"Mr. Jordan, it’s a great pleasure to meet you." Beckham nervously extended his hand. At this moment, the big star had turned into a starstruck fan.

"I know who you are."

Jordan’s one sentence made Beckham tremble with excitement.

But his next words left him stunned.

"You have a very beautiful wife."

Beckham stared blankly at Jordan. ’Why does that sound so awkward?’

Chen Yu silently rolled his eyes.

Jordan immediately realized his mistake and quickly said, "Sorry, I meant... uh, just pretend I never said that."

Then he immediately changed the subject, asking where Lexi was and when Chen Yu was getting married.

Chen Yu led the way toward the medical center.

It was obvious that Jordan had little interest in Beckham. He probably didn’t even know Beckham was a fan of his.

Of course, the proud Jordan wouldn’t have given much thought to Beckham’s level of fame anyway.

After that brief exchange, he stopped paying attention to Beckham, leaving him looking dejected. He didn’t even get a chance to ask for an autograph.

Chen Yu knew he had prepared a number 23 Jordan jersey, hoping to get it signed.

But there should be plenty of opportunities in the future. Beckham wanted to live next to Jordan, and Chen Yu certainly wouldn’t refuse such a small request.

Jordan’s knee was the same old problem.

At his age, participating in such high-intensity games had caused strain-related injuries.

Now that it was the offseason, there was plenty of time to deal with his issue.

This was also why Chen Yu hadn’t been able to cure Neville. With the offseason arriving, a large number of VIP clients were sure to come calling.

There weren’t enough of his treatments to go around.

That night, Chen Yu watched the third game between the Phoenix Suns and the Mavericks at home.

This was a crucial game; the Mavericks were already on the brink of elimination.

They played with incredible desperation.

But their most fatal flaw was still their defense.

Having watched the first two games, Chen Yu felt that teams with unbalanced offense and defense, like the Mavericks and the Kings, really couldn’t go far in the playoffs.

They were too easily targeted by their opponents.

This game was a prime example.

The Mavericks desperately double-teamed Hardaway, trying to limit his scoring.

And Skiles made a targeted adjustment of his own: having Olajuwon help double-team Nowitzki.

’You double-team my star player, so I’ll double-team yours. Perfectly fair.’

But to be honest, it was a bit redundant.

Ewing, who was holding in his frustration after a one-game suspension, practically limited Nowitzki all by himself.

Under his defense, Nowitzki went 5-for-19 from the field for the entire game, scoring only 14 points.

In contrast, the double-teamed Hardaway still relied on his individual skill to efficiently score 26 points and dish out 8 assists.

When it came to star quality, Hardaway was still a cut above Nowitzki.

Nash had another off game.

Or rather, throughout the entire series, Nash hadn’t played well at all under J Kidd’s defense.

He went 2-for-6 from the field with 6 points and 4 assists, looking as if he were sleepwalking.

Of the Dallas "Big Three," only Finley’s performance was decent, as he still contributed 22 points.

to 86.

The Phoenix Suns led the entire way and gave the Mavericks no chance.

After the game, the camera panned to Nowitzki. He looked desolate, standing on the court with his hands on his hips, unwilling to leave for a long time.

It also panned to Nash, whose eyes were red and teary, his face filled with self-blame.

Chen Yu hugged Lexi a little tighter. Professional competition, competitive sports—sometimes, it was just this cruel.

"By the way, on the 5th of next month, do you want to go to Italy?" Chen Yu asked in a low voice.

Lexi shifted slightly and asked what for.

"It’s for Ronnie."

On the 5th of next month, the final matchday of Serie A, Inter would play Lazio.

Before this round of matches, Juventus was nipping at Inter’s heels on the league table, still holding out hope for a last-minute comeback to snatch the league title from them.

So if Inter lost this game, a whole season’s effort would turn to dust.

Ronaldo, however, was full of confidence, so he had specifically called Chen Yu to invite him to the game to witness him winning his first Serie A title.

Chen Yu was hesitating about whether to go.

Now that the Suns had swept the Mavericks 3-0, and the Kings would likely win their series as well, the second round would probably start around the 5th.

Lexi pouted and said, "You should go. He’s your friend, after all. On such an important day, he’ll definitely be disappointed if you’re not there."

"Disappointed?"

’With Ronaldo’s carefree personality, he really might not be disappointed,’ Chen Yu thought.

However, Moratti had also contacted him and wanted him to go.

"Time for bed." Chen Yu scooped Lexi up in his arms. He had to go to Chicago tomorrow and needed to rest early.

The next day, the plane arrived in Chicago.

However, Chen Yu didn’t go to the hotel first. Instead, he asked the official league personnel in charge of receiving them for a car, planning to drive home for a visit first.

"Chen, the Wood District is too chaotic. You should take a security guard," Brian said, leaning out to stop Chen Yu.

On the plane, the two had been talking about Chen Yu’s hometown.

Brian knew Chen Yu’s father had been a football player and assumed his family was well-off, so he asked if Chen Yu’s old home was in the Stratville District.

The Stratville District was considered one of Chicago’s affluent areas.

Chen Yu said it was when he was a child, but later he lived in the Engwood District.

Moving from a rich area to a poor one—it was a pretty tragic story.

Chen Yu was about to say he didn’t need one, but before he could refuse, Brian had already called a security guard over to get in the car.

Chen Yu let it go and said no more, then drove off.

In truth, the neighborhood his mother lived in wasn’t so bad. It was on the edge of the Wood District and not as chaotic.

After he made money, Chen Yu had suggested to his mother that she move, but she didn’t want to, saying she was used to it.

The security guard’s name was Sanders. He was broad and heavyset, with a bulge at his waist. Driving the car, they soon arrived in the Wood District.

After crossing a railway bridge, it was like entering another world. As far as the eye could see, calling it dirty, messy, and poor was an understatement.

But this was the place where Chen Yu had grown up.

As his thoughts wandered, a CRASH sounded from nearby—it sounded like glass shattering.

The next moment, accompanied by the sound of barking dogs, a few teenagers scrambled over the fence of a yard to their right, running frantically in their direction.

It happened so suddenly that Sanders slammed on the brakes, hitting one of the teenagers.

The other two panicked even more and scattered in all directions.

And from the yard, a middle-aged man charged out, holding a double-barreled shotgun and roaring in anger.

"Chen, stay in the car. I’ll go check it out." Sanders got out first, his hand resting on his waist.

Chen Yu hesitated for a moment, then got out of the car as well.

’Looks like we hit that kid. I wonder how he is.’

The middle-aged man rushed over with his gun, but the towering Sanders convinced him to back off. The man pointed the shotgun at the boy on the ground and started cursing.

"It’s about compensation, right? I’ll give it to you."

Chen Yu didn’t want any more trouble. Hearing the middle-aged man just muttering about the boy stealing from him and smashing his storage room window, he directly offered to pay for the damages.

"Next time you brats come back, I’ll shoot you dead." The middle-aged man clutched the bills Chen Yu gave him and walked away with a grin.

Only then did Chen Yu turn his gaze to the boy on the ground.

He was a young Black kid, about ten years old, clutching his knee as blood seeped through the gaps between his fingers.

But it seemed to be just a scrape. Chen Yu used his Eye of All-Seeing and saw that the bone was fine.

He watched Chen Yu warily, full of fear and unease.

Chen Yu sighed. There were so, so many kids like this in this area. ’Wasn’t I once just like him?’

"Hey, what’s your name?" Chen Yu reached out and pulled the boy up.

The boy’s face was still full of vigilance. He suddenly pleaded, "Mister, please don’t take me to the police station. I didn’t do it on purpose."

Chen Yu pointed to the trunk, told Sanders to get the first-aid kit, and then gestured for the boy to sit down on the curb.

"Don’t worry, I’m not a cop. I’m a doctor. Sit still, I’ll patch up your knee. Otherwise, your parents will probably give you an earful when you get home." Chen Yu pointed to his knee and arm, which had some nasty scrapes.

The boy didn’t speak, nor did he refuse.

Chen Yu quickly finished treating his scrapes, hesitated for a moment, then took two bills from his wallet and pressed them into the boy’s hand. "Don’t steal next time."

But he figured it was pointless to say. ’How many kids in this neighborhood really have a better choice?’

He turned to get back in the car, but the boy, who had started to walk away, suddenly called out to him.

"Mister, thank you." The boy bowed to Chen Yu and then said, "By the way, my name is Derek Rose."