Chapter 403: Why Are You All Trying to Anger That Terrible Demon

An 11‑point gap made the Spaniards nervous; they didn't have much time left.

Ma Ke Jia Suo Er said from the bench: We must become tough, we can't follow the routine, we should attack more proactively, full offense and full defense. We can't stall when facing a fragile team; nothing can frighten the Spaniards.

His words were very inflammatory.

The Spanish squad is very hot‑blooded; they never regarded the Zhongguo team as a rival, and in their eyes only the Dream Team could match them. Now, being pressed to this extent by Zhongguo, they attribute it to conservatism.

Pau Gasol faced his younger brother's resistance and the team's surging fighting spirit.

He still resorted to suppression, but it was clear he couldn't keep it up for long.

He said, "If we don't cut the gap to five points within five minutes, we'll use your method. But Ma Ke, remember one thing: never underestimate Jieke Fan."

"I think you're overly afraid of him, dear Pau," Ma Ke Jia Suo Er retorted to his elder brother.

Although he has always respected his older brother, Pau Gasol, after becoming a professional player, has continuously looked after his younger brother, including sending Ma Ke Jia Suo Er and his third brother to Memphis to study, receive United States basketball training, and even helping Ma Ke Jia Suo Er enter the league.

However, regarding Fan Xi, Ma Ke Jia Suo Er thought his elder brother was overly cautious.

Pau Gasol felt helpless.

He believed that if Ma Ke Jia Suo Er had gone through his own experience, he would do the same. The Lakers lost to Fan Xi far too many times last season, each a devastating defeat.

Fan Xi called Yao Ming back in the fourth quarter. Read the book.

Yao Ming can play a bit longer on the international stage than in the NBA; when his body is in good condition, he can manage about a and a half quarters.

FIBA's intensity of confrontation is still not on par with the NBA.

Partnering with Yao Ming inside is Yi Jianlian; Yao‑Yi is theoretically Zhongguo's strongest frontcourt duo.

On the wing‑guard line, Fan Xi sent Ding Ding and Guo Jiang from Liaocheng onto the court together.

When the whistle blew, the Zhongguo team rewrote the previous game pattern.

Fan Xi dribbled into the frontcourt at a modest pace; Lu Bi Ao stayed glued to his side. Lu Bi Ao's defense was solid, with good physique and a wide wingspan. Yet locking down Fan Xi's drives was extremely difficult. Fan Xi is the world's best player at combining speed and skill, bar none.

Derek Rose's burst speed might be a notch stronger than Fan Xi's, but his technique falls far behind.

Kai Li Owen's dribbling may be flashier than Fan Xi's, with some unseen talents a bit better, but in terms of drives he still lags far behind.

Fan Xi is like a sharp blade, piercing Lu Bi Ao's defense outright.

However, when he drove inside the free‑throw line, he didn't press on; instead, while drawing double‑team, he passed the ball to the wing Xiao Ding. Xiao Ding kept driving, and Yao Ming set a solid screen for him.

After the broad, sturdy screen, he easily put the ball in.

He was already playing with confidence.

He and Guo Ailen were among the few ball‑handling, driving guards the national team had in recent times; under Fan Xi's training, their skills, body usage, and daring mindset have greatly improved.

Especially Xiao Ding, who has been baptized the most by Leonard and Butler, and is close friends with Mili Xiqi, so he harbors no innate fear of Europe's big and medium forwards.

He plays naturally and confidently.

This contrasts sharply with other domestic guards who simply don't play when they reach the international stage.

Domestic fans are excited, increasingly convinced the national team will keep improving.

Earlier they worried about a talent gap, but now they have already grown robustly.

Yi Jianlian fought again; Pau Gasol went one‑on‑one with Yao Ming, using agile footwork to fake out the increasingly sluggish Yao due to injury, then passed to Ma Ke Jia Suo Er. Gasol leapt for a dunk but was fouled by Yi Jianlian.

Ma Ke stepped to the free‑throw line, making one of two.

The game continued.

Fan Xi still acted as the engine; he didn't directly join the offense but used his destructive power to spark everywhere… giving teammates easy scoring chances.

The Zhongguo team played well.

Spain also played quite well, so the two sides were deadlocked.

The point gap constantly tugged around ten.

At this rate, a Zhongguo victory has become a foregone conclusion.

CCTV commentators were no longer calm; they began to look forward to the upcoming schedule, because clinching first in Group A means a smooth road ahead.

The silver medal is only two steps away.

Time flew; more than half of the fourth quarter elapsed quickly, and Lu Bi Ao accelerated directly under Ma Ke Jia Suo Er's cue.

He sprinted to the frontcourt and, under Fan Xi's defense, swiftly passed the ball to Fei Er Nan De Si, who shot as soon as he caught it… whoosh!

Three‑point made.

The gap narrowed to seven points.

Beep!

Zhongguo called a timeout.

Zhongguo faced the final showdown.

When Spain ramped up the pace, Yao Ming had to return to the bench because his stamina hit the limit, even though he claimed he could still play.

But Fan Xi didn't want him to persist any longer.

There's no need for that.

Bilupusi walked up to Fan Xi and said, "Jie Ke, after Mike and I analyzed it, if Spain speeds up, we won't be able to stop them. Spain has been building strength, laying the groundwork for the final showdown."

"We don't have the run‑and‑shoot gene," Bilupusi said, pointing at the bench.

That's indeed the case.

In the previous era of the national team, they favored a quick, agile style because there was no dominant center like Yao Ming. With Yao Ming's era, Chinese men's basketball cultivated many half‑court players who revolved around Yao Ming; after losing the strong center, they became maladjusted.

Fan Xi knew this well; pulling off a surprise victory became a tough task.

But Fan Xi didn't give up; he gritted his teeth.

He suggested head coach Li Nan replace Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian with Zhang Zhaoxu and Lao Wang.

Lao Wang is a forward capable of running and shooting, though he's very old—a post‑70s player, older than Nowitzki.

But at this moment Fan Xi could only use him as a Nowitzki.

Beep!

The whistle sounds, and the game continues.

Spain is already howling, like a pack of famished wolves; they intend to descend and wipe out the Zhongguo team, exuding a momentum like a rainbow.

Pau Gasol returned to the bench.

They plan to use the final 4 minutes 39 seconds to turn the tables on the Zhongguo team; they believe they can do it as long as they stay on the right path.

Fan Xi received Xiao Ding's inbound pass, then reached beyond the three-point line and performed a high pick-and-roll with Lao Wang.

But Spain is very alert, and Lao Wang's screening is subpar; Lu Biao quickly circled around, and Ibaka did not follow.

Fan Xi simply drove into the paint, leapt upward, and Lu Biao followed into the air… but he could only go halfway; he clearly perceived the difference in hang time between them.

Fan Xi easily, under Mark Gasol's help defense, placed the ball into the hoop with his left hand.

His swift moves were as elegant as a mural.

Such aerial work has only been seen in Michael Jordan's career highlight reels.

"Jie Ke is the most outstanding player in this game; his skill far exceeds that of the other nine players on the court."

Even the Dream Team had to admit this, and the words came from Deron Williams' mouth.

Although he once had a huge conflict with Fan Xi and was mercilessly beaten by Fan Xi many times, now, with his physical condition deteriorating due to injury and his tactical level sinking after defecting from Salt Lake City, his inner hatred has actually faded a lot… because he knows he can no longer take revenge; Fan Xi has reached a high level, while he has dropped to an ordinary All-Star, or even lower, level.

Deron Williams' words left the Dream Team in silence.

"But he cannot change the game's momentum; his terrible teammates will ruin the match. Even if you place the finest candle on cow dung, it won't become a birthday cake."

"Even a dung beetle wouldn't push cow dung!"

Chris Paul said crudely.

His words made the Dream Team members burst into laughter.

They enjoy such metaphors, because belittling others—especially those who hate themselves deeply—feels exhilarating.

Swish!

Mid-sentence, Navarro hit a Three-Point Shot from beyond the three-point line.

Spain's offense surged like a tide, and each player possessed strong tactical guidance.

Fan Xi felt a headache and launched a counterattack.

He increased the offensive tempo, raced to the frontcourt, performed a set pick-and-roll with Zhang Zhaoxu at the top of the three-point arc, then drove into the paint, only to be trapped upon entry; Fan Xi quickly passed to Di Jiao, Ding Yanyu Hang was wide open, but his shot missed.

He is not yet a reliable Three-Point Shot shooter.

Ibaka sprang up like a sprout in dry land, giving Lao Wang no chance; he easily grabbed the rebound, lofted it to Lu Biao, who then passed to Fernandez, and Fernandez drove into the paint for a layup.

The offense flowed smoothly, like mercury spilling on the ground.

This ball left the Zhongguo players on the court bewildered.

Only after Fan Xi's loud reminder did they sprint back to the frontcourt for the inbound.

Some Zhongguo fans in the arena were silent.

They realized that these two teams indeed had Spain's higher level.

Domestic national team fans also felt inevitable disappointment; they hadn't expected a win, but the first three and a half quarters filled them with hope, and now… that hope seemed about to be shattered.

Alas!

Sure enough, a meteoric rise belongs only in fairy tales.

The Chinese land felt a sigh at this moment.

"I told you long ago, playing the Zhongguo team like this guarantees loss!"

Ibaka shouted toward bench-side Pau Gasol.

He appeared smug.

His voice also greatly inspired the other Spain players.

But at that moment, Pau Gasol covered his own eyes.

His teammates beside him thought he was blaming himself.

In fact, he was worried; his subconscious told him that something dangerous was happening.

Never provoke Jie Ke Fan has become his life creed.

Meanwhile, Fan Xi was undergoing the greatest inner struggle of the match.

Ibaka's roar made him very angry.

His teammates' helplessness also left him especially confused.

He quickly dribbled to the frontcourt, intending to set a screen with Lao Wang, but saw Lao Wang's expression was somewhat bewildered.

He promptly abandoned the idea.

Then he suddenly drove the ball inward a step, saw Lu Biao retreating heavily, cared little for anything else, stepped back, and jumped from beyond the three-point line to release… the ball traced a beautiful arc.

At the moment the ball left his hands, Fan Xi realized a pleasant thing was happening.

So, after landing, he spread his arms.

Swish!

The Three-Point Shot swished through the net.

The point gap returned to 8 points.

Fan Xi directly suppressed Spain's newly risen swagger.

All the Zhongguo fans in the arena began shouting with great excitement.

And the Zhongguo national team players quickly became excited after their confusion; Xiao Ding rushed over, high-fiving Fan Xi, along with Xiao Guo, while the bench erupted in jumps.

Fan Xi raised his eyebrows.

"Jie Ke Fan is too strong."

Durant, seated in front of the TV, let out a subconscious sigh.

Then the Dream Team teammates beside him all turned to look at him.

He sensibly closed his mouth and stared elsewhere.

Like a thief in an elevator, guilty and pretending to be relaxed while letting out a fart.

Pau Gasol grabbed his own hair, muttering repeatedly: "I told you before! I told you before! Why provoke Jieke Fan? Why annoy that terrifying guy?"

Gasol's voice left the bench baffled: "Isn't it just a three‑point?"

They still didn't know how terrifying Fan Xi could become when he went berserk.

The national team's morale surged sharply with Fan Xi's three‑point.

This time, even Lao Wang kept up with the defensive rhythm, locking down Navarro's drive; then when Fernandez missed his shot, he tightly blocked Ibaka, and the excited Xiao Ding rushed in to snatch the ball.

He passed to Fan Xi, who sprinted with the ball.

He raced to the frontcourt; Rubio's defense was still a bit lax, so he quickly retreated.

But Fan Xi, with only a meter left from the three‑point line while moving, leapt and brazenly launched a three‑point.

The basketball traced a graceful arc.

Swoosh!

It fell through the net.

The lead returned to eleven points.

Bang!

Chris Paul turned off the TV outright, and the other Dream Team members, disheartened yet in perfect sync, turned and left.

When Fan Xi hit two three‑points in a row, they already guessed the upcoming solution.

Spain hadn't yet outclassed the Zhongguo team by two tiers; in their view, the game was already over.

They didn't want to hear the arena erupt with chants of Fan Xi MVP.

But that couldn't stop what was happening: the London Sports Hall boiled, and all Zhongguo fans roared excitedly there.

And the Spanish team called a timeout.

Pau Gasol stood up dejectedly; at this moment, he had become immensely wise in his teammates' eyes.

They began to truly realize how terrifying it was to provoke Fan Xi.

…