The first punch that shocked the basketball world

In Chapter 23... Long live China!

In the second half, the situation was completely stabilized.

Lin Fei effectively shut down both Evans and Murphy.

Evans couldn't get inside, and Murphy's shots weren't going smoothly.

The Lightning's offense went completely cold.

Lin Fei didn't have many opportunities on offense, but he seized one fast break opportunity and jumped up for a powerful two-handed dunk.

"boom!"

The basketball hoop was shaking.

The point difference widened to more than 15 points.

The outcome of the match was decided early on.

The final whistle blew.

112:95.

A resounding 17-point victory.

The players high-fived and hugged each other.

Everyone came over and bumped shoulders with Lin Fei.

One game can solidify one's status within the team.

This is a stark contrast to the indifference I felt when I first joined the team.

Most of the fans left, but a few dozen people remained and surrounded the crowd asking for autographs.

Lin Fei was a little surprised, but he still stopped and signed them all.

When it was a young Asian man's turn, he opened his mouth and spoke a string of Japanese.

Lin Fei skipped over and signed for the next fan.

The Japanese young man got anxious and chased after him, shouting in English.

"Wait! Why won't you sign it for me! You played so well!"

Lin Fei stopped and looked back at him.

"I can sign it if you want," he said with a smile. "Just say 'Long live China,' and I'll sign it for you."

The Japanese man froze, his face filled with confusion.

Lin Fei didn't wait for him and continued signing for others.

The line was almost at the end.

The Japanese man gritted his teeth and shouted in broken Chinese.

"Long live China!"

Lin Fei smiled, took the notebook from his hand, and signed his name.

...

After the match, the players boarded the team bus one by one.

Lin Fei found Harris and said he wouldn't be going back with the team.

Harris knew Sofia was going to do an interview, so he didn't ask any further questions.

"Be careful." He waved. "Don't be late for training the day after tomorrow."

In the parking lot, Sofia's Wrangler was parked in the corner.

"Get in the car."

Sofia rolled down the car window: "I'll take you to a well-regarded local restaurant, and we can chat while we eat."

As the car drove out of the stadium, the buildings along the street became increasingly dilapidated.

Salt Lake City is at a high altitude and is very windy, so it looks gray and hazy.

Compared to Los Angeles, it's like a big rural area.

"No wonder big-name stars don't want to play in smaller markets," Lin Fei said, leaning against the window. "They really are lacking."

Sofia smiled.

"The Utah Jazz are offering you a ten-day contract, are you in?"

Lin Fei did not hesitate.

"Come on," he shrugged. "I'll go to any rural area, not just Utah, but Cleveland too."

Sofia laughed so hard she slapped the steering wheel.

After the laughter subsided, let's get back to the interview.

"What do you want to do?" Sophia asked, "A typical underdog success story?"

Lin Fei shook his head.

"Just writing about a comeback isn't enough," he said. "You first need to lay the groundwork for how miserable my past was—a fringe player in the second division, working in restaurants, making a living on basketball courts, and achieving success late in life. First, establish the persona of an ordinary person."

"Wait until I put on an even more explosive performance later, then you can show off your contrasting style." He smiled. "The bigger the contrast, the easier it is to go viral."

Sofia's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Your line of thinking..." she slapped her thigh, "is a bit like Lin Feng's crazy ideas back in the day!"

"The kind of popularity Jeremy Lin enjoys is something you can only come across once in a lifetime." Lin Fei was very clear-headed. "The New York market is huge; it requires the right timing, location, and people—all three are indispensable."

"But I promise,"

He looked at Sofia: "My popularity is higher than anyone else in the G League."

That's no exaggeration.

Chinese heritage, a story of overcoming adversity, and undeniable strength.

If handled properly, the popularity will definitely not be low.

We had a simple meal at the restaurant.

Sofia drove Lin Fei back to Alhambra.

The car was parked in front of the restaurant.

"The next game is an away game against New York," Sofia said. "I'll be traveling with the team."

Lin Fei raised an eyebrow.

"Sure. I'll meet someone I know on the way, so it won't be boring."

"I'll write the opening chapter tonight to test the waters."

"Don't write too much," Lin Fei reminded him. "I'll release the whole story after I've fought a few more battles; that will have the best effect."

Sofia nodded.

She has been unknown for too long.

I'm willing to wait a few more days.

She'd take a gamble; maybe Lin Fei was her chance.

"Oh, right."

Sofia suddenly asked, "Which NBA team would you most like to join?"

Lin Fei thought for a moment.

"The Lakers are definitely my first choice," he said frankly. "The Los Angeles market is big, so it's easy to play to your potential. Plus, they happen to lack a reliable perimeter defender."

"Of course," he added, "if other teams want me, I'll go. I'm not in a position to choose teams right now; I need to get into the NBA first."

In my mind, the Lakers are definitely the first choice.

The big market creates gods.

One or two good games are enough to establish a firm foothold.

And Howard's line might still come in handy.

Although the other party only liked the post and didn't reply to the private message.

But even a small mosquito is still meat.

...

After saying goodbye to Sofia, Lin Fei bent down and squeezed through the half-closed roller shutter door.

The restaurant is still open.

Lin Xiuqin sat at the table mixing fillings, preparing for tomorrow's dishes.

"Why are you so late today?" She looked up. "Did you work overtime?"

"Yeah, there's a lot going on in the team," Lin Fei mumbled.

He took out his wallet, counted out two hundred dollars, and handed it over.

"This is your first week's paycheck," he said. "Take this. Buy yourself some new clothes sometimes, don't always be so stingy."

Lin Xiuqin was stunned for a moment, then quickly pushed it back.

"Oh dear, you've grown up and know how to be filial to your aunt." Her eyes were a little moist. "Your aunt isn't old yet. You're young and have high expenses, so save your money for yourself."

"I have enough money." Lin Fei stuffed the money into her hand.

Lin Xiuqin held the money, her nose stinging with tears.

Thinking of Lin Fei's father, and how this child suffered hardships with her since childhood.

I almost burst into tears.

Lin Fei quickly changed the subject.

"Auntie, I have to go on a business trip next week, I'm going to another city with a team."

Lin Xiuqin immediately wiped away her tears and began to give instructions.

"Be careful when you go out! Don't wander around at night! It's dangerous here in America, so don't go to secluded areas!"

"understood."

Lin Fei agreed and turned to go upstairs.

Upon reaching the second floor, they heard strange noises coming from Zhu Xiuli's room.

The woman's breathing was intermittent.

Lin Fei's face darkened.

This little brat, what nonsense are you looking at?

He pushed the door open directly.

"Zhu Xiuli, what are you looking at?"

Zhu Xiuli shuddered in fright.

She was looking at her laptop while leaning over her desk when the screen was suddenly slammed shut.

"Brother! Why didn't you knock before coming in?!" Her face flushed red, both embarrassed and flustered. "You have to knock before entering a girl's room! Don't you have any manners?!"

The computer is closed, but the sound is still playing out.

It was a soft, muffled sound, but I could hear it clearly.

"You could hear me knocking?" Lin Fei was speechless. "You've got guts to open the door and look in."

Zhu Xiuli became even more anxious and stood up to push him.

"Get out! Get out now!"

Hearing the commotion downstairs, Lin Xiuqin called out.

"What's going on upstairs? What's all the commotion?"

"It's nothing, Auntie! Just kidding!" Lin Fei called out as he turned around.

He reached out and grabbed Zhu Xiuli by the back of her neck, lifting her to the bedside like a chick.

I turned around, opened my laptop, and clicked shutdown.

The sound stopped abruptly.

Zhu Xiuli's face turned bright red, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.

Social death.

Tai She died.

...

Ten minutes later.

Zhu Xiuli washed her face and dawdled back.

"Brother, could you please knock first next time..." she was still muttering.

Lin Fei flicked her on the forehead.

"Next time you look at this kind of stuff, remember to lock the door," he said. "If your mom sees you like this, she'll break your legs."

Zhu Xiuli shrank her neck.

Scared to think about.

After grumbling for a moment, she suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, brother, why are you so late today?"

Lin Fei didn't say anything, but pulled up the battle report on his phone and handed it over.

屏幕上写着——洛杉矶防御者队客场大胜犹他闪电队，新人林飞砍下22分7篮板2助攻4抢断3盖帽，成最大惊喜。

Zhu Xiuli's eyes widened.

"Really?"

She looked up, her face filled with disbelief: "You photoshopped this, right? You're really that good?"

Lin Fei put his phone away, too lazy to explain.

"Your brother is capable in many ways," he said slowly. "Now there's a good opportunity for you, do you want it?"

Zhu Xiuli immediately became alert and took a step back.

"Are you trying to scam me out of my allowance again?"

"Congratulations, you guessed half right."

Lin Fei snapped his fingers: "I'm about to become famous, and I need someone to help me generate buzz online and manage my account. My own sister, I trust her."

Zhu Xiuli reached out and touched his forehead.

"Dude, are you running a fever? You think you're a star just because you played one good game? Do you really think you're Kobe?"

Lin Fei slapped her hand away.

"Once I become famous, I'll give you one-tenth of the profits as pocket money," he said. "The opportunity is yours; whether you seize it or not is up to you."

One-tenth?

Zhu Xiuli's eyes lit up.

A little penny-pincher is most sensitive to money.

"real?"

She lunged at Lin Fei and grabbed his arm, saying, "I'll do it! I'll do it! But... I don't know how either."

Lin Fei stretched out his hand and opened it.

Zhu Xiuli looked completely bewildered.

"What? Are you asking for an advance on your salary?"

"Advance payment my ass."

Lin Fei flicked her again: "Registration fee, five hundred yuan. Such a good job, so many people would be vying for it."

Zhu Xiuli's face immediately fell.

"I knew you were trying to scam me!"