The Best Point Guard

Chapter 424: Chapter 4: Fox

It was soon time for Su Xi’s item to be auctioned. As the host introduced the trophy, the venue erupted with loud cheers and screams.

Many of the male celebrities even stood up and whistled, looking dead set on winning it.

Although Su Xi had grown up in the United States, he had been in the country for a while recently and recognized one of them as a famous singer from Hong Kong or Taiwan.

NBA culture also had a huge influence on male celebrities, and many young stars were die-hard fans.

So, when Su Xi appeared at the venue, many people came over to greet him and even ask for autographs. In Su Xi’s presence, no matter how big an idol or a star they were, their celebrity status just wasn’t enough.

After the host finished introducing the trophy, a floor host came down to Su Xi’s side.

She asked him, "Mr. Su Xi, what do you think the starting bid should be for this MVP trophy, which will come with your personal autograph?"

Su Xi took the microphone.

His Chinese was much better than before, and he had no problem with normal conversation. He still had a slight accent, a natural result of his long-term immersion in English grammar and pronunciation. Switching between the two languages required some readjustment.

"To me, you can’t put a price on charity. This trophy, the most important one I’ve received in my career so far, is also priceless. It represents my outstanding performance in the 2004-2005 season, and it also represents my team, the Indiana Pacers’, success in the regular season. So, if you’re asking me what the starting bid should be... I’ll say 69 yuan. That’s how many games we won last season."

Su Xi named an incredibly low price.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"So, what price do you think this item will ultimately sell for?"

Su Xi shrugged. "I don’t know," he said, holding his hands out. "But whatever the final price is, my sponsors will match it with a donation to designated sports programs."

The floor host made a bit of awkward small talk, and then the host on stage announced, "Tonight, we’ve invited a special guest to be the auctioneer for this item! And who is she? She’s the sexy goddess from *Transformers*, Megan Fox!!!"

*Transformers* was a huge hit in the country at the time, and Hollywood blockbusters like it had a massive market in China in 2005. Moreover, when a Hollywood actress like Megan Fox visited the country, her prestige automatically shot up several levels.

After all, many of China’s top actresses only managed to land minor roles when they went to Hollywood. An appearance of just a few seconds would be followed by a flood of press releases back home, making it seem as if they had successfully broken into the Hollywood scene.

So someone like Megan Fox was hailed as a top-tier Hollywood actress.

In reality, Megan Fox was just starting to make a name for herself in Hollywood. Her fame had been boosted by that wave of rumors involving Su Xi, and with *Transformers*’ soaring global box office, she was now seen as having some box-office draw.

She now had the opportunity to land a ten-million-dollar paycheck for her next role, but whether she could get a cut of the box-office profits like Hollywood’s biggest stars would depend on her next film’s performance.

The hierarchy in Hollywood is very clearly defined.

Furthermore, the United States entertainment industry isn’t like China’s. In Hollywood, movie stars are at the top of the pyramid. They’re also the ones who earn the most. A-listers rarely make public appearances, often not even accepting commercial deals. When they do show up, it’s on the big screen, where you have to pay for a ticket to see them.

Megan Fox was still a long way from that level.

Megan Fox walked onto the stage, confidently waving to the crowd before locking her gaze on Su Xi.

The entire audience watched as their eyes met. They had all heard the rumors about Su Xi, but they hadn’t expected the rising star Megan Fox to actually be here tonight. ’An even bigger cheer would have erupted if it had been Scarlett Johansson or Jessica Alba, right?’

’Su Xi hadn’t expected it either.’

Then, the bidding began.

With Megan Fox leading the auction, the enthusiasm in the room was palpable.

The bidding reached one million RMB in almost no time, but in the next second, Jacky Chan’s son raised the price to five million.

He projected an air of wealth and absolute determination.

This was the third-highest price of the night.

Many of the older celebrities were dumbfounded. ’Five million yuan is enough to buy an apartment, so why spend it on a trophy? Is it really worth that much?’

’Five million yuan for Su Xi’s regular-season MVP trophy, complete with an autograph? That’s not expensive.’ Placed in the United States, a collector would certainly be willing to pay one million USD for it.

This price scared off many of the eager bidders.

That singer from Hong Kong/Taiwan, Mr. Zhou, clearly loved basketball. He resolutely bid 5.5 million. But he was immediately outbid by Jacky Chan’s son, who countered with 6 million.

And 6 million became the final price.

When the final sale price was announced, the entire venue erupted in cheers and applause. Clearly, everyone considered it an extremely high price.

Su Xi, however, just raised an eyebrow slightly.

At the emcee’s invitation, he walked onto the stage, took a pen, and signed the trophy.

Jacky Chan’s son rushed forward, extremely emotional, and threw his arms around Su Xi in a tight hug. "Hey, Jack, I’m your biggest fan! I’ve been following you like crazy since you were at Syracuse University! I’ve seen you play at Madison Garden! I love you, man!"

"You’re my pride. You’re the pride of all Chinese people everywhere..."

The guy was incredibly emotional.

Su Xi had to pat him on the shoulder and urge him to calm down.

"Thank you for your contribution to charity. Take good care of this trophy. I hope it brings you strength." Su Xi formally presented the trophy to him.