Chapter 344: Chapter 288: Unbelievable, Even the Dream Team Can Fail to Medal

Chen Yu said nothing. ’Are you sure you want to question me?’ he thought.

Su Jun heaved a long sigh, his brow furrowed. "This is just reckless!"

He had assumed the injuries weren’t severe—the kind an athlete could play through, toughing it out on the court. He never imagined they were this serious.

The crucial part was that both of them had already played in this World Championship. Hu Weidong had even been a starter at one point and had performed well.

Su Jun knew these two men.

Or perhaps it was that players like them, who came from that era, all possessed a self-sacrificing, almost reckless devotion.

But spirit is one thing. If you’re injured, you need proper treatment.

Su Jun refused to believe the National Team was unaware of their injuries. They simply didn’t take it seriously.

To put it bluntly, for the sake of results, those people didn’t give a damn about the players’ health.

Chen Yu continued, "Then there’s the second issue. The language in your article is too soft. You can afford to be much more scathing. You could even say I cursed them out or something. I really did chew them out, and it’s not like they can do anything to me anyway."

Su Jun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He quickly added, "But you’re right. They deserve to be called out—and called out harshly."

Su Jun put the documents away and thanked Chen Yu with a serious expression.

Then, his tone grew somber. "Dr. Chen, I know you’re of Chinese descent. But through our interactions, I can feel that you have a special affection for China. I’ve also read media reports about you. I know it was because of your family that you worked so hard to become an outstanding expert in sports medicine."

"In China, for all sorts of reasons—especially injuries—many, many outstanding athletes end up fading into obscurity. People like Song Tao, Li Huayun, and Zhang Xiaorui. They should have had much brighter futures, but their talent was wasted because their injuries weren’t treated properly."

"So, Dr. Chen, I know this might be asking too much, but I sincerely hope you will seriously consider opening a hospital in China. Our country is developing rapidly, and doctors’ salaries are rising. It would truly be a good choice for you to build a hospital in China."

His earnest words moved Chen Yu.

After a moment of thought, Chen Yu said, "I’ll consider it."

Su Jun couldn’t tell if Chen Yu was just being polite, but he stood up and thanked him again, just as earnestly.

After the interview concluded, Su Jun left in a hurry.

Su Jun wasn’t in a hurry to publish the article he was holding. He wanted to revise it and felt that now wasn’t the right time to release it.

Perhaps it would be better to release it after China’s run in the tournament was over.

As for Chen Yu, he had done all he could. He didn’t concern himself with the aftermath and returned to Phoenix the next day.

There was still a day of rest before the quarterfinals.

Besides, during the group stage, even though Chen Yu had been with the team, he hadn’t played a major role.

Nelson was the Trainer and also a physical therapist. As long as no players were injured, he was more than capable of handling the daily work.

So it didn’t really matter whether Chen Yu stayed in Indiana or not.

He might as well use the time to go back to his clinic and take care of his own work.

It was already September, and the major European leagues had begun their seasons. The players from other leagues who had been at the clinic for conditioning had long since returned to their teams. Only the few from Serie A were left: Ronaldo, Batty, and Vieri.

Due to issues with television broadcasting rights, the Serie A season was delayed. The latest news was that the first round would be postponed until September 14th.

With only two weeks left, Chen Yu needed to wrap things up with them.

Therefore, Chen Yu probably wouldn’t be coming for the upcoming quarterfinals unless something unexpected happened.

It wouldn’t be too late for him to return for the semifinals and the final.

George Karl didn’t complain much. He knew Chen Yu was busy, and with the Dream Team performing well, he readily agreed.

However, something unexpected happened. On the evening of the 5th, Chen Yu finished surgery and left the operating room. As he was changing in the locker room, he casually picked up his phone and saw two missed calls.

They were from Nelson.

He’d called just half an hour ago.

He had also received a text message from him. It asked if Chen Yu was coming to Indiana, adding that if he didn’t come now, he needn’t come at all.

Chen Yu was a bit confused. ’What does he mean, "if I don’t come now, I needn’t come at all"?’

Chen Yu sat down and dialed Nelson’s number.

The other end of the line was filled with a cacophony of noise. It was impossible to tell what was happening.

"What’s wrong? What did you mean by that text?" Chen Yu asked. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Hang on a second."

Nelson said quickly, then apparently moved to a quieter location.

"Chen, you didn’t watch the game, did you?" Nelson asked.

"No, why?"

’I’ve been swamped. How would I have time to watch a game?’

Nelson let out a long sigh. "Chen, we lost."

Chen Yu froze.

’Lost? The Dream Team... lost? What happened?’

"Who did we lose to? A loss is a loss. It’s just the quarterfinals, right? As long as we make the top four, it’s fine," Chen Yu said quickly.

’It’s just an upset. Losing one game shouldn’t be a big deal, right?’

’After all, this year’s Dream Team isn’t exactly packed with superstars.’

Nelson gave a bitter laugh. "What do you mean ’just the quarterfinals’? Did you get the dates mixed up? Today was the quarterfinal match. We lost to Yugoslavia by three points. Chen, we’re out. We’re not getting a medal."

Chen Yu blinked, almost certain he had misheard.

’We lost? Already? In the quarterfinals?’