Basketball miracles

Chapter 89 [I'm sick, I need to see a doctor]

That evening, Rosamund Kwan received a special gift from Xiao Tu: a bottle of unbranded shower gel.

The shower gel was a reward from the bronze treasure chest that Xiao Tu had just opened. He had given the previous bottle to Madonna and only used a little of it. He decided to give the new one to Rosamund Kwan first to see how it goes, trying to treat both of them equally.

Rosamund Kwan is Chinese and doesn't need hair removal, but using this product still offers significant benefits. The shower gel can make skin supple and enhance body odor.

Xiao Tu clearly told Rosamund Kwan that this was a special-effect shower gel, and told her to use it sparingly, as she would know how amazing it was after just one use.

To maintain his masculinity, Xiao Tu didn't want to use it himself, so he could only give it to his girlfriend. She'd be more attractive if she smelled nice.

Rosamund Kwan was astonished when she tried it; she emerged from the shower transformed into a fragrant concubine. She had never heard of this shower gel before, and the brand wasn't important; it was a high-end product she had never encountered before.

The two had a sweet night together, and their relationship continued to heat up.

Rosamund Kwan didn't have many clothes in the US and hadn't originally planned to stay there long. Xiao Tu gave her a credit card, told her how to use it, and told her to buy whatever she liked.

Americans generally use checks for payments in their daily lives, which Xiao Tu dislikes because it's too much trouble.

Credit cards were the most convenient payment method in the United States in the 80s, and Xiao Tu got two after he became famous. His credit card limits were very high, so it was impossible for Rosamund Kwan to have maxed them out.

Xiao Tu needed to train and prepare for the competition, while Guan Zhilin went shopping and then went back to her mother's house. That afternoon, neither of them remembered to take the shower gel with them, leaving it on the bathroom shelf.

That night, the Lakers defeated their crosstown rivals, the Clippers, 138-100.

With Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar exploding together, the Lakers won effortlessly, leading by as much as 45 points.

The Clippers just moved to Los Angeles this season and their home arena is the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Xiao Tu knew that starting this year, the Clippers would be the Lakers' foil for a long time, until... there was no until. As far as Xiao Tu knew, the Clippers had not won a championship by 2025, with their best result being a Western Conference Finals appearance.

Xiao Tu's stats were average in this game. The two star players were having a great time, so he didn't have many opportunities to shoot.

Madonna was still in New York, and Xiao Tu was bored staying at the villa by himself, so he returned to the apartment around 10 p.m.

He was a little sleepy, so he washed up and went back to his room to rest.

The next morning, Xiao Tu was awakened by Chris Ford's shouts.

"Ah! Ah! Ah~ Ah!" Chris's screams were extremely shrill.

It sounds like a detective with a hoodlum head who goes to Africa to find bats, fights the local natives, and has two spears stuck in his legs.

Xiao Tu thought Chris had suffered some serious injury, so he ran out of the house barefoot. But he saw that Chris was only wearing his underwear and was touching his body as if he was looking for something.

Chris looked very flustered, but his voice was strong and he didn't seem injured.

Xiao Tu said, sweating profusely, "What's wrong with you so early in the morning?"

"I'm sick, I need to see a doctor..." Chris trembled with anxiety.

Xiao Tu asked, "Don't rush, tell me where you feel uncomfortable?"

"I don't feel unwell anywhere... but after one night's sleep, all the body hair on my body is gone, even my chest hair." Chris was almost crying. "I even smell nice... I've turned into a sissy!"

Xiao Tu was stunned for a moment, then almost peed himself laughing. "Hahahaha, did you use a metal bucket of shower gel to take a shower last night?"

"Is it the shower gel? I was really tired when I got home last night, so I used a little bit in the shower... I figured it would definitely work better than soap, and I went to sleep right after. Fuck! What on earth was that?" Chris's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, but they still weren't quite there.

He's like Eastwood turned into Jack Nicholson, or rather, the Joker version, with his eyebrows raised very high.

"Dude, that's a special hair removal shower gel! You dared to use it without even asking me what it is?" Xiao Tu laughed loudly: "Hahaha, you're bald now and you still smell good? If you went to an audition at this time, I bet no one would think you're from Texas."

Chris covered his face with his hands. "I'm so ashamed! Stop laughing, this stuff is too effective! How long will it take me to recover? Did Madonna use this?"

“She used it; the fragrance lasts for a week after one use, and the body hair slowly grows back. If you just stop using it, you should be back to normal.” Chris said dejectedly, “I won’t use it again without your reminder. Next time Rosamund comes, tell her to take the shower gel with her! I never want to see this stuff again!”

Xiao Tu waved his hand and smiled, "You don't need to worry about it too much, it's good for your skin."

"Then why don't you use it? Never mind, I need to call in sick." Chris breathed a sigh of relief knowing he wasn't sick, but he still felt awkward.

"Isn't it necessary?"

“It’s necessary. If I practice dancing like this, they’ll definitely think you slept with me and then want to sleep with me too. Don’t you know that some of Madonna’s backup dancers are gay?” Chris sighed.

"..." Xiao Tu gasped. He was planning to sleep somewhere else tonight; he couldn't let these kinds of rumors spread.

He only knew that Madonna's team included people of different skin colors and ethnicities, but he never imagined there would be gay people among them. Her thinking was so ahead of its time, several versions ahead of its time.

Xiao Tu booked a room for Rosamund Kwan at a nearby hotel, and the two changed their meeting place to the hotel. He started paying attention to paparazzi and improved his counter-surveillance skills considerably, thus avoiding making the news.

In early February, Magic Johnson was named Player of the Month for January, beating out Milwaukee Bucks power forward Terry Cummings.

Johnson's performance last month was relatively stable. Under Pat Riley's guidance, his scoring average improved, and he led the league in assists, earning him a lot of praise.

This is a crucial award, bringing Magic Johnson one step closer to the regular season MVP.

The Lakers have played four games against relatively weak opponents, and are on another winning streak.

Xiao Tu consistently recorded double-doubles, with a standout performance against the Jazz. While he only scored 15 points, he grabbed 21 rebounds and recorded 5 blocks.

He twice made crucial defensive blocks against Mark Eaton, nicknamed "The Mammoth," a 224cm tall center with an imposing presence.

Eaton has a physical advantage against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but he's too slow and lacks explosiveness when driving to the basket. He's not a good scorer; his 9.5 points per game this season is a career high, compared to a career high of 5.6 points in the previous two seasons.

Xiao Tu opened the brass treasure chest and obtained quite a few rewards, all of which were still consumables. He used the training aura whenever he had a spare moment, and took out and ate the premium fruits one after another.

He took out the "Thanos Fruit," each one bigger than the ones in the movies. The kiwano (horned melon) had a unique taste; it wasn't as sweet as other premium fruits, but its advantage was that it weighed twenty pounds.

Compared to other fruits available in stores, Thanos Fruit is quite delicious, with delicate, juicy flesh and a gel-like texture. Xiao Tu thinks it tastes like a mixture of cucumber and banana, and you eat it like jelly with a spoon after cutting it open.

With the All-Star Weekend just around the corner in the East, and tickets being so difficult to buy, Rosamund Kwan definitely wouldn't be going to the games. Xiao Tu suggested she look at villas in Los Angeles this week; they'd already chosen a neighborhood, and if she found a house she liked, they'd buy it.

Xiao Tu plans to live in the same neighborhood as his teammate Kupchak, which will make it more convenient to play basketball as it's close to the stadium.

There are villas for sale in the neighborhood, and they're quite new. Xiao Tu can't go see them himself, but Guan Zhilin can go instead. He doesn't have any special requirements for the house; convenience is all he needs.

Xiao Tu definitely has enough money. Adidas paid him $50, and he has already bought stocks, which have been rising.

Moreover, he bought the house in installments, without having to pay it all at once.

In the United States, interest expenses on mortgage payments are tax-deductible, so very few Americans pay for a house in cash upfront; the vast majority take out loans to realize their dream of owning a home.

Regardless of whether they ultimately bought the villa, Guan Zhilin was particularly happy just by looking at Xiao Tu's attitude. She could tell that this man cared about her a lot, and wasn't the kind of scoundrel who would abandon her after a fleeting infatuation.

It's okay that Rosamund Kwan is unfamiliar with the area and has difficulty contacting people; Chris can accompany her to look at houses.

Chris was willing to take on the task. Madonna was away doing events, so the backup dancers usually didn't have much to do.

After filming "Boys' School Girls," Chris had some free time and spent his time dating his girlfriend, Sheryl Fenn.

Sheryl Fenn now believes he's not Eastwood's son, because they're in similar situations—both are struggling young actors. Even if Eastwood's son is terrible, he shouldn't have trouble finding movies; he gets plenty of supporting roles in every film.

On Friday, the Lakers' Big Three and coach Pat Riley flew to Indianapolis. The non-star players were mostly relaxed; if they weren't going to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest or attend games, they could enjoy a long vacation.

(End of this chapter)