Slow Simmer, High Heat to Reduce!

"Good heavens, the defense from UC Berkeley is absolutely airtight. With Li Fei anchoring the paint, it's as if he's injected a shot of adrenaline into the entire team."

"Although the University of Arkansas is trying their best, attempting to execute every offensive and defensive possession perfectly, the margin for error allowed by UC Berkeley is simply too high."

"Every one of their offensive choices seems incredibly cautious, as if a single misstep could lead to a collapse. Conversely, UC Berkeley looks completely at ease on the court, showing no signs of panic whatsoever."

"It's not that the Arkansas Razorbacks are playing poorly; it's just that the disparity in strength between the two teams is far too obvious."

"..."

If you look at the score at a glance, the Razorbacks aren't trailing by all that much.

It has been hovering around the 15-point mark the entire time.

But only those who have watched the game know the truth.

Just how significant the gap in strength between the two teams really is.

The University of Arkansas is relying entirely on sheer willpower, struggling to hold on one basket at a time.

Meanwhile, after establishing a lead of nearly ten points early on, UC Berkeley has essentially turned this game into an ordinary regular-season matchup.

Everyone on the court is composed and unhurried, as if...

No matter how they play, it's the right play.

Until the final five minutes of the game.

Li Fei delivered two consecutive blocks in the paint.

Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray also stepped up their physical intensity on the perimeter.

After forcing several stops in a row, the Golden Bears maintained their usual steady efficiency on the offensive end.

Looking up, the lead had already ballooned to over 20 points!

"I'm not quite sure I understand what just happened."

At the broadcast table, Kevin Harlan, Li Fei's number one fan at TNT, clutched his head in shock.

"The Golden Bears suddenly surged in the last two minutes, and then, they just blew the game wide open?"

"You didn't see it wrong, Kevin. The Golden Bears suddenly elevated the quality of their play, and the University of Arkansas couldn't react in time—or rather, they didn't have the strength to react—and then..."

"The Arkansas Razorbacks, who fought hard for the entire game and kept the score respectable, were just 'reduced over high heat' like that."

Reduced over high heat?!!

When Kevin Harlan heard this phrase, he suddenly realized what it meant.

Although this was a brand-new basketball term.

But honestly, you really have to admit...

The way the Golden Bears were composed today, exerting their strength in the final stretch, really did feel like that.

"I get it now."

"For the first 35 minutes of the game, the Golden Bears were simmering on low heat, and in the final 5 minutes, they turned up the intensity to finish it off with high heat."

Just as the two commentators said.

Flying Pig, who watched the entire game, had the same feeling.

Everything was under the control of the Golden Bears.

And Arkansas was just like a bullfrog waiting to be cooked in the pot.

"There's no need to watch the rest of the games in this year's March Madness."

In the stands, Flying Pig said, "UC Berkeley has already developed a championship aura during this March Madness."

Don't let Flying Pig's goofy appearance fool you; his basketball IQ is actually quite high.

Even though the University of Arkansas played with fire and passion throughout the game, seemingly keeping the suspense alive.

UC Berkeley was like a master holding a dog leash.

If it got a little loose, they tightened it. If it got too tight, they loosened it a bit.

Simmering on low heat, finishing with high heat.

It's the same principle.

"If that's what you call a championship aura."

Kevin Johnson shrugged, "Then I'd like to say that the championship aura is entirely shaped by Li Fei alone!"

"His immense strength provides the team with a massive margin for error."

Looking at Li Fei's stat sheet for the night.

To be honest, his performance tonight wasn't particularly explosive by his standards.

The whole team's offense was excellent, and Li Fei didn't have to shoulder the entire load while facing double-teams in the paint.

But even so.

He still finished with 40 points, 21 rebounds, 6 blocks, 3 steals, and 3 assists.

"He has racked up such terrifying stats without anyone even noticing."

Kevin Johnson said, "I didn't even feel like he was shining all that brightly, which is the scariest part."

Logically speaking.

Anyone who puts up a stat sheet like that must have been dominating the ball and doing everything on the court.

Yet.

Li Fei accomplished all of this as if it were...

Only natural.

Not strange in the slightest.

The fact is.

Li Fei has, without anyone realizing it, elevated the level at which people perceive him.

Finally, the game came to an end.

UC Berkeley defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks by 22 points, successfully advancing to the next round of March Madness!

The camera panned to the Arkansas Razorbacks' bench, where the players were on the verge of tears, looking completely shattered.

Meanwhile, in the center of the court.

The members of UC Berkeley, having carried the victory on their shoulders, remained stoic.

"The University of Arkansas displayed a fighting spirit tonight."

During the post-game interview, Jason Kidd took the initiative to speak: "But there can only be one winner!"

"Jason, we are all curious: facing a strong opponent in a do-or-die game today, why did you play with such composure, exerting your strength in the second half to take the win in one go?"

"There is only one reason."

Kidd smiled and pointed at Li Fei beside him, making it clear:

"Because we have the team's primary core, Li Fei!"

Hearing Kidd's words, the reporters present all twitched their eyelids.

Take note.

"Primary core."

The implication of Jason Kidd's words was:

"Li Fei is the true leader of UC Berkeley!"

Looking at the stats and dominance, Li Fei certainly fits the bill.

But many people still believe.

If a team lacks a point guard, even a superstar with immense individual ability is helpless, because without a brilliant brain to organize the operation, no matter how strong the individual combat capability is, it remains a scattered mess.

Averaging 18 points and 16 assists, Jason Kidd had long since refreshed the average assist records for both the NBA and March Madness.

Furthermore, with an incredible assist-to-turnover ratio and almost never making mistakes, he was fully qualified to be the primary core of the Golden Bears.

Yet today, facing the cameras, Kidd stated directly:

Li Fei is the primary core.

"Jason, can we interpret what you just said as you personally admitting that Li Fei is the leader of this team, and you are the secondary role?"

At this stage of March Madness, asking such a sensitive question.

It was clearly a landmine, one that could affect the team's chemistry.

"Sure!"

However.

Jason Kidd remained extremely calm: "To put it in my own words..."

"If Li Fei is the engine, then I am the commander inside the engine."

"He provides the power for me, and I provide the direction for him."

"If Li Fei is the light in the sky, then I am the shadow in the darkness!"

"The stronger the light, the larger the shadow."

"If Li Fei is the wind, then I am the sand."

"Together, we are a sandstorm that swallows everything!"

(I ask for the support of all you great readers. Let's set a rule: every day we collect 5 [Update Reminders], I will add 1 chapter... 5 [Inspiration Capsules] will add 2 chapters... 5 [Explosive Flowers] will directly add 10,000 words...)

(The difficulty of writing this book is immense. After all, it's about the 90s. I spend a huge amount of time every day looking up information and data. Domestic data websites don't have 90s records, so I have to look them up on the foreign website Basketball-Reference. It's all in English... For a poor student like me who barely passed English, I have to download Google Chrome and use translation plugins.)

(But the problem is, many of the letters on the website are abbreviations, and the translations are complete nonsense... I still can't forget why Michael Jordan's position was translated as "Singapore"??? Later I realized that the abbreviation for Singapore is SG, and SG stands for Shooting Guard on the basketball court... There are too many situations like this, and my head is spinning while writing this book...)

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author; maybe the title was just changed!