Chapter 31

Lu Xueman led Yang Mo to the group of journalists and immediately found the one marked CCTV. After giving a nod to a director standing nearby, the journalist holding a microphone, who was doing a live broadcast, immediately said, "Alright, host, we have now invited the only Chinese player participating in this draft, Yang Mo."

As soon as the journalist finished speaking, Lu Xueman gently pushed Yang Mo, and he walked to the side of the journalist. The cameraman immediately adjusted the camera to focus on him.

Yang Mo looked at the camera, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled broadly, greeting the camera. He looked quite the part. Lu Xueman, standing beside him, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, muttering, "He really has the air of a superstar."

"Mr. Yang Mo, many people may not be very familiar with you because you have never appeared in the domestic basketball scene. Do you have confidence in this draft?" the journalist asked, holding the microphone towards Yang Mo.

"Hello, everyone, hello to all the basketball fans, and hello to all the brothers and sisters in Donghua City. I am Yang Mo." Yang Mo rambled on for a while, making Lu Xueman roll her eyes. She quickly gestured to him to get to the point.

Receiving Lu Xueman's gesture, Yang Mo smiled awkwardly and changed the subject, saying, "Many people may not know me. I have never played in the CBA or participated in any national youth teams. In fact, I have never even been on a professional team. I am just an ordinary basketball enthusiast."

"Um..." The journalist was stunned by Yang Mo's description of himself as an "ordinary basketball enthusiast." How could an ordinary basketball enthusiast dare to participate in the draft? Was he just here for fun? The journalist immediately looked down on Yang Mo and asked casually, "Do you have confidence in this draft? Do you think you will be selected?"

"Of course. If I didn't have 100% confidence, I wouldn't be here," Yang Mo said seriously.

The journalist, however, saw Yang Mo as a braggart and asked in a somewhat unfriendly tone, "Is your confidence inherited from your parents, or is it due to your upbringing?"

The journalist's words were clearly a veiled insult, suggesting that Yang Mo lacked manners.

If it were something else, Yang Mo might have tolerated it, but when the journalist insulted his parents, he couldn't bear it. As an orphan, his self-esteem was extremely sensitive in this area. His originally smiling face instantly stiffened, and he turned to glare at the journalist, "What do you mean by that?"

The journalist, startled by Yang Mo's glare, instinctively flinched, fearing that Yang Mo might hit him. This was a live broadcast! He quickly smiled and said, "I mean, is your confidence innate?"

"Yes," Yang Mo nodded directly and continued, "I know you think I am arrogant, but... time will prove everything."

With that, Yang Mo turned and walked out of the frame.

Yang Mo's sudden departure left millions of viewers across the country, the journalist, and Lu Xueman stunned. Although she had noticed the journalist's unfriendly tone, she didn't think Yang Mo needed to react so strongly.

So, she quickly followed him.

After several seconds of awkwardness, the journalist forced a smile and said, "Alright, viewers, this interview is over."

After saying this, the journalist burst into a string of curses: "Damn, what a jerk? Does he really think he's something special, the bastard..."

Before he could finish his tirade, the director quickly unplugged the microphone. Oh no, this was a live broadcast. The camera hadn't even switched to another scene yet. Now, the entire nation knew that CCTV had a journalist who spewed profanity and lacked respect.

Initially, the audience thought Yang Mo's sudden departure was rude, but after hearing the journalist's words, they understood that it was the disrespectful journalist who had provoked Yang Mo.

This broadcasting incident immediately sparked a large-scale discussion online. Various forums and posts sprang up like mushrooms after the rain, all discussing the sudden appearance of Yang Mo.

Yang Mo's first public appearance, though imperfect, caused an unprecedented sensation. At least in the short term, it made up for the blank in his previous twenty years of life, making him an overnight sensation.

Meanwhile, Lu Xueman had caught up with Yang Mo. She held his hand and asked, "How could you do that? Even if he was rude, you shouldn't just walk away. This is a live broadcast, and millions of viewers are watching you."

"Don't give me that nonsense. Let me tell you," Yang Mo turned, pointed at Lu Xueman, and shouted, "I didn't hit him, which shows I have self-control."

Yang Mo's sudden seriousness frightened Lu Xueman, and she closed her mouth without a word. Although they had only known each other for a short time, Yang Mo had always seemed to be a mild-mannered person. She never expected him to suddenly explode. She instinctively felt that the journalist must have touched a nerve, otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted so strongly. She had often given him a hard time, but he always smiled it off.

After Lu Xueman fell silent, Yang Mo walked to his round table, sat down, and closed his eyes, not saying a word.

His mind was a whirl of emotions. He thought about the past ten years, the hardships he had endured, and how he had never disgraced his parents. Suddenly, he remembered the day his father gave him his first basketball. "Xiao Mo, today is your birthday. Dad is giving you a basketball. I hope you can beat me one day."

As he thought about it, tears began to stream down his tightly closed eyes, and he couldn't stop them. He wished his father could see him play in the NBA and be proud of him.

Yang Mo wiped his tears forcefully. A tissue was handed to him, and he looked up to see Lu Xueman.

After hesitating, he took the tissue, quickly wiped away his tears, and rubbed his face to make it look like he hadn't been crying.

"Is there something wrong?" Yang Mo asked Lu Xueman after drying his tears, trying to force a smile to show he wasn't sad, but he couldn't quite manage it.

"No," Lu Xueman shook her head gently, sat down next to Yang Mo, and asked softly, "Can I know why you were so angry? I'm not trying to pry, but I want to avoid such incidents in the future."

"..." Yang Mo was silent for a moment, picked up a glass of water, and took a sip, saying, "My father was an excellent basketball player, my idol. He once led our provincial team to win the National Games. When he gave me my first basketball, he said he hoped I could beat him. But he cheated; he didn't wait for the day I could beat him. He and my mother... passed away when I was ten."

Yang Mo's voice choked up, and he couldn't continue. He took a few more sips of water but still found it hard to speak.

Lu Xueman was also very sad. She wiped away many tears, then patted Yang Mo's shoulder. Suddenly, she felt a deep sense of empathy, and she wanted to hug the silently sobbing Yang Mo.

"Do you want to know my story?" Lu Xueman asked softly.

Just as she finished speaking, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Eric Gordon walked over. Westbrook patted Yang Mo's shoulder and said, "Hey, buddy, we've decided. We're going to give you a big surprise later."

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[Third update delivered, two more to go. We're just three spots away from the front page. Brothers, give us your votes, let's blow them away.]

[PS: Thanks to Xiaoshage for the 5888 big red envelope.]