146: A new king is coming to Los Angeles, and a storm is brewing.

That power symbolized absolute control!

Lin Feng could feel it; it was like a dormant seed deep within his body, which had quietly cracked open a fissure because of the extreme strangulation of G7.

A trace—no, a surge—of an unprecedented, strange sensation was beginning to sprout.

However, the receding tide of adrenaline left his brain unable to think deeply.

Enormous fatigue, like a tidal wave, completely submerged him.

Meanwhile, the outside world had already gone completely mad over this great 'eighth seed' miracle!

The entire city of Los Angeles was plunged into a purple and gold carnival!

The next day, the front pages of all sports newspapers were occupied by the photo of Lin Feng kneeling on the ground, roaring at the sky.

The Los Angeles Times ran a massive headline: "The New King of Los Angeles! One Man's Eighth-Seed Miracle!"

ESPN columnists were even more generous with their praise.

“He inherited Kobe's obsession and possesses Magic Johnson's creativity! He is the greatest performer of individual heroism in this era!”

“After waiting for so long, Los Angeles has finally found its new heir to the throne!”

In every corner of the city—bars, restaurants, and the big screens in plazas—that miraculous goal from G7, featuring the Dual-Domain Switch, was being replayed frantically over and over again!

Lin Feng's name became the new faith of this city!

However, beneath this city-wide carnival...

Inside the Lakers' tactical meeting room, the atmosphere was as heavy as the final minute of G7.

There was no joy of victory on Kobe's face.

His expression was incredibly serious.

He pressed the play button on the remote control.

The huge screen above the tactical board lit up, beginning to play a game recording.

It was a highlight reel of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On the screen...

A lanky figure used completely illogical height and wingspan to hit a pull-up jumper from the mid-range!

The basketball swished through the net!

The scene shifted.

Another figure, like a cannonball fired from its barrel, used the most brutal physique to knock aside defenders and charge into the paint, completing a world-shaking tomahawk dunk!

Kevin Durant!

Russell Westbrook!

This 'King and Ace' duo, with talent overflowing from the screen, were devastating their opponents' defenses in the most unreasonable ways.

Kobe pressed the pause button.

The frame froze on Westbrook's face, which was distorted from roaring.

He looked around the meeting room at his teammates, who were still immersed in the joy of the 'eighth-seed' victory.

Kobe's voice was cold and sharp.

“Throw all those thoughts about the 'eighth-seed' miracle out of your heads!”

“Look at them!”

He pointed at Durant and Westbrook on the screen.

“This is not the San Antonio Spurs!”

“The San Antonio Spurs are a precision machine; we can use tactics and experience to dismantle them.”

“But they are not!”

Kobe's tone became incredibly solemn.

“They are pure talent! They are monsters of athleticism! They are beasts who can crush you directly using the simplest, most brutal methods!”

“In the upcoming series, this isn't an opponent that can be solved by tactics alone!”

“This is a war of talent!”

Kobe's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over everyone's heads.

The carnival atmosphere vanished.

It was replaced by a deep apprehension for the terrifying storm that was about to arrive.

Lin Feng sat in the corner, listening quietly.

Inside his locker, on his phone screen, there were still those two distinct messages.

“I'm waiting for you in Los Angeles.”

“I'm waiting for you in Oklahoma.”

He didn't reply.

He didn't even think about it anymore.

Kobe was right.

All off-court issues and emotional entanglements seemed insignificant in the face of this impending war of talent.

The only thing he needed to do now was recover his physical strength.

Then, he would pour all his energy into preparing for the Thunder.

Because he knew better than anyone...

Victory on the court is the only prerequisite for solving all problems.

Two days later.

The entire Lakers team arrived in Oklahoma.

The moment they stepped out of the airport terminal, a wave of hostile heat hit them in the face.

Outside the Chesapeake Energy Arena was a vast ocean of blue.

Thousands upon thousands of Thunder fans had crowded the area until it was impassable.

They didn't hurl insults.

They simply looked at every member of the Lakers with eyes full of contempt and hatred.

In the eyes of these die-hard Thunder fans...

The Lakers were shameless thieves who had stolen the fruits of victory from their arch-rivals, the San Antonio Spurs.

And Lin Feng was the leader of those thieves.

The deafening boos hadn't stopped from the first second they stepped onto this land.

The media before the game had hyped the atmosphere of this matchup to the extreme.

Major sports headlines were all discussing the same topic:

“Individual Hero vs. King-Ace Duo! Can Lin Feng's magic continue in Oklahoma?”

At the commentary desk, Charles Barkley gave his prediction.

“I admit Lin Feng played like a god in the series against the San Antonio Spurs.”

“But!”

Barkley shook his head, his tone certain.

“The Thunder are different!”

“He is miraculous, but he cannot take on two future Hall of Famers by himself!”

“He will be completely torn apart by that King-Ace duo!”

In this atmosphere where 'the mountain rain is coming and the wind fills the building,'

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals officially began!

When the stadium DJ announced the names of the Lakers players with the most passionate voice,

They were greeted by frantic boos loud enough to flip the roof off the arena!

“Beat LA!”

“Beat LA!”

The unified chants were like sonic weapons, battering the eardrums of every Lakers player.

The game officially started.

The Thunder won the opening possession.

The ball was handed to Russell Westbrook.

And then...

A scene that made the hearts of all Lakers fans stop occurred.

Westbrook didn't make any extra moves.

He didn't even glance at his teammates.

The moment he caught the ball at the top of the arc, his entire being was like a rocket being ignited!

He used a crossover that was so simple and brutal it was almost unreasonable!

One step!

It only took one step!

He blew past the aging Steve Nash standing in front of him like he was shaking off a training pylon!

The defensive line was instantly pierced!

Westbrook charged into the paint, his whole body soaring high!

His body stretched in the air like a fully drawn bow!

Against the undefended basket, he completed a powerful tomahawk dunk!

“Bang!”

The rim let out a groan of pain!

The entire Chesapeake Energy Arena was completely ignited at that moment!

The ocean of blue boiled over!

Westbrook landed.

He didn't immediately run back on defense.

He pounded his chest fiercely!

He turned around and let out a beastly, frantic roar at the Lakers' backcourt that he had just blown past!

“Roar!!!”

It was a declaration!

A declaration of whose territory this was!

A declaration of who would dominate this war of talent!

On the Lakers' bench...

Kobe watched this scene with a grim expression.

He knew.

The thing he worried about most had happened.

The Lakers' aging lineup, with its high average age, in the face of the Thunder's extreme and unreasonable athleticism...

Was a fatal flaw!

The Lakers went on the offensive.

The ball, as a matter of course, was handed to Lin Feng.

He had just dribbled across half-court...

When an unprecedented, suffocating defensive pressure enveloped him!

The Thunder's defensive strategy was simple and clear.

Use endless, toughest physical confrontation!

Use non-stop, top-tier athleticism!

To wear you down!

To exhaust you—the Lakers' only, and final, strong point!