Chapter 037: Not Allowed In?

“My god, that was insane! I always thought scenes like that only happened in movies!” After their escape, Qin Ruolin shouted with excitement.

“I thought you’d be scared!” Lin Feng was surprised by Qin Ruolin’s reaction.

“There’s nothing in this world that scares me except being forced into marriage,” Qin Ruolin said proudly, then her tone shifted. “But those people were clearly after us. They didn’t look like paparazzi at all. I really wonder what they wanted!”

“They wanted to stop me from attending the finals,” Lin Feng replied.

“What? But how do you know that?” Qin Ruolin asked in astonishment.

“My original performance slot for ‘Original Good Songs’ was first in the afternoon, but it was changed at the last moment. And that accident on the Yanbei Expressway was orchestrated by someone. We were tailed as soon as we got off the highway, leading to the three-car blockade just now. Do you really think all of that was a coincidence?” Lin Feng explained.

“That accident just now was deliberate?” Qin Ruolin was shocked. “How could they dare do something so serious? Closing the expressway involves so many things. What they did constitutes a serious public safety crime!”

“Officer Li will investigate thoroughly. He already has some preliminary evidence,” Lin Feng said.

“How despicable! Those bastards from the Beicheng team actually resorted to such vile tactics! They must be exposed and made to pay for what they’ve done!” Qin Ruolin said angrily.

“They’ll get what they deserve. And the best way to strike back now is to win the championship!” Lin Feng said, accelerating again. After about ten more minutes of hardship, the two finally arrived outside Beicheng Stadium.

Since this was game seven of the CBA finals, many fans who hadn’t gotten tickets were gathered outside, watching the live broadcast on the giant screens.

Lin Feng looked up at one of the screens. The game was nearing the end of the third quarter.

The score read: 8s71!

Jiangning was trailing by eighteen points.

On the broadcast, Beicheng’s star player Randall was at the free-throw line.

From the huge speakers flanking the big screen, CCTV commentator Duan Wei’s voice came through: “If he makes both free throws, the gap will widen to twenty points. If they enter the final quarter with such a deficit, Jiangning will be in a very tough spot—the odds of a comeback are extremely slim!”

“Yes, it’s such a pity for Jiangning. From being down 1-3 in the series to miraculously tying it at 3-3, but now, in this all-important game, their superstar Lin Feng is missing. I know it’s been said countless times, but I must repeat: if Lin Feng were here, the score would never look like this!” said the guest commentator Liu Nan.

“I think Liu Nan has voiced the feelings of all Jiangning fans,” Duan Wei continued. “But that’s the charm of competitive sports—there are no ‘ifs’ on the court. At halftime, I saw posts on social media about a truck loaded with watermelons overturning on the Yanbei Expressway, blocking all lanes. Lin Feng was reportedly stuck there—perhaps this is fate.”

“Didn’t some fans say later that he was rushing toward Beicheng on a motorcycle? I really hope he can make it to the arena before the game ends,” said Liu Nan.

“Oh, he made both free throws. The lead is now twenty. From the looks of it, even if Lin Feng gets here, it’ll be a daunting task. You can’t expect him to repeat last game’s miraculous performance every time,” Duan Wei added.

As Randall’s free throws went in, Jiangning called a timeout.

…

Outside the stadium.

Lin Feng parked the motorcycle, and together with Qin Ruolin jogged to the entrance, only to be stopped by security.

“Stop right there! The game is underway. No unauthorized personnel allowed inside,” the guard said coldly.

“I’m Lin Feng, a player for Jiangning,” Lin Feng stated, presenting his credentials.

“You’re Lin Feng?” the guard sneered. “I could say I’m Lin Feng, too.”

“I really am Lin Feng. Here’s my ID.” Lin Feng rummaged through his bag and handed it over.

Glancing at the card, the guard snorted. “Doesn’t matter if you’ve got an ID. Who knows if it’s fake? Either way, no one goes in during the game!”

Huh?

Hearing this, Lin Feng frowned. Stopping them before was just standard procedure, but now, even after he’d identified himself, they still refused entry—something was off.

“You might not know Lin Feng, but you must know me, right?” Qin Ruolin removed her sunglasses.

The guard glanced at her and shook his head. “Never seen you before.”

“You’re doing this on purpose! You just don’t want Lin Feng to play!” Qin Ruolin shouted, frustrated by the guard’s attitude. Had it not been for everything that happened earlier, she wouldn’t have suspected foul play, but all the evidence pointed to someone deliberately putting up obstacles to keep Lin Feng from the game.

Her outburst caught the attention of nearby fans watching the live broadcast, especially since they heard someone calling Lin Feng’s name.

As the crowd turned toward the commotion, excitement erupted.

“My god, it’s Lin Feng!”

“And Qin Ruolin!”

“So they really are together!”

“Oh, come on, focus! The real story is Lin Feng trying to get into the game!”

“But it looks like security isn’t letting them in.”

“Let’s go check it out!”

“Celebrities right in front of us!”

…

With Lin Feng and Qin Ruolin recognized, the crowd watching the live broadcast surged toward the entrance.

Meng Tong, a CCTV intern, had been assigned to interview fans outside while his colleagues covered the action inside. He’d been idly listening to music, waiting to take pictures of Beicheng fans celebrating and grab a few random interviews after the game.

Suddenly, he noticed the fans outside were in an uproar. He quickly took off his headphones and realized Lin Feng and Qin Ruolin had arrived.

This was huge news!

Energized, Meng Tong called over the cameraman and rushed toward the altercation.

As more and more fans gathered, the guards called for reinforcements—soon a dozen more security personnel arrived. Now, Lin Feng was dealing directly with the chief of security, Wang Dalin.

Just like the first guard, Wang Dalin stubbornly insisted he didn’t recognize Lin Feng and refused to let him in.

“I suggest you leave right now. No entry means no entry! Pretending to be someone you’re not won’t work here!” Wang Dalin shouted.

After arguing for so long, Lin Feng finally snapped. Pointing at Wang Dalin, he cursed, “Are you blind? If I’m not Lin Feng, then are you Lin Feng? Maybe you don’t recognize me because I look too ordinary, but all these fans here do—doesn’t that prove I’m Lin Feng?”

“Friends, would you please tell this man who I am?” Lin Feng shouted at the crowd.

“Lin Feng!” the fans chorused, even though most were Beicheng supporters—they played along enthusiastically.

“How do I know you didn’t pay these people to pretend?” Wang Dalin crossed his arms, entirely unfazed.