One Year Left to Play-Chapter 236 - 81: Lifespan Transmitted Across Space

Early the next morning at 6:15, Zhang Hao woke up right on time.

"Remaining lifespan: 430 days..."

After getting used to seeing over 200 days of life expectancy, now seeing over 400 days, his mood was decidedly good.

The first thing he did upon getting up was to adjust his training plan.

After a night of study, he finally got to the bottom of last night's game, of course, based on his own understanding.

What he wanted to strengthen was also based on his own perception.

He first made adjustments to the plan himself, then planned to discuss it with Chris Owen and Alvan Adams, the shooting coaches and technical advisors assigned to him by the team, after returning to Rutherford Town.

A little after 7 o'clock, when Zhang Hao went to the restaurant for breakfast, he saw Vaughn Fleming taking two bites of egg and pounding his old back.

Normally, Zhang Hao would just greet him and then grab something to eat, not overly enthusiastic, as his teammates were used to this.

But sometimes Zhang Hao just couldn't help himself. He sat down next to Vaughn Fleming and asked, "Aren't you a fast-food guy? Can't even handle fast food now?"

Vaughn Fleming nearly jumped at that, but didn't want to embarrass himself, so he muttered, "I added money for a full set! A double full set!"

"..."

Truly, you can't joke like this with someone pushing 40; they'll get all flustered.

Zhang Hao thought for a moment and said, "Yesterday, I got 44 points and made the headlines, did you see it?"

This awkward topic shift was accepted by Vaughn Fleming. Last night, he impulsively upgraded his fast food to a double set, but in the end, his back nearly gave out, which he thought was embarrassing to recall.

Active athletes are quite popular in the United States' service sector, a rare encounter for those in this field. Anyway, last night he ended up going from rider to horse.

Exhaustion complete!

Vaughn Fleming pretended like they were meeting for the first time today and said, "I don't need to look to know. You even managed to break Chamberlain's record! But you'll need to be careful, the big stars will definitely be interested in you now."

This was also what bothered Zhang Hao.

However, if given a choice, to debut with 44 points and inevitably get targeted thereafter, or to score 20-plus points—a solid rookie performance that's less eye-catching...

Is there really a choice?

Looking back now, debuting with 44 points still feels exhilarating!

More satisfying than the moments when he felt a bit dazed last night!

Being able to make quicker decisions and actively move forward is a habit Zhang Hao developed with a visible life expectancy.

He chose to gladly accept such a beginning.

...

By noon, Zhang Hao had returned to Rutherford Town with the team.

Living near the arena is convenient; the team drops you off right at the arena, and it's just a short walk to the apartment.

What's called an overnight sensation?

Just as he returned to the apartment, he received a call from Henry Thomas; it wasn't about how the endorsement brands were going, since meeting and signing takes time, and possibly Zhang Hao's demands might not be accepted.

If the price is right, they certainly want a long-term contract; a short-term contract suggests a lower, i.e., unsuitable, price.

"Aix, the Brooklyn Nets are buying a billboard for you in Jersey City, photoshoot tomorrow morning..."

A simple matter; the Brooklyn Nets paid for advertising.

Strike while the iron is hot.

Back then, players still valued billboards, which were a star's perk, but in reality, the team benefits, reflected in better ticket sales if the advertisement is effective.

Their first home game of the new season is on November 4th, but when they headed to Detroit, less than 60% of the tickets for the home opener were sold.

There's no help for it; the market here is bleak. When returning to the Continental Airlines Arena from the airport on the team bus today, Zhang Hao heard from the staff that it was the first time since last November that fans lined up at the ticket window before business hours to buy tickets.

Without a doubt, this is the impact of last night's game, and the Brooklyn Nets want to seize the moment.

The ad cost isn't high, and price negotiations aren't possible since it's a contractually agreed price for using a player's image.

But in these limited-marketing-channel times, getting on a billboard is an honor; money is secondary.

Zhang Hao wasn't too bothered by this, but having it would be nice.

However, while having lunch and watching the news, Zhang Hao noticed the shift in public opinion.

His 44 points from last night was the highest of the NBA's new season's first game day and the hottest news.

Yet, phrases like "peak at debut" emerged.

Seeing this shift in opinion made Zhang Hao a bit regretful as Barkley hadn't retired yet; otherwise, last night's game might have had him getting intimate with a donkey.

These remarks initially came from some old-timers from the '60s and '70s.

Having achieved such a feat, Zhang Hao was sure to be interviewed by stars from that era.

Instead, the strongest two stars of that time offered positive reviews.

Russell, in an interview, said, "I have high hopes for this rookie; the NBA is getting more colorful."

Chamberlain, in another interview, said, "Scoring records will surely be broken, I didn't expect it to take 36 years for someone to break it. I'm not familiar with the rookie, but this implies he surely has something extraordinary."

Very positive reviews, avoiding focusing on his prowess due to unfamiliarity, Zhang Hao felt these comments were just right.

Feedback from his peers in the same rookie class was interesting, mostly not convinced, with many thinking they could also achieve it.