The air conditioner in the Washington training facility hummed, but it couldn't dispel the tension. Lin Mo stared at the list on the bulletin board—his name was circled in pencil at the very bottom of the 13 names, a silent "pending."
"One last scrimmage," Coach Wang's voice cut through the silence. "12 spots. Earn it."
Miller, 6'10" with the number "5" blazing on his chest, sauntered over. "Heard you hit that buzzer-beater?," he jabbed Lin Mo with his shoulder. "Coach just didn't let me play defense for real."
[System Alert: Targeted provocation detected. Activate "Focus Barrier" — Key stats +3 temporarily]
Miller kept his word once the scrimmage started. As soon as Lin Mo caught the ball under the hoop, Miller clamped a hand on his shoulder, sending the ball flying out of bounds. "Oops, slippery hands." Miller grinned.
Lin Mo said nothing. Bending to retrieve the ball, he glimpsed the system panel: [Miller's habit: Slow to绕防 (recover) on pick-and-rolls].
Next possession, he signaled for a screen. True to the system's prediction, Miller hesitated,绕 (circling) half a beat too late—Lin Mo darted past him for a layup.
"Luck." Miller spat.
But luck doesn't strike repeatedly. Lin Mo used the same play to notch 3 assists, watching teammates score effortlessly right in front of Miller. With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, he even snatched an offensive rebound over Miller, slamming home the putback.
Final stats: 9 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds.
Coach Wang called him to the office, handing over a jersey emblazoned with "CHINA." "12th spot," he nodded at the number on the back. "But don't celebrate—you can lose it anytime."
Lin Mo ran a hand over the fabric as the system flickered:
[Compatibility: 8%. Unlocked "LeBron's Court Vision (Advanced)"]
[Global Rank: 52,109 → 50,342]
[New Quest: Complete 3 successful assists in U19 debut]