Chapter 129: System Upgrade

The arena.

Wearing the No. 11 jersey, Lin Feng stepped onto the court alongside four other substitutes. This was his first appearance in an NBA game, and the first time an Asian guard had ever stepped onto the stage of the NBA playoffs. Due to his prior wager with Swift, Lin Feng’s entrance drew a wave of cheers from the home crowd—though, naturally, they were not well-intentioned, carrying instead a heavy undertone of mockery.

"Devin, is that guy the guard from China?" On the Cavaliers' bench, the team’s two superstars, Thomas and Devin, had already "punched out." Thomas asked, chewing his gum.

"Must be. After all, he’s the only Asian in the league," Devin replied.

"I thought the rest of the game would be boring, but now, we can at least look forward to seeing if this guy can score ten points," Thomas said, eyeing Lin Feng on the court. "Though it looks difficult; his physical conditioning is just too poor."

Devin nodded, smiling. "That guy Swift has a decent eye. I’d say this kid Lin will score five points at most."

"I’ll bet on three. Honestly, if it weren't garbage time, I don't think he’d score a single point," Thomas said, shaking his head.

...

System Prompt: Host has entered a high-level league. Attributes of kidnapped superstar characters will change...

System Prompt: Kidnap Superstar System has detected a new version. Update will initiate in ten seconds...

10, 9, 8, 7...

The moment Lin Feng stepped onto the court, a long-absent voice echoed in his mind. Before he could react, the Kidnap Superstar System had already begun the update.

System Prompt: Kidnap Superstar System update in progress. Estimated time: 30 seconds.

"Are you kidding me? A system update at a critical moment..."

Lin Feng was speechless. Naturally, the game wouldn't wait for his system to finish updating, so he had to survive these thirty seconds on his own merit.

The game continued.

It was the Knicks' possession. Lin Feng was playing shooting guard, and the ball was not in his hands. However, the other substitutes on the court knew that Lin Feng had a decent three-point shot. After point guard Bright drove to the basket and drew a double-team, he whipped the ball out to Lin Feng, who was lurking at the forty-five-degree angle on the left wing.

"Lin, the team needs your three!" Bright shouted after passing.

Lin Feng caught the ball, didn't hesitate, jumped, and released the shot...

Swish...

The ball grazed the bottom of the net... and flew out of bounds.

Lin Feng’s first shot in the NBA was almost an airball.

Boo!

As Lin Feng missed the three, a massive chorus of boos erupted from the stands.

"Get him off!"

"Yellow pig!"

"Trash!"

The rowdy crowd was filled with jeers. On the Knicks' bench, everyone shook their heads slightly, including head coach Phills.

"Practice and official games are never the same..."

Lin Feng sighed, frustrated. "The NBA three-point line really is quite far..."

"Don't worry, Lin. It’s your first time out there; it’s natural to be nervous," Bright said, patting Lin Feng on the back as they retreated on defense.

Lin Feng shrugged. "My touch felt off."

...

The Cavaliers initiated their offense. At this point, they had two starters and three substitutes on the floor. With a massive lead, they were playing quite lackadaisically. One of the team's "Big Three," Comfort, caught the ball and launched a three-pointer—he was three points shy of reaching twenty and wanted to pad his stats before heading to the bench. Unfortunately, as a power forward, his three-point percentage was mediocre, and the shot clanked off the rim.

Knicks defensive rebound.

Ding! Kidnap Superstar System update complete...

Installing Kidnap Superstar System version 2.0...

Ding! Kidnap Superstar System version 2.0 installed successfully!

Immediately after the Cavaliers' possession, the system finished updating, and Lin Feng quickly dived into the interface.

Welcome, Host, to Kidnap Superstar System 2.0. The new version is perfectly synced with the Host's body. You can use attribute points earned in the system to improve your own stats. Additionally, the new version fixes bugs from the old one and adds a "Superstar Skill Extraction" function. Enjoy!

System Prompt: As the Host has entered a high-level basketball league, the attributes of the kidnapped superstar Stephen Curry have changed. View? [Yes] [No]?

Attributes changed?

Must see!

Lin Feng decisively chose Yes, and the system switched to the page for the kidnapped superstar, Stephen Curry.

Superstar Name: Stephen Curry.
Profession: Basketball Player.
Skill 1: Three-Point Shooting.
Skill 2: Steals.
Skill 3: Dribbling.
Three-Point Percentage: 45.5% (Open Three-Point Percentage: 62%).
Steal Success Rate: 33%.
Currently Extractable Skills: Three-Point Shooting, Steals.

"You've got to be kidding me! The three-point percentage dropped by this much??"

Lin Feng was stunned. Back in the CBA, he had boosted Curry’s open three-point percentage to 100%, and his contested three-point percentage to nearly 90%. He hadn't expected that upon entering the NBA, his percentages would be cut in half.

Furthermore, the system’s kidnapping mode had changed. It used to be a "Superstar Possession" mode; now, it was limited to extracting specific skills. This was actually an improvement, as it meant Lin Feng could extract skills from multiple superstars simultaneously.

Lin Feng switched to the Host attribute page. Since he would be using the skill extraction mode from now on, his own physical attributes were crucial.

Host Name: Lin Feng.
Host Level: 3.
Stamina: 58.
Speed: 62.
Agility: 41.
Currently Kidnapped Superstars: 3.
Currently Extractable Skills: 6.
Experience for Next Level: 3,000/100,000.
Available Skill Attribute Points: 30.
Current Gold Balance: 2,000.
Current Mission: Win one game in a high-level basketball league.

Mission Reward: 1,000 Gold, 1,000 EXP, 6 Skill Attribute Points.

...

Update? Update? Update your head!!!

From high-profile star back to a nobody!

From max level back to the starter village...

Looking at his own stats and the stats of the great Curry, Lin Feng felt like crying. However, the game was still ongoing, and he had no time to complain. He dumped all 30 of his remaining attribute points into Curry’s three-point shooting. Instantly, Curry’s three-point percentage surged from 45.5% to 55.5%.

In the NBA, a 55.5% three-point percentage was top-tier, but trailing by 28 points, the chances of turning the tide with just that were still slim.

"What to do? Just watch the team lose?"

As he pondered, a thought struck him.

Right, the System Store! There were so many incredible items!

Lin Feng quickly entered the store and purchased a "Luck Aura."

"55.5% three-point percentage plus a Luck Aura—the effect should be pretty good, right?"

As Lin Feng mused to himself, Bright’s voice rang in his ear.

"Lin, we're on offense!"

"OK!"

Lin Feng nodded and activated the Luck Aura.

System Prompt: Your Luck Aura has been activated. Duration: 180 seconds...

The arena.

Bright dribbled past half-court, executed a pick-and-roll, and launched a three-pointer.

Clang!

The ball hit the front rim and bounced out.

"Rebound!!" someone shouted.

However, the bouncing ball took a strange arc through the air and flew straight to Lin Feng outside the three-point line.

"Wow, this Luck Aura is actually pretty awesome..."

Lin Feng felt a surge of joy as he caught the rebound that had practically fallen into his hands. He jumped high and released the three-pointer!

The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air...

It hit the backboard...

And then...

It rattled into the hoop!!!

Score!