"Zhao Dong has been putting up 20 and 10 for five straight games, and the fans back home are eating it up. Our hotlines are blowing up—people are begging us to air more of his games. I've always believed we need to capitalize on this."
The speaker was Huang Ping, deputy director of the sports channel in charge of basketball. His program had always been overshadowed by soccer, but now that he had a golden opportunity, he wasn't about to let it slip. He was the biggest advocate for increasing NBA broadcasts.
"But Zhao Dong just got to the league—he's barely played a dozen games. Who knows how he'll perform moving forward? What if he starts struggling? If the network signs this contract, it's real money on the line. It's not like before when we aired his games for free."
That was Zhang Bing, the deputy director in charge of soccer programming. He had his own agenda—channel resources were limited. If basketball got more airtime, something else had to give. The competition for TV slots was fierce.
Zhou Tianlin, the director overseeing the discussion, had been listening in silence, but he was starting to get annoyed. He waved his hand to quiet the room before speaking.
"I think we should wait and see. The season is long—there's no need to rush a decision."
With that, the discussion ended. No one argued. His word was final.
Zhou Tianlin wasn't disappointed. Holding off on more broadcasts now didn't mean they wouldn't happen later. Director Zhou's stance made him see the opportunity ahead—if Zhao Dong kept balling out and the fans stayed hyped, the broadcasts would eventually increase.
At 11:50 AM on the 23rd, Zhao Dong had just wrapped up his shooting drills when the system screen popped up in front of him.
Team Sniper Mission:
Take down the Philadelphia Team and secure the win. (Failing this cancels the mission.)
Hit five mid-range shots.
Knock down two threes.
Get five steals or blocks on Iverson.
Rotate on defense at least eight times.
Score at least seven fast-break points.
Keep turnovers under three.
Shoot at least 45% from the field.
Post either 20 points and 10 rebounds or 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Rewards:
Complete 4 tasks = Random skill point or attribute upgrade.
Each extra task = Additional reward.
Complete all = Unlock Iverson's pull up jumper.
"Team Sniper Mission?"
This was the first time Zhao Dong had received a team-based challenge, and it was the first time winning the game itself was part of the mission. That meant the system was acknowledging that his play was now a real factor in the Knicks' success.
Looking at the objectives, he could tell the system wanted him to expand his offensive and defensive range and diversify his scoring approach.
Which, honestly, lined up with what he wanted to do. His versatility was perfect for his evolving role on the team.
The grand prize had him hyped—Iverson's pull-up jumper was a killer move. But pulling off all nine tasks? That was some next-level difficulty.
Still, that jumper was a skill he needed. As his speed increased and his ability to blow by defenders improved, he knew he'd be relying on his pull-up more. Without a high-level pull-up jumper, his shooting efficiency could take a hit.
"Yo, system—why drop the mission a day early this time?" The game wasn't until tomorrow, so it felt kinda off.
"You are gaining recognition from other teams. More players and coaching staffs will start preparing for you, and you will need additional time to adjust."
Zhao Dong immediately understood.
From now on, other teams were scouting him seriously. He'd be seeing tougher defense, maybe even double-teams.
Up until this point, nobody had thrown doubles at him, which made his scoring easier and his efficiency look godly. But once teams started targeting him? His numbers would take a hit.
This was what separated superstars from regular All-Stars.
A superstar like Jordan? He ate double-teams for breakfast and still put up numbers. A regular star? His game fell apart under that pressure.
Just then, his phone rang.
"Hello, I'm Zhao Dong."
"Hey, Zhao, this is David Falk—Michael Jordan's agent."
Zhao Dong blinked. Jordan's agent?
"Hey, Mr. Falk," he said cautiously.
"Zhao, I wanted to touch base with you. Got a few things to discuss. You free to talk?"
Falk had spent two days debating whether to make this call. Before dialing, he'd gathered every piece of info on Zhao Dong—his time at Stony Brook, his Seawolves stats, even his dating history.
He had built up a full profile of Zhao Dong's personality:
Tough as hell.
Loves the ladies.
Relentless.
Strategic.
Honestly? He saw a lot of similarities between Zhao Dong and Jordan.
And after watching how Jordan got dragged into that whole PR mess, Falk was positive Zhao Dong had played a role in it. Which meant this kid wasn't just a beast on the court—he knew how to play the game off the court too.
That was why Falk's tone was polite.
"Thanks," Falk said smoothly. "Zhao, you're a rookie with major potential. Maybe there's been some misunderstandings between you and Michael—"
"Hold up."
Zhao Dong cut him off cold.
"Mr. Falk, you're coming at this all wrong."
"What do you mean?" Falk asked, a little thrown off.
"I mean this conversation only works if there's sincerity behind it," Zhao Dong said flatly. "Don't treat me like some dumb rookie. And definitely don't try to play me. If this is how you're coming at me, you don't need to call me again."
And with that, he hung up.
In his past life, Jordan had ruined him.
In this one? Zhao Dong had the sniper system. There was zero chance of reconciliation.
Of course, if Jordan showed actual respect, then fine—they'd just settle things on the court.
But if Jordan thought he could run game on him? Nah.
On the other end of the call, Falk just sat there, stunned.
"Sincerity?" he muttered to himself.
Across from him, in a Chicago hotel suite, sat Michael Jordan.
"What'd he say?" Jordan asked impatiently.
"He didn't even let me finish," Falk sighed. "I just mentioned there might've been a misunderstanding, and he cut me off. Said we weren't sincere."
Jordan's face twisted. "So what the hell does he want?"
Falk thought for a second before speaking.
"He genuinely believes you blocked his deal with the Bulls. He thinks you are the reason he never got that contract."
Jordan gritted his teeth. That phone call with Ernie Grunfeld… Had Zhao Dong gotten inside info?
Jordan clenched his fists. "Who the hell is this kid? What is he, some kind of CIA spy?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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