At noon on the 26th, nearly 20,000 fans packed the Rose Garden Arena, each one there to witness history. Outside the stadium, thousands more gathered, holding signs and chanting—hoping for even a glimpse of the man who defined a generation. Tickets had become more precious than Finals seats. For the city of Portland, this wasn't just a retirement—it was the end of an era.
Zhao Dong entered the Rose Garden with his family. The moment he stepped onto the court, a deafening roar exploded through the arena.
"Zhao Dong, stay! Zhao Dong, stay!"
The chant rolled like thunder, flooding not just the stadium but the streets of Portland. The echoes of those pleas reached every corner of the city.
But Zhao Dong didn't stay. He took one last bow, then turned away from the hardwood that had made him a legend. With his wife Lindsay and their quadruplets, he boarded a private jet and departed for New York.
"Seven championships in seven years—his era ends by his own hand." — The New York Times
"Undefeated, so he left unchallenged." — The Washington Post
The god of basketball's departure marks the sport's coming dusk." — Berlin Daily
Around the world, headlines mourned and marveled at Zhao Dong's exit. The spotlight wasn't just on his retirement from basketball—it was now fixed firmly on the NFL, the league Zhao Dong was preparing to conquer next.
---
NFL Headquarters, New York
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference within hours of Zhao Dong's departure from the NBA. He stood at the podium, smiling broadly.
"We are proud to welcome the greatest player in NBA history to the NFL. This move carries enormous historical weight."
For Goodell, it was a coup. For years, the NBA under Zhao Dong's reign had risen dangerously close to the NFL in ratings and market share—even rivalling the Super Bowl on occasion.
Now, the threat was neutralized. Even better: absorbed.
---
NFL Players React
Quarterback legend Peyton Manning, ever the tactician, offered a respectful yet cautious take:
"I've watched Zhao Dong perform at Madison Square Garden. The guy's a monster. But football and basketball are different beasts. It's faster, tougher, crueler. I wish him luck—but this league eats the unprepared alive."
Translation? Respect, with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor didn't even bother with diplomacy:
"He won't last. I give it a season or two—then he'll run back to basketball, just like Jordan."
But the real venom came from players with something to lose.
Lance Robert, the Miami Dolphins' ruthless defensive end known as the Death Rhino, sneered at reporters:
"Basketball is for cowards. Real men play football. That Chinese baller? He's gonna cry by Week 2. I'll make sure of it."
Then there was Willis Venis, defensive anchor for the New York Jets—the very team Zhao Dong once owned.
"I never liked him. Took our money, walked away, and now he wants back in? Hell no. I don't like his kind, and I don't mean just his personality. The Jets should slam the door on him."
Clear racial hostility. Said out loud. On camera. And yet no one flinched. That's how deep-rooted the discrimination ran in parts of the league.
---
Back in New York
At 3 PM on the 27th, Zhao Dong's jet touched down in New York. His family returned to their Long Island estate, untouched after three years—kept pristine by staff.
The quadruplets, full of energy, tore through the halls of their home like they were exploring a palace for the first time. Nannies chased after them, barely keeping up.
That evening, after dinner, Zhao Dong headed to Stony Brook University, flanked by bodyguards.
He was 26 years old, still holding only a high school diploma, despite having technically enrolled at Stony Brook nine years ago. In that time, Lindsay had collected three PhDs, while he hadn't even finished his undergraduate degree. It gnawed at his pride.
The truth? He'd just been too lazy—and too distracted by championship banners and MVP trophies.
But he was close now. A few credits shy of graduating. With the NFL on the horizon and a bit more free time, he resolved to finish it off.
---
As soon as Zhao Dong stepped onto campus, students swarmed him.
"Zhao Dong! Sign my shirt!"
"You're back?! Will you really play football?"
"You were the reason I applied here!"
He smiled and nodded as dozens of students handed him slips of paper—phone numbers, dorm addresses, and not-so-subtle invitations.
After gathering course info from admin, Zhao Dong slipped the pile of flirtatious notes into a folder and handed them off to a bodyguard.
"Burn these," he muttered. "Or frame them. Depends how bored you are."
---
Walking the familiar streets of Long Island, Zhao Dong breathed deeply. The crisp air. The soft Atlantic breeze. Not much had changed here in three years—unlike Beijing, where entire skylines could shift in a single year.
"Zhao Dong! Welcome back to New York!"
A jogger waved.
"Thanks," he replied with a grin.
"Zhao, are you playing for the Jets or just warming the bench?"
"Could go either way, haha!"
The people of New York loved him—not just as an athlete, but as an icon.
That night, after dinner, Zhao Dong retired to his study. The house was quiet. The kids had finally worn themselves out. Lindsay was reading in the bedroom. And Zhao Dong?
He sat at his desk, opened his laptop—and activated the system.
Unclaimed Rewards:
Dominance Badge
One chance to recover from a serious injury
Three chances to recover from a minor injury
One Talent Lottery
System Reset
---
Staring at the last item on the reward list—system reset—Zhao Dong's heart still pounded with excitement.
"System, reset it," he said decisively once he calmed down a bit.
"Reset in progress. Estimated time: fifteen minutes."
The familiar mechanical voice replied instantly.
Then, the entire interface shifted to a reset screen. A soft light-blue hue filled the background. A countdown began ticking down from fifteen minutes, and cascading lines of code scrolled down like a waterfall of data.
Just then, Lindsay walked in with a plate of fresh fruit. Behind her trailed a group of small figures—Zhao Dong's little troublemakers—storming the room with cheerful chaos.
Zhao Dong casually picked up a strawberry and handed it to the nearest child. "Son, which one are you again?"
The little guy took the fruit and beamed. "Dad, I'm number two!"
"Second bro, hand it over!" came another energetic voice.
It was Rongxing, the fourth child—and the only one Zhao Dong could reliably identify. He squeezed his way forward and snatched the strawberry from his older brother, Rongxia, with practiced expertise.
"Fourth, Dad gave it to me!"
"Nope. It's mine now!"
The two immediately broke into a small wrestling match. The strawberry was sacrificed in the chaos, falling to the floor and getting stomped under little feet.
Lindsay sighed helplessly and glared at the eldest and third kids, who looked like they were itching to join in.
"Next time, give them one each, husband," she reminded.
"Got it," Zhao Dong chuckled.
After letting the kids run around for a bit, Lindsay rounded them up and took them back out.
Zhao Dong turned back to the system. Only a few seconds left.
The countdown hit zero, and the system completed its reset.
Welcome to the Sports Sniper System. Please select a specific sport.
Track and Field
Ball Games
Swimming
Boxing
Horse Racing...
Zhao Dong scanned the list. There were 47 major sport categories. Clicking into each revealed even more detailed sub-events.
"So this is the real face of the system..." he muttered. "No wonder it locked me into the NBA before. It must've defaulted based on my profession at the time."
"System, once I pick a major category, do I have to choose a specific event too?"
"Yes."
Without hesitation, Zhao Dong tapped into Ball Games. A long list appeared: basketball, football, volleyball, rugby…
His finger moved quickly to rugby, then to the NFL, listed under international leagues.
"Please confirm."
Zhao Dong confirmed immediately.
The blue background morphed into a deep, blood-red theme. A virtual NFL stadium materialized behind it—artificial turf, end zones, and towering goalposts.
Reset complete. Welcome to the NFL Sniper System.
The next screen displayed Zhao Dong's full profile:
---
Host: Zhao Dong
Physical Fitness:
Injury Resistance: 100
Endurance: 100
Vertical: 98
Speed: 95
Burst: 95
Strength: 93
Upper Body: 86
Lower Body: 95
Core: 100
Note: Quality points are no longer rewarded. Physical fitness must now be improved through training alone.
---
Football Skill Set:
Tactical Awareness: 35
Catching: 80
Long Pass: 40
Medium Pass: 60
Short Pass: 75
Evasion: 70
Vision: 80
Ball Protection: 80
Ball Carrying: 80
Power Rush: 70
Passing Ability: 70
Feinting: 70
Route Running: 50
Run Interception: 70
Pass Interception: 72
Impact Defense: 75
Kick Return: 50
---
Notes:
Max stat level is 99.
95+ is elite tier
90+ is top tier
80+ is second tier
60+ is third tier
Once a skill reaches level 80, further improvement depends on real-game performance. Training alone cannot increase the level past 80.
---
System Items:
Level 1 Savage Charge Talent Badge
(Generated by combining the Dominance Badge with host's attributes)
Unclaimed Rewards:
1x Serious Injury Recovery
3x Minor Injury Recovery
1x Talent Lottery
Position Selection:
Offensive Team
Defensive Team
Special Team
---
Zhao Dong raised a brow.
His physical attributes remained intact, but all his NBA basketball skills were wiped clean.
"System, can't I keep my basketball levels?" he asked.
"The system does not retain previous sports-specific skills. Maintenance must be done through personal training."
"Damn…" Zhao Dong frowned. He had always assumed his basketball skills would be permanent. Guess not.
Looks like I'll have to keep practicing hoops if I don't wanna embarrass myself at the Olympics someday.
"System, can I choose more than one position?"
> "Yes. Multi-position training is allowed."
He clicked on Offensive Team, and a sub-menu appeared: wide receiver, quarterback, running back…
He checked out Defensive and Special Teams next—linebackers, safeties, return specialists—the works.
Finally, he opened up the Savage Charge Talent Badge to see what the system had gifted him this time.
From the name alone, it sounded like something tailor-made for someone like him—once called the most powerful force in NBA history.
---
Level 1 Savage Charge Talent Badge
Effect: When host initiates a charge, burst strength increases by 5–15%.
Upgrade Condition:
Knock down 300 opponents via charge
10 of them must suffer serious injury
100 of them… must die
---
Zhao Dong's eyes twitched. "Holy hell, system, this effect is brutal—but I like it."
Pure aggression. Just my style.
But he couldn't help but suspect—this system of his definitely had a violent streak.
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