Real Madrid stopped in the Semifinals, and Sun Hao's first La Liga season came to an end as well.
He put up averages of 9.8 points per game in the playoffs, shooting 49% from the field and 39% from three-point range.
Although he had failed to help the team win the championship, the changes in his numbers showed that he was steadily improving.
His system attributes had risen along with his stats.
Height: 173 cm; Weight: 73 kg Strength: 71; Speed: 72; Agility: 60; Vertical: 66; Stamina: 71; Basketball IQ: 82 Ball Handling: 70; Passing: 55; Dunking: 0; Layups: 72; Mid-Range: 52; Three-pointer: 79 Defense: 60; Blocks: 58; Steals: 72; Rebounds: 58
Compared with the worthless stats he had possessed four years ago, these attributes had undergone a qualitative transformation.
And beyond those attribute changes, he had also gained a number of badges.
Basketball IQ (Silver), Long-Range Sharpshooter (Silver); Infinite Range (Bronze), Pick and Roll Master (Bronze), Pick and Roll Evasion (Bronze), Iron Wall (Bronze), Fast Break Finisher (Bronze);
The boosted ratings, combined with those badges, were already enough to let him establish himself in La Liga.
For him, the new season would be about taking things another step further.
His only regret was that he had broken his promise to Gasol.
Or rather, that agreement could only be postponed until the new season.
In the La Liga Final, the Alcant team continued its Cinderella run all the way through, knocking Barcelona Team off its throne and claiming the league championship.
That result had Spain's fans excited for the entire summer.
Calderon rose to fame along with them.
The eighteen-year-old prospect had even drawn attention from the NBA.
But La Liga's influence was limited, so that attention was not especially significant.
After completing his first La Liga season, Sun Hao did not rush back into training. Instead, he decided to give himself a vacation.
Even machines needed rest, let alone people.
And just like Gasol back then, losing never put anyone in a good mood. He needed to do something he enjoyed to adjust himself.
He pulled Fernandez over to discuss it.
"Aren't you going to America?"
Fernandez asked Sun Hao.
"No."
Sun Hao's answer was straightforward.
He knew what Fernandez meant.
Jocelyn had neither replied to his email nor come looking for him. Fernandez wanted him to go find Jocelyn.
But he was not that kind of person.
Just like how he had never returned to the CBA after it had abandoned him, he would not go chasing after her.
Keeping Jocelyn as a beautiful encounter from the past was something even more beautiful to him.
"Then let's go to Italy!"
Fernandez said excitedly.
Since Sun Hao had already let Jocelyn go, Fernandez had to bring up the plan he had been yearning for!
"Italy?"
Sun Hao was surprised by the suggestion. He had thought Fernandez would propose visiting another province in Spain.
After all, Spain still had plenty of tourist attractions.
Fernandez nodded excitedly.
Spain was a country steeped in European charm, but if one had to add the word "most" before that description, then Italy would take the crown.
"The best way to forget one relationship is to start another."
Fernandez launched into another one of his relationship lessons.
"Then let's go!"
Sun Hao did not hesitate either.
A trip was a trip, no matter where they went.
Italy's predecessor had been Ancient Rome, and its coliseums were the most numerous and best-preserved in Europe.
Setting aside the things Fernandez had said, it was worth visiting at least once.
They applied for visas, booked flights, and reserved hotels.
The internet was nowhere near as advanced as it would be in the future, and since they were traveling abroad, they had a long wait ahead of them.
Fortunately, the La Liga Offseason was long, and neither of them had national team duties. They could afford to wait.
During the wait, Fernandez stayed busy with his studies, while Sun Hao trained at the gym as usual.
But after only a few days of training, Prigioni and Gabajosa showed up too.
The season had barely ended, yet they were already there. It was clear that last season's loss had hit them hard.
Failure was not always entirely a bad thing. Sometimes, it stirred up the competitive fire buried deep inside people.
For them, this would be an offseason of grueling work.
What Sun Hao never expected, though, was that after only two days of training, they dragged him out to play some pickup soccer.
The change of pace came a little too fast.
Sun Hao had never been particularly interested in soccer.
Since coming to Spain, this kingdom of soccer, he had only had two encounters with the sport.
One was watching El Clásico with Jocelyn. The other was going to France with Fernandez to watch the World Cup Final.
But Prigioni was too enthusiastic to refuse, so Sun Hao went in the end.
Besides, he would be relying on Prigioni to pass him the ball next season. It was important to maintain a good relationship.
Sun Hao did not know how to play soccer, but soccer and basketball had something in common: when you lacked skills, you could still play defense.
On a basketball court, anyone could be a defender. On a soccer field, though, it was a relatively fixed position—a back.
When Sun Hao scored three points in his La Liga debut, the domestic newspapers had ridden the soccer craze by using the double meaning of "back."
After one amateur match, Prigioni was gasping for breath from exhaustion, while Sun Hao had barely broken a sweat.
He had kept up his system training all along, and with his thermos full of Goji Berry Tea, his stamina had long surpassed what someone his age should have had.
"You really are the most enduring Asian I've ever seen."
After the game, as they sat resting by the field, Prigioni could not help giving Sun Hao a thumbs-up.
Sun Hao froze after hearing that. The sentence sounded a little strange, yet there did not seem to be anything wrong with it.
"I didn't expect Yorg to play too. And he's a forward, despite being so huge."
This topic was not worth digging into, so Sun Hao simply changed the subject.
"Pretty much everyone who plays ball here also plays soccer. It's the same where I'm from. Even as a professional basketball player, you have to admit that soccer is still the world's number one sport."
Prigioni spoke with a trace of wistfulness, but also a trace of pride.
As a professional basketball player, saying that was somewhat helpless.
But when it came to soccer, Argentina was one of the world's strongest teams and had already won the World Cup twice.
As someone from the Argentina team, Prigioni naturally carried that pride in his bones.
Sun Hao nodded. Soccer's popularity made it a great tool for socializing.
Take this match, for example. After the three of them played together, their relationship improved by leaps and bounds.
Profession was how one earned a living, but in casual games, winning and losing did not matter. They were highly beneficial for building relationships.
Beyond that, a huge goal also emerged in Sun Hao's heart.
This goal was bigger than the one he had set before, winning a championship in his hometown, and much bigger at that.
His transmigration was one of a kind, which meant he had to accomplish something truly great.
Since he was playing professional basketball, there was no greater undertaking than making basketball the world's number one sport.
The road would be long, and perhaps he might not even reach the end, but the thought had already taken root in his heart.
After the game, Prigioni brought Sun Hao to a nearby western restaurant.
"I love my hometown, but I love the food here."
On the way to the restaurant, Prigioni kept selling Sun Hao on it.
It was obvious that he had a special fondness for Spanish cuisine.
Gabajosa, on the other hand, did not seem particularly excited.
Home cooking never tasted as good as something new. People were creatures who craved novelty.
No matter how delicious something was, eating too much of it would become tiresome.
If Gabajosa were thrown into Argentina, he would probably react the same way Prigioni did.
But Sun Hao was an exception. Or rather, Chinese people were exceptions.
When it came to food, no country could compare with China.
Take the most common example, fish. There were braised fish, pickled cabbage fish, home-style fish, sour soup fish, boiled fish... and so on.
To get even more specific, Fish Head alone came in chopped pepper and hot pot varieties, among others.
But in other countries, frying was the norm. Steaming was reserved for when they were in a good mood, and grilling was about as far as they went.
So Sun Hao did not pay much attention to Prigioni's boasting.
And it was not because he was naturally arrogant. He had simply already experienced it.
Spain's most famous dish was seafood paella.
Its principle was somewhat similar to stir-frying: squid, clams, and shrimp were cooked together with uncooked rice.
This kind of rice was extremely famous in Spain, but Sun Hao had only eaten it a few times despite having been there for so long.
The fundamental reason was that it did not suit his taste.
The rice was stir-fried raw, so the finished dish was basically half-cooked. There was no way it could taste good.
If one imagined egg fried rice made with raw rice, one could imagine the taste of this dish.
Once they arrived at the restaurant, Prigioni was very hospitable and ordered everything he thought was delicious.
Sun Hao already felt a headache coming on while they were ordering. Once the dishes arrived, he realized he needed to find a chance to let Prigioni try Chinese food.
Marinated anchovies, Iberian Ham, Garlic Sauce Steamed Basque Cod, Galician Octopus, and Cuttlefish Rice.
There were cured dishes, steamed dishes, fried dishes, and Cuttlefish Rice prepared much like seafood paella, except it was cooked with squid ink.
Prigioni's mouth watered nonstop as he ate, while Sun Hao's mouth was filled with nothing but saltiness and grease.
After they finished and left the restaurant, Sun Hao invited them over.
"You want to treat us to dinner? Wait, you can cook?"
Prigioni clearly had no idea Sun Hao had that skill, and his eyes gleamed.
This guy was not merely fond of Spanish food. He was a full-blown foodie.
"At your place?"
Gabajosa suddenly leaned over too.
Sun Hao nodded.
He had learned something in his previous life: never tell people you could cook, because once you did, you would become a free chef.
But Prigioni and the others had invited him to play soccer and treated him to dinner. He had to return the favor.
"I've had Chinese food once. It was delicious."
As Gabajosa said that, his eyes became just like Prigioni's.
Sure enough, no matter how formidable humans were, they had no resistance in the face of delicious food.
Sun Hao had not expected Gabajosa to have eaten Chinese food before, but that invisibly put some pressure on him.
He had originally just wanted Prigioni to try something new. Now, it seemed he would have to prepare carefully.
He had spent a long time in America in his previous life. He had eaten so much steak and hamburgers that they nearly made him throw up, forcing him to learn how to cook for himself. He had practically become a one-man housewife.
Practice made perfect, and his cooking was still presentable.
That was why he had the confidence to invite Prigioni and Gabajosa to his home for dinner.
After setting a date on a rest day from training, Sun Hao slung a bag over his shoulder and headed to the supermarket to buy ingredients.
The ingredients in Spain were nowhere near as plentiful as back home, but the charm of Chinese cooking was that as long as there were ingredients, it could always make dishes out of them.
And while shopping at the supermarket, Sun Hao stumbled upon an unexpected delight.
He felt that this surprise would leave even Prigioni utterly stunned.
After buying the ingredients, it was time to cook.
Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes, Potato Beef, Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Enoki Mushroom Bacon Rolls, Chopped Pepper Fish Head, and one mysterious covered dish.
Those were the main courses. Since the supermarket had neither tofu nor mushrooms for soup, he ultimately made only the simplest Tomato Egg Drop Soup.
Once he finished cooking, he called Prigioni and Gabajosa.
The two were at the Training Hall, and Sun Hao's place was not far away. Not long after the call, they arrived.
The moment they pushed open the door, a rich fragrance hit them in the face.
The aroma did not come from the dishes. It came from where Sun Hao was standing.
He was grilling skewers.
King of BBQ Pork Belly sizzled and dripped oil over the grill. Its appearance alone was enough to make mouths water.
Chunks of beef, one-third fat, were threaded together. As the meat slowly cooked, the fragrance gradually drifted out. A sprinkle of cumin powder was enough to make one swallow involuntarily.
There was also squid brushed with oil, its fresh aroma rushing forth, impossible to resist.
The supermarket mostly carried meat. Chicken wings, beef, lamb, and seafood—Sun Hao had prepared them all.
And because he knew Gabajosa had tried Chinese food before, he had truly put in the effort. He had personally threaded every ingredient he bought onto skewers.
He had even bought relatively expensive vegetables and mushrooms in addition to the more common meats.
A tin foil box, a handful of enoki mushrooms, a scoop of garlic paste, a spoonful of oil—everything bubbled away.
"Is this barbecue?"
The moment Prigioni entered, he drifted over to Sun Hao's side like the wind.
"I've never seen it made like this."
Gabajosa's gaze remained fixed on the barbecue as well.
When people abroad ate barbecue, they grilled large chunks directly. As long as it was cooked and edible, that was enough. They had never seen anything this refined.
Especially the vegetables—they had never seen them prepared this way.
Seeing Gabajosa's expression, Sun Hao felt that making this barbecue had been worth it.
Although he could not use charcoal indoors for safety reasons, the food still had plenty of flavor.
Sun Hao sprinkled on some chili powder, then handed the first pieces of cooked pork belly to Prigioni and Gabajosa.
The pork belly was incredibly fragrant and crispy. One bite produced a crunch, crisp through and through.
"Damn it! What the hell is this meat?!"
Prigioni cursed as he spoke.
He was usually mild-tempered, but he had clearly lost his composure now.
Still, it was hard to blame him.
After all, his hometown of Argentina was not without barbecue.
But their barbecue basically fell into two categories: meat and staples.
The meat was mainly beef, along with meat sausages and some animal innards.
The staple was bread.
This barbecue had truly opened his eyes.
"Eat more vegetables, and be careful, they're hot."
Sun Hao handed him some baby bok choy, then picked up the tin foil box with tongs.
Prigioni took it and ate again, unable to stop himself.
"This is the first time I've known vegetables could taste this good when grilled."
If not for his age, he might really have performed a crying-while-eating act for Sun Hao.
As for Gabajosa, he said nothing, but he had already swept away every edible skewer in sight.
Sun Hao could not help laughing.
Although the two ate differently, it was obvious that his barbecue suited both their tastes.
"Let's eat first."
Sun Hao felt that if they kept going like this, there would be no need for dinner. He set the barbecue aside and turned to lift the lids.
"What are these?"
Gabajosa was relatively calm this time, since he had tried Chinese food before, but Prigioni could not help speaking again.
Sun Hao was constantly reshaping his understanding of food today.
"Potatoes? Stewed with beef?"
"These are shredded potatoes? Aren't they supposed to be fried?"
"This is a fish head? You can eat fish heads?"
Prigioni had turned into a little question machine, firing off one question after another.
It was hard to connect him with the mature starting point guard he had been before.
But that was the charm of good food.
Gabajosa, meanwhile, had already taken his seat early and was simply waiting to eat.
"What's this?"
Prigioni finally turned his attention to the mysterious dish that had yet to be uncovered.
Sun Hao gestured for him to open it himself.
Prigioni opened it with a smile, but the moment he saw the dish inside, he froze.
This time, even Gabajosa was full of curiosity.
"What kind of meat is this?"
After studying it for a while, Gabajosa was the first to ask.
"Want to try it?"
Sun Hao did not reveal the answer right away, instead gesturing for them to taste it with their forks first.
Gabajosa held his fork but hesitated, clearly afraid to try something unknown.
"Chicken?"
Prigioni did not move his fork either. He leaned in for a closer look before asking.
"No. Give it a try."
Sun Hao still wanted them to eat it before he revealed the answer.
But the two had similar reactions, both shaking their heads and not daring to try it.
Seeing their reactions, Sun Hao knew he had no choice but to tell them.
"Bullfrog."
He revealed the answer.
The mysterious dish was spicy stir-fried frog.
He had unexpectedly found it at the supermarket. Since Gabajosa had mentioned having eaten Chinese food before, Sun Hao had chosen this rather unusual dish as the main course.
Both of them wore O'Neal-style question mark faces when they heard that.
"A frog?"
Prigioni finally set down his fork, disbelief written all over his face.
That thing was edible?!
"No, not a frog. A bullfrog. It's a different species."
Sun Hao immediately explained.
"Where did you catch it?"
Gabajosa was also beginning to back away from it.
"I bought it at the supermarket. We don't eat wild animals. This one was farm-raised."
Wild animals were absolutely out of the question. He would never eat wild animals in this lifetime, because they could very likely spread dangerous diseases.
Yet even after Sun Hao explained, Gabajosa still did not dare try it.
Seeing that neither of them had moved, Sun Hao could only shake his head helplessly. It seemed he would have to enjoy this main dish all by himself.
Just then, Prigioni's inner foodie got the better of him. He silently picked up his fork, stabbed a piece, and put it into his mouth.
The moment he put the bullfrog in his mouth, he immediately closed his lips, as though afraid he might spit it out.
Gabajosa looked at him with a slightly twisted expression.
But the next second, Prigioni's expression suddenly changed.
It shifted from fear to surprise.
Then he speared a second piece with his fork and ate it, followed by a third.
Gabajosa was left completely dumbfounded by the sight.
Sun Hao could not help laughing when he saw it.
It seemed his spicy stir-fried frog had turned out pretty well.
"How is it?"
Gabajosa was still uncertain. Even though he watched Prigioni stuff piece after piece into his mouth, he could not help asking.
"This frog—no, bullfrog—is the best meat I've ever eaten."
Prigioni gave an extremely firm answer.
Only then did Gabajosa finally put aside his fear and spear a piece with his fork before placing it in his mouth.
Then neither of them spoke again as they began eating.
What made Sun Hao laugh helplessly was that Prigioni actually dragged the plate in front of himself as he ate.
This guy actually wanted to keep it all for himself!
Gabajosa immediately protested. His fork reached past Prigioni's blocking hand and forcefully snagged a piece.
Sun Hao could not help laughing.
Sure enough, foodies would do anything in the face of delicious food.
He turned and took out some beer, handing some to each of them.
The three sat together, eating and chatting.
Compared with playing football, this sort of activity was clearly much more relaxed and comfortable.
"Sun, can we keep eating at your place tomorrow?"
As they chatted, Prigioni could not help asking again.
He was hooked.
Sun Hao smiled and nodded.
"Bullfrog again?"
Sun Hao burst out laughing.
"Sure, tomorrow at noon."
After laughing, he nodded in agreement.
Since he had been afraid they might not be used to it, Sun Hao had only cooked half of the cleaned bullfrogs. The other half was still in the refrigerator.
"Morning?"
But to his surprise, Prigioni could not even wait until noon.
This time, not only Sun Hao, but Gabajosa also burst out laughing again.
Once they had nearly finished the beer, Sun Hao served the two of them some rice.
"When we have time, I'll teach you how to use chopsticks."
Seeing how awkwardly they used spoons to eat rice, he could not help saying it.
Prigioni and Gabajosa both nodded in unison.
They had only just realized that rice tasted completely different from the paella they usually ate.
And once they learned to use chopsticks, it meant they could try even more Chinese food.
To them, it was like opening the door to a new world.
After eating and drinking their fill, Sun Hao got up to clear the dishes, but Prigioni and Gabajosa stopped him and took the initiative to clean up.
Watching the two bustle about, Sun Hao suddenly felt that he had been quite lucky in Spain.
You could tell what kind of people were worth being friends with from the little details.
Although they came from different countries, from playing football together in the afternoon to eating dinner together at night, it was clear that the three of them had great chemistry.
This was not just true in life; it would also benefit them immensely on the court in the future.
Even when looking back at last season's failure, perhaps it could not really be called a failure.
After all, last season had been Prigioni's first as a starter, while Sun Hao had only become a starter after playing half the season as a substitute.
Even so, they had still reached the final four of La Liga, which itself was proof of their strength.
With more time to build chemistry next season, along with the tacit understanding they had shown today, they had every reason to go further—perhaps even win the championship.
With Prigioni and Gabajosa around, plus the occasional football game and meal together, the waiting days became colorful as well.
Time flew by, and more than a month passed in the blink of an eye.
It was then that Fernandez finally finished all the preparations for going to Italy!
Daily Cheesy Love Lines
I want to give you lots and lots of lipstick, so you can return just a little to me every day.
Before you continue