Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 69 My Lord Eli
39 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists
And a buzzer-beating game-winner against the defending champion Spurs.

Xu Ling's debut performance ignited the audience just as planned.

A frenzied, almost religious, enthusiasm began to erupt at FedEx Arena. Back when West selected Xu Ling, some people who followed college basketball predicted that Xu Ling would change professional basketball in Memphis.

However, in a small market like Memphis, which is at its lowest point, they have no idea how much a future superstar's arrival would change the team.

Those who truly care about college basketball repeatedly recounted Xu Ling's achievements at Texas Tech University. This viral publicity initially backfired, with some fans mocking, "You're making it sound like that Chinese guy is as great as God."

This is the origin of Xu Ling's nickname. Grizzlies fans jokingly call him "Lord," or "My Lord," or even "Lord Eli." But before tonight, these nicknames were mostly playful, meme-like, and mocking.

But after Xu Ling made such a debut, sinking a buzzer-beating game-winner, as he rose from his teammates' pile, the fans in the arena chanted in unison: "LORD ELI! LORD ELI! LORD ELI!"

The playful banter vanished completely in that instant, replaced by an almost divine reverence, as if to shatter the "Memphis Grizzlies" team name and re-engrave it with the name "Eli".

Xu Ling looked somewhat at a loss.

The teammates around him also cast excited and envious glances.

How many players can win over home fans with their debut?

Pau Gasol looked at Xu Ling with a complicated expression. He had once predicted that Xu Ling would follow in his footsteps, but now? He wasn't so sure anymore.

“Lord,” Lori said, like a devout believer, “aren’t you going to say something to your followers?”

Xu Ling glanced at the TNT female reporter waiting not far away and replied, "It's not time for preaching yet; I have important business to attend to."

After saying that, he walked straight to the TNT interview area on the sidelines, while the cheers of the fans in the arena grew even louder, almost lifting the roof off the stadium.

Rudy Gay stood far away at the entrance to the players' tunnel, his body almost completely swallowed by the deep shadows, making it difficult to notice him unless one looked closely.

He didn't join the jubilant crowd. But when Xu Ling hit that game-winning three-pointer, he too couldn't help but jump up from his seat—then quickly composed himself. While the Spurs players looked on in despair and his Grizzlies teammates rushed to celebrate wildly with their number 1 player, he simply stood silently at the very edge of the cheering circle.

Then, Gay remembered his fatal mistake: he started a fast break early at the last moment, only to have Manu Ginobili cleverly grab the offensive rebound that Tim Duncan had pointed out and easily make the game-winning shot.

If he hadn't opted for a fast break earlier, would he have gotten the rebound? Would the game have ended? Why? Why did he make that decision?
He knows the answer.

He just wanted to be the hero who could deliver the final blow.

Xu Ling's three-pointer at least spared him from being condemned by the media and fans like a war criminal after the game. He should have felt fortunate, even happy.

But Guy clearly felt that everything he had once longed to compete with Xu Ling for—the spotlight, the team's reliance, and even the status of the team's number one player—had now completely fallen into Xu Ling's hands. He was like a fish washed ashore by a giant wave; although he could still struggle and thrash around, what was the point?
Last year, especially after Pau Gasol made a clear trade request, the team poured almost all its resources into developing him, treating him as the next generation's face of the team. Although his performance at the time didn't meet expectations, he worked harder than anyone else this past summer. He firmly believes he has made significant progress and is ready to win everything back.

In the end, Guy could only stand there, watching helplessly as everyone—including the entire city that had placed its hopes on him—became the most devout followers of that Chinese man.

A mix of helplessness, jealousy, and self-loathing suddenly gripped Guy.

Gay stopped looking at the cheering crowd on the court, turned around abruptly, pushed aside the water dispenser next to him, and rushed back to the player tunnel without looking back, leaving all the noise and lights behind.

The locker room was filled with the noisy sounds of players high-fiving and laughing loudly. Xu Ling was the last to walk in.

“Eli, what you did tonight is exactly what those people in Detroit wanted me to do back then,” Darko Milicic said, half-jokingly and half-remarkably. “How does it feel to be the master of Memphis?”

To be honest, as someone without religious beliefs, this form of address made Xu Ling feel subtly uncomfortable.

"Then why didn't you do it back then?" Xu Ling asked with a smile, trying to steer the conversation in a lighter direction. "Was it because Detroit's nightclubs were more attractive than Beale Street in Memphis?"

Hey! What are you saying, newbie!

Mike Miller stepped in, raised his arm, and shouted, "Listen up, everyone! There's only one answer to this—fuck Larry Brown!"

A burst of knowing laughter and agreement immediately filled the locker room.

At this moment, Jarius Jackson, Xu Ling's staunchest ally and perhaps the most faithful follower of "the Lord," looked around and asked, "Where's Rudy?"

Hearing this, Milicic, who knew the inside story, walked a few steps to the shower room and shouted into it, "Hey, Rudy! Don't soak in there too long. If you ask me, you should really come out and thank Eli. You should know very well whose name would be on the headlines tomorrow if it weren't for that game-winning shot."

Inside the shower, the sound of water suddenly increased, and the only response was the sound of the powerful stream of water hitting the floor.

Guy remained silent.

“Alright, Dako,” Xu Ling interrupted, “don’t bother him.”

Milic immediately turned around, gave Xu Ling an exaggerated bow, and solemnly replied, "Yes, my lord." Xu Ling disliked Guy; from the first day of training camp, it was destined that they would not have much interaction, like parallel lines that would never intersect.

But he temporarily took the man with the logo's words to heart.

He was very good at disguising himself—and became increasingly aware of the necessity of this disguise.

If we can keep Guy's mindset stable and at least allow him to perform normally most of the time, then we might be able to sell him for a good price in the future.

Therefore, when necessary, Xu Ling will not only not kick a man when he's down, but will even lend him a hand.

This is a play about someone trapped in basketball hell, forced to play the role of a magnanimous person, and having to keep acting. Please be aware of this.

But how long can this charade last? What if things start to go wrong?

Shortly after, Marc Jafaroni and his teaching assistants walked in.

Jaffaroni's excitement hadn't subsided: "Well done, guys! That's a great victory! I'm so proud of you! Especially your execution and tenacity in the final moments. Enjoy tonight! But tomorrow morning during video analysis class, we need to thoroughly review the problems that arose in the second period!"

The crowd cheered and echoed.

Jaffaroni looked at Xu Ling and said with a smile, "Ellie, I'd better go to the press conference with you."

"Can I ask why?" Xu Ling raised an eyebrow.

"Because as long as you're there, reporters won't keep asking me endless questions," Jaffaroni frankly admitted.

This reason is so genuine that it's impossible to refute.

As Xu Ling and Jaffaroni approached the media interview room, a cacophony of noise pierced through the door. The moment they pushed it open, a blinding barrage of flashes of light, almost suffocating, assaulted their senses, illuminating the corridor as if it were daytime. The room was packed with reporters, their cameras and microphones stacked upon each other.

TNT, ESPN, Associated Press, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Memphis's most influential magazine, Blues Weekly, and a large number of overseas media outlets.
Almost every well-known media outlet was present.

Amidst the surging crowd, several well-known faces, usually only seen on nationally televised events, could be spotted. They weren't waiting for Jaffaroni—all eyes were fixed intently on Xu Ling.

Xu Ling knew that working in the media interview room might be more difficult than the competition itself.

He took a deep breath, sat up straight, and smiled as he pointed at the ESPN reporter.

"Eli, you had 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists tonight. How would you rate your debut?"

Xu Ling laughed and replied, "Give a score? I'm not a referee. But if the maximum score is 10, I'd probably give the hoop tonight a 10; it was pretty good to me."

This is a good start; the Lord is very humorous.

Then came the Times reporter, who naturally brought up the sports brand dispute: "Eli, do you think your performance tonight was enough to answer those who questioned Adidas's offer of a 4-year, $6000 million endorsement contract?"

Xu Ling answered without hesitation: "The doubters only need to spout their opinions, while I have too many things to consider. Adidas believes in my future, not just this one match. As for tonight... I think at least this 60 million doesn't look so much like paper money anymore, right?"

Local media then asked, "How was the final tactic designed?"

Naturally, Xu Ling also answered for Jaffaroni.

"To be honest, the best tactic is to give the ball to the person who deserves to win, and tonight that person is me."

Upon hearing this, if it weren't for the occasion, the Memphis reporter who asked the question would have wanted to rush out of the media room immediately and join the army of mentally ill people outside FedExCare who were chanting "My Lord Eli!"

Of course, the most interesting answers belong to the most interesting questions.

Grant Wall from Sports Illustrated—an old acquaintance of Xu Ling—brought up that almost forgotten name: "Eli, what do you think of Rudy Gay's decision to launch a fast break early in the final moments?"

There are always some things in this world that Xu Ling finds hard to understand.

For example, before he traveled through time, Kanna Seto became incredibly popular, and tonight, Guy made that incomprehensible choice.

How did all of this happen?
"I don't know, and I have nothing to say," Xu Ling replied with a smile. "I'll forget about it when the sun rises tomorrow."

The media interview room erupted in knowing laughter.

(End of this chapter)