Chapter 1 The Trap Game

The rules of this shooting game were described in detail on the website.

To participate, you had to pay $5, which was essentially an entrance fee. Then you started shooting three-pointers from a fixed spot. Two consecutive makes got you $2 back, and four consecutive makes got you $5 back.

That was the beginning. Then the game suddenly took a big leap. Five consecutive makes earned you $10, six earned $30, seven earned $60, eight earned $100… all the way up to a maximum of $1,000.

At any stage, you could choose to quit and take the money, or continue. But if you failed, you lost all the money you'd earned.

This was actually a classic trap game. First of all, the entrance fee wasn't cheap. To break even, you had to make at least four three-pointers in a row, which was already a pretty high bar.

Once you made four, you definitely wouldn't be satisfied. You'd definitely want to make another one, and another one, because the difference in prize money got bigger and bigger, and your courage would grow. But in the end, you'd miss a shot, and all your previous efforts would be wasted.

This kind of game was mostly played by young couples on dates, or confident amateur players, and it was basically a guaranteed profit for the operator.

"You're it."

After searching around, Tang Tian set his sights on this arcade.

Early the next morning, Tang Tian went to the arcade alone. It was located in the suburbs of New Haven.

He had visited New Haven once before when he came to Yale University for a tour, so he was familiar with the way.

The arcade was very lively, with muscular men and sexy women everywhere. It was a paradise for young men and women.

Tang Tian looked around and quickly found the basketball shooting game.

When he got there, it was surrounded by a crowd of people who were cheering loudly.

Curious, he walked over and spotted a familiar figure.

Jimmer Fredette, the star of Brigham Young University and the best outside shooter in the NCAA this year.

He was standing outside the three-point line shooting.

He had already made 10 three-pointers in a row, and was now shooting his 11th.

It seemed Tang Tian wasn't the only one with the idea; NCAA players' campus lives weren't easy.

There was a 5-second time limit for each shot. Fredette took a deep breath.

He raised the ball, aimed at the hoop, jumped, and flicked his wrist.

His three-point shooting form was very stable.

"Swish!"

The ball spun in the air, drawing a perfect arc.

The 11th three-pointer went in.

He could now take home $200.

"One more! One more!" At that moment, someone in the crowd started cheering.

Fredette smiled and picked up the 12th ball.

Tang Tian glanced at the people who were cheering.

After cheering, they started playing with their phones, their attention completely off the court.

Clearly, they were plants.

They cheered you on when you made consecutive shots, urging you to keep going until you missed.

The game operator was quite professional.

Fredette's three-point skills were indeed high. He made the 12th three-pointer as well.

Cheering, continuing, making the shot.

It seemed to have become a cycle.

By the time he made his 15th three-pointer, Fredette's prize money had accumulated to $600.

Although the cheerleaders were still cheering, he seemed ready to quit.

But immediately, the cheers turned into boos, and some people shouted "coward," really putting Fredette on the spot.

Fredette, being thin-skinned, hesitated and continued.

"Clang!"

The 16th three-pointer finally bounced off the rim.

Three-pointers looked easy, but they were actually quite exhausting, especially with a 5-second time limit. The more shots you took, the more your arm would ache, and your accuracy would decrease.

Missing this one shot meant all of Fredette's previous efforts were in vain.

He shook his head helplessly and retreated into the crowd.

"Very exciting performance! Anyone else want to continue?" At that moment, the game operator stood on a high platform and shouted.

Fredette's performance had brought him considerable popularity. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and make as much money as possible.

No one stepped forward. Most people were just there for the fun of it.

"I'll go."

Just then, a person chewing gum walked out.

He was followed by a burst of cheers.

"Harrison Barnes!" Some people exclaimed.

The super freshman from the NCAA super school, the University of North Carolina, and also the team's absolute core, this year's likely first overall pick, the "North Carolina Black Hawk" Harrison Barnes!

He was actually there!

However, his motivation seemed different from Fredette's, because he was going out amidst the cheers of his teammates behind him.

This was obviously with a playful attitude.

The game operator didn't recognize Barnes, but judging by the crowd's reaction, he knew another big spender had arrived. He immediately ran down to prepare for him.

Barnes's three-point shooting ability was definitely not as good as Fredette's, but after all, he was the core of an NCAA super school, and his level was quite good.

He started the first two easily, and before he knew it, he had already made six in a row.

"John, you lost! Come on, $10!" Someone from the group of North Carolina teammates on the sidelines shouted excitedly. They had even bet privately.

Barnes missed his eighth shot and shook his head with a smile as he left the court, seemingly not caring at all.

"Good performance! Anyone else want to come? There are a lot of spectators here now, don't miss this opportunity!" The game operator continued to yell.

He liked Barnes's kind of purely playful customer.

But this time, the crowd didn't move. Fredette couldn't do it, and the North Carolina Black Hawk couldn't do it either. Unless a top NBA shooter came, it would be a waste of money.

But top NBA shooters would never come to a place like this.

The game operator yelled for a while, but no one responded, and he couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Crowds were the best opportunity to make money.

Seeing that no one was going up, Tang Tian didn't shout, but went straight up.

At first, his appearance didn't attract much attention, but when someone recognized him, a huge cheer erupted.

"Tang! Tang!"

Tang Tian had just scored 21 points on 7-for-7 shooting from three-point range in the game against Georgetown, and his popularity in Connecticut couldn't be higher.

Barnes, who was about to go elsewhere with his teammates, turned his attention to Tang Tian when he saw the crowd's reaction.

"Who is he?" Barnes turned to John Henson, a teammate beside him, and asked.

"I don't know." Henson shook his head. Connecticut was in the Big East Conference, while North Carolina was in the Atlantic Coast Conference. People from two different conferences basically never played against each other, so it was normal for them not to know each other, let alone Tang Tian, who was just a freshman and a role player.

"He's a freshman from Connecticut. He used to be a ball boy, but now he's performing very well and is quite popular in the Big East," said Tyler Zeller, a junior standing nearby.