Christmas Eve!
Starting in the morning, fans enjoying their day off were already buzzing about the electrifying Lakers–Suns showdown from the night before. The discussion grew hotter and hotter, eventually climbing all the way to No. 1 on Twitter's trending list.
And it stayed there.
The most direct result was the surge in Blake Su's popularity. Not just a small boost—his fame was skyrocketing like a rocket.
However—
the man at the center of it all was still asleep in his bed.
Facing the Lakers' lineup of elite defenders the night before had drained a huge amount of his stamina.
The defending champions were indeed powerful.
If it hadn't been for the razor-sharp steal with [Eagle Spear] in the final moment, the Suns probably wouldn't have won.
Even though Phoenix took the victory, it could only be described as a narrow win.
Next time they meet, the Suns wouldn't dare claim they could definitely beat the Lakers.
And Blake Su himself wouldn't dare say he could continue suppressing Kobe in their next matchup.
So—
while countless fans were praising him to the skies, Blake Su knew that the victory had been razor-thin.
He still wasn't strong enough.
What he was thinking about now was how to improve himself further.
Only by becoming stronger could he lead the Suns further.
Around 11 a.m.
Blake Su woke up and checked his phone. He saw a message from Quinnie saying she had already boarded a flight and would be landing at Los Angeles International Airport.
Arrival time: 5 p.m.
Blake Su was in Phoenix—so why was she flying to Los Angeles?
To be fair, Los Angeles, as the second-largest city in the United States, was far more lively than Phoenix. Since she had just arrived in the country, it made sense she wanted to explore there.
More importantly—
Blake Su himself hadn't left Phoenix since arriving.
And since Amar'e Stoudemire had joined the Knicks during the offseason, the league didn't expect the Suns to be particularly strong this year.
So the Christmas Day matchups featured only heavyweight teams.
The Suns weren't included.
Which meant—
from Christmas Eve until about four days after Christmas, the Suns had no games scheduled.
They were completely off.
A midseason break that long was a perfect opportunity for Blake Su.
So he and Quinnie agreed to spend Christmas in Los Angeles.
No problem.
After checking the time, Blake Su booked a flight to LA and started getting ready.
First step: shaving.
After all, he was meeting a girl—basic manners mattered.
A little grooming was necessary.
...
For now, we'll leave Blake Su there.
The scene shifts to the Adidas headquarters, inside the manager's office.
"Beautiful!"
"13 three-pointers, 65 points, the steal and layup game-winner with 3.8 seconds left—Blake Su played unbelievably well! He's even better than I imagined!"
Inside the office, Karl was watching highlights from Blake Su's game against the Lakers while scrolling through endless news reports about him.
He couldn't stop smiling.
Even though the company had given Blake Su a massive contract—
it now looked like an absolute bargain.
Knock knock.
A staff member entered with an excited expression, holding a report.
"Manager.
Just last night alone, our Adidas sales increased by three percent in a single day."
"Nice!"
Karl slapped the desk excitedly.
Of course he knew why.
That spike in sales was entirely due to Blake Su's superhuman performance in the Suns–Lakers showdown.
"Excellent!"
"Blake Su's popularity is skyrocketing and bringing real benefits to the company. That means I can't just sit back and wait.
The butterfly has already flapped its wings.
Now I need to amplify those profits as quickly as possible!"
...
Meanwhile—
inside the manager's office at Nike headquarters.
"F**k!"
"13 three-pointers, 65 points, 3.8 seconds, a steal and layup game-winner… What kind of numbers are these? What kind of performance is that?
How strong is this rookie Blake Su?!
How can he be this good?!"
In the office, Wagner stared wide-eyed at the screen while slapping his thigh in frustration.
Just like Karl earlier, he was watching Blake Su's highlight reel from the Suns–Lakers game and scrolling through endless news about him.
But although both men were shocked—
their emotions were completely different.
Leaning back in his chair, Wagner slapped his thigh again, filled with regret.
"Not insisting on signing Blake Su back then…
might have been a mistake."
...
Around the same time.
Inside Austin's home.
"Hmmm~ la la la~ la la la~ la la la la~"
Leaning comfortably on the sofa, humming a tune, eating fruit, and watching TV reports about Blake Su, Austin was in just as good a mood as Karl.
Of course, that good mood came from Blake Su's incredible performance the night before—and the massive popularity that followed.
"Ahh!"
"Choosing Blake Su was the best decision I've ever made in my life!"
Beep beep beep.
Just as he was enjoying himself, his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hello, are you the agent for Suns player Blake Su?"
"That's right. Who's this?"
"Hello, I'm the external relations manager from Chevrolet. You can call me Bourbon.
If possible, could we arrange a meeting?
Our company is interested in Blake Su and would like him to endorse our cars."
"Oh?"
"Sure. Let me check the schedule and I'll call you back."
"Great, thank you!"
Beep. Beep.
The call ended.
A smile appeared on Austin's face.
"It hasn't even been a full day since the Suns–Lakers game, and car endorsements are already coming in?
Blake Su, your popularity has truly exploded.
Keep performing like this and your fame will keep rising.
Just like you said—opportunities will start coming to you automatically, and you'll get to choose.
Chevrolet is a fairly well-known brand.
I remember Blake Su saying he wanted a car and asked us to help look into it.
Now that a car company wants him for an endorsement, if the deal works out—
getting a free car to drive will be easy.
But…
Chevrolet doesn't have to be the first choice.
Blake Su's popularity has only just begun exploding. Who knows—maybe more car companies will approach us soon.
No rush.
We can choose carefully later."
With that thought, Austin already had a clear plan in mind.
But—
whether it was the endlessly discussing fans online, the delighted Adidas executives, the regretful Nike executives slapping their thighs, or Austin receiving car endorsement offers—
none of it had anything to do with Blake Su at the moment.
2 p.m.
After finishing his preparations, Blake Su boarded a plane bound for Los Angeles.
Woo—
Takeoff!
...
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