After finalizing the rejection of Ben Wallace, Jason and Rick next discussed tactics with Su Feng and Iverson separately for the 76ers' participation in the Long Beach Summer League.
You might not believe it—Su Feng was almost overwhelmed by Jason and Rick.
I saw Jason lean in and say, "We'll definitely arrange the most suitable tactics for you in the Summer League. We've got at least 400 sets of plays.
You can run anything you want, as long as it suits your style."
Reality, though, can be cruel...
Because while Jason and Rick were explaining the tactics, Iverson was lying on the sofa in his signature "Allen Lying" pose, wearing an expression of complete indifference.
Su Feng understood that Jason and Rick were just trying to do their jobs, so when Jason was about to dive into his 400 sets of tactics, Su Feng quickly interrupted: "Coach, thank you for your dedication.
Allen and I will follow the game plan when the time comes. We'll play according to the coaches' arrangements."
After saying that, Su Feng nudged Iverson with his foot. Iverson, who was nearly asleep, gave a sleepy nod and muttered, "Uh."
That simple "uh" from Iverson was enough to make Jason and Rick visibly relieved.
As Su Feng and Iverson left, both coaches shook hands with Su Feng, their faces full of gratitude.
Su Feng realized that Kobe was actually a good guy, and Iverson too—they just didn't like being manipulated.
So anyone who tries to "control" them is likely to end up on the opposite side from the very beginning.
After walking out of the office building, Su Feng reached out and touched Iverson's small flat head. Not gonna lie—the texture felt pretty good.
As a "Humanoid Encyclopedia," Su Feng knew that if you wanted to rub Iverson's head, you had to do it before he changed his hairstyle.
Because once Iverson ditched the buzz cut, anyone who kept touching his head would end up on his blacklist.
In Su Feng's previous life, during the Athens Olympics, when Iverson crushed Germany, a thrilled Duncan tried to sneak in a couple of head rubs.
But Iverson blocked his head with both hands while smiling, leaving Duncan looking awkward.
To put it bluntly, the buzz cut might be temporary, and the hairstyle might look cool—but the boundaries are permanent.
As Su Feng and Iverson walked out of the office building shoulder to shoulder, Su Feng noticed that Ben Wallace was still standing in the same spot as before...
Wait a minute...
Is this how the nickname "Big Ben" came to be?
Seriously, if Ben Wallace wore a balaclava, a wig, a suit, and spoke with a proper British accent...
Then forget it—just have him say "What are you looking at?" to passersby, and he'd look exactly like a bodyguard.
"Su, thank you," Ben Wallace said, looking at Su Feng.
Off to the side, Iverson glanced at Su Feng, thinking, You totally made that up.
"Thank me for what?" Su Feng asked.
"Uh... I didn't know you before, but if I ever get the chance, I'll definitely repay you," Ben Wallace said after a pause.
Su Feng stepped forward and patted Wallace on the shoulder. "I didn't really help you, but honestly, I do believe in you."
Although Wallace didn't understand why Su Feng had faith in him, hearing someone finally recognize his potential gave him the feeling of meeting a long-lost uncle.
"By the way, where's your agent?" Su Feng asked curiously.
"He helped me find a hotel. He suggested I stay in Philadelphia and not travel around before the Summer League starts," Wallace replied.
"What about your training?" Su Feng asked.
"I'll just find a court and practice on my own," Wallace answered honestly.
"What? You don't even have an opponent, and the Summer League starts in a week. What if you're not in shape?" Su Feng pressed.
"Uh…"
This time, Big Ben didn't know how to respond.
Seeing Wallace in a suit, Su Feng smiled and said, "Alright, I'll give you an address. Come find me there at 4 a.m. tomorrow."
"Four in the morning?" Wallace was stunned. At that hour, he'd be dreaming of flying a plane with a tall blonde woman…
"Yep. It's a training hall I rented myself. The Summer League is coming up—you can't go in unprepared.
Don't worry, if you train with me, I'll take care of your food and drinks," Su Feng said.
Wallace originally didn't want to trouble Su Feng, but… food and drinks?
Well…
Alright!
This Wallace will never be a slave—unless food is involved.
"OK!" Big Ben nodded. He had just graduated and was short on money.
Believe it or not, his agent had paid for his plane ticket.
NBA superstars may be millionaires, but in reality, there are plenty of "basketball beggars" in the U.S.
In that environment, no one dares to slack off. Even if they have talent, most wait until they make it to the NBA to show it.
Off to the side, watching Ben Wallace get roped in by Su Feng, Iverson walked with Su Feng for a while, then looked up and said, "Su, you really are a good person."
Su Feng: "..."
"Su, did you know I've always hated when people talk about 'heroes'?"
Because I grew up on the streets, and I never met a 'hero' who protected me.
When I was little, I even dreamed of eating just one sausage.
But Su, you're different.
Even though I haven't known you long, I can tell—you're neither a hypocrite from the upper class nor a kid like us who grew up on the streets.
So if people ever talk about 'heroes' again, in my mind, you're the real deal.
So, in the future, you protect Philadelphia—I'll have your back." Suddenly, Iverson extended his fist toward Su Feng.
And in the golden glow of the Philadelphia sunset, Su Feng and Iverson completed a fist bump.
"I heard why you and Kobe want to skip college and declare for the NBA," Iverson smiled. "Count me in."
Well…
After the second coming of Scottie Pippen became the second-hand term despised by Su Feng and Kobe, a basketball god who moonlights as a casino philanthropist probably never imagined a group of rookies would challenge him.
Blood and swagger—almost the entire '90s.
But at least, these rookies really want to take on Jordan.
…
The next day, at four in the morning.
When Ben Wallace arrived at the training hall Su Feng had rented—following the address Su Feng had given him—Big Ben was stunned by the scene in front of him.
Thud, thud, thud.
Inside the hall, Su Feng was already deep into his training.
Originally, Big Ben thought Su Feng just wanted to mess with him.
After all, in the eyes of many Americans, teasing is a way to "make friends."
So, thinking about how Su Feng had helped him the day before, Big Ben figured it wouldn't be so bad to be pranked a little.
But what Big Ben never expected was—who actually gets up to train at four in the morning?
Walking into the hall and seeing Su Feng already drenched in sweat, Ben Wallace asked curiously, "Do you wake up this early every day?"
Su Feng shook his head. "Only recently."
Ben Wallace breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: Yeah, makes sense. Who would train at 4 a.m. every single day?
"But since I started training again, I've actually moved my schedule to 3 a.m.," Su Feng added.
Ben Wallace: "…"
He, Big Ben, may not be the most educated—but that sentence hit hard.
"You work too hard. I've never seen anyone like you," Ben said, genuinely impressed.
"Really?" Su Feng smiled. "But back in high school, there was someone who trained just as early as me. For two whole years, I couldn't beat him."
Big Ben was shocked. "There's someone like that?"
"Yep! He's my best friend. His name is Kobe Bryant," Su Feng laughed.
Hiss!
Big Ben sucked in a breath. Suddenly, he felt completely outclassed compared to Su Feng and Kobe.
He had always thought he worked hard—until Su Feng hit him with a 100-million-point reality check.
"Do I need to do anything now?" Big Ben asked, a bit lost and unsure of what came next.
Su Feng pointed to a backpack on the floor. "There are sandwiches inside. You haven't eaten yet, right? Grab a bite first, then we'll go one-on-one."
Big Ben nodded. He was starving. No surprise there—his agent wasn't exactly feeding him well.
And given Big Ben's size, there was no doubt he could eat as much as Magic Johnson.
So, he happily opened the backpack, and after just one bite…
"Wow, this is delicious!" At that moment, it felt like steam came out of his nose.
Su Feng chuckled, watching Big Ben devour the sandwich. He wasn't in a rush and turned back to continue his shooting drills.
"Hey, isn't it summer? Why are you wearing a scarf?" Big Ben asked curiously between bites.
On the court, Su Feng didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly raised the scarf.
What Big Ben saw next was something he'd never forget.
Su Feng, blindfolded with the scarf, launched a beautiful shot from beyond the three-point line.
The ball traced a perfect arc through the air…
Swish!
Thud…
In a daze, Big Ben dropped the sandwich from his hand.
Blindfolded… and still made the three-pointer?
And it went in?
At that moment, Big Ben had a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.
"Wait, how did that go in?" Su Feng muttered on the court, sounding slightly dissatisfied.
…
Big Ben suddenly felt like he should kneel before Su Feng.
I'm sorry, brother—this guy has already broken through the heavens!
Actually, Big Ben misunderstood Su Feng.
Since Su Feng's shooting accuracy had plateaued at around 50% in regular training, he figured blindfolded shooting might help build muscle memory.
So now, every day before his main training, he spends two hours shooting blindfolded three-pointers.
As the saying goes, even a grasshopper is still meat—no matter how small. And Su Feng wasn't wasting any chances to improve.
But the blindfolded training is strictly limited to two hours a day. After all, if you want the right to shoot, you can't rely on luck alone.
Interestingly, the system didn't seem to object to his blindfolded shooting.
In Su Feng's view, that's probably because blindfolded three-point shooting is a legitimate way to train muscle memory—so the system, being logical, didn't block it.
But here's the real question:
With Ben Wallace still technically "unskilled," and Su Feng already used to blindfolded three-point training… could Big Ben even keep up?
Ben Wallace suddenly felt like he couldn't eat another bite.
Because in his mind, Su Feng was the No. 13 pick in the 1996 first round—and he was just an undrafted nobody.
Therefore, in Big Ben's eyes, Su Feng's talent was clearly above his own.
But when someone more talented than you works ten times harder… that's something else entirely.
"Are you working this hard just to beat Kobe?" Big Ben stood up and asked.
Su Feng shook his head. "Why would I want to beat Kobe? Sure, we've gone head-to-head plenty of times, and he's won more often—but I've beaten him too."
Big Ben still didn't quite get it. "Then are you working this hard because you want to be an All-Star?"
Su Feng shook his head again. "Isn't becoming an All-Star just a given?"
Big Ben took a deep breath. "Then why are you working so hard?"
This time, Su Feng didn't shake his head. He looked at Big Ben seriously and said:
"I want to challenge Michael Jordan."
Big Ben: "…"
Big Ben couldn't hold it in anymore.
He genuinely wanted to kneel before Su Feng!
At that moment, Big Ben felt like a total weakling compared to Su Feng.
"I…"
Looking at Su Feng—who was about the same height as him—Big Ben fell silent for a long time.
Then, Su Feng suddenly tossed him the basketball.
"Come on, let's go one-on-one."
Big Ben nodded. He swore to himself that from now on, he would work twice as hard.
No—double that, and then double it again. Otherwise, in Big Ben's view, Su Feng was already holding 17 cards in his hand… and he couldn't just keep pouring cappuccinos hoping to flip the game.
…
Two hours later…
"No, Ben, you can't guard me like that," Su Feng said, frustrated.
Just as he'd planned, Ben Wallace was proving to be a great training partner.
Sure, the system only awarded Su Feng 1,500 points per basket against Ben in one-on-one—based on strength and reputation—but compared to the limited daily quota and the predictable defensive AI, Big Ben was a long-term investment worth making.
But there was a problem…
Maybe Su Feng had built up too much mystique in Ben's mind. While defending, Ben Wallace seemed afraid to even touch him.
This was… awkward.
Come on, this isn't 20 years in the future where basketball's all about soft fouls, polite trash talk, and avoiding contact.
Su Feng had told Big Ben repeatedly to defend him seriously—but the guy just wouldn't get physical.
Su Feng knew that if they kept playing like this, he wouldn't be able to raise his "iron value." Ben's defense was too soft, and Su Feng's shooting percentage was too high.
So he decided: if Ben wouldn't dare to "hit" him, he'd have to provoke him.
"Ben, if you keep guarding me like that, I don't think you're ready for the Summer League," Su Feng said, staring him down.
Ben scratched his head awkwardly. "But Su, even if you say that, I still…"
"Come here," Su Feng said, frowning.
Ben stepped forward—and Su Feng suddenly threw a punch at his chest.
"Ow… why does that hurt my hand more than his chest?"
"Now, I punched you. Your turn—punch me back," Su Feng said seriously.
Ben looked confused. "But…"
"Come on, man. Hit me!"
Still hesitant, Ben Wallace didn't move.
Su Feng sighed. Time to use the ultimate trick known to every brotherhood.
"Don't tell me you're soft, bro. You got no swing?"
That did it.
Ben Wallace's pride flared. Su Feng could insult his intelligence—but never his manhood.
Boom!
Ben threw a heavy punch straight into Su Feng's chest.
Su Feng tasted blood.
Clutching his chest, he instantly regretted it.
But interestingly, the system's injury immunity didn't activate.
Which meant…
"I really am built different. Tough and durable."
After a moment, Su Feng recovered.
"See? You hit me hard, and I'm fine. Back when I trained under the sun, I sparred with Charles Barkley. So if you're afraid of hurting me, maybe you should leave. We don't need to know each other anymore," Su Feng said coldly.
Ben looked at Su Feng, who genuinely seemed okay. He realized Su Feng was right.
His hesitation had been embarrassing.
"I'm going all out now. Be ready," Ben warned.
"That's exactly what I want," Su Feng replied, unfazed.
…
By 10 a.m., Su Feng had already racked up 140,000 hits—grinning from ear to ear.
Big Ben's defense was still a bit raw, but his lateral movement and reaction speed were off the charts. If Su Feng didn't use fakes, Ben could shut him down with ease.
And that power… Su Feng could feel it. If Ben Wallace trained with him all summer, his strength might rival that of Charles Barkley, whom Su Feng had sparred with before.
Su Feng made up his mind: he had to keep this "tool man" around.
Even though he was still a rookie and didn't want to meddle with management or Coach Davis, Su Feng had his own ways.
As the saying goes: "Mountain people have their own tricks."
Su Feng knew that if he performed well in the Summer League, the 76ers—who were thin in the frontcourt—would definitely give him a shot.
So when Mancias, Fraser, and Alan Stein arrived, Su Feng asked them to design a training program for Big Ben.
"This training… is it expensive?" Ben asked hesitantly.
"Don't worry," Su Feng said, patting his shoulder. "They're my personal trainers. Even if they charge, they'll bill me—not you."
Su Feng was about to dive into speed training, and Mancias had been feeling underutilized.
Mancias had trained royalty in Su Feng's past life—and wasn't exactly fond of muscle-bound types.
Fraser could teach Ben defensive fundamentals, while Alan Stein would help him boost his speed.
In short: don't ask. The answer is always Su Feng's elite training squad.
Of course, credit also went to Bill Duffy, who helped Su Feng contact Mills.
Mills, now a sprint coach in Jamaica, was reluctant to come to Philadelphia—especially when he learned he'd be training an NBA rookie. He had dreams of coaching Olympic champions, not basketball players.
But…
After hearing Su Feng's offer, Mills didn't hesitate. He packed his bags for Philly.
Olympic glory? Sounds nice.
But dreams don't pay the bills. And Mills needed cash to chase his dream.
So, with Mills arriving tomorrow, Su Feng would officially begin his speed training.
There was one week left before the Long Beach Summer League. Su Feng believed he could still level up before tip-off.
After the Summer League, he'd go into full lockdown mode again.
In the meantime, with his other trainers free, Su Feng figured they could help mold Big Ben. After all, this "tool man" was proving to be a valuable asset.
What Su Feng didn't know was that, in Ben Wallace's heart, Su Feng had already surpassed his idol Oakley.
Ben Wallace silently vowed to repay Su Feng one day.
For sandwiches?
No—for Su Feng.
Big Ben was ready to give his all. Blood, sweat, and tears.