Chapter 74: Should Have Bought Insurance

Just as he was about to reply to his teammates’ messages one by one, Wu Rui’s phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID on the screen, Wu Rui immediately flipped upright from his bed. He could not be more familiar with this number!

“Coach Frank, are you looking for me?” He greeted politely before continuing, “It’s so late—what’s so urgent?”

On the other end of the line was Frank Vogel, head coach of the Magic. But since it was already late at night, Wu Rui couldn’t imagine what business would prompt the coach to call at this hour.

“Michael, didn’t you see the text I sent you?” Frank Vogel didn’t answer Wu Rui’s question directly, but instead asked in return.

“Text?” The mention of texts made Wu Rui’s scalp tingle. Earlier, seven or eight people had messaged him; with so many notifications, he hadn’t managed to check them all and may very well have missed Vogel’s.

Thinking this, he quickly ended the call, swiped open his messages, and sure enough—at the very bottom was one from Vogel.

“Michael, see you at the training facility at 7 a.m. tomorrow. Reply to confirm.”

“Coach, of course I saw it!” Wu Rui skimmed the message at lightning speed and hurried to respond, “I’ll be at the gym right on time at seven tomorrow morning!”

“That’s good.” Vogel’s tone had visibly softened. “Get some rest.”

With that, only the dial tone remained in Wu Rui’s ear.

He exhaled deeply and rolled his neck. “I wonder what the coach wants with me tomorrow. Don’t I always get to the training center early every morning?”

Since his first day at the Magic’s facility, Wu Rui had always been the first player to arrive—Coach Vogel knew this better than anyone. There was really no need to remind Wu Rui to come early.

Unable to figure it out, Wu Rui decided not to dwell on it. He took a quick shower, switched off the lights, and went to bed.

The next day, as dawn only just began to break over Orlando, Wu Rui was already at the Magic’s training center. Apart from the maintenance staff, he was the first to arrive.

He greeted the maintenance workers out of habit, then wheeled a cart of basketballs to the court’s farthest corner and began his daily shooting practice.

The more games Wu Rui played, the more he realized the vital importance of shooting. Sure, NBA players could soar and put on dazzling dunk shows for the fans, but what truly killed a game were those countless, monotonous shots from range.

Swish!

His touch was pretty good today. From just beyond the free throw line, he made four out of ten.

“Michael, you’re still the earliest.” As Wu Rui missed yet another shot—he’d lost count how many—he heard the gym doors open. Coach Vogel, dressed in sportswear, walked in. “How’s your foot?”

“Coach, my foot’s been fine all along.” Wu Rui bowed respectfully and continued shooting. “Didn’t you ask me that in the locker room after yesterday’s game?”

“No issues yesterday doesn’t mean there aren’t any now.” Vogel pushed the doors wide open, and Wu Rui saw several people behind him.

“Milos, I’ll leave it to you today,” Vogel said to a bespectacled man before turning to Wu Rui. “Michael, many injuries don’t worsen until the following day. As a precaution, the team needs to do a full check on both your legs.”

“Frank, this really isn’t necessary,” Wu Rui protested, feeling a little anxious as he lifted his knees on the spot. “My legs are perfectly fine!”

Despite Wu Rui’s best efforts to show off the health of his legs, there was no way around it; he was still made to undergo a thorough examination.

The Magic’s medical staff were consummate professionals. They ran several devices up and down Wu Rui’s legs. At first, he found it a bit annoying, but eventually, he became intrigued.

After all, in his previous life, he’d lost feeling in his legs early on—never had they been studied so closely.

Soon, his resistance faded into cooperation, and the whole process went smoothly.

When the final test was done, the team doctor, Milos Taylor, made a bold check mark on his clipboard and handed it to Vogel. “Frank, the team made the right call—Michael’s legs are absolutely flawless.”

“Other than Tracy McGrady, I’ve never seen a pair of legs this perfect!”

Milos looked at Wu Rui—or more precisely, at his legs—with a dazed fascination that made Wu Rui shudder.

“Milos, don’t forget why we brought you here,” Vogel said, a little bewildered by Milos’s reaction. “How’s Michael’s leg injury? Is it serious?”

“Injury?” Milos’s brow furrowed as soon as Vogel spoke. “Frank, my friend, are you joking with me?”

“Michael’s legs are like straight from the factory—perfect, not a single flaw.” With that, Milos and his colleagues rattled off dozens of data points, all proving Wu Rui’s legs were in prime condition.

“Maybe the only thing Michael should do now is get those legs insured.”

Before he left, Milos added this well-meant suggestion, and from his tone, he wasn’t joking.

After the medical staff departed, Wu Rui still felt a bit unsatisfied, but he walked over to Vogel. “Coach Frank, I told you—there’s nothing wrong with my legs. Please believe me.”

“Alright. You slipped a bit in the last game, and I wanted to be cautious,” Vogel replied, patting Wu Rui’s shoulder. “Go on with your training, Michael. We’ve got a tough game ahead tomorrow.”

“Hey, you’re still here so early!” Some time passed, and as the scheduled training session drew closer, Magic players began trickling into the gym. Biyombo spotted Wu Rui shooting in the corner.

“Michael, missing shots again, huh?”

Thud!

Before Biyombo even reached him, another missed shot rang out. Wu Rui caught his breath. “Nonsense. How could a professional’s shot be called a brick?”

“I did that on purpose, all on purpose!”

“Oh, come on, isn’t missing just your usual routine?” Biyombo chuckled, then grew serious, leaning in and lowering his voice. “Hey Michael, did you see how serious Coach Frank looked?”

“Do you know who our opponent is tomorrow?”