in2ebook Chapter 47 Farewell
Chapter 47 Farewell
The game is over.
The Rockets won their home game 104-112.
In the final two minutes, the Rockets failed to score a single point, forcing the Pistons to close out the game.
The Pistons were also a tanking team, but unfortunately they ran into an even more shameless opponent, otherwise they could have easily collected a number one draft pick.
Cunningham, the top draft pick, had 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 turnovers.
Jalen Green, the Rockets' second overall pick, had 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
The two performed equally well, neither was worse than the other.
But besides the two, a new talent has emerged out of nowhere.
Wang Xiucheng, an undrafted player for the Rockets this year, scored 10 points, 11 assists, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals in 23 minutes of playing time, with a plus-minus of +17.
This also brings to mind the news that multiple teams, including the Lakers and Nuggets, were interested in Wang Xiucheng, and the live broadcast repeatedly focused the camera on Stone.
Aside from the three rookies, the Rockets' Porter Jr., if you only look at the stats, is actually not bad: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers, which is always more than his assists.
Wood scored 20 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, remaining the Rockets' best-performing veteran.
Yes, 26-year-old Wood is already a veteran for the Rockets.
Stone also attended the post-match press conference.
So the reporter bombarded Stone with all sorts of questions.
The first question came from a reporter from the Houston Documentary, a local Houston media outlet, and the question was straightforward.
"Manager Stone, does the Rockets have any intention of trading Wang Xiucheng?"
Stone showed no displeasure; this was something he had anticipated.
"The team is in the first phase of rebuilding, and all the young players are a valuable asset to the Rockets."
Meng Chao from Tencent Sports raised his hand to ask a question at this moment.
"Several reporters, including Woj and Shams, have reported that teams such as the Lakers have made offers for Wang Xiucheng. Is this true?"
Stone shook his head, looking surprised. "I don't know where Woj and the others got their information. His information isn't always accurate either."
Stone's answer clearly did not satisfy Mengchao. She wanted to ask more questions, but the staff took away her microphone.
The microphone was handed to a reporter from The Athletic not far away. "When Wang Xiucheng is on the court, the team seems to operate more smoothly. Are there any plans to give Wang Xiucheng more playing time, or even start him?"
Stone smiled, then shook his head: "Wang Xiucheng won't be playing any more minutes for the time being. He's only 19 years old. Strictly speaking, he'll only turn 19 at the end of next month. His body is still developing, and he changes almost every day. The team will focus on protecting him and aim for a longer period."
"So, Porter Jr. is going to continue starting?"
“Porter Jr.? He’s a special player. He may have made mistakes, but I believe he won’t make them again.”
"There are rumors that Gordon is leaving the team first, is that true?"
"Gordon is still one of us. Young players need his experience. As for the future, who knows?"
The press conference lasted less than 10 minutes, and Silas and Stone left the venue.
But the reporters didn't leave. They took notes of the post-match press conference in their notebooks and sent them back to the news agency or to their own social media.
……
As soon as the match ended, Wang Xiucheng took a shower, said goodbye to the others, and left the Fengtian Center.
Green really wanted to invite Wang Xiucheng to a nightclub to have some fun.
He felt that Wang Xiucheng's private life was too boring. Young people should go out and have fun every day, find girls, sing and dance, hehehe.
He had a great time today, especially that dunk after getting past Cunningham.
But unsurprisingly, Wang Xiucheng refused.
This was a bit of a disappointment for Martin, Christopher, and the others.
Wang Xiucheng is great in every way, except he hasn't gotten used to the exciting nightlife in the United States yet.
Arriving at the parking lot, Wang Xiucheng drove his beat-up car and, following the navigation, arrived at a motel half an hour later.
It seems they heard the noise outside, or perhaps someone inside was observing the outside.
As soon as Wang Xiucheng stood in front of the door, the door opened, and a pair of fair arms pulled him inside.
"Did you miss me?" The woman kicked the door shut and couldn't wait to check if Wang Xiucheng's coat was damaged.
"Sister Mi, didn't you say you were going back to China?" Wang Xiucheng finally managed to speak, so he asked.
"My flight is tomorrow morning, a direct flight from Houston to Yanjing. I made a special trip from here because I wanted to see you before I went back." Her coat seemed fine, so Yang Mi started checking Wang Xiucheng's pants.
"Be gentle, if my clothes get ruined I won't be able to go home." Wang Xiucheng said helplessly. This woman was getting more and more outrageous. Did she think it was easy for him to earn money by playing basketball?
Sure enough, it was that age when one is as fierce as a wolf or a tiger.
"I bought it for you." Yang Mi's breathing had already become rapid, and her hands were trembling slightly.
She had been trying to unzip a broken zipper for ages without success, and then, out of some unknown force, she ripped it open.
Wang Xiucheng took a moment to look at the bed in the room. There were more than a dozen bags of various sizes on it, and judging from the brand, they were all high-end fashion items.
"You don't even know the sizes? Aren't you afraid of buying the wrong clothes with so many?" Wang Xiucheng took off the clothes himself and let Yang Mi check them.
"Don't I know your size?"
Wang Xiucheng's flames were completely ignited.
"Let me check your size too."
……
The next morning, after watching Yang Mi leave with reluctance, Wang Xiucheng sat in his car and brought up the system.
[Complete the branching task (repeatable), reward 1000 system points.]
This time, the system didn't give out any lottery cards, but only a reward of 1000 system points.
This should be the "minimum spending requirement".
That's right, the system can't possibly allow Wang Xiucheng to get an unlimited number of rewards from one person.
Just as I was about to drive away, the phone rang.
The number displayed was Ma Xiaoxuan's, and Wang Xiucheng quickly answered it.
"Stone said he wants to talk to me about your contract today. What are your thoughts?" Ma Xiaoxuan's voice came through immediately.
She did not ask Wang Xiucheng why he did not come home last night.
She's just Wang Xiucheng's agent, not his mother.
Wang Xiucheng opened the window slightly to let fresh air into the car.
"I'd like to hear your opinion first," Wang Xiucheng said, turning the question back on him.
He wanted to see how much Ma Xiaoxuan knew about him and the alliance.
Although it had only been a few days, Wang Xiucheng still believed in Ma Xiaoxuan.
Harvard Law School, is that a place that just anyone can get into?
That's where the president of the United States was born.
Ma Xiaoxuan paused for a moment and said, "The Lakers have already given Reeves, who was also an undrafted player, a two-year minimum salary contract."
"So, the Rockets will give me a two-year contract?" Wang Xiucheng asked.
“I don’t know what kind of contract the Rockets offered, but I think you can get 6000 million for four years.” Ma Xiaoxuan’s voice was devoid of emotion; that was just her personality. Wang Xiucheng knew that if outsiders heard this, they would think she was joking.
Wang Xiucheng seemed somewhat surprised: "6000 million?"
“Yes, so many teams want you right now, we can take advantage of that,” Ma Xiaoxuan said. “But that’s for next season. I suggest you don’t change your contract this season. At most, you can switch to a minimum salary contract. We can talk about everything next summer.”
"Why?" Wang Xiucheng asked.
“Next summer you will be a restricted free agent, subject to the Arenas rule, but I believe many teams will offer you a four-year, $60 million maximum contract,” Ma Xiaoxuan said.
Wang Xiucheng nodded to himself; Ma Xiaoxuan had indeed learned a lot.
"Then you decide what to do." Wang Xiucheng decided to leave this matter entirely to Ma Xiaoxuan.
"Then you better not slack off in the next round," Ma Xiaoxuan said. "Negotiation is a long-term process, and your performance will affect the outcome."
"Also, I've selected a few endorsements; we'll discuss them when you get home."
"it is good."
Wang Xiucheng chose Ma Xiaoxuan as his agent not only to repay Uncle Ma's family, but also because Ma Xiaoxuan is Chinese.
With the huge Chinese market behind him, having an American as his agent would likely only lead to him being interested in profit.
But Ma Xiaoxuan is different. After so many years of getting along, Wang Xiucheng knows that Ma Xiaoxuan and Uncle Ma's family still have a deep affection for China.
She will consider Wang Xiucheng's thoughts, and also take into account the opinions of Chinese fans.
Furthermore, Ma Xiaoxuan studied law, so she must have a way to make Wang Xiucheng's endorsement contract pay taxes in China, not the United States.
That's why Ma Xiaoxuan was chosen as the agent.
Wang Xiucheng started the car and left the motel with the dozen or so outfits Yang Mi had bought for him.
As the sun rises, a new day begins in the United States, and the NBA officially releases its latest rookie rankings.
Although the list still features the same faces, Wang Xiucheng's sudden breakthrough into the top three surprised many people.