Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 337 Not an inch to yield, ready to fight at any time

The Clippers arranged for a car to escort Chen Fang home, with Ilya as the driver. On the way, Lawrence arrived in his car.

Chen Fang briefly sent a message to Wu Zi to let her know he was safe, and then he and Lawrence returned to the Clippers' headquarters, the training center.

Wenger had been waiting for a long time. His expression was stern, and his eyes were filled with a chilling coldness, but when he saw Chen Fang, the coldness vanished in an instant and was replaced by a warm smile.

After six months of lying low, he finally survived the punishment period. This was his chance. He was given a critical mission by Ballmer to handle the entire crisis.

"Don't worry, the entire Clippers team is your strong support." Wenger started by saying nice things.

The three arrived at the media relations department. This hall was much more advanced than the pirate ship that Wang Zhen had built in China. There were screens everywhere, displaying real-time news updates from major portal media outlets. Phones kept ringing, and more than a dozen staff members were working busily.

"Do we need to review the conflict process again?" Wenger asked as Chen Fang sat down.

"No need. I believe this video will soon have hundreds of millions of views," Chen Fang said.

Wenger nodded: "It seems you understand the seriousness of this matter."

"How serious?" Chen Fang asked back. He was still emotionally unstable and didn't speak very politely, especially when facing Wenger.

Wenger, however, showed no sign of surprise and instead earnestly explained: "First, there's the suspension, the fine, and that also includes a fine for the team."

"and then?"

"The league's disciplinary committee will specifically call you to New York to question you in person."

"Question what?" Chen Fang laughed angrily.

"Understand why you got into a fight, assess your mental health, and your tolerance threshold for violence."

This was the first time Chen Fang had heard of this, and he didn't think Wenger was bluffing, so he asked, "How many matches will he be suspended for?"

"It depends on the assessment of the conflict footage. It could be two, or more, but no more than five," Wenger said.

"How many games were banned at Auburn Hills?" Chen Fang suddenly thought of something and asked.

"Different, very different. One is with fans, which is a very serious matter. A fight between players, as long as it doesn't involve the use of lethal weapons and is just about fists, won't happen too many times." Wenger was very calm, confident that he could control the conflict and minimize its impact.

After listening to Wenger's explanation and seeing his calm demeanor, Chen Fang's mood gradually calmed down as well.

"Then what do I need to do to stay here?" Chen Fang asked, spreading his hands.

“Actually, it’s not necessary. I’m just worried that you’ll still be upset afterward and keep stirring things up,” Wenger said.

Chen Fang understood. To put it bluntly, it meant controlling himself and not letting things get any worse.

"But what if the other party continues to provoke trouble?" Chen Fang asked.

Wenger paused slightly, noticing Chen Fang's sharp gaze once again, realizing that the other party was unlikely to back down on this matter.

"The core of public relations is to mitigate the impact of public opinion storms, repair damaged images, guide public opinion, and shift the focus as soon as possible."

"This is your specialty. I just want to know, if LeBron James openly and relentlessly mocks and belittles me in the media, how will you help me?"

Chen Fang's words silenced Lawrence and Wenger.

"First, let me state my position."

"I don't want to be the troublemaker the team sees me as, so I'm here now." Chen Fang first put on a jacket.

"I must admit that my actions have caused trouble for everyone, but if I had to do it again, I would still make the same choice, and I would be even more ruthless."

“He really thinks he's something special. I tolerated it once or twice, but he always tries to take advantage of me. From the moment Griffin attacked me, he would make underhanded moves behind my back. He treats the league as his own backyard and suppresses anyone who threatens him.”

"I'm sorry, he's got the wrong person. I won't tolerate him."

"This time, he really lost face, so I want to ask, how are you going to deal with James's counterattack? You can't possibly be unaware of how many vicious dogs he keeps, can you?"

Faced with Chen Fang's relentless questioning, Wenger felt a chill run down his spine. After not seeing each other for half a year, this Chinese man had become far more imposing, both in his words and demeanor.

“If this matter evolves to the point where he becomes the victim and I become the perpetrator, the villain in the eyes of the public, I will be extremely disappointed in you.” Chen Fang’s words caused the two men’s expressions to change.

"So, you're not here to control me, but to cooperate with me and my team, to work together," Chen Fang asked, tapping the table.

After gaining control, Chen Fang called Duffy and asked him to mobilize the media outlets he had previously befriended.

And the result of the game came just in time. Even without Chen Wang, the Clippers still won the game on the road. James, who insisted on continuing to play, ultimately failed to secure a victory.

But who cares about winning or losing? After the game, James gave an interview on the sidelines and bluntly said that Chen Fang was not a professional player and was violent and impulsive.

"I will not accept competing with such a person, absolutely not."

James's statement was interpreted by the media as a sign that he was determined to expel Chen Fang from the league, and that his statement was putting pressure on the league.

The interview was broadcast live and displayed in the media relations hall, where James was present to witness his entire statement.

"Just as I imagined, he can't win on the field, so he plans to come from the sidelines," Chen Fang sneered.

Wenger said expressionlessly, "Historically, no one has been able to do that. Even Jordan couldn't get rid of Thomas, even though Jordan once wanted to kill him."

The feud between Michael Jordan and Isaiah Thomas is a famous player conflict in NBA history, and the two created a lot of buzz throughout the 1980s!
"I'm not Thomas, and he's not Jordan!" Chen Fang sneered.

"Now that James has made his move, I'd like to hear your advice as professionals."

Wenger was silent for a moment, so Lawrence had no choice but to speak up: "We don't need to respond directly; we should first find out the league's opinion on the punishment."

"Any decision on suspension will depend on the thoughts of NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver," he added.

"James is just a threat, but in reality, he can't do it."

"Furthermore, we are not at fault; this was a mutual fight."

"We just need to organize our words and provide evidence that James made the first move, which will be enough to keep the league objective in this matter."

"I'd like to say something," Chen Fang raised his hand, interrupting Lawrence's speech.

"I was ejected. James played the entire game. From the referee's perspective, I was the one at fault, right?" Chen Fang asked.

Lawrence's expression changed, and after a long pause, he nodded in acknowledgment: "Yes."

"Then the problem should be addressed by appealing first, by protesting the lack of fairness and impartiality in the judgment, shouldn't it?" Chen Fang continued to press.

Upon hearing this, both of them changed their expressions and fell into deep thought.

“Yes, Chen Wang’s approach is correct, and this entry point is even better.” Wenger realized a lot, and was even more surprised by Chen Fang’s intelligence.

"Let's start here then. Excuse me, I need to make a few phone calls." Chen Fang got up and walked out.

Actually, his phone kept ringing, and countless text messages were piling up.

Chen Fang glanced at the list, selected people he was close to, sent them a message to let them know he was safe, and then gave a unified reply, telling them to stay calm.

In the end, he still dialed Kobe's number.

The call was answered quickly, and surprisingly, neither side spoke.

Finally, Kobe spoke up, his voice low and filled with frustration.

"I don't know how to judge this. In fact, I was talking to Rob Capelin while waiting for your call back."

"I don't want this to become a reason for both teams to leave the game."

Kobe expressed what he was doing, to which Chen Fang replied gratefully, "Brother, that's enough. Since I dared to take action, I'm not afraid of the trouble that follows."

“It’s not just trouble, it will jeopardize your future career.” Kobe interrupted Chen Fang, saying bluntly, “Yes, he started it, but if you just pushed him or even choked him, it wouldn’t be excessive.”

"But you used fighting techniques. My God, I only just realized that you've been holding back all along in our fights," Kobe sighed.

"I can't accept your leniency, buddy. This isn't respect, it's an insult!"

Chen Fang was speechless. He hadn't expected that Kobe's competitive spirit could distract him at this moment.

"Surprised that I knocked out James?" Chen Fang couldn't help but laugh.

"A bit. I've watched it at least ten times. It was a spectacular back throw. Given the physiques of you two, the fact that you could pull that off made me know you were holding back." Kobe's first sentence was excited, but the second sentence sounded angry.

"Honestly, I didn't think that much about it, because when I fought you, I wasn't showing any killing intent. This wasn't holding back," Chen Fang could only explain.

"Then you knocked out Pope again, which proved that you weren't just lucky, you know? Now everyone is blown away, you really know kung fu!" Kobe exclaimed in amazement. In fact, he was sitting on his sofa at home, and the TV in front of him was still playing the footage of Chen Fang knocking out James on repeat.

"In fact, I really do know it. I have a legitimate lineage. My master is a legendary figure, over eighty years old. I can't get close to him; he could kill me in one move." Chen Fang couldn't help but reveal some of his connections.

"Really?" Kobe was so surprised that he stood up. In fact, Kobe had always been fond of kung fu.

“Of course, last summer, I spent two months practicing with my master on the mountain,” Chen Fang corroborated.

Because of this revelation, their conversation took a turn for the worse, but fortunately Kobe was still concerned about Chen Fang's safety and brought it back on track in time.

"I will try my best to smooth things over for you regarding the Lakers' management, but I will not communicate with James. I hope you understand."

"Of course I know, and I don't want you to go either, because it's not worth it, he doesn't deserve it."

"So you're clearly going to have a showdown with him?" Kobe asked worriedly.

"Yes, he makes the move, and I'll accept it." Chen Fang's attitude was very clear.

"Okay, I don't like watching the excitement, but I'm looking forward to this excitement," Kobe said, revealing his true feelings.

"Just you wait and see." After hanging up the phone, there was a knock on the door. Lawrence waited a moment before pushing the door open and coming in.

"The old man called." He held up his phone.

Only West has that title. Chen Fang took the phone, and Lawrence tactfully left.

“I don’t want to criticize you because this is a necessary part of your growth. It’s not a big deal. You just need to face it calmly and not act impulsively.”

West's words surprised Chen Fang. He thought he would be scolded severely, but the old man spoke lightly.

“I’ve called both Earvin Johnson and Bass. This matter is between you two; neither of you will get involved. But I want you to know that you need to be mindful of boundaries, control the scope, and avoid making racial, political, or other ideological statements.”

"Yes, I know exactly where the boundaries are. On the contrary, I hope the other party will lose their mind and cross them."

"Hehe, I'm relieved to hear that. Take a good rest for a while. I called Xiao Hua; you might need to rest."

Chen Fang raised an eyebrow. Did the old man already know the result?

“I won’t let you guess, the penalty range is within 5 games, but I suggest more.” West’s words stunned Chen Fang.

"I've looked at the upcoming schedule. You can rest well and prepare for the playoffs."

"Moreover, a longer suspension would seem to save face for LeBron."

"So it sounds like I'm the one who's at a disadvantage," Chen Fang said, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

"You have to kill with your performance on the court, not off the court."

"As a second-year student, you must respect the league's unspoken rules regarding seniority and hierarchy. Furthermore, these are merely the league's balancing mechanisms and do not represent your compromise on this matter."

The old man clarified the issue with just a few words, and Chen Fang understood what he meant.

“Remember, don’t bombard the Alliance; that’s what smart people do,” West concluded.

Chen Fang got up dejectedly. Outside the door, Lawrence was waiting. After returning the phone, Lawrence said, "The highlight reel of James's dirty tricks against you in this game is out. We've asked the reporters to start spreading it."

“Very good.” Chen Fang nodded.

“From now on, the eyes of the whole world will be focused on this conflict. You need to be prepared,” Lawrence sighed.

"Haha, my greatsword is itching for a fight!" Chen Fang thought of a classic line and burst into laughter.

Afterwards, Chen Fang sent a text message to his close friends.
The message can be summed up in one sentence: Keep quiet and watch the show.

In this match, Chen Fang chose to fight one-on-one. He didn't like owing favors, and at this moment, there was no need to put others in a difficult position.

When it comes to things that test one's character, it's wiser to do less than more.

Of course, the team members must speak up; this is about taking sides, and everyone has to.

Ballmer's appearance was perfectly timed.

"Don't worry about fines, I'll cover everyone's fines." As expected of a world-class billionaire, Ballmer didn't even blink.

Then Ballmer looked at Chen Fang excitedly and grabbed Chen Fang's shoulders with both hands: "I was amazed by that fall. If it were our home ground, I would definitely fight alongside you."

The boss saying such things was more than enough; Chen Fang was deeply moved.

"Boss, I'm sorry for causing trouble for the team." Chen Fang used a strategy of retreat to advance.

"What's this? I know LeBron, he's just a clown!" Ballmer said dismissively.

“You dealt him a heavy blow and did something many people want to do. Don’t worry, there won’t be any trouble. He can’t expel you. He can never achieve that level of authority in his entire life.”

Hearing his boss's assurance, Chen Fang smiled and said he felt relieved.

Ballmer left quickly, his steps hurried, as if he still had many things to attend to.

It was already past midnight, and Chen Fang planned to go home.

Ilya drove, and the two drove home. It was only then that Ilya had the opportunity to express his opinion.

"I hate myself for not rushing over immediately. I'm sorry, I was really scared," Ilya confessed to Chen Fang.

"What's this? I would feel guilty if you were implicated, unlike now, I feel refreshed." Chen laughed loudly.

“Coach Andy, Metu called me. They’re very worried about you,” Ilya suddenly said.

Chen Fang fell silent. He realized that he was not an individual, but someone many people cared about, were concerned about, and were affected by. Every decision he made had far-reaching consequences.

The text messages kept piling up, everyone was anxiously concerned about him.

So Chen Fang changed his mind about going home and dialed Beverly's number.

"Hey, I still need to borrow your podcast," Chen Fang stated his purpose.

"Go ahead and use it. Where are you?" Beverly's surprised voice jumped out of the phone, the previous flippancy gone, replaced by a very serious and respectful tone.

"I'll come to your house, send me your address."

Half an hour later, Chen Fang arrived at Beverly's place.

Beverly only came to Los Angeles last year. He has no plans to buy a house and, like Chen Fang, is renting.

"I'm sorry to have dragged you into this." Chen Fang patted Beverly on the shoulder.

Of the four Clippers players ejected in this game, besides Chen Fang, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Samwell, the only one ejected from the bench was Beverley.

Because he violated league rules by jumping onto the court and making a move.

"What's this? My principles don't allow me to stand idly by." Beverly seemed indifferent. He rubbed his hands together and then praised, "Those two moves were really beautiful. I believe the rumors now, Prince Chen, you really do have kung fu."

"Yes, but I only use it on bad guys." Chen Fang laughed heartily.

“That’s right, and there’s also that son of a bitch on the shove.” Beverly laughed even louder.

Beverly created a special room for his podcast. When Chen Fang took his seat, perhaps as Beverly had already given a heads-up, the number of online viewers had already reached over 30,000. When Chen Fang appeared, the number of viewers surged dramatically.

"Hello, I'm borrowing Patrick's account again. It makes me think I'll have to open one myself. I owe him this favor and it'll cost me several meals' worth of money," Chen Fang joked.

Then Chen Fang explained the purpose of his appearance: "First of all, I want to apologize to those who care about me. Today's events were too sudden. I'm fine, everything is normal, and I'm unharmed."

Chen Fang stretched his body to show that he was perfectly fine.

"I'm not here to explain the cause and effect of the conflict. To be honest, I just did something I don't regret. The only regret is for the fans watching this game. I set a bad example, and that's something I need to reflect on."

"I'm just focused on the game and working hard to win."

“I was attacked, so I fought back, it’s that simple.”

The barrage of comments clearly indicated an enemy, with the word "ambush" appearing in large numbers. Chen Fang then burst into laughter: "Ambush? I find that ridiculous."

"LeBron isn't so naive as to think that if he makes a move, someone else's counterattack is a sneak attack. Saying that only exposes his arrogance and naivety."

"I just reacted quickly; it has absolutely nothing to do with a sneak attack."

Chen Fang answered the comments while watching the live stream, interacting with the viewers, which was also his purpose in coming here.

"This isn't making a mountain out of a molehill. When you use your elbow to talk, why can't I respond with a takedown? Does it seem like I'm going too far just because I knocked you out?"

"Believe me, if I wanted to, he wouldn't be able to get up." Chen Fang spread his hands casually.

Suddenly, Beverly handed his phone to Chen Fang, who then told him to speak louder.

Beverley was clearly not one to back down from trouble; since Chen Fang had given his approval, he was even less concerned.

"LeBron just tweeted that he could take you down with one hand, and he didn't realize you were going to sneak up on him, so he got hurt," Beverley summarized the latest news.

"Haha." Chen Fang laughed first.

"Frankly, this is boring." Chen Fang already knew where the line was, and his verbal battle with James would not be disturbed.

“I can make my statement clearly here.”

"Whether it's the UFC or a one-on-one bullfight, you are no match for me."

"Best of three, best of five, best of seven, take your pick."

"One million dollars for every game lost, come on, I'm serious." Chen Fang's words not only drove the live chat crazy, but even Beverley's eyes widened.

"Respond to me like a man, or shut up. I never make excuses, and I hate talking to people who like to make excuses, because you don't deserve it!"

Chen Fang's words were sharper than the last.

"Finally, I respect the league's punishment and will not appeal, because in a fight during a game, whoever starts it is at fault. I set a bad example for the fans, but as a man, I must retaliate against provocation and premeditated attacks." Chen Fang changed the subject, making his stance clear.

"But if you feel you don't want this personal feud to end, fine, I won't compromise. If you think I have a problem, then let's have a Western cowboy showdown, I'm always ready."

"It's late, so I don't want to disturb everyone's rest. I also have to go home and kneel on the washboard to receive my wife's punishment. Actually, what I'm most worried about right now is whether I can make it home tonight. You know, my wife's skills are even better than mine."

"Please pray for me, everyone. I hope I can get through the night."

After finishing his closing remarks, Chen Fang looked at Beverley and said, "With Dillon out, the team needs your help to create a good atmosphere. I might be suspended for a long time, so it's up to you now."

"Don't worry, I'm very good at it," Beverly said happily, patting his chest as a guarantee.

(End of this chapter)