Karl Malone, born in 1963, entered the NBA in 1985 and played for the Utah Jazz for 18 seasons. 2-time regular season MVP, 14-time NBA All-Star selection, 11-time season First Team, tied for first place with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. With 36,928 points, he ranked second on the NBA's total scoring list, averaging 25.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.41 steals per game in his career, and his free throw shooting and shooting were the first in NBA history.

Karl Malone, although he has not won a championship in 19 seasons, is still regarded as the most powerful forward in history in the eyes of many critics.

And he is the person that Kalonsky II wants to meet with Xiaochun and Yang Yiming.

1/

"Malone, 'that' Carl Malone?" I don't know how many Carl Malone there are in the world, but when he heard Karonsky II report the name of this Hall of Fame player on the other end of the phone, Yu Xiaochun was still taken aback, and emphasized the name of Malone to confirm: "You mean postman Marlon?" Utah Jazz's, Marlon?! ”

"yes, don't you know another Carl?"

"That's not true, it's just..." Yu Xiaochun just wanted to say "incredible", but then he thought of the strange person introduced by Karonsky II before, so he swallowed these four words back: "Carl (Yu Xiaochun also learned from the other party to pretend to be very familiar with Ma Long) Isn't he an assistant coach on the Jazz team, an inside coach, we saw him last time we went to the game." But looking at the schedule, it seems that I can't touch them recently, how do you think I can visit him? ”

"He's going to go on a beach vacation in Orlando on New Year's Day, and you're going to play away, so come and visit."

"Okay."

2/

Yu Xiaochun didn't ask more about how Karonsky II knew about Ma Long's private itinerary, and he couldn't ask why, he just sent an email to an email address in advance according to the other party's instructions, and politely asked the other party about the convenient time in Orlando. It's called politeness, but when he really clicked send, Yu Xiaochun's heart was still pounding, and his right index finger trembled for a long time before he pressed it hard. After all, this is a super power forward who is in awe with the basketball god Michael Jordan! Unexpectedly, before his excited mood calmed down, the other party's reply email came:

"Roger. January 3, 6 a.m., in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel Harbour Villas. ”

The Rockets' game in Orlando was 7 p.m. local time on Jan. 3, and the whole team arrived the night early. Before dawn that day, Yang Yiming and Yu Xiaochun waited in the lobby of the Orlando Marriott Hotel in Harbour early according to the instructions of the email. Situated on the shoreline, all rooms are villas, the hotel has its own beach and marina, the sea breeze is gentle, and the empty lobby has a mixture of salty and wet water and fragrances.

At 5:58, the back door of the hotel lobby opened on time, and a huge burly figure walked out.

It was Carl Malone, who was famous back then.

Although the 40-year-old Malone was forced to retire after failing to win the championship in the Lakers Big Four, Karl Malone, who has been away from the arena for many years, still maintains the body of an athlete - it is not an exaggeration to say that it is the body of a heavyweight wrestler - with the naked eye, he is about the same size as Yang Yiming, but his shoulders and upper limbs seem to be twice as thick as the latter, and he is about to burst open a plain short-sleeved hemp shirt. Ma Long was wearing a pair of khaki cargo pants and a pair of black Martin boots, and his hands were empty, and he walked straight to the two of them like a mountain.

"Yu Xiaochun? Yang Yiming? "Malone's voice was extremely low, like a muffled thunder on a summer afternoon.

"It's us, hello Mr. Malone, good morning." Yu Xiaochun was so nervous that he was a little incoherent, forgetting the daily handshake etiquette, but Ma Long stretched out his right hand first and gently pulled Yu Xiaochun's hand like a lady's slender hand.

Ma Long turned to shake hands with Yang Yiming, and his strength returned to normal. It can be seen that although the size of the palms of the two is similar, Ma Long's hands are thicker, like steel and iron bones with flesh and blood and consciousness, after wrapping around Yang Yiming's right hand, it can be seen that he has some difficulty responding.

"Good morning, Mr. Malone." Although the strength in his hands was tight, Yang Yiming still tried his best not to show a smile on his face, put on a normal smile, and greeted this senior respectfully but not too humbly.

"Okay." Malone's reply was still short and low, without a word of nonsense, "Are you two ready?" ”

"Ready... What to prepare? The unprepared Yu Xiaochun was obviously a little frightened.

Karl Malone looked the two of them up and down, shook his head and said, "It looks like they are not prepared." ”

"Come with me, let's go to sea."

3/

Going to sea by boat with Carl Malone was indeed a bit unexpected by Yang Yiming and Yu Xiaochun. Ma Long's boat is parked at the hotel's dock, which is not too big, and it can only be regarded as a small guy compared to other super luxury yachts that are tens of meters long at every turn. When he got on the boat, he didn't say much, but took the helm on his own and headed east facing the rising sun. The sea in Orlando was not calm in the morning, the moon set and the sun rose, and the tide also surged, and the sun flowed out of the cracked eggshell like a fishy egg yolk, slowly spreading the whole gray-blue chaotic world. Like an old man and a brave sailor in the sea, Marlon stood at the forefront of the wind and waves, his rocky body fluttering and not moving at all. After about 20 minutes of driving away from the shoreline, the wind and waves gradually subsided, Malone turned off the motor of the boat, let it float gently on the surface of the sea, took out a boom himself, set up a chair in the bow of the boat, and fished for fish.

"Will you try?" He took out two more fishing rods and motioned to the two of them. Yu Xiaochun shook his head, Yang Yiming took one and said to try it, and stood by the edge of the bow of the boat, accompanying Carl Malone to sea fishing.

The two men fished in relative silence at the bow of the boat for nearly two hours. Carl Malone is a lover of outdoor sports, and he has gained a lot during the period, with three big fish on the hook before and after, as well as countless small shrimp and small fish. Yang Yiming's record is naturally a little worse, except for a few false alarms, a lot of bait is sent away, and the real record can only be ugly and zero.

"First time fishing?" The "old man" of the old man and the sea finally spoke, but his eyes were still firmly fixed on the direction in which his fishhook entered the sea.

"Hmm." Yang Yiming also learned from Ma Long, and his speech became concise and concise.

"How does it feel?"

"It's good." Yang Yiming thought about it again and added, "It's a test of patience. ”

Seeing that the two began to talk, Yu Xiaochun, who had been standing in the cabin bored, also walked out and stood behind them and listened silently.

"As far as I know, this friend of yours came to me today because he had something to trust." Ma Long motioned to Yu Xiaochun, who was standing behind him.

"I mentioned it. I've had some lately..."

"Frustrated?" Before Yang Yiming found the right adjective, Carl Malone had already said it for him.

"Hmm."

"Feeling like you're not working on the team, a little helpless?"

"Yes."

"Actually, who isn't." When Malone talked about this, he didn't know if he recalled the experience of not having a championship in his playing career, but his tone was not depressed, but he said quickly and urgently at the end of the sentence, and with a flick of his wrist, an iron-gray sea bass fluttered and was dragged out of the water!

"We're almost done, let's go back." Your team will gather at noon. ”

"Yes."

"But..."Seeing that Carl Malone didn't say a word about helping, Yu Xiaochun, who had been silently watching, finally couldn't help it.

"Have you ever sailed a boat?" Carl Malone plucked the sea bass off the hook and threw the fish back into the sea with the fish he had caught in the bucket and released them.

"No..."Yu Xiaochun really didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in this "old man's" gourd.

"That's right, go back to you at the helm, and I'll take your friends to the back to talk."

"Huh?"

"What's wrong? Worried about not being able to drive well? ”

"Ah, no, no." Yu Xiaochun, who was afraid of losing this opportunity, hurriedly changed his words and said, "Then you talk slowly, and I'll drive the boat." ”

"Just drive at a normal speed." Carl Malone, the mountain-like silent man, finally showed his first smile in the morning, but quickly hid it again:

"I don't have so many successful experiences to teach, but since you're here, I'll just talk a few words."