Chapter 1: Back to 2003, Steady Wins the Game!
Oklahoma City, USA
March 20, 2003
Today's match in Oklahoma City features the North Carolina Wolfpack against the California Golden Bears.
Inside the arena, the game has entered its final, decisive moments.
"Hooh... hooh... hooh!"
Heavy breathing filled the court as the timer counted down, second by second.
"Game winner! Game winner! Game winner!"
The chant echoed uniformly through the arena as countless North Carolina fans stood and cheered.
16 seconds left!
The North Carolina Wolfpack had the last shot opportunity.
Herb Sendek, the North Carolina head coach, paced nervously on the sidelines. He glanced at the scoreboard overhead—
76:76!
Despite having the upper hand, Herb Sendek was tense, hardly daring to breathe.
"We must make this shot, Julius!"
Sendek fixated on Julius Hodge, the team's top scorer and current ball handler.
If the game went into overtime, it would be bad news for an already injury-ridden North Carolina.
The timer started ticking...
10!
9!
8!
...
1!
Buzzzz!
The timer buzzed as Julius Hodge took a contested shot at the buzzer.
Clang!
The sharp sound of the missed shot echoed, signaling overtime.
"FUCK!!"
Seeing the last shot miss, Sendek's face showed disappointment as he took the stat sheet from his assistant.
"Josh already has four fouls... Jordan Collins too? Damn referees, clearly targeting us!"
With two key players in foul trouble, North Carolina's chances dropped further.
"That number 24 from California, he's been a real headache today. He's in top form!"
How to contain him?
Herb Sendek's mind raced with thoughts when suddenly his assistant's voice interrupted.
"Coach, maybe we should try Wang?"
Following the suggestion, Herb Sendek glanced at the tall Asian player on the bench with a complex expression.
"This is Wang's rookie season. He hasn't had much playing time in the regular season. I'm worried... he might not handle the intensity."
Hearing the coach's decision, the assistant wisely stayed silent.
On the bench, Wang Song was unaware of the coaching staff's discussion.
His focus was on the virtual screen before him—his golden finger as a transmigrator in this parallel world, a system called [Steady Wins the Game].
This system had successfully bound to Wang Song a year ago, functioning as its name implied.
Experience points could be earned in three main ways:
1. By performing steadily in matches (higher-level matches yield more experience).
2. By outworking others in practice (e.g., shooting 500 shots when others shoot 100).
3. By earning basketball honors (the harder the honor to achieve, the more experience points).
Over the past year, Wang Song mainly earned experience through the first two methods, converting sweat into experience points to max out three attributes.
This effort earned him the nickname "Grinding Emperor," though it kept him a low-profile player on the team.
Experience points could enhance five attributes, with every 1000 points increasing one attribute point.
Higher-level games offered more experience.
"System panel loading... loaded!"
Host: Wang Song
Age: 19
Height: 213 cm
Wingspan: 226 cm
Weight: 95 kg
Athleticism: 99 | Rebounding: 99 | Interior Defense: 99 | Post Moves: 70 | Mid-Range: 70 | Three-Point: 60 | Playmaking: 70 | Perimeter Defense: 70 | Steals: 70
[Current experience points available: 28]
"Sigh, the road is long."
Reflecting on his year's worth of grinding for attribute points, Wang Song felt a mix of emotions.
As a freshman for the Wolfpack, his rookie season offered few opportunities to play.
His tendency to play it safe limited his stats, making it hard to stand out on a competitive team like North Carolina.
If not for his youth and resilience in training, staying on the team would be challenging.
At Michael Jordan's alma mater, a nationally renowned basketball powerhouse, staying on the team and earning playing time was no small feat.
Before the [Steady] system, Wang Song's potential was average, with decent static attributes but lacking in dynamic skills.
Knowing he could change his attributes excited him, driving him to work hard even when guarding the water cooler.
His relentless training didn't change his predicament much but did alter the coaching staff's perception of him.
...
[Ding, host's three attributes have reached 99. Initial mission granted!]
[Debut: Lead the North Carolina Wolfpack to win the 2003 NCAA Championship and become MOP!]
[Completion Reward: 10,000 experience points, unlock the Badge module!]
[Brave young man, charge forward boldly!]
The string of notifications brightened Wang Song's eyes.
A year of hard work finally triggered the initial mission.
...
Beeeep~
The referee's whistle signaled the end of the timeout.
The game officially entered overtime.
The brief pause didn't cool the players' intensity. Both teams resumed with fervor.
North Carolina's Julius Hodge fired a three-pointer, reigniting the crowd's enthusiasm.
California countered with aggressive inside play, exploiting North Carolina's foul troubles.
As the overtime progressed, the lead began to slip away from North Carolina. Herb Sendek's brows furrowed deeply.
Just as his frustration peaked, his worst fear materialized.
"Coach, Josh fouled out!"
The assistant's alert brought Sendek back to reality.
Frantically searching the bench for the best option, his gaze settled on the tall Chinese player in the corner.
"Wang Song, get ready to play!!"
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