Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 355 Killing the Warrior

5 month 24 day.

The day after the domestic team arrived, the Clippers Medical Center refreshed its understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.

Grandpa Zhao worked in pairs, divided into three groups, to perform acupuncture and bloodletting on Chen Fang's left ankle, administer internal bloodletting powder, and apply black plaster externally.

Every 3 hours, there will be a half-hour massage to promote blood circulation through acupressure.

That is, on the fourth day after the injury, at least from the difference in skin color, you can't see any abnormality.

"You can't move your ankle yet." After massaging Chen Fang's ankle up and down and asking about his pain points, Master Zhao came to a conclusion.

"I feel much better," Chen Fang said in high spirits.

"A sprained leg isn't a big deal, but expecting him to be able to play within 12 days is asking too much." Old Master Zhao wasn't too worried; Chen Fang's recovery was progressing much faster than expected.

It must be largely due to the three months of medicinal steaming I did in Laoshan last summer.

"Now it's a muscle strain. I looked at the X-ray, and there are some fractures in the joint bones."

"The former still has a chance, the latter depends on how fast your own recovery period is."

Chen Fang was still smiling: "It's already very good, it exceeded my expectations."

"Traditional martial arts are truly amazing!"

Master Zhao waved his hand upon hearing this: "You're overthinking it. Breathing exercises and health preservation are experiences summarized by our ancestors over thousands of years."

"As for alchemy, that's because the recipes are complete and the medicinal materials are of good quality."

"Now that we have neither a prescription nor medicinal herbs that are over a hundred years old, it's normal that nothing we do works."

"The inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine is very complex. Injuries and sprains have been common occurrences for military strategists since ancient times. With thousands of years of experience, eliminating a sprained ankle is really a trivial matter."

"If you don't want to play, you can recover in a month or two with proper rest."

Chen Fang smiled wryly: "Overseas treatment of sprains involves almost no physical or drug methods. It's just acute treatment: ice packs, pressure bandages, and then once the bruising and swelling subside, functional recovery begins."

"That's why I asked my master for help."

Grandpa Zhao laughed heartily: "Speaking of which, I'm not bragging."

"Domestic people really know much more about falls and sprains than foreigners. They are amazed by the ability to treat bruises and sprains."

Chen Fang naturally knew that his master was referring to the astonished expressions on Rivers and Lawrence's faces yesterday when they saw the old man use silver needles to draw blood, and his purplish-black right ankle visibly returned to its normal color.

"You're making a fuss over nothing! Every city has some experienced massage therapists who are good at reducing swelling and bruising."

Chen Fang listened to his master's complaints with a smile. The older generation naturally looked down on foreign countries, but they were also very proud, especially when it came to culture.

"If it really helps you improve quickly, then the medicine you brought is good." The old man sighed, "Nowadays, most medicines are synthetic, mass-produced in greenhouses, and they're all relatively new. These medicines only have a tiny bit of effect, which actually ruins the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine."

“The quality of medicinal herbs varies depending on the year and time. To promote traditional Chinese medicine, you definitely need to increase the quantity,” Chen Fang explained.

"But it also makes people look down on traditional Chinese medicine."

"Traditional Chinese medicine has three aspects: pharmacology, prescription, and efficacy."

"Many so-called miracles are simply things we haven't experienced, so we assume they're exaggerated."

Perhaps it was due to his advanced age, but as Grandpa Zhao worked on Chen Fang, he kept talking incessantly. Chen Fang grimaced, enduring the pain, and occasionally chimed in with a comment.

On the 26th, Chen Fang witnessed the team's second defeat at the training base. Ilya did not accompany the team but stayed at the training base to take care of Chen Fang.

"Don't sigh," Chen Fang comforted Ilya instead.

"This year's opportunity is so great, I really find it hard to accept."

If even Ilya is like this, one can imagine how others will react, which is one of the reasons why Chen Fang wants to make a comeback.

Today, he can walk, but his left foot hurts when it touches the ground.

Chen Fang could only stand on his right leg, trying to regain his shooting and dribbling skills alone in the stadium.

"Won't you be blown off balance if you jump on one foot?" Chen Fang asked jokingly.

Ilya was even more nervous than Chen Fang, and kept a close eye on Chen Fang's every move. Upon hearing this, he said, "You've used the same foot twice in a row. How can that not be walking?"

"Isn't James always like this?" Chen Fang laughed.

Seeing that Chen Fang was in a good mood, Ilya also chimed in, "That's because he applied for alliance privileges, it can't be compared."

"Sooner or later, I'll get some special privileges too." Chen Fang continued shooting with one leg, sometimes shifting his left leg slightly to get a feel for moving while shooting.

On the 27th, the entire Clippers team was very excited about Chen Fang starting shooting practice, and the team's morale went from low to high.

Rivers strictly forbade the entire team, including security, from leaking any information about Chen Wang. On this day, Chen Fang continued his routine of half a day of rehabilitation and half a day of training.

He tried more spot shooting, which made Mazura understand Chen Fang's intention.

"We need to design more spot-up shooting tactics for Chen Wang, if he can play."

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Chen Fang's left foot still couldn't touch the ground; most of the time, he stood on his right foot in a one-legged stance.

The left foot is only used for assistance; in fact, it's difficult to even move, let alone run.

This is clearly not up to standard for playing; let alone offense, their defense is a huge weakness.

But nobody on the Clippers cares. If Chen Fang can play, even if he doesn't move, it will be a huge encouragement.

On the 28th, Chen Fang was able to touch the ground with his left foot slightly to help him walk, and his shooting feel gradually improved, with his shooting percentage also increasing.

Seeing Chen Fang turn and retreat at an extremely slow pace, then strike with a one-legged stance and hit the target, even Wenger was moved.

"His will is the strongest I have ever seen."

It has been exactly one week since he was injured on the 20th, a full seven days. Chen Wang has been working hard every moment. His desire to play is too strong.

Rivers' eyes also seemed less gloomy.

"Even if we lose another game tomorrow, at least we'll still have a glimmer of hope on June 1st."

Chen Fang may appear on this day, 12 days from now.

On the 29th, the Warriors returned to Staples Center, where the entire team was met with boos from the 20,000 Clippers fans in attendance. Green, in particular, was booed so loudly after touching the ball that it almost lifted the roof off the arena.

Despite Brunson's hard work and Rose's relentless efforts, with everyone giving their all, the difference in skill meant a difference in the score.

The Clippers were dominated throughout the game, and with one minute left in the game, they were down by 8 points, which was practically a death sentence.

David said helplessly, "From 2-0 to 2-3, we are now in dire straits."

"These three games have proven one fact."

"The leadership role of Prince Chen is irreplaceable."

Chen Fang didn't go to the scene; he wanted to, but Rivers stopped him.

“I know you can help everyone even if you’re just on the bench, but right now, every minute of your time should be spent on your recovery.”

During this period, the three groups led by Grandpa Zhao spent all their time, except for sleeping, on helping Chen Fang to regulate and relax his meridians, and they also consumed most of the Taoist medicine they carried.

Chen Fang is visibly recovering. To put it bluntly, if he were to get a nerve block injection now, he would be just like a perfectly healthy person.

However, the problem with closure is that after severing nerve sensation, one may suffer even greater injuries without realizing it, thus allowing the injuries to enter an irreversible abyss.

So even if Chen Fang dared, the management wouldn't do something so foolish.

Chen Fang is only 21 years old. His future is still very long. There is a champion every year. He may have bad luck this year, but he won't have bad luck every year.

If they strengthen their interior and wing positions next year, and find more reliable point guards, the Clippers will always be a championship contender.

As long as Prince Chen is around, everything will be fine.

So even now, the management is still debating whether to force Chen to make a comeback in the sixth game of the Fast & Brave on June 1st.

No one dared to make a decision, and in the end, the game of musical chairs returned to Rivers.

"Everything depends on Prince Chen's attitude. There are still 3 days left. Even if he appears for only 10 minutes, it could bring about incredible changes."

"The gap between us and the Warriors is actually within 10-15 points, which is already quite good."

Rivers was defending the young men, but everyone in the know understood that losing by a few points was one thing, but the smallest margin of victory in those three games was 10 points, and the largest was 31 points, which spoke volumes. Meanwhile, Chen Fang was already lying on his own turf, at the Rock Training Camp.

He was soaking his feet in a pot of thick, dark soup made from various medicinal herbs that had been airlifted from China and were being steamed for free.

These past few days, Chen Fang has been soaking in the bath once a day, followed by acupuncture and massage.

Frankly speaking, even an ordinary person would be able to get out of bed and walk freely within a week with this kind of treatment, let alone an athlete like him.

Some of these medicinal herbs, used both externally and internally, are only available in China and can be applied to the whole world.

This boosted Chen Fang's confidence for the game, but a single sentence from Master Zhao still made him feel down.

"They might not be able to withstand high-intensity competition. Besides, one match might be enough, but what about two?"

"Didn't they say there were so many more shows to come?"

Chen Fang nodded silently.

Even if they manage to reverse the Warriors' lead, there's still the Raptors to contend with.

The Raptors defeated the Bucks 4-2 on May 28, yesterday, to advance to the NBA Finals.

Leonard has become the first player to play with a single core player, defeating Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also played with a single core player. Now, we await the winner in the Western Conference.

Is it the star-studded Warriors, or the Clippers with their single star?

Chen Wang is still on the list of people under observation for injuries. Nine days have passed since the accident, and there is no news about Chen Wang in the market. His Twitter account restricts the reply permissions of tweets. Except for the people he follows, no one else can speak under his tweets.

On May 30, Chen Fang began training with the team for the first time. He participated in some simple tactical drills, such as slow running.

Nevertheless, everyone on the team had a smile on their face.

On the last day of May, the Clippers were supposed to have their usual pre-game break, but this time, everyone chose to stay in the arena to help Chen Fang get back into form.

Chen Fang's tactical positioning at this moment has two aspects.

1. Fixed-point artillery positions.

II. Support in the elbow area.

As a result of Mazura's careful consideration, Chen Fang's movement speed has now decreased and his intensity in various aspects of the competition is insufficient. Therefore, if he is to play an effective role on the field, he can only be a fixed-point artillery piece.

If the Warriors continue to use their lead defense, they can try backing down opponents in the elbow area.

On this day, the Clippers practiced both of these techniques.

Let Brunson, Rose, and Lou Williams take turns playing point guard to increase offensive power.

This was a last resort. After losing Chen Wang, a consistent 30-point scorer, the Clippers needed to find more scorers, even if it meant reducing defensive intensity and increasing defensive weaknesses.

Now that Chen Wang is back, Jrue Holiday can return to point guard, Dillon can switch to shooting guard, and Chen Wang can play small forward.

The Clippers have returned to a starting lineup that balances inside and outside play.

But no one knows how much Chen Fang can still perform after his injury, or how much of a contribution he can make to the Warriors. Only the game will tell.

On the afternoon of the 31st, Chen Fang's name was quietly removed from the observation list. This is also a rule of the league: if you want to play, you have to prove that you are okay first.

An assessment team comprised of representatives from the league, the team, and the insurance company conducted a comprehensive examination of Chen Fang. After physical screening and blood tests, they confirmed that Chen Fang's drug test was negative.

Then, through MRI, ultrasound, and CT scans, Chen Wang determined that the cartilage and ligaments were normal.

The details of the soft tissue injury were also within the normal range, so he was able to qualify for the match.

Representatives from the league and insurance companies signed the papers one after another. Don't underestimate how easy it is for a player on the injury list to play; insurance companies won't waste money.

This is why James never goes on the injury list; he always communicates through the media, allowing him to freely choose when and how to return to the game, depending on the situation.

Filled with shock, Robert, an expert from the league's disciplinary committee, gripped Enross's hand tightly: "How did they do that?"

Enross could only remain silent and not respond; in fact, he had watched the whole thing and was incredibly frustrated.

However, the management had already issued a gag order, and the fact that Chen Fang brought a team from China to recover from his ankle injury is now kept strictly confidential. Even within China, not a single piece of information has been leaked.

Chen Fang also received congratulations from the league. Robert greatly admired Chen Fang, saying that his willingness to go on the court to save the team was commendable.

"I believe you will create a new historical record."

"Thank you, sir!" Chen Fang replied indifferently.

At the same time, Chen Fang also saw Ryan, the sneaker supplier and Nike's designated contact person.

"Thank you for urgently customizing a special pair of sneakers for me." Chen Fang continued, "I tried them on, and they fit perfectly after the ankle brace was put on my left foot."

These are two sneakers, one large and one small. They are the same size, but the left shoe has a larger last, which is to accommodate Chen Fang's special circumstances.

"Also, thank you for your thoughtfulness." Chen Fang pointed to the side and heel of the sneakers.

The side of the sign reads in English: "Where amazing happens."
The heel of the shoe is inscribed with the Chinese characters: Chen Wang.

"But I think we should add one more sentence."

Chen Fang took the pen and wrote on the other side of his left foot: Kill the Warriors.

"That is the meaning behind its birth."

Ryan looked closely at the words, a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Kill the warrior."

For the past eleven days, Chen Wang has not made any statements about his injury, but this one line of text deeply betrays his true feelings.

Around 5 p.m., observant reporters noticed that Chen Wang had disappeared from the list of injured and quickly realized what was happening.

At 7 p.m., the Clippers' official media posted an article.

"In Game 6 of the Fast & Brave series, Chen Wang will make his comeback."

A short sentence, yet it stirred up a huge wave. The first reaction from the media and fans was that Chen Wang was going all out to prevent the Clippers from being eliminated, even with pain-relieving injections!
It is nighttime in North America, but it is already dawn in Asia.

With ample room for development on both sides, Chen Wang's comeback immediately became the top search term.

At 11:30 p.m., Chen Wang, who had been silent for a long time, posted a short message on Twitter.

"I'm back. Don't worry, there's no such thing as drug intervention. This is a natural comeback."

In short, this extinguished the worries of most fans, but soon, the question of why Chen Wang was able to make it in just 12 days became a hot topic of discussion again.

in the country, some fans are not surprised.

"There are plenty of people who sprain their ankles and are back to their old selves in a week. If you know someone in the family or run into an experienced mechanic, it's a piece of cake, isn't it?"

"It takes ordinary people about two weeks to recover, let alone billionaires? The world of the rich is beyond our imagination."

The sixth game was even more surprising, once again full of suspense.

Golden State is very close, only 400 kilometers from Los Angeles. For their first two away games, the Clippers went to San Francisco on the same day, and the Warriors did the same, arriving on the day of the game.

Chen Fang posted the tweet and received several inquiries via text message. After repeatedly stating that he had not used any drugs to interfere with his work, Kobe called.

"I know you won't take risks," Kobe said in his first sentence.

"So what does this phone call mean?"

"But I know you'll get carried away!"

Chen Fang was speechless; he heard Kobe's third sentence.

"No matter what, if you focus on the game, the grudges will fade with time."

I know what you're trying to say.

"I will tell the Warriors in my own way."

Kobe also felt that he couldn't continue talking about it; this was a situation that would be difficult for anyone to resolve.

"Then I'll wait for Game 7 in Los Angeles!"

"Don't worry, I've already reserved a seat for you!"

(End of this chapter)