Chapter 99: New Skill [Heart of Iron], Steals Durant's Headlines
The American West Arena exploded in celebration.
As the crowd roared, still buzzing from the game-winning buzzer-beater, a familiar voice echoed in Chen Yan's mind.
Ding! The host has completed two buzzer-beaters within 7 days. Unlocking original skill: [Heart of Steel (Passive)]!
[Heart of Steel (Passive)]: +1 to Mental attribute. Reduces emotional disruption from trash talk by 20%-50%. Increases shot stability by 10%-15% and clutch shot success rate by 3%-10% in the final 3 minutes (scaling with mental strength).
Chen Yan's eyes lit up. That was a huge reward.
This new skill was a clutch player's dream—an upgrade that made him even deadlier in crunch time. Not to mention, his mental stat just got bumped from 95 to 96.
At this level, gaining even a single point took serious feats. Physical attributes like speed, strength, or vertical were obvious to the eye. But mental strength? That was different. It wasn't something fans could see—but it was what separated great players from all-time legends.
Think of physical attributes as the hardware, and mental strength as the software. When the score's tight and legs are dead, the mentally toughest dude usually comes out on top.
Solid skills and athleticism might earn you an All-Star nod. But to be a killer, a franchise cornerstone, a legend—you needed a different kind of wiring. You needed that mental edge.
Right now, Chen Yan's mental toughness was among the best in the league. Only Kobe and Iverson might have the edge over him. Maybe.
And with [Heart of Steel], that gap just got smaller.
In the locker room, Chen Yan couldn't hide his grin as he stepped into the showers, steam rising around him.
"That dude looked ice-cold during the buzzer-beater," Dio said, pointing toward the shower area. "Now he's in there cheesin' like a little kid on Christmas."
Stoudemire chuckled, shaking his head. "Classic humblebrag move. But hey, he did hit the game-winner. Let him have his moment."
---
TD Garden – Boston, Massachusetts
On the other side of the country, another game had just wrapped up.
The Celtics had knocked off the Magic, 101-95. Durant had his breakout game—his best since entering the league—dropping 35 points on 15-of-28 shooting, along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. A statement performance against the second seed in the East.
Back in the locker room, Durant was hyped. He stormed in, eager to see the headlines that would surely be all about him.
But the moment he finished showering, he noticed something strange.
The reporters weren't gathered around him.
They were already crowding near his seat—but their questions weren't about his performance.
"KD, did you hear? Chen Yan dropped 61 tonight. Broke the rookie single-game scoring record."
"What do you think of his game?"
"You two were college teammates—are you surprised by his scoring outburst?"
"Do you think he's pulled ahead in the Rookie of the Year race?"
Durant froze, towel around his shoulders.
He smiled weakly. "I mean... good for him. That's huge."
One reporter raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound very happy."
Durant fumbled, trying to recover. "Nah, nah. Just tired. I did put up 35 tonight, after all…"
He tried steering the spotlight back toward himself, but nobody bit.
Instead, more Chen Yan questions flew at him.
"Do you think Chen can keep this up?"
"Is he now the guy to chase in the rookie class?"
"Next time you play him—are you gonna guard him yourself?"
Durant's face fell. He mumbled a few non-answers and left the locker room without another word.
He had just dropped his best game as a pro—and still got overshadowed.
---
Back in Phoenix
At the Suns' post-game press conference, reporters couldn't wait to swarm Chen Yan.
"Chen, you broke the rookie scoring record tonight, dropped 61, hit a game-winner at the buzzer, and became the youngest player ever to score 60+. Any thoughts on a performance like that?"
Chen grinned. "That's just what a 'system player' does."
The room burst into laughter.
Everyone caught the jab. It was a shot at Arenas, who had called Chen a "system player" before the game.
Another reporter jumped in: "There's a lot of talk that you've locked up Rookie of the Year after just nine games. Is that award even a challenge for you anymore?"
Chen shrugged. "I hope it is. I'd like a little competition."
He wasn't trying to be arrogant—it was just the truth. No other rookie was even close. Durant could barely keep up with his shadow right now.
Next question: "The All-Star voting just opened. Think you've got a shot this year?"
Chen stayed cool. "That's up to the fans. My job's to hoop. Their job's to vote."
"What were you thinking during the final shot?"
Chen smirked. "Didn't wanna go to overtime."
Everyone laughed again. It was his signature line.
"Rate your performance tonight," another reporter asked.
"I'm satisfied. As a teammate, I did what the squad needed."
"But you scored sixty-one!" someone blurted out, incredulous.
Chen nodded. "Yeah, because that's what the game called for. If Coach ever asked me to chill on scoring and focus on boards like a blue-collar rebounder, I'd do it."
Coach D'Antoni jumped in, laughing: "Unless I go completely insane, I'd never ask that."
Another round of laughter broke out.
Nash, sitting beside Chen, added, "Let's be clear—Chen isn't selfish. He made a ton of smart plays tonight, had five assists. Dude's just playing winning basketball."
Nash was glowing—he'd racked up a season-high 19 assists and was clearly enjoying life.
---
Wizards Post-Game Press Conference
Over in Washington, Caron Butler addressed the media.
"What did you think of Chen Yan's game-winner?"
Butler shook his head. "Man, I had a hand right in his face. He was fading away, drifting. I swear, 99% of the league misses that shot. We ran into the 1% tonight."
He sighed, visibly disappointed.
Then came the questions for Arenas.
"Gilbert, what do you think of Chen's 61-point night?"
Arenas looked down, shook his head, and chuckled.
"He stole my script."
Reporters laughed.
"Usually I'm the one hitting buzzer-beaters," Arenas added. "Tonight, I was just the supporting actor."
One reporter tried to cheer him up: "You still had 50+, just like you predicted."
Arenas waved it off. "Doesn't mean sh*t when the other guy wins the game like that."
"What kind of player do you think Chen is?" came another question.
Arenas paused, then said seriously, "He's a killer. Cold-blooded. Same mindset I have."
"But didn't you say before the game he was just a 'system player'?"
Arenas groaned and covered his head. "Damn. Can we not bring that up again?"
The room erupted into laughter. Arenas joined in, shaking his head in defeat.
Tonight, Chen Yan didn't just win the game—he earned the league's respect.
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