NBA M3 - Chapter 520: Going Home (Patreon)

“Breaking: ‘Superman’ Howard May Join the Lakers, Teaming Up with Paul and Kobe to Form the Strongest Big Three in History!”

It was only a rumor.

Nothing had been confirmed yet.

Even so, the moment the story broke, it sent another shockwave through the league.

This time, there was even a hint of panic.

“F**k?!”

“Howard might be joining the Lakers too? What’s even the point of playing anymore? Just declare the season over already.”

“Damn... Paul joining Kobe already had the NBA looking like it was heading toward game over. Now they might add the best center in the East too?

“Seriously... just end the season now.”

“Paul, a top-five, maybe even top-three point guard in the league. Kobe, the best shooting guard in the league. Howard, the best center in the East.

“What kind of lineup is that? That’s just ridiculous.”

“If Howard really joins the Lakers, every other team can pretty much forget about the championship. Even the defending champion Suns would have a hard time dealing with that.”

“Someone tag David Stern. Are you seriously going to let this happen? Do you even care about keeping the league balanced anymore?”

“What balance? The Heat Big Three already threw the league out of balance to some extent.

“The only reason they didn’t look completely unstoppable was because ‘The Emperor’ Blake suddenly burst onto the scene, turned into a ‘superhero,’ and exploded in the Finals, carrying his team past the Big Three all by himself.

“But this?

“‘Superman’ Howard, CP3, and ‘Black Mamba’ Kobe?

“That’s way too much. It’s completely ridiculous.”

“This is insane!”

“No way. Absolutely not!”

“Hahaha! Come on, Superman, come join my Lakers! Team up with Paul and Kobe. Ten straight championships should be easy!”

“Hehehe. Other teams’ suffering is what makes us Lakers fans happy.

“Hahaha! Let me say it again. Lakers championship!”

“Damn, the entire league really is about to change.”

“...”

It was still nothing more than an unconfirmed rumor, yet it had already caused an enormous stir throughout the league.

After all, if it really happened, the Lakers would become overwhelmingly dominant.

...

While the outside world was buzzing over the possibility of “Superman” Howard joining the Lakers, things were much quieter at Blake’s villa.

3:00 p.m.

Blake had only just woken up after returning from vacation.

Mia had gotten up earlier and was already in the living room playing games, continuing to prepare for her future livestreams.

“Blake! You’re awake! I left some breakfast on the table. Just eat a little to hold you over, since it’ll almost be time for dinner soon.”

“Okay. I’ll just have something light. We can go out for dinner tonight.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Blake washed up first, then joined Mia and played games with her until around 6:00 p.m., just about dinnertime.

The two got ready and headed out to eat.

Since Blake’s villa was close to both the shopping district and the food street, he didn’t bother driving.

They decided to walk.

But less than a hundred meters after leaving the house, Mia suddenly touched her face and exclaimed, “Ah, Blake~ I forgot my mask.”

“Why do you need a mask?”

Blake looked puzzled.

Mia lowered her head slightly.

“You’re a huge superstar now. There are paparazzi watching you everywhere.

“If someone photographs the two of us together, it could become a real hassle.”

With that, Mia turned around to go back for her mask.

Blake caught her hand before she could leave.

“What’s there to worry about? If people find out, they find out.

“I don’t care.

“Besides... I was already planning to make our relationship public soon. I never intended to hide it in the first place.”

“No... don’t.”

Mia gently shook her head.

“What’s wrong?”

Blake looked at her in surprise.

Mia let out a soft breath, then raised her head and looked directly into his eyes.

“Blake~

“Right now, I haven’t accomplished anything.

“If people find out about us, they’ll definitely say things like, ‘Who’s this girl? She’s just some nobody. I’ve never even heard of her. How could she possibly be good enough for Blake?’

“I don’t want to hear things like that.

“But if I build some recognition for myself and make something of my career first, then when people find out I’m your girlfriend, they might say:

“‘Oh, it’s Mia. She and Blake look perfect together. They really are made for each other.’

“That’s what I want to hear.

“Maybe you don’t care.

“But I do.

“So... can we keep our relationship private for now?”

Blake smiled.

Mia really did have the ambition and drive of someone destined to become a major star.

When it came to her career, she was remarkably ambitious.

Seeing Blake looking so relaxed about it, Mia furrowed her brows.

“Blake~ I’m serious. I’m not joking.”

“Hehehe.”

Blake laughed even harder.

“I never knew Mia had such a stubborn side. That’s pretty rare.

“But you know what?

“You’re really charming when you get serious like this.”

“Blake! Stop teasing me. You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Sure.

“I wanted to go public because I wanted everyone to know how much I care about you.

“But if you’d rather keep things private for now, then I’m completely fine with that.”

“Mm-hmm. That’s better.”

Finally hearing the answer she wanted, Mia broke into a bright smile.

“Come on. I’ll go back with you to get your mask.”

Blake took Mia’s hand and walked back to the villa.

When they came out again, Blake said, “Mia~ How about we go home tomorrow?

“We can visit Mom and Aunt Charlotte, and you can tell them about us.

“And... I also want Mom and Aunt Charlotte to come over and live here in the U.S.”

“Sure!”

Mia nodded, then lowered her voice.

“I... I’ll do whatever my man says.”

Blake froze for a moment.

Then he smiled and pulled Mia into his arms.

...

The next day.

Their long-planned trip home was finally underway.

This time, Blake kept things low-key and didn’t announce the trip publicly.

While waiting for their flight, he managed to avoid drawing much attention.

Still, a few sharp-eyed fans recognized him.

Since they had already spotted him, Blake was friendly with them.

They chatted for a while.

He signed a few autographs and took some photos with them.

The fans left happily afterward without bothering him any further.

Before long, Blake and Mia boarded the plane.

In first class, Mia said, “Blake~ I already talked to Aunt Dolores. My mom is going over to help too.

“So by the time we get home, there’s definitely going to be a huge table full of delicious food waiting for us.”

“That’s great. I haven’t had Mom and Auntie’s cooking in forever.”

“Me too, me too~”