Austin truly lived up to his reputation as an outstanding agent.
After talking things through with him, Blake Su became much clearer about which team he wanted to stay with. At the same time… Austin's efficiency was impressive—anything related to Blake Su was always handled immediately.
Efficient.
That was one of the main reasons Blake Su had chosen him.
7:00 p.m.
A call came in. Blake Su glanced at the screen—it was his mom.
"Hello, Mom."
"Blake, are you doing okay over there in the States? It's been days, and you haven't called even once! Are you trying to worry your mom to death?!"
"No, no. The schedule's been really tight lately. I just got busy and forgot."
That wasn't an excuse.
Between the transmigration, the System, the nonstop games, choosing an agent, and figuring out which team to stay with, there really was too much going on.
"I see… alright then. How are things now? Are you settled in?"
"I'm settled. Don't worry, Mom. Since I came to the NBA to make a name for myself, I'll definitely achieve something. I won't let your expectations down."
"Heh, stop talking nonsense."
Blake Su's mother, Dolores Su, was a public school teacher. She had once hoped Blake Su would follow a stable career path like hers, but she was open-minded. Since he wanted to play basketball, she chose to support his decision.
Since Blake Su wanted to play basketball, she let him follow his own path.
"Mom, I'm doing great. I've even made some friends. You should take good care of yourself at home, okay?"
Blake Su's father had passed away in an accident years ago, leaving just the two of them to rely on each other.
"I know. My students are all my friends—I'll be fine. But you're in a foreign country. You must protect yourself at all times, understand?!"
"Got it."
Blake Su smiled. "With a son as tall and strong as me, who would dare mess with me? Don't worry."
"Oh right, Blake. In a little while, your cousin will be going to the States. You'll have to look after her then. Ah—I'm going to be late for class. I'm hanging up."
"Huh? Cousin?"
Beep, beep, beep.
Before Blake Su could ask who she was talking about, his mom had already hung up.
He genuinely had no memory of having a cousin.
"Maybe this is a parallel world, so some things are different. If my parallel self has a cousin, that wouldn't be strange. Mom said she's coming to the States…
Then she should contact me herself, right?"
With that thought, Blake Su didn't dwell on it any further. He was truly busy right now. At a critical stage of career growth, he didn't have the luxury to worry about other things. He tossed his phone onto the table and went to take a shower.
"This hotel bathroom is awful. The facilities are trash. No way—once I have money, I'm definitely moving into a small villa."
...
The following evening.
The Suns returned home to face the Cavaliers.
This year's Cleveland Cavaliers, without LeBron, were genuinely terrible—far worse than the Suns without Amar'e Stoudemire.
Last season's Eastern Conference top seed—no, the league's best team—had dropped all the way to the bottom of the East this season.
LeBron's departure also caused Cleveland's market value to plunge by hundreds of millions. They lost both their star and their money. The roster fell apart like loose sand, completely turning into a bottom-feeding team.
Even without Blake Su, the Suns had more than enough firepower to crush the Cavaliers.
And so…
Tonight, Blake Su played only three quarters, casually putting up 27 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 blocks. Worth noting, he also recorded 2 steals.
Meanwhile, Steve Nash finished his three quarters with a near-perfect stat line: 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists.
After three quarters, the Suns led by 18 points.
A total blowout.
Using his height advantage, Blake Su drilled one precise [Peak Anthony Jump Shot] after another. They weren't just beautiful to watch—they were utterly despair-inducing for the Cavaliers.
Matched up against him, center Varejao couldn't keep up with his footwork, couldn't get blocks, couldn't guard the paint, and was useless on the perimeter. It was pure suffering.
"Why did they make me guard Blake Su? This guy isn't even a center!"
After the game.
Reduced to a complete background character, Varejao roared in frustration, humiliated and furious. He silently swore that next time…
He absolutely would not match up with Blake Su again.
At the very least, he would never step out to the perimeter against him.
The Suns secured their fourth straight win. After the Warriors lost to the Thunder that night, the Suns climbed another spot in the standings, overtaking Golden State to reach 11th in the Western Conference.
General Manager's office.
"Hahahaha!"
General Manager Lance burst out laughing as he finished watching the live broadcast at his desk. Just then, Coach Alvin Gentry walked in and asked with a grin, "Lance, what's got you so happy?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Lance shot back, laughing again. "Of course it's because of Blake Su! How did the heavens send me such an absurdly powerful super center?"
"Hey."
Alvin Gentry pursed his lips and reminded him, "Don't say that so confidently. Blake Su isn't your player—he's only on a 10-day contract.
And from what I know, quite a few teams are already eyeing him. The moment his contract expires, they'll try to snatch him away."
"Snatch Blake Su?"
Lance's smile vanished instantly. His expression hardened as he jutted out his chin, looking ready to fight. "No one is taking Blake Su.
No matter the cost, Blake Su is staying."
That night.
Beyond the Suns–Cavaliers game, an even more high-profile matchup took place—the Chicago Bulls versus the Miami Heat.
Heat: First in the East, 13-game winning streak, undefeated this season.
Bulls: Second in the East, 11–2 record, currently riding a five-game winning streak.
A clash between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
From the opening tip, the arena erupted, quickly turning into a showdown between Derrick "Pooh" Rose and the Heat's Big Three.
Rose played like a god of war that night, cutting down everything in his path and single-handedly torching the Heat's "Big Three," extinguishing their so-called "true fire" completely.
37 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists—and a win.
That was Rose's answer, giving the home crowd an unforgettable night.
Derrick "Pooh" Rose ended the Heat's 13-game winning streak, reminding everyone of this top pick's terrifying talent while also making it clear that the Heat's Big Three still needed time to fully mesh.
And yet.
Even in their adjustment phase, with chemistry not fully established, they were still frighteningly strong.
...
The next day.
Major newspapers worked overnight to publish stories about Blake Su as soon as possible. Of course, Rose's explosive performance in the Bulls–Heat showdown dominated many of the headlines as well.
The NBA office didn't rest either, announcing the previous week's Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week early.
Eastern Conference.
With no suspense at all, Derrick Rose—averaging 27.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks while leading his team to four straight wins—was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 4.
So who would it be in the Western Conference?
The Thunder's Kevin Durant, averaging 29.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 block while leading his team to a 3–1 record?
Or the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks while leading his team to a perfect 4–0 week?
No.
Neither of them.
The Western Conference Player of the Week ultimately went to the Suns' rookie center…
Blake Su.
When the news broke, the entire league was stunned.