Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Finally Got Weber

Zhao Dong paused for a moment, reflecting on the task. The mission's content seemed almost the same, except for item 7, which was new. Now that he was being double-teamed, the difficulty of the task had increased significantly, making it harder for him to earn rewards. Moreover, the system's continuous task options for the number of shots were clearly intended to push him to speed up the internal ball competition.

That night, while Zhao Dong was doing ball control training in the hotel gym, a meeting was taking place in the Second Division of the Domestic Sports Commission, known as the Ball Division. It was the morning of the 2nd in China. One of the topics being discussed was whether Zhao Dong should be recruited for the national men's basketball team. The current Sports Commission was the General Administration of Sports, reorganized in '98 into five divisions and an athletic training division. The second division was in charge of ball games, and its director was Zhong Tianhua.

At present, the domestic basketball project was managed by the basketball department of the second division, and the establishment of the basketball management center was on the agenda, but it hadn't yet begun. The department's director was Liu Yumin, a former national women's basketball player and one of the main founders of the CBA, who was hosting the meeting.

Liu Yumin was known for her sharp mind and capability. She had developed the CBA with only three official staff members in her spare time, and it had become a success. Because of her strong skills, she was considered the top candidate to head the newly-established basketball management center. However, her relationship with her immediate boss, Zhong Tianhua, and the deputy director of the Sports Commission, Xu Yinshen, was strained. Zhong Tianhua had set up the CNBA, which violated FIBA's rule that only one top league is allowed per country (Japan had been banned by FIBA for the same reason) and also violated NBA copyright laws. Later, the NBA sued CNBA for this infringement.

Another issue was that the investor behind the CNBA, Hong Kong Elite Sports Company, turned out to be a shell company. Liu Yumin had opposed the CNBA, which angered both Zhong Tianhua and Xu Yinshen. This conflict had affected her chances of becoming the director of the basketball management center, and it was uncertain whether she would even hold a deputy director position. Meanwhile, Xin Nancheng and Li Yuanwei had leveraged their influence to secure positions as deputy directors.

Before Xin Nancheng and his colleagues took charge, the leaders of the ball games department had always been prominent sports figures, such as Liu Yumin, Qian Chenghai, and others, who were respected insiders. However, following the changes, the department had been led by individuals with less expertise in the field, creating a situation where laypeople were managing experts in both football and basketball.

Currently, Liu Yumin still had some control over the basketball department, but her authority was weakening under the influence of Zhong Tianhua. Originally, she had made the decision to recruit Zhao Dong for the national team and planned to send someone to the United States. However, after the violent incident involving the Knicks, several key members of the basketball department opposed the decision and called for a reevaluation. This challenge to her authority left her feeling helpless, as there were powerful figures behind those opposing her.

"Anyway, it's just a regular season. I don't need to work so hard. It won't be worth it if I get injured," Weber thought. This mindset was completely different from Zhao Dong's. Zhao Dong approached the game as if it were the finals, determined to earn the reward from Weber. Given this mentality, Weber's performance can be easily imagined. He avoided Zhao Dong whenever possible, and many of his technical moves became sloppy and ineffective.

In the end, the Knicks secured another victory, and Zhao Dong completed all the objectives of the sniper mission, earning double rewards. He played for 35 minutes, making 10 out of 15 field goals, hitting 5 out of 6 free throws, and finishing with 25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 7 blocks, 2 turnovers, and 5 fouls. With this performance, he was named the best player of the game.

(End of this chapter)

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