154. Unexpected Harvest (6000)

"Hey! What are you standing there for? Come in!"

As she spoke, Avril pushed Li Chen to the warm and somewhat ambiguous dining table, and then pressed him down into a chair.

Then, she turned and sat down opposite Li Chen, but when she saw his blank expression, she complained, "Hey, hey, hey! Is this all you do for Christmas with me...?"

But before Avril could finish speaking, Li Chen quickly raised his hand to interrupt, "No, no, no! Avril, I was just too happy, so I didn't react for a moment."

Hearing this, she squinted her eyes happily.

Li Chen was somewhat lost in thought when he saw that smile, as if only now did he take a closer look at Avril.

Her facial features are clearly defined, with a soft yet three-dimensional profile.

She wasn't wearing makeup tonight, and her eyes sparkled brightly, like two mischievous stars twinkling, bringing warmth and vitality.

Her high, straight nose bridge extended upwards, adding to her unique charm.

Her lips were rosy and full, slightly upturned, as if she always had a playful smile on her face, which showed that she was in a good mood.

Her golden hair was casually draped over her shoulders, exuding a touch of untamed spirit.

Her skin was fair and delicate, with a healthy rosy glow, as if she possessed an eternal youth.

Today she was wearing ripped jeans, a graphic tee, and canvas shoes, exuding a rock-and-roll cool vibe.

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you having ulterior motives towards me?"

Avril waved her fair little hand in front of Chen's eyes while playfully teasing him.

Li Chen said frankly, "Who doesn't like beautiful women? Especially a naturally beautiful and multi-talented woman like Miss Avril."

"Hehe! I didn't expect you to be so good at sweet talk!" Avril, her eyes crinkling into crescents.

Li Chen rubbed his nose, thinking, "Sweet talk and flattery to women, isn't that a man's innate skill? How could I, a real man, not know it?"

"Hey! You're spacing out again, pour me some wine!" Avril complained.

"Oh, oh!" Li Chen quickly picked up the red wine, opened it, stood up, poured it into the glass in front of Avril, and then poured himself a glass as well.

A moment later, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Chrismas."

"Cheers."

"Cheers."

After putting down the wine glass.

Avril urged impatiently, "Chen, come, try my cooking."

Li Chen nodded. Before even touching the knife, he could smell the enticing aroma of meat, which whetted his appetite.

He cut a piece of steak and put it in his mouth.

As he put the steak in his mouth, an enticing aroma of meat intensified. With his first bite, the tender and juicy meat danced on his tongue, as if weaving a beautiful melody with his taste buds.

The delicate texture of the meat unfolds in your mouth, each pinkish-red strand exuding umami flavor and abundant juice.

They danced in his mouth, like a meticulously woven painting of flavors, making Li Chen involuntarily squint his eyes and become completely absorbed in it.

The steak is tender and smooth, like enjoying a gentle, whispered embrace.

With each chew, Li Chen felt a sense of satisfaction and pleasure, as if he were tasting the ultimate deliciousness of meat.

"How was it?" Avril asked expectantly.

At this moment, Li Chen opened his eyes and smiled, saying, "Not bad, very delicious. It's the best steak I've ever eaten."

"Tch, so glib."

Although Avril said that, she really appreciated Li Chen's words.

"Here, try this, and this too..."

One hour later.

"Avril, stop drinking, you're drunk," Li Chen said, grabbing Avril's small hand.

"Hehe, I'm not drunk at all! I'm so happy today, come on..."

Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed onto the table with a thud.

Li Chen was speechless. "Still saying you're not drunk?" he said, carrying Avril to his bedroom bed.

Then he went out of the room and began to clear the dishes.

After fussing around for more than half an hour, Li Chen finished tidying up.

Just as Li Chen finished clearing the table, Avril swayed out.

On the other side, when Avril saw Li Chen, she was slightly stunned. "Chen, what are you doing in my house? Oh! I must be dreaming."

Li Chen: "..."

Li Chen slapped his forehead. Good heavens, he's still half asleep!

Seeing Avril staggering and seemingly about to fall at any moment, he quickly took a few steps forward, steadied Avril, and complained, "I told you not to drink so much, really!"

Li Chen took Avril back to her room and covered her with a blanket.

Just as Li Chen was about to leave, Avril suddenly hugged Li Chen and said indistinctly, "Chen, I think I've fallen for you, but I want to find a like-minded partner. I really don't know what to choose! I'm in so much pain."

Li Chen felt a little helpless. He thought to himself, "Maybe I should learn to sing in my spare time, and then form a band with that fat guy O'Neal?"

Just as Li Chen's thoughts were wandering, Avril giggled and said, "But this is a dream, so I don't need to worry about it. So..."

Li Chen was stunned. He had been forcibly kissed! This was his first kiss!

Wait, hey, hey, hey! Avril...

At this moment, Li Chen was troubled by a difficult decision.

The question is, should I take advantage of someone in distress? But that would be too despicable!

But if he does nothing, he's worse than an animal!

Then...

The next day, when Avril heard the door close, she cautiously opened her eyes, then felt a wave of dejection wash over her. She never imagined that she would lose her virginity over Christmas. To make matters worse, she thought she was dreaming.

A moment later, she picked up the phone and sent a message.

Old Jack got up early, eagerly awaiting good news.

Just then, a text message notification sounded.

When he saw that it was a message from his own granddaughter, he was overjoyed after reading the message. "Not bad, kid!"

So he sent a message saying, "Chen, this young man is good. You'll be happy with him."

Seeing her grandfather's message, Avril was depressed. She wanted to find a boyfriend who shared her interests and common topics! But now... she was on the verge of tears.

During the morning training session, Li Chen's teammates could sense his genuine happiness.

Elton Brand joked, "Chen, what good thing happened? You seem so happy."

The other teammates also pricked up their ears, wanting to know why Li Chen was so happy.

Hehe! I'm not going to tell you the reason.

Yes, of course he wouldn't say it, since his teammates already knew about his relationship with Avril.

Then he said mysteriously, "It's a secret."

"Shh..."

Li Chen's feigned mystery drew boos from his teammates.

Meanwhile, the first round of voting for the NBA's annual All-Star Game has also begun.

After several days of voting, Li Chen ranked second in the Western Conference with 576,850 votes.

The first one is Kobe, because the impact of the "sexual harassment" case was positive for Kobe.

Although Kobe's kindness brought him trouble, his popularity soared even higher after the truth came out.

He pressed Vince Carter's 696,652 sheets with a tension of 756,555.

In the Western Conference vote, Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers, 756,555 votes) was the favorite.

Li Chen (Los Angeles Clippers, 576,850 photos).

The two Los Angeles teams occupy the top two spots at guard.

The top two spots for forwards are shared by Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves, 539,280 photos) and Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs, 515,009 photos).

The center position goes without saying; it's "Shaq, "O'Neal who received 534,480 votes.

Yao Ming received 414,063 votes, ranking tenth in total votes and behind O'Neal among Western Conference centers.

The five positions in the Eastern Conference are: Allen Iverson (guard, Philadelphia 76ers, 566713).

McGrady (Guard, Orlando Magic, 417,529 images).

Vince Carter (Forward, Toronto Raptors, 696,652 images).

Jermaine O'Neal (Forward, Indiana Pacers, 542,673 images) and Ben Wallace (Center, Detroit Pistons, 597,959 images).

Afternoon.

"Demar, push hard, use your body to knock that fat little James away."

"James, you dared to dodge, you'll get an extra 50 laps as a penalty after the game ends."

Harden was about to cry.

DeRozan dared not hold back, and the two boys engaged in a clash of strength.

Seeing this, Li Chen's lips curled up. Not bad, their physical strength was practically invincible among their peers. Functional Drink really work! Li Chen thought to himself.

Just as Li Chen was happily tormenting Harden and DeRozan, Li Chen phone rang.

He picked up the phone and saw that it was Avril calling.

Seeing that it was Avril calling, Li Chen felt a little guilty.

So he walked away from Harden and DeRozan, leaving the arena and going outside.

Seeing Li Chen leave, Harden and DeRozan stopped their 1-on-1 match.

"Demar, the boss must have done something bad. Let's go check it out."

After thinking for a moment, DeMar DeRozan decisively shook his head and said straightforwardly, "James, I don't want to take the extra penalty."

"Tch! Coward," Harden said disdainfully.

Then, like a thief, he tiptoed out.

On the other end of the line, after answering the phone, Li Chen wondered what to say. Should he say that you took the initiative last night? Or that he was also a victim?

Although it's true, if I dared to say it out loud, Avril would definitely fly into a rage.

A long silence fell between the two of them.

About a minute later, Avril said, "I've moved all your things out. I'm outside now. Let's go home!"

Li Chen was slightly stunned. "Wouldn't this count as being kept by a sugar daddy?"

A dozen minutes later.

Li Chen announced that DeMar DeRozan and James Harden were free, and then he and Avril went home.

James Harden watched the car disappear from sight, his expression grave. "Demar," he said. "We've been abandoned."

"Yes! But I'm very happy," Demar DeRozan calmly.

Then, the two looked at each other and said, "Finally, we can rest for a day." They laughed heartily, releasing their joy.

That evening, after they finished eating, Avril said seriously, "Chen, although we ended up having a relationship by accident, I have no plans to get married right now. Please understand and give me some time."

Li Chen nodded and said, "Of course, I will always wait for you."

Avril smiled broadly. "Smooth talker. By the way, I didn't feel any of my first love last night, so maybe..."

The next day, at breakfast, Avril rolled her eyes at Li Chen's energetic appearance and asked, "Honey, aren't you tired?" She yawned, looking slightly weary.

Li Chen chuckled mischievously and said, "Guess!"

"Tch, humph! Just you wait, I'll definitely take you down," Avril retorted defiantly.

"By the way, I need to prepare for next year's concert, so I'll be away for a while." Avril, sounding a little reluctant to leave.

Li Chen nodded and said, "I understand. Take care of yourself."

At this moment, Avril suddenly said seriously, "Chen, I hope you won't disappoint me."

Li Chen was taken aback, then nodded solemnly and said, "I will."

And just like that, Li Chen moved into a big house without spending a single penny.

At that moment, Li Chen finally understood why people in China, regardless of gender, liked to be kept by sugar daddies.

On December 27, the Clippers enjoyed a four-game home run.

First, they faced the challenge of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Iverson did not play in this game, which made Li Chen somewhat disappointed.

The Clippers ultimately defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 101-98.

Li Chen played 40 minutes, scoring 28 points, shooting 10-for-17 from the field, along with 13 assists, including 5-for-7 from three-point range and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.

Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Wang Zhizhi, Korver all scored in double figures.

It's worth mentioning that Clippers' substitute Richardson played exceptionally well, appearing in 37 minutes, shooting 8-for-15, scoring 22 points, adding 2 assists, including 5-for-7 from three-point range and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. His scoring was second only to Li Chen's 28 points.

On December 30th, they faced the Raptors in their second game.

Despite having Vince Carter, one of the four great shooting guards, the Raptors have struggled with their record.

Last season, they finished second only to the Cavaliers and even drafted Chris Bosh.

In this match, Li Chen's random S-rank Skill is a new skill called [Gorgeous].

This skill doesn't have any additional shooting attributes; its only function is to increase coordination by 50%.

Coordination refers to the ability of all parts of the body to move in a unified and coordinated manner.

It involves the coordinated work between muscles, the nervous system, and the brain.

A person with good coordination is able to coordinate the use of elements such as movement, strength, balance, and posture between different parts and systems when engaging in various sports activities.

This means they are able to control and adjust their body posture, position, and movements to adapt to different exercise requirements.

Coordination is fundamental to an athlete's development, playing a crucial role in accurately executing technical movements, improving athletic efficiency, and preventing injuries.

Good coordination can make athletes perform more smoothly, flexibly, and precisely in sports, thereby improving their competitive level and performance.

In fact, Li Chen has excellent coordination; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to cause Bowen to lose his head even after being tripped up.

In fact, Li Chen has been improving his coordination through balance exercises, hand-eye coordination exercises, and multi-joint coordination training.

And this S-rank Skill [Gorgeous] is a really unexpected surprise. Coordination plays a big role in shooting feel and some high-difficulty moves when dunking.

Although it doesn't have an additional accuracy bonus, Li Chen felt that this skill was no worse than the S+ skills of those basketball legends.

In high spirits, Li Chen decided to give Clippers fans a dunking extravaganza.

Thus, this match turned into a dunk contest between Li Chen and Carter!

The two players took turns performing high-difficulty dunks that sent the fans' adrenaline soaring.

First up was Li Chen, who skillfully controlled the ball's rhythm and quickly rushed towards the basket.

He spun in the air with a graceful and agile motion and slammed the ball into the basket.

During this time, Li Chen felt that he could now perform movements that he couldn't do before as easily as his arm or index finger.

At the same time, Li Chen's dunk made the entire stadium erupt in cheers, and thunderous applause resounded.

Next up was Carter, who displayed his dunking skills in no way inferior to Carter's.

He leaped into the air with tremendous explosive power, and then sent the ball into the basket with an extremely high vertical jump.

The fans were awestruck by his power and speed, and they exclaimed in admiration.

As the game progressed to its final stages, the competition between Li Chen and Carter intensified.

They gave it their all, constantly trying to execute more exciting and difficult dunks.

Well... Carter gave it his all, but as for Li Chen, that's anyone's guess.

Each of their dunks was full of personal style and creativity, bringing endless surprises and enjoyment to the audience.

In the end, Li Chen ended the game with a spectacular long-range windmill dunk, igniting a frenzy of cheers from the entire audience.

This game was a dunking extravaganza between Li Chen and Carter, captivating fans with the charm of basketball.

This game earned Li Chen a lot of fans, who then generously cast their votes in the subsequent All-Star voting.

The Clippers ultimately defeated the Raptors 100-94.

In this game Carter played 41 minutes, shooting 7-for-16, scoring 22 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and shooting 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.

The future "Dragon King "Bosh played 31 minutes, shooting 2-for-8 for 7 points, and 3-for-6 from the free-throw line.

For the Clippers, all their key players scored in double figures.

Li Chen played 45 minutes, shooting 15-for-20, scoring 40 points, 15 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, including 6-for-7 from three-point range and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line.

January 7, 2004.

The Player of the Month for December has been announced.

Li Chen, with 28.1 points, 14.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and a 15-win record, surpassed Wolf King Garnett's 26.4 points, 5.8 assists, 13.1 rebounds, and 11-2 record to win the Player of the Month award.

The Clippers had a lot of games in January, and although Li Chen performed well, they ultimately achieved a record of 12 wins and 3 losses.

They had a 5-1 record in the lead-up to the NBA All-Star Game in February.

The Clippers lead the Western Conference with a 47-8 record, having played six more games than the Timberwolves.

Meanwhile, the NBA All-Star voting results have been announced.

Li Chen received 2,165,319 votes; Western Conference.

Carter 2,127,183 votes, Eastern Conference

Ben Wallace 1,982,251 votes, Eastern Conference

Garnett 1,780,918 votes, Western Conference

Kobe received 1,759,717 votes in the Western Conference.

Iverson received 1,731,648 votes in the Eastern Conference.

Duncan received 1,681,435 votes in the Western Conference.

Little O'Neal received 1,629,054 votes in the Eastern Conference.

Yao Ming received 1,484,531 votes in the Western Conference.

O'Neal 1,453,286 votes, Western Conference

Li Chen was quite surprised to win the vote, and he could only marvel at the strength of the domestic fans. They truly deserve to be called the best fans. They were really awesome!

Meanwhile, Alvin Gentry also had his moment of glory, becoming an NBA All-Star head coach for the first time.

1. Western Conference

Western Conference starting lineup: Li Chen, Kobe Bryant, Yao Ming, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett;

Western Conference bench lineup: Shaquille O'Neal, Brad Miller, Andrei Kirilenko, Peja Stojakovic, Steve Francis, Ray Allen, Dirk Nowitzki;

2. Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference starting lineup: Jermaine O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Ben Wallace, Allen Iverson

Eastern Conference bench: Kenyon Martin, Ron Artest, Paul Pierce, Jason Kidd, Michael Redd, Baron Davis, Jamal Magloire.

On February 4th, Elgin Baylor summoned Li Chen to his office.

"Mr. Baylor, what can I do for you?"

Elgin Baylor smiled mysteriously and said, "Good news."

"Has our dear boss, Mr. Don Sterling, come to his senses and is considering giving me a decent bonus?"

Elgin Baylor paused for a moment, then laughed, "Chen, you're too cruel! You're going to kill Sterling!"

As Elgin Baylor finished speaking, Elgin Baylor and Li Chen couldn't help but exchange a smile.

After laughing, Elgin Baylor said, "This year, Los Angeles is sending two teams to the NBA All-Star Shooting Stars Competition."

"You mean you want me to participate?" Li Chen asked, pointing to his face.

"Is there a problem?"

"Of course, Mr. Baylor."

Elgin Baylor asked in surprise, "Is it inconvenient for you to participate?"

"No, no, no! If you're going to make me participate, you might as well just give me the award directly."

Elgin Baylor paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "You're really arrogant, kid! This competition requires teamwork..." With that, Elgin Baylor explained the rules.

The Shooting Stars Competition consists of four teams, each composed of three players: one current NBA player, one retired superstar, and one WNBA female player.

There are 6 shooting spots in total. Three people take turns shooting, and the next person can only shoot after the previous person makes a successful shot. The winner is determined by one round of the game.

The six shooting spots are: 3 meters to the right at a 45-degree angle.

Three-pointer from 3 meters out at a 45-degree angle on the left, top of the key; three-pointer from the baseline on the right.

A three-pointer from the left 45-degree angle and a long-range three-pointer from mid-court.

The competition consists of two rounds. The first round eliminates two teams, and the second round determines the winner.

Li Chen thought to himself, "Uncle, I'm a time traveler, I know about this new way of playing this year."

At this moment, Li Chen thought of something and said, "By the way, Mr. Baylor, could you help me register for the Skills Competition and the Slam Dunk Contest?"

Li Chen originally wanted to participate in all three projects, but the rules only allowed participation in three projects, so Li Chen had to give up one project.

Elgin Baylor joked, "You're really keeping yourself busy enough."

Li Chen smiled.

In the afternoon, Avril called.

After Li Chen answered the phone, Avril apologized repeatedly, saying, "Honey, congratulations on becoming the most popular basketball player."

Avril was really happy; her man was truly outstanding.

"Thank you!" she then joked, "My Avril so outstanding, I can't be too bad!"

Hearing this, Avril giggled happily.

She then said apologetically, "Honey, I have some things to take care of here, so I might not be able to make it back next weekend."

"It's okay, don't overwork yourself, or I'll feel bad for you."

"Okay," Avril thought to herself, feeling quite pleased.

Just as Avril was about to say something more, a voice called out from the phone.

"I'm sorry, darling."

"It's alright, you go ahead and do your work!"