Chapter Summaries

After a truck accident blocked traffic, Wang Yi ran five kilometers toward the arena, leaving the Kings to hold off the Warriors without him. The Kings kept fighting and finished the first quarter ahead, but Wang Yi still had not appeared on the arena’s screen.

• A truck overturned on the elevated highway, trapping Wang Yi’s car about five kilometers from the arena, and Nicole arranged for a helicopter.
• Wang Yi decided to run to the arena, outpacing Nicole and the filming crew as he hurried through gaps between the cars.
• Danny and Mitchell rallied the Kings to fight until Wang Yi arrived, and Walton replaced Mitchell with Danny after the timeout.
• The Kings fought hard on defense while Thompson and Curry found their three-point rhythm.
• Danny made four of five three-pointers in three minutes, helping the Kings preserve their advantage through the first quarter, while the arena screens still showed no sign of Wang Yi.

Wang Yi sprinted toward Chase Center Arena while responding to hecklers, as the Kings struggled to keep pace with the Warriors without him. With the Kings falling further behind and their starters exhausted, Luke Walton made a bold decision to replace all five starters with the bench.

• Wang Yi ran through traffic toward the arena, and the cameraman followed him with a drone.
• Wang Yi shouted “Fuck you” at a heckler, and fans around the world cheered his response.
• The Warriors exploited the Kings’ tiring full-court press, with Wiggins, Curry, and Thompson helping extend their lead to seven points.
• The Kings’ exhausted starters returned to the bench during a timeout, and Walton decided to substitute all five of them at once.

Luke Walton used his reserves and a Hack-a-Green strategy to help the Kings erase the Warriors’ lead and take a one-point advantage. The chapter ended with the game slowing as the Kings repeatedly fouled Draymond Green.

• Walton replaced all five exhausted Kings starters with reserves, and Danny stole the ball from Green before scoring a fast-break three.
• The Kings’ reserves pressed the Warriors and Danny kept hitting shots, cutting the deficit to three points five minutes into the second quarter.
• After Curry made two threes in thirteen seconds, Walton ordered the Kings to foul the Warriors whenever they got the ball.
• Green made one free throw on his first trip, Danny hit another three, and Green missed both on his next trip as the Kings took the lead on Mitchell’s two free throws.
• Wade and Reggie Miller explained Walton’s strategy, while Kerr decided to keep Green in the game; the Hack-a-Green fouls continued.

Wang Yi arrived at the arena after running 5,720 meters in under fifteen minutes, astonishing the crowd with a near-world-record pace. Despite concerns that the run would affect his stamina, he chose to enter the game, and the system awarded him an Intermediate Death God Experience Card when he checked in.

• Green struggled at the free-throw line while Danny's three-pointers helped the Kings build a five-point lead.
• Wang Yi ran from the overpass exit to the arena, arriving while the Kings' substitutes were still playing.
• The arena screen revealed that Wang Yi had covered 5,720 meters in 14 minutes 59 seconds, prompting commentators and fans to compare his pace to the 5,000-meter world record.
• Coach Walton asked Wang Yi to rest until halftime, but Wang Yi said he could play immediately, and his physician agreed he could manage it.
• After a timeout gave him another ninety seconds to stretch and recover, Wang Yi entered the game and checked in with the system, receiving an Intermediate Death God Experience Card.

After running 5,700 meters, Wang Yi entered the game and stunned the Warriors with a poster dunk, then helped the Kings extend their lead while Walton’s foul strategy gave him time to recover. Steve Kerr finally took Green out and told the Warriors to speed up the game to wear Wang Yi down.

• Wang Yi received an Intermediate Death God Experience Card and headed to the corner to conserve energy when he entered the game.
• Wang Yi cut past Thompson, caught Hield’s pass, and dunked over Looney, firing up the Kings and their fans.
• Walton had the Kings repeatedly foul Green, giving Wang Yi time to rest while he scored a three-pointer, assisted TT’s dunk, and added a layup.
• The Kings’ lead grew to 12 points as Green struggled at the free-throw line, and Kerr took him out during a timeout.
• Kerr told the Warriors to play faster and keep running in hopes of exhausting Wang Yi.

The Warriors and Kings traded rapid fast breaks in an explosive shootout, but Walton slowed the Kings down after recognizing Kerr was trying to exhaust Wang Yi. The Kings settled into a half-court play centered on Wang Yi, who tried to break free of Thompson as the shot clock dwindled.

• Curry quickly inbounded after a Kings score, and Wiggins raced downcourt to dunk before Holmes launched a long pass to Wang Yi for another slam.
• Curry and Thompson answered with a fast break and a three-pointer, while Hield and Wang Yi teamed up for a lob-assisted dunk.
• Walton called off the Kings' next fast break, and Hield slowed the pace as the commentators explained that Kerr wanted to wear Wang Yi down.
• Wang Yi understood Walton's signal and directed Hield to slow down while the Kings ran a half-court offense built around him.
• With five seconds left on the shot clock, Holmes screened for Wang Yi, who cut toward the basket, but Thompson tugged his arm to slow him down.

Wang Yi helped the Kings preserve their halftime lead, but the Warriors steadily erased it as the Kings grew exhausted. After resting briefly, Wang Yi returned to the court and opened the fourth quarter with a three-point attempt.

• Wang Yi used a cut to get open against Klay Thompson and made a three, while Curry answered with a deep three before the second quarter ended with the Kings ahead by 13.
• The coaches urged their teams to control the pace in opposite ways, and the Warriors gradually cut into the Kings’ lead as Curry hit a near-full-court three to make it a two-point game at the end of the third quarter.
• Wade and Reggie Miller noted that the Kings were tiring, and Walton asked Wang Yi if he wanted to rest; Wang Yi refused despite his exhaustion.
• Nicole watched Wang Yi recover at the arena, and Wang Yi returned to the court after resting for less than two minutes.
• At the start of the fourth quarter, Wang Yi cut around Thompson and a Holmes screen to get free in the right corner, caught Hield’s pass, and released a three-point shot.

Wang Yi took over late in the game after the Warriors erased the Kings' lead and moved ahead. He tied the score with a long jumper, leaving the contest level as he prepared to carry the Kings toward a win.

• Wang Yi and the Kings kept a five-point lead through the Warriors' first comeback attempt with late-clock offense and defensive pressure.
• Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, and Green scored ten points in two minutes, putting the Warriors ahead by three while the Kings managed only a Barnes three-pointer.
• Walton urged the Kings to stay disciplined on defense, while Wang Yi rested and stared at the Warriors' championship banners, revealing his desire to win a title.
• Wang Yi told Walton he was ready to take over, then caught the inbound pass in the backcourt and charged up the floor.
• Wang Yi crossed past Wiggins and launched a jumper over Green, tying the game as he turned back with a blank expression.

Wang Yi repeatedly answered the Warriors’ comebacks with clutch scoring, keeping the Kings ahead until Stephen Curry tied the game with a three-pointer in the final seconds. Curry celebrated as a dark figure raced past him, leaving the next play unresolved.

• Wang Yi faked out Draymond Green, dodged his leg and kick, and hit a mid-range jumper to put the Kings up by five.
• Wang Yi answered Stephen Curry’s layup with a three-point play, restoring the Kings’ seven-point lead and forcing Steve Kerr to call timeout.
• Wang Yi continued to score in key moments as the game stayed close, and the Kings led by five with a minute and a half remaining.
• Curry scored after using Green’s screen, and Wang Yi’s late shot missed, leaving the Warriors with 47 seconds to play.
• Curry drove past the defense, stepped beyond the three-point line, and sank a clutch shot to tie the game at 118 with 30.7 seconds left.
• Curry celebrated in front of the crowd as a dark figure suddenly raced past him.

Curry tied the game with a clutch three, but Wang Yi answered with a lightning-fast transition dunk to put the Kings ahead. Curry later tied the score again with 7.1 seconds remaining, leaving the game poised for a final possession.

• Curry hit a clutch three-pointer to tie the score at 118 with 30.7 seconds left.
• Wang Yi rushed down the court after Hield's inbound pass, knocked Curry aside, and dunked to give the Kings a 120–118 lead.
• Kerr used the Warriors' final timeout and scolded his players for failing to get back on defense.
• Wang Yi guarded Curry tightly and disrupted the Warriors' planned three-point play.
• Curry improvised with Thompson, used Green's screen, and scored a floater to tie the game at 120 with 7.1 seconds left.

With the score tied and 7.1 seconds left, Wang Yi took control of the Kings’ final possession and faced a Warriors defense prepared to double-team him. He rose over three defenders and released a shot with 0.7 seconds remaining, leaving its result unknown.

• Wang Yi demanded the ball during the timeout and told Walton and his teammates to leave the final play to him.
• Walton drew up a play to get Wang Yi the ball, while Kerr told Green to watch rookie Danny as well as help defend Wang Yi.
• Wang Yi received the inbound pass, dribbled near the logo, and gestured for his teammates to spread out.
• Wang Yi waited as the clock dwindled, then faced a double-team from Thompson, Green, and Wiggins.
• With 0.7 seconds left, Wang Yi jumped above the three defenders and released his shot.

Wang Yi sank a contested logo three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game against Curry’s team, stunning Chase Center and thrilling fans in China. After the celebrations, Wang Yi admitted he was unhappy that Curry had won the MVP, and Irene Andrews asked whether the game-winner was revenge.

• Wang Yi avoided Green’s outstretched foot as his buzzer-beating logo three-pointer bounced off the rim and into the net, winning the game over three defenders.
• Wang Yi raised his fist while his teammates celebrated, and Wade and Reggie Miller shouted about his game-winner.
• Fans across China cheered, including students, PE teachers, and office workers who celebrated the shot in their workplaces.
• Curry stared at the replay, then headed for the Player Tunnel, determined to get revenge in the next game.
• Irene Andrews interviewed Wang Yi, who said he was unhappy that Curry had won the MVP.
• Irene asked Wang Yi whether beating Curry’s team with Curry’s signature move was revenge.

After Wang Yi's buzzer-beater gave the Kings a win over the Warriors, he declared that eliminating them and reaching the Finals would count as real payback. The next morning, Wang Yi and Curry silently passed each other on a run, while Wang Yi began a system-assigned core-strength program to prepare for the rest of the series.

• Wang Yi told Irene that beating the Warriors in the series and making the Finals would be real payback, drawing mixed reactions from fans.
• Wang Jianhua watched Wang Yi's interview and reflected that his son loved making bold claims but usually fulfilled them.
• Wang Yi joked that running nearly six kilometers before the game had not affected him, then slept soundly with his internet and phone turned off.
• Wang Yi went for a ten-kilometer run at dawn and passed Curry on the road; neither slowed down or spoke as both focused on winning the series.
• The system assigned Wang Yi eight core-strength exercises and said completing them within a week would bring his core strength to the top level in the league.

The Kings tied the Western Conference Finals at 3–3 with the Warriors and prepared for a decisive Game 7, as Wang Yi rallied his teammates to play for a championship. At the team dinner before they traveled to San Francisco, Anjiali’s affection for Wang Yi grew stronger as she watched him.

• The Kings lost G2 and G3 to the Warriors despite Wang Yi’s strong shooting in G3, and critics dismissed their chances of advancing.
• Wang Yi scored 55 points with 13 assists and 10 rebounds in G4 to lead the Kings to a narrow win and tie the series at 2–2.
• The Kings and Warriors split G5 and G6, setting up a Game 7 as bookmakers gave the Kings odds of 50 to 1.
• Holmes cursed the odds, and Wang Yi joked that higher odds would help Kings fans make a fortune while using the moment to motivate his teammates.
• Walton, Divac, and Ranadave took the Kings to a team dinner before their trip to San Francisco, where Wang Yi rejected the idea that losing would be acceptable and urged the team to win.
• Anjiali watched Wang Yi tenderly from the balcony, drawn to his passion and his devotion to Nicole.

Wang Yi joked that he might consider marrying Anjiali if polygamy were allowed, only to learn that her family’s faith permitted a man to have four wives and that she took his words seriously. Later, he discovered Danny had been quietly packing up the team’s leftovers, and realized this explained why Danny kept disappearing near the end of group meals.

• Anjiali told Wang Yi she loved him and eagerly seized on his joke about polygamy, explaining that her family followed Islam and that a man could have four wives.
• Wang Yi insisted he had only been joking and remained unwilling to accept Anjiali because he already had Nicole and could not justify treating her unfairly.
• Mitchell watched Anjiali pursue Wang Yi and reflected on his own limited basketball prospects, deciding to stay close to his boss for a chance at a better future.
• After dinner, Wang Yi noticed Danny was missing again and stayed behind to look for him while the other teammates prepared to leave.
• Wang Yi found Danny filling disposable containers with the meal’s leftovers and understood that Danny had been waiting for everyone to leave before taking the food home.

Wang Yi learned about Danny’s severe social anxiety and the hardships behind his habit of taking leftover food home. He discreetly packed food alongside Danny and shielded him from embarrassment, leaving Danny deeply grateful.

• Wang Yi recalled how Danny’s childhood trauma led to severe social anxiety, while basketball became his closest companion and helped him reach the NBA.
• Wang Yi realized Danny secretly packed leftovers because his rookie salary left him struggling financially.
• Wang Yi asked for takeout containers and pretended he wanted food for himself so Danny could pack his leftovers without feeling singled out.
• Wang Yi and Danny found their teammates waiting at the villa entrance, and Wang Yi claimed he had brought Danny along as a scapegoat while packing food.
• Mitchell and Holmes reassured Wang Yi that no one would make fun of him, while Danny silently understood Wang Yi’s kindness and felt even more grateful.

Wang Yi and Nicole visited San Francisco's Chinatown before the Kings' decisive Game Seven, where he enjoyed a taste of home while sticking to his nutritionist's restrictions. The next morning, TT was missing from the Kings' pregame meeting, and Walton and the others worried he might cause trouble.

• Wang Yi and Nicole went to Chinatown despite the hostility toward the Kings around San Francisco.
• Wang Yi ate Liangpi and beef soup instead of the Roujiamo he craved, then signed a jersey for the restaurant owner.
• The Chinatown community welcomed Wang Yi and Nicole and saw them off warmly.
• At the Kings' morning meeting, TT was absent, and Walton could not reach him by phone.
• Bagley said TT had been in their room the previous night but was gone when he woke up, prompting Wang Yi and Barnes to exchange worried looks.

Before the Kings’ win-or-go-home Game 7, Wang Yi confronted TT for arriving drunk and disrespecting the team, then knocked him unconscious with a punch. The meeting ended with TT under the conference table and the players stunned by Wang Yi’s fighting ability.

• Wang Yi weighed how to handle TT, a talented but unruly backup center, and agreed to let the team meeting begin.
• TT arrived late to the meeting reeking of alcohol, propped his feet on the table, and ignored Walton and the other players.
• Wang Yi poured a bottle of water over TT to sober him up, holding him down when TT tried to rise.
• TT cursed Wang Yi and lunged at him, but Wang Yi struck first with a right hook that knocked TT onto the table and beneath it.
• Wang Yi recalled the athletic training and practical fighting techniques Uncle Yuan had taught him when he was young.

Wang Yi’s punch left TT asleep, and TT’s continued disruptive behavior angered the Kings before their Game 7. After TT stormed into the locker room and challenged Wang Yi to a fight, Wang Yi accepted on the condition that TT would respect him if he won.

• Wang Yi knocked TT down, and the team doctor found that TT had fallen asleep after drinking and staying up all night.
• TT failed to appear when the Kings left for Chase Center, so Wang Yi urged his teammates to win without him.
• The Kings trained and prepared for Game 7 while Wang Yi wrapped his ankle and got ready to rally the team.
• TT arrived at the arena with a bruised cheek, confronted Wang Yi, and challenged him to a one-on-one fight.
• Wang Yi asked whether TT would respect him if he won and demanded that TT keep his word.

Wang Yi accepted TT’s boxing challenge in the locker room while his teammates and coaches waited anxiously outside. He emerged unharmed, and TT quietly agreed that they had cleared things up, just before the team’s Game 7.

• Wang Yi accepted TT’s one-on-one boxing challenge and asked everyone else to leave the locker room.
• Wang Yi shut the door, while Mitchell and the others waited outside and heard several thuds from inside.
• Nicole arrived, learned Wang Yi had accepted the challenge willingly, and convinced everyone to wait rather than interrupt.
• Wang Yi opened the door and emerged without visible injuries, while TT sat inside with a bruise on his cheek.
• Wang Yi said he and TT had talked and cleared things up, and TT quietly agreed.