Zhao Dong checked the mission details again—everything was the same except for the 7th item. No other changes.
Now that teams were doubling him, the difficulty had shot up. Snagging that reward was getting tougher by the game.
Plus, the system had a constant counter for his shot attempts, basically pushing him to fight for the ball even harder.
That night, while Zhao Dong was grinding through ball-handling drills in the hotel gym, back in China, the Domestic Sports Commission's Second Department—also called the Ball Games Department—was deep in a meeting.
It was the morning of the 2nd in China, and one hot topic was whether they'd still bring Zhao Dong onto the national squad.
The Sports Commission had just been reorganized in '98 into the General Administration of Sports, split into five main departments and one focused on competitive training. The Second Department handled team sports, and its director was Zhong Tianhua.
Basketball was under this department's umbrella, though the official Basketball Management Center wouldn't be set up until the year's end. It was already on the agenda but wasn't established yet.
Running the Basketball Department was Liu Yumin, a former national women's basketball star and one of the key people behind launching the CBA. She was the one leading this meeting.
Smart, sharp, and effective, she built the CBA with only three official staff members, working on it in her spare time while juggling her duties in the Competitive Training Department. Because of her skills, she was the top pick to lead the upcoming Basketball Management Center.
But her relationship with her boss Zhong Tianhua, along with the Sports Commission's deputy director Xu Yinshen, was rocky as hell. Zhong had started up the CNBA alongside the CBA, and that move violated FIBA's strict rule allowing only one top league per country. Japan got banned from international competition for the same thing, and the CNBA even stepped on the NBA's toes, leading to a lawsuit.
Worse, the CNBA's backer, Hong Kong Elite Sports Company, was just a shell corporation.
Since Liu Yumin had opposed the CNBA, she pissed off Zhong Tianhua and Xu Yinshen, which put a target on her back. Even though she was supposed to take the director role at the Basketball Management Center, she got completely iced out. Instead, a bunch of younger, more academic types, like Xin Nancheng and Li Yuanwei, swooped in and took control.
Before they stepped in, the Ball Games Department was led by former sports legends—people who actually knew the game. Liu Yumin, Qian Chenghai, and other respected figures were making calls. But once the academics took over, it flipped. Now, outsiders were calling the shots over experts. This didn't just screw up basketball—it was the same deal for football.
Right now, Liu Yumin still had some say in basketball, but with Zhong Tianhua pulling strings, her grip was slipping.
Originally, she was all set to bring Zhao Dong into the national team and had even planned to send someone to the U.S. for him. But after the whole Knicks fight incident, several key managers in the department started pushing back, demanding they rethink it.
This was a direct shot at her authority, but she couldn't do much—these guys had backing.
"Director Liu, letting a violent player join the national team will wreck our country's image. I strongly oppose recruiting Zhao Dong."
Xin Nanlan had just joined the department, but with Zhong Tianhua backing him, he already had some pull. His tone was sharp, leaving no room for discussion.
Li Yuanwei, another academic-type, sided with Xin but took a softer approach. "Director Liu, I think we should wait and see how he performs. If we bring him back now and he causes problems, it'll be a huge embarrassment for us internationally."
After a long debate, the Basketball Department decided to hold off on recruiting Zhao Dong.
Once the meeting ended, Liu Yumin sat alone in the conference room, looking drained.
She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket—a phone number and a U.S. landline.
It was Zhao Dong's contact info. She'd copied it down herself when she visited his home.
With a sigh, she stuffed it back into her pocket.
To her, Zhao Dong was a damn good player. His post game was strong, he could shoot and dunk, and he'd form a deadly inside-outside duo with Liu Yudong, who had a smooth mid-range game. Plus, he could defend well inside.
So why the hell wouldn't they bring him in?
She knew the truth—this wasn't about some "violence" issue. That was just an excuse. The real reason was politics.
Game Night
On the evening of the 2nd, the Knicks were on the road against the Bullets.
BANG!
Zhao Dong sent Webber's high-post jumper straight into the stands with a vicious block.
It had been over two weeks since he last got a system reward, so tonight, he was locked in—he wanted to take something from Webber.
On offense, he kept calling for the ball but played smart. If the defense was on him fast, he kicked it out. If they were late, he went straight at Webber without hesitation.
This playstyle boosted his efficiency in the post. His scoring and assists went up—he dropped two assists in just 15 minutes in the first half, way more than usual.
That's when he realized the best way to break a double-team: pass the damn ball.
Before, he was too locked in on scoring. Once he had the rock, he rarely passed. But now, with defenders collapsing on him, he had no choice.
A real player isn't just about getting buckets. A real player makes his whole team better.
He'd known this in theory—hell, he had a whole past life of experience—but it was only now sinking in.
On defense, he was a straight menace. Anytime Webber touched the ball, Zhao Dong bodied him. He didn't care about fouls—he just made sure Webber felt every bit of that pressure.
In 15 minutes, Webber hit the floor multiple times, caught at least five elbows, and got blocked three times. Zhao Dong picked up two fouls, but it didn't matter—Webber was shook.
His efficiency tanked. He shot just 1-for-8, hit 3 of 4 free throws, and ended the half with only 5 points. By the end of the second quarter, he didn't even want the ball anymore.
As the third quarter started, Zhao Dong met him with another monster volleyball spike of a block.
Webber was rattled. The dude across from him was a beast—the leader of the new "Four Dirty-player " who had stomped Karl Malone. Every time he locked eyes with Zhao Dong, it sent chills down his spine.
After getting elbowed so many times and feeling that constant physicality, Webber started second-guessing everything.
"Man, this is just a regular season game… Why the hell am I fighting so hard? If I get hurt, it ain't worth it."
That mindset was the complete opposite of Zhao Dong's. He was treating this game like the damn Finals. He wanted that reward, and Webber was his target.
So it wasn't surprising that Webber fell apart in the second half. He avoided Zhao Dong like the plague, and his moves looked weak as hell.
By the end of the game, the Knicks locked up another win.
Zhao Dong had checked off every objective on his sniper mission and earned double rewards.
His final stat line: 35 minutes, 10-for-15 shooting, 5-for-6 from the line, 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 7 blocks, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls.
That kind of performance? No doubt—he took home Player of the Game honors.
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