When Su Xi woke up in the hospital, the top news story was playing on the wall-mounted television.
David Stern was giving a heartfelt speech about the tragic death of the gifted player and top prospect, Reggie Williams. He said the NBA had lost a potential superstar, that Reggie Williams was an unforgettable, talented player…
A chill ran down Su Xi's spine and his scalp prickled. He changed the channel.
It was still about Reggie Williams.
"…he had Iverson's speed, Tracy McGrady's explosiveness, and Vince Carter's vertical. His offensive skills were even more solid than Kobe's. If he had made it to the NBA, he would have undoubtedly been the successor to Jordan. NBA fans never even got to see his brilliant, dazzling talent before he went off to play basketball for God."
"Everyone in the NCAA knew his first step was faster than Iverson's and his second step was faster than Tracy McGrady's. But who could have imagined he was *this* fast…"
Su Xi cried out from his hospital bed.
Medical staff rushed in to ask what was wrong.
Su Xi kept asking the nurse, "What happened? What about the other two? Reggie and Danny, where are they?"
The nurse told him honestly, "You were in a car accident. It's been 24 hours now."
"Your vital signs are normal, all your organs are intact, and you only have a few minor scrapes. After your check-up this afternoon, if there are no other issues, you can be discharged."
Su Xi didn't care about that. He asked again about Reggie and Danny.
The nurse said with great regret, "The impact was extremely forceful, and they weren't wearing seatbelts, so…"
Su Xi broke down.
He never would have dreamed it would end like this.
Reggie already had one foot in the door of the NBA, and it was only a matter of time before Danny became an NBA player too. They were on the verge of joining the wealthiest class in the world, but…
Why?
Overcome with grief and unable to accept the reality of the situation, Su Xi fainted again.
…
It took a week for Su Xi to emerge from his grief.
He leaned back in his seat on the bus to New York, quietly sensing the dramatic changes in his body.
He now found that his body contained boundless strength and immense explosive power. He often felt an impulse to charge out and shatter a boulder to pieces.
Normal Speed Talent!
Normal Agility Talent!
Normal Coordination Talent!
Elite Stamina Talent! (But with super-super recovery speed.)
Normal Vertical Talent!
Normal Flexibility Talent!
Super Strength Talent! (Fusing)
Super Explosiveness Talent! (Fusing)
This was the breakdown of Su Xi's physical talents as read by the Little Elf. In its rating system, physical talents were divided into five tiers: Normal, Elite, Excellent, Top-Tier, and Super.
The Little Elf told him, "Theoretically, your current physical talents have reached a level you've never touched before. Your explosiveness is a top-tier explosiveness talent, and your strength is a top-tier strength talent."
"However, you haven't fully fused with them yet."
"It's like having a bank card with a billion USD on it, but your current withdrawal limit is low."
"There are four main methods for fusion."
"First is training, constant training. Training will allow you to fuse to a certain degree."
"The second is to defend against someone whose talent in that area is better than yours. When they actively use that talent on offense, the talent within you will also fuse faster."
"The third is real-game situations. In high-intensity games, the more difficult your circumstances, the better you'll be able to fuse your talents."
"Of course, there's a final method: train against the person who gifted you the super talent. That kind of training will yield twice the results with half the effort."
According to the Little Elf, it didn't sound too difficult.
'But where am I supposed to find people with better talents than me?'
Su Xi asked the Little Elf about something else. "Little Elf, if I encounter other talents on the basketball court and acquire them too... if I gather lots of talents—not three, not four, not five, not six... will I instantly become invincible?"
The Little Elf replied, "Theoretically, yes. But you also need to polish your skills and fuse completely with all those talents. That is a difficult and lengthy process."
"Right, what are the ways to acquire talents?" Su Xi finally asked the key question.
The Little Elf's answer to this question was very detailed.
"One way is if a person with a supreme talent dies while you are near them. You can directly acquire their dissipating talent."
"Another way is if a person with a supreme talent gifts or shares it with you from the bottom of their heart."
"There's one more method: fulfill the lingering obsession of a person with a supreme talent. You can also obtain it that way."
Su Xi nodded. "Got it!"
"Oh, right. One more thing. If you can't win an NBA championship within five years, I will disappear, and you will lose the ability to capture more talents. Of course, the talents and abilities you've already obtained won't be taken away."
The Little Elf dropped a bombshell. "Because my survival requires energy."
As soon as Su Xi heard that, he felt an intense sense of urgency.
'To win an NBA championship, I have to get into the NBA.'
'To get into the NBA, I have to make a name for myself in the NCAA.'
Although he was currently a member of the Syracuse University basketball team, he had only gotten in because of his connection to Reggie Williams. Now that Reggie Williams was gone, the team was unlikely to keep him on just out of respect for a dead man. They might even cut him.
'I have to stay on the Syracuse University team!'
Su Xi clapped his hands together, setting his first goal.
'The first thing I'll do when I get back to Syracuse is train. I have to completely fuse with Scott's and Williams's talents. Even though they're gone, I'll carry their legacy with me, make a name for us in the NBA, and win a championship. Five years! Five years is enough!'
Su Xi gritted his teeth, now filled with a sense of mission.
He recalled the scene at the Williams's house three days ago.
At the time, players from the two teams currently competing in the Finals had come with NBA officials to the Williams's house to offer their condolences.
This was part of the NBA's outreach, showing their regret at losing a potential superstar like Reggie.
Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Robert Horry from the Lakers, along with the Brooklyn Nets' star player Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Kiters all came to Reggie's house. They expressed their sympathies and gave interviews to the media.
They said many caring words in front of the cameras.
Some players also provided tangible help to Reggie's family.
But in a secluded corner of the backyard at Reggie's house, Su Xi overheard Kiters complaining to a staff member. "I don't think any of this is necessary... The media hyped him up way too much... as if he could just enter the league and become the next Jordan. Who does he think he is? Kobe? Carter? I think even among high schoolers, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James are better than him... He's just some unlucky schmuck who didn't have the good fortune to cash in on the NBA dividend..."
Hearing this, Su Xi charged out. He pointed at the NBA star and yelled, "If you didn't come here to genuinely mourn, then you should get the hell out. You're not welcome here! You're just putting on a phony charity act, you hypocrite!"
Su Xi pointed right at Kiters.
This put Kiters in an awkward position.
Embarrassed and enraged, he started spouting insults. "Who the hell are you? Do you know who you're talking to? Some little punk from the slums, you think you can play hero? You're just a little ant. You could never cause me any real pain. Our lives will never intersect. I'll be drinking in my hundred-thousand-dollar luxury car while you're picking up bottle caps on the street…"
Kiters was incredibly arrogant, using his status to intimidate Su Xi, even though he wasn't exactly a major figure in the NBA.
Su Xi looked at him coldly.
'In my heart, I'm the protagonist who's about to become the God of Basketball.'
"A run-of-the-mill player like you in the NBA only dares to bully people with your status when you've got no ground to stand on. You're a coward. You got schooled so hard by Kobe in the Finals you didn't know which way was up. By the time I get to the NBA, you'll have long been cut. And remember this: I'll be the one tossing bottle caps at you from my two-hundred-thousand-dollar luxury car."
Su Xi's presence was powerful.
Kiters raised his fist to punch Su Xi.
But it was caught in mid-air by someone else.
It was Kobe.
Kobe Bryant stopped him.
Kobe was a very cold person. He had no friends and always walked his own path.
For him to step in and stop Kiters was a surprise to everyone.
"You shouldn't have said those things in the first place," Kobe told him. "You're rubbing salt in their wounds."
Being called out by someone with more status than him, Kiters lost his earlier aggression.
He pulled his hand back, snorted, and walked away.
"I'll be waiting for you in the NBA, kid," Kiters tossed over his shoulder.
…
[Your fledgling author here, asking for recommendation votes and for you to add this to your library. Love you all forever.]