The Pitiful Single Bed

Although the idea of a trade had crossed his mind, for now it was just that—an idea. The team's record was still decent, and there was no pressing need to pursue a deal; Presti was simply preparing for the worst.

Suddenly realizing that this year they might make the playoffs, and perhaps not even at the very bottom, he immediately began observing the differences between the team and his expectations.

Westbrook's outrageous performances, combined with Chen Xi's firepower output off the bench, were the two points he focused on most.

Thus came the thought of reinforcements. The Thunder's salary cap this year still had a full twenty million before they even brushed against the luxury tax, well within the owner's tolerance. If Oladipo were used as the main trade piece, along with agreeing to take on a bad contract for someone else, or adding a few more assets, it was entirely possible to bring in a decent forward. Paired with Westbrook and Chen Xi's backcourt combo, it should be a positive boost to the team's strength.

At the very least, they wouldn't lose so embarrassingly again.

Presti recalled the matchup against the Warriors at the start of the season.

Durant's departure had once made Presti the target of public criticism, and to say he held no resentment would be a lie.

In Chen Xi's single-bedroom apartment.

The small single bed bore a weight it was never meant to handle.

"Born into this world! Damn born into this world! Cursed! I'm just a 1.6 by 2.0 meter single bed!"

Chen Xi opened his bleary eyes, and as he looked down, there were proud peaks pressed tightly against his chest.

The tall and incredibly flexible Veronica lay sprawled on top of him like a frog, no wonder he'd been struggling to breathe just now.

He looked up at the ceiling, about to sigh, but instinct made him lower his head again.

Lowering his head was also raising his head. Following his instincts, Chen Xi stopped being as docile as he was when asleep.

"Mm~"

With a soft moan, the beauty in his arms slowly woke up.

"Chris, good morning."

"Morning."

The two exchanged smiles, and Veronica lowered her head again to rest on his sturdy chest.

"Family, who gets it! This one, I really like."

"Gotta say, athletes have great bodies!"

Thinking this, she reached out and touched the man's waist, clearly feeling the stacked muscles beneath the skin, irresistible to the touch.

Could Chen Xi take such a provocation?

"I'll give you a Lightning Five Consecutive Whips!!!"

After the sun had climbed high.

Chen Xi strolled slowly to the kitchen, humming a tune as he made "breakfast."

As an athlete with a massive training load, eating five meals a day wasn't even excessive. Since he'd woken up late today, he had to make up for it big time.

"Mmm! Delicious, Chris, you've gained another ten points in my heart!!!" Veronica savored Chen Xi's cooking.

"A man who can cook, so charming."

"Learned from my grandpa. My Western cooking skills are still just average. I was afraid you wouldn't be used to it, so I didn't make Chinese food. Next time, give it a try—once you're used to it, you'll love it."

"Chinese food, huh. I'm looking forward to it."

"Alright, I'll go buy some ingredients later and show you the charm of a culinary culture with five thousand years of heritage!"

Chen Xi got carried away as soon as he started bragging.

Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder players were warming up with shots on the sidelines.

Westbrook walked over with a sly grin.

"Chris, I knew it, you two definitely hooked up!!" Turtle Turtle wore a look that every man understood, already spotting Veronica sitting courtside.

"You better thank me properly for calling you to my party that day!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm so grateful. How about I take your Lamborghini and fill it up as thanks?"

"? That's your thanks? If you drive it off, will I ever get it back?" Turtle Turtle, already familiar with Chen Xi's shady side, wasn't about to fall for it. That kid had been eyeing his Lamborghini in the garage last time, and now he was blatantly up to no good! Guess he'd have to stop driving it in front of him. From now on, he'd take the Hummer to the arena.

Of course, Turtle Turtle still underestimated the thickness of Chen Xi's skin.

Hummer or Lamborghini, I want it all.jpg

The game was about to start. Chen Xi quickly went to the sidelines to exchange a few words with Veronica before returning to the bench.

Back on their home court, the Thunder had no intention of letting their losing streak continue.

Right from the start, Westbrook went all out, repeatedly driving into the Suns' interior. The aging Boxer could no longer provide the efficient rim protection he once had, while the young Aquaman frequently received inside passes from Westbrook, making his attacks on the rim effortless once the defender's attention was drawn away.

In contrast, the Suns lacked the same firepower as last time. T.J. Warren's magic had faded, and with only a few mid-range shots from Booker, they couldn't keep up.

By the time Chen Xi stepped onto the court, the Thunder were already leading 19 to 8, an 11-point advantage.

"Long time no see, little Booker?" Chen Xi grinned at the player in front of him, starting to mess with his head the moment he got on the court.

The young 13th-pick Shooting Guard clearly lacked the mental fortitude to match his draft position. Being easily swayed by emotions was a major issue holding back his growth.

Chen Xi casually tossed out a few more lines of trash talk, pushing him into a minor mental breakdown. Booker started calling for the ball, determined to force a play against this trash-talking bastard.

At 1.98 meters, Booker matched up against Chen Xi at 1.96. In theory, he held a slight advantage in both physicality and build, but unfortunately, Chen's exceptional defense and seasoned sense of timing left Booker flustered and frustrated.

"Damn it, get your dirty hands off me!" Booker finally snapped, shaking off Chen's subtly placed hand on his waist.

Chen, who often studied footage of a certain Spurs legend, immediately put on an innocent face, staring at the furious yet helpless Booker.

The referee quickly stepped in to separate the two.

Booker wanted to spew more trash talk to vent his frustration, but Bledsoe pulled him away.

"Calm down, Devin. Think about Redick. This guy's no pushover—he's the type who might grapple with you at any moment. An exchange like that doesn't favor us."

"Am I supposed to be afraid of him?" Booker's mouth remained defiant, but his feet obediently followed Bledsoe's lead, "retreating while fighting."

"Tsk, getting smarter, making some progress." Chen grinned slyly as he watched Booker back off, while staying alert to P.J. Tucker and Dudley, who looked eager to step in.

Tsk, those two weren't exactly saints either.

The game resumed, and the Suns changed their strategy, setting screens at the top to let Booker avoid Chen Xi and go one-on-one against Oladipo.

Although Odie's defense was solid, he was still at a disadvantage in size, giving up two mid-range post-up shots.

Donovan called a timeout. He needed to adjust the defensive strategy. Switching wasn't working well, and chase defense gave Booker too much shooting space.

For a moment, he couldn't find a suitable defensive adjustment.

Time for a substitution!