Chapter Two: The Block at the Buzzer

[Critical-possession effective block completed.] [Mission complete. Elite Weak-Side Anticipation acquired permanently.] [Commercial resource acquired: due-diligence report and access to Pulse Lab, a sports-data startup.] [Talent reveals the second before an answer. The choice remains the host’s.] In overtime, Lu seemed to see the currents beneath every play. He could not predict the future, but a handler’s hips, a screener’s toes, and a shooter’s eyes revealed intent a heartbeat early. He broke up two passing lanes and blocked Gu at the rim. Haiyue stopped attacking the paint and settled for a desperate long three. Thunder 109, Sharks 104. A seventeen-point comeback.