"Why?"
Lexi shot up, her eyes wide with disbelief as she demanded an answer.
Sure, Durant and Beasley had known each other since childhood. They had been a light in each other’s destitute lives, but Lexi still couldn’t understand.
’That’s your teammate!’
After his teammate quit, their team had to forfeit game after game. They had fought so hard to earn a chance to be revived. In Lexi’s eyes, Durant should have grown, learned how to take responsibility, and understood the meaning of a team, just as Craig had taught him.
’Even fucking Hollywood movies follow that script!’
But at the last moment, Durant still abandoned his teammate.
’What the hell!’
"Calm down." Chen Yu was startled.
Lexi was several months pregnant. ’With such a sudden movement, aren’t you worried something might happen?’
He helped Lexi sit down, then quickly used the Eye of All-Seeing to check on her. After confirming everything was fine, he glanced at the TV.
On the screen, Little Jordan was telling the production crew he wanted to return to Safford. His face was full of hope as he said he wanted to be with his teammates, keep winning games, and make it to the playoffs.
He had even secretly taken a flight back to Safford, hoping to surprise his teammates.
It seemed like everything was heading toward a happy ending.
But Lexi, who knew the outcome, felt her heart ache as she watched Little Jordan’s joyful expression.
’When the result is revealed, how disappointed will Little Jordan be?’
’He thought they were on the same page, but it was just one-sided wishful thinking. How could that not be a huge blow?’
"But why? What on earth was he thinking?" Lexi still couldn’t wrap her head around it.
Chen Yu watched Durant on the screen. "Who knows? I never noticed it before, probably because I didn’t interact with him much. But now I think there are a lot of twisted parts to his personality. He’s always too impulsive and lets his emotions control him."
After a pause, Chen Yu added, "And he’s pretty pitiful, too."
"Pitiful?"
Lexi scoffed. "He abandoned his teammate to choose his best friend. He’s so much better than DeAndre, so what’s so pitiful about him?"
On TV, the final selection stage had begun.
Durant entered the set built by the production team, and Ernest was announcing the rules, asking Durant to make his final choice.
"What if I told you he chose Beasley, but Beasley rejected him?" Chen Yu said quietly.
Lexi’s eyes flew wide open again.
The show aired on the 24th, but the segment where Durant made his choice had happened two days prior. Chen Yu knew the result perfectly well.
Two days ago, in Safford, in front of everyone, Durant had agonized for a full three minutes before finally choosing Beasley.
On the other side of the set, Little Jordan had actually already arrived.
Harden was ecstatic. After hugging Little Jordan, he grabbed him and started rambling on about how he and Durant had crushed everyone in Los Angeles and fought with all their might to win the revival spot.
Little Jordan also gave Harden a sincere, face-to-face apology.
He added that Durant hadn’t actually done anything wrong; that’s just how the show worked. He said that after returning to Houston, he’d had a good long think and finally understood. He knew not everyone could be the star and that he shouldn’t have complained, because they were a team, and everyone had to take on different responsibilities.
As he watched with a hopeful gaze, Durant made his choice.
The two of them, who had instinctively stood up to celebrate, froze on the spot, petrified.
Harden looked around in a daze, asking the nearby crew members if there was a problem with the equipment, if he had misheard.
Little Jordan was simply rooted to the spot, the light in his eyes fading as quickly as nightfall.
It wasn’t just the two of them; everyone on the production crew was stunned. No one had expected Durant to make such a decision.
Only Ernest, whose expression was indescribably strange and complex, wasn’t overly shocked.
It seemed he already knew the outcome.
There was no other reason. He hadn’t been able to resist the temptation and had opened the envelope from Chen Yu ahead of time.
The result inside the envelope was Beasley!
Up to this point, everything was unfolding just as Chen Yu had predicted.
But what happened next was something not even Chen Yu had foreseen.
Despite the surprise, Ernest followed the show’s procedure. He had Durant connect via video call with Beasley, who was far away in Washington, so Durant could personally share the good news with his best friend.
Another film crew was with Beasley.
Beasley appeared on the big screen.
Durant, suppressing his excitement, told Beasley he had made his choice and that they would be playing together soon.
On camera, Beasley was surprisingly calm.
When Ernest asked for his thoughts, Beasley first thumped his chest with his fist, a gesture across the distance to show Durant his deep feelings as a brother for life. Then, his expression suddenly changed, and he flipped the middle finger at the camera.
"Fuck you! You want me back on the show? Dream on!"
"How did you guys eliminate me back then? Am I worse than those people who passed the auditions? No, I’m better than all of them! I should have been a captain."
"You all have shit taste! You misjudged me! I’m more talented than anyone! In the future, I’ll make it to the NBA and become a superstar, and I’ll make every last one of you bastards who got it wrong regret it."
"Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to eliminate me? What qualifications do you have?!"
"This garbage show of yours..."
He just unleashed a torrent of abuse at the camera.
This time, Ernest and all the crew members present were completely dumbfounded.
The entire set fell silent, leaving only the sound of Beasley’s incessant cursing.
Standing in the center of it all, the smile on Durant’s lips froze. Paleness and panic slowly crept across his face.
"Kevin, I’m not talking about you. We’re best friends. I just can’t stand this garbage show." After his tirade, Beasley looked at Durant and offered an explanation. Then he said, "Kevin, if I were you, I’d quit this show with me. They’re just a bunch of trash!"
"Do we need them to teach us how to get into the NBA? Believe me, you don’t need them at all. You’ll definitely make it to the NBA and become the best player in the world!"
At that moment, Durant’s face was ashen. He was so stunned he couldn’t utter a single word.
Ernest came to his senses. His expression turned serious as he held up a hand to interrupt Beasley. "Beasley," he said in a low voice, "am I to understand that you are refusing to be revived?"
There was a hint of anger in his eyes.
He never would have dreamed that Beasley would choose this moment to get revenge on the show for his elimination.
He had even deceived everyone. Before this, upon hearing he had a chance to be revived, Beasley had acted extremely excited and eager.
It was all an act.
’Getting revenge on the show is one thing, but you’ve hurt Durant!’
From the corner of his eye, Ernest glanced at Durant, who stood there numbly, his body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
’No matter how viciously Beasley curses, what real harm can it do to the show?’
When he was eliminated, Chen Yu and the others had already given their reasons, stating they believed Beasley had personality issues.
His actions now would only confirm to people that he really did have a problematic personality.
The show wouldn’t suffer any real loss.
But what about Durant?
When Durant made his decision, Ernest didn’t believe for a second that Durant was unaware of the immense criticism he would face for such a choice.
But he did it anyway, because he considered Beasley his best friend.
And what did this "best friend" do? For his own satisfaction, he backstabbed him without a moment’s hesitation.
He even had the audacity to keep saying it wasn’t directed at Durant, that they were still best friends.
’What a joke!’
"That’s... That’s just too..." After hearing Chen Yu’s account, Lexi was completely stunned, at a loss for words.
On the TV, the show had ended.
’There must be a ton of people calling in to curse out the production team for being so heartless right now.’
Regarding this outcome, Chen Yu could only say that his initial judgment hadn’t been wrong. Beasley’s personality problems were just too severe.
If he didn’t change, even if he did make it to the NBA in the future, a personality like that would limit his growth.
"So what happened then? How’s Durant doing?" Lexi asked.
"What do you think?"
Torn, Durant betrayed his teammate, only to be betrayed by his own best friend.
The boomerang he threw came right back and hit him.
"He’s been locked in his room for two days. His godfather and mother have rushed to Safford, and we’re trying to figure out what to do, how to save him."
This blow was no small thing.
Especially on a TV show, in front of tens of millions of viewers.
Durant had been painted as a despicable person who backstabbed his teammate, only to get what he deserved in an act of revenge.
"Chen, I suddenly feel so sorry for Durant. You have to help him. After a blow like this, he might never recover," Lexi said urgently.
Seeing Durant like this, he was so pitiful it made one’s heart ache.
"And that Beasley, he’s despicable! How could he do that? He’s nothing but a bastard and a villain!"
Lexi cursed viciously, thoroughly enraged.
Chen Yu nodded. "Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of a solution, and it’s in motion."
He paused, then added, "As for Beasley, he’ll regret this."
A cold glint flashed in Chen Yu’s eyes.
’He’s just a rotten person!’
He paid lip service to Durant being his best friend, but he was always self-centered.
He might seem loyal, but he’s the kind of bad friend who will drag you down into the abyss with him.
True best friends help each other succeed, urging one another to grow and become better.
But everything Beasley did will follow him for the rest of his life like a stain. In a few years, he will pay the price for his actions today.
"Alright, don’t think about it so much. Get some rest. I have a business trip tomorrow. You need to take good care of yourself at home for the next little while."
Chen Yu hugged Lexi.
「August 1st, the National Track and Field Championships.」
Chen Yu was going to China to attempt a world record with Liu Xiang.
「August 13th, the Athens Olympic Games begin.」
So, after competing in the National Track and Field Championships, Chen Yu would head to Greece with Liu Xiang.
The 110-meter hurdles final would be at the end of August. Depending on the situation, if work wasn’t too busy, Chen Yu would consider staying in Athens with Liu Xiang to prepare.
A once-every-four-years Olympic Games was not something to be taken lightly.

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