Lin Yu, you're fired!
Get out of this conference room this instant—and never show your face in my presence again!
Ben Jels, the eloquent scouting director pacing the podium, was furious beyond belief when he spotted Lin Yu below, his eyelids drooping as he fought off waves of sleep.
This ongoing meeting was the monthly scouting review for the NBA's Washington Bullets. It was February 1997, with just over two months left in the regular season—the busiest time of year for scouts.
The scouting profession held minimal visibility within the NBA. While fans could rattle off the names of their team's players, coaches, general managers, and even assistant coaches, those who recognized their team's scouts were truly one in a million.
Even within this low-profile profession, there were distinct tiers.
At the pinnacle are seasoned scouts like Ben Giles, who heads the Bullets' scouting department with eight full-time scouts under his command.
The next tier consists of scouts with guaranteed contracts, further categorized by their responsibilities: prospect scouts, trade scouts, and tactical scouts.
Prospect scouts identify young talent domestically and internationally, trade scouts assess the competitive condition of potential trade targets, and tactical scouts analyze opposing teams' strategic weaknesses and vulnerabilities. They advise the head coach, resembling an assistant coach.
The lowest tier was comprised of cooperative scouts like Lin Yu, who operated without guaranteed contracts. They were paid strictly by the job and traveled extensively to film college player matches before submitting footage to Ben Jers.
Jers' sudden outburst instantly roused Lin Yu from his drowsiness.
His lack of sleep stemmed not from resentment toward Jers or deliberate defiance, but from an inexpressible hardship.
Lin Yu was a time traveler who had arrived in this parallel world just three days prior. Over those three days, his mind had been intermittently processing the flood of information from this new body. Overwhelmed and utterly exhausted, he had drifted off to sleep in the conference room.
"Mr. Giles, I'm sorry," Lin Yu managed a weary apology, forcing a smile.
"Sorry?"
"Do you have any idea how many people on this planet dream of breaking into the NBA?"
"Without the natural talent to play, the fastest route into that world is through scouting—working your way up to assistant coach, then head coach, even general manager."
"I could easily recruit dozens of young people more dedicated and talented than you!"
"Get out! Get out of my conference room right now!"
Ben Jels, newly appointed as head scout, seemed intent on using Lin Yu to establish his authority. He refused to accept apologies and relentlessly pushed for Lin Yu's firing.
In his previous life, Lin Yu had a fiery temper—the kind that dared confront his direct superior head-on. Seeing Jels' attitude, Lin Yu instantly boiled over.
"Do you really think anyone wants this crappy job—250 days a year on the road for a measly $20,000?"
"I'm young. I have a bright future ahead of me. Staying under some fool like you is a waste of my life!"
"Next time we meet, it'll be me, Lin Yu, looking down on you!"
With that, Lin Yu stood up and stormed out of the conference room, heading toward the residence he remembered.
Once Lin Yu was gone, the others in the room burst into laughter. To them, his defiant words about not underestimating the young and poor were utterly laughable.
They knew little about Lin Yu's situation, but judging by his Asian appearance, they knew he had no powerful connections within the league.
Had Lin Yu been the offspring of some influential figure within the league, his bold claims might have carried some weight.
After all, the NBA was a small world where connections mattered—the more substantial your ties, the faster your rise. Many prominent figures saw their children enter the circle, starting directly as assistant coaches.
But Lin Yu had no such background. He was just a nameless nobody with no connections. No one would believe he could truly have a bright future....
Lin Yu returned to his residence like a walking corpse, his mood at rock bottom.
Resentment filled his chest. Why did others who crossed over become either dominant stars dominating the court or mastermind coaches orchestrating strategies?
Having traveled through time, he found himself merely a scout—a low-tier one at that—living in a dim, windowless basement. Even Liu Yuxi would shake his head in disbelief!
What's even more tragic is that he can't even be a scout anymore, having completely bid farewell to the NBA. His previous salary was so low that the cash in his wallet could barely last him half a month.
If he couldn't find work soon, Lin Yu might well end up wandering the streets, becoming the first-generation electronic pet.
What path should he take next? He couldn't very well come back to screw bolts, could he?
He'd been tightening screws in his past life, and now he was doing it again after traveling through time. What a pointless journey that would be!
With his brain exhausted to the extreme, Lin Yu fell into a deep sleep, his mind filled with uncertainty about the future.
He slept for fourteen hours straight. At two o'clock in the early morning, Lin Yu was jolted awake by a shrill, mechanical synthesized voice.
"Congratulations, Host. Identity verification complete. Super Passive System successfully bound!"
"Host possesses four passive skill slots. The first slot holds a permanent passive skill, while the remaining three slots receive weekly random passive skills. Randomization occurs every Sunday at 8 PM."
"Host detected no player talent. Automatically redirecting to coaching path. Passive skills converted to passive auras."
"Total passive auras: 10,000. Primary sources: Warcraft III, World of Warcraft, League of Legends, DOTA, Honor of Kings, Big Pineapple, etc."
"The coaching path requires the host to cultivate relationships with players. Continuously increase player affinity—higher affinity yields more potent aura effects."
"Binding successful! Reward package distributed!"
"Package contains the permanent passive aura 'Peak' and one dose of the potion 'Brotherhood'."
Lin Yu was wide awake now, scrambling out of bed with a strange, half-amused, half-exasperated expression.
Judging by the system prompt, this was originally a player system. If he possessed player talent, it would have guided him down the player path.
"Hmm, 26 years old, 182 cm tall, 75 kg... my vertical jump's barely higher than a matchbox."
"Seems I really lack the talent for being a player."
"Coach it is, then. Better than being some low-tier scout."
"Why does this affinity system sound so sleazy? Like the 'base-stealing' female character setup in Western erotic SLG games? Nadiya's Treasure?"
After accepting his reality, Lin Yu began examining the two items he'd received in the gift pack.
Peak: A permanent passive aura. When placed in the passive slot, it grants a rookie player on your team peak-period combat power. Only affects one rookie at a time; if multiple rookies are on the field, the aura effect becomes inactive.
Lin Yu stared in disbelief. This thing was insane!
Rookies who peaked upon debut, like Tim Duncan, were rare exceptions. Most rookies lagged at least two tiers behind their peak selves.
Rookie Kobe versus peak Kobe? Rookie James versus peak James? They weren't even in the same league.
Even if the Peak Aura only affects one rookie, its value is nothing short of insane!
In an instant, Lin Yu no longer felt lost about his future. Even if this system, delayed by three days, only had this one function, he thought it could guarantee him a lifetime of financial security. At the very least, he wouldn't have to work menial jobs anymore.
After reviewing Peak, Lin Yu eagerly examined another item: Brotherhood.
Brotherhood: Designate any target within one meter range to raise their affinity toward the host to the maximum value of 100 points. This is a special, one-of-a-kind item. Hosts should choose targets carefully. The item remains active for twenty-four hours and self-destructs upon expiration.
Lin Yu was stunned again. Just moments ago, he'd been fretting over how to re-enter the NBA circle.
Even with the system, it was useless if he couldn't get into the NBA. It was like having a body longer than Ibaka's but no girlfriend—utterly pointless.
Now the problem was solved. This item made Lin Yu's return to the NBA effortless.
"Summon Commissioner David Stern? Has he personally secured a coaching gig for me? Or better yet, skip straight to becoming an NBA Vice President!"
"Summon the basketball god Michael Jordan? The guy hasn't even retired yet and still wields terrifying influence. Could I really go to the Bulls and push out Phil Jackson?"
"No way. The item only lasts twenty-four hours. Where am I supposed to find these two guys?"
Lin Yu quickly realized how unrealistic his fantasy was. He was currently in Washington, D.C.—not far from NBA headquarters in New York or the Bulls' home base in Chicago, both Eastern cities he could reach within 24 hours.
But what good would that do? As a nobody, how could he even get within a meter of either of them to use the item?
"I'd have to find someone from the Bullets. The most powerful figure would be owner Abe Pollin, but unfortunately, he rarely shows his face. It's unclear if he's even in Washington."
"What if I targeted the Bullets' star, Chris Webber? He's the absolute cornerstone of the team. If he pressured the front office, he could surely get me an assistant coaching position."
Lin Yu's face lit up with hope, only to cloud over instantly. The Washington Bullets were currently on a road trip, playing in Los Angeles. Where on earth would he find Chris Webber?
He mulled over several other candidates, but none were suitable. Frustration began to boil within him.
He understood the critical importance of "Brothers in Arms" to his mission. Even the system had warned him to choose his target carefully—a wrong choice could truly turn him into a virtual pet.
Frowning deeply, Lin Yu tapped his forehead, racking his brain for solutions.
About five minutes later, he leaped off the bed, trembling with excitement.
He had it!
He had found the perfect target—a target even more suitable than Chris Webber!