Post-game Press Conference
Inside the media room, New Mexico State University's head coach, Reggie Theus, sat at the podium surrounded by buzzing reporters.
"Coach Reggie, are you disappointed with the result of tonight's game?"
"I feel regret, but not disappointment," Reggie responded calmly. "My players gave it everything they had. I'm proud of their performance."
"What do you think of Chen Yan's performance?"
"I admire the kid. He's got real talent and his scoring power caught me off guard. Most importantly, he's got a fiery spirit. He was the key to Texas turning things around."
"Coach, do you think Chen has the ability to make it to the NBA?"
Reggie didn't rush his answer. "He has potential, no doubt. But one good game isn't enough. If he wants to make it to the league, he needs to show consistency over time."
That answer was fair. NCAA history had seen too many one-hit wonders vanish after a single breakout game.
"Coach Reggie," another reporter chimed in, "for a player like Chen who suddenly breaks out, how do you think teams should limit him?"
Reggie's expression froze for a second.
He turned to look at the reporter like he was looking at a fool.
Limit him? If he had a way to stop that guy, would they even be sitting here talking about a loss?
Reggie exhaled slowly to keep his cool, then gave a straight-faced answer.
"Report him to the tournament committee. That's probably the best option at this point."
"Pfft—hahahahaha!"
The entire press room burst into laughter.
No one expected Reggie to be that real.
---
Meanwhile, inside the Suns' locker room, Chen Yan had just changed back into his casual clothes and was about to head out when two tall men blocked the door.
One of them flashed a tournament staff badge. "Chen Yan? Post-game drug test. We need a urine sample."
Word of this quickly reached the media, and the reporters—already laughing from Reggie's quip—nearly lost it.
Damn! So Coach Reggie was serious?! He really reported him?!
The game might've been chill, but that report hit hard.
The news practically wrote itself. No editing needed—just post it raw. The whole thing was a joke in itself.
To be fair, you couldn't totally blame Reggie. After all, a benchwarmer averaging just 1.3 points a game suddenly dropping a monster performance like that? It did look sketchy. Even without a report, the tournament committee already had their eyes on Chen for testing.
"Where's Chen? Why hasn't he shown up yet?" Texas head coach Rick Barnes frowned, glancing at his watch.
Durant, who had just boarded the bus, shrugged. "He went too crazy tonight. Got pulled for a urine test."
"Hahaha! Man, he really turned up. Even the committee couldn't believe it!"
"Yeah, I bet the dude injected some Captain America serum or something."
The whole bus cracked up, teammates all tossing out jokes.
After finishing the test, Chen Yan rushed out of the stadium. On his way to the team bus, fans swarmed the exit, calling his name and waving pens and papers at him.
People shouted left and right. "Chen Yan! Over here!"
For the first time, Chen felt like a star.
Then—
"Hey, Chen! Can we get a photo?" Two sizzling-hot Latin girls stepped up.
Their "outfits" were practically just strips of cloth. Calling them revealing was an understatement.
Chen hesitated for a second, then smiled. Time to face my weakness head-on.
The two girls immediately wrapped around him—one on the left, one on the right—as they struck a pose for the camera.
At that moment, Chen finally understood why so many NBA players spiraled out of control with women. When girls are throwing themselves at you like this? You need some serious self-control to stay grounded.
Still, he didn't linger. He'd already lost time with the urine test, and the entire team was waiting on the bus.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for winning the game. You've been rewarded with 2 honor points."
"Congratulations to the host for winning your first NCAA Championship game! You've earned 1 honor point."
"Ding! Congrats on completing the main mission [Comeback]!"
"Reward obtained: Wade's exclusive skill [Phantom Step], plus 6 honor points."
"Congratulations to the host for unlocking the next main mission: Win the NCAA Championship! Mission Rewards: 10 honor points, skill [Perfect Hand Shape], and access to the [System Mall]."
Just as Chen Yan boarded the team bus, the system's notifications started chiming one after another.
He was planning to catch some sleep on the ride back, but now, wide awake, there was no chance of that.
He immediately clicked on the skill description for [Phantom Step].
[Active Skill: Boosts breakthrough sensitivity by 15%, and adds an 8% burst speed on the first step.]
To put it simply, it's a slicker, faster, and more deceptive version of the Euro step. Plus, it had a built-in acceleration bonus.
A solid, practical weapon for his game.
Chen Yan nodded with satisfaction, then shifted his attention to the honor points.
"System, how do I use honor points to increase my attributes?" he asked.
He remembered the system mentioning before that honor points could be exchanged to boost his attributes—key to getting stronger in every aspect of the game.
"Host, just apply the points directly to any attribute," the system replied instantly.
He pulled up his personal panel, and sure enough, every attribute now had a number next to it—finally ready for point allocation.
---
[Player Info: Chen Yan]
Height: 198cm
Weight: 88kg
Wingspan: 218cm
Standing Vertical: 98cm
Run-up Vertical: 105cm
Attributes:
Ball Control: 90
Speed: 92
Stamina: 90
Court Vision: 84
Breakthrough: 90
Layup: 85
Mid-range Shot: 77
Three-point Shot: 67
Free Throw: 80
Passing: 85
Positioning: 90
Steals: 88
Strength: 65
Rebounding: 58
Defense: 65
Blocks: 68
Spirit: 95
Skills:
God-level Steal
Answer Crossover
Phantom Step
Honor Points: 9
Overall Rating: A
---
Chen Yan tested it out by adding one point to [Three-point Shot]. Instantly, the stat went from 67 to 68.
"Yo, this is just like playing 2K!" he grinned. "Simple and addictive."
Without hesitation, he locked in on that [Three-point Shot] again and started smashing the add button.
Let's be real—shooting was his biggest weakness. He couldn't really show off from deep, and that was clear when he missed every three-pointer in today's game.
After a few clicks, his three-point attribute hit [73]. Then—nothing. The add button was greyed out.
"…Huh?"
He frowned. "System, I used 9 honor points and only got +6 on my three-point shot. Is your system bugged?"
"Not a bug, host," the system replied calmly. "The honor point cost increases based on the attribute tier. For stats between 70–80, it takes double points per increase."
Chen Yan scratched his head. "Then what about stats over 80?"
"For attributes between 80–85, it costs 5 honor points per level. From 85–90, it's 10 per level. For 90–95, it's 20 per point. And above 95… it'll take 50 honor points per point."
"…Damn, seriously? How long is it gonna take to max anything?"
Other than the main mission and today's win bonuses, he only racked up 2 honor points from gameplay.
"The higher the league level and the more important the match, the more honor points you'll receive," the system explained.
Chen Yan nodded slowly. He got it now.
There's only one real shortcut—reach the NBA as fast as possible.
"The more you upgrade your stats, the more your overall rating improves," the system added. "Each time your overall rating goes up, you'll unlock one skill evolution opportunity. Right now, your rank is A. The ranks go A+, S, SS, then SSS."
"Oh? So skills can evolve too?"
The deeper he explored, the more fascinating this system became.