Chapter Two: The Closer to Defeat, the Stronger I Become

Lin drove forward for seven yards, stopped abruptly, and turned. Hall could not brake in time. He slid past. The ball hit Lin in the chest; the safety hit him a heartbeat later. First down. Lin lay on the turf, his ribs ringing as if struck by a hammer, and laughed. Over the next seven minutes, he caught nine passes: quick outs, slants, boundary throws, and one bullet taken from the seam between two defenders. Each time the Storm came close, the amplification faded. Each time the offense stumbled toward disaster, the red numbers climbed. Lin began ignoring the system’s optimal trajectories on purpose. He used his own judgment for ordinary six- and seven-yard catches, saving the borrowed power for downs he could not otherwise solve.