Chapter 639: Ma Ku Si the Heat Fan

At noon on June 9, 62‑year‑old Ma Ku Si drove his 16‑year‑old Chevrolet out of his backyard, wearing the Heat's No. 33 Mo Ning jersey, and began a five‑hour road trip.

He has been a Heat fan since the 1980s, and he has never gone to the Miami home arena for the playoffs… to him, it was simply too pricey.

This year he finally could afford the huge sum, buying a mountain‑top ticket for Game 3 of the Finals for $3,500, which his grandson snapped up on a website. He was lucky; from the day he received the ticket he has been looking forward to the day.

For a loyal Lakers fan, the past five years have been nothing short of a nightmare.

At the gate of his yard there is a spray‑painted mural of Jieke Fan; he steps over that devil every day, and his car also wildly runs over the devil.

"Tonight, we must defeat that devil."

Ma Ku Si said it fiercely in his heart.

But then he couldn't help muttering: Actually that guy is really impressive. If he were a Heat fan, how great that would be. If he were a black dude like me, he might already be a basketball god.

After the car merged onto the expressway, he turned on the radio.

A squeaky, crackling sound came from inside, followed by two hard slaps. The DJ's soaring voice rang out excitedly: "…the Heat's win in Los Angeles proves that Le Bu Lang Zhang Si has completely surpassed Jieke Fan; it means our hope has finally arrived. We will finally end that devil's looming influence, we will defend both home courts, and then claim the championship at Staples Center."

"Forgive me, I really don't want to play Game 6. We must deal with that devil as soon as possible; that devil is too good at mounting counter‑attacks…"

Ma Ku Si turned the radio down a bit and smoked a cigarette.

He strongly agreed with the DJ's statement.

Indeed, that devil is truly terrifying. Over the years the Heat have been the biggest victims; every time they manage a desperate comeback from a disadvantage, they turn defeat into victory.

Heat fans know him even better than they know James.

Ma Ku Si often dreams, wondering: Why is that guy so powerful? Is that guy even human? The last person who made him think that was Mai Ke Er Qiao Dan. But Mai Ke Er Qiao Dan rarely faced the Heat.

Moreover, Ma Ku Si sincerely believes that Mai Ke Er Qiao Dan might not be as strong as Fan Xi.

He's not the only one with that view; most Heat fans think the same.

Otherwise it would be impossible to explain why Le Bu Lang Zhang Si, De Huai En Wade De and Ke Li Si Bo Shen—these transcendent super‑stars—cannot defeat him as a group.

Ma Ku Si's old Chevrolet kept heading toward Meihangzhongxin qiuguan in Miami.

His radio brought new news: Pa Te Lai Li was being interviewed.

All Heat fans worship Pa Te Lai Li, who is the soul of the team, its spiritual godfather. In the 1990s he came from New York to Miami, and Miami entered a new era; under his leadership the Heat always appeared as a powerhouse.

"This time, we will rewrite the history of failure. This season is our final battle!"

Pa Te Lai Li's words deeply moved veteran fans like Ma Ku Si.

In the summer of 2010, Le Bu Lang Zhang Si's televised broadcast changed the league's ecosystem and quickly turned the Miami Heat into the world's basketball hub. Ma Ku Si's son went to attend that grand promotional evening.

He heard James himself on stage say, "Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, at least seven championships…" At that moment, Xiao Ma Ku Si returned to tell Lao Ma Ku Si, and Ma Ku Si's eyes welled up with excited tears.

Indeed, Heaven's Chosen Son, indeed the first outside shooter of the post‑Jordan era. Sha Ke Ao Ni Er only brought one championship to the Heat, but he aims to bring seven to Miami.

At that time Ma Ku Si even thought that if James became a seven‑time champion, he would surely surpass Jordan.

Now the timeline jumps five years ahead.

James has no grain.

Five years ago an obscure undrafted player picked up the script James lost that night; he has already become a four‑time champion and could very likely become a seven‑time champion.

But this year De Huai Te Huo Hua De's arrival changed everything.

Ma Ku Si is also a Howard fan. He lives closer to Orlando, and when Howard played for the Magic he was a fervent supporter. He thinks, if Howard joined the Heat, how great that would be; he would surely be an upgraded Mo Ning.

Later Howard switched to the Lakers… it seems like a curse; every first center who emerged from the Magic went to the Lakers. The previous one was Ao Ni Er.

However Howard didn't have such luck; after going to the Lakers he didn't achieve what Ao Ni Er did, he has no grain, and in Los Angeles he is also ruled by that devil Jieke Fan.

Even the Lakers aren't as tough as the Heat; the Heat have held on for almost five years, while the Lakers fell apart in their second season.

Thinking of this, Ma Ku Si feels a bit proud: at least we have held back that devil for the whole league for so long. If we fall, who could stand up to them?

This season, after Howard joined the Heat, many Orlando fans flocked around Miami Heat.

The Heat's strength also surged wildly; although Howard isn't at his peak, he remains the league's best defensive center.

Thinking of this, Ma Ku Si repeatedly feels sorrow recalling how, for the past four years, the interior was always dominated by that group of young Kuaisuan players.

Now the comeback finally arrives.

However… the indescribable devil Fan Xi's draft pick—a chubby guy—is also hard to deal with; he can shoot three‑pointers, pass, and dribble one‑on‑one; his fat body twists without grace, yet he's efficient.

The devil truly seems omnipotent.

His draft eye is far sharper than Mai Ke Er Qiao Dan's.

Sometimes Ma Ku Si really wishes he had been a Kuaisuan fan from the start, so he wouldn't feel this bad.

After the long drive, Ma Ku Si finally arrived at Meihangzhongxin qiuguan, which was larger and more luxurious than he imagined.

He passed security, entered the arena, and then found his seat at the highest level; he could barely see the players below… the players looked as tiny as a lighter… such a seat costs $3,500? How could you not rob it.

He complained like that.

The newly‑met friend sitting beside him, Luo Bo Te, said: "No, this isn't a robbery; at least they gave you a ticket. A robbery would leave you with nothing."

Luo Bo Te bought his ticket from a scalper for $5,000.

Hearing that, Ma Ku Si felt much better.

And Luo Bo Te was also happy to hear that the other side's Kausins spent $7,000.

The happiness doesn't disappear; it just shifts from one person's face to another's.

The arena's atmosphere was great, and the home court had many activities. It was Ma Ku Si's first time seeing the cheerleaders' legs on the big screen… many nights he had been drooling at the TV. However, the arena's big‑screen projection made those thighs look a bit distorted, not as good as on a television.

When the home players entered, Ma Ku Si gave Wade De the loudest cheers.

The fans around him did the same.

No matter how famous James is, or whether he is the team's absolute core, it doesn't matter; he is always an outsider, while Wade De was selected and cultivated by them. Moreover, he helped them win the 21st‑century's only championship, also the Finals MVP.

When the visiting players entered, everyone booed Fan Xi.

Ma Ku Si finally saw the devil's face on the big screen… it was actually handsomer than on TV.

Luo Bo Te beside him said: "That guy is really handsome, no wonder…"

"Huh?" Ma Kusi was a bit out of touch with the times.

"You don't know? The street tabloids have spread it everywhere. Hai Si Wade, Fu Ke Si, Si Jia Li and Jennifer all gave him children…"

"Huh?" Ma Kusi was shocked: "Which Jennifer?"

"Zhan Ni Fu An Ni Si Dun!"

Hearing the name, Ma Kusi sprang up with a slap, joined the chorus of boos, and even shouted, "To hell with Jieke Fan!"

Sitting in that spot, even if he shouted until his throat was hoarse, Jieke Fan wouldn't hear.

However, there must have been people ahead who cursed Fan Xi the same way.

Rich people aren't necessarily of high quality.

Moreover, the demon Fan Xi has crushed all of the Heat's championship hopes. Without him, the Heat would already have been on the verge of a fifth straight title after four consecutive championships.

Unfortunately, there is no "if".

The game began.

Ma Kusi stood up, saw the devil handling the ball in the frontcourt on the big screen, gave a slight nod, Wade De couldn't help but retreat, and then he quickly made a shot.

A Three‑Point Shot.

"Just bullying an aging, injured Wade De," Luo Bo Te said angrily from the side.

Ma Kusi and the other fans agreed.

However, Ma Kusi thought to himself, this guy is really unbelievably accurate. After messing with so many Hao lai wu actresses, he's still this precise.

The game continued.

James answered back, drove into the paint and scored 2 points.

Then, Luo Bo Te said Kuaisuan had changed its lineup today.

He saw the demon at the top of the arc screen with Yue Ji Qi, then the demon passed to Yue Ji Qi, who hit a Three‑Point Shot from beyond the arc.

"Are they going to play the perimeter today?" Luo Bo Te, a basketball expert, commented there.

In the next possession, Fan Xi actually disrupted Bo Shi's shot, sprinting across the court like a ghost.

After blocking Bo Shi, he quickly launched an offense, and from a spot two meters inside the three‑point line he shot… Swoosh!

It went in.

Luo Bo Te clutched his head, still saying at the moment Fan Xi shot: "That shot is unreasonable."

When the basketball swished, he let out a painful wail.

Around Ma Kusi, wailing rose and fell.

To them, that three‑pointer was too painful.

Ma Kusi was also in pain. He couldn't help muttering, "Does this guy have a targeting device on his arm? Even GPS isn't as accurate as him."

"GPS error is a few meters; if he had GPS installed, that would be fine," Luo Bo Te complained nearby.

"This guy is really something," Ma Kusi mused.

The surrounding fans turned to look, but after confirming he was wearing the old‑style No. 33 Mo Ning jersey, they lowered their hostile gazes.

In fact, they all thought the same inside.

"Can he not be impressive? This demon has ruled us for four years; without any tricks, we'd have overthrown him long ago," Luo Bo Te said.

While they were speaking, Wade De made a layup.

He no longer looked as lightning‑fast as in 2006, but remained steady.

Heat fans, deep down, trust Wade De's clutch performance even more. Of course, James's clutch ability has also been convincingly strong these past two years.

The game continued.

The demon's touch was superb tonight; in the first quarter he hit three three‑pointers. He seemed determined to fulfill his earlier claim of regaining home‑court advantage.

Heat fans used to trash‑talk him, but later found that trashing him made him stronger, so they fell silent. Whatever wild words Fan Xi says, they don't provoke him.

To avoid bringing fire upon themselves.

Their compliance was like subjects ruled by Fan Xi.

However, despite their obedience, they couldn't stop Kuaisuan from leading 36‑29 in the first quarter, with Fan Xi alone scoring 17 points.

During the quarter break, Luo Bo Te said, "The demon must not go on a killing spree tonight; I feel that as long as his touch is on, even in the Finals he could score sixty or seventy points. He's a terrifying player; his scoring is generally considered inferior to Jordan's. If it were Jordan, I wouldn't worry about him dropping 70 points in a game, but him—I truly fear him."

Luo Bo Te's words resonated with the surrounding fans.

At that moment, Ma Kusi said, "If only this guy were a Heat player, how great."

Ma Kusi's remark made everyone glance sideways.

Luo Bo Te sighed, "If the Lakers had traded him back then, and we offered James or Bo Shi in exchange, the Lakers certainly wouldn't refuse."

"Who could have thought that? Pa Te Lai Li hasn't opened his third eye," a nearby fan named Ke Li Si chimed in. "But if you ask me whether I'd be willing, I'd definitely be. Le Bu Lang Zhang Si plus Ke Li Si Bo Shen for Jieke Fan, that's fine. That way, we'd have four straight titles. Even if we lose one or two championships, he'll definitely win them back."

The guy's words earned deep agreement from everyone.

Then, the second quarter began.

In the second quarter, Fan Xi remained dominant. The Heat's double‑team was useless; under pressure from James and Wade De, he executed a Stop‑and‑Go Jump Shot… he almost found the only opening in the crack… Swoosh!

The three‑pointer went in.

Luo Bo Te sighed beside him.

Many fans were deeply discouraged.

Ma Kusi thought for a long time; he'd truly never seen such a player. But now he had a strong feeling that the Heat would lose.

Kuaisuan's lineup wasn't weak at all; the roster Fan Xi built single‑handedly was fantastically dreamy and inexpensive.

Kuaisuan fans often mock Miami with cost‑performance jokes.

Miami could only listen.

This is the aura they should project; across the league no one can compare to him.

Who let them have a demon?

How great it would be if the demon were a Heat player!

Marcus thought to himself: Then we would call him a hero, or the Basketball God?

…

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