Chapter 156: Staples Center in Despair!
A Lion needs a bigger hunting ground.
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Lin Feng turned off his phone and tossed it aside.
He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window of his hotel room.
Outside the window was the unfamiliar night view of Oklahoma City.
His eyes became calmer and deeper than ever before.
The anxiety and unwillingness caused by being overwhelmed by talent had vanished without a trace.
In its place was an absolute confidence, a sense of control over everything.
He knew.
The key to victory in this Western Conference Finals was no longer in Oklahoma.
Game 3.
Los Angeles.
Staples Center.
Another confrontation, outside the court, had already begun.
And the outcome of that confrontation would determine the ultimate direction of this series... Two days later, Los Angeles.
The Lakers' bus slowly drove towards Staples Center.
The atmosphere inside the bus was terribly oppressive.
No one spoke, only the slight bumps as the vehicle moved.
0:2.
A score that was enough to make any team feel despair.
The Los Angeles media had completely turned.
The newspaper headlines that had been praising the "Black Eight Miracle" two days ago now featured even more glaring titles.
[Los Angeles Sports News: End of a Miracle? LakersDynasty May Collapse Tonight!]
[Daily News: Trailing 0:2, historical data tells us the Lakers' chance of advancing is only 3.9%!]
Pessimism spread like a virus throughout the city.
The bus finally stopped at the player tunnel entrance.
The door opened.
Greeting them were no longer overwhelming cheers and screams.
But faces filled with worry and doubt.
Countless fans gathered on both sides of the tunnel, holding banners, their eyes complex.
"Lin! It's up to you tonight!"
"Kobe! We need you!"
These voices were no longer encouraging.
More like a drowning person's last plea.
The players lowered their heads and quickly entered the locker room.
"Bang!"
The locker room door was shut.
The atmosphere inside was even more solemn than on the bus.
The equipment manager silently distributed jerseys and protective gear.
The Team Doctor wrapped thick bandages on the veterans.
Everyone was silent, like a group of prisoners about to walk to the execution ground.
Veteran Steve Nash took a deep breath, trying to break the silence.
"Hey, guys."
His voice was a little hoarse.
"Heads up!"
"This is Los Angeles! This is our home court!"
"We haven't lost yet! As long as the final whistle hasn't blown, we still have a chance!"
Nash's voice echoed in the empty locker room.
But no one responded to him.
Gasol leaned against the locker, his eyes hollow.
Howard irritably tore at the tape on his wristband.
The huge gap in talent was like an insurmountable mountain, weighing on everyone's hearts.
That feeling of powerlessness couldn't be easily dispelled by a few words of encouragement.
A hint of bitterness flashed across Nash's face.
He slumped back into his seat, powerless.
The locker room once again fell into a suffocating silence.
And Lin Feng.
He sat alone in the furthest corner.
He was not infected by this desperate atmosphere.
In his mind, the words of two people echoed again and again.
Kobe: "Get through it, and you are king. Fail, and everything you've done before will become a joke."
Scarlett: "I see a Lion surrounded by two Cheetahs."
King!
Lion!
He knew that in this battle, he could no longer fall into the madness of individual heroism like in Game 1.
He also understood that when the team's machine completely stalled.
He had to be the one to restart the machine in the toughest way!
...Pre-game warm-up.
At both ends of the court, there were two vastly different atmospheres.
On the Thunder's side.
Durant and Westbrook were laughing and chatting while practicing their shots.
Westbrook even got playful and started a half-court shooting game with Perkins.
Their expressions were incredibly relaxed.
As if this game was just a routine practice, a mere formality.
Victory was in their grasp.
Meanwhile, on the Lakers' side.
Everyone's face was filled with solemnity.
Their shooting motions seemed a bit stiff.
Staples Center was packed.
But the purple and gold sea was somewhat quiet.
All the fans' hearts were hanging.
They were afraid.
Afraid to witness the complete collapse of a dynasty.
"Beep—!"
The referee's whistle finally blew!
Western Conference Finals Game 3 officially began!
The Lakers got the first possession.
Nash dribbled the ball, slowly advancing.
The Lakers players strictly executed the tactics D'Antonihad arranged before the game.
Pass the ball!
Use more passes to tear apart the Thunder's defense!
The ball went from Nash's hands to Gasol's.
Gasol, at the high post, then dished the ball to Artest on the wing.
Once, twice, thrice... The ball kept circulating among the Lakers players.
However.
The Thunder, those young beasts, completely destroyed the Lakers' tactics with their abnormal, super athletic ability!
Their defensive rotation speed was too fast!
So fast that every pass by the Lakers became incredibly difficult!
Just as Artest was about to pass the ball back to Lin Feng!
A blue lightning bolt suddenly streaked past him!
Kevin Durant!
His terrifying, spider-like long arms accurately anticipated the pass!
Steal!
Durant completed the steal and immediately launched a fast break!
Like an elegant Cheetah, he covered half the court in a few strides!
Then, with a casual, gliding dunk, he scored the first points of the game!
0:2!
Next possession.
The Lakers still tried to play team basketball.
Nash and Howard executed a classic pick-and-roll.
But Ibaka's terrifying speed allowed him to switch defenses instantly, blocking Nash completely!
Nash's drive was completely sealed off!
He was forced to pass the ball to Nick Young on the perimeter.
Nick Young caught the ball and, facing Sefolosha's defense, forced a shot!
"Bang!"
The basketball bounced off the rim!
The rebound was easily collected by Westbrook!
The Thunder, once again, launched a fast break!
The entire court became their stage to display their talent!
Five whole minutes had passed since the start.
The numbers on the scoreboard made all Lakers fans feel a suffocating dread.
10:0!
The Lakers had not scored a single point!
The entire Staples Center fell into a deathly silence!
That purple and gold ocean, which once struck fear into all visiting teams.
Now, it was as quiet as a tomb.
"Beep—!"
D'Antoni finally called a timeout.
He walked to the sideline, his face ashen.
He picked up the tactics board, drew a few circles, then irritably wiped them all away with his hand!
Any tactic seemed ridiculous and powerless in the face of the Thunder's unreasonable talent dominance!
Finally.
He threw away the tactics board.
He turned around and looked at the number 24 figure, who was lowering his head and drinking water.
A thousand words ultimately converged into one look, full of despair and expectation.
It's up to you.
Lin Feng put down his water bottle.
He stood up.
His gaze swept past all his teammates and the coach.
And shot straight to the other end of the court.
The man in the number 35 jersey.
Kevin Durant.
At this moment, the Grim Reaper was looking back at him with a cold, reaper-like gaze.
After the timeout, Lin Feng took over the first offense.
He knew there was no turning back in this game.
Either he killed the opponent.
Or be killed by the opponent.
Chapter 157: The Reaper's Scythe! Even God Cannot Stop It!
The timeout ended.
Lin Feng took over the offense.
He knew there was no turning back in this game.
Either he crushed his opponents...
...or he would be crushed by them.
He stood outside the three-point line, facing Thabo Sefolosha's focused, hound-like face.
His gaze was very calm.
There was none of the arrogance from G1, nor the frustration from G2.
There was only a deep-sea-like composure.
He began to dribble.
Left hand, right hand.
The sound of the basketball hitting the floor was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent Staples Center.
Suddenly!
He made an incredibly realistic fake drive to the left!
Sefolosha's body subconsciously shifted a step to the left!
That single step was the opening!
Lin Feng violently pulled the ball back with a smooth behind-the-back dribble, his body instantly pivoting to the right!
He didn't choose to drive into the paint.
Instead, he pulled up for a sudden stop near the free-throw line!
His body went from high speed to a complete standstill in an instant!
Jump!
Shoot!
The basketball traced an arc in the air that gave every Lakers fan a sense of absolute peace!
Swish!
Nothing but net!
10-2!
The Lakers finally scored!
In the tomb-like silence of the Staples Center, a faint spark of fire finally lit up.
The fans erupted in a cheer that had been suppressed for a long time!
The next possession.
Under Nash's interference, the Thunder's offense ended with a missed, forced shot from Westbrook.
Howard boxed out and secured the defensive rebound.
The ball was handed to Lin Feng once again.
Same position.
Same defender.
This time, Lin Feng chose a different approach.
He performed consecutive, small-scale between-the-legs dribbles.
He used changes in rhythm to confuse Sefolosha's judgment.
Just as Sefolosha's center of gravity wavered slightly.
Lin Feng pulled up for another jump shot!
Fadeaway!
The shot was up!
The entire motion was full of aesthetic beauty!
Swish!
Another crisp, pleasant sound of the net snapping!
10-4!
Lin Feng scored four points in a row!
Using the most stable and classical scoring method, he forcibly pulled the Lakers back from the edge of the abyss!
The atmosphere in the Staples Center finally began to warm up!
Defense!
Defense!
Shouts of 'MVP' echoed through the arena once more!
However...
On the Thunder's bench, head coach Brooks' face showed no panic.
He just watched the court calmly.
He watched the man who was beginning to take over the game.
Kevin Durant.
He knew that when Lin Feng chose to play this way...
...on the other side, the sleeping 'Reaper' should also be waking up.
Thunder offense.
Westbrook steadily handed the ball to Durant.
Defending Durant was Ron Artest.
One of the league's top perimeter defensive anchors.
Artest immediately pressed up, using his body—as strong as a bull—to constantly apply physical pressure on Durant.
His arms were like cobras, constantly poking at Durant's dribble.
This was the highest level of'sticky' defense.
However...
Durant's face remained expressionless.
He just dribbled the ball unhurriedly.
Then, before anyone could react.
He pulled up directly!
It was that simple.
It was that unreasonable!
He ignored all of Artest's physical contact!
He ignored Artest's hand, which was almost already in his face!
Relying on his terrifying height and wingspan, he forcibly found his unique shooting space right over Artest's head!
The shot was released!
The basketball flew from his fingertips!
After Artest landed, he looked back helplessly.
Swish!
Nothing but net!
12-4!
An expression of utter helplessness appeared on Artest's face.
How do you defend a shot like that?
This wasn't even a matter of defense anymore!
This was pure talent-based suppression!
The very next possession.
Lakers offense; Gasol made a slight passing error and was intercepted by Westbrook!
The Thunder launched a transition attack!
Westbrook was like a sports car, pushing forward frantically!
Durant, meanwhile, was like a glider, following from the other side!
Westbrook drove into the paint, and after drawing Howard's defense, he delivered a no-look pass precisely into Durant's hands!
Durant caught the ball and took three long strides toward the rim!
Gasol, rotating over to help, leaped high, attempting to block the shot!
However!
Durant performed a massive, terrifying double-clutch in mid-air!
He avoided Gasol's block!
Then, under the despairing gaze of all the Lakers fans...
...he slammed the ball fiercely into the basket!
Bang!
A posterizing dunk!
Gasol became the backdrop for this slam!
After scoring, Durant glanced at the floor with an expressionless face.
Then he silently turned back to defend.
That gaze was as cold as a harvester carrying out a mission.
Reaper Mode!
Activated!
Over the next few minutes.
The entire Staples Center completely turned into Durant's personal highlight reel!
He transformed into the most unstoppable scoring machine on the court!
Facing Artest's defense, he punished him ruthlessly with pull-up jumpers!
Facing the Lakers' switches, when Nash ended up on him, he blew past him with a simple burst of speed and finished with a tomahawk dunk!
Facing the interior wall formed by Howard and Gasol, he used his unbelievably soft touch to hit two high-difficulty floaters in a row!
No matter who the Lakers used to guard him...
...no matter what defensive strategy the Lakers used to limit him...
...the result was always the same.
Score!
Score!
And score again!
The expressions on the faces of the Staples Center fans were changing rapidly.
From the hopeful shouts at the beginning...
...to the dumbfounded shock later...
...to total, despairing silence at the end.
They were personally witnessing how a superstar takes over a crucial playoff game in the cruelest way possible.
Lin Feng also tried to respond.
He stopped being obsessed with individual scoring and tried to use his passing to revitalize the team's offense.
He drove, drew the double-team, and then kicked the ball out to an open Nick Young on the perimeter.
Under immense pressure, Nick Young rushed his shot!
Thud!
An airball!
He ran a pick-and-roll with Gasol, feeding the ball comfortably to Gasol as he rolled to the basket.
Facing an open rim, Gasol actually fumbled the ball out of nervousness!
A turnover!
The entire Lakers' morale had completely collapsed under Durant's precise and lethal harvesting, like the Reaper's scythe.
Beep—!
The buzzer for the end of the first half finally sounded.
Lin Feng looked at the glaring score on the big screen.
62-44.
The Lakers were trailing by a full 18 points.
On the other side, Durant's personal stat line showed a number that made everyone feel suffocated.
30 points!
In just half a game, he had racked up 30 points!
Lin Feng walked back to the locker room, a raging fire of indignation burning in his heart!
He looked at his own stats of 16 points and 5 assists on the sheet.
He realized.
Teamwork could no longer save this damn defeat.
The only thing that can oppose a 'Reaper'... is a 'God'!
The second half was about to begin.
The players walked back onto the court from the tunnel.
Lin Feng was the last one.
He slowly walked to the center circle and stopped.
Under the confused gazes of the tens of thousands of spectators in the arena.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Midorima ZONE activated!
Chapter 158: Battle of the Gods! Reaper Durant!
Lin Feng's gaze changed.
A pure, extreme green light lit up in the depths of his pupils.
It wasn't the color of emotion, but the manifestation of some kind of rule.
Midorima ZONE!
Activated!
Nash dribbled across the half-court and immediately felt the completely different aura emanating from Lin Feng.
It was an absolute confidence, as if the entire half-court was under his control.
He didn't hesitate for a moment and passed the ball directly to Lin Feng at the top of the arc.
Sefolosha's defense immediately stuck to him, his nerves strained to the limit.
He knew that the man in front of him was about to do something incredible.
Lin Feng caught the ball without even making any adjustments.
At a position a full two steps away from the three-point line.
He gathered the ball, jumped, and his body stretched into a perfect shooting posture in the air.
The entire movement was smooth and fluid, without a hint of effort.
As if he wasn't in an intense NBA game, but practicing shots in a training gym.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Everyone's eyes were focused on the basketball cutting through the sky.
Sefolosha had done his best; his fingertips almost touched the basketball.
But it was just a tiny bit short.
"Swish!"
A crisp and pleasant sound.
The basketball hit the net cleanly!
The entire Staples Center, after a split second of silence, instantly erupted into a mountain-shaking cheer!
"My God!"
"That went in?!"
"Two steps outside the three-point line! A pull-up right in the face of the defense!"
Barkley at the commentary desk jumped straight out of his seat, his face full of disbelief.
"This is Midorima Shintaro's shot! An absolute shooter's domain!"
On the sidelines, a glint also flashed in Kobe's eyes, his clenched fists showing his inner excitement.
He saw it, he saw that familiar, paranoid shadow that hungered for victory to the extreme.
Thunder's possession.
Durant glanced at Lin Feng, the fire in his eyes also completely ignited.
You're strong?
Coincidentally.
So am I.
Westbrook advanced with the ball; seeing Durant's gaze, he understood perfectly.
He didn't choose to drive himself but instead handed the ball to their ace.
Durant, at the same spot, faced Gasol on a defensive switch.
He didn't hesitate for a moment, using almost the exact same method as Lin Feng.
Pulled up and shot!
The basketball traced an equally graceful arc in the air.
"Swish!"
Also a clean swish!
The cheering in the entire arena came to a screeching halt.
Everyone was stunned by Durant's unreasonable response shot.
What is this?
This is a dialogue between gods!
The corners of Lin Feng's mouth curled up slightly, the fighting spirit in his heart increasing rather than decreasing.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
In the following few minutes, the game completely lost its tactical meaning.
It evolved into an epic scoring duel between two superstar scorers!
Lakers' possession.
As soon as Lin Feng crossed half-court, the Thunderthrew a double-team at him.
Ibaka and Sefolosha, one on the left and one on the right, locked him down tightly.
They didn't give Lin Feng any space to catch the ball.
But with just a look from Lin Feng, Nash understood and sent a high-arcing lob pass.
Lin Feng leaped high in the crowd and caught the ball in mid-air.
His body lost balance due to the contact, and he began to fall backward.
But at the moment he was about to fall, he still relied on his terrifying core strength to softly flick the ball out!
"He can even shoot that?!"
The Thunder players were all dumbfounded.
The basketball, with heavy backspin, bounced twice on the rim.
Then, under everyone's tense gaze, it rolled in!
Another three-pointer!
An unbelievable fadeaway drifting three-pointer!
"Roar!"
After landing, Lin Feng rarely beat his chest and roared.
Staples Center went completely wild!
The fans were crazily chanting his name!
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
However, the Reaper's scythe is always so cold and lethal.
At the other end.
Durant immediately used his signature "rip-through move" to draw a foul on Gasol.
The referee's whistle blew.
The basket counted.
And an extra free throw!
"Bang!"
Durant steadily made the free throw.
A four-point play!
He walked back to the other half with a expressionless face, as if he had just completed a trivial task.
The two players' scores rose alternately.
The score remained neck and neck.
The fans' emotions were completely ignited, their adrenaline surging wildly.
They knew they were witnessing history.
This was definitely one of the most magnificent and crazy offensive battles in basketball history!
However, basketball is, after all, a five-man sport.
Lin Feng could go toe-to-toe with Durant.
He could push himself to the limit and put on a god-level performance.
But the gap in the Lakers' overall strength was an unbridgeable chasm.
While Lin Feng gave his all on the offensive end, the defensive problems were completely exposed.
Westbrook was like an out-of-control tank, tearing through the Lakers' weak defense again and again.
Whether it was Nash or Blake, they were as flimsy as paper before him.
Ibaka's help defense and Perkins' positioning in the paint made the Lakers' offense struggle.
Except for Lin Feng, the Lakers' other scoring options were almost completely silent.
Kobe watched from the sidelines with a furrowed brow.
He knew this couldn't continue.
Lin Feng's stamina couldn't possibly support him through the entire game.
The whistle for the end of the third quarter blew.
The scoreboard showed the score: 98 to 88.
The Lakers were still trailing by 10 points.
Lin Feng exploded for 25 points in a single quarter!
This was a stat worthy of the history books.
But he didn't feel any joy.
The massive exertion made his chest heave violently, his breathing becoming incredibly heavy.
Sweat soaked his jersey, constantly dripping down his cheeks.
He covered his head with a towel and gasped for air.
The whole world seemed to hold only the sound of his own heartbeat.
The brief break between quarters ended.
The fourth quarter, the moment of the final showdown, arrived.
Lin Feng stepped back onto the court, his gaze still firm.
But his physical exhaustion began to betray him.
The stamina consumption of Midorima ZONE was terrifying.
When he received the ball again to face Durant's defense, his release speed was noticeably a fraction slower.
Just that fraction of a second difference was enough to change everything.
Durant's long arms interfered with his vision.
"Clang!"
The basketball hit the front of the rim and bounced out.
This was the first shot he missed after activating ZONE.
Though it was just one shot, it felt like an ominous omen.
Lin Feng's accuracy showed a slight decline.
While Durant on the other side still seemed like an emotionless, tireless scoring machine.
Every shot of his was as steady as Mount Tai.
Every mid-range jumper was like a sharp blade, accurately piercing the Lakers' heart.
The game time ticked away second by second.
The lead was gradually widened.
11 points.
12 points.
13 points.
Lin Feng was still fighting.
He used every last bit of strength to drive and to shoot.
But each time, he felt his body being drained a bit more.
His vision began to blur, and his legs felt as heavy as lead.
There were only three minutes left in the game.
The Lakers trailed by 13 points.
Possession was with the Thunder.
Durant had the ball, facing Lin Feng's defense head-on.
This was a direct confrontation between aces.
Durant didn't have any unnecessary movements, just a simple crossover into a pull-up.
He rose from the ground, his body leaning back slightly in the air, his form as beautiful as a painting.
Lin Feng jumped with all his might to block, his fingertips only centimeters away from the basketball.
He saw Durant's terrifyingly calm eyes.
The basketball flew from Durant's fingertips.
At this moment, time seemed to slow down countless times over.
In Lin Feng's eyes, only that orange ball remained.
"Swish."
The basketball hit the net as expected.
A soul-crushing mid-range shot.
The lead was widened to 15 points.
The game had completely lost all suspense.
Chapter 159: The Mamba's Powerlessness! The Twilight of an Idol!
The Staples Center fell silent.
That orange leather ball passed through the net cleanly and decisively.
Like the sharpest of daggers, it severed the last nerve called hope in this arena.
Time seemed to stop flowing.
The air froze.
The purple and gold ocean that had been roaring just moments ago had now turned into a silent, desperate Dead Sea.
The fans stared blankly at the 15-point deficit on the court.
Their faces were numb.
Their eyes were hollow.
They knew it was all over.
D'Antoni finally called the last timeout.
He didn't set up any tactics.
He only looked at the few players on the court who were still gritting their teeth and persevering with eyes that were exhausted to the extreme.
Then, he raised his hand and made a substitution gesture.
Five in, five out.
All the starters were subbed off.
The game entered garbage time.
Lin Feng dragged his heavy legs, which felt as if they were filled with lead, slowly off the court.
His chest was heaving violently.
Every breath brought a burning pain.
His stamina was completely exhausted.
He couldn't feel the gazes around him.
He couldn't hear any sounds either.
The whole world had turned into a grayscale.
He walked to the bench and didn't sit down, just bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air.
Sweat dripped from his chin, one drop after another, hitting the floor.
Forming a small, pathetic puddle of water.
A towel was handed to him.
It was Nash.
The veteran's face was likewise filled with fatigue and loss.
Lin Feng took the towel without saying a word, simply throwing it over his head.
Completely isolating himself from this world that reeked of failure.
Garbage time passed quickly.
The piercing final buzzer finally sounded.
122:107.
The Lakers had lost a crucial battle on their home court.
The total series score was 0:3.
They were pushed to the edge of an abyss from which there was no return.
The other end of the court was a different scene entirely.
The Thunder players rushed to the center of the court, excitedly hugging each other.
Westbrook jumped onto Durant's back, shouting at the top of his lungs.
A long-awaited smile appeared on Durant's face as well.
They high-fived, they roared, and they enjoyed the joy of victory.
They were only one step away from the trophy that represented the highest honor in the Western Conference.
The fans at the Staples Center began to leave the arena one after another in silence.
No one cursed.
No one cried.
Only a deep sense of loss that penetrated to the bone enveloped everyone.
Just then.
On the big screen at the scene, the director gave a close-up shot that instantly made all the Lakers fans who hadn't left yet stop in their tracks.
The camera was aimed at the Lakers' bench.
It was aimed at the man in a suit who had never left.
Kobe Bryant.
He didn't look at the celebrating Thunder team on the court.
Nor did he look at his dejected teammates around him.
He just quietly looked up at the huge scoreboard above the arena showing the final score.
His eyes were very calm.
So calm it was unsettling.
There was no anger there.
No unwillingness.
There wasn't even a trace of sadness.
Only a deep sense of powerlessness that could not be described in words.
That was a king who had once conquered this city with paranoia and madness.
The loneliness of a hero in his twilight years, revealed as he watched his empire about to crumble with his own eyes.
This scene.
Spread to thousands of households across America through TNT's national live broadcast.
In a bar in Los Angeles.
A burly man wearing a number 24 jersey looked at this image on the TV and suddenly smashed the wine glass in his hand heavily onto the ground.
Then, he covered his face, his shoulders trembling violently.
In the living rooms of countless families.
Countless Kobe fans, at the moment they saw this image.
Their eyes instantly turned red.
The websites of major sports media changed their headlines immediately after the game ended.
[ESPN: The Empire Collapses! The Oklahoma Youth Army holds the match point at 3:0!]
[Yahoo Sports: The End of an Era? Kobe Bryant's Eyes Break Los Angeles' Heart!]
[Los Angeles Times: Goodbye, black mamba. Goodbye, our youth.]
...In the Lakers' locker room.
The atmosphere was as oppressive as a grave.
No one spoke.
There was only the slight clinking of instruments as the Team Doctor treated wounds.
Lin Feng sat in front of his locker, letting the Team Doctorapply an ice pack to his already cramping calf.
His face was expressionless.
The TV in the locker room was playing post-game news highlights.
When that close-up shot of Kobe appeared on the screen.
Lin Feng's pupils contracted sharply.
He saw it.
He saw Kobe's hollow eyes, which had lost all their light.
In that instant.
An invisible knife, sharper than any physical blade.
Stabbed ruthlessly into his heart!
It hurt!
A pain millions of times more intense than any physical fatigue or soreness!
Being down 0:3 didn't make him feel this bad.
Being defeated by Durant's unstoppable scoring didn't make him this miserable either.
But this look from Kobe.
Made him feel as if his soul was being torn apart.
He suddenly realized.
What on earth was he doing?
He wasn't just losing a series.
He was personally, bit by bit, burying the final dignity of his idol's career!
That pride belonging to the black mamba, which would rather die than surrender!
"I..."
Lin Feng's lips trembled, but he couldn't make a sound.
A massive sense of self-loathing, enough to completely consume him, swept over his entire body.
He pushed the Team Doctor aside, stood up unsteadily, and rushed into the shower room.
Cold water poured down from above.
But he couldn't feel the slightest bit of chill.
Only those lonely, hollow eyes kept reappearing in his mind over and over again.
Late at night.
In a hotel room in Los Angeles.
Lin Feng lay on the bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.
He had no desire to sleep.
Kobe's look was like a nightmare, haunting him and making it hard to breathe.
He knew he couldn't go on like this.
Scoring.
He could score a lot of points.
But so what?
That's not how basketball is played.
That's not how victory is won.
There must be something he hadn't figured out.
There must be an ultimate answer about victory that transcends'scoring' itself.
He sat up abruptly from the bed.
In the darkness, he grabbed his car keys and walked quickly out of the room.
He needed an answer.
An answer that only that man could give him.
Chapter 160: The Key to Kingship! Kobe's Late-Night Teaching!
Late at night.
A black aston martin, like a ghostly shadow, sped through the empty streets of Los Angeles.
Lin Feng gripped the steering wheel, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
He floored the accelerator.
The roar of the engine was like a caged beast growling, trying to drown out those hollow, lonely eyes in his mind.
But he couldn't.
Kobe's gaze was like a red-hot branding iron, deeply seared into the depths of his soul.
The car came to a screeching halt in front of a mansion in Beverly Hills.
The tires shrieked as they rubbed against the ground.
Lin Feng got out of the car and walked quickly to the heavy door carved with exquisite patterns.
He raised his hand, about to ring the doorbell.
"Click."
The door opened from the inside.
Kobe stood behind the door, wearing a black silk bathrobe.
He didn't look surprised.
As if he had known all along that Lin Feng would come.
"Come in."
Kobe's voice was a bit raspy as he stepped aside to make way.
Lin Feng walked in silently.
The mansion was very quiet.
Kobe didn't take him to the living room, but led him straight to the private film room in the basement.
A huge screen was playing an old game recording.
It was from the OK duo's three-peat era.
On the screen, a young man in a No. 8 jersey with a defiant afro was flying through the air, capable of anything.
Kobe didn't talk about tonight's painful loss.
Nor did he perform any technical analysis.
He just went to the wine cabinet, poured two glasses of whiskey, and handed one to Lin Feng.
Then, he pointed at his young, aggressive, high-flying self on the screen.
He spoke, his voice deep.
"Kid."
"Do you know why that big guy and I were able to win?"
Lin Feng held his glass, remaining silent.
He watched the young Kobe on the screen, tearing through the opponent's defense with one incredible individual attack after another.
The answer seemed to be on the tip of his tongue.
Because you were strong enough.
Because you were unstoppable.
But he didn't say it.
He knew that what Kobe wanted to hear was definitely not that.
Kobe saw his confusion and gave the answer himself.
"Because everyone thought I was the Lakers' strongest weapon."
There was a hint of self-deprecation in Kobe's voice.
"But they were all wrong."
"I was just the sharpest spear."
"And the real weapon..."
Kobe's gaze became distant.
"Was Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense."
"It was the clutch shot Derek Fisher made with 0.4 seconds left."
"It was the game-winner Robert Horry hit at the Sacramento Kings' home court."
"My greatest strength..."
Kobe turned his head, his gaze like lightning, piercing straight into the depths of Lin Feng's heart!
"Wasn't my scoring ability!"
"It was that I could make all these people willing to become my weapons!"
"To let them deliver the most fatal blow when it was needed most!"
These words were like a sudden clap of Thunder!
They exploded in Lin Feng's mind!
His whole body froze in place!
He almost dropped the glass in his hand!
He understood!
He finally understood!
His line of thinking all along had been completely wrong from the start!
Whether it was Daiki Aomine's Formless Shot!
Or Shintaro Midorima's Full-court Three-pointer!
These abilities were only limitlessly strengthening his attributes as a'spear'!
Making this spear sharper and more lethal!
But!
When the opponent is a wall built with the purest talent that cannot be destroyed!
No matter how sharp the spear is, what use is it?
Other than crashing against the wall until bloody and eventually breaking oneself, it has no meaning!
To defeat an opponent like the Thunder!
What he needed wasn't a stronger spear at all!
But a kind of... Kingship, that could command thousands of troops and make the entire battlefield serve him!
He needed to control the game!
Instead of being like a gambler, putting all his chips on his own shooting touch!
He needed every teammate around him!
Whether it was Nash, Gasol, or Howard!
To become pieces on his chessboard, capable of delivering a fatal blow to the enemy at the most critical position at any time!
Eye of the Heavenly Emperor!
In that instant, the image of being posterized by Westbrook surfaced in his mind again.
He had activated the Eye of the Heavenly Emperor.
He had predicted everything Westbrook would do.
But he was still knocked away like a piece of paper.
Why?
Before, he couldn't find the answer, only feeling it was pure talent crushing him.
But now.
He understood!
The core ability of the Eye of the Heavenly Emperorwasn't 'prediction' at all!
It was 'control'!
To look down at the entire game like a true emperor, and then use his own will to dominate the actions of all the pieces on the board!
His thought at the time was to predict Westbrook's actions and then use his own body to block him!
That was a defender's mindset!
That was a passive, reactive mindset!
And what would a true emperor do?
He wouldn't personally go down to engage in bloody hand-to-hand combat with the opponent's pawns!
He would use his eyes to see through the entire battlefield!
Then, he would mobilize the thousands of troops under his command!
To set traps!
To divide and conquer!
To make that damn, out-of-control 'heavy truck' crash into the death trap tailor-made for him!
An unprecedented desire for 'control'!
Like a wildfire, it grew wildly in the depths of his heart!
He thought of Scarlett Johansson.
He thought of that condescending, slightly playful look in her text message.
Lion.
Cheetah.
Siege.
That wasn't a game.
That was a hunt!
And he, Lin Feng, would be the only hunter in control of the whole scene!
Kobe looked at the new, even slightly dangerous flame reigniting in Lin Feng's eyes.
He nodded with satisfaction.
"It seems you've found your path."
Lin Feng stood up straight.
He didn't say another word.
To this man before him.
His idol, his mentor, and the guide who lit the way forward when he was most lost.
He bowed deeply.
Then, he turned and strode out of the film room.
Sitting back in that aston martin.
Lin Feng's gaze became incredibly firm and deep.
He dialed that unfamiliar number from Scarlett.
After a few rings, the call was connected.
From the receiver came a voice that was slightly lazy yet full of fatal temptation.
"Hello?"
Lin Feng didn't introduce himself or exchange pleasantries.
He just said one sentence in an unquestionable, strongly aggressive tone.
"I want to visit your 'hunting ground'."
"Now."
Chapter 161: Midnight at the Art Gallery! The Queen's Chessboard!
On the other end of the phone, there was a silence of about three seconds.
It was a playful silence, as if she were admiring the final struggles of her prey.
And then.
Scarlett Johansson's voice, carrying a hint of raspiness and laziness, drifted softly through the receiver.
In her voice, not a trace of surprise could be heard.
"I'll send you the address."
"You have half an hour."
With that, she hung up the phone immediately.
No redundant chatter.
Decisive, crisp, and full of control.
In less than ten seconds.
Lin Feng's phone received a new text message.
On it was only an address deep within Beverly Hills.
Lin Feng didn't hesitate for a moment and started the car.
The engine of the aston martin let out a low growl in the silent night, then turned into a bolt of black lightning, disappearing into the darkness.
Half an hour later.
The vehicle stopped punctually at the destination indicated by the address.
Calling this place a luxury mansion would be an understatement.
It was more like a heavily guarded private fortress.
Tall walls cast of black iron and carved with vintage patterns isolated everything inside from the outside world.
Lin Feng had just brought the car to a steady stop.
The iron gate, as thick as a bank vault door, slid open silently to both sides.
It was as if someone had been waiting for his arrival all along.
Lin Feng drove inside.
A small path paved with white pebbles wound its way into the depths of the estate.
On both sides of the road were gardens manicured with extreme precision.
But Lin Feng had no heart to appreciate these things.
His gaze was locked firmly on the building at the end of the path, which looked like a sleeping giant beast in the night.
Finally, the car stopped in front of an elegant building constructed entirely of white marble.
Lin Feng stepped out of the car.
A woman wearing an elegant long black silk dress was leaning against the two massive Roman columns at the entrance.
Scarlett Johansson.
She stood there casually, holding a glass of red wine and gently swirling it.
The liquid in the glass presented an enticing, blood-like hue.
Her red lips were like fire.
Her eyes held a hint of laziness, a touch of scrutiny, and an imperceptible trace of admiration.
Like a queen who had finally waited for the prey she was interested in to step into her trap of his own accord.
"Welcome to my 'hunting ground'."
Scarlett didn't step forward; she simply raised her wine glass as a greeting.
Her gaze swept over Lin Feng's body without restraint.
From his slightly messy hair due to traveling through the night.
To those eyes that, after experiencing a crushing defeat, had not only failed to dim but instead burned with a brand-new flame.
"It seems you've obtained something interesting from Kobe."
Scarlett's tone was full of certainty.
Lin Feng did not answer this question.
He just calmly met her aggressive, scrutinizing gaze.
"What I want to see is not this."
Scarlett chuckled, seemingly satisfied with Lin Feng's directness.
She said nothing more.
She turned around and walked into the depths of the building with elegant strides.
"Follow me."
Lin Feng stepped forward and followed her.
To his surprise.
Scarlett did not take him to a living room or anything resembling a reception area.
She led him into a long corridor that resembled an art gallery.
On both sides of the corridor hung world-famous paintings, each enough to drive countless wealthy people into a frenzy at an auction.
From Monet's "Water Lilies" to Van Gogh's "The Starry Night."
Every single piece was a priceless original.
"Many people think that collecting these is to display wealth and taste."
Scarlett's footsteps stopped in front of an oil painting depicting a battle scene from Ancient Rome.
She didn't look back, only staring at the Roman general on the canvas, mounted on a warhorse, holding a scepter high as he received the worship of ten thousand people.
"But they are all wrong."
"What I like isn't the painting itself."
Her finger lightly traced the face of the general in the painting.
"But the absolute power within the painting that can decide the life and death of countless people."
Her voice was very soft.
But every word was like a small stone thrown into the already turbulent lake of Lin Feng's heart.
Lin Feng's gaze also fell upon the painting.
He understood.
Scarlett wasn't talking to him about art at all.
This was a test!
An interview to see if he was qualified to step into her world!
"Power cannot decide life and death."
Lin Feng spoke, his voice very calm.
Scarlett turned around, looking at him with great interest, her eyebrows slightly arched.
"Oh?"
"Then what can?"
Lin Feng's gaze shifted from the general's face to the bottom of the painting, to the soldiers and civilians prostrate on the ground with fanatical expressions.
"Conquest."
"Only total conquest can make others willingly offer you everything, including their lives."
Lin Feng's answer made the look of admiration in Scarlett's eyes grow even thicker.
She liked this answer.
Because this was not something a mere athlete could say.
This was an answer that could only be given by an ambitious person who also had a profound understanding of 'control' and 'conquest'.
Scarlett spoke no more.
She continued walking forward.
Leading Lin Feng past one artwork after another that would take any collector's breath away.
Modern sculptures.
Classical paintings.
Every piece of art became a tool for her to test Lin Feng.
And Lin Feng's answers surprised her more and more each time.
He did not present himself as a simple-minded athlete.
But as a kindred spirit who possessed the same coldness and the same desire to control everything.
Finally.
Scarlett led Lin Feng to the deepest part of this private art gallery.
Here, there were no more priceless artworks.
Only an empty room with an extremely minimalist decoration style.
In the very center of the room.
There stood only an incredibly exquisite chess board crafted from pure black obsidian and snowy white ivory.
On the board, the black and white pieces were already neatly arranged.
Ready and waiting.
Like two silent armies about to engage in a life-and-death struggle.
"Many people want to see my 'hunting ground'."
Scarlett slowly walked to the side of the board and leaned against the edge of the table.
She picked up the glass of red wine she had been holding and took a gentle sip.
Then, with a playful look in her eyes, she looked at Lin Feng.
"But entering the field isn't that easy."
"You have to first prove that you are qualified to be a hunter."
She extended a slender finger and tapped the black-and-white checkered board.
A charming smile that could drive any man crazy curled at the corners of her mouth.
"The rules are simple."
"Beat me."
This was not just a game of chess.
Lin Feng understood instantly.
This was the ultimate trial of wisdom, control, and psychological maneuvering!
He knew.
Victory on this chessboard would be the only key to unlocking that brand-new power belonging to an Emperor!
Chapter 162: The emperor's Chess Match! The Queen's Trap!
This was more than just a game of chess.
Lin Feng understood instantly.
This was the ultimate trial of wisdom, control, and psychological warfare!
He knew.
Victory on this chessboard would be the only key to unlocking that brand-new power belonging to an emperor!
He said nothing more.
He simply pulled out the ebony chair and sat down calmly.
His movements were steady, without a trace of nervousness.
Scarlett watched him, the playful smile on her red lips deepening.
"You first."
She made a gesture of invitation with an elegant posture, like a queen truly in control of life and death over the entire field.
Lin Feng did not stand on ceremony.
He reached out and pushed the pawn in front of the king.
The most common and stable opening.
An imperceptible glint flashed in Scarlett's eyes; she responded almost without thinking.
Her playing style was just like her personality.
Full of aggression.
Full of pressure.
Every move was like a meticulously planned assault, carrying lethal intent, lunging toward Lin Feng's position without concealment.
After only a dozen or so turns.
Lin Feng's defensive line had already been torn to shreds.
His rooks were cleverly pinned by her bishops and knights.
His queen was also locked in a corner by two of her pawns.
The situation was rapidly tilting in a direction unfavorable to him.
Scarlett picked up her wine glass and took another gentle sip.
Her posture was relaxed.
Her gaze held a cat-and-mouse sort of playfulness.
She was enjoying this feeling.
The feeling of toying with a man hailed by the outside world as a "Chosen One" in the palm of her hand.
Fine beads of sweat began to form on Lin Feng's forehead.
He had to admit.
In terms of pure chess skill, there was a massive gap between him and the woman before him.
If this continued, he would be completely checkmated within ten moves.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Then, he snapped them open!
Eye of the Heavenly Emperor!
Activate!
In that instant!
The world before Lin Feng's eyes changed completely!
The black-and-white chessboard transformed in his eyes into a massive web of destiny, woven from countless intersecting lines of causality!
Every move Scarlett made.
Every possible variation she might play next.
Even all the possible chain reactions triggered by the next three moves!
Everything was deduced with absolute clarity in his mind in a way that transcended the flow of time!
I've won.
These words surfaced in Lin Feng's heart.
If he only wanted to win this game.
He now had at least seventeen ways to easily checkmate his opponent using this near-cheating information gap.
But.
He didn't do that.
His fingers hovered in mid-air, hesitating to descend.
His brain was working at high speed.
No!
What Scarlett wanted to see was not a player who could "win" this game by relying on petty cleverness or some opportunistic trick!
What she wanted to see!
Was an emperor... who could control the entire match, and even control all the emotions of his opponent!
What would a true emperor do when facing a rebellion?
He wouldn't immediately use thunderous means to behead the rebel leader.
That was mere brute courage.
He would first show weakness to the enemy.
He would intentionally expose flaws.
He would indulge the rebels' desires, letting them drive straight in, letting them seize territory, letting them taste the sweetness of victory, letting them think they had controlled everything, letting them expose all their fatal weaknesses at their most frantic and arrogant moment!
And then.
Only then would he tighten the inescapable net he had prepared for them long ago!
He would thoroughly strangle them along with their ambitions and desires!
That was conquest!
That was the art belonging to an emperor!
Having figured all this out, a very subtle curve slowly formed at the corner of Lin Feng's mouth.
His fingers moved.
He made a move.
A move that would seem foolish to the extreme to any chess player.
In order to take an insignificant pawn.
He actively abandoned the protection of his queen!
Scarlett's eyes lit up.
She seemingly hadn't expected Lin Feng to make such a low-level mistake.
She didn't hesitate for a moment.
Her queen, like an unsheathed sword, precisely took Lin Feng's piece that symbolized his strongest offensive power.
"Check."
She said softly, her tone carrying a hint of condescending pity.
Lin Feng just calmly moved his king, dodging the attack.
But the situation on his board had become precarious.
Next.
Lin Feng's "mistakes" began to grow more frequent.
His knights were taken.
His bishops were also taken.
His defensive line was completely crushed by Scarlett's tide-like offensive.
From the look of the board, Lin Feng had already lost disastrously.
He was left with only his king and a few scattered pawns.
Like a king stripped of all weapons and armor, waiting for his final judgment in his own castle.
Scarlett looked at the endgame before her.
In her beautiful blue eyes, a trace of disappointment flashed that even she didn't notice.
Is this it?
She had thought this man, who could create miracles on the basketball court, would bring her some different surprises.
But now it seemed.
He was just so-so.
Ultimately just a simple-minded athlete.
Scarlett shook her head, the last bit of interest in her heart vanishing completely.
She was ready to end this boring game.
She reached out her slender hand with bright red nail polish.
Ready to move her queen.
To complete the final, fatal "checkmate."
However.
Just then.
Lin Feng moved.
His face remained as calm as still water.
He reached out.
He didn't move the king that had been driven into a corner.
Nor did he move any of his remaining defensive pieces.
His finger landed on the most inconspicuous, corner-most position on the board.
He gently pushed a tiny pawn that hadn't moved once since the start of the game.
He moved it forward one step.
It was just this insignificant step.
Just this move that seemed to have no connection to the entire battle.
Scarlett's hand, which was about to move her queen.
Suddenly froze in mid-air!
Her pupils contracted violently in that instant!
The lazy, slightly contemptuous expression on her face.
Completely solidified!
As if she had seen a ghost, she stared fixedly at that tiny pawn that had just been moved!
She discovered in horror!
With the movement of this pawn!
All her main pieces on the board with powerful offensive capabilities!
Her queen! Her rooks! Her knights!
All routes of retreat, all lines of attack!
Were unexpectedly and completely locked down by this one seemingly insignificant pawn!
The entire board!
In this moment!
Transformed from her hunting ground into a magnificent and lethal... cage, tailor-made for her!
Chapter 163: Predicting Your Prediction! The Queen's Total Submission!
Scarlett's hand, which was about to move her "Queen," froze mid-air.
The lazy, playful, and slightly condescending expression on her face completely solidified.
In this moment, time seemed to stretch infinitely.
Her azure sapphire-like eyes stared fixedly at the tiny pawn that Lin Feng had gently pushed.
Then, her gaze began to scan the starkly black-and-white chessboard wildly and uncontrollably!
Her brain was working at an unprecedented speed!
She tried to find a way out!
Trying to find any tiny flaw in this damn, magnificent cage!
But there was none!
Absolutely none!
Her Queen was caught in a perfect angle formed by Lin Feng's inconspicuous pawn and one of her own pawns, completely locking down all her movement!
Her Rook was caught in an inescapable death trap formed by Lin Feng's last remaining Knight and her own Bishop!
Her Bishop, her Knight... all her powerful attacking pieces on the board seemed to be tightly bound in place by an invisible chain at this moment!
Not only could they no longer pose any threat to Lin Feng's solitary King.
Even self-preservation had become a luxury!
How is this possible?!
Scarlett felt her breathing become difficult!
She couldn't understand!
She completely failed to understand how the situation had undergone such a world-shaking reversal in this single instant!
She began to frantically replay every move in her mind!
She remembered!
A dozen moves ago.
Lin Feng had voluntarily sacrificed his "Rook" just to take one of her insignificant pawns.
At the time, she thought it was a low-level mistake Lin Feng made out of impatience!
Looking at it now!
That wasn't a mistake at all!
It was a bait!
A fatal bait that made her let down her guard and believe victory was in her grasp!
She remembered again!
Seven moves ago.
To avoid one of her checks, Lin Feng made a move that seemed extremely clumsy, exposing his "Queen" in a very dangerous position.
At that time, she was filled with contempt and unhesitatingly captured Lin Feng's strongest piece!
She clearly remembered the pleasure of being in total control when she uttered the word "Check!"
But now!
As she re-examined that move, a bone-chilling cold suddenly surged from her spine straight to the top of her head!
She discovered in horror!
Lin Feng's move wasn't to protect his King at all!
He did it on purpose!
He intentionally delivered his "Queen" to her doorstep!
He was using his strongest piece as the price!
To exchange for a flaw in her formation that even she hadn't noticed—one so tiny it was negligible... until now!
Scene after scene flashed back frantically in Scarlett's mind like a fast-forwarded movie!
Every piece of Lin Feng's she captured!
Every fierce attack she launched!
Every move she made to drive Lin Feng into a corner!
At the time, they all seemed like perfect manifestations of her wisdom and chess skills!
They were all medals of victory for having this man in the palm of her hand!
But until this moment.
Until Lin Feng moved that tiny pawn that had remained silent since the beginning of the game.
Only then did she suddenly wake up, as if struck by lightning!
So.
From beginning to end.
Every move she made had actually been within this man's calculations!
He wasn't playing chess with her!
He was using these sixty-four black and white squares, these ivory and obsidian carved pieces, to compose a script whose ending had already been written!
And herself!
This self-righteous Queen who thought she controlled the whole board!
From start to finish, she was just a pathetic clown in his script, following his will step by step to send herself to the guillotine with her own hands!
He predicted her moves.
He predicted the proud heart, full of aggression and the desire to conquer, behind every move she made!
He exploited her greed!
He exploited her confidence!
He exploited her undisguised thirst for victory!
He was like a master psychologist, calculating all her emotions and desires with absolute clarity!
This was no longer a victory on the level of chess skills!
This was a dimensional strike!
This was a complete and utter crushing on a psychological level!
Scarlett slowly raised her head.
Her hand, which had been frozen in mid-air, also dropped weakly.
She looked across the table.
At the Eastern man whose face had shown no emotional fluctuation from beginning to end.
He still looked as calm as ever.
It was as if the thrilling psychological battle that just took place—one enough to make any top chess player turn pale—was nothing more than a simple post-dinner pastime to him.
At this moment.
Scarlett saw something in Lin Feng's eyes that she had never seen before.
It wasn't the joy of a victor.
Nor was it the excitement of defeating a strong enemy.
It was a kind of absolute control, like a god looking down upon mortals!
This man!
Was ten thousand times more dangerous than she had imagined!
And ten thousand times more charming than she had imagined!
Lin Feng didn't speak.
He just calmly met Scarlett's complex gaze, which was filled with shock, horror, and a hint of fanaticism.
He reached out his hand.
And gently moved his only remaining, weak Knight.
"Clack."
The piece landed on the board with a crisp sound.
"Checkmate."
Lin Feng's voice was very soft.
But those words were like two heavy hammers smashing ruthlessly against Scarlett's heart!
Checkmate!
An unsolvable, perfect checkmate laid out for her using her own pieces!
He won.
And he did it in the most brutal way possible, leaving his opponent completely convinced of their defeat and even feeling a hint of fear!
The entire room fell into a brief silence.
Only the sound of their light breathing remained in the air.
After a long time.
The shock and horror on Scarlett's face slowly faded away.
In its place.
A stunning smile, unprecedentedly brilliant and filled with endless admiration, bloomed on her fiery red lips.
She looked at the man before her who had calculated her every move until she was utterly defeated.
Instead of having even a shred of anger.
She felt a massive sense of excitement, as if she had found one of her own kind!
She slowly stood up.
The black silk dress outlined her perfect curves that drove men all over the world crazy.
She didn't return to her seat.
Instead, she took elegant steps around the Obsidian Chessboard and proactively walked toward Lin Feng, step by step.
She leaned down slightly.
A fatal, seductive scent, a mixture of mellow red wine and her unique body fragrance, instantly enveloped all of Lin Feng's senses.
Her voice carried a hint of raspiness, a touch of playfulness, and an undisguised admiration from the bottom of her heart.
"You predicted my prediction."
"And even made me think I had won."
Scarlett reached out a slender finger with bright red nail polish and gently tapped Lin Feng's chest.
Her eyes shimmered with a bright yet dangerous light, like the stars.
"You didn't just want to win a game of chess."
"You wanted to control the entire board."
"Very well."
"You passed."
Chapter 164: The emperor's Reward! The Queen's Recognition!
"You passed."
Scarlett's voice carried a fatal magic.
It was like a feather, gently scratching against Lin Feng's eardrums.
It was also like a flame, igniting every poised nerve in his body.
Lin Feng didn't move.
He just sat calmly on that ebony chair, letting the woman who drove men all over the world crazy approach him step by step.
In the air, the scent—a blend of the mellow aroma of red wine and her unique body fragrance—became increasingly thick.
It was like an invisible web woven from desire, wrapping him tightly.
Scarlett walked to the front of Lin Feng and stopped.
In her azure eyes, an unprecedented light flickered.
It was appreciation.
It was excitement.
Even more, it was a Soul Resonance from finding one of her own kind!
She leaned down slightly.
That black silk dress, because of this movement, outlined a breathtakingly perfect curve.
Her red lips were almost pressed against Lin Feng's earlobe.
Warm breath, carrying a hint of wine, was gently sprayed by Lin Feng's ear.
"The court is the same."
Her voice was very light and soft, yet it carried a power sufficient to subvert the world.
"A true emperor is not the general who personally charges into battle and uses his own martial prowess to slay enemy commanders."
"But rather the one who can sit upon the throne and make every piece on the chessboard willingly burn their lives for him..."
"A god."
Boom!
Scarlett's words were like the final key that could open the gates of the temple!
In this instant!
It was thrust fiercely into the long-locked shackles within Lin Feng's mind!
Then, with a forceful twist!
*Crack!*
A crisp, loud sound seemed to explode within the depths of his soul!
The final shackle binding his thoughts completely shattered!
He understood!
He finally, completely and utterly, understood!
The Eye of the Heavenly Emperor!
Its ultimate secret was not some bullshit 'predicting the future' at all!
Prediction!
That is what a strategist does!
That is what a subject does!
A true emperor never disdains to 'predict' any future!
Because he is the future itself!
The true power of the Eye of the Heavenly Emperor is 'creating the future'!
It is using those eyes that can perceive everything to see through the strengths, weaknesses, and desires of every piece on the board—even their most hidden fears!
And then!
Utilizing all of it!
To lay down a track of destiny for them—one they cannot perceive themselves—leading towards the 'future' he desires!
To let Kobe, at the most critical moment, throw out that life-ending fadeaway representing the Mamba Mentality without any reservations!
To let Gasol, when his high-post playmaking is needed most, deliver the most precise and lethal pass!
To let Nash, when the team's offense has stalled, use his phantom-like passes to tear through the opponent's defense once more!
To let Howard become the guardian of the no-fly zone in the paint, making all opponents feel despair!
What he needed to do!
Was not to take on the entire Thunder team alone!
But to make the entire Lakers team!
To make this purple-and-gold war machine, which once held supreme glory!
Run again under his will!
And then, with an unstoppable, imperial posture!
Crush that damn Oklahoma City Thunder standing in their way!
This!
Was the ultimate answer to victory!
This!
Was the royal power belonging to an emperor!
An unprecedented sense of clear enlightenment swept through Lin Feng's entire body like a bursting flood!
He felt his entire soul undergo a sublimation at this moment!
He looked at the woman before him who had enlightened him with a single sentence.
In his originally calm eyes, a blazing fire also ignited, equally full of aggression and the desire to conquer!
That wordless Soul Resonance between the strong and the strong.
At this moment, it reached its peak!
The atmosphere in the entire room became incredibly hot.
It was as if even the air was burning!
Scarlett felt the change in Lin Feng's gaze.
She smiled.
Her smile became increasingly brilliant and charming.
She knew.
The man before her was no longer that trapped Lionbeing besieged by two Cheetahs.
He had transformed into a true king, qualified to stand beside her at the top of this world's vanity fair!
And a queen is never stingy with her rewards for a qualified king.
Scarlett slowly straightened her body.
And then.
Under Lin Feng's aggressive gaze.
She took the initiative and kissed his lips.
This kiss held no trace of gentleness.
Nor was there any lingering tenderness.
It was more like the start of a war.
A passionate collision between two top predators regarding conquering and being conquered, controlling and being controlled!
Lin Feng no longer suppressed the primal desire within him that was like a volcanic eruption.
He stood up abruptly.
In one motion, he picked up the stunning beauty before him!
Scarlett let out a soft laugh, tinged with a slight gasp but filled with excitement.
She reached out both arms and tightly hugged Lin Feng's neck.
Lin Feng carried her and strode toward the large, black velvet-covered sofa deep in the room.
This night was destined to be sleepless.
There were no gentle caresses here.
Only the most primal contest of strength.
Lin Feng felt it.
The near-obsessive desire for victory deep in his heart.
The obsession with controlling everything that reached into his very marrow.
At this moment, it seemed to have found a perfect outlet for release!
He felt a certain power within his body awakening frantically at an unprecedented speed!
It wasn't the absolute precision belonging to Midorima Shintaro.
Nor was it the unordered wildness belonging to Aomine Daiki.
It was a more advanced, purer... authority closer to 'God'!
It belonged to Seijuro Akashi!
It was the power symbolizing absolute, unquestionable imperial authority!
This power surged frantically through his body!
Remodeling every nerve!
Reshaping every cell!
He felt his vision becoming clearer and clearer!
He could even'see'!
See every heartbeat of Scarlett's!
See the blood flowing faster beneath her skin because of excitement!
See the violent trembling deep in her soul from being conquered!
Finally!
At the most intense and frantic peak of this magnificent war of conquest and control!
The power that had been accumulating within him for so long completely exploded!
Lin Feng's mind went blank!
And in this very instant!
That cold yet incredibly familiar, mechanical system prompt...
Like a divine decree.
Solemnly boomed in the depths of his mind!
[Ding! Detected that the host has completed a deep intimate link with ss-rank charm target 'Scarlett Johansson' under the 'Soul Resonance' state!]
[Congratulations to the host, the SSS-rank skill 'Akashi Seijuros Emperor Eye' has evolved into — 'Eye of the Heavenly Emperor · ZONE'!]
Chapter 165: Unlocked! Heavenly Emperors Eye · ZONE!
That cold, yet incredibly familiar, mechanical system notification sound.
Just like a divine decree.
Solemnly, it boomed deep within his mind!
[Ding! Detected that the Host has completed a deep intimate link with the ss-rank charm target 'Scarlett Johansson' under the 'Soul Resonance' state!]
[Congratulations, Host. The SSS-rank Skill [Seijuro Akashi's Eye of the Heavenly Emperor] has advanced to—[Heavenly Emperors Eye · ZONE]!]
The moment the system notification sound faded.
An information torrent, immense beyond description.
Without warning, it fiercely rushed into Lin Feng's brain!
It was a supreme truth about the sport of basketball, akin to a cosmic law!
Countless complex trajectory lines!
Innumerable unbelievable tactical variations!
Every player on the court, from the subtle twitch of their muscles to the prediction of their next action in 0.1 seconds!
Everything transformed into the purest data, surging wildly, restructuring, and then being completely absorbed by him in his mind!
Lin Feng felt like his brain was about to explode from this terrifying information flow!
And just at this moment.
The system's voice sounded once again.
[Skill Name: Heavenly Emperors Eye · ZONE]
[Skill Level: SSS+ (Upgradeable)]
[Skill Description: The materialization of the emperor's authority. Upon activation, the Host's vision will no longer be limited to the individual, but will cover the entire basketball court from a God's-eye view.]
[Ability One: Full-Court Future Sight]
[Description: The Host can not only perfectly predict all opponents' actions, but also clearly see the optimal offensive runs and defensive positions of their own teammates in the next few seconds.]
[Ability Two: Emperors Edict (Core)]
[Description: The Host can briefly share the "future" they see with any designated teammate on the court via eye contact, simple gestures, or commands!]
[Sharing Effect: The teammate who is shared "Future Sight" will be forcibly entered into a "Pseudo-ZONE" state for a very short period (duration depends on the Host's mental strength).]
[In the Pseudo-ZONE state, all key abilities of that teammate—such as reaction speed, movement speed, tactical judgment, and shooting accuracy—will receive a massive boost!]
[Side Effect Warning: This ability is a forced activation of a teammate's potential and will consume double the Host's mental strength and physical stamina. It cannot be mastered by anyone who does not possess the stature of an emperor with absolute control over the entire court.]
[This is the true "Authority of the emperor"!]
...After the final section of the system description slowly disappeared from his mind.
Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes.
In that instant.
The entire world before his eyes changed.
It was no longer just simple objects and colors.
Instead, it was a code world, composed of countless intricate, faintly glowing data streams and trajectory lines—a world that could be calculated and rewritten!
He didn't even need to turn his head.
He could clearly "see" every wrinkle on the black velvet sofa behind him.
He could "see" the trajectory of every dust particle floating in the air.
And he could "see" the steady frequency of the heartbeat and the speed of blood flowing beneath the skin of the woman beside him, who was still slightly languid after having just experienced a passionate war.
"You look... a little different."
Scarlett had woken up sometime without him noticing.
She was lying on her side, propping her head up with her arm, her blue eyes examining Lin Feng with a hint of curiosity and scrutiny.
Lin Feng turned his head and met her gaze.
His eyes were calm.
But this very calmness caused Scarlett's heart to inexplicably skip a beat.
She saw in this man's eyes an absolute confidence that made her heart tremble slightly.
It was the look of a master, one who held the entire world in the palm of his hand.
Lin Feng did not answer her.
He simply reached out and gently tucked a strand of her golden hair, which had fallen onto her cheek, behind her ear.
Then, the corner of his mouth curved into an arc of extreme confidence.
He knew.
From this moment on.
The rules of the NBA game.
The definition of victory and defeat in the sport of basketball.
Would all be rewritten by him!
Outside the window.
The ink-black night sky of Los Angeles had been torn open by a streak of pale dawn light.
Dawn was about to arrive... That same evening.
Staples Center.
Inside the Lakers' home locker room.
The atmosphere was as oppressive as a tomb.
The air was thick with the scent of failure and despair.
Every player's face was etched with numbness.
No one spoke.
The only sounds in the entire locker room were the "slish" of tape being torn and the faint clinking of medical equipment as the Team Doctor treated wounds.
Steve Nash leaned against his locker, eyes closed, while the Team Doctor applied an ice pack to his already overburdened knee.
The face of the two-time MVP winner showed only unconcealed exhaustion.
Pau Gasol had his head bowed, covering his face with a large towel, making his expression indiscernible.
But his knuckles, white from clenching his hands, betrayed his inner frustration and reluctance to surrender.
Nick Young, the usually optimistic and goofy "isolation king," now sat dejectedly in the corner like a defeated rooster, staring blankly at the floor.
0:3.
This number weighed on everyone's heart like an insurmountable mountain.
They all knew that tonight might be their final battle of the season.
They were facing a farewell performance that was destined to be a shameful, losing sweep.
In this atmosphere so heavy it was almost suffocating.
"Creak—"
The locker room door was pushed open.
Lin Feng walked in.
He had changed into a clean practice uniform, his face devoid of any unnecessary expression.
His arrival caused a slight stir in the oppressive locker room atmosphere.
Everyone subconsciously turned their gaze towards him.
There was sympathy.
There was helplessness.
And a final sliver of hope that they hadn't even realized they held.
Lin Feng ignored these complex gazes.
He walked straight to the center of the locker room and stopped.
Then, he slowly looked around.
His gaze swept past Nash's exhausted face.
Past Gasol's towel-covered head.
Past Nick Young's blank eyes.
Finally.
He spoke in a tone that was utterly calm and devoid of emotion.
"Tonight, don't worry about missing shots."
This sentence stunned everyone in the locker room.
They didn't understand what Lin Feng meant by saying something like this at this moment.
Was it comfort?
Or was he speaking some unrealistic nonsense?
Amidst everyone's puzzled looks.
Lin Feng's voice sounded again.
This time, his voice carried an undeniable, absolute will, as if a monarch were issuing a command!
"All you need to do..."
"...is run to the position I tell you, and shoot."
His teammates looked at him skeptically, but then noticed a light in Lin Feng's pupils that seemed to overlook all beings.
That gaze compelled them to submit involuntarily.
More chapters available on WTR-Lab, up to 255: NBA: Dating a Pop Diva Earns Him a Three-pointer from the Green.