"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the [Destination Service] mission!"
"Ding! The final bullfight between the host and McGrady: 75 wins, 25 losses."
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for unlocking the special shooting move: McGrady's Dry Pull."
Tracy McGrady: +25% defensive ability, +50% shooting uncertainty.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the hidden mission and earning admiration from Tracy McGrady!"
Too difficult.
Su Feng feels it's really too difficult.
These copies of the four quarterbacks are ridiculously hard to grind, aren't they?
Although Su Feng successfully completed the [Destroy to Service] mission, every win against McGrady was razor-close.
Remember, Su Feng is one year older than McGrady.
Without his battle-hardened experience and his unbreakable steel will, Su Feng doubts he could've pulled it off.
The "Rock" badge also played a big role in helping Su Feng complete the mission.
Fortunately, Su was facing the high school version of Tracy.
Su Feng silently prayed at Odom for three seconds in advance.
Because in this life, after a summer of intense training, Tracy's talent has been activated early.
If McGrady goes to the Adidas ABCD training camp, Odom might end up getting crushed even harder.
Go all the way, Lamar!
"This disregard for defense is kind of busted, right?"
"Isn't this basically a combo of anti-interference and anti-block attributes?"
"But what's up with that 50% shooting uncertainty?"
Curious, Su Feng decides to test out "Meddy's Dry Pull."
You won't know until you try it, right?
Because...
It's basically a gamble.
Su Feng found that with "Meddy's Dry Pull" equipped, he was extremely accurate when it worked, and terribly off when it didn't.
That...
Is the mysterious shooting uncertainty.
Gotta admit— very Tracy.
"Hmm… From that perspective, Curry's College Shooting Package suits me better. It's A-tier, after all."
While using "Meddy's Dry Pull," Su Feng noticed that switching to College Curry's shooting package required a 24-hour cooldown.
So why does he feel Curry's package suits him better?
Simple: "Meddy's Dry Pull" doesn't increase firing speed.
And its shooting randomness feels more fitting as a backup move.
Think about it—if you start with Curry's shooting package, you can switch to "Meddy's Dry Pull" mid-game.
"If I'm ahead, I swap to Dry Pull to spray and pray. If I'm behind, I use Dry Pull to stage a comeback!"
Su Feng feels this plan is absolutely flawless.
Of course...
It's also possible you'll brick shots whether you're winning or losing...
Su Feng previously guessed that "Meddy's Dry Pull" wouldn't replace his current shooting animation, just apply a buff.
Also, maybe it's psychological...
Whenever Su Feng trained while using "Dry Pull," he couldn't help but flash those signature scissor legs.
Cough...
And just as Su Feng predicted, the hidden mission worked out exactly that way.
After finishing [Hit to Service], McGrady wasn't jealous at all—he admired him even more.
"If I went to Akron and stomped on a young LeBron, would that trigger a new quest?" Su Feng wondered.
"Better not. If it sets off [Emperor's Wrath: Five Steps of Blood Splash], that won't be fun."
Stay chill, gotta stay chill—that's Su Feng's vibe: steady, but with style.
...
The long summer vacation had come to an end, and Su Feng planned to return to Philadelphia in late August—classes would start on September 10.
After this summer, Su Feng and McGrady had forged a deep friendship.
This bond was solid as iron, and their friendly rivalry? Steel!
It was more than camaraderie—it was a once-in-a-lifetime spark between two blacksmiths of the hardwood.
During their iron-grinding days in Orlando, Tracy and Su formed an unbreakable connection.
With help from Mancias, McGrady's school transfer was finalized. In the new semester, he'd be attending Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina.
In Su Feng's previous life, McGrady transferred there during his senior year. Honestly? It's kind of amazing how things lined up.
Before wrapping up summer training, Su Feng and McGrady swapped contact details.
As for the three "trainer tools," they said that if Su Feng ever wants to team up in the NBA, they'd love to make that happen—again and again.
"Su, thank you," McGrady said before leaving.
"What's there to thank? Trish, see you in the NBA," Su Feng smiled.
"Yeah, see you in the NBA!" McGrady watched Su Feng walk away, and—strangely—he felt like crying.
Not because of hunger,
But because he didn't know how long it would be until they met again.
McGrady swore silently that next semester he'd work harder than ever and push toward the NBA, so he could one day battle Su Feng—and Kobe Bryant—on the biggest stage.
...
"Host: Su Feng, Nationality: Chinese, Age: 17 years old.
Height: 197 cm [198 cm], Weight: 85.5 kg..."
"Host's current ability rating: NBA First-Round Pick Level.
Close-range shot: 60 [68], Mid-range shot: 77 [80], Three-point shot: 77 [80], Post shot: 74 [75], Pull-up shot: 66 [70].
Passing: 30 [48], Court vision: 28 [51], Ball control: 55 [57], Dribbling: 57 [58].
Lateral movement: 81 [89], Man-to-man defense: 85 [92], Steals: 69 [82], Blocks: 50 [65].
Vertical leap: 74 [75], Strength: 45 [48], Rebounding: 42 [48], Speed: 74 [75]."
"Currently equipped shooting style: A-tier Stephen Curry (University Edition).
Not equipped: McGrady's Dry Pull (special shooting animation).
Equipped stunt: Kobe's Rollback (NBA First-Round Pick Level).
Not equipped: Sam Gold (original version).
Equipped badges: Yangyan and Rock."
On the flight back to Philadelphia, Su Feng reviewed his stats panel and felt the past three months of sweat and grind had finally paid off.
Oh, and one thing worth bragging about—Su Feng had grown to 197 cm.
He remembered Kobe once mentioned in his autobiography that he was around 196 cm as a senior.
Which means, at least in height, Su Feng held a temporary flex over Kobe.
Perfect.
But with his current attributes approaching their potential caps, further gains were getting harder to squeeze out. No matter how much effort Su Feng put in, it was unrealistic to max everything out.
As his weight went up, though, his strength potential increased too.
While the "7.0 Iron System" had installed a mysterious firewall for Su Feng's development, he figured it was just because his previous strength rating was too low—he hadn't hit that wall yet.
Speaking of power, Su Feng made sure to ask Mancias about it before leaving.
Mancias explained that compared to NBA-level players, Su Feng was still underpowered as a shooting guard.
If he played small forward, he'd definitely need to bulk up more. But for high school or college?
"You're absolutely good to go."
"After this training, your core strength surpasses many college athletes.
Plus, your explosiveness still has room to grow," Mancias told him.
"Whoa… I've got over two million Iron Value now!"
While this system wasn't as OP as Kobe's plug-in, it had clearly achieved Su Feng's goal.
After finishing the [Hit to Service] mission in Orlando, Su Feng had a bunch of bullfights with McGrady.
Eventually, he noticed something interesting—once his desire to win started fading, McGrady began to pull ahead.
Turns out, that inner fire to win is a real game-changer.
Just like the "old rogue." If Su Feng's memory serves him right, Michael Jordan had also just wrapped up his special training and was ready to kick off another legacy run.
Based on history, the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls would soon rewrite the NBA record books—before the Warriors ever did.
Meanwhile, according to the Kobe Encyclopedia, Kobe Bryant had just been crowned MVP at the Adidas ABCD Camp two days ago.
Su Feng planned to surprise him this time.
Don't let the modest stat boost fool you—this summer grind had leveled up plenty of hidden key attributes.
With new defensive tactics learned from dueling McGrady, offensive insights picked up from Alan Stan, and a height advantage of 1 cm over Kobe...
Su Feng had every reason to feel confident.
It was time to let Kobe know...
"I am destiny!"
Su Feng clenched his fists, and locked Bobby Road into his heart.
...
Upon returning to Philadelphia, Su Feng headed straight to Kobe's house after a long day of intensive training.
"Hey, have you gotten taller? Built up some muscle?"
But then—after a warm greeting from Joe Bryant—Su Feng found out that Kobe wasn't home yet...
Su Feng: "..."
Awkward!
It was like loading up your cannon... only to find the target had vanished. Who can relate?
"Kobe was invited by Adidas to film a documentary after winning MVP at the Adidas ABCD Training Camp," Joe explained, noticing Su Feng's disappointment.
"They said it would help him build exposure for the NBA. But time-wise, he should be back tomorrow."
Su Feng nodded. No choice—he'd just have to wait out a couple more days of Iron Value cooldown.
And just as his mood was dipping...
Pamela, Kobe's mother, came down the stairs. "Joe, Kobe just called. He said to tell Su: same day, same time, same place—the 30th. Tell him to wait for me there."
The 30th?
That's tomorrow!
NICE.
Su Feng suddenly felt supercharged again.
Politely turning down Joe's dinner invitation, he decided to give himself one more day off.
After all, a refreshed spirit could make all the difference—this time, Su Feng was determined to score on Kobe.
Okay...
It's not childishness—it's just that after getting schooled by Kobe for a whole year, Su Feng wanted to feel the thrill of victory.
And never, ever underestimate a warrior's counterattack—even when he's been slammed in stacked armor.
...
The next day, after adjusting both his mental and physical state to 100%, Su Feng was fully recharged and ready to go. He walked confidently toward the stadium where he usually trained with Kobe.
Night in Philadelphia—where the Iron King reigns supreme.
Just as Su Feng, eager to finally beat Kobe, rushed toward the gym...
Market Street, Philadelphia — 3:45 AM.
A fashionable blonde girl, around fifteen or sixteen years old, stood shivering in the chilly night wind.
"Ugh, why did I trust Lily? Curse her drama," she muttered.
"I should've known—these producers are all the same. Not a single decent person among them.
Hiss~! It's freezing!"
"Wait… where even am I?"
After ranting and pacing around, she realized something serious—
She was hopelessly lost.
"Why me? Why is my luck this awful?" she sobbed, her day's disappointments flooding in.
And at four in the morning, Philadelphia feels just as eerie as Chengdu at that hour.
With no mobile navigation back in this era, the lost girl hid by a telephone pole, trying to escape the biting cold.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps. The wind had calmed... maybe too calm.
Guilt and dread swirled in her mind. After all, America is known for freedom, peace, and democracy—but that never stopped a few horror stories from starting at dawn.
"Oh God, I'm doomed."
She tugged at her skirt as if she could cover her bare thighs.
The footsteps grew louder. Judging by the sound, she was sure a tall, strong man was approaching.
"Fine. If I'm going out... I'm going out with clarity!"
She looked toward the sound—
Under the dim glow of a street lamp, the stranger's face came into view.
Wait… he's hot.
Doesn't look like a villain… right?
Looks like good looks sometimes really do change the vibe.
Su Feng had a similar experience once:
A classmate who liked a popular girl tried giving her milk tea, but got coldly rejected with the classic "I want to focus on studying, please don't bother me."
Heartbroken, the boy asked Su Feng to deliver it instead.
Su Feng brought it over—and not only did the goddess accept it, she even asked him for help on some very basic math problems.
Study mode activated? Don't want distractions?
Yeah, right.
So to reveal the truth to his buddy, Su Feng told her, "The milk tea's not from me. And I want to study, please don't bother me."
Sure, it stung.
But Su Feng never imagined that the boy actually ended up dating the goddess years later.
Must've been Su Feng's noble self-sacrifice that made her realize good looks aren't everything...
Definitely not because the boy later became loaded. Nope. Not that.
"Excuse me, I'm lost. Do you know how to get to 298 Market Street?"
Spotting Su Feng approaching, the blonde girl lit up like she'd found her guardian angel.
That's right—this handsome savior was none other than Su Feng, en route to meet Kobe.
"Oh? It's that way. Walk 500 meters, take the fork left, go 100 more, reach a crossroad, then straight for 300."
Su Feng casually shared the directions and kept walking.
"Wait… you said that too fast. I can't remember all that. Can you take me there?" she smiled sweetly.
"Alright, let me repeat it slower..." he replied, politely listing it again.
"No, sir, I mean… it's late, and I'm just a girl. Wouldn't it be safer if you came with me?" she added cutely.
Excuse me—if it's unsafe, why are you out here alone?
Though slightly exasperated, Su Feng was in a rush. "It's okay. This is Market Street, I walk here daily. And honestly, you look pretty safe yourself."
Blonde girl: "…"
"Sir, don't you care about the safety of a lovely young lady?"
Before she could finish, Su Feng cut her off.
"You mean your makeup is supposed to make you look cuter?" he replied, bluntly.
Blonde girl: speechless.
"Relax. There are security cameras all over here. I've been walking this street at 4 AM for ages—never had a problem."
Despite her "adorable" look, Su Feng wasn't buying the act.
The blonde girl was stunned.
She wasn't used to this. She was used to attention.
She was used to being the moon, surrounded by stars.
"Fine, I'll take you," Su Feng said eventually.
After all, he couldn't let a stranger face danger over ten minutes of his time.
But what the blonde girl didn't expect…
Was that while she did arrive safely...
Her legs were wrecked.
Did this guy not know how to treat a lady?
She tried slowing down more than once. But…
Faced with the threat of being alone again, she had no choice but to run beside him the entire way.
At least they made it.
And although she was still frustrated, she felt compelled to thank him.
"Hi, my name is—"
"I'm not interested in your name. And no need to thank me—you delayed me ten minutes," Su Feng said, turning on his heel and walking off.
For the blonde girl, this was the most character-building day of her life.
She felt like she'd taken a 100-million-point emotional crit.
"Who even is that guy?!" she shouted, tearing up as the sun began to rise.
…
Finally, at 4:05 a.m...
After a long summer apart, Su Feng saw Kobe again.
"You're late."
Seeing Kobe's relaxed and slightly smug expression, all of Su Feng's earlier frustration vanished instantly.
"The sandwiches are in here. Eat up!
Once you've digested, I'll show you just how strong I've become."
Su Feng handed over his backpack to Kobe, full of confidence.
At that moment, Kobe's cool facade cracked.
For a split second, Su Feng swore Kobe was smiling with childish excitement.
If Kobe's thoughts were subtitled right then, it'd probably read:
"Finally, I'm eating Su Feng's sandwiches again!"
"What the heck have I been surviving on the past two months?"
"Delicious!" Kobe said mid-bite, happily praising Su Feng's cooking.
"Glad you like it! Eat more."
Because once you start crying from how badly I beat you, I'll feel zero guilt, Su Feng thought smugly.
"Hmph!"
Which is exactly why I need to eat more. Gotta fuel up before I crush you, Kobe thought with equal smugness.
About 30 minutes later...
Kobe, now satisfied and relaxed, rolled his shoulders. Perhaps he'd been so focused on the food that he only just noticed...
"Wait... did you get taller too?"
"Yup!"