NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: Chapter [8]
Chapter 8: Contracts
The Knicks were pressing hard on offense, with Oakley shining in both mid-range and long-range shots, pulling defenders further out. Zhao Dong, meanwhile, was dominating in the low post, working the paint like a pro. But Charlie Ward, the point guard, had only passed to him twice today—one was a fast break, and the other came after an offensive rebound that Zhao Dong hadn't expected. Ward had missed the opportunity to pass again when Zhao Dong was in position to score. Ewing hit a shot, bringing the score to 85:76. The Warriors were now on offense.
Joe Smith, facing off against Zhao Dong's defense, decided to change things up. Instead of sticking to the low post, he sprinted to the right wing, trying to shake off Zhao Dong to create space for a shot. He succeeded. Zhao Dong wasn't quick enough to keep up, and Smith found himself just inside the 45-degree three-point line. Mark Price delivered the ball, and Smith launched into a high jump, releasing a long two-point shot.
Zhao Dong, a step behind, immediately exploded into the air, giving it everything he had to block the shot. His leap was almost Kobe-like—ridiculously high, with a defensive reach that was off the charts. In this league, even the great Michael Jordan had trouble clearing the rim when he jumped to shoot, often aiming just below it.
"Snapped!"
With a powerful swat, Zhao Dong sent the ball flying into the stands, causing the crowd to roar in excitement.
"Damn, Tom. That guy can jump like a freak," said Neil Grant, leaning over and smiling at assistant coach Thibodeau from the bench.
"I've seen the physical test data. He's got a vertical between 40 and 50 centimeters. But, Neil, why the hell wasn't he drafted? With that kind of jumping ability and his solid fundamentals, he should've been a first-round pick," Thibodeau replied, clearly puzzled.
Grant scratched his head, thinking for a moment before answering, "I didn't catch him at first, but watching him in the summer league, the guy's got mad skills on both sides of the ball. Could be his background... the whole Chinese thing... you know how it is. Teams usually focus on potential over versatility. His physical numbers were all over the place too. Not sure if it was a mistake or some error in the system, but that's a major screw-up. If the numbers were right, the dude's got clear talent. Like you said, he could've been a first-rounder."
As the Warriors began their attack, Smith was calling for the ball, but Price ignored him. Instead, Chris Mullin, the left-winger, nailed a two-pointer.
Back on offense, Zhao Dong kept his eyes peeled for any opportunities to snatch an offensive rebound. But luck wasn't on his side. Ewing and Houston, the mid-range specialist, were running the offense in the final period while Oakley was holding down the boards. Zhao Dong got just one defensive rebound and no offensive chances to score.
When the final buzzer sounded, Zhao Dong activated the system.
"Congratulations, host. In this game, you limited Joe Smith's scoring to single digits," the system chimed.
"You blocked more than three shots in a single quarter, dunked five times, and earned two skill points and one quality point as a reward," the system added.
"Unfortunately, the continuous system mission failed, and the mission has been canceled."
Zhao Dong smirked. "Not bad. Too bad they didn't count the points when I was on the bench," he muttered to himself. Though he hadn't bagged the grand prize, he still felt pretty good about his performance. Before heading to the locker room, reporters Zhang Lili and Sun Zhenping approached him for an interview. After about ten minutes of back-and-forth, they finally wrapped up and said their goodbyes.
After showering, Zhao Dong found that Ewing and the others had already left for the post-game press conference. Popping in his earbuds, Zhao Dong turned on some music while he thought about how to allocate his newly earned points. He decided to add two skill points to his low-post offense and one quality point to his speed. That bumped his low-post offense to 82 and his speed to 77. He was doubling down on his strengths while using the quality point to fix his speed weakness.
As for the two dynasty-level sniper missions, the first challenge was facing Michael Jordan. The "OK" combo wasn't a threat yet, and Kobe still had years of growth ahead. But Jordan? The guy was a monster now, and if no one could shut him down, it was gonna be up to Zhao Dong. Speed, he realized, was his biggest weakness in dealing with Jordan.
"Better work on my speed," Zhao Dong thought, clenching his fist.
Two hours later, the Knicks boarded a plane for Los Angeles, several hundred kilometers away.
"Yo, Zhao Dong, got a sec?" General Manager Grant asked, sliding into the seat next to him.
Zhao Dong felt a flicker of anticipation. His performance today had been solid, and he wondered if the GM was finally going to offer him a contract. His ten-day deal had expired, and these were the last few games of his road trip, so he was a little anxious.
"Let's get straight to the point," Grant said, handing him a document. Zhao Dong glanced at it, his heart leaping when he realized it was a contract offer. It was a 3+1 deal, with the fourth year being a team option. Year one was $900,500, year two was $1.12 million, year three was $1.35 million, and the final year came in at $1.72 million, totaling $5.14 million.
In his previous life, Zhao Dong would have signed that contract without hesitation. The base salary back then was only $200,000 a year, so this offer would've been a dream come true for someone drafted in the middle of the first round. It was already a solid deal for an undrafted player like him. But ever since he got the system, his standards had skyrocketed.
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