Basketball miracles

Chapter 84 [Who else?]

The NBA regular season continued, with the Lakers defeating the Mavericks 116-100 in a back-to-back road game.

Xiao Tu almost made the fourth overall pick, Sam Perkins, cry today; he completely dominated him.

肖途出战38分钟，16投10中，三分球2中1，罚球12中10，得到31分14篮板2助攻2抢断3盖帽。

帕金斯出战38分钟，14投2中，罚球4中3，得到7分4篮板2助攻1抢断。

Last time the two faced off, Mavericks fans complained that Perkins was too hesitant to shoot. This time, he took more shots, but his shooting percentage was pitifully low.

With the season halfway through, Perkins is averaging only 11 points and 7 rebounds per game, earning him the label of a "bust." His playing style is not only countered by Xiao Tu, but he also lacks an advantage against other big men, relying mainly on jump shots for scoring due to a lack of explosiveness.

The media and experts praised Xiao Tu again, believing he was top-notch on both offense and defense. They said if he went to college, he could dominate the NCAA and lead his team to a championship, no matter which school he chose.

Both players came from the University of North Carolina, but Jordan became the core of the Bulls, while Perkins was simply not cut out to be a core player. Experts believed his ceiling was only that of a role player, which did not meet the expectations of the Mavericks' management.

Xiao Tu didn't even react much to Perkins's dominant performance, knowing that Perkins was destined to be just a role player. At his peak, he averaged just over 15 points per game, but rarely grabbed double-digit rebounds.

The Lakers continued their winning streak, and Xiao Tu, having already defeated all the high draft picks this season, was in high spirits and wanted to find someone to celebrate with.

Jennifer Connelly was still filming out of town, and Madonna was also out of town for an event. So, Xiao Tu called Rosamund Kwan and invited her to dinner.

Xiao Tu chose the neighborhood where Chris Ford lived as the location because Madonna didn't live there, so paparazzi usually wouldn't come to stake out her.

Although the chances of Xiao Tu making the news by having dinner with a female friend are slim, it's still best to be careful. He's perfectly safe in this neighborhood; if paparazzi do take pictures, he'll immediately call Chris over to be a third wheel and then have him take the blame.

Chris: ??
Since their last parting at Big Bear Lake, neither of them has contacted the other.

Rosamund Kwan learned from her younger brother that Xiao Tu had gone to another city to compete, and she was still anxiously waiting at home, fearing that Xiao Tu would no longer contact her.

I heard that the Lakers have returned to Los Angeles. Rosamund Kwan didn't receive a call this morning, so she's already preparing to contact Xiao Tu.

But if she did that, Rosamund Kwan was afraid that Xiao Tu would misunderstand and think that she was a very promiscuous woman who would invite her home or to a hotel to do something intimate.

If Xiao Tu brings it up, should she agree immediately or refuse for now?
Rosamund Kwan longs for a long-term relationship with Xiao Tu, ideally one where he's willing to spend money on her to ease her financial burden. Her mother and younger brother live a high-end life in the US and rely on her for financial support.

Xiao Tu is so wealthy; just a little bit of his money would be enough for her to live the life of a rich lady. Because of her limited horizons, Rosamund Kwan's current demands are not high; she'd be content with a few hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars a year.

She didn't dare to even think about anything over 500,000, firstly because Hong Kong actresses' pay is too low, and secondly because she was afraid of offending handsome men.

Guan Shihua really let his sister down, never mentioning that Xiao Tu had a girlfriend. He's just a kid; he doesn't listen to Madonna's songs and doesn't pay much attention to entertainment news.

When Rosamund Kwan received Xiao Tu's call in the afternoon, she happily sat on the sofa and kicked off her slippers.

Unfortunately, she didn't have many clothes here, so she couldn't dress up in her best outfit for the date and could only put something together casually.

The two ate seafood at a restaurant that Xiao Tu and Chris frequented. Xiao Tu believed that Rosamund Kwan would also be interested in lobsters and king crabs, which are expensive ingredients in Hong Kong.

This time, with no children chasing after celebrities, the two had more in common.

When Rosamund Kwan talked about Hong Kong, Xiao Tu, who seemed to know a little about everything, even celebrities like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, said that he was quite knowledgeable about everything.

He told her some funny stories about America, which made Rosamund Kwan giggle. His teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the few students Bruce Lee acknowledged as his students, and he and Xiao Tu had discussed Chinese Kung Fu.

They also talked about mainland China, and Xiao Tu talked about quite a few things.

Rosamund Kwan asked curiously, "You've really never been to China? You know more about it than I do."

"No, I heard it from my grandfather and parents, plus I'm quite interested in things from the East. It's a pity that Americans know too little about China, and there isn't much information available. Everyone thinks that Chinese people are mysterious, but also very poor."

So what's your view on Chinese people?

“I feel that there are many handsome men and beautiful women in China, such as John Long and you,” Xiao Tu said with a smile.

Xiao Tu was referring to Zun Long, which is the Mandarin translation of his name. His English name is John Lone, but translating it as "John Lone" is as ridiculous as translating Madonna as "Madonna," making a legendary diva seem like Ma Xiaoling's great-aunt.

Rosamund Kwan didn't figure out who John Long was; she was only concerned with Xiao Tu praising her beauty. Who else?!

I'm still very attractive in America; I can attract handsome foreign men and superstars...

Wait, will he look down on me because I'm a divorced woman?

Xiao Tu saw Rosamund Kwan's shy expression and charming smile, but her face turned pale as she smiled.

It seems she's very sensitive and has thought of unpleasant things. No matter how precocious she is, she's still only at the age of college and doesn't hide her emotions.

Xiao Tu asked, "Are you thinking about something bad? And is it related to your beauty?"

Rosamund Kwan sighed: "Is it that obvious?"

"Yes, although you didn't say it explicitly, I can sense that your family situation is somewhat complicated."

Rosamund Kwan nodded and said with a wry smile, "It is a bit complicated, which is why I live such a tiring life."

"You shouldn't be living such a stressful life at your age. Youth is an asset, and things will only get better in the future."

"really?"

“I am the best example of this.”

Xiao Tu began to recount his past, how he had once been penniless but quickly achieved success through basketball. He could tell some stories over and over again, sure to resonate with others.

With someone guiding her, Rosamund Kwan started talking. They communicated in Chinese, chatting casually in the restaurant, but the other guests couldn't understand them.

Rosamund Kwan knew that Xiao Tu would find out about her divorce sooner or later, so she figured she might as well tell him herself and be honest.

Her story is mainly characterized by the word "tragic," as she was born beautiful but was extremely unlucky.

Her mother moved to the United States after her divorce, and her father, Guan Shan, barely cared for her. By the age of 13, she had to rely on her own efforts to survive (an exaggeration). After the marriage broke down, Guan Shan continued his extravagant lifestyle, and when she turned 18, the gift he gave her was a huge debt. That year, she was forced to drop out of school to pay off the debt.

She dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, but had to give it up because she couldn't afford to go to university.

She once had a successful boyfriend, Peter, but to her heartbreak, he wasn't good enough and didn't want to help her father pay off his huge debts. Desperate, she got the opportunity to become an actress. Under the guidance of an uncle, she successfully entered the entertainment industry and began filming movies and television series.

Driven by her growing thirst for money to pay off her debts, she met a man named Wang Guojing, who was 16 years her senior, at the age of 19. Wang Guojing was quickly attracted to her beauty and offered a large sum of money to help her father pay off his debts.

Because of Wang Guojing's lavish behavior, Rosamund Kwan felt that he was her soulmate. So, after knowing each other for only two months, the two got married in a whirlwind romance.

Even though Guan Shan disagreed with the wedding, it couldn't stop Guan Zhilin from marrying Wang Guojing. She thought she could retire from the entertainment industry and live a stable life as a wealthy wife, but she repeated her mother's mistake.

Wang Guojing was a notorious playboy before his marriage to Rosamund Kwan. A few months after their wedding, he began to be unfaithful, frequenting brothels. As a result, their marriage lasted less than six months, ending with her leaving with nothing and receiving no share of the assets.

So she's only 22 years old, but she's a divorced woman.

Moreover, because of this marriage, she lost her "pure and innocent" image and did not fare well in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

After listening to Rosamund Kwan's "brief" account, Xiao Tu felt like his head was about to split open, and all he wanted to do was yell—you better summarize it in twenty words or less!

Rosamund Kwan smiled wryly and said, "Why do you have that expression? I thought you would feel sorry for me."

Xiao Tu took a deep breath and said calmly, "I'm really surprised. Your life was very miserable before, but you didn't cry, so I think you're very strong and don't need me to comfort you."

What are you surprised about?

"This is the first time I've met someone who can compete with me in misery, and I feel like you've won."

"..." Rosamund Kwan didn't know if this could be considered an advantage.

The good news is that Xiao Tu doesn't dislike her?

(End of this chapter)