Chapter 126: Shattered Pride!
The entire AT&T Center erupted in deafening cheers at that moment!
Lin Feng stood there, completely stunned.
He looked at the Referee who made the call, and then at the gloating, cheering Spurs fans around him.
He felt like he had fallen into a giant, ice-cold trap.
For the first time, a crack appeared in his mentality.
This technical foul was like a ladle of boiling oil poured onto his already raging inferno of anger.
His rationality was rapidly being devoured by impatience and fury.
He stopped thinking about how to break this cage.
He now had only one thought in his mind.
That was to fight back in the toughest way possible!
To shut all those damned people up with made shots!
Parker walked to the free-throw line and calmly sank the technical foul shot.
The Spurs continued their offense.
Lin Feng's defensive moves became larger than ever before.
He was almost hanging onto Leonard, trying to interfere with the opponent in the same manner.
But Leonard was like an emotionless robot, unmoved.
The Spurs, through a simple pass sequence, saw Danny Green hit a three-pointer from the perimeter.
The lead was stretched further.
It was the Lakers' turn to attack.
After receiving the ball, Lin Feng made no attempt to pass.
His eyes were bloodshot.
He charged toward the cage formed by three people like a maddened wild bull, in a near-suicidal manner!
Faster!
He tried to break free from the entanglement with greater speed!
More complex!
He tried to create space with more intricate changes of direction!
But this was exactly what Popovich wanted.
Every irrational acceleration, every unnecessary change of direction, was wildly and meaninglessly draining the little energy he had left.
"Bang!"
He collided with Leonard once again, and the ball slipped out of his hands.
Splitter reacted quickly and snatched the ball away.
The Spurs scored easily on another fast break.
On the sidelines.
Popovich sat steadily on the bench, not even leaning forward.
This was the result he desired.
What he wanted was to completely overheat Lin Feng, the'shooting machine' that had been so precise in the previous game.
And then, break it down.
In the audience.
Yinna's hands were tightly clasped together.
Her knuckles were white from the strain.
She watched the figure on the court, struggling like a trapped beast, charging left and right, only to be knocked down again and again, his efforts repeatedly proving futile.
Her heart felt as if it were being fiercely squeezed by an invisible giant hand.
It hurt so much she could barely breathe.
How she wished she could rush down and tell him to stop fighting.
We're done playing.
But she couldn't.
She could only watch, watch as he was slowly crushed by that massive machine called the 'Spurs'.
The halftime whistle finally blew.
That sound was like heavenly music to the Lakers players.
The score on the scoreboard was 58:38.
The Lakers were trailing by a full twenty points.
The giant electronic screen displayed Lin Feng's first-half statistics.
7 shots taken, only 1 made.
He had scored 6 points thanks to previous free throws.
And 4 turnovers.
He sat on the chair in the Locker Room, completely drenched in sweat.
He gasped for air in big gulps.
Not because he was tired.
More so because of an endless sense of depletion and frustration.
That feeling of being unable to exert strength, the powerlessness of every hopeful charge crashing against a cold, hard wall, was more despairing than any physical fatigue.
The Locker Room was dead silent.
No one spoke.
Howard kept his head down, fiddling with his wrist guards.
Gasol leaned against the cabinet, his eyes vacant.
D'Antoni stood in front of the tactical board, holding a pen but unable to write a single word.
Everyone was stunned.
Completely stunned by the unreasonable, almost brutal tactics of the Spurs.
Lin Feng remained silent.
He just asked the Team Doctor for ice packs to apply to his bruised and battered arms and knees.
Even the coldness of the ice couldn't calm his heart, which felt like it was about to explode.
The second half began after switching sides.
Popovich made no adjustments.
That damned cage tactic intensified.
The Spurs players not only subjected him to endless physical exhaustion.
Their mouths also started becoming foul.
Insulting Trash Talk, like poisoned needles, continuously pricked at Lin Feng's already stretched-to-the-limit nerves.
"Hey, kid, where's your magic?
During a dead ball, Danny Green leaned close to Lin Feng's ear and spoke in a voice that wasn't too loud or too soft.
Did you use up all your luck for the rest of your life on that shot in G4?
Lin Feng ignored him, just gritting his teeth tightly.
"Is this the new hero of Los Angeles?
Leonard's voice still had that unchanging, robotic tone.
But his words were full of mockery.
"Doesn't look like much..."
Lin Feng's breathing became heavy.
During an inbound play from the baseline, Splitter even spoke with malicious intent in his heavily accented English.
"Kid, stop struggling..."
"You might as well go home early and spend time with your pretty girlfriends!"
This sentence acted as a fuse, completely igniting Lin Feng's rage!
"Shut your stinking mouth!"
Lin Feng suddenly turned and fiercely shoved Splitter!
"Beep!"
The Referee's whistle sounded once again.
The players from both sides immediately gathered around.
In the end, after mediation by the Referees, both players were assessed a technical foul.
Lin Feng, carrying two technical fouls, was ejected from the game!
...No, this couldn't be the end.
Lin Feng took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the urge to strike.
The Referee only warned both sides.
The game continued.
But Lin Feng's mind was completely chaotic.
He felt like every breath he took carried the scent of gunpowder.
He had to do something!
He had to!
On the next offensive possession.
Lin Feng poured out all his strength, executing a change of direction so desperate and reckless that he disregarded his body balance.
He finally tore open a corner of the cage!
He charged through!
The paint was empty!
Clutching the ball, he rushed toward the rim like a cannonball!
He wanted to vent all the anger and frustration in his heart with the most violent dunk!
Just as he reached the peak of his jump, his right arm raised high, ready to smash the ball into the hoop.
A figure rose up like a mountain!
It was Tim Duncan!
He had somehow rotated over to help defend the basket!
His face still held that unchanging, stone buddha-like expression.
He extended his long arm.
Precisely predicting all of Lin Feng's shooting angles.
Then, in mid-air.
"Slap!"
The sound of a crisp, loud Block!
Duncan's palm firmly pressed down on the basketball!
A huge, irresistible force transmitted from the ball!
The basketball in Lin Feng's hands was violently slapped away!
He lost his balance in the air and crashed heavily onto the floor!
This Block seemed to be the last straw that crushed Lin Feng's pride.
He fell to the ground, looking at Duncan's eternally impassive stone buddha expression, the light in his eyes dimming for the first time.
Chapter 127: The Pop Star's Gaze!
This block seemed to be the last straw that broke Lin Feng's pride.
He fell to the ground, looking at Duncan's unchanging stone buddha expression, and for the first time, the light in his eyes dimmed.
The entire AT&T Center erupted in a cheer louder than any before.
That sound was no longer pure mockery.
It was the conqueror's declaration.
They used the most San Antonio Spurs way to drag the man who had performed a miracle shot in Game 4 from the altar and trampled him into the mud.
Lin Feng lay on the floor, not getting up immediately.
He listened to the overwhelming cheers and looked at the dazzling lights above the arena.
The physical pain was far less than the immense emptiness brought by the collapse of the skyscraper of pride within him.
He lost.
He lost completely.
The fourth quarter quickly entered garbage time.
The score difference was mercilessly stretched to over thirty points.
The game had completely lost its suspense.
D'Antoni stood on the sidelines, his face filled with helplessness and dejection.
He called his last timeout.
Then, he made a decision that everyone had anticipated.
Substitute all the starters.
Lin Feng was also among those substituted.
When his name was called, he stood up from the ground expressionlessly.
He didn't look at the scoreboard, nor did he look at the coach.
He just walked towards the bench, head down, step by step.
That path was short.
Yet it seemed incredibly long.
Every step felt like treading on the shattered fragments of his own pride.
As he walked off the court, he didn't make eye contact with anyone.
He walked straight to his seat, picked up a clean towel, and covered his head with it.
Completely isolating himself from this noisy world, filled with the taste of failure... Meanwhile, ten thousand meters above.
A luxurious private jet was steadily traversing the clouds.
Inside the cabin.
Taylor Swift was curled up in a soft sofa, holding a guitar.
On the huge screen in front of her, the brutal slaughter taking place in San Antonio was being broadcast live via satellite signal.
She saw the whole process.
She saw how Lin Feng was gradually worn down and angered by the "Cage Tactic".
She saw his face twisted with rage when he received a technical foul.
She saw him repeatedly, like a moth to a flame, launching futile charges against that wall.
And she saw him finally being slammed down from the air by the expressionless number 21.
As well as the light in his eyes instantly extinguishing after he fell to the ground.
Finally, there was that lonely figure, covering his head with a towel, hiding himself.
The TV commentators were pronouncing Lin Feng's death sentence with a sympathetic tone.
"A magical night cannot be replicated a second time."
"Popovich taught this young man a lesson in the most classic way."
"His talent is unquestionable, but he is clearly not ready to face this level of strangulation."
Taylor didn't listen to those comments.
Her gaze was simply focused on the figure covered by the towel.
There was no disappointment or sympathy on her face.
Quite the opposite.
In her beautiful blue eyes, a nearly fanatical, excited glow was shining!
A glow that only a creator would have upon finding the perfect material!
The strong restrained.
Pride shattered.
That 'broken beauty' of struggling, raging, yet powerless in desperation, struck her most sensitive creative nerve like a bolt of lightning!
Failed?
No.
In Taylor's eyes, this beast, currently caged, covered in blood, yet still baring its fangs.
Was even more fatally attractive than the all-powerful sharpshooter from G4, who seemed like a god descended!
Countless melodies and lyrics began to uncontrollably flood her mind.
About cages.
About struggles.
About anger.
About the flames awaiting rebirth on the ruins.
"Ding..."
Her slender fingers unconsciously plucked a string on the guitar in her arms.
A discordant note gently echoed in the quiet cabin.
But for Taylor, that was the first note of a new movement.
She abruptly sat up straight.
She didn't think Lin Feng had failed.
She only felt that this beast needed a new battlefield.
Needed a more complete release.
Needed... a conquest.
She put down her guitar, picked up the satellite phone next to her, and directly dialed her Agent's number.
The call was quickly connected.
"Taylor? Is the tour rehearsal going smoothly?"
"Scott."
Taylor's voice carried an undeniable calm and determination.
"Cancel all arrangements for the next forty-eight hours."
Scott, the Agent on the other end of the phone, was visibly stunned.
"What? Taylor, are you kidding? Tomorrow night is the Chicago concert, all our publicity has already..."
"I said, cancel it."
Taylor interrupted him.
"Book me a flight to San Antonio."
"Now, immediately, at once."
Scott's voice rose eight octaves.
"San Antonio?! What are you going there for?! Do you know what a public outcry it will cause if you go now? Your rumored relationship with that basketball player..."
"I need inspiration."
Taylor's voice remained calm, yet held a power that Scottcouldn't refute.
"And my inspiration is now in that city."
With that, she hung up the phone... The final buzzer of the game finally sounded.
115:80.
The Lakers suffered a crushing 35-point defeat.
They trailed 2:3 in the series.
They were pushed to the brink by the San Antonio Spurs.
Lin Feng did not attend the post-game press conference.
He didn't even take the team bus with his teammates.
Instead, arranged by Jeff Austin, he returned to the hotel alone in advance.
In the stands, Yinna watched that lonely figure leaving early, her heart aching.
She wanted to catch up but was blocked by the surging crowd.
When she and the main group of the Los Angeles Lakersfinally returned to the hotel, they were told that Lin Fenghad locked himself in his room.
Seeing no one.
Yinna walked to Lin Feng's room door.
She raised her hand, wanting to knock.
But then hesitated and lowered it.
She didn't know what she should say if she went in now.
Any words of comfort would seem so pale and ridiculous at this moment.
She could only wait outside the door with Jeff, who also looked worried.
Inside the room, it was very quiet.
So quiet it was unsettling.
Suddenly.
"Bang!"
A huge thud, like a fist slamming hard against a wall, came from the room!
Immediately after.
"Crash—!"
It was the crisp, harsh sound of glass shattering!
Chapter 128: Fuel of Fury!
Outside the door.
The loud crash of shattering glass was like a slap across Anthony Edwards' face.
He jumped up completely.
Yinna's body trembled violently.
Her already pale face was now as white as paper.
"Lin..."
The girl's voice was tearful; she couldn't hold back any longer and reached out to push the door open.
Jeff grabbed her wrist.
"Don't go in!"
His voice was low but filled with unyielding resolve.
"He needs to be alone right now."
"But he..."
Large tears rolled down Yinna's cheeks. She looked back at Jeff, her eyes full of pleading.
"He's going to hurt himself!"
Jeff's lips were pressed into a rigid line.
Of course he was worried.
But he knew better: for a man proud to his core, especially one who had just fallen from the clouds, any sympathy or comfort would be a humiliation.
"Trust me, Miss Yinna."
Jeff's voice softened slightly.
"At a time like this, letting him vent is better than anything."
"We'll wait right here."
Inside the room, the unnerving silence returned.
Yinna leaned against the cold wall, slowly sliding down until she was squatting on the floor.
She buried her face in her knees, her shoulders silently shaking.
Inside the room.
It was a complete mess.
The screen of the huge LCD television in the hotel room had been shattered into a spiderweb pattern.
Lin Feng had used a heavy chair to smash it.
Now, he was leaning in the corner of the room, his back against the wall, slowly sitting down on the carpet covered in glass shards.
His breathing was heavy, like an old bellows.
His chest rose and fell violently.
On the back of his right hand, a cut from the glass was slowly oozing blood.
Drops of blood ran down his knuckles, falling onto the white carpet and spreading into small patches of glaring red.
But he felt no pain.
He just stared ahead, his eyes hollow.
In his mind, the scenes from tonight played out over and over again, like a film.
That suffocating cage formed by three men.
Leonard's expressionless face.
Danny Green's mocking trash talk whispered in his ear.
And finally, the aloof number 21, like the stone buddha.
As well as that block that forcefully swatted away his pride along with the basketball.
Humiliation.
Anger.
And a massive, unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
It was like an invisible giant hand gripping his heart, slowly squeezing out all his strength and all his belief.
Why?
Why did this happen?
Didn't that shot in Game 4 prove everything?
Why, after just one game, did he go from an omnipotent savior to a ridiculous clown being toyed with inside a cage?
He didn't understand.
Leaning against the wall, he slowly reached out and picked up the phone he had thrown aside.
There were dozens of missed calls on the screen.
From Jeff, from D'Antoni, and from Howard.
He ignored every single one.
He just used his bleeding, slightly trembling hand to open a sports news app.
Row after row of glaring headlines rushed into his sight.
[God takes off the No. 24 jersey! Popovich uses the most classic method to bring Lin Feng back to earth!]
[A Massacre! The San Antonio Spurs use the cage to strangle the Purple and Gold's New King; the Pivotal Game 5 has no suspense!]
[From Hero to Sinner in Just 48 Hours? Lin Feng loses his composure and suffers the worst defeat of his career!]
[Expert Commentary: Lin's shooting talent is undeniable, but his arsenal is too singular!]
[San Antonio Spurs Fans Rejoice: We found the instruction manual for killing that beast!]
Each line.
Each sentence.
Like sharp, poisoned daggers.
Ruthlessly stabbing into his already battered heart.
Lin Feng's breathing grew more rapid.
He felt his blood rushing to his head.
He wanted to smash the phone again.
To smash every voice in the world that was mocking him.
Just as he raised his arm.
The phone suddenly vibrated.
A new text message notification popped up at the top of the screen.
The sender's name stopped Lin Feng's raised hand mid-air.
Kobe.
His finger, as if guided by a ghost, tapped open the message.
There was only a short line of text on the screen.
There were no unnecessary greetings or consolations.
"Anger is the fuel of the strong, not the excuse of the weak. Figure out how to win back Game 6."
...This sentence was like a bolt of lightning.
It fiercely tore through the chaotic fog in Lin Feng's mind, a fog filled with self-doubt and rage.
He looked at the line of text on the screen, once.
Then again.
Anger is the fuel of the strong... not the excuse of the weak... figure out how to win back Game 6... Slowly, he lowered his arm.
His gaze shifted from the phone screen to his own bleeding hand.
Then, he looked up again, toward the shattered, spiderweb-like television screen opposite him.
His current appearance was reflected in the screen.
Messy hair, hollow eyes, his face marked by the dejection of a loser.
Is this... what a weak person looks like?
Lin Feng's chest was still heaving violently.
But his heavy gasping was gradually calming down.
Something deeper and harder than anger was reforming within his body.
Kobe was right.
Anger shouldn't be used to smash T.S. or hurt himself.
Anger should be taken onto the court.
And then returned to the opponent tenfold, a hundredfold.
He slowly stood up from the floor.
He didn't bother with the wound on his hand or the mess on the floor.
He walked to the window and pulled open the heavy curtains.
The night view of San Antonio appeared before him.
He closed his eyes.
In his mind, the images of failure and humiliation were gone.
Instead, he focused on every detail of the "Cage Tactic."
Leonard's top defense.
Green's wing harassment.
Splitter's small moves from behind.
He began calmly dissecting the reasons for his failure, like a surgeon.
[Midorima Shintaro's Full-court Three-pointer].
The core of this skill is absolute precision and unsolvable range.
But it has one fatal, unavoidable prerequisite.
That is shot space and shooting rhythm.
Even a gap of just 0.1 seconds, even the adjustment of a single breath.
Give him that, and he can make the shot.
But Popovich saw through this.
That old fox wasn't even thinking about how to defend his shot.
From the very beginning, he intended to completely destroy the prerequisite for his shot at the root!
Don't allow any space.
Don't allow any rhythm.
Use the most savage, most primitive physical confrontation to turn his super cannon, which requires precise calibration, into scrap metal.
A precise artillery platform cannot destroy a moving steel fortress that is constantly pressing in on you.
Lin Feng opened his eyes.
The confusion and dejection in his eyes had vanished.
They were replaced by an icy flame, cold to the extreme.
He understood now.
To break this cage, he didn't need a more precise shot.
But a... more unreasonable power.
A more savage strength that requires no space, ignores rhythm, and can even directly convert anger and collision into points!
He needed a method that would allow him to become the fortress itself and then smash it to pieces with greater destructive force!
Aomine Daiki.
The wildest, most unpredictable scorer in kurokos basketball.
His [Formless Shot].
But... how could he acquire that skill?
According to the system's rules, he needed to complete the most intimate contact with a new woman who possessed great social influence.
Where was he supposed to find someone now?
Lin Feng's brow furrowed again.
Just then.
The phone in his hand vibrated again.
Another text message.
It was from an unfamiliar, local number.
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow.
He tapped open the message with a hint of confusion.
The message was provocative and direct.
"The St. Regis Hotel San Antonio, Room 1808. Your cage looks ugly, come over, and I'll teach you how to break it. —T.S."
Chapter 129: The Queen's Invitation! Desire and Reason
The content of the text message was provocative and direct.
St. Regis Hotel San Antonio, Room 1808. Your cage looks hideous. Come over, and I'll teach you how to break it. —T.S.
T.S.?
Lin Feng's pupils dilated in an instant.
There was only one person this abbreviation could point to.
Taylor Swift.
What was she doing here?!
Wasn't she supposed to be preparing for her 'Red' Tour?
And how did she know his phone number?
A series of questions exploded in his mind.
But he soon figured it out.
With that woman's influence, it wouldn't be difficult for her to get his number and find out which hotel he was staying at.
What truly shocked him was that she had actually come to San Antonio.
And she had sent such a suggestive and tempting text message.
Break the cage?
Was she talking about the Spurs' 'Cage Tactic'?
How was she going to teach him how to break it?
Lin Feng's heart began to pound uncontrollably.
He knew better than anyone what the true meaning hidden behind those words was.
Aomine Daiki's [Formless Shot]!
That wildest offensive weapon, capable of turning everything unreasonable into points!
The opportunity to obtain it was now right in front of him.
All he had to do was nod.
Then, walk out of this room, go to another hotel, and knock on the door of Room 1808.
But... Lin Feng's gaze subconsciously drifted toward the closed door of his room.
Outside the door was Yinna.
The girl who had flown here from Los Angeles for him.
The girl who had been silently guarding the door while he locked himself in his room to vent after losing the game.
At the thought of her, a surge of intense guilt, like cold seawater, instantly drowned the flicker of heat that had just risen within Lin Feng.
He couldn't do this.
Absolutely not.
Lin Feng's finger swiped forcefully across the screen.
He completely deleted the text from Taylor along with that unknown number.
He had made his choice.
He was going to do what he should do.
Open the door, embrace the girl who was still worried about him, and tell her he was fine.
Instead of going to a crazy invitation filled with desire and transaction.
He stood up and walked toward the door.
One step.
Two steps.
Yet his steps grew slower and slower.
Kobe's words echoed in his mind once again.
'Think about how to win back Game 6.'
How to win?
What to rely on to win?
Lin Feng's footsteps stopped just one step away from the door.
In his mind, he couldn't help but envision Popovich's calm, unruffled face.
He envisioned the cold faces of Leonard, Green, and Splitter, which were like the bars of a cage.
He knew very well.
If he didn't have a new weapon.
If he still had to rely on that [[Midorima Three-Pointer]] which had been completely seen through.
The outcome of Game 6 wouldn't change at all.
He would still be locked in that cage.
He would still be worn down to death by those three hungry wolves.
Then, he would watch helplessly as the Lakers were eliminated.
Watch helplessly as he became the laughingstock of the world.
That sense of humiliation from being swatted out of the air by Duncan.
That feeling of helplessness from being drowned in the mockery of twenty thousand spectators.
That stinging pain of pride being crushed into the ground.
It was like ten thousand ants gnawing frantically at his heart.
No!
He couldn't accept such an outcome!
He absolutely couldn't!
The thirst for victory and the obsession with revenge, like an awakened beast, roared frantically inside his body!
This beast was tearing at his reason and devouring his guilt.
He knew that if Game 6 was lost like that again...
...he would lose more than just a series.
He would lose his most fundamental dignity as a powerhouse!
Yinna... Lin Feng's fists clenched tightly.
He could compensate her later.
Compensate her in every possible way.
But the victory in Game 6, he had to have it!
This obsession finally overcame all the struggles within his heart.
He needed an outlet.
An explosive spark that could completely ignite the beast within him!
Lin Feng turned around abruptly.
He didn't spare the door another glance.
He quickly pulled a black hoodie out of the closet and threw it on.
He pulled up the hood, covering most of his face.
Then, he quietly walked to the window.
This was the third floor of the hotel.
He glanced downstairs at a small, deserted garden.
Without the slightest hesitation, he opened the window and climbed out.
He didn't want to alert Jeff and Yinna outside the door.
He chose this quietest and most resolute way to leave his room... Meanwhile.
On the website of TMZ, America's largest gossip media outlet, a news story was pinned to the most prominent headline position.
[Shocking News! Grammy Diva Taylor Swiftphotographed arriving at San Antonio Airport late at night!]
Below this news story was a slightly blurry photo taken with a telephoto lens.
In the photo, a blonde woman wearing sunglasses and a hat, surrounded by a group of bodyguards, was hurriedly walking out of the airport's VIP lane.
Although the photo was blurry, anyone familiar with her could recognize at a glance that it was Taylor Swiftherself!
San Antonio!
At this sensitive moment, just after the Pivotal Game 5between the Lakers and the Spurs!
Why would this music diva suddenly appear here?!
This news was like a bombshell, instantly setting off social media networks across America!
Countless speculations and discussions swept through major forums and Twitter like a tide.
'My God! What is she doing in San Antonio? There's nothing there but basketball!'
'What else? She's definitely there to see someone!'
'Lin Feng! It's definitely Lin Feng! He just finished a game there today!'
'Are you crazy? This is too insane! Is this going public?'
...San Antonio, the hotel where the Lakers were staying.
In the hallway.
Yinna was still squatting outside Lin Feng's room, waiting silently.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
A news notification popped up.
She subconsciously clicked on the news.
The moment the striking TMZ logo and that blurry airport photo appeared on the screen...
...Yinna's hand holding the phone began to tremble slightly.
An indescribable, intense unease, like a giant net, suddenly seized her heart.
Chapter 130: Resonance of the Beast! The Queen's Rules!
St. Regis Hotel San Antonio.
Outside the presidential suite on the top floor.
Lin Feng stood before the heavy solid wood door, pulling up his hoodie to hide his face deeper in the shadows.
A soft carpet lined the hallway, absorbing all sound.
It was so quiet he could hear the frantic beating of his own heart.
He knew what kind of presence was behind that door.
He also knew what pushing open this door would mean.
Guilt toward Yinna was like an invisible rope still coiled around his heart.
But the thirst for victory and the obsession with revenge were a hotter flame, scorching that rope.
His chest heaved once.
Then, he raised his hand and pressed the doorbell.
"Ding-dong—"
The crisp chime sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet hallway.
There was no immediate response from inside.
Time seemed to stretch out.
Every second was filled with torment.
Just as Lin Feng thought no one was inside and prepared to turn and leave.
"Click."
With a soft sound, the door unlocked.
The door was pulled open from the inside, leaving a crack.
The one opening the door was none other than Taylor Swift herself.
She wasn't wearing any makeup.
She wore only a black, silky bathrobe with a wide neckline that revealed her fair collarbones.
Her blonde curly hair was draped casually over her shoulders.
In her hand, she held a goblet swirling with a dark red liquid.
She leaned against the doorframe just like that, showing no surprise in her eyes.
Those beautiful blue eyes, filled with undisguised aggression and appreciation, scanned the man outside who was bundled up tightly from head to toe.
Her gaze seemed to have a penetrating power, seeing through his disguise and witnessing the inner struggle and distress he felt at that moment.
Lin Feng didn't speak.
Taylor didn't speak either.
She simply stepped aside, clearing the entrance.
A silent invitation.
Lin Feng's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
He took a step forward and entered the room.
Behind him, the door was gently closed, shutting out everything from the outside.
The room was huge.
It was decorated luxuriously and filled with an artistic atmosphere.
But Lin Feng's attention wasn't on any of that.
His gaze was immediately drawn to the massive TV screen in the center of the living room.
On the screen, no music videos or movies were playing.
What was replaying was the highlights of Game 5, the match from a few hours ago that had sent him plunging into hell.
Once.
And again.
On the screen was his distressed figure, trapped tightly in that cage by Leonard, Green, and Splitter.
It showed him charging in vain time and again, only to be knocked to the ground.
Finally, it froze on Duncan's sky-blocking block.
That image was like a knife, once again stabbing ruthlessly into his heart.
"It looks bad, doesn't it?"
Taylor's voice came from behind him.
Holding her wine glass, she slowly walked to Lin Feng's side.
In her tone, there was no sympathy, let alone comfort.
Only a near-cruel calmness as she stated the facts.
Lin Feng's fists clenched.
Taylor didn't look at him; her eyes were fixed on the miserable figure on the TV screen.
She raised her glass and gestured toward the screen.
"They want to impose rules on you."
"They use three people, those dirty little tricks, the referee's bias, and the boos of the entire crowd."
"They use everything to tell you how you should play the game."
"They want to define what you are."
She turned her head, her blue eyes shining with startling brightness under the crystal chandelier.
She walked up to Lin Feng, so close that he could smell the dangerous scent of red wine mixed with perfume on her.
She looked him straight in the eyes.
She said, word by word.
"And what you have to do."
"Is to destroy all of their rules."
These words hit the depths of Lin Feng's soul like an electric current.
He looked up sharply at the woman before him.
He realized she didn't understand basketball at all.
But she understood better than anyone the pain of being bound by the world, defined by rules, and scrutinized by countless people.
And that bone-deep desire to tear it all to shreds.
That night.
They didn't discuss basketball tactics for a single moment more.
They talked about creation.
They talked about how a song goes from a broken thought to a melody that sweeps the globe.
They talked about fame.
They talked about the loneliness of standing in the spotlight, loved by countless people yet hated by just as many.
They talked about fighting.
They talked about how to turn those doubts, slanders, and the dark hands trying to pull you off your pedestal into the most moving notes in your work.
Lin Feng discovered that deep in her soul, she was just like him.
Both hid a beast that refused to be bound or tamed, longing to tear everything apart in its own way.
This feeling was completely different from the warmth, protection, and unconditional trust Yinna gave him.
With Yinna, he felt at peace, and the world seemed to soften.
But with the woman before him.
He only felt the combative instincts in every cell of his body being ignited.
It was the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.
It was a resonance of souls between one powerhouse and another.
A more burning, more dangerous attraction.
The music in the room had changed at some point to a rock song with a powerful rhythm.
Alcohol.
Music.
Hormones.
Everything intertwined and fermented within this enclosed space.
The atmosphere became scalding hot.
Taylor set down her wine glass.
She took another step toward Lin Feng.
She reached out, her fingertip lightly touching Lin Feng's chest.
Right where his heart was beating.
"There's a beast locked inside you."
Her voice carried a hint of seductive raspiness.
"It's very angry right now."
"Let it out."
Lin Feng looked at her.
He looked into those blue eyes burning with fire.
He could no longer suppress himself.
All the accumulated anger, resentment, frustration, and humiliation from the crushing Game 5 defeat.
At this moment, they found the most explosive outlet!
He suddenly reached out, grabbing the back of her head and pulling her toward him!
This was not a gentle dalliance.
This was a fierce collision filled with conquest and release.
He felt the negative emotions that had nearly consumed him being completely released at this moment.
And they were transforming into a new, terrifying power filled with a primal desire for destruction!
At the very peak of passion.
The cold, emotionless system notification tone.
Rang out solemnly in his mind.
Chapter 131: Wildness from the Streets! Violent Evolution!
At the peak of passion.
The cold, emotionless system notification sound...
Solemnly rang out in his mind.
[Ding!]
This sound was no longer a simple notification.
It was like a light of creation piercing through chaos, directly penetrating Lin Feng's soul!
At this moment, the violent negative emotions filled with the desire for destruction that had accumulated in his body due to the crushing defeat found a perfect outlet and were completely ignited by an invisible force!
[Detected that the host has completed a deep intimate link with the ss-rank charm target 'Taylor Swift' in the 'Soul Resonance' state!]
SS-rank?
Soul Resonance?
Lin Feng's heart twitched violently.
This rating was a level higher than Yinna's S-rank!
Moreover, the type of emotional bond was completely different!
If the link with Yinna was based on protection and solace...
Then the link between him and Taylor was a more primitive, wilder collision!
It was the strongest resonance generated by two beasts unwilling to be bound by rules, after being imprisoned, scrutinized, and attacked in their respective fields!
The system's cold voice continued to ring out, giving him no time to think.
[Link Completion: Perfect!]
[Emotional Bond Type: Wild Resonance!]
[Based on the bond type, the rewards have been automatically optimized!]
[Congratulations to the host, the SSS-rank skill [Aomine Daiki's Unrestricted Shot] has successfully advanced to—]
[Aomine Daiki's ZONE!!!]
Boom!
The moment those final words were branded into Lin Feng's mind like a divine oracle!
An unprecedented, extremely violent torrent of information overwhelmed all his reason!
It wasn't like the precise, surgical infusion of knowledge when he obtained [Midorima's Three-Pointer]!
It was a storm!
An information storm from the streets, filled with sweat, asphalt, iron chains, and wildness!
Before Lin Feng's eyes, it was no longer the luxurious suite of the St. Regis Hotel.
In its place were countless dim street basketball courts lit only by a single lonely lamp!
He "saw" dark-skinned, agile figures on the concrete floor, performing all sorts of inconceivable moves that completely defied basketball textbooks!
The basketball danced frantically between their legs, behind their backs, and at their fingertips, moving so fast that only afterimages remained!
He "heard" the piercing screech of sneakers rubbing against the ground!
He "heard" the rough yet melodious sound of the basketball hitting the rim and the chain net!
He "smelled" the vital scent in the air, a mixture of sweat and dust!
These images, sounds, and smells flooded into his brain frantically!
Then, they transformed into the purest, most primitive muscle memory, merging into his entire body!
His body was being reshaped!
His basketball philosophy was being overturned!
The system's voice, like the sole ruler of this wild court, continued to pronounce.
[ZONE State Description: Once activated, the host's agility, speed, and explosive power will instantly increase to the human limit!]
[In this state, you will completely liberate your scoring instinct and become the freest, most unpredictable ultimate beast on the court!]
As soon as the words fell.
Lin Feng felt the blood in his body burning!
Every cell was like a piece of ignited dynamite, filled with explosive power!
He craved to run! He craved to collide! He craved to tear everything in front of him to shreds!
[ZONE Exclusive Skill 1: Ultra-High-Speed Dribbling!]
[Your dribbling speed and range of crossovers will exceed the norm, reaching a realm where the man and ball are one. Defenders will be unable to even see the trajectory of the ball and can only be toyed with by your rhythm!]
In Lin Feng's mind, images of Aomine Daiki's ghost-like dribbling immediately surfaced!
The basketball seemed stuck to his hand, yet also seemed to have a life of its own, dancing frantically in completely irrational trajectories!
[ZONE Exclusive Skill 2: Irregular Crossover!]
[You can change speed and direction at will during high-speed movement, completely ignoring the laws of inertia, and perform sudden stops, crossovers, and accelerations that defy physical common sense! Every move of yours will be the ultimate test for the defender's ankles!]
The cage of the Spurs?
Leonard's tight defense? Green's positioning?
In the face of such skills, the seemingly indestructible defensive line formed by those three instantly became as laughable as paper!
When your opponent is completely unable to predict where you will appear next...
Any double-team will lose its meaning!
Lin Feng's breathing became incredibly heavy.
He could feel the beast inside him, which had fallen into a rage because of the G5 defeat, being fed by this new power, becoming stronger and more ferocious!
And the system was still continuing to equip this beast with the sharpest fangs!
[ZONE Exclusive Skill 3: Out-of-Bounds Shot!]
[All [Formless Shots] will completely ignore the constraints of human anatomy and court space!]
[You can complete a shot and score from any angle while losing balance, even from directly behind the backboard!]
Out-of-Bounds Shot!
Shooting and scoring from behind the backboard?!
This is fucking... Lin Feng's heart was completely shocked by this last skill!
This wasn't basketball anymore!
This was magic!
It was the absolute pinnacle of irrational personal heroism!
That damn cage tactic, that defensive system that had made him suffer humiliation in G5, had at this moment become a complete joke in his mind!
Don't you want to compress my space?
Don't you want to limit my shooting rhythm?
Now!
I don't need space!
I don't need rhythm!
I can throw the ball into the hoop from anywhere, in any posture!
I can even run behind the backboard to shoot!
How are you going to defend?!
What are you going to use to defend?!
Lin Feng almost wanted to roar at the sky!
That extreme contrast of soaring from the depths of hell to the ninth heaven in an instant made every nerve in his body tremble with excitement!
Finally.
The system's voice put an ultimate period on this violent evolution.
[Final Description: This is pure personal offense born to destroy!]
[It requires no tactics, no coordination, and no space!]
[All it needs is your most primitive, wildest, and most unstoppable scoring instinct!]
[Go, host.]
[Go destroy their rules, and then, establish your own order!]
When the last syllable fell.
The violent torrent of information finally subsided slowly.
Lin Feng felt as if his brain had been completely formatted and then reloaded with a brand-new, wild operating system.
Extreme excitement and extreme exhaustion surged up at the same time.
His eyelids became incredibly heavy.
Before completely losing consciousness, he only had time to turn his head and take a look at the blonde figure beside him who was also fast asleep.
This woman, in a way she didn't even know, had dragged him up from hell.
And handed him a weapon sufficient to destroy everything... Who knows how much time had passed.
A ray of morning light shone through the gap in the curtains and landed on Lin Feng's eyelids.
Lin Feng's eyelashes flickered.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The sky outside was already bright.
A new day had come.
The room was very quiet.
The air still held the lingering, crazy scent of alcohol and hormones from last night.
Lin Feng didn't get up immediately.
He just lay there quietly, feeling the changes in his body.
No hangover headache.
No post-passion fatigue.
On the contrary.
He felt his body was filled with explosive power!
It was an unprecedented feeling of vitality!
He could clearly feel that every muscle and every ligament of his had become tougher and more explosive than before!
He gently clenched his fist.
A solid sense of power and control came from his palm.
This feeling... was great!
He turned his head and looked to his side.
Taylor was still fast asleep.
She was lying on her side, her golden curly hair cascading across the pillow like a waterfall.
In her sleep, she had shed her queenly aura, and the expression on her face was as peaceful as a child's.
Lin Feng's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds.
There were no complex emotions in his eyes.
No love, and no pure exploitation.
It was more of an appreciation for a kindred spirit.
They were both beasts.
One used musical notes, and the other used a basketball to fight against this world.
Lin Feng gently lifted the quilt and got out of bed.
He walked barefoot on the carpet to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
He pulled open the curtains!
Dazzling sunlight instantly flooded in, illuminating the entire room.
The skyline of San Antonio was clearly displayed before his eyes.
Lin Feng's gaze turned toward the distance.
In that direction was the AT&T Center.
The place where he had suffered a great humiliation.
The crushing defeat of G5, Duncan's block, Popovich's cage, the mockery of twenty thousand spectators... those images surfaced in his mind once again.
But this time, they could no longer bring him any humiliation or anger.
They were only like a pile of cold fuel waiting to be ignited.
Lin Feng slowly raised his right hand.
He spread his palm and looked at the clear lines in his palm.
A cold, cruel arc slowly curled at the corner of his mouth.
He knew.
From today on, everything would be different.
Spurs.
Popovich.
You used rules to build a cage for me.
Then, for G6.
It's my turn to use wildness to personally build a grave for you.
He knew that the script for G6 would be personally written by him.
Chapter 132: Confrontation Before the Storm!
He knew.
From today onwards, everything would be different.
The Spurs.
Popovich.
You used the rules to build a cage for me.
Then, for G6.
It's my turn to use my primal nature to personally build a grave for you.
He knew that he would personally write the script for Game 6.
Lin Feng didn't look at the scenery outside the window anymore.
He turned around and silently picked up his clothes from the floor.
After dressing neatly, he took one last look at the golden figure on the bed.
No lingering feelings.
No goodbyes.
This was originally just a transaction where each party got what they needed.
She needed inspiration.
He needed power.
Now, the transaction was complete.
He walked to the door, placed his hand on the handle, and paused for a moment.
Then, without any hesitation, he pulled open the door and quietly left the presidential suite that was filled with the scent of madness... returning to the hotel where the Los Angeles Lakers were staying.
Lin Feng pulled down the brim of his hat, skillfully avoiding the few scattered staff members in the lobby.
The elevator rose steadily.
Ding.
The third floor had arrived.
The elevator doors slowly opened.
Lin Feng stepped out and walked toward his room.
Just as he turned the corner.
He stopped in his tracks.
He saw Yinna.
She was standing right in front of his door.
She was still wearing the white coat from last night, but now it looked somewhat wrinkled.
She leaned against the wall with her head down, motionless.
It looked like she had been standing there all night.
Hearing footsteps, Yinna's body moved slightly.
She looked up.
When she saw that familiar figure, a glimmer of light first flashed in her already swollen eyes.
Then, that glimmer quickly faded away.
She stood up straight but didn't walk over.
She just looked at him from a distance.
Lin Feng walked up to her.
The hallway lights weren't very bright, but he could still clearly see the exhaustion and paleness on her face.
And those bloodshot eyes that made one's heart ache.
An unspeakable emotion blocked his throat.
He wanted to say something.
To say he just went out for a walk last night to clear his head.
To say he just found a place to calm down by himself.
But he opened his mouth and couldn't say a single word.
Because he smelled it.
He smelled the strong scent of another woman's perfume on himself that hadn't completely dissipated.
That scent was like a silent slap in the face.
Reminding him of last night's madness.
And stripping him of the right to lie.
The air froze.
The two of them just stood there, neither of them speaking first.
In the end, it was Yinna who broke the suffocating silence.
Her voice was very, very soft.
Carrying the hoarseness that follows crying.
"Where did you go?"
She didn't interrogate him.
There was no hysteria.
She was just like a lost child asking for the way home.
Lin Feng couldn't answer.
He could only remain silent.
And his silence was the cruelest answer.
Yinna looked at him.
Her gaze slowly slid from his face hidden in the shadows down to his neck.
There was a very faint, almost invisible red mark there.
In that instant.
Yinna's tears could no longer be controlled.
Large drops rolled down from her swollen eyes.
She didn't make a sound.
She just let the tears stream down her face, which was so pale it lacked any color.
Her lips were trembling slightly.
"I thought..."
Her voice was broken beyond repair.
"I thought... we had achieved a resonance..."
These words were like the sharpest needle, stabbing fiercely into Lin Feng's heart.
Resonance.
Yes.
Last night, he had also achieved a "resonance" with another woman.
A resonance that was even wilder and more primal.
He looked into Yinna's eyes, which were filled with disappointment and pain.
A sharp stinging sensation spread through his chest.
But he knew.
Now, any explanation or apology would be pale and powerless.
He knew even more.
He couldn't let himself be weighed down by this guilt right now.
Game 6.
He must win!
He suppressed all his emotions back into the deepest part of his heart.
He looked at her.
His voice became cold and hard.
"Wait until Game 6 is over."
"I will give you an explanation."
After saying that.
He didn't look at her again.
He walked straight past her and swiped his key to open his room door.
He walked into the room.
Then, with a bang, he shut the door in her face.
Shutting her out, along with her shattered trust.
The door closed.
That loud noise seemed to shatter the last sliver of hope in Yinna's heart.
She leaned against the cold wall.
Her body could no longer support her.
Slowly, she slid down the wall and sat on the cold carpet.
She buried her face deep into her knees.
Her shoulders began to shake violently and silently... A few hours later.
The Lakers players walked out of their respective rooms, dragging their tired bodies.
They were preparing to take the team bus back to Los Angeles.
The shadow of the crushing defeat in the pivotal Game 5 still hung over everyone's faces.
The atmosphere was suppressed to the extreme.
When they walked to the corner of the hallway.
Everyone saw that strange scene.
Yinna, the national goddess who shone brightly in the eyes of countless fans, was currently curled up outside Lin Feng's door like an abandoned child.
Standing in front of her was an anxious-looking Jeff Austin.
Just then.
Lin Feng's door opened.
He stepped out.
There was no expression on his face.
His eyes were as cold as a winter night in San Antonio.
He glanced at Yinna crouching on the floor, and then his gaze passed right over her as if she were just an inconsequential stranger.
Howard and Nick Young exchanged a look, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes.
Everyone felt that the atmosphere was off.
Very off.
On the plane back to Los Angeles.
This strange atmosphere fermented to its peak.
Because an even larger storm of public opinion had completely exploded on American social media!
TMZ, Yahoo Sports, Twitter... all the headlines were being frantically flooded by two pieces of news!
[Grammy Diva Taylor Swift Arrives in San Antonio Late at Night!]
[Lakers' New King Lin Feng Suspected of Late-Night Meeting with Taylor! Purple and Gold's New Core Deep in 'Cheating Scandal'!]
In the news, there were photos of Taylor arriving at the airport.
More importantly, reporters had confirmed through various channels that Lin Feng was not at the team hotel last night!
Putting the two pieces of news together.
The truth was self-evident.
In an instant, the hashtag "Lin Feng, Scumbag" rocketed to number one on the US Twitter trending list!
On the plane, almost all his teammates were stealing glances at Lin Feng with complex expressions.
There was contempt, confusion, and pure gossip.
As for Lin Feng, who was at the center of the storm.
He just wore his headphones, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his seat.
As if all the noise from the outside world had nothing to do with him.
He didn't pay any attention to those scrutinizing gazes.
Nor did he care about the online public opinion that had already exploded.
His entire mind was immersed in his own body.
Feeling that brand-new, wild, and destructive new power surging and clamoring crazily through his entire body.
A storm off the court had already swallowed him.
And another storm that was about to erupt in Game 6, a storm belonging to him alone, was also brewing, waiting to completely ignite the entire Staples Center!
Chapter 133: The Judgment of the World! Lin Feng, the Scumbag
The plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport.
The moment the cabin door opened, a huge wave of sound, mixed with various noises, surged in from outside.
It wasn't the cheers welcoming a triumphant hero.
It was more like the roar of judgment for a sinner.
The Lakers players all looked solemn.
The shadow of the crushing defeat in the pivotal Game 5, coupled with the scandal that ignited public opinion across America, made the journey home feel like a public execution.
"Let's go."
D'Antoni waved his hand wearily.
The players filed out.
When Lin Feng's figure appeared at the exit of the jet bridge, the atmosphere on site was pushed to its peak!
"Click! Click! Click!"
Countless camera flashes, like a white ocean, threatened to engulf him completely.
"Lin Feng! Look over here!"
"Do you have any explanation for last night's secret meeting?!"
"Are you worthy of Miss Yinna, who traveled all this way to support you?!"
Countless reporters, like sharks smelling blood, frantically pushed forward, thrusting microphones and recording pens desperately into his face.
Airport security personnel, hand in hand, formed a human wall, struggling to resist the surging crowd.
Besides reporters, there were even more fans who had rushed to the scene after hearing the news.
Their emotions were split into two extremes.
"Lin Feng! Go! Beat them in Game 6!"
Some die-hard fans were still cheering for him hoarsely, choosing to believe in the hero they saw on the court.
But more prevalent were shouts of anger and disappointment.
"Scumbag!"
"Get out of the Lakers! We don't need a player like you with no professional ethics!"
"Liar! You've betrayed everyone's trust!"
An emotional fan even threw a drink bottle fiercely in Lin Feng's direction!
"Watch out!"
Howard, standing next to Lin Feng, instinctively reached out to block it.
"Bang!"
The bottle hit his arm, and the cola inside spilled everywhere.
Howard's expression turned extremely grim.
He looked back at Lin Feng.
But he found that Lin Feng's face was devoid of any expression.
No anger.
No panic.
Not even a hint of fluctuation.
He just wore headphones, his hoodie pulled low, isolating himself from the noisy world.
He walked forward steadily, one step at a time.
As if the harsh curses and the frantic camera flashes were just background noise unrelated to him.
His teammates looked at him like this, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
They couldn't understand.
They really couldn't understand.
Was this young man's psychological resilience too strong, or had he completely given up and resigned himself to fate?
Just as security personnel were finally escorting them to the team bus.
A small-framed TMZ reporter, who knows where he came from, slipped through the defense line like a slippery loach!
He practically shoved the microphone into Lin Feng's mouth!
His voice, sharp and biting, cut through all the noise!
"Lin Feng!"
"Regarding your rumored affair with Taylor Swift in San Antonio, do you have anything to say to your fans and Miss Yinna, who has always supported you?!"
This question was too venomous!
It was like a knife, accurately stabbing into the very center of the storm!
Everyone stopped.
All cameras, all eyes, at this moment, focused entirely on Lin Feng.
The whole world was waiting for his answer.
Waiting for his defense, his apology, or his breakdown.
Lin Feng also stopped.
He slowly took off his headphones.
He looked up, his face, previously shrouded in shadow, was for the first time fully exposed to everyone.
He glanced at the reporter whose face screamed "big news".
His gaze was icy.
Without a trace of warmth.
Yet it carried a chilling, absolute confidence.
Everyone felt that Lin Feng seemed different somehow.
But they couldn't quite pinpoint it.
Lin Feng did not answer the question.
He just reached out his hand.
The TMZ reporter instinctively handed over the microphone.
Lin Feng took the microphone.
He looked around at the frantic, angry, expectant, and complex faces.
Then, he brought the microphone to his lips.
And said only one sentence.
"Game 6, come watch the game."
His voice was not loud.
It could even be described as calm.
But beneath that calmness, there was an undeniable, almost arrogant aura.
The entire noisy airport hall, like a bustling market.
At the moment this sentence was spoken.
There was a bizarre three-second silence.
Everyone was stunned.
The reporters were stunned.
The fans were stunned.
They had imagined countless possibilities, but they never expected such an answer.
No explanation.
No apology.
No response.
Just a near-commanding invitation to the entire world to watch the game.
What... what does this mean?
Is this a provocation?
Or does he have absolute confidence that he can respond to all of this with his performance in Game 6?!
The TMZ reporter was the first to react; he opened his mouth, wanting to ask something else.
But Lin Feng had already returned the microphone to his hand.
He put his headphones back on.
He turned and boarded the team bus without looking back.
Leaving behind a large group of media and fans, looking at each other, their minds blank.
This absolute composure at the center of the storm.
This almost arrogant swagger.
Made some keen-scented media personnel suddenly feel a strong sense of unease.
This man's reaction was completely beyond their expectations.
A young man embroiled in scandal, with his team facing elimination, shouldn't be like this!
His reaction wasn't like someone who had made a mistake.
It was more like a king about to walk to the execution ground.
No, it was like a beast heading to the battlefield... Game 6, game day.
Staples Center.
Before the game even began, the atmosphere inside and outside the arena was already eerily extreme.
Some die-hard fans still wore Lin Feng's number 24 jersey, firmly believing that the man who saved the team in Game 4 could once again create a miracle.
But another portion of fans expressed their anger through action.
Loud boos had not stopped from the moment Lin Fengstepped onto the court for warm-ups.
They even chanted "scumbag" in an organized manner.
Voices of support and opposition intertwined above the Staples Center, forming an incredibly strange energy field.
In the Lakers' locker room.
The atmosphere was equally heavy.
The players were all preparing themselves, no one spoke.
Lin Feng sat in his spot, wrapping bandages, circle by circle, around his ankle.
His movements were focused and steady.
As if all external disturbances could not affect him.
Just then.
A figure walked up to him, casting a shadow.
It was Kobe.
He wore a black training suit, his face showing no expression.
He said nothing.
Just watched Lin Feng, who was changing clothes.
Then, he threw a black arm sleeve over.
It was the one he himself used most often.
Lin Feng raised his hand and steadily caught the arm sleeve.
He looked up, and his gaze met Kobe's in the air.
Again, not a single word was exchanged.
But both understood the meaning in the other's eyes.
Lin Feng didn't hesitate, slowly putting on the arm sleeve, which still carried Kobe's body warmth, onto his right arm.
The moment the arm sleeve was fully on.
A beast-like glint flashed in his eyes.
The time for judgment had arrived.
Chapter 134: A Battlefield of Ice and Fire!
Kobe didn't say another word.
He simply used his fist to lightly thump Lin Feng's chest.
Then, he turned around and walked back to his position.
Lin Feng looked at the black compression sleeve on his arm.
Kobe's body heat still lingered on it.
He knew this wasn't just a sleeve.
It was the inheritance of the mamba mentality.
More importantly, it was Kobe's most silent and steadfast support for him amidst this storm of controversy.
The light in Lin Feng's eyes completely settled.
It was the extreme calmness of a predator before the hunt.
A trial?
No.
This is my battlefield.
Game 6, the match officially began.
The lights in the player tunnel illuminated the path ahead.
Staples Center, the temple of the Purple and Gold Dynasty, was currently shrouded in an unprecedented, eerie atmosphere.
The arena was invisibly divided into two worlds.
On one side were die-hard fans wearing No. 24 jerseys, screaming "MVP" with all their might, their voices surging like a tsunami.
On the other side was an even larger wave of boos filled with anger and disappointment, sharp and piercing as if they wanted to lift the roof off the arena.
Cheers and boos collided and clashed frantically above the arena like two opposing armies.
The Lakers players were the first to enter.
When the arena DJ used his signature high-pitched voice to call out that name.
"From——China!"
"Number——twenty-four!"
"Lin——Feng——!"
At that moment, all the noise in Staples Center reached its peak!
In an instant, the boos completely overwhelmed the cheers!
It was a soundwave mixed with anger, betrayal, and disdain, almost solidifying as it crashed violently from all directions toward the figure who had just run onto the court!
But Lin Feng felt as if he had stepped into a silent vacuum.
He didn't pay attention to any part of the stands.
He didn't even wave to the audience as he usually did.
He simply ran to the sidelines with an expressionless face and picked up a basketball.
Then, he walked to the three-point line.
Adjusted, and shot.
The basketball traced a perfect arc through the air.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
He picked up the ball again, gave it two dribbles.
And shot again from the same spot.
"Swish!"
Still nothing but net.
He was like a programmed machine, focused on repeating his shooting warm-up.
It was as if the deafening boos were merely background music that had nothing to do with him.
The broadcast director was clearly a master at creating drama.
He didn't let the camera linger too long on the tense players on the court.
The first close-up was precisely directed at the front row of the audience.
In the frame appeared a face that broke countless hearts.
Yinna.
She sat there, next to a nervous-looking Jeff Austin.
She wore light makeup, yet it still couldn't completely hide the exhaustion that reached deep into her bones.
Her eyes were slightly red and swollen, clearly visible even under the bright lights.
She wasn't looking at the figure in the center of the court.
Her gaze just rested quietly and without focus on the empty floor.
The moment Yinna's face, etched with grievance and pain, appeared on the giant screen.
The boos in the arena became even more violent!
"Look what you've done! Lin!"
"You bastard! How could you do this to her?!"
Many fans who had previously remained neutral completely turned against him after seeing Yinna's state.
They began to stand up for this girl who had come all the way from South Korea only to be betrayed.
Aggressive comments against Lin Feng surged for a time.
However.
Just when everyone thought this was the peak of the night's drama.
The broadcast director cut to a shot that drove the whole world crazy!
The camera moved away from Yinna's face and slowly turned toward another VIP seat not far behind her.
A woman wearing large sunglasses and her signature bright red lipstick was sitting right there!
That dazzling blonde hair, that queen-like aura!
Who else could it be but Taylor Swift?!
Boom!
The moment Taylor's face appeared on the big screen.
Staples Center felt as if a nuclear bomb had been dropped!
It completely exploded!
"Oh my god!!!"
"What the fxxk?!!"
"Taylor?! Why is she here?!"
No one expected it!
Absolutely no one expected it!
The two female protagonists of this emotional storm were actually in the same arena at the same time!
Appearing in the same frame!
One was weary and heartbroken, a sight to behold with pity.
The other was full of aura, dominant and powerful.
This wasn't about basketball anymore!
At this moment, the boos, cheers, and screams completely blended together, turning into an indistinguishable, pure, chaotic soundwave!
Before the game even officially started, the attention on Game 6 surpassed basketball itself, becoming a super entertainment event sweeping across America!
At the commentary desk.
Legendary commentator Kenny Smith stood up directly from his seat!
He pointed at the screen, his face flushed with excitement, his voice trembling!
"My God!"
"I've been calling games for twenty years! I swear! I have never seen such a dramatic scene!"
"Yin Na Kim! Taylor Swift! They are both at Staples Center!"
"This is no longer just a basketball game!"
His partner, Charles Barkley, also had a look of disbelief. He opened his mouth wide and murmured to himself.
"This is a Hollywood blockbuster! And one of the top-tier ones, a super production with a budget over three hundred million dollars!"
In the center of the court.
Lin Feng stopped shooting.
He stood there, feeling those two incredibly complex gazes coming from different directions.
One carried cold disappointment and bone-chilling pain.
The other was full of fiery, naked admiration and possessiveness.
He knew.
The whole world was waiting to see him fail.
Or, waiting to see how he would create a miracle.
"Beep——!"
The buzzer for the start of the game finally rang throughout the arena!
The Spurs won the first possession.
Parker dribbled across half-court and, without the slightest hesitation, passed the ball directly to Leonard on the wing.
Meanwhile.
On the Lakers' offensive possession.
The moment Lin Feng received the pass.
That familiar, nightmare-like scene appeared once again.
The Spurs didn't do any feeling out.
From the first second of the game, they unswervingly executed Popovich's tactic that had completely stifled Lin Feng in Game 5!
The Cage!
Leonard, like a maggot on a bone, pressed up with his long arms and his 'Death Grip'!
Danny Green quickly doubled from the wing, cutting off all his horizontal movement routes!
And behind him, Splitter stood like a wall, sealing off all space for him to retreat!
Three people, three iron walls!
That cage, which had made him suffer such humiliation and shattered his pride in Game 5, once again cold and cruelly enveloped him!
Leonard, Green, and Splitter locked Lin Feng down once again like iron pincers.
Chapter 135: Silence in the Cage!
Leonard, Green, and Splitter were like iron pincers, once again locking Lin Feng down tightly.
The exact same recipe.
The exact same flavor.
The cage that had crushed all his dignity in G5 descended again from the very first second of the game.
The boos from the stands turned into gloating laughter at this moment.
"Look! The cage is back!"
"Haha! Popovich isn't giving him any chance at all!"
"The game is over! He's locked up again!"
At the commentary desk, Barkley shook his head.
"The Spurs aren't doing any feeling out; they intend to use the same method to kill Lin Feng once more."
Kenny Smith's expression was grave.
"Now, it depends on how Lin Feng responds. If he's still like the last game, letting anger cloud his mind..."
Everyone thought that what followed would be a repeat of the G5 tragedy.
They expected to see Lin Feng's angry struggle.
They expected to see him take impulsive, unreasonable forced shots.
They expected to see him, once again, crash into these three iron walls until he was battered and bloodied.
But.
None of that happened.
Everyone was wrong.
Lin Feng, sandwiched tightly between the three men, had no expression on his face.
No anger.
No impatience.
There wasn't even a ripple of emotion.
He just stood there silently, allowing the three bodies to constantly squeeze and shove him.
His footsteps moved within that narrow space at a steady, unhurried pace.
It was like taking a stroll in the eye of a storm.
A strange feeling rose in Leonard's heart.
Something wasn't right.
This guy was too calm.
Abnormally calm.
Just as Leonard attempted to use a fiercer physical confrontation to provoke Lin Feng,
Lin Feng moved.
He didn't choose to force a breakthrough.
He didn't choose to force a shot.
He simply used an extremely light spin move—one that didn't seem like it was being executed under a triple-team—to find a fleeting gap.
With a flick of his wrist,
the basketball, like a bullet from a gun, was passed precisely from under Green's arm!
The ball went to Steve Nash at the top of the arc!
An absolute wide-open opportunity!
Nash caught the ball and, without the slightest hesitation, took the shot!
In the Staples Center, everyone's hearts leapt into their throats!
"Clang!"
A crisp sound of iron!
The ball bounced off the rim!
The rebound was easily gathered into Duncan's arms.
The Spurs immediately launched a counterattack.
Parker and Duncan executed a textbook pick-and-roll.
The French supercar was like a bolt of black lightning, tearing through the Lakers' defense for an easy layup.
0:2.
The Lakers' first offensive possession ended in failure.
At the other end of the court.
Boos erupted everywhere.
"Hahaha! What's the use of passing? Your teammates are all trash!"
"Lin! You're just a softie who can only shoot threes!"
The Lakers attacked again.
Lin Feng was still locked in that cage.
He remained calm and unhurried.
His eyes were as cold as a supercomputer collecting data.
He was feeling.
Feeling the strength of Leonard's every bump.
Feeling the angle of Green's every harassment.
Feeling the frequency of Splitter's every little movement.
Then, once again, he found a passing lane through the gaps of the three men.
This time, the ball went to Howard in the corner.
Another open look.
Howard caught the ball, adjusted slightly, jumped, and took a mid-range shot!
"Clang!"
Another desperate sound of hitting the iron!
Howard slapped his own head in frustration.
Meanwhile, the Spurs had already launched another fluid, mercury-like attack.
It was Parker again; this time he drove and kicked, assisting Danny Green on the perimeter for an open three-pointer!
0:5.
Barely a minute into the game, the Lakers hadn't scored a single point, while the Spurs had gone on a run.
D'Antoni was pacing restlessly on the sidelines.
He didn't understand.
He completely didn't understand what Lin Feng was thinking.
Giving up his own offense to trust teammates with ice-cold shooting hands?
That wasn't his style!
In the stands.
The spectators booing Lin Feng became even more triumphant.
"See? He's done for!"
"His magic halo has vanished! He's nothing!"
"Without those unreasonable threes, he's just an ordinary player!"
The camera panned to Yinna again.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with worry and anxiety.
Seeing Lin Feng being hemmed in by three people on the court, forced to pass helplessly, her heart clenched.
Then, the shot shifted.
It went to Taylor Swift.
She was still leaning back in her chair, wearing sunglasses, her eyes obscured.
But the curve of her lips seemed a bit more pronounced than before.
It was a playful smile, full of appreciation.
As if she were watching a brilliant play that she had personally helped orchestrate.
She knew.
Before hunting, a beast always shows its most harmless side first.
Time ticked away, minute by minute.
Halfway through the first quarter.
The score had become 4:14.
The Lakers were already trailing by a full 10 points.
And on Lin Feng's stat sheet, points, rebounds, assists—every stat was zero!
On the court, he was like a ghost forgotten by everyone.
He just silently endured the collisions and attrition of that cage in one defensive possession after another.
The Spurs players already had relaxed expressions on their faces.
Danny Green even leaned into Lin Feng's ear during a defensive play and mocked him in a low voice.
"What's wrong, Lin? Did your God Mode run out of batteries?"
"Or were you too tired last night?"
Splitter and Leonard both showed knowing smiles.
They believed this game had completely lost its suspense.
The man who had attained godhood in G4 had been thoroughly reduced to his original form by them.
D'Antoni finally couldn't take it anymore and signaled for a timeout toward the scorer's table.
"Tweet—!"
Dead ball.
The referee's whistle blew.
Just as everyone expected Lin Feng to walk dejectedly toward the bench,
he stood where he was, motionless.
He slowly closed his eyes.
He tuned out Danny Green's sweaty mockery beside him.
He tuned out the deafening boos of the Staples Center.
He tuned out Yinna's worried gaze and Taylor's playful smile.
The entire world instantly became quiet in his perception.
All that remained was himself and the beast within his body, which had been suppressed to the limit and was about to completely explode.
The next second.
He snapped his eyes open!
A wild flash of light, filled with a primal desire for destruction, burst from the depths of his pupils!
Danny Green, who was making faces in front of him, felt his heart skip a beat, terrified by that gaze.
Then, he saw it.
He saw the corners of Lin Feng's mouth slowly curl into a smile.
A cold, cruel, bloodthirsty smile, like a beast baring its fangs.
Lin Feng's lips moved slightly.
In a voice only the three of them could hear, he spoke a sentence that almost made their blood freeze.
"Warm-up's over."
In his mind, a cold voice spoke at the same time.
"ZONE, activated."