"Hey man, this is just a charity game, not the NBA. Don't be so nervous—relax, relax."
The basketball sailed through the air and was caught by a high school player on Pierce's team. With no one defending him, he dunked it easily for two points. After landing, Jordan Jr. flashed Jiang Hai a bright grin and muttered something that didn't quite make sense.
"Oh, I wasn't serious… Fine, I'll hold back," Jiang Hai said after catching Jordan's look, muttering under his breath before speaking slowly. Hearing this, the players nearby felt a wave of unease. You weren't serious just now? And now you're going to get serious?
When play resumed, Jiang Hai noticeably eased up. He only stuck to his own man on defense and stopped rotating to help. On offense, he wasn't as aggressive, only shooting when the shot clock was about to expire.
Otherwise, he focused on racking up assists. Perhaps sensing that Jiang Hai wanted to stretch the game out, his teammates stopped passing him the ball and played more freely on their own. The pace picked up, and the game became more exciting to watch.
Before long, the eight-minute mark passed. With Paul Pierce drawing a foul, the referee blew the whistle, calling timeout as both teams prepared for substitutions.
The scoreboard read 35–21, Jiang Hai's team up by fourteen. In just eight minutes, Jiang Hai had tallied 13 points, 7 assists, 2 blocks, 3 steals, and 5 rebounds—an incredible stat line. And that was with him mainly passing. Had he chosen to score, the game would've been over already. But ending it so quickly wouldn't have been any fun, and Jiang Hai wasn't in the mood to kill the game.
As the rotations came in, only Evan Turner stayed on Jiang Hai's side to control the pace, while the rest were subbed out. The same happened with the opposing team, leaving Paul Pierce at the line for free throws.
The match continued, though it was clear the entertainment value had dipped. Whether amateurs, college players, high schoolers, or even NBA pros, the gap in ability was noticeable.
Still, the intensity remained. Scoring was suddenly hard for everyone. The only consistent points came from Evan Turner and Paul Pierce. After three minutes, Pierce finally checked out to rest, age showing its toll. His replacement was Isaiah Thomas—who seemed fueled by frustration after Jiang Hai's dominating stretch earlier.
Despite his small frame, Thomas's offensive talent shone through the moment he hit the floor. Originally overlooked because of his size—he was the final pick in the 2011 draft—Thomas had gradually proven his worth. With the Kings, he became a dangerous sixth man. By the time he joined the Celtics, he had blossomed into an elite scorer.
Now, in this charity game, he lit the court on fire. His drives, mid-range jumpers, and three-pointers all fell effortlessly. Even on defense, though undersized, he disrupted plays on the ground.
Bit by bit, he erased Jiang Hai's team's lead. With three minutes left in the half, the gap had shrunk to just two points—one possession away from tying or even taking the lead.
Avery Bradley called timeout and reinserted himself along with Jiang Hai.
The crowd erupted as Jiang Hai stepped back onto the court.
"Hey man, we're back in this!" Isaiah Thomas grinned, raising an eyebrow at Jiang Hai after scoring nearly a dozen points straight.
"Alright then, let's open things up." Jiang Hai caught the inbound from Bradley, then, from his own three-point line, casually heaved the ball with one hand. It wasn't a shot—just a throw.
Bang! Swish! The ball smacked the rim and bounced straight through the net.
The arena exploded.
"Unbelievable! What was that? Is that even a shot?"
Fans roared while Isaiah Thomas stood stunned, licking his lips in disbelief. Jiang Hai just cast him an indifferent glance, as if nothing had happened.
"You've got guts provoking him," DeAndre Jordan muttered as Thomas jogged back for the inbound. "But forget about winning—just focus on playing well. With a monster like that, this isn't basketball anymore. Thank God he's not in the NBA…"
Thomas sighed, curling his lip. "Guess that's the only way." As much as he hated it, he knew he couldn't match Jiang Hai.
But Jiang Hai didn't realize Thomas had already admitted defeat. Assuming Thomas was ready to push harder, Jiang Hai locked in. On the very next possession, he intercepted a pass cleanly and stormed downcourt like a wild beast unleashed.
Ten centimeters beyond the three-point arc, he launched himself into the air. Time seemed to freeze as Jiang Hai glided into the paint before hammering down a ferocious tomahawk slam.
The arena went dead silent.
"The Chinese Flying Man just showed you a real tomahawk dunk!"
"Where is the limit of human ability? Where is the limit of the Asian race?"
"The invincible Chinese streetball king—crushing NBA players like they're nothing!"
"Here's a joke for you: Chinese people can't produce good guards!"
…
Later that night, Jiang Hai lounged on the sofa, grinning as he watched highlight reels on his laptop. News outlets from both the U.S. and China were already buzzing.
"See? I look pretty good on camera," he said smugly to Qi Jie.
She rolled her eyes at his narcissism, though her gaze lingered on the screen. The clips, edited with dramatic music, were undeniably stunning. When the highlight reel first dropped, she had secretly watched it over and over. The thought that the man in those videos was hers filled her with pride.
Set to the track Remember the Name, the montage captured Jiang Hai at his most unstoppable: dunking over DeAndre Jordan, stealing the ball from Isaiah Thomas, threading no-look passes, pulling off behind-the-back assists, and draining long-range jumpers. Overnight, the video racked up hundreds of thousands of views on Youtu.com, with many debating whether it was fake or CGI.
Skeptics were silenced when original game footage surfaced. Paul Pierce, DeAndre Jordan, Josh Smith, Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Evan Turner all confirmed the videos were real.
Turner and Bradley even poked fun at the situation. Josh Smith went further, saying it was the easiest game of his life and that he wished Jiang Hai were in the NBA so he could pay to play against him again.
The video quickly crossed the Pacific, going viral in China. Overnight, Jiang Hai became a household name there too. Many refused to believe it was real—especially CBA players, who dismissed it as computer-generated trickery. But the truth was simple: Jiang Hai wasn't an ordinary person.
"Guess I'm an internet celebrity now," Jiang Hai laughed, glancing at Qi Jie.
She rolled her eyes again, but he didn't mind. Playing that charity game had been tiring, but the satisfaction and attention it brought were more than worth it.
"Didn't you promise Mr. Pierce and the others you'd have dinner with them? It's already three o'clock," Qi Ya reminded him as she walked over, frowning at him still lounging on the sofa.
(To be continued.)