bookbashuk Chapter 4 This is the King of New York
Chapter 4 This is the King of New York
Time: March 2008, 7
Location: Internet World / Las Vegas Hotel Poolside
"Sizzle—"
The radio crackled with the signature roar of ESPN's renowned commentator, Stephen A. Smith; even thousands of kilometers away, you could practically feel his spittle flying from his lips.
"I was wrong! I must apologize to the entire nation here! But I must also pay tribute to Donnie Walsh! Who would have thought? A second-round pick, an Asian kid who looked like he could be blown away by a gust of wind, actually turned Michael Beasley—the genius known as the 'Kaleidoscope of Offense'—into a liability in Las Vegas, a player who only made mistakes?!"
Stephen A. Smith was gesticulating wildly in the studio. "That three-pointer with his eyes closed? That logo shot? It's not just technique, it's attitude! It's the swagger New Yorkers have been craving for a decade! God, I can't wait to see him perform at Madison Square Garden!"
Meanwhile, the famous Knicks fan forum "RealGM Knicks" has been completely overrun.
Just 48 hours ago, this place was filled with posts demanding "Fire Walsh" and "Lee get out of New York." And now?
Pinned post ID: [Ewing's Old Knees]: "Brothers, I watched that Summer League game five times last night. I have to take back what I said on draft night. That blindfolded three-pointer was fucking awesome! The way he looked at Spoelstra was just like a young Jordan trash-talking Bird! We finally have a tough guy!"
Replying to post #1: "I'm an idiot. I burned his jersey live on stream the day before yesterday... Is it too late to buy a new one from the official website? Will the price have gone up?"
Replying to post #2: "To the person upstairs, the official website is already sold out! I just came back from the flagship store in Manhattan, and the line there was longer than when Apple launches a new phone!"
Replying to post #3: "This is the savior we need! To hell with Gallinari, I want to see Li Xiangbei! I want to see him make LeBron James cry!"
……
Poolside at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas.
Li Xiangbei lay on a beach chair, wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses and holding a martini in his hand—it was just for a photo op; as a professional player, he didn't drink a drop of alcohol during the season.
Several stunning bikini-clad women occasionally cast curious glances their way, but this did not bother Li Xiangbei. Sitting opposite him was Marc Stein, a senior sports reporter for The New York Times.
"Lee, this is an unbelievable turnaround," Marc Stein remarked, looking at the printed screenshots of the forum. "Three days ago, you were public enemy number one in New York. Three days later, they'd replace the Statue of Liberty with your statue. Anything you want to say to those crazy fans?"
Li Xiangbei took off his sunglasses and blinked his right eye lightly.
"Want to hear me say 'thank you'?"
Li Xiangbei shook his head, his arrogant expression perfectly captured by the camera.
"No, Mark. Tell them not to rush to cheer or buy jerseys. Take care of your throats and stock up on throat lozenges. Because when the regular season starts, I want to hear Madison Square Garden go over 120 decibels. I'll be very unhappy if I don't see the madness in the stands."
If anyone else had said these words, they would have been torn to shreds. But coming from Li Xiangbei, who had just killed the second overall pick, they carried a convincing magic.
"Also," Li Xiangbei put his sunglasses back on, concealing the sharpness in his eyes, "I don't blame those who burned the jerseys. But next time you want to buy one, remember to queue up."
Time: 2:00 PM that day
Location: Hotel Executive Suite
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat heavy.
Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh sat on the sofa, holding a newly drafted contract, and pushed it in front of Li Xiangbei.
"Li, look at this. 3 years, $200 million, with the first year fully guaranteed. For a second-round pick, this is already the treatment of a late first-round pick. This is the team's greatest sincerity towards your performance in the Summer League."
Walsh felt he was being very generous. After all, Li Xiangbei hadn't proven himself in a formal NBA game yet, and while the Summer League was explosive, it was still just the Summer League.
However, Li Xiangbei didn't even glance at the contract. He simply stretched out his finger, pressed it on the contract, and pushed it back.
"Donnie," Li Xiangbei's voice was deep and powerful, "we're all adults, don't waste your time on this kind of nonsense."
Walsh frowned: "Lin, this is already very generous..."
"Generous?" Li Xiangbei chuckled, leaning forward. The oppressive aura that had suffocated Beasley on the court returned. "Do you know how much the Knicks' market value has increased these past few days? Do you know how many jerseys have been pre-sold on the official website? Do you know how many sponsors are calling you non-stop?"
"I brought more than just a few wins, Donnie. It brought box office revenue, buzz, and getting this team that had been flops for a decade back into the national spotlight."
Li Xiangbei pulled a napkin from the tissue box on the table, picked up a pen, and scribbled a few lines on it.
"This is what I want."
Walsh took the napkin with a puzzled look, and after just one glance, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
[Li Xiangbei's Terms]
Contract length: 1+1 (player option for the second year).
Salary: Base salary for the first year (fully guaranteed).
Additional clause (bet): If I win Rookie of the Year (ROY) or am selected to the All-Star Game in my rookie season, the team must pay a special bonus of $500 million the following year, and I can opt out of the contract and become a restricted free agent.
Failure penalty: If I fail to achieve any of the above, I will continue to play for the team in the second year on a minimum salary, without any bonuses.
"Are you crazy?!" Walsh couldn't help but exclaim. "Rookie of the Year? All-Star? Lee, do you know what you're talking about? Your competitors are Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and that damn Michael Beasley! Even Yao Ming didn't make the All-Star starting lineup in his rookie year!"
This is simply unbelievable. A second-round pick competing with a bunch of prodigies for Rookie of the Year in his rookie season? And he even wants to make the All-Star team?
"Just tell me if you dare to bet."
Li Xiangbei leaned back on the sofa, crossed his arms, and his eyes radiated absolute confidence—confidence that came from the [NBA Official Version - Absolute Ballistics] pre-loaded on the system panel.
"If I lose, you'll have a highly cost-effective and competent shooter; you'll make a fortune even if you only use him to sell tickets. But if I win..." Li Xiangbei smiled, "then it will prove that I'm the best investment you've ever made."
Walsh's hand holding the napkin was trembling slightly.
Reason told him that Li Xiangbei couldn't possibly do it. The odds were lower than winning the lottery jackpot. It was practically a free, cheap contract.
But looking into Li Xiangbei's eyes, he felt a strange sense of unease. Those eyes burned with an ambition that terrified him.
"Fine." Walsh took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "I'll take the bet. But let me make this clear: if you mess this up, the New York media will tear you apart, and don't blame me for not helping you then."
"Deal." Li Xiangbei stood up, extended his hand, and said, "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Donnie. Trust me, you'll love this contract."
(What Walsh didn't know was that he had signed more than just a contract; he had signed a ticket to a dynasty. And one day in the future, he would be the object of insane envy of his peers because this contract was so cheap.)
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Las Vegas Strip
With the contract settled, Li Xiangbei was in high spirits and strolled alone through the bustling streets of Vegas.
Just then, my Blackberry phone vibrated in my pocket.
[System notification: Charm value successfully assessed. "Vanity Fair" side quest triggered.]
Li Xiangbei raised an eyebrow, took out his phone, and opened Twitter.
His name, #LiXiangbei#, was trending at number one on Twitter.
In the trending topics, a tweet from a top Hollywood actress was pushed to the top.
Posted by: Scarlett Johansson
Certification: Actor, notable works include *Lost in Translation* and *Midnight in Barcelona*.
Content: Forwarded a GIF. It shows Li Xiangbei making an extremely arrogant three-pointer with his eyes closed when facing Beasley.
The caption read: "This kid's interesting. He looks like a ruthless killer on the court, that confidence reminds me of a villain in a movie. Maybe I should go to Madison Square Garden next season? I hear there'll be some good games there. @Knicks"
At this time, Scarlett Janssen was at the peak of her beauty; her blonde hair and sensual lips made her the dream girl of countless men. Although she hadn't yet become "Black Widow," her status in Hollywood was already at its zenith.
The comment section exploded the moment the tweet was posted.
"Oh my god! Scarlett Johansson is a fan too?"
"That Li guy's got some lucky ladies!"
"Durant must be crying his eyes out in the bathroom. He couldn't even get a turn for bathwater, while Lee got picked first?"
Li Xiangbei looked at his phone and smiled.
This is New York. This is Vanity Fair. Basketball is more than just a sport; it's about popularity and entertainment.
Unlike other rookies who would be overwhelmed with gratitude and share a bunch of thank-you messages, or act like a sycophant.
He clicked reply and quickly typed a line of text:
@LiXiangbei replied to @ScarlettJohansson:
"I've got the tickets, front row only. But remember to bring your nitroglycerin pills, dear Scarlett, my matches are usually a bit...heart-pounding. Also: villains are often more charismatic than protagonists, aren't they?"
Click send.
In less than a minute, the number of likes on this reply exceeded 10,000.
"Holy crap! That's some serious flirting!"
"Darling? He called Black Widow 'darling'?!"
"Is this the aura of the King of New York? Dominating the second overall pick on the court, and flirting with an Oscar-winning actress off the court?"
Just then, the cold voice in his mind rang out, shattering Li Xiangbei's smugness.
[Ding! Key figure interaction detected.]
[Side Quest Released: New York Premiere (S-Rank)]
Mission objective: In the NBA regular season opener (Knicks home game vs. Miami Heat).
Scarlett Janssen must be present to watch the game.
The host needs to score at least 30 points.
And complete an interactive action that "pays tribute to Scarlett Johansson" during the competition (such as blowing a kiss, pointing at someone, etc.).
mission rewards:
Unlock the active skill [Zone Overload Mode].
Description: Once activated, the host's all attributes (speed, jump, strength) will be raised to the top level in the league within 3 minutes.
Failure penalty: Gain the negative status "Scandal Isolator" (unable to attract the attention of any female celebrities for the next year).
Li Xiangbei looked at the task panel, his smile widening.
Opening game against the Heat? And it's Beasley again? And he's going to score 30 points against Black Widow?
"Interesting." Li Xiangbei put away his phone and looked at the famous Bellagio Fountain in the distance, which spewed forth to the music.
"Looks like Michael Beasley's nightmare isn't over yet."
Meanwhile in Miami, Beasley, who was sweating profusely in the training facility trying to wash away his humiliation, suddenly shivered.
"Achoo! Who's insulting me?"
Wade patted him on the back: "Michael, focus. We're going to New York for the season opener, it's your revenge game. Don't let that second-round pick get away with it again."
Beasley clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fury: "Don't worry, boss. This time, I'll show him what real talent is."
Little did he know that in New York, a devil was sharpening his knives for bathwater... no, for a reward, and was waiting for him.