Chapter 325: Chapter 90: Can You Just Say the Facts Like That?

"I’m open to participating in the Olympics. You know I’m from China, and I’m willing to play for my country."

"Who in the new generation is better than me? I don’t know. Wait until one of them beats Kobe Bryant and O’Neal, then they can come and compete with me. The Finals MVP doesn’t accept challenges from run-of-the-mill players."

Su Xi was setting an example for everyone, demonstrating ’what a Finals MVP should say,’ asking ’if you’re not young and arrogant, are you even young?’ and posing the question, ’If you were as badass as Jack, wouldn’t you be even more cocky?’

... 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The next day, the front page of every sports media outlet in the world featured a photo of Su Xi thrusting the Finals MVP trophy toward the sky.

This young player with astonishing media influence proved his preeminent status in the world of basketball in the most powerful way. He also proved one thing to young people all over the world: that the impossible triangle of being handsome, rich, and highly skilled could be perfectly reconciled.

Besides, who says a playboy can’t make a name for himself? Who says you can’t dominate the basketball world while dating a celebrity?

Isn’t Su Xi a living example?

’Jack can fool around with Hollywood starlets and play basketball and still win the Finals MVP, so how can playing some games affect my studies? How can jerking off affect my development?’

Su Xi’s success was seen as the ultimate triumph for rebels.

This truly went against Su Xi’s original intentions.

He really wanted to tell the young people online who saw him as their spiritual icon: ’Have you seen Indiana at four in the morning? Have you seen Los Angeles at four in the morning?’

Su Xi had.

On this night of his great success, he was taken by Huang Xiaoman to the top floor of the Marriott Hotel.

They overlooked the entire city, and then... the battle began.

Provoked by Huang Xiaoman’s ’challenge,’ Su Xi launched a fierce assault, becoming unstoppable... Time seemed to vanish in that moment.

They became one with the Los Angeles night.

The distant neon lights flickered on and off, shimmering and bright.

It wasn’t until four in the morning that the two of them fell into a deep sleep.

Waking up at eleven the next day, the frenzy resumed.

At some point, the Finals MVP trophy on the nightstand had been shaken off. Luckily, the carpet in the luxury hotel was thick enough, or the trophy might not have made it to the Indiana championship parade.

Unlike other stars, Su Xi didn’t feel the need to spend a lot of money to have the trophy mounted and displayed.

That was just formalism.

But when Huang Xiaoman told him the Finals MVP trophy was worth 100 million USD,

he was shocked.

’That much money?’

Although he was no longer the poor kid he once was, and he had seen a lot of money in the past year—his spending on investments could be described as extravagant—

when he heard that the Finals MVP was worth 100 million USD, he was stunned.

"Nike alone has to give you 20 million. Add to that the boost to your personal image, status, and the growth in your commercial value after getting this trophy... 100 million USD isn’t that much," Huang Xiaoman continued.

"Can it be quickly liquidated?" Su Xi asked.

"No." Huang Xiaoman shook her head. "I’m talking about long-term returns."

"Then can I use it as collateral for a bank loan? Can I get a 100 million USD loan?" Su Xi asked.

"No."

Huang Xiaoman was very honest: ’I’m referring to the increase in your overall brand value as a person.’

Oh!

Su Xi nodded, a little disappointed.

If it couldn’t be liquidated quickly, then it was better than nothing, he supposed. Nike was the reliable one. He won the championship yesterday, and the 20 million bonus arrived today. They even thoughtfully took care of the taxes.

"Although you can’t cash it out all at once, several brands hoping to partner with you have all automatically raised their prices today," Huang Xiaoman continued.

She was in charge of Su Xi’s business brokerage in the Asia region, and some European luxury brands also contacted her directly.

Furthermore, she also handled Su Xi’s investment business in China. She helped Su Xi acquire equity in two major domestic internet companies. This was no easy feat. After all, those two companies were already well-established; they weren’t startups that would take any money they could get. Without the right connections, they wouldn’t even accept your investment if you wanted to give it.

Huang Xiaoman and the family behind her had a certain amount of influence in China.

"I think we should talk to Nike and have them communicate with the Basketball Association," Huang Xiaoman said, bringing up the topic of the Olympics again.

The Basketball Association had their own demands. They probably felt that Su Xi was making too much money and should contribute something to China’s basketball development.

Su Xi wasn’t stingy about it; he was willing. But he didn’t want to be led by the nose and told what to do.

At the same time, Su Xi had his own demands. He wanted Wang Zhizhi to join the national team with him. He didn’t care about the disputes between them; as an outsider, he couldn’t say who was right or wrong. He just believed that with three NBA players on the roster, the games would be much easier to win.

He was looking at it purely from a strength perspective.

Right now, both sides were at a stalemate, and the Olympics were only two months away.

The national team was already in training camp.

"Nike?" Su Xi was puzzled.

’What do they have to do with this?’

"They want you to establish a firm foothold in the Chinese market even more than you do. And they want you to take the title of Finals MVP to the Olympics and achieve even greater glory. That way, your commercial value will skyrocket. Every additional game you play now is powerful promotion for them..."

Huang Xiaoman analyzed the matter of their shared interests for Su Xi.

Su Xi said, "Then you should discuss it with O’Connor and come up with a plan."

"I don’t want to go anywhere before July. I need to get some proper rest," Su Xi said with utmost seriousness.

"Why do I get the feeling you’ll be even busier before July than you were during the playoffs?"

Huang Xiaoman said sarcastically.

Huh?

Su Xi froze for a second. ’What does she take me for?’

He immediately flipped over and mounted her. ’Trying to rebel, is she?’

...

The hype around the youngest Finals MVP in history continued to soar. Although many basketball experts still ’felt that Su Xi was not a superstar,’ their opinions no longer mattered.

Over the next two days, Su Xi saw praise for himself on all the major television networks.

Larry Bird said he was the greatest player in the history of the Pacers.

Magic Johnson said, "Jack is greater than I was when I was young."

Isaiah Thomas said, "Su Xi’s dribbling posture is a lot like mine. I’m proud of him for achieving such astonishing success. He should be the strongest contender for the title of God of Basketball."

Shaquille O’Neal said, "If Su Xi were a Lakers player, we would have won."

And Olajuwon said, "We have to admit, Jack is the most powerful first-year player in history. When I was in my first year, I never saw anyone greater than him."

"..."

These high praises elevated Su Xi to an extreme height.

In these few days, no one even bothered to compare LeBron James to Su Xi anymore.

It wasn’t that the "Chosen One" wasn’t excellent, but that Su Xi had raised the bar too high.

It reached the point where the media captured footage of Michael Jordan’s face darkening and him turning away to curse when asked about Su Xi.

Jordan didn’t like Su Xi.

Especially when he heard how awesome Su Xi’s contract terms with Nike were, he felt truly upset. The God of Basketball undoubtedly felt threatened.

"No wonder I didn’t like him the first time I saw him."

Jordan said to his friends in private.

This remark seemed to prove the existence of a law of physics: like poles repel!

Besides disliking Su Xi, Jordan also really disliked the comments from Isaiah Thomas and Olajuwon. One of them was his career-long arch-nemesis; he wasn’t at all surprised that Isaiah Thomas would make snide, passive-aggressive insinuations about him.

But he never expected that Olajuwon, who looked so honest and good-natured, would also betray him. As the first pick of ’84, Olajuwon was arguably the only super center whose brilliance wasn’t overshadowed in the Jordan era, earning him the title of the greatest of the Four Great Centers.

But now he was also helping the enemy, saying he’d never seen such a great performance in his rookie season. ’Does that mean my own rookie season was worse than this rookie’s, who can’t even figure out a proper jump shot?’

Although it was true that he didn’t win the Finals MVP in his own rookie season, and that Su Xi did win the Finals MVP in his rookie season.

These were all facts.

But just because they’re facts, does that mean you can say them out loud?