Chapter 43: What I Give Back to You

Chapter 55: What Is Returned to You

"I should be your secret-keeper, my child, because I won't tell them who you are. If I did, you wouldn't be able to leave here today," Payton said, spreading his arms and motioning for Su Feng and Vignali to step off the stage.

After Su Feng's dunk, Payton began to stir the crowd for the second half. With attention diverted, Su Feng and Vignali quietly exited the arena.

Once free from the throng, Vignali looked at Su Feng, and he looked back at the Italian girl. They both smiled at each other. It had been a wonderful half-day holiday.

Easy times are always brief. Though the sun still shone, Su Feng and Vignali had to part ways. To avoid the press, Su Feng didn't escort Vignali back to her hotel, nor did she accompany him home. They waved goodbye on the streets of Dallas.

Su Feng carried home the warmth of the afternoon sun and a heart full of good cheer. The fatigue from yesterday's game seemed to have vanished.

Upon entering his house, Su Feng received a text from Vignali. It was simple, just a single line.

"Thank you for the photos you took of me."

A single phrase.

That half-day's respite lifted the spirits of the Cleveland Cavaliers the next day. Some spent the break resting at home, others strolled with family or friends. In any case, everyone was relaxed.

That was precisely why Carlisle decided on the half-day break. When athletes arrive at training with light spirits and rested bodies, the quality of practice is bound to rise.

Once again, Su Feng was the first to arrive at the training facility. When he entered in his practice gear, even Carlisle hadn't shown up yet.

As usual, Su Feng started with some warm-ups, then began his shooting drills.

But only a few minutes into practice, the door to the court swung open. Today, it wasn't Carlisle who entered second, but Peja, with his bearded chin.

"Have you eaten breakfast? I brought my wife's homemade ham sandwiches," Peja offered, sitting down somewhere nearby. He'd come so early, it seemed he'd barely had time for breakfast himself.

"I've eaten, thank you," Su Feng replied, a bit at a loss. Though he got along well with his teammates, the quiet young man was still not skilled at small talk.

"The other day, your three-point shooting was impressive," Peja said between bites, starting a conversation.

"Mm..." Su Feng knew Peja’s guidance had played a big part in his improvement from beyond the arc.

"Haha, that's not something you can just teach. Or, if hard work alone could get you there—if three-point shooting were that easy, I'd open a camp like Olajuwon and retire in comfort."

"By the way, last game... I did a poor job, wasted a lot of your great passes. I’ll find my rhythm soon. Tomorrow, I’ll be back," Peja admitted. In the previous game, he’d scored a couple of threes early in the second quarter but then fell silent. It wasn't just Peja; except for Su Feng and Nowitzki, everyone else had struggled until a late surge.

"I’ll keep passing," Su Feng said.

"Aren’t you afraid I’ll waste your assists again?"

"Waste? You’re a legendary shooter!"

Peja smiled at Su Feng and shook his head. This guy was always so confident—not just in himself, but in his teammates too.

Since being traded to the Pacers, Peja seemed to have faded from sight. Was he going to disappear like that? Would he never touch a championship ring, like Webber?

The answer was no! That’s why he chose the Dallas Cavaliers. When Cuban told him, "Our goal is to win a championship," Peja knew he wasn’t just here to eat and fade away. For a title, he had to contribute!

After his sandwich, Peja rested a while, then joined Su Feng’s practice. The sound of basketballs against backboards and rims echoed through the gym from then on...

April 19th, 7:00 p.m., Dallas, American Route Center.

Flashing police cars lined the street, officers in bright yellow vests stood in small groups, occasionally speaking into radios clipped to their shoulders. A throng of Cavaliers fans in blue t-shirts pumped their fists and chanted slogans as they streamed toward the arena.

Police watched the passing fans, tilting their heads to report the latest status to dispatch.

"All’s well here. Everything is fine. Over."

After landing, Su Feng winked at the Georgian. Tonight's game immediately transported him back to the rugged battlefield of the hardwood.

The Cavaliers’ fast-break onslaught started anew, forcing the Bucks to watch helplessly as the league’s top transition attack came at them.

Su Feng, with a bowling-style pass, whipped the ball through the crowd to Iguodala, who caught it and lobbed it toward the rim. Gobert spread his wings, snared the ball, and smashed it through, leaving the reinforced hoop shaking.

"Another fluid attack, a beautiful alley-oop—Cleveland is relishing the massacre. They really shouldn’t have angered the Cavaliers. This could be Milwaukee’s bloodiest game all season."

Cleveland was in a frenzy—not just Su Feng, but everyone. Yet simple scoring wasn’t enough for Su Feng. The Pac-Man was still alive, still kicking. What he did to Carter, Su Feng would return in kind.

Five minutes into the lopsided second quarter, even Bucks coach Larry Drew abandoned his sideline pacing and sat down quietly. Now, all Coach Drew could think was, when the hell would this game end?

In those five minutes, Pachulia was blocked by Su Feng twice, stripped three times, took four elbows, and suffered a humiliating dunk that sent him sprawling to the floor.

The Georgian was furious now, but had no chance to retaliate.

On the sidelines, Carlisle sent Collison to the scorer’s table—clearly, Su Feng’s play was starting to look dangerous. The head coach couldn’t risk his star any longer; Dallas couldn’t afford to lose him.

Seeing Collison at the table, Su Feng knew his time was short.

After being repeatedly embarrassed, Pachulia was desperate to redeem himself with his play. After all, he was a professional—some things could only be settled on the court.

This time, on the Bucks’ attack, Pachulia moved to set a high screen for his teammate instead of battling Gobert in the paint. That might give him a chance for a mid-range shot.

Pachulia’s jumper was still a threat, and he knew Gobert’s defensive deterrent would drop sharply outside the paint.

Brandon Knight used the high screen to break inside. The Georgian subtly shifted his pick, causing Su Feng to fall far behind. Gobert had to switch onto Knight.

The Frenchman’s presence still intimidated Knight—nobody wanted to see such a giant chasing them. Plenty had been devoured by Gobert already; Knight didn’t want to be next.

So, he split the defense and dished to Pachulia in the middle.

Knight’s pass was telegraphed; Su Feng could've intercepted it, but he deliberately let Pachulia catch it—he'd spotted a chance to return Carter’s humiliation.

As Pachulia received the ball, Su Feng covered for Knight, and Gobert rotated to defend the Georgian. Pachulia faked the shot—an inexperienced defender could easily be fooled.

Gobert bit and leapt; Pachulia charged for the rim. Su Feng was waiting underneath, ready to pay him back with interest.

Knight, seeing Pachulia break out of the paint, cleared space for his teammate. But Su Feng didn’t follow; he seemed to be swelling inside the lane, waiting.

Pachulia barreled in at full speed, 99 kilos of inertia, well beyond what Su Feng’s "slender frame" should have been able to handle.

"You’ll regret this, you damned monkey!" Pachulia cursed in his heart, leaping straight at Su Feng.

But Su Feng didn’t back down. He didn’t leap to block—he waited. The instant contact came, Su Feng slammed his shoulder into Pachulia’s chest and flipped the airborne Georgian completely over!

In midair, Pachulia lost all balance. He’d been facing the basket, but now, spun by Su Feng’s force, he crashed down backward, landing heavily on his back from Su Feng’s shoulder.

"Oof!" Ninety-nine kilos hit the floor; even the hardwood trembled.

As Pachulia collapsed, goosebumps rose on everyone’s arms. The Georgian didn’t even writhe in pain—he simply stopped moving.

In 1999, the premier league’s All-Star Weekend was, as ever, said to be on the decline, but each year, the event was wildly popular. Fans grumbled about the lack of fresh ideas, yet still bought tickets obediently.

So, while the New Orleans All-Star Weekend wasn’t the best, the atmosphere was as lively as ever.

This year, Su Feng and Li Vignali had little to do. Su Feng had only the All-Star Game itself; though fans had called for him to compete in the dunk contest again, or try his hand at the skills challenge, he had no such plans for now.

Vignali’s main task was simply to look her beautiful best before the cameras.

All-Star Weekend was not only a stage for stars to shine but also a sanctuary for fans to express their adoration. Even the ever-reserved Kobe Bryant posted a few selfies with his new girlfriend during the festivities.

So, though Su Feng didn’t play in any events the first two days, the English guard was always in the spotlight.

On February 16th, All-Star Game night, Su Feng finally set foot on the long-missed court. It hadn’t been long—he’d been away from the league less than five days.

As the All-Star starter and the West’s top point guard by popular vote, Su Feng naturally drew great attention. Vignali, wearing a uniquely styled jersey, cheered for him.

Vignali’s outfit was undoubtedly the most striking among the crowd. While others dressed formally and elegantly, she, a professional basketball player, paired Su Feng’s jersey with All-Star edition Su Feng 1 sneakers—a look brimming with vibrant youth.

Adidas was now eager to sign Vignali. Her distinctive ensemble would draw even more eyes to their shoes.

See? Our basketball shoes are more than just for the court—they’re trendy, they’re stylish!

This special dress made Vignali the most eye-catching girl present, helping the "Wives of the West" claim victory on the sidelines.

Vignali’s support on the sideline shone, and Su Feng himself didn’t disappoint on the court.

Once the game started, as the All-Star starter, Su Feng immediately broke down the newcomer William Adams Miller with two dazzling drives.

On regular days, Miller played against his peers; tonight, another player masqueraded as a young, dashing guard.

Witnessing this, the Cavaliers’ management had a great idea: Miller and Su Feng, dressed as old men, playing streetball and filming the spectacle—after all, both were born for the streets!

After two serious possessions, the All-Star Game turned into a family celebration. Dunks came one after another, stars showed off before the fans, and even old Dirk planned to throw one down with Su Feng after the game. Of course, Dirk’s straightforward dunk drew laughter from everyone inside and outside the arena.

That’s the All-Star Game. Tonight, everyone set aside their differences for a good time—but not everyone could let go of their grudges.

For instance, Griffin and Su Feng would never pass to each other. Howard refused to shake hands with Su Feng. Yet Kobe, in his suit on the sideline, seemed to get along with everyone.

This reflected a deeper truth: William Adams Miller, the legendary guard, had become harmless; the real "viper" threatening the West now wore England’s number one jersey.

The show continued for three and a half quarters, then, as always, the stars got serious down the stretch.

The East even double-teamed Su Feng, but he broke through with explosive scoring, ultimately leading the West to victory.

Su Feng lived up to his billing as the fans’ choice, finishing with 99 points, 26 assists, and 9 rebounds, defeating Harden and Curry to claim the coveted All-Star MVP.

His first All-Star appearance, and he became the most valuable player, with a stunning girlfriend by his side. This weekend may not have been as electrifying as the year he won the dunk crown, but it was certainly his happiest.

As Su Feng stood before the cameras, smiling, holding the Kia-sponsored All-Star MVP trophy, few reporters could have expected what they were seeing.