As soon as Tang Lei entered the practice facility, a familiar notification chimed from the system:
[New Training Mission: 800 Jump Reps.]
[Reward: +3 Jump Attribute Points.]
Tang Lei checked his stats. "With Kobe's peak jump ability already boosting me, my jump attribute is at 93. Completing this mission will push it up to 96—not bad." Without hesitation, he accepted the task. Increased jumping ability wouldn't just help with rebounding and blocking; it would also give him a wider range of offensive options, like hanging layups and in-air adjustments.
He quickly found an open spot in the gym and began. A transparent counter appeared in his vision, counting each jump: [Jump Reps: 1/800].
After the first hundred reps, his shirt was drenched. At three hundred, fatigue began to slow him down. Still, after an hour, he had completed 300 jumps, just as his teammates began arriving. They couldn't help but notice his intense solo workout. With two consecutive game-winning shots under his belt, Tang Lei's commitment earned quiet respect from his teammates and the coaching staff.
"Coach, I'd like to train on my own today to focus on jumping strength," Tang Lei mentioned to Coach Kerr as he walked by.
Kerr nodded approvingly. "Alright, just don't overdo it. We've got a game tomorrow."
By the time team practice wrapped up, Tang Lei was up to 700 reps. Despite invites from Curry and Thompson to leave together, he stayed back to finish his last hundred.
Another hour later, the system chimed again: [Congratulations! Mission Completed. +3 Jump Attribute Points].
Tang Lei collapsed onto the floor, feeling his legs go weak. "Finally," he sighed. After half an hour of rest, he got up, his legs still sore, but he was steady enough to drive home.
The Next Day
Caroline messaged Tang Lei her address, and he arranged for two tickets to be delivered to her—seats for the Warriors' Christmas Day game.
That evening, the Warriors faced the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite talents like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the Wolves had struggled for years. Since the Kevin Garnett era, they had only managed one playoff appearance, thanks to a push by Jimmy Butler.
The game was effectively over by halftime, with the Warriors maintaining a comfortable lead that eventually grew to 25 points. Curry and Tang Lei both sat out the fourth quarter. Curry played just 24 minutes, hitting six of his nine three-pointers to finish with 26 points and five assists. Tang Lei, in 20 minutes, went six for eight from beyond the arc, logging 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.
Twice, Tang managed to grab offensive boards over Towns, fully experiencing the impact of his increased vertical jump.
Later, Tang assigned his newly earned attribute point to jump, bringing his jump stat to an impressive 97—among the best in the league.
[Note: Stay tuned for the Christmas Day showdown!]