What made Ethan Brooks feel relieved was that in the last two minutes of the third quarter, Coach Kruger didn’t sub him in, but instead sent in the 2000 draft bust, 6th pick DerMarr Johnson, to hold the fort for two minutes.

The year 2000 truly deserved its reputation as the weakest draft year in history. DerMarr Johnson averaged 4 points and 2 rebounds with a 35% shooting percentage in his rookie year, yet somehow played 16 minutes per game. At the start of the season, he even averaged over 20 minutes, but that dropped off later—because he was just playing too badly.

Ethan Brooks watched DerMarr Johnson play in utter despair. He came in and immediately committed consecutive fouls on Francis. The Hawks reached the penalty situation just a few minutes into the second half, and DerMarr Johnson was just giving away free throws.

Seeing DerMarr Johnson play two minutes in the third quarter, racking up one turnover, two fouls, and even an airball, Ethan Brooks felt a chill in his heart...

After three quarters, the Rockets went on a 6-0 run in the last two or three minutes when the Hawks fell into foul trouble, stretching the lead to 10 points. 64 to 54, the Rockets led by ten at the end of the third quarter.

Just as expected!

At the start of the fourth quarter, the plan should have been to put in the rotation lineup for a bit, letting Terry and Dean Grove, the two main guards, rest. But Jacque Vaughn played terribly, and DerMarr Johnson was even more of a disaster!

So, Ethan Brooks’s bad feeling came true.

Coach Kruger called Ethan Brooks over: “Ace, get in there! Catch the pass from Shareef and make the shot! Don’t foul—if you can’t stop Francis, funnel him inside for Theo to handle! Ace, Emmanuel, Shareef, Ira, Theo, you guys get out there and keep the score close! Don’t let the gap widen any further!”

Looking at the players about to go in—Omarual Davis, Rahim, Ira Newble, Ratliff—Ethan Brooks was falling apart. Was he just going in to get destroyed? Was he going to get cut after just the first regular season game?

Damn, he was about to get exposed!

Seeing Ethan Brooks looking dazed, Coach Kruger called him over: “Don’t give up on yourself just because the draft didn’t go your way. Seize every opportunity—opportunities won’t always be there for you... I can’t always give you chances either!”

Ethan Brooks felt two heavy pats on his shoulder, as if they carried great expectations.

Ethan Brooks found it odd—this big-foreheaded coach seemed to be unusually nice to him!

But right now, Ethan Brooks had no time to think about it, because he saw Franchise, the guy he’d gotten to know back in the Yao Ming days, now looking fierce as he took the inbound after the ref’s whistle and started dribbling toward the Hawks’ side.

The Rockets had first possession in the fourth quarter, and Ethan Brooks was going to have to guard Francis right away!

Francis advanced, saw that the defender was a skinny, tall, yellow-skinned guard wearing number 1, and let out a dismissive snort before bulldozing straight at him.

“Damn!” Ethan Brooks felt the overwhelming force of Francis, and instantly knew he was in trouble.

It was over! He was going to get cut!

Ethan Brooks was filled with panic, and in that instant, he seemed to see himself playing so badly—already a second-round pick—about to be cut...

Suddenly, a voice popped up in Ethan Brooks’s mind.

“Rogue System is activating, host please wait...”

Chapter 4: Star Card—Klay Thompson

“Oh, wondrous youth, as the chosen one, you have come to this world to create your greatness!” Although the voice was mechanical, it was laced with sleaziness.

Wondrous youth, my ass. Chosen one, my ass. Why don’t you just throw an axe into the river while you’re at it?

Ethan Brooks looked at the big glowing orb in front of him, feeling a strange sense of contempt, but the situation seemed out of his control. He forced a smile and asked, “Excuse me, are you the Lord God? Do I have to complete some tasks you assign, and after enough tasks I can go home?”

“Sorry, host, I’m not. I’m just a system, named the great, unique, chosen, world’s strongest... Rogue System!”

Despite the mechanical tone, Ethan Brooks could actually sense a bit of tsundere attitude. But that name—Rogue... it was the same as his own?

For 20 years, Ethan Brooks had always been hung up on his name. His dad was just too irresponsible—couldn’t have picked a sloppier name. Legend had it that his dad, while foraging for mushrooms in the mountains back home, ran into a python. His dad was actually pretty cultured and knew about his “ancestor” Chris Brooks slaying the white serpent, so he named him “莽” (mang, meaning “reckless” or “wild”), saying it was a name given by the heavens and that his son would surely be successful.

But according to his mom, when he was born and turned out to be a boy, his dad got so happy he drank too much, stepped on a little snake as thick as a finger, insisted he’d killed a giant python, and then drunkenly went to the police station to register the name Ethan Brooks. The local cop couldn’t even stop him...

Ethan Brooks looked at this “thing” whose name was either the same as his or at least sounded the same in pinyin, and was speechless.

As if oblivious to Ethan Brooks’s skeptical gaze, the system continued on its own: “Rogue System means cultivating the host to become a rogue who dominates in his chosen field!”

Ethan Brooks was very suspicious and distrustful of this system, but at this point, he could only accept his fate.