Chapter 24

"Roar!!!"

Chen Mu roared as he leaped into the air from behind the wolf king Garnett, rising like a rocket. He raised his right hand high and slapped the basketball flying through the air with all his might.

"Slap!"

The basketball was struck by Chen Mu's palm and slammed into the backboard. Facing Garnett's astonished eyes, Chen Mu landed and immediately jumped again, grabbing the basketball that had bounced away with great force.

"…Wow!!!"

A rim-rocking block…!!!

In the final moments of the game, rookie Chen Mu, taking advantage of Garnett's exhaustion, delivered an incredible performance. This block was captured by the cameras on the sidelines, and the media reporters were instantly invigorated, all memorizing this play to include in their post-game reports as a significant highlight.

"Ah…!!!"

After passing the rebound, Chen Mu roared to the sky. Throughout the game, he had been toyed with by Garnett on the defensive end. Although he didn't fall behind in rebounds, the feeling of "being unable to stop the opponent no matter what" was extremely frustrating.

This block finally allowed Chen Mu to vent his frustration. He couldn't suppress his excitement and continued to roar.

"Beep, beep!"

Amidst Chen Mu's roars, the referee blew the final whistle, signaling the end of the game. The Phoenix Suns won the away game against the Timberwolves, extending their winning streak to three games.

"…"

The Target Center fell silent, with everyone feeling a sense of sorrow for the lone battle of the wolf king.

In contrast, the Suns were overjoyed. The game had been very difficult from the start, with the Timberwolves' tactics once pushing the Suns to the brink. However, thanks to the outstanding performance of the rookie from the bench, Chen Mu, the team managed to turn the tide and secure a hard-fought victory. The joy of achieving success after such a fierce struggle was immeasurable.

"Chen! Chen! Chen! Chen!"

The Suns players formed a circle, surrounding Chen Mu and cheering him on.

Chen Mu, like a hero, beamed with joy amidst his teammates. Only after Coach D'Antoni urged them did the players reluctantly disperse and leave the court through the player tunnel.

The next day, all sports media reports mentioned this game, which was originally not expected to be much of a contest. The powerful Suns won away against the struggling Timberwolves, securing a three-game winning streak.

The highlight of the game's final moments, where rookie Chen Mu delivered a rim-rocking block, sending Garnett's sure shot to the backboard, was repeatedly played by numerous media outlets.

"Chinese Kid, the Next Yao?"

Some media used this headline. After gaining fame in China a few months ago, Chen Mu's name finally made a mark in the United States. Many American media outlets began to pay attention to this unknown rookie, and fans started discussing whether the Suns would sign Chen Mu for the rest of the season after his ten-day contract expired.

In China, news of Chen Mu's explosive success in the NBA quickly spread across the internet. Discussion threads about Chen Mu could be found on various sports forums.

"【Objective View】How high can Chen Mu go?"

"【Absolute Superstar】Guess which player's stats these are?"

"【Super Matchup】Is it Mutombo? Or Camby? If Chen Mu develops his scoring ability, can he reach the level of McHale?"

Discussion threads of all kinds emerged, with fans hotly debating Chen Mu's performance. In five games, he averaged less than 20 minutes of playtime but managed to grab double-digit rebounds. This astonishing performance sparked many people's imagination.

"If Chen Mu trains in the NBA for a while and then returns to China, can he make the national team? How does he compare to Yi Jianlian? If Chen Mu joins, how strong would China's frontcourt become in the Olympics and World Championships?"

Chinese fans were elated, imagining the powerful frontcourt combination that could lead China to new heights in international competitions.

However, some fans and experts were not optimistic about Chen Mu's future.

"…Chen's rebounding sense is rare in history, I admit that, but in contrast, his offensive skills are abysmal."

On the TV screen, NBA expert Bill Simmons was analyzing the future development of the recently popular Chen Mu.

From his words, it was clear that this data-obsessed NBA expert had a pessimistic view of Chen Mu's future.

"I have a set of data showing Chen's shot distribution and shooting efficiency over his five games with the Suns."

As Simmons spoke, a shot chart appeared on the screen. A quick glance showed that the green markers indicating successful shots were few and far between, all concentrated in the paint. The red markers indicating missed shots outnumbered the green markers by several times.

"Although the chart might suggest that Chen's shooting percentage isn't too bad, after all, we've all seen the Rockets' Ryan Bowen, hahaha…"

Chen Mu remembered the player Simmons mentioned. This tenacious defender, known for his defensive prowess, gained fame for his successful defense against Dirk Nowitzki in the 2004-2005 playoffs when the Rockets faced the Mavericks.

However, in the 2005-2006 season, Bowen's offensive shortcomings became evident. He averaged only 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of less than 30%, and a three-point percentage of a mythical 13.6%.

"Do you remember how people evaluated Bowen after the Rockets' grueling playoff series against the Mavericks last season?" Simmons continued, "Tough, never gives up, defensive stalwart, a team player whose value can't be measured by stats, a player who can change the game without scoring, right?"

"But look at this season. The NBA is different now, old buddy."

Simmons' lips curled into a sly smile, "Just defense, no offense, can't survive in the league. Even Ben Wallace, who could dunk the ball in the paint with minimal resistance, can't make it. Chen, like Bowen, has no offensive ability. Relying solely on defense and toughness won't last long in this league of geniuses."

Seeing this, Chen Mu sighed softly.

He vaguely remembered that after the 2005-2006 season, Bowen was let go by the Rockets and played in overseas leagues.

The official reason given by the Rockets was that Bowen had undergone hip surgery and missed the training camp for the new season. But everyone knew this was just a poor excuse.

Lack of offensive ability was the real reason Bowen was let go by the Rockets.

In the following years, although Bowen joined the Hornets and Thunder, he never had another shining moment.

Even in overseas leagues, Bowen averaged only a few points per game.

Although Chen Mu's offensive ability might be slightly better than Bowen's, he was well aware that his current offensive shortcomings were the key issue.

"Clank"

As Chen Mu was lost in thought, a graceful figure appeared before him, placing a cup of tea, uncommon in a foreign land, on the table.

"Brother Mu, have some tea~"

Su Yin smiled sweetly at Chen Mu. Her beautiful face radiated youth, and her breath, like a gentle breeze, refreshed Chen Mu as it passed by his side.

"Thank you, Su."

Chen Mu smiled and thanked her, taking a sip of the tea. Su Yin sat down beside him, and the two friends, close in age, chatted happily.

Since meeting Su Boss and Su Yin at the electronics store, Chen Mu and Su Yin's interactions had become more frequent. In just a few days, they had exchanged countless text messages.

Growing up in the United States, Su Yin introduced Chen Mu to various aspects of American life, helping him integrate into society quickly.

Chen Mu, who had come from China, shared stories of the old and new faces of his homeland, telling Chinese jokes that made Su Yin laugh heartily, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

"Brother Mu, will you stay in Phoenix?"

After a long chat, Su Yin finally asked the question that was most on her mind.

Growing up under a strict father, Su Yin, though blossoming, had never been in a relationship. Now, with a boy her father didn't oppose, she felt a different kind of emotion.

But if Chen Mu couldn't stay and had to leave Phoenix, perhaps their connection would end here.

"…"

Faced with Su Yin's question, Chen Mu was momentarily at a loss for words, hesitating for a moment before saying, "I don't know…"

It was already December 16, 2005. According to the contract, today was the last day of Chen Mu's ten-day short-term contract.

Previously, his agent Duffy had told Chen Mu that if the team intended to renew the contract, they would usually call both him and Chen Mu to the manager's office by 3 PM to discuss the renewal.

If the contract was not to be renewed, the manager would call Chen Mu alone, as there would be no contract to sign and no need for the agent to be present.

"Ring, ring, ring, ring"

As he was thinking, Chen Mu's phone rang. Apologizing to Su Yin, Chen Mu quickly got up from his seat and rushed to the door of the electronics store, answering the phone, "Hello, Mr. Colangelo, this is Chen Mu!"

"…"

There was a noticeable hesitation on the other end. Brian Colangelo, the Suns' manager, who had won the Executive of the Year award last season for signing Steve Nash, hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "Chen, I'm sorry to inform you that the Suns do not intend to renew your contract."

"…!!!"

Colangelo's words were like a bolt from the blue. Chen Mu stood frozen, unable to accept the reality.

Chen Mu had performed well in previous games, even being a key contributor in several victories. His expectations were not high; he didn't think he would immediately sign a long-term contract, but he hoped to sign another ten-day contract.

But he never expected the Suns to ultimately let him go…!

"It was a pleasure working with you; you brought us many good moments," Colangelo continued, "But the Suns are an offense-first team, and we need endless offensive firepower. Your offensive skills are insufficient, which conflicts with our team philosophy."

"We appreciate your contributions to the Suns, but Kurt has recovered, and according to the doctors' reports, Amar'e should be back around the All-Star break, so our frontcourt is full."

At this point, Colangelo paused, carefully choosing his words before continuing, "I sincerely wish you greater success in your future career and hope we can work together again. Goodbye."

"Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep"

Hearing the dial tone, Chen Mu remained silent, putting away his phone and lowering his head.

Offense… offense…

In his life, Chen Mu had never so desperately wished for even one offensive skill.

Rebounding alone is not enough. I need to become stronger, to contribute on the offensive end, to survive in this league of the strong preying on the weak!

"Ching"

Just as Chen Mu was determined, the long-absent system notification sounded, and a prompt appeared before his eyes.

"Career Task Completed: Completed a ten-day short-term contract."

"Virtual Training Camp Unlocked: Fear Chamber."