61: The Queen's Private Gallery

The initial surprise in Scarlett Johansson's emerald eyes was quickly replaced by a thick sense of playfulness.

She looked at the man before her, and at the painting he had handed over.

Eventually, that playful gaze settled, transforming into a pure, warm appreciation.

She extended her delicate hand, clad in an exquisite glove, and gently took the massive artwork.

The painting was heavy, but she held it steadily.

Her signature red lips curved upward in a world-toppling arc; this time, her smile lacked the previous teasing and testing, holding only sincerity.

"Mr. Lin, you always manage to surprise me."

Her voice wasn't loud, yet it reached the ears of everyone in the venue clearly.

"This return gift is far too precious."

"I like it very, very much."

Lin Feng simply looked at her calmly and offered a slight smile.

"It belongs to you."

Four simple words, yet they held more power than any flowery rhetoric.

Scarlett held the painting and winked at him, her emerald eyes seemingly sparkling with stars.

"Since I've received such a precious gift, wouldn't it be proper etiquette for me to offer something in return?"

There was a hint of craftiness in her words.

"I think you might be interested in visiting my private gallery to see the rest of my collection?"

This was an explicit, undisguised private invitation.

An invitation that belonged only to the two of them.

Lin Feng's heart was as calm as still water.

He knew that his hunt for the 'Eye of the Heavenly Emperor' had been declared a success.

"It would be my honor."

...The All-Star Main Game kicked off amidst massive anticipation.

The atmosphere at the Houston Toyota Center reached its peak of the three-day event.

On the court were the twenty-four top basketball players on the planet.

Lin Feng, as the Western Conference starting guard, stood on the court alongside his idol, Kobe Bryant.

The game began.

The West won the first possession.

Chris Paul brought the ball across half-court, glanced at Lin Feng, then at Kobe, and ultimately handed the ball to the latter.

Kobe held the ball, faced LeBron James's defense, performed a jab step, and went straight into a turnaround fadeaway.

Clang!

The basketball missed.

The East Team grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break, with Wade assisting James for a tomahawk dunk.

The atmosphere in the arena was instantly ignited.

Western Conference offense.

This time, the ball was in Lin Feng's hands.

Everyone expected this newly crowned Three-Point King and Rising Stars MVP to retaliate with a flashy individual offensive move.

But he didn't.

He just dribbled unhurriedly, observing the situation on the court.

Kobe was moving along the baseline, shaking off his defender, and raised his hand for the ball.

Lin Feng didn't pass.

He suddenly accelerated, charging toward the paint.

The East Team's defense immediately collapsed inward as Tyson Chandler stepped up to help.

Just when everyone thought he was going for a forced layup or a floater, Lin Feng flicked his wrist, and the basketball incredibly zipped past Chandler's waist.

A perfectly precise bounce pass.

The ball seemed to have eyes, crossing the entire restricted area to reach Kobe on the other side.

When Kobe caught the ball, there was no one in front of him.

He even had time to adjust his stance before calmly jumping.

Swish.

The three-pointer went in.

The entire arena erupted in a massive cheer.

After Kobe landed, he looked at Lin Feng and gave him a thumbs-up.

Lin Feng just nodded and calmly ran back to the backcourt.

For the rest of the game, Lin Feng completely transformed into a perfect playmaker.

He didn't take many individual shots; every time he held the ball, his first choice was always to find Kobe.

When Kobe was double-teamed, he could use precise passes to find Durant, Paul, or Griffin.

His passing was effortless yet lethal, always appearing in the most inconceivable spots, yet perfectly timed.

"Hey, kid, nice pass!"

After catching a cross-court long pass from Lin Feng for an easy dunk, Durant smiled and patted him on the back.

Lin Feng's presence made the Western Conference offense flow like water.

He was like a precise commander, perfectly melding the power of all the superstars together.

Of course, he didn't completely hide his fangs.

Late in the second quarter, the East Team went on an offensive run to take the lead.

At a critical moment, Lin Feng received a pass two steps behind the three-point line.

Faced with a double-team from Anthony and Wade, he didn't hesitate and pulled up for a jumper.

His body twisted into an incredible posture in mid-air.

Formless Shot!

Swish!

The buzzer-beater went in!

This shot stabilized the situation and reminded all opponents that this pass-first playmaker was also a terrifying scoring machine.

In the second half, the game reached a fever pitch.

The two sides traded blows, and the lead changed hands repeatedly.

Lin Feng continued to spare no effort in setting up Kobe, helping the veteran enjoy what might be his final All-Star journey to the fullest.

Under his orchestration, Kobe's shooting hand was hot, and his points continued to climb.

With the final two minutes of the game remaining, the West led by only one point.

On the East Team's possession, James drove and drew a foul, making both free throws to retake the lead.

The West was left with one final offensive opportunity.

Everyone looked toward Lin Feng or Durant.

During the timeout, Western Conference head coach Popovich just looked at Kobe.

"Kobe, you take the final shot."

Kobe didn't decline; he glanced at Lin Feng beside him.

"Kid, set a good screen for me."

"Understood."

The game resumed.

Lin Feng received the ball in the backcourt and advanced quickly.

The East Team's defensive strategy was clear: stick to Kobe like glue and let Lin Feng drive.

Lin Feng dribbled to the top of the arc; Kobe used a screen from Griffin to run to the wing, but James followed him like a shadow.

There was no opening.

Lin Feng glanced at the shot clock; only five seconds remained.

He suddenly burst forward, shaking off Irving's defense with a crossover and charging into the paint.

Bosh and Anthony immediately collapsed inward, forming a wall of people.

In mid-air, facing the triple-team, Lin Feng's body had already lost its balance.

He didn't shoot.

Instead, using a posture no one could have expected, he whipped the ball from behind his back toward the corner.

There, Kobe had somehow shaken off James and appeared in an open spot.

Time seemed to slow down at this moment.

Kobe caught the ball, jumped, and shot.

The basketball traced a high arc through the air.

The eyes of the entire arena followed that orange ball.

Swish!

Game winner!

The final buzzer sounded, Kobe raised his arms high, and the entire Toyota Center fell into a frenzy.

Teammates swarmed forward, surrounding Kobe.

Kobe pushed through the crowd and walked toward the young man who was just standing to the side, looking at him calmly.

He walked over and gave Lin Feng a powerful hug.

"Great job, kid."

Ultimately, with a game-high 38 points and the final game-winner, Kobe Bryant hoisted the All-Star Game MVP trophy without any suspense.

During his acceptance speech, he specifically mentioned Lin Feng.

"I want to thank my teammates, especially Lin. Without him, I wouldn't have this trophy. He reminds me of my younger self, but he is smarter than I was."

This sentence was broadcast to the entire world.

With that, the All-Star Weekend came to a close.

Lin Feng returned fully loaded.

Rising Stars Challenge MVP, Three-Point Contest Champion, and the assist leader of the All-Star Main Game.

More importantly, he knew that the key to unlocking the 'Eye of the Heavenly Emperor' was now in his hands.

The Lakers returned to Los Angeles.

After a brief rest, the team dove back into intense training.

The brutal schedule for the second half of the regular season was already upon them.

In particular, the next game—a crucial seeding battle away against the Houston Rockets—was of vital importance.

After practice, Lin Feng returned to his apartment in Beverly Hills.

He took a shower and stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the dazzling night view of Los Angeles.

Just then, his phone screen lit up.

It was a text message.

From a number that was unfamiliar, yet incredibly known to him.

"My gallery in Malibu is open tonight for you alone."