"Strange... did any of you see Su?"
On the morning of the 9th, it was training time for the Eastern Stars.
For more than half of the session, this year's Eastern Force coach, John Miller, hadn't even caught a glimpse of Su Feng.
"No."
"I'm not familiar with him."
"Kobe, did you see Su?" John Miller asked in the training hall, watching Kobe practice a dunk with Uncle McDonald.
Bryant shook his head. "I swear, coach, I definitely didn't see Su today."
"Well, get back to your dunk practice. You're the star of today's dunk contest," John Miller said, patting Kobe on the shoulder.
Kobe nodded and continued practicing with Uncle McDonald, following the dunk technique Su Feng had explained to him yesterday.
"Forget it. It's just training—maybe he overslept," John Miller thought to himself.
…
Evening of the 9th – Civic Arena, Pittsburgh.
On the basketball court temporarily built by the, the "main characters" of this year's McDonald's High School All-Star Game began to appear one after another.
Tonight featured the three-point contest and the dunk contest.
However, just moments before the start of the three-point contest, the tournament's organizing committee was in a state of confusion.
They couldn't find Su Feng.
As players warmed up on the court, Williams — the person in charge of the three-point contest — was on the verge of a meltdown.
What now?
How could a grown man simply go missing?
"Jason, what are we supposed to do now?"
After sending staff out again to look for Su Feng — still with no results — Williams turned anxiously to his boss, Jason.
Jason gave a faint smile and responded calmly, "Don't worry. Once the game begins, Su will show up."
Williams: "?????"
Why did it feel like something was going on that he wasn't being told?
"Alright, tell the staff to stop searching. Just enjoy the show," Jason said.
This boss is seriously hard to predict...
Looking at Jason's unbothered expression, Williams genuinely wanted to ask: "Man, if you already knew what was going on, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Do big shots just enjoy keeping secrets to mess with their subordinates?
…
Although the main game is scheduled for tomorrow night, by 8 PM, Civic Arena was already packed.
Under the host's introduction, the four players participating in this year's three-point contest appeared one by one: Stephen Jackson, Mike Bibby, Cory Benjamin…
Wait a minute—weren't there supposed to be four contestants?
The host looked at his cue card and, after repeating Su Feng's name several times, realized no one had come out from the players' tunnel.
"What's going on?" he asked, glancing at Jackson, Bibby, and Benjamin for help.
But all three were just as clueless.
They shrugged, one after another, clearly unaware of Su's whereabouts.
"He hasn't shown up to training since this morning," Jackson told the host.
The host: "..."
Seriously?
Now how was he supposed to host this?
Just as things were getting awkward, "Uncle McDonald," who had been crouched by the sidelines, dashed into the center of the stadium.
He held a giant water gun in his left hand and a rough stick figure in his right. "Haha, can't find Su?" he shouted.
"Well, I've captured him from M78 Nebula and turned him into a burger!
If you want Su back, you'll have to defeat me in the three-point contest!"
"..."
On the sidelines, Jason and Kobe burst out laughing.
They were already in on the act.
That's right—this eccentric Uncle McDonald was none other than Su Feng himself.
Initially, Su had planned to make a stylish entrance—cool shades, sleek outfit, cigar in hand.
But due to the logistics involved, he had to coordinate everything with McDonald's ahead of time.
After speaking with Jason Lee, McDonald's deputy director of event promotions, Su came up with an even better idea.
"You mean… you want to dress up as Uncle McDonald and compete in the three-point contest?" Jason had asked, visibly surprised.
After mulling it over, Jason realized it was actually a genius move.
Su had drawn inspiration from Uncle Drew—a fictional character famous for similar antics.
Since this was all part of the spectacle, why not give fans a surprise?
"But… won't playing as Uncle McDonald affect your score?" Jason asked with concern.
Su replied, "Doesn't matter. In the All-Star Game, entertainment is what counts most."
So what if this contest wasn't resume-worthy in the NBA?
Honestly, he'd rather include in his resume that he teamed up with Kobe Bryant back in high school.
And just like that, Su handled the concept, while Jason organized the makeup and costume.
During that morning's training session, Su had walked past his Eastern Force teammates in full costume—just to test if they'd recognize him.
But everyone just thought he was part of the mascot team.
Who would've imagined that the quirky mascot was actually their own teammate, Su Feng?
…
Civic Arena—After Su Feng entered the stage, the entire atmosphere was electrified.
Fans in the front rows were especially intrigued, eager to see what would happen after hearing Uncle McDonald mysterious lines.
The host had no idea how to proceed, but thankfully, at the last moment, Jason sent a staff member who had already read the script onto the court.
"You mean… we're supposed to compete against a mascot?" Bibby and Jackson thought this was too surreal.
"Exactly! And yes, this is an official contest. Let's go!" the staff member replied, looking at the three contestants.
Seriously?
Did Su Feng really get captured by the M78 Nebula and turned into a hamburger?
As a teammate from the Eastern Force, Stephen Jackson felt compelled to rescue Su Feng.
Just like the earlier order of play, "Wu Sheng" took the lead.
Unfortunately, maybe due to nerves or pressure, Jackson only managed 10 points…
At that moment, Su Feng, holding a massive water gun, raised it dramatically toward Jackson's face.
"Your expression is way too stiff!" Su Feng mocked with theatrical flair.
Jackson wasn't offended—instead, he laughed heartily.
By this point, the audience clearly understood: this was a playful skit created by the event organizers.
With guidance from the commentator who'd also reviewed the script, most fans were able to guess the direction of the plot.
In short: Jackson, Bibby, and Benjamin had to defeat Uncle McDonald.
Otherwise, Su Feng would remain trapped in the M78 Nebula, destined to make burgers forever.
"Go get him, Mike!"
As Bibby stepped up to play, children began cheering passionately.
Though they liked McDonald's, this particular Uncle McDonald was clearly the villain in their eyes.
"This is brilliant, absolutely brilliant," Jason said from the stands. "Williams, did you know Su might just be a marketing genius?"
Williams, who had been left out of the plan, looked baffled.
Bibby, sharp as ever, had already figured out the setup.
Before stepping on stage, he tapped his chest three times and declared, "Relax! I'll bring Su back from M78!"
And he delivered—Bibby scored an impressive 19 points.
But did he really think Su Feng would let him walk away dry?
No chance.
Su Feng, armed and loaded, blasted Bibby with a dramatic water-shot move: "Water Escape—Water Dragon!"
Bibby: "..."
Even knowing it was all part of the act, Bibby silently vowed to rough up the mascot backstage.
Next up was Benjamin, who fared even worse than Jackson—just 9 points.
Su Feng, unimpressed, tossed the water gun aside and said, "With performances like that, do you seriously expect to save Su?
Let me show you what real skill looks like."
Bibby, Jackson, and Benjamin: "..."
Su Feng might've been the most arrogant mascot in McDonald's All-Star history.
When he stepped onto the court, the crowd booed loudly.
Kids dragged their parents into booing with them.
"You're the worst!"
"Evil mascot!"
"Give us Su back!"
Su Feng grinned, pointing cheekily at the kids in the stands before taking his shot.
"I've never seen such a cocky mascot!"
Bibby clenched his fists, quietly scheming to confront the mascot later—with Jackson as backup.
But then…
Su Feng stunned the crowd with a perfect first shot from the baseline.
Though the costume limited his range of motion, it wasn't nearly as bulky as the mascot suits he'd worn during his girl-chasing days in a previous life.
Despite everything, Su Feng gave it his all.
He had spent the morning adapting to the outfit, even while helping Kobe with dunk practice.
Relaxed and focused, Su Feng felt more accurate than ever.
Swish. Splash. Swish. Bang. Bang!
When the points were tallied, Su Feng had scored 18!
Though two shots narrowly missed, the crowd was blown away.
"Who is this mascot?!"
"He's amazing!"
The boos turned into wild applause.
Jason stood up in the stands, cheering loudly: "He's a genius!"
According to contest rules, Su Feng and Bibby were headed to a final round.
Fans began whispering theories about Uncle McDonald's true identity.
Could a mascot really beat elite high school shooters?
"Su, you're way too creative," Bibby said, finally certain that the mascot was Su Feng.
After all, who'd ever seen a mascot with such flawless form?
"Can you keep it secret a little longer?" Su Feng asked, patting Bibby's shoulder.
"Sure… but the moment you hit that shot earlier—I knew," Bibby grinned.
Su Feng: "..."
Yep. Karma never misses.
As the final round began, fans even left their seats, desperate to confirm: Was Uncle McDonald secretly?
Su Feng played first, but didn't match his earlier performance—just 13 points this time.
Still, the crowd exploded every time he sank a shot.
Then, per the second script, Su Feng was supposed to rescue "himself" from M78 Nebula.
But to his surprise, Bibby did even worse—only 10 points in the final.
"Don't look at me like that—I swear I didn't go easy!" Bibby said, almost in tears.
The boos had really thrown him off.
Wait a minute…
Weren't we trying to save Su Feng?
Didn't the crowd want him back?
Turns out, Su Feng—still in his Uncle McDonald disguise—ended up winning the actual contest.
"Well, even though they lost to me… I guess I'll bring Su back from M78 Nebula anyway."
During the closing ceremony, two staff members helped with the dramatic finale.
One held props, the other removed Su Feng's makeup.
And in seconds, Su transformed from quirky Uncle McDonald back into himself.
"Oh my god—that was Su?!"
"He wore that and still won?"
"This was the best three-point contest ever!"
Civic Arena erupted in deafening cheers.
Kobe ran up and hugged Su Feng, grinning. "Man, you stole the spotlight tonight."
"Well, your dunk contest is up next. Trust me, we're about to blow the roof off this place," Su Feng replied.
Kobe nodded confidently. "I practiced all those moves you showed me. Don't worry."
Su Feng felt fulfilled…
"I truly am the honey of the Iron Hive," he thought proudly.
And just as Su and Kobe prepared to continue their legendary night…
In the stands, Speedy Mark's loyal assistant, Speed, was practically bouncing with excitement.
"Seriously—how is the McDonald's All-Star Game better than the NBA's?"
Speed knew he had to report everything he saw back to New York immediately.