Chapter 068: The Torment Begins
Smith shrugged, not waiting for the host’s response, and simply left the court, abandoning the final shot from the last position.
“It’s hard to believe that guy is the three-point king of the national league. I guess I overestimated the strength of Asian teams. No mistake—they’re just trash!” Smith said to his agent as he walked off the court.
He spoke in English, and his voice was low, so only those very close to him could hear. Coincidentally, the host, Wu Xin, was standing right beside Smith’s agent. Wu Xin was a sports anchor from a domestic online media outlet, fluent in English, and he caught every word Smith said.
Smith’s premature exit from the match had already infuriated Wu Xin, and now, hearing such contemptuous remarks, Wu Xin became livid.
“Smith, I believe you should finish shooting the remaining basketballs. It’s not just about respecting your opponent—it’s also about respecting the fans here. They came to see a complete match,” Wu Xin challenged him, speaking in English.
“No, no, no. He’s not worthy of being my opponent. Besides, this is just a game, not a real match. Once the winner is decided, that’s it,” Smith replied with utter disdain.
“Once you step onto the court, he is your opponent. He’s giving his all to finish the game, but what about you? What have you done? Ended the match early? Humiliated him at will?” Wu Xin raised his voice.
“Heh, kid, I’ll say it again—he’s not worthy of being my opponent. In fact, no one in this country is worthy of facing me!” Smith remained arrogant.
Because Wu Xin had a portable microphone, their conversation was broadcast throughout the venue.
Among the crowd, there were some who understood English. Upon hearing Smith’s words, even the fans who had supported him erupted in anger, shouting insults.
Seeing the situation escalate, the Reebok event manager hurried to the sidelines and pulled Wu Xin away before he could retaliate further.
“Everyone, please calm down. This is a misunderstanding. Mr. Smith’s words have been misinterpreted…” the manager babbled, trying to smooth things over.
Smith realized he’d misspoken. At his agent’s urging, he reluctantly took the microphone and apologized to the fans.
“Sorry to all my fans here. My way of expressing myself may have caused some misunderstanding. You know, I never intended to demean anyone!”
“But what I said is true—the person arranged by the organizers really isn’t qualified to be my opponent…” Smith boasted again.
“If you’re so confident, then let me be your opponent!”
Just as Smith finished, a man’s voice rang out from among the crowd.
Instantly, all eyes turned toward the speaker.
When they saw who it was, the crowd exploded.
“Lin Feng!”
“It’s Lin Feng!”
“Damn, Lin Feng is here!”
“This is going to be good!”
The crowd parted to make way, and Lin Feng strode straight onto the court. In fluent English, he said to Smith, “Now I challenge you. If you can beat me, you’ll never have to apologize for anything you say again!”
“Kid, you don’t seriously think you can beat me, do you?” Smith sneered at Lin Feng.
“I can and I must beat you—because this is about the dignity of our people!” Lin Feng replied solemnly.
“All right, I accept your challenge. But if you lose, I want you to crawl between my legs in front of everyone… Ha ha, do you dare?” Smith’s eyes gleamed with amusement.
“And if you lose?” Lin Feng asked.
“If I lose, I’ll acknowledge you as my mentor. Don’t you Chinese have a tradition of kneeling to accept a master? I’ll kneel before you, admit defeat, and become your disciple,” Smith considered and replied.
“Good! I hope you’ll keep your word!” Lin Feng snorted coldly.
“You’d better start thinking about how to crawl between my legs in front of so many people, ha ha…” Smith burst out laughing.
Lin Feng had no interest in further verbal sparring. He turned to Wu Xin and said, “Please continue hosting the match.”
“All right,” Wu Xin nodded excitedly. He knew Lin Feng’s strength well. If there was anyone in China who could defeat Smith, it was Lin Feng!
“You all heard it—Lin Feng is about to face Smith in a three-point showdown! Now, loudly tell me, who do you support?”
“Lin Feng!”
“Lin Feng!”
“Lin Feng!”
After the earlier incident, the fans naturally rallied behind their own country’s player.
“Very well, let’s begin. The two contestants will toss a coin to decide the order,” Wu Xin produced a coin for them to choose.
Lin Feng picked heads; Smith chose tails.
Wu Xin tossed the coin, and it landed on tails. Smith would go first.
“Kid, let me show you how to shoot threes!” Smith glanced at Lin Feng with contempt, then stepped onto the court.
At Wu Xin’s signal, Smith began shooting. This time, he was fully focused, clearly taking the bet seriously, afraid a moment’s carelessness would cost him.
But sometimes, the more careful you are, the more mistakes you make. Despite his concentration, Smith’s accuracy didn’t improve. After shooting from five positions, he scored only 18 points—two less than his first round against Zhu Dayu.
Shaking his head after the final shot, Smith was clearly dissatisfied with his performance. Still, he believed that even 18 points would be enough to beat Lin Feng.
“Smith finishes the first round with 18 points. Now, let’s welcome our Finals MVP—Lin Feng!”
Whoa!!
Go Lin Feng!!
Lin Feng is awesome!!
As Wu Xin introduced Lin Feng, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.
“Brother, do your best!” Lin Wen shouted as Lin Feng walked onto the court.
Lin Feng wasn’t wearing a jersey; he shed his jacket, revealing a casual hoodie underneath. Calmly, he positioned himself at the three-point line, beside the first shooting spot.
“Begin!”
At Wu Xin’s command, Lin Feng started shooting.
Bend the knees!
Extend the arms!
Snap the wrist!
The first shot…
Swish!
The net rippled, the ball went in!
Wow!!
The crowd erupted, fans raised their arms in celebration.
“Pure luck!” Smith snorted dismissively.
Lin Feng didn’t pause, grabbed the second ball, and shot.
Swish!
Another one!
Third ball!
Swish!
Hit!
Fourth ball!
Swish!
…
In the blink of an eye, Lin Feng had sunk four consecutive shots!
“Damn!” Smith’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but curse. He could hardly believe what he was seeing…
Lin Feng picked up the final ball at the first position—the bonus ball.
He shot!
Swish!
The net fluttered, as if a white wave had bloomed!
The ball went in!
…