Chapter 105: The Long-Lost Court

"Look, Michael Wu is checking in! He's finally on the court!"

At the start of the second quarter, the sideline commentators were instantly drawn to the Magic's lineup. "Without Michael Wu, Orlando even lost to the Phoenix Suns!"

"That game made everyone realize just how important Michael is to this team. They simply cannot do without this young man!"

The commentator voiced the thoughts of almost every Magic fan.

Only those who had actually watched the previous game against the Suns, and witnessed the atrocious performance of the Magic's second unit during the second quarter, could truly understand just how vital Wu Rui was to this team.

"But he might very well be playing through injury!" the other commentator remarked, sounding less optimistic. "Lest we forget, Giannis Antetokounmpo leveled Michael with a vicious elbow!"

"If I recall correctly, the back of Michael's head slammed hard against the floor!"

"That's no joke. If Michael is playing at the risk of a concussion, it's honestly a bit insane!"

In the eyes of the broadcasters, nothing was more important than a player's health. Even if a player valued winning above all else, protecting oneself should always come first.

But Wu Rui clearly had no such reservations. Stepping onto the court, he even bounced up and down a couple of times.

"Michael, are you really that excited? It's just checking into a game."

Bismack Biyombo was amused by Wu Rui's antics. "Man, you look just like a dancing penguin out there."

"Say what you want, Bismack. I just love being on the court too much."

For once, Wu Rui didn't snap back with sarcasm. "I've been sitting on the bench for so long, I'm practically rusting!"

"Do you know what that feels like? It's torture. I'm perfectly capable of playing, yet I was glued to the bench!" The moment Wu Rui stepped onto the hardwood, his chatterbox mode was fully activated. "I never want to experience that again. It's worse than waiting for chemotherapy in a hospital ward."

"Alright, man, what are you even talking about?" Payton was startled by Wu Rui's words. "Chemo? Michael, you're getting a bit too dramatic."

"It's fine. I've experienced both, so I know which one is more agonizing."

Wu Rui wasn't exaggerating. In his past life, confined to a hospital bed and knowing his days were numbered, every wait for chemotherapy was a grim reminder that he was still alive.

As long as he could receive chemo, it meant he was still in this world.

But sitting on the sidelines during the last game had driven him to the brink of insanity. It wasn't that he couldn't play, yet he was completely barred from going out there to score!

Watching his teammates get utterly dominated without being able to fight back—that sheer sense of helplessness was something Wu Rui never wanted to experience again in this lifetime.

"Come on, as if you've actually been through chemo," Payton said, assuming Wu Rui was just bursting with pent-up energy. "Let's cut the chatter. Our job in the second quarter isn't to stand around and gossip!"

Wu Rui didn't press the issue. If he insisted that he really knew what chemotherapy felt like, the team would probably think that elbow to the head had scrambled his brains.

The inbound pass was made, and Payton brought the ball up the court as the Magic ran their most familiar play.

Biyombo set a screen near the free-throw line, Wu Rui cut back to get open, Payton executed a smooth pass, and Wu Rui pulled up for a mid-range jumper.

Only this time, there was a slight wrinkle in the execution at the very end.

Wu Rui curled into open space, but instead of shooting with his signature form, he sold a pump fake, took a massive stride, and drove hard toward the basket!

"Michael Wu is driving hard to the rim! What is he doing?"

"The Magic executed that play beautifully, but Michael clearly didn't want the mid-range shot. He passed up a wide-open look! What is he thinking?"

The two commentators were completely baffled by Wu Rui's offensive choice.

The Wizards' backup big man, Andrew Nicholson, was also slightly dazed, but he still managed to position himself in Wu Rui's path, raising his arms high.

Standing at 2.06 meters, Nicholson was considerably taller than Wu Rui.

But in the next split second, Wu Rui's decision left the entire arena dumbfounded!

He exploded off both feet, clutching the ball with both hands, and took flight. He literally posterized Nicholson, slamming the ball home right over him!

*Tweet!*

The referee blew his whistle immediately. A blocking foul on Nicholson—Wu Rui would head to the line for an and-one!

Boom!

But the whistle was hardly the reason the crowd was going wild!

In his very first play back, Wu Rui had just delivered a spectacular, jaw-dropping two-handed poster dunk!

"I've never seen such a clean poster dunk! Who is that kid? I'm a fan now!"

"Hey, man, those are Wizards fans cheering! How can they do that? Actually, count me in too. I'm a fan of this kid now!"

"Unbelievable. He looks Chinese. Chinese guys can fly too!"

The Washington Wizards fans stood up one after another, cheering for Wu Rui's spectacular play. They never expected that the first bucket this young Chinese player scored against their home team would be so breathtaking.

"Whew!"

On the court, Wu Rui let out a deep breath. "Man, that felt so damn good to just fly up and dunk it!"

Looking up at the rim, Wu Rui muttered to himself, "Nothing beats the feeling of a normal rim!"

"Oh my, Michael, look what you just did!"

Under the basket, Biyombo rushed over and bumped chests with Wu Rui. "Bro, did you actually break your brain? That dunk was insane!"

"Calm down, Bismack. Isn't this just Michael's usual routine?" Payton said, though he was just as thrilled. "Man, this is exactly why I love playing with you. I love watching you fly around the court!"

"No problem. Michael Wu, averaging one poster dunk per game, is officially online!"

With that, Wu Rui shared a knowing smile with his teammates, stepped up to the free-throw line, and calmly sank the shot!

With this three-point play, Wu Rui immediately put the Magic ahead at the start of the second quarter!

32 to 31, the Magic stole the lead on the road!

Of course, the Wizards' bench was no pushover. Seeing how hot Wu Rui was, they avoided attacking the player he was defending directly. Instead, they played a patient, steady half-court game to secure two points and reclaim the lead.

But for the Magic, the game plan remained simple: Wu Rui was on fire, so feed him the ball!

On the next possession, Wu Rui sold another pump fake. The defender immediately retreated two steps, terrified of being posterized again.

Seeing the open space, a smirk played on Wu Rui's lips. The same spot, the same form.

He pulled up for the jumper!