58: Rookie Challenge Declaration

On the second day of All-Star Weekend, the Toyota Center was packed to capacity.

Tonight's main event was the Rising Stars Challenge.

It featured the Rookies taking on the Sophomores.

Lin Feng, as the core of the Sophomore team, was undoubtedly the biggest focus of the night.

Before the game, at the TNT broadcast table, commentators were conducting their final pre-game hype.

"We all know what Lin went through a few days ago."

"A crushing defeat, followed by Coach Popovich's ruthless criticism."

"Yes, the term 'circus basketball' is now known all across America."

"So tonight will be interesting. This is an exhibition game, which theoretically is the perfect stage for a 'circus'."

"But I suspect he'll restrain himself."

"Exactly. After suffering such a blow, any smart player would choose to play in a more team-oriented and steady manner to respond to outside criticism."

"Let's see how this Western Conference vote leader chooses to play."

With the referee's whistle, the game officially began.

The Sophomores took the first possession.

Lin Feng received the ball in the backcourt and unhurriedly dribbled it across half-court.

The Rookies' top pick, Anthony Bennett, squared up on defense, his eyes filled with the desire to challenge him.

Everyone expected Lin Feng to open the night's performance with a flashy crossover.

However, Lin Feng only performed a simple front crossover.

The moment Bennett shifted his center of gravity, Lin flicked his wrist, and the basketball, as if coming to life, bounced past Bennett's side.

The ball accurately found Victor Oladipo cutting from the baseline.

Oladipo caught the ball in stride and leaped for a thunderous two-handed dunk, igniting the crowd.

*Bang!*

2-0.

A collective gasp echoed through the Toyota Center.

Not for the dunk.

But for Lin Feng's pass—scalpel-precise and incredibly aesthetic.

The commentators at the broadcast table were also stunned for a moment.

"Whoa! An assist?"

"I thought he'd take it himself, but that was a perfect, textbook drive-and-kick!"

The Rookies attacked, but the shot missed.

The Sophomores grabbed the rebound and handed it back to Lin Feng to orchestrate.

This time, he faced the Rookie of the Year favorite, Michael Carter-Williams.

MCW spread his arms, trying to use his height and wingspan to disrupt Lin Feng.

Lin Feng performed consecutive between-the-legs dribbles, his rhythm unpredictable.

Suddenly, he accelerated, feinting a drive to the right.

MCW immediately slid over to cut him off.

Just before contact, Lin Feng went behind his back to his left hand while simultaneously stepping back.

A step-back jumper pose.

MCW immediately lunged forward!

But Lin Feng didn't jump at all.

With a flick of his wrist, he sent a no-look pass under MCW's arm to the opposite 45-degree angle.

Tim Hardaway Jr. was already waiting there.

Wide open.

Completely wide open.

*Swish!*

The three-pointer went in.

5-0.

The crowd erupted once more.

"Another assist!"

"My god! That pass! Does he have eyes in the back of his head?"

The commentator's voice jumped an octave.

"Lin Feng is orchestrating the offense! He's delivered two brilliant assists in a row to start! This is completely beyond our expectations!"

"He seems to be using his actions to answer the critics, telling everyone he's not just a scorer!"

The next few minutes turned entirely into Lin Feng's personal passing clinic.

Like a magician on the court, he used all sorts of inconceivable ways to deliver the ball precisely to his teammates.

Bounce passes, behind-the-back passes, over-the-head passes... every Sophomore possession ended in an easy score.

The lead widened rapidly.

The Sophomore teammates grew more excited as the game went on.

All they had to do was keep moving, and they'd receive Lin Feng's passes in the most comfortable spots to finish.

It felt incredible.

By the end of the first half, the score was set at 78-60.

The Sophomores were leading by a wide margin.

Lin Feng's stats were 6 points and 12 assists.

These numbers left all the media outlets that had predicted a scoring spree completely blindsided.

He controlled the game in a way no one had anticipated.

During halftime, the broadcast director cut to a VIP box in the stands.

On the giant screen appeared a face that men all over the world went crazy for.

Scarlett Johansson.

Wearing a simple white shirt and holding a pair of exquisite binoculars, she was watching the court with great interest.

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted from the crowd.

Scarlett waved elegantly to the camera, her red lips curling into a charming smile.

The second half began.

The leading Sophomores grew a bit complacent.

Led by MCW, the Rookies went on a scoring run, cutting the deficit to under 10 points.

The atmosphere in the arena grew tense again.

Just then, a synchronized chant began to rise from the stands.

"We want Lin-Show!"

"We want Lin-Show!"

The sound grew louder, merging into a wave of noise that echoed through the Toyota Center.

Ultimately, the fans wanted to see the all-powerful scoring machine.

Lin Feng heard the chants.

Standing on the court, he loosened his wrists.

He glanced at the bench, and D'Antoni just smiled at him, giving a casual "it's your turn" gesture.

Lin Feng understood.

The warm-up was over.

Sophomore possession.

Lin Feng had the ball again.

This time, his eyes changed.

The relaxed composure was gone, replaced by an aggressive focus.

Facing the defense, he didn't make any more passing fakes.

From two steps beyond the three-point line, he rose for a jumper without warning!

In mid-air, with an extremely contorted posture that defied all shooting logic, he released the ball.

Aomine Daiki's Formless Shot!

The basketball traced a bizarre arc through the air.

*Swish!*

Nothing but net!

"YES!"

The commentator jumped from his seat!

"He's here! He's finally here! Lin Feng has ignited the Houston night sky with a long-range Formless Shot!"

The entire crowd went absolutely wild!

This was the Lin Feng they wanted to see!

This was the reason they had voted for him!

After the shot, Lin Feng's expression didn't change.

He simply pointed a finger toward the sky and slowly jogged back to the defensive end.

But his performance was just beginning.

The next possession.

Facing a double-team, just before losing his balance and hitting the floor, he sent the ball into the hoop with an incredible underhanded floater.

And the next.

On a fast break, facing an open rim, he didn't choose to dunk. Instead, he did a 360-degree mid-air turn and finished with a reverse layup off the glass.

Flashy.

Utterly magnificent.

But unlike the game against the San Antonio Spurs, every one of his flashy plays was built on a premise.

That was, he used his unstoppable individual offense to draw nearly all of the defense's attention.

When the opponents thought he was going to force another shot, he would always find a teammate left wide open.

A bounce pass for an easy teammate dunk.

A drive-and-kick for a teammate's corner three.

Scoring, assisting, scoring, assisting... the final five minutes of the game turned completely into the Lin Feng show.

He was both the finisher and the creator.

He used flashy individual plays to attract the defense and then tore through their lines with precise passing.

The Rookies were completely shell-shocked.

They didn't know how to defend him.

Guard his shot? He'd pass.

Guard the pass? He could make the shot from any position.

This was a higher level of "circus basketball" that simply couldn't be contained.

When the final buzzer sounded, the score was 145-120.

Lin Feng's final stat line was...

28 points, 2 rebounds, and 15 assists.

There was no suspense.

NBA Commissioner David Stern walked onto the court and personally handed the Rising Stars Challenge MVP trophy to Lin Feng.

"Congratulations, Lin."

"That was a great performance."

Lin Feng took the trophy and raised it high.

Chants of "MVP" rang out through the arena once more.

In the VIP box, Scarlett put down her binoculars.

In her green eyes, a growing light sparkled.

"He's not just a trapped beast."

She said softly to the Agent beside her.

"He also knows how to use his fangs to carve out a hunting path for his companions."

"That's much more charming than simple, mindless charging."

...The award ceremony ended, and Lin Feng walked toward the player tunnel under the guidance of staff.

Just as he turned a corner, he saw a figure leaning against the wall.

Still in that simple white shirt and black trousers, yet they outlined a stunning silhouette.

It was Scarlett Johansson.

She seemed to be waiting for him.

"Congratulations, Mr. MVP."

Scarlett's voice carried a hint of languid amusement.

"Tonight's artistic performance was in a completely different style than the last one."

Lin Feng walked up to her and stopped.

"I just wanted to show the audience a different collection of mine."

His answer was calm and composed.

The amusement in Scarlett's eyes deepened.

"Very... captivating."

She paused, as if mentioning it casually.

"It reminds me of the auction tomorrow night."

"There's a Triptych by Francis Bacon that I'm very interested in."

"I've always felt that the distorted, struggling figures in his paintings have a unique, fascinating power."

After Scarlett finished speaking, she gave Lin Feng a deep look.

That look was full of suggestion.

"I hope to see you there."

She said no more, turned around, and with elegant steps, disappeared at the other end of the tunnel.