Chapter 9: Persuasion to Leave

Chapter 10: Persuasion to Quit

In truth, William Carter was simply mocking Su Feng with his words. The man’s ridicule came entirely from his own selfish motives.

William Carter, though lazy and lacking ambition, possessed a sharp eye for talent. He could see that Su Feng—the Chinese man he had always looked down upon—actually had considerable potential and strength.

So William Carter had clearly felt threatened by Su Feng. His position in the Rockets was under siege by this newcomer from China. That was why William Carter resorted to attacks and ridicule, hoping to strike Su Feng and show him who was boss. Such was the nature of his intent.

To put it kindly, William Carter’s thinking was naive and foolish; to speak plainly, it was idiotic. In the club, he was already a target for everyone’s ire—a persona non grata, so to speak.

Yet, laughably, he still enjoyed a wildly inflated sense of self-worth, believing himself to be a star player within the team.

Such was the ridiculous character of William Carter.

Su Feng, of course, was perfectly aware of Carter’s petty schemes. But Su Feng was new to the Rockets, unfamiliar with the relationships and dynamics within the team, and he did not wish to make too many enemies so early on.

Still, there was something that needed to be clarified: though Su Feng preferred a gentle approach and avoided unnecessary conflict, it did not mean he was timid or afraid. He was neither cowardly nor meek.

And now, with William Carter clearly intent on causing trouble, Su Feng knew he could not remain silent.

Thus, Su Feng responded to Carter’s provocation with calm countermeasures. He said, “Carter, to be honest, I’m not afraid of you, you know?”

“Heh, you’re not afraid of me? Well, I never asked you to be. I’m simply saying that you Chinese aren’t suited for basketball. Is there anything wrong with that? At least, I don’t think so,” Carter replied with a broad grin.

“Honestly, Carter, I don’t have time to argue with you right now. Please step aside and let me practice,” Su Feng said, glancing at him coolly.

“Hey, Su Feng, you’re no fun. I’m bored, so you should argue with me. You Chinese may not be great at basketball, but you’re certainly not useless. I’ve noticed you’re good at arguing, so come on, spar with me!” Carter, with a mischievous grin that begged for a punch, darted in front of Su Feng.

Su Feng stared at Carter impassively, then shook his head and said with a smile, “Carter, I don’t have the luxury of idle time to seek out arguments. I need to practice dribbling now. The farther you stay from me, the better. Don’t interfere with my training. If you get hit while I’m dribbling, you’ll have only yourself to blame, understood?”

Carter scoffed, retorting, “Su Feng, you’re just making trouble, you know? What’s wrong with dribbling? Can't you argue while dribbling? It’s perfectly normal. Don’t use training as an excuse, alright?” He was now resorting to shameless quarreling.

Su Feng pursed his lips—Carter was truly astonishing. What sort of person was he? A real scoundrel.

“Coach Rick, I want to train, but as you can see, Carter is interfering. I ask you to help me out and reason with this troublemaker. I need to maintain my condition, but I suspect Carter is deliberately disrupting my practice. I truly believe that’s his intention, so please intervene,” Su Feng quietly approached Coach Rick and spoke in a low voice.

Coach Rick had been watching all along, taking note of Carter’s behavior. Su Feng’s complaint did not surprise him. After listening, he smiled and nodded, saying, “Su Feng, I’ve seen everything. Go ahead and train. If Carter continues to interfere, come and tell me, alright?”

“Thank you, Coach Rick. You’ve been a great help. As you know, training is crucial for every basketball player. If practice is neglected, it’s hard to maintain form, isn’t it?” Su Feng replied with a gentle smile.

“Yes, Su Feng, I’m well aware. No need to explain further. I may not have many talents, but resolving disputes among players is one thing I excel at—keep that in mind,” Coach Rick said with a smile.

“Alright, Coach Rick, I’ll get back to training then. After all that talk with Carter, I haven’t managed a single dribble yet—what a failure,” Su Feng sighed as he spoke to Coach Rick.