make a name for himself all across Pennsylvania.
But then again, if Su Feng remembered correctly, the biggest high school rival Kobe wanted to beat in the future…
Vince Carter eventually chose North Carolina.
North Carolina vs. Duke…
Hiss~!
Su Feng accepted Wesley's business card. Wesley was clearly a very professional scout, as he didn't reveal much additional information.
As a scout, his job was simply to discover talented players and build connections. He couldn't make any major promises to Su Feng.
Wesley knew that his role was to identify future stars and establish good relationships with them.
…
After Wesley left, Bryant patted Su Feng's shoulder and said, "Don't take Steve's words too seriously, Duke... but it's not great."
Su Feng knew that Kobe was worried about drifting apart, so he smiled and said, "Relax, I'm not that stupid."
Kobe grinned. "Go meet Gregg first. I'm telling you, if you turn Gregg down, you'd better be ready to get beaten up by me next season."
After a pause, as if the threat wasn't strong enough, Kobe added, "Today, I only played at 50% of my strength."
Su Feng couldn't help but laugh at Kobe.
Brother, do you really have to force me into playing brother basketball with you?
Su Feng nodded and reassured Kobe before leaving Lower Merion with the team on the bus.
It was worth mentioning that on the way back, Tony Jones and Anthony kept staring at Su Feng…
"Am I that good-looking? Why does it feel like everyone's eyes are on me?" Su Feng wondered to himself.
Maybe he was born to be the protagonist. Was this the so-called protagonist aura?
Okay, Su Feng was obviously overthinking again.
Once the bus arrived in Nefalia and the team disbanded, Tony Jones and Anthony pulled Su Feng aside.
"Su, tell us… did Lower Merion invite you?"
Su Feng nodded reluctantly.
Tony Jones' expression grew tense. "So… how did you respond?"
Su Feng answered honestly, "I haven't responded yet. We scheduled a meeting later."
Upon hearing this, Anthony shoved Tony Jones aside. "Su, tell me—what will you say to them?"
Su Feng shrugged. "Of course, I'll join them!"
For some reason, even though they'd anticipated this answer, Tony Jones and Anthony suddenly felt like snowflakes were falling around them, carried by the cold northern wind...
Watching the crestfallen Tony Jones and Anthony, Su Feng simply explained why he wanted to join Lower Merion.
In Su Feng's mind, there was no need to lie to Tony Jones and Anthony. After all, he saw them both as good people.
But basketball is cruel.
If Su Feng chose to stay in Nefalia just for the friendships he had built, it wouldn't be fair to himself or to others.
Let's not forget—Su Feng was aiming for the NBA.
Did they really think making it to the NBA was easy?
Wake up—there are thousands of professional players worldwide, but how many ever get the chance to step onto the NBA stage?
The American basketball scene is overflowing with talent, and Su Feng, at this point, is just a budding lotus pushing through the water's surface.
He doesn't have the luxury of choice.
Su Feng knows exactly where he stands.
Only at Lower Merion will he get the attention he needs. Only at Lower Merion can he accelerate his progress.
Su Feng is no saint, so he never considered hiding the truth from Tony Jones and Anthony.
After all, this is his way of basketball.
Sure enough, once they heard Su Feng's explanation, Tony Jones and Anthony breathed a sigh of relief.
But Tony Jones still found it hard to believe.
Because… this was the NBA!
Yet after looking into Su Feng's calm, determined eyes, Tony Jones couldn't shake the feeling…
Something wasn't right. Could Su Feng actually make it?
The first Chinese player in the NBA.
If Su Feng really, did it, then Tony Jones would at least be counted as half of his enlightenment coach!
"Reality… it's unbelievable," Tony Jones murmured as Su Feng walked away.
"Let's go, Tony. Su is a rare gem—he doesn't belong with us. Because this… is American basketball," Anthony mused.
Yes… American basketball is brutal.
Otherwise, why would everyone be running toward those universities?
…
Philadelphia Market Street, "Beasley Cafe."
Per his agreement with Gregg Downer, Su Feng arrived at the café right on time.
It was a small and quiet coffeehouse—Kobe had brought Su Feng here once before.
"Su, I'm very happy to meet you. Please allow me to introduce myself again. I'm Gregg Downer, the head coach of the Lower Merion High School basketball team," Gregg said, extending his hand.
Su Feng shook hands with Gregg. "Hello, Coach Gregg. I'm Su Feng."
After the two sat down, Gregg first invited Su Feng to order a cup of coffee. Then, he looked at him and said, "I assume you already know some of my previous evaluations of you from Kobe…"
Suddenly, Gregg stood up and apologized. "Now, I officially apologize to you."
Su Feng was caught off guard.
What?
Kobe told me what?
But seeing that Gregg wouldn't sit down until the apology was accepted, Su Feng decided to go along with it. "I forgive you, Coach."
Hearing Su Feng's words, Gregg breathed a sigh of relief. "So now, I officially invite you to join Lower Merion High School."
One thing about English—it lacks all the twists and turns found in other languages. Though, admittedly, that makes it a little less fun.
Su Feng looked at Gregg calmly. "Coach, can you tell me why you're inviting me?"
Gregg responded, "Because of your defense and shooting ability. In my opinion, although it was just a friendly game, I can confidently say that your defense is among the best in all of Pennsylvania."
Su Feng was confident in his defensive skills.
After all, if you get hammered every day, you're bound to get stronger.
Whenever he thought about his intense defensive talent, Su Feng felt a little exasperated.
"But Coach, you also know that Lower Merion already has Kobe. In Nefalia, I have unlimited shooting rights. Why should I join Lower Merion?" Su Feng asked.
Although he had already decided to join, he knew he had to play his cards right.
Since he had gotten the details from Kobe beforehand, Su Feng held the advantage in this negotiation.
In the U.S., power means everything—if you have power, you get to make the choices.
Even Yao Ming, despite his humble nature, had faced obstacles in the NBA.
In basketball, it was simply how things worked—you had to adapt to the system.
Of course, the bigger reason was that once he agreed to join Lower Merion, his path would be set. Before making that commitment, he needed to ensure they would give him the opportunity he deserved.
In American high school and college basketball, the full scholarship is the most important factor. Whether you get one determines your status on the team and even your playing time.
It's like shopping—if one item is expensive and another is cheap, you naturally care more about the costly one.
Sure enough, after hearing Su Feng's words, Gregg became even more determined to bring him in.
"Of course, we'll treat you like a star player. As for ball distribution, you don't need to worry. I've watched your game. You shoot well, but your off-ball movement…"
"Don't take this the wrong way, Su. I'm not questioning your positioning—I just feel that Nefalia's coach hasn't developed a specialized shooting strategy for you.
After you join Lower Merion, I'll tailor more shooting plays for you. And as you know, Kobe isn't just a great scorer—he's a fantastic playmaker too.
Honestly, I believe that you two are the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of Pennsylvania.
You guys are going to make waves!"
Gregg was truly determined.
After listening to him, Su Feng realized he had no reason to refuse.
So, he gladly accepted Gregg's offer.
"Looking forward to working together!"
"Likewise!"
…
After Su Feng and Gregg reached an agreement, Kobe was ecstatic when he learned Su Feng would be joining Lower Merion.
To ensure Su Feng completed his enrollment before the new season, Kobe even got his father, Joe Bryant, involved.
Since Joe was also a coach at Lower Merion and a former NBA player, Su Feng's transfer process was handled in just a few days.
At the end of the day, whether you're in the U.S. or elsewhere—connections make all the difference.
This was the power of status!
That afternoon, after Su Feng completed his transfer, he had a one-on-one session with Kobe.
Kobe smiled and said, "Su, your enrollment ceremony is next Monday. By the way, what jersey number do you want?"
Su Feng didn't have any special preferences, so he casually said, "Number 3."
"No problem! I'll introduce you to your teammates at the ceremony. And by the way, this weekend, I'll take you to a special place to celebrate," Kobe said, patting Su Feng on the shoulder.
Su Feng nodded, not turning down Kobe's offer.
But…
For some reason, right when he agreed, both his eyelids started twitching in sync…
"..."
They say left eyelid twitches mean disaster and right eyelid twitches mean fortune, but what does it mean when both twitch?
Su Feng glanced at Kobe, who looked rather mysterious. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was up.
Well…
Guess he'll find out this weekend.
...
Damn, 38 points difference!
I'm going to release a combo, but I don't know how many chapters there will be.