Chapter 137: Caught in the Crossfire

Morning.

The team had no training scheduled, allowing the players to get some rest.

However, Lin Feng did not get much rest. The entire morning was spent taking phone calls—first from relatives and friends, followed by various media outlets. Lin Feng declined most of the interview requests from the media, but it was difficult to turn down the few who came through personal connections. Consequently, he ended up doing three more phone interviews.

At noon, just as Lin Feng caught a brief breath, Walker suddenly arrived in Cleveland.

"Hey! Lin, your performance last night was simply perfect! In just half a quarter, you conquered everyone."

As soon as they met, Walker said with a beaming smile.

Lin Feng smiled. "Come to think of it, you were the most farsighted one for signing me."

"Of course!" Walker laughed heartily, stroking his thick beard. "This morning, Mills gave you a new contract offer, so let's talk about it."

"So soon?" Lin Feng was surprised. Although he knew the club would definitely offer him a new contract, he hadn't expected it to come this quickly.

"It's not that fast. Besides Mills, three other clubs have inquired about your contract status, expressing their willingness to sign you next season. However, I haven't talked to them yet; after all, where you play is ultimately up to you to decide," Walker said with a smile.

"Am I already that popular?" Lin Feng shrugged. This came as a surprise to him, considering he had only played one game in the NBA—or rather, strictly speaking, just half a quarter.

Walker smiled. "Oh man, what are you talking about? You're Linsanity, the miracle worker! Do you know how many records you broke last night?"

Walker continued, "The record for three-pointers made in a single quarter, the record for consecutive three-pointers made, the rookie scoring record in a debut game, the scoring record for half a quarter, the record for overcoming the largest deficit in the shortest amount of time..."

The NBA database was extremely detailed, and Walker rattled off a long list of records Lin Feng had set last night. However, the records recognized by the system in Lin Feng's mind were only the first three Walker mentioned. After the game ended last night, he had also received rewards for breaking those records and winning the match.

"Alright, Walker, I know how awesome I am. Let's talk about the contract," Lin Feng said with a smile.

Walker nodded, took out a drafted contract, handed it to Lin Feng, and said, "Mills wants to sign you to a five-year long-term contract with a total value of around twenty million dollars. Of course, the duration and amount are negotiable; his offer is just for our reference and also shows the club's attitude toward you."

"Five years, twenty million, four million a year." Lin Feng smiled and shook his head. "This offer is pretty good for a rookie. From the club's perspective, they naturally won't believe that Lin Feng can have a performance every night like the one last night. However, last night's performance made everyone see Lin Feng's strength and potential, and that's why the Knicks club is willing to spend twenty million to sign him."

Yet Lin Feng knew very well that last night's performance was merely an appetizer. As long as he wanted to, he could put on that kind of performance every single night.

"Walker, I don't think this contract matches my strength," Lin Feng said with a serious expression. "As for the new contract, I have two demands: first, I will only sign short-term contracts—one-year deals; second, I want a max salary!"

"Oh my god! A max salary???" Walker's mouth hung wide open, his beard sticking straight up.

"Lin, you are indeed great, but you must not be arrogant. Don't think you can have a performance like last night every single night. That's simply not realistic..." Walker said in a deep voice, "I will fight for a better salary for you, but a max salary is completely out of the question!"

"Then let's wait until the playoffs are over to discuss the contract. I believe there will definitely be teams willing to sign me for the max," Lin Feng shrugged.

"Are you sure you want to wait until the end of the playoffs? Talking about the contract now is very advantageous for us. After all, you just played such a perfect game. But once you don't perform well in the upcoming games, subsequent contract offers might keep dropping," Walker said with a frown.

"If I continue to play brilliantly in the upcoming games, wouldn't talking about the contract now mean I'm losing out?" Lin Feng spread his hands and retorted.

"Lin, confidence is a good thing, but..."

Lin Feng waved his hand, cutting Walker off. "Walker, you have to trust me, otherwise, it will be hard for us to continue working together."

Walker frowned. "Alright, I believe you. We'll talk about the contract after the playoffs. However, can I tell those clubs interested in you about your contract requirements?"

"Of course, that is my bottom line. If any club can meet my requirements, I will discuss other terms with them," Lin Feng said.

"Besides the max salary, you have other terms??" Walker made a wry face. He had originally thought that acting as Lin Feng's agent was like striking gold, but with demands like these, it would be a miracle if any team was willing to sign him!

Lin Feng nodded. "I'll tell you the specific details once a club agrees to my first two demands."

"Fine, let's leave it at that for now." Walker sighed in frustration, harboring some lingering resentment toward Lin Feng. He hadn't expected that a single over-the-top performance would make Lin Feng so conceited.

"He's still too young," Walker muttered inwardly.

Walker stayed to have lunch with Lin Feng and then left. In the afternoon, the team gathered for training.

Lin Feng took the initiative to ask the team's trainer to increase his physical conditioning regimen. At present, Lin Feng's stamina was still too poor; he had barely played half a quarter last night before he started struggling to keep up. The physical confrontation in the NBA truly wasn't just one level higher than the CBA.

When training ended, the team returned to the hotel.

Lin Feng lay on the bed and casually turned on the television.

The TV was broadcasting a very famous nationwide sports talk show titled *Sam Says Sports*.

Sam was a well-known talk show host in America. Since the NBA playoffs had already kicked off, the theme of this episode was a preview of the first round of the NBA playoffs, and the show had invited a retired NBA legend, Coleman.

"Hello, Coleman. As everyone knows, you spent six seasons of your playing career with the Cavaliers. So, what are your thoughts on the Cavaliers' loss last night?" Sam asked.

"I am very disappointed. They actually blew a 28-point lead and got reversed! Damn it! At the time, I was swearing much harsher than this," Coleman said with righteous indignation. "Thomas and Devin were far too careless. If they had been just a little more careful, a little more cautious, a humiliating thing like this would never have happened!"

"Well, blowing a 28-point lead and getting reversed really makes you want to drop some profanity!" Sam smiled and asked, "Then, what do you think of that Chinese guard who directed this reversal drama, Lin Feng? He even has a nickname now called Linsanity!"

Coleman curled his lip and said, "Last night, he was just lucky. He came on when it was already garbage time, so the Cavaliers' defense was very lax, which allowed him to shoot freely and sink a few three-pointers. By the time the Cavaliers realized the gravity of the situation, his shooting touch was already hot. You know, once a shooter gets hot, even God can't stop him. However, I firmly believe he won't have that kind of touch tomorrow. In tomorrow's game, his true colors will definitely be exposed!"

Coleman's face was full of disdain, clearly looking down on Lin Feng entirely.

Hearing these words, Lin Feng, lying on the bed, felt deeply depressed. This was literally getting caught in the crossfire for no reason! He had just wanted to watch some television, but ended up tuning into this exact show. Whose ox had he gored to deserve this?

If he hadn't known what Coleman said, it would have been one thing, but now that Lin Feng knew, pretending he didn't know was naturally out of the question...

"Well, it seems the path of slapping faces is truly endless!"

Lin Feng gave a soft sigh. Just yesterday, he had slapped the face of that reporter named Swift, and now another NBA legend had shown up!