Chapter Three: The Golden Bait

Zhou looked up. “Coach, he has played one game.” “Anyone who objects can prove on the court that he helps us win more.” North City opened small and fast, dragging Lu to the perimeter. Guards beat him twice in three minutes, and Harbor City fell behind by eleven. Voices in the stands called the previous night luck. [Adversity detected. Live win probability: 18.7%.] [Comeback mission activated. Victory unlocks Dynamic Stamina Allocation and upgrades commercial resources.] Lu did not chase the reward. He stopped Zhou. “Every drive begins on the right. The corner shooter is bait. Give up one step. I’ll protect the rim.” “If he scores?” Zhou asked. “Blame me.”