Chapter 84: Trade.
The players from both sides quickly intervened to separate the two, and Han Sen was subbed out by Joe Johnson after accumulating two fouls.
This All-Star game sealed the rivalry between the two.
Although Han Sen was a starter and played impressively at the beginning, he ultimately received only 14 minutes of playing time—the least among the starters.
For an Asian player to make a name in the NBA, they often face more obstacles.
But he made the most of his limited time, scoring 9 points on 4-for-6 shooting, with 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals.
Under Wade's leadership, the East narrowly edged out the West with a score of 141 to 139.
In terms of stats, Anthony led the West with 27 points and 10 rebounds on 13-for-22 shooting, while Nowitzki put up 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
For the East, LeBron scored 22 points, with 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Wade scored 28 points with 6 rebounds, 11 assists, and 5 steals, and Bosh contributed 23 points with 10 rebounds and 2 steals.
Wade earned the MVP title, marking his first All-Star MVP award.
As Wade gave his heartfelt acceptance speech, Han Sen joined the applause with the others.
In 2006, Wade had won a championship, but his skills and experience were not fully refined. However, winning the scoring title last season and showing such dominance in this year's All-Star Game marked his true peak.
Seeing Wade finish his speech, Han Sen went up to offer his congratulations.
Although they hadn't shared much time on the court, they had a promising chemistry.
If only he'd had more playing time; they could have played together with Bosh as they'd planned.
The All-Star Game was over, but most fans lingered, and many players stayed to sign autographs.
Han Sen walked toward Swift, curious about why she wore his jersey tonight.
But he only made it a few steps before hearing fans calling his name.
Instead of being bashed as expected, his strong performance had earned him a lot of new fans.
He stopped to sign autographs for ten minutes, and by the time he looked back, Swift had disappeared.
Back in the locker room, the players were chatting away, laughter filling the room.
The 'West is stronger than the East' narrative had been dominant in the league, so winning was a rare joy for the East team.
Seeing Wade and Bosh in deep conversation, Han Sen started over to join them— only to be beaten by LeBron, who pulled up a chair and joined the conversation.
For Han Sen, it was surreal seeing Wade, Bosh, and LeBron together. This trio wasn't just the most impressive in tonight's game but was also the 'Miami Heat Big Three' he knew from the future.
There was something slightly awkward in LeBron's dynamic with Wade and Bosh though— like he was forcing his way in.
Soon, the media was allowed into the locker room for interviews.
Han Sen took questions from Chinese reporters, thanking his fans for their support, whether real fans or haters.
He also hinted that his first signature shoe would launch in the summer, a message for his local fanbase.
After the interviews, Han Sen's first All-Star weekend officially concluded.
The players were ready to enjoy the nightlife— a rare chance to unwind.
Han Sen planned to go out with Cunningham.
Just as Han Sen was packing up to leave, his phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
When he answered, a somewhat familiar voice came through:
"Hi, it's Taylor."
...
In the parking lot, Han Sen got into the passenger seat of Swift's car.
For a celebrity of Swift's caliber, finding his private contact information wasn't hard.
Plus, the car had plenty of space, indicating that she had come prepared.
With a push on the gas pedal, Swift took Han Sen for a spin around downtown Dallas.
"I have a question." Once the car left the busy area, Han Sen couldn't help but ask,
"Why were you wearing a Cavaliers No. 77 jersey at the event today?"
"Thank you for what you said about me on social media." Swift was very direct.
Han Sen sighed in relief. Thankfully, it wasn't because she had feelings for him.
Though he liked Swift's personality, he wasn't really interested in dating her.
After all, dating her would not only seal his fate as an ex-boyfriend, but he'd also probably end up being written into a song.
And if the song became a hit, well, he'd become really famous.
Wait a minute!
He suddenly realized something— he had been using a burner account the whole time. How did she know it was him?
As for the posts from his main account, those had only mentioned that they weren't suited for each other.
Could it be...
He quickly grabbed his phone.
Sure enough, when he checked, he broke out in a cold sweat.
Damn! His main account had commented after all!
He had too many accounts, and while switching between them, he accidentally used the main one. (TL/n: He pulled a KD.)
It was too late to delete it now, so he decided not to bother.
"You didn't have to do that. It will just bring more slander your way— it's not worth it," Han Sen advised after putting down his phone.
Though Swift's actions had helped him gain a lot of hater points during the competition, just like before, it came at too high a cost for her.
"I only do what I want to do. What others think is their business."
As Swift turned the car right, she glanced at the right rearview mirror, and Han Sen noticed how natural her expression was.
Her personality was still as refreshing as ever.
"Thank you for thinking of me," Swift said, "but it doesn't matter what I do. It depends on whether they want to or not."
Han Sen nodded instinctively when he heard this.
It was true. Sometimes, without him doing anything, his system would still accumulate hater points.
Once you're famous, people don't always need a reason to hate you.
If he experienced this, then Swift, even more so.
"We're here."
The car came to a stop.
Han Sen got out and found himself standing before a tall building.
There were three large columns, likely housing elevators, and at the top was a circular structure wrapped in a band of red lights, resembling a globe.
It vaguely reminded him of the Oriental Pearl Tower, except this one seemed only half as tall.
Swift got out too. She put on a hat, glasses, and a scarf, making it hard to recognize her without close inspection.
She opened the trunk and called out to him.
When he walked over, he saw a camera bag.
Seeing her gesture for him to take it, he hesitated, "I'm not really good at taking pictures."
If he had been, maybe he wouldn't have been single in his previous life.
Should he call Rondo for help?
"Just help me carry it." She laughed at his troubled expression.
Her smile was still beautiful.
He picked up the camera bag, realizing it was heavier than expected. It seemed like it held more than just a camera.
They walked a bit further together.
Even though it was already past 10 p.m., there were still a lot of people around, and even a line.
Han Sen glanced at the building's name: Reunion Tower.
The name had a nice ring to it.
They bought tickets, and on the back was a brief introduction to Reunion Tower: Built in 1978, the tower stood 171 meters tall, making it the 15th tallest building in Dallas. The top had three floors, but only the lowest level, the Geo-Deck, was open to the public.
As they took the elevator up, the city of Dallas slowly revealed itself like a woman removing her makeup, exposing her most original and beautiful self.
When they reached the top and entered the observation deck, the lighting inside was dim, probably to help people appreciate the night view better.
The deck was 360°— offering a panoramic, unobstructed view of Dallas at night.
Han Sen found himself captivated by the sight.
During the day, being amidst it all didn't feel like much, but now, from this height, the endless stretch of twinkling lights had its own unique charm.
Just then, Swift called him.
When he set the camera bag down, she opened it and began setting up her gear— it was a long-lens camera.
After assembling it, Swift removed her sunglasses and scarf, fully focused on taking pictures of the night view.
They say people are most beautiful when they're focused, and at that moment, her side profile, highlighted by the soft light, had a distinct beauty.
Han Sen couldn't resist pulling out his phone to capture the scene.
He pressed the shutter, and there was a flash— though it wasn't from his phone.
Han Sen turned around to see someone with a camera running off.
Even though Swift had done her best to stay hidden, it wasn't enough to evade the paparazzi.
Han thought about chasing after him.
"Let him go. Come take a look at this," Swift said with a smile, as if she was used to it.
Han Sen sat back down, crouching to look through the lens. He saw that it was focused on the main road.
The stream of headlights moving along the road looked like a river of light, and at the end of the river was the Cowboys Stadium they had just left, brightly lit like an ocean.
"Beautiful."
Swift was a talented photographer.
After coming down from Reunion Tower, both of them were in high spirits.
"How did you get into photography?" Han Sen asked, noting that her style of photography was quite different from Rondo's.
"It's a way to relieve stress. How do you relieve stress?" She asked in return.
Han Sen shook his head. It seemed like he didn't really have one.
Unless you count the occasional night out with Cunningham to satisfy physical needs.
"I envy you. You remind me of when I first started writing songs. But I'd recommend you find a way to relax— you'll need it in the future."
Swift said this as she started the car.
Han Sen rubbed his chin. Maybe he should pick up fishing again?
Cleveland was a port city after all.
Since she had an event at 7 a.m. the next morning, Swift drove straight to the airport.
Before leaving, she did three things:
First, she had Han Sen drive the car to a certain location, where her driver would take him back to his hotel;
Second, she told Han Sen the phone she used to call him was her personal phone (TL/n: She gave you her private contact information, wink wink);
Third, she said that next time they meet, she'll treat him to a cake she baked herself.
Just like last time, it wasn't until she had left that Han Sen began to process everything.
Was that a date? Or just a casual hangout between friends?
Or... was she trying to fish?
The next day, when Han Sen woke up at the hotel, his hater points had surged by over 30,000.
Although the photo taken by the paparazzi the night before wasn't very clear due to the lighting, leaving many people unsure if the man in the photo was really him, it didn't matter.
It was like people debating how much someone ate— it's not about how much you actually ate, but how much people think you did.
Even if they couldn't see clearly, given Han Sen's previous rumors with Swift and the fact it was the night of the All-Star Weekend, it didn't matter whether it was true or not.
Han's feelings were complicated.
It seemed like every time he met Swift, he gained a ton of hater points.
If they actually dated, wouldn't he be able to just sit back and let the points roll in?
But then he shook his head.
If that were the case, it wouldn't be a relationship—it would be a 'transaction'.
It was the same reason he didn't announce his withdrawal from the national team a year early just to generate hater points, or use something outrageous like 'drinking Scarlett's bathwater' to earn points during the All-Star Weekend.
He had his own set of principles, or a bottom line.
If he sacrificed those just for hater points, how would he be any different from LeBron?
---
Just a few days after Han Sen returned to Cleveland following the All-Star Weekend, the league announced a major three-team trade.
The Wizards traded Antawn Jamison and Drew Gooden, receiving Al Thornton, Brian Skinner, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and a future first-round pick from the Cavaliers;
The Clippers traded Al Thornton, Sebastian Telfair, and Brian Skinner, receiving Drew Gooden;
The Cavaliers traded Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a future first-round pick, receiving Antawn Jamison and Telfair.
Weekly Power Status
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