Chapter 134: A Bold Invite from Scarlett?

After bidding farewell to Curry and the others, Tang Lei returned to his apartment. With a day of rest tomorrow, the team would head to Los Angeles the following day to prepare for Game 3 against the Clippers. Three days—just enough to recover from the grueling pace of playoff basketball.

The playoff schedule was designed with rest in mind, ensuring players weren't subjected to back-to-back games. The NBA understood that the postseason was a whole different beast compared to the regular season. Every win was a step closer to glory, and no one could afford to take their foot off the pedal.

Meanwhile, back in China, Tang Lei's buzzer-beater against the Clippers dominated sports headlines. Media outlets wasted no time creating eye-catching titles to draw readers:

- "First Playoff Game-Winner! China's Tang Lei Delivers!"

- "Savage Play: Tang Lei Praises Beverley as a 'Respectable Opponent'!" 

- "Warriors Lead 2-0! Tang Lei's Big Contract is Sealed!" 

- "20-Point Comeback! Rivers Earns the Title of 'Reverse King'!"

- "26 Points, 8 Assists! Tang Lei Redefines What it Means to Be a Rookie!"

Unsurprisingly, Tang's clutch performance became a trending topic across Chinese social media platforms. A playoff near-game-winner carried substantial weight, further fueling the fervor surrounding him. 

But with fame came detractors. 

"Heh, you'd think he just won the championship. It's just a near-game-winner against the Clippers. What's the big deal?" 

"Warriors versus the poverty-line Clippers, and it took a near-game-winner to seal it. What an embarrassment." 

"Barely scraping by against the Clippers? Don't even talk about winning the championship!" 

Blissfully unaware of the criticism, Tang Lei was sound asleep. Even if he knew, he likely wouldn't care. As his career skyrocketed, so did envy and resentment. 

At this point, Tang's combined earnings from contracts and endorsements were approaching 100 million yuan annually. His face was everywhere—from high-end malls to subway stations to billboards on bustling streets. 

Fame came at a price, and Tang was beginning to understand it. The people truly rooting for his success were few—perhaps only his parents. Even among friends and relatives, there would always be those who quietly resented his success. 

---

Tang woke up around noon, feeling refreshed after one of the best nights of sleep he'd had in weeks. The intensity of the playoffs had taken its toll, but this morning, he felt like he'd caught up on every bit of rest he needed. 

Picking up his phone, he was startled to see ten missed calls—all from the same number. 

"Who the hell leaked my number again?" Tang muttered, frowning. 

Ten missed calls weren't the kind of persistence he associated with scams or wrong numbers. Whoever it was, they clearly had a purpose. Still, Tang wasn't the type to answer unknown numbers, so he swiped to ignore the call. 

Then he noticed an unread message. 

Curiosity got the better of him, and he opened it. 

"Hi, Mr. Tang. This is Scarlett. I tried calling you ten times, but you didn't pick up. Can we have dinner together sometime?" 

Tang froze, rereading the message. 

Scarlett? 

*Scarlett Johansson?* 

The Scarlett Johansson—the one Durant had once infamously gushed about? 

"No way..." Tang muttered, his mind racing. 

Scarlett Johansson reaching out to him? 

This was... unexpected. 

If Durant ever found out about this, Tang thought, the man might just run headfirst into a wall. 

Tang leaned back, shaking his head with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. 

"This... is the power of max-level charm?" he mused, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Even the woman KD dreams about can't resist."

...