Lightning Storm

Fame comes in varying degrees.

When Bruce Li unexpectedly secured a victory against the University of Southern California, he caught the attention of some scouts.

After he triumphed at home against the arrogant Oregon Ducks who were gunning for the NCAA tournament, his name quickly gained traction on the internet, thanks to the support of Stanford students. Moreover... he also drew the attention of NBA teams.

And now, as he takes down the University of Washington, carrying his legendary story into the tournament, discussions about him online surged, and Bruce Li's name transformed from Stanford's hero to Stanford's legend.

Coach Jamie Lin spent about fifteen minutes pulling Bruce out of the crowded crowd, and then they, along with Scott, gave an interview to the television station.

Both Jamie Lin and Li Zhen were very intelligent and composed Chinese individuals. Faced with the miracle they had created, they remained humble, retaining their modesty... a quality that endeared them to reporters and television viewers alike. People had grown accustomed to those who boasted endlessly; everyone appreciated those who faced victory with clarity.

But... Scott was evidently not that type of person.

He faced the camera quite arrogantly: "With me and Bruce, we will be the NCAA's Nash and Stoudemire, unstoppable in our path. And there's Jamie Lin, he's the D'Antoni. Trust me, in the NCAA, no one understands the fast break better than him..."

Um...

As he said this, Li Zhen quickly tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to stop.

This subtle gesture was accurately captured by the camera, and in the control room, Jerry West saw it and smiled. He liked kids with high emotional intelligence; they became locker room glue, rather than troublemakers who disrupted the atmosphere.

In the NBA, emotional intelligence is crucial. Many players are actually very skilled, fully capable of getting longer and more lucrative contracts. However, due to their prickly personalities, many teams worry about the risks and automatically lower their offers, causing them to earn much less in the process: players like Artest and Bonzi Wells.

However, Scott had no intention of stopping.

He was a typical black man; they let their emotions guide them completely. When they get excited, anything and everything comes out: "Honestly, we're stronger than before. I know we're missing TJ Walton and Nicholas, but that doesn't stop us from being a better team. We found Bruce Li, and his talent is enough to replace everything. And Jamie Lin, his coaching ability... ah!!"

Scott let out a scream.

In the studio, Jerry West and the audience in front of the television screen all saw clearly that Li Zhen pinched Scott's waist hard.

This made Jerry West chuckle, and his appreciation for Bruce Li increased.

The point guard is the team's brain; if the point guard doesn't have high enough emotional intelligence, it's hard for them to manage the team system.

So, West decided that before the Tournament arrived, he would send scouts to Stanford to get specific physical test data on Bruce Li. If it was determined that there was room for growth, he was willing to give this kid a late second-round pick. After all, late second-round picks aren't worth much, and there wouldn't be other teams competing for him. Think of it as a gamble in baccarat.

Clearly, Li Zhen was unaware that he had caught the eye of the Memphis general manager. He hurriedly ended this slightly awkward interview.

Then, he led Scott into the locker room.

And he kept reminding Scott, "Jonas, speaking so freely like this will make Coach McHaney uncomfortable, and TJ Walton and Nicholas, who you mentioned by name, they will all think you're deliberately offending them."

But Scott was relentless, repeatedly emphasizing, "I'm just stating facts, why not say it like this?"

He was so straightforward.

Li Zhen didn't have much else to say.

This was a cultural difference; Scott liked to express himself openly, saying exactly what was on his mind, regardless of the consequences. Chinese people, on the other hand, tend to be more tactful, rarely uttering pointed words, and of course, not lying, mostly saying things in a balanced way.

This wasn't being hypocritical; it was to reduce unnecessary trouble and lower the cost of communication.

But even so.

Coach McHaney was still displeased by this and watched the entire content on TV.

He wasn't pleased because of Bruce's continuous attempts to stop Scott; he was just irritated with Scott. And he was extremely concerned that he was now losing authority in the locker room. If Scott was openly saying these things, wouldn't the other players now think that Jamie Lin was better than him?

No coach could tolerate an assistant coach being better than them.

So, he started thinking... how could he return to the team with the status of a king.

Soon, he received a call from TJ Walton.

Walton said he could return in the next game, and if the team was lucky enough to make it to the round of 32, he would definitely lead the team to higher heights in a new way.

This made McHaney ecstatic.

With core player TJ Walton on the court, the odds were much higher. If he could go even further on the existing foundation, it would undoubtedly be the most glorious moment of his career.

He figured it out and became happy.

After all, plucking someone else's peaches had always been a joyful thing.

Neither Li Zhen nor Jamie Lin had thought that Coach McHaney and TJ Walton were waiting to pluck their peaches. They were now anxiously awaiting the announcement of the first opponent in the March Madness.

Meanwhile, Richmond, the reporter, leaned back on the seat of his nine-handed Toyota Camry, extracting exciting shots from his DV camera with his notebook and uploading them to YouTube with a weak AT&T signal.

He had created a video column for Bruce Li. Its name was "Stanford's Little Lightning."

There were already many video clips inside, including the Jordan-like buzzer beater against Oregon, as well as several brilliant assists.

A week ago, he absolutely couldn't have imagined that his life would be so closely connected with this Chinese guard.

After uploading the video, he started writing an article about Bruce.

This time, the time period for his writing would start from ten days ago. He began with "Coach McHaney announces that he will no longer register Bruce Li for the roster next season," then introduced Bruce Li, the stunning protagonist, and went on to write about how he defeated Southern California, defended glory at home, and created an epic in Washington.

His writing style was vivid, and he had a strong ability to immerse readers in the story.

Undoubtedly, this would be another explosive article.

In the background, Richmond had become an important promoter of the upcoming "Lightning Storm."