Capital Airport drowned in flashbulbs. Lin Mo smelled the scent of fame and fortune. A CBA team manager slid a contract, the zeros dazzling; an NBA scout's business card burned with the Lakers' logo. He took them with a smile, his fingertips cold.
That night, Lin Mo locked the gold medal in a drawer. The system panel showed [Compatibility: 13.8%], the new task bar blank. In the mirror, he wore the champion's hoodie, but the confusion in his eyes ran deeper than before – If I take the CBA's big contract, am I a "prisoner of the system"? If I try out for the NBA, without the system's boost, will I crumble?
His phone vibrated: LeBron's message. "Don't let others define your path." Staring at the screen, Lin Mo realized he didn't have the courage to reply – Afraid to expose his weakness, to admit that without the system, he might just be an ordinary basketball lover.