Chapter 614: Enemies Cross Paths

This year's World Championship was held in Spain and renamed the Men's Basketball World Cup, likely because they saw that the World Cup's influence in football far surpassed the Olympics. Since wild cards were issued, a total of 24 teams participated, divided into four groups A, B, C, and D, with six teams per group. The top four records in each group advanced to the knockout stage, forming the Round of Sixteen, after which they paired off to battle.

The Zhongguo team entered the World Cup as the Olympic champions.

They did not occupy an Asian slot. So, Asia still had three slots available to enter.

Zhongguo was placed in the Group of Death, Group A, which included host Spain, European powerhouses Serbia and France, as well as Brazil and Iran.

Of course, for today's Zhongguo team, no one doubted they could advance from the group stage—it was merely a matter of finishing first or second.

This year's Zhongguo roster was very different from the 2012 London Olympics; nearly all the old faces had retired.

Guo Ailun and Ding Yuyuhang, who had emerged as surprise stars alongside Fan Xi in London, had become the team's pillars and veteran leaders. They were now respectively the top point guard in Asia and the top small forward in Asia, having made the best lineup in Incheon.

Han Dejun and Wang Zhelin were also selected for the World Championship roster, along with the even younger and more talented Zhou Qi.

Zhou Peng and Yi Jianlian were holdovers from 2012.

Together with newly added Li Gen, Zhai Xiaochuan, Zhao Tailong, and Zhao Jiwei, they formed this edition's 12-man roster.

Although many of these players had never played directly with Fan Xi, Fan Xi was very familiar with all of them. These rising stars often came to Los Angeles to train, and Fan Xi had cultivated them without reservation.

Their progress was extremely rapid.

Some of them already possessed the ability and qualifications to make a push for the NBA.

However, various complicated relationships back home prevented them from making such a decision. Otherwise, at the 2014 draft, there should have been at least two or three Chinese faces.

Fan Xi had no further advice on this.

Everyone's destiny was different, and their circumstances would differ too. No one could guarantee that entering the NBA would be better for them than staying home. If they came to the NBA and sat on the bench the whole time, never getting playing opportunities, then their improvement would actually be worse than staying home and being the star player.

Fan Xi joined them in Guangzhou, where they did some training. Fan Xi quickly got into the team's rhythm with no discomfort whatsoever, and his arrival strengthened the chemistry among the players.

This gave the entire team greater confidence in the World Cup.

Originally, everyone's expectation for this World Cup was to push for the quarterfinals. But now, both the fans and the basketball association believed the team had the strength to contend for a medal.

Of course, in their hearts, everyone still hoped they could win it all. But they also didn't want to put too much pressure on Fan Xi. After all, they still knew Zhongguo's foundation—they couldn't even win the Asian championship, so expecting that adding one Fan Xi would let them beat Team USA and Serbia was indeed a bit of "asking the impossible."

The 2012 gold medal did have an element of luck, and most of the experienced veterans from that time had already retired.

…

Fan Xi arrived in Spain.

Spanish girls were very passionate; they were eager to have some intimate contact with Fan Xi. Fan Xi had already earned the title of "human pheromone" in the minds of women worldwide. So many female celebrities flocked to him, creating a powerful brand effect.

Who wouldn't want to taste what a star was like?

If Fan Xi were a person with loose discipline, he could have done a great many things.

He could even surpass the number Wilt Chamberlain himself boasted about. Fan Xi was truly someone who could make the women wanting to sleep with him line up from Spain all the way to Paris.

Ricky Rubio hosted Fan Xi. As both a host and a Kuaisuan player, he welcomed Fan Xi's arrival and introduced many Spanish players to Fan Xi.

Spanish basketball players almost felt a sense of "pilgrimage" when meeting Fan Xi. After Fan Xi won his fourth consecutive personal championship in New York, his status in the basketball world was not what it used to be.

No basketball player in the game today commanded greater prestige than he did.

Fan Xi had a great time chatting with them, but declined the special entertainment offered after dinner. Fan Xi was a man with principles. He certainly didn't want to add another outpost in Spain.

Zhongguo's first group stage opponent was France.

The romantic French team.

France was led by Batum and Diaw, and they played a rather physical style.

In the first quarter, their tough play created some problems for Zhongguo's young players. But entering the second quarter, after Fan Xi had gotten a feel for his teammates' playing style, he joined Guo Ailun, Ding Yuyuhang, Yi Jianlian, and Han Dejun to launch a fierce offensive.

France was completely unable to withstand this powerful assault.

After his talent fusion, Fan Xi displayed overwhelming power. His effortless play left France unable to find any pattern to stop him, and they could only watch helplessly as the point gap widened.

This sense of helplessness was like the Houston Rockets watching helplessly as their team got slaughtered in the Finals, unable to fight back.

101:77.

France played well, but they lost by 24 points.

Batum was the primary defender on Fan Xi in this game. After the game, he said: "I gave it my all. There's nothing to regret. We just couldn't handle Jieke Fan. I can say that in this World Cup, no one can contain him. That's just the reality."

Under Batum's full-game defensive coverage, Fan Xi easily recorded 32 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.

Fan Xi brought NBA-caliber brilliance to the FIBA court.

Once again proving that for basketball players truly standing at the summit, changes to the rules could not limit them.

France's defeat left Zhongguo's second opponent trembling with fear.

Because their name was Iran.

They had just beaten a Fan Xi-less Zhongguo team at the Asian Games. At the time, they were thrilled, but now, that was the source of their terror.

Their starting center Haddadi used to be very arrogant, routinely dismissing other Asian players, and had made disrespectful remarks about both Yi Jianlian and Yao Ming.

But now, with Fan Xi about to stand across from him.

The situation had changed.

Though he still spoke loudly, his words had lost their conviction. "No matter how powerful Jieke Fan is, if the five of us go at him together, he might not be able to shake all of us off!"

"The pace of FIBA is slow. We won't play transition defense against them. We'll maintain our own rhythm."

"We will still fight for the win."

"There's no reason for us to lose morale before the game even starts!"

He issued very tough statements.

However, after his remarks were republished back home, they drew waves of mockery. Haddadi had essentially taken the art of "chickening out" to its extreme.

Despite Haddadi's performance being quite comical, the fans back home still had no intention of letting them off. They hoped the national team would punish them severely this time and avenge the loss at Incheon.

That was exactly what Fan Xi came for. If he hadn't watched the Asian Games men's basketball final, he might not have come to Spain. Although many American media outlets said he came to Spain to lay low because Jennifer bringing their son to Zhongguo had disrupted his family atmosphere... they made it sound very convincing.

The game against Iran arrived as scheduled.

This game had many Chinese fans skipping work and skipping class to stay in front of the television. Converted from Spain time, it was eleven o'clock in the morning.

The Iran team really does have a somewhat strong‑and‑mighty vibe.

But as soon as the game started, Fan Xi immediately stole the ball from their point guard, simply using his body to block the guard's driving lane, then slashing the ball away with his left hand straight from the guard's chest.

Fan Xi grabbed the ball and sprinted toward the frontcourt; as he leapt, Iran team's forward Barami tried to block him, believing his height exceeded Fan Xi's and that he held an absolute aerial advantage.

But the moment Fan Xi struck him like a cannonball, he regretted it.

His body fell like a kite whose string had snapped.

He had no room to resist at all.

Boom!

Fan Xi dunked right over his pupil, his body slamming hard onto the floor, shock and remorse piling in his mind.

Then endless pain traveled from his back to his brain nerves.

He lost decisively, and the head referee quickly called a stop; the team medic carried him away.

The Spanish fans in the arena were extremely roused, shouting deafeningly. Here they have a bullfighting tradition, valuing confrontation and violence.

Fan Xi's dunk took the aesthetic of violence to the extreme.

So they cheered wildly.

Meanwhile, far in the East, everyone was even more stirred by the desire for vengeance.

Fan Xi's opening play was such a satisfying revenge, flipping Iran's momentum outright!

One steal, one dunk.

Fan Xi told the Iranians what it means to repay a grudge! What it means that "those who openly offend the mighty must be punished, even from afar!"

Domestic fans erupted in excitement.

The national team members' hormones on the court blazed, and Fan Xi gave them fierce confidence, prompting them to sharpen their bayonets and seek revenge.

The subsequent game turned into a one‑sided slaughter.

Fan Xi held the rear, applying ruthless full‑court pressure on Iran's guards, constantly cutting off their passing lanes.

After Fan Xi's innate talents fused, his most noticeable improvement was defense; he used his gifts more perfectly, becoming even tougher on that end.

He adopted a death‑entwining stance.

The Iran team found the half‑court increasingly difficult.

This usually happened to the Zhongguo team before.

Now the tide has turned, and domestic fans' pride and exhilaration are unparalleled.

Iran's offense fell into a stalemate, while the Zhongguo team unleashed a barrage. Fan Xi kept launching attacks, shifting offensive firepower, giving the youngsters easy scoring chances.

In this situation, the point gap widened further.

Ha Dadi also suffered Fan Xi's alley‑oop dunk before the first half ended; he was battling Wang Zhelin for the rebound under the rim, but Fan Xi, like a yellow bird, swooped in from behind, grabbed the ball with both hands and slammed it through the hoop from over his head.

Ha Dadi's clumsiness and slowness were like a lagging Tyson Chandler frame… his ability might be less than a third of Tyson Chandler's.

Tyson Chandler at his peak was America's best defensive center, and Ha Dadi couldn't even make it onto an NBA roster.

Fan Xi could deal with him any way he wanted.

Ha Dadi was indeed a bit brain‑dead; he even spewed trash talk at Fan Xi, saying, "If you have the skill, come dunk me head‑on!"

He threw a harsh threat, warning Fan Xi that if he dared to come straight at him, he'd be flipped over.

But he didn't know Fan Xi's might.

In the NBA, no center would dare say that to Fan Xi.

Ha Dadi's disadvantage stems from his short NBA tenure and being merely a fringe player, lacking first‑hand data.

After the second half began, Fan Xi kept looking for a chance to attack the rim head‑on.

But Ha Dadi dodged repeatedly until, with two minutes left in the third quarter as their team began to consider surrender, Fan Xi burst in from the wing into the paint; Ha Dadi had just shrunk under the basket, and Fan Xi seized the moment, leaping explosively to crash straight into Ha Dadi's defense.

Ha Dadi quickly raised his hands, ready to jump and push… but he was too slow.

He was literally turtle‑speed.

Fan Xi's violent onslaught now covered the whole court.

His feet left the ground only to be slammed down hard; Fan Xi's surging explosive power poured out, and he curled like a shrimp tossed into boiling water, instantly bending his back.

A grotesque display!

Fan Xi shoved his right forearm, which was clutching the ball, straight into the hoop, leaving him hanging on the rim.

The towering, muscular Ha Dawei cowered, bowing his head and hunching his back to dodge beneath him, looking as pathetic as a clown.

Meanwhile, Fan Xi had already earned the arena's screams and cheers.

This was the first time in World Cup men's basketball history that a live‑game, off‑the‑defender, hanging‑arm dunk was executed.

Back then, Wen Si Ka Te earned a perfect score with this move at a dunk contest.

Fan Xi now does it in actual play, dunking over a 218‑centimeter center.

The difficulty coefficient multiplied.

The crowd couldn't help but scream; Fan Xi had already won over the Spanish fans, and the violent aesthetic he displayed in this game was enough to make any spectator let out an ecstatic roar.

It was pure hormone release.

The Iran coach quickly called a timeout, subbing out all his starters; a 29‑point gap made him unwilling to continue any resistance.

He hoped Fan Xi would sit out, not wanting to keep playing.

But Fan Xi didn't sit down.

This isn't the NBA.

This is an international arena.

Everyone is just playing this group match, with no friendly reunion later.

Fan Xi continues to lead the national team players in battle.

Whether Iran swaps its starters or not, it's the same: they just crush the weak.

The point gap continues to widen.

The CCTV commentator said at this moment: "This is Fan Xi's power. The national team without Fan Xi lost to Iran by 1 point, while the national team with Fan Xi is now creating the largest margin in history. We might beat them by 40 points, maybe 50."

While he was speaking, Fan Xi hit the third three‑pointer of the game.

Fan Xi, carrying the ball across half‑court, pulled up for a shot two meters from the three‑point line.

This announced that Fan Xi no longer has patience to play tactics with them; Fan Xi will use the most efficient way to create the gap.

James Harden covered his eyes on the sideline; for him, it was the trigger button of painful memories.

Sitting beside him, Stephen Curry said to Derek Rose: "This guy has been training his three‑pointers; he wants to become the Clippers' full‑time shooter next season."

Rosa felt a knot in his heart; he also wants to cameo as a full‑time three‑point shooter next season.

To think all this collides—enemies' paths are narrow!

…