Chapter 517: They Have No Choice

Fan Xi smiled, and said, "Otherwise, how could I publicly discuss such a boring matter?"

Fan Xi spread out his palm.

Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan still didn't quite understand; his thoughts didn't connect quickly, and the tea from China couldn't grant him long‑range strategic thinking.

"Huh? You're saying Brook Lopez didn't join the Knicks so that he could contact the Nets?" Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan recounted what he knew.

"Of course." Fan Xi nodded.

"Why?" Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan's confusion shone with clear‑cut foolishness; there's no doubt he's a perfect questioner. If you have a friend like that, you'll feel more delighted than annoyed, for they always draw out your 'pretentious mystique.' The world doesn't need too many clever people; a proper dose of foolishness makes it far more wonderful.

"If you were a Nets player, and after a trade you weren't taken in by another team, the Nets lived next door to you, and… your trade value plummeted. What would you do? Would you rush to prove yourself to your former team, hoping they'd take you back?"

Fan Xi said.

Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan thought for a moment and said, "But why would the Nets want him? Weren't they the ones who traded him away?"

"That depends on the upcoming games." Fan Xi said with a smile.

Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan began to understand. He clapped his hands and said, "Jie Ke, I don't know what your plan is, but I feel you'll definitely succeed. Even someone as smart as me can't keep up with your thinking; they'll surely fall into your trap."

"Thank God, thank God for bringing us the all‑knowing, all‑powerful Jieke Fan!"

Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan pressed his palms together and prayed devoutly.

Fan Xi smiled helplessly.

Drink tea.

…

The Nets' first regular‑season showdown with the Knicks, a New York City derby, instantly drew a flood of media coverage and frenzied fan attention, with more and more affluent New York fans crowding the arena.

Often, competitive sports are also about the eye‑catching effect.

The Knicks are already a hot topic, and with Fan Xi—the current top superstar—joining, the buzz is off the charts.

Most importantly, Fan Xi's contract rights still belong to the same‑city Nets, a deal the Nets completed themselves, adding another layer of hype.

Both teams have reaped huge traffic bonuses, and now the Nets and Knicks are the two most watched teams in the entire Eastern Conference and the league.

The Nets also benefit, with this year's advertising and ticket revenues soaring exponentially. Moreover, countless basketball media outlets side with them; domestic U. S. basketball media don't want Fan Xi to keep 'wielding power.' Their hostile relationship with Fan Xi has long existed. They hope the Nets will shatter Fan Xi's basketball‑court myth.

So that's why ESPN, before the game even starts, confidently predicts the Knicks will lose and suffer a five‑game losing streak.

Both the Knicks‑vs‑Nets game and the Knicks‑vs‑Miami Heat game are broadcast live across the United States.

ESPN, the media that has soaked up Fan Xi's hardships, can't wait to broadcast his crushing defeat nationwide; they aim to document Jieke Fan's spectacular fall from the altar.

Fan Xi has seen many grand spectacles; he's well accustomed to this pre‑game media atmosphere.

Most of his teammates have also witnessed big stages.

But Stade Myer and Joe Johnson, the two scorers on the team, seemed a bit nervous. The little tyrant asked Fan Xi before the game, "Jie Ke, I feel the whole world is targeting you; ESPN has shaped the atmosphere like a trial against you. They're certain you won't win tonight, and our previous three‑game losing streak gave them plenty of leverage."

Fan Xi smiled and said, "You have to get used to this; there will be more. The media likes to pressure teams they don't favor."

Stade Myer, still a bit unclear, asked, "What if the Nets lose? What will they do?"

"They're used to it," Fan Xi said with a smile. "Otherwise, why wouldn't the Miami crowd dance along with them now? The Nets players who are leaping around will eventually understand."

Stade Myer still didn't quite get it.

Time progressed methodically.

The game time arrived quickly.

Madison Garden was packed, and elite figures from all walks of life glittered on the sidelines, surrounded by a ring of cameras and reporters.

Everything signaled that this game was extraordinary.

Playing at Madison Garden differs from playing at Staples Center; after all, New York is the world's largest city, and Los Angeles lags far behind New York in both urban development and scale, and in cultural depth, this side is stronger.

Thus, many superstars love to set new records at Madison Garden.

Conquering New York is many people's aspiration.

But now, the New York King of basketball is Fan Xi.

Over twenty‑thousand fans eagerly await Fan Xi to crush the neighboring hillbilly again.

Knicks fans are like a group of arrogant yet fragile aristocratic heirs; they need Fan Xi to revive their spirit, yet fear he'll be overburdened and cause the team to fall to the bottom again.

Beep!

The whistle blows, and the game begins.

The Nets' starting lineup is: Tyson Chandler, Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce, JR Smith, Deron Williams—the core of their recent three‑game winning streak.

Coach Jason Kidd stood on the sideline looking as if victory were assured; he believes the current Nets are a different team from the previous Nets, and he has perfectly unleashed the squad's talent.

They might take down the Knicks without needing a fourth quarter.

He reviewed the Knicks' recent games; they're too chaotic, constantly accelerating, having lost their brakes, marching down the wrong path, sprinting toward a cliff. He even predicts the Knicks won't make the playoffs. That's New York's disaster—and his joke.

The Knicks' starting lineup is: Cole Aldridge, Stade Myer, Joe Johnson, Fan Xi, Stephen Nash.

Aldridge lost the tip‑off to Tyson Chandler.

Chandler's performance in the past three games has been average; his points per game this season have sharply dropped to 5.8. Although media predicted that when he joined the Nets, playing alongside Deron would usher in a second golden career—his stats beside Paul were already impressive, with Deron and Paul hailed as a twin‑star duo, and veteran coach Jason Kidd at the helm—he has no reason not to soar.

But the fact is, he hasn't gotten many slices of the pie.

Jason Kidd applied a policy of averaging, yet didn't apply it to this defense‑oriented center who isn't good offensively; because his free‑throw percentage is unstable, he isn't even allowed to take the ball one‑on‑one.

He only provides rim protection and help defense.

Deron Williams dribbled into the frontcourt, set his stance, and against Stephen Nash's defense, swiftly employed a pendulum‑style cut. Though his explosiveness is far below his Jazz days, Nash is also heavily aged and not adept at defending.

After shaking off Nash, Deron entered the free‑throw line area and executed a textbook jump shot.

Deron's mid‑range game is very consistent.

Even though he and Coach Sloan have had a falling out, even his most loyal fans must admit Deron's achievements are wholly thanks to Coach Sloan's training. He still enjoys the benefits of the pick‑and‑roll.

His decision to leave the Jazz, citing the harsh cold of Salt Lake City and a lack of spotlight that prevented him from continuing the rigid pick‑and‑roll, can't be called correct.

Switching sides, Nash launched a fast break.

He quickly ran across half court, then passed to the other side's Fan Xi, who used a simple fake to get past JR Smith, then shoved the basketball into the paint; Sitade Maier grabbed the ball, leapt, and slammed it directly into the hoop… the trailing Taisen Qiandeler failed to defend.

On the sideline, Jia Sen Jide gave him a gesture, meaning "why didn't you defend this ball?"

Taisen Qiandeler angrily flicked his hand.

In his view, the blame for this ball lies entirely with Kamaelong Andongni; it was Andongni who missed a man, and he was only responsible for cleaning up after him. He only has two pieces of paper—how can he wipe so many butts?

Now the net is full of holes.

The space is looser than a fifty‑year‑old escort.

It's completely empty, with an echo.

"Well done, A Ma Lei." Fan Xi walked over and high‑fived Sitade Maier: "This season you should claim the scoring champion. You should have earned this honor long ago."

Fan Xi deliberately spoke loudly.

Loud enough for Kamaelong Andongni to hear clearly.

Andongni's expression indeed changed slightly.

He is the person who least wants Sitade Maier to get the scoring champion, because many still say that if Andongni hadn't joined New York midway back then, the 2011 scoring champion should have been Sitade Maier.

Now that Fan Xi says this, isn't he deliberately provoking their conflict?

Fan Xi's shady move is spot‑on.

Kamaelong Andongni returned to half court to go one‑on‑one; at the four‑spot he has an advantage over any defender, and he quickly used his signature probing step to confuse Xiao Ba Wang, then surged into the paint, but as he jumped, A'erde Lichi came out to help defend.

This white center is tall and long‑armed, with some power.

Kamaelong is experienced; relying on A'erde Lichi's layup, he can't draw a foul nor be blocked.

But as soon as the ball left his hands, Sitade Maier flew in from behind… Snap!

A slap sent his ball out of bounds.

Staples Center boiled over.

Xiao Ba Wang raised both hands, showing off his muscles. At the start, one offense, one defense, Sitade Maier played with presence, aura, very… triumphant.

He looked at Kamaelong Andongni smugly and said, "You still love diving into the paint to get fouled."

Andongni's temper was already bad; the English basketball forum always has a saying, "New York chaos or not, Gua Ge decides." Gua Ge, a very streetwise guy, gave Sitade Maier a warning glance.

Sitade Maier didn't take it seriously at all.

Who isn't a streetwise person these days?

Xiao Ba Wang pushed back.

Just as the two were about to escalate the conflict, Fan Xi stepped in and pulled Sitade Maier away.

Kamaelong Andongni also went to the sideline to restart play; he passed the ball to Pi Er Si, who shot quickly, hitting a high‑difficulty fadeaway over Qiao Yuehan Sun's head.

The Nets have a group of high‑quality one‑on‑one players.

Jia Sen Jide consciously shifted the team's tactical system toward a triangle offense.

The Knicks still favor fast breaks; Si Di Fen Na Shi sprinted with the ball, at the three‑point arc top, faked a shot and fed the interior A'erde Lichi, who finished with a layup.

Taisen Qiandeler is a top defender, but his focus is now severely scattered; he was just drawn by Fan Xi's off‑ball movement, giving A'erde Lichi a chance.

Jia Sen Jide was disappointed with the play; he clapped his hands, reminding Taisen Qiandeler to adjust his positioning.

Qiandeler frowned, muttering, "Damn it, I don't have ten legs, I have to cover every gap—can I even get there?"

Fan Xi just followed behind him, hearing roughly.

His eyebrows rose slightly; this is the scene he wanted.

Meanwhile, in Nets owner Pu Luo Huo Luo Fu's office, Bu Lu Ke Luo Pei Si's agent was pitching: "See? Taisen Qiandeler is totally unsuitable for the Nets; you made a bad trade back then. If Brook were on the Nets, he could provide strong rim protection and also attack; he could make the tactics run more perfectly."

"Believe me, sir. Brook's trade value is low now; if you give up Taisen Qiandeler, we could rob the Knicks. For example, get Kevin Garnett…"

The agent spoke with seductive words.

"No, I want to destroy the Knicks' flashy offense. If a trade really happens, I need to take away Si Di Fen Na Shi, that center, and get another guard."

Pu Luo Huo Luo Fu said firmly, grinding his teeth.

He hates the Knicks too much. He wants both Fan Xi and the Knicks to be ruined forever.

"They'll definitely agree; they're eager to trade Brook now, but other teams don't want him. It's the time to squeeze them. You've seen Brook's condition before; he's stronger, faster, more energetic, his skills are extremely powerful; that's a loss for the Knicks."

The agent continued.

Pu Luo Huo Luo Fu nodded.

He's been watching Bu Lu Ke Luo Pei Si, and Luo Pei Si has been training with the Nets' trainers; the Nets' coaching staff and management fully understand his condition. Bu Lu Ke Luo Pei Si has added muscle, increased resistance, and his offense has indeed become more refined.

This is exactly what the Nets lack.

They originally had high hopes for Taisen Qiandeler, but now he's older and his style doesn't fit the Nets.

So, if a trade really occurs, the Nets are willing.

"But do you think the Knicks will trade with us? We've already set them up." Pu Luo Huo Luo Fu asked.

"They have no choice," Luo Pei Si's agent declared firmly. "They will fall into the same pit twice."

…