Chapter 608: A Massive Wave of Gossip Takes Off

The 2013-2014 season Finals MVP trophy sits on the bedside table.

The bed is a mess of mud and disorder.

This was the best reward Fan Xi received last night.

He had never witnessed such a scene; the four‑handed, four‑footed entanglement thrilled him to the extreme, and the Energy Halo that hadn't been activated for a long, long time was re‑activated.

This time, Fan Xi saw no other superstars in his mind.

He saw himself.

Then his talents merged, and the previously stagnant or disjointed abilities harmonized like never before.

His talent integration reached eighty percent.

It was an unprecedented change.

Fan Xi felt he had never controlled his talents so fully; he realized that returning to the court would let him wield his skills to a greater degree and dominate the game even more.

Fan Xi was extremely excited.

In last night's "reward" he received the most abundant gift ever; he fused all the talents he had taken from other superstars into himself, and began to become himself.

It was a great transformation.

Fan Xi now even feels a bit regretful; he wonders why he had to sweep the Rockets, and thinks he should have played another game to let them see the current him.

…

For New York, it was a night of universal celebration; after the championship, the whole city fell into an inexplicable joy. Some charities began distributing goodwill in the name of basketball, and many hungry people on the streets received food and blessings.

The government announced special celebrations, even designating the championship day as a commemorative holiday…

And the die‑hard fans in good spirits also expressed their goodwill across various fields.

Basketball made the city friendlier, and the championship added more smiles to people's faces.

That is probably the meaning sports bring.

Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan announced his grand plan: to erect a bronze statue of Fan Xi outside Madison Garden Arena, a move that received overwhelming fan approval, as everyone regarded Fan Xi as the basketball hero who brought glory to New York.

Of course, some opposed, arguing that Fan Xi had only played one season for the Knicks, and that honoring him with a statue might be unfair to legends like Frazier, Ewing, and Reed.

But that is not the mainstream; for now, their voices are faint.

Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan is a headstrong person who will not heed others' advice,

He also announced that on June 18 he would hold a grand championship parade, letting the whole of New York feel the champion's glory. His planned route is very extensive; the fellow truly loves grandiosity.

But who gave him such good fortune?

He is too rich.

Moreover, this year the Knicks' earnings surpassed any in history; their profit exceeds the combined total of the other seven teams in the Eastern top eight.

Isn't that exaggerated?

On one hand, the Knicks' city is extremely wealthy; even in years they missed the playoffs or tanked, their earnings remained among the league's highest.

On the other hand, Fan Xi's massive draw power, after joining the Knicks, repeatedly broke records, turning Madison Garden Arena into a must‑visit basketball shrine.

The Knicks' advertising revenue keeps climbing, and their local TV broadcast fees are rising geometrically.

Of course, the most important thing… they made the playoffs.

They reached the Finals and won the championship.

Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan now has money to splurge.

…

The next day Fan Xi, accompanied by his manager, attended a commercial sponsorship event, accepting endorsement offers from several major New York brands. While still in New York, he seized the chance to cash in.

Who would turn down over ten million dollars?

Such local endorsements are the safest cash‑flow returns.

Lu Yuan has told Fan Xi more than once that he should milk the big city of New York even more.

He attended three live events, each a sea of people. Fan Xi was the city's beloved superhero, then headed to a studio to shoot promotional photos.

The money had already been deposited before Fan Xi left the studio.

That evening Fan Xi attended the Conan Show, an established reality talk program. He appeared because the network agreed to give his sneaker brand free advertising.

Although internet media are increasingly dominant, many consumers still stay in front of their TVs, and traditional media still held the main voice in 2014.

Fan Xi's appearance on the Conan Show set got the audience boiling.

The host was also thrilled, bragging to everyone: "I've told you all that I'd bring a truly big figure, and I will grill him with sharp, biting questions."

"So, Jie Ke, are you ready? Here, I won't treat you as New York's basketball hero; the NBA's greatest fourth‑year player, your 101‑point single‑game record, super five‑fold record, and four‑year Finals MVP streak across three teams are trivial to me."

Conan spoke in an exaggerated tone, in fact promoting Fan Xi.

His method kept the crowd screaming, and the TV ratings were also soaring.

Fan Xi is a hot topic, with countless exciting qualities.

"Hey, Jie Ke. We all know you wrapped up this season's basketball work last night. You helped the Knicks win the championship in a year. How do you find New York? Do the local female stars suit your taste? Yet I heard you've hardly had any scandals this past year, and they say that's a key reason for the Knicks' title. I don't believe it; I think the Rockets were just too weak. What's your take?"

"I think you understand basketball," Fan Xi replied with a smile. He was at ease, even though it was classic American humor.

"New York City has the highest concentration of female stars worldwide; if you want my verdict, I'd say… excellent. The past year isn't much different from my three years in Los Angeles, except New York paparazzi may not be as skilled as those in LA."

Fan Xi continued.

"Are you challenging New York paparazzi, Jie Ke? Don't think you can run back to Los Angeles and do whatever you want," Conan warned Fan Xi.

Fan Xi raised his hand with a smile, saying, "You're stirring things up. I mean, New York paparazzi are friendly to me; they don't want to distract me."

"Alright. Let's talk about Chris Paul. The whole world knows you punished him in that game, creating a 58‑point gap, and you posted a 70‑plus super triple‑double. What kind of player is Paul, and can you be compared to him?" Conan asked.

"Chris Paul is a great player; he will be a super point guard whose name endures in history. But you shouldn't discuss him in the same topic as me; that disrespects me and is unfriendly to him."

He didn't mean to look down on Paul, but that's the fact. The gap isn't even like the rank difference between Bei Qiaofeng and Nan Murong.

"Ok, Jie Ke. Let's talk about something unrelated to basketball. You've played four NBA seasons; many NBA players became fathers before entering the league. Do you have such plans? According to information we got from Zhongguo, you seem to have made a Chinese female star a mother. Moreover, there's a bizarre rumor with exaggerated comments claiming that Zhan Ni Fu An Ni Si Dun's illegitimate child is actually your son. So, whose boyfriend are you?"

Ke Nan asked a question that made the live audience scream; this was direct.

Fan Xi still maintained a smile.

After a burst of screaming from the live audience, he replied: "I won't be anyone's boyfriend, but I will definitely become someone's lifelong partner and start a family. As for becoming a father, I will enjoy it."

Fan Xi did not give a direct answer.

"Then there's a rapid-fire Q&A: you choose yes or no, or drink the glass of red wine in front of you." Ke Nan didn't want to let Fan Xi off the hook.

"Is Tai Lei Si Wu Fu Te your girlfriend? Or have you ever been together?" Ke Nan asked Fan Xi.

Fan Xi didn't even think; he directly picked up the glass of red wine in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.

"Second question: Is Ken Da Er Zhan Na your girlfriend? Are you still together?" Ke Nan continued to ask.

Fan Xi picked up another glass of red wine and drank it all in one gulp.

The live audience burst into laughter.

Ke Nan then asked: "Third question: Do you think you will be the greatest basketball player of all time?"

"Yes!" Fan Xi answered very decisively this time.

"Why didn't you drink for this question? Aren't you afraid of making Qiao Dan unhappy?" Ke Nan asked Fan Xi.

Fan Xi said with a smile: "Before Qiao Dan gets unhappy, I need to make sure I don't get drunk."

"Fourth question: Do you think Zhan Mu Si Duo Lan is a handsome person?"

"No!" Fan Xi was very decisive.

This was also very effective for the show.

"Fifth question: Do you think Le Bu Lang Zhang Si can defeat you next year?"

"No!" Fan Xi was even more resolute.

"Sixth question: Did Mei Gen Fu Ke Si and Si Jia Li Yue Han Dun both fall in love with you and win you over?"

Fan Xi hesitated slightly, then picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp again.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Ke Nan made a strange cry.

The live audience erupted in even more uproar; the viewers in front of the TV also screamed: "Is this question hard to answer? If not, you can just say no, right? Is it harder than the questions about Qiao Dan and James? Or is Jie Ke trying to say yes?"

"Seventh question: Were you and Si Jia Li on a date in Miami back then, surrounded by police from land, sea, and air?"

Fan Xi picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp again.

At this point, everyone seemed to have a clue: it seemed that Fan Xi would use drinking to avoid answering questions he didn't want to answer, or to evade real situations.

"Eighth question: Did you go on a date with a Fan girl last night? To celebrate your fourth championship."

Fan Xi still picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Ninth question: Have you already become a father?"

Keep drinking.

"Tenth question: Is Zhan Ni Fu An Ni Si Dun's child yours?"

This question caused an uproar throughout the venue.

Everyone originally thought this was a joke, after all, how could Jennifer possibly have a child with Fan Xi?

However, at this moment, Fan Xi once again picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Instantly, the recording studio exploded.

Could it really be true???

At this moment, Fan Xi made another move, he reached out and picked up another glass of red wine.

Ke Nan quickly stopped him.

He said: "Alright, Jie Ke. I feel you're just here to drink. After winning the championship, do you still have some sorrow that you need to drown in red wine?"

Then, Ke Nan quickly ended this interview segment.

However, Fan Xi's drinking clip quickly spread across the internet.

It became fodder for gossip lovers' revelry.

Many people began to discuss the reasons behind Fan Xi's drinking and the authenticity of these questions.

Ultimately, which are true and which are meant to confuse.

Which gossip fans are like they've celebrated New Year, they analyze from various micro-expressions, various emotions… various slow-motion analyses and write short essays; in a moment, the entire internet is discussing Fan Xi's love life.

"I feel that every time Jie Ke drinks, it represents: a silent yes!"

"If these female stars are all Fan girls, that's too scary. I wouldn't accept it; I think Jie Ke is deliberately hyping himself. How could these female stars, madly chased by all men, possibly love him at the same time? And even bear his children?"

"I feel that for the first two questions, Jie Ke wanted to answer yes. The later drinking was just deliberate obfuscation."

"If all of this is true, I would confer Jie Ke as the greatest lover in basketball history. He is far stronger than Wei Er Te Zhang Bo Lun; Zhang Bo Lun was merely numerous, while he is superior in quality."

"Jie Ke actually also broke Zhang Bo Lun's scoring record…"

"If Jie Ke can handle so many female stars, why wouldn't he go for more? To him, it's just a piece of cake."

"I think this is off-season hype."

"I firmly believe everything Jie Ke said is true, because Jie Ke really has this ability…"

……

The internet was filled with gossip.

Basketball fans' discussion was instead squeezed into a corner.

You should know, the few questions Fan Xi clearly answered, under normal circumstances, would practically cause an earthquake-like reaction.

Fan Xi personally admitted he was greater than Qiao Dan, and also said James would continue to lose to him next year… These two points, which one isn't a top topic in basketball circles?

But, under the huge discussion volume of entertainment gossip topics, it appeared to be marginalized.

Fan Xi's alcohol tolerance isn't very good; he came out of the studio, he was a bit wobbly, and his agent walked over to support him. He said to Fan Xi: "Perhaps we shouldn't have participated in this show; the storm it's causing is too intense."

Fan Xi raised his eyebrows, he said: "Nothing to worry about. The bigger the waves, the steadier I am."

Fan Xi understood.

He thought his backyard wouldn't catch fire.

Moreover, in fact, his drinking behavior also had long-term considerations.

Fan Xi is not a reckless person.

This can be seen from his performance on the field; he takes one step while looking ten steps ahead.

…