Rampaging Turtle Turtle

Chen Xi had no time to keep bickering with Booker. He shoved Booker aside and sprinted toward the baseline.

The game had started.

But Booker, of course, wasn't willing to let him off that easily. He chased tightly after him, nagging incessantly while tangling with him.

Chen Xi used Roberson's screen to receive the ball, but the screen wasn't solid enough. Booker slipped past it easily and was right on Chen Xi again.

"Yellow-skinned kid, you're not scoring on me. A guy who can't even dribble—put a little pressure on him and he's helpless, rookie."

Chen Xi ignored Booker's trash talk. Holding the ball in a triple-threat stance, he focused his thoughts on the newly acquired badge.

"My Breakthrough Attribute is still too low. I'll have to rely on the badge."

Seeing that Booker's feet weren't shifting and he was actually pressing closer, Chen Xi didn't hesitate. He pounded the ball and exploded with his first step. A bronze-colored badge lit up in the upper right of his vision, and in an instant, Chen Xi's speed jumped up a level.

[First Step Master]

Chen Xi blew past Booker in one step, opening up a body length, then pulled up for a mid-range jumper without hesitation.

The ball bounced on the rim a few times before dropping through the net.

"I cross you like my grandma crosses the street in the morning."

A classic trash-talk line drifted lightly into Booker's ears, instantly making his eyes go red.

"F*ck you! One lucky shot and you dare—"

Booker lost it. He stepped forward and shoved Chen Xi.

The sly old fox Chen Xi naturally wouldn't miss that opportunity. He fell without hesitation, even secretly adding a little force with his foot, sending himself flying two meters.

Falling Goose Landing on Butt Style!

Beep!!

The referee blew his whistle, and players from both sides immediately crowded around.

"Damn it! He's faking! Can't you see that?!" Booker, eyes red, stepped forward to argue with the referee, but Bledsoe quickly pulled him back.

The referee was already giving him a warning look. One more step and he'd get a technical.

On the other side, Chen Xi grabbed Westbrook's pant leg.

"Pull me up first."

Oh my Turtle Turtle—if he didn't pull him, he'd definitely go fight Booker.

"Relax, I won't lose out."

Chen Xi calmed Westbrook's seemingly agitated mood, then walked to the sideline.

Booker's push was a foul. Thunder ball.

"Wow, Booker and Chen had a spat. I wonder what they said—Booker looks furious."

Kenny Smith watched the chaotic scene on the court.

"Chris Chen blew past Booker in one step and hit a mid-range jumper. Looks like Booker's upset, but he got burned clean on that play."

Mike Fratello commented on the previous possession.

"Seems like Chen isn't just a shooter, huh, haha."

"But he still finished with a jumper, buddy. Still, the speed and stride on that drive were surprising. I'm even more looking forward to the rest of the game now."

If you like this book, don't forget to bookmark it so you don't lose track.

But what answered his anticipation wasn't Chen Xi—it was Russell Westbrook.

Seeming fired up that his little brother got shoved, Westbrook came back with a vengeance. He stepped on the gas, carried the explosive pack straight into the Suns' paint, planted hard, and unleashed his signature C-style Tomahawk Slam Dunk, savagely punishing the rim.

After landing, he roared at the fans along the baseline, declaring to everyone who owned this arena.

Rim: "So? I'm not your home court anymore?"

Too Late to mourn the rim—next up on the court was the future Triple-double King of History, MVP, two-time Scoring Champion, three-time Assists Champion, fully unleashed Russell Westbrook!!

For a moment, the feud between Chen Xi and Booker became trivial. The Suns gave it their all, and Head Coach Dave Joerger racked his brain, but neither could contain the unleashed tiger that had broken free.

In the following game, Westbrook mixed drives and jump shots, going 16-of-39 from the field, 2-of-7 from three, and 20-of-26 from the free-throw line, exploding for 50 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, leading the team to crush the Suns.

"Unbelievable! Russell Westbrook!! A fifty-point triple-double! He is the God of Basketball tonight!" Kenny Smith shrieked, expressing his excitement and admiration.

"The new king of the Thunder has officially been crowned! Let's cheer for him! An unparalleled performance!"

"The most versatile player on this planet! Who can stop him!"

"Amazing! Is this guy even human? A fifty-point triple-double performance!"

For a time, news of Westbrook's dazzling performance spread across the league. The media was filled with praise. No one had a bad word to say.

"Such an ugly sight. The harder they hype you now, the harder they'll trash you later. That's the media for you."

After the game, Chen Xi finished his extra practice and sat in the locker room, scrolling through the online hype. Thinking about the future public opinion surrounding Westbrook, he couldn't help but sigh. Poor Turtle Turtle—when the time comes, I'll save you!!!

"Chris, you heading back?"

Just then, Oladipo walked in.

"Yeah, I need to head back early today. I've got someone lined up for tomorrow."

Chen Xi smiled at the black man in front of him.

The future Kobe Mamba lived up to his reputation—Oladipo's extra training was even fiercer than his own. In terms of sheer hard work, among everyone Chen Xi knew, he was the GOAT.

After a quick shower, Chen Xi returned to his apartment, pulled out his phone, and scrolled through his stats.

8 shots, 5 made. 3-pointers: 4 attempts, 2 made. 12 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals.

Even though Westbrook's sudden explosion had cut into his shot attempts, his Shooting Percentage was still decent. And with the Death Coil and Lockdown Master badges, he'd made Booker's life miserable.

Thinking back to Booker's sour face, Chen Xi couldn't help but grin.

Sure, Booker still dropped 18 points that game—25 shots, 6 made; 3-pointers 9 of 1; free throws 7 of 5—but his abysmal efficiency had crippled the team, becoming a major reason the Suns lost. Chen Xi, Westbrook, and Oladipo had taken turns cranking up the pressure on Booker, making him suffer the whole game.

As for TJ Warren, he'd gone 18 of 13, 3-pointers 2 of 1, free throws 4 of 3, torching them for an efficient 30 points, leaving Roberson and Ilyasova struggling to contain him.

On top of that, Bledsoe's 0-for-7 from three had also played its part.

"Kid, trying to show off? I'll make you choke on it."

Chen Xi laughed loudly, staring at Booker's profile picture on his phone and his terrible stats.

"Just wait until This Humble One's Divine Skill is Achieved—I'll make it so you can't even catch my dust!"

Without waiting for an agent to be confirmed, Chen Xi found a real estate agent online himself. Having just received this week's salary, he was ready to rent a new place. (In the NBA, salaries are generally paid weekly, directly deposited into your account—after taxes, of course. This is America, after all; you can get away with shoplifting, but you can't skip paying taxes.)

After all, no one wanted to wake up at the crack of dawn every day and waste a ton of time commuting to work.