After celebrating with his teammates, Tang Lei made his way to the locker room for a quick shower. Just as he stepped under the warm water, the familiar sound of the system's notifications rang out.
[Congratulations, host! Victory in the regular season game: +1 attribute point, +2 system coins.]
[Congratulations, host! Christmas Night MVP: +3 attribute points, +7 system coins.]
[Congratulations, host! Breaking the youngest 50+5+5 record in NBA history: +5 attribute points, +10 system coins.]
"Not bad, 9 attribute points and 19 system coins from this game alone," Tang Lei mused, satisfied. It wasn't as much as his previous buzzer-beater victories, but clutch moments like those are rare. Even among NBA greats, many never get to taste that kind of thrilling finish.
He opened his stats panel:
• Host: Tang Lei
• Position: NBA, Golden State Warriors (Signed through season end, $3M)
• Age: 19 years, 52 days
• Height: 2.02m (attribute points can add up to +15cm)
• Wingspan: 2.04m (can add up to +15cm)
• Weight: 95kg
• Driving: 100
• Mid-Range: 92+
• Three-Point: 100
• Vertical: 96+
• Speed: 92+
• Defense: 85+
• Blocking: 86+
• Ball Handling: 82+
• Stamina: 84+
• Charisma: 100
• Unused Points: 12
"Hmm, with 12 attribute points from the last few games, where should I allocate them?" Tang Lei thought aloud. Height was useful for rebounds, but since he wasn't playing as a center, it felt somewhat wasteful. Increasing his wingspan, however, could pay off significantly on defense and rebounding, offering a real edge on the court.
"Alright, let's go with wingspan." Decisively, Tang Lei added all 12 points to his wingspan. A tingling sensation ran through his arms, but it was brief. When he stretched them out, he felt the immediate impact: his reach had noticeably improved.
His wingspan now stood at an impressive 2.16m—enough to rank him among the top ten in the league for wingspan-to-height ratio.
After his shower, Tang Lei slipped into some comfortable clothes and met Curry, who invited him to join the post-game press conference—an opportunity Tang Lei was happy to accept for the added exposure.
The 76ers' post-game conference was up first. Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, and Ben Simmons took their seats.
"Embiid, do you have any advice for the Warriors' rookie Tang Lei?" a stocky reporter asked, kicking off the questions.
"Advice?" Embiid's voice was icy. "The guy dropped nearly 60 points. What advice could I possibly give?" He waved off the question with visible frustration.
The reporter pressed on, "Earlier, you mentioned you'd never heard of Tang Lei, and he responded tonight with 55 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Any thoughts?"
"Hmph. We were focused on other players," Embiid replied, his tone bitter. "If he meets me again, he won't get so lucky." Without another word, he got up and stormed off, leaving Butler and Simmons to handle the rest of the questions. Butler looked on, clearly unimpressed with Embiid's outburst.
Shortly after, Curry and Tang Lei took their places for the Warriors' press conference. Reporters wasted no time probing about Embiid, hoping to stir up a rivalry narrative. Tang Lei responded smoothly, letting the reporters take from it what they wished. If they wanted to paint him as Embiid's "rival," so be it; he had little interest in appeasing Embiid's ego.
After the press conference, Tang Lei climbed into his BMW X7 and headed home through streets adorned with Christmas lights. While the holiday didn't hold personal significance for him, it was hard not to notice the festive atmosphere around him.
Halfway home, his phone buzzed with an incoming call from a local number. Tang Lei hesitated but ultimately decided to answer.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Tang, good evening," said a voice on the other end. "This is Rich Paul. I noticed you're currently looking for an agent. I'd love to discuss your future over dinner if you're available."
Tang Lei's eyes widened at the name. Rich Paul—the powerhouse sports agent behind clients like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Ben Simmons. Known for securing some of the NBA's most lucrative contracts, he'd become both a godsend to players and a nightmare for team front offices.
"Of course. I'm free tomorrow," Tang Lei replied after a brief pause. He was well aware of Paul's formidable reputation and his eye for talent. For an agent of Paul's caliber to approach an undrafted rookie spoke volumes.
"Great. I'll see you tomorrow," Paul said, and with that, the call ended. Tang Lei couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement.
After all, having caught the attention of one of the league's top agents was no small achievement.