score maniac

Chapter 18: Weakness Enhancement

“Gu, you…” Cousins had only just come to his senses. Although he was deeply annoyed at having been defeated by Gu Yu, he was merely hot-tempered—not stupid. He knew full well that Gu Yu was cut from the same cloth as him—and perhaps even more devoted to his inner passion. In this society, partners like that were few and far between. For some reason, Cousins just felt he clicked with Gu Yu. This big man, who usually acted like he was the only one who mattered, now found everyone else to be utterly hypocritical—except for Gu Yu, who exuded a powerful sense of authenticity right down to his very bones. “Wait for me a sec!” Cousins wanted to call out to Gu Yu to discuss how they should proceed with their training, but Gu Yu simply waved and walked off immediately. “Looks like he’s really in a hurry…!” Whiteside was a straightforward guy too. Staring blankly at Gu Yu’s retreating figure, he muttered, “If he can beat De Marcus even when he’s that desperate to use the bathroom, guess De Marcus isn’t all that great after all!” “…Say that again, you son of a bitch??” Cousins’ temper flared instantly; he turned around and started one-on-one drills with Whiteside. “Gu…” Jeter didn’t intervene, letting the two big men go head-to-head while his gaze remained fixed on Gu Yu until he disappeared around the corner. “His shooting is indeed impressive—his form is textbook, his technique is elegant, and his accuracy is terrifying. But other than that, he’s practically useless.” Recalling the one-on-one he’d just witnessed, Jett frowned and muttered to himself, “What is it, exactly? What is the reason the team was willing to spend cash to sign you?” Jett felt he already knew the answer. Meanwhile. “Restroom, restroom… Ah, here it is!” Gu Yu wandered around the edge of the practice court like a headless fly, finally spotting the restroom. After glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, he went inside, found a stall, and immediately closed the door behind him. “Weakness Detection System activated. Please click ‘Confirm’ to view your rookie report!” Below the display panel in front of him was a line of text accompanied by a “Confirm” button. Gu Yu reached out and tapped the button. “Ding—!” A new interface actually popped up! “Rookie Report?!” The screen was densely packed with text. As Gu Yu scanned it from top to bottom, he grew increasingly puzzled. Name: Gu Yu Nationality: China Age: 20 Height: 193 centimeters Height in Shoes: 195 centimeters Weight: 78 kilograms Position: Shooting Guard Secondary Position: Small Forward Dominant hand: Right Professional League Experience: None From top to bottom, the list basically covers Gu Yu’s basic information. He also has a general idea of other stats, such as wingspan, hand size, vertical leap, and so on. At first glance, Gu Yu’s physical attributes are quite ordinary. Aside from his height—which puts him at a slight advantage as a shooting guard—the rest of his stats are merely passable. With these physical attributes, even making it to the CBA would be a stretch, let alone the NBA. However, Gu Yu was well aware that his strength lay in shooting; as things stood, being positioned as an off-ball shooter seemed like the most suitable role for him. If the team’s tactics were right, he could still make some contributions. But when Gu Yu saw the final item in his profile, a surge of inexplicable anger flared up inside him. “Rookie Rating: F” …Holy shit! F? My rookie rating is only an F?!!! “Fuck this shit!” Gu Yu swung his fist and slammed it straight into the partition wall, causing the entire cubicle to buzz. From a quick glance at the cheat system’s rating scale, Gu Yu could tell that the system’s ratings were essentially based on basketball video games. In the game, a player’s abilities are broken down into several categories, with each category rated from A+ to F. A+ is the strongest, followed by A, A-, B+, B… and so on. So an F was the worst possible rating. “Am I really that fucking terrible? I just took down Cousins one-on-one!” Gu Yu refused to accept it—he refused to accept it from the bottom of his heart! But… As he calmed down and thought it through, Gu Yu’s anger began to subside. “What’s my role right now on an NBA-level court?” Gu Yu pondered this seriously and made a simple mental ranking. Rookies at or around the A-level—Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Le Bron James… Basically, from the moment they debuted, it was clear they were destined to be superstars. That tier was currently out of Gu Yu’s reach. Rookies around the B-tier level—Drexler, Malone, Carter, Stoudemire, Yao Ming… They’re at least considered superstars, right? Even players like Kobe and Mc Grady didn’t receive such high praise during their rookie years. As things stand, Gu Yu doesn’t stand a chance at this level either. There are quite a few rookies in the C-tier range; as players in their prime, they certainly have the potential to become starters in the future. In reality, very few rookies actually reach this level, but on the NBA courts, there are at least a hundred such players. Gu Yu? He doesn’t have that ability just yet. Further down the list, rookies in the D and E tiers are essentially rotation players, or even bench warmers who wave towels. Based on the current situation, Gu Yu doesn’t measure up there either. What tier does Gu Yu fall into? How do scouts and fans rate his ability? Actually, judging by the uproar that erupted when Gu Yu was selected in the draft, it’s not hard to tell. “He has absolutely no chance of making it in the NBA.” That’s the general consensus on Gu Yu. Without getting into other details, just look at Eugene Jeter, who’s currently on the practice court. Although he was an undrafted player, he has at least played in professional games. Compared to him, does Gu Yu have any advantages? Aside from his age, he has virtually no advantages. What level is Jeter at? At best, he’s an “E,” right? So it’s no surprise that Gu Yu was given an “F” rating. He’s got a long way to go. There’s an endless list of things he needs to work on. If he loses confidence and flies into a rage just because of this evaluation—which is actually quite fair—how will he ever make a name for himself in the future? “I have to work harder…!” With that thought, Gu Yu clenched his fists, furrowed his brow, and felt a flame of determination surge within him. “I must work hard—one step at a time, starting small, beginning at the bottom, and climbing my way up bit by bit.” Wasn’t Chen Mu, Gu Yu’s idol back then, the one who climbed step by step like this until he finally reached the pinnacle? So I… “I absolutely cannot give up!” “Weaknesses: On the technical side: passing, ball control, and defense.” Scrolling down, the evaluation provided by the Sniffer system is quite blunt, but it’s definitely the truth. “Technical aspects can be improved through personal effort, but when it comes to physical abilities…” Gu Yu looked down at the screen, then curled the corner of his mouth. “Weaknesses: Physical aspects: All-around.” All-around. What a blunt assessment—how stinging, yet undeniable. “Looks like I’ll have to work my hardest to improve on both fronts… Hmm?” Below the weakness analysis section, a pair of options appeared. “Please select your initial enhancement focus: a. Skills; b. Physical.” It’s not that simple after all! Gu Yu felt a surge of excitement—the system wasn’t just some mindless tool that merely pointed out weaknesses; it actually allowed for targeted improvements! So… “Ding—” Let’s start by strengthening the worst area—physical fitness! “Select physical enhancement. Enhancement cycle: duration of rookie contract.” The system displayed a new prompt, but the “Enhancement Training Camp” option below was temporarily grayed out. Gu Yu thought for a moment and immediately reached a conclusion. “I have to sign a contract first, so the first step right now is to figure out how to stay on the team…!” So, in the Summer League… “…I have to dominate the court!” Wade’s out for the season! 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