Chapter Two: System Missions

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Mission Brief: Shaquille O’Neal, undisputed king of the NBA’s interior, a superstar and the unequivocal first choice at the center position, and one of the architects of the Lakers’ third dynasty, has had a brilliant career, yet it remains incomplete...

There are two events that Shaq has long kept buried deep within his heart, unable to let go.

Event One: Known by the nicknames “The Big Shark” and “The Diesel,” Shaq was an unstoppable giant. Yet, in a clash with the high-flying Charles Barkley, he failed to gain the upper hand. Instead, the media sensationalized the incident with headlines like “Shaq Gets Dominated,” “Shaq Thrown Down,” and “Shaq Gets Ridden and Beaten,” blatantly disregarding the truth. This gossip continued to circulate widely among fans afterward...

Although Shaq and Barkley eventually became friends, sharing the classic “no fight, no friendship” story, the great Shaq still harbored resentment over this matter.

Event Two: During the 2000-01 season, the Lakers, led by the powerhouse duo “OK Combo,” were unstoppable, sweeping through the playoffs to reach the Finals. On the verge of an unprecedented perfect championship run, a small but admirable and hated opponent rose to the occasion. In Game One of the Finals, they ended the Lakers’ winning streak!

Although the “OK Combo” won the next four games to claim the championship, Shaq deeply regretted not achieving the flawless sweep. He believed that a clean sweep would have further cemented his place in basketball history.

Mission Objective: Step into Shaq’s shoes and reverse the outcomes of these two defining events!

Mission Requirement One: Show Barkley the true power of the Diesel’s iron fist.

Mission Requirement Two: Sweep the 76ers in the 2000-01 Finals and loudly declare to the man known as “The Answer,” Allen Iverson, that defeating the Diesel-led Lakers is absolutely not an option.

Mission Reward: Upon successful completion, the trialer will bind to this system and unlock the lottery feature, which will restore the host’s physical form.

Mission Failure: The trialer will be unable to bind to the system and will return to their original world without penalty.

Note: The trialer may freely choose to accept or decline this trial. If declined, binding to the system is impossible, and they will return to their original world with no penalty.

Trialer, please decide within ten seconds: YES or NO?

This information did not enter Hua Twelve’s mind as text or sound but suddenly appeared all at once, allowing him to instantly comprehend its meaning.

Hua Twelve felt genuine joy. According to the system, completing the trial meant he still had a chance to return. The phrase “restore physical form” suggested that he had sustained serious injuries while saving someone.

As for the no-penalty clauses upon failure or refusal, Hua Twelve scoffed. Failure meant no healing; with his prior injury from the rescue incident, that likely meant death or permanent disability. Given the system’s secrecy, death seemed more probable.

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Taking a deep breath, Hua Twelve thought to himself, “I choose to accept the trial!”

At once, the system responded: “Trialer accepted the mission. Receiving temporary target’s memories.”

A wave of memories suddenly appeared in his mind, rapidly absorbed by Hua Twelve.

These were partial memories of Shaquille O’Neal, including his basketball skills and knowledge of people around him.

Hua Twelve was delighted. Although these memories were temporary, they solved the urgent problem of having to play soon. Without Shaq’s skills, completing the mission was out of the question. With only his amateur basketball level, he would be benched after a few plays to cool off.

“System, what exactly is happening here?” Hua Twelve finally asked, wanting to know the truth even though he had no choice.

The system immediately replied: “Upon successful mission completion and binding, the trialer will gain full knowledge of this system.”

“Alright, looks like I’m not qualified yet,” Hua Twelve smiled indifferently. He was resolved to finish the trial no matter what. Being trapped in endless darkness with stalled thoughts was unbearable.

Knock knock knock...

The bathroom door was knocked on hard, followed by a man’s voice calling out:

“Shaq, are you in there? Are you okay?”

It was Tim, a staff member from the Lakers.

Having absorbed some of O’Neal’s memories, Hua Twelve instantly pictured a short Black man—since, to him, 99.9% of Earth’s people were short.

Shaq’s sudden exit had clearly alarmed the Lakers staff, and Tim had come to check on him.

Though the system had delivered much information in an instant, Hua Twelve’s time inside the bathroom was less than a minute.

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In other words, Tim had run over immediately after Shaq left.

“I’m fine, I’ll be out soon!”

Hua Twelve turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face to wake himself up. Looking into the mirror at the towering Black giant, he smiled faintly:

“I will succeed.”

As he opened the door and stepped out, Tim rushed over.

“Shaq, seriously, are you okay? If you feel unwell, I’ll get the team doctor right away. This game isn’t that important. You can sit out — your health comes first!”

Seeing Tim’s worried face, Hua Twelve patted his shoulder: “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Then, with a mysterious smile, he added, “Who said this game isn’t important? This game means everything to me.”

Ignoring Tim’s stunned look, Hua Twelve strode down the players’ tunnel and back onto the court, greeted again by a sea of boos, mingled with a few cheers.

This time, Hua Twelve finally had a clear view of the arena and the team logo at center court. No wonder the crowd was so hostile—it was the home court of the “Mosaic” team.

The logo was not the one familiar to him from later years but the 1990s-era Rockets logo, featuring a rocket orbiting the Earth. This logo was replaced in 2002 by the familiar letter “R” logo.

The live commentator joked after Hua Twelve’s return:

“Looks like this Big Shark from California partied a little too hard last night at the club, couldn’t hold it and had to leave mid-game to hit the bathroom!”

Unaware of the teasing, Hua Twelve walked boldly to the Lakers’ bench and told Coach Phil Jackson:

“Coach, my issue is resolved. I’m ready to get back on the court!”