Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve!

Since the morning, fans who were taking a break had been discussing the exhilarating showdown between the Lakers and the Suns from the previous night. The excitement grew, reaching the top of the Twitter trending charts and maintaining its position. This, in turn, directly led to a rapid increase in Carlos's personal popularity, not just a simple increase but a skyrocketing ascent.

However, as the person directly involved, Carlos was currently in bed, sleeping. Facing the defensive siege from the Lakers' formidable defenders last night, it had indeed taken a toll on Carlos's physical condition. The defending champions were truly strong. In the end, if it weren't for the sharp steal from the "Eagle Spear," they might not have won. Despite the Suns' victory, it could be said that it was a narrow one.

The next matchup was uncertain. The Suns couldn't guarantee a win against the Lakers every time, and Carlos couldn't guarantee that he could continue to suppress Kobe in their next encounter. So, while fans praised Carlos to the skies, Carlos knew that winning narrowly wasn't enough. He was thinking about how to further improve himself. Only by becoming stronger could he lead the Suns even further.

Around 11 AM, Carlos woke up, checked his phone, and saw a message from Cindy, saying that she had boarded the plane and would land at Los Angeles International Airport at 5 PM.

Why was Cindy in Los Angeles when Carlos was in Phoenix?

To be honest...

In terms of prosperity, Los Angeles, as the second-largest city in the United States, was undoubtedly more bustling. Cindy, who had just arrived, probably wanted to explore the vibrant city. Moreover, Carlos hadn't left Phoenix since the offseason. As Stat had joined the Knicks during the offseason, the league knew that the Suns wouldn't be very strong this season, and hence, the Christmas Day matchups didn't feature the Suns.

This meant that from Christmas Eve to four days after Christmas, the Suns had no games, and the team was in a resting state. Such a long break in the middle of the season provided a good opportunity for Carlos. Therefore, he and Cindy had agreed to spend Christmas in Los Angeles.

Around 11 PM, Carlos got up, checked the time, booked a flight to Los Angeles, and began preparing from shaving his beard. After all, it was a date with a girl, and basic courtesy was necessary. A little grooming wouldn't hurt.

...

This part of Carlos's day was temporarily set aside.

Now, the focus shifted to the Adidas Building, the manager's office.

"Beautiful!"

"13 three-pointers, 65 points, 3.8 seconds, a steal and a buzzer-beating layup. Carlos played too well last night; he's even more outstanding than I imagined!"

In the office...

Karim watched the highlights of Carlos's duel with the Lakers last night, refreshing the overwhelming news about Carlos. He was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth. Although he had given Carlos a huge contract, now it seemed that this contract was absolutely worth it.

"Boom, boom..."

Just as he was watching, a knock on the door sounded, and then an employee with a happy face walked in, holding a document. He reported to Karim, "Manager... in just one night, the daily sales of Adidas increased by 3 percentage points."

"Nice!"

Karim excitedly pounded the table. He certainly knew that the increase during that time was all due to the Suns' showdown with the Lakers and the benefits brought about by Carlos's superhuman performance.

"Very good!"

"Carlos's popularity is skyrocketing, bringing benefits to the company. So... I can't just sit and wait; I need to rapidly expand the profits!"

...

At the same time...

Inside the manager's office at the Nike Building.

"Fuck!"

"13 three-pointers, 65 points, 3.8 seconds, a steal and a buzzer-beating layup. What... what are these stats? What is this performance? How can rookie Carlos be so strong?!"

Christmas Eve continued, and Carlos's legend was still echoing in the basketball world.

Office...

Wagner stared wide-eyed, slapping his thigh and exclaiming in amazement. Like Karim, he was watching the highlights of Carlos from the Suns-Lakers game, flooded with news about Carlos. He uttered similarly stunned words as Karim.

However, Wagner's demeanor, slouching in his chair and slapping his thigh, reflected a completely different mindset from Karim's. He felt troubled.

"Not persisting in signing Carlos back then seems like... seems like a wrong decision!"

...

Around the same time.

At Austin's home.

"Hum hum hum... Yiyayou... Yiyayou... Yiyayiya—"

Lounging on the couch, humming a tune, eating fruit, and watching news about Carlos on TV, Austin's mood was as good as Karim's. This good mood was undoubtedly a result of Carlos's magnificent performance last night and the skyrocketing popularity that followed.

"Hiya!"

"Choosing Carlos back then was the best decision I've ever made in my life!"

Ding ding ding!

Just as he was enjoying himself, he received a phone call.

"Hello!"

"Hello, may I speak with Carlos's agent from the Phoenix Suns?!"

"Yes, that's me. Who is this?"

"Hello, I'm Alston, the diplomatic manager of Chevrolet. If it's convenient, could we find a time to discuss something? Our company is interested in having Carlos endorse our cars."

"Oh? Okay, I'll get back to you once I confirm the time."

"Great, thank you!"

Beep beep beep...

Call ended...

A smile appeared on Austin's lips. "It's been less than a day since the Suns-Lakers game, and car endorsement offers are already coming in?! Carlos, your popularity has exploded. If you keep up this magnificent performance, your popularity will only grow. Just as you said, resources will automatically come your way, and you can choose freely. Chevrolet is a decent brand. I remember Carlos mentioned wanting a car before. Let's help him explore this opportunity. Chevrolet doesn't have to be the first choice; Carlos's popularity is just beginning to soar. Maybe more car companies will come forward in time. No need to rush... we'll choose slowly when the time comes!"

Thinking this, Austin already had some ideas and plans.

However, whether it was the constantly discussed fans on the internet, the delighted Adidas, the regretful Nike, or Austin, who received a car endorsement offer, none of these had anything to do with Carlos.

At 2 PM...

Carlos, who had finished packing, boarded the plane bound for Los Angeles!

Woo—

Takeoff—