I made all five of my shots right from the start, and the whole league was stunned.

2009年2月2日，晚10:30。

New York, Madison Square Garden, home team locker room.

Although the game was lost, Li Xiangbei's 52 points in a single game and his duel with Kobe Bryant until the very last moment are enough to make him the headline of every sports newspaper tomorrow.

"Lee! 52 points! This is the Knicks' greatest individual performance in the last decade!"

"You've proven you can go toe-to-toe with Kobe! How do you feel right now?"

The rest of the Knicks players are enjoying a relaxed atmosphere.

Nate Robinson, having just finished showering and wrapped in a towel, excitedly bumped chests with David Lee.

"Hey David! Did you see Kobe's expression just now? We almost beat the Lakers! Almost!" Nate gestured excitedly.

Randolph chimed in, "Yeah, who would have thought we could put the Lakers in such a tough spot? Heh heh, looks like our strength has been underestimated."

This "honorable defeat" rhetoric spread like a sweet anesthetic in the locker room.

in the corner.

Li Xiangbei sat in a chair with a thick white towel covering his head, obscuring his entire face.

"Bang!"

He yanked the towel off suddenly, the sound not loud, but it instantly silenced the entire locker room.

All eyes were on him.

"Almost?"

Li Xiangbei stood up and looked at Nate.

"Nate, if you think losing is something to celebrate with champagne, then you'll always be a substitute, never a true winner."

Nate's smile froze on his face.

"Losing isn't scary; what's scary is having an indifferent attitude after losing."

He walked to his locker and picked up the "Villain 1" sneakers that had accompanied him as he scored 52 points that night.

That's a collectible that countless fans dream of owning.

He casually gave the shoes to a caddie standing at the door.

"Sell them. Shoes from a losing game aren't worth keeping."

After saying that, he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked straight out of the locker room.

A group of teammates were left looking at each other in bewilderment.

On the way, he realized that the team's competitive spirit was still stuck in the previous season.

They are used to failure and used to making excuses.

"I want to become stronger." Li Xiangbei clenched his fist. "Strong enough to ignore all of this, strong enough to win this damn match all by myself."

……

Late at night at 11:30.

Black cars travel through the streets of New York.

Li Xiangbei closed his eyes to rest, but his mind was filled with images of the final moments of the match.

That missed game-tying three-pointer, that offensive rebound that Gasol grabbed, and Kobe's last shot, which, though it didn't go in, was still incredibly threatening.

If I had a stronger finishing ability...

Just then, the system beeped.

[System Warning: The host's current offensive methods are too simplistic (heavily reliant on fast break breakthroughs and three-pointers), making them vulnerable to being countered by S-level defenses (such as the Lakers' twin towers).]

[An extremely strong desire for evolution has been detected in the host.]

[Triggering the advanced quest chain: The Limits of the Sky.]

Mission Description: Physical talent is the ticket to the Hall of Fame. In this league, sometimes you need to fly higher to shut up the mortals.

Mission objective: To participate in and win the 2009 Phoenix All-Star Slam Dunk Contest.

Mission requirements:

Defeat all opponents (including defending champion Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard who wanted to fly over Superman).

The final performance must be scored out of 50 points.

The action must possess "historic" creativity and impact.

Task Reward: Daily Guaranteed Winning Limit +2.

Li Xiangbei suddenly opened his eyes.

Guaranteed winning amount +2!

This means he can make two more incredible shots and score 6 more points per game! That's a game-changer!

If we had two more sure-fire hits, we might not have lost the last game.

You're guaranteed at least 24 points per game.

The image of Nate Robinson grinning foolishly in the locker room flashed through his mind.

That last year's dunk champion, that little guy who celebrates losing as if he's won.

A smile appeared on Li Xiangbei's lips.

"Nate, I'm sorry."

"I want your championship."

……

Late at night at 12:00.

Scarlett's mansion.

Li Xiangbei pushed open the door.

The main lights were off inside; only the firelight flickered in the fireplace.

Scarlett, wearing a deep red silk nightgown and holding two glasses of whiskey, was standing by the window waiting for him.

She didn't ask "Are you alright?" in the gentle way that most women would.

She simply walked over and handed one of the glasses of wine to Li Xiangbei.

Straight whiskey, without ice.

Spicy, direct.

"Drink it."

Li Xiangbei took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The strong liquor burned down my throat, slightly relieving the frustration of losing the game.

Although there have been losses before, the feeling of losing to a league superstar is always different.

Scarlett reached out, her long, slender fingers tracing across Li Xiangbei's chest; the touch felt like it was electrified.

Your eyes tell me you don't want to rest.

Scarlett looked up, her captivating eyes sparkling.

Li Xiangbei put down his wine glass.

"I lost. The whole world was praising me for getting 52 points, but I still lost. It felt like... like you've put on a perfect performance, only to be told that the ending was already written in the script."

Scarlett cupped Li Xiangbei's face, making him look directly into her eyes.

"On Broadway, there is a type of actor."

Scarlett said softly.

"He acted better than the lead actor, and he worked harder than everyone else. But at the end, there was no applause, only silence. Because the script stipulated that the character had to die, and that he had to be a bad guy."

"but."

"In this league, if you don't want to die according to the script, if you don't want to be that tragic hero who loses but is still glorious."

"You have to tear that damn stage down."

A flame called ambition burned in her eyes, a flame that ignited the fuse in Li Xiangbei's heart.

"I heard the All-Star Game is going to be held in Phoenix?"

Scarlett leaned close to his ear, her voice full of seduction.

"Go, don't just go to play ball. Go perform, go conquer, go and trample all those who look down on you, those who limit you."

"Just like you did to me in bed... even harder."

Looking at the woman in front of him, Li Xiangbei felt his blood begin to boil.

This is the kind of comfort he needs.

It's not a gentle caress, but a resonance of souls, a crowning of ambition.

"Did they dismantle the stage?"

Li Xiangbei picked Scarlett up and carried her to the bedroom.

"Then so be it."

……

The next morning.

Li Xiangbei sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Scarlett who was still fast asleep.

He took out his phone and sent a text message to his agent, Bill Duffy.

Just a short sentence:

"Help me get David Stern on board. I want to participate in the dunk contest."