Generation Z Artists

Chapter 193 Chinese people do not believe in gods, but prefer to kill gods.

"Stop fucking grinning! You should feel grief—or at least act like you are!"

"Are you putting on a show for me? I don't think it's necessary."

It's hard to believe that it was Charles Wang who raised the question, while David seemed completely unconcerned.

Right now, the whole of America is immersed in a great grief, and mourning and somber performances can be seen everywhere in all public places.

Look.

Fang Xinghe sat on the sofa, pointed at the television in the living room, and sneered sarcastically.

"Their expressions were so pained, but I don't believe for a second that these big shots who are on TV every day are really grieving over this. In their eyes, I only see impatience and eager excitement. Basketball God, what do you think?"

"You're too rebellious."

Da Dan glanced at Fang Xinghe with displeasure and warned, "You should have more respect for the United States."

"Is that so?" Fang Xinghe retorted sarcastically. "How much respect do you have for America? How much money do you plan to donate to help the suffering people?"

"The United States does not use the word 'masses'."

David suddenly spoke up with a warning.

"Fang, you should adapt to the American ideology as soon as possible, otherwise you will suffer a big fall sooner or later."

Charlie Wang immediately retorted: "David, your history is terrible. Do you know what the American upper class fears most? Great men and their ideas. My boss isn't here to please you; he's here to instill fear in you!"

"WOW!"

Danzi let out a fake exclamation, spreading her hands, delivering a maximum sarcastic effect.

"Baby, you're amazing!"

Fang Xinghe said bluntly, "Old man, what I have is a youth that you can't buy back no amount of money."

Danzi immediately broke through the defenses.

"I can still beat you when I'm 60!"

"But you'll never be young again, admit it, don't you pee on your feet now?"

Danzi: ? ? ?
What kind of bastard came from? How can he swear so viciously?!

This is real negotiation.

They are nothing like the refined and cultured people the lower classes imagine, nor are they as polite and courteous as portrayed in movies and TV shows. Instead, they are filled with ridicule, sarcasm, biting, toughness, and feigned toughness.

Who gains the upper hand in terms of momentum depends more on whose sarcasm is dirtier.

Coincidentally, your brother Fang is a master at cutting to the heart.

Jordan was furious, but he had no rebuttal, so he changed the subject.

"Alright, let's get down to business. I didn't invite you here to make friends, Bai Baobao!"

Fang Xinghe's skin is very white, but not the deathly white of Caucasians; rather, it is a very healthy jade white with a smooth and radiant texture. He was once praised by Hollywood media.

"White baby" is a derogatory term for him, but unfortunately, it's not very offensive.

Fang replied with "Old Black," which immediately left Danzi breathless.

The magic of Chinglish has been proven by history, and Danzi really can't understand how someone can spout jokes so easily.

He decided to avoid verbal sparring with Fang Xinghe.

"Let's talk about that one-on-one match. I don't want to waste any more words with you."

Fang Xinghe felt the same way. He never thought that Jordan was a respectable person off the court. Of course, once he stepped onto the court, then Coach Dan was indeed the most respectable opponent.

"Proceed as soon as possible and make it public."

Fang Xinghe calmly presented his pre-prepared idea.

"Then, we both announced that all proceeds generated would be donated to the families of the victims."

"hiss……"

Danzi and David gasped for air in their cold noodles and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Are you ready?"

Do you know how much money that is?

The two spoke at the same time, but their thoughts were completely different.

Fang Xinghe shrugged casually: "Although I am not American, I empathize with the American people. When such a disaster occurs, I have an obligation and sincerely want to do something for the American people..."

Shit.

He himself laughed at how fake that was, but Brother Fang is a professional aspiring actor, and his performance was so realistic that it could move anyone.

Danzi's expression was complicated: "I originally wanted to donate my annual salary this year..."

Fang Xinghe sneered: "How much could the annual salary be? You can't possibly ask Bolin for a high price, can you?"

Tsk tsk, that's really embarrassing.

David quickly chimed in, "While the annual salary may not be much, Mike's return will greatly boost the confidence of the American people, inspire them, and soothe their emotional wounds..."

He spoke at length, the main point being the absolute importance of Great Dane to the American spirit.

This is purely self-aggrandizement.

The truth of the whole thing is that when Jordan made his second comeback, some people were indeed encouraged, Wall Street did take the opportunity to boost the stock market, the Wizards were indeed popular for a period of time, and the live broadcast ratings soared.

The exaggerated part is that—regardless of Jordan's presence or absence, the trauma will heal; the resilience of the American people is unprecedented in history; and twenty-five years from now, the whole of China will be astonished.

Of course, Jordan's decision to return at this time was not without reason, as evidenced by the buzz surrounding the official announcement.

This was the opportunity Fang Xinghe had been waiting for.

So he calmly spoke, pinpointing Danzi and David's concerns precisely.

"You are indeed very influential, but your social influence is based on victory. When the Wizards showed their potential as a bottom-feeder and could no longer create the miracles that everyone expected, the aura of the basketball god naturally faded, and you became an ordinary superstar."

Furthermore, if your performance is too poor, you might even face repercussions; I hope you're mentally prepared for that.

Danzi reacted with particular excitement: "With me on the team, there's no way we can be pushovers!"

"Come on!" Fang Xinghe sneered. "If I hadn't stopped you, you would have already brought back that useless lackey Leitner to use as a core member."

Danzi's expression grew increasingly grim: "Fang, I respect your opinion, and you'd better give me the same respect in return!"

The context of this statement is that during this year's offseason, Jordan, who was considering a comeback, wanted to trade away his negative asset, Juwan Howard, in exchange for Laettner to assist him. However, Pollin did not agree directly but instead sought Fang Xinghe's opinion.

Since Boss Bo was willing to flatter him, Fang Xinghe rejected Danzi's trading idea without hesitation.

At that time, for some reason, Da Dan didn't insist and gave him face instead.

Perhaps he wanted to mend his relationship with Fang Xinghe; the current Jordan is no longer a pure athlete.

Unfortunately, Fang Xinghe didn't appreciate it.

The boy retorted sharply, "You don't deserve my respect when it comes to team-building strategies!"

"Damn it! You'd better give me a good reason, now, right now!"

Danzi broke through the defense for the third time, and each time it was more intense than the last.

However, Fang Xinghe did have a reason.

On his basketball pro stats panel, he not only maxed out all the skills, but also the tactics.

Although limited by the scarcity of Star Points, Fang Xinghe's tactical awareness is only 89 points. However, compared to black players who rely on talent, Fang Xinghe's understanding of tactics is at the level of Zen Master.

"What tactics do you want to use next season? Continue with your usual triangle offense? Do the Wizards players even deserve it? Does that sycophantic head coach you hired even deserve it?"

One sentence left Da Dan speechless.

He was well aware of the difficulty of the triangle offense, but he was unwilling to admit that the players he had personally selected were incompetent.

"We just need a little time!"

"Come on," Fang Xinghe retorted once again. "Did you win the '93 Finals with the triangle offense? Michael, you've never been superstitious about any tactics. It's just that you're not as confident in yourself anymore, so you're pinning your hopes on the habits that bring you victory after victory, aren't you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room suddenly became more focused.

David's expression hardened. Fang Xinghe's penetrating power was too strong. He was eager to smooth things over, but was interrupted by the furious Jordan.

"I lack confidence? Kid, you haven't beaten the real me yet, you have no right to point fingers at me!"

"It will win."

Fang Xinghe was so calm and composed that no one could tell that he wasn't actually that confident inside.

At this moment, the two people who were wary of each other displayed completely different outward behaviors.

This could be the final straw that decides the outcome.

Of course, at this moment, Jordan was clearly unaware of it.

He was just angry.

"You're talking big after you win. You clearly don't understand how terrifying my anger can be!" But Fang Xinghe suddenly changed his tune and stopped arguing with him: "Fine, Mr. Anger, regardless of who wins or loses the one-on-one fight, I won't use the triangle attack. Do you agree?"

"Why?" Jordan asked, regaining his composure as he panted heavily.

"Because that would weaken my fighting power. I'm not a low-value three-point shooter who can only stretch out and crouch in the corner; I'm a better commander than Magic Johnson."

"You just need to do your job well, and I can lead you to victory!"

"No, you can't right now. Can you play a good game for even a few tens of minutes?"

"The whole thing!"

"35 minutes at most. Don't push yourself, or I'll look down on you."

"..."

What followed was a long silence.

In fact, Joe Johnson's physical condition was still extremely abnormal. In the 2002 season, he played all 82 regular season games, averaging 37 minutes of playing time. He was an all-rounder on both offense and defense and never slacked off on the defensive end.

He averaged 20 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, but both of his legs were severely injured.

However, compared to his own performance in the 91-93 seasons, such statistics are clearly insignificant.

His defensive quality and offensive efficiency have both declined significantly. He needs to play an average of 8 minutes per quarter to maintain a normal output. Once he plays for more than 35 minutes, all he has left is willpower.

Although Danzi's rehabilitation is excellent and his knees are no longer a problem, he will never be able to play like he did when he was younger.

Therefore, Fang Xinghe can freely attack head-on.

He also likes to engage in direct combat.

"If you want to cooperate, face the facts. You need me, you fucking need me right now!"
You want to be an American hero, you want to lead a team of underdogs to create another miracle, you want to protect your reputation, you want to continue the legend and build a new peak in the sky... But without me, you can't do anything!
You know that deep down, don't you, Michael?
The Wizards are a bottom-feeder team. Adding you only makes them a more entertaining bottom-feeder team. Only I can make them change!
Come on, there are no outsiders here today, let's be open and honest.

What exactly are you thinking?

What is your opinion on the decision to make a second comeback?
Do you want to try for the championship again?
Or perhaps he just wanted to have some fun on the court, to show the younger players in the league and the fans off the court that even an aging Jordan wasn't all that great?

Fang Xinghe is like a devil, insightful into human nature, and every word he utters is both piercing and seductive.

Jordan's face showed a hint of fatigue—not from exhaustion, but from expectations.

This is what happens when expectations are too high.

And what is the most absurd thing?
Danzi's expectations were raised by Fang Xinghe.

Fang Xinghe accomplished in a single trial training session what Kua Mei Bu Xiang had never done before.

No one knows what kind of great passes Fang Xinghe can make in official games, but many basketball experts believe that with Fang Xinghe's ability to combine driving and shooting, as long as he has the average passing skills of a point guard, he can greatly change a team's offensive firepower.

"So……"

After another long silence, Jordan finally relented.

What tactics are you planning to use?

Fang Xinghe was invigorated.

Forced by reality and due to Fang Xinghe's intrusion, Danzi bears greater pressure than in her previous life and develops a stronger ambition than in her previous life.

He had no choice but to concede and listen to Fang Xinghe's opinion.

This is a wonderful start.

Fang Xinghe suddenly felt that winning an NBA championship no longer seemed like a pipe dream.

It's important to understand that at 184cm, he's not the strongest in a one-on-one game. No matter how much he improves his physique, he can't beat Durant and Beasley. This isn't about boosting the enemy's morale and diminishing our own; it's a fundamental principle of basketball—even if a 2.10-meter forward is three beats slower, they can still easily win by relying on their height and wingspan.

However, in a regular game, he doesn't even need many screens to tear apart the opponent's defense and then make a good pass, creating an easy scoring opportunity for his teammates.

Fang Xinghe doesn't care who ultimately scores the goal; he will complete the breakthrough and organize the attack in the most spectacular way, and the world will surely sing his praises—that's enough.

Rather than being a 2.10-meter-tall super offensive weapon, it's better to be a 1.84-meter-tall, dazzling commander, with normal height and superhuman appearance, to accumulate the largest and most devoted fan base.

This, in turn, lays the perfect foundation for their film and television works to counterattack the European and American markets.

This is his long-term goal, and to achieve it, he must win over Jordan's cooperation.

Therefore, he took it very seriously and described in full his creative ideas for the team's tactics.

"On the offensive end, we have two modes."

One approach is positional warfare, where we employ a powerful breakthrough and passing system.

I plan to rely on my individual skills to force my way to the basket or draw multiple defenders, and then accurately pass the ball to an open shooter on the perimeter.

Hamilton is a very good finisher. If you don’t create a suitable attacking opportunity within the allotted time, you will take on the role of setter and attacker, allowing Hamilton to maintain a high level of movement to support the attack.

One approach is mobile warfare, where we play a defensive counter-attack. I would use delayed defense near the three-point line, ready to launch a counter-attack using speed at any time.

Punish the opponent for every careless shot, forcing them to spend more time on offense, reducing the offensive involvement of the opponent's speedy guards, and ultimately achieving the goal of reducing offensive and defensive possessions.

This will save you a lot of energy, and you won't need to participate in the counterattack; Hamilton and I can run enough.

On the defensive end, we use a limited switching system during regular time, and in critical moments we use the high-intensity double-team you are most familiar with.

The overall strategy is to sacrifice some defensive strength in exchange for a more advantageous position to launch counterattacks, using my high mobility to ensure that the success rate of counterattacks is higher than the opponent's goal-scoring efficiency.

Therefore, my defensive position is basically kept near the top of the arc, with Hamilton hidden in the corner. You need to shoulder the dual responsibilities of switching on the weak side and helping on the inside.

Until the crucial final moments, I used my high mobility, while you used your defensive experience and pressure. Together, we double-teamed the ball handler, aiming to crush the opponent in the third quarter.

Then you go to take care of your health, and I go to rest. This is the only chance for the two of us, old and frail, to reach the finals stage.

We cannot afford to be overly depleted by the long regular season; we must ensure we have ample physical strength and good health.

At the same time, this is also the simplest solution for building a team. We only need to use our limited team assets to acquire a top-class wing defender and an inside player with some spacing ability, which would be enough to compete with the Lakers.

Do you agree with my line of thinking?

Jordan couldn't agree more.

He's not a good boss; his draft picks are always too idealistic. But that doesn't mean he can't distinguish between good and bad tactics.

In order to prove himself, the young man achieved triple-doubles in more than ten consecutive games. In the end, he patiently chose the triangle offense, reducing his participation in the game and only taking charge of the attack.

He's not just some ordinary black man with muscles in his head. You can't ask him to flexibly adjust tactics or do the work of a head coach, but if you ask him to judge whether a tactic is appropriate, he can get it after listening to a few words.

"It seems you're serious."

Danzi's expression was extremely complicated, as if she was very surprised, or as if she was having a lot of thoughts.

"I originally thought you only planned to challenge me one-on-one, gain fame by stepping on me, and then walk away. It turns out you actually considered teaming up with me to compete for the championship..."

Fang Xinghe silently rolled his eyes.

Of course, I'm prepared for both possibilities...

It's not a loss to go it alone, but winning the championship is a huge win. The difference lies in how well you can coordinate with each other.

To be honest, I came to the NBA to be a big shot. If you guys don't treat me well, I'll quit and run away in a heartbeat, and then stand on the high ground of justice to write a few articles criticizing you.

But if you have the upper hand, what's wrong with winning a championship for fun?

Of course, that's not what he said—he didn't tell the truth at all.

What can the outcome of a one-on-one duel prove?

In a one-on-one situation, you could easily overpower me with your height, weight, and wingspan, but in a real game, I can unleash my full potential and demonstrate a winning quality that surpasses yours.

So, of course I want the championship.

But Mike, you're not an easy person to get along with, and neither am I. If we team up, we'll have to overcome too many obstacles to make it to the end.

I have always been pessimistic about this.

You need to convince me with facts. After all, you need me more, while I don't need basketball as much.

Fang Xinghe's words, like those of a seasoned ICU emergency doctor, completely charmed Danzi.

Danzi became serious and discussed with Fang Xinghe the ideal composition of the Wizards team and the specific operation of their tactics with an extremely rigorous attitude.

This means he's fallen for someone, and he's fallen for someone very strongly.

The result was... Danzi solemnly promised: "Give me a little more time, and I will carefully consider the possibility of a public one-on-one duel and discuss it with Stern."

He paused, then added, "Although I could never lose to you in a one-on-one match, it still requires the league and Nike's approval."

SR, you're not just an ordinary Chinese player, and I'm not just an ordinary American player. If we weren't at such a historic juncture, this public one-on-one match would never have been organized. I hope you truly understand the difficulty involved.

Yes, of course I understand.

Thank God for bringing me back to this moment.

I will achieve unprecedented feats and become a global superstar of historical significance.

And you, Danzi, I will reward you with the role of the second male lead in a book or documentary, so that you may be remembered for eternity alongside me.

Whether you become a protagonist or a villainous boss... that depends on your performance.

After all, Chinese people don't really believe in gods; on the contrary, they tend to prefer killing gods.

(End of this chapter)