"Yes, Jerry."
"Then let's find an offseason to pass through."
"Okay, Coach."
Watching John Lucas agree to his request, Stackhouse felt an indescribable joy.
"Some people are born to live as the protagonist—no matter what they do, everything seems to go smoothly. And I am one of those people," Stackhouse thought confidently.
He had already made up his mind. When he saw Lower Merion, he told John Lucas, so that the strength of Kobe and Su Feng be revealed at all.
Then—hehe...
Stackhouse would wield his forty-meter-long sword and cut down the two "sun thieves," Su Feng and Kobe, right off their horses!
"Well, don't be too cruel to them. After all, they're still just kids."
Although Stackhouse wasn't much older than Su Feng and Kobe, as a senior in the NBA, he naturally had to be mindful of his public image.
After all, if rumors spread about abusing high school players, it would be quite disgraceful.
…
Stackhouse had been traveling on horseback for a while under pressure.
At the Lower Merion basketball court, under the combined firepower of Su Feng and Kobe, Eric Catholic High School quickly folded.
The final score? 88 to 46. Lower Merion defeated last year's runner-up by a staggering 42 points!
Su Feng was electric—14 of 29 from the field, 5 of 10 from three, 1 of 2 from the line, putting up 34 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 assist.
Kobe? Equally dominant—12 of 21 shooting, 1 of 3 on threes, 4 of 6 free throws. He posted 29 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks. A near quadruple-double!
You might say: how could the runner-up from last year be crushed like this?
Well, to avoid a dramatic collapse after leading by 40, Su Feng and Kobe stayed aggressive.
Okay, okay… maybe Su Feng was a bit too sharp. With half of the fourth quarter remaining, he and Kobe checked out.
Otherwise, Su Feng felt confident he could've gone for 40+ points.
He said going into "Novice Village" at full power was…
Pure bliss!
The trio on the sidelines was floored. Besides Su Feng's outburst, Kobe left a deep impression.
"This Kobe kid is incredible—sharp mind and rock-solid fundamentals. Doesn't seem like a 17-year-old," Zhang Weiping said with admiration.
"True. He's different from the typical American players we imagine. Look how often he passes to Su Feng," Su Junyang added with a chuckle.
After the game, Su Feng told Kobe that training was canceled for the evening since a group of Chinese reporters had come to visit.
Su Feng expected Kobe to be annoyed. But instead…
"Haha, Su! Your fame is finally catching up to mine, just barely cracking my top ten."
He patted Su Feng on the shoulder. "Go on, and remember—stay humble in the interview."
Kobe's sly grin left Su Feng suspicious. Something felt... off.
Then again, Su Feng had long stopped trying to decode Kobe's logic.
As Su Feng walked toward the trio, Bryant muttered under his breath:
"I train with you every day… how am I supposed to get a girlfriend?"
"Bye bye, I'm off to flirt!"
…
"Sorry for keeping the three teachers waiting so long."
After agreeing with Kobe not to practice further that day, Su Feng spoke politely to the three delegation members standing beneath the basketball hoop.
"That was quick," Zhang Weiping smiled.
"What would you three like to eat?" Su Feng asked.
"Are you seriously treating us? You tell us what you want to eat, we'll be the ones inviting!" Zhang Weiping joked.
Su Feng laughed. "Why don't we head to my place? After all, finding authentic Chinese food here in the U.S. is quite the challenge."
As soon as they heard "authentic Chinese food," the delegation's mouths were practically watering.
Who could resist?
At first, the trio were excited about hamburgers and soda when they arrived in Philadelphia, but after indulging too much, their taste buds were crying out for Chinese flavors again.
"You actually cook?" Zhang Weiping asked, intrigued.
"From Sichuan, Shandong, Cantonese, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Fujian… you name it!" Su Feng joked. Did people really think he had all those "ex-girlfriends" in his past life just for his looks?
Well...
It was basically just his looks.
And so, after thanking Maxson, the Philadelphia Evening News reporter who had brought them over, the three delegation members continued their "interview tour."
…
At first, the three members of the delegation didn't take Su Feng's offer to cook very seriously.
After all, they believed their main priority was the interview and learning what they came for.
So when Su Feng suggested dining at his house, Zhang Weiping was about to decline—until Xu Jicheng subtly kicked him.
"This is a heartfelt gesture from the young man. We can't just turn it down," Xu whispered as they walked to Su Feng's home.
Zhang Weiping immediately understood—Xu was implying that Su Feng probably thought going out to eat would be too expensive, so he invited them to his place out of consideration.
"The real goal of this trip is to assess Su Feng's basketball skills. We've already accomplished half of that. Now, we should leave a good impression," Xu added.
Su Junyang, walking beside them, thought to himself that Mr. Xu was incredibly thoughtful, considering so much on Su Feng's behalf.
"Note to self: learn from that," Su Junyang nodded silently.
But…
Once they arrived and saw Su Feng's masterful chopping skills, the three were completely stunned.
In the 1990s, things weren't as advanced as today. Even though they sometimes cooked at home, few Chinese youth at that time could prepare dishes this well.
"Braised pork, diced chicken, sweet and sour ribs, beef with celery, Mapo tofu… Professors, should I add anything else?" Su Feng asked, proudly presenting his dishes.
The three stood frozen, speechless.
"…Enough, enough!" said Xu Jicheng, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Good heavens—what kind of kid is this?
With China's reform and opening up, living standards had improved. Many only children born in the '80s and '90s didn't cook growing up—some hadn't even washed dishes before finishing high school.
Their parents, who had lived tough lives, simply wanted their children to live comfortably.
Su Feng himself had learned to cook from his college roommates in his previous life.
Don't ask why—just know there were six guys in the dorm, and none of their girlfriends came from hometowns with ready-made dishes…
It's like they say: to win someone's heart, win their stomach. Times had changed!
"This flavor is phenomenal!"
After tasting Su Feng's braised pork, Director Zhang felt like his tongue had exploded with joy.
"Su Feng, do you usually cook for yourself?" asked Xu Jicheng.
"Yeah, since I'm preparing for the NBA, I have to watch my diet," Su Feng replied with a smile.
Truth is, without access to proper nutrition solutions, these amazing dishes would've been replaced with bland, protein-heavy meals.
"Su Feng, is training in the U.S. really different from back home?" Zhang Weiping asked.
Su Feng nodded and described the summer training plan and dietary guidance he received from his three coaches.
"Cutting-edge! Combining diet and science-based training… Look at Su Feng's physique now—it's just like mine at my peak," Director Zhang said with admiration.
During the meal, the trio asked Su Feng several questions:
Why didn't he play in China earlier? When did he come to study in the U.S.? What are his future plans?
Su Feng didn't dodge any of them. He knew that once he made it to the NBA, he'd be in China's public eye whether he liked it or not.
So he decided to use this moment to lay the groundwork for his future.
"Professors, I honestly didn't know I had a talent for basketball before.
But after coming to the U.S., I met Coach Gregg. He said it would be a shame if I didn't play.
So I practiced and practiced—before I knew it, I was called a 'local genius' in the papers.
As for my future, I've already made my decision: I'm skipping college and entering next year's NBA draft," Su Feng said.
Listening to his explanation, the three found it all quite reasonable.
Especially Zhang Weiping. He nodded and said, "Turns out, this is a flaw in our system.
But who would've thought this loophole would give rise to a Sun Wukong?"
"Oh, Su Feng, you said you're skipping college. Do you truly think you have a strong chance of making it to the NBA?" asked Xu Jicheng.
At the time, Chinese basketball still had limited exposure to the NBA.
Su Feng recalled that when Yao Ming was drafted as the No. 1 pick, many people assumed it was expected—but they didn't realize how good he truly was.
Wake up, folks—that's the first overall pick in the NBA!
"In the U.S., a player's draft selection is based on…" Su Feng explained, referencing information from future online basketball forums.
After his explanation, Su Junyang asked, concerned, "If it's that difficult, why not go to college first…"
"Because I want to play with Michael Jordan before he retires. That's actually Kobe's dream too," Su Feng replied.
He knew that if you couldn't win an argument, all you had to do was bring up Michael Jordan.
Zhang Weiping gave Su Feng high praise for that answer.
They continued discussing basketball topics throughout the evening.
Su Feng's reputation with the trio skyrocketed instantly.
After all, who doesn't like a polite, talented, articulate young man… who can also cook?
Before wrapping up the interview, Su Junyang asked, "Su Feng, do you think we can translate Kobe Bryant's name to 'Kobe' in Chinese?"
Xu Jicheng smiled, "I think little Su's suggestion is great. 'Kobe' has a very distinctive sound."
Distinctive indeed…
Who else names their son after a piece of steak?
Su Feng didn't argue—he remembered it was Su Junyang who originally suggested the name "Kobe," and it was Xu who finalized it.
To avoid turning future sweet stories into sour ones, Su Feng nodded: "I support Teacher Su."
Su Junyang beamed: "We're like family. Don't call me 'Teacher Su'—from now on, it's 'Old Su.'"
Zhang Weiping added: "Great—so Su Junyang is Old Su, and Su Feng is Little Su."
Xu Jicheng agreed: "I'm in."
Just like that, Su Feng had been officially nicknamed by the trio.
Before returning to the hotel, they told him they'd be staying in Philadelphia for another ten days, mainly to observe his training and performance more closely.
"No problem—I'll let Coach Gregg know," Su Feng nodded.
In this era without social media, Su Feng knew that having these three speak highly of him in China was invaluable.
As an Asian player, Su Feng understood that his greatest future strength in the NBA would be his ever-growing motherland.
So, in the days to come, the trio became a delightful presence at the Lower Merion Basketball Training Hall...
…
On November 23, the weather was fine.
Today marked an offseason day in Philadelphia.
After scoring 22 points in the game against Rockets yesterday, Stackhouse's mood kept improving.
And especially today, with head coach John Lucas and assistant coach John Davis set to bring him to Lower Merion to observe Kobe and Su Feng
Just a couple of CPs drawing attention, right?
From Stackhouse's perspective, he's only missing his Pippen. Otherwise, he'd be taking off in no time.
Basically, Stackhouse had already rehearsed his grand entrance speech.
When the moment came, he planned to strike a cool pose and then glance at Su Feng and Kobe—
"Who's stepping up first?"